More Reasons To Be Different Among The Different
A Dark Angel / Harry potter crossover fanfic
Chapter 3, part one.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything so don't bug me!
A week later
It had been at least a week or so since the strange delivery in south market. And things seemed to be going normally their little corner of the post pulse world. Max was just thinking about how things went with Logan when she told him about everything Original Cindy said, the strange delivery to see if that helped him any. Or seem linked to the strange people in the video clip in any way. Considering the search of the area in the video was a bust. It seemed to be some progress. Logan said he would have to work on it for a while. Max really hoped that the whole situation turned out to be a non-threat. Cause between Ames White and those familiars from the breeding cult, the last thing Max needed was another group of people breathing down the collective necks of the transgenic population.
Max pushed the thought out of her head as her and Original Cindy rolled into the main lobby of Jam Pony to start another day. As her and Original Cindy were heading to their lockers they were greeted by Sketchy who was rambling on about this new assignment at the tabloid he worked at as a photographer. Max rolled her eyes as she scratched her right arm. Original Cindy looked at Max, "are you ok Boo?" she asked Max. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why you asking?" responded Max. "Well, cause I been watching you scratch that same spot on your arm for the past week. I thought your kind of family were beyond things like rashes and stuff?" asked Original Cindy. "So, did I!" answered Max. "This would be my first one." She continued on to say as they both arrived at their lockers.
"Well here maybe this will help." Said Original Cindy as she pulled a lotion bottle out of her locker and handed it to Max. "If it doesn't help curb the itch it should at least sooth your skin a bit." "Thanks!" said Max as she took the bottle from her friend. As Max rolled up her sleeve a bit to put on the lotion, Original Cindy sees the spot on Max's arm. "Whoa! That looks really bad Boo." Said Original Cindy in a very concerned tone. "You really think so?" asked Max as she looked at the spot on her arm. It was mostly red from the irritation of being constantly scratched, but in the center it was mostly a purplish color. "Yeah girl!" answered original Cindy. "Well, don't worry about it. It won't last long. I'm a quick healer." Said Max in a slightly smug tone as she rubbed the lotion on her arm. "It does fell a little better." Commented Max as she handed the bottle back to her friend. "It smells like raspberries." Said max. "Yeah sorry about that. It's all I have. But you said so yourself it helped." Said Original Cindy. "Your right" Responded Max. She hoped that if she had any missions in the near future that the lingering berry sent wouldn't give her away.
Just as they get towards the part of the room with the TV they hear Normal come out yelling "hey all you Slackers time to get to work! Time is money people. BIP, BIP, BIP!" "Thus the work day beings." quipped sketchy. " You could set your watch by him, boring to annoying in under 60 seconds." Commented Original Cindy. As people started filing towards their bikes to start the day as normal shouted out runs and handed out packages. "Well, ready to start the day Boo?" asked Original Cindy. "Yeah, just let me grab a cup of coffee first." Answered Max. Just as Max had her Styrofoam cup filled, and was about to take a sip of the warm, dark liquid she heard Normal bellowing "Hey, slacker what in the fire truck do you think your doing? There is work to be done!" Max turned to face Normal and said "Aww, Come on Normal I need my cup of coffee to start the day." "Tell it to someone who cares Max. I got a hot run here that needs to get to its awaiting customer." Stated Normal.
Max glared at him and gulped her coffee down in a few mouthfuls. Then threw the cup in the nearby trash can with one hand while snatching the package from him with the other hand at the same time. Then walked over to where Original Cindy was waiting with Max's bike, as Normal went to fill up his ceramic coffee mug which he had been holding in his other hand. Max didn't even have to look to know that the cup landed in the trash can, as she got back to where Original Cindy was and got on her bike. "Normal being the uptight pain in the butt he usually is?" asked Original Cindy. "And then some!" said Max slightly aggravated. She took a quick look back to see him hassling some other straggling employees and shouting "BIP, BIP, BIP!" With coffee mug in hand. "And then Some!" repeated Max as she looked back at her friend. With that said they headed out. Just as they rolled out the door the faint shouts and obscenities coming from Normal could be heard, But not knowing that the reason for it was because the mug of coffee that Normal had been holding had exploded. Showering his hand in nearly scalding hot coffee.
Most of the morning went by uneventfully. Around lunchtime max stopped off at Joshua's house to drop off some supplies for him. Balancing all the heavy and bulky bags in one arm she let herself in with now free hand. Once she got in she closed the door with her foot. As she walked into the living room she saw a faded and very dusty and dirty green steamer trunk in the middle of the living room. After a closer view it was easy to see the trunk was completely opened. "Hey, there big fella. What you got there?" asked Max. "Books" answered Joshua without looking up from the book he was currently reading.
