Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story that appear in the hit syndicated TV show, Dark Angel, owned and created by James Cameron. I do, however, own any and all original characters that appear in this work of fan fiction.
Lyrics property of Missy Elliot from her song "Hot Boyz." This song was featured on the episode "Meow."
The Siege
by
Brin
"I've got people looking to either put me in a cage for the rest of my life, turn me into a science project, or kill me. Probably all three." –Max
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It's gonna be hard business, getting those three out of TC. Pulling it off could mean the last breach of security we'll be able to manage; I imagine the government will be fuming if word gets out that a coupla Ordinaries escaped Terminal City. Oh well. That's a risk we'll have to take, because I'm not sure they were up for negotiations anyway. Hopefully we can dupe them one last time.
Chapter 3: Turn it UpMax gave each of her friends a once-over, arms crossed over her chest. It was really pathetic, but that wasn't something they would like hearing, so she didn't say it—out loud, anyway. "You look genuine enough," she mumbled, adjusting Sketchy's Kevlar vest. It was way too broad on his lanky frame, but about five inches too short. He looked like a little kid who'd stretched his favorite t-shirt. It had been a stroke of dumb luck that the uniforms from the Phalanx were still available; hadn't been sold or ripped up or burned. So now OC, Logan, and Sketchy stood once again disguised in the heavy black suits that had gotten them out of Jam Pony.
"Haven't we tried this already?" complained Sketchy, tugging at his too-small helmet. "It didn't exactly work last time. They came after us."
"That was expected, Sketch," replied the X5 as she stuffed a ten-dollar-bill into his palm. "Now, Normal should arrive with transportation soon after you get there, so try not to be nervous."
"Yeah, but won't it look suspicious if three popos just saunter out of the city like we down with the transgenics in here?" asked OC, frowning.
Max grinned and looped an arm around her friend's slim shoulders. "Well, Original Cindy, that's where the real fun starts," she explained smugly.
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Eddie glared daggers at Max. "You so owe me," hissed the 'nomlie.
"I owe a lot of people a lot of stuff. Get in line," replied Max listlessly. She smirked.
"If I get killed, Pick is gonna kill you," continued the anomaly without missing a beat. "That is, after Axle, Junky, and Hank take turns hanging you from different body parts from a light post."
Max laughed and patted her on the head. "Nice kitty."
Baring her fangs, Eddie hissed at the X5—a real feline hiss, not just mimicking the sound. Logan and Sketchy took several steps back.
"You guys, this is not gonna be that hard. There is no crowd on this side of the blockade because the press doesn't have enough people to spread around the entire perimeter," explained Max coolly. She ripped a long strip of cloth from a blanket and used it to 'gag' Eddie. "Don't bite through it."
Eddie continued to glare at her. "Vrrmm rrur mmmum!"
"Sorry, come again?" teased Max, tying Eddie's hands together with a piece of rope, then her ankles. "Don't worry about these knots. They'll come right out if you squirm enough, but be careful about that." She stepped back to admire her work. "Yep, you look like an honorary captive."
"Is it just me, or does sister girl look like she wants to scratch yo' pretty brown eyeballs out?" asked OC nervously.
"Nah. She loves me too much," joked the X5, pinching Eddie's cheek. "Okay, so you guys ready?"
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"Colonel Mattes!"
Colonel David Mattes looked up from his conversation with a wayward subordinate when he heard his name being yelled. "Yes?" he replied cautiously, his eyes swiveling around to locate the caller.
"I'm um… Special Agent… Dimmesdale."
The colonel turned his attention Terminal City, realizing that that was where the voice was coming from. No… it couldn't be. No one was to go inside TC, for health and safety reasons. "Are you in there?" he asked doubtfully.
"Yes. Me and my… helpers were on a… secret mission. Very secret. Can't… say anything much. We have here with us a subdued transgenic who needs to be taken… away for… testing."
