Chapter 6: It All Breaks Down

"Guard duty… pretty wack," Josh muttered as he leaned against his arm and stared into the monitors. "We should be out looking for Max," he told Alec, also on watch.

"… Yea, we should," Alec agreed his arms behind his head and his legs propped onto the table. "But we can't. We have to watch the monitors like good little guards," he said in a semi-mocking voice. He looked over at Joshua, who had started to pull out a book he had taken with him. "But hey, this is good news," he said, giving the dog-man a light punch in the arm.

"Good news?" Joshua asked as he flipped to his bookmark, unconcerned.

"No news is good news, right?"

As if Fate was defying him, one of the computers started to fuzz next to him. After a short blink, Logan came on screen. "Max?" he called from the speaker next to Joshua. Alec casually touched a command on the keyboard.

"Ya' got Alec, here," he said. Logan looked into his video camera and saw him on his screen.

"Oh… where's Max?" he asked, picking up the transgenics 'cut to the chase' attitude.

"Got me. Trying to save Terminal City, I guess… however it is she does it," he said with a slight flourish of his arm.

Logan's brow knitted together. "Well, she was supposed to meet me here tonight. Where is she?" he asked in a clipped voice.

"Don't know, don't care," Alec lied. "What can we do for you pal?"

Logan sighed… Alec would have to do. "A contact told me of some unusual activity in a building a few miles away from Terminal City," he explained.

"So? You want us to stop a few good men from having a good time? Or maybe you want in on the action?" he teased.

Logan bit his lip in frustration. "Well, I thought you'd like to know… it's an old lab. A genetics lab. People have been sneaking in and out night after night."

Logan now had Alec and Joshua's undivided attention. He registered their concerned faces on his monitor. "Look… it may not be anything. But I got a tip something's going down. Thought it was worth checking out."

"Where?" Joshua cut in.

"5 blocks from Sector 9. And guys? Be careful. No telling what's in there," Logan cautioned.

"Thanks for lookin' out," Alec said and cut off transmission. He rose from his chair and reached for his gun. "I better check this thing out."

"I'm going with you," Joshua insisted.

"Uhhh… no, no. No offense Dog-boy, but you aren't exactly trained for this kinda thing. It's dangerous."

"Mole… Mole's been teaching me how to fight. He says I've got a lot of… power…" Alec gave him a wary look, unconvinced. "Please Alec. If there's another Manticore… more secrets and darkness, I want to stop it too."

Alec relented. "Okay… but bring your helmet and make sure no one else sees us."

"Mind if I tag along?" another voice called out.

Joshua and Alec were surprised to see Zane come out from shadows. "Well, look who decided to grace us with his presence," Alec commented sardonically.

"I know I haven't been around much… but I agree with him," he said, looking at Joshua. "If anyone Manticore's going down, I want it stopped too."

"Alright, squad. Fall in," Alec scowled as he set off with Joshua and Zane in tow.

A few minutes later, they arrived at their destination. Joshua tilted his head at they stood at the front door.

"I hear them. Something's going down," he confirmed.

"Shall we politely ring the doorbell or barge in and start pointing guns?" Alec asked. Without another work, Zane kicked down the door, gun in hand. They were all shocked to see Max tied up in a chair, surrounded by some of Manticore's finest.

Zane raced up to Lydecker and held him above the ground by his throat. "What have you done to her?" he asked, menacingly. At the same time, Joshua started to throw around the nearby scientists into the walls and banging them into tables, while Alec began undoing her restraints and ripping out the needles in her arm.

"Max? Max? You, alright? Talk to me?" Alec asked as he undid the tape holding the needle.

"Stop it," she whispered, a little woozy as she tried to sit up.

"It's no big deal… I'll have you outta here in no time."

"I said stop it!" she shouted, pushing him away. Alec, Joshua, and Zane all stared, stunned at her outburst. She pulled herself off. "I'm not a prisoner, okay? Lydecker's helping me."

"What? Max, what the hell are you talking about?" asked Zane as he started to loosen his grip on Lydecker and pull him back down.

"He's helping me," she repeated. "I needed it. I needed to be faster… stronger… better."

"Max are you crazy, this guy's a psychopath!" Alec shouted with wide eyes as he pointed toward Lydecker.

"It's my family, Alec. I don't expect you to understand," she said coldly.

Alec bit his lip in anger. "Max you could get yourself killed!" he argued, staring her down.