After returning from the kitchen where she placed the bags, she glanced over at the trunk then walked over to where Joshua was sitting and reading. "So, what pre-pulse literary masterpiece are you reading now?" Max asked him. Joshua quickly checked the front cover of the book and then answered "Harry Potter." "I vaguely remember those, " said Max. She then continued on to say. " That series of books was among one of the many books moody had given me to read." Joshua looked up form the book and asked her "Who's moody?" "Someone I knew a long time ago. Before I came to Seattle." Answered Max. " Did you find those books in the trunk?" asked Max as an attempt to change the subject. It was still a bit too painful to talk about moody in detail especially since she still felt it was partially her fault that he died. "Yeah" responded Joshua. "Where you find the trunk?" asked max when more information was not forthcoming. "In the basement. I was looking for a spare canvas. It had father's name on it." Answered Joshua.
Looking at the trunk again She felt suddenly compelled for some unknown to ask, " was that all there was in the trunk? Just the books?" Joshua thought for a second and then answered "No, there was also a lot of papers and a small box." "Really, may I have a look?" asked Max. "Sure little fella." Answered Joshua. Max walked over to the trunk she couldn't explain why she felt so compelled to search through the trunk's contents but just knew she had to. It was almost as if she was being drawn to it.
Once she reached the trunk she knelt down and started to shift through the papers. Some of the papers were just normal day to day stuff like accounting and stuff. But a few more of the papers caught Max's eye. They had formulas and records. Max could tell that these were from Manticore. Max gathered all of the important papers into 2 or 3 large piles. " Hey, Joshua would it be ok if I showed these papers to Logan? They could be a big help." "Help what?" asked Joshua rather confused. "These Papers could hold the clues needed to find the answers to finding a cure to the virus!" Answered Max with an optimistic tone in her voice. "Virus Bitch going down?" asked Joshua a little excitement crept into his tone. " It could possibly happen." Said Max. "Then you show papers to Logan." Said Joshua a bit more excited.
Max looked into the trunk again and saw a small box. The box was about the size of a shoebox but not quite as tall. The box was made of tin, and it was rusted in spots from age. The box was also very, very dusty and dirty. Onto the box was an envelope, which was yellowed with age. Max lifted the small box out of its dank dark corner of the trunk, and placed it on the floor between her and Joshua, who had walked over to were max was shortly after the discussion about the papers. Max reached out and grabbed the envelope off the box and opened it. Inside there was 2 pieces of paper. Each one contained a note.
The first one contained the message:
To whom it may concern,
She gave this to me. The look in her eyes and on her face told me she was desperate. I don't know what it is she gave me or why she was so insistent that I get it as far away from Manticore as possible, as soon as possible. I don't know why I have held onto it for so long but for some reason I can't bring my self to get rid of it. So I'm packing it away, and maybe the person she thinks will find it will.
Max finished reading the 1st note aloud. She handed the note to Joshua who said only this, " this is father's handwriting. Max picked up the 2nd note. Which she could tell was written in a great hurry and in a feminine handwriting. The message contained:
Please For the safety and the well being of countless numbers of others, get this as far away from Manticore as possible. But it's imperative that it is keep safe. Not only for my child's safety and future, but also for the safety of the future in general. Your actions now will affect the fate of more then you can ever imagine!
Max finished reading the second note aloud. "Wow!" Exclaimed Max. "What the hell is in this box?" Setting the notes aside and then with both hands carefully opened the box. Inside there was what looked like a wadded bunch of fabric. Max Picked up the box and turned it over. The large pile of fabric fell into her open hand. "What is it?" asked Joshua. "I don't know yet. Its wrapped up" Answered Max. So slowly and with great care Max starts to unwrap the small bundle. Right away the material looked like it was a smaller part of something else, a bed sheet possibly, because it had a frayed edge. This became more apparent the more the material was pulled back. Finally she came to the final fold of fabric that separated her from the mystery object. As she pulled that way she saw a long, thin, wooden stick. Polished to a high gloss. Joshua picked it up and looked at it closer. Holding by to his face. "What is it?" he asked. "It's a Stick." Said Max. "What can be so important about a stick?" She asked more to her self then anything else. "Let me see that." She said as she picked the stick up from Joshua's hands. The wood felt warm to the touch. "Weird, this should feel this warm after where it has been." She said again more to herself then to anyone else.
