Title: The MR Experience
Author: Enigma
Rating: PG - 13 for now.
Show: Dark Angel
Genre: Romance/Angst
Pairing: M/A
Type: AU WIP
Summary: Let me take you on a journey into a slightly different world. Imagine that the events of the past two years have occurred in Seattle, but there have been two major players removed from their setting. Max is leading the transgenic race, stationed within the compounds of Terminal City. Today she is meeting a contact, someone who can help save her people. Someone known as Eyes Only.
But there is another person arriving in Terminal City that day. A fellow transgenic whom Max has never encountered. His designation was X5-494, but he goes by the name of Alec. (And for the purpose of this story, let's forget that Ben and Alec look the same. Let's pretend Alec's hotter…not hard, is it?)
What will happen when their paths cross and can anybody else tell I'm ripping off a certain Luhrmann film?
A/N: So I was watching Moulin Rouge and for some reason I couldn't stop thinking that some of the plot elements of the film would work really nicely in a DA fic. It's not a complete rip off, but I've taken some ideas, which will be extremely evident in this first chapter, but I'll probably let it go on it's on hopefully fluffy journey after that.
Well, let me know what you think, whether I should bother continuing or not. I'm not sure about it at this point…
- Mel
________________________________________________________________
The MR Experience
By
Enigma
This is a story about truth, freedom, beauty and above all things, love, at Terminal City…
________________________________________________________________
Chapter One - Wires Crossed.
He stood there, taking in long deep breaths, trying to steady his racing heart. It's not that he hadn't done this before, just not without her. He had been the CO of his unit back at Manticore, but his unit had never been this large. Never the entire transgenic population.
He cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Ah…thanks for coming. I know I haven't been here for that long, but Max-" He broke off as he spoke her name. He cleared his throat once more. "Max asked me to take over for her. To continue her mission."
****************************
Two months earlier…
It had been a long year since the destruction of Manticore. X5-494 had been laying low, keeping out of as much trouble as possible. Unfortunately for him, trouble had a tendency of tracking him down. Since hearing news of the siege in Seattle and the increasing transgenic population of Terminal City, 494 decided that he would be safest there. Away from this world that caused him such confusion.
It was hard enough to think of a name, let alone actually survive in the world outside of Manticore. A passer by, after 494 had thrown a sarcastic comment their way, called him a 'smart aleck'. 494 had contemplated the use of Smart as his name, but Alec sat better. He could feel that the name was for him. So this is what he went by. Alec.
He surveyed the perimeter of Terminal City before selecting the best point of entry. When he found the entrance, he slipped through quietly and stealthily.
He took in his surroundings, their still dank forms. The streets seemed deserted and unclean, but what did he care. He'd seen enough sewers in his life to think TC was Buckingham Palace!
Alec suddenly stood up straight and tall, hands automatically coming above his head. A shotgun pressed hard into his back, threatening to go off at any moment.
"Whoa there buddy, I'm X-series."
The pressure of the gun against his back eased and moved above his charcoal leather jacket, forcing the collar down. The person behind him acknowledged his proof of identification with a 'hmmm', pushing against his shoulder and forcing him to turn around.
When Alec's eyes fell upon the figure before him, he took the 'person' comment back. *Since when do lizards smoke cigars?*
"What's your name 494?" The nomolie spoke through puffs of smoke.
"Alec and you are?"
"Mole."
"Don't you think Lizard would have been better?"
"Don't you think Dick would have been better?"
That was an option Alec had chosen to ignore. He shrugged his shoulder's and smiled at the transgenic before him.
"Mole it is then."
He offered his hand for Mole to shake. Mole completed the gesture, then began to move forward, signalling for Alec to follow.
"Would say it's nice to meet you Alec, but it's a busy day. Think you could hurry along?"
Alec picked up his pace and followed Mole down the wide empty street.
***********************
"So he's coming today?"
Max was in no mood for unwanted guests at the moment. She had enough on her plate with the impending doom that White promised to course, not to mention the majority of the American population.
"Yeah." Dix bobbed excitedly over to Max, headset ready to receive any tapped signals that could warn them of trouble.
"And he swears he can help us?"
"Yep. He does these cable hacks, I'm sure you've seen him on TV."
"Yeah," Max took a seat at the small table situated across from the computers. "Goes by the name of Eye Only."
"Eyes Only." Dix bounced as he made the correction. "Says he may have some information that would help against White and that he could perhaps help with our situation."
