Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but I wish I did! Just playing with them for a while.
Summary: Set during season two. A mysterious message from a supposedly dead Lydecker ends up being a trap that Max waltzes straight into. Will Alec be able to save 452, or will his attempt only end up risking his life as well? Hurt/Empathic!Alec.
A/N: This story is dedicated to scifigeek22.
This time, hours did pass while the transgenics awaited their fates in silence. Even though each minute felt like an eternity, it was still too soon when Madame Renfro shuffled her way into the cellblock.
Alec immediately forced himself to his feet, never one to give his opponent the upper hand. He stared straight ahead like a good little soldier and bit the inside of his cheek; anything to keep down his lunch and avoid looking at the woman as Renfro hobbled over to his cell.
"Welcome home, 494," she wheezed in his direction, making him swallow convulsively. Renfro leaned in closer to the bars of his cage, peering calculatingly up at him. "You don't look so well, soldier."
"Funny, I was gonna say the same to you," Alec retorted, continuing to look straight past her. From the corner of his eye, he saw Max attempt to stifle a smirk by biting her lower lip. That alone was enough to make his rescue attempt worth the effort.
Silence fell once again as Renfro contemplated him, her eyes slowly roving up and down his body making Alec's stomach clench uneasily. "You actually love her, don't you?"
The question caught him so off guard that he blinked stupidly at her, forced to make eye contact no matter how hard he had been trying to avoid it. "Excuse me?" he finally croaked when he was able to find his tongue again.
"Don't play dumb with me. You wouldn't be here if you didn't have feelings for her. Two rounds of reindoctrination during your short, little life and all attempts at crushing that cocky spirit of yours have failed. You must have known death or worse awaited you by coming back in and yet, here you are."
Alec shrugged, hoping it wasn't too late to hide his true feelings behind his mask of casual indifference. "Got lost lookin' for the strip club. Must've turned left when I was supposed to turn right. My bad."
Renfro smirked, never a good sign if history had anything to say about it. "A few months out on your own and you've already forgotten your training and respect for authority."
"What can I say? I'm easily corruptible."
"I've noticed. Don't you worry, though. I have a talent for stomping out independence when it comes to my soldiers. We're just going to have to up your dose of medication again."
Alec paled at the thought of a higher level of reindoctrination but otherwise kept his reaction neutral. He wasn't going to rise to the bait.
"We'll run the gamut of tests of course, check for any last minute defects, then get you back out in the world and killing people like you were designed to do."
He glared defiantly down at her, a muscle in his jaw twitching in anger. "I'm not your little pet assassin anymore," he gritted out through clenched teeth. "Nothing you do is gonna change that."
"If that's the case, we'll just have to put you down for good. But we'll be sure to salvage what we can of you. Waste not, want not after all." A deranged hunger reflected in her eyes as they roamed his body again, reminiscent of a predator sizing up a piece of meat.
Alec's heart skipped a beat at the thought of being dissected like Max's brother, Zack. He'd just as soon blow his own brains out, but considering Manticore still managed to put X-5 599 back together after doing just that, not even that option held any salvation.
"Of course, now that we have some leverage to use, perhaps you'll both learn to cooperate without a fuss." Renfro's gaze shifted to Max as she spoke.
So that was it, huh? They were going to use Max and Alec against each other until they were complacent, mindless drones. As if Alec was going to let that happen…
"Leverage?" he quickly scoffed. "Jeez, you really have been out of the loop, huh, lady? Max hates my guts. Hell, she'd probably thank you for takin' me out so I stop screwin' up her life."
Max wasn't quite fast enough to conceal the hurt that flashed through her eyes at his words and Renfro's crooked smile grew. "I beg to differ. Let's put it to the test, shall we?"
With a nod of her head, her small escort of soldiers moved to circle his cage, cattle prods in hand. He immediately went on the defensive, falling back from the bars with his fists raised until he stood in the middle of his enclosed space. Unfortunately, the cage was small enough that by standing where he now was, he was accessible to them from all sides.
On the other hand, the soldiers would have to get much closer to the bars if they intended on reaching him, which would put them within striking distance. He readied himself for a fight.
"Wait! Don't!" Max shouted. She knew Alec wasn't functioning at a hundred percent due to what had happened at Logan's place, and the last thing she wanted to do was see him take on more than he could handle. "Leave him alone. I'll take your damn tests, just don't hurt Alec."
"What? Max, no!" Alec shot back, his concentration thrown as he turned to look at her over his shoulder. "I can take these guys!"
An over-eager soldier took advantage of the X-5's distraction and lunged forward, jabbing the electrical device into 494's left side as soon as he left it exposed. Alec yelped in surprise and pain as the current flowed through his muscles, forcing them to contract to the point of tearing.
As he struggled to move away from the deadly toy, two soldiers on the other side of his cage took his sudden surge towards them as a threat and they immediate reciprocated. One prod hit him in the chest while the other dug into his abdomen.
