Re: Where Loyalty Lies (DA,XO,UC, ADULT) Ch24 9/15/10
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:53 pm
Where Loyalty Lies
Disclaimer: I do not own neither Roswell, nor Dark Angel.
Category: Roswell/Dark Angel XO
Rating: ADULT
Pairings: Liz/Alec, Max/Raed, Maria/Zack, Krit/Syl
Summary: Takes place after series finale of DA and Departure on Roswell- except Max, Isabel, Michael, and Tess all left for Antar; set in DA timeline. When White and his agents get a trace on Liz they come after her and everyone she knows. Kyle is killed along with her parents and the Sheriff. Fleeing for their lives, Liz takes Maria to the one place she has heard of rebellion, where her sister is the leader of 'their' kind. Nothing is certain, but for a super-solid and her Ordinary friend- loyalty is their only protection.
Chapter Twenty-Five
"That was an impressive display, Adia," Lydecker said and Alec's eyes focused his vision to pinpoint where Lydecker marched beside Liz. Her lips were tightened thinly and though he couldn't see her eyes, Alec knew they were would be that deep brown that sparkled with something wild.
"Quiet down," Max ordered from beside Alec and he noted that Raed marched, wordlessly next to her.
"What is it you are exactly?" Lydecker said in stage whisper.
They had been marching for at least ten minutes and they had reached a part of downtown Seattle that Alec had been through many times on his Jam Pony deliveries. The whole feel of this meeting was suspect, so suspicious it was affected in every uniformed movement the ranks made.
"I'm so proud of how far you've come since you were a child- with all your skills and sharper than ever. I remember-" Mid-sentence, Liz broke rank and grabbed Lydecker by his throat with one hand, the other hanging limply, robotically at her side.
"You don't have a right to be proud. Say one more word to me, ever, and I will rip your windpipe out," Liz whispered huskily, a dead look in her eyes and a calm slackness overcoming her features.
A hover drone came up over the roof of the warehouse to their left and dropped down ten feet from Liz. She moved quickly and placed both of her hands firmly on Lydecker's shoulders- a petrified fear frozen in his eyes- levering her weight against him and flipping over his head, landing perched on top of the drone. Her weight brought the drone to the pavement and Alec- much like everyone else- watched as Liz stretched her right leg to the side, grabbed her thigh gun, swung her arm behind her back and shot where her foot had just been. The impact of the bullet shattered the top of the hover drone and blew out smoke while it sparked.
Silence and stillness clung to the moment before Max shook off her surprise and shouted for reformation of the ranks.
"Badass," Jondy said behind him and Alec threw her a smirk over his shoulder. Liz was definitely badass, and it was a lethal brand of sexy.
Boots pounding pavement filled the streets as they filed toward their destination. Several more hover drones appeared and Xs took them down. An innocuous building took form in a hundred yards up and Alec checked to his secured weapons. The plain wood front of the warehouse had a two-door entrance and Max gave the signal to ready. Stepping forward, Alec did the seven door coded knock Mole had gotten from Asha and heard the sound of steps and whispers as static charged the air.
A man dressed to the letter as a military officer opened the door and faced them. His expression was blank, but as Alec moved passed him he could hear the soldier's heart beating irregularly, fast and erratic.
The warehouse had high ceilings with low hanging metal beams and support structures. A twenty foot long black wood table sat toward the back of the room where bright light shone down from fixture that hung low on grey poles from the beams overhead. The sound of the transgenic ranks filing in behind him filled Alec with a familiar rush of confidence- only mildly tamped down by the gun wielding government guards that surrounded the perimeter of the room. When they formed a crowd around the perimeter, transgenics facing the guard surrounding the room, and a uniformed line of backup enforcement around the table of government representatives, Max stepped forward and Liz stepped to her side.
All of the assembled officials were sweating and the thumping of their hearts was like thunder in transgenic ears- they were nervous. Something wasn't right, Alec thought and he felt his senses opening up more sharply, trying to find the discrepancy, the source of his discomfort.
A tall, fierce looking man with general stripes and a buzz cut stood. His decorated metals draped his uniform and pride was etched into his stance as he cleared his throat.
"We're not clear why this meeting is being called, but the United States Armed Forces, FBI, CIA, and HS is present. You are the transgenic representatives?" the buzz cut man asked.
