Rainbow Connection Chapter 8: Truth or Dare or Both, a dark angel fanfic

RAINBOW CONNECTION

by Newly Human

Synopsis: Lydecker stole Kaia's mother from her life. What will Kaia do when they come face to face? Friendship, intrigue, action, and most importantly… hope.

Timeline: The following takes place in between seasons 1 and 2.

Disclaimer: Dark Angel the series and all it's characters belong to Fox, Cameron/Eglee Productions and other respective owners. I don't mean to infringe so please don't sue. Kaia Kilbourne and the plot are mine.

Authors Note: Sorry this chapter took a while. Ran into a bit of writer's block and I didn't want to rush it. If you're going to do something, do it well. Right? Also, HUGE thanks to everyone who put me on his or her favourites list or author alerts. It's a true honour. Anyway, thanks for sticking around! -- Newly Human

CHAPTER 8
Truth or Dare... Or Both

"You don't have anything to say?" Kaia asked. Her face was emotionless, hiding the anger slowly building inside of her. She crossed her arms to keep from shaking. "Say whatever's on your mind. Deny it if you like."

Lydecker contemplated his answer. He wasn't sure how this girl would react. He tried to assess what she might be capable of. Fury is a powerful weapon able to give the weakest person strength; it just needed the right trigger. Lydecker didn't want to be that trigger for Kaia.

"Yes," He said carefully. "10 years ago I took your mother from you."

When she didn't respond, he elaborated. "Your mother had a very special gift. I'm sure you know..." He paused. Again, Kaia didn't move. "We were interested in her unique abilities. The windows it could open for our own neural research was an exciting prospect. When we tracked her down, I escorted her back to Manticore."

Kaia's only reaction had been a disrespectful smirk when Lydecker said the word escorted.

"I always believed my mother was in a research hospital." Kaia stared into Lydecker's eyes, trying to see any physical response to her words.

Lydecker just stared back. "In a way, she was."

"Yes, but the research wasn't for her benefit. It was for Manticore's." Kaia heard her voice rise. She was finding it harder to control her resentment towards Lydecker and his reaction. Or lack of it.

"You think all of our ideas come out of thin air?" Lydecker said smugly.

Kaia wanted to slap that self-satisfied look off his face! But he was testing her and she knew it. She tried to contain herself, keeping her hands crossed firmly, refusing to let him affect her like this. "I never saw my mother again." She quietly raged.

Lydecker kept his mouth shut. Smart man.

Kaia finally took her eyes off Lydecker and looked down to her feet. She had avoided probing into his emotions. She was afraid of what she would find. Maybe Lydecker was a heartless bastard who didn't give a damn about her mother and what he had done to her family. Or it's possible that he did care. That he had left her all these years to live an unaware life with her father because he actually held some compassion for her. She was only a little girl. It could be that she reminded him of his own recently lost X5 kids. Or, Kaia cringed involuntarily, it could be worse. Maybe he had plans for her. Maybe he has them still. She decided she didn't want to know.

"Get out." Kaia whispered through clenched teeth.

Lydecker didn't move.

"Lydecker." Logan cut in. He had been quietly watching the exchange. "You need to leave."

Slowly, and with a hint of caution that Kaia could feel, Lydecker backed out of the room.

At the door, Lydecker paused. "And yes, I do remember you, Kaia. Wide green eyes, like yours, are hard to forget." He turned back to look at her. "Your mother's was the same. She used to-"

"Don't you dare." Kaia hissed abruptly. "Don't you dare talk about her like I need you to fill in the last ten years of my life. I don't need your memories. I don't need your condolences. And I don't want your help."

Lydecker scrutinised Kaia's steely glare. She stood her ground, even though he was sure she was trembling inside. She would have made a good soldier, he mused.

Logan opened the door and, finally, Lydecker left. When Logan returned to the living room Kaia was still standing in the same position. He reached out for her, anticipating her need to be comforted. She didn't move, didn't flinch. She didn't say a thing for a long time.

Her soul mate Zack… Her mother's memory… She wanted desperately to cry, but her body felt like it had long run out of tears. She just felt… nothing. For the first time.

Her emptiness was suddenly replaced with Logan's concern.

"Kaia?" She was staring at the floor. Logan wished for a moment that he could know what she was thinking.

"Will it ever stop?" Kaia asked suddenly. The question was for no one in particular. She looked at Logan. He caught her eye and froze, just like the first time they had met. This time, her eyes looked paler than usual. Pain filled and completely silent, they made Logan gasp.