Colonel Mattes looked at his comrades, who shrugged, but readied their weapons. "Okay, then. Bring it out. If it gets too wild, we'll have to take it out." The guardsmen got into position as four figures emerged from Terminal City. Three national guards and a limp transgenic bound hand and foot.
"How did you do that?" asked the colonel, staring at the transgenic.
"Well," said 'Dimmesdale', "It wasn't easy; I'll tell you that much. This little kitty put up a good fight." He adjusted his goggles. "Now, if you don't mind, we have to get her into a secure area ASAP."
Colonel Mattes stopped him. "Wait. I've never heard of a Special Agent Dimmesdale working in the TC area. Can I see your badge?"
'Dimmesdale' glanced to his two companions, then dug around in his pockets. "Yeah, right here." He pulled out his badge and grinned uneasily.
"There's no ID with this," announced Mattes suspiciously. "I'll need to see your ID. We had a little trouble with transgenics tricking us earlier and we need to take extra precautions." He narrowed his eyes. "You a trannie?"
"Um…" 'Dimmesdale' bit his lip. "Well…"
Suddenly, the restrained transgenic's head snapped up and she glared at Mattes, her body trying to wriggle free of her restraints. Several soldiers shifted positions so that they had a mark on the thing and wouldn't hit the Colonel.
"Whoa! You'll need to step back, Colonel. We need to get this transgenic away from this place ASAP. She could be a biohazard." 'Dimmesdale' stepped past the barricade, dragging the transgenic with him. "Thank you for your time, Colonel. I'll be sure to put in a good word for you." And with that, they turned the corner.
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Original Cindy hurried to help Eddie untie herself while Logan, aka Special Agent Dimmesdale stood watch. Sketchy took off his helmet and let out a quiet whoop of triumph. "Hell yeah! Take that!" he cheered inaudibly.
"You don't belong in these, girl," OC said, untying the gag. "Ain't no reason these people should accept treating ya'll like this." She smiled gently.
Eddie slipped off the ropes around her wrists and ankles. "If only they believed that," she replied, referring to the National Guard. She grabbed OC's handgun from its holster. "Will you miss this?"
"I think you be needing it more than me," replied Cindy. She pulled Eddie to her feet. "You got this?"
"Damn straight," Eddie smirked and loaded a clip into the gun. "You guys gonna make it alright by yourselves?'"
Logan chuckled. "Yeah. Normal should be here soon."
"I don't know how I am gonna live," growled OC, crossing her arms indignantly. "The guy worships Alec as a pastime."
"Normal is our best bet," said Logan patiently, though he didn't look entirely thrilled with the idea either.
"Hey, what about me?" whined Sketchy. "I have a place."
"Yeah, which hasn't had water or phone connection for over a year," snapped Cindy, rolling her eyes at him. "Which is understandable, since you spend most of your time sponging meals off your girlfriends anyway."
Eddie laughed and shook her head. "Do you need me to stay with you until your ride comes?" she asked, getting down to business.
Logan shook his head. "We'll be okay. You better get back before your boyfriend goes ballistic on Max." He clapped her on the shoulder.
The young anomaly smiled and, for reasons unknown to herself, gave OC and Sketchy a hug. With a rueful glance over her shoulder, she leapt up the fire escape of a nearby building and disappeared onto the roof.
"Whoa," murmured Sketchy as they watched her go. "She really is part cat."
"Damn, I wish I could do that," stated OC with a shake of her head, curls bouncing. "I don't think even Max is that feline."
The three humans jumped in surprise as a gray van turned down the ally and sped towards them. They quickly moved out of the way and the vehicle screeched to a halt a few feet away, the smell of burning rubber assaulting their senses.
"You looking for a ride?" asked Normal, poking his head out. "'Cause I have a ride here, by order of Missy Miss."
"I wish I wasn't," muttered OC under her breath.
"Get in the van, you ungrateful," he replied. "Bip!"
Logan and OC quickly got in, but Sketchy spared one more glance towards the top of the building. Eddie now stood at the edge, watching over them. It was a very movie-esque image, with her hair waving in the wind and her eyes glinting in the afternoon light.