Suddenly the rash on her arm started burning like crazy. Max looked down at her arm; it felt like it was on fire! As soon as she dropped the stick back into the box, where she had laid the fabric, the burning stopped. "What the hell?" exclaimed Max under her breath. Joshua looked at her in a concerned manner. She looked over at him and saw the look on his face, and quickly covered by saying "don't worry, I'm fine." That seemed to work, as the concern drained from his face. Max quickly grabbed the notes and the envelope and threw them in box. She then closed it just as quickly. She returned the box to its dark, distant corner of the trunk.
"Hold on to that for a while." Max said to Joshua. "Why?" he asked, the seemingly odd request drew a confused look onto his face. Hesitating for a or 2 to think, she then replied "Well if it was important enough for father to hold on to for all this time, it might be of some use latter on." Explained Max even thought as she heard the words leave her mouth she entirely convinced of them. But she never led on for even the tiniest fraction of second to that fact; she appeared the epitome of a calm, confident persona. She did such a good job at making Joshua believe she completely knew what she was talking about beyond a shadow of a doubt that she even started to convince herself of it.
Max looked at her watch and then said, "I've got to get back to work. I'll see you tomorrow." She then gathered up the important papers and stuck them in her bag. She smiled at him then said, "Have fun reading." She then got up and left. After leaving Joshua's place she stopped by Logan's and dropped off the papers. He hadn't made any significant progress on what he had been working on. But was very intrigued at the documents she had found. She told him all about how she found the papers and everything else that happened at Joshua's. He seemed amused at Joshua's new reading material and interested in the whole story over all. But was very surprised and interested about the part of the story that contained the stick.
She then showed him the rash on her arm. Now that the redness had receded a bit it looked less purple and more blue in color, but other than that there was no other change. Logan promised to look through the new information and call as soon as he had something. Max could tell by the way Logan's eyes lit up when he first glanced over the papers that Max gave him that this could possibly lead to some big answers. Just as Max had turned to go she heard a small shattering noise coming from the direction of the kitchen. They both went to check it out only to find out that it was only a drinking glass that Logan had set down a little too close to the edge of the counter had fallen off and broken on the floor. After that discovery she left.
As Max thought about everything that had happened over the past week or so while on her way back to work. On the whole with everything that was currently running through her mind, she kept returning to one thing that strange little box with its odd notes and contents. The more she thought about it more she turned up with more questions than answers. All these new questions just seemed to add to the jigsaw puzzle forming in her mind about the whole situation. Questions like who was the girl? Had she get the stick? How was she able to not have it taken away from her at Manticore? Why was it so important? What did she think the stick was capable of? And if the fact that she seemed so desperate to get it out of Manticore undetected? Did this obsession with the stick call in to question her sanity? Why had sandman agree to help her? Why did her arm burn when she touched the stick? She knew that some how all of this was somehow out of context from a much larger picture and situation. What that bigger picture was she couldn't begin to figure out. The more she tried to make the pieces fit in an attempt to make some kind of sense out of everything the more confusing everything got. And this frustrated Max more than anything did at the moment.
Max had been so deep in her own thoughts that she didn't see Original Cindy pull up next to her on her left side at the intersection she was currently stopped at. When Original Cindy reached out to get Max's attention by tapping her arm, that Max had actually quite startled by this causing her to jump slightly and almost lose control of the bike if not for her quick reflexes. "Easy Boo. It's just Original Cindy." She said almost in a rush cause Max looked like she was read to hit something. She continued on to say, "Never known you to be the jumpy type girl, what been working on you that got you so fogged in?" Max looked at her friend and took a deep breath. Relieved but a little irritated that she be cause so off guard. "I just got a lot on my mind right now. A few things I'm having trouble figuring out." Answered Max.
Just as Original Cindy Started to roll her bike forward to make a left turn, Max suddenly reached out and grabbed onto Original Cindy's forearm to stop her from going any farther. Before Original Cindy could even ask her what she was doing? Or what was going on, A blurred form on a bike whizzed by extremely fast, but had the vague shape and appearance of sketchy. A second blurred form whizzed passed in hot pursuit; this was with the distinct shape and appearance of Alec. Had it not been for Max's actions, both boys would have crashed right into Original Cindy. "Good Looking out Boo!" said Original Cindy a little shaken at how close she had come to being flattened by those 2 idiots. As both girls glared menacingly at the 2 quickly retreating forms of their co-workers, they suddenly saw Alec's bike stop suddenly and Alec go flying over the handlebars. He hit the pavement a few feet in front of him very hard! Both girls exchanged looks of astonishment at what had just happened. Then after about a minute or two, Original Cindy was the first to speak, "I guess we should go help him?" Max smirked slightly and then responded, "yeah, would be the humane thing to do." Her answer causes a slight chuckle from her friend. With that both girls rode over to where he had landed to offer assistance.
