Summary – When Max found out why he was sent to her cell, she hated Manticore even more. Starts at the beginning of Designate This. For clarity, this is not a ML fic.
Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its characters obviously do not belong to me. I am writing this purely for non-profit entertainment. No infringement intended, so don't sue me!
A/N: From all your reviews, I am so glad it ended up as Alec/494, otherwise I have a feeling that you would just abandon this story -:grins:- Thanks for your reviews!
Amelya - I do try to keep it as interesting as possible! Not much fun for you to read it if you know what is going to happen next -:winks:- As for it being a long story, I seriously hope not! Lol! So far, I can't tell! Thanks for reviewing.
Kungfuchick – Hehe! Glad you liked the making out scene ;p! Yup, she's infected alright. Now just waiting to pass it on to Logan. Thanks for your review.
Sarah (anon) – Thanks for reading and reviewing this and my other story. Yes, you got it right first time!
Ro (anon) – lol! I can almost hear the joy in your voice! Thanks for reviewing. And yes, Max is carrying the virus.
Pookie vampires - -:Grins:- Glad I did not disappoint! I laughed so much when I read your review; you are so excited! Lol! Oh…Max's reaction is going to be…argh! Can't tell you! Don't know what happened to the Favorites. But things do become quite weird in ffnet. Thank you so much for your review. Happy reading!
Kelzaa – Thanks for reviewing. And keep on reading and letting me know what you think!
Flephanie – Glad you are enjoying it. Max's reaction, as you would expect, is not going to be pretty! Thanks for your review.
X5898 – Thanks for reviewing. -:Grins:- True, you guys are exceptionally perceptive. Still, I think I need to work harder on it! Talk about perfection… his face…-:drool:-. I just watched Devour and there were so many close-ups. You can actually SEE his eyes -:swoons:-
Angelofdarkness78 – Max would react like…er…Max. Probably kill him, lol! -:grins:- Okay…okay…just kidding! Thanks for your review.
NoAngell – Thanks for reviewing. I know how you feel. Love the guy too! Erm…Was it too soon for them to kiss? Argh! Should have left it later then. I was just trying to move things along a bit. As for Logan, you'll see soon -:grins:-! As for writing and answering reviews – I enjoy doing it!
W1cked angel – I hoped you brother's hearing is still fine. Lol! Glad you approved of the choice. Up to that last flashback, I could actually still make it Ben -:laughs evilly:- Thanks for reviewing.
Calistra – Glad you enjoyed the lead up. I tried quite hard not to give it away completely, though many guessed correctly. Enjoy this chapter. Thanks for your review.
Iridescent Twilight – Thanks for reviewing. You must be the only one so far who hoped it was Ben. Would be interesting to do that plot actually. I was quite undecided until the last chapter. Things are going to get a whole lot worse for Max and Alec after this.
Babsibaby (anon) – Another correct guess! Hehe! Thanks for reviewing. Enjoy this chapter!
HoneyX5-452 – Thanks for your review. -:grins:- Glad you liked the kiss!
GuestTypePerson (anon) – Digital sucker! What for! -:laughs:- I am interested to know what you thought. Let me know after this chapter if it was what you expected, okay! Thanks for reviewing. Hmm…strange, no mention of book-carts…
Bryn (anon) – Thanks for your review and glad you liked the chapter. Give it a couple more chapters and 494 will get his name.
CrimsonReality – Amazing! That's good! Thanks!
A reader (anon) – Thanks for reviewing. Things are not going to be easy from now on…I wonder if I should change the story genre to 'angst' -:grins:-
Angel of Darkness231 – Hey! Nice to see you here and glad you liked the twist. Thanks for the review.
Random Rose (anon) – Yeah, but they are not biological sibling! I know …it's still weird! I am so glad that I almost convinced you it was Ben! Lol! I am sure Max would kick Ben's sorry ass to Pluto (as you so accurately put it), if she felt anything sisterly towards him and he tried to kiss her. Thanks for reviewing.
Okay, to the bit you have been waiting for…
Deception - Chapter 4
(by elle6778)
A street at the outskirts of Seattle
They trudged along the streets of Seattle, trying to remain inconspicuous. It was not an easy with both of them wearing the standard issue Manticore outfit. That, combined with their genetically enhanced good looks meant that they attracted considerable attention, much to their dismay.
Max stopped and turned to him, worried, "We need to change our outfit. We are attracting too much attention," she said needlessly.
494 nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I think that would be a good idea. You know of anywhere where we can get a change of clothes?"
Max wrinkled her brow as she tried to think of somewhere, "South Market, maybe. But by the time we get there, the whole of Seattle would have seen us,"
He widened his eyes in mock horror and exclaimed, "South Market? Max! You are not suggesting that we actually buy the clothes, are you?"
