TITLE: Genetically Empowered (My Finale & Season 3)
EPISODE: 15 "BETRAYED" 12/23/02
WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)
EMAIL: hferguso@niu.edu
WEBSITE: http://eric_greta.tripod.com (Jensen)
RATING: PG-13 (For now, will post alternate chapters if ratings change)
SUMMARY: How 'Freak Nation' and S3 should have been. M/A
SPOILERS: Everything!
DISCLAIMER: All Dark Angel characters belong to James Cameron, FOX, etc. etc. etc.
FEEDBACK: PLEASE!!! I CRAVE IT!!! It makes me want to write more.
DEDICATION: To all the Nuns at the Church of Alec, and the Blue Lady! And a special thank you to those who read, and corrected my spelling, grammar, tenses, etc. You know who you are, you wonderful nuns you. ;)
GO TO: NWP: http://nunswithpens.hyperboards.com/
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She turned over and instinctively her hand reached out to the other side of the bed. Her fingertips came up empty, landing on the cold mattress. Her hand moved over the bed, searching. Searching for him. Her one eye opened to look over at his side of the bed. *Empty,* she thought, and from the lack of heat on the sheets she knew it had been for a while.
Her ears didn't pick up any other sounds in the apartment, except for her own rapidly increasing heartbeat. She sat up quickly, pulling the sheet around her naked form. "Alec?" she called out anyway. Nothing.
Max sighed, *Probably some emergency he didn't want to bother me with," she grumbled to herself as she threw her legs over the edge of the bed and got up, heading for her dresser. She pulled on a pair of pants, and then started to pull her shirt over her head, when something caught her eye.
She straightened the shirt and walked over to the nightstand, where a folded piece of paper sat. She smiled at it as she picked it up. *Telling me what he's up to,* she thought as she unfolded the paper.
But as she read the note, her legs started to give out from under her, and she sat down quickly. Her eyes stared at the words for a minute, trying to take in their meaning. Then her head shot up, as she looked around the room. She sprung to her feet, her hands going through the drawers, the cabinets, and the bathroom her body in a blur. Then she stopped one again. Her eyes on the paper lying on the bed, her eyes wide.
His stuff, at least most of it… was gone. His gun, his leather jacket, his… bag. "No." She shook her head, her lip trembling. "No." She shook her head again and ran out of the apartment. The door slamming behind her, causing a gust of wind to blow the note against the wall and slide to the floor, reading 'I'm sorry.'
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They designed her to be the perfect soldier--a human weapon. Then she escaped. In a future not far from now, in a broken world, she is haunted by her past. She cannot run; she must fight to discover her destiny. --- DARK ANGEL
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Mel sighed as she leaned against the wall. "I don't care. You have to do it. It's orders. Everyone has to do it. Even Max and Alec are going to have to do it."
He shook his head, "No way. Don't need too."
She rolled her eyes, "It doesn't matter if you don't need to. Heck, for all of us it's really not that necessary. But we want to be precautious."
He looked up at her with a stern look, and he stood up getting in her face. "I. Don't. Want. To!" Then he let out a puff of smoke from his mouth blowing it in her face.
Mel coughed slightly, more out of annoyance than it bothering her. Her eyes set, and she stomped her foot, as the reptilian man shoved the cigar back in his mouth and tried to move away from her.
"What Mole? Afraid of a little poking and prodding? It's only a damn physical!" She yelled at him, grabbing his arm and spinning him back around to face her. She tried hard not to look fearful when his angry eyes came back on her.
"I'm not afraid of anything," he ground out at her.
"Then what's the problem?" she asked him.
He eyed her and started to open his mouth, but was cut off when the door to headquarters burst open and a brunette ran in screaming, "Where is he? Is he here? Where the hell is he?"
The two of them spun around to her, and Vin rushed down from upstairs, "Max… what's wrong?" he asked, concern coming over his features.
