lucy the mutant Chapter 11: Destiny's child, a dark angel fanfic

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Lucy shivers in the cold, dimly lit Headquarters, now drained of all signs of life. "It's really dark in her, Xander. And cold. And I think I saw a spider when we came in, and I really have this hate-hate relationship with arachnids, and- " she rambles, and he smirks. ~I love it when she rambles.~

"Never fear, Xander the Brave is here. And I won't let any spiders get you, I promise." Xander puffs out his chest, and they both laugh. Xander puts his arm around Lucy, and she leans against him as they walk to the Conference Room, where Dix said the package was.

"My hero." she whispers, and kisses him softly. He pulls her into the Conference Room, making sure she doesn't trip over anything in the dark- after all, not everyone has superior cat-like night vision.

They walk into the empty room, and head straight to the Round Table (after something Alec had read about and persuaded Max to call the inner circle the Knights of the Round Table). Lucy picks up the relatively small cardboard box and looks at Xander unsurely. "You want me to do it?" he asks, and she shakes her head stubbornly.

"No, I got it. I just have a bad feeling about whatever might be inside." she says, working on the tape.

"Like I said, Luce, I'll always keep you safe." he whispers, walking behind her and wrapping his arms around her.

"Got it." she says, peeling the box open to reveal a small tape. "Anywhere we can watch this?" she asks, and Xander takes the tape and pops it in the nearby VCR, turning on the television. He sits down on the nearest chair, and Lucy takes a seat in his lap.

Images of blood and screams of anguish fill the screen immediately, showing just how gruesome and terrifying her family's deaths were. Johnny sobs, begging the mean men to stop. A cold voice rips through the screen, the video shattering Lucy's heart into a million pieces. "This is what they went through, Lucy. Because of you. You did this to them. Can't you see? You're poison. Poison, poison." the voice keeps saying.

Lucy sobs uncontrollably. Xander, not in reach of the tv, just covers her ears, too busy trying to save her from this evil to notice the light coming off of her. It grows brighter and brighter, and Lucy's cries louder, breaking every heart within hearing distance. The light is blinding, hurting Xander's eyes, and he kisses her forehead as she whimpers in pain. "Just promise me you'll be okay, Luce. Just promise me that."

Lucy's hand flies out, and the tv explodes, leaving sparks and shards of glass and plastic in its wake. Xander covers Lucy's face, catching a piece of glass in his own. The objects in the room start being thrown around the room, and a vase hits Xander in the head, knocking him out. Just before blackness claims him, he crawls to Lucy, covering her body with his, keeping her safe.

"You're poison Lucy. Poison...."

One long, blood-curdling scream pierces the night, a sign of what's to come.

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"Alec, did you see that?" Max pants as they continue running through the darkened streets of TC. "Did you hear that?" she whispers, almost in tears for fear of what's happened to Lucy. "Oh, god, it was them."

Alec rushes into Headquarters, with Max on his heels. They run to the Conference room to find Xander and Lucy on the ground, him covering her in attempt to protect her from the flying objects in the room. The light is too much to bear, and they look away as it falls to black.

Silence permeates the air, the smell of burning and she sound of Lucy's murmured cries filling the senses. "Call the Knights. We need help." Max orders, her voice soft with tears yet harsh with anger. She starts checking to see where Lucy's injuries end and Xander's begin, and Alec picks up a phone, calling Dix.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TC 'Dance Hall'

The music, once blaring, fades out to a quiet drone, and the sound of an anguished scream floats through the air. All at once power cuts out, causing everyone to ask "What the Hell?". They, being Manticore, file out of the 'Dance Hall' in a very orderly, but still confused way.

Dix hears a ring, and knows it's him. ~what else could explain this than Sandeman's doing. The big one, not the little one~ he adds, answering. "Alec, what's wrong?"

"It's the Familiars. They sabatoged Lucy with a video. We don't know what it's of, but she caused quite a bit of damage. We need the Knights and some medics, ASAP. Hurry, Dix." he orders, and Dix whistles loudly.

"Okay, Mole, Joshua, Sandy, Biggs, CeCe and two medics get your asses over to HQ with supplies. NOW!" he bellows, and they all follow orders, the rest heading home. When Dix gets mad, when he rarely does, you do what he says.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HQ

Everyone called to HQ runs through the doors, stopping at the sight they see. Lucy lies on a cleared off desk, Alec holding her down as she thrashes and cries. Max shakes Xander, who's on another desk. Both are bloody, and look like they've been through hell. Which, in Lucy's case, is quite true.

"Xander, Xander, wake up!" Max yells, shaking his shoulders. Sandy cleans up Xander's face, sending worried looks over to Lucy.

Lucy continues sobbing, lost in her own world that no one can seem to wake her from. ~If we get Xander, maybe he can get Lucy.~ Max theorizes, shaking him again.