The exaggerated look of shock on his face made Max laugh, "What? Why not?" she asked, poking him in the ribs. She liked making small physical contacts with Ben; smacking him, tickling him, hugging him etc. She told herself that it was just to reassure herself that he was really there, but the small voice inside gave her a disbelieving snort. Max ignored it, as usual.
He rubbed his sore ribs, "Hey, stop that! And how did you think we were going to pay for it?" he asked with a smirk, raising his eyebrows.
Max rolled her eyes, "Alright! I get your point!" She looked around with a lost look, "So what now?"
"Now we got find you a nice little number to wear," he said with a grin, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Max punched him in the shoulders.
"Now what was that for?" he asked with an affronted look.
"For being such a smart-ass!" she retorted, "You shouldn't be saying such things to me," she reprimanded softly.
He held his hand to his chest, obviously faking hurt, "You are still thinking of me as a brother? What happened to that kiss you stole from me?"
Shocked at his audacity, Max's mouth fell open. "The kiss I stole? YOU were the one who started it!" And no! I don't think of you as a brother anymore, she said in her head, not willing to answer that question out loud just yet. That would mean confronting her feelings for Ben openly. Not only that, she has Logan to consider. If she and Ben were to pursue something, she needed to let Logan know first.
Smirking at the look on her face, he drawled, "But you are not saying that you didn't enjoy it, right?"
Max could not stop her blush from spreading up her face, "That's not the point! The point is, you started it, not me," She knew that she sounded far from convincing, but she did not know what else to say.
"Whatever you say, Max," he said with a knowing smile.
Max refrained from answering. Changing the topic, she shifted her attention to their immediate problem, "So, any great ideas about our clothes?"
"I've got an idea," he said with a mischievous look on his face. He turned and walked purposefully towards a nearby motel.
Seeing the expression on Ben's face, Max dreaded to find out what his idea involved. She fell into step behind him.
Fogle Towers
Later, they stood at the door to Logan's penthouse, decked in the clothes which he stole off some unsuspecting couple's room in the motel. He had climbed in through the window while Max stood watch. It was relatively easy as the couple was out.
At the moment, 494 noticed that Max had an apprehensive look on her face. He supposed that after not seeing Logan for months, she was feeling slightly jittery. Then he saw her tighten her resolve visibly as she finally made up her mind to enter. She did not bother to knock. She just picked the lock and went straight in. From the door, he could see that Logan was obviously loaded. He decided to follow Max in.
He only took a couple of step when the view before him rooted him to the spot.
He fought to keep his face neutral as he watched Max and Logan kissing like there was no tomorrow. 494 felt a slab of jealousy within him. So much for Max saying they were 'not like that', he let out a silent bark of laughter directed at himself. She did not even notice his presence anymore, he thought resentfully. He guessed that the kiss they shared a few days ago did not affect her as much as he thought it did after all.
Turning away from the sickening scene, 494 started to pull his thoughts together. Renfro had allowed them to escape so that he could find Eyes-Only. At his failure to achieve the results she wanted, Renfro had already told him that she decided to artificially inseminate her. In addition to that, she would attempt to get the information about the '09-ers from 599. So after this, he would not see her again. His throat constricted at that thought but he brushed it off. He told himself that it was probably better for him to just think of this as just another mission.
He would find Eyes Only and then he would return to Manticore. He hoped that Max could hurry up and contact the guy already. He did not know how long the jab would last. All he knew was that he needed the jab quite regularly otherwise his cover would be blown. Renfro told him that the jab was expected to last approximately a week. No one really know how long it would last, it depended on individuals. So he has about week's time before he had to return to Manticore.
He shoved his hands inside his pocket to prevent anyone from noticing that they were clenched tight. He cleared his throat loudly, interrupting the couple. He noted the surprise on Logan's face as the Ordinary finally registered his presence.
494 clenched his teeth as he saw that Max seemed to finally snap out of her preoccupation with the other guy, "Oh, Logan, this is Ben. Ben, this is Logan," she introduced, brushing her hair away from her face.
The two men nodded at each other. Logan appeared completely oblivious to the coldness in 494's eyes.
494 broke the eye contact to look around the room. His eyes paused momentarily at the computer which had a blinking message 'Satellite link failed' flashing across its screen. Dismissing the message on the screen, he forced himself to smirk and turned to face Max and Logan, "So," he said, "Any chance of getting some food here?"
"In the kitchen," Max and Logan answered simultaneously.
Rolling his eyes, 494 headed towards the kitchen.
He was deep his inspection of the refrigerator when a sudden yell from the living room startled him. Whipping his head around, turned to see Logan sprawled on the floor with Max beside him. Mottled red spots were starting to appear on the older man's skin; the blotchiness a sure sign of some infection.
His jaw dropped as the symptoms registered in his brain.
