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.
Summary: The transgenics prepare for war and an old 'ally' returns to quell the questions arising in Terminal City.
The Siege
By
Brin
Pardon me while I burst into flames
I've had enough of the world
And it's people's mindless games
So pardon me while I burn
And rise above the flame
Pardon me, pardon me, don't ever be the same
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Sometimes I wonder why the hell we bother. Why the hell we even try to stay alive in this fucked up world. It's not like they're going to let us make a transgenic colony here in good ol' Terminal City. Don't they understand how much they're hurting us here? Do they even grasp the idea that we might feel, just like them? Apparently not, because they're intent on sticking that knife through our chests and twisting it as much as they can… and the sick thing is, they'll probably enjoy it too.
Chapter 6: Aftermath"How many dead?" Max asked quietly.
Baba stared at the floor. "Twenty dead. Thirty-eight wounded."
"Shit," Max whispered, leaning back in her chair. She held her head in her hands and took a deep breath to calm herself. "That's it. This can't happen again. I want triple the sentry duty. No nook or cranny left unguarded. Move the pregnant females, the wounded, and the children to the middle of the city with as many guards as we can spare."
The bear 'nomlie slowly moved his head up and down. "Yes, ma'am."
Max closed her eyes when he left, hot tears streaming down her face. Twenty. Dead. The thought of so many more dying made her sick. If there were more like him… like 875… Genocide was the prominent word in her mind. Would they all die for a lost cause? Was freedom even achievable in this world? She sat like that for a few minutes, her mind racing with doubt, then two soft hands rested on her shoulders.
"You alright?"
Max turned around and gazed up at Jondy, who looked down upon her with sad, tear-filled eyes. "I'm fine," the younger X5 said, her voice nothing more than a whisper.
"Don't look fine."
"Jondy, twenty of our own are dead from one attack from one… thing. How are we supposed to fight an entire army of things like him? It just… it just seems so hopeless," Max whispered, the flow of tears down her face increasing. "And I don't know what to do… I don't know what to do… I'm going to get all these people killed."
"No, no you're not," Jondy said, wrapping her arms about her little sister's shoulders and resting her head on top of Max's. "Max, we were caught off-guard. All of us. We're just going to have to take some extra precautions from now on."
Max buried her face in Jondy's uninjured shoulder. "But how many of us have to die before we're safe?"
Jondy rubbed Max's back and kissed her on the head. "We'll never know, Maxie. What matters is that you lead us through this. They trust you; respect you, Maxie. Every single transgenic in this city would follow you to their death. You've got to realize how important that is. They look to you, Maxie."
"But what if I can't? What if I do lead them all to their deaths? Jondy… I'm just not ready for this. I'm not the CO. Zack is. I was made to follow orders, not give them…"
"Max, listen to me," Jondy said sternly. "We are gonna get out of this. And you are gonna lead us to our destiny, whether that destiny be happily ever after or death. You wouldn't be made our leader if we didn't trust you. Now go visit your man down at hospital wing. He's been whining at me for hours."
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Max slowly walked down the stairs to the underground hospital wing, in no hurry to face the wounded of this incident. Her eyes swept over the cots dotting the floor. The injuries varied from fatal to scrapes and bruises. She spotted Eddie and Pick huddled around a cot and approached.
"Hey," said Max quietly as she came to stand next to Eddie, who was crying. She looked down to see Axle lying on the cot, his head bandaged.
"The bullet nicked his skull," Pick stated as he wrung his hands. "He's lucky. Junky… and Hank…" The X6's voice broke and his head dropped to the cot, sobs wracking his broad frame. It was obvious that he wanted to be anywhere but here as he cried like a baby.
"They're dead, Max," blurted Eddie, turning her tear-filled eyes to the X5. "Both of them. Gone. Like that." She snapped her fingers. "Our brothers are… are dead." And then she was crying like her partner, clinging to him for comfort that he wasn't in any position to give.
Max felt her heart sink and the guilt rise up in her throat. She extended a quivering hand and touched the feline teenager's hair compassionately. "I'm… I'm sorry."