He moves his head groggily, opening his eyes to the now-lit HQ. "Lucy, where is she, where's my Lucy? Is she hurt? Oh, god, is she all right?" he asks, jumping up a little to fast for having a concussion. She grabs his arm to keep him up. "Oh, god...Lucy." he whispers, running to her makeshift bedside as one of the medics cleans up her cuts.

He motions the med, Neil, to move, and scoops her into his arms, holding her close. "Come on, Lucy. Wake up, please. I need you to be okay." he whispers, and the others step into another room to give him space, Neil leaving the med kit behind so that Xander could finish up. "I need you to be okay."

Her cries die down a bit, and he rocks her slowly, wishing that she would never have been through that hurt, that she would never have met White. "You're so perfect, Lucy. You hhave to wake up...please." he pleads, his eyes filling up with tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dream Sequence, um..Lucy's subconscious(duh)

Lucy 'awakes' to find herself in a long, familiar corridor. She runs to the door she's visited so often, ignoring the sign written in French, telling her to stay out, that it's private. The Manticore symbol is etched onto the doorknob, and Lucy rubs it for luck, like she used to as a child.

She swings the door open, expecting to find the room empty and bare, but instead finds it filled with bookcases and rugs, and an old man looking out the window, holding a walking stick. He looks at her, smiling happily at seeing his grandchild for the first time since she was a child. "Hello, Lucy, dear. I've been waiting for you." he tells her, greeting her with a hug.

"Papaw? What are you doing here?" Lucy asks, confusedly. "I thought you were in France now, hiding."

"I am, but this is something special. It requires a lot of power, and I only do it when I need to. We're on the Astral Plane now, Luce. I need you to know some things. Things that you will need to win the war." he says, pulling away and motioning for her to sit down next to him on the window seat.

"What war, Papaw? What are you talking about?" she asks, utterly confused about all of this. ~So wait, let me get this straight- I'm sitting in a room I played in when I was five and talking to a man who's an ocean away about a war that isn't happening? Oh yeah, I'm so being sent to an asylum when I wake up.~

"The Transgenic/Familiar war. We need to stop it from happening. You do. You are The Key, Sweetheart." he says tenderly, his icy blue eyes staring kindly into hers, proud of the woman she's become. "Remember how I always told you that you were different? That you were special?" he asks, and Lucy nods, remembering rolling her eyes and blushing when he told her about her 'specialness.' "Well, you are why I made Manticore. You and I, we have powers like nobody else. Powers that we can use to get rid of the Familiars. Will you help me, Lucy dear?"

Lucy nods, knowing that it is her destiny. "Yes, I will. I'll do whatever I can to help you. Just tell me what to do." she says, a defiant look in her eye. ~So much like her mother.~ Sandeman thinks sadly.

"When you wake up, tell Max and Alec that the Familiars are coming. Then go to the roof. It started raining out after you fell asleep, dear, so wear something warm." he says, grandfatherly instincts taking over. Lucy grins, missing having family around. "You'll know what to do then, sweetheart. Follow your instincts, follow your heart, and you will prevail. I promise you." he assures her, handing her a slip of paper and closing her palm around it. "Now, no looking at that until later. Promise?" he asks her, his eyes twinkling mysteriously. She nods, smiling at the old tradition. He holds out his pinky, and she links hers with his.

"Lucy, I want you to know three things. One: you are not at fault for your family's deaths. They weren't killed because of your powers, but because I betrayed the Conclave. They wanted to break you. Don't believe Ames. He is a very, very evil man. Who could hurt his own niece like he did to you?" he whispers, tears threatening to fall as he thinks of how far his son has fallen.

"Niece? I'm related to him?" she asks, tears welling up in her eyes at the thought of hurting family.

"Yes, and he has fallen as far as you can. He is still trapped by the Conclave. You remember the stories I told you when you were little. Those are true, sweetie. All of them. And the champion? She's you, Lucy. You are our champion.

Two. You aren't alone in this, dear. There are many who will fight alongside you. Don't ever fear that you are alone. You aren't. You have people that love you in Terminal City, and I am traveling to Seattle as fast as I can, dear. But the Conclave is still looking for me, and my family. I am sorry they've hurt you, my Lucy. But you were strong, and I'm so proud of you.

Three. Lucy, that boy is head over heels for you, and I know that you adore him, too. Don't let him go. Love isn't supposed to be a fairytale, so if things don't seem perfect, that's the way they're meant to be." he advises her, and a tear falls to the ground, hitting the hardwood floor silently.

"Thanks, Papaw. Hurry, please." Lucy whispers, hugging him tightly.

"I will, my dear. I will. I have to go now, though. My power is draining, and I need it to help keep an eye on everything." he says, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "Just remember that I love you, dear. And don't forget-no peeking." he whispers, and the dreams fades away, leaving Lucy alone in the endless corridor.

