Designate That – Chapter Two - by CindyZ
This just came to me while watching a rerun of Pollo Loco. It's the only one of season one that I'll watch, (for obvious reasons, J). I had only seen it once before, and it has inspired this. This is TOTALLY AU, but just from the beginning of season two. It is from Max's POV, but there will be a lot more of Alec later on. – I'm gonna probably skip loads of the eps, and definitely loads of the Logan parts. J
Teaser: What if what Renfro suggested in Pollo Loco was true. That madness was hereditary in X5's. All it needs is a trigger, and unknown to Manticore they ARE the trigger. Some can survive longer than other's but no one can survive forever. And Max is the one that breaks.
Disclaimer: I know, I know, I'm using a lot of the lines in the ep. I apologise, please don't sue me, I admit I didn't write them. The tweaking however, I admit I did do, so please don't sue a penniless student. J
Pairing, M/A
Rating: R
A/N: This is gonna be quite long people. However, I do have the whole thing written out, so review and they might get out quicker. Hope you enjoy!
A/N2: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO MAIA for betaing this thing. You are a STAR girl – thanks a bunch!! J
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When I was first shown my bunk, I didn't do anything. I knew it would be under surveillance, they would be watching me like a hawk, so I just looked at the bed and lay down to sleep. If I strained my ears to the maximum, I could hear the almost silent whirring of the camera. I had pinned it to the opposite corner, and I knew I could do nothing until it was removed, until they trusted me enough. I didn't know how long it would take but I was patient. Up to a point of course.
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I was doing well, as well as could be expected. That's what the Bitch told me anyway. Keeping me on a tight leash – yeah right. The week before surveillance had been lifted, and I had been diligently working on the bricks. If I could remove two, I'd have access to the outside world, and I could tell by the hollow sound that the wall had something behind it. I was already through the first one.
I was working one night when I heard the doors at the end of the corridor open. I hurriedly hid my tools and covered my hole. Just in time, as the guard opened the peephole and then opened the door.
When I saw this person come into my cell, I thought I really was insane. My beloved brother was standing right in front of me. My Ben.
"Ben?" I asked, praying to the blue Lady it was true. He was not dead. I had not killed my brother.
The obvious confusion on his face crushed me. He didn't know me. It wasn't Ben.
"What?" the man said, puzzled.
"You look like someone I used to know," I replied. I took half a step forward, so I could look at him closely. Everything was the same, his nose, his physique. The only difference was his eyes. They were they same smouldering hazel-green, but there was something different. He wasn't mad.
"Well, my designation is X5-494."
They were twins, clones whatever. I took a small breath in surprise.
"His was 493.You must be twinned."
"Yeah, 493. Your fellow traitor. Went psycho." 494 said, the scorn evident in his voice. On behalf of Ben, I got my back up.
"What the hell do you know about it?" You didn't know him, didn't grow up with him.
"I know that because of him I had to spend six months in psy-ops. They wanted to make sure it wasn't genetic. Looks like ten years in the world finally got to him." 494 said.
"It was this place that got to him." I replied hotly. Like it's getting to me now, I thought. I refused to acknowledge the thought.
"Well, whatever. Lets just get this over with, huh?" 494 said, his eyes straying to my bunk, and hooking fingers under his shirt, he pulled it off.
Looking at the golden, toned skin in front of me, I was tempted to lick my lips. Having being months in this place, I had had no access to guys for any reason socially. Though Manticore being Manticore, this would not be social. It was some kind of mind trick.
"What the hell are you doing?" I said, stepping back. I did not want to be close to him, I didn't trust myself. I was too tempted, and I couldn't do anything because of Logan. If he found out, he wouldn't help me destroy this place.
"We've been paired off. I'm your breeding partner. We're supposed to copulate every night until you get pregnant."
"Copulate?" I said in disgust. Manticore had come to a new low, and I struggled to control myself. "That's sick."
494 rolled his eyes at me and replied, "It's your own fault. If you and your friends hadn't blown up the DNA database, they'd still be whipping up embryos and putting them into surrogates." He looked at me more closely, not as a person but as a piece of meat. Purely physical attraction, I could see it burning in his eyes. "Take off your clothes."