They stood in silence for a few moments before Pick stood and stormed out of the room. Eddie lingered, torn between Axle and her partner, then relented and hurried out after the angered X6.
Guilt gripping her heart, Max stared at the now-empty doorway through which the two had disappeared. It wasn't right. It just wasn't fucking right to put them all through this. The government said they were monsters? The public believed they were monsters? Max put a hand to her forehead and let out a strangled sob. She'd like to show them what monsters were—the bastard who had done this to them; had killed them like animals. Her fists clenched. Turning, she was ripped from her thoughts by the sight of Brin lying on one of the cots with her baby, just a tiny blue bundle, sleeping peacefully on her stomach. Biting her lip, Max slowly approached and timidly took a seat next to the cot. "Hey," she greeted softly
Brin's black eyes darted to her, then returned to the ceiling. "Hey," she returned.
"Are you… okay?" asked Max, nervously wringing her hands. "Took a beating."
"I'm fine. Just a few bumps and bruises." A smile crossed her delicate features. "About time someone kicked my ass, eh little sis?"
Max felt the apprehension whoosh out of her like air out of a balloon. She allowed herself a small laugh. "The guy could kick a few."
Still smiling, Brin affectionately rubbed Max's hand. "So what's on your mind?"
"Can I ask you something?" asked the younger X5, studying the scars on her older sister's knuckles.
"Of course."
"Have you ever… frozen… during a fight? Just… stopped?" asked Max tentatively.
Brin bit her lip before replying, "Every soldier has a breaking point, Max."
"I saw that asshole hit Alec and… and it was like I forgot how to move.. That's never happened to me before. It's scary. I felt helpless."
"Don't even worry about it, little sister. You were shocked… we all were. It won't happen again. Believe me," reassured Brin.
Max smiled in response and turned her gaze at the tiny baby on Brin's stomach. He was sucking his thumb as he slept, his pudgy little face holding a lot more serenity than most transgenics had felt in their entire lives. "How old is he?" she asked, scooting closer.
Brin sighed, instantly regretting the action since her stomach went up enough to shake little Ben, nearly waking him up. She froze for a moment, then, when she was sure he wasn't gonna wake up, she answered, "About five weeks."
"Oh… he's still just a tiny baby then," commented Max, gently touching the baby's soft cheek. She looked up. "Thanks for coming. I mean, I know this place isn't at the top of your list of places to take your child."
"Max, my first choice was to take my baby where my siblings were… and this is the place. No matter that it just happens to be under attack by thousands of Ordinaries out for our blood," Brin said, this time with a wide smile. She opened her mouth to say something more, but little Ben woke up and started making his needs known. "Oh… baby Ben, what's wrong?" cooed the older X5, struggling to sit up even though her body screamed in protest.
"Here, let me take him," suggested Max, removing the tiny bundle from Brin's bruised arms.
Ben's wailing ceased as soon he realized he was in Max's embrace, not his mother's, and he gazed up at her with astonished green eyes. His mouth formed a perfect 'o' in surprise.
"Huh… He usually doesn't like strangers," Brin said in a matter-of-factly tone, watching the two as she pulled herself into an upright position. She rested her arms on her knees and took a deep breath, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through her chest.
"Are you okay?" asked Max, handing Ben back to her sister.
Brin nodded, but her pursed lips and deep breaths betrayed her true pain. "I'll be fine."
"Well… if you ever need anything… ya know, to talk or maybe some babysitting help with little Ben… just stop by. Alright?"
"I will," replied Brin with a crooked smile.
Max stood and grinned back. "See ya around?"
"Yeah."
The younger X5 hesitated a moment, then bent down and gave Brin a hug. "I'm glad you're back," Max said with a rueful smile. "We're gonna need you."
"Damn straight you are!" exclaimed Brin wryly. She jumped in surprise as Ben began howling again, little fists flailing angrily. "Okay… okay…"
Max laughed and wandered off in search of her lover once gain. She found him at the back of the room, all by himself, sitting facing the wall. Not wanting to surprise him, she approached from the side and cleared her throat.
