Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Dark Angel characters or plot. All the
new characters are mine though!
Pairing: MA eventually, CA friendship
"So......." said Max trying to get Hazel to talk, "Wat's up?" she finished lamely.
"You know we don't have to fill the silences." Said Hazel disdainfully.
"Look we might as well try to get along." Said Max as Hazel avoided her gaze, "You know for Alec."
At that Hazel snorted and said, "What? With the loving way you treat him?"
"Hey, look. Just 'cos I don't treat him like a damn God does not mean I don't care about him. He knows that he is important to me. To all of us." Said Max sitting up.
"Does he?" asked Hazel quietly.
"What?" said Max stupidly.
"I said 'Does he?'" replied Hazel.
"Of course he does." Said Max indignantly.
"Max the only sorta communication you have with him is bustin' his chops 'bout this or that. You're not exactly givin' out the appreciative vibes. You get wat I mean?" said Hazel shrugging and getting herself settled on the far couch.
"Look he'd think it was weird if I didn't insult him, k?" said Max.
"Yeah he probably would." Said Hazel as Max sat shocked at the younger transgenic agreed with her, "But he'd probably also appreciate a bit of friendly and well deserved praise once in a while."
Max's smile dropped, "I do praise him."
Hazel chuckled dryly, "Oh really? Was it when you said that he was a waste of space after he brought in a major fence or was it that time when he came in after an all night heist and you accused of bein' all boosed up?"
"So, sometimes I get on his back a bit, but." Said Max but she was interrupted.
"But nothin'. You rip him to pieces in front of his friends and family. You rip apart his heart." Said Hazel now leaning forward in her chair.
"I do not." Said Max.
Hazel sighed and studied Max for a few minutes. Max grew uncomfortable under the transgenic's pensive inspection. "Why'd you get caught again?"
Max was thrown by the sudden change of topic that she was lost in thought for a bit. "Well.we.that's me, my brother Krit and sister Syl, burned down the embryo lab." She stuttered.
"No, I mean, you worked so hard to escape and kept runnin' but why'd you let yourself get caught?" repeated Hazel.
Max was gonna make a quick retort but closed her mouth before it escaped and thought about the question. For those few months she was back at manticore, she was plagued with the same question day and night. "I don't know. I just...don't know." She finally said.
"Did you finish any of your training?" Hazel asked again relaxing in the light breeze that was combing her and closed her eyes.
"No, don't think so." Relied Max.
"They really struck down on us when you guys escaped." Said Hazel seemingly to no one.
Max just nodded.
"We were taught your designations and told you were traitors." She carried on in her reverie.
Max watched her intrigued.
"When did you know you loved Logan?" she asked suddenly.
Max was thrown again and took a while to answer, "Err.well.I don't know really. I just did."
"Was he the first person you loved?" Hazel asked again.
"Yeah, I guess. Well that sorta love. I loved my brothers and sisters as well." Max replied.
"How did you know you loved your unit?" the younger transgenic enquired.
"We just knew. Look I don't know these answers." Said Max getting slightly annoyed.
"No, it's just after being brought up in manticore, how did you know about all these emotions?" Said Hazel somewhat amiably.
"We all felt emotions." Said Max but was interrupted by Hazel again.
"Yeah but we didn't know what they were called. How did you know about family and love and that what manticore were doing was wrong?" asked Hazel truly curious.
Hazel's inquisitiveness wasn't lost on Max, "You're asking an awful lot of hard questions." She said, "Why'd you wanna know anyway?"
"'Cos I only found out about the whole love deal when I was on a mission. I just wanted to know what your unit experienced that the rest of manticore didn't is all." Replied Hazel shrugging her shoulder.
"I dunno. When you put it like that.I guess my big brother Zack made a difference. He was our CO. And my brother Ben. He always wanted know about the outside you know." Said Max smiling sadly at the thought of both her brothers.
"Where are they now?" asked Hazel.
Max at first got angry thinking that Hazel was being smug but when she looked at her she saw that Hazel was being totally innocent. Max sighed and said, "Zack lost his memory and is living a normal life somewhere on a farm." Hazel felt like chuckling a bit kept it to herself as she saw that Max was being serious. "And Ben." she got quieter, "Ben died. Well, I killed him actually.'cos manticore were gonna get him.and he didn't want to be caught.so I killed him."
