Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel

A/N: first attempt. Sorry for any spelling mistakes… Enjoy!

Thanks to:

calistra: Glad you liked Alec's spark, more in this one. And also more X6s!

army girl: Max and Alec in this, hope you like it.

Alana84: Max and Alec meet in this one. I couldn't help myself to see them apart any longer. hope you like it!

Chapter 7 – Finding Out

After the X6s finished their food, they had 30 minutes of free time and then to their dorms. 249 thought that it would be the best time to talk to 666. They also needed to sneak some food for Josh.

"666 can you come with me to the library for a second?" 249 asked her.

"Sure" said 666 'that is strange! When was the last time he went to the library? When was the last time I went to the library? Hm…'

They walked together to the library. They were moving fast, and 666 had no idea what was the hurry.

"Are you o.k? Why are we in such a hurry to get to the library?" 666 asked 249

"It's about what happened before. 687 wants to know, and, I want to tell him. He is my friend and I trust him. But I wanted to ask you first, because you're in this with me."

"Oh…well, its o.k I guess. If he wants to know you can tell him. Its not like he will turn us in. and he is my friend too you know!"

"I know, I know. Listen, we needed to get some food for Josh, I say tonight we get some food and visit him. You won't have a problem, I mean with your shark DNA right?"

"Yeah, no problem. So tonight."

"Tonight."

"Now. Can you tell me why we had to go to the library for this?" she said and pointed at the library door. They haven't entered, they stopped a few feet from it.

"Are you crazy! I am not going in the library! Only the computers freaks go in there. You really thought we will actually enter? Are you crazy? When was the last time you were in the library?"

"I don't know… no need to loose it though, relax. So, if we are done here, near the library, do you want to go tell 687 the story?"

"You want to tell him too?"

"Yes. God, sometimes you are so slow I thought we were really smart"

"Whatever, lets go before we won't have a chance."

They walked back the way they came through and looked for 687. Finally they found him outside, near the woods. He always loved to sit there and just think.

"If he doesn't stop sit there some might think he is planning an escape plan" said 249

"No, he will never leave us. Right?" said 666

"Right"

They closed the distance between them and 249 snuck behind him and shouted in his ear.

"HI THERE!"

The action frightened 687, he was deep in thoughts and hasn't noticed them.

"What was that for? No need to shout!" said 687

"O.k, we can leave. But then you won't know what happened in the woods" said 249 in a sing-song voice.

"No, no. its o.k you can stay. So, what happened in the woods? And why were you looking at unit's 7 table all the time?"

"First thing first. When we were at the woods. 666 noticed a blood trail" said 249

"We thought maybe it was one of the others that got hurt. But we followed it." Said 666

"Yeah, and then we saw this thing. Definitely NOT an X6. So we chased him." Said 249

"It went in circles, which annoyed 249 here, so he sped up and we catched up with him. He was trapped." Said 666

"So? What was it?" asked 687

"It is a nomali!" said 249 "can you believe it! A nomali in the woods of Manticore!"

"IS? What do you mean IS?" asked 687

"Well, you see. 666 here saw him and must have thought to herself 'what a beautiful creature' because she came close to him. And get this. It can talk." Said 249

"Actually his NAME his Joshua. He has a name! We talked to him. Do you remember, a few months before, someone tried to escape. Well, get this, he was with them!" said 666

"And the reason we looked at unit 7's table all the time, was because 494, you know him, their CO, he tried to escape." Said 249

"Well, not exactly. He helped 452 escape. At least that is what Joshua says." Said 666

"So let me get this straight. You found a nomali…"said 687

"Joshua" 666 corrected him

"Josh" said 249

"O.k. you found Joshua. He told you about the run away thing with two X5. And what did you do with him?" asked 687 he was in shock from this thing that happened to two of his friends.

"Well, he was hurt, so we had to find a place to treat him. So we hid him in the basement and that's it." Said 666

"And why did you do that?" asked 687

"I told you, he was hurt" said 666

"You took him to the basement? Why haven't you taken him to Renfro? Or trainer John?" asked 687

"We couldn't! They would have killed him for sure!" said 666 " you're not going to tell anyone, are you?" 666 was worried now. This wasn't what she expected.

"No! Of course not! As long as he doesn't harm you. I guess its o.k." said 687

"Harm us? Josh, he is like a little child." Said 249

"Can I see him?" asked 687

666 and 249 exchanged a look before 249 answered.

