A/N- I'm not entirely happy with this one, I wrote most of these a couple of years ago and have just now decided to post them. I'm afraid the the characters (Max especially) is a little OOC. I tried to convey how things may have progressed if Max and Alec's first meeting had happened a little differently.
Big thanks to "l" and "recicup" for their reviews =).
B is for:
Brick
Max sawed diligently at the cement wall trying to create an opening. She had been back at Manticore for three months and she was determined to leave as soon as possible. She wasn't sure what Director Renfro was thinking when she confined Max to a cell without supervision but she was grateful for the error in judgment. So far, aside from the daily training exercises and torture, Max had been left in solitary. She supposed that this was supposed to be a punishment.
Her ears perked up when she heard the steady taps of marching feet making their way closer to her cell. She jumped up, placing her saw underneath the bed and quickly pulling the bed flat down. She gracefully threw herself onto the bed and waited for the guards to check on her before continuing on. Which is why she was surprised to hear her door being opened.
She sat up and watched as a man entered her room, he was dressed in the same fatigues as she was so she figured him to be a transgenic. When he looked up she gasped. "Ben?"
The door slid shut behind him and his face twisted in confusion. "What?"
And then she saw his eyes, outwardly they were identical to Ben's but they had a different light in them. They weren't crazed and broken, but rather damaged and sad covered up by humor and fatigue. "Never mind. You look like someone I used to know."
The Ben look-alike nodded. "Right well, lets get this over with," he said tiredly, taking off his shirt.
Max's eyebrows flew up. "Get what over with?"
"They didn't tell you? I'm your breeding partner. Our orders are to copulate every night until you get pregnant," he recited tonelessly.
"That's sick," she spat, her face twisting in disgust.
The Ben-clone peered over at her. "I agree, but it's your own fault. If you and your unit hadn't come in and blown up the DNA lab then they'd still be whipping the them up and putting them in surrogates," he informed her.
"You agree?" she said disbelievingly. "You know what, it doesn't matter. Not happening," she told him preparing for a fight.
The soldier surprised her by shrugging. "Whatever. I'd rather sleep anyway," he said, putting his shirt back on.
Max, despite getting what she wanted, was insulted. "You'd rather sleep?" she asked in disbelief.
The soldier looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Look whatever you might think about us, I like my women willing. Besides I haven't exactly had the best few months," he told her, sliding down the cement walls and closing his eyes.
Max studied the man in front of her. He had thick black rings around his eyes that told her he hadn't had a decent nights sleep in far too long. Her mind flashed back to when he was shirtless, he was in shape no doubt about it, but he also looked malnourished and had quickly fading scars that looked to be inflicted via torture. "What's your name?" she asked, not wanting to call him 'the soldier' anymore.
"My designation is 494." he replied without opening his eyes.
"I'm Max," she told him, she didn't know why she trusted him with her name but she did.
He opened his eyes then in surprise. "Hey Max," he greeted, testing her name out on his tongue.
Max closed her eyes and allowed the joy of hearing someone speak her name out loud to her wash over her. When she reopened them 494's eyes were closed again. She stood up and sat down against the wall, mimicking his posture. "Take the bed," she told him.
Once again his eyes flew open in surprise and he stared at her suspiciously. She kept her face open and honest realizing that this man was more closed off and less trusting than she was. Finally he stood up and walked to the cot, gently lowering himself onto it. She watched as he moved with slow caution. He closed his eyes again and this time Max didn't say a word. She'd let him sleep.
Max watched 494 sleep for the next hour until the marching feet came back. She was about to wake 494 up but he was already standing and waiting. He looked at her. "When Renfro asks if the copulation was successful, as she undoubtedly will, I'd suggest that you lie," he advised. She nodded her agreement, relieved that he wouldn't be ratting her out. The guards came and opened the door while Max stood up and 494 squared his shoulders taking on the perfect soldier stance. He turned once he reached the opening, "See ya, Max." And then he was gone. Max smiled at the sound of her name before sitting down on her cot. There was something about X5-494 that she was drawn to, and she found herself counting down the hours until the next time she got to see him.
The next morning all the breeding pairs were lined up, everyone had a partner but Max and she was anxious to know why 494 wasn't there. She could hear the other pairs telling Renfro whether their copulation was successful or not. Those that weren't were taken away to be tested. "Report, 452!" Renfro ordered when she came to Max.
"Copulation between myself and 494 successful, Ma'am!" she barked out obediently, taking 494's advice.
"Really, 452? What would you're little boyfriend think of you now?" she asked smugly. Max bit back any response and stared blankly ahead of her, relieved when Renfro moved on to the next couple.