Hazel looked at Max with real pity and said quietly, "I'm sorry, Max."
Max looked up at Hazel and saw that she meant it. She smiled slightly and said, "That's what Alec said when I told him." There was silence. "You know he's Alec's clone?"
"Whoa, what?" said Hazel shocked, "Didn't they try to get you and him to cook up some babies? Why would they choose someone who looked like one of your unit members?"
"Well they did with you?" said Max simply but knew it was a bad way to go as Hazel's face fell immediately.
"Yeah, well that was more like one of Renfro's sick games." Said Hazel quietly.
"Well, it's probably the same for me and Alec as well." Said Max.
"Alec's a good guy, y'know." Stated Hazel.
"I know." Said Max.
The two sat in silence for a few minutes when Max broke it by saying, "I cannot imagine him as a CO."
"Why not?" said Hazel.
"Well, 'cos it's Alec." Stated Max.
"Err. you gonna expand on that or is that it?" asked Hazel looking at Max as if she was an idiot.
"Well, you know.Alec's well.Alec." Said Max again dumbly.
Hazel just looked at her with one eyebrow cocked up.
"Well, he's happy go lucky and up himself and he talks all the time and he's.he's." Max couldn't carry on so Hazel did.
"Charismatic, charming, dependable, devoted to the ones he cares about, a source of strength, a shoulder to cry on or hit, whatever situation calls." She said watching Max's reaction.
At first it was one of disbelief but as she carried on listening she realised that it was all true. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She said still in thought.
"So what's given you such a high opinion of him?" asked Max taking off her boots and putting her feet onto the couch.
"That's one long story." Said Hazel stretching her arms.
"Does it look like I'm goin' anywhere?" Max replied pointing at all directions of the room.
"Well, I'm a couple of years younger than Alec so I probably joined my unit when I was about 3. I was the baby of the group but they soon got to know that even though I was the youngest, I was also the fiercest. My unit joked that they put mother tigress DNA in my cocktail as well as bat." Said Hazel as Max listened intently.
"Do ya think they killed each other yet?" asked Cindy who had decided to spend her day with Alec.
"I have no idea." Said Alec shrugging and then taking a sip of his soda, "It's only been three hours. Bit too soon for a visit."
Cindy nodded and said, "You're right, baby boo. We'll wait a bit more."
"So what you're sayin' is that Alec, the Alec, was the Alpha male of Manticore." Said Max sceptically.
"No.I mean there were a few top of the top Alpha males.it's just that Alec was practically perfect. Hey, bit like you." Said Hazel as Max rolled her eyes at the last comment, "Anywayz, he was a successful jaguar/human hybrid, he did not only have the speed, strength and agility, but all the charisma to gain anybody's trust. The perfect assassin. That's the only reason manticore kept him after all the apparent flaws he had. And that rebellious attitude of his drove them nuts."
"Alec was rebellious?" asked Max, "I always thought he was a true blue soldier."
"Nah, none of us were. How were you supposed to keep sane and be a manticore nut? Not possible." Hazel dismissed Max's statement.
"I guess. Anywayz, what flaws did beloved Alec have?" asked Max.
"Oh you know.the usual. He was too human sometimes and let his emotions get the better of him. He had too much of a soul for the likes of manticore. He's passionate, whether it be anger, happiness, sadness, or love." Said Hazel, "And I don't know whether you've noticed but he can talk about anything and everything for hours."
Max laughed lightly and said sarcastically, "No, you mean the Alec we all know and love yaps?"
Hazel suddenly turned contemplative on her, "Do you?"
"Do I what?" asked Max confused by Hazel's abrupt change in mood.
"Do you love him?" replied Hazel simply.
Max look at the other X5 as if she was joking but soon realised that Hazel was serious and so she began to think. Do I love him? Yes I do. But is it like I love Joshua or the way I loved Logan. Loved? That could explain a lot. "I have know idea what you're on about?" said Max.
Hazel didn't believe her, "You know if you look, you'll see that you have his heart."
