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slashing_lorneTitle: Shades of Galatea.
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own StarGate: Atlantis or Dark Angel.
Characters: Lorne, Alec, Max.
Words: 1167
Prompt: Steampunk A.U. for Denyce's Birthday.
Fandom: StarGate: Atlantis/Dark Angel
Pairing: Alec/Lorne UST.
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Language, Violence.
Summary: Major Lorne of the city's Guarde hunts the night for a killer with a little help.
Author's Note: This takes place in a Steampunk version of Seattle where the X-5s are actually automatons.
______________________________________
'You won't find me in...'
The rest of the message was singed off. He had been lucky to save even this much.
Sighing, Lorne crumbled up the tiny slip of rice paper. Tossing it back to the cobblestones, he rolled his eyes to the heavens. This was not his night.
High above, billowous clouds lazily drifted above the ancient city. Smoke swirled to meet and mingle among their number from a hundred thousand chimneys. When the ceiling came down upon the morning light, it would choke the streets of Seattle for another day.
He wondered from time to time, why the city had never banned the open burning of coal. Strictly, it wasn't necessary to heat the myriad of homes. Probably, it was because the stagnant fog hid the decayed remains of the once prosperous outpost. They wouldn't have to face what it had become if they didn't have to see it.
Shaking the cobweb of morbid thoughts from his mind, Lorne rolled his shoulders and shivered. It was getting late in the year. The first snow had yet to fall. With Jack Frost nipping at his nose, it was only a matter of time, though.
And with the snow came the deaths. Another winter of terror awaited the residents of Seattle.
That is, unless he got lucky this time.
Lorne stuffed his clenched fists deep in the pockets of his over-frock. This was going to be another long winter, he feared.
The sigh that echoed in the alley did not come from his lips.
Spine rigid, he slowly turned his head to catch a glimpse of the source. At first, all he found were more decayed bricks. Piles of ancient trash gathered around the broken hulk of an even older bin. The flies had long since ceased their circling of this heap. His eyes had almost traversed the entire length of the alley when he finally spotted him.
Standing under a partially collapsed fire escape, the stranger rested one hand upon the rusted metal rungs. The groan of soft leather under his palm sounded almost a plaintiff cry in the dead night. Head tilted a little, only the lower half of his face was visible in the shadows. Plump lips were twisted in a familiar smirk.
Catching this one feature sapped the ill-ease from Lorne. Closing his eyes, a flush of anger welled up in him. "I thought I warned you about following me."
The figure snorted. "The first flakes fall in three days, Major." His soft voice held a trace of a false accent. It was learned, like all his mannerisms. There wasn't an original cog in his body. "Are you ready this time?"
Ignoring the taunt, Lorne grasped upon the one line of thought he knew would put the other on edge. "How did you slip by the patrol this time? I heard those new meters are sensitive enough to detect even your glitching."
"I have my ways." The metal of the fire escape screeched as it was tugged further downwards. Apparently Lorne had struck a nerve. "You won't catch him without me." Normally, that had been a plaintive whine. Tonight, it almost sounded a threat.
It was his turn to snort. Tugging up the pressed edges of his collar, Lorne opened his eyes and stared out the entrance of the alley. There were a few motored carriages out, but nary a one pedestrian. With the chill had come a fear. "Funny, you use he, like this thing is something more than a loose collection of gears and broken vacuum tubes. Last I heard, trans-mechs didn't have souls, let alone genders."
More of the wrought iron stairs came down. The sheering screech of metal drowned out the night. Several pieces of the dilapidated metal came falling down. The alley rang out with each impact upon the cobblestones.
Despite his best efforts, he flinched with each new hit. When the last of the ringing had ceased, he chanced a glance back. Settling among the dust and bricks laid the remains of the fire escape.
The Tictock was no where to be found.
Sighing, he started to put this latest round from his mind. He did get the chance, though, when a set of incredibly strong hands grabbed him from behind. Eyes going wide, Lorne found himself jerked off his feet and swung around. Bricks came racing at him until his face smashed against them.
An arm pinned his cheek against the crumbling stone. Clenching his eyes shut, he braced himself for more of an assault. When it never came, he dared to look.
His eyes met with only dark shadows of night. Then part of the night moved and he realized it was hair, black as coal. He recognized those raven curls.
"If he'dn't make such a fuss 'bout it, I'd crack every bone in your maggot-infested body." Her venomous words were hissed over his shoulder. Their height difference meant she couldn't growl them in his ear like she probably wanted to. The female Tictock gave his head another vicious smack against the bricks. Then she was gone.
Suddenly freed, Lorne fell back. Only his quick reflexes and desperate grip upon the bricks saved him an embarrassing landing. Clutching at the few holds he managed, he righted himself.
His heart pounded hard in his chest as bruises began to form on his cheek and temple. A part of him knew that he had earned the rough treatment. He didn't care for that particular voice, so he squashed it.
This was why he didn't freely associate with them. The odds of injury or worse grew exponentially with every moment in their presence. It was mere survival instinct that justified any bout of rudeness towards them. This and nothing more.
Straightening his over-frock, he growled. His shoulder twinged from the movement and he rolled it to test the damage. There wasn't much, but he'd be sore for a few days. Thinking this reminded him of the warning.