"I represent the transgenics and we have a proposition for you," Max stated, her brows drawn while she kept her stance deceptively open- she was prepared for anything. It was clear from the curl of her fingertips as she twitched her middle finger, signaling for them to stand at the ready.
"A proposition? You want us to work with you freaks?" shouted a man with orange-red hair and a bristly beard and flaring nostrils; his dirt brown eyes creased as he glared. Alec noted the .45 holstered at his waist and bent his right knee, ready to strike if necessary.
"Are you aware that a terminable chameleon virus is spreading through the United States which will kill every person in breathing range?" Max retorted harshly. She slanted the pudgy, red head with a stilting look.
"And how do you know about this virus? Is this a ploy? You create an incurable disease and then offer us a deal to fix it?" asked a man with a SWAT jacket on and an FBI badge hanging from his breast pocket.
"Think again. Does the name Ames White ring any bells? He was a cult leader," Max asserted, watching as the FBI agent reached for something in his pocket. Everyone tensed until he pulled out a notepad and began reading.
"Unknown virus outbreak in New York, Virginia, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and California. It has spread to fifty million people as of yesterday morning and hospitals are overrun with patients. No known antigen exists and the virus is mutating in an unpredictable strain that is chemically incomparable to previous genetic records. There is an estimated three weeks before everyone in the United States and north of Brazil in Mexico will be infected. Two million have already been placed in the ICU, and there is a reported forty-two thousand deaths as of this morning. Is this the virus you are talking about?" asked the FBI agent as a woman in all black and a too-big blazer leaned forward to snatch his pad.
"You aren't supposed to have received these numbers until next week," the woman stated outraged, her long blond braid flipping to and fro as she pocketed the pad.
"Look lady, the FBI knows everything," the man rejoined, also leaning forward.
"Nothing not cleared by Homeland Security, you don't," she countered.
"That call is not yours to make, ma'am. I gave him the information. He needed to be briefed before this meeting. The informant was clear that this was a national matter," a blue-eyed old man stated, rubbing his reddening ears and brushing back some of his white hair. His badge read CIA. Who didn't Asha manage to alert, Alec wondered, impressed.
The blond whipped her braid to the left and glanced at the CIA agent to her right. "You had no right. I told you that this information-" she began and then stopped when the military official slammed a fist against the tabletop and the clatter echoed.
"Let's not turn this into a pissing contest people. Back to the matter at hand. What offer do you have for us?" buzz cut asked, he was sweating profusely now and there was shifting in the ranks- the humans were on edge.
"We have the scientist who worked with this virus and he knows how to create the antibody. We are willing to give you the cure in exchange for immunity. We do not want to be caged, killed, threatened, or harmed in anyway. We won't freedom, the same rights as every other U.S. citizen," Max demanded, her index finger twitching- time to grab a weapon and wait.
Alec's hand slid down to his side and he hooked a finger around the handle of his best knife. Similar movements happened around him as the yelling began again.
"What? Are you on crack or does that brain of yours just not work right? You aren't human. You have no rights," shouted the FBI agent and the female Homeland Security rep. drew a small gun- almost imperceptible in the lighting, but Alec watched her point it at Max only to hear the cocking of another gun. His eyes flashed to Liz and he saw that she had pulled a special and had it trained on the braided blond. Her eyes were fully focused on the military soldier even as her finger tightened just enough to make a warning noise. That's his girl, Alec thought, curbing the urge to smile. A feral part of him snarled with pride.
"At ease," the soldier said and Max signaled everyone to stay while Liz's gun stayed trained on the blond and the blond stood so perfectly still from fear the gun in her hand was frozen. The smell of her fear was an intoxicant of war and the Xs stood uneasily in their silence.
"How do you know that your antibody will work?" the older man asked, compulsively running a hand through his white hair.
"Because I can guarantee it," Sandeman announced, stepping forward, the gentle tick-tick of his walking stick on the floor heralding his movement. He stepped forward with Joshua just behind him, right beside Liz.
"Sandeman?" the CIA man asked. He blinked several times and then rose to get a closer look.
"George," Sandeman said back in greeting, clasping his hand once he was close enough. Liz had tensed when the white-haired man stepped to the side of her, in front of Sandeman, but her trigger finger remained steady and unmoving.
"I'll be damned. I thought you were done for when we were back in 'Nam together. How are you mixed up in all of this?" the CIA man- George- asked Sandeman.
"Manticore," Sandeman said in a booming voice and the room itself took a breath.
"Charles," George whispered, anguished, stress lines appearing on his face.
