Max walked into Jam Pony with her big winter jacket on, hood covering the bruises all over her face from last nights rough fight for what Logan insists is for the good of many. Why and how does he expect her to be this savior to so many people? It was a nice thought but unlikely. Plus she was sick of him 'just figuring' she'll do it for him, what with being transgenic and all. It wasn't like she didn't owe him the favors, she knew she did; it was the aches she incurs shortly after helping him out that ruins the flavor of the good deed.
"Max! Nice of you to show!" Normal shouted across the room, where everybody within 20 feet could hear him loud and clear. Her head throbbed by the pitch of his voice and made her wince.
"Thanks, I know." she replied less hostile than most mornings and headed for her locker, adding alittle more attitude to her stride. Only she knew the pain she was in today so getting away with it would be easy as cake. Sketchy and the new bike messanger girl, Lea, were discussing how much drink is enough to get one legally 'drunk'. She would have liked to interrupt them with a snide comment but the strain she put on her lips made her dizzy. O.C. came up to the locker row and sat down next to her while Max moved the hood alittle further over her face. O.C. saw her face in the shadows and leaned in to get a closer look.
"Ouch, Boo, another heroic night?" Max yanked the hood off her face alittle and sighed. If Logan loved her so much, why did he continually send her on missions that could get her killed? Max loved Logan but sometimes she just did not understand his concept of showing his own.
"More and more guys gettin' tougher out there these days, like they're all hopped up on Super pills or somethin'..."
"Why do you do this to yourself?" Max sagged her head deeper towards her lap and stood up. Right behind her stood Alec and he was looking at her with a wide eyed expression. Truth be told, he almost seemed to care, more than just the normal clever 'told ya so' today.
"Wow, Max, what happened to you?" Max stifled back a rude remark and tried seriousness for once. Being ignorant anyway would never prove herself better than him, like she knew she was.
"Bad fight. What can I say, sometimes I'm not always super girl."
"Hard to believe for an X-5,..." he said, not believing her, "Who were they?" Max heard Normal grumbling again in the background and explaining how badly she got her butt kicked last night was not what she wanted. She began to walk away on him.
"Max-" he called out, sounding strangely desperate. O.C. raised her eyebrow as Max turned around, signalling to Max that even she sensed a difference in the boy.
"What?" she answered him, pulling the hood back over. His eyes were glazed over. He had a look on his face like he was standing in front of a live television audience in his underwear. Max would have waited for his response but it didn't seem to be coming any time soon. She continued on her way towards the desk to recieve a package. Alec followed her and grabbed a package too.
"This have anything to do with Ames White?" Alec said worriedly. Max's throat swelled up with just that name. Lydecker used to make her skin crawl; still does, but Ames White was the type of evil you only imagined in nightmares.
"Logan had a lead on where the papers for the cure might be and a couple of his gene friends were there. How'd you know?" Alec's eyes traced his surroundings. He was so used to having check for enemies. Max remembered that feeling up until Lydecker turned up missing. Then all so suddenly, things were safe. Her brothers and sisters, they were all gonna be okay. The cautiousness ended. Same thing happened with White. But now he doesn't know where she is and she's been breathing a tad bit easier ever since. It only ever took a small scare to get her nerves going though. Alec was different though. He never had a Lydecker. But Ames had his number on speed dial; Alec knew that.
"Who else could have beat the crap out of you?" Alec said, no grin but definatly with a sarcastic tone. Max picked back up her tough girl attitude.
"Nobody..." Alec nodded then added, "So what were they doing there, confiscating Manticore materials?" Max had been wondering all night about that. The only satisfying conclusion was that there was some kind of glitch in thier gene codes and they needed some help. But they've been around for billions of years apparently. Why would they need any help? Haven't they had enough time to fix all the glitches? Alec wasn't sure it was that either when she told him. But he reminded her to be careful.
"Alec, are you actually worried for me?" Max replied snidely, "I find that hard to believe." Alec was quiet far into Sector 9, which was unusual. He could never keep quiet that long.
"Ok, so you are worried for me. But why? I can take care of myself."
"You mean, you have Logan to bail you out." Max shook herself but knew she shouldn't be surprised by his forthwrightness. Alec had confidence in speaking his mind. Max just had a way with words. Speaking up when it really mattered shattered her confidence in seconds. Maybe thats why all she ever could do was argue. Argue when all she really wanted was to speak.
"Excuse me? I don't need Logan to bail me out."
"How about what happened at Harbor Lights?"
"Total coincendence. I could've gotten out of there myself if I really had to."
"But you didn't. You relied on Logan."
"What are you suggesting, Alec?" Max was taking offense now. Alec had never gotten into an argument like this with her before.
"Maybe the reason you keep getting into trouble is because of Logan, all those mercy missions he sends you on."
"He doesn't send me. He asks. And I resent you saying I am like, his puppet."
"But you are, Max. You are Logan's puppet!" He was raising his voice now.
"Alec just because you feel your life has no purpose doesn't make it right to stomp all over mine."
"Have you seen your face? Do you see how your love-"
"Love? Who ever said I loved him?"
"Puhlease..."
"Alec, aren't you out of your sector for that package? Leave me alone."
"Admit it, Max. Your love for Logan is gonna kill you someday."
"This isn't 'Penny for your thoughts' day, Alec. I said, leave me alone."