He had three days. Then the killings started again.
Sighing, he started out of the alley. Pebbles rained down behind him from the eaves above, but he ignored them. There was no point in focusing on such useless trivialities any further.
Some where in Seattle, a glitched trans-mech was planning it's next strike.
Above, the soft drone of an airship's engines increased as it departed. He wondered if they felt any more secure up there as they left the city. The lucky few who could afford to do so, made their escape and left the rest to face the demon they had unleashed upon them all. Sometimes, in his bitterness, he wished it would crash and take them all to hell.
Striding out on the street, Lorne felt something tickle his nose. Reaching up, he grabbed at it. His hand came back only with a tiny drop of water. Alarmed, he looked up at the sky. Slowly, tiny, white flakes drifted down from the dark heavens.
Time had run out.
THE END..........................
Title: Ticking By.
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel or Stargate: Atlantis.
Characters: Logan, Max
Fandom: Dark Angel/Stargate Atlantis - Steampunk AU.
Pairing: N/A
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Language
Summary: A little tune-up between friends.
______________________________________
Muted clicking filled the workshop, constant and regularly timed. Listening carefully, he waited a full five minutes. He judged this by the pocket watch he held in his right hand. The ticking simply continued on.
Frowning, Logan shook his head. "I don't hear it. You're timing is perfect." Stuffing the watch back in his vest pocket, he raised the magnifying lens of his monocle. "It's got to be something else."
Max could only roll her eyes. The bolts holding her head in the wire stand kept her firmly in place. Though she usually crossed her arms with a neck twitch, everything below the jaw was still bypassed. "Fine," she sighed with disgust. "Just zip me up and release the locks already. I've got an itch on my ass that's been bothering me for hours."
He glanced up at the back of her head with a snort. The constant motion of the exposed gears drew his attention. Watching them turn, thousands of them inside the casing of her skull quickly made him zone out. Vision blurry, he clenched his eyes shut and shook his head. Removing the monocle, he dropped it lightly on his work bench and picked up his bi-spectacles.
"Hey, legs, quit perving on the hardware and get crackin!" Max's irritation over the entire situation was clearly just about to boil over. For three weeks she had been complaining about the ticking. It wasn't just in her head, or maybe it was, literally.
Not that he could find it.
After putting on his glasses, he focused on the task at hand. Sighing, Logan stuck two fingers in the slit of skin just below her skull. He had to be careful to avoid the levers that adjusted vertical rotation. He'd tripped one once and nearly lost the tip of his finger. Sliding along the central power distribution node, he found the bypass switch. "All right, brace yourself."
This time when she rolled her eyes, she growled at him. "Just do it already!"
He flinched back, flicking the switch with his finger nail. Tiny sparks flashed inside the cavity, arcing along his skin. "Ow! Shit!" Shocked by the now flowing electricity, he jerked his hand back to his mouth and sucked on the burned digit.
Max went slack in the body frame. The only thing holding her up was the metal sling and the bolts keeping her head steady. Frowning at the air, she sighed. "Uh, did some wack quack forget to do somethin' or did you deliberately break my body? If so, once I get it back to working order, I'm seriously going to work on making you a full quad!"
"Oh, relax already! Jeeze." Shaking out his still numb hand, Logan leaned over the arm of his chair. "It's the ground cable, it's still bleeding off your internal generator's production until I shut down the coil." He had to stretch out the full length of his body to reach the power generator. Groaning, he grasped the handle on the device and jerked it down.
With a low groan, the Tesla Coil slowly powered down. The moment the top stopped sparking, Max stood up.
Her entire frame trembled twice, then she reached up to grasp her face. Finding the bolts, she quickly on unscrewed them from her ports.
"You know, this wouldn't be such a problem if you bothered to have a secondary power source installed in that thick head of yours." Turning over his hand, he examined it for any burns. Finding none, he exhaled with relief. "I wouldn't have to waste electricity using my own coil."
Fingers working on the skin at the base of her skull, Max twisted her head from side to side until the U-joints clicked back into place. "And I keep telling you, I can't have sensitive equipment like batteries in my head. Batteries tend to leak when punched hard enough. A girl likes being able to keep functioning, thank you very much." Her skin sealed shut with a slight hiss and a bit of smoke rising up from the self-cauterization.
Knowing it was a hopeless cause, Logan grabbed the control box of his mechanized chair. After throwing the switch to power it up, he grit his teeth and braced himself. Beneath the seat, the motor hummed as it started to life. The fly wheel on the generator kicked dust off the motor and the entire thing grumbled awake.
The control stick on the foot board shivered under his grip as he pushed it up from between his legs. For a moment, he glanced down at the useless lumps of bone and flesh. He closed his eyes and shook his head. One day, maybe. Clenching his fist around the handle, he guided it left and the chair slowly turned with a slight hiss.
Behind him, he heard Max's hands hit the floor as she reoriented his internal gyroscopic stabilizers doing a handstand.
"Showoff," he muttered, when he really meant bitch.
THE END......................
Title: I Spy With My Electrical Eye.
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel or Stargate: Atlantis.
Characters: Max, Alec, Lorne
Fandom: Dark Angel/Stargate Atlantis - Steampunk AU.