"I guess you can. We are going tonight to get some food and then to Josh, I guess another one means more food for Josh! I don't think he will complain!" said 249

"So tonight we will visit him. Cool! I never saw a nomali from close view. Is he scary?" asked 687

"Not really." Said 666

"Cool! Wait. You are hiding him in the basement right?" asked 687

"Right" said 249

"So what about all the nomalies in the basement?" asked 687

"Don't worry about them, they are all locked up. They can't hurt us!" said 249

"If you say so." Said 687 and looked at his watch. "We should better start heading back to the dorms or it won't be good for us…" said 687 and they headed to their dorms.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

After a few minutes Mr. Smith was back in Max's room. 'That was quick, what did he do to Alec?'

"Missed me 452?" Mr. Smith asked in sarcasm

"No" Max said

"Well, you won't be seeing me in a long time, so better save the image." Said Mr. Smith

"What are you talking about?"

"We are taking you to isolation. We already took 494."

'So that is why he closed the visible wall. Not much to see if he isn't there.' She thought, and said "At least I won't have to look at your sorry ass all the time"

"I know you want to hurt me with you saying those things, but it doesn't. It just makes me madder and then you get hurt. 494 learned to shut his mouth, almost, can't expect full respect at this point, but still, there is a progress. You should learn from him!" said Mr. Smith

'Alec without smart-ass remarks! If what he says is true, it isn't good. And why is he always talking about the great 494? It's really annoying!'

"So when are we going, I can't wait not to see you!"

"I think that you will miss me. Because when you have so much time, not to mention shark DNA, you do a lot of thinking, and then you will find out how bad you are to the ones surrounding you. And believe me, it won't be your finest thought." Said Mr. Smith, and the one thing that worried Max was that maybe he was right. 'I must be crazy. Saying that Mr. Smith is right.'

"Guards! Take her and follow me. We are taking her to her isolation cell" said Mr. Smith and two guards entered Max's room, took her from her chair and out toward her new cell. She would have tried to escape. But when she wasn't tightened to the chair she noticed that without her restrains she would have fallen. She was so weak.

They walked through a corridor and down some stairs. When they got to a darkened corridor, she realized that they were taking her to one of the basement cells, where all the nomalies were. Where she met Joshua.

'I wonder what happened to Joshua. I don't think he was caught, this Smith sure would have mentioned him. But I am not sure if he was able to escape. Something was weird with the gate. And if he did managed to escape, how he can handle himself out there, in the real world. People are afraid from what they don't know. I can't believe I am really saying this, but Mr. Smith was right. This is going to be bad, and I'm not even in my cell yet.' She thought

"Here we are. Your new home, for now." Said Mr. Smith and opened her cell door. The guards threw her in. "have a nice stay, I will come to check with you in 5 days." He said, closed the door behind him and left, with the two guards behind him.

"So this is how I am going to spend my next 5 days? Man, this sucks! Urgh! I hate Manticore! And I HATE Mr. Smith!" Max shouted out loud. What she didn't know was that she wasn't the only one in the basement that hated Mr. Smith in particular.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Alec was in his cell, trying to get some sleep but was preoccupied with his thoughts.

"Damn thoughts! Cant a guy just sleep!" he asked no one. Then he heard a distance sound, so he stayed quit and tried to figure out what was it. He heard footsteps. 3 or maybe 4? It was one ahead, and two, defiantly. Dragging the 4th one apparently. 'Who is in isolation too?' he thought and then heard someone speak.

"Here we are. Your new home for now.". 'Mr. Smith, long time no see. how not sad.' Alec thought to himself. He then heard a door open and someone thrown in. and then Mr. Smith spoke again

"Have a nice stay. I will come to check with you in 5 days." He heard, and then the door was closed, and they left.

'Hey! Whoever they put in there only had 5 days! And I have 6! Not fair. Actually, he did said he will give me more because I'm so nice, but…' he thought but then he heard someone shout.

"Urgh! I hate Manticore! And I HATE Mr. Smith!" .'Was that Max?' Alec wasn't sure it was really her, or is he just so wiped out. 'lets try to shout her name, only she will know it and nothing bad can possible happen, right?' he thought and then shouted with the power that he still had left "MAX!"