"Everyone here knows about it. No point pussyfooting old friend. We have something you need, and you have something we need. I have a sample of the cure already prepared and ready to be tested. It is at your leisure that people die now," Sandeman said and he leaned heavily on his stick, waiting.
"This is unprecedented," the blond woman said, her eyes no longer shocked in petrified terror. She lowered her weapon and Liz removed her finger from the trigger, though her gun stayed raised. Alec wondered if it was a light piece, it was a bitch to lock arm muscles for that long, transgenic or not.
"The first in a long line of historical mistakes, I assure you," Lydecker said, voice ringing.
"Colonel Lydecker?" the soldier asked, his tone not altogether surprised though his words were halting.
Liz's face changed in a heartbeat, her body flipping up in the air and backward to land behind Lydecker, her gun reappearing in a blur at his temple as she unsheathed a hidden blade and brought it up and under his left arm, right below his armpit. She had him with a flick of the wrist or a pull of the trigger. The bravery leeched out of him and Lydecker stilled, mouth closed in a crinkled line. Walking them forward, Liz retook her place beside her sister and kept her words to herself. Alec wondered what she was thinking just then.
"This is kidnapping," the soldier shouted, his calm lost as he eyed Lydecker.
"Call it what you will. He attacked us and we reciprocated in kind," Max told him, saying it loud enough for everyone in the room to hear- human and X alike.
"You can't just-" the blond began and Liz shot her a look that cut her short. The smell of her fear returned.
"I think it's pretty clear what we're capable of," Liz said, and Sandeman nodded.
"That thing doesn't even look human," the FBI agent told them, pointing at Joshua.
"He has more humanity than you. Hunting us down because we're different. Is that what America stands for?" Liz asked, her eyes glowing unnaturally, her skin turning transparent slightly, though not altogether noticeably.
"Melting pot my ass," Alec whispered and several transgenics around him smirked having picked up his quiet words.
"Young lady," George started and seeing the fire in Liz's eyes changed tact, "Soldier. We are not here to discuss rights; we are here to talk temporary truce."
"That's not acceptable. That's not good enough," Max replied as Liz moved her gaze to George, within arm's length of her.
"We could rip you apart in less time than it would take you to breathe. Our restraint is our temporary truce. You want to save your ass? Agree to the terms. You want to die while we survive? Okay by me," she told him, a cruel curl tipping her lips and a flash of white tooth shined at George, who looked down at the floor and then back up at Sandeman.
"Be reasonable, Charles," George said to Sandeman and the two exchanged a non-verbal communication.
"I'm sorry, George, but as the old saying goes; all's fair in love and war," Sandeman returned and he sighed.
"And how do we know that you won't give a fake cure?" the FBI agent demanded, pounding a fist on the table as several weapons turned in his direction.
"Same way we trust that you will uphold our rights. We work together and get it all in writing," Sandeman stated, smiling reassuringly.
Silence clung to the air and no other sound penetrated the room. Until a gun went off. A shot rang out and a distinctly human gasp sounded as Sandeman fell, his body pitching forward as George caught his body and blood splattered the floor to Sandeman's right. A gun wound dampening his shirt and his walking stick clattered to the floor.
It happened so quickly everyone acted on instinct. The transgenics grabbed the human soldiers as they took aim and shot- wounding several Xs around the room. The officials were snatched up from their seats at the table and Liz disappeared from Alec's view as he elbowed a human soldier across the face and disarmed him.
"Do not kill," Max shouted above the dim of battle and the blaring of gun shots lowered a degree as more of the human soldiers were detained and held hostage out of the way of the fight. Lydecker and his transgenics broke free; X6s and X7s rushed them, battling hand to hand.
Crouching low, Alec swept out a leg; two human soldiers fell backward into the struggle occurring behind them. Bunching the muscles in his calves, Alec waited for just the right moment and sprang forward, flipping into the fray before him, heading for where he had last seen Max. He collided with Isabel and his arms wrapped instinctively around her. He saw that the main government officials were already held by Joshua and the other nomalies that had come with them. He couldn't see Liz anywhere.
An explosion in his peripheral vision caught his eye and Alec released a shaking Isabel. Liz hovered midair- left arm clutching a chain wrapped around a high beam and right flung outward toward the exits. The sound of doors rattling shut as they were forcibly slammed shut added to the dim; the sound of crunching bone indicating a body part had been caught in one of the doorways followed by a hollow scream. Her skin shone like pale moonbeams among the low lighting of the warehouse. Those eyes that made him sizzle with lust grew eerily dark, wide and ominous as pure darkness absorbed them.