"Huh?" said Max shocked.
"He's given his heart to you." Carried on Hazel.
Max at first thought Hazel was joking but when she looked into her eyes she could see the hurt and disappointment in the younger transgenic's eyes.
"You don't know what you're talkin' 'bout." Said Max sternly.
Hazel just looked at her thoughtfully and nodded slightly, as if she just understood something.
Max looked out of the window behind her and saw that night had fallen. "I'm gonna try and sleep." She said to Hazel whilst positioning herself on the couch, "What about you?"
"Bat DNA. I don't do sleep too well." Replied Hazel simply.
"Well, I'm shark. You should still try." Said Max sounding awfully mother hen even to her own ears.
Hazel just shrugged but soon heard Max's even breathing. She turned to the piano and started playing a few notes softly. She looked back at Max but saw that the other transgenic hadn't stirred, so she carried on playing a few more notes softly.
"What was that tune again?" she asked herself quietly. She played a few notes but them stopped quickly. "No that's not it." She carried on playing until she found the right tune. She started paying with both hands and lost herself in the music. Her fingers glided along the keys smoothly, evenly, and softly. Even though she didn't play as well as the professionals her sloppiness gave the piece its own uniqueness.
"Chopin." She heard a soft, deep voice and she suddenly stopped, "I'm impressed."
Hazel turned to the door quickly and relaxed slightly when she saw that it was only Alec who was closely followed by Cindy.
"You got skills sugah. Just like baby boo." Said the beautiful African.
"What are you all doing here?" Hazel asked slightly breathless from playing.
"Just came to makes sure you both survived the day." Said Alec, "Max asleep?"
"Just conked out." Relied Hazel, she then quickly moved to the furthest corner in the room and said, "Look, Alec maybe you should go."
He turned to look at her and heard Max stir slightly. "Yeah okay." He said nodding to Cindy slightly and then walked out the building.
"Well, sugah, it's late. I'll see ya in the mornin'." Said Cindy to Hazel who nodded to her acknowledgement.
Hazel watched them walk away from the window and then turned back to the piano and started playing again.
Pairing: MA eventually, CA friendship
"So......." said Max trying to get Hazel to talk, "Wat's up?" she finished lamely.
"You know we don't have to fill the silences." Said Hazel disdainfully.
"Look we might as well try to get along." Said Max as Hazel avoided her gaze, "You know for Alec."
At that Hazel snorted and said, "What? With the loving way you treat him?"
"Hey, look. Just 'cos I don't treat him like a damn God does not mean I don't care about him. He knows that he is important to me. To all of us." Said Max sitting up.
"Does he?" asked Hazel quietly.
"What?" said Max stupidly.
"I said 'Does he?'" replied Hazel.
"Of course he does." Said Max indignantly.
"Max the only sorta communication you have with him is bustin' his chops 'bout this or that. You're not exactly givin' out the appreciative vibes. You get wat I mean?" said Hazel shrugging and getting herself settled on the far couch.
"Look he'd think it was weird if I didn't insult him, k?" said Max.
"Yeah he probably would." Said Hazel as Max sat shocked at the younger transgenic agreed with her, "But he'd probably also appreciate a bit of friendly and well deserved praise once in a while."
Max's smile dropped, "I do praise him."
Hazel chuckled dryly, "Oh really? Was it when you said that he was a waste of space after he brought in a major fence or was it that time when he came in after an all night heist and you accused of bein' all boosed up?"
"So, sometimes I get on his back a bit, but." Said Max but she was interrupted.
"But nothin'. You rip him to pieces in front of his friends and family. You rip apart his heart." Said Hazel now leaning forward in her chair.
"I do not." Said Max.
Hazel sighed and studied Max for a few minutes. Max grew uncomfortable under the transgenic's pensive inspection. "Why'd you get caught again?"
Max was thrown by the sudden change of topic that she was lost in thought for a bit. "Well.we.that's me, my brother Krit and sister Syl, burned down the embryo lab." She stuttered.
"No, I mean, you worked so hard to escape and kept runnin' but why'd you let yourself get caught?" repeated Hazel.
