Max moved soundlessly across the abandoned floor of the hospital building. Peeling wallpaper and wrecked boxes climbed up the sides of the hallways and she stayed close to the center with a watchful eye. A lone window stood at the end of the near vacant wall and cast a gloomy light from the moon across the tiled floor. It looked almost like a cheesy horror film that makes you scream at the idiot on scream to run. Max rolled her shoulders back and pushed off the feeling this scenery was sending her.
"Max I think I found it." One of the X5s called before moving into a room off to right, gun in front of him. Max twisted around and slid in through the doorway to see a room piled high with large metal rates with Tryptophan stamped in bold red letters across the width.
"Well I wonder what's in there?" Alec sneered coming up behind Max and lowering his lips by her ear, "Care to make a guess?"
"Shut up Alec." Max barked but she couldn't help the smile ebbing up the sides of her lips. "Let's start unloading this place."
Alec pushed forward and they built an assembly line to get the boxes out of the small room. There were four crates in total but they were rather heavy, even for transgenic strength. Alec heaved up one of the top crates and passed it off to Max who kept it moving down the line.
"4 crates of tryptophan in the room, 4 crates of tryptophan, take one down pass it around, 3 crates of tryptophan in the room…" Alec began to hum reaching back for the next crate. Max shook her head slowly as he continued.
"You really need to work on her communication skills if that is the only thing you can think to say." Max spat playfully taking the crate from Alec's arms.
"I need to work on my communication skills? Hah! Says the girl who hits people to show her frustration!" Alec teased back. Max punched him in the arm and stuck her tongue out to cover up her grin, "My point has just been proven!"
"Well if you weren't such a pain then I wouldn't need to punch you." Max quipped placing her hands on her hips as Alec swiveled to grab the next crate.
"Me? A pain? Oh Max you wound me!" he cried placing his palm over his heart in mock agony, "And besides I am Mr. Charming. Just ask the swarm of girls that line up outside my door."
"Hah! More like Mr…." She began to retort but suddenly a bright red light flooded the room followed by the screech of an alarm. The wail continued and Max stood frozen glancing around for signs of danger. Alec snapped out of his trance first and barked orders for the lower X5s to get out.
"Max! come on we got to go!" Alec yelped just as the metal doors began to close. Alec pressed the resisting female backwards until they were in the doorway but it was too close to closed to push through. Alec wrapped his fingers around the metal door and pulled to the side until the door squealed in resistance and began to move against its will. "Max go! Hurry!"
The other X5s stood on the other side of the door and stared wide eyed at the marvel that was happening before them. Max motioned for them to take the pills and get out but they resisted until Alec nodded his agreement. Sweat was now beading on his forehead and his chest heaved in exertion as he continued to keep the heavy metal at bay.
"Max you have to get through now!"
This snapped Max from her stupor and she took in the scene and Alec's shaking frame. If he held the door open then as soon as she was through he was going to let go. And that meant he wouldn't be getting out. "No Alec, you won't be able to get out."
Alec simply nodded in understanding before tensing his shoulder muscles and yanking backwards again, "You have to get through Max, I can't hold this much longer."
"No! I won't leave you here!"
"You have to!"
"We will think of another way!"
"There is no other way!" Alec yelled back, his voice loud but calm. He was nearly shaking now with the pressure that was building up from keeping those doors open. Max was taken aback when he looked over to her. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't quite place but knew was important and it made her heart ache. "Let me save you this time."
Max was about to protest when he bit into his lip and pressed his eyes closed before staring right at her. His eyes were swimming with tears and she knew hers were too. "Please Maxie."
She didn't know if it was the words, the eyes, or the emotion that got to her but Max nodded and moved across the threshold. As soon as she was out of the doorway Alec released it and it slammed closed with a sickening pop. Max charged for door but only succeeded in hitting her arms on the cool metal. Max stared through the glass window in the middle of the door and could see Alec stretching his cramped fingers.
