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 TWELVE
"Are you okay Ben? You look tired."
"I'm fine."
Max was feeling wrecked herself, completely aware that she wasn't going to survive for much longer. There was no way to escape. Ben looked angry at her still, as well as worn out and stressed.
"Why don't you just kill me already?"
"Orders."
"Maybe you just can't bring yourself to."
"That's funny Maxie. But when the time comes, I will bring myself just fine to completing the mission."
"And what is the mission?"
"Yeah right, I'm gonna come straight out and tell you what I'm to do."
"Might help relieve some tension."
"I have my hand for that."
"Funny.I know you hate me Ben, but I still love you as my big brother and I know that whatever is going on with you is driving you insane.again."
Ben stopped and looked at her, his liquid eyes overcome with pain,
"That was a low blow Maxie."
"Not one that wasn't warranted."
"Right, I'm the insane one. At least I don't pretend what I am. You are constantly hiding, running, blaming others. Take some responsibility for yourself Max, admit to what you have done."
"What have I done?"
"You've killed people."
"We both have."
"I never did it for my own fun. I did it out of duty. I saw what you have done, the bodies.the blood and the teeth. All for your own pleasure."
Max wrinkled her forehead in confusion at him, her delicate brown eyebrows knitting together anxiously,
"What are you talking about?"
"That day in the forest. You remember. We were trained to do those things. But when we escaped Gillette, you should have left that training behind with Manticore."
"Ben, I don't understand."
"You killed people and blamed me, then you killed me so that Manticore would find me and leave the blame with me. But they were smarter than that, they knew it was you, they knew just how you ticked. And so they brought me back, so that I could bring you back."
"It's not true, I didn't do the things they told you I did. Ben, look at me. I am your baby sister, I wouldn't lie to you."
"No, you'd just kill me. I don't want to hear it Max, I know the truth and you shouldn't have done what you did."
"I didn't. I wish I could prove it to you, but I cant. But don't you believe my word over theirs?"
"They never lied to me. They never killed me. They raised me and made me who I am. You are a traitor, not just to Manticore, but to me too."
He looked at her, studying her face with a serious expression on his face. Then he turned and walked away silently, shaking his head.
* * * * *
"What are we going to do?"
"What do you mean Logan?"
"Alec, do you mean that you are just going to give yourself up for her?"
"That's the idea."
"You'll be killed."
"Maybe. But it will save Max and that's what is important here."
Logan pulled off his glasses and cleaned them wearily on his shirt. Alec stared coolly out the window of Foggle Towers at the scungy city below.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me, I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for Max, I owe her at least this. She has saved me countless times, I'm not gonna stand by and let her die at the hands of a madman like Lydecker."
The two fell silent again, both jumping when the phone's sharp ring pierced through the hush.
"Hello?"
"494. Leave the towers now, leave your cell phone. Be at the sector 9 phone booth at the intersection of Grant and Wallow. You have 10 minutes."
The phone clicked and Alec pocketed it, glancing at Logan briefly, before jumping out the window. He landed smoothly on the building below and was out of sight before Logan had registered what was happening.
* * * * *
Alec leaned against a pole, steadying his breathing. He picked up the ringing phone in the booth on the first sound.
"Its me."
"I gathered 494. Impressive - even for an X series. Take the sewer tunnels to the grotto situated under the Space Needle. You have 7 minutes."
"Wait, don't hang up. Why are you doing this?"
"Questions later. You have 6 minutes 40 seconds left."
Alec sighed and dropped the phone, before running over to a sewer cover and removing it. He dropped down, ignoring the ladder and raced through the network of underground tunnels. His feet flew along the slimy ground, they became a hazy picture as they sped onwards, as though wings guided them. Alec tripped and landed in a vast cavern. He rubbed the spot his head had hit the floor and winced as a loud-echoed phone ring filled the grotto. He grabbed the cell phone on the ground and clicked it on,
"Yeah?"
"Very good soldier. I'm up the top of the Needle. Come up."
Alec rolled his head around gingerly, before climbing to his feet and exiting the sewer system. Moments later, he was on the top floor of the Space Needle, carefully surveying his surroundings. He blinked and in an instance was knocked out and tackled onto the dusty floor by a speeding figure. He opened his eyes minutes later and found himself staring into his reflection. He wearily struggled to sit up and found that he couldn't move. He crinkled his eyes in pain as he stared helplessly at the needle being pushed into his arm. Alec moved his lips in an attempt to speak, before collapsing his head and drifting off into a deep sleep.
* * * * *
"What should we do with X5-452?"
"She is no longer needed for 494's capture. Keep her in detainment for the time being. He may need a donor after the first set of tests we have planned."
"Yes sir!"
"I assume 494 has been securely contained, I do not want any problems with the operation."
"494 is secured as you wish sir!"
