Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its characters do not belong to me. This fan-fiction had been written purely for entertainment purposes. No infringement intended and no profit had been made out of this.
A/N: Okay, okay…I know I'm late again. Sorry! I've just been attending interviews all of last week and this week I've been haggling for more money from prospective employers to fund my existence, lol! But it should all calm down now and I can concentrate on writing! Yay! Erm…but you might find some mistakes in this chapter considering that I was trying to get it out as fast as I could!
Doza – I opened the box with the sigh which said 'Nice Review' and squealed! Ran around my room and did the crazy dance, thanking my wonderful reviewer! Hehe! Well, your suspicions might be right, but I shall not spoil the story for you by telling you which one it is, lol!
Roxyroo – Thanks for reviewing! Hmm, yeah, Zane's the hard one to figure out in this fic, isn't he? But I'm sure you have your suspicions (winks!)
Calistra – Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked the bike chat scene. Zane's attacking Max for a reason… (grins)
Bitto – Well spotted! Yeah, Zane's not quite what he seems, right? Good guesses, by the way, but you know I can't say at this point what it is. You'll have to read to find out (winks). Thanks for reviewing.
Poptart – Thanks for reviewing. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Ankari 238 – Thanks so much for reviewing all the chapters! You're right about the rules thing. Yes, some of Manticore's rules definitely need to be broken! Max and Zack would get closer as they spend more time together, but they both have an issue with their feeling…typical X5 style! (Sighs) I'm afraid that Zack's stubborn because he believes that he have to protect Max, hence taking the risk to save Zane by himself. As for Zane, you'll see more of his weird behaviour, which should give you an idea of what he's up to!
Angelofdarkness78 – Here's the update! Yeah, there's something going on with Zane, and there's more of that in this chapter to add to the confusion, lol! And I guess you know by now that I'll try to keep you guessing until the end, hehe! Thanks for reviewing!
HoneyX5-452 – Thanks for reviewing. Glad you like Zack and Zane…who wouldn't, hehe! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
X5898 – Thanks for the long review! As always, I enjoy reading it! So sorry for the late update. Real life got in the way, lol! Vacations seemed like so long ago now. Yeah, Zack's getting all confused and frustrated about his feelings…much to our amusement, lol! But hopefully not for long more. And you're right, Zack knows that when it comes to those sorts of situations, i.e. in real battle, his siblings would not argue with him. They trust him enough to follow his lead. It's just that when it comes to personal life, they prefer to make their own decisions, but Zack insists on 'advising' them for their own good. I'm glad you're still finding the story entertaining!
L80bug – Thanks for reviewing! Hope you enjoy this chappie!
Rules Can Be Broken - Chapter 6
(by elle6778)
Wordlessly, Max revved up her bike, her thoughts still on Zane's weird behaviour. She supposed he had just been reacting on reflex when she had suddenly laid her hand on his shoulder. He must have been deep in thought or something when she had done it.
Pulling her leg off the ground, she rode her bike out of the alley, glancing around surreptitiously at the half empty street. It was the end of a work-day and the street was gradually filling up with people and vehicles as she watched.
Max grinned in satisfaction. With so many people around, it would be harder for Lydecker to spot them, which suited her just fine. Much as she liked to ride her bike fast, she did not relish the thought of being chased all over Seattle with an injured transgenic behind her.
She guided her bike out and rode away from the hospital. The people on the streets barely gave them a glance as they hurried to their own business. Luckily for them, Lydecker's people were not present along their escape route.
Frowning worriedly, Max hoped that Zack was as lucky as they were.
What if Lydecker got him? A small voice inside nagged at her.
Zack won't let him, Max thought, trying to reassure herself.
But what IF he got caught? Zack's not infallible, the voice persisted annoyingly.
Not possible, Max insisted, but she felt herself growing cold at the thought. She tried to clamp down her feeling of panic. Zack knew what he was doing and he had always been better at Escape and Evade compared to the rest of their unit, so he should be okay. She knew that she could not bear to think otherwise.