Pairing: Alec/Lorne ust.
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Language, Violence.
Summary: Max and Alec stakeout someone's pad.
__________________________________
"Gods below, could you be anymore of a creep?" Max's irritated whine grated on his nerves, that's why she spoke that way. Arms crossed, she glared down from her perch on the next landing. "I do believe there's laws about stalkin' peeps, especially ones like members of the city guarde."
"Would you keep it down?" Nose almost pressed to the glass, Alec had to keep adjusting his position. The curtain kept moving from all the steam and both were making it hard to see through. "Your voice is going to scare his roommate's dog."
"Roommate's dog?" Her surprise and disdain practically dripped with each word. Snorting, she raised an eyebrow. "How many times you been hangin' outside this ass' window so you could stare at said piece?"
Her words were distracting him. Growling, Alec wished in his central cooling pump she would fall off the seventh floor fire escape and hit her head on every single rail on the way down. He couldn't be so lucky. Just when he thought he could glimpse pink through the steamy window, something tiny dropped on his head and he lost it.
Growling, he clenched his fist around the iron mounting of the window frame. "Max, I swear to the foundry that forged your parts, I'm going to rip your servos out one piece at a time!" He closed his eyes with a groan when another pebble plunked down on his head. "Please, Max. He only bathes at night on Wednesdays, and I don't have to explain why I can't watch him during the day!"
There was only silence from above.
At first, he really wanted to believe she was being nice for a change. He really wanted to. But, he knew better. Bracing himself for a face full of pebbles, he glared up at her. "What?"
Instead of the attack, she was frowning at him. Pity didn't look good on her. "My bad. I thought you were a pervert." She sighed and dropped the pebbles back on the ledge she dug them out of. "Turns out you're just pathetic."
Clenching his jaw, Alec groaned. Like the idiot he felt himself to be, he dropped his forehead to the glass pane. The pane that just so happened to be part of the window he had been peering through.
Inside the bathroom, the shower cut off.
Eyes wide, Alec couldn't help himself as he looked through the window. The curtain had been pulled back all the way and there he stood in all his glory. Had he been able to drag his eyes above the man's waist, he would have seen a stunned expression quickly mutate into murderous. All he could do was stare at the heavy weight of the most beautiful set of balls he'd ever seen in his short years since activation as they jiggled from side to side.
Side to side?
That wasn't right. With a frown, Alec glanced up. He found the irate Major quickly making for the window, and subsequently, him. This wasn't happening like he had fantasized!
"Uh, Max." He swallowed and drew back from the window. "You might want to run."
"What?" She looked down from the skies she'd been watching to frown at him. "Why?"
Then the window exploded outwards. The bathroom stool shot out past the fire escape and over the rail, taking most of the glass with it.
Spinning away from the explosive force, Alec brought his hands up to protect his face. Face hidden in the bricks of the building's facade, he could only hear the stool when it hit the street six stories below. From the noise of it's destruction he knew there would be no fixing it. The glass from the window shattered around it, tickling like a thousand tiny bells.
Just when he thought it safe to maybe look, something grabbed him by the back of his shirt. Eyes wide, his arms shot out to protect himself. They smacked into someone solid, but the owner of the hand was insistent.
"Gotcha, you little bastard!" It was him!
Alec found himself jerked away from the bricks, and backwards, towards the bathroom window. He desperately reached for anything to grasp onto. His flailing arms swung blindly in panic. It was to no avail and he was just about dragged inside the flat when a dark mass descended upon them.
It was Max and her feet swung towards the area behind him.
Alec suddenly found himself free and falling forwards, but his thoughts weren't for himself. "No, Max! Don't hurt him!" This time he could see the iron grating of the railing and caught himself.
Turns out, he needn't have worried.
Dropping to the grating behind him, she shook her hands out. Then she was grabbing him by the collar. "Lover boy's fine, if a little dirty again. Can't say he'll stay that way if we stick around any longer." Swinging Alec against the ladder down, she tossed him down it. "Now, let's bounce, bitch!"
He couldn't agree with her more. Though, a part of him secretly wished to stay and thrill in the glory of a dirty Major Lorne.
THE END.....................
Title: Too Old For This Shiii...
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel or Stargate: Atlantis.
Characters: Lorne, Sheppard, Alec
Fandom: Dark Angel/Stargate Atlantis - Steampunk AU.
Pairing: N/A
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Language, Violence
Summary: Evan gets a new partner, and he was just two days away from retirement.
_______________________________________
Fighting the urge to grind his teeth, Evan glared hard at the Colonel. It was insubordination and he knew it, but he didn't really care. He was a member of the City Guarde, there was a code to uphold. The fact that his superior had chosen to violate it first negated his own minor infraction.
For his part, Colonel Sheppard didn't seem too phased by this response at all. In fact, if the grin on his pathetically thin face was anything to go by, he was enjoying the entire situation greatly. Arms crossed, he leaned back against his desk. The ancient wood creaked under his weight. "It's not a request, Major."
The reminder of his rank was more than just a subtle attempt to remind him of his place. It stood for what he risked by denying this. "I understand, sir, but you must give me a chance to explain my reasoning." Hands clenched at his sides, he stood at attention. He hadn't been allowed to relax since entering the man's office.
