A/N: Surprise! Bet yous didn't expect to see this today! I finished my
packing in about ten minutes, but the rest of my family will spend the next
day over packing their heads off. Me, I'm good with a few pairs of shorts
and no more than five t-shirts. The rest of them, a huge suitcase stuffed
with things they'll never wear. So this gives me some extra time to get
another chapter done.
I know the plotline with the breeding cult is looking neglected here, but
bear in mind that even though we're on chapter five already, this is still
only the first full day in Seattle. I'm not forgetting about the familiars,
but a bunch of scenes where all they do is keep saying that they're still
searching for Max, Lex, and Jondy seems rather pointless to me. We'll see
them soon, but the action with that is still a little ways off.
Thanks so much to all my reviewers! And yes, I know it'll be a painful two
weeks, but you'll survive. You all pulled through that last time..
________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 5: Memory Wasteland
"Hey," Lex rode into the garage below Foggle Towers to find Jondy hunched over her bike. "How'd the black market go?"
"It's dry in this city," Jondy grimaced. "But I got a new fan belt and a little motor oil, so I wouldn't call it a total loss. How was Jam Pony?"
"Well you know that guy I beat up last night?" Lex hinted. "Turns out he works there, too and Mom knows him."
"Get out," Jondy teased.
"No, seriously. His name is Alec and for some apparent reason she hates him. Cindy said so but I don't know why. Way I figure, Mom must know the dog guy, too. I think she was Little Fella."
"Oh, the questions we will torment her with later," Jondy laughed. "Hey hand me that wrench over there. And I think you and Logan need to have a talk about the rules you've grown up with."
"What? How did-?" Lex was cut off
"Hypersensitive hearing," Jondy reminded her. "The inner bitch was a bit harsh, but he wants to treat you like the average fourteen year old. So to him, not only should you not be driving a motorcycle, but you shouldn't be allowed to ride it yourself at night." Lex opened her mouth with an interjection, but Jondy jumped back in before she could protest, "Look, I know you're not the average teen and I know what you've grown up with, but Logan doesn't. Whether or not you want Max to be in this is up to you, even though Logan will defiantly at least mention it to her. But you two need to come to an understanding or you'll drive each other insane trying to live in the same house. Got it?"
"Got it," Lex sighed.
"And if I were you I'd go take advantage of the fact that's up there alone right now," Jondy winked at her.
"I'm going," Lex let out a dramatic breath as she headed towards the elevator.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Following the constant hum of computers, Lex found Logan mulling over different files as he brought them up. She stood there for a minute in silence, just watching him as Max had often done.
Turning around to reach for a folder, Logan saw her and would have jumped out of his skin if he had been wearing the exoskeleton, "Lex! Dammit, you scared the hell out of me."
Lex laughed a little, but looked down at her feet when she remembered why she had come up here.
"Something you need?" Logan asked, seeing how tense she was.
Repressing her inner turmoil, Lex started to explain herself, "Look, I'm sorry went bitchy on you this morning. I get why you were worried and you didn't deserve that. But I just need you to understand that I've never really had any strict rules and I've been known to do a lot of the things Mom does. And that's not gonna change just cuz we moved and you're here now."
Nodding, Logan began asking the questions that had been nagging at his mind all day, "So what are your rules?"
"It's simple- so long as I show I can be trusted I'm free to do as I please."
"And just how would you show you can be trusted?" Logan speculated.
"No smoking, no drinking, no drugs. Be careful who I talk to, you never know who's looking for Mom. If I'm going to be out past 11:00, call to say where I'll be and what time I'm getting back. If I'm going out for a ride, tell someone and bring my cell," Lex shrugged. "And then there's the classics, but they're pretty much implied."
"The classics?" Logan tried to keep up with her.
"Yeah, things like do your homework, don't skip school, be polite, and use good manners," Lex explained. "And with punishments- if I come out and tell the truth the first time I'm asked or sooner, I won't get punished. Verbally reprimanded, maybe, depending on what I did, but I won't get grounded."
