Title: Maxie Needs a New Bike
Author: Nefertiry
Summary: Alec, Max and Logan are planning a little scam which includes Xander's life insurance. Their biggest problem is how to 'kill' Xander. And Xander is an Immortal… Buffy/Dark Angel crossover + the concept of immortality from 'Highlander'
Pairing: Max/Xander.
Disclaimer: nothing is mine. Neither the characters of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', nor the characters of 'Dark Angel'. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Author's Note. Ok, the deal's like this. This story is in no way connected with other Buffy/DA crossover that I write. Actually, it's a response to UNTALENTEDTKK's challenge in the last chapter of his 'TF2 –And Then We All Threw Up'. I liked the idea and decided to write it. If anyone wrote a fic with the same theme, then it'll be MY version.
Timeline: early season 2 of DA, after a slightly AU-ish 'Proof of Purchase'. Some events will coincide with the events in the show; some won't (as the story is absolutely AU). Everything that happened to Xander is described in UNTALENTEDTKK's 'The Finals' series. Some things will coincide with the original's story line, some will not. (I'm picking up the storyline from ch. 4 of 'TF2…' and changing some things.)
Alec Needs Money
Crash
Friday night
Alec was sitting at the bar and drinking his scotch. Actually, it was his fifth or sixth, but he didn't care much about that. He wanted to get drunk. That was why he had come to this bar – to get drunk, to get so plastered, so that he even wouldn't remember his name or designation number. Unfortunately, with his transgenic metabolism he would need way more scotch to drink himself into oblivion. Why was he doing this? The answer was simple. Max. Pain in his transgenic ass. She became the pain in his ass since the first moment they met. He was supposed to be her breeding partner; instead, she kicked him in the gut.
Alec helped her get out of Manticore and get out of his life; instead, he was sent to bring Max to Renfro in exchange for the cure. How the heck was he supposed to know that the retrovirus, which was supposedly targeted to attack the DNA of 'Eyes Only', was really targeted at another person's DNA? And that guy, Xander, was way too weird. He didn't even cough when the virus attacked his immune system. And the virus was deadly, without the antidote the target wouldn't live even 24 hours. But no, not only didn't Xander die from the virus; he also didn't die from the bullet in the stomach.
Alec wanted to leave the city right after Max and her freaky friends Logan and Xander returned from their mission 'Burn down Manticore and you'll get a lollypop'; instead, he was kept all tied up in Logan's bathroom for 24 hours and without any food. Even after Manticore burnt down did Max let him go? Nope, she just dragged him with her on another mission 'Save other transgenics from evil soldiers and get caught by those soldiers'. After she got caught, the saved transgenics, just a bunch of kids, wanted to go and save her. Alec knew that those kids would get killed and helped them rescue Max. Only after that she let him go his own way.
But it was too early for him to cheer for getting rid of Max.
**Flashback**
Alec woke up in an abandoned warehouse and found himself in a cage suspended from the ceiling. He looked around and saw the man, responsible for all this 'catch the transgenic' circus.
"That was a very impressive display last night", said White, looking at Alec.
"Oh, it's so nice to have fans", smirked Alec.
"Tell me, 494, have you been in contact with this girl?" White showed the digital picture of Max.
"Nope", shook his head Alec.
"We know that you were breeding partners back at Manticore", insisted White.
Alec shrugged. "Well, it was just a summer fling."
"What about any other transgenics?" wondered White.
"I make it a point not to fraternize with automatons. They slow me down. So what are you? FBI? NSA?" said Alec mockingly.
"Let's just say that I've been sent to wipe out all evidence that Manticore ever existed, and leave it at that", said White smugly and said to a man standing nearby. "Make sure you take a DNA sample before you dispose of the body."
"Wait. Killing me isn't gonna solve your problem", said Alec, grabbing the bars of the cage.
"You're right. I have to take out all of them", said White, standing with his back to Alec and waiting for the transgenic's next move.
"You gotta find 'em first. I can help", said Alec hastily, desperately clinging to the last thread of hope.
"Is that a fact?" White raised an eyebrow and turned to face Alec.
"Who better to hunt transgenics than another transgenic?" asked Alec, sighing inwardly with relief. 'White hasn't killed me yet. It's good. He'll need me', he thought.
"You expect me to believe that you would turn against your own kind?" White came up to the cage and stared at Alec.
"Try me" said firmly Alec, returning the gaze.
** End of flashback**
"Another one", said Alec to the bartender, showing his empty glass.
That son of a bitch White planted a microexplosive in the back of his neck and if Alec hadn't killed three transgenics during 24 hours his head would explode.
The first transgenic was easy to kill…
**Flashback**
"Remind me once again. What are we doing here?" said Alec when he and Max were walking through the sewers.
"Those two guys said the saw someone like Joshua around here", replied Max. "I need to find him. He can't walk around like that, people might see him and we…"
"Yeah, don't continue. We don't need any necessary attention", Alec finished her thought.
"Pretty like that", nodded Max.