Even though they had just reunited recently, she had felt a connection to him. A connection she knew that she did not want to lose. There were some subtle differences in the way she viewed him now compared to when she was a kid. They had grown up together and she had looked up to him. He had been her CO back in Manticore, and she supposed that he would always be a CO to all of them, even now. But he had also been her family, her brother.
Brother? A voice inside mocked, interrupting her flow of thought.
Max frowned. They had always been part of this big, secret, illegal family in Manticore. Of course he was her brother. What else could he be?
An image of Zack sleeping in the cabin suddenly flashed across her eyes. She remembered what she had thought then, that Zack had grown up to be a really attractive man. His aura of command just enhanced it. The lanky form he had carried when she had last saw him during their escape had now been replaced with a well defined, muscular frame which he carried gracefully. His features had grown more defined, more masculine. She flushed as she remembered how her eyes had traced over the outline of his lips.
His very kissable lips.
The voice sniggered. Yeah, Max. That's exactly how a sibling should view her brother. Way to go, girl!
Max groaned inwardly. What was she doing? She could not possibly be thinking about Zack THAT way, could she? It was wrong to think of him that way, wasn't it? But why was it wrong? Zack was never her biological brother. Now if it was Krit, then it would be wrong. But not Zack.
The whole issue was just too confusing.
Shaking her head violently, Max told herself to stop thinking about it. This was not a good time to get all confused about the status of her relationship with Zack. Maybe later, when they get out of this mess, she could sit down and trawl through her jumbled thoughts.
Determined to not let herself be distracted from their current situation, she pushed thoughts of Zack to the back of her mind. Focusing on their journey, Max continued to maneuver her bike through the streets until she reached the highway. At the moment, the priority was to bring Zane somewhere safe.
Through her thin trousers, she could feel his hand resting lightly against her hips. Suddenly she realized that Zane had not said a word or moved since they left the hospital. She wondered if he was still awake.
Glancing over her shoulders, she asked, raising her voice above the sound of the wind, "Are you alright back there?"
"Yeah, peachy," came the reply. After a short pause, Zane continued, "Where are we going?"
"This little cabin Zack found. I think we'll be safe there. Another half hour and we'll be there," Max explained.
"What about Zack?"
Max sighed. Oh, why must he bring Zack up just as I managed to get him off my mind? Aloud, she said casually, "Yeah, what about Zack?"
"Zack's coming too, right? Or has he gone somewhere else?" Zane sounded confused.
"We're supposed to meet up at the cabin. He's probably not far behind," she said in a hopeful voice, her worry returning.
Zane seemed to have picked up her emotions. Laying a reassuring hand on her shoulders, he said, "He would be fine. Don't worry. He's our CO after all, right?"
Smiling a little, Max said, "I hope you're right."
They rode in silence after that, each lost in their own thoughts as Max continued to direct her bike towards the cabin.
Zack swore as he swerved to miss an oncoming car. The driver leaned out of his window, yelling at Zack loudly. Ignoring the driver, Zack looked back over his shoulders to see the black, unmarked SUV slipping in and out between other cars, trying to catch up with him.
Grinning, Zack revved his bike and continued to thread along the narrow gaps between the cars in front of him. He thanked the Blue Lady that the streets were full of vehicles this evening. The SUV would not be able to catch up with him in this mess. Rush hour traffic, he thought with satisfaction as he led them in the opposite direction from the cabin.
It did not take him long to lose the SUV. When he did, he made a turn and headed in the direction of the cabin.
He hoped that Max and Zane managed to get there safely. Under normal circumstances, the fact that the two of them were together would alleviate his worry rather than intensify it. But the situation was anything but normal. Zane had lost his memory, so Zack could not even begin to guess what went on in his mind now.
The Zane he knew was outwardly lighthearted and easygoing, but Zack knew that underneath that facade, the soldier in him was still present. Zack smiled as he remembered the time they had spent together. Like him, Zane also have an obsession for anything motorized and any gadgetry. They had spent many hours in the past dismantling and rebuilding Zack's bike, all the time discussing how they could enhance its performance further.
But this Zane was different. Although Zack had caught glimpses of the Zane he knew, this Zane seemed to be much more reserved.
