Dysfunctional -- Chapter 36

Disclaimer:  The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Alec, Biggs, Renfro, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me.  No money is being made off of this fic.  I only own the original characters (X5-121, etc.).

Notes:  Spoiler-ish stuff for “Designate This.”

“I bet you that I can take you tonight,” 511 said to 494 several nights later as they walked to one of the rec rooms. “I’ve got a feeling. There’s no way that you can beat me at eight ball tonight.”

494 snorted. “In your dreams, 511.” They opened the door and walked inside. The room was already occupied by a few X3s and X4s and 405’s unit. Both of the pool tables were being used, one by two X4s and the other by 405 and one of her unit mates. 494 nodded to the two of them. “Can I get winners?”

“Sure,” 405 replied after a quick glance to the X6 that she was playing against.

“Thanks,” 494 told her. He and 511 walked over to one of the couches and sat down. “It’s nice not having to listen to 714’s gushing over how she thinks that the guy that she got paired with this morning is, as she put it, 'hotter than hell on a summer day'. It was driving me crazy.”

“Who did she get?” 511 wondered.

“003. I think he’s from Syracuse,” 494 answered.

“494, you ready?” 405 asked from where she was racking up the balls. The unit mate that she had been playing against was walking towards a small group that was watching the TV in the room, which was tuned to CNN.

“Of course,” 494 said. He got up and walked over to the pool table and grabbed a cue and chalked up. “Do you want to break?”

“It’s okay, you can break,” 405 told him. “I broke last game.”

“Cool,” 494 commented. He placed the cue ball in the correct spot, aimed, and fired. He looked at the balls satisfactorily. “I’ve got solids.” He walked around the table and lined up his next shot. “I hope you know that I’ve got a six game unbeaten streak going in eight ball.”

“I’ll take care of that,” 405 insisted.

“Oh, come on,” one of the other X6s whined.

“773…” 405 started to say.

“Not you, the TV,” 773 said quickly, pointing. The other transgenics in the room looked as the picture faded out into static and then red, white, and blue lines and a pair of eyes appeared on the screen.

“Just what we need to brighten up our day,” 405 muttered sarcastically. 494 and 511 both looked at her curiously, but she didn’t elaborate.

“Do not adjust your set. This is a streaming freedom bulletin…” Eyes Only began.

One of the X3s sighed. “This is the third time so far this month and we’re only just over a week into April. This is ridiculous.”

“…genetic research facility called Manticore. It has been existence since the 1980s. This is not simply a lab, they create babies with enhanced DNA specifically to be super soldiers. They train these children from day one. No child should have to be tortured the way these transgenics are. Eyes Only has it’s eyes on you, Manticore, and once the Informant Net has found where you are, you will pay for what you have done. This is a streaming freedom bulletin. Peace. Out.” The TV went back to the program that it had originally been tuned to and the transgenics also returned to what they had been doing.

“I just wish that guy would shut up,” 405 remarked somewhat irritably.

494 raised an eyebrow as he finally took his shot. “What’s with the attitude towards Eyes Only, 405?”

“Other than the obvious subject matter?” 405 said dryly. “The guy just has such a fucking ‘Holier-than-thou-because-I-think-I-am-saving-the-world’ attitude.” She waited patiently as 494 missed his next shot and she walked around to line up her own shot, which she made. “Also, he never thinks ahead. He’s always thinking in the short term. Well, maybe not completely, but he’s not thinking as long-term as he could be.”

“What, like he doesn’t think about every detail that he might need to?” 511 guessed.

“Bingo,” 405 confirmed. She sank her next shot and lined up another one. “And third, why doesn’t he get up off his fucking lazy ass and do things for himself? You guys heard him. He said that when the Informant Net has found us, not himself. And that’s a fourth thing. Does he realize how fucking irritating it is to refer to himself in the third person all the damn time?” She frowned and attempted her next shot, only to miss it. “Damn. Your turn, 494.”