"Where the hell is Alec? Have you seen him?"
He shook his head. "I haven't seen him since the two of you left my apartment last night."
Max looked over at Mel and Mole who were moving towards her. Mel shook her head, "Same here."
Mole shrugged his shoulders, "I haven't seen him."
Max turned to Dix at the computer and he shook his head no. Max looked around the room, "Has anyone seen Alec since yesterday?" she yelled.
Everyone shook their heads, muttering no. Vin grabbed her arm, making her look at him, "Max… what is going on?"
She started to shake her head, and wrapped her arms around herself. "No," was the only word she could get out, as her eyes seemed to go unfocused, her whole body in a slight shock. *This can't be happening,* she thought, *This can NOT be happening.*
Mel moved up to her side, looked at Vin, then back to Max. "Max…" She lightly touched her other arm, and the girl's head spun towards her. "Max, what happened?" She wasn't getting a response, "Max… What happened with Alec?" The name caught the other woman's attention, and she thought she saw her dark eyes starting to swim in the water that was collecting there.
"He… He…" She could barely talk. The emotions running through her was making it difficult to even think, let alone form words, "He… left. He left me."
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"We have to do something about this."
Cindy sighed as she sipped on her cup of coffee and tried not to throw the remote control through the television or at the person sitting next to her. It truly was a toss up as to which she wanted to chuck the device at.
She turned towards the man next to her, who was completely tuned into what the person on the news was saying. His attention completely fixated. "Normal, what the hell can we do? You're already doing mailings, and flyering throughout the city. You've got mass mailing campaigns going to all the suits and stiffs."
He groaned in frustration at the hostility and stupidity on the television that was directed towards the transgenics and the people standing up for them. "Well, something has to be done. We have to make them listen to us."
"I agree Boo," she stopped suddenly. *Did I just say that to Normal?* She put her hand to her forehead to make sure that she wasn't sick. Then she shook her head at herself. *Living with two men MUST be getting to me!* Then she almost laughed looking at Normal, and then thinking of Sketchy, *Nah… that isn't it either.*
"Of course you agree. Most good people with enough sense on their shoulders would agree. Transgenics are not a threat to us." Normal stopped and looked at Cindy for a minute. *I just called her sane?*
The pair looked at each other for a minute, and then they smiled. "I guess the 'cause' can bring a lot of different people together." Cindy said putting her hand out.
Normal took it and smiled, "Let's just try and figure out a way to make other's see that too."
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Mel looked at her strangely, and shook her head. It didn't make sense. "No, Max. No. Alec wouldn't leave you. He loves you. I know that. You know that…"
Max shook her head, not listening to the blond, "He left. He wasn't there this morning…"
"He's probably out doing something," she tried to calm the girl down.
Max kept shaking her head, "No. No. His stuff is gone. He left a note…"
That stopped the blond, and she looked up at Vin. His expression had turned white, ghostly white. "What?" Mel asked. He didn't answer, as he stared back, in his own world. "WHAT?" Mel asked him again.
He swallowed, *Oh God.* His eyes closed for a moment, *Damn it Alec! Damn it!* His eyes opened again, settling on blue ones.
"What do you know?" Mel asked again. Both her and Max looking up at him waiting for an answer.
"I thought he was just being cautious. I never thought…" his voice trailed off.
Max looked up at him, and grabbed his shirt, "What did he say to you?"
He swallowed hard again, trying to decide exactly what he should say. Then he just decided on the truth. "He… he asked me to look out for you… to take over for him… if anything were to 'happen' to him." Her eyes widened in front of him, and he heard the small intake of breath from Mel. "I thought he was just being overly cautious. Worried that if a mission or something went bad… I never thought…"
Max's eyes went back out of focus, her head shaking back and forth. Not wanting to listen. Not wanting to acknowledge what he was saying. Her mind, her heart wanting to deny the words.