Why was this happening to him? He hadn't done anything to piss off the upper echelon. That was his superior's forte.
Sheppard half shrugged, a disinterested look on his face. "Actually, I don't have to give you anything." The cant of his lips said again he was happy about that. "That's one of the perks of being the boss."
The sound of the bones in Evan's hands grinding together was loud in the office as he clenched his fists. He gave no other outward sign of his displeasure. "I see."
With a sigh, Sheppard stood up straight. He tugged at the front of his uniform and grimaced. "Look, it's nothing personal. To be honest, this wasn't even my decision. Trust me, I went to bat for you on this one."
Evan winced. He could just imagine how well that went down with the City Council. They barely tolerated Sheppard on a good day. That meant he was screwed even if they had been willing to rethink this. "When do I have to hand in my resignation?"
"Too late." Sheppard thrust his chin at the door behind Evan.
A long wolf-whistle erupted behind him.
Spine going rigid, Evan raised his head. He couldn't stop the sudden flare of rage in him. "No!" Breaking his posture, he whirled to face down his mortal enemy.
"Major," was Sheppard's only warning.
Leaning against the doorjamb like the casual slut he was, Alec smirked at Evan. Eyes at half mast, he stood there with his arms crossed and completely at ease.
That all changed when Evan took one stomping step towards him.
Alec sprang off the door, hands going up in a defensive posture. "Hey, now, don't do anything stupid." He dodged into the office, past Evan's first reaching swing.
Incensed that his first grab had failed, Evan charged after him. He chased the Trans-mech around Sheppard's one plant and back towards the desk. "Hold still, you damned..."
"Major!" Sheppard, out of no where, was suddenly there blocking his path. Arms up and fists at the ready, he would do what he needed to.
With a great amount of self-restraint, Evan came to a stop two steps from his commanding officer. While the man blocked his path, he refused to look at him. Instead, all his attention was focused over the man's shoulder. He could see the wide-eyed trans-mech staring right back.
Seeing that he was no longer in immediate danger, Alec chuckled. His eyes remained a little wider than usual as he stared right back. Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he grinned at him. "Nice to see you too, Major. At least, this time you're in uniform."
Evan launched himself at the cocky little bastard. While he was bodily blocked by Sheppard, his arms still snaked around the taller man and reached for that smug grin. He realized he was snarling, growling like a wild animal, but he didn't care.
There was no way in hell he was going to partner with that fucking tick-tock!
THE END.....................................
Title: Breath Softly Upon The Sill.
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel or Stargate: Atlantis.
Characters: Ben, Ames.
Fandom: Dark Angel/Stargate Atlantis - Steampunk AU.
Pairing: Ben/Ames
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Language
Summary: Death stalks the city streets.
__________________________________________
Watching the steady fall of flakes was always a pleasing event. It spelled the end of another era of prosperity and time for the death of all things. Each creature born had but a certain amount of time on this planet. It was all very poetic in it's elegance and simplicity. Only those that were truly eternal could admire it, though.
Hand held out, he caught one of the fat flakes in his leather covered palm. It quickly broke apart on the rough material and he smirked. So beautiful even in death. The tiny remains shattered and scattered to melt in the air, leaving nary a trace.
True death was rarely so elegant, though.
Life and death were both so very messy. Nothing could ever truly melt away like fallen snow. More was the pity. He so liked to leave a clean crime scene.
He gasped at the feel of large hands sliding around his waist. Tugged back against a solid body, he moaned softly with pleasure. When blunted teeth latched on to the outer shell of his ear, he only chuckled. These were the moments he craved even more than the thrill of victory. Death was sweet, but domination was even more so.
Ames squeezed him hard enough to hear his joints whine in protest. Releasing the now reddened ear, he hissed in the worn flesh. "I warned you not to leave without my permission." His breath flowed like liquid fire over his ear.
With a pleased shiver, Ben closed his eyes. "The first new snow is upon the stones. We must begin."
Wrapping his arms around the trembling Trans-mech, the man snorted in his ear. He held him tight against him. "You do not hunt unless I give you permission." When Ben tried to move, he gave him a violent shake. "I did not give you permission to leave."
Coolant valves fluttering, Ben shivered again. "Please?" They both knew it was all a farce. Neither of them really commanded the other without permission. Their's was a true partnership.
This time, Ames was dominant.
Soft and wet from lathing Ben's ear, Ames pressed his lips hard against the mech's cheek. The force would leave a bruise that lasted a few hours. When he pulled back, his eyes practically danced with pleasure. He looked out over the city below.
Following his lover's gaze, Ben stared down from their high perch on the city's most famous tower. The decayed structure of the Time Needle ended abruptly beneath their feet. Beyond, the city yawned out far across the horizon. This was their place. His power coils sparked in anticipation.
Tonight, winter would claim another of the mortals.
THE END....................................
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own StarGate: Atlantis or Dark Angel.
Characters: Lorne, Alec, Max.
Words: 1167
Prompt: Steampunk A.U. for Denyce's Birthday.
Fandom: StarGate: Atlantis/Dark Angel
Pairing: Alec/Lorne UST.
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Language, Violence.
Summary: Major Lorne of the city's Guarde hunts the night for a killer with a little help.
