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 TEN
"Wakey, wakey, sleepy head."
Max felt a strong hand shake her as she awoke. She gazed into the eyes of the man who had shook her and felt comfort sweep through her.
"Alec, what's going on?"
She tried to move, before realising she was secured to the wall in a manner that made escape impossible.
"Maxie, Maxie, Maxie. I'm disappointed. You just don't get it, do you? Bet Zack would be real disappointed with you too. He told you to leave Seattle, but you just wouldn't listen. If you had, then maybe this wouldn't be happening."
"Why are you doing this?"
"You know, I seem to recall you asking me that before. A long time ago. For once it wasn't me asking why."
"What."
She stared in confusion at him, as he turned around to pick up a silver rod on a nearby table. Her eyes traced his barcode. It shouldn't have returned so soon. She would've hit herself had her hands been free, but instead her jaw dropped as she spoke flatly,
"Ben?"
He turned back to her, his eyes cold and unfeeling,
"Hello baby sister. Miss me?"
He smashed the rod against her head and she blacked out again instantly.
* * * * *
Max's eyes opened slowly and she adjusted uncomfortably to her surroundings. Then everything that had happened came rushing back all at once. She tried to move her arms and legs, but they seemed to be frozen. She moved her jaw slowly and eventually words came out,
"Ben?"
He stuck his head out from a room on the side,
"Well hello beautiful. Was beginning to think you'd never wake up."
He smiled at her and she swallowed a lump in her throat, she couldn't believe he was alive. And the whole time she had known Alec she had always looked at him like he was Ben, now she had them both in her life and she would never be able to share that with Alec.
"I missed you big brother. You don't know how happy I am to see you."
"Well you'll change your mind soon enough."
* * * * *
"You don't want to hurt me, Ben."
"Why not Max? You hurt me, you came after me to hurt me and then you killed me."
"You told me to."
"You were never one to follow orders, that's not you."
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to kill you, but I did what you told me to. And it tore me up because I couldn't even properly mourn you as Lydecker took your body. I cried for you so much, I lost my brother. I killed you because you didn't want to end up back at Manticore."
"I never asked you to kill me. You are a liar. I did end up back at Manticore, they brought me back to life."
Max started crying, hiccupping severely through her racking sobs,
"I'm sorry. I thought I had stopped them from taking you."
Ben stepped up o her and wiped gently at her falling tears,
"Don't worry baby sister, I'm not going to hurt you yet."
* * * * *
Flashback:
Ben is strapped down onto a steel chair; eyes pried open to watch the screen in front of him, subliminal messages being flashed repeatedly at him.
Picture of Max
452
Traitor
She killed you
Deceit
Max
She killed people and blamed you
No such thing as faith.
"My faith is my strength."
"493, there is no such thing. What you see before you is the truth, don't question that."
Killer
Traitor
Mission
Discipline
Duty
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TEN
"Wakey, wakey, sleepy head."
Max felt a strong hand shake her as she awoke. She gazed into the eyes of the man who had shook her and felt comfort sweep through her.
"Alec, what's going on?"
She tried to move, before realising she was secured to the wall in a manner that made escape impossible.
"Maxie, Maxie, Maxie. I'm disappointed. You just don't get it, do you? Bet Zack would be real disappointed with you too. He told you to leave Seattle, but you just wouldn't listen. If you had, then maybe this wouldn't be happening."
"Why are you doing this?"
"You know, I seem to recall you asking me that before. A long time ago. For once it wasn't me asking why."
"What."
She stared in confusion at him, as he turned around to pick up a silver rod on a nearby table. Her eyes traced his barcode. It shouldn't have returned so soon. She would've hit herself had her hands been free, but instead her jaw dropped as she spoke flatly,
"Ben?"
He turned back to her, his eyes cold and unfeeling,
"Hello baby sister. Miss me?"
He smashed the rod against her head and she blacked out again instantly.
* * * * *
Max's eyes opened slowly and she adjusted uncomfortably to her surroundings. Then everything that had happened came rushing back all at once. She tried to move her arms and legs, but they seemed to be frozen. She moved her jaw slowly and eventually words came out,
"Ben?"
He stuck his head out from a room on the side,
"Well hello beautiful. Was beginning to think you'd never wake up."
He smiled at her and she swallowed a lump in her throat, she couldn't believe he was alive. And the whole time she had known Alec she had always looked at him like he was Ben, now she had them both in her life and she would never be able to share that with Alec.
"I missed you big brother. You don't know how happy I am to see you."
"Well you'll change your mind soon enough."
* * * * *
"You don't want to hurt me, Ben."
"Why not Max? You hurt me, you came after me to hurt me and then you killed me."
"You told me to."
"You were never one to follow orders, that's not you."
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to kill you, but I did what you told me to. And it tore me up because I couldn't even properly mourn you as Lydecker took your body. I cried for you so much, I lost my brother. I killed you because you didn't want to end up back at Manticore."
"I never asked you to kill me. You are a liar. I did end up back at Manticore, they brought me back to life."
Max started crying, hiccupping severely through her racking sobs,
"I'm sorry. I thought I had stopped them from taking you."
Ben stepped up o her and wiped gently at her falling tears,
"Don't worry baby sister, I'm not going to hurt you yet."
* * * * *
Flashback:
Ben is strapped down onto a steel chair; eyes pried open to watch the screen in front of him, subliminal messages being flashed repeatedly at him.
Picture of Max
452
Traitor
She killed you
Deceit
Max
She killed people and blamed you
No such thing as faith.
"My faith is my strength."
"493, there is no such thing. What you see before you is the truth, don't question that."
Killer
Traitor
Mission
Discipline
Duty