He looked over at Mel helpless, "I never thought he would leave. I swear I thought he was…"
Mel placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I know." She turned back to Max, and put one on hers too. Causing the other woman to look at her. "Max… I'm sure Alec has a good reason. I'm sure that he will be back. Right?" She asked looking at Vin.
He swallowed hard once again, the feeling he had in the pit of his stomach told him otherwise. The conversation he had with Alec was not one telling him that his CO would be coming back. In fact now that he thought about it. The whole conversation had almost been like a… goodbye.
Mel was in shock by the look on his face. She knew from it, that it was not good. That whatever the two men had talked about last night was definitely not good news. Not good for Max at all.
Max looked at the other two transgenics. Her whole being was trying to deny what all the information was telling her. She tried to believe that he wouldn't leave. But the scales were tipped, a tear started down her cheek as the reality was finally dawning on her. Her whole body started to shake, and she crumpled in Vin's arms, her dark eyes wide, "He really left me… He really left… For good."
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"Uhhh guys…"
The two of them looked up to see Sketchy staring at them, and quickly pulled their hands apart and sat back on the couch.
"Did I interrupt something?" he asked with a silly faced grin.
"Shut'd up fool!" Cindy yelled at him and rolled her eyes.
"Right," he said and flopped down in the big chair, putting one leg over the side.
"So why aren't you at work?" she asked the scruffy guy, as she took another sip of coffee.
"I need to find something to write." He moved in the chair, turning away from the annoying people on the television. "I need some new information. I think I'm going to call Max and Alec later and see if they can tell me anything new."
Cindy nodded at him, "Sounds like a plan."
She went to take another sip, and cussed as the liquid spilled on her because of the quick movement from the couch beside her. "I've got it!" Normal yelled standing up. OC gave him a strange look. "We march!"
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"How is she?"
Mel shook her head as she walked away from Max's office. "Well, she doesn't want to talk to anyone."
Vin nodded, and followed her up to the second level. He took a seat next to her on the couch, and she leaned her head against his chest. His arms wrapped around her, and he rested his cheek on the top of her head.
Her hands settled over his, and she twisted her face to look up at him. "You don't have any plans to go anywhere, do you?"
He smiled at her, leaned in and kissed her softly, then pulled back slowly. "Not that I know of." He sighed again, "Besides, it looks like my job just got a whole lot more demanding."
"I can't believe it. I just can't. That he would leave."
He sighed, "You just know he has a good reason. You know he wouldn't leave without one."
Mel nodded. She did know. "Yeah, but what? And why didn't he tell us… Tell her?"
"This is Alec we're talking about here. If it was something dangerous, you know he would try and protect her, us, everyone from it. Try and take care of it himself."
"Yeah. I know. But still… Why does he have to always do that? It's… It's such a pain in the ass." Vin laughed and agreed. She looked up into his dark eyes. "Do you think he will be back?" She caught the hesitation, "Truthfully."
Vin sighed. "I don't know." She gave him a look, and he lowered his head. "But from the way he was talking Mel… The way his eyes were. I don't think he thought he would be able to come back."
Her eyes widened at what he meant. But she voiced the question anyway, "You don't mean…"
"I think whatever mission or whatever thing it is he had to leave to do… I…" He didn't want to say it, but he had too. "I think he thought it was a one way adventure." She put her face into his chest, and he just hoped he was dead wrong.
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"What the hell are you talking about Normal?" Cindy glared at him, trying to wipe the coffee away from her shirt.
"To get them to listen to us. To hear us!"
The other two looked at him like he had finally fell off his rocker.
He just shook his head at them, and tried to explain. "Activists. They used to march on Washington when they wanted to get their voices heard. We need to head to D.C."
Sketchy nodded and smiled. "That's a great idea man!"
Normal smiled at him, "Thanks," he said almost shyly.
Cindy rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh. "Okay. A march. How the hell do ya' plan that sort'a thing?"