Author's Note: This takes place in a Steampunk version of Seattle where the X-5s are actually automatons.
______________________________________
'You won't find me in...'
The rest of the message was singed off. He had been lucky to save even this much.
Sighing, Lorne crumbled up the tiny slip of rice paper. Tossing it back to the cobblestones, he rolled his eyes to the heavens. This was not his night.
High above, billowous clouds lazily drifted above the ancient city. Smoke swirled to meet and mingle among their number from a hundred thousand chimneys. When the ceiling came down upon the morning light, it would choke the streets of Seattle for another day.
He wondered from time to time, why the city had never banned the open burning of coal. Strictly, it wasn't necessary to heat the myriad of homes. Probably, it was because the stagnant fog hid the decayed remains of the once prosperous outpost. They wouldn't have to face what it had become if they didn't have to see it.
Shaking the cobweb of morbid thoughts from his mind, Lorne rolled his shoulders and shivered. It was getting late in the year. The first snow had yet to fall. With Jack Frost nipping at his nose, it was only a matter of time, though.
And with the snow came the deaths. Another winter of terror awaited the residents of Seattle.
That is, unless he got lucky this time.
Lorne stuffed his clenched fists deep in the pockets of his over-frock. This was going to be another long winter, he feared.
The sigh that echoed in the alley did not come from his lips.
Spine rigid, he slowly turned his head to catch a glimpse of the source. At first, all he found were more decayed bricks. Piles of ancient trash gathered around the broken hulk of an even older bin. The flies had long since ceased their circling of this heap. His eyes had almost traversed the entire length of the alley when he finally spotted him.
Standing under a partially collapsed fire escape, the stranger rested one hand upon the rusted metal rungs. The groan of soft leather under his palm sounded almost a plaintiff cry in the dead night. Head tilted a little, only the lower half of his face was visible in the shadows. Plump lips were twisted in a familiar smirk.
Catching this one feature sapped the ill-ease from Lorne. Closing his eyes, a flush of anger welled up in him. "I thought I warned you about following me."
The figure snorted. "The first flakes fall in three days, Major." His soft voice held a trace of a false accent. It was learned, like all his mannerisms. There wasn't an original cog in his body. "Are you ready this time?"
Ignoring the taunt, Lorne grasped upon the one line of thought he knew would put the other on edge. "How did you slip by the patrol this time? I heard those new meters are sensitive enough to detect even your glitching."
"I have my ways." The metal of the fire escape screeched as it was tugged further downwards. Apparently Lorne had struck a nerve. "You won't catch him without me." Normally, that had been a plaintive whine. Tonight, it almost sounded a threat.
It was his turn to snort. Tugging up the pressed edges of his collar, Lorne opened his eyes and stared out the entrance of the alley. There were a few motored carriages out, but nary a one pedestrian. With the chill had come a fear. "Funny, you use he, like this thing is something more than a loose collection of gears and broken vacuum tubes. Last I heard, trans-mechs didn't have souls, let alone genders."
More of the wrought iron stairs came down. The sheering screech of metal drowned out the night. Several pieces of the dilapidated metal came falling down. The alley rang out with each impact upon the cobblestones.
Despite his best efforts, he flinched with each new hit. When the last of the ringing had ceased, he chanced a glance back. Settling among the dust and bricks laid the remains of the fire escape.
The Tictock was no where to be found.
Sighing, he started to put this latest round from his mind. He did get the chance, though, when a set of incredibly strong hands grabbed him from behind. Eyes going wide, Lorne found himself jerked off his feet and swung around. Bricks came racing at him until his face smashed against them.
An arm pinned his cheek against the crumbling stone. Clenching his eyes shut, he braced himself for more of an assault. When it never came, he dared to look.
His eyes met with only dark shadows of night. Then part of the night moved and he realized it was hair, black as coal. He recognized those raven curls.
"If he'dn't make such a fuss 'bout it, I'd crack every bone in your maggot-infested body." Her venomous words were hissed over his shoulder. Their height difference meant she couldn't growl them in his ear like she probably wanted to. The female Tictock gave his head another vicious smack against the bricks. Then she was gone.
Suddenly freed, Lorne fell back. Only his quick reflexes and desperate grip upon the bricks saved him an embarrassing landing. Clutching at the few holds he managed, he righted himself.
His heart pounded hard in his chest as bruises began to form on his cheek and temple. A part of him knew that he had earned the rough treatment. He didn't care for that particular voice, so he squashed it.
This was why he didn't freely associate with them. The odds of injury or worse grew exponentially with every moment in their presence. It was mere survival instinct that justified any bout of rudeness towards them. This and nothing more.
Straightening his over-frock, he growled. His shoulder twinged from the movement and he rolled it to test the damage. There wasn't much, but he'd be sore for a few days. Thinking this reminded him of the warning.
He had three days. Then the killings started again.
Sighing, he started out of the alley. Pebbles rained down behind him from the eaves above, but he ignored them. There was no point in focusing on such useless trivialities any further.
Some where in Seattle, a glitched trans-mech was planning it's next strike.
Above, the soft drone of an airship's engines increased as it departed. He wondered if they felt any more secure up there as they left the city. The lucky few who could afford to do so, made their escape and left the rest to face the demon they had unleashed upon them all. Sometimes, in his bitterness, he wished it would crash and take them all to hell.
