Heat Induced

Author's Note: Happy Christmas! Or happy Sunday if you don't celebrate that. Next chapter should be up tomorrow.

Chapter 6

Alec stared out across Crash. He'd helped Max get her brother back, even though it had been hazardous to his health. And though he could see that Max was thrilled with the situation, he knew that there wasn't something quite right with it. So when Max got up to grab another pitcher, he went with her.

"Max, Max, let me ask you a question. Think there's something a little, uh, a little off about Brother Zack?"

"Like what?" Max's expression warned Alec to tread carefully. But he'd rarely heeded Max, and so no reason to start now.

"Well, for starters, he doesn't act like any brother I've ever seen."

"You got something to say, Alec, spit it out."

"Seems to me like he's got the hots for you. It's kinda kinky, if you ask me."

"I didn't. And stay out of it."

Alec wasn't deterred. "I mean there's the whole you and me thing and then there's the fact that I look exactly like brother Ben so maybe you're into that sort of thing-" Yeah, that punch shouldn't have surprised him.

"I don't want to know what goes on in that sick little mind of yours."

"That hurts," he said as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Truth always does."

Seeing that he wasn't going to get anywhere with Max, Alec returned to his seat.

"Wonder what's keepin' my girl," said OC, noticing that Max wasn't back yet.

"Well, I'd give her a hand, but she'd just bite it off."

Zach got up and walked away.

"There goes her knight in shining armour. Oh, God forbid our little Max have to lug a big, heavy pitcher of beer with her delicate little hands, huh?" Alec frowned. "What?"

"You're not jealous, are you?" asked OC.

Alec shifted in his seat. "I just need a drink."

"Thought you were abstaining 'cause of Max," said Original Cindy.

"Well I don't see Max here, do you?" said Alec. "I'm getting a drink." He stood and walked toward the bar, frowning when he realised that both Max and Zack were missing. Since he was pretty sure Max had no reason to go off with Zack in private, that worried him a little. So much for getting a drink. He stepped up to the bartender. "Where did Max go?"

The man was holding ice in a towel against his wrist. "With some Steelheads."

"And you told Zack that?" asked Alec.

"Yeah," he said.

Alec groaned and took off. Once outside he looked for any sign of Zack or Max, but Zack hadn't left a trail. Manticore had taught him better than that. "Damnit!"

Max had been kidnapped by Steelheads. Steelheads who couldn't give a crap that she was pregnant. And her only hope was Brother Zack, with half his memory missing. With no other recourse, he headed for Logan's place.

x x x

Alec was in Logan's apartment as Logan tried a last ditch effort to figure out where the Steelheads' hideout was, despite numerous failed attempts in the past. Alec was pacing. He was an action man. He didn't like sitting around when he knew that Max was in trouble. It was a strange feeling; to care that someone was missing. The closest he'd come was when one of his fellow soldiers went MIA. But then he didn't need to be the one making the decisions. He just had to follow directions. And wasn't that most of the reason why he'd wanted to stay at Manticore? Why he'd clung to Max even when he'd thought Logan would take care of the baby for him?
Logan's cell phone rang. Alec tuned in, wondering if it was Max, somehow able to get a message to them.

"Get out of the apartment, Logan. Now."

It was Max.

"Max, what's wrong?" Logan asked. But Alec could take a direct order from Max. He was already grabbing Logan's keys and pushing his exoskeleton toward the man.

"It's Zack," she said. "He's coming after you. Get out!"

Alec helped Logan get into his exoskeleton, then handed the man his keys. He then went ahead and pressed the elevator button. Logan got in. Alec was about to follow him when he heard the sound of someone crashing into the apartment through the skylight.

Alec went into the apartment to engage Zack. The other X5 had lost the flesh covering on his face and he looked more machine and inhuman than Alec had ever seen him. Alec dropped into an aggressive stance.

"Get out of my way," said Zack.

"Let me think about it. No." Alec kept on the balls of his feet, continuing to stand between the X5 and Logan.

Zack came at Alec with the hand in his exoskeleton. Alec dodged the hit and took a step back. He circled Zack slightly, and feinted with his right hand, getting Zack on the jaw with his left. Before Alec could follow it up with another hit, Zack was gone, having successfully manoeuvred Alec out of his way. Apparently he didn't think Alec was much of a threat.

While Zack tried to jimmy open the elevator doors, Alec headed for the emergency stairs. He jumped down one flight of stairs at a time, hoping to get to Logan before Zack could do any permanent damage. He didn't have time to wonder why Zack was going after the ordinary in the first place.