"Excellent. Dismissed soldier."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWELVE
"Are you okay Ben? You look tired."
"I'm fine."
Max was feeling wrecked herself, completely aware that she wasn't going to survive for much longer. There was no way to escape. Ben looked angry at her still, as well as worn out and stressed.
"Why don't you just kill me already?"
"Orders."
"Maybe you just can't bring yourself to."
"That's funny Maxie. But when the time comes, I will bring myself just fine to completing the mission."
"And what is the mission?"
"Yeah right, I'm gonna come straight out and tell you what I'm to do."
"Might help relieve some tension."
"I have my hand for that."
"Funny.I know you hate me Ben, but I still love you as my big brother and I know that whatever is going on with you is driving you insane.again."
Ben stopped and looked at her, his liquid eyes overcome with pain,
"That was a low blow Maxie."
"Not one that wasn't warranted."
"Right, I'm the insane one. At least I don't pretend what I am. You are constantly hiding, running, blaming others. Take some responsibility for yourself Max, admit to what you have done."
"What have I done?"
"You've killed people."
"We both have."
"I never did it for my own fun. I did it out of duty. I saw what you have done, the bodies.the blood and the teeth. All for your own pleasure."
Max wrinkled her forehead in confusion at him, her delicate brown eyebrows knitting together anxiously,
"What are you talking about?"
"That day in the forest. You remember. We were trained to do those things. But when we escaped Gillette, you should have left that training behind with Manticore."
"Ben, I don't understand."
"You killed people and blamed me, then you killed me so that Manticore would find me and leave the blame with me. But they were smarter than that, they knew it was you, they knew just how you ticked. And so they brought me back, so that I could bring you back."
"It's not true, I didn't do the things they told you I did. Ben, look at me. I am your baby sister, I wouldn't lie to you."
"No, you'd just kill me. I don't want to hear it Max, I know the truth and you shouldn't have done what you did."
"I didn't. I wish I could prove it to you, but I cant. But don't you believe my word over theirs?"
"They never lied to me. They never killed me. They raised me and made me who I am. You are a traitor, not just to Manticore, but to me too."
He looked at her, studying her face with a serious expression on his face. Then he turned and walked away silently, shaking his head.
* * * * *
"What are we going to do?"
"What do you mean Logan?"
"Alec, do you mean that you are just going to give yourself up for her?"
"That's the idea."
"You'll be killed."
"Maybe. But it will save Max and that's what is important here."
Logan pulled off his glasses and cleaned them wearily on his shirt. Alec stared coolly out the window of Foggle Towers at the scungy city below.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me, I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for Max, I owe her at least this. She has saved me countless times, I'm not gonna stand by and let her die at the hands of a madman like Lydecker."
The two fell silent again, both jumping when the phone's sharp ring pierced through the hush.
"Hello?"
"494. Leave the towers now, leave your cell phone. Be at the sector 9 phone booth at the intersection of Grant and Wallow. You have 10 minutes."
The phone clicked and Alec pocketed it, glancing at Logan briefly, before jumping out the window. He landed smoothly on the building below and was out of sight before Logan had registered what was happening.
* * * * *
Alec leaned against a pole, steadying his breathing. He picked up the ringing phone in the booth on the first sound.
"Its me."
"I gathered 494. Impressive - even for an X series. Take the sewer tunnels to the grotto situated under the Space Needle. You have 7 minutes."
"Wait, don't hang up. Why are you doing this?"
"Questions later. You have 6 minutes 40 seconds left."
Alec sighed and dropped the phone, before running over to a sewer cover and removing it. He dropped down, ignoring the ladder and raced through the network of underground tunnels. His feet flew along the slimy ground, they became a hazy picture as they sped onwards, as though wings guided them. Alec tripped and landed in a vast cavern. He rubbed the spot his head had hit the floor and winced as a loud-echoed phone ring filled the grotto. He grabbed the cell phone on the ground and clicked it on,
"Yeah?"
"Very good soldier. I'm up the top of the Needle. Come up."
Alec rolled his head around gingerly, before climbing to his feet and exiting the sewer system. Moments later, he was on the top floor of the Space Needle, carefully surveying his surroundings. He blinked and in an instance was knocked out and tackled onto the dusty floor by a speeding figure. He opened his eyes minutes later and found himself staring into his reflection. He wearily struggled to sit up and found that he couldn't move. He crinkled his eyes in pain as he stared helplessly at the needle being pushed into his arm. Alec moved his lips in an attempt to speak, before collapsing his head and drifting off into a deep sleep.
* * * * *
"What should we do with X5-452?"
"She is no longer needed for 494's capture. Keep her in detainment for the time being. He may need a donor after the first set of tests we have planned."
"Yes sir!"
"I assume 494 has been securely contained, I do not want any problems with the operation."
"494 is secured as you wish sir!"
"Excellent. Dismissed soldier."