He sank to his knees, clinging to the bars in front of him while biting back the urge to scream. It took everything he had to stay conscious but he refused to leave Max alone and unprotected.
"Stop it!" he could hear her yelling over the pounding in his ears. "Please! I'll cooperate!"
"Enough!" Renfro demanded and the soldiers pulled back.
Alec slumped to the floor, gasping in air as he fought to control the agony coursing through his system even now that the cattle prods had been removed.
"I'd say she cares for you after all, 494," Renfro stated matter-of-factly, crouching down to savor his reaction. Alec could do little more than grunt in response. "Take her to the exam room. I want a full work up and blood assay by tonight."
"Max…" Alec breathed as an armed escort opened her cage and dragged her from it. She made no move to fight them, sparing an apologetic glance his way as she passed in front of his cage.
It was now or never. Max was out from behind her bars. He needed to create a distraction before they tied her down for testing. If only he could get his twitching muscles to cooperate!
"Say goodbye now, 494. Odds are you two love birds won't be seeing each other again."
Using strength he didn't even know he had left, he lunged at the nearest guard who hadn't quite pulled his cattle prod free of the bars yet and yanked the weapon from the startled man's hands.
Alec pivoted on his heels and snaked his arm through the bars at the front of his cage, wrapping it around Renfro's neck before she had the time to react. He pressed the cruel device snug up against her spine as the guards attempted to rush to her rescue.
"Stay back!" Alec barked and was relieved to see his opponents skid to a stop. He nodded towards the two men standing on either side of Max.
"Let her go or queen bee here meets the bug zapper." Both men held up their arms and backed away from Max slowly. Alec grinned and lowered his voice so only Renfro could hear him. "See what happens when you get too cocky?"
Renfro chuckled, but the guttural sound was cut off abruptly when Alec tightened his grip on her throat. "Where do you think she's going to go?" Renfro wheezed out. "There are layers upon layers of security in this building and out in the yard. She won't make it ten feet."
"Let's agree to disagree on that, shall we?" He nodded to the idiot who had underestimated Alec and was now standing there, weaponless and in shock. "You. Open this cell."
"Hold your position!" Renfro barked at the kid.
"You wanna do this the hard way?" Alec snarled next to her ear. He gave her a short zap with the prod eliciting a gasp of pain from Renfro, then turned his focus back to the guard. "Open the door now or her death will be on your hands." The kid hesitated so Alec gave him a bit more incentive. "Snap to it, soldier!"
The guard nearly jumped out of his skin. He had been hired to bring the prisoners food and water, not to interact with them. But he had heard the stories of what a transgenic was capable of, and he sure as hell didn't want to piss one off. He unlocked the door and stood back.
Max came forward immediately to assist, taking the prod from Alec's shaking hand and assuming control of their hostage so her companion could untangle himself from the bars and step free. As soon as he did so, he "borrowed" a gun from the first guard he passed.
"You're not going to get away with this," Renfro warned to her new captor.
"Watch me," Max growled back then glanced over at Alec as he stumbled while making his way towards her. He was forced to steady himself against the wall. "You alright?"
"I'm fine," he mumbled, waving her off. "Let's get outta here."
Using Renfro as her personal shield, Max marched the decrepit woman through the corridors, warning everyone they came up against to step back or be responsible for their boss's painful demise.
Alec covered her back, trying desperately to keep his vision focused without letting on that he was having trouble doing so. Not again! Not now!
Piercing pain shot through his skull, forcing him to bring a palm up to his temple and he didn't quite clamp down on the gasp fast enough. "Alec?" Max asked without turning around, needing confirmation that he was still with her.
"It's happenin' again, Max," he responded cryptically through gritted teeth in hopes that she would understand but the others would remain oblivious. "I can't make it stop. You've gotta run now," he ordered in the calmest voice he could muster, completely back in soldier mode.
"Alec, I'm not gonna…"
"Just take this and run," he enforced, holding the gun out to her but she shook her head.
"I don't do guns, remember?"
"I think now's the perfect time to make an exception, Maxie."
"No. I'm not leaving you."
Alec knew they were running out of time. He gave her a harsh shove towards the last door separating them from the yard. "Go! Get outta here!" A blinding light flashed behind his eyelids and he doubled over in pain, bringing both hands up to cradle his head. "Argh!" The gun clattered loudly to the hard floor.
The other soldiers were moving in now that one of the threats was weakened and Max knew her only chance at survival was to run. She couldn't hold them all off on her own and they knew that. Using Renfro as leverage was only going to work so long as the guards didn't find an opening to attack.
Still… She had already lost Ben to these people. She had lost Tinga, and Jack, and Eva… Even her fearless brother, Zack. She'd be damned if she was going to leave another brother behind to be tortured and dissected.
"Take another step and I'll snap her neck like a twig," she warned the others who were continuing to slowly close in on them.
