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 the reviews, guys. Here's the next chapter. Hope that you'll enjoy it.
Irresistible Rivals - Chapter 18
(by elle6778)
Max strode angrily towards the door leading to the underground access. None of them could believe what they had just seen on the surveillance monitor. What Zack and Jack had just done was not part of the plan.
Before she could lay a hand on the keypad, the door swung open. A frazzled looking Jack strode in, followed a disgruntled Zack.
"What do you think you're doing?" Max asked furiously. "You're not supposed to bring him in!"
Jack sighed wearily. "There was a hoverdrone nearby and we were kind of attracting a lot of attention out there. People were getting curious."
Zack banged his fists against the wall in frustration. "This can't be happening."
"Where is he now?" Max asked, looking beyond them but not seeing any sign of Alec.
Zack gestured to the door. "Left him in the tunnel."
Max groaned. "Zack…"
"Yeah, I know. The plan was to dump him somewhere while we clear out of here. I don't need you to remind me, Max," Zack said dryly.
"So what are we going to do now?" she asked worriedly. They could not just leave Alec in the access tunnel completely unguarded.
"The tranquilizer will last for a while, but we need to move fast," Jack said thoughtfully.
"How are we supposed to get anywhere when he's in the middle of the tunnel leading to our garage?"
Zack sighed. "Let's go join the rest," he said as he brushed past her, heading towards the door to the Control Room.
The two of them trailed behind Zack, navigating a series of maze-like tunnels before they reached the door to the Command Centre.
When they entered, Eva stood up with a worried frown on her face. "Zack, tell me you didn't really bring him in."
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Zack replied tersely. "We don't have a choice, okay."
Eva groaned. "What are we going to do now?"
"Leave him there until we completed the relocation to Terminal City?" Zane suggested.
Tinga shook her head. "That's not going to work. We need that access tunnel to get to the garage, remember? Otherwise we'd have to leave the heavy stuff and vehicles behind."
"Just hold him somewhere out of the way while we get the hell out of here," Zack snapped, obviously reaching the end of his patience.
Zane laid a hand on Zack's shoulders. "Whoa, just chill, okay? We'll find some way around this," he said in a placating voice. Then turning to Jack, he asked, "Do we have a cell or something to stash him in?"
Rolling her eyes, Max replied instead. "This isn't Manticore, Zane. And we've never taken any prisoners. We don't have holding cells, remember?"
Jack sat down on one of the chairs in front of the console and brought up a map of the area. "Look. This place is huge. We can lock him in one of the rooms in the residential block."
"If he escapes, we are doomed," Tinga pronounced darkly.
"We'll just have to make sure that he's really, really secured."
Eva frowned. "I don't think it's a good idea to have him anywhere near here. There's way too much potential for exposure."
"The fact that he found this place is exposure enough," Zack muttered sourly.
Max rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we know that, Zack. Hence the original plan of dropping him somewhere far away, remember?"
"Enough of this! We're not getting anywhere," Eva said in an uncharacteristically irritated tone of voice.
The rest of them fell silent.
Zack finally spoke. "Look. We can't get out with everything that's going on out there now. Someone would have called the cops by now. So let's stash him somewhere at the end of the facility, away from the main compound. Then when everything calms down outside, we revert back to our original plan, okay?"
"How long is he going to stay unconscious? We probably have to move fast," Max remarked nervously. If Alec woke up, there was bound to be trouble.
Jack scratched his head. "I don't know. The stuff is new, a mix of tranquilizer and immobilizer. We know about the tranqs but the immobiliser affects everyone differently. I'd say a couple of hours, give or take."
Zane stared around incredulously. "That's all? What are we waiting for then? Let's get him moved out of the access tunnel."
"I really hope someone has tested the stuff," Max muttered, but no one seemed to pay any attention to her.
"Jack, can you get a couple of the Ordinaries to set up a holding cell at the old residential block?" Eva said.
Mack interjected. "It's going to them longer. It's faster if you do it."
"Right. Eva, Tinga… you stay here. We don't need Alec to recognise another one of us if he accidentally wakes up. Max and Zane, you two set up the holding cell. Jack and I will get him moved," Zack barked out the instructions. He scanned the room. "Still no sign of Seth?"
Max shook her head. "Couldn't find him. His cellphone is switched off."
Jack shuffled uncomfortably. "I guess he'll find out about this when he finally gets back."
"Yeah," Max muttered. Seth would no doubt blow his top at this latest development. But Max could not say that she blamed him this time. The whole situation was quickly spiralling out of control.