"Ok, I guess I could get used to that. But what about your bedtime or movies you aren't allowed to watch?"
"Why would I have a bedtime? I need like, an hour of sleep a night. And I can watch whatever I want so long as I show I can handle it," Lex replied. Fielding Logan's next question before he asked, Lex went on, "And showing I can handle it means don't start swearing a lot if it's in the movie; don't act like slut just cuz it was in a movie; don't act violent just because everything in the movie blows up."
"And that's it?"
"Yeah, that's it," Lex was glad that talk over.
"Alright," he shrugged. Though the rules were pretty lax, he couldn't think of any other way he could see Max raising her. And Lex was a great kid anyway. "Um, I'm gonna head down the market, there are some things I need to pick up. Care to join me?" Logan suggested.
"I was just there, but sure. I can add a few things to your list."
"Like what?" Logan turned the chair around to face her on his way to the exo.
"For starters, you have a serious lack of cookies here," Lex grinned.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So you gonna head down to Terminal City tonight?" Original Cindy asked Max as they left Jam Pony.
"Yeah, you know I have to tell Joshua I'm back," Max mounted her Ninja. "Count on the rest of the crew coming, too. How 'bout you?"
"Damn straight I'll be there. The doggy dog missed you like crazy, this is one reunion Original Cindy's gotta see."
"Aiight. Later boo," Max gunned her engine. "Oh, hold up," she turned around as one last though popped into her head, "tell Alec to be there; I got something he needs to hear."
"Will do," Cindy promised. "See ya."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So who exactly am I meeting?" Lex asked again as they all rode to Terminal City later that night.
"You already met Alec, so that's over with," Max turned around in her front seat, "now you have to meet Joshua. He's the dog guy from last night."
"Whoa, so you do know the dog guy? Then you must be Little Fella," Lex gathered. "How'd you get that name anyway?"
"Well the first time I met him, at Manticore, I called him 'big fella' because I didn't know he had a name. Since I'm smaller than him, he called me Little Fella and that's been his nickname for me ever since," Max explained.
"Damn, I would pay big money to see the movie Lifetime could make outta your life," Lex laughed and shook her head.
As Jondy tried her best to stifle a laugh, Max rolled her turned back around.
"Well I hate to ask you to move Your Highness, but we're here," Original Cindy pushed Lex up from her sprawled out position with her shoulders on Cindy's lap and her feet propped up on Jondy.
"Aw, and just when I was comfortable," Lex smirked.
As the five walked up to an opening in the fence, Logan spoke up, "What about those of us who aren't immune to all the biohazard things in there?"
"Logan, quit bein' a wimp and get yo' ass through that fence. Original Cindy's been in there before and ain't nothin' wrong here," Cindy gave Logan a push towards the opening.
Once they all reached the warehouse that had become the headquarters of Terminal City, Max looked over at Cindy and gave a slight nod. Walking into the warehouse as if she'd gone there everyday for the past fifteen years, she spotted Joshua over to the far wall, concentrating on a canvas in front of him.
Max snuck up behind him unnoticed, "What's that Big Fella?" she made her presence known.
Nearly dropping his paint, Joshua turned around as soon as he heard Max's voice, " Max! You came back!" Joshua picked Max up and squeezed her with all of his might.
"Easy, Joshua," Max smiled. When Joshua didn't put her down, Max added, "I can't breath."
"Sorry, Little Fella," Joshua apologized as he set her back on her feet.
"See buddy, I told you she'd come back someday," Alec came up behind the two. "So'd he see mini-you yet?" he asked Max.
"No, not yet," Max looked around. "Lex!" Max waved her over from the doorway.
When the other transgenics caught sight of Lex, they drew their guns and turned to see who had called out to her.
"Max?" Dix could hardly believe his eyes. "Is that really you?"
"Yup, it's really me," Max smiled. "Now all of you put the guns down. You put so much as a scratch on her and I'll lead the familiars right into this place."