"Noo....Papaw, don't leave me here...please." she cries, falling to her knees.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HQ

"Xander, Xander, wake up!" Max yells, shaking his shoulders. Sandy cleans up Xander's face, sending worried looks over to Lucy.

Lucy continues sobbing, lost in her own world that no one can seem to wake her from. ~If we get Xander, maybe he can get Lucy.~ Max theorizes, shaking him again.

Suddenly, the air around him feels different, charged almost. He looks down at Lucy, who's stopped crying now.

Her eyes fly open, revealing those beautiful, unforgettable blue eyes that he loves. "Lucy, you're back." he cries, hugging her tightly. She kisses him, happy to be back, but a little weak from the show of power.

"Where's Max and Alec? I need to talk to them, and everyone who they trust, as well. Now." she says hurriedly, looking around frantically. He points to where they all sit in the corner, and Lucy tries to get up, a little wobbly.

"I'll get them." he says, and two minutes later she's surrounded by people.

"The Familiars are coming. It' gonna be big. Global, even." she starts, feeling stupid. "How do I know this? Okay, here's the freak-tastic part- when I was out? Yeah, kind on the Astral Plane. I saw my grandfather there, and he told me that they're coming. They want to start a war. And we need to stop them." she says, remembering the paper and opening her palm.

"He gave me this. I don't know what it is-he made me pinky promise not to read it until I woke up." she says, feeling a little less freaked as Xander sits next to her and wraps his arm around her. She moves as close as she can get to him, finding comfort in his touch.

She unfolds the paper and starts reading. "To All My Children: Ah, how I have missed you. I am on my way to you as we speak, but I will not be able to join you in time, I fear. But do not worry, as I have told my Lucy, we will win the war.

I made you each for a specific duty. You are all special, and we will need all of your help. Be prepared, Children. The Familiars are strong, and you may need to fight. Lucy is your leader, your general. Listen to her. Fight strong, children, and just let Lucy do what I've told her to.

Father" she finishes, leaving everyone in the room stunned.

"So, what did he tell you to do?" asks Alec, already formulating battle positions.

"Follow my instincts." she whispers, trying to remember the stories that Papaw told her. "Okay, guys, the Familiar army surrounds enemies by going for the pentagram technique- it goes from five sides. The main point of their entry, though, will be the right side. It is the traditional Patriarchal side, so they think that it's lucky." she says, surprising them all with her knowledge of Familiar warfare. "What, can't a normal girl know a little warfare, too?" she laughs, then clears her throat when nobody else does. "Okay, so not funny, but can we get the others already?"

"I'm on it." Alec says, walking to another side of the room and pulling an alarm- a high pitched noise above the level of human hearing, but still in the transgenic range.

"So, we need soldiers guarding all sides, but that especially. Since they can't feel pain, I'd just go for the kill instead of waiting it out with hand to hand. I mean, gruesome and all, but they're evil, so it's excusable." she says, pondering it for a minute, thinking about her very own uncle who had a thing for 'Pointy Weapon Time.' "Oh, yeah, definitely excusable. In fact, almost humanitarian-esque of us, if you really think about it."

Alec walks back to the group to find a still talking Lucy, and grins. ~If I didn't know better, by the way she's giving out military orders, I'd say that she's Manticore.~ he muses, walking into the circle around her bed.

"Troops are on the way, Sarge." he teases her, and she smirks.

"That's enough of that lip, soldier." she barks, then giggles, ruining the whole 'grrr' look that she had been going for.

People start filing in, and Lucy gets off of the desk, hobbling over to the center of HQ and waiting for everyone to come. When just about all of the resident transgenics are in a now very crowded HQ, she begins to speak, Xander, Max, Alec, and the rest at her side.

"Two weeks ago I was alone, just another girl in a broken world, trying to get by, trying not to be found. Then White found me- again. He hurt me- not an unusual thing for him to do, seeing his anger level is apparently high," she jokes, getting a few laughs. But then her face sobers, and she continues, "But unusual for family to hurt each other that bad. You see, my name is Lucy Sandeman. My grandfather founded Manticore so that we could stop the Coming. So that we can save humanity. I know, big job and all that, but it's destiny. Our destiny." she says, transgenics listening to her, taking the bubbly teenage girl as their leader. "We need to fight the good fight, protect our people, and let them know that we're here. For good. Now who's with me?" she asks, putting her fist in the air. All of the people at her side do, and everyone in the crowd slowly lifts up their fists.

"Let's do this." she yells, and the crowd roars back. ~Just hurry, Papaw. Just hurry.~

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Thank you to everyone who has reviewed- you guys kick some major ass. I'm only planning on like two more chapters after this, so please review me if you haven't yet, and tell me what you think of it. Also, please tell me if you'd be interested in reading a sequel- I'm thinking of one and don't know if I should.

Dark Angel is not mine, as sad as that is. *puppy dog lip* Oh, well, I have Lucy and Xander.

Thanks again, guys- you kick!

Molly jeane :D