“I do believe that’s the most agitated that I’ve ever seen you, 405,” 494 observed. “I thought that you never lost your cool.”

“Only for the people who deserve it,” 405 told him.

“So I don’t deserve it?” 494 said.

“Not yet, but keep it up. You never know,” 405 deadpanned. They continued their game until 494 finally won. 405 sighed. “Who wants winners?”

“I’ll take him, thanks,” 511 said. He took the cue from 405 and re-chalked it. “What do you think, 494?”

“About what?” 494 asked. “Eyes Only, 405’s rant, or the fact that 405 ranted about something in the first place?”

511 shrugged. “I don’t know. Whichever you want, I guess.”

“Personally, I don’t care about Eyes Only, though he must have some issues if he does have the complex that 405 thinks that he has,” 494 said. “Hey, if there is somebody who knows about having issues, you’re looking at him.”

“True,” 511 admitted, laughing. They played a game, which 511 won, and then went back to the couch and sat down and watched the TV. “Do you think CNN was this boring before the Pulse?”

“I don’t know,” 494 told him. He looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. “Damn, we should be getting back to our cells if we want to be there in time for lights out.” He and 511 got up and left the room and walked through the building to their cells. As they turned the corner to their hallway, they saw 591 leaving 121’s cell. 591 paused when he saw 494 and 511 standing there, almost blocking his way.

“Yes?” he said slowly. “Can I help you?”

“I don’t know,” 511 coldly replied. “Have you been behaving yourself?”

“Oh, you must be the famous 511,” 591 realized. He smirked cruelly. “121 talks about you quite a bit when we sleep together.”

“You don’t sleep together. She and I have slept together. The two of you are copulating under orders,” 511 snapped.

“Sorry,” 591 said snidely, his jade-green eyes clearly unapologetic. “You sure about that?”

The nerve of that fucker! He wasn’t the one who had 121 cry on his shoulder for a good ten minutes that first night because it hurt her so damn much to be forced into this situation! He started to make a move towards 591, but 494 put a hand on 511’s shoulder, stopping him.

“Trust me, he’s sure,” 494 said confidently. “Listen, would you mind doing me a favor and shutting your damn mouth before my friend here does something that he regrets? I don’t want to see him getting into trouble for something as dumb as you are.”

“Oh?” 591 raised an eyebrow and gave 494 a questioning look. “What makes you think that I’ll shut up?”

494 just grinned. “Well, let’s just say that you only made that deal with 121, huh?” 591 looked puzzled for a few moments before his face went red with anger when he finally realized what 494 had been referring to. “Good boy. Now go back to your cell and get a good night’s sleep.” He watched 591 walk away before he turned back to 511, concerned. “You okay?”

“One more…” 511 began to say. He took a deep breath. “I’ll be fine.”

“Good.” 494 gave 511 a friendly slap on the back and they both looked up as 121 left her cell and approached them. “We just passed the asshole. Don’t worry, there wasn’t any bloodshed.”

“Okay,” 121 said shakily.

511 frowned. “Are you okay? Did 591 do anything to you?”

“In a sense,” 121 said. She seemed unusually nervous. “Have either of you guys noticed anything different in how I’ve been smelling today? My scent, I mean.”

494 shrugged. “I don’t know, but you were put on restricted duty after the first night so we haven’t been seeing you around as much as usual and we’ve all been preoccupied for pretty much the whole day, anyway. Why?” He looked at 121 and felt alarm when he saw tears start to form in her eyes. “121, what’s wrong?”

“You both remember…786…about seven years ago?” 121 broke down and flung herself at 511, sobbing into his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, 511! I didn’t want it to be him, I wanted it to be you. I’m so sorry!”

511 held his girlfriend while she cried, confused at first. 786 seven years ago… Suddenly, he sniffed and sure enough, 121 did smell slightly different. His eyes widened and he turned to look at 494, his expression devastated. 121 was pregnant.

TBC