Logan was Eyes Only?
The computer beeped, attracting 494's attention. He turned to see a message on the screen; 'Satellite link established. Press enter to transmit'. His lips compressed as he realised that this must be the cable hack Renfro wanted him to stop.
His thoughts went back to the time when he stood in front of Renfro's desk. It seemed so long ago but it was just yesterday.
(FLASHBACK)
"We want you to go with 452 when she tries to escape," Renfro said.
Uncertain that he had heard her correctly, 494 repeated, "You want to let 452 escape?"
"Yes," Renfro affirmed and continued, "She's in contact with Eyes Only. So if she escaped, she would probably go to see him at some point. We need to stop Eyes Only, or else he will broadcast Manticore's location to the world,"
Renfro held up a vial, "And this is what we will be using to get our hands on him. We found some blood which we believe could be from him, and synthesised a retrovirus specifically targeted to his DNA. We are currently introducing the virus into her body and when she comes into contact with Eyes Only, he will be infected. It is fatal. And the only way he could get an antidote is for 452 to bring him back here,"
Realisation dawned in 494's eyes as he realised what Renfro's plan was. If Eyes Only wanted to live, Max would have to bring him back to Manticore. Otherwise he will die, leaving 494 to bring Max back to Manticore. Whichever way, Manticore wins. 494 did not know whether to marvel or cringe at the extent of Renfro's ingenuity.
Then he suddenly realised something. For Max to bring Eyes Only back to Manticore, someone has to tell her to do so, otherwise she would not know any better. 494's heart sank as he realised who that someone was going to be.
As if to confirm his thoughts, Renfro said, "You need be there. You need to let her know that she needs to bring Eyes Only to us for him to remain alive. Make up some story about how you knew about it. Keep your cover as long as you could. You also need to make sure he does not send any of those hacks out. Destroy his equipments,"
"Ma'am, with all due respect, he might not survive the trip back here,"
Renfro smiled, "All the better for us, then. Isn't it, 494? In which case, just make sure 452 comes back here…And don't worry too much if she resists. We have a back-up plan just for that,"
"Ma'am?" he asked as the feeling of dread grew at the look on Renfro's face.
"You will find out in due course," she replied cryptically.
(END FLASHBACK)
Frantic thoughts raced through his mind as he remained frozen on the spot. Max was still glued to Logan's side, worry evident on her face.
He knew that this was his cue to tell Max about the virus, but for the moment, he could not make himself say the necessary words.
Should he follow orders and make up some unbelievable story about how he knew about the virus? He knew that it was highly unlikely that Max would believe him. And if he did that, Max would have to return to Manticore with him. He would then be taken off the mission and someone else substituted in his place as her breeding partner. A more likely scenario would be that he would have to donate his seed to help Manticore impregnate her. Genetic compatibility had a lot to answer to.
What else could he do?
Max held Logan's head as he lay prostrate on the floor. She was frantic with worry. Logan did not seem to respond to any of her words; he just kept slipping in and out of consciousness. She did not know what was wrong with him. One minute he was fine and they were kissing. Then after Ben left for the kitchen, he suddenly he swayed and fell over. She looked on helplessly as he blinked blearily at her in one of his lucid more moments.
Ben had rushed over when she yelled. Now he stood beside her, silently observing Logan.
"Ben, I don't know what happened. He was fine just a while ago, then suddenly…" Max said, looking at him for support.
Letting out his breath slowly, he said, forcing his voice to remain even, "I don't know, Max. You know any doctors who may be able to help?" He knew that the doctor would not be able to help Logan; Manticore would have made sure of that. However, he needed to say something to reassure her, even temporarily. He felt guilty for not telling her what he knew, but it would not have made any difference anyway. If Manticore got their hands on Logan, he was probably better off dead.
Max jumped up suddenly, "Dr Shankar!" she exclaimed, rushing towards the phone to call the doctor.
As the receptionist put her on hold, Max glanced over at Ben. He has been acting a bit weird tonight, unlike his normal upbeat self. She noticed it as soon as she introduced him to Logan. She had hoped that they could get along, but she noticed the cold look in his eyes as he greeted Logan. Max hoped that he would be alright being out of Manticore. She hoped that he did not decide to revert back to his old insecure self.
A small voice within told her that his strange behaviour was due to the fact that he saw her and Logan kissing. Max felt guilty as she thought about the kiss she shared with Ben a few nights back. The feeling she got when she kissed Logan today was nothing like what she felt that night. Max brushed the thought aside; she felt bad for even thinking about it when Logan was so ill.
When the doctor finally came to the phone, Max explained the situation to her, answering the questions which the other woman asked. They finally decided that it would be best to bring him to the hospital.
When they entered the elevator, 494 paused at the door and turned to Max.