"What does he want in return?" Max leant her head against her hand.
"Well, I get the impression that maybe he's a little…"
The expression on Dix's face told Max everything she needed to know. Her nose scrunching at the idea.
"Great! He's going to want me to be his whore!"
She slammed her hand down on the table.
"Well Max, it can get lonely sitting behind a computer all day. No time to meet people because you're too busy trying to save the world."
Max rose her eyebrows and smirked at Dix. He fidgeted more than usual as he felt her taunts invading his skin.
"Well, that's what I'd imagine anyway."
Max gave a short laugh and scrunched her nose again.
"Is he at least cute?"
Dix shrugged his shoulders slightly, not sure whether his idea of cute was the same as Max's.
"Well, if I have to do this, he'd better at least be cute!"
She pushed herself off the table and moved with Dix to the row of computers.
"The things I do for this place."
"Yeah, getting some must be terrible."
The slap that landed across the back of his head informed Dix that he had said that out loud.
******************
"Max, he's here."
She was too busy to look away from the computer screen. Sheets of paper spilling out as she printed from her screen.
"Who?"
"Eyes Only, Diva's with him now."
Diva was a fellow X-5. Herself and Max had not seen eye to eye at the beginning of all this mess, but they were starting to warm to each other.
Diva led Logan Cale into Terminal City headquarters. She moved across and did what she did to everyone who entered the compound, she padded him down in search of any form of weapons.
"Where?" Max still hadn't turned from the screen.
"Diva's giving him the pad down."
Dix moved beside Max and took a seat, inspecting the sheets she was printing.
Mole guided Alec into the area. He took him over to Diva and introduced him. She stopped what she was doing with Logan and moved Alec a few meters away, continuing her tradition, though enjoying this pad down a lot more than the last.
Max turned around in her chair and saw Diva doing what she did best, an impressed look moving over her face.
"Wow, he is cute! Sure that's him, he doesn't look like the sexless type."
As she turned around, Diva returned to Logan and reluctantly finished what she had started. Dix look towards her and nodded.
"Yep, that's him. You really think he's good looking?"
"Hell yeah."
With that Max stood, grabbed her paperwork and walked over to who she thought was Eyes Only, Diva passing her by and giving a quick wink.
Max extended her hand to Alec and greeted him with a smile.
"Hi, I'm Max."
"Alec."
He gave her a quick smile and shook her hand, but his mind was doing so much more. He'd had his eye on her the moment he entered the building. He never forgot a face and the fact that the CO of every unit back at Manticore was informed about her, the '09 escape, X5-452, allowed him to instantly recognise who he was dealing with. He just hadn't expected her to look so amazing in the flesh. She had glided across the room and Alec could have sworn the world around him moved into slow motion. Giving him enough time to take in every inch of her body.
"Would you like to come with me?"
She held out a hand to direct him to her quarters. Alec came out of his daze, shrugged his shoulders and gave Mole a quick smirk. Best to play it cool.
"Sure. Ah…It was nice to meet you Mole."
Mole answered with a buff of smoke and a nod. Max rose her other hand to Alec's shoulder and guided him toward the exit.
Logan stood in the centre of the room, completely alone.
****************************
"So…Dix tells me you have some information about Ames White."
"Who?"
Max slammed her glass of water down on the table. Was he going to ask for this already? She looked around at him as he played up the confused look on his face.
She couldn't believe it, he was going to play dumb from word go. She was going to have to give into him before he gave up any information. If it wasn't for the fact that she needed to get all the intel she could on White, as well as any extra help on the way, the thought of sleeping with this man would have never entered her mind.
Her eyes traced the lines of his body.
Ok that wasn't entirely true. The thought had crossed her mind as soon as she saw him. But that wasn't the point. Max didn't do this kind of thing. She didn't sleep with men for information and if it wasn't for the fact that she was desperate, she would have beat it out of him instead. She'd found out on previous occasions however, that those she beat up, generally didn't keep in contact.
Max turned around slowly, flinging her hair behind her. She noticed the sudden intake of breath from the man across from her. She couldn't help but laugh.
"What's so funny?"
Max slowly spun around from the table, moving one hand to her hip and kicking her butt to the side. She produced a seductive smile and slink towards him.
"You are, silly."
A slightly concerned look moved across Alec's face. What was she doing with her hip?
"Are you ok?"