Knowing her choices were limited, Max was forced to drop the cattle prod and, while keeping one arm around Renfro's fragile throat, she used her now free hand to pull Alec up by the collar of his shirt. "Come on! Stay with me!"
"Max, please… I can't…" he whimpered, stumbling into another wall when Max's sharp jerk threw him off balance, seemingly random images suddenly flashing before his eyes again. "Gah!"
Renfro uses her own body to purposefully shield Max's as they cross the heavily secured yard. "Don't shoot! I need her alive!"
"Please. Just leave me here and run," Alec pants, desperately trying to drag in more air with each breath.
"I'll come back for you," Max whispers back, then she blurs towards the gate and to freedom.
Alec breathed a small sigh of relief. "It's gonna be okay, Max. You're gonna make it out of here. Trust me."
Ignoring Alec's delirious ramblings, Max backtracked a step to reach his side once more. "I can't carry you, Alec, but I can support you. Pull yourself together, soldier!" She gripped his upper arm tightly and began dragging him towards the exit.
"What's wrong with him?" Renfro questioned as she was forced to go wherever Max went.
"None of your business," Max retorted, though her eyes softened as they fell on her barely conscious companion.
Alec did his best to keep pace with Max, determined to get her away from Manticore once and for all, and for the first time in his life, he didn't care what that would cost him in return.
The second they stepped through the doors, all guns were trained on them. Renfro was the first to panic, placing herself between Max and their bullets. "Don't shoot! I need her alive!"
The gate was within reach. All Max had to do was get a running start and she'd be free. She started dragging Alec forward again but he pulled his arm out of her grasp and collapsed to his hands and knees in the dirt.
"Max, wait," he panted out. "You know I can't make that jump like this. You tried, okay? But now it's time for you to go, and never look back. I can't be responsible for what they'll do to you. Please. Just leave me here and run. I'll find my own way out."
His entire body felt like it was on fire and the intensity was increasing just behind his eyes. He was sure they were about to pop right out of his head. Why wasn't the pain backing off yet? The vision, or whatever it was, was over, right?
It was obvious Alec needed time to heal. He was right. There was no way he was going to clear that fence right now and Max knew it. She had done all she could, and though it was a knife to her heart, she had to go on alone. "I'll come back for you," she whispered before releasing Renfro and dashing for the fence, not waiting to hear his protests.
Alec dropped his head between his shaking shoulders as sweat broke out all over his body and the images took full control of his vision once again.
Alec watches as Renfro screams out orders for everyone to hold their fire, then swings his head around just in time to watch Max nail her landing on the other side of the wire fence. She turns for one last look back at him.
Alec barely has time to feel the relief flood his body when a gunshot suddenly rings out, deafening in its intensity. He watches in horror as Max's body jolts backward in slow motion, then sways on the spot as a crimson stain starts to blossom across the front of her shirt.
"I'm sorry…" she gasps out to him with tears in her eyes, knowing her death would condemn him as well. Her eyes flutter shut and she falls forward onto the unforgiving ground, dead.
"No!" Alec screamed in terror, blinking furiously to clear his eyes. As they finally slid back into focus on his current surroundings, he looked up in time to see Max make her spectacular leap and time momentarily stood still. He glanced over at Renfro who was waving frantically at one of the X-7s whose gun was trained on Max.
"Hold your fire!" she screamed out, and Alec turned his attention back to Max who was just now cresting the top of the gate.
There was no time to lose. He blurred forward on an adrenaline high just as the boom of the gun reverberated through his sensitive ears. He thrust his body forward with everything he had left.
Pain tore through his left shoulder and he hit the ground hard with a grunt, rolling from the force of the blast until he finally came to a rest on his stomach. Max landed safely on the other side and immediately spun around to look at him in horror. "Alec!"
Blood dripped steadily from his arm and mixed with the dirt beneath him. Max moved to take a step towards him but the look in his eyes forced her to stop dead in her tracks. His eyes… They were telling her goodbye.
Alec forced a weak smile onto his face for her benefit and hers alone. "Go, Max. Run."
"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears in her eyes, as she turned her back on him and disappeared into the surrounding woods.
Alec clawed feebly at the dirt by his head, attempting to combat the pain radiating through his body as well as trying to muster up enough strength to regain his feet and go out in a blaze of glory.
He could hear and feel the vibrations of pounding feet shaking the earth around him and he blinked up wearily as blurry figures approached him on all sides. Renfro crouched down into his line of site, giving his body an evaluating scan before locking eyes with him.
"See what happens when you get cocky?" she asked, throwing his own words back in his face. She nodded to a soldier standing next to him who aimed a tranquilizer gun at his back. He heard the pop as the trigger was pulled and felt the sharp sting just below his right shoulder blade.
"Guess we've got our consolation prize instead, boys. Take him to the lab." That was the last thing Alec heard before the drugs pitched him into darkness.
TBC
Now we're getting to the fun stuff! Lol Please review if you enjoyed this chapter and if you have any requests for upcoming events. Thanks everyone!