"It doesn't look like it's ever going to stop." Kaia answered herself, but this time addressing Logan.

"We still need to get your drugs." was all Logan could think to say.

Kaia shook her head. "It can't be done alone."

"We'll help." called a voice from the guest bedroom.

Krit had spoken. He looked better, but was still pale and weak from all the blood he had lost. Syl was supporting his weight, helping him move across the room.

"We owe you at least that." She chimed in.

"Definitely not." Kaia immediately contested. She moved to Krit's other side to lend a hand. They helped him the last few steps into an armchair.

"He's still too weak to even move properly." Kaia reasoned, swiftly checking his bandages.

Logan agreed. "He's in no shape to go anywhere."

"I'm still good to go." Syl volunteered. She looked at Krit for authorisation. Even though they had been on the outside for half of their lives, it was hard to kick that bad Manticore habit. Besides, what big brother wouldn't want a say in everything his little sister did?

Krit gave her a smile and nodded. "But I don't want her in there alone." He added.

"I'm going." Kaia heard herself say. Logan opened his mouth to protest. She stopped him. "I'm doing this, Logan."

He realised she wasn't going to budge.

"Ok." He went over to the various computers he always had set up. "We need a plan. I'm pulling up schedules and personnel files now."

For the next hour his fingers never stopped typing.

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Logan's SUV pulled up to almost the exact spot they had camped out two days earlier. Lydecker had disposed of the Animal Control van they had previously used, so they had to make do with what they had.

"This is very last minute," Kaia worried aloud. "Can we pull this off tonight?"

"We have to." Krit said simply, sitting in the front passenger seat with a laptop on his knees. Even though he couldn't help in the field he had insisted on coming as tech support. No one wanted to argue with him.

"The plan's not gonna work any other time." Logan added. He turned off the engine and opened up a second laptop to work with.

"Won't they be on higher alert?" Kaia rationalised.

"The sooner we do it, the better." Krit explained. "Manticore will have less time to recover from our previous visits."

"They were pretty prepared yesterday." Syl put in, remembering Krit going down after he got shot in the back. Her own doubts were beginning to emerge.

Krit leaned across to the back seat, groaning a little with pain in the process, and took Syl's hand.

"It's gonna be ok, sis. They were just lucky yesterday." He tried to comfort her, and maybe himself a little. "And besides, we didn't have these two to come up with a full proof plan." He said, indicating Logan and Kaia. Syl nodded, the pep talk putting the courage back in her.

Kaia adjusted the black suit she was wearing. It was the third set of clothes she had borrowed from Logon. The first became covered in blood during Krit's operation. The second set consisted of Logan's large jumper and baggy sweat pants, not exactly the right gear to be wearing when you're breaking into a secret government facility. Before they left his apartment Logan had produced a pair of tight black pants, a black skivvy and matching vest. Obviously not his own.

Logan noticed her tugging at Max's vest. Max had kept the spare change of clothes at his apartment just in case she needed to run one of his Eyes Only missions at a moments notice.

"Are you ok?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Kaia replied, aware of how sensitive the subject was. "She was a little skinnier than me. That's all."

Logan nodded silently and went back to setting up his equipment. Krit handed Syl and Kaia their communication links.

"Put this in your ear," He instructed Kaia. "We'll be able to hear you and you'll be able to hear us."

"Got it." She pushed the link expertly into her ear. She was a quick learner.

Kaia and Syl each took a handgun and climbed out of the car.

Once they were outside Syl immediately started heading into the woods.

"Hey," Kaia touched Syl's arm to stop her for a moment. "I just wanted you to know that… you don't owe me anything."

Syl smiled a brilliant smile, her fun loving personality showing through for the first time in three days. Kaia was amazed that she could, considering the situation they were about to get themselves into. She gave Kaia's hand a squeeze.

"I want to do this for you." Syl assured her. "As far as I see it, you're family now."

Kaia was touched. Syl regarded her X5 brothers and sisters as her top priority. Being called family by Syl was one of the highest praises she could get. And Kaia knew she meant it.

She watched as Syl cocked her gun, checking that it was good, and then turn to disappear into the woods. She was gone in a blur.

Kaia counted slowly to three, taking deep breaths in between each number. She took one last look at Logan sitting in his car. He gave her a reassuring smile, tapping on his earpiece to let her know that he'll be in touch. Then she turned and headed towards Manticore.