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 NINETEEN
Silence.
Sometimes Max craved it, usually when she was around yappy Alec. Right now, it was the farthest thing from what she wanted. But her it was, unwelcome. Ben's body sprawled out on the couch in the position she had dropped him, her tears still splattered on his face. And Logan, chained to the wall, his exoskeleton and chair gone, he was dangling almost lifelessly. She focused on the situation on hand, desperate to break the piercing silence.
"I thought your father was dead."
"No. Barely alive. Not that he can feel it slipping away. My foster father is the dead one. My real dad, he is still kicking on."
"I never knew you were adopted."
"Almost no one does."
Max paused, wondering where this cryptic conversation was leading, before she continued,
"Who was he? Your father."
"I might as well tell you, you'll kill me anyway. His name I think it will ring a bell. I left all the clues for you to figure it out, but you just couldn't. His name is Sandeman. Matthew Christopher Sandeman."
Logan's face became overcome with grim determination and Max nodded, desperate for him to continue. She realised that everything was falling into place. Sandeman created Manticore, giving up his own son for adoption most likely so he could concentrate on his whacked out gene-splicing dreams to created the perfect race. When Max had raised Logan's interest in Manticore, he discovered his real father was the founder. She looked up, realising that he was still talking,
"Cult.Familiars."
"Sorry what did you just say?"
Logan's face took on that ugly disapproving look she hated because it made him look twenty years older than he was and was extremely unflattering. Max found herself almost apologising, before remembering the situation,
"What about the familiars?"
"Are you going to listen this time? Sandeman was a familiar. You knew that. What you didn't know is that he and his mate gave birth to three sons, including myself. The oldest, my brother, he didn't pass the initiation test with the poisoned snake blood. He died. He wasn't strong enough, neither was I.Sandeman, dad, saved me from death and sent me away so I wouldn't die. My youngest brother survived the test, he has kept in touch with me though."
"Your brother is a familiar?"
*Traitor, I knew it*
"So he's working with White and the rest of the cult loonies?"
"No, not quite."
"What's that supposed to mean Logan?",
Max asked, genuinely confused,
"Explain it to me."
"Well he's not working with White.he is White. My little brother is Ames White."
Her face demonstrated her shock as she struggled to register what had just been said. To her dismay, it made sense too. No wonder White had always been one step ahead of her or closing on her trail. It seemed like he constantly knew what her next move would be.
"That's the only reason he never killed you. He knew I was in love with you. That and of course his interest in your DNA, which I myself can relate."
"Oh gee, thanks!",
Max bit at him sharply, her voice dripping with sarcasm,
"My hero!"
"You know, you do owe me your life. I know you think that you hate me, but underneath that, there's a deep love which stops you from hurting me."
"Duh, where have you been? Or did I just imagine that bruising on your face?"
"Then kill me Max, get it over and done with this time."
"Any more to say? And last words?"
"What more could there be?"
"I hate you. That's the only thing I want you to know. I don't love you, when I look at you, all that happens is I get angry. One question though, why did you help me take White's son?"
Logan was deadly silent, looking almost saddened at Max's outburst,
"Because he's me. He isn't just family, he is me. He wouldn't have survived the test, just like me. We weren't considered pure. So I wanted t spare him, save him."
"How humane of you."
"Anything else Max?"
"No. Anything else you think I should know?"
The two turned their heads as the room's door opened and two burly policemen entered, swaggering about in a cocky air. The first one nodded his head at Logan, whilst eying Max,
"Hey sweetheart. Is this him?"
"Yep, that's your man."
Logan's head flew from left to right as he struggled to understand whose man he was and why,
"Max, what's going on?"
She ignored him, tossing the policemen a key,
"Say hello to the elusive Eyes Only."
* * * * *
Logan wiggled his body as he was unchained and looked over at his love with doe eyes,
"You're not going to kill me.thank you."
"Don't know why you're thanking me, I'm sending you to jail for a very long time. But, you're welcome."
"Thanks. I'll be okay there. I'm Eyes Only, the protector of innocents. And I won't be in there long. But for now, it's the safest place for me from Manticore."
He smiled briefly at her the way he used to when everything had been right between them and then he was ushered out by the two law enforcers. As he reached the doorway, he turned and gestured towards the body on the couch,
"He's not dead you know. I guess since I'll be locked away, it's up to you to save humanity. You've got a year to prepare. It's to happen at the end of 2022. Use the runes."
He continued rambling as he left, knowing her transgenic hearing would pick up what he said, but Max had long stopped listening and was at the couch side.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Silence.