"You know, I think this is the start of something the world has never seen," announced Sketchy, wiggling his fingers at the anomaly. "Because if all of these people are like Max, maybe… Seattle isn't such a bad place to live anymore." He smiled and slowly got into the van.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eddie walked away as the vehicle drove off. She crept to the other edge of the building and found five snipers posted there. Two of them were taking a break but the other three were laying on their stomachs, focusing intently on the city below.
"And just when I thought I could get outta here without a bullet added to my skeleton," mumbled the transgenic irritably. Crouching low, she was devising a plan to sneak past them when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning, the transgenic spotted a sixth soldier coming at her. He had his AK47 pointed at her chest. Irrationally, she leapt to her feet.
"Stop! Get down on the ground, get down on the ground!" he ordered. When she didn't respond, he repeated, "Get on the ground with your hands on your head! Do it now! I'm not fucking with you!"
Eddie sighed and put her hands on the top of her head, slowly sinking to her knees "You're making a big mistake, officer."
The soldier moved forward. "Do it now!" he yelled in that disconcerting military bellow. By now the other five snipers had been alerted to the situation. Three of them trotted over to help, stationing themselves behind Eddie in case she tried anything.
"I'm serious, officer. This is a big mistake. If you capture me, every transgenic in the city will retaliate. They'll find you, hang you by your eyeballs, and go about their merry way," she warned. She had always considered herself good at bluffing… and hoped to whoever the hell would listen that she didn't cave under the pressure.
"Shut up! Shut up!" shouted the soldier in front of her. He picked up a metal bar from the ground and put down his gun. "We'll see how you like this, trannie."
Eddie visibly quavered, but quickly recovered. "Oh come now. Just because I'm only half human doesn't mean I don't have rights, does it? You don't really believe that, do you?" she asked, but her voice was breaking. She didn't like that look in his eye…
"I said shut up!" Pulling his arm back, he hit her full-force on the arm. A sharp intake of breath was the only response he got out of the transgenic. This seemed to fuel his unprovoked fury. He struck her again, this time on the cheek.
The young 'nomlie saw colors as the metal walloped her, accompanied by a burst of pure agony. She went reeling to one side, limbs flailing helplessly. If she were an Ordinary, the blow surely would've knocked her brains out—but she wasn't, so she lived to suffer the consequences. A few inches higher and she surely would've had some subsequent brain damage. As it were, she would probably end up with a mild concussion—but that was for worrying about after escaping apparent and almost certain death.
"How do you like that, huh? Fuckin' trannie," barked the soldier. He grabbed a handful of her hair and lifted her head to face him. "Hm?"
A smirk crossed the transgenic's lips. "Blow me."
Taken back, the soldier didn't have time to process his next course of action. Eddie soared into the air just as the idiotic soldiers behind her opened fire, riddling their comrade with bullets. The transgenic came down behind them and, as they stood in shock at what they had done, knocked them all out. The remaining two snipers turned and started shooting, but Eddie barreled to the edge of the roof at top speed and hurled herself into the open air.
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Max stared in shock as Eddie, arms held out, did a perfect swan dive from the top of a five-story building, bullets following her down. "Shit!" she cursed, frantically looking around for something useful to do. When she found nothing, the X5 looked up hopelessly as the 'nomlie plummeted.
Eddie tucked her head and pulled her torso back, causing her shoulders to strike the ground first. On impact, she threw her body forward again, rolling a few times before coming to lie flat on the ground, face-down.
"Don't be dead, don't be dead," Max cried as she ran over. She dragged the girl into a nearby TC building—out of range of the snipers. "Eddie? Eddie!" She raised her hand to slap the seemingly unconscious girl, only to have Eddie's voice make her arm stop mid-descent.
"Don't you dare hit me," growled the anomaly, eyes remaining closed.
"You're alive! What the hell were you thinking?" Max put a hand to her chest. Her heart was going a mile a minute.