Striding out on the street, Lorne felt something tickle his nose. Reaching up, he grabbed at it. His hand came back only with a tiny drop of water. Alarmed, he looked up at the sky. Slowly, tiny, white flakes drifted down from the dark heavens.
Time had run out.
THE END..........................
Title: Ticking By.
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel or Stargate: Atlantis.
Characters: Logan, Max
Fandom: Dark Angel/Stargate Atlantis - Steampunk AU.
Pairing: N/A
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Language
Summary: A little tune-up between friends.
______________________________________
Muted clicking filled the workshop, constant and regularly timed. Listening carefully, he waited a full five minutes. He judged this by the pocket watch he held in his right hand. The ticking simply continued on.
Frowning, Logan shook his head. "I don't hear it. You're timing is perfect." Stuffing the watch back in his vest pocket, he raised the magnifying lens of his monocle. "It's got to be something else."
Max could only roll her eyes. The bolts holding her head in the wire stand kept her firmly in place. Though she usually crossed her arms with a neck twitch, everything below the jaw was still bypassed. "Fine," she sighed with disgust. "Just zip me up and release the locks already. I've got an itch on my ass that's been bothering me for hours."
He glanced up at the back of her head with a snort. The constant motion of the exposed gears drew his attention. Watching them turn, thousands of them inside the casing of her skull quickly made him zone out. Vision blurry, he clenched his eyes shut and shook his head. Removing the monocle, he dropped it lightly on his work bench and picked up his bi-spectacles.
"Hey, legs, quit perving on the hardware and get crackin!" Max's irritation over the entire situation was clearly just about to boil over. For three weeks she had been complaining about the ticking. It wasn't just in her head, or maybe it was, literally.
Not that he could find it.
After putting on his glasses, he focused on the task at hand. Sighing, Logan stuck two fingers in the slit of skin just below her skull. He had to be careful to avoid the levers that adjusted vertical rotation. He'd tripped one once and nearly lost the tip of his finger. Sliding along the central power distribution node, he found the bypass switch. "All right, brace yourself."
This time when she rolled her eyes, she growled at him. "Just do it already!"
He flinched back, flicking the switch with his finger nail. Tiny sparks flashed inside the cavity, arcing along his skin. "Ow! Shit!" Shocked by the now flowing electricity, he jerked his hand back to his mouth and sucked on the burned digit.
Max went slack in the body frame. The only thing holding her up was the metal sling and the bolts keeping her head steady. Frowning at the air, she sighed. "Uh, did some wack quack forget to do somethin' or did you deliberately break my body? If so, once I get it back to working order, I'm seriously going to work on making you a full quad!"
"Oh, relax already! Jeeze." Shaking out his still numb hand, Logan leaned over the arm of his chair. "It's the ground cable, it's still bleeding off your internal generator's production until I shut down the coil." He had to stretch out the full length of his body to reach the power generator. Groaning, he grasped the handle on the device and jerked it down.
With a low groan, the Tesla Coil slowly powered down. The moment the top stopped sparking, Max stood up.
Her entire frame trembled twice, then she reached up to grasp her face. Finding the bolts, she quickly on unscrewed them from her ports.
"You know, this wouldn't be such a problem if you bothered to have a secondary power source installed in that thick head of yours." Turning over his hand, he examined it for any burns. Finding none, he exhaled with relief. "I wouldn't have to waste electricity using my own coil."
Fingers working on the skin at the base of her skull, Max twisted her head from side to side until the U-joints clicked back into place. "And I keep telling you, I can't have sensitive equipment like batteries in my head. Batteries tend to leak when punched hard enough. A girl likes being able to keep functioning, thank you very much." Her skin sealed shut with a slight hiss and a bit of smoke rising up from the self-cauterization.
Knowing it was a hopeless cause, Logan grabbed the control box of his mechanized chair. After throwing the switch to power it up, he grit his teeth and braced himself. Beneath the seat, the motor hummed as it started to life. The fly wheel on the generator kicked dust off the motor and the entire thing grumbled awake.
The control stick on the foot board shivered under his grip as he pushed it up from between his legs. For a moment, he glanced down at the useless lumps of bone and flesh. He closed his eyes and shook his head. One day, maybe. Clenching his fist around the handle, he guided it left and the chair slowly turned with a slight hiss.
Behind him, he heard Max's hands hit the floor as she reoriented his internal gyroscopic stabilizers doing a handstand.
"Showoff," he muttered, when he really meant bitch.
THE END......................
Title: I Spy With My Electrical Eye.
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel or Stargate: Atlantis.
Characters: Max, Alec, Lorne
Fandom: Dark Angel/Stargate Atlantis - Steampunk AU.
Pairing: Alec/Lorne ust.
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Language, Violence.
Summary: Max and Alec stakeout someone's pad.
__________________________________
"Gods below, could you be anymore of a creep?" Max's irritated whine grated on his nerves, that's why she spoke that way. Arms crossed, she glared down from her perch on the next landing. "I do believe there's laws about stalkin' peeps, especially ones like members of the city guarde."