"So, what is the dog-boy up to?" asked Alec.
"He's looking for his Father, Sandeman. Joshua lives with Xander in Terminal City, so he found an old phone directory in one of the apartments. Joshua has been spotted in several places where people with the last name Sandeman live", said Max, looking around. "Ugh", she winced, seeing the bloody remains of something that apparently used to be a living being.
"Something big took it out", noted Alec calmly.
"No, not Joshua", Max shook her head.
"What, he wouldn't turn against his own kind?" asked Alec, looking at Max.
She wanted to answer but her pager beeped first. She looked at it. "It's Logan. I have to get a pay phone."
"Wait, wait, wait", said Alec, tossing her his cell phone. "Come into the twenty-first century, will ya?"
Max talked to Logan and said, turning to Alec. "Logan's got a lead. Come on."
"You go ahead", said Alec. "We can cover more ground if we split up."
"Right. Hit me up if you find him", said Max, giving him his phone.
"You got it", nodded Alec and went further.
After wandering in the sewers for some time he looked at his watch. He had about 14 hours left. 'I gotta work fast if I want to live', he thought and suddenly heard somebody's voice. "Bongo, where are you, boy."
Alec peered around the corner and saw someone holding a dog in her hands and she was definitely going to snack on that poor dog. It was Bongo and he was scared as hell.
"You're not really gonna eat that, are ya?" said Alec to that thing.
She turned and growled at him. She looked like a panther and her face was covered with dark fur.
"Yeah, that's right, dinner bell's a-chiming. Come and get it", said Alec, taking fighting stance.
After several minutes of struggle and one bitten arm, which was Alec's, he finally killed her and removed her barcode with the knife White had given to him.
"One down, two to go", murmured Alec, putting the barcode into a small notebook.
**End of flashback **
The second barcode wasn't hard to get. When Alec had 8 hours left he found a young transgenic. It was his second 'barcode' source. Too bad Alec didn't know how to find the third transgenic and time was running out.
**Flashback**
"So, I got two. I just need more time to get the third", said Alec, standing in front of White while he was looking at the barcodes in the notebook.
"We had an agreement", said White, looking at Alec.
"Just a few hours."
"That's not what I'm talking about. I told you to KILL them", barked White.
"Yeah, I did as you said", shrugged Alec.
White nodded to one of his men and he hit a button on the remote control. The floor of the cage, that was very familiar to Alec, opened. The young transgenic whose barcode Alec had cut out recently, dropped down dead.
"Someone let him outside an emergency room with a bandage on the back of his neck", hissed White with disgust.
"He was just a kid", replied Alec.
"You disappointed me. Now apparently you had no trouble with whatever it was", White pointed at the panther woman's barcode. "But you couldn't kill one of your own. So now you're dead man."
"I can do it. Give me another chance", said Alec firmly.
White tilted his head and looked at Alec like he was some bug. "All right. I'll let him count against you final total. But you still owe me one more. Say 'thank you'."
"Thank you", said Alec through gritted teeth. "Can I have more time?"
"No, but you can have this", White handed him a taser wand. "Maybe if you don't have to listen to them beg and scream, you can actually go through with it."
If looks could kill, White would've been dead after the glance Alec had given him when he took the taser wand.
"Tick tock", smirked White.
Alec turned around and went to the door.
'5 hours of search and nothing, not even a lousy transgenic', grumbled Alec inwardly, walking the streets of Seattle. He looked at his watch – one hour and 5 minutes to live. But PtB must've been on his side as 5 minutes later he bumped into Max who was so busy reading some printout that jumped up when Aleñ spoke to her.
"Max."
"Alec, you scared me", gasped Max, stepping back.
"We need to talk", said Alec silently.
"Wish I could but I don't have time right now", shook her head Max.
Alec fingered the taser wand in his back pocket. "I'm afraid you're gonna have to make time", he sighed, approaching her. "It's a matter of life and death. Mine."
Max looked at him. "Alec, I don't know what your drama is but I got a lead on Joshua and I'm outta here, now."
"Joshua?" asked Alec. 'Great. 5 minutes ago I had 0 transgenics and now I'm gonna have two', he thought, seeing her barcode when she bent over her bike. "I'll go with you."
"Fine", nodded Max, hopping on the bike. "Ready?"
"Yeah", replied Alec, getting on the bike behind her.
Half an hour later Max stopped the bike next to a fence of some house. That was one of the addresses Logan had given to her. Those were the last two addresses where Sandeman could've lived.
"Huh, guess they tore the place down", said Max, getting off the bike. Then she saw a figure sitting amongst the bushes and rubble. "Joshua!"
Joshua turned and approached her. "Max."
She hugged him. "Hey big fella. Why did you run away? You could've told us that you wanted to find Father."
"I thought I could find him alone", said Joshua grimly. "I had the address", he showed her pages from the phone directory.
"These addresses are old", said Max softly. "That means that those people may not live there anymore."
"There's one more left", murmured Joshua, pointing at the paper.
"Okay, will check it out", smiled Max.