"Isabel," Liz called and Alec felt Isabel still turgidly beside him. "Create a light-port and get the officials out of here."
Turning his head to the blond, Alec saw her fear, watched as her throat flexed around a swallow. The light humming that Liz's power radiated grew around Isabel, answering the call, and Alec stared dumbstruck for a moment as a five foot circle of purplish light opened up in front of Isabel and to his side. A supernatural wind whirled in the center and the ceiling shook violently above the battle.
"I've never tried to send anyone through," Isabel yelled over the whirlwind sound of the sucking void, "I don't even know if I can send more than one person. Or if they'll make it through."
"Get as many of people through as you can. Liz is new to controlling her powers; there won't be anything left when she's done. You have to try," Alec ordered, pushing shaking humans into the beam and watching as they evaporated with terrified screams right before his eyes. The animal in him was snarling, his fight or flight instinct at war with his urge to survive and his need to complete the mission.
Pain burst from the base of his skull as a blow struck the base of his neck and Alec pitched forward. He landed in a push-up, forcing his hand to take the brunt of the fall. Twisting in a side spiral, Alec land flat on his back and used flat palms to propel him to his feet. Lydecker stood wielding a pair of guns, gleaming in the hue of Isabel's light.
"You failed me, 494," Lydecker told him, face straight and emotionless as blood beaded and flowed from a gash in his right temple- a weak spot.
"You sick son-of-a-bitch, I'll-" Alec started to say but was stopped when Isabel stepped a little to close and Lydecker snatched her up, throwing down one of his weapons as he whirled around, and held the remaining gun to her head. Her eyes widened and Alec watched as she stared at him in fear.
"Pretty little thing. What are you, exactly?" Lydecker asked her, and Alec growled aloud, hunching his back and sneering in response. The shining nuzzle of the gun stroked Isabel's head from temple to neck before affixing to her temple. "I might not be a transgenic or whatever she is, but I'm a good shot and even a human can't miss at this range."
The floor shook suddenly and the walls cracked, beams dropped from above and a hole tore open in the roof. The rebelling Xs were being backed into a corner as the humans finished disappearing into Isabel's light-port. The nomalies followed them and Isabel kept shooting glances at the light. He had to give her an opening.
"You don't want her. Stop hiding and fight me," Alec shouted.
"You forget. I made you; I know what you're capable of. I'm not stupid enough to try and walk out of here without leverage."
Lydecker was backing up to one of the doors in the far corner, dragging a squirming Isabel along with him as Alec advanced. Their progress was the center of attention as the rebels were contained.
"Liz," Alec heard Max shout somewhere out sight and he fought the urge to look.
"Max get Isabel and get out," Alec heard Liz yell from above and his heart beat double-time as Lydecker's eyes settle on something just past right shoulder.
A blur sped between Alec and Lydecker just as Lydecker pulled the trigger. For one frozen moment, Alec thought that Max hadn't been fast enough, that she had been a split second too late, but when the sound died and the blur disappeared, Isabel was gone and Lydecker was pressed flat against the wall beside the door.
"Get out now!" Liz screamed from above and the thunder of footfalls to his right alerted Alec to the ranks fleeting retreat.
His hand came up and around Lydecker's neck, his fingers flexing, readying to kill as he forced Lydecker to drop his last gun. The feel of straining veins pulsing in his palm and the thrilling scent of Lydecker's sweat and fear filled his nostrils as Alec clenched a little tighter, watching the stunned and frightful look enter his prey's eyes.
"Alec, you have to get out! I can't hold its coming. Leave him. He won't survive the blast," Liz cried to him and Alec clamped down on the killing haze that entered his mind. He pulled a knife from his back pocket and thrust it into Lydecker's shoulder, pinning him to the wall, and snarled as he turned to run.
"Rot in hell," Alec shouted over his shoulder and slid in a skid across the floor and into the light-port, feeling a slug bury in his torso unexpectedly as a foreign energy surged through his body and ripped him limb from limb, a scream vibrating in his throat as he looked up and watched Liz explode, her cry deft to him as her eyes met his and the light consumed him, pulling him under as he dissolved.
A/N: More coming soon. Thanks for all the reviews. This chapter would have been out sooner but I just recently started a new job and had midterms. Two chapters left. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think, EK!
