CHAPTER 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel or any of it's characters.
This wasn't the life she pictured, the life she wanted, but it was so. Joshua partnered up with Mole, Alec the solo man like her still looked out for number one like always but was there in a heart beat at her side if she needed him. Logan and her was still in their awkward state with that damn virus between them, and Ames White was so far up her ass it was only a matter of time before the Familiars closed in on her and her kind. The world was out to get them not to mention at any time they could drop a bomb and eliminated their problem in a single morning. She couldn't actually remember when things went so sideways, was it but a year ago when the world was right and she could come and go as she pleased? Sam, her bad-ass, twin clone had been right... she was a runaway. How many times did she plan to just drop it all and start fresh? Life was just too hard, maybe Zack had been right, don't get attached... then when there was a decision to make there would be nothing to hold you back from it.
"Hey Max." Alec said helping himself to a place beside her, "Everything going all right?"
The truth was, things weren't going all right and thats what the problem was lately, four transgenics died and more than fifteen was injured due to an IED- improvised explosive device- planted just outside the gate. It was a prepulse very efficient psychological warfare tactic used back in 2001 for almost a decade or so to fight the war. So efficient even now it cost four good transgenics their lives as they tried so dedicatedly to bring in some badly needed supplies, the other fifteen will recover, but it will take time before they are ready for any more 'missions'. Max's face was the 'Face of the Transgenics' and the news reporters tried hard to get a good look when ever she set foot outside, Logan was worried that this might lead to a future problem and told her she might want to think twice about doing so, and now she was glad she took his advice.
"Max?" Alec repeated.
"Huh? What?" She retorted.
"Alright?" He eyed her suspiciously.
"Yeah, great. Where are we taking the bodies? They need to be bur-"
"Mole and Joshua's handling it. Are you feeling alright? You don't look too well."
"I'm fine, Alec I just need to lie down." She got up and left the room for some more alone time.
It wasn't that she didn't appreciate his concern, it was just the way people started to eye her all of a sudden... she notice the caution in their voices when they spoke to her, in the news they told her and the manner they carried themselves in. It was as if they were afraid somehow... not of her but for her. They took most of their problems to Alec or Mole, even Joshua and Dix, but were hesitant of her. Was it her lack of communication over the last some odd months, maybe it was when she refused to speak to any of the police officers anymore because of the highly suspicious looks they passed during the negotiations they held, or maybe it was the loads of alone time she spent up on the rooftop staring into the city remembering... Remembering when her and Original Cindy hooked up, when she needed that beautiful and pricey statue Bast, when she met Logan... Even Normal, back at Manta core she'd have given anything to hear him reprimand her on her tardiness and absences. But now the world had changed and although she never regretted letting loose the freaksandweirdosinto the world and giving them a chance, she couldn't help regret what the effect had on her either. Losing that comfort she had at one time with Original Cindy and the gang at Jam Pony, doing missions for Logan and then coming back for very much earned chicken pasta Alfredo or one of his other run of the mill culinary miracles, even the new found love for him that she tried to deny for so long. How she wanted it back. With the virus in the way and her very fear of killing the man she loved she had no choice but to take it into her own hands and lie about her and Alec. What else was there for her to do?
Max got up, the roof seemed a bit cooler now, not that it bothered her genetically enhanced body but she didn't feel it's welcome as before. The Space Needle... that's what called out for her company with urgency. But could she? The thought lingered and just before she dismissed it a certain stubbornness came over and she thought, why not? She still had her bike... she could get a helmet... and she needed an escape. Time to think, really think and clear my head, that's all I need. So with her well known determination and stealthy abilities she slipped out of Terminal City, pass the trangenics and the mob and the police and military and went to her high place her little place of Zen
Logan sat at his new desk very expensive and very classy in his newly renovated Condo, courtesy of his older brother Richard whom he barley spoke to due to Richard's constant work obsession, that and them losing contact for so long. He contacted him a little while ago hearing about what happened to his place and the trust fund due to their greedy and murderess uncle- whom Richard had hated even more than Logan did and wasn't afraid to show it unlike his polite, easy going little brother. Although Richard and Logan were two very different people, looks were first. Richard Cale, tall- like Logan- had dark hair, clean shaved and wore a different suit every day. He was married with two young boys and lived in a mansion some where. His company manufactured the electric charge in the modern stun gun the Sector Police used, they also fixed them and made the necessary adjustments to personalize them to the person or the company's liking. It was a constant job that payed enormously and since Richard was so wealthy he didn't like the idea of Logan not being just as he. Besides, he was a Cale and as their father always said there is no such thing as a poor Cale. As long as Logan- being a journalistas Richard thought- kept in a good word to his bosses about Richard's company and the need for the tazers he will get back the money he earned from the inheritance. Logan would have immediately refused any of his brother's help if it wasn't for the fact of Max's virus and a desperate attempt for a cure. With the constant flow of money and the right equipment to keep Eyes Only afloat there had to be a doctor out there that could find the cure somehow. This was a man made virus, and no matter who the professional was there was always room for mistakes.
