Spoilers: Set after Hello, Goodbye - so anything prior to this
episode is spoiled and as the story continues, it may impinge
slightly on other episodes after unintentionally.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that we owe
thanks to James Cameron, FOX and anyone else associated with
Dark Angel.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER FIVE
"It was staged.",
Logan told the two 5s sitting on his couch. Alec hadn't spoken since being at the clearing and seeing the bodies with his barcode. He just kept the same stunned look on his face and Max couldn't understand why it was bothering him so much. He was raised a soldier, such a thing shouldn't have been a problem. Max looked at him, then Logan and spoke through a mouthful of chicken,
"Humph?"
"This. It was staged. No blood around the rock. No tracks in the ground. One transgenic couldn't kill 5 people without them making some sort of mess. Could they?"
"A transgenic didn't do this. It was Lydecker."
Logan shifted nervously, before answering the worked up female,
"Max, it couldn't be Donald Lydecker. One, he is most likely dead. Two, he has no motive - he no longer works for Manticore and he always saw the best of your abilities, not that like others."
"He knew all the specifics. It was exact, every detail precise. Except the barcode that was."
Alec looked up for the first time speaking,
"Different.mine. Me. That must mean something, a message of some kind."
Max touched his hand lightly with her own.
"Max. Alec. You guys might like to pin this one on old Deck, but it could be anyone from Manticore. Any of them could have been privy to this sort of information."
They both nodded grudgingly and Alec absentmindedly reached over to pick at Max's plate of chicken.
"Hey!"
"Wha?"
"That's mine! Get your own!"
"It tastes better when it's someone else's."
"Well at least you're back to normal I guess."
"Yep, welcome back smart Alec a.k.a. Dick. But seriously, we need to sort this out. I don't want this hanging over my head."
"It isn't on you Alec. This is some sicko trying to blame you."
"And who's the registered sicko in our lives these days?"
Max and Alec turned to look at each other, their eyes meeting and their jaws dropped in realisation. They spoke in slack tones at the same time,
"WHITE!"
* * * * *
Alec and Max were fidgeting loudly in the living room of Logan's apartment. They were driving him insane again and he needed to put all his concentration into solving this puzzle. As far as he was concerned, it probably was an act of Alec, a desperate cry for attention - which had been the result. But deep down Logan knew that Alec couldn't have killed those people and far be it for him to sit back and let the body count rise. He was Eyes Only; a superhero; a crusader. Logan smiled at the faint reflection in the computer monitor and flashed a too wide grin. Alec watched the man with pursed lips in an effort not to burst into laughter. Max followed his eye line and gave a loud yelp of surprise and hilarity,
"Logan! What are you doing?"
His head, shot around quickly, causing him to blush deeply at being caught in his self-admiration and the two X5s bowled over sniggering in great gasps.
"You know what guys, I'm gonna be working on this for the rest of the night. Why don't you head off? I'll call you or beep you when I've got something."
Alec jumped up and raised his hands up in a cheer. Max frowned at him as she spoke,
"You sure?"
"Yeah, just hang on. Does this mean anything to you?"
Logan pulled up a window with a picture. Max nodded and whispered softly,
"Ben's Blue Lady."
Alec stared at the image in horror.
Flashback:
"Tell us what you see 494!"
"It's a white card."
"Don't be smart 494. Do you see her?"
"Who?"
"The lady. I believe you X5s all refer to her as the blue lady."
"No sir! I see only a blank card!"
"510, use hypnosis. I want to know if he's lying or hiding something. I want to know what he knows."
"Yes sir! But."
"WHAT?"
"Permission to speak freely?"
"Granted."
"He has been in here for 4 months and nothing."
"Soldier, you wouldn't be questioning me?"
"No sir! Sorry sir!"
* * * * *
Max gently shook his shoulders as his body started trembling.
"Alec?",
His eyes were vacant and unfocused. She waved a hand in front of them, causing him to blink and rest his eyes on her face,
"Sorry. What?"
"What just happened, you totally zoned out."
"Just thinking."
"What about?"
"Having a drink at Crash, let's go."