"Well set back and learn," Normal said rubbing his hands together and then running to get his clipboard and a pen.
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Her knuckles hurt, and she could tell they were going to be black and blue. But at least the wall looked worse that she did. The tears had quickly turned to anger. Pure rage ran through her form after the initial shock and then realization of what had happened had washed through her.
Now she was… Pissed! Extremely, beyond reason, pissed. She stalked back and forth in her office. The heat and rage pouring off her body in waves. Her face set, her eyes hard. *How could I have been so stupid?* she asked herself.
"How could I fuckin' trust him? I should have known!" She yelled at herself. Dismissing everything about him that she had learned in the past few months. Dismissing everything she had grown to truly see, to truly love about him. Going back to her views she had before. Drawing her strength from the denial she once had, the preconceived notions that she held onto for so long. "How could I have been so blind? So stupid?"
Max raged at herself, not listening to the part of her brain that told her she was being illogical. Or to that part of her heart that told her that she loved him. *No! How could I love someone that would leave me?* She wouldn't let herself go there. "It was just the Heat. Yep. That's all it was. It screwed you up. Those damn pheromones."
She knew it was a lie, but she didn't care. She wanted something or someone to blame, and he wasn't around for her to yell at or take her shit out on anymore. So she was back to blaming Manticore. Back to blaming anyone but herself, and back to denying herself the truth. It had worked for her in the past, it would work for her now. *Even if before you were miserable?* asked that small little voice in her head.
But like before, like so many times before, she ignored it. She closed her eyes, and one small tear slipped down her face, "Love sucks anyway."
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"Uhhh guys…"
Vin and Mel looked up from the couch at Luke. "Yeah?" Vin asked.
"It's Sketchy on the phone. He wants to talk to Max or Alec."
The two X5's looked at each other. Vin then pulled himself away from Mel on the couch and stood up. "I'll take it." Luke nodded handing him the phone and then walked back down the stairs.
Mel stood up and moved over by the table with him, "What are you going to tell him?"
He shook his head, "I'm not sure yet." He put the phone up to his ear, "Hey Sketchy, it's Vin."
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Sketchy sat up straight in his chair, "What?" he asked into the phone.
That got the attention of the two others in the room. They turned towards him, looking, waiting for an answer to his question as well, even though they didn't even know what it was.
His eyes widened at Vin's words. "No man… No. There's now way he would do that."
"He, who?" Cindy asked him.
He mouthed at her 'Alec'.
"Do what?" Normal asked just as interested now that his Golden Boy was involved.
Sketchy waved at them, trying to get them to pipe down so he could hear. "He's gotta have a good reason…" He nodded again into the phone. "Yeah… I bet she is."
Cindy got up from the couch and moved over and sat on the arm of the chair, trying to listen in on the conversation. Sketchy batted her away.
"Okay. Can you keep us posted? And tell Max… Well… Tell her we are here for her." He nodded a few times to the other man's words. "Yeah, I called actually to ask them if they had any new stuff on the cult or anything."
OC sat there trying to figure out what was going on from the one side of the conversation she had heard. *What did the boy do to my girl?* she wondered.
"Thanks man. I'll get you guys a copy of what I write. Okay. Later." Sketchy hung up the phone and turned to the others, "Dix is going to get some stuff together for me and send it over email."
Cindy and Normal just looked at him for a minute staring and waiting. He didn't say anything, and then caught them looking at him. "What?" he asked.
OC slapped him upside the back of his head, and his hand immediately went to the spot. "What the hell was the stuff before? Alec… Max… What the hell is goin' on?"
Sketchy's mouth opened in an 'ohh' gesture, and he swallowed. "Alec… uhh…" he moved back in the chair, a little further away from Cindy. Not wanting to be her punching bag for the male species when he told her. "He left."
Her eyes grew big, "He WHAT?"
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She quickly wiped the tear away in frustration. "Don't let HIM get you like this. He's not worth it. Remember him? Remember the pain in the ass? Remember he who only looks out for himself?"