When Alec got to the parking garage, he saw Logan in his car, about to start it, and Zack walking toward him like the Terminator.

"Zack!" he called, trying to distract the other man.

Zack kept going without sparing the other transgenic more than a peripheral glance and Alec wished he had a gun. Max would probably kill him if he actually shot her brother, but he didn't really see many other options. Zack shot Logan's car, shattering the windshield, causing Logan to duck.

"Drop it or I'll shoot!" Alec yelled, though he didn't have a weapon on him.

It was enough to turn Zack's full attention to himself. Alec ran forward and knocked the gun from Zack's hand. On more even footing now, Alec went for Zack's neck. He had him in a stranglehold, mirroring their first encounter. But Zack's augmented arm was stronger and he threatened to break Alec's wrist. "Why are you helping him?" Zack asked, when Alec finally had to let go. "He's a traitor."

"Who exactly did he betray?" asked Alec, looking for another opening.

"Max," said Zack. "He's the reason why she died." Alec had never heard the whole story of how Max was recaptured and returned to Manticore. He knew that Max had been shot trying to destroy the DNA lab and that Zack's heart had replaced hers. He hadn't known that Max had actually died.

"But she's alive now," said Alec, saying the only thing he could. "And she obviously doesn't mind since she's been hanging out with him all this time."

Zack decided the time for talking was over, and attacked Alec, cuffing him on the side of the head so quickly that Alec saw stars. He blinked them away as he lashed out with a leg, hoping to get Zack's from under him, but Zack danced back quickly.

And suddenly Max was there, and it became two against one. It was then simple for Alec to hold Zack down to give Max the opportunity to deal the knock-out blow.

x x x

Max and Alec were both there when Zack woke up. Logan was in the next room with Dr. Carr. They'd cuffed him to the bed and removed the exoskeleton from his arm. They were hoping Manticore hadn't succeeded in fully brainwashing him. Max hovered over the bed, while Alec reclined on a chair in the corner near the door.

The first thing Zack said was, "Max."

"Hey Zack," she said, smiling at him in the way she reserved for her siblings.

"Why am I restrained?" he asked.

"Maybe because you tried to kill us," said Alec.

"I wasn't trying to kill you," said Zack. "Eyes Only is a traitor."

"Zack," said Max. "Eyes Only is a traitor to Manticore. And we aren't loyal to Manticore anymore."

Zack shook his head, blinking his thoughts away. "I know that," he said. "I know that you love Logan and that because of that I can never harm him. But I also know that there is still a part of me that will kill him if I see him again."

"We all get that urge sometimes," said Alec. "I think it's those beady little eyes."

"Alec!" Max snapped at him.

Zack eyed the other male transgenic. They hadn't had an opportunity to get to know each other over the past few days. That didn't worry him so much as the fact that he didn't know how Alec related to Max.

"Well I haven't killed him yet," said Alec.

Zack almost laughed. He could like the other transgenic, the one with Ben's face. It made him miss his brother, and he wondered if that was why Max kept him around.

"If you're going to kill Logan when you see him," said Max. "You can't stay here. But I can't let you go if you're going to feel the need to kill someone else."

"Send him off with your sibs," said Alec with a roll of his eyes. "Isn't that what family's for?"

"I don't remember how to contact them," said Zack.

"But I bet Logan does," said Alec.

x x x

Max couldn't believe she, Zack, Syl and Krit were all in the same room together again. They spent an afternoon together, catching up on everything. Syl and Krit had taken in a couple of Manticore strays since the facility had burned down. They were both glad to see Max and Zack alive and if not entirely mentally well, at least they were both alive.

Max had had to tell them all about her pregnancy. It just wasn't something she could keep to herself. Syl had gushed, and Krit had been a little disgusted. Zack had more than worried. He almost refused to leave. But he couldn't force Max to go with them, and he couldn't force them to let him stay. It was good to be around his unit again. They put him back on steady ground and he felt sane for the first time since he'd remembered Max.

"We'll come back when the baby is born," Syl promised. "I can't wait to meet my niece or nephew."

"Promise you'll keep Zack safe," said Max.

"Of course," said Krit. He smiled at his brother. "And he'll keep us safe, too."

"I wish we could keep in touch," said Syl. "I want to know everything."

"It's still too dangerous with White trying to round us up," said Max. "I wish we could, too."

"One day," said Krit.

"Yeah," Max agreed. "One day."

x X X x

A/N: So, this is about the most action you'll get in this story. It actually amazed me to see how much drama is removed from season two when Max isn't virus infected.