"Alec! Can you hear me?" Max cried out banging her small clenched fists onto the door until he turned towards her.
"Yeah, Maxie, there is no need to yell." Alec quipped happily putting on a big fake grin and waltzing over to the door.
"So, I guess you're okay since your smart ass ain't broken."
"You and my ass Maxie, you really need to get this fetish checked out."
"I don't have a…"
"Do you hear that?" Alec interrupted, titling his head to the left and furrowing his brow. Max shook her head before leaning into the door and placing her ear to it. Sure enough she could hear a faint hissing sound.
"What is that?" Max called lifting her eyes back to the glass.
"I have no clue- wait there is something coming through the vent." Alec moved away from the window for a moment and Max craned her neck in an attempt to keep him in eye shot.
"What is it?" She asked as he came back to the door. His hazel eyes were slightly more wide as his smirk was breaking.
"Nothing Max." He answered to quickly, his eyes darting off to the side.
"Alec, just tell me." Max ordered, caught between frustration and worry. Alec swallowed thickly and licked his lips before attempting to tell her, but only a wracking cough came out. Max peered into the room to see a thick yellow fog rolling in across the floor. "Alec what is that?"
He merely shook his head and placed a hand to his chest as more harsh coughs ripped from his chest. He stumbled toward the doorway and palmed meekly at the metal before falling to his knees gasping. Max stared down wide eyed as he went down. His lips were gaping like a fish out of water but his chest did not rise. Max slammed into the door with her full body weight and it sent her backwards sprawling. She stood again, this time aiming for the small window. She lifted her leg and kicked out, wincing as pain shot up her calve and the glass shattered. She glared back into the space to see the yellow fog suck back into the vents in a quick inhalation. The door slipped open and Max rushed forward to kneel by Alec's side.
His lips were a pale blue and his eyes remained glazed as she pressed her ear to his mouth. "Come on Alec you can't do this to me." Max grumbled giving a whack to his chest. He dragged in a breath of air and coughed repeatedly for a few minutes before slumping back into Max's grip.
"Knew you cared… Maxie." He murmured almost sleepily, leaning heavily into her embrace.
"Nah, I just didn't want to explain your death to the flock of girls outside your door."
DarkAngel
"You need to go on a diet." Max groaned as she struggled under Alec's bulk trying to maneuver them to the van.
"It's all muscle baby." Alec chuckled looking down at her grimace and winking.
"I think that lack of oxygen damaged the few brain cells you still have working." Max spat back as the van came into view.
"Oh Maxie, Maxie, Maxie, Maxie , I am so on a high from not being dead that your bitter words do not hurt me." Alec grinned smartly trying to draw some of his weight back to his own feet but wobbling at the attempt. Max pulled him closer and pressed her hip against his as he swayed.
"Just shut up and let me help you to the truck." Max snapped but the words weren't nearly as cold as she meant them to be. Alec nodded mutely and dragged in a breath deep into his lungs as they approached the truck. The young male X5s that had accompanied them stood beside the 4 crates and straightened as they saw their superiors approach.
"Let me go Max." Alec replied calmly stopping their movement forward.
"What? Alec you need help, you just went without oxygen, and who knows what that yellow gas was…"
"Max. Let me walk on my own." She was about to argue but she could see look on his face and she understood. He didn't want to look weak in front of the others. She released him from her side but stayed close by as they moved the rest of the way to the truck. "Is all the merchandise accounted for?"
"Yes sir." One of the X5s relayed.
"Very good, then move them into the back and get strapped in. Just in case the ride back is as bumpy as the one here." He finished with a wink at Max and she couldn't help but let her lips quirk. The boys nodded and started to move the crates to the back and lift them in. Alec began to join them in the back but Max gripped his arm and pulled him in the front, opening the passenger door.
"I think you made up for the twenty minutes you were late." Max replied with a grin before moving over to her side of the truck. Alec couldn't help but grin as he climbed into the truck.