Chapter 9
His eyes clouded over as he knelt down to sit on the curb. Rachel watched him intently her ochre eyes full of worry.
"What's wrong Alec?" He looked at her, his blue-green eyes glazed with tears.
"Everything." He whispered.
Rachel sat down beside him, "what do you mean?"
"I don't remember anything. You're the only thing I even remotely remember." He framed her face with his hands. "I could never forget that face." His hands dropped to his side as he sighed. "But I don't remember, I don't know anything anymore."
"Alec."
"That's the thing, I'm not Alec. Sure I may look like him but I'm not him. I have dreams and I don't know whether they are a figment of my imagination or if they were memories. I don't know what to do! Hell, the ones I was supposed to trust betrayed me, I don't even know what side I'm on anymore. I didn't even know their names; you know the ones that claimed to be my family. Hell I don't even know your name!"
Rachel placed her hand on his shoulder. "Alec calm down okay? I'll help you." She wrapped her arms around him in a comforting embrace. "By the way, my name's Rachel."
They pulled apart and Rachel extended her hand to help him up and they started to walk side by side again. Alec took a shuddered breath, breathing out he watched his breath rise into nothingness. Things were still bothering him but it was starting to look up. He glanced over at Rachel; he couldn't help but feel more content. He felt good just being around her, and he knew one thing for sure, he loved her.
"This would be my home, the good old Berrisford mansion." Rachel smiled as she gestured to the building. "Thanks for walking me home."
"You're welcome." Alec replied as she turned walking towards the gates.
Something inside him stirred as he saw Rachel turn away from him. Something inside him kept telling him to call her back. "Rachel, wait up." She stopped and slowly turned around as Alec jogged towards.
"What's wrong Alec?" She asked as he caught up to her.
"It's just that I forgot something."
"Oh? What did you forget?"
"This." He whispered as he took her into a warm embrace. "Thank you for everything. I'll see you later."
Rachel smiled as they let go of one another. "Okay, Bye Alec."
Alec simply nodded at her, there would be no goodbyes spoken between them. Then he willed himself to turn away and he was off back to the supermarket to gather the supplies they needed back in T.C. Alec walked slowly towards the market; he had so much on his mind. Everything from the good feeling he had when he was with Rachel, to the frustrations he felt when he was with the other transgenics. He racked his brain trying to find something, something he had missed somewhere in the crevasses of his mind. Somehow he would find out his true identity and remember everything; somehow he was going to find his locked up memories.
He hadn't really thought about it until now. Now that he knew that Rachel was still alive, and Ames White had lied to him he wanted to know who he used to be. He had never really thought about his identity. All he knew was that he was a soldier, and that his designation was X5-494. That was enough for him. That was until he saw Rachel. Now he realized that the transgenics back in Terminal City had looked at him funny whenever he smiled, or said something sincere. The real Alec must have not done those things; maybe the real Alec was a closed off and cold person. That didn't seem right either since the reports he was given was that Alec hung around many transgenics not to mention bars. He growled in frustration, whoever he once was, was a very complicated and complex person.
He found himself standing in the entranceway of the market he was at moments ago. He found his cart in the middle of the canned goods aisle. It was a miracle that the market employees didn't start putting away all the stuff in his cart. Although he didn't blame them for not wanting to put all of the stuff away after all his cart was full to the rim. He didn't think he could possibly put anything more in it let alone carry all the bags out with him. He pushed the cart effortlessly towards the cash register, the cashier looked at him wide eyed and surprised. It seemed as if he hadn't bought groceries in months.
Alec felt compelled to explain, "I have a large family." A pretty flimsy explanation but it seemed to have worked as the cashier smiled at him. She handed him his bill, a whopping $400.00 dollars worth of stuff and this wasn't even for a quarter the population of T.C. Alec gave her the cash and grabbed the bags not looking back as she stared after him. It was suspicious to have that kind of cash on hand. He piled the stuff into Logan's Aztec and went on his way back to the warehouse and into Terminal City through the underground tunnel.
Mole met him at the entrance of the tunnel. "Been wondering where the hell you were." Mole explained as he grabbed a few bags from Alec's grasp and brought them inside. Alec didn't reply he didn't know what to say, on top of everything else he didn't know.
