DISCLAIMER: All DARK ANGEL characters belong to James Cameron and Charles Eglee (Cameron Eglee Productions) and DARK ANGEL itself belongs to FOX.

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Photo courtesy of Eyes Only

Max watched and listened from concealment to the right of the mansion's front door as Robert Berrisford stepped out onto the porch and confronted Lydecker. She'd left Alec with O.C. -- and the gun -- although she doubted very much that her friend would have the ability to put a bullet in the young transgenic's brain if things went south. That duty would fall to her. Checking the distance up the staircase, Max figured she'd have time, provided she moved swiftly.

But first, she was going to give Robert Berrisford his chance. After all, what did she have to lose?

"Colonel," Berrisford said amiably as he walked outside, his hands buried deeply in the pockets of his tweed jacket. To all intents and purposes, the man looked like just what he was -- a retired CEO lording it over his "castle."

"You know why I'm here, Robert," the Colonel said, his voice touched with what almost sounded like good humor. "Give him to me and then we can all go home -- alive."

"Alive?" Berrisford said, his grey eyebrows rising as a small smile touched his lips. "Alive as in how you sent your genetically enhanced assassin to kill me in the first place? We had a deal, Lydecker. I'm retired. You had no right to come after me again."

"Yes," the Colonel agreed. "We had a deal. One that you broke when you went to your buddies in Washington and began stirring up trouble for my New Manticore."

"You have no right to experiment on children, and you know it," Berrisford said tightly, his hands now hanging loosely at his sides.

Lydecker looked back over his shoulder at his men -- none of whom were X5s so far as Max could tell. Then he returned his attention to Berrisford. "They're not children," he said quietly. "At least not human ones. You're just like Cale and the other bleeding hearts. You think they're cute or pretty or handsome and so you want to 'save' them. You forget that all of that beauty ... all of 494's good looks ... is just a thin veneer of camouflage on the outside. Inside -- on the cellular level -- he's one of the most powerful bioweapons on Earth. He's not human, Robert. He never was. And to treat him as such is a dangerous mistake."

"Bioweapon or not, the kid seems pretty human to me," the older man said coldly. "And he's currently in my care, so you can just take your soldiers and get off my property."

"Not until you give me my property," Lydecker said. His eyes traveled to the door and Max eased herself back further out of sight. "And while you're at it, you might as well give me her as well," he added.

"They're free citizens of the United states, 'Deck."

"And still in the military," Lydecker shot back.

"Since when?" the other man asked. "Since you shanghaied the kid?"

"Since a new secret order came down from the Senate last month conscripting all of the transgenics back into service," Lydecker said smugly. "Humanity definitions aside, that makes 494's ass mine, and 452's as well. In fact, it makes all of the Terminal City transgenics my property, or at least mine to do with as I see fit. But that's another project. Right now all I'm concerned with is saving 494's life."

"I was never informed of this new mandate," Berrisford said tightly.

"Why would you have been?"

"Because I'm the chairman of the subcommittee looking into how the transgenics can best be re-integrated into society."

Max blinked at that -- and so did Lydecker.

"I knew you'd been targeted for a reason," the Colonel said. "But the orders weren't specific as to why." Then he smiled grimly. "Apparently you've ticked off some or all of The Committee," he added.

"Apparently," Berrisford agreed. "My group is looking for a peaceful, fair resolution to the transgenic problem -- a way for them to be useful without being enslaved."

"They have to be enslaved!" Lydecker spat. "They can't be allowed to remain loose among ordinary humans. They're a huge danger to them, especially if they procreate. Plus, in order for their potential to be realized they require special training, handling, and medical care." He nodded toward the house. "Tell me, Robert. What's 494's current condition? Is he writhing in agony? Or has he already lapsed into a coma?"

"Simon's being taken care of," Berrisford said. "And he's with his own kind. That's what's really important."

"No," Lydecker said, raking a hand through his hair as he glanced tiredly back at the armed contingency behind him. "What's really important is that 494 not die and be lost to the gene pool. He's needed if not as a soldier, then as breeding stock. The remaining X5s are priceless, Robert. They're the foundation we're going to build New Manticore on. Every one of those Units is worth his weight in gold, his DNA one-of-a-kind. I'll not see my kid sacrifice himself simply because he'd rather die than be enslaved. 'Simon' as you call him ... Alec ... 494 ... was born into slavery and that's where he'll die, but not before he's served his purpose. And the same goes for Max." Cold blue eyes raked the front of the mansion and Max once again cowered back. "I know she's in there with him. Carr told me so."

Berrisford looked surprised.

"Oh yes, the good doctor didn't take much persuading to come clean about everything, including his little trick of putting 494 into a coma so his body could have time to rid itself of the addictive compound I've administered."

"He's got a chance at full recovery," Berrisford said.

"Maybe," Lydecker conceded. "But I'm not going to risk that. I can't very well have my X5s thinking they can simply out wait the effects of their choke chain. Now, I'm through talking, Robert. Are you going to let me take back my property, or are things going to get ugly?"

"I'm a dead man either way, aren't I?" Berrisford said quietly. "Your orders were to have me killed. That's why you sent 494 in the first place."

"Yes, those are my orders," Lydecker said. "But remember -- bargains can always be struck. You, of all people know that. You were on The Committee's hit list once before, Robert, and you managed to make a deal. I'm thinking a deal can be made here as well."

"My life for theirs?" Berrisford said.

Lydecker nodded once.

Which is when Max slipped away from the door and ran up the stairs.