"Come on, Max. Let's get a room for your pretty boy," Zane teased.
She bared her teeth at him. "He's not my anything!"
Alec opened his eyes to find himself in a dark, musty place. What the-?
Then it came back to him. He remembered the tranquilizer. And Manticore. His entire body felt weak, numb almost. With some effort, he managed to twitch his fingers, but that was about all he could do. This tranquilizer was something else, he thought in annoyance.
Glancing around, he noted that he was in a tunnel of some sort. Tunnel? Why would he be in a tunnel? He was expecting to wake up back in Manticore. In some punishment room, if not Psy-Ops.
He suddenly tensed as a thought occurred to him. Unless it was not Manticore who had shot him. But those two who took him down…Those two were fast. He was sure that they were not Ordinaries. No Ordinaries could fight on the same level with X5s.
Which could only mean one thing.
Max, Seth and at least two other males were either transgenics or something else. Since he was almost certain that Max and Seth were X5s, it was highly likely that the other two were also X5s.
So all of them must be transgenics.
But Manticore would not have sent four undercover X5s to do the same job. It was too risky and also completely unnecessary. So, the only thing that made sense was that these four were not working for Manticore. Suddenly Max's and Seth's refusal to return to Manticore with him gave itself a new meaning. They must be working for Unitech all along.
Then Alec remembered Seth's presence in the Seattle facility. He frowned in confusion. Was Seth a spy for Unitech and had somehow managed to infiltrate Manticore? But what about Seth's file in the database? Perhaps that file had been tampered with?
How on earth did a bunch of transgenics end up working for the enemy against their own creators?
What the hell was going on?
The sound of a door scraping open in the distance startled him out of his thoughts. They were coming for him.
Alec immediately shut his eyes and forced his body to relax. They were bound to be more off-guard if they thought he was still unconscious. This was one hell of a way to gain access, he thought with amusement.
But at least it was not Manticore. It was still possible for him to escape then. Whatever happened, he was definitely not going back to that place. The recordings had reminded him of a lot of things.
The footsteps came closer, getting louder by the second.
Hold still, Alec told himself silently.
A boot prodded him lightly on his thighs, and then he heard one of them speak.
"He's still out."
"Hopefully he stays this way until we get him to the holding room."
"Come on."
He heard the shuffling of two pairs of boots before he felt himself being lifted up and deposited on a shoulder. Alec kept his body limp, slumping over listlessly. The indignity of it did not escape him. When he finally got out of his predicament, someone was going to pay, he vowed.
But at this moment, he was not sure who that someone was.
They moved at the rapid pace down what Alec guessed was the rest of the tunnel. And then, after a long while, he heard a door creaking open.
Bright sunlight filtered through the thin skin of his eyelids, telling him that they were outdoors. By his estimation, they had moved at least three miles from where they had left him originally. Then they continued to move. Ten minutes later, the drop in temperature and the still air told him that they were indoors again.
The door shut behind them before Alec heard a voice he recognised.
"We found a room. But we still have to work on its security." It was Max, he realised in satisfaction. Now he would get some answers. "The windows need securing and we need a lock on the door," Max continued.
Alec pushed away the urge to open his eyes to look at her. He felt himself being passed on to another person. Male, he noted. The arms were too large to belong to Max. Subtly, he tried to move his arms just to find that his limbs were still not fully cooperating with his mind. But it was a little better than the last time he tried it.
One of the guys from the tunnel said, "I'll go back and get the stuff. You think the two of you can handle him?"
Max retorted in an offended tone, "What do you take me for? Of course I can!"
Alec stifled the urge to laugh. A teasing voice which Alec did not recognise then added, "Don't worry. I'm here to keep an eye on her. Make sure that she doesn't ravish the prisoner."
"You have a death wish or something, Zane?" Max threatened in a biting voice.
"We'll be back soon. Just try not to kill each other, alright?" the one from the tunnel interjected, his voice long-suffering. Then, fading footsteps told Alec that two had left the building.
The teasing voice piped up, "Let's get your baby into bed."
He really got a death wish, Alec thought in amusement.
"He's NOT my baby!" Max denied hotly. "My baby has two wheels and its much more accommodating than this smartass."
Hearing the tone of outrage in her voice, Alec swallowed his laughter. He really should not find this funny at all. Being captured was no laughing matter, but their interactions were something else entirely.
They deposited him on something soft. A bed, he guessed. Well, this was definitely an unexpected luxury.