At her mother's threat, Lex strolled in with the other behind her. They Logan and Jondy stayed back against the doorway, but Lex and Cindy went over to Max.
"She invaded Terminal City," Mole pointed to Lex. "She's one of them, she doesn't have a barcode."
"She's not an ordinary, Mole. You saw what she could do," Alec tried to get Mole to lower his gun.
"She beat the hell outta you. A transgenic would never hurt one of their own. Why are you defending her?"
Thinking the situation was a standstill, Lex blurred and grabbed Mole's gun, turning it on him, "Still think I'm an ordinary?" Lex threw the gun on the floor.
"This is my daughter," Max gave as an explanation. "She has my abilities, but no barcode."
"Daughter?" Joshua looked over at Lex. "Looks like you."
"Yeah, she does," Max smiled. "Joshua, this is Lex. Lex, Joshua."
"Hi," Lex was a little unsure but stuck out her hand.
"Lex," Joshua repeated. "Welcome to Terminal City."
'Thanks," a small smile made its way across Lex's lips.
"Nice to meet you, Lex. I'm Dix," Dix came down from the computer station. "Hi Cindy."
When all the introductions were through, Dix cam up to Lex again, "Hey have you met Tera yet?"
"No, who's Tera?" Lex asked.
"Well, she just turned fifteen, but she's really nice. She's Gem's daughter; Gem's an X5," Dix explained. "I just thought being new in Seattle, you might not have met a lot of friends yet."
"I haven't met any yet. Thanks."
"I'll find her so she came come down here and meet you," Dix offered and walked back up the stairs.
Looking at her surroundings, Lex sighed. This was nothing like her life in Niagara Falls, but after her progress with Logan and the prospect of a friend, not to mention one she wouldn't have to hide what she was from, she sat down and smiled as she thought to herself, "This could be good."
________________________________________________________________________
A/N: Ok, this time there really won't be another chapter for two weeks! Lol. And Max will tell the other transgenics about White's death in the next chapter. I didn't expect to finish this one, but I got so close to the end, I because you guys are so great, I just had to stay up and finish it. Really, it's after midnight and I have to be up at 7:00. So you better leave me tons of reviews to heal my pain. Or leave me virtual coffee, that would nice. Give the purple button some love, and I promise on my Dark Angel posters that I will post a new chapter as fast as I can type when I get home!
________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 5: Memory Wasteland
"Hey," Lex rode into the garage below Foggle Towers to find Jondy hunched over her bike. "How'd the black market go?"
"It's dry in this city," Jondy grimaced. "But I got a new fan belt and a little motor oil, so I wouldn't call it a total loss. How was Jam Pony?"
"Well you know that guy I beat up last night?" Lex hinted. "Turns out he works there, too and Mom knows him."
"Get out," Jondy teased.
"No, seriously. His name is Alec and for some apparent reason she hates him. Cindy said so but I don't know why. Way I figure, Mom must know the dog guy, too. I think she was Little Fella."
"Oh, the questions we will torment her with later," Jondy laughed. "Hey hand me that wrench over there. And I think you and Logan need to have a talk about the rules you've grown up with."
"What? How did-?" Lex was cut off
"Hypersensitive hearing," Jondy reminded her. "The inner bitch was a bit harsh, but he wants to treat you like the average fourteen year old. So to him, not only should you not be driving a motorcycle, but you shouldn't be allowed to ride it yourself at night." Lex opened her mouth with an interjection, but Jondy jumped back in before she could protest, "Look, I know you're not the average teen and I know what you've grown up with, but Logan doesn't. Whether or not you want Max to be in this is up to you, even though Logan will defiantly at least mention it to her. But you two need to come to an understanding or you'll drive each other insane trying to live in the same house. Got it?"
"Got it," Lex sighed.
"And if I were you I'd go take advantage of the fact that's up there alone right now," Jondy winked at her.