Disclaimer: I do not own neither Roswell, nor Dark Angel.
Category: Roswell/Dark Angel XO
Rating: ADULT
Pairings: Liz/Alec, Max/Raed, Maria/Zack, Krit/Syl
Summary: Takes place after series finale of DA and Departure on Roswell- except Max, Isabel, Michael, and Tess all left for Antar; set in DA timeline. When White and his agents get a trace on Liz they come after her and everyone she knows. Kyle is killed along with her parents and the Sheriff. Fleeing for their lives, Liz takes Maria to the one place she has heard of rebellion, where her sister is the leader of 'their' kind. Nothing is certain, but for a super-solid and her Ordinary friend- loyalty is their only protection.
Chapter Twenty-Five
"That was an impressive display, Adia," Lydecker said and Alec's eyes focused his vision to pinpoint where Lydecker marched beside Liz. Her lips were tightened thinly and though he couldn't see her eyes, Alec knew they were would be that deep brown that sparkled with something wild.
"Quiet down," Max ordered from beside Alec and he noted that Raed marched, wordlessly next to her.
"What is it you are exactly?" Lydecker said in stage whisper.
They had been marching for at least ten minutes and they had reached a part of downtown Seattle that Alec had been through many times on his Jam Pony deliveries. The whole feel of this meeting was suspect, so suspicious it was affected in every uniformed movement the ranks made.
"I'm so proud of how far you've come since you were a child- with all your skills and sharper than ever. I remember-" Mid-sentence, Liz broke rank and grabbed Lydecker by his throat with one hand, the other hanging limply, robotically at her side.
"You don't have a right to be proud. Say one more word to me, ever, and I will rip your windpipe out," Liz whispered huskily, a dead look in her eyes and a calm slackness overcoming her features.
A hover drone came up over the roof of the warehouse to their left and dropped down ten feet from Liz. She moved quickly and placed both of her hands firmly on Lydecker's shoulders- a petrified fear frozen in his eyes- levering her weight against him and flipping over his head, landing perched on top of the drone. Her weight brought the drone to the pavement and Alec- much like everyone else- watched as Liz stretched her right leg to the side, grabbed her thigh gun, swung her arm behind her back and shot where her foot had just been. The impact of the bullet shattered the top of the hover drone and blew out smoke while it sparked.
Silence and stillness clung to the moment before Max shook off her surprise and shouted for reformation of the ranks.
"Badass," Jondy said behind him and Alec threw her a smirk over his shoulder. Liz was definitely badass, and it was a lethal brand of sexy.
Boots pounding pavement filled the streets as they filed toward their destination. Several more hover drones appeared and Xs took them down. An innocuous building took form in a hundred yards up and Alec checked to his secured weapons. The plain wood front of the warehouse had a two-door entrance and Max gave the signal to ready. Stepping forward, Alec did the seven door coded knock Mole had gotten from Asha and heard the sound of steps and whispers as static charged the air.
A man dressed to the letter as a military officer opened the door and faced them. His expression was blank, but as Alec moved passed him he could hear the soldier's heart beating irregularly, fast and erratic.
The warehouse had high ceilings with low hanging metal beams and support structures. A twenty foot long black wood table sat toward the back of the room where bright light shone down from fixture that hung low on grey poles from the beams overhead. The sound of the transgenic ranks filing in behind him filled Alec with a familiar rush of confidence- only mildly tamped down by the gun wielding government guards that surrounded the perimeter of the room. When they formed a crowd around the perimeter, transgenics facing the guard surrounding the room, and a uniformed line of backup enforcement around the table of government representatives, Max stepped forward and Liz stepped to her side.
All of the assembled officials were sweating and the thumping of their hearts was like thunder in transgenic ears- they were nervous. Something wasn't right, Alec thought and he felt his senses opening up more sharply, trying to find the discrepancy, the source of his discomfort.
A tall, fierce looking man with general stripes and a buzz cut stood. His decorated metals draped his uniform and pride was etched into his stance as he cleared his throat.
"We're not clear why this meeting is being called, but the United States Armed Forces, FBI, CIA, and HS is present. You are the transgenic representatives?" the buzz cut man asked.
"I represent the transgenics and we have a proposition for you," Max stated, her brows drawn while she kept her stance deceptively open- she was prepared for anything. It was clear from the curl of her fingertips as she twitched her middle finger, signaling for them to stand at the ready.
