Chapter One: Shutting Down
*How could this happen?* Max thought as she looked around the unfamiliar room, her eyes landing on a smug man with devilish features. She browsed through the index of her memory, and mentally reached for the tab marked, "earlier today." Going through the pictures, she put them together. Apartment . . . Alec and OC. . . Handcuffs . . . HANDCUFFS?! Oh . . .then there was a picture of her baby's license plate. Alec always told her to change it more often – tactical advantage.
Stupid Sector Police now had her baby. Max wondered how much White had paid them to take her away into custody. She had bought that bike with her own legal cash! Thankfully, she was bailed out of jail an hour later. Unfortunately, it was by her archenemy and all around bad guy – Special Agent Ames White.
"Where's my son?" the evil man (commonly known as Special Agent Ames White) reiterated. "WHERE?" was repeated over and over with some "Do I have to kill you and retrieve 494 and that dog-man?" thrown into the mix. After a few of his smacks, hits and tortuous questions, Max began to shut her body down. She couldn't let anything slip; TC would be in danger and it would, once again, be her fault. Any secrets he would've managed to get out of her would compromise their safety AND without their knowledge. But good ol' Manticore always had a few - but very useful - tricks up its sleeve. Her body was the easier of the two to close down– it was strapped to a cold, hard metal chair. She then set to the second step of rendering herself unconscious, but her mind was much more difficult. Thoughts of Ray, Alec, Joshua, Logan and TC buzzed through her mind. Alec was hardest to forget: How could you forget the one person who was always around (and who kept being brought up by White)? Okay, so it may have been a bit more than that. He was vital to her and she couldn't imagine her life without him. Not that she would EVER admit this to anyone.
Max shut Alec in a safe that her mind couldn't break into. He became a question wrapped in an enigma enveloped in a mystery which she didn't know was there. There were only a few things she didn't even bother to forget: OC, her best friend who could really put on the smack down, and Manticore. She didn't need to worry about OC; girls kick ass, says so on a tee- shirt. Manticore – well, Manticore was too painful and complicated. Other things – small things – were still there, but Max didn't care. Her mission was almost complete. She wasn't aware of gunshots and a once familiar voice saying, "Max, we're getting you out of here."
***~***
Alec crouched down, hiding in the shadows. It had taken them way too long to find the right corridor. Why did those damn familiars have to make them all look the same? Even with Transgenic senses, the place had them confused. It wasn't important now though; they were in the right place.
Then Alec saw her. She was strapped down to a chair in the middle of the room, displayed for White in all her glory. He was struck speechless – she was covered in blood. He couldn't signal to her, she was hurt and couldn't do anything while stuck to the furniture. He needed a distraction. Eyeing Mole's gun, several possibilities began to form.
Alec then saw Max flutter her eyes closed and watched the all too familiar process start. *Shit. She's shutting down. We gotta hurry this up. * Alec waited a minute, and then motioned to his partners in crime. Mole shot off his gun, distracting the Familiar. Alec blurred behind White's back and took his opportunity to knock his enemy out. After White was on the floor, complete with two very black eyes and a broken leg, Alec grabbed an extremely quiet Max and whispered, "Max, we're getting you out of here."
He hoped Max hadn't completed the process. She was a perfectionist on missions and it was very, very probable that she wouldn't remember he existed. *Why is that so bad? *She would forget he was her personal punching bag. Yelling wouldn't be as frequent, either. But it still scared him. He had a clue as to why, but he'd be damned if he ever admitted it. A ring of smoke framed his face, bringing him back to reality. He undid the ties on Max's chair and brought her over to Mole. Her limp body hung loosely in his arms and weighted him down with thoughts again.
*Max would never let me hold her like this. Or at all. She must have completed the process. Ha! Lover boy's gonna flip when she doesn't remember he's a geeky cyber-hero . . . I mean, love of her life. Maybe she'll see him for what he really is . . .I'm getting seriously sick of that know-it- all old man. She should really find someone more her type . . . *
Alec almost tripped over Mole's gun he was so distracted. He woke up out of his daydream and handed Max over to Joshua. Mole took his chance to spit on White's face before Alec strapped the Agent into the hard metal chair. The bastard really deserved it.