On the other side of the corridor Max heard someone call her name. She thought so. 'Who could call my name? Max, you're loosing it!'

Alec didn't hear any replay, but he tried again.

"MAX!"

'O.k, two times in a row. It must be real. Who in Manticore knows my name? Wait! Smith told me they took Alec to isolation too, is it him? I'll call him'

"ALEC!"

When Alec heard his name he knew it was Max. Only she knew his name. She named him.

"Max, it's Alec. Can you hear me?"

"Yeah! How are you?" Max was so happy and sad at the same time. From one hand, here she was, talking to Alec. On the other, none of this would've happen to him if it wasn't for her.

"Never better!" he said sarcastically "What do you think I am like!" said Alec 'that girl is really special. Such questions in such times? Where has she been in the last 5 months?'

"Glad to see you are still a smart-ass!" she replied. She was happy to hear him say his smart-ass comments. It made her feel he wasn't that bad. "Now really, how are you?"

"Pretty wound up. That Smith guy thinks I'm his personal punching bag. And they gave me a new treatment." Alec replied

"What treatment?" Max asked. She saw him, but didn't know what they exactly did to him. She will tell him that she saw him later on. Eventually. She just thought that if he will know that she saw him in such state, well, it would probably hurt him. It would have hurt her if he saw her in such state. She will talk to him about it later.

"Something different. What about you?" Alec wasn't about to tell her about what they did to him, emotionally.

"Same thing. They also did something knew to me." She said. She didn't push him to tell her about the treatment. She will ask him later, when he is stronger.

"Wait! Was his excuse was that it was the 100th day?" Alec asked

"Yeah!" Max was relieved he didn't asked more about the new treatment she had. 'Nice of him not to ask' she thought

"That guy is so psycho! Hey! Wait a second! How much time do you have in isolation?" Alec asked

"5 days. Why?" Max asked

"Because I got 6! Hm…"

"Why did you get 6? That Smith said you were behaving better. Why the extra time?" Max asked. It all seemed very strange to her.

"Well…there was this part when I hit one of the guards. And then another part when I said to Mr. Smith I wanted to hit him. He said he would punish me, but I always stayed in isolation 6 days." Said Alec with a smile when remembered how fun it was.

"That's strange. Smith told me that you are behaving better. What a liar!" said Max

"Well, not quit. I was trying no to talk much, so I won't be in anymore trouble then I already were. But that one just slipped out." Said Alec

"Oh…" was the only thing Max said

"Whatever… this never would have happened…" but he stop when he realized what he was saying and to who.

"…if it wasn't for me. I know. I'm really sorry Alec. Could you ever forgive me?" Max knew this would come sooner or later, but it still hurt.

"No, don't think like that. I could have said no, you know. The only thing that bothers me is that you didn't escape in the end. If I knew you were out there, it could have been much easier, because I know that at least there was a point. But when Smith told me you were here, that was kind of disappointing. What happened? I thought you were an expert in escape and evade?" Alec asked

"Me too. I don't know. Something went wrong. It all went sideways when I heard an alarm."

"I heard an alarm too. Hey, did Joshua escape? When I fought the X7s he ran off. I thought he was with you, and when I heard you were caught I thought he was too, but Smith hasn't said a thing, and if he would have caught a nomali trying to escape, believe me, he would have talked."

"I don't know what happened to Joshua…and I still can't believe that a bunch of X7s won a fight against the CO all can do 494" said Max

"Actually, I was doing just fine, even after I was shot, it was the alarm that took me off guard, and then it all went sideways." Alec said, rather hurt that she thought of him like that, and said such thing at this time, when they are locked up, with her the main reason.

Max heard his cold tone and that he took what she said the wrong way. 'I guess even he has limits with jokes. Or maybe just too soon...'

"Listen, Alec…" Max tried to explain

"Never mind, just leave it. I'm going to try and sleep." Said Alec, and tried to get some sleep.

'Great! Just great! The guy helped me escape, try to escape. Get caught, because of me, and what do I do when I see him after 5 months of suffer I know so well he had! I say he doesn't know how to fight! Yeah, I'm really clever! Now I have another thing to think about, because unlike him, I don't fall asleep so fast…'

And so, Max kept on thinking, Alec kept on pretending to sleep, but also thinking. And someone else was just so much shocked to hear them talking.

A/N: SO? What do you think? Please review and let me know:)