I saw him looking at me like that, and however much I was tempted to go with my instincts, go with the moment and fuck him, I couldn't. It would help Manticore, and every part of me was against that. Wanting to keep him away from me, I told him coldly to get out of my cell.
494 was having none of it, stepping closer fluidly, looking at me like he wanted to eat me. I wanted him to. He repeated his request, "Take off your clothes." What else could I do but kick him in the stomach? I watched half smugly, half screaming inside as he flew forcefully to the door.
The heat in his eyes was gone, replaced with amazement and shock. I was breaking the rules, not following orders – something a good little solider had no idea about.
"What the hell was that?" He shouted, his arm coming to rub his stomach to ease the pain. Watching his muscles flex with that small movement I was tempted to ease the pain for him, but I stopped myself before the thought could be show on my face. Instead, to cover up any expression I did have, I told him in no uncertain terms: "That is the only physical contact you and me are going to have!"
He wasn't going to give up, I could see that he didn't want to disobey orders, but he didn't come any closer. "You know, this isn't exactly a plum assignment for me either. You spent half your life out there in filth and degradation." He leaned closer, looking at my lips, then looked me in the eyes with a biting glance. "I could catch something."
I was incensed. How dare he imply that I was dirty! I was sorely tempted to kick him again, but I restrained myself.
"Whatever you need to tell yourself. Just as long as we understand each other."
He agreed, but instead of the relief I was supposed to be feeling, I was disappointed. God, Max, You are so stupid.
"Fine." He said in an exasperated voice. "Don't freak out on me."
I raised my eyebrows in surprise – he was speaking like people on the outside. I guess he must have seen my face, because he proceeded to explain. Unfortunately, I was only half listening. He had grabbed his shirt and was putting it back on. I looked at his perfect, lush body while his vision was temporarily blocked. Man he had perfect pecs. I felt myself starting to blush – and I never blushed – so I looked away.
"I took Common Verbal Usage when I got cleared for my solo missions." He said, and I looked back at him. He had just reminded me he was the enemy, not someone to stare at all day. I was disgusted, with him and myself for having these thoughts.
"Oh, you mean assassinations." He had killed in the name of Manticore. I didn't care that he had killed – so had I – but my mission was to bring them down. I could not get distracted.
"It was my job. If you're gonna 'bust my chops' about it, go ahead." He wasn't ashamed. He really believed it was right, he had done the right thing. My voice was stuck in my throat, not just from his expression, but from the fact that I couldn't dispute what he was saying. If I didn't know any better, I would believe them too. I had to show him the outside.
I was about to explain when I sensed someone coming and shut up. A guard was peering through my cell, looking at us, and I was doubly disgusted. He came to watch us, the sick fuck. Well, there was no show to see. But if he was checking up on us, I may as well throw him a bone.
"He's reading love poetry. You know, to get me in the mood." I thought that might get a rise from him, answer back to break the tension in the cell, but he completely ignored me.
"You got something for me?" the guard asked 494, and he passed him a small packet. God knows what it was, but I was fascinated. 494 also produced some cigars from somewhere and asked for them to be passed along to someone called Vic. When the guard had gone, 494 added the money to an already fat roll, and put it away.
494 must have seen my expression, because he smiled a miniscule smirk. I wanted to kick his ass.
"He's got a thing for those vitamins they make us pop every morning." I was impressed and stunned, but I couldn't let him seen that.
"I'm not even gonna ask about the cigars."
494 rolled his eyes and looked around the cell. If I didn't know better, I would have said he was uncomfortable. Nah. "I got a few things working. Listen, I've got an hour to kill before I head back to the barracks. Why don't you wake me up at 0100?"
The cheeky asshole lay on my bunk and closed his eyes, as if to sleep. But what could I do? He had the right idea. And I couldn't bring myself to make him move. He looked delicious there and I think if I had touched him, something else might have happened. But then he shifted slightly and all I could think about was Ben. I fought to remember that this was his clone, a condescending ass, but I couldn't stop a tear from escaping. I crouched down on the hard floor fighting my memories, fighting for sanity. I still don't know if it worked.