*How could this happen?* Max thought as she looked around the unfamiliar room, her eyes landing on a smug man with devilish features. She browsed through the index of her memory, and mentally reached for the tab marked, "earlier today." Going through the pictures, she put them together. Apartment . . . Alec and OC. . . Handcuffs . . . HANDCUFFS?! Oh . . .then there was a picture of her baby's license plate. Alec always told her to change it more often – tactical advantage.
Stupid Sector Police now had her baby. Max wondered how much White had paid them to take her away into custody. She had bought that bike with her own legal cash! Thankfully, she was bailed out of jail an hour later. Unfortunately, it was by her archenemy and all around bad guy – Special Agent Ames White.
"Where's my son?" the evil man (commonly known as Special Agent Ames White) reiterated. "WHERE?" was repeated over and over with some "Do I have to kill you and retrieve 494 and that dog-man?" thrown into the mix. After a few of his smacks, hits and tortuous questions, Max began to shut her body down. She couldn't let anything slip; TC would be in danger and it would, once again, be her fault. Any secrets he would've managed to get out of her would compromise their safety AND without their knowledge. But good ol' Manticore always had a few - but very useful - tricks up its sleeve. Her body was the easier of the two to close down– it was strapped to a cold, hard metal chair. She then set to the second step of rendering herself unconscious, but her mind was much more difficult. Thoughts of Ray, Alec, Joshua, Logan and TC buzzed through her mind. Alec was hardest to forget: How could you forget the one person who was always around (and who kept being brought up by White)? Okay, so it may have been a bit more than that. He was vital to her and she couldn't imagine her life without him. Not that she would EVER admit this to anyone.
Max shut Alec in a safe that her mind couldn't break into. He became a question wrapped in an enigma enveloped in a mystery which she didn't know was there. There were only a few things she didn't even bother to forget: OC, her best friend who could really put on the smack down, and Manticore. She didn't need to worry about OC; girls kick ass, says so on a tee- shirt. Manticore – well, Manticore was too painful and complicated. Other things – small things – were still there, but Max didn't care. Her mission was almost complete. She wasn't aware of gunshots and a once familiar voice saying, "Max, we're getting you out of here."
***~***
Alec crouched down, hiding in the shadows. It had taken them way too long to find the right corridor. Why did those damn familiars have to make them all look the same? Even with Transgenic senses, the place had them confused. It wasn't important now though; they were in the right place.
Then Alec saw her. She was strapped down to a chair in the middle of the room, displayed for White in all her glory. He was struck speechless – she was covered in blood. He couldn't signal to her, she was hurt and couldn't do anything while stuck to the furniture. He needed a distraction. Eyeing Mole's gun, several possibilities began to form.
Alec then saw Max flutter her eyes closed and watched the all too familiar process start. *Shit. She's shutting down. We gotta hurry this up. * Alec waited a minute, and then motioned to his partners in crime. Mole shot off his gun, distracting the Familiar. Alec blurred behind White's back and took his opportunity to knock his enemy out. After White was on the floor, complete with two very black eyes and a broken leg, Alec grabbed an extremely quiet Max and whispered, "Max, we're getting you out of here."
He hoped Max hadn't completed the process. She was a perfectionist on missions and it was very, very probable that she wouldn't remember he existed. *Why is that so bad? *She would forget he was her personal punching bag. Yelling wouldn't be as frequent, either. But it still scared him. He had a clue as to why, but he'd be damned if he ever admitted it. A ring of smoke framed his face, bringing him back to reality. He undid the ties on Max's chair and brought her over to Mole. Her limp body hung loosely in his arms and weighted him down with thoughts again.
*Max would never let me hold her like this. Or at all. She must have completed the process. Ha! Lover boy's gonna flip when she doesn't remember he's a geeky cyber-hero . . . I mean, love of her life. Maybe she'll see him for what he really is . . .I'm getting seriously sick of that know-it- all old man. She should really find someone more her type . . . *
Alec almost tripped over Mole's gun he was so distracted. He woke up out of his daydream and handed Max over to Joshua. Mole took his chance to spit on White's face before Alec strapped the Agent into the hard metal chair. The bastard really deserved it.