Author: Athena
Rating: PG-13
Show: Dark Angel
Genre: Drama/Action/Romance
Pairing: M/A
Summary: Max and Alec travel 20 years back in time at Metropolis, KS to rescue a friend. DA/Smallville crossover .
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine (I wish!). I borrowed the time machine (and also the name of the fic & the inspiration for the plot; yes, I know, it's a lot) from the movie "Timeline" (2003, starring Paul Walker & Frances O'Connor).
I know my machine's description might be a little confusing, but please, I beg you to use your imagination, it's the best I can do…
Part 2: Time jump - Take 3
…."Only 72 hours", Max whispered; "Now I can understand why Zack didn't come back"….
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7:55 am.
Max and Alec had been spending the last minutes with more and more anxiety. Doctors and assistants did some tests on them with weird artifacts that looked more like a cereal boxes than high tech medical equipment. 2, 3, 4 times they asked to enter in some kind of compartment, an steel box, just to shot them analytical glares after going out, like if they were lab animals.
And now, the 'hour' was close.
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Lex Luthor approached them to say his good-bye words. "Well, the waiting is almost over. I just want to warn you about what you're about to experience. It's something unique that only few people experienced before. I'd like to say that I experienced it too, but I'd be lying. So, remember, you're special."
"Geez, I feel SO special now. Can we get this over with?" Alec said impatient. "The waiting is killing me"
If only that happens… Lex Luthor thought bitterly.
"Well, if you don't have anything more to say… I agree with Alec, I want to get this over with" Max said, really tired of waiting for this damned thing.
"Yes, of course… but you need to know what will happen. This machine works like a tridimensional fax. Your body is deconstructed, cell by cell, and reconstructed again in a matter of seconds, with a enormous release of energy that evolved in a big amount of pain. In fact, in the early stages of the project, a lot of lab rats, died of heart attack because of the stress over their heart, veins and arteries."
"And you want us to use that thing! You're fucking crazy!" both transgenic yelled
"I understand your concern, but now the machine is perfectly safe. You aren't the first ones to use it. Zack wasn't the first either. Before he made his travel, 10 of my men used the machine for different assignments, all of them successful. In fact, Zack was the first one that didn't return." He gave Max a kind of apologetic smile. "But now I understand, with this kind of brothers…" he glanced at Alec, and both transgenics yelled at unison "Hey! Watch what you're going to say"
"Ok. I won't mention it again.. But what I want to say is that you won't suffer any harm. I assure you that."
"I want to believe you…" Alec said "…But something is bothering me. Are you gonna tell us where exactly are we gonna 'land' or are you gonna skip that little detail? Because it said nothing in the files…"
"Oh, that. Well, the landing spot my scientists choose is the Memorial Park, downtown Metropolis…" the look on their eyes told him that they didn't have any idea. "…A big natural reservoir in the middle of Metropolis?…" Again nothing. "Well, It still exists today. I can't give you the exact coordinates, because the machine isn't that exact, but it's a safe area for a time jump landing"
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50 seconds to go…
Max and Alec were standing in the center of the platform, waiting for the final countdown. They could see from there a digital clock inside the control room. 7:59:15 and counting.
"This is a fucking mistake, Max. Zack could be dead by now and this might be for nothing." Alec said. Max sighed hard. "I know. But you don't have to do this if you don't want, Alec. You can blur and get out of here before they could notice. You still have… 30 seconds"
"And leaving you all the fun? Not in thousand years, Maxie" I'll always have your back, Max. I'll always be there for you He smiled her his trademark grin, the I-am-always-all-right grin.
She smiled too. She knew that even if all his instincts told him to run, he'd never leave her. He had been always there for her, even more than Logan. She took his hand in hers and it was like if electricity current went through them for a moment. "Thank you" I know
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10 seconds to go…
The mirror panels closed slowly, forming a kind of 360ª mirror-room. They hadn't noticed before that a fine slice of a material that looked like glass (but surely it wasn't) was above them as roof. Now, they couldn't see the clock inside the control room, but they could sense that something was happening. It was like if the room was full of some kind of energy.
Then, they felt an incredible force, like a powerful hurricane. It took all their strength to remain together, their hands hold tightly, when a bright light blinded them and released such power like a hundreds of thunders. The pain they felt along their whole bodies was so unbearable, that it felt like if thousand knifes cut them at the same time.
Some seconds passed (or minutes, they couldn't tell), when they suddenly felt nothing. It was like if they weren't inside their own bodies. They felt for a moment liked if there were no gravity, to suddenly feel that they were falling. And it was for real.
They opened their eyes, and the first thing they saw was that they were in the sky, free falling directly to a big green mass that looked a lot like trees. And they were approaching then really, really fast.
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"Max, we have to do something or this is gonna be the shortest time travel ever!" Alec screamed to her partner, watching with horror that the woods looked bigger and bigger each second.