"I can't believe Zack left him in the tunnel completely unbound. Where's the rope?" Max asked grouchily. "We need to tie him up before he wakes up."
"The rope? I thought you had it?" the one called Zane replied, sounding bewildered.
"No, Zane. YOU were supposed to get it, remember?" Max bit out in annoyance.
If he could, Alec would have rolled his eyes. Much as their interactions amused him, it occurred to him that the way they were going on, he should have been able to escape long ago and taken them down along the way if he had the mind to. If only he was not tranquillised. Or perhaps it was something else. This was like no other tranquilizer that he had ever been shot with. He should have been able to move freely by now.
He tried to wiggle his toes. To his surprise, they moved easily. Yes! The numbness was definitely receding. He could feel his limbs again. Now, all he had to do was to find a chance to gain an upper hand. In the meantime, he would continue to pretend to be helpless.
Grumbling under his breath, Zane reluctantly conceded. "I'll go get it then."
They were alone, Alec suddenly realised. Max and him were the only two left there.
As he debated whether he should let Max know that he was awake, he suddenly felt her coming closer. He smelt her coming closer; that subtle scent of citrus and flowers tickling his senses. Curious as to what she intended to do, Alec decided that he should wait before he do anything.
To his surprise, he felt her fingers on his forehead. Her touch was gentle, caring almost. If he was not already keeping so still, he would have froze up at the shock of it. Her fingers trailed down the side of his face softly, and his skin exploded in goosebumps.
Then, of all things, she sighed heavily.
What was she sighing for? Not that he had any objections to her touch, but he just had the shock of his life. Having one's nemesis caress one's face was not an ordinary occurrence.
Unless, of course, she harboured some feelings towards him. Strangely enough, his heart jumped a little at the thought. How did he feel about that? Confused, he filed it in his mind for future dissection.
Right now, however, she would be mortified if she realised that he was awake.
The temptation was too much for him to resist.
Slowly, he opened his eyes to stare right into her chocolate brown ones. A little gasp escaped her lips as her eyes widened in shock. Then he watched in amusement when her cheeks reddened, obviously realising what had just happened.
The sudden stinging feeling on his cheek was the first thing he received as a reaction from her. His ears rang at the sharp impact.
"You!" she gritted out through clenched teeth, her eyes flashing in fury.
Or was it embarrassment? Slowly, he raised his hands to his throbbing cheek.
"You can move!" she exclaimed in alarm, flicking a glance at the closed door.
Alec grinned. "You didn't think that it was that easy to take me down, did you?"
He watched as her face returned to its normal colour. It was a shame. He was beginning to enjoy watching a flustered Max.
She snorted derisively. "You won't be able to escape, so don't even bother trying."
He tilted his head to the side. "Who said I want to escape?"
A quick scan around him told him that he was in a bedroom. There was a metal-frame bed to one side of the wall and an open, empty cupboard to the other side. There was a window in the third wall, he noted before shifting his gaze back to Max.
She stared at him with a guarded look on her face.
He swung his legs off the bed, keeping his motions deliberately slow. She did not know it, but he still felt the effects of whatever they had shot him up with. He kept his steps slow and steady as he walked towards her.
"So, Max. Care to tell me what you were doing just now?" he asked with a straight face when he reached her.
Her eyes flickered uncertainly. "What?"
"You know what," he stated meaningfully.
"You must have hit your head or something when you fell down," she snapped irritably.
"Fine. Don't tell me about that if you don't want to. But tell me one thing," he paused, observing how her entire body tensed as she eyed him warily.
He watched her intently to gauge her reaction. "How did a bunch of transgenics end up working for Unitech?"
Her expression became shuttered. So, his suspicions were correct after all, Alec thought, his curiosity spiking. How on earth did Manticore manage to lose a bunch of transgenics?
When she continued to remain silent, he prompted, "So?"
"You've got the wrong end of the stick," she said tightly.
He raised an eyebrow. "Have I? Tell me, Max. Is your designation really 453?"
There was a slight hesitation before she replied. "You already know my designation. Why ask again?"
"Why? Because the real 453 is in the field somewhere else. Not in Seattle," he pointed out casually.
Her hands clenched. "I've had enough of this. Get back into the bed and don't even think of moving," she ordered angrily. "And don't make me ask twice, 'cause I'd be more than happy to physically throw you there myself."
A grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "Gee, Max. I know that I'm irresistible and all, but you should really get a grip on yourself."