"I'm going," Lex let out a dramatic breath as she headed towards the elevator.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Following the constant hum of computers, Lex found Logan mulling over different files as he brought them up. She stood there for a minute in silence, just watching him as Max had often done.
Turning around to reach for a folder, Logan saw her and would have jumped out of his skin if he had been wearing the exoskeleton, "Lex! Dammit, you scared the hell out of me."
Lex laughed a little, but looked down at her feet when she remembered why she had come up here.
"Something you need?" Logan asked, seeing how tense she was.
Repressing her inner turmoil, Lex started to explain herself, "Look, I'm sorry went bitchy on you this morning. I get why you were worried and you didn't deserve that. But I just need you to understand that I've never really had any strict rules and I've been known to do a lot of the things Mom does. And that's not gonna change just cuz we moved and you're here now."
Nodding, Logan began asking the questions that had been nagging at his mind all day, "So what are your rules?"
"It's simple- so long as I show I can be trusted I'm free to do as I please."
"And just how would you show you can be trusted?" Logan speculated.
"No smoking, no drinking, no drugs. Be careful who I talk to, you never know who's looking for Mom. If I'm going to be out past 11:00, call to say where I'll be and what time I'm getting back. If I'm going out for a ride, tell someone and bring my cell," Lex shrugged. "And then there's the classics, but they're pretty much implied."
"The classics?" Logan tried to keep up with her.
"Yeah, things like do your homework, don't skip school, be polite, and use good manners," Lex explained. "And with punishments- if I come out and tell the truth the first time I'm asked or sooner, I won't get punished. Verbally reprimanded, maybe, depending on what I did, but I won't get grounded."
"Ok, I guess I could get used to that. But what about your bedtime or movies you aren't allowed to watch?"
"Why would I have a bedtime? I need like, an hour of sleep a night. And I can watch whatever I want so long as I show I can handle it," Lex replied. Fielding Logan's next question before he asked, Lex went on, "And showing I can handle it means don't start swearing a lot if it's in the movie; don't act like slut just cuz it was in a movie; don't act violent just because everything in the movie blows up."
"And that's it?"
"Yeah, that's it," Lex was glad that talk over.
"Alright," he shrugged. Though the rules were pretty lax, he couldn't think of any other way he could see Max raising her. And Lex was a great kid anyway. "Um, I'm gonna head down the market, there are some things I need to pick up. Care to join me?" Logan suggested.
"I was just there, but sure. I can add a few things to your list."
"Like what?" Logan turned the chair around to face her on his way to the exo.
"For starters, you have a serious lack of cookies here," Lex grinned.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So you gonna head down to Terminal City tonight?" Original Cindy asked Max as they left Jam Pony.
"Yeah, you know I have to tell Joshua I'm back," Max mounted her Ninja. "Count on the rest of the crew coming, too. How 'bout you?"
"Damn straight I'll be there. The doggy dog missed you like crazy, this is one reunion Original Cindy's gotta see."
"Aiight. Later boo," Max gunned her engine. "Oh, hold up," she turned around as one last though popped into her head, "tell Alec to be there; I got something he needs to hear."
"Will do," Cindy promised. "See ya."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So who exactly am I meeting?" Lex asked again as they all rode to Terminal City later that night.
"You already met Alec, so that's over with," Max turned around in her front seat, "now you have to meet Joshua. He's the dog guy from last night."
"Whoa, so you do know the dog guy? Then you must be Little Fella," Lex gathered. "How'd you get that name anyway?"
"Well the first time I met him, at Manticore, I called him 'big fella' because I didn't know he had a name. Since I'm smaller than him, he called me Little Fella and that's been his nickname for me ever since," Max explained.
"Damn, I would pay big money to see the movie Lifetime could make outta your life," Lex laughed and shook her head.
As Jondy tried her best to stifle a laugh, Max rolled her turned back around.
"Well I hate to ask you to move Your Highness, but we're here," Original Cindy pushed Lex up from her sprawled out position with her shoulders on Cindy's lap and her feet propped up on Jondy.
