Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its characters do not belong to me, but the plot is mine. This fan-fiction had been written purely for entertainment purposes. No infringement was intended and no profit had been made out of this.
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Loved your comments as usual.
I've posted some pics of the cast on my website, but here's the direct links. Just remove the spaces.
www. geocities. com/elle6778/IRCastZaneSethTinga. htm
www. geocities. com/elle6778/IRCastEvaSyl. htm
Irresistible Rivals - Chapter 5
(by elle6778)
He should have told Renfro, 494 thought regretfully as he stepped into one of the empty briefing rooms where he was supposed to meet 511. The room was also the one of those which doubled up as their classroom when they were younger.
It was not as if he did not feel up to the job, but Renfro has gotten one of those Battle Processor units to plan out a strategy based on what he and 511 had laid out in their reports. And both of them have conveniently left out the fact that there was another party involved. With that sort of misinformation, who knew what the outcome might be? Definite not the one the Battle Processor unit has predicted, that was for sure.
494 had a really bad feeling about it and he had no doubt it has something to do with the girl. The girl whose name remained unknown, and her background even more obscure. All he could say was that whoever she was working for, they have trained her very well. And according to 511, it had been just as hard to take down her partner. They must be a part of some organisation Manticore did not know about.
When he had been knocked down by her back-flip, he could not help but feel a twinge of admiration at her skill. Not many Ordinaries could do that. 494 frowned in annoyance when he recalled what she had done after that to defeat him.
Aiming for his balls was completely unprofessional.
He took a deep breath and flipped open the mission brief that Renfro had given him just a few minutes ago. It was much thicker than the last one he had. They must have included more stuff in this one.
The folders and hard-drive he had picked up together with 511 on the last mission contained some useful information, but it had raised even more questions. They knew that Davies had been designing the energy source for a weapon. The blueprint in Manticore's hands did not even contain the finished blueprint for the energy source, let alone the complete weapon, which meant that either Davies really had not had time to complete his work, or that the information was somewhere else already.
He scanned the folder, skipping to the new section which was labelled 'Background', smirking when he saw it. So Manticore finally decided that he should know more about the mission background. It was amazing how they expected him to carry out his missions with so little information.
Davies had been one of Manticore's employee up to last year, when he suddenly resigned. Suspicious of his action, Manticore had put him under light surveillance, checking up on his actions occasionally. And then, one day Manticore had intercepted an untraceable call which alerted them to his latest project, some sort of weapon design.
Manticore had waited until it seemed like the design was complete before they sent him, 494, in.
494 put down the file when he finished it and leaned back against the chair.
He was going back in again.
And this time, it was no longer an in and out mission.
The door to the room opened with a creak and 511 peeked in.
"Hey, man, sorry I'm late. I had erm…some stuff to do," he said sheepishly as he stepped into the room.
494 smirked. "The 'stuff' you had to do, it didn't happen to have something to do with one 211, did it?" he teased.
511 gave him a disgusted look. "I swear you have ears and eyes everywhere," he grumbled.
"No, it's just too obvious, the way you guys make eyes at each other. Better make sure Renfro doesn't see it."
"What do you take me for? Of course I know that," 511 said defensively. Then with a sigh, he sat down. "So, what's the plan?"
494 picked up the file and tossed to across the table to 511. "You're back-up on this one. It's a long stint out this time."
"What's the mission?"
"The blueprint, as we know, is not complete. But based on what we have on the energy source, the Battle Processors worked out that the energy levels fit the description of weapons which can induce some sort of wave motion, or vibration. Then they tracked down all the active physicists and mechanical engineers in the area. They finally narrowed it down to this one guy."
"Who?"
494 pointed at the file in 511's hands. "Page 8. The guy's name is Anthony Mesher. He's a mechanical engineer specialising in acoustics and vibration. His behaviour has been a little off for just a normal engineer. And his bank account is also suspiciously well-fed, considering the economy these days."
511 looked up from the file with a frown. "You're going in to commission him to build something similar? Won't it look a little suspicious?"
494 shrugged. "The Battle Processors don't seem to think so. It's probably part of the plan to make him lead us to his boss."
"I see," 511 said thoughtfully, and then continued when he saw something on the file. "No comms just in case they decide to scan you."
"Yeah, that's why you'll be staying back as my invisible partner. I'll just feed you the info and you get it back to Manticore as soon as you can," he explained.
"Sounds easy enough."
494 rolled his eyes. "Don't speak so soon. We might encounter our new friends," he warned.
A light flashed in 511's eyes. "In that case, I can't wait."
494 laughed at the determined look on his partner's face.
"No," was the first word that came out of Max's mouth the second she digested Eva's words. There was no way she was going back into another undercover job. Worse still, this one was going to be a long-term mission.
"Max," Eva said with a long-suffering sigh. "No one else is here to do it. Everyone else is out in the field and we can't afford to wait for them to get back. Those guys you encountered in your last mission would have probably figured out by now what's going on. We can't waste anymore time."