Alec unloaded all the groceries from the Aztec; he'd return the car to Logan later. He had some things to think about, and he decided he needed to clear his mind. He found himself walking towards one of the abandoned buildings (not so abandoned now) and went up the old creaky fire escape stairs up to the roof. He opened the metal door only to find his thinking spot was currently inhabited by none other than Zack. Alec sighed; at least Zack and him didn't really know each other. He didn't have to pretend around him, and what's more was that Zack was going through almost the exact same thing that he was. What a coincidence.
Zack was leaning against the railing the second time that day. He heard the clang of the metal fire escape stairs. In an instance Alec was beside him, also assuming the same stance. Alec sighed, "Hi."
Zack nodded in acknowledgement. "So, what brings you up here?"
"I just needed to clear my mind. I have a lot to think about."
"Yeah, me too." Zack breathed. "So what's on your mind?"
Alec looked at him confused, did soldiers actually confide in one another? "Nothing really." For some reason Alec felt compelled to keep the conversation going. "You?"
Zack shifted his weight, "just trying to remember everything. I've been told about all the things I've done but it's not like I remember any of it. Hell, I didn't even know I was a genetically engineered human until recently."
"Yeah tell me about it." Alec's eyes widened, he'd been so careless that he basically given himself away. "I've basically lost everything, memory and all. I got shot the last time I was out; Max said it was when I went to find Rachel. I just woke up at a clinic one day and found myself needing to come back here to Terminal City. Like something was beckoning me to come. Imagine my surprise when everyone welcomed me in and said they all missed me. I didn't want to tell Max or anyone, I know they all have enough on their minds. But I'll be okay, I always am."
Alec inwardly sighed with relief; it looked like Zack bought the lie.
Zack slapped Alec on the back, "the memories will come back. they have to." Zack then began to head towards the metal door. Opening it he turned back to Alec, "Good luck." With that he headed down the fire escape stairs, the noisy clanging of the metal followed closely behind.
Alec leaned on the railing, his dirty blond hair ruffled in the icy breeze. He could see the sky light up as the lightning struck, the crack of thunder following soon after. A storm was brewing and it would be in Terminal City within a matter of hours.
TBC.
Authors Note: Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the delay of this chapter. I really didn't think I'd keep this story on hold for this long! Anyway, I promise it shouldn't be more than a few weeks for the next chapter to be up. I really want to finish this story!! Anyway, ENJOY!
His eyes clouded over as he knelt down to sit on the curb. Rachel watched him intently her ochre eyes full of worry.
"What's wrong Alec?" He looked at her, his blue-green eyes glazed with tears.
"Everything." He whispered.
Rachel sat down beside him, "what do you mean?"
"I don't remember anything. You're the only thing I even remotely remember." He framed her face with his hands. "I could never forget that face." His hands dropped to his side as he sighed. "But I don't remember, I don't know anything anymore."
"Alec."
"That's the thing, I'm not Alec. Sure I may look like him but I'm not him. I have dreams and I don't know whether they are a figment of my imagination or if they were memories. I don't know what to do! Hell, the ones I was supposed to trust betrayed me, I don't even know what side I'm on anymore. I didn't even know their names; you know the ones that claimed to be my family. Hell I don't even know your name!"
Rachel placed her hand on his shoulder. "Alec calm down okay? I'll help you." She wrapped her arms around him in a comforting embrace. "By the way, my name's Rachel."
They pulled apart and Rachel extended her hand to help him up and they started to walk side by side again. Alec took a shuddered breath, breathing out he watched his breath rise into nothingness. Things were still bothering him but it was starting to look up. He glanced over at Rachel; he couldn't help but feel more content. He felt good just being around her, and he knew one thing for sure, he loved her.
"This would be my home, the good old Berrisford mansion." Rachel smiled as she gestured to the building. "Thanks for walking me home."
"You're welcome." Alec replied as she turned walking towards the gates.
Something inside him stirred as he saw Rachel turn away from him. Something inside him kept telling him to call her back. "Rachel, wait up." She stopped and slowly turned around as Alec jogged towards.
"What's wrong Alec?" She asked as he caught up to her.
"It's just that I forgot something."
"Oh? What did you forget?"
"This." He whispered as he took her into a warm embrace. "Thank you for everything. I'll see you later."
Rachel smiled as they let go of one another. "Okay, Bye Alec."
Alec simply nodded at her, there would be no goodbyes spoken between them. Then he willed himself to turn away and he was off back to the supermarket to gather the supplies they needed back in T.C. Alec walked slowly towards the market; he had so much on his mind. Everything from the good feeling he had when he was with Rachel, to the frustrations he felt when he was with the other transgenics. He racked his brain trying to find something, something he had missed somewhere in the crevasses of his mind. Somehow he would find out his true identity and remember everything; somehow he was going to find his locked up memories.