"Do you think I don't know that? Why don't you give some ideas?"
"I'm thinking! I'm thinking!"
"Alec, we're running out of the time. Think fast!"
"You aren't helping, Maxie!
Suddenly, Alec's face illuminates.
"Ok, I have an idea, and It might work, but you must do exactly what I say… ok?"
"Whatever…"
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Metropolis, KS - 2005Clark was walking on the Memorial Park like he always does when he had to go to Metropolis. Every month he spent a weekend on Metropolis going out with Chloe. It was their way to stay close despite the distance. Unlike Lana, who cut off unexplainably their relationship with them, they had the unspoken agreement to spent time together, and keep alive their friendship.
He didn't like Metropolis. Even when every time he went was all fun and excitement, he prefers the quiet and misunderstood Smallville. He knew his future wasn't probably there, but he enjoyed the stillness and calm you sense in that town. That's why every time he went to Metropolis he spent some hours walking and wandering through Memorial Park, the biggest park at Metropolis. For a moment he could imagine he was on the Smallville woods, near the lake.
He was sited on a bench, enjoying the view, when he heard a woman's scream with his hypersensitive ear; he follow the sound some yards, just to see a girl falling through the top of the woods… he run at light speed and catch her just before she fall to the ground.
"Are you ok?" he asked. Oh my god, she's so beautiful She was as beautiful as Lana; in fact, she looked a lot like her: the same skin tone, petite figure, slim but curvaceous body, long and straight dark hair and flawless face features. If I didn't know Lana was only child, I can tell she's her sister. She looks a lot like her The girl had her eyes closed tighten, like if she was afraid to open them.
"Are you ok?" He asked again, now worried. She finally opened her eyes the most beautiful brown eyes I've ever seen
For a moment, Max didn't know where she was. Then, she remembered what happen: The time travel and the entire free falling situation. She saw a handsome guy holding her on the ground, looking at her like if he was worried or something like that. She knew she was falling, but she didn't felt hitting the ground. What the hell, I'm still in one piece He was looking at her brown eyes with an intensity she never saw before. oh, my.. He's so handsome. And those eyes! I can lose myself looking into the blue of his eyes. I know I have seen before, but where?
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Alec landed with a lot of effort, but in one piece. He employed the tree's branches like a gymnastic bar, using at maximum his enhanced reflexes, superior bone structure and superhuman strength. After all, he was part cat, and cats always land on their feet.
He started searching for Max, but it seemed that she landed far away from him. I just hope she's okay
"Max, where are you?" he screamed repeatedly from the top of his lungs, knowing that even if she was far away, she might be able to hear him.
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"Where am I?" Max asked, looking at him carefully.
She looked confused, but a fall like that can do that to you "You're on Memorial Park. Were you climbing trees? Because I found you lying on the ground, you must fall from one" he lied. It'd be hard to explain that I catch her from a 30 ft fall without effort.
She nodded. "Yeah, that's what happened" Good, he didn't see me appearing from nowhere. It'd be hard to explain that I traveled 20 years from the future
"Do you want me to take you to a hospital? You could have something broken" He knew that wasn't true, she looked ok, but he needed to ask. He needed an excuse to spend more time with her.
"No, thanks, I'm fine…." she was saying when she heard someone screaming her name through the sounds of the woods.
"Max, where are you?" said a voice only audible for an enhanced hearing like hers.
Oh, my god, Alec! I totally forgot about him! He sounds so worried. I just hope he's all right. It's going to be hard to finish this mission…. Oh, my god, I know where I've seen him. He was on the files! He's Clark Kent!
Back on Luthor's lab, when they were studying the files, they established a plan of action. They were going to look out first for Lana Lang, because she lived on Metropolis and her location made her more vulnerable. Besides, that's what Zack might do. But this little situation could totally screw up their plans.
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"Max, where are you?"
Clark heard clearly that a man was yelling somewhere in the woods, probably a long distance from them. Is he looking for her? Is her name 'Max'? He looked at her, wanting to ask but afraid of, not knowing how to explain he heard something she didn't, just to see her looking visibly worried about something. But about what? Can be about this man who's screaming out there? But, Is she able to hear it too? It can't be possible, the sound's so far away that no human can be able to hear it…
"I gotta go… Thanks for the help…" she suddenly said, running really fast. Really fast for a human the thought came to his mind instantly, and when he finally registered what it could mean, she was totally out of his sight. I don't even know if her name is Max, for real
Tbc…o – o – o – o - o – o – o – o
A/N: what do you think? Review please!
And wait for Part 3! More surprises to come! And for Zack's fans, he might be appearing soon...
o – o – o – o - o – o – o – o
Tks a lot to the people who review Part 2 - Take 2:
mel11: Tks a lot! Here's the next one, as soon as I could, I hope you like it
HoneyX5-452: Thanks for reviewing each one so far… and about L/Z, I have some things in mind, so stay tuned!