"Would you keep it down?" Nose almost pressed to the glass, Alec had to keep adjusting his position. The curtain kept moving from all the steam and both were making it hard to see through. "Your voice is going to scare his roommate's dog."
"Roommate's dog?" Her surprise and disdain practically dripped with each word. Snorting, she raised an eyebrow. "How many times you been hangin' outside this ass' window so you could stare at said piece?"
Her words were distracting him. Growling, Alec wished in his central cooling pump she would fall off the seventh floor fire escape and hit her head on every single rail on the way down. He couldn't be so lucky. Just when he thought he could glimpse pink through the steamy window, something tiny dropped on his head and he lost it.
Growling, he clenched his fist around the iron mounting of the window frame. "Max, I swear to the foundry that forged your parts, I'm going to rip your servos out one piece at a time!" He closed his eyes with a groan when another pebble plunked down on his head. "Please, Max. He only bathes at night on Wednesdays, and I don't have to explain why I can't watch him during the day!"
There was only silence from above.
At first, he really wanted to believe she was being nice for a change. He really wanted to. But, he knew better. Bracing himself for a face full of pebbles, he glared up at her. "What?"
Instead of the attack, she was frowning at him. Pity didn't look good on her. "My bad. I thought you were a pervert." She sighed and dropped the pebbles back on the ledge she dug them out of. "Turns out you're just pathetic."
Clenching his jaw, Alec groaned. Like the idiot he felt himself to be, he dropped his forehead to the glass pane. The pane that just so happened to be part of the window he had been peering through.
Inside the bathroom, the shower cut off.
Eyes wide, Alec couldn't help himself as he looked through the window. The curtain had been pulled back all the way and there he stood in all his glory. Had he been able to drag his eyes above the man's waist, he would have seen a stunned expression quickly mutate into murderous. All he could do was stare at the heavy weight of the most beautiful set of balls he'd ever seen in his short years since activation as they jiggled from side to side.
Side to side?
That wasn't right. With a frown, Alec glanced up. He found the irate Major quickly making for the window, and subsequently, him. This wasn't happening like he had fantasized!
"Uh, Max." He swallowed and drew back from the window. "You might want to run."
"What?" She looked down from the skies she'd been watching to frown at him. "Why?"
Then the window exploded outwards. The bathroom stool shot out past the fire escape and over the rail, taking most of the glass with it.
Spinning away from the explosive force, Alec brought his hands up to protect his face. Face hidden in the bricks of the building's facade, he could only hear the stool when it hit the street six stories below. From the noise of it's destruction he knew there would be no fixing it. The glass from the window shattered around it, tickling like a thousand tiny bells.
Just when he thought it safe to maybe look, something grabbed him by the back of his shirt. Eyes wide, his arms shot out to protect himself. They smacked into someone solid, but the owner of the hand was insistent.
"Gotcha, you little bastard!" It was him!
Alec found himself jerked away from the bricks, and backwards, towards the bathroom window. He desperately reached for anything to grasp onto. His flailing arms swung blindly in panic. It was to no avail and he was just about dragged inside the flat when a dark mass descended upon them.
It was Max and her feet swung towards the area behind him.
Alec suddenly found himself free and falling forwards, but his thoughts weren't for himself. "No, Max! Don't hurt him!" This time he could see the iron grating of the railing and caught himself.
Turns out, he needn't have worried.
Dropping to the grating behind him, she shook her hands out. Then she was grabbing him by the collar. "Lover boy's fine, if a little dirty again. Can't say he'll stay that way if we stick around any longer." Swinging Alec against the ladder down, she tossed him down it. "Now, let's bounce, bitch!"
He couldn't agree with her more. Though, a part of him secretly wished to stay and thrill in the glory of a dirty Major Lorne.
THE END.....................
Title: Too Old For This Shiii...
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel or Stargate: Atlantis.
Characters: Lorne, Sheppard, Alec
Fandom: Dark Angel/Stargate Atlantis - Steampunk AU.
Pairing: N/A
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Language, Violence
Summary: Evan gets a new partner, and he was just two days away from retirement.
_______________________________________
Fighting the urge to grind his teeth, Evan glared hard at the Colonel. It was insubordination and he knew it, but he didn't really care. He was a member of the City Guarde, there was a code to uphold. The fact that his superior had chosen to violate it first negated his own minor infraction.
For his part, Colonel Sheppard didn't seem too phased by this response at all. In fact, if the grin on his pathetically thin face was anything to go by, he was enjoying the entire situation greatly. Arms crossed, he leaned back against his desk. The ancient wood creaked under his weight. "It's not a request, Major."
The reminder of his rank was more than just a subtle attempt to remind him of his place. It stood for what he risked by denying this. "I understand, sir, but you must give me a chance to explain my reasoning." Hands clenched at his sides, he stood at attention. He hadn't been allowed to relax since entering the man's office.
Why was this happening to him? He hadn't done anything to piss off the upper echelon. That was his superior's forte.
Sheppard half shrugged, a disinterested look on his face. "Actually, I don't have to give you anything." The cant of his lips said again he was happy about that. "That's one of the perks of being the boss."
The sound of the bones in Evan's hands grinding together was loud in the office as he clenched his fists. He gave no other outward sign of his displeasure. "I see."