"You know, Max, I'm not quite sure what was going through my mind when I let that guy beat the living shit outta me," Alec said without moving. "I could've had him. I could've killed him…. I could've killed him before he killed us…"
The female X5 extended a hand to touch his shoulder, but decided against it at the last moment.
Without missing a beat, Alec continued, "I could've prevented so much if I had just gotten my head in the game. Lydecker always said…"
"Lydecker," interrupted Max, "was a sadistic asshole."
Alec turned around and gazed at her with red eyes. "Max, he snuck up on us on our own turf. I should've sensed him! I should've been able to prevent everyone from dying today."
Max sat down and took her lover's hand. "Alec… there's nothing any of us could've done. I mean… we were all out there, having a good time… We were just relaxing for once."
"It… it's just… damn it, Max… I hate whoever the fuck is responsible for this," Alec said, curling into a fetal position on the bed.
"So do the rest of us, Alec. It's not your fault… it's not my fault… it's nobody's fault that those people died," comforted Max, pulling his head into her lap. "No one thinks any less of everybody else…" She stroked his hair and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
They had been sitting like that for a few minutes and Max, emotionally exhausted, had nearly fallen asleep when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yes?" she asked, not turning around.
"Max, you're not gonna believe this…"
Max turned her head and looked up at Krit. "What?"
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"You have got to be kidding me," yelled Max as she stormed through the dark streets of Terminal City, pulling on her leather jacket. "Please tell me you're joking."
"I'm not," replied Krit. "See for yourself."
Max and Alec exchanged uncertain expressions.
They came to a dark, crumbling building and Krit opened the door, allowing Max and Alec to step across the threshold before entering himself. He led them through the darkness, weaving between rotting crates and abandoned equipment until they reached the opposite end of the large room, where some of the X5 siblings from '09 were gathered around a torch held by Zack. They were all turned inward, staring at something in the middle of the group.
Max tapped Jondy on the shoulder and the older X5 sister moved out of the way, followed by the rest of the X5s—it was like the parting of the Red Sea. "Holy shit," whispered Max, shaking her head at the person sitting in the chair before her.
His face was covered in thin scars and his hair was grayer than before, but there was no mistaking this snakelike man… This man that had caused Max's entire life to be a living hell… This man who was responsible for the death of Tinga, Eva, and Jack…
"Lydecker," Max growled through clenched teeth. She walked up and punched him, hard.
Zane quickly grabbed her arms. "Max! Calm down!"
Max spat at Lydecker's feet. "What the hell is he doing here?"
"He was sneaking around the perimeter fence," answered Syl, going around behind 'Deck and looking him over almost curiously.
"I was trying to get in," Lydecker suddenly interrupted, the mere sound of his voice making all the X5s jump. "After all, I had heard that the National Guard thought the transgenic defense weak and unorganized. I was disappointed in my kids."
"Cut the bullshit," Max yelled, breaking loose of Zane's grip and angrily stomping up to the colonel. "Tell us why you're here, or we can have a replay of what happened the last time we had you tied up."
Zack slammed the clip into a gun and pointed it at him.
"And you know he won't hesitate to pull the trigger," declared Max with a smirk. "Now explain why you have decided to come back from the grave and haunt us."
"I was never dead," Lydecker began, staring around at them. "I escaped the men chasing me by playing dead and floating down the river. I had plans of coming back and helping you and Logan, but something came up… I assume you've all heard of the Familiars?"
"Only what Max told us," replied Jondy.
"Yes, well the Familiars were on my tail day and night. Whenever I turned around, they were there. I have not had a good night's sleep in months. They were bent on finding out where you all were and how they could catch you… and then, one day, it all stopped. I lost track of them and I thought that I had finally gotten rid of them…" He sighed. "But, a few days later, I saw Max's face plastered on every news stand in the nation. I located this place, this 'Terminal City,' and came here to help you."
"You can't help us," growled Zack. "We don't need your help."
"Is that so?" Lydecker snapped. "Don't be so sure of yourselves. Just ask your friend 494. He knows."