"My shoulders and arms have been dislocated," mumbled Eddie, ignoring Max's rage.
The X5 involuntarily cringed. She had had her arm dislocated from its socket once. Not a pleasant experience, and it had left her feeling sore for days and days." Taking contortion to a whole new level?" she joked.
"Yep… Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to be back in one piece."
"By all means, go ahead," mused Max. "But be careful."
Eddie closed her eyes in concentration.
Max watched, amazed, as Eddie pulled herself back together. It looked like some invisible person was pushing the bones back into place, but in reality Eddie's muscles were contracting and relaxing, moving the bones slowly back into their sockets. She replaced first her arms, then her shoulders, and sat up. Manticore had taught this trick to its newer trainees as a way to escape from almost any kind of binding, from handcuffs to metal chains.
"Ow," groaned the young transgenic, rolling her arms and popping her fingers. "I'm going to regret that in the morning."
"Anything broken?" asked Max, biting her lip. "You're bleeding."
Eddie touched a hand to her bruised cheek. It came away dripping with crimson blood. "Yeah, you could say that."
"Let's get you to a med center." Max helped the 'nomlie to her feet, slinging the girl's arm around her shoulders. "What happened up there?"
"Guy had me at the end of AK47's. It was either this or bullets," explained Eddie exhaustedly. "Also had a close encounter with a soldier's rod."
Max laughed at the many meanings of that statement, and Eddie was chuckling right along with her.
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Pick was tapping his foot and drumming his fingers impatiently when he heard Eddie's laugh carry into the room. His head shot up to see her entering the parking garage with a large bandage on her cheek and an ice pack held to her upper arm.
"There's your kitty cat," a transhuman Pick was playing cards with said, his voice teasing. "You really should put a collar on her in case she runs away."
Pick flipped him off and ran over to greet her. "Eddie!" he called, getting her attention.
Max stopped walking, allowing Eddie to meet her boyfriend halfway in a tight embrace. He spun her around and then proceeded to hold her like a baby.
"You're hurt," he whispered, brushing a thumb over her uninjured cheek. "Are you okay, kitty?"
"I'm fine. You should see the guys I beat up," joked Eddie as she draped her arms around his neck. "Kiss and make it better?"
Pick laughed and nuzzled her collar bone. "Of course."
Meanwhile, Max looked on with a peaceful smile on her face. These two really were the poster children for a perfect couple.
"It's strange," Alec began as he came to stand next to Max. "You'd never know what they are capable of by just looking at them. They seem like normal kids."
"They are normal kids," mumbled Max, mostly to herself. She flipped her hair as she turned her attention to him. "Did you reach the Xs?"
"Yep. Had to kick some ass, but it worked out alright," he replied coolly. "They're reluctant, but have agreed to 'provide their total cooperation for anything you might request of them'."
She turned to face him and frowned. He looked like crap. "You're hurt."
Alec shrugged indifferently. "Nothing serious."
Max gingerly touched one of the splinters in his face. "We're going to have to get that taken care of so you don't get an infection. Come on." She grabbed his hand and led him towards the makeshift med center.
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"Hold still."
"But it hurts."
"I don't care. Hold still."
"Ow!"
"You big baby."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are you gonna cry?"
"No."
"I think you are."
"Shut up."
Max laughed and patted Alec on the head. "I have to get these splinters out," she insisted with a roll of her eyes.
Alec stuck out his bottom lip. "But there's like a bazillion of them."
"No, there's only about ten, and if we don't take them out their your face will get infected and fall off," she said pointedly as she pulled a sliver of wood from his cheek with the tweezers. "So you need to just sit still and deal with it. Last I checked, X5s didn't whine about splinters."
"But I just love annoying you," he replied with a rakish grin.
Max gulped and felt her face growing hot. She responded, "Well, it's working." As she pulled a particularly large splinter from his face, she could see him visibly tense. "Sorry."
"Oh, so now you're being sympathetic," grumbled the male X5 with a sniff. "What, the guilt too much for you?"
