Chapter 5
…Let's Stay Inside…
Together, Alec and Max pushed a solid oak buffet from the dining room into the foyer to barricade the door.
"Max," he said with an authoritative tone, "Check upstairs. Make sure it's secure."
"Who died and made you boss!?" the cat burglar snapped and folded her arms across her chest.
Imperceptibly, Alec's shoulders slumped. 'Always with the put downs,' he thought to himself as he scowled. "Look!" he snapped back, finally at the end of his rope with her meanness. "We're not at TC; those are not transgenics or transhumans out there. I don't know what the hell is going on, but I'm not going to screw up and get us killed." He frowned, "There's a lot you don't know about me, Max. Don't test me and we'll get along just fine. Just do as I say and don't complain about it." He turned away from her, dismissively, all joking aside.
Max stood there a long time watching Alec stand guard before she turned and headed upstairs.
"There must be somewhere we can go," the noble said as the lowborn left the room. "A safe haven, mayhap?"
"The lady said stay here," he said simply as he checked the clip in his rifle.
The noble began to protest but Alec had already tuned her out. He focused on looking around the room and out the window. He noticed a picture on the wall. He moved to it and stopped in his tracks. It was himself, the noble and the red head. He blinked and stared at the photo. He pulled it off the wall, took it out of its frame and examined it to see if it was a fake. It was not.
"She's right," he said in a near awed whisper, "We must have forgotten."
"I am certain I know who I am, sirrah," she made it sound like cur as she stuck her nose up in the air.
"Then explain this?" he demanded as he thrust the picture in front of her face.
She shook her head and backed away from him, "I just want to marry Lord Michael."
"This ain't no tea party, sister," Alec said. The hair at the back of his neck lifted once more and he looked around for any threat that might be in the immediate area.
Suddenly, he turned and noticed someone in the doorway to the kitchen.
The noble turned a lot slower.
"You're alright," Angel's voice was thick with relief as he sagged against the door jamb, "Its total chaos out there tonight."
"Who the frilly heck are you?" Alec asked as he clicked the safety off of the AK-47 and pulled the nose of the weapon down to level it at chest height of the person… creature… in front of him.
"Hey," the ensouled vampire's hands went up in a pacifying gesture. "What's going on?"
"That's what I'd like to know," the X5 said quietly, "Is this your place?"
"No," the other man shook his head, "You know its not." He turned to the Slayer, "Buffy…"
But Lady Useless was startled as the tall man's attention turned on her and she squeaked.
Angel shook his head as he looked at her, "What's up with the hair?!"
Max entered the room and quickly assessed the situation. "Whoever you are, none of us know who you are. Miss Specter left to find help." She smiled up at the tall man as she said, "Who're you?"
Alec frowned.
The lights took that moment to blink out and the noble jumped and stumbled into the dark haired beauty.
"Do you mind?" she snarked, "It's just a brown out."
As their eyes quickly adjusted to the dark, Alec looked at the tall man and said, "Take the princess and check on the kitchen. Max, you're with me."
Max followed Alec as the noble followed Angel as she complained loudly.
The transgenics heard scuffling in the other room, and then they heard a fight break out. The pair rushed out of the room to investigate or assist with whatever was going on in the kitchen.
"What the hell?" Alec questioned as he watched the woman in the dress run out the back door and away from safety.
"We have to get her back," the transgenic said.
"Way to state the obvious, bright boy," Max said as she slapped him in the arm.