Elle6778 - Dark Angel Fanfiction

REMEMBER - CHAPTER 4

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Chapter 1

COMPLETE

“Oh hell!” Alec cursed as his eyes took in the object of interest. What was SHE doing here?

At the same time, Max said, “Any shorter she wouldn’t need to wear a necklace,” Max remarked in a bitchy tone, her dislike of the woman obvious to all of those around her. But even then, Max grudgingly admitted that she deserved the attention, if you only consider her looks. Dressed in a very short black mini-dress, it was not hard to understand why Celia had the attention of practically all the male (and some female) patrons in Crash. Her personality was another matter.

A look of surprise came across her face as Max belatedly digested what Alec had said as she was making her comment. She tried to remember if Alec had met Celia ever since she had started. Max did not think he did.

She turned to face him curiously and asked, “You know her?”

Turning his attention away from the redhead, he answered slowly, “Yeah. I do,” His eyes carried a wary look as he considered Max’s reaction. Obviously Max did not know who she is, Alec realised.

“Oh,” Max said in a flat tone. Another one of his conquest, no doubt. And now that he had enough of her, he obviously wanted to avoid her, she thought in disgust.

“Man, how come you know all the hot chicks? She just started a few days ago!” Sketchy exclaimed, his eyes busy with the sight of the busty redhead as she swayed towards the bar. Men all around were falling over themselves to get to the bar to buy her a drink.

“The usual way, I presume. She is just his type,” Max said snidely as she rolled her eyes.

Alec frowned at her implication, “Hey, did I say that?!” He felt slightly offended that she evidently thought he would sleep with just about anyone. Well, not just ‘anyone’, he thought. The corner of his lips lifted.

Deciding to interrupt before the two transgenics started fighting, Original Cindy asked, “So pretty boy, tell us then, how did you know Celia?”

So, she calls herself Celia now, does she? Alec thought. He caught Max’s eyes and gave her a meaningful look as he answered, “We used to go to the same school back home.”

Max’s jaw dropped. Swallowing, she asked with an equally meaningful look, “The boarding school you used to go to before you started in Jampony?”

Alec nodded, holding Max’s wide eyes. They both knew what he meant; Manticore.

She’s a transgenic! Max thought with a frown. But how was it that she had not realised it?

Maybe because Celia’s trying to keep a low profile, Max, a voice inside her answered.

“So you know each other well?” Max asked curiously. Maybe Celia was his breeding partner before he was landed with herself for ‘copulation’. Ugh, how sick! Max grimaced. The image of Celia ‘copulating’ with anyone was enough to make her hurl.

When Alec shook his head in denial, Max felt an almost imperceptive feeling of relief wash over her. She frowned at her own reaction. Why should she care who Alec slept with? Max figured that it was most probably due to her dislike of that woman, not so much Alec. Preoccupied with her own thoughts, Max almost missed Alec’s next words.

“…It was a large school. She was in a different class. I can’t remember how I met her but this much I can remember; I don’t like her much. Never did. There’s something not quite right with her,” Alec finished, feeling a phantom chill up his spine. He frowned as he tried to remember how they met. As his mind hit a blank wall, he frowned and wondered why was he finding it difficult to remember things these few days.

“Dude! What are you saying? Everything is alright with her as far as I can see,” Sketchy said, almost drooling.

Shaking her head, Original Cindy smacked Sketchy upside the head, “Watch the drool, fool.”

“Hey, it rhymes!” Sketchy noted with a grin.

Max frowned as she considered what Alec had been saying. X5’s have photographic memories. They didn’t just forget. Alec’s behaviour, or rather, lack of memory was beginning to worry her. Particularly after his visit to her apartment last night. Max hoped that there was nothing wrong with Alec.

The unwanted memory of Ben’s psychosis entered her mind, unbidden. She forced herself to pay no attention it. Ignoring Sketchy and Original Cindy, Max asked, trying not to let her suspicion show, “What do you mean? You don’t remember?”

As he rubbed his head in obvious confusion, Alec said, “I know it’s strange, okay. I just don’t remember.”

Sketchy’s entire face suddenly broke into a large grin. “Man! She’s headed this way,” Sketchy exclaimed, almost jumping off his seat in his excitement.

Max exchanged a look with OC. Not wanting to be in the company of that woman, she tugged at Original Cindy’s hand “Up for a game of pool?” Max asked, eyebrows raised.

“Sure, boo,” Original Cindy answered, “Original Cindy’s always up for a good game.”

As they walked past Celia, they both gave her a nod of acknowledgement without stopping. Celia did not seem to notice them as she stalked towards Alec with a predatory smile on her face, her hips swinging to the beat of the music. It reminded Max of a predator who was stalking her prey.