"Do you want someone else to do this? Because I—"
"No, I'll stop," Alec interrupted. He smiled and didn't so much as make another peep about it—proving that he was just yanking her chain the whole time.
Max bit her lip nervously as she moved her hand down to his lips, which had one or two splinters. She could feel Alec's intake of breath as her slender fingers gently brushed his lips. Quickly, the female X5 pulled out the two tiny pieces of wood and checked the rest of his face. "Only a few more," she whispered, feeling her face heat up again. When she was done, Max pulled out a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. "This might sting a bit," she stated, pouring some of the liquid onto a cotton ball.
Alec shrank back as she touched his face. "Yeah, just a bit," he joked, trying to beak the tension.
Max quickly cleaned his wounds and applied a small bandage here and there, then checked him over. "There. All done. You want anything for the pain?"
"I don't think we have anything like that, but you know most people seem to think a kiss will make everything better," mused Alec. He immediately clamped his jaw shut after he realized what he had just suggested. "I—I mean…"
Max smiled as he flushed red. It was about time he got beaten at his own game. She stood up. "I better go see if Mole has found anything useful… See you later." Trying unsuccessfully not to look too eager to get away from him, she hurried off.
"Yeah. See ya." Alec half-heartedly waved his hand. When she was out of earshot, he sighed disgustedly and muttered, "That was lame, Alec. Good job."
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Max was checking around for Mole when she noticed something amiss. It seemed that the place was emptier than usual. The constant, indistinct chatter from the many groups of transgenics that normally hung around this area was all but nonexistent. A few young men ran past her, their faces alarmed. This heightened her suspicions and she picked up her pace. Several more men ran past.
"Mole!" shouted the X5, looking around. "Mole, where are you?" Before she could say anything else, someone barreled into her at full-speed, knocking them both to the ground. "What the hell?! Watch it, asshole!" she yelled angrily as she sat up. She was surprised to see Joshua, staring at her with a terrified face. "Joshua? What's the matter? What is everyone running from?"
Joshua jumped to his feet and began to edge away. "F-f-females! Lots of them! Must run! Joshua must go!" His voice quavered with obvious horror—but why?
Max grabbed his arm. "What are you talking about?"
"Ah-ah-ah, cat DNA. Females want to get busy with Joshua! Joshua must go!" He wrenched his arm free and took off like Satan himself was on his heels.
Max thought about what he had said for a moment, then her eyes widened in horror. "Oh no… no, no, no, no… they're in heat…" She dragged her hand down her face in exasperation. "This is so not good."
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Pick could smell an insane amount of pheromones coming off Eddie as they walked through Terminal City, hand-in-hand. In fact, the smell seemed to be coming from everywhere. She was looking at him funny, too… sort of drunken and dazed. Her face was flushed and her palms sweaty.
"Are you alright?" he asked, getting nervous. There were only so many things that could make a female's pheromones increase…
"Have I ever told you how hot you are? I mean, Junky and Hank are okay, but you are absolutely gorgeous," she said, moving closer to him.
Where you live?
Is it by yourself?
Can I move wit' you?
Do you need some help?
I cook boy
I'll give you more
I'm a fly girl
"Um…" Pick stopped walking as she started running her hands up his chest. "Eddie, I think we need to separate?"
"Mm… fine, hot boy," she whispered, moving her hands from his chest to his biceps. She squeezed lightly and giggled. "Mmm… muscles. I love your muscles, Pick. I love to…" Practically throwing herself forward, she licked the side of his face.
And I like thoseHot boys
Baby you got
What I want
See ya'll be driving
Lexus, Jeeps, and the Benz
Hot boys
Baby you got
What I want
See 'cause ya'll be driving
Jaguars and the Bentleys
And the Rolls-Royce
Playing hardballs
With the platinum Visa
Pick gently pushed her away as her lips found the base of his neck. "Eddie, this is not something we wanna do when you're in heat," he warned, though he could feel his own resolve slipping.