If this is what being outside in the real world for so long did to you, Alec wanted back in to Manticore. Too bad the hot brunette in front of him blew the place up. Was this her attempt to come on to him? Wow, what he could teach her.
Alec eyes went wide as Max moved all too close to his body. Generally Alec would be all for such an advancement, but he had other things on his mind. Plus she was supposed to be the CO of this entire city, why was she being so…strange.
"Look…Max,"
He raised his hands before him and pushed past her. He saw her face scrunch and anger slip across her features. *Wow, that was fast. Wonder if she's always this moody?*
He quickly moved across to the table and picked up the papers she had placed there when they entered the room.
"You planing a heist?"
Max's face turned from anger to confusion.
"What?"
"These are maps to the McKinley building right? Richest company in Seattle."
A smile moved across Max's face as she walked over to the table. She pulled out a chair and signalled for him to take a seat, she then took one herself.
Alec spread the sheets across the table, being sure to get them in their correct order. Max watched him with amazement as his hands glided across the surface.
"How do you know about McKinley?"
Alec produced an award wining smile.
"I do my research."
*Of course he does.* Max had to refrain from hitting herself in the forehead. He was Eyes Only, a computer geek. How could he not know.
"Plus I broke into Spencer's a few months back."
Max shot an impressed glance his way.
"Spencer's is the second richest company, meaning the second best security system in Seattle."
Alec nodded in confirmation. He was surveying all entry points on the map, all possible routes to be taken.
"You're going to want to come in here."
He pointed at the south entrance of the building. Max scrunched her face at the idea.
"That's no good. They have infer-red cameras all across the south entrance."
"Not if you go underground."
Alec traced his finger along a line that obviously indicated the sewers. He scanned the map again.
"I'd say you'd want a team of four…no actually two would be better. Less muss, less fuss."
Max watched in awe as he recited his thoughts on the heist. His plan forming with such speed and accuracy. She couldn't believe this guy. How could a computer nerd be so engulfing with his presence? So alluring with his speech.
Alec's hand brushed across the table and inadvertently, across Max's resting hand. He slowly looked across at her, heat generating from their touch. He looked deep into her large, brown eyes taking in everything and anything about her he could. What was he doing? He'd only met this girl, but suddenly he felt like they'd known each other forever.
Max couldn't believe the intensity of his gaze. The heat of his touch enveloped her hand and guided her into his eyes. She'd never seen so much of someone in such a brief moment before. The intensity of the moment overwhelmed her and she didn't even notice herself leaning forward.
She stopped suddenly as she saw it, ripping her hand from under his and jumping to her feet.
Alec shook his head as he snapped out of the moment, pulling his leaning body back and standing upright.
"You're not Eyes Only."
Max was pointing at Alec's chest and spat the words with such conviction.
"No, I generally like to work with my hands."
He was hoping the light hearted joke would snap her out of her sudden frenzy. It didn't.
"You're from Manticore!"
"Yeah? Kinda why I'm here."
Alec face was scrunched in confusion. What was she going on about?
"I knew you didn't look sexless enough! No way you could be behind a computer all day, you're too tanned!"
"Ok, I've missed something here, cause I've got no idea what you're going on about."
Max grabbed him by the arm and started to drag him to the door.
"I'm supposed to be meeting Eyes Only and as you are not him, I think you can leave."
Alec dug his heels into the floor and stopped them dead in their tracks.
"But what about the heist?"
"Forget about it."
Max went and opened the door, slamming it shut again and spinning around to Alec.
"It's Eyes Only. Oh my God, you have to get out."
Alec looked at Max like she was a mental patient going cuckoo with the fairies! This was the transgenic great leader? *God, take me now!* He was about to speak when there was a knock at the door.
"Max?"
The door opened and Max flung herself in Alec's direction, placing herself in front of him and holding her arms out, in an attempt to hide him.
Three parties looked at the scarecrow with confusion. Did she actually think her slight frame would cover Alec's body? Though Alec was able to imagine it wrapped around…
"Max?" Dix shifted from side to side. "Who's that behind you?"
"I'm-"
"No one!" Max yelled in a high pitched voice. "He's no one!"
Alec picked her up by the waist, as though she was a bag of cotton and set her aside.
"I'm Alec and I'm leaving."
"I'm Eyes Only."
Logan put a hand out to Alec and stopped him from passing. Alec look down at the hand that was touching him with disgust.
"But you can call me Logan."