Zane's usual protective streak was still there though, Zack thought sourly as his smile died suddenly. He recalled the way Zane had stood next to Max earlier, defending her. It would have been fine if Zane looked as if he had been protecting his sibling, but Zack noticed the very un-sibling-like expression on Zane's face when he had looked at Max. Obviously Zane had not been listening when Zack had told him that Max was his sister.
With a sigh, he thought back to his own actions. His reaction to Max was anything but brotherly, so he supposed he should not blame Zane for feeling the same way. Max had grown up to be a very beautiful woman. So a normal male would definitely react the way he and Zane had reacted, right?
He did not know why but Max unsettled him. Or rather, his recent un-sibling-like thoughts of her unsettled him. Especially after last night when he had been tending to her wound after she had her seizure. Groaning, he shook his head to clear the image of Max's long, shapely legs out of his mind. Get a grip, soldier! Stop thinking like a hormonal teenager! And stop obsessing about Max!
He had to get his mind back on track and get to the cabin to see if the two of them managed to arrive without mishap. They should be safe there for awhile since he had managed to lose Lydecker's men. Hopefully they had managed to evade the colonel as well.
Zack frowned as something occurred to him.
How did Lydecker manage to trace Zane to the hospital? Max had only known about it just because her quid-pro-quo 'friend' had a contact with the information. Or maybe Logan had been playing them. Maybe Logan was working for Lydecker and had managed to fool Max into trusting him. But then surely Logan would have turned Max in long time ago. The idea did not make any sense.
Could it be possible that Lydecker had the same contacts as well? He supposed that that was not impossible, considering Lydecker's extensive reach. This made more sense to Zack.
Well, at least we have gotten rid of Lydecker for the moment now, he thought. Hopefully their luck held out until he managed to get Zane to remember who he was. Letting Zane off by himself in his state would be too dangerous.
Impatient to get to the cabin as fast as he could, he increased his speed.
It took him an hour, but he finally arrived at the cabin. Dismounting a distance away, leaving his bike hidden in the woods, he made his way to the door. He noticed that Max had parked to one side of the cabin, half hiding her bike from view behind a stack of old, dry logs. The sky was getting darker and he could see a glow of muted light from the boarded-up windows, bringing him some measure of relief.
They got here safely, he thought.
His sensitive ears pricked as he caught a shuffling sound from the cabin, followed by a thump. He stiffened as a crash sounded. After a short pause, he heard a loud gasp followed by a curse from a female voice which Zack recognized as Max's.
What the hell was happening in there, he wondered in bewilderment.
He wanted to rush in but the Manticore training in him forced him to slow down as he approached the cabin. His eyes scanned the surrounding to make sure that he was alone. Finally satisfied that there was no one else around, he walked up to the door and flattened himself to the side of the cabin. His hand reached behind him to pull out a gun which he had taken from one of Lydecker's men. With the gun in one hand, he reached out his other hand and shoved the door open.
Knowing that he needed to find out what was happening in there, Zack blurred across the door, keeping the gun aimed as he flicked a glance into the cabin. His eyes widened in shock as he registered what was happening.
Not bothering to use the wall as a cover any longer, he lowered his gun and stepped into the cabin.
Zane was lying face-down on the floor, struggling as Max knelt over him, pinning his legs down with her knees. She had his arms twisted in an arm lock, effectively immobilizing him. They both looked up at Zack. Zane with a look of confusion on his face and Max with an angry frown.
Scowling as he surveyed the scene, Zack stepped closer. "Care to tell me what's going on here?" he asked levelly. He did not know what he had expected to see, but this was not the scene he had envisaged when he heard those strange noises.
Still holding Zane down, Max replied angrily, "Why don't you ask him? One minute he's out and the next, he's attacking me. Again!"
Zack stiffened. His eyes traveled over Max's body, reassuring himself that she was alright. He turned to Zane, ready to give him hell for attacking Max when he suddenly realized that Zane appeared to be in a worse state than she was.
Zack took a deep breath before he spoke. "He attacked you? Again? What do you mean?" he asked calmly, looking back and forth between the two transgenics on the floor.
"He rammed his arm in my throat earlier and just a minute ago, he kicked me halfway across the room. Pretty impressive for someone who was supposed to be hurt," Max snapped as she glared down at Zane in disgust.