"But you're soooo sexy," she protested, lifting herself up to wrap her legs around hs waist. "Mmm…" She covered his mouth with hers and they fell against the wall of the nearest building.
Pick tried to resist, knowing that having sex with a female in heat could only end in pregnancy, but the scent that she was giving off was paralyzing and his body was rendered useless. He couldn't help but kiss her back with genuine passion, his hands coming to rest on her hips.
Is that your car,
The SKA?
Are you riding alone?
Can I be your date?
Come get me
Get me
Don't diss me
Don't trick me
Eddie had almost succeeded in pulling Pick's shirt off when she was abruptly pulled off of him and punched square in the face—thoroughly bruising what used to be her uninjured cheek. In a daze, Pick could only watch as the girl he loved fell to the ground like deadweight.
"And that is what you get for being a bad little kitty," Max scolded, flexing her bruised hand. She slapped Pick a few times. "Wake up, sunshine."
Pick could still smell Eddie's pheromones and he tried to get to her, but Max held him back with a wrist to his neck. "Let me go," he protested furiously.
"Don't make me knock you out, too," warned the X5. She slapped him again and it seemed to do the trick.
"Shit. Shit, Max, I'm sorry," he apologized.
"Like you could help it. I need you to go and hide in the parking garage until it's safe; Eddie's not the only one in heat."
"How come this is happening to them all at once?"
Max shrugged and sighed. "Beats me. The universe has a sense of humor."
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Max, Brin, Syl, and a few other able females scoured Terminal City that night, knocking out every female who had the slightest scent of pheromones on them. Unfortunately, in some cases they were too late and the fate of several males had been sealed. Whenever they came across males they advised them to run to the parking garage on the south side of Terminal City where all the males were hiding out until it was safe to come out.
By the next morning they were exhausted, but Max was painfully aware of a new problem and had no time to rest. She was growing flushed and felt… hot. This realization came about at the worst of times, since the others had turned in, and she was left alone. All alone… with several hundred males.
"Not good, not good, not good," she repeated to herself, looking for a place to lock herself in. Unfortunately, it was highly improbably that any of TC's rotting buildings could provide enough strength to keep an X5 inside.
And then… disaster struck.
"Hey, Max."
Max turned around to see Alec leaning against a wall, grinning that adorable little grin at her, his sexy arms crossed over his muscular chest… She mentally slapped herself. "A-Alec… you need to go. You need to go, now!"
Alec raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I-I-I-I…" Max stuttered, quickly losing control. She couldn't bring herself to say it, for one reason or another. "You have to go."
"But I just got here," he mused, pushing himself off the wall and walking towards her.
"You don't understand! I'm in heat!" She tried not to look at the crotch of his pants.
Alec abruptly stopped walking. As if on cue, he smelled the pheromones coming off her, carried by the wind. "Not good. I'll just be off."
Max approached him like a cat stalking its prey. "Mmm… Alec… run," she insisted, her mouth seemingly the only part of her body she had control of.
"I—uh, yeah… I should be doing that…" he mumbled, but didn't move.
I got some friendsCan they come too?
Can you hook them up
With some boys like you?
A hot boy
A rock boy
On top boy
And I like those
Hot boys
Max continued to come towards him until she was mere inches away. She gulped and pressed her hands on his chest, smiling at the feel of his taut muscles. His large hands found her hips and they leaned close.
"Alec… you need to go…" she whispered, pulling back from him as she regained control of her body. "Go!" Even as she said it, though, they were leaning closer, closer… "Look, I said go!" she cried, louder this time.
The male X5 sighed and began to move away, though very, very slowly.
Max sat down on the curb and held her head in her hands. "Control, Maxie. Control…" Her body betrayed her, however, and she jumped up to chase him. But before she could take off, there was a soft 'pop' and she slumped to the ground, out cold.
"Been savin' that just for you, Missy. You're lucky I wasn't standing downwind or you would be in big trouble," Mole lectured, coming to stand above her. He loaded another dart into his tranquilizer gun. "And you said I wouldn't need these. Sheesh."
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