Max scowled at the three faces around the table. They were seated in one of the rooms which used to be some sort of laboratory store, but had since been converted into a meeting room. Eva, Zane and Jack were all looking at her, obviously waiting for her to agree to the mission. "Send Zane in this time," she said stubbornly.
Zane held his hands up. "Hey, I don't mind, but our target might not be so too happy. He likes pretty girls more than handsome men."
Max snorted.
"You're the logical choice, Max," Jack added softly. "And Zane have a point. Our target won't suspect you for a second."
The sound of a knock on the door interrupted them.
"Come in," Eva yelled out.
The door opened and Seth stepped in, giving Max an idea.
"How about Seth?" Max immediately said. "He's the expert on this kind of mission."
"What kind of mission?" Seth asked, looking puzzled. He leaned back against the metal door, watching them expectantly.
Eva explained the situation to Seth in a tired voice, making Max feel guilty for causing her elder sister the distress.
"Okay, I get it now," Seth said when Eva finished. "When are the rest coming back?" he asked Jack. "Jondy and Syl?"
Jack shrugged. "I don't know when. All of them haven't finished their current jobs yet."
Seth straightened from the door and walked towards the table. When he reached Max's side, he stopped and leaned down.
"I think you have to go, Max," he said firmly, his tone making it clear that it was an order.
Max glowered at him. What? Just because they had something going on, it did not mean that he could order her about like this. "You're not running this mission, Seth," she said tightly.
Quirking an eyebrow at her, Seth replied calmly, "In that case, you should be listening to your Commanding Officer. Who happens to be Eva."
Max stiffened visibly at his words. Pushing her chair back, she stood up and faced Seth. "We're not in Manticore anymore, Seth," she gritted out. Out of the corner of her eyes, Max saw Eva exchange a pointed look with Zane and Jack.
"Guys, remember that file we're supposed to get?" Eva asked quickly.
Obviously understanding her meaning, the two of them pushed their chair back with an abnormally loud scraping sound and got up. Not too subtle, guys, Max thought.
"We'll be back in a while," Eva said, ushering Zane and Jack out in front of her. The door shut behind them with a soft click.
Max turned her attention back to Seth, still waiting for his reply.
"No, we're not in Manticore anymore. I can see that," Seth said levelly. "They broke us out ten years ago and now we're part of Unitech. Before you say it, yes, I know Unitech is not a military establishment, but there's still a hierarchy."
"There's no Commanding Officer here," Max pointed out.
"No, there are those who we call team leaders, though. There's still some sort of system in place, even if it's not written in stone. Syl, Krit, Brin and Tinga follow Zack. Jack has his own technical team here, forming a base with the Ordinaries. Jondy, Zane and you are meant to follow Eva's lead. You know that, Max," he told her roughly.
Max lifted her chin defiantly, displaying that stubborn streak. "I've worked long enough with Eva to know that she's not like that. And this still doesn't mean that you can order me around."
With a bite of impatience in his voice, Seth snapped, "I'm not ordering you around, Max. But there's a mission to be carried out and you just can't be choosy like this. It's a job. It's the thing which pays for, amongst other things, Krit's flash car, Jack's new surround system, Jondy's ridiculously expensive clothes, your Ninja and the apartment you live in. You need to get your perspective right."
Max fell silent. This was not the first time she and Seth got into a row about missions. She and Seth never quite saw eye to eye when it came to these sorts of things. He was extremely focussed and single-minded when it was about work, unlike most of them. She guessed that was why Unitech trusted him with their confidential jobs.
Yeah, she knew that they have the life they have right now because Unitech was more than generous with their cash. But what else did one expect from an underground organisation specialising in weapons trading with a respectable IT front? Unitech was hardly broke. And yes, their life was a lot better ever since Unitech broke them out of Manticore, but that was not the issue.
The issue was how Seth spoke to her.
Max was not even sure what exactly Seth's problem was. All of them, Eva included, knew that she would eventually give in. But that did not mean that she would go quietly and meekly when it was something she did not like.
When she spoke, her voice was taut. "Look, I get why you're saying all this. But Eva and I have worked for years together, and we manage ourselves fine."
Seth looked as if he wanted to say something, but then he appeared to change his mind. Exhaling loudly, he laid his hands on her shoulders, staring deep into her eyes. "Okay, Max. I don't want to get into a fight with you about this. It's has nothing to do with me anyway. So let's just forget it," he said in a placating tone.
Max bit her lips. She was torn between wanting to continue their argument or to just accept the truce he offered. It always ended this way with him. Like he was too tired to reason with a fractious child. It really bugged her. Arguing with Zane or the other was much more satisfying.
And it was not really true when he said that it had nothing to do with him. Up to a point, it did. Because of Seth's particular standing with Unitech, he was normally the one sent to smooth things over when things got rough. So if for some reason this mission went wrong, Seth would be the one unofficially responsible for breaking it to Unitech. In that way, he was involved.
"Max?" he said softly, his green eyes locking onto hers.
She sighed and finally nodded in resignation. "Fine."
He broke into a smile. Tilting her chin up with his fingertip, he caught her lips in a soft kiss. Just as she thought that he was going to deepen the kiss, he pulled back.