"What happened?" Asked Max as she and Original Cindy helped him up off the asphalt. "I don't know one minute I'm racing Sketchy the next I'm air born." Answered Alec. "You were racing him? Talk about your unfair advantages." Commented Original Cindy. "It was his Idea! He said that the last one back to Jam Pony would by the first the first round of drinks tonight at Crash. All I was looking for was a free drink. Besides I was just letting him think he was wining, I was just about to make my move and speed passed him before my flight." Said Alec. "Looks Like you owe him a drink now." Chuckled Original Cindy; "even a person of your abilities couldn't catch him now!" She quipped. Even Max managed to smile at her friend's joke.
Alec sighed he knew he be hearing about this from Sketchy for a long time. "So how's my bike doing?" Alec asked in an attempt to change the subject. "Well, its in ok shape except for the fact that you blew out the front tire." Answered Max. "What! Those tires are only a month old!" exclaimed Alec. "Well that really doesn't matter now does it cause there is a huge hole in the tire." Said Max. "Where? Let me see it." Said Alec. Sure enough there was a hole the size of a half-dollar in the tire and tube underneath. "Well I guess that is what you get for trying to cheat sketchy out of a beer." Said Original Cindy smiling in an amused manor.
"I don't understand how that tire could have blown like that? I mean there is nothing in the street that could cause that kind of damage and the pavement is even level in this area." Said Alec as he picked up his bike and started to head back to work. Max spots a bottle cap sitting in the road; she goes over and picks it up. "Could this have done it?" she asks her friend as she shows it to her. "Must have cause there is nothing else that could have." Answered Original Cindy. Max sticks the cap in her pocket and then scratches her arm.
"Your arm itching again Boo?" asked Original Cindy. "Yeah, it started up after lunch." So then she told Original Cindy about her visit to Joshua's place. She finished her tale just as they both rolled into Jam Pony. Original Cindy went to her locker to get the lotion bottle for Max. As Max passes Alec on the way to her locker she takes the bottle cap out of her pocket and gives it to him. And tells him that this must be the culprit. After that she catches up with Original Cindy who handed her the lotion bottle. As max rolled up her sleeve Original Cindy says, " Let me see your arm Boo?" Max shows it to her. Both girls instantly notice that the rash seems to have changed. The skin had gotten red again from the irritation of being scratched, but the purplish-blue blob in the center has most definitely changed. It now had a more of a solid shape and definition to it. "The part in the center kind of looks like and animal. Like a bear or a lion." Said Original Cindy. "It didn't look like that earlier when I was at Logan's right after lunch. It was more Shapeless." Said Max. A little worried its not like she had the liberty of being able to just go to a doctor if this got serious. "Well maybe its cause you started to scratch it again." Said Original Cindy. "Maybe. I hope that all it is." Said Max as she handed back the lotion bottle after she finished with it.
"You guys hear what happened to Normal?" asked sketchy "No, what happened to him?" asked Original Cindy. "Does it have anything to do with why he has that bandage on his hand?" asked Max. "Yeah, it does. Well this morning just as you guys were leaving Normal was really blasting some the newbie messengers and the just out of nowhere the coffee mug he was holding just shattered." Said Sketchy. "What do you man shattered?" asked Max a little confused. A similar look of confusion was written across Original Cindy's face as well. " I mean like it just exploded." Said sketchy as illustrated with his hands to make the point. "See to much time around Normal is hazardous for anyone or anything's health." Joked Original Cindy. "So the bandages on his hand was from where he got burnt with the coffee, and cuts from the jagged pieces of coffee mug?" asked Max. "Yeah, poor guy you should have heard him yell. Almost makes you fell sorry for him." Said Sketchy as he shook his head.
Then they heard Normal call out for Max. "Almost but not quite." Said Max. "I feel you boo." Responded Original Cindy. Max walked over to the counter that normal was standing behind. "What do you want Normal?" She asked as she turned in her signature clipboard. Filled with signatures from the day's runs. "Need I remind you that the term messenger service does not mean that I collect and deliver personal messages to you slackers on company time!" Ranted Normal. "What are you squawking about Normal?" asked Max in an annoyed tone of voice. "Twice today you have had Someone in here looking for you." Said Normal. Max who was more than a little rattled at the news that someone was looking for her here at Jam pony didn't let it show to Normal as she asked him " Who was it? What did they want?" "He didn't say who he was, but he was a real short guy with white hair. He said that he had some important news for you." Answered Normal. "Ok, thanks Normal." Said Max as she walked away from the counter and back to her locker. This news had Max extremely worried. Because usually the only thing that came looking for her was trouble!