Flashback
By The Shadower
Rating: PG-13 for later chapters, this chapter only PG.
Archiving: Would someone please tell me what that is?
Odds are I won't mind.
Feedback: Please. I'm finally understanding why everyone is
addicted to it.
Spoilers: None in this chapter, but eventually Pollo Loco
A/N: ML later, just be patient. I'm having trouble writing it without making it into the plot. I have plans to put it in later though. This whole story is kind of AU and speculative, and it'll depart from cannon after Pollo Loco.
Chapter One
Max strode into Logan's apartment, looking slightly annoyed. He hunched over his computer, not looking at her.
"You paged me."
He snapped up, startled. He hadn't realized she had been there.
"Yeah, I need another favor."
"What's up?"
"I'm looking into the murder of a reporter. I need you to break into the file room in the Seattle government building, see if they have an assassination order on record."
"They actually file assassinations?"
"In our government they do."
"Isn't this more of a hacking job? Find a file on some computer somewhere?"
"This particular murder happened eleven years ago. If there is a file, it's in hardcopy."
"So why are you looking into this now if it happened eleven years ago?"
"This journalist was trying to expose police corruption on a major level. He may even have been trying to expose Manticore. Maybe if we find his killer, we can use it to get to Manticore."
Max studied him. He looked strained, tense. She didn't know if she'd ever seen him this focused before, except, of course, when he had been trying to stay on his feet. She felt a pang of sadness at the memory of his despair.
"You okay?"
He looked up.
"Yeah. Why shouldn't I be okay?"
"You just seemed a little out of it. Is it this case? It is, isn't it? What's different about this murder?"
He sighed. He knew he would have to tell her eventually. He maximized the newspaper clipping displayed on his screen. The headline read CALE FAMILY KILLED IN BOMBING! Max took it in. She read aloud
"The Cale family is survived by their youngest son, Logan, a child of eight. Logan refused to comment."
She stared at Logan.
"Oh my god! This is your family! They got blown up when you were just eight?"
He nodded wordlessly. She turned back to the newspaper clipping, staring at the photograph. Something was familiar here, something she didn't want to think about. She shook it off. Logan was too absorbed in his own little world to notice anything was wrong. Damn. She hated when he got like this, and she hated that he had been hurt. She ran a hand affectionately through his hair. He looked up at her. A tear was running down one of his cheeks.
"It's okay," she whispered.
"It's all gonna be okay."
She sank down to her knees and looked at him. When Logan saw the warmth and reassurance in her chocolate-brown eyes, he almost believed her. Almost.
2008
Lydecker stood in the X-5 barracks, briefing the X-5 who was to assassinate Thomas Cale.
"You understand you are to kill Thomas Cale"
"Yes sir!"
"You are to assassinate his entire family as well. You will detonate a bomb planted by you under his car."
"Yes sir!"
"No witnesses, no evidence, no survivors."
"Yes sir!"
"Minimal human contact outside. You have all the necessary training to move about in the world, but you haven't taken Common Verbal Usage or any of the more advanced classes, so it's best to be safe."
"Yes sir!"
Lydecker allowed a small smile to curve over his lips.
"Very good," he said.
"Congratulations on your first mission, 452."
A/N: If you review, I am much more likely to write more. I'm almost certain I'm writing the sequel to Trouble In My Mind next so don't worry. If anyone has any tips on how to write ML without it taking over every thing, please let me know, I would really appreciate it.
By The Shadower
Rating: PG-13 for later chapters, this chapter only PG.
Archiving: Would someone please tell me what that is?
Odds are I won't mind.
Feedback: Please. I'm finally understanding why everyone is
addicted to it.
Spoilers: None in this chapter, but eventually Pollo Loco
A/N: ML later, just be patient. I'm having trouble writing it without making it into the plot. I have plans to put it in later though. This whole story is kind of AU and speculative, and it'll depart from cannon after Pollo Loco.
Chapter One
Max strode into Logan's apartment, looking slightly annoyed. He hunched over his computer, not looking at her.
"You paged me."
He snapped up, startled. He hadn't realized she had been there.
"Yeah, I need another favor."
"What's up?"
"I'm looking into the murder of a reporter. I need you to break into the file room in the Seattle government building, see if they have an assassination order on record."
"They actually file assassinations?"
"In our government they do."
"Isn't this more of a hacking job? Find a file on some computer somewhere?"
"This particular murder happened eleven years ago. If there is a file, it's in hardcopy."
"So why are you looking into this now if it happened eleven years ago?"
"This journalist was trying to expose police corruption on a major level. He may even have been trying to expose Manticore. Maybe if we find his killer, we can use it to get to Manticore."
Max studied him. He looked strained, tense. She didn't know if she'd ever seen him this focused before, except, of course, when he had been trying to stay on his feet. She felt a pang of sadness at the memory of his despair.
"You okay?"
He looked up.
"Yeah. Why shouldn't I be okay?"
"You just seemed a little out of it. Is it this case? It is, isn't it? What's different about this murder?"
He sighed. He knew he would have to tell her eventually. He maximized the newspaper clipping displayed on his screen. The headline read CALE FAMILY KILLED IN BOMBING! Max took it in. She read aloud
"The Cale family is survived by their youngest son, Logan, a child of eight. Logan refused to comment."
She stared at Logan.
"Oh my god! This is your family! They got blown up when you were just eight?"
He nodded wordlessly. She turned back to the newspaper clipping, staring at the photograph. Something was familiar here, something she didn't want to think about. She shook it off. Logan was too absorbed in his own little world to notice anything was wrong. Damn. She hated when he got like this, and she hated that he had been hurt. She ran a hand affectionately through his hair. He looked up at her. A tear was running down one of his cheeks.
"It's okay," she whispered.
"It's all gonna be okay."
She sank down to her knees and looked at him. When Logan saw the warmth and reassurance in her chocolate-brown eyes, he almost believed her. Almost.
2008
Lydecker stood in the X-5 barracks, briefing the X-5 who was to assassinate Thomas Cale.
"You understand you are to kill Thomas Cale"
"Yes sir!"
"You are to assassinate his entire family as well. You will detonate a bomb planted by you under his car."
"Yes sir!"
"No witnesses, no evidence, no survivors."
"Yes sir!"
"Minimal human contact outside. You have all the necessary training to move about in the world, but you haven't taken Common Verbal Usage or any of the more advanced classes, so it's best to be safe."
"Yes sir!"
Lydecker allowed a small smile to curve over his lips.
"Very good," he said.
"Congratulations on your first mission, 452."
A/N: If you review, I am much more likely to write more. I'm almost certain I'm writing the sequel to Trouble In My Mind next so don't worry. If anyone has any tips on how to write ML without it taking over every thing, please let me know, I would really appreciate it.