Dysfunctional -- Chapter 41

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.” Takes place immediately after chapter 8 of Together.

494 lay back on his bunk for several moments in the dark late the next night before he sighed irritably and got up and left his cell. He walked through the facility until he reached the library. He went inside and to his surprise saw 849 sitting at a table. He took a seat next to her. “How’s it going?”

“I don’t know, it’s kind of up in the air at this point,” 849 confessed. “511 did get me pregnant last night so we didn’t copulate tonight, but then again I am pregnant by the boyfriend of one of my best friends. I should just be happy at this point that 121 and I are still friends.” She sighed. “I’m sorry that I’m dumping all of this on you, 494.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind at all,” 494 said. “It helps me take my mind off of my night.”

“How has it gone so far?” 849 asked. “I didn’t get a chance to ask you about it earlier today.”

“Oh, the first night was a blast,” 494 replied sarcastically. “She didn’t have a clue that she’d even been put into the breeding program so when I told her what was going on, she kicked me across the cell. I left her alone for a few minutes, but I tried every so often to get her to change her mind. To say the least, she refused.” He paused thoughtfully. “I think she threatened to harm my genitals at least five times over the length of my stay in her cell last night.”

“Yikes,” 849 said. “I’ve got to give her some credit, though, for not having the life sucked out of her so far when she’s been in Psy Ops.”

“I don’t know about that. I think that having a little of that spunk taken out of her might be doing the whole world a favor,” 494 countered.

“I’m going to take a wild guess and say that tonight went about as well,” 849 remarked.

“You could say that,” 494 agreed.

“I’d have to go with that.”

494 looked up at the person that had just spoken. Just what I needed tonight. Again.

494 had just reached his cell when he stopped and shook his head. “Damn watch.” He sighed and turned around and headed back towards 452’s cell. He was getting close when he heard 452—Max as she’d ever-so-graciously told him earlier—‘s voice again.

“We’ve got one piece of the puzzle down. Now we’ve got to find the rest and put ‘em together.” There was a brief pause. “Do you know if Zack’s cell has security cameras in it?”

Zack? Who the…oh yeah, I heard that was the name that 599 has been going by, 494 recalled.

“I’m not sure. The hallways in that wing do, but as far as the individual rooms? I don’t know yet. Communicating with him is going to be the trickiest part of the whole business. I have a feeling that once we establish communication, the actual getting you two out of Manticore again will be easier.”

494 blinked in shock. 405? What is she doing in Max’s cell and why the fuck would she be wanting to help Max and 599 escape? I know that girl isn’t stupid, so what the hell is going on here? He mentally shook his head and tried to pay attention to Max’s and 405’s conversation again.

“…he’s in a situation where if what he’s doing backfires, not only would he be responsible for your possible death or extended vacation in Psy Ops, but he’d also be responsible for the loss of hundreds, maybe even thousands of lives.”

“You’re right,” Max said. “You know, that sounds like something that would come right out of Zack’s mouth. You’re a lot like him.”

“Maybe it’s a C.O. thing.”

And maybe I should find out what is going on. 494 stepped up to the open door of Max’s cell and stood there arrogantly. “Am I interrupting something, ladies?”

“Did anybody ever tell you that it was rude to eavesdrop on somebody?” 494 said.

“That’s the pot calling the kettle black if I’ve ever heard it,” she replied.

849 looked back and forth between 405 and 494. “Did I miss something?”

“You missed something, all right,” 494 said dryly. “Didn’t she, 405?”

“Gee, I thought that we were on a first name basis now, Alec,” she reminded him.

“I left my watch in here. Funny to find you in here, 405.”

“We’re old friends. What do you want, 494?”

“Alec. I named him Alec.”

“Alec?” 849 repeated.

“According to 452—excuse me, Max—that would be my name,” Alec admitted. “Did she give you your name too, sweetheart, or did you actually come up with it on your own?” He ignored the death glare that 405 was giving him.