"Why you…" she gritted out.
Her arm suddenly snapped out. Alec ducked just in time to avoid a direct hit to his face.
Quickly stepping behind her, he reached out and grabbed her arms in a lock. Grinning, he tightened his grip and pushed her against the wall.
"Let me go, you dumbass!" she snarled, struggling against his hold.
"Tsk, tsk, Max. I didn't know you like it rough," he whispered into her ear.
She let out a growl of frustration. Kicking against the wall, she tried to push him off, but he held fast.
Sobering up, he asked, "Now, are you going to tell me what's going on with you X5s working for the opposition?"
"Not a chance," she spat venomously.
"Well, let me-" he broke off abruptly as someone yanked him off her roughly.
The next thing he knew, he was pinned to the very same wall with a strong arm pressed against his neck. The man he recognised as Max's partner back in Davies's mansion glared at him.
"Now, this is not exactly what I expected to see," the man said levelly. "I kinda figured that Max would be the one jumping you, not the other way round," he continued in a light tone, but Alec could see that the guy was not too amused by the situation.
Max glared at both of them.
Zane. That was his name, Alec thought, recognising the voice. With a smirk, he replied, "Just passing time."
Zane's eyes glittered. Without averting his eyes, he called out to Max. "Let's tie him up before he does some serious damage to himself."
Pulled away from the wall and onto the bed, Alec rolled his eyes as Max began to tie his limbs together to the metal bedpost. He did not bother to struggle. What was the point? He needed some answers from these guys anyway. "You know as well as I do that this will not hold me for long," he commented lightly.
"Yeah, but it'll hold you long enough," Zane replied as he inspected the bonds. Apparently satisfied, he nodded at Max.
Alec raised an eyebrow. "Looks like your partner doesn't trust your work, Max."
Obviously still annoyed by their earlier interaction, Max glowered at him. "Shut up!" Then she turned to Zane. "Pass me the syringe. I'll give him the shot. Then we might get some peace around here."
Alec's eyes widened as Zack passed her a packet and a vial. They were not planning to give him that weird shot again, were they? "Hey, I promise to be good. No need for the shot."
"You wish," Max retorted, and then, with an evil gleam in her eyes, she unwrapped the syringe and drew the liquid from the vial. "Sleep well, smartass!" she whispered before she plunged the syringe into his arm.
"You-"
For the second time that day, Alec felt himself sinking into the darkness.
Max and Zane strode into the Command Centre just in time to hear Seth's outburst. He, Eva, Tinga and Jack were gathered around the layout table at the centre of the room. Mack was seated at the console, looking as if all he wanted to do was to escape the room.
"What the hell did you do that for? Now he'd know where to find us," Seth snarled angrily.
Max sighed. Someone had filled Seth in and not surprisingly, he was fuming.
"He was sniffing around. There was no way of securing him without causing a scene. We're just going to hold him until we move out of here," Eva explained wearily.
"And where's Zack?" Seth asked, glancing around.
"He's securing the holding cell. He's taking the first watch, and then he'll call one of us to rotate," Max replied, gesturing in the general direction of the old residential block. "Where were you? We've been trying to get hold of you."
"Busy," he replied shortly.
Max's eyes narrowed. "If you weren't so busy, then you would have had a chance to raise your objections before we did anything, Seth."
"You don't need my input to know that it's risky to have him in our compound," Seth pointed out tersely.
Jack ventured in his usual soft-spoken manner, "You know, Seth. It's really not that big a deal. We were planning on relocating anyway. The link to Terminal City is almost complete. All this means is that we move our timetable forward by a few weeks."
"That's not what I'm worried about. It's the fact that he now knows that we're all transgenics."
Max's eyes flashed. "He already knows that two of us are X5s."
Seth banged his hand against the table, making the rest of them jump. "He knows us as 354 and 453, part of Manticore's team, working undercover in Unitech. How do you explain Zack and Jack's presence then? That Manticore sent four undercover operatives all to the same place?"
Having had enough of his attitude, Max stepped up to him and stabbed a finger into his chest. "You think you've got it all worked out? Then explain why he's sniffing around here. And while you're at it, explain how Alec found out that the real 453 is in the field somewhere away from Seattle. Who knows, he might even find out where's the real 354."
Seth froze, and then an odd flicker appeared in his eyes. "How did he find out about 453?"
"How should I know? He challenged me about it just a while ago," Max said irritably, wondering what else Seth was hiding from them.