"You go first and bring his car around, Max. I'll bring him down in a second. No need to attract more attention than necessary," he said, thinking to himself that this was the lamest excuse he had ever come up with.
Fortunately, Max did not notice. Distracted, she just nodded and allowed the elevator door to shut. As the elevated started moving, 494 turned back.
He pushed down the feeling on guilt as he looked at the older man. "It would be better in the long run," he whispered to Logan, almost gently. Lowering the unconscious Logan onto the floor, he walked back into the penthouse towards the computer.
He paused and stared at the words blinking on the screen - 'Satellite link established. Press enter to transmit'
Coming to a decision, 494 brought his hand nearer the keyboard.
He pressed the key marked DEL; and the words stopped flashing on the screen. He hit a few more keys, and the screen went blank.
Harbour Lights Hospital
Logan was lying unconscious on the hospital bed. His skin was covered with angry red rash which contrasted with the white sheets surrounding him.
Max, who was sitting beside the bed watching Logan, looked up when Dr Shankar entered the room. Her face was grim, warning Max that the news would more likely to be bad than good. Max's heart sank.
Holding her clipboard in her hand, the doctor said, "The test results came back. Logan was infected by some virus we have never seen before. You have any idea where he might have got it?"
She glanced at Logan with concern and shook her head, "No, I don't know. Will he be okay?"
The doctor sighed heavily, "I don't know, Max. It doesn't look too good,"
"What can we do?" Max asked in a barely controlled voice. She could feel her panic rising. Please let Logan be alright, she prayed.
"We have to just wait and see if he fights it off by himself. In the meantime, the lab is trying to see if they could stall the virus's activities. There's nothing else we could do, I'm afraid. I am sorry, Max," Dr Shankar said softly, looking at the obviously upset transgenic in front of her. Quietly, she stepped out of the room, leaving Max with Logan.
Max felt a lump in her throat; she did not know why but she kept thinking that it was somehow her fault. Renfro's words came back to haunt her; You are poison.
She needed to talk to someone. She turned around for Ben, but he was not in the room. A quick glance through the glass partition told her that he was standing outside taking and laughing with someone.
Max's eyes narrowed as she saw who that someone was. Ben was chatting up some nurse. Doesn't he know better than to do this now, she fumed. Not only that, she's blonde!
She stood up, determined to give Ben a piece of her mind.
494 felt the hair at the back of his neck stand on its ends. Turning around, he came face to face with an obviously unhappy Max.
Wondering what was bothering her, he asked, "Max, you okay?"
"What are you doing out here?" she asked in a rather unfriendly tone.
He tensed slightly at her tone; what did I do now, he thought, "Huh? Just hanging around. Getting to know the hospital better," He said with a grin, trying to lighten up her mood.
Apparently it was the wrong thing to say because her frown deepened. Then he saw her pointedly ignoring the nurse, and it clicked. Max's jealous. He suddenly felt like grinning, but he clamped it down; he valued his life too much. Considering the circumstances in which they found themselves here, 494 doubted that Max was up for any form of teasing.
He saw the worried look in her eyes, which was almost disguised by her mask of annoyance. He sobered up as the niggling feeling of guilt hit him again. Perhaps he should tell Max to bring Logan back to Manticore. At least then he will be alive. Tortured? Yes, but alive. But if he told her now, she was bound to ask why he did not tell her earlier. And what if Max brought Logan back; she would be captured as well. This time, she would be so heavily guarded that escape would not be even remotely possible. And there was the whole breeding programme and the artificial insemination thing, which he did not even want to think about. He told himself that there were many reasons why he preferred Max to be out here than to be back in Manticore. Hence he should stick to his guns and not confess. He resisted the urge to rub the back of his neck and pinch the bridge of his nose. He knew that he had backed himself into a corner. It was too late for honesty now.
Max's voice startled him out of his thoughts, "Ben," she hissed, "What's the matter with you?"
"Nothing. So, how's Logan doing?" he asked. He looked around to find that the nurse had gone. Probably scared within an inch of her life by Max, he thought.
Max's face dropped as she said, "Dr Shankar said that it doesn't look good. But there's nothing much we can do,"
He wrapped his arms around her wordlessly and gave her shoulders a squeeze. It was not necessary for him to reply. He did not trust himself to reply anyway.
The sudden blare of alarm from Logan's room made them jump. Eyes wide in horror, Max dashed back into Logan's room, 494 hot on her heels. The nurses were already in the room, one holding a paddle in each hand and the other blowing air into his mouth as they tried to jump start his heart.
It was useless. The constant tone and the flat horizontal line on the monitor confirmed Max's worst fears.
Logan did not make it.
t.b.c
A/N: I don't know what is wrong with this chapter, it felt a bit weird to me -: scratches head in confusion: - Please review and let me know what you think! Feel free to point out if anything about it is bugging you.