"A proposition? You want us to work with you freaks?" shouted a man with orange-red hair and a bristly beard and flaring nostrils; his dirt brown eyes creased as he glared. Alec noted the .45 holstered at his waist and bent his right knee, ready to strike if necessary.
"Are you aware that a terminable chameleon virus is spreading through the United States which will kill every person in breathing range?" Max retorted harshly. She slanted the pudgy, red head with a stilting look.
"And how do you know about this virus? Is this a ploy? You create an incurable disease and then offer us a deal to fix it?" asked a man with a SWAT jacket on and an FBI badge hanging from his breast pocket.
"Think again. Does the name Ames White ring any bells? He was a cult leader," Max asserted, watching as the FBI agent reached for something in his pocket. Everyone tensed until he pulled out a notepad and began reading.
"Unknown virus outbreak in New York, Virginia, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and California. It has spread to fifty million people as of yesterday morning and hospitals are overrun with patients. No known antigen exists and the virus is mutating in an unpredictable strain that is chemically incomparable to previous genetic records. There is an estimated three weeks before everyone in the United States and north of Brazil in Mexico will be infected. Two million have already been placed in the ICU, and there is a reported forty-two thousand deaths as of this morning. Is this the virus you are talking about?" asked the FBI agent as a woman in all black and a too-big blazer leaned forward to snatch his pad.
"You aren't supposed to have received these numbers until next week," the woman stated outraged, her long blond braid flipping to and fro as she pocketed the pad.
"Look lady, the FBI knows everything," the man rejoined, also leaning forward.
"Nothing not cleared by Homeland Security, you don't," she countered.
"That call is not yours to make, ma'am. I gave him the information. He needed to be briefed before this meeting. The informant was clear that this was a national matter," a blue-eyed old man stated, rubbing his reddening ears and brushing back some of his white hair. His badge read CIA. Who didn't Asha manage to alert, Alec wondered, impressed.
The blond whipped her braid to the left and glanced at the CIA agent to her right. "You had no right. I told you that this information-" she began and then stopped when the military official slammed a fist against the tabletop and the clatter echoed.
"Let's not turn this into a pissing contest people. Back to the matter at hand. What offer do you have for us?" buzz cut asked, he was sweating profusely now and there was shifting in the ranks- the humans were on edge.
"We have the scientist who worked with this virus and he knows how to create the antibody. We are willing to give you the cure in exchange for immunity. We do not want to be caged, killed, threatened, or harmed in anyway. We won't freedom, the same rights as every other U.S. citizen," Max demanded, her index finger twitching- time to grab a weapon and wait.
Alec's hand slid down to his side and he hooked a finger around the handle of his best knife. Similar movements happened around him as the yelling began again.
"What? Are you on crack or does that brain of yours just not work right? You aren't human. You have no rights," shouted the FBI agent and the female Homeland Security rep. drew a small gun- almost imperceptible in the lighting, but Alec watched her point it at Max only to hear the cocking of another gun. His eyes flashed to Liz and he saw that she had pulled a special and had it trained on the braided blond. Her eyes were fully focused on the military soldier even as her finger tightened just enough to make a warning noise. That's his girl, Alec thought, curbing the urge to smile. A feral part of him snarled with pride.
"At ease," the soldier said and Max signaled everyone to stay while Liz's gun stayed trained on the blond and the blond stood so perfectly still from fear the gun in her hand was frozen. The smell of her fear was an intoxicant of war and the Xs stood uneasily in their silence.
"How do you know that your antibody will work?" the older man asked, compulsively running a hand through his white hair.
"Because I can guarantee it," Sandeman announced, stepping forward, the gentle tick-tick of his walking stick on the floor heralding his movement. He stepped forward with Joshua just behind him, right beside Liz.
"Sandeman?" the CIA man asked. He blinked several times and then rose to get a closer look.
"George," Sandeman said back in greeting, clasping his hand once he was close enough. Liz had tensed when the white-haired man stepped to the side of her, in front of Sandeman, but her trigger finger remained steady and unmoving.
"I'll be damned. I thought you were done for when we were back in 'Nam together. How are you mixed up in all of this?" the CIA man- George- asked Sandeman.
"Manticore," Sandeman said in a booming voice and the room itself took a breath.
"Charles," George whispered, anguished, stress lines appearing on his face.
