Reliving Manticore

Disclaimer-I don't own anything that can be found on Dark Angel. The only things I own are some of the transgenics and the parts of the storyline that I make up. So don't sue!

Summary-Max was captured at the end of season 1 but in my story she wasn't shot in the heart and Zack didn't shoot himself, but he was captured as well. And Max never escaped or burned Manticore down. So basically this story is about Max being back at Manticore with missions, transgenics and all. M/L at first but it will become M/A.

Chapter One-The First Meeting

"You have nothing to be ashamed of. I know who you are."

"Lucky we hooked up."

"Happy Anniversary."

"Just come back."

"MAX!"

Max shot up in bed, gasping. Beads of sweat were framing her face. She hastily wiped them away with her hand. She took in her surroundings. A second ago she had been in the forest...but she only saw cold concrete walls. Then she remembered. "Oh crap," Max said exasperated. Back at Manticore. Home sweet home, if you liked to be used and brainwashed.

How could I have gotten myself caught? Max pondered. She lay back down in her cot and fiddled with the blankets. I'm an X-5, why couldn't I run? It was just a bullet...okay maybe two or three bullets, but hell, I've been through worse. If I hadn't been facing off with a younger clone, I might have had a chance. Zack almost got to me. He was captured too. I wonder where he is now...

A knock on her cell door interrupted her thoughts. She turned her head to face the visitor. Her breath caught in her throat. How? I thought... could it be? "Ben?" she croaked. The man's face contorted in confusion.

"What?" he asked. Max's face fell as reality dawned on her.

"Sorry," she began. "You just, look like someone I used to know." She turned away to sit back on her bed.

The man's face lightened up slightly, but something in his eyes flashed for a second. Unreadable. "Well, my designation's 494." Max whipped around.

"His was 493," she whispered sadly. If it weren't for 494's enhanced hearing, he might not have heard it. He slowly nodded. Slight anger laced his angelic face.

"Ah. Your fellow 09 traitor," he spat, glaring at Max. Max raised an eyebrow and her former vulnerable state was gone. The bitchy side decided to make an appearance.

"Excuse me? Traitor? I don't think so," she smirked but her eyes told a different story. They had a predatory glint to them. I dare you to say more. I'll kick your ass if you badmouth any more of my family, Max mentally challenged him. 494 of course couldn't hear her thoughts.

"You heard me. Your. Fellow. Traitor," he spoke slowly as if talking to a small child. Max's eyes flared and she clenched her fists.

"We are not traitors," she argued through gritted teeth. 494 let out a scornful laugh.

"Oh sure. Abandoning all the others at Manticore wasn't traitorous. Yeah, you did us all a favor, getting us sent to Psy-Ops. I shouldn't be insulting you, I should be thanking you for being the cause of 6 months of torture," he smart-mouthed. Max narrowed her eyes. 494 didn't know her enough to read the warning signs. So he continued. "The 6 months were great. I didn't have to do training at all during those days. Sure, instead I was being poked, prodded, and violated. But hey, I tell ya 452, it was a real par-tay." His mouth was formed into an egotistical smirk, that Max would give anything for the ability to wipe it off.

She got tired of his smart-aleck remarks and decided to set him straight. When she spoke, her voice was low and dangerous. "Alright listen, 'cause I'm only saying this once, you egotistical son of a bitch. My siblings and I were not traitors. We didn't like what these monsters were doing to us. We had enough guts to escape. Damn the consequences. We had to get away. I'm sure you wouldn't know anything about pain, would you? Your sister was never shot in front of your eyes by the one of the very few people you trusted. You didn't witness your brother being sliced open because he got seizures in the middle of the night. You didn't witness your sister's life being drained from her. You didn't watch your brother fight to regain his memories because Manticore had done enough torture for him to shut down. You think you suffered from 6 months in Psy-Ops? You think you know sheer pain? Know the feeling when your body is being ripped inside-out?" Max paused as she took in his reaction to her outburst. His mouth was slightly agape and his eyes were bugged out. He reminded her so much of Ben. Tears invaded her eyes and threatened to fall. She had to make one final point. "You don't know anything," she said hotly.

494 stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. He almost wanted to make a smart-aleck comment but he had a feeling she wouldn't take it the right way. He figured he had to say something though, from the way she was looking at him. "Well, uh, I, um...Didn't mean anything by it. I, uh, just thought..."

"Well you thought wrong didn't you?" Max spat, her voice cracking. 494 looked away from her intense gaze. Suddenly she realized something. "What are you even doing here?" she asked suspiciously. Her eyes were back to being dry and devoid of any emotion except anger.

494's eyes shot up. He had forgotten. "Oh, it's a new thing Manticore's doing." Max cocked her head in confusion. 494 cleared his throat and went back into soldier mode. "We've been paired off."

"For what?" Max asked. Please don't be a mission. Please don't be a mission, she thought. A smirk appeared on 494's face.

"Breeding partners," he said suggestively. Off Max's confused look he added, "We're supposed to copulate every night until you get pregnant." Realization dawned on Max.

"Oh my god. That's sick!" she yelled. 494 looked at her pointedly.

"It's your own fault 452," he said. "If you and your 'siblings' hadn't blown up the DNA lab they'd still be whipping up embryos and putting 'em in surrogates." Max stared at him disgusted.

"Forget it. There is no way I'm having sex with you," she said angrily as she crossed her arms. 494 shrugged and smirked.

"Whatever. It's just as well. You spent ten years outside in filth and degradation. I could catch something," he said jokingly.

Max smiled. "As long as we understand each other." 494 nodded his consent and sat down, leaning against the wall.

They didn't speak again for a while. Both deep in thought.

"So 452, got any questions for an X-5 that's been at Manticore all his life?" 494 finally spoke. Max looked at him quizzically.

"Yeah, I got one," she said, adjusting herself on her cot. 494 sat up and folded his hands in his lap, ready to answer. "Do you have a name?"

494's brow furrowed. "I told you, my designation's 494. What else would it be?" he replied smirking. Max shook her head.

"Doesn't suit you," she said. She bit her lip as she tried to come up with something. Then she brightened. "I'm gonna call you Alec." 494/Alec nodded slowly as if considering it. "As in smart-aleck," Max finished.

Alec shrugged and smiled. "I can live with that," he complied. Max nodded.

"Good. Because my second choice was Dick," she said pointedly. Alec stared at her for a minute, thanking god she hadn't chosen that.

"And what should I call you?" he asked. Max cocked an eyebrow. "Well I just figured, I'm getting a name, shouldn't you have one? I mean, what did you call yourself when you were on the outside?" Max smiled.

"Max," she said proudly. Alec smiled back at her.

"Max..." he said, trying it out. "Suits you."

Before Max could answer, a guard knocked on the cell door. "Time to go back 494," he said to Alec. Alec nodded his consent. He stood up and walked over to the door as it opened.

"See you around," he paused, about to say Max's designation. "Max." he grinned and left. Max stared at the door, just thinking. Well...Who woulda thought?

She smiled as she lifted her cot and resumed sawing away at the brick wall. She knew there had to be some way to escape. She'd done it before, and she was only nine years old then...She had a quick flashback of the escape. She missed her siblings. I'll see them again soon enough. I'm sure of it.

A/N-Love it? Hate it? Please let me know, this is my first fanfic, so please be a kind. I will gladly take criticism and ideas, though. Any way to make a story better right?;o)

I'll try to update soon if you think I should continue with the story...