Sometimes Max craved it, usually when she was around yappy Alec. Right now, it was the farthest thing from what she wanted. But her it was, unwelcome. Ben's body sprawled out on the couch in the position she had dropped him, her tears still splattered on his face. And Logan, chained to the wall, his exoskeleton and chair gone, he was dangling almost lifelessly. She focused on the situation on hand, desperate to break the piercing silence.
"I thought your father was dead."
"No. Barely alive. Not that he can feel it slipping away. My foster father is the dead one. My real dad, he is still kicking on."
"I never knew you were adopted."
"Almost no one does."
Max paused, wondering where this cryptic conversation was leading, before she continued,
"Who was he? Your father."
"I might as well tell you, you'll kill me anyway. His name I think it will ring a bell. I left all the clues for you to figure it out, but you just couldn't. His name is Sandeman. Matthew Christopher Sandeman."
Logan's face became overcome with grim determination and Max nodded, desperate for him to continue. She realised that everything was falling into place. Sandeman created Manticore, giving up his own son for adoption most likely so he could concentrate on his whacked out gene-splicing dreams to created the perfect race. When Max had raised Logan's interest in Manticore, he discovered his real father was the founder. She looked up, realising that he was still talking,
"Cult.Familiars."
"Sorry what did you just say?"
Logan's face took on that ugly disapproving look she hated because it made him look twenty years older than he was and was extremely unflattering. Max found herself almost apologising, before remembering the situation,
"What about the familiars?"
"Are you going to listen this time? Sandeman was a familiar. You knew that. What you didn't know is that he and his mate gave birth to three sons, including myself. The oldest, my brother, he didn't pass the initiation test with the poisoned snake blood. He died. He wasn't strong enough, neither was I.Sandeman, dad, saved me from death and sent me away so I wouldn't die. My youngest brother survived the test, he has kept in touch with me though."
"Your brother is a familiar?"
*Traitor, I knew it*
"So he's working with White and the rest of the cult loonies?"
"No, not quite."
"What's that supposed to mean Logan?",
Max asked, genuinely confused,
"Explain it to me."
"Well he's not working with White.he is White. My little brother is Ames White."
Her face demonstrated her shock as she struggled to register what had just been said. To her dismay, it made sense too. No wonder White had always been one step ahead of her or closing on her trail. It seemed like he constantly knew what her next move would be.
"That's the only reason he never killed you. He knew I was in love with you. That and of course his interest in your DNA, which I myself can relate."
"Oh gee, thanks!",
Max bit at him sharply, her voice dripping with sarcasm,
"My hero!"
"You know, you do owe me your life. I know you think that you hate me, but underneath that, there's a deep love which stops you from hurting me."
"Duh, where have you been? Or did I just imagine that bruising on your face?"
"Then kill me Max, get it over and done with this time."
"Any more to say? And last words?"
"What more could there be?"
"I hate you. That's the only thing I want you to know. I don't love you, when I look at you, all that happens is I get angry. One question though, why did you help me take White's son?"
Logan was deadly silent, looking almost saddened at Max's outburst,
"Because he's me. He isn't just family, he is me. He wouldn't have survived the test, just like me. We weren't considered pure. So I wanted t spare him, save him."
"How humane of you."
"Anything else Max?"
"No. Anything else you think I should know?"
The two turned their heads as the room's door opened and two burly policemen entered, swaggering about in a cocky air. The first one nodded his head at Logan, whilst eying Max,
"Hey sweetheart. Is this him?"
"Yep, that's your man."
Logan's head flew from left to right as he struggled to understand whose man he was and why,
"Max, what's going on?"
She ignored him, tossing the policemen a key,
"Say hello to the elusive Eyes Only."
* * * * *
Logan wiggled his body as he was unchained and looked over at his love with doe eyes,
"You're not going to kill me.thank you."
"Don't know why you're thanking me, I'm sending you to jail for a very long time. But, you're welcome."
"Thanks. I'll be okay there. I'm Eyes Only, the protector of innocents. And I won't be in there long. But for now, it's the safest place for me from Manticore."
He smiled briefly at her the way he used to when everything had been right between them and then he was ushered out by the two law enforcers. As he reached the doorway, he turned and gestured towards the body on the couch,
"He's not dead you know. I guess since I'll be locked away, it's up to you to save humanity. You've got a year to prepare. It's to happen at the end of 2022. Use the runes."
He continued rambling as he left, knowing her transgenic hearing would pick up what he said, but Max had long stopped listening and was at the couch side.