They all turned to look at Alec, who was staring at the ground, refusing to meet their gaze.
"You have no idea what your bodies are capable of doing," explained the colonel, drawing attention back to himself. "Nine years of training was not nearly enough for you to learn how to use your… powers to their full extent. 494 is smarter, faster, and better than the rest of you because he got that extra ten years. He knows what you're all capable of. Isn't that right, 494?"
"Will you stop bothering him?" barked Max. "His name is Alec."
Lydecker looked in between them suspiciously, but didn't press the matter. "I can teach you. I can show you how to be better than you already are."
"Thanks, 'Deck, but we've made it alright thus far," Syl sneered, glaring at him.
"No… you guys, he's right," interrupted Alec, surprising everyone. "After you guys left, we were shown what we could really do… it's amazing. It would really help us… all of us… if you would let him teach you a thing or two."
Lydecker gave the rest of the X5s a cocky grin. "Listen to him. He is, after all, one of your own. A Ben replacement, I might say."
Zack punched him so hard the chair almost toppled over. "Don't you ever say his name again, you bastard," he warned, and none of the others moved to stop him.
"We'll think about your offer," declared Max, resisting the urge to smile as Lydecker spat blood and bits of tooth. "Alec, can you watch him?"
"Sure thing," he replied, accepting the gun from Zack.
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"I don't like it. He's up to something. Lydecker is always up to something," growled Zane, shaking his head.
"He did help us back when we destroyed the lab," piped Krit tentatively. "I mean, it took a lot of nerve for him to do that. We practically blew up his life's work."
"That's right," Zack agreed. "But Logan did have to put him at gunpoint… and he betrayed us about five times before he cooperated."
"Never thought tough guy Zack would be the voice of reason," grumbled Zane, shooting Zack a glare.
Max looked in-between them and placed a hand on Zane's chest. "Hey! Stop it! We need to think long and hard about this!" She glanced over her shoulder at Lydecker. "He has the same enemies as us… and there are hundreds of us here. We could have someone watching him all the time."
"Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer," recited Syl, crossing her arms over her chest.
"He taught us that, you guys… and I don't know about you, but it's one of the things I've been able to use," added Krit hesitantly. He licked his lips, all of a sudden feeling like the traitorous teacher's pet.
"All in favor of letting 'Deck show his worth?" Max raised her arm and stared down her obviously reluctant siblings.
Krit, Jondy, Zack, and Syl raised their arms in support.
"Zane, he's all we got," reasoned Jondy with a sigh.
"Alright… but if he so much as looks at us the wrong way… "He's dead."
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"I remember you," Lydecker said to Alec, narrowing his already slit-like eyes. "You haven't changed a bit, 494."
Alec gave him a sideways glance. "You were always with Max's unit; hardly ever with mine until they ran away. We were the trouble makers that could never quite live up to the infamous oh-niners, remember 'Deck? Hm?"
Lydecker laughed dryly. "You kids and your attitudes," he said, sounding for all the world like an amused father. "Yes, but you were one of Manticore's best soldiers. You and X5-599… You both are the image of perfection in the Xs. The X6s were not as strong. The X7s were deprived of all independent though … and the X8s… they were designed to work by sheer force, no brain power. You were everything we wanted a soldier to be."
"Still am," growled Alec. "And listen here, 'Deck, I'm not your ally so don't even start to formulate a plan that has anything to do with me. I won't help you. None of us will."
"You never change, you kids," mused Lydecker with a chuckle. "Even at age five, you were always trying to outthink your opponent, trying to peg him on what's going through his mind… it's made you a formidable adversary, 494, always has."
Alec opened his mouth to say something, but the other X5s came returned before he could speak.
"Okay, here's the deal," announced Max, leaning close to Lydecker. "You are kept under 24-hour watch. You do nothing without the permission of your assigned watcher. You don't sleep unless they say you can. You don't eat unless they say you can. You don't piss unless they say you can. Got it? And if you try anything funny, or even cause suspicion that you are about to double-cross us…" She gestured to the gun in Zack's hand. "We'll blow your brains out. Capisce?"