Eight hours later Max was pacing her cell anxiously, she knew that 494 should be arriving at any moment assuming everything was okay. She was sure that everyone within a mile could hear her heart beating when the sound of marching reached her ears. She almost choked on her relief when her cell door opened and 494 walked through. She didn't know what possessed her to do what she did next but it happened all the same.
The cell door closed and Max walked up to 494 and threw her arms around him. She felt him flinch back and loosened her grip but didn't let go. "Uh-good to see you too," he said with a smirk.
Max stepped back and looked him over before leading him over to the cot. She didn't like that he just followed, she didn't know how she knew but she was certain that this soldier had more fire in him than he had shown over the last couple days. She gently pushed him down on the bed and stepped away, giving him room.
"Not that I'm complaining but what's with the hug and...niceness?" he asked warily.
"I was worried about you," she told him honestly.
His eyebrows flew up, "You don't know me."
"I know," she said, she couldn't explain her concern and she was relieved to see that he seemed to understand that. "You weren't in the line-up today."
"I wasn't?" He gasped in mock surprise.
Max rolled her eyes, "Why weren't you?"
494's eye's darkened, "I had an appointment elsewhere."
Max nodded deciding that she wouldn't push him for now. He sagged down against the mattress and his eyes fluttered closed, once again Max was left watching him in slumber. Her mind was far away from the cell and Manticore. She was thinking about Logan and her guilt over feeling whatever she was feeling over 494. She hated calling him that, he was more than a series of numbers, they all were.
She was jerked out of her thoughts by a low moan. She looked over at the cot and saw 494 twisting fitfully. His eyes were screwed tightly shut and his body shook angrily. Max was on her feet in seconds and she cautiously approached the distressed soldier. "494," she said calmly. She came closer, slowly reaching an arm out towards him. She touched his arm and shook him a bit saying his name again. 494 reacted quicker than her enhanced eyes could follow, she suddenly found herself in a very strong chokehold. 494's unfocused eyes danced wildly around the room before finally settling on her. Almost immediately they cleared and he dropped his grip on her, he blurred off the cot and was on the other side of the cell before she caught her breath.
She stood up and walked towards him, stopping when she noticed him shrinking away from her. He cleared his throat, "Sorry."
Max shrugged and smirked. "Don't worry about it. It was my fault I know better than to get close to a genetically engineered super soldier in the middle of a nightmare."
494 shook his head in irritation. "Next time just leave me be. I don't wanna find out what happens if I don't realize it's you right away."
Max nodded, telling him what he needed to hear, "Okay."
He nodded and slid down to the floor, she mimicked his motion on the other side of the room. "You need a name," she said suddenly.
"My designation is 494," he replied.
"Yeah but that's so impersonal," she scoffed. She had been going through possible names for him for awhile now and finally found the perfect one. "I'm gonna call you Alec," she told him firmly.
"Alec?" he asked.
"Yeah. As in smart aleck," she grinned.
Alec smirked back at her, "I can live with that."
"Good 'cause I'm not givin' you a choice."
"Pushy," Alec ribbed good naturedly.
"And don't forget it," Max smiled back. The sound of the approaching guards reached their ears and the two soldiers stood up waiting. "Have a good day," Max told him.
Alec snorted. "Yeah you too," was his reply as he left her behind.
Max was going out of her mind over the next 6 days. Alec was nowhere to be found, he hadn't been brought back to her cell since she had named him and she was worried sick. Occasionally her mind would wander and she would find herself thinking about Original Cindy and Logan, Sketchy, Herbal, and hell, even Normal. And she would feel guilty. Guilty that she had missed so much work and so much of her friends' lives. Guilty that she thought of Logan as a friend now and not as a potential romantic interest. Guilty that she wanted Alec more than anything.
She never stopped working on her escape though. She had now had a large enough block of cement removed that she could slide through into the basement. She had met Joshua, a dog creature that was one of the first transgenics created. She even found her escape route, a window that was barred but she was sure that she could remove them. But she couldn't leave. She wouldn't leave until she knew what happened to Alec.
Finally. Finally, eight days after she last saw him, Alec was back in her cell. She had just finished going over the last details of her escape plan with Joshua, who assured her that he could easily get rid of the bars, and that she would let him know when she was ready. She was crawling back through her hole and sliding out from under the cot when she saw two brilliant green eyes staring down at her. "Hey Max," he said tiredly, jumping off of the bed and pulling it up so that Max could replace the block.
"Alec," she whispered when she turned to face him. "How long have you been here?"
He glanced down at his watch, "5 minutes," he told her pushing the cot back down.