“She has a name too?” 849 said.

“Oh yeah,” 494 told 849.

“Hey, cool your jets, 405.”

“The name’s Becky.”

“It’s Becky,” 405 confessed. “Please don’t tell anybody what my name is, 849. Not even my unit or 941 and his unit know that I have a name, let alone what my name is.”

“I won’t, but the two of you better fill me in on what the hell is going on because I am very confused and it’s starting to seriously piss me off,” 849 instructed the other two.

Alec sighed. “This could get all of us into serious trouble if any of it gets out.”

“How serious?”

“Psy Ops serious,” Alec said.

849 nodded. “I’ll take my chances.”

“Here’s the short version of it,” Alec told her. “Becky here is helping Max and 599, who apparently prefers to go by the name Zack, escape this place. I left my watch behind in Max’s cell because I’d taken it off because the band was irritating me and I heard Becky and Max plotting and then they blackmailed me into helping them.”

“I wouldn’t call it blackmail,” Becky commented. “I would call it friendly persuasion.”

Alec snorted. “Friendly persuasion? If that’s what you called it, then I’d hate to see what you would consider to be blackmail.” He turned back to face 849. “She threatened to tell Director Renfro that I wasn’t having sex with Max as I had been ordered to do.”

“You tried to blackmail me first, Alec,” Becky countered. “Remember? I believe that it went something along the lines of ‘You know, I could turn you guys in to Director Renfro.’”

“And you backed him down?” 849 said. She sounded impressed.

“It was two against one and she could definitely kick my ass. Hell, she already made me look like an amateur in edge weapons yesterday afternoon,” Alec replied. He shook his head. “She didn’t even need to resort to violence. I haven’t seen anybody look that damn intimidating.”

Becky looked mildly amused. “You haven’t seen Zack in a bad mood yet, have you? He’s even worse than I am.”

“Okay, back to the subject at hand,” 849 said. “How exactly is 494 going to be helping you?”

“Zack’s cell is in A wing. Alec is going to get me around the security cameras there since that section of the facility is off-limits after lights out unless your cell is located in that particular wing,” Becky answered.

“Just out of curiosity, are you going with them?” 849 asked.

Becky shook her head. “I can’t. My unit doesn’t want to leave, at least as far as I know, and I can’t go solo. Especially knowing what they’ll do to them if I do.”

“Oh,” 849 said.

“That’s the whole deal,” Alec finished.

“Are you going to tell 511 or 121?” 849 wondered.

Alec raised an eyebrow. “Tell 121? Yeah, right. We both know how she feels about those guys and their unit and I can’t even tell 511 because while I know that he won’t do anything to turn myself or Becky in, he doesn’t want to keep secrets from 121 and he would most likely tell her. I don’t blame him for not wanting to keep secrets from his own girlfriend. Noble of the guy, don’t you think?” He paused thoughtfully before he turned to Becky. “What about 941?”

“I don’t want to tell him, at least not yet,” she replied. “I want to keep the number of people that are in on this as small as possible to minimize the risk to both us and to Max and Zack. 941 is my friend and I trust him, but I also don’t want to put him in possible danger if I can help it.”

“Good point,” Alec conceded. “I’ll take it that none of your unit mates know about this.”

“They don’t,” Becky confirmed.

849 nodded and yawned. “I should be heading back to my cell. I promise that I won’t tell a single person about this, not even 228 when she finally gets back in a few days.”

“Thank you, 849,” Alec said. He watched 849 leave the library and then he turned to face Becky. “Well, I’d say that it’s been fun, but when is it ever?”

“Let me know when it is,” Becky deadpanned. “Sorry about the attitude before.”

“No harm, no foul, you didn't leave any bruises...this time.” Alec smirked.

“You’re...” Becky started to say, but she looked slightly amused. “I’ll see you around, Alec.” She also left.

Alec watched her go before he shook his head and left the library himself and walked back to his cell. Can my life get any weirder?

TBC