Max leaned over to pool table, her eyes picking out the shortest, surest way to get the ball into the pocket. Being a transgenic has its perks, she thought as the ball she just hit rolled smoothly into the pocket. She smiled and shook her head as she thought of Sketchy who always insisted on playing with Alec. Poor Sketchy, he hasn’t go a clue what he’s up against.

“Now that’s not fair. Original Cindy ain’t got no souped-up eyes to help me here,” Original Cindy frowned as she studied the balls on the table, fiddling with her cue.

Leaning against the table, Max grinned at her friend. Seeing the look on her friend’s face, she teased, “At least we are not playing for money.”

Original Cindy removed her attention from the pool table and gave her friend a warning glare, “Boo, you even think of that, I’ll put the smack down on your pretty ass.”

Max laughed and they went back to their game.

Suddenly, Original Cindy nudged her side. The shot Max was aiming for went wide.

“Hey!” she complained loudly, looking up at Original Cindy with accusing eyes.

Ignoring Max’s look, Original Cindy inclined her head towards their table, “Look, boo!”

Max turned to look in the direction her friend indicated. Her eyes narrowed as she saw what caught Original Cindy’s attention. Alec and Celia was walking away from the table, leaving Sketchy staring at their retreating backs in an obvious look of envy. Alec’s arm was entwined intimately around the redhead’s hips.

Max rolled her eyes and snorted. Mimicking Alec, she said, “‘I don’t like her much. There’s something not quite right with her’. Yeah, right! That lasted for like what? 10 minutes?” Her eyes followed Alec and Celia as they disappeared out of the door with his arms around her shoulders.

“All men are dogs. Better off batting for the home team,” Original Cindy said, shaking her head.

“At least he could have been honest about it,” Max muttered grumpily. She wondered why Alec bothered to lie to them. It was not as if they did not know about his reputation with the opposite sex.

“Who knows? Maybe he had seen the error of his ways and decided to change. Just that he couldn’t help himself when faced with such a delectable lickety-boo,” Original Cindy said, shrugging. Then she looked at Max curiously, wondering when did her transgenic friend started being so concerned about who Alec followed home.

Oblivious to Original Cindy’s thoughts, Max said, “Anyway, let’s go keep Sketchy company. And I could do with another beer,” Max said, dropping her cue on the table as she moved away from the pool table. Original Cindy followed her back to their table.

Sketchy shook his head at Max and Original Cindy as they approached the table. He has the look of utter dejection on his face as he returned his attention to his beer.

Max knew that she would regret it but she asked anyway, “What’s wrong?”

Sketchy looked up from his beer and answered, “They went off just like that. Without even saying good bye,”

“Who? Alec and Celia?” Original Cindy asked.

Sketchy nodded, “I don’t understand. He never did that before.”

“What have you done to him, you fool?” Original Cindy asked in exasperation, stabbing her finger against his arm.

“Nothing! I didn’t even get in a word edgewise as they were talking,” Sketchy said, flinching away from Original Cindy’s abuse.

Her curiosity peaked now, Max asked, “So what were they talking about?” Maybe she could learn something about that woman.

Sketchy scrunched up his face as he tried to remember, “Something about Monti Cora, I think. And cells? And a number 119. Alec seemed pretty pissed off at her about something, but she didn’t seem to care. I don’t know! I don’t remember. I think I had too much to drink,” Sketchy finished as he leaned his elbows on the table, burying his face in his hands.

As Original Cindy patted Sketchy back to console him, Max noticed that Alec had left his jacket over the back of his chair. She frowned. Alec had always claimed that it was his favourite jacket and that he would not part with it. Picking up the jacket, Max wondered if there was something more to this than what met the eye. She highly doubted that Alec would be so entranced with a woman such that he forgot his jacket. Sketchy, maybe. But not Alec. Alec had droves of women flinging themselves at him on a daily basis.

She ran through Sketchy’s words. 119? Could that be Celia’s designation? Alec was apparently mad at Celia about something that had happened back in the cells at Manticore. So maybe Alec wasn’t lying after all. Maybe he really did not like her. But why did he go with her then? Considering the way he had his arms around her, it was likely that they were heading for somewhere more private. But why would anyone do that if they did not like someone?

Max tried to put herself in Alec’s shoes. She smirked; that would be interesting to say the least. If she was Alec, she would go with someone she disliked only if there were no other choice or if she was forced to do so. But what was it that Celia had to hold over him as a threat? The whole thing was beginning to smell a bit fishy to Max.

“Okay, call me crazy but I think something is a bit off here. Alec’s not himself,” Max said thoughtfully to Original Cindy as she caught her friend’s eyes.