She sighed and followed him out, waving a quick goodbye to Logan, who was clenching his jaw tightly, as his eyes caught Max putting her hand against Alec's back.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER FIVE
"It was staged.",
Logan told the two 5s sitting on his couch. Alec hadn't spoken since being at the clearing and seeing the bodies with his barcode. He just kept the same stunned look on his face and Max couldn't understand why it was bothering him so much. He was raised a soldier, such a thing shouldn't have been a problem. Max looked at him, then Logan and spoke through a mouthful of chicken,
"Humph?"
"This. It was staged. No blood around the rock. No tracks in the ground. One transgenic couldn't kill 5 people without them making some sort of mess. Could they?"
"A transgenic didn't do this. It was Lydecker."
Logan shifted nervously, before answering the worked up female,
"Max, it couldn't be Donald Lydecker. One, he is most likely dead. Two, he has no motive - he no longer works for Manticore and he always saw the best of your abilities, not that like others."
"He knew all the specifics. It was exact, every detail precise. Except the barcode that was."
Alec looked up for the first time speaking,
"Different.mine. Me. That must mean something, a message of some kind."
Max touched his hand lightly with her own.
"Max. Alec. You guys might like to pin this one on old Deck, but it could be anyone from Manticore. Any of them could have been privy to this sort of information."
They both nodded grudgingly and Alec absentmindedly reached over to pick at Max's plate of chicken.
"Hey!"
"Wha?"
"That's mine! Get your own!"
"It tastes better when it's someone else's."
"Well at least you're back to normal I guess."
"Yep, welcome back smart Alec a.k.a. Dick. But seriously, we need to sort this out. I don't want this hanging over my head."
"It isn't on you Alec. This is some sicko trying to blame you."
"And who's the registered sicko in our lives these days?"
Max and Alec turned to look at each other, their eyes meeting and their jaws dropped in realisation. They spoke in slack tones at the same time,
"WHITE!"
* * * * *
Alec and Max were fidgeting loudly in the living room of Logan's apartment. They were driving him insane again and he needed to put all his concentration into solving this puzzle. As far as he was concerned, it probably was an act of Alec, a desperate cry for attention - which had been the result. But deep down Logan knew that Alec couldn't have killed those people and far be it for him to sit back and let the body count rise. He was Eyes Only; a superhero; a crusader. Logan smiled at the faint reflection in the computer monitor and flashed a too wide grin. Alec watched the man with pursed lips in an effort not to burst into laughter. Max followed his eye line and gave a loud yelp of surprise and hilarity,
"Logan! What are you doing?"
His head, shot around quickly, causing him to blush deeply at being caught in his self-admiration and the two X5s bowled over sniggering in great gasps.
"You know what guys, I'm gonna be working on this for the rest of the night. Why don't you head off? I'll call you or beep you when I've got something."
Alec jumped up and raised his hands up in a cheer. Max frowned at him as she spoke,
"You sure?"
"Yeah, just hang on. Does this mean anything to you?"
Logan pulled up a window with a picture. Max nodded and whispered softly,
"Ben's Blue Lady."
Alec stared at the image in horror.
Flashback:
"Tell us what you see 494!"
"It's a white card."
"Don't be smart 494. Do you see her?"
"Who?"
"The lady. I believe you X5s all refer to her as the blue lady."
"No sir! I see only a blank card!"
"510, use hypnosis. I want to know if he's lying or hiding something. I want to know what he knows."
"Yes sir! But."
"WHAT?"
"Permission to speak freely?"
"Granted."
"He has been in here for 4 months and nothing."
"Soldier, you wouldn't be questioning me?"
"No sir! Sorry sir!"
* * * * *
Max gently shook his shoulders as his body started trembling.
"Alec?",
His eyes were vacant and unfocused. She waved a hand in front of them, causing him to blink and rest his eyes on her face,
"Sorry. What?"
"What just happened, you totally zoned out."
"Just thinking."
"What about?"
"Having a drink at Crash, let's go."
She sighed and followed him out, waving a quick goodbye to Logan, who was clenching his jaw tightly, as his eyes caught Max putting her hand against Alec's back.