He hadn't really thought about it until now. Now that he knew that Rachel was still alive, and Ames White had lied to him he wanted to know who he used to be. He had never really thought about his identity. All he knew was that he was a soldier, and that his designation was X5-494. That was enough for him. That was until he saw Rachel. Now he realized that the transgenics back in Terminal City had looked at him funny whenever he smiled, or said something sincere. The real Alec must have not done those things; maybe the real Alec was a closed off and cold person. That didn't seem right either since the reports he was given was that Alec hung around many transgenics not to mention bars. He growled in frustration, whoever he once was, was a very complicated and complex person.
He found himself standing in the entranceway of the market he was at moments ago. He found his cart in the middle of the canned goods aisle. It was a miracle that the market employees didn't start putting away all the stuff in his cart. Although he didn't blame them for not wanting to put all of the stuff away after all his cart was full to the rim. He didn't think he could possibly put anything more in it let alone carry all the bags out with him. He pushed the cart effortlessly towards the cash register, the cashier looked at him wide eyed and surprised. It seemed as if he hadn't bought groceries in months.
Alec felt compelled to explain, "I have a large family." A pretty flimsy explanation but it seemed to have worked as the cashier smiled at him. She handed him his bill, a whopping $400.00 dollars worth of stuff and this wasn't even for a quarter the population of T.C. Alec gave her the cash and grabbed the bags not looking back as she stared after him. It was suspicious to have that kind of cash on hand. He piled the stuff into Logan's Aztec and went on his way back to the warehouse and into Terminal City through the underground tunnel.
Mole met him at the entrance of the tunnel. "Been wondering where the hell you were." Mole explained as he grabbed a few bags from Alec's grasp and brought them inside. Alec didn't reply he didn't know what to say, on top of everything else he didn't know.
Alec unloaded all the groceries from the Aztec; he'd return the car to Logan later. He had some things to think about, and he decided he needed to clear his mind. He found himself walking towards one of the abandoned buildings (not so abandoned now) and went up the old creaky fire escape stairs up to the roof. He opened the metal door only to find his thinking spot was currently inhabited by none other than Zack. Alec sighed; at least Zack and him didn't really know each other. He didn't have to pretend around him, and what's more was that Zack was going through almost the exact same thing that he was. What a coincidence.
Zack was leaning against the railing the second time that day. He heard the clang of the metal fire escape stairs. In an instance Alec was beside him, also assuming the same stance. Alec sighed, "Hi."
Zack nodded in acknowledgement. "So, what brings you up here?"
"I just needed to clear my mind. I have a lot to think about."
"Yeah, me too." Zack breathed. "So what's on your mind?"
Alec looked at him confused, did soldiers actually confide in one another? "Nothing really." For some reason Alec felt compelled to keep the conversation going. "You?"
Zack shifted his weight, "just trying to remember everything. I've been told about all the things I've done but it's not like I remember any of it. Hell, I didn't even know I was a genetically engineered human until recently."
"Yeah tell me about it." Alec's eyes widened, he'd been so careless that he basically given himself away. "I've basically lost everything, memory and all. I got shot the last time I was out; Max said it was when I went to find Rachel. I just woke up at a clinic one day and found myself needing to come back here to Terminal City. Like something was beckoning me to come. Imagine my surprise when everyone welcomed me in and said they all missed me. I didn't want to tell Max or anyone, I know they all have enough on their minds. But I'll be okay, I always am."
Alec inwardly sighed with relief; it looked like Zack bought the lie.
Zack slapped Alec on the back, "the memories will come back. they have to." Zack then began to head towards the metal door. Opening it he turned back to Alec, "Good luck." With that he headed down the fire escape stairs, the noisy clanging of the metal followed closely behind.
Alec leaned on the railing, his dirty blond hair ruffled in the icy breeze. He could see the sky light up as the lightning struck, the crack of thunder following soon after. A storm was brewing and it would be in Terminal City within a matter of hours.
TBC.
Authors Note: Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the delay of this chapter. I really didn't think I'd keep this story on hold for this long! Anyway, I promise it shouldn't be more than a few weeks for the next chapter to be up. I really want to finish this story!! Anyway, ENJOY!