"I hate to be a killjoy but nobody's going anywhere", said Alec, pulling out the taser wand and zapping Max with it. She fell to the ground, shaking. Joshua growled and swung at Alec, but what could he do against Alec's X5 speed. Alec zapped him but that didn't stop the huge transgenic. Alec zapped him again and this time it worked. Joshua fell to the ground, gasping. Alec turned him over and looked at his neck.
"Where's your fucking barcode?" yelled Alec, seeing Joshua's bare neck. "Where is it?!!!!"
"No barcode. I was first… special", gasped Joshua.
"What did I do to deserve this?" groaned Alec and zapped Joshua again. Then he turned to Max and tossed the wand away. "I'm sorry, Max. There's no other way", murmured Alec and pulled out the knife.
"Alec…" gasped Max.
He kneeled over her and held up the knife. "I don't want to die", he whispered, seeing her eyes full of pain and hesitating. He was about to kill one of his kind. Of course, Max was a pain in the ass and didn't bring him anything but trouble, but still she was an X5… Then he stabbed…
**End of flashback **
"One more", mumbled Alec to the bartender. He was starting to feel the effect of the amount of scotch he had consumed and that was just what he needed.
**Flashback**
"Yeah, thought so. Planted a few myself back in the day", said the lab tech, looking at Alec's neck. That was the lab tech that 'helped' Zack escape from Manticore last year. After Manticore went down he decided to lay low for a while and chose Seattle for this purpose. A couple of days ago Lydecker contacted Logan and gave him a lead on some former Manticore employee who knew how to fix Max's seizures permanently so that she wouldn't need Tryptophan anymore. That cost Max 5 grand but it was worth it. "Mind my asking how you ended up with one of these pop guns attached to your brain stem?"
"Because he's a cold-blooded, opportunistic showoff who thought he could run his game on a major bad guy who, it turns out, is an even bigger scumbag that he is. That's about cover it?" grumbled Max, looking at Alec.
"Yeah, that's pretty much how it happened", mumbled Alec not daring to look at Max.
"Oh, before I forget, thanks so much for not killing me", said Max as sarcastically as she could.
"Me too", added Joshua, standing behind Max.
"Well, I can disarm it", said the lab tech. "It'll cost you 5 grand."
"That's the only number you know?" Max raised an eyebrow.
"I have only 2500", said Alec, handing him a wad of cash. "I can get you the rest later."
"Need it up front", shook his head the lab tech.
"Where the hell am I supposed to get that kind of cash in the next couple of minutes, huh?" growled Alec, jumping up and pinning the lab tech to the wall by the throat.
"Wait", sighed Max and pulled some money out of her jacket. "You'll pay me back."
"No problem", said Alec with relief and released the man. He sat back down and glanced at his watch. 2 minutes left.
"I'm gonna need money real soon", warned him Max. Alec nodded.
"Decide faster, this guy's not gonna live long unless you want him to die…" said the lab tech.
"That would solve so many problems in my life", murmured Max.
"Max, please", Alec almost pleaded her.
"Okay, okay. Take your money and get this thing out of his head", said Max and handed the money to that extortioner.
A short time later the lab tech was still working with the microexplosive and Alec glanced at his watch. 8 seconds left.
"C'mon, pal, it's not a movie when the bomb is disarmed one second before it explodes", said Alec, trying to hide the quiver in his voice.
"Don't distract me, smart ass", murmured the lab tech and removed the microexplosive. He held it in the air and it popped. Alec jumped up and turned around to look at it.
"Congrats. You're not dead", said the lab tech, grabbed his suitcase and headed for the door. "That's it, I'm otta here." Then he looked at Max. "Sayonara. I hope your seizures are gone."
"You'd better pray they're gone or I'll find you in hell if they're not", warned him Max.
The lab tech waved his hand and left the room.
"I owe you, Max. I know I screwed things…" started Alec.
Max turned around abruptly and stared at him. "Shut up and listen, 'cause I'm only saying this once. This money was for my new bike and… Guess what? I don't have anyone who could lend me money for my new bike…"
"Max, I'll get you the money, I promise", said Alec and went to the door.
"Just go away, do me a favor, all right?" said Max warily. "I can't even look at you right now."
**End of flashback **
"Look, buddy, I think that's enough for you", said bartender, seeing that Alec was about to fall asleep right on the counter.
"Nope", shook his head Alec. "I'm just starting to have funn."
"Do you have money to pay for your drinks?" wondered the bartender.
Alec giggled. "Money… what a funny word… Do you have money?" He looked at him with a silly smile.
"Pal, I'm serious", said the bartender. "Do you have money?"
"Hey", said Xander, coming up to the bar and sitting down on the stool. "One beer", he nodded to the bartender and then noticed Alec. "What happened to you?"
"I need money", whimpered Alec and passed out.
"Friend of yours?" the bartender placed the beer in front of Xander.
"Not exactly", shook his head Xander and sipped the beer.
TBC
A/N So, what do you think? How about some reviews?