"I feel fine, I-"

Joshua caught Max as she fell over backwards, unconscious. Joshua looked at her with fear in his eyes. "What's happening to her?" he said with a restrained calm.

"It's the treatments," Lydecker explained, holding his sore throat. "You're not supposed to just pull her away in the middle. They're very delicate."

Zane looked at Lydecker with fire in his eyes. "You… you'll pay for this Lydecker," he warned and shoved him into the table behind him, effectively knocking him out. "Let's go guys," he ordered.

Joshua slung Max over his shoulder, growling as he left the room.

That same night, an hour later, they were all back at Alec and Joshua's apartment. Max started to come to, only to see three angry transgenics in front of her. She groaned as she sat up. No one said anything for a minute. Conceding, Max waved her hand at them. "Well?"

"What the hell were you thinking?" Zane blurted.

"I was thinking that I need to help us out. And that maybe I hadn't been doing a good job of that before," she stated in a monotone voice. Zane visibly gulped at her words.

"Boy, you're so strung out on this whole 'savior thing' you don't even realize what you did!" Alec snorted, angrily. "You made yourself an experiment again. A number." She stared at him, unphased.

"You gave yourself to them, after giving your life to take them down!" Zane added, rubbing his eyes.

"You let them take away your humanity," Joshua stated, plainly. At those words, what had transpired began to sink in for Max. A breath caught in her throat as hot tear began to form in her eyes. She quickly rose from the couch and turned away from her friends.

"Guys, I'm sorry," said a small voice. "I didn't realize…" She turned around and faced them. "I just wanted to protect them and… I didn't know how. They were all being taken down one by one. I didn't know what to do," she rambled.

Her head dropped as she realized what was about to happen. "I just… felt so helpless," she squeaked as she covered her eyes with her hand. Joshua went over to her and pulled her into a tight hug. Max buried her head in his chest. It was only then that Max allowed herself to be wracked with sobs.

"Its okay, Little Fella," Joshua said calmly, petting her head.

"I'm so sorry," she kept saying between sobs. She wasn't just talking to Joshua, but to Alec, Zane, Logan, the other soldiers and mostly… to herself. She knew that she was the one who would be toughest to forgive.

After a full fifteen minutes, Max seemed to regain her composure and pulled away from Joshua. Zane shifted uncomfortably as he looked at the time. "Hey, you gonna be okay little sister?"

"Yea, I'll be alright," she said in barely a whisper.

Zane gave his sister a gentle hug. "I love you, Maxie," he said and seeing that she did look better, he pulled away from her. He smiled fakely, turned, and left the apartment. Max watched him disappear.

"Well I better be going too. Got a lot of work to do," she shrugged lamely. But Alec blocked her escape to the door and flashed her cocky grin.

"I don't think so. I think you'd better take it easy tonight. Maybe have some fun for a change?" he persisted.

She looked at him, confused. "What are we supposed to do? We're not exactly welcome back at Crash..." she explained, remembering the way she used to scam some extra cash on Friday nights.

Alec put a hand on her shoulder and led her to the couch. "Welcome to the World of Attention Deficit," he declared as he plopped down in front of the TV. Joshua rolled his eyes as he sat on his armchair, exhausted. Max stared numbly and gripped the arm of the chair as she watched Alec flip through the channels for a couple minutes. She glanced over at Joshua who had fallen fast asleep in his chair. She looked over at Alec, who seemed a little too focused on the boob tube.

"Alec..." she began. He looked over at her. "Thanks. Really."

"Hey… you gave me my name. I helped you find yours again," Alec said and gave her a half smile. She gave him a slight smile back. Wanting to change the subject and forget what had happened, Alec focused on the TV again. "Hey, look. Back to the Future."

Max looked perplexed. "What's that?"

Alec laughed at her naivety. "Science fiction that doesn't involve us."

She smiled and put her head on his shoulder. They watched the movie for about a half hour, laughing back and forth and commenting at some parts. "Hey, this is my favorite part. With the skateboard… kinda like an 80's type…"

He looked over and saw that Max had passed out on his shoulder. He smiled and gently eased her onto the couch, placing a pillow under her head. Before heading to his own bed, he looked back at his tortured friend, sleeping peacefully. He kissed her head, delicately.

"Goodnight, Max."

Author's Note: A sequel is in the works. Max faces the consequences of what she did… the trial of the century! I'll also bring in White and play up that part of the story.