What was her problem? She loved Logan. She knew the missions her sends her on were always dangerous. How come she could not admit it to Alec? How come the way he looked at her made the skin up her spine tingle? She couldn't care right now, she had a job to finish. Last night Logan asked her to come over for dinner. She loved the food he made her and she had been looking forward to it all day. But now, since the argument with Alec, her mind was in a totally different place. She could no longer find enjoyment in today. He had ruined it for her, the jerk. Like usual....
"Max! Nice of you to show!" Normal shouted across the room, where everybody within 20 feet could hear him loud and clear. Her head throbbed by the pitch of his voice and made her wince.
"Thanks, I know." she replied less hostile than most mornings and headed for her locker, adding alittle more attitude to her stride. Only she knew the pain she was in today so getting away with it would be easy as cake. Sketchy and the new bike messanger girl, Lea, were discussing how much drink is enough to get one legally 'drunk'. She would have liked to interrupt them with a snide comment but the strain she put on her lips made her dizzy. O.C. came up to the locker row and sat down next to her while Max moved the hood alittle further over her face. O.C. saw her face in the shadows and leaned in to get a closer look.
"Ouch, Boo, another heroic night?" Max yanked the hood off her face alittle and sighed. If Logan loved her so much, why did he continually send her on missions that could get her killed? Max loved Logan but sometimes she just did not understand his concept of showing his own.
"More and more guys gettin' tougher out there these days, like they're all hopped up on Super pills or somethin'..."
"Why do you do this to yourself?" Max sagged her head deeper towards her lap and stood up. Right behind her stood Alec and he was looking at her with a wide eyed expression. Truth be told, he almost seemed to care, more than just the normal clever 'told ya so' today.
"Wow, Max, what happened to you?" Max stifled back a rude remark and tried seriousness for once. Being ignorant anyway would never prove herself better than him, like she knew she was.
"Bad fight. What can I say, sometimes I'm not always super girl."
"Hard to believe for an X-5,..." he said, not believing her, "Who were they?" Max heard Normal grumbling again in the background and explaining how badly she got her butt kicked last night was not what she wanted. She began to walk away on him.
"Max-" he called out, sounding strangely desperate. O.C. raised her eyebrow as Max turned around, signalling to Max that even she sensed a difference in the boy.
"What?" she answered him, pulling the hood back over. His eyes were glazed over. He had a look on his face like he was standing in front of a live television audience in his underwear. Max would have waited for his response but it didn't seem to be coming any time soon. She continued on her way towards the desk to recieve a package. Alec followed her and grabbed a package too.
"This have anything to do with Ames White?" Alec said worriedly. Max's throat swelled up with just that name. Lydecker used to make her skin crawl; still does, but Ames White was the type of evil you only imagined in nightmares.
"Logan had a lead on where the papers for the cure might be and a couple of his gene friends were there. How'd you know?" Alec's eyes traced his surroundings. He was so used to having check for enemies. Max remembered that feeling up until Lydecker turned up missing. Then all so suddenly, things were safe. Her brothers and sisters, they were all gonna be okay. The cautiousness ended. Same thing happened with White. But now he doesn't know where she is and she's been breathing a tad bit easier ever since. It only ever took a small scare to get her nerves going though. Alec was different though. He never had a Lydecker. But Ames had his number on speed dial; Alec knew that.
"Who else could have beat the crap out of you?" Alec said, no grin but definatly with a sarcastic tone. Max picked back up her tough girl attitude.
"Nobody..." Alec nodded then added, "So what were they doing there, confiscating Manticore materials?" Max had been wondering all night about that. The only satisfying conclusion was that there was some kind of glitch in thier gene codes and they needed some help. But they've been around for billions of years apparently. Why would they need any help? Haven't they had enough time to fix all the glitches? Alec wasn't sure it was that either when she told him. But he reminded her to be careful.
"Alec, are you actually worried for me?" Max replied snidely, "I find that hard to believe." Alec was quiet far into Sector 9, which was unusual. He could never keep quiet that long.
"Ok, so you are worried for me. But why? I can take care of myself."
"You mean, you have Logan to bail you out." Max shook herself but knew she shouldn't be surprised by his forthwrightness. Alec had confidence in speaking his mind. Max just had a way with words. Speaking up when it really mattered shattered her confidence in seconds. Maybe thats why all she ever could do was argue. Argue when all she really wanted was to speak.
"Excuse me? I don't need Logan to bail me out."
"How about what happened at Harbor Lights?"
"Total coincendence. I could've gotten out of there myself if I really had to."
"But you didn't. You relied on Logan."
"What are you suggesting, Alec?" Max was taking offense now. Alec had never gotten into an argument like this with her before.
"Maybe the reason you keep getting into trouble is because of Logan, all those mercy missions he sends you on."
"He doesn't send me. He asks. And I resent you saying I am like, his puppet."
"But you are, Max. You are Logan's puppet!" He was raising his voice now.
"Alec just because you feel your life has no purpose doesn't make it right to stomp all over mine."
"Have you seen your face? Do you see how your love-"
"Love? Who ever said I loved him?"
"Puhlease..."
"Alec, aren't you out of your sector for that package? Leave me alone."
"Admit it, Max. Your love for Logan is gonna kill you someday."
"This isn't 'Penny for your thoughts' day, Alec. I said, leave me alone."
What was her problem? She loved Logan. She knew the missions her sends her on were always dangerous. How come she could not admit it to Alec? How come the way he looked at her made the skin up her spine tingle? She couldn't care right now, she had a job to finish. Last night Logan asked her to come over for dinner. She loved the food he made her and she had been looking forward to it all day. But now, since the argument with Alec, her mind was in a totally different place. She could no longer find enjoyment in today. He had ruined it for her, the jerk. Like usual....