"Hey, Richard how's it going?"
"Logan! How's my little bro doing? You like the place? Nice huh? Better than that penthouse even."
"Yeah, thanks it's great," He tried to sound appreciative, "But I just want to say you didn't have to do this, I was fi-"
"Nonsense! I won't hear of it. Besides, what would our father think of this if he where alive? He wouldn't hear of it either! So, tell me what's going on?"
Logan cleared his throat, "Well, I'm kind of embarrassed to ask, you've done so much." He tried to sound polite as humanly possible.
"Logan... come on, what is it?" Richard had a smile in his voice.
"Well, I was wondering if you knew a doctor, one that specialized in genetics. Maybe they could help me."
"Are you talking about your condition?" He asked surprisingly with no hesitation or embarrassment.
Logan laughed, "No, no. It's actually for a friend of mine. She has a virus and I was thinking with your kind of influence maybe you'd know the best there was with this kind of situation."
"Well, I can't make any promises but I guarantee you I can see if I can in touch with him, his name's Dr. Boran and he worked at some genetics lab before the pulse and was relocated to a top secret facility. Any way there was a Japanese doctor who thought by switching genes around you could make a person better- he thought so too. He's the best there is, if he can't fix it then no one can. Let me see what I can do. I'll give you a call back."
"Hey, Richard?" Logan said with a bit of fondness.
"Yeah?"
"You don't know what this will mean to me."
"Hey, as long as I know you'd go through the same lengths as me, that's good enough for me."
The cold air, busy street below was it that long ago that everything was perfect and she only worried about the simple things- being late for work, finding her siblings, paying off Walter his monthly payments. She missed it all- bad. She also felt bad that she didn't feel as strongly to stay and fight anymore, neither did some of the others, she already noticed the decline in numbers as more and more of the genetically enhanced soldiers slipped away and did the only thing they knew best- go to ground. Now she felt the same way and the only person she wanted comfort from was the one person she couldn't touch, because of the fatal consequences he would endure.
"Max" Joshua said on their new walkie talkies.
"Yeah?" She said flatly.
"Logan's on the computer, says he wants to see you."
"I'm busy." She said without missing a beat.
"He says it's important."
She sighed getting up, "Tell him I'll be right over."
She thought how irony played such a big role sometimes in her life and how fate seemed to constantly sending her mixed signals. Not that she was such a big believer in anything she did have hope though... for her future... their future. The streets where the same, trashed, filth, poverty, the normal things, but they weren't normal anymore... nothing was.
She pulled up to Logan's new crib around Sector 9 not too far from his old place, she stepped into the lobby hair clipped back, huge dark shades on, long brown leather coat with matching boots and smiled at the security guard with a small wave. Good thing she kept the apparel in the large purse she carried strapped to the back of her bike, it was just in case she needed to go someplace and not be recognized from the never ending reports on the television, although the quality was sometimes bad and the angles of her were questionable. Picking the lock she stepped inside and found him in the living room with a black bag and two glasses of champaign, he stood as she entered the room,
"Glad you came."
"Place looks nice." She didn't look at him.
"Have a seat."
"Logan, what do you want." She said this in a rather sad tone, she still hadn't cleared the lie she fed him about her and Alec one decision that she regrets because of the rather opposite outcome than first predicted.
A look of frustration crossed his features, "I need you to do something for me." He picked up the bag, there's a doctor, his name's Dr Boran and he wants a sample of your blood. He specialized in genetic research and and wants to take a look at the bug you got."
"Logan..."
