Of Desire and the Status Quo

Author's Notes

Evidently, as someone very kindly informed me, you're not supposed to upload an Author's Note as a separate chapter, even though my sole reason for this is because it's quite plainly too long to be combined with an actual story chapter, and would take away from the flow of it. Due to this, and to the fact that I can't simply delete these notes (I'm predicting I'd get lots of questions or comments about the various attributes of how Dark Angel and Supernatural fit together), I'm just going to put the intro to the story at the end of this. Presumably, that'll count as "containing story content." Thanks, and if you share my immense annoyance to this rule, I apologize for the inconvenience.

Now, I shall move on to what the author's note was originally just supposed to be.

Preliminary notes: Because I have most chapters done, I plan on updating every Friday, with all intention before 9 p.m. Eastern time, in honor of Supernatural episodes airing. That said, it'd be very nice to hear what you have to say about the story itself, whether it's about the plot, or if you think I've got the characters right, what have you. Any feedback is appreciated. Now onto the notes about the actual story.

Photos: As the story progresses, I'll be putting up pictures of each of the characters, which you can view here: www(dot)flickr(dot)com/photos/40075795(at)N07/sets/

Rating: R. Primarily for language, and some memories of torture-type stuff that'll pop up. Case in point: in terms of swearing, at least Dean- (and probably Alec-) wise, watch the Supernatural episode "Ghostfacers." It should tell you all you need to know.

Timeline: Takes place about five weeks after the Dark Angel finale ("Freak Nation," I'm going with the Jam Pony siege taking place on May 7, 2021), and approximately 13 years after the Supernatural season three finale ("No Rest for the Wicked").

Spoilers: Very few. Well, the two seasons (more of season two than season one, though) of Dark Angel, and up to 3.16 of Supernatural. Seasons four and five of Supernatural are pretty much moot; however, there may be some events or facts alluded to as, for example, hunts that Sam may have gone on or info about the boys that may appear in those seasons, but things like how long/what happened to Dean in Hell will be altered a bit.

Nothing huge, though, and while there will be specific episodes of Supernatural that I advert to, won't be mandatory to watch in order to get the story. Same goes for the Dark Angel episodes, although those won't be as many/necessary, just because there's mainly just general info.

I am, for the most part, also disregarding the Dark Angel novels, chiefly because a) I haven't read them, and b) I've heard they're in the same vein as "Freak Nation," which was nothing like where the rest of the second season was going, so.

Pairings: None, although I personally have a very strong suspicion that Max and Alec would've gotten together at some point (I say that last part because they're both immensely stubborn), so there may be some subtle leanings towards that, but this is not an M/A story, and even though Logan isn't my favorite person, there is no bashing of him except the usual of Alec's. Logan is also fair game for Dean, for obvious reasons.

Ages: Just to head off anyone who intends to say something about ages in this, the ages of the characters, at least in this story, are as follows…

Max Guevara/X5-452: 21 (2000)

Alec McDowell/X5-494: 22 (May 7, 1999)

Dean Winchester: 29 (that's the age he physically looks; his "real" age is addressed in Chapter 1; birthday is January 24, 1979)

Sam Winchester: 38 (May 2, 1983)

Logan Cale: 33 (November 11, 1988)

Original Cindy McEachin: 23 (February 1998; this is a complete guess on my part)

Dr. Sam Carr: 43 (August 1977; again, I'm guessing, since I don't believe it was ever said how old Carr is, so I'm going by how old Brian Markinson (the actor who played him) appeared. Feel free to discuss it, but that's what I'm going with.)

So in terms of age the public can see, Sam is older, but Dean actually is, just as he's always been. I tried to keep ages as close to what they would be, given the crossover. Most importantly, this isn't a story where the characters from Dark Angel and the characters from Supernatural are all almost the same age. 'Cause, you know, they're not.

*Information on Dark Angel dates and such is taken mainly from here: alec494(dot)egoism(dot)jp/history/MH(dot)htm

The people who wrote it evidently gathered it all from the Dark Angel books, dossier, etc., so I'm trusting that. If you disagree, I'm curious to know why/on what.

*Information on Supernatural dates and such is taken both from my knowledge/observations of the series, and here: www(dot)supernaturalwiki(dot)com/

Last note: The mine explosion that Sam is investigating in Chapter 1 actually did happen, on June 10, 1901 at the Port Royal Mine of Pittsburg Coal Company, in Port Royal, Pennsylvania. Sixteen men died, eleven entombed, and three bodies were recovered, although two of the injured died. The first explosion was at 6:30 and got four men working the night shift; the others tried to recover the bodies of those four men, but unfortunately didn't survive.

*Taken from: www(dot)gendisasters(dot)com/data1/pa/mines/portroyale-mineexp-jun1901(dot)htm

Snippet of story (as per irking website requirement referenced above):

June 10, 2021

In the end, it's a complete and total accident that gets Dean Winchester out of Hell.

In the end, Sam Winchester is twenty-six hundred miles away in Port Royal, Pennsylvania, investigating a multiple haunting taking place in a mine, an explosion that had apparently occurred exactly a hundred years ago.

In the end, it's three a.m. and Max Guevara and Alec McDowell are fighting over who gets to take point on the next of Logan's Eyes Only missions, childishly in Mole's opinion.

In the end, Ames White and his group of Familiars have just finished reciting a full three pages of Latin—something to prepare for their brand of Apocalypse—never the wiser that they just unleashed one of Hell's most loved and hated denizens. (Loved, because Dean had exorcised many a demon, and all were out for his blood, so when he entered Hell, well, torturing him was their recess; hated, because even trapped for eternity in the Underworld, tortured twenty-four/seven with no way out, Dean could still piss them off to the point where they wished he'd be able to leave Hell if nothing else than to spare them the constant irritation.)

In the end, an X5 who worked in Manticore's Psy Ops and now lives in one of Terminal City's run-down apartments wakes with a start, sweat streaming down her back, Alec's face covered in blood and soot clouding her vision. But that can't be right—Alec is just a few buildings over and perfectly okay. X5-685 chalks it up to her taxed brain mixing settings and goes back to sleep, not knowing her vision is real.

I think that's it. Please proceed to Chapter 1 now, and just keep these notes in the back of your mind. Thank you very much for reading, and, again, please let me know what you think, or simply any questions, comments, or suggestions you may have.

— written in dreams, ©2009