Freedom on the inside
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own anything to do with Dark Angel. They apparently belong to some guy who is most definitely in need of a brain check. What was he thinking when he decided to axe the show? Oh well, I guess when I'm rich enough I'll just have to buy the rights to the programme and then we'll finally get a third season. I wouldn't count on it though.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: M/A (eventually!)
Summary: What if Max never escaped Manticore in 'Designate This' and didn't get the chance to infect Logan? Logan and everyone else in Seattle thinks she's dead and Renfro's still alive?
Author's Note: I know there's been a lot of 'what if she never escaped stories?' but this is my shot at what could have happened. Please read and review!
Chapter Ten
Meeting the Great Oz
Max knocked on the cell door; the metal was ice cold.
"Come in" Ginger was sat up on her bunk fiddling idly with her ginger hair, "Hey Max."
Max smiled weakly and of course Ginger instantly picked up on her mood. Patting the bunk next to herself, she motioned for Max to take a seat; which she did.
"What's wrong?"
"Alec and I have to go on a mission."
"What do you have to do?"
"It's classified," Max muttered.
"And so that's what's bothering you?"
"No it's . . ."
"What?" pushed Ginger.
Max let out a frustrated groan, "I think I might just tell you."
Ginger wasn't going to argue. She wouldn't be fooling anyone if she said she wasn't interested, "I promise I won't tell a soul."
Max nodded, "We have to track down Eyes-Only."
"The Eyes-Only?"
"Yeah. But I um already know who Eyes-Only is."
Ginger's eyes opened in yet more surprise.
Max laughed nervously, "You're not gonna believe this, but he's sorta um . . . my boyfriend."
If you could choke on your own saliva, that would be Ginger's excuse for spluttering all over the place at that specific moment. Max gave her one hard slap on the back.
"Uh thanks, yeah I'm good . . . your boyfriend?"
"Kind of."
"How can someone be kinda your boyfriend?"
"It's complicated."
"Well uncomplicate it fast."
"We only got our act together just before I got caught and well now he thinks that I'm um . . . dead."
"Oh"
"Yeah oh. But that's not the only thing," Max said getting up, to now pace the small cell furiously, "I have to go with Alec."
"Yeah so? I mean you can more than handle our self-absorbed CO can't you?"
Max stopped pacing and slid to the floor, sitting with her legs crossed facing Ginger.
"We had a major argument."
"So what's new?"
"No major MAJOR."
Ginger got off her bed and joined Max on the floor, "Ok, wanna tell me about it?"
Max sighed, "It was nothing like all those times before. This was . . . intense, and I think that I really really . . . hurt him."
Ginger gave her the look that said 'Go on before I kick your ass for keeping me in suspense!'
"Well I um accused him of something along the lines of not knowing what love and friendship is."
"I don't actually see how that can piss him off, coz frankly I'd say it was the truth . . . unless . . ." Ginger let the end of her sentence hang, letting Max's silence answer her doubts.
"So our beloved CO's fallen in love, has he?"
"Fell. Past tense."
Ginger waited for Max to expand on her curt answers.
"He had to kill her." The ginger haired transgenic stared at Max with wide luminous eyes, "W- what?"
"His solo mission was on the outside. He fell in love with an Ordinary, then Manticore made him kill her. That's all I know."
"Poor guy," Ginger said finally after a small bout of silence. Max nodded in agreement, "Me and my big mouth, hey."
"You weren't to know."
"Even so, this is gonna make it very difficult for me to work with him now."
"Look I've known Alec for years; he can't keep grudges long ok? I mean I should know; the amount of crap I've put him through."
"I suppose we're just going to have to try and get on and track down Eyes- Only then."
Ginger nodded, "Your boyfriend."
"Right my boyfriend."
"You don't sound so sure."
Max let out a heavy sigh, "I'm just worried that I'm going to be dragging him into a trap. Logan and I have never actually been an established item; I just don't know how I'm going to deal when I see him."
Ginger looked carefully at her friend. Her shoulders were slumped, her head in her hands with her beautiful silky hair splayed everywhere. She looked vulnerable and as if she had the weight of the world's problems piled on top of her. Putting her arm around her, she gave her a much needed hug, "It'll work out."
Renfro and Lydecker sat behind the large oak desk and looked up at the two transformed transgenics. Gone were the grey, short-sleeved t-shirts and army pants, and in their place was the attire that would allow them to mingle with the Ordinaries of Seattle. Both wore leather jackets, dark denim jeans and t-shirts to match.
"Well I see you've both been kitted out and so I take it that you're ready to be deployed."
"Yes ma'am," they said in unison.
"Good. Remember that I need you to bring him here. Is that understood 452?"
"Yes ma'am."
"You are both to confront him together."
Max would have much preferred the time alone with Logan, then have a shadow in the form of Alec constantly following her around. But that wasn't really what was bothering her. She was very surprised by the fact that they were actually letting her leave the facility in the first place; it just didn't sit right with her.