"Everyone here knows about it. No point pussyfooting old friend. We have something you need, and you have something we need. I have a sample of the cure already prepared and ready to be tested. It is at your leisure that people die now," Sandeman said and he leaned heavily on his stick, waiting.
"This is unprecedented," the blond woman said, her eyes no longer shocked in petrified terror. She lowered her weapon and Liz removed her finger from the trigger, though her gun stayed raised. Alec wondered if it was a light piece, it was a bitch to lock arm muscles for that long, transgenic or not.
"The first in a long line of historical mistakes, I assure you," Lydecker said, voice ringing.
"Colonel Lydecker?" the soldier asked, his tone not altogether surprised though his words were halting.
Liz's face changed in a heartbeat, her body flipping up in the air and backward to land behind Lydecker, her gun reappearing in a blur at his temple as she unsheathed a hidden blade and brought it up and under his left arm, right below his armpit. She had him with a flick of the wrist or a pull of the trigger. The bravery leeched out of him and Lydecker stilled, mouth closed in a crinkled line. Walking them forward, Liz retook her place beside her sister and kept her words to herself. Alec wondered what she was thinking just then.
"This is kidnapping," the soldier shouted, his calm lost as he eyed Lydecker.
"Call it what you will. He attacked us and we reciprocated in kind," Max told him, saying it loud enough for everyone in the room to hear- human and X alike.
"You can't just-" the blond began and Liz shot her a look that cut her short. The smell of her fear returned.
"I think it's pretty clear what we're capable of," Liz said, and Sandeman nodded.
"That thing doesn't even look human," the FBI agent told them, pointing at Joshua.
"He has more humanity than you. Hunting us down because we're different. Is that what America stands for?" Liz asked, her eyes glowing unnaturally, her skin turning transparent slightly, though not altogether noticeably.
"Melting pot my ass," Alec whispered and several transgenics around him smirked having picked up his quiet words.
"Young lady," George started and seeing the fire in Liz's eyes changed tact, "Soldier. We are not here to discuss rights; we are here to talk temporary truce."
"That's not acceptable. That's not good enough," Max replied as Liz moved her gaze to George, within arm's length of her.
"We could rip you apart in less time than it would take you to breathe. Our restraint is our temporary truce. You want to save your ass? Agree to the terms. You want to die while we survive? Okay by me," she told him, a cruel curl tipping her lips and a flash of white tooth shined at George, who looked down at the floor and then back up at Sandeman.
"Be reasonable, Charles," George said to Sandeman and the two exchanged a non-verbal communication.
"I'm sorry, George, but as the old saying goes; all's fair in love and war," Sandeman returned and he sighed.
"And how do we know that you won't give a fake cure?" the FBI agent demanded, pounding a fist on the table as several weapons turned in his direction.
"Same way we trust that you will uphold our rights. We work together and get it all in writing," Sandeman stated, smiling reassuringly.
Silence clung to the air and no other sound penetrated the room. Until a gun went off. A shot rang out and a distinctly human gasp sounded as Sandeman fell, his body pitching forward as George caught his body and blood splattered the floor to Sandeman's right. A gun wound dampening his shirt and his walking stick clattered to the floor.
It happened so quickly everyone acted on instinct. The transgenics grabbed the human soldiers as they took aim and shot- wounding several Xs around the room. The officials were snatched up from their seats at the table and Liz disappeared from Alec's view as he elbowed a human soldier across the face and disarmed him.
"Do not kill," Max shouted above the dim of battle and the blaring of gun shots lowered a degree as more of the human soldiers were detained and held hostage out of the way of the fight. Lydecker and his transgenics broke free; X6s and X7s rushed them, battling hand to hand.
Crouching low, Alec swept out a leg; two human soldiers fell backward into the struggle occurring behind them. Bunching the muscles in his calves, Alec waited for just the right moment and sprang forward, flipping into the fray before him, heading for where he had last seen Max. He collided with Isabel and his arms wrapped instinctively around her. He saw that the main government officials were already held by Joshua and the other nomalies that had come with them. He couldn't see Liz anywhere.
An explosion in his peripheral vision caught his eye and Alec released a shaking Isabel. Liz hovered midair- left arm clutching a chain wrapped around a high beam and right flung outward toward the exits. The sound of doors rattling shut as they were forcibly slammed shut added to the dim; the sound of crunching bone indicating a body part had been caught in one of the doorways followed by a hollow scream. Her skin shone like pale moonbeams among the low lighting of the warehouse. Those eyes that made him sizzle with lust grew eerily dark, wide and ominous as pure darkness absorbed them.