At her questioning look, he nudged pointedly towards the door and released her. Loudly, he said, "You guys can come in now."
The door immediately opened and in walked Zane with Jack and Eva close behind.
Zane looked at his watch. "Wow. That only took ten minutes. Last time you guys were at it for more than fifteen," he teased with a grin.
Max rolled her eyes. "Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Not really. Just waiting for you to grudgingly say yes to the mission. Like always," Zane said, waggling his brows.
Eva, who had been quiet until then, said with a smile, "So what do you say?"
Max groaned. "Why bother asking if you all already know the answer?"
The rest of them broke into laughter.
He was all suited up again and he hated it, 494 thought in distaste, running his fingers between his neck and the stiff collar as he sat waiting on a stiff leather couch.
The lobby to the firm where Mesher worked was small. But behind the reception desk, the clear glass panels separating the lobby from the design office allowed 494 to watch the occupants. Many of them were dressed in the traditional work attire of shirt, tie and trousers. Most of them were bent over their desks, probably working intently on some mechanical plans.
The clock ticked past another minute, bringing the time to 10:08am. Mesher was late, 494 thought, feeling a little annoyed. Their meeting was supposed to be at 10:00am sharp.
It was not the only reason he was feeling anxious. This mission had not gone well even from the beginning, and the last thing he wanted was for more things to go wrong. For the eleventh time in so many minutes, he has this urge to look around, just to check the area which he had already scoped out about ten times over, trying to catch a flash of wavy dark hair framing caramel skin.
And it was all her fault.
Twice now, she had turned up in the same place as he did. Or rather, he had turned up where she had been. So, it made perfect sense that he should feel extra wary seeing that she was nowhere in sight at the moment.
Where could she be hiding this time? What was she planning?
Unless the info he got was completely wrong and the right one was in her backpack. 494 ground his teeth together. If that was the case, he could not wait until the next time he saw her. He would happily drag her, kicking and screaming, back to Manticore with him and sic psy-ops on her until she spilled everything she knew.
And where the hell was Mesher? It was now 10:16am and he was still not there.
At moment, the glass door next to the reception swung open and out walked a tall, thin man with messy dark hair and sharp black eyes. He walked briskly to the couch.
"Mr McDowell?" he queried, extending a hand.
Nodding, 494 stood up and shook his hand. "That's right."
"I'm Anthony Mesher. Welcome to Mech Designs. I apologise for keeping you waiting, but I've been tied up on something else."
"It's not a problem," 494 replied with a cordial expression.
"Come, let's get you inside and we'll talk."
Mesher led 494 past the cluttered desks of his colleagues and ushered him through a door. 494 stepped into a small meeting room.
"Have a seat," Mesher gestured to an empty leather chair as he sat in the other chair.
When 494 had seated himself, Mesher continued, "So, what can Mech Designs do to help you?"
"I'm looking for a specialist design. Something bespoke. And I need you to keep it confidential."
Mesher beamed. "And that's what we do best. We deliver our clients designs which are unique to their requirements. No one else except us will know about it. Our confidentiality clause in the contract covers that. What would you like us to design for you? What's the specification?"
"What I want, I believe is still in the research phase. Only theoretical, but no working model has been produced successfully. At least not one which fully meets our requirements."
Mesher nodded for him to continue.
"Large scale models, about the size of this room have been built in the past. It is believed by some that a weapon, something which is as small as a handgun, can be produced."
Mesher leaned forward, his interest written clearly on his face. "How does this weapon work?"
"By waves. The weapon needs to be able to adjust the frequency of its output to complement the target's natural frequency," 494 explained, watching Mesher intently for his reaction.
Mesher leaned back with a frown, silent as he appeared to consider his prospective client's request. Then he asked, obviously trying to mask his wariness by a casual, disinterested expression. "I'm not sure I know of that sort of thing, Mr McDowell. Where did you get the information from?"
"I'm afraid that's confidential, Mr Mesher."
Nodding slowly, Mesher then said with a sigh, "Well, perhaps what you need is achievable. However, I'm unable to confirm whether or not it is at this moment."
494 raised his eyebrows. "I've been told that Mech Designs is the best place to commission this sort of work. But if you're saying what I think you're saying, I'll probably be better off looking somewhere else," he said as he stood up.
Mesher jumped to his feet. "Let's not be too hasty, Mr McDowell. All I said is that I cannot promise anything at the moment. But I can let you know soon."
"How soon?"
"A week."
494 shook his head. "No. That's too long. You're wasting my time, Mr Mesher," he proclaimed, an expression of annoyance entering his face.
"How about forty-eight hours? Give me at least that time to discuss the situation with my colleagues. Some of them may have an idea how to do this."
Pretending to think, 494 just looked at Mesher, as if he was weighing the other man's genuineness. Then, he said in a reluctant voice, "Fine. Forty-eight hours and not a second more." He took out a card from his pocket and handed it to Mesher. "Call me when you have an answer. Make it soon."
With that, 494 walked out of the room.
t.b.c.
A/N: I know, no MA interaction here, but I promise there'll be some in the next chapter. In the meantime, please review and let me know if you liked the direction this fic is going.