1Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel or Power Rangers or anything related to either show. The two characters in the beginning are from the power rangers show or movie. The main character in this story is Max.
Timeline: After …And Jesus Brought a Casserole.
Lights Out
Elsewhere
"There has to be another way," the female says to her male companion. She stood at 5'9" with curly sandy blonde hair that stopped just past her shoulders. She wore a forest green cape that covered the barely concealing outfit she wore. The outfit was forest green in color and looked like a bikini. Her male companion also wore a black cape and stood at 5'11". He was more conservative in the way he dressed. Under his cape he wore a formal black suit with a black magician's hat covering his bald head.
"I wish there was another way," the man responds.
"Won't it mess with the timeline," the female asks with a slight Australian accent.
"It's risky but it's the only option we have," the man replies as a blast outside the room causes the two to fall back. Quickly the two scramble back to the screen they are watching and gets to work.
"I just hope we finish in time," the man replies gloomily turning his attention back to the screen.
Manticore
My name is Max. I'm a genetically engineered killing machine created by the government and what am I doing. I'm lying in a cell. I would rather be hanging out with Original Cindy or even Sketchy. I wouldn't even mind doing an 'eyes only' mission right now if it would get me out of this hell hole. But I'm not because Zack, Krit, Syl, and I had infiltrated Manticore, the organization that created us. Our mission was to destroy the facility but something went terribly wrong. As a result, only Krit and Syl made it out. Zack and I weren't so lucky. I was shot during the mission and in order for me to live Zack had sacrificed his life. The one upside to being a transgenic is that all transgenics are universal donors. Zack knew this and knew that his death would guarantee my survival. That had all happened months ago.
It is dark outside and time for lights out at the facility. I love and hate lights out. The reason I love lights out is because it gives me a chance to rest and recuperate from the rigorous drills that everyone is made to go through. Mine are more intense than the others because the people upstairs feel that I have a lot of lost time to make up for. Lights out is a waste of a good night which is why I hate it. It's not like I needed to rest. When we were younger Jondy and I never needed much sleep to feel refreshed. We used to joke with the rest of our unit that we had shark DNA. Jondy used to say that I had more sharks DNA than her because I needed even less sleep than she did. But, here I was locked up in a cage like some kind of animal. Since I couldn't do anything about it I thought about my friends on the outside and what I could do if I hadn't been confined to this cell. I was so deep in thought that I barely heard the lock click and my cell door open.
Instantly I became alert. Getting up quickly and quietly I slowly creep towards the door. For five full minutes I stood by the door listening while barely breathing. I couldn't hear anything other the breathing of the other transgenics sleeping soundly. Positive that it is safe I cautiously peek around the corner to make sure the coast is clear. As I look around I notice that all the lights are out except one.
"I wonder why that one is still on," I whisper hopefully not too loud. I wouldn't want to wake anyone else up.
"Finally something to do," I say just as quietly. At least I can have some fun tonight. Slowly I walk towards the room in which the light is shining. The closer I get to the room the further away the light gets. Following the light through several buildings I listen for the slightest signs of trouble. The light leads me outside through the woods surrounding the compound and to the other side where the old abandoned buildings are. It seems that no matter how fast or slow I walk I could never get close enough to the moving light.
Finally I enter an abandoned building that looks like it could crumble at any moment. The light is up ahead in the only room in the building. Walking towards the light I notice that it's not moving anymore, whoever was carrying it had finally gotten to their destination? What anyone would want in this old dingy building is beyond me. Crouching I make my way to the door. Peeping around the corner there is table located in the middle of the room and the lamp sitting on it. In the corner of the room is a machine with foreign markings on it.
Elsewhere
The two figures watched as Max went to investigate the machine.
"Everything is set," the female informs her companion as the room is rocked with another explosion. The two continue to watch as the machine comes to life startling Max. The doors behind Max close blocking her escape.
"Why did you do that?" the woman questions her friend.
"To narrow down her choices," he answers simply as the two continue to watch the screen.
Manticore
I was expecting to turn around and see myself surrounded by X7's, Renfro's choice of security, when I heard the door close behind me. I don't know if I should be relieved that I'm alone or freaked out. Turning my attention back to the machine the bright lights emanating from it is dancing inviting me closer. I was right upon the machine when something hit me in the head. Looking up I see pieces of the ceiling falling away. My first instinct is to get out of the room but the pieces are falling too fast. Quickly I jump into the machine hoping it is strong enough to protect me from the falling debris. As soon as I enter the machine to door closes and the lights become so bright that I have to shield my eyes.
"I should have stayed in my cell," Max practically shouts. "I'll never complain about lights out again." Suddenly there is a big flash and the building collapses. When Max uncovers her eyes she is standing outside in a park at night.
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