"I didn't mean to do it! It just happened!" Zane defended himself. He gave Zack a pleading look. "Get her to let me go."
Zack remained silent as he deliberated. Obviously something was wrong with Zane if he had attacked Max twice in such a short time, but Zack knew that between him and Max, they would be able to subdue him if necessary. There was probably not much harm in letting him loose.
Turning to Max, he said, "Max, it's okay. I think it's safe to let him go."
Her eyes rounded incredulously. "What? You've got to be kidding. Didn't you hear what I've just said? He attacked me, Zack!"
Zack released a weary sigh. "Yeah, I heard you. Just let him go, okay?" he said, hoping that he would not have to spend the entire evening trying to talk Max into getting her knees off Zane. Zane seemed as if he was in a lot of pain. Zack wondered how he had even managed to kick Max halfway across the room.
Zack's heart sank as he noticed that Max looked like she was about to argue with him over it. Oh, not again, he thought. As their eyes locked, Max gave him a stubborn look.
To Zack's surprise, her eyes softened after a moment and she grudgingly got off Zane, releasing his arms. He wondered what had changed her mind.
Bending over Zane, he held his hand out to help the injured transgenic up. Zane groaned painfully as Zack pulled him to the couch.
"So, what's up with you?" Zack asked as Zane sank into the couch with a sigh of relief.
Zane shook his head slowly. "I don't know. I remember falling asleep, and then next I was standing right here…" he said, gesturing at a spot in front of the couch. "…watching Max land on the floor a few feet away."
Zack's brow drew closer. "You don't remember kicking her?"
"No," he replied, and then frowned, "But I think I was dreaming before it happened. Just flashes and stuff of me being in a fight."
"A fight? What sort of fight?" Max asked, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched Zane warily.
Zane buried his head in his hands. "It's just flashes," he mumbled.
"Where were you in the fight?" Max asked impatiently.
Zane raised his head. "Some sort of training ground. I was on a mat, fighting with a girl. There was a soldier yelling at me to pull myself together and shape up," he said, the expression in his eyes far away.
Zack sucked in his breath. "You're probably remembering one of our sparring sessions in Manticore," he said as he exchanged a look with Max. She had been regarding Zane with suspicion but now she had an understanding look in her eyes.
They had been through many of those sessions. The drill instructor in charge had always given them a hard time, irregardless of how well they had been performing.
Max stepped closer to Zane. "You won't decide to throw me across the room this time, right?" she asked just before she sat down beside him.
Giving her a rueful smile, Zane replied, "I'll try not to. Sorry for that kick earlier."
Brushing away his apology, Max said, "No biggie. I've survived worse."
"Pretty strong for something so small, huh?" Zane teased.
"Didn't anyone tell you that size doesn't matter?" Max retorted lightly.
Zack watched them as they continued to bicker, trying to ignore the feeling of annoyance which suddenly crept up upon him. What the hell? He can't be feeling jealous of them talking, can he?
"So what are we going to do now?" Max asked, snapping Zack out of his thoughts.
Sighing, he realized that if Zane did not recover his memory soon, things would get more complicated for them. Especially if he continued with the random unprovoked acts of violence. That meant that Zack would have to remain with him until he remembered more.
But what about Max? He would not allow her to go back to Seattle now, especially after the soldiers had had a good look at her for the second time around. It would be a tactical suicide. So she would have to remain with them as well, until he could get her to San Francisco. However, considering his wayward thoughts about her, Zack was not sure if it was a good idea for them to be in such close proximity for an extended time.
And what about tactical exposure? Since he could not leave either Zane or Max alone, he wondered if it would be safer for Max to know where Zane was living or for Zane to know where Max would be living.
"Zack?" Zane prompted as Zack remained silent.
Pulling his thoughts together, Zack finally said, "We could stay here until you get your memory back, or I could take you home." After we bring Max to San Francisco, he added silently.
Zane rolled his eyes. "Nice to know that I actually have a home. Where is it?"
Zack shot a glance at Max and then shook his head at Zane. "You'll see."
t.b.c.
A/N: Okay, I'll not beg this time… (grins)… Oh PLEASE…please review!