Original Cindy noted the worried look in Max’s eyes, “Alec is a big boy. I don’t think we need to worry, boo. He can take care of himself,” she said, laying a reassuring hand on Max’s shoulder. It was rare for Max to feel like this about Alec. Normally she couldn’t wait to get rid of Alec, especially considering the tension between them earlier today. But Original Cindy knew that underneath her prickly exterior, Max actually cared for Alec. After all, apart from Joshua, he was the only other transgenic she had contact with on a daily basis.

Max nodded her head absently; she was still trying to figure out Alec’s weird behaviour. Ah well, Original Cindy is probably right. There’s nothing to worry about, Max thought to herself. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she turned to look at Sketchy who was now slumped over the table.

“Come on. Let’s get you home,” Max said as she tried to haul Sketchy onto his feet. Sketchy looked up for a second and mumbled incoherently. Then he promptly let his head fall back on to the table.

Original Cindy went to the opposite side of the table and snaked her arms under her unconscious friend’s arms. She grimaced as Sketchy leaned on her, “For someone so scrawny, he sure is heavy,” Original Cindy grumbled as both her and Max tried to pull Sketchy off the chair he was so reluctant to leave.

Max exhaled a sigh of relief as she sank bonelessly into her couch. She shut her eyes and tried to relax as she listened to the sounds made by Original Cindy as she moved about their apartment, preparing herself for bed. It was late but as usual, Max was not sleepy. She was just tired. The shark DNA's a bitch, she thought. Cracking her eyes open, she snuggled deeper into the couch, relaxing as she picked up a magazine which was lying on the coffee table in front of her.

The phone suddenly rang, jolting Max out of her hard-found peace. She frowned as she glanced at the clock. It was 3am. She wondered who would be calling at this time of the night. Pushing herself off the couch, she walked towards the phone, ready to give whoever it was an earful of her displeasure.

“Yeah?” she snapped into the phone ungraciously.

A whisper came over the receiver, “Max?”

Recognizing the voice on the line despite the lack of volume, Max asked in irritation, “What have you done now?”

“I didn’t do anything, Max. I don’t know what but something is wrong. You got to help me,” the voice continued in a furtive whisper, the distressed sound almost drowned by the background noise which sounded suspiciously like running water to Max.

Her irritation replaced by a feeling of alarm as she heard the tone of his voice, Max asked urgently, “Where are you, Alec?” What has he gotten himself into now, she wondered, worried now.

“At home, in the bathroom. But I can’t remember how I got here. And Celia is here as well,” he whispered in a rush.

Her brows furrowed. Max moved the phone away from her ears and stared at it disbelievingly. Why did Alec want her there when Celia was there? She pressed the phone back to her ear. “What are you playing at, Alec? I am not interested in those sorts of games,” she said tersely, her irritation returning full force.

“No!” Alec protested vehemently, “Max, believe me. I am not playing at anything. I am trapped in here with Celia outside. And I can’t escape. There are no windows in here.”

Confusion evident in her voice, she asked, “Alec, what’s going on? Why don’t you just get out? Shove her out of your apartment if you don’t want her there. Kick her ass,” Why can’t he just get to the point? It’s like pulling teeth, she thought.

“Max, I don’t know what’s going on. I told you there’s something not quite right about her. Something is telling me not to go near her. And if I do, I’ll regret it. I know it’s strange, but I really can’t remember. You got to come over,” Alec whispered desperately. “Please!”

Alec’s desperation was beginning to really worry her. Making up her mind, Max said, “Okay, stay there. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She hung up the phone and yelled to Original Cindy, “Alec thinks he is in trouble. I am going over.”

Emerging from the bathroom at Max’s urgent tones, Original Cindy asked, “What sort of trouble?”

Shaking her head, Max said, “He didn’t really say what exactly. But Celia is over there and he called me from the bathroom, whispering all the way. Sounds like he’s trying to avoid her. And it sounds like she got him cornered. He said something about not going near her, but he doesn’t know why.”

Confusion now marred Original Cindy’s face, and then she said gently, “Max, if Alec is having girl trouble, maybe you should let him sort it out himself. This is not something Original Cindy thinks her boo should get involved in. I am sure your boy could handle it himself.”

Glancing up at Original Cindy as she shrugged into her jacket, Max explained, “I don’t think it’s that simple. Celia is from Manticore. And somehow, whatever she’s doing is freaking Alec out, big time. And Alec doesn’t strike me as someone who scares easily. But he sounded worried on the phone. I don’t like it.”

Not waiting for Original Cindy’s reply, she pushed her Ninja out and slammed the door shut behind her.

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