He opened his mouth to say more but was cut off by Max's lips. She was unable to help herself, after so long waiting for him to come and assure her that he was alright she threw herself at him. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and her lips attacked his with a desperate need. The need to know that he was really here, that he was okay. He flinched slightly at her attack but responded anyway.
The kiss was passionate and it burned Max up from the inside out. She had never experienced anything like this before. She gently maneuvered him so that he was lying down on the cot with her on top of him. His hands flew to her waist holding her tightly as he expertly explored her mouth. She got excited at his response and started running her hands over his chest. He couldn't help the sharp pain filled intake of breath at her touch.
She pulled back immediately and looked at him in concern. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing Max. Everything's good," He told her. The pain on his face that he couldn't quite conceal told her differently. Her hands flew to the hem of his shirt and she started to lift it up. His hands clamped over hers tightly. "Max," he warned.
"Alec," She said back in the same tone. "Please?"
He closed his eyes in defeated irritation and loosened his grip. She finished pulling the shirt up and over his arms and head before allowing herself to look down at the damage. She immediately wished that she hadn't looked. His skin was raw and red with angry welts, purple, blue, and black with harsh bruises that stood out starkly against his pale skin. His eyes were still closed, his head turned away. She gently ran her hands over the long gashes, "What the hell happened?"
Alec was quite for a long time and Max made herself wait with patience for his answer. "Psy-Ops and Reindoc," he finally told her. He looked at her then avoiding her eyes. "That's where I've been the last nine months. I dunno why they're letting me out for an hour to be with you, I can only guess that we're a genetic match," he mused.
"And the last eight days?" she asked, fearing the answer.
"They fucked me up too badly. I couldn't walk which meant that I wasn't much good for anything else," he smirked angrily.
"What are you in for?" she asked next.
Alec paused again. "X5-493, I believe that you refer to him as 'Ben'," he blurted out.
Max's mind flashed back to the first time they had met. He had figured out who she thought he had been. "What-?"
"After 49-Ben went psycho and started killing people they needed someone to test, see what his problem was. I was the lucky guinea pig. Once they got his body back-uh, you know that he's dead, right?"
"Yeah," Max choked out.
"Right. Sorry. Anyway, after they got the body back they decided that they needed to check and see if it was genetic. That's what they've been doing the last few months." He finished explaining. "I figure sometime in the next few months they'll get an answer in the affirmative. I'm thinkin' I might just start acting insane so they'll finally put me down." he half joked.
Max looked down at him in horror. "Don't say that!"
Alec looked at her with wide eyes, "Relax, Maxie. I was kidding...mostly. But really, you shouldn't get too attached. It's only a matter of time now."
Max shook her head, eyes watering at her nickname, "No. We're leaving. You and me, right now."
"Yeah okay, lemme just go see if the guards are cool with that," he said sarcastically.
"I'm serious, Alec," Max told him.
"What?"
"I'm not losing you to this place," She started but Alec interrupted her.
"You don't know me, Max. We've spent a total of 2 hours and-" he looked down at his watch. "24 minutes together."
"It doesn't matter. We got this connection. I feel it and I know you do too," she said fiercely. When he didn't deny it she continued, "The hole under the bed leads into the basement, there's a window down there. I've been working on a plan to get us safely out."
"Us?" he asked with wide disbelieving eyes.
"I wasn't leaving without you," she told him. "Now you're in bad shape but you've had a few days to recover so this is the best time to go. And we have to do it now before our hour is up. I have a friend down there who is willing to help us," she paused. "Please come with me Alec."
"I can't leave everyone else here, Max. When you escaped in '09 everyone suffered," Alec choked out.
"We'll get them out. You and me, together. Once you've healed, I promise. Just please...come with me," Max pleaded desperately.
"I-" Alec started.
"If you don't come with me now I will come back for you," Max told him. "And I'll be by myself, which leaves me more vulnerable. If you come with me tonight then we'll have a much better chance of freeing the others safely. You know this compound better than I do," she pointed out, not above threatening him.
Alec stared at her in amazement. "Okay," he whispered and was rewarded with a dazzling smile and a kiss.
All too soon her lips left his and she was pulling him off the bed and helping him put his shirt back on. "We have to go now," she said lifting the bed and pulling the block out of the wall. She waited for Alec to drop down before following him, pulling the bed down behind her. They were immediately met with Joshua.
"Little fella," the giant dogman greeted.
"Hey big fella, this is Alec. Alec this is my friend Joshua," Max introduced.
"Hey Josh," Alec nodded.
"Medium fella," Joshua dubbed him.