Max was gonna make a quick retort but closed her mouth before it escaped and thought about the question. For those few months she was back at manticore, she was plagued with the same question day and night. "I don't know. I just...don't know." She finally said.
"Did you finish any of your training?" Hazel asked again relaxing in the light breeze that was combing her and closed her eyes.
"No, don't think so." Relied Max.
"They really struck down on us when you guys escaped." Said Hazel seemingly to no one.
Max just nodded.
"We were taught your designations and told you were traitors." She carried on in her reverie.
Max watched her intrigued.
"When did you know you loved Logan?" she asked suddenly.
Max was thrown again and took a while to answer, "Err.well.I don't know really. I just did."
"Was he the first person you loved?" Hazel asked again.
"Yeah, I guess. Well that sorta love. I loved my brothers and sisters as well." Max replied.
"How did you know you loved your unit?" the younger transgenic enquired.
"We just knew. Look I don't know these answers." Said Max getting slightly annoyed.
"No, it's just after being brought up in manticore, how did you know about all these emotions?" Said Hazel somewhat amiably.
"We all felt emotions." Said Max but was interrupted by Hazel again.
"Yeah but we didn't know what they were called. How did you know about family and love and that what manticore were doing was wrong?" asked Hazel truly curious.
Hazel's inquisitiveness wasn't lost on Max, "You're asking an awful lot of hard questions." She said, "Why'd you wanna know anyway?"
"'Cos I only found out about the whole love deal when I was on a mission. I just wanted to know what your unit experienced that the rest of manticore didn't is all." Replied Hazel shrugging her shoulder.
"I dunno. When you put it like that.I guess my big brother Zack made a difference. He was our CO. And my brother Ben. He always wanted know about the outside you know." Said Max smiling sadly at the thought of both her brothers.
"Where are they now?" asked Hazel.
Max at first got angry thinking that Hazel was being smug but when she looked at her she saw that Hazel was being totally innocent. Max sighed and said, "Zack lost his memory and is living a normal life somewhere on a farm." Hazel felt like chuckling a bit kept it to herself as she saw that Max was being serious. "And Ben." she got quieter, "Ben died. Well, I killed him actually.'cos manticore were gonna get him.and he didn't want to be caught.so I killed him."
Hazel looked at Max with real pity and said quietly, "I'm sorry, Max."
Max looked up at Hazel and saw that she meant it. She smiled slightly and said, "That's what Alec said when I told him." There was silence. "You know he's Alec's clone?"
"Whoa, what?" said Hazel shocked, "Didn't they try to get you and him to cook up some babies? Why would they choose someone who looked like one of your unit members?"
"Well they did with you?" said Max simply but knew it was a bad way to go as Hazel's face fell immediately.
"Yeah, well that was more like one of Renfro's sick games." Said Hazel quietly.
"Well, it's probably the same for me and Alec as well." Said Max.
"Alec's a good guy, y'know." Stated Hazel.
"I know." Said Max.
The two sat in silence for a few minutes when Max broke it by saying, "I cannot imagine him as a CO."
"Why not?" said Hazel.
"Well, 'cos it's Alec." Stated Max.
"Err. you gonna expand on that or is that it?" asked Hazel looking at Max as if she was an idiot.
"Well, you know.Alec's well.Alec." Said Max again dumbly.
Hazel just looked at her with one eyebrow cocked up.
"Well, he's happy go lucky and up himself and he talks all the time and he's.he's." Max couldn't carry on so Hazel did.
"Charismatic, charming, dependable, devoted to the ones he cares about, a source of strength, a shoulder to cry on or hit, whatever situation calls." She said watching Max's reaction.
At first it was one of disbelief but as she carried on listening she realised that it was all true. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She said still in thought.
"So what's given you such a high opinion of him?" asked Max taking off her boots and putting her feet onto the couch.
"That's one long story." Said Hazel stretching her arms.
"Does it look like I'm goin' anywhere?" Max replied pointing at all directions of the room.
"Well, I'm a couple of years younger than Alec so I probably joined my unit when I was about 3. I was the baby of the group but they soon got to know that even though I was the youngest, I was also the fiercest. My unit joked that they put mother tigress DNA in my cocktail as well as bat." Said Hazel as Max listened intently.