"Permission to speak."
"Go ahead"
"How comes you're even trusting me with this. For all you know I could escape. I could easily kick 494's ass and run."
Alec let out a small scoff but quickly regained his seriousness with one sharp look from Renfro.
"Because," Lydecker explained, "We have no choice but to trust you."
Max had always hated Lydecker with a fervent fire but something in his words made her believe him. Manticore was anything but stupid and Max knew that very well.
Max and Alec travelled in silence all the way into Seattle, only talking on a professional level to clear up the mission objectives. When they arrived at their destination, Max lead the way up to Logan's apartment, with Alec following alongside.
Her heartbeat rose as she neared his apartment and her hands became clammy with sweat. She was as nervous as hell. She had no idea how he'd react but what worried her most, was how she was going to react to seeing him after so long.
Max raised her hand to knock once on the door. The sound of flesh on this particular metal was unfamiliar and it unnerved her, because it should have been recognisable.
"Come in," came the voice from inside.
Max's heart rate sped up some more on hearing his voice. Timidly she opened the door and walked into the room in front of Alec. The first thing she saw, and in all fairness had expected, was the back of her loved one slumped in front of a computer.
"Hey Logan."
Logan dropped the pen from his hand, the plastic clattered on the ground. 'He couldn't have just heard Max. She was dead, right?' Turning around slowly, for fear of his thoughts being true, his eyes met those sparkling eyes he only thought he'd now see in his dreams.
"Max?" he whispered.
Max smiled a wobbly smile; her tears finally spilling. "Hey, how's it going?"
Logan immediately stood up from his chair and made his way over to her. Stopping in front of her, he gently moved the few strands of hair from her face before pulling her into a hug so fierce, that Max nearly disappeared from under him. As he released her, he had yet another shock.
"Who are you?"
Max turned to look at who Logan was referring to and then remembered she still had one major introduction to make.
Alec stood at the doorway, arms folded across his chest, watching them both silently. He matched Logan's glare as Max turned to face the both of them. Was it just him or did the Great Oz look slightly threatened?
"This is Alec, "Max introduced, "My commanding Officer."
Logan looked at Max with confusion, "So did he escape with you?"
"Um, he didn't escape."
"What? So he followed you?"
Alec cleared his throat rather loudly, "Hey guys I am still here you know?"
Logan ignored him, searching Max for an answer.
"I didn't escape."
"What?"
"We're actually here on a mission."
"What sort of mission?"
Max fell silent, looking in desperation at the floor for help, but Alec knew that she wasn't going to find it in the expensive laminated flooring of this posh apartment. Alec wasn't heartless, as Max believed him to be, so he was more than willing to do the explaining for her.
"Why don't we sit down Mr Cale?"
Logan glared at him some more but Alec only smiled back with an overly friendly expression. Seeing that Max had already sat down, Logan finding no other choice too sat down.
'Well this is great,' thought Alec silently as he purposely took the seat next to Max, much to the older man's chagrin. Winding the guy up was turning out to be surprisingly good fun, but persuading him to come to Manticore was going to be one hell of a job. He wouldn't be able to convince him without Max's help, that he was learning fast. But he could always try the blunt approach first,
"We need you to come with us to Manticore."
"What?" Logan yelled, the horror on his face revealing all thoughts of the idea.
Ok, maybe he needed Max's help after all.
A/N 2 - So how did you guys find that? It was much longer than usual but I had a lot to fit in! Thanks for all the help I got for all my queries, you guys are the best! Massive thank you to all those who reviewed:
Loralee – Thanks for reviewing. Yeah Ginger is sort of Max's best friend – she needed a female friend inside Manticore. I don't actually know much about Sam, so I probably won't be including her.
Senorita-DLH – Thank you for your help, I think I will be keeping up with the Renfro-Lydecker plot. Thank you so much for reviewing!
Wendy10 – thank you for reviewing. I just wanted to see how the situation would change if all the baddies are there together, so I'm glad you're liking the idea.
Lakergirl – I could possibly include Zack bit if I do it won't be for a while yet. Thank you for reviewing and I'm happy you like it!
JeNsEnS wifey ChAdZ lover – Yes, you have helped loads! I'm gonna continue with the current storyline, so thank you very much.
Wicked-sista – I'm honoured that it's the first fanfic you've read in a while and I'm glad you loved it. Max and Alec will be together but as you can tell by this chap it won't be for a while yet!
Nelita – yeah I'm sorry for my slow updating. See I write them out first and then I type them up and by then it gets a bit boring! But please bear with me! Thank you for reviewing as well.
Goddess – Now I wouldn't want you to cry, so here you go I updated for ya!
Aotearoa Hiphop Grl – So what did you think of the reunification of Max and Logan and the first meeting of Logan and Alec? I know you didn't want Max going back to Logan but the silly girl still thinks she's in love with him, so it's gonna take a while!
SmilinStar xxx