With a sigh, Sheppard stood up straight. He tugged at the front of his uniform and grimaced. "Look, it's nothing personal. To be honest, this wasn't even my decision. Trust me, I went to bat for you on this one."
Evan winced. He could just imagine how well that went down with the City Council. They barely tolerated Sheppard on a good day. That meant he was screwed even if they had been willing to rethink this. "When do I have to hand in my resignation?"
"Too late." Sheppard thrust his chin at the door behind Evan.
A long wolf-whistle erupted behind him.
Spine going rigid, Evan raised his head. He couldn't stop the sudden flare of rage in him. "No!" Breaking his posture, he whirled to face down his mortal enemy.
"Major," was Sheppard's only warning.
Leaning against the doorjamb like the casual slut he was, Alec smirked at Evan. Eyes at half mast, he stood there with his arms crossed and completely at ease.
That all changed when Evan took one stomping step towards him.
Alec sprang off the door, hands going up in a defensive posture. "Hey, now, don't do anything stupid." He dodged into the office, past Evan's first reaching swing.
Incensed that his first grab had failed, Evan charged after him. He chased the Trans-mech around Sheppard's one plant and back towards the desk. "Hold still, you damned..."
"Major!" Sheppard, out of no where, was suddenly there blocking his path. Arms up and fists at the ready, he would do what he needed to.
With a great amount of self-restraint, Evan came to a stop two steps from his commanding officer. While the man blocked his path, he refused to look at him. Instead, all his attention was focused over the man's shoulder. He could see the wide-eyed trans-mech staring right back.
Seeing that he was no longer in immediate danger, Alec chuckled. His eyes remained a little wider than usual as he stared right back. Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he grinned at him. "Nice to see you too, Major. At least, this time you're in uniform."
Evan launched himself at the cocky little bastard. While he was bodily blocked by Sheppard, his arms still snaked around the taller man and reached for that smug grin. He realized he was snarling, growling like a wild animal, but he didn't care.
There was no way in hell he was going to partner with that fucking tick-tock!
THE END.....................................
Title: Breath Softly Upon The Sill.
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel or Stargate: Atlantis.
Characters: Ben, Ames.
Fandom: Dark Angel/Stargate Atlantis - Steampunk AU.
Pairing: Ben/Ames
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Language
Summary: Death stalks the city streets.
__________________________________________
Watching the steady fall of flakes was always a pleasing event. It spelled the end of another era of prosperity and time for the death of all things. Each creature born had but a certain amount of time on this planet. It was all very poetic in it's elegance and simplicity. Only those that were truly eternal could admire it, though.
Hand held out, he caught one of the fat flakes in his leather covered palm. It quickly broke apart on the rough material and he smirked. So beautiful even in death. The tiny remains shattered and scattered to melt in the air, leaving nary a trace.
True death was rarely so elegant, though.
Life and death were both so very messy. Nothing could ever truly melt away like fallen snow. More was the pity. He so liked to leave a clean crime scene.
He gasped at the feel of large hands sliding around his waist. Tugged back against a solid body, he moaned softly with pleasure. When blunted teeth latched on to the outer shell of his ear, he only chuckled. These were the moments he craved even more than the thrill of victory. Death was sweet, but domination was even more so.
Ames squeezed him hard enough to hear his joints whine in protest. Releasing the now reddened ear, he hissed in the worn flesh. "I warned you not to leave without my permission." His breath flowed like liquid fire over his ear.
With a pleased shiver, Ben closed his eyes. "The first new snow is upon the stones. We must begin."
Wrapping his arms around the trembling Trans-mech, the man snorted in his ear. He held him tight against him. "You do not hunt unless I give you permission." When Ben tried to move, he gave him a violent shake. "I did not give you permission to leave."
Coolant valves fluttering, Ben shivered again. "Please?" They both knew it was all a farce. Neither of them really commanded the other without permission. Their's was a true partnership.
This time, Ames was dominant.
Soft and wet from lathing Ben's ear, Ames pressed his lips hard against the mech's cheek. The force would leave a bruise that lasted a few hours. When he pulled back, his eyes practically danced with pleasure. He looked out over the city below.
Following his lover's gaze, Ben stared down from their high perch on the city's most famous tower. The decayed structure of the Time Needle ended abruptly beneath their feet. Beyond, the city yawned out far across the horizon. This was their place. His power coils sparked in anticipation.
Tonight, winter would claim another of the mortals.
THE END....................................
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no subject
Date: 2011-12-21 02:20 pm (UTC)Hope to see more in the future. :)
Superb, it made me laugh so much!
Growling, Alec wished in his central cooling pump she would fall off the seventh floor fire escape and hit her head on every single rail on the way down.
Oh, and great of you mentioning the Tesla Coil, nifty!
no subject
Date: 2011-12-21 05:30 pm (UTC)Thank you. Funny is the default setting with new genres and fandoms for me.
I should do a Sanctuary/DA fic. Oh wait, I already have. Hmm, maybe I should finish it.
no subject
Date: 2011-12-24 09:09 pm (UTC)Yeah, I took a look at a few of your JedGarrity/4400... very, very humourous I have to say. :D
no subject
Date: 2011-12-24 10:15 pm (UTC)