"Do ya think they killed each other yet?" asked Cindy who had decided to spend her day with Alec.
"I have no idea." Said Alec shrugging and then taking a sip of his soda, "It's only been three hours. Bit too soon for a visit."
Cindy nodded and said, "You're right, baby boo. We'll wait a bit more."
"So what you're sayin' is that Alec, the Alec, was the Alpha male of Manticore." Said Max sceptically.
"No.I mean there were a few top of the top Alpha males.it's just that Alec was practically perfect. Hey, bit like you." Said Hazel as Max rolled her eyes at the last comment, "Anywayz, he was a successful jaguar/human hybrid, he did not only have the speed, strength and agility, but all the charisma to gain anybody's trust. The perfect assassin. That's the only reason manticore kept him after all the apparent flaws he had. And that rebellious attitude of his drove them nuts."
"Alec was rebellious?" asked Max, "I always thought he was a true blue soldier."
"Nah, none of us were. How were you supposed to keep sane and be a manticore nut? Not possible." Hazel dismissed Max's statement.
"I guess. Anywayz, what flaws did beloved Alec have?" asked Max.
"Oh you know.the usual. He was too human sometimes and let his emotions get the better of him. He had too much of a soul for the likes of manticore. He's passionate, whether it be anger, happiness, sadness, or love." Said Hazel, "And I don't know whether you've noticed but he can talk about anything and everything for hours."
Max laughed lightly and said sarcastically, "No, you mean the Alec we all know and love yaps?"
Hazel suddenly turned contemplative on her, "Do you?"
"Do I what?" asked Max confused by Hazel's abrupt change in mood.
"Do you love him?" replied Hazel simply.
Max look at the other X5 as if she was joking but soon realised that Hazel was serious and so she began to think. Do I love him? Yes I do. But is it like I love Joshua or the way I loved Logan. Loved? That could explain a lot. "I have know idea what you're on about?" said Max.
Hazel didn't believe her, "You know if you look, you'll see that you have his heart."
"Huh?" said Max shocked.
"He's given his heart to you." Carried on Hazel.
Max at first thought Hazel was joking but when she looked into her eyes she could see the hurt and disappointment in the younger transgenic's eyes.
"You don't know what you're talkin' 'bout." Said Max sternly.
Hazel just looked at her thoughtfully and nodded slightly, as if she just understood something.
Max looked out of the window behind her and saw that night had fallen. "I'm gonna try and sleep." She said to Hazel whilst positioning herself on the couch, "What about you?"
"Bat DNA. I don't do sleep too well." Replied Hazel simply.
"Well, I'm shark. You should still try." Said Max sounding awfully mother hen even to her own ears.
Hazel just shrugged but soon heard Max's even breathing. She turned to the piano and started playing a few notes softly. She looked back at Max but saw that the other transgenic hadn't stirred, so she carried on playing a few more notes softly.
"What was that tune again?" she asked herself quietly. She played a few notes but them stopped quickly. "No that's not it." She carried on playing until she found the right tune. She started paying with both hands and lost herself in the music. Her fingers glided along the keys smoothly, evenly, and softly. Even though she didn't play as well as the professionals her sloppiness gave the piece its own uniqueness.
"Chopin." She heard a soft, deep voice and she suddenly stopped, "I'm impressed."
Hazel turned to the door quickly and relaxed slightly when she saw that it was only Alec who was closely followed by Cindy.
"You got skills sugah. Just like baby boo." Said the beautiful African.
"What are you all doing here?" Hazel asked slightly breathless from playing.
"Just came to makes sure you both survived the day." Said Alec, "Max asleep?"
"Just conked out." Relied Hazel, she then quickly moved to the furthest corner in the room and said, "Look, Alec maybe you should go."
He turned to look at her and heard Max stir slightly. "Yeah okay." He said nodding to Cindy slightly and then walked out the building.
"Well, sugah, it's late. I'll see ya in the mornin'." Said Cindy to Hazel who nodded to her acknowledgement.
Hazel watched them walk away from the window and then turned back to the piano and started playing again.