"I understand," Lydecker replied. "Will you release me now?" He pulled at his handcuffs, which were a little too tight—and by no accident, that was for sure.
"Alright… let the rat go, but keep the cuffs handy. Who wants first watch?" asked Max, glancing around.
"I'll do it," volunteered Jondy, shooting 'Deck a glare. "I haven't had a chance to spend time with dear old Lydecker in years!" She grabbed him by the scruff of his collar. "I'm sure we'll have loads of fun."
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Max walked home alone that night, since Alec had gone off to do some planning with the other X5s and promised to be home in half an hour. She didn't really feel like facing any more reality today and had excused herself. As she was going down a particularly shaded street, she saw a shadowed figure huddled on the sidewalk. Approaching, the X5 quickly realized that it was Eddie, sitting on some crumbling steps with her arms resting on her knees. Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks and strangled, pitiful whimpering sounds spilled from her lips. It was the first time that Max had seen the girl without her doting boyfriend by her side.
"Eddie?" Max stopped a few feet away from the adolescent. "Eddie, what's wrong?"
"Get away from me," snapped the teenager, turning away from the X5. "Just leave me alone."
"Hey, don't be like that," said Max with narrowed eyes. "Come on, tell me what's wrong." She took a seat on the step next to the 'nomlie. "Please?"
Eddie sniffled, but didn't say anything.
"Fine." Max stood with a cross look on her face. "But don't say I didn't try."
She took no more than two steps when Eddie's voice stopped her: "They're dead."
Max spun on her heel and returned to the step, slowly sinking beside the distraught teen. "I know… I know." She hesitantly touched the girl's shoulder. "But that doesn't mean you can't still live."
"Shit, Max," sobbed the feline teen. "What am I supposed to do now? Hank and Junky are dead, Axle won't ever be the same, and Pick and I just had a big fight and I don't know what to do and…" She took her head in her hands and rocked back and forth, crying freely.
"Wait, you and Pick had a fight?" asked Max turning the teen to face her. She softened at the look of heartbreak in the girl's eyes. "Hey, it'll be okay." She placed a finger beneath the girl's chin and tipped her head upwards. "I can't have you giving up on us now. You can't, because if you do, then how can I rely on these other losers? Huh?" She received a half-hearted smile for her efforts. "Look, Eddie… we'll work this out. You'll see. In the end, everything will be okay—Axle will be okay, you and Pick will be okay, and Hank and Junky won't have died without a purpose, okay? Understand me?"
Eddie nodded and sniffled. "Yeah… I understand." She paused long enough to cough a few times and compose herself slightly. "Hey Max?"
"Yeah?"
The girl's self-control finally crumpled and she began to sob again, her head falling into her palms and her shoulders slumping. "H…Hold m…me?"
Surprised, Max took the girl into her arms like a mother would do for a child that had just fallen and scraped her knees. It was odd how attached she had become to this girl in such a short amount of time—usually, it took her months to get used to a person. She gave Eddie an affectionate kiss on the head and comforted, "You'll be okay. You'll be just fine."
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Later, Max brought Eddie back to the apartment with her. The girl was very obviously exhausted—emotionally and physically—and it wouldn't do to let her go home herself, especially if Pick was on the warpath. And now that Max was thinking about it, she didn't even know where Eddie slept at night. A pang of guilt hit her as she looked around the cozy apartment living room. She needed to work on that. As she was laying Eddie on the bed, Alec appeared in the doorway, looking positively beat. He looked at their guest questioningly, too pooped to even speak.
"She had a fight with Pick," explained Max as she slipped off Eddie's sneakers, which had definitely seen better times. "We can share the couch, can't we?"
Alec seemed to perk up at that idea. "It's pretty ratty, but I think we'll manage… don't you?"
Max smiled at him as she replied, "Yeah, I think we'll be just fine."
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Brin shivered as she walked home in the darkness of Last Hope, the only light being the moon and stars. She had wrapped baby Ben in her jacket to keep him warm, and now the chilly night air was biting into her skin like knives. Glancing down at the sleeping bundle, her heart warmed, but not enough to drive away the biting cold.