"Aw, and just when I was comfortable," Lex smirked.
As the five walked up to an opening in the fence, Logan spoke up, "What about those of us who aren't immune to all the biohazard things in there?"
"Logan, quit bein' a wimp and get yo' ass through that fence. Original Cindy's been in there before and ain't nothin' wrong here," Cindy gave Logan a push towards the opening.
Once they all reached the warehouse that had become the headquarters of Terminal City, Max looked over at Cindy and gave a slight nod. Walking into the warehouse as if she'd gone there everyday for the past fifteen years, she spotted Joshua over to the far wall, concentrating on a canvas in front of him.
Max snuck up behind him unnoticed, "What's that Big Fella?" she made her presence known.
Nearly dropping his paint, Joshua turned around as soon as he heard Max's voice, " Max! You came back!" Joshua picked Max up and squeezed her with all of his might.
"Easy, Joshua," Max smiled. When Joshua didn't put her down, Max added, "I can't breath."
"Sorry, Little Fella," Joshua apologized as he set her back on her feet.
"See buddy, I told you she'd come back someday," Alec came up behind the two. "So'd he see mini-you yet?" he asked Max.
"No, not yet," Max looked around. "Lex!" Max waved her over from the doorway.
When the other transgenics caught sight of Lex, they drew their guns and turned to see who had called out to her.
"Max?" Dix could hardly believe his eyes. "Is that really you?"
"Yup, it's really me," Max smiled. "Now all of you put the guns down. You put so much as a scratch on her and I'll lead the familiars right into this place."
At her mother's threat, Lex strolled in with the other behind her. They Logan and Jondy stayed back against the doorway, but Lex and Cindy went over to Max.
"She invaded Terminal City," Mole pointed to Lex. "She's one of them, she doesn't have a barcode."
"She's not an ordinary, Mole. You saw what she could do," Alec tried to get Mole to lower his gun.
"She beat the hell outta you. A transgenic would never hurt one of their own. Why are you defending her?"
Thinking the situation was a standstill, Lex blurred and grabbed Mole's gun, turning it on him, "Still think I'm an ordinary?" Lex threw the gun on the floor.
"This is my daughter," Max gave as an explanation. "She has my abilities, but no barcode."
"Daughter?" Joshua looked over at Lex. "Looks like you."
"Yeah, she does," Max smiled. "Joshua, this is Lex. Lex, Joshua."
"Hi," Lex was a little unsure but stuck out her hand.
"Lex," Joshua repeated. "Welcome to Terminal City."
'Thanks," a small smile made its way across Lex's lips.
"Nice to meet you, Lex. I'm Dix," Dix came down from the computer station. "Hi Cindy."
When all the introductions were through, Dix cam up to Lex again, "Hey have you met Tera yet?"
"No, who's Tera?" Lex asked.
"Well, she just turned fifteen, but she's really nice. She's Gem's daughter; Gem's an X5," Dix explained. "I just thought being new in Seattle, you might not have met a lot of friends yet."
"I haven't met any yet. Thanks."
"I'll find her so she came come down here and meet you," Dix offered and walked back up the stairs.
Looking at her surroundings, Lex sighed. This was nothing like her life in Niagara Falls, but after her progress with Logan and the prospect of a friend, not to mention one she wouldn't have to hide what she was from, she sat down and smiled as she thought to herself, "This could be good."
________________________________________________________________________
A/N: Ok, this time there really won't be another chapter for two weeks! Lol. And Max will tell the other transgenics about White's death in the next chapter. I didn't expect to finish this one, but I got so close to the end, I because you guys are so great, I just had to stay up and finish it. Really, it's after midnight and I have to be up at 7:00. So you better leave me tons of reviews to heal my pain. Or leave me virtual coffee, that would nice. Give the purple button some love, and I promise on my Dark Angel posters that I will post a new chapter as fast as I can type when I get home!