"Isabel," Liz called and Alec felt Isabel still turgidly beside him. "Create a light-port and get the officials out of here."
Turning his head to the blond, Alec saw her fear, watched as her throat flexed around a swallow. The light humming that Liz's power radiated grew around Isabel, answering the call, and Alec stared dumbstruck for a moment as a five foot circle of purplish light opened up in front of Isabel and to his side. A supernatural wind whirled in the center and the ceiling shook violently above the battle.
"I've never tried to send anyone through," Isabel yelled over the whirlwind sound of the sucking void, "I don't even know if I can send more than one person. Or if they'll make it through."
"Get as many of people through as you can. Liz is new to controlling her powers; there won't be anything left when she's done. You have to try," Alec ordered, pushing shaking humans into the beam and watching as they evaporated with terrified screams right before his eyes. The animal in him was snarling, his fight or flight instinct at war with his urge to survive and his need to complete the mission.
Pain burst from the base of his skull as a blow struck the base of his neck and Alec pitched forward. He landed in a push-up, forcing his hand to take the brunt of the fall. Twisting in a side spiral, Alec land flat on his back and used flat palms to propel him to his feet. Lydecker stood wielding a pair of guns, gleaming in the hue of Isabel's light.
"You failed me, 494," Lydecker told him, face straight and emotionless as blood beaded and flowed from a gash in his right temple- a weak spot.
"You sick son-of-a-bitch, I'll-" Alec started to say but was stopped when Isabel stepped a little to close and Lydecker snatched her up, throwing down one of his weapons as he whirled around, and held the remaining gun to her head. Her eyes widened and Alec watched as she stared at him in fear.
"Pretty little thing. What are you, exactly?" Lydecker asked her, and Alec growled aloud, hunching his back and sneering in response. The shining nuzzle of the gun stroked Isabel's head from temple to neck before affixing to her temple. "I might not be a transgenic or whatever she is, but I'm a good shot and even a human can't miss at this range."
The floor shook suddenly and the walls cracked, beams dropped from above and a hole tore open in the roof. The rebelling Xs were being backed into a corner as the humans finished disappearing into Isabel's light-port. The nomalies followed them and Isabel kept shooting glances at the light. He had to give her an opening.
"You don't want her. Stop hiding and fight me," Alec shouted.
"You forget. I made you; I know what you're capable of. I'm not stupid enough to try and walk out of here without leverage."
Lydecker was backing up to one of the doors in the far corner, dragging a squirming Isabel along with him as Alec advanced. Their progress was the center of attention as the rebels were contained.
"Liz," Alec heard Max shout somewhere out sight and he fought the urge to look.
"Max get Isabel and get out," Alec heard Liz yell from above and his heart beat double-time as Lydecker's eyes settle on something just past right shoulder.
A blur sped between Alec and Lydecker just as Lydecker pulled the trigger. For one frozen moment, Alec thought that Max hadn't been fast enough, that she had been a split second too late, but when the sound died and the blur disappeared, Isabel was gone and Lydecker was pressed flat against the wall beside the door.
"Get out now!" Liz screamed from above and the thunder of footfalls to his right alerted Alec to the ranks fleeting retreat.
His hand came up and around Lydecker's neck, his fingers flexing, readying to kill as he forced Lydecker to drop his last gun. The feel of straining veins pulsing in his palm and the thrilling scent of Lydecker's sweat and fear filled his nostrils as Alec clenched a little tighter, watching the stunned and frightful look enter his prey's eyes.
"Alec, you have to get out! I can't hold its coming. Leave him. He won't survive the blast," Liz cried to him and Alec clamped down on the killing haze that entered his mind. He pulled a knife from his back pocket and thrust it into Lydecker's shoulder, pinning him to the wall, and snarled as he turned to run.
"Rot in hell," Alec shouted over his shoulder and slid in a skid across the floor and into the light-port, feeling a slug bury in his torso unexpectedly as a foreign energy surged through his body and ripped him limb from limb, a scream vibrating in his throat as he looked up and watched Liz explode, her cry deft to him as her eyes met his and the light consumed him, pulling him under as he dissolved.
A/N: More coming soon. Thanks for all the reviews. This chapter would have been out sooner but I just recently started a new job and had midterms. Two chapters left. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think, EK!