"All he needs is a blood sample." He took out a needle and a syringe and attached it to a tube, "I offered him something in exchange for his help."
"We've been through this, Logan" Max said defeated, "there is no cure, and if there was it died with Renfro in the blast. Logan we tried..."
"Max," Logan took a step forward and she took a step back, "You have nothing to lose here for giving blood. I know our situation, I'm just asking you for a chance. Please." He stared at her imploringly.
She stared into them blue eyes, had those feelings wash over her and remembered the horrible lie she was currently putting him through and without second thought rolled up her sleeve, "Ok."
After the tube filled she carefully placed it into the small box he lay out careful not to touch anything else but the tube then disposed of the syringe.
"That all?" She was grabbing her coat as she said this not wanting to be there a minute longer than she had to the only thing she felt around him was guilt and awkwardness.
"Well, yes but I was thinking maybe..." He looked at the wine and the empty glasses that before them.
"Logan..." She tried to look stern but the hurt in her eyes was evident.
"Look, I understand, alright." He was a bit angry, "But I don't see why we have to keep ignoring each other like this. I don't want anything else but to have a drink with you it's been... what... two weeks now? Stay. Please."
A pained look crossed her face but only for a second, she took a step closer,
"Logan... I need to tell you something, something that's going to probably make you a little angry at me... maybe you should sit."
Cautiously he took a seat, "What is it Max?"
"Oh God" she mumbled, "...here it goes. "That day... you know, when you saw Alec at my place. I know what I said.."
Logan turned his head away, he was truly hurt but kept his mouth shut to hear her out.
"I just want to say..." she looked at him took a deep breath before she said it, "I lied."
Logan looked back at her questionably.
"I'm really sorry, I just..." those tears again they threated to brim over she fought hard to keep them away, "if anything happened again... that's it. There are no more miracles for us, Logan, I'll never be able to forgive myself."
"You lied to me like that? So you and Alec...?" There was anger in his eyes she could see it but he kept his tone neutral.
A tear slipped and she would have wiped it clean away out of existence if Logan hadn't already seen it, a look of... what was that...? Discomfort? Awkwardness? She couldn't be sure.
"We had too many close calls, and when you made that misjudgment I thought maybe it would be better this way... so you wouldn't get hurt," another tear slipped down the other cheek, "But I feel worse about that than anything else. I can't do this anymore, even Alec is pushing me to fix this." She slumped on the couch her distance from him still there, "The last thing in the world I need right now is for me to kill you over my ignorance. I don't know what I'll do if I... lost... you." It was so hard to get out that last part, why did everything have to be said? Why couldn't he just know things? She collected herself quickly, she had to get out of there... now.
"I should go."
"What?"
"I'm sorry. Joshua and them need me, I'll call, promise." She wiped her face and pulled on her coat and shades quickly. Before he could say a thing, she was gone.
She hopped on her bike and quickly raced through the streets of Seattle. Her mind doing the same speed her bike was. Logan must've loved her deeply, right? He was still looking for a cure after all this time, after all she put him through. But what about now? There was a small voice that told her that this latest revelation to him, this last deceit from her was the last straw he would never forgive her for that. She sped faster down the empty street as her stomach began to feel uneasy, she wondered how she would feel if Logan had actually moved on like she so badly thought she had wanted to. She would be devastated. Her and Logan went through a lot these past two years but they had always gotten over things and were fine, but Manticore, the home and prison she blew up months ago, had given her this damn virus linked to Logan's DNA and at any point of contact would kill him slowly and painfully. They ran out of miracles, she had no more luck, any more mistakes and that was it, he would be dead and it would be all her fault. Her fault... everything was, the fact that Manticore's very own were out there in the would and being targeted by everyone, the fact that her and Logan were the way they were, the reason she felt like more and more Renfro was right... she was poison. She killed everyone around her, and pretty soon they would all be dead and it would- in the end- be all her fault.
Suddenly, before she was just three blocks from her entrance into Terminal City, something, a car... a truck... hit her with such force the only thought that hit her was she should have had on a helmet... she had to protect her head. But that thought came and fled as darkness consumed her, her body screamed in pain and although she was now swimming in unconsciousness could almost feel herself hitting every hard surface the city had to offer.
Author's note: Please submit your reviews, all opinions are welcome.