With a frown on his face, Zane interjected, "Seth, now that we're on this topic, do you mind telling us what exactly your deal is with Manticore?"
"That's not the issue here," Seth evaded abruptly.
Her expression set in grim lines, Eva spoke firmly. "No, Seth, I think it is an issue here. You walk in and out whenever you feel like it without even giving us any idea what you're doing all this time." Pausing, she inhaled deeply. "When we call for a meeting, you're nowhere to be found. And then you storm in here and attack our decision. A decision which, by the way, Lydecker had approved. No, Seth. I think it's time you tell us what exactly are you up to out there, Manticore-related or otherwise."
Seth stared at her silently.
Max held her breath. Was he going to finally tell them what was going on?
Tinga added in a gentler tone, "Seth, we're just a little worried."
Looking a little torn, Seth looked down at the table at his clenched hands. To Max's dismay, when he lifted his head, his chin was set in an uncompromising line.
"Seth…" Tinga ventured uncertainly.
"I've got to go," Seth bit out coldly.
And then he left the room.
Max released the breath she had been holding and locked eyes with a tired-looking Eva. Zane was rubbing his forehead, looking exasperated. Tinga and Jack just stared at each other thoughtfully.
"That went well," Eva remarked dryly, breaking the silence.
Then Zane suddenly brightened. "Let's follow him,"
"Erm, Zane, I'm not sure that would a good idea," Jack said with a frown. "Seth will know he's being followed."
Max let out an exasperated sigh. "Our tracking skills aren't that bad."
"It's not a bad idea, you know," Tinga added. "If I don't feel so clumsy with this belly, I'd go."
"I'll go with you, Zane" Max offered.
Eva shook her head at Max. "You stay and keep an eye on the X5." She headed towards the door. "Come on, Zane. I'll go with you."
With that, the two of them dashed out of the Command Centre.
It was late in the night, but the place was still buzzing with activity. Max was still in the middle of helping Mack dismantle the testing equipment in the laboratory when Zack walked in.
Glancing around, he noted, "There's still a lot to pack."
"Tell me about it," Mack grumbled as he straightened up from a box. "It would have been nice to have a little more time," he said, stifling a yawn.
Max gave the Ordinary a concerned look. "Why don't you go home, Mack? It's been a long day. Go catch some sleep."
"Yeah. We'll handle the packing for now," Zack added.
Mack nodded. With a small wave, he said, "Well, see you tomorrow."
When he left the room, Max turned to Zack. "My turn now?"
Zack looked around them. "This can wait for a few hours. Alec's awake. Let's go. I'll walk you there."
Max raised her eyebrow. "You left him there alone?" she asked, incredulous.
"He can't really move yet. The last shot's still in effect." Then Zack frowned thoughtfully. "I asked him a few questions. About why he's here and all."
"And?" she prompted curiously as she walked beside him.
"He said that he's not here on Manticore's orders," Zack said uncertainly. "And he seems to be bitter about something."
"Bitter?" Max echoed disbelievingly, her steps faltering. Were they talking about the same person here? Alec? Bitter? He seemed to be his usual cocky self when she had seen him earlier.
"He didn't say anything. It's just a feeling I got from him. Also, he's asking questions about us and Unitech. But it seemed more like curiosity than any real attempt to gather information. I'm not sure what to believe."
Max snorted. "He's just faking it."
"I don't know. I think I'm going to ask Lydecker if he's able to get hold of some information from Manticore," Zack said as he opened the door which led them to the access tunnel.
"Or maybe strap him to a lie detector."
"I think Manticore would have trained him to fake his responses."
Max shrugged. "No harm in trying, right?"
Zack pulled out something from his pocket. "I found this on him."
Max took it from him. It was a voice recorder. "Did you ask him about it?"
"He didn't answer. But he looked a bit unnerved." Zack paused for a moment, and then continued, "I'm just wondering what you think of the guy."
Surprised at the question, Max asked, "Why? It's not like I know him that well."
"But you've bumped into him on more than one occasion. You must have got some sort of impression."
"He's Manticore, Zack. They were taught to wear masks," Max said flatly.
Zack sighed. "Just think about it, okay?"
A small frown etched between her brows, Max continued to walk along the tunnel, mulling over Zack's question.
What did she really think of Alec?
t.b.c.
A/N: Okay, guys, that's it for now. The end of this story is in sight now, and more MA is coming up. I'm trying to wrap it all up in three to four chapters. So, please review! Your encouragement right now would be greatly appreciated. :grins: