Disclaimer: I am not making any profit out of this and am using it purely for amusement. The scenes are taken completely out of an episode of Dark Angel (which belongs to Fox, Cameron and Eglee), and most of the dialogue as well.

A/N: The parts that are mine are the "thoughts" behind the scenes and some additional dialogue. This is my version of Hello, Goodbye—one of my favorite DA episodes. It's a step into AU, but that's really what fanfics are, aren't they?

CHAPTER 10

Alec was incredibly relieved that Max believed him. He wouldn't have cared if the rest of the world thought he'd murdered those people—but he cared if Max did. Luckily, he was in no mood to psycho-babble through why he felt that way.

"Max, I'm not complaining, but what made you think I didn't do it?" he whispered, as they stalked quietly down the halls of the precinct. They crept around and checked several office doors. It was a good thing that it was late at night, and most of the cops had gone home. They were looking for a quick escape route with as little witnesses as possible.

Max shot him a look and a "Shhh!" But she didn't bother to reply to his question. She was used to Alec and his incessant chatter.

When Max didn't answer his question, he decided to mask it as a joke. He didn't need her to know how important the answer was to him. "I'm just curious," he said in his stage whisper. "Was it the sincerity in my eyes? You know, people have told me that I have sincere eyes."

"Shhh! Quiet!" Max looked at him with a mixed expression of disbelief and mounting amusement. It was a wonder that they hadn't been caught yet. It must be a gift, she thought wryly, for Alec to be able to turn a situation as critical and serious as the one he was in into a joke. He batted his long-lashed green eyes at her to prove his point. "Or was it the quiet plea in my voice?"

And Max couldn't help it. She really couldn't. She had to toss a sarcastic comment back, "Oh, you mean like, when you were begging me to save your ass?"

Alec gave her a boyish grin, "Exactly," he replied.

She just rolled her eyes at him. She finally found an office that was unlocked and had a window. "In here," she whispered, grabbing his hand and pulling him along. They checked outside the window. They were at least four stories up. There were three cops standing outside, smoking and chatting away. Max stepped out onto the ledge and started edging her way against the wall.

Alec was right behind her. Still chatting away. "It was the teeth thing wasn't it? I mean, c'mon, I could hardly stand going to the dentist."

Max glared at him. She couldn't believe he had brought up the murders. "Shut up, okay," she whispered back at him, her voice sharp.

He followed her onto the ledge. "Why are you taking this so personally?" he asked, curious as to why she was so touché about the subject of teeth being ripped off people's heads.

"Because it was Ben." She said simply, as she continued to inch her way along the wall, careful not to slip.

Alec paused for a moment, one foot inside the precinct, the other out on the ledge. He had to absorb this piece of information, and it was best done when he wasn't teetering over the edge of a high drop. "Ben? My Manticore twin, Ben?" he asked incredulously.

Max considered just dropping the subject, but she knew that Alec deserved to know the truth. He had been dragged through hell in Manticore because of Ben, and had almost paid another high price today. "He killed Timothy Ryan, and ten other people. Same M.O." she explained, her voice flat and emotionless.

Alec twisted his lips in a humorless smile. "Oh. They told me back at Manticore that he'd gone nuts, but," he paused, whistling his disbelief, "whew! Serial killer,"

Max couldn't believe how dispassionate he was being about the topic of Ben. He actually sounded like he was amused by the mix-up that almost happened tonight. "One more word from you and I shove you off this ledge!" she called back, not bothering to hide her irritation at him. Alec decided then, that maybe he really ought to shut up. But he was still confused and more than a little curious about how strong her reaction was to this incident.

They reached a drain pipe and Max started to climb down. Alec positioned himself just above her, holding on to the pipe tightly. He could see the cops below him and hear their little conversations. It was a long way down. He glanced down at Max who had planted her feet firmly against the wall.

He had a bad feeling about this.

"Max, please tell me you've got a plan," he whispered.

Max didn't really have a plan. She'd already convicted Alec of the murders in her mind, and hadn't intended to bust him out. She had just wanted to yell at him. To convey her disgust. To prove to herself how dumb she was to trust someone like him. But now that she was wrong, she wasn't exactly prepared to break him out of jail. But of course, they could always improvise. What's the use of being a genetically enhanced human being if not for performance during moments in the clutch?

"Hang on." She called up towards him as she began to push against the wall, simultaneously pulling the pipe away from it. The pipe began to loosen from the wall.

"What're you doing? No, no, no…" he whispered. God, genetically enhanced or not and feline DNA aside, he hated little acrobatics like this. Why was Max always so interested in the most complicated way of doing things? Couldn't they just climb down this pipe, knock the guards over and jump the fence?

After a second of disgusted disbelief of how utterly stupid this plan was, he pushed against the wall, too. If you can't beat her, join her. That was his other motto.

In the next instant, there was a loud groaning of metal being pushed to its limits as the drainpipe was ripped off the wall and started to fall. Alec groaned as he wrapped his arms and legs around the pipe and began to fall with it.

The officers outside looked up at the sound. "What's going on?" cried one of them. They saw the pipe fall against the electrical lines and the far fence, with two figures clinging to it. It crashed against the fence, pulling the electrical wires along the way. It was suddenly like the Fourth of July, as sparks flew everywhere.

The pipe was suspended against the wires and the fence, Alec and Max still hanging on.

Alec glared at the back of Max's head. "This is your plan?" he asked sarcastically.

Max resisted the urge to back kick him. She looked down and spotted a parked station wagon directly below them. "Jump!" she cried.

She and Alec dropped off from the pipe, on top of a parked vehicle. Their perfect landing shattered windows. Glass sprayed everywhere.

The cops were brought out of their dazed surprise by the new disturbance. They reached for their weapons and aimed. "Freeze! Freeze!"

They started shooting at the two figures who immediately scrambled off of the mutilated vehicle. They shot incessantly, peppering the poor car with bullet holes.

Max and Alec had slid to the front of the car, huddled. Alec glared angrily at Max as bullets flew past them. "I should've stayed in there and taken my chances." He bit out sarcastically.

Max looked worriedly towards her Ninja, parked a few yards away, as the hail of bullets continued to assault their cover. Suddenly, small explosions and sparks erupted from the damaged electrical poles, giving them the few seconds they needed to run towards her baby.

She pulled at Alec's leather-bound arm. "Come on!"

They ran and straddled their motorcycle, and were off into the night, futile shots ringing behind them.