Logan gave Alec a cheesy smile and moved to Max, taking her hand.
"And you must be Max."
He kissed it lightly.
Alec shook his head at the cheesy move, guessing this was the computer geek. He also felt a quick burst of jealousy flow through his body. He shrugged it off and stalked behind Logan.
"So…You're the elusive Eyes Only?" He gave him a mocking smile.
"That's right."
Logan spun around and puffed his chest out like a seagull. Squawked like one too. Alec looked him up and down slowly with an unimpressed glance.
"Huh. Thought you'd be taller."
"So you've heard of me?" Logan always chose to focus on the positive.
"Well, when you take over every available television station for your 'Save the World' broadcasts, it's a little hard to escape you. And dude, you need to disguise your voice more. You're not invincible."
Max shot Alec a wide eyed look. He may have been right, but that was rude.
"Mr Cale," Max brought a hand to Logan's shoulder and motioned for him to sit down.
"Please, call me Logan."
Max was a little uncomfortable addressing her elder in such a way, but she would play along. They needed his help.
Alec watched as her hand moved to Logan's shoulder and he suddenly decided that he was going to stay. Try to discourage any other form of contact between the two. Manticore had some good viruses in the day, one of those would have done the trick.
Max shot a glance in Dix and Alec's direction. Dix got the hint and left the room, but Alec ignored it. Instead he struck up a conversation with his ugliness.
"So, Logan. What brings you to terminal city? You're obviously not a transgenic." Max shot him another look, her eyes pleading with him to shut his mouth. He ignored her again. "Oh that's right, Max was telling me that you've offered to help us."
"Her, I've offered to help her."
The tension between the two men was already rising to the point of uncomfortable.
"Oh I see, sorry."
Alec smiled at Max and bounced his eyebrows, hands travelling to his pockets.
"So what were you two doing in here alone?"
What was he, her father?
"We were planing a mission. Alec's very good with his hands."
Both men shot Max a look. Though their looks were very different. Logan's was of shock, he had believed that Max was going to offer herself to him in exchange for information, he had made plans to wine, dine and woo her.
Alec's face expressed a cocky smirk, one side of his mouth lifting higher than the other, drawing his eye closed as he winked at her. She couldn't help but smile back.
It wasn't until she made contact with Logan's face that she realised what she said.
"Plans sorry." She cleared her throat. "Alec is very good with plans."
Alec did everything he could not to laugh. Even more so when Logan accepted the lame excuse for a cover up.
"Well, when will this mission take place Max? I would like to offer my time and assistance to you."
"Just over two weeks. We have some planing to do."
"Good, well." Logan got up from his chair. "I might get Dix to set me up and perhaps we can organise to have dinner tomorrow night Max?"
Max forced a smile across her face.
"That would be nice."
The lie rolled off her tongue like sandpaper.
"Ok then. Well I'll come by and see you tomorrow."
Logan moved across to Max and kissed her on the cheek. Alec chuckled inwardly as he saw Max's nose scrunch as Logan's lip connected with her skin.
Logan exited the room, giving Alec a quick nod as he passed.
"Nice to meet you too buddy." Alec turned slowly to Max, eyes wide, brows raised. "That was Eyes Only?"
"I know…" Her nose was still scrunched, voice dripping with disappointment. "Who would have thought he'd be so-"
"Sad?"
She couldn't help the smile that moved across her face. Even if she had manage to keep her lips from moving, which she had tried, her eyes would have deceived her and broken her cover.
She turned her back quickly and thought to herself.
"It was much better when I thought he was you."
She froze like a statue, feeling in her throat that she had spoken the words out loud. She turned ever so slowly to face Alec, who stood with his eyes to the ceiling. He brought them down to hers and stepped forward slightly.
"Sorry, did you say something?"
She smiled at him, knowing that he heard. As a transgenic it was possible that he could read her thoughts, let alone hear fumble with them. But she was grateful that he had pretended otherwise.
"Say," He placed his hands in his pockets and bounced on his toes. "Do you guys have a bar here?"
"We're transgenics, of course we do."
"Shall we than?"
He motioned to the door, waiting for her answer. She smiled at him.
"Sure, why not."
She grabbed her jacket from the table and exited the room, Alec in tow.
As they walked to the bar, Max couldn't help but feel that she and Alec had met before. Confusion settling in as the same thought flowed through her mind over and over.
Why would she want to kick his ass?
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