"Hey! Brin! Wait up!"
The female X5 stopped and turned to see Zane jogging towards her. She gave him a light smile as she waited for him to catch up. "Hey."
A crooked smile pulled at his handsome features, he returned the word, "Hey." A pause. "I, uh, didn't think it was right that you're walking home alone. Would you mind a little company?"
Brin continued walking, though this time at a more leisurely pace. "I can take care of myself, Zane."
"I know… but you don't have to," he replied, this time with a wide grin. He shrugged off his leather jacket and gingerly placed it over her slim shoulders. "Here. You need it more than me."
"Thank you." Brin smiled wide at her green-eyed companion. He was younger than her by almost a year, and ever since the escape, she kept him in her thoughts as the trickster of the group, always finding a way to annoy Zack or make fun of Jace… not as the strikingly handsome man walking at her side. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him, and felt as if this was the first time since the escape that they had really had a chance to talk… and for the most part, it was true.
Meanwhile, Zane was watching Brin as well. He laced his hands behind his back as the walked in relative silence. She was short, only about 5' 2", but for what stature she lacked she made up in her voluptuous curves, which he guessed were lingering effects of her pregnancy. He frowned as she noticed she still seemed a little cold and put his arm around her. "Better?" he asked.
"You don't have to do that," she replied, her eyes never leaving the ground.
"Of course I do, Brinnie." He smiled and kissed her on the head. "Remember that training mission where Lydecker made us go outside during a blizzard wearing nothing but those hospital gowns? I was a total wuss… Remember what you did when you found me?"
Brin grinned nervously. "How could I forget?"
Zane laughed as he stared up at the sky, the memory playing like a movie through his mind.
734 stared down at 205, blinking the snow from her eyes. She looked around for any of her other siblings, but they were nowhere to be found in the blizzard. 205 was curled up in a ball in a snow bank and not moving. 734 went over to one of the pine trees and pulled off a few branches, covering 205 with them then sliding underneath with him. He hugged her close and their body heat, combined with the makeshift tent provided by the pine branches, saved 205 from freezing to death.
"Scared the shit outta me," declared Zane. "That a girl was lying there in a hospital gown next to me."
Brin laughed. "Zane, we were six."
"Yes, and girls had… COOTIES!" he cried, throwing his arms in the air.
"Really?" Brin narrowed her eyes at him and grinned mischievously. "Then consider yourself infected." She gave him a quick peck on the hand.
"Aaah! Cooties!" yelled Zane, jerking his arm away and taking a few steps backwards.
Brin's almond-shaped eyes widened. "Uh… Zane…"
Zane gave her a quizzical look, and then the sidewalk disappeared from underneath his foot and he started falling backwards. Brin jumped forward and grabbed his hand, yanking him back up onto the sidewalk. There was little sidewalk left for him to steady himself on, however, and he ended up wrapping both arms around Brin's waist in an effort to stay standing, but was careful of baby Ben nestled in the pack on her chest. They stayed like that awhile, each too stunned to move, before Ben finally decided to break the silence by grabbing onto Zane's necklace. Brin and Zane looked down simultaneously, bumping heads.
"Ow!" they shouted in unison.
Ben giggled.
"You like that, huh?" asked Zane, poking Ben's pudgy cheek. He looked up at the baby's mother and smiled. "Cute kid. Hate to say he doesn't bear too much resemblance to you besides the dark hair…"
Brin shrugged. "Looks like his father."
"Ah… right. That's too bad… his mother's absolutely gorgeous," he said quietly, almost whispering.
"Are you flirting with me, Mr. Girls-have-cooties?" asked Brin.
"Maybe…"
A few moments later, Brin realized something and said, "Zane?"
"Yes?"
"You can remove your hands from my ass now."
Zane flushed dark red and quickly unwrapped his arms from her waist, moving a few feet away in embarrassment. Brin laughed and kissed him on the cheek, pulling his arm over her shoulder once again. They got their first taste of what it was like to be… well, normal, as they walked home, laughing and remembering 'old times.'
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