Max did remember. The problem was that she remembered how she had learned that it wasn't true. That he cared more about everyone else than he did himself. She forcefully shook her head, "Yeah, and if that was true. Why did he leave Terminal City? He didn't just leave me, he left everyone!"
She set her jaw again, her body pacing once more, her hands in fists as she tried to get her anger back up. If she was angry, if she was mad, then she wasn't crying, she wasn't upset. But the question that still was nagging her angry mind was… *Why?*
"It doesn't matter why!" She screamed at herself in frustration. "It doesn't matter why he left, it only matters that he did!"
She stalked back over to the wall, and her fist connected with the cement again, her brain visualizing that it was him. Her jaw tensed as the vibration from the hit rang up her arm, the pain slightly fading the array of emotions that were bubbling over in her.
Her eyes stared at her hand as a small drop of blood trickled down from a small cut on her knuckle. She watched the drop in fascination as it traveled down her finger and then over the back of her hand. *Blood…* She closed her eyes, as images assaulted her mind. *So much blood, so much death,* she thought. She had seen too much of it, experienced it too much. Been too close to its door one too many times.
*He was supposed to protect me from it. He was supposed to protect me, my heart…* She closed her eyes at the thought, pain gripping her heart once again. She shook her head, "He's not my protector. He's not the one the runes were talking about. He couldn't be. He wouldn't have left me if he was."
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He shook his head as he read the information on the computer, not exactly believing what he was reading. Well, he did believe it. He just couldn't wrap his brain around the idea that it was true. He looked up at Normal who was reading over his shoulder.
Normal looked down at him, "Unbelievable."
Sketchy nodded and tried to let it sink in as he looked around the rest of the empty room. Cindy had immediately taken off after he had explained what Vin had told him. All she had said as she had grabbed her coat in a rush was that her Boo needed her. He couldn't deny it. He had witnessed first hand many times in the last few months just how close his two transgenic friends had gotten.
He didn't even want to comprehend how Max was dealing with this. *Best to leave it to OC to calm Max down.* He knew it wasn't his place, and he was grateful. But it still led him to wonder exactly what Alec was up to. Because even though he had seen Alec with a ton of women. Had gotten advice from the guy on how to get women. He knew, without a shred of doubt, that the guy loved Max with every fiber of his being. That he would do anything for her. It just didn't make sense.
"You don't think that's true do you?" Normal asked pointing at the screen. A few paragraphs past where Sketchy had stopped reading for a moment to ponder things.
"Huh… uhhh just a sec…" he replied and quickly read up to where the other man was pointing. He swallowed hard once he got there. He then stood up and walked over to his makeshift desk in the corner. He grabbed some of the papers he had previously gotten from Dix and the others.
He looked over the runes and some of their translations. He then looked back at the computer, then to Normal. He took a deep breath as everything was coming together in his brain. He looked at the papers in front of him, shaking his head, "The Apocalypse is really coming…"
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A/N: Sorry this was a little shorter than normal. Just under 10 pages. But well… what can I say. Without Alec, it's just not as much fun ;) That and I got what I wanted for this episode done, and didn't want to add anything else.
A/N2: Well the next one is in two weeks. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's X-mas and New Years. I'm going to be really busy! As I'm sure MOST of you are anyway. Besides, TV shows get breaks, so does this one. ;) Have a GREAT HOLIDAY! *hugs*
Scenes from an All New DA on 1/06/02:
*IN TWO WEEKS ON AN ALL NEW DARK ANGEL*
ONE STEP FORWARD…
Normal walked up onto the platform, his hands waving to the huge crowd formed in front of the steps of Congress.
TWO STEPS…
White smiled at the television, as he listened to the news reports. "Now things will get interesting."
BACK…..
"Joshua! Alec left. He left ALL of us. It's been over a month. He's NOT coming back," Max yelled.