"Uh- okay," Alec replied with a shrug making Max smile.
"We're leaving tonight, big fella," Max told him. Joshua nodded and led the way to the window. In no time at all Joshua had pulled the bars out and Max and Alec were lifting themselves up through the window, while Max told Alec the plan.
"Joshua come with you?" he asked hopefully.
"Soon big fella," Max said. "Alec and I are gonna come back when Alec's better and get everyone out. We're gonna need your help then, okay?"
"Soon, Joshua help get out soon," he nodded.
"That's right, big guy. We won't leave ya behind," Alec agreed. "Thanks for the help." Joshua gave him a large smile and ran away getting the attention of a few X7's. Alec and Max stealthily ran towards the fence that was their only barrier between this world and the next. They were almost there when an X7 appeared before them. Alec wasted no time in easily knocking the little guy out. Max looked at him in surprise. He shrugged. "I helped train them." Max looked at him in a new light as they continued on. Soon they were jumping over the fence, Alec winced as the landing jarred his cracked and broken ribs. Max helped steady him immediately.
Joshua appeared before them on the other side of the gate. "Soon, Joshua. We'll come back for you soon," Max promised before grabbing Alec's hand and putting as much distance as possible between them and Manticore.
Max and Alec stood outside of a large penthouse staring up at it. "Uh- are we just gonna stand here for the rest of the night?" Alec questioned.
Max was startled out of her thoughts and turned to him. "My kind of boyfriend lives here," she started, loving the quiet sound of Alec's growl. "I need to explain to him that I'm not dead. That I've met you and that I need a first aid kit," she finished.
Alec sighed, "Fine. Let's go get this awkward show down over with."
Max laughed. "Alec?" He turned to her and cocked his head in question. "Logan and I are in the past now. Whatever this is between you and me? I wanna find out, so no worries," she paused and then looked at him in embarrassment. "I've just realized that you know what I want but I've never asked what you want. I mean do you wanna be with me? Here I am assuming thing-" Alec cut her off with a deep kiss that told her exactly what he felt.
"I wanna see where this goes too," he told her simply. "Hell, woman, I've just given up the only home I've ever known for you," he pointed out with a smart ass smirk. She could only laugh and start walking again.
Max and Alec easily slipped into Logan's penthouse and were now standing behind the man in question. "Logan," Max said softly.
Logan turned around so quickly that Alec thought he'd fall out of his chair. "Max," he whispered in disbelief. He stood up and walked over to her, not giving her time to talk before kissing her deeply. Alec tensed up beside them and felt Max do the same. She gently pushed Logan off of her.
"We can't, Logan," she told him firmly.
"Why? Who are you?" he asked finally noticing Alec.
"This is Alec...my boyfriend," Max said, the word feeling strange to say. Already Alec seemed like so much more.
"You're- Well that didn't take long," he said bitterly.
"I can't help it, Logan. It is what it is. We need your help, please?" she asked.
"What?" Logan asked sadly.
"A fully stocked first aid kit...and in a few weeks, when Alec's fully healed, we're gonna need your help in taking down Manticore and freeing the transgenics we left behind," Max told him seriously.
Logan looked at her in shock before nodding, "Okay," he agreed always up for a chance to save the world. He disappeared and returned a minute later with a large first aid bag. "It's yours."
"Thank you," Max said gratefully. "We're gonna go back to my apartment. I need to see my boo. Goodbye Logan, We'll see you soon," she said as they quickly left.
"Bye Max," Logan said sadly but they were already out of earshot.
Twenty minutes later Max and Alec were standing in her old apartment revving up the engine of her motorcycle. Original Cindy came flying out of the room, practically tackling Max after she saw who was standing in her living room. After a few minutes of squealing and excitement Alec was finally introduced. He watched in amusement as OC looked him up and down.
"Boy, you so pretty you might even make me wanna bat for the other team," she finally approved.
"You're not so bad yourself," he flirted teasingly.
"I like him," Cindy told Max.
"Yeah, so do I."
"Yeah, I like me too. Can we get on with the aiding?" Alec threw in, feeling left out.
Cindy laughed and said goodnight, there would be plenty of time to catch up in the morning.
Max sat Alec down and started tending to his wounds, she knew that he would heal quickly but it would go better without risk of infection. She noticed that Alec sat still as a statue as she worked on him, not showing any pain. When she was done she cleared the stuff away and helped him get his shirt back on before she kissed him.
This kiss lasted longer then the others had. It started out soft and sweet before turning into a raging fire of passion and promise. The promise that they would go back, they would free their 'family', and they wouldn't rest until Manticore was nothing more than a pile of ash and brick.
-End-