A/N: Oh, so concerned for Alec… but I can understand why.
Friction
Chapter 7: Damsel in Distress
"Alec!" Max screamed frantically. She saw him go down, disappear under a pile of rubble after pushing her out of the way, and for a moment it felt like her heart had simply stopped beating.
But it was a very brief moment, not lasting even a second, and then she was scrambling forward, pushing blocks of cement out of the way. Piece after piece, she tossed aside, all the while praying to a god she didn't believe in that he was still alive—that he'd be alright.
She wanted to call out to him, to try to get a response, but she knew that she couldn't afford to take the chance. Someone must have heard the commotion—there was no doubt about that—but that didn't mean she needed to provide the sector police with a beacon to hone in on. Hopefully, they wouldn't be discovered before she had a chance to dig him out.
She could see a hand, and an arm, and now a leg. Max breathed a little easier when she saw how the ceiling had fallen, two large pieces actually tenting Alec's body and keeping the other debris from hitting him directly. But when she reached his head, her earlier anxiety returned in full force. Blood matted his hair, at the back, where he had taken a blow from a particularly sharp piece.
"Alec!" she whispered, not really expecting a response. He lay still, and more quiet than she'd ever known him to be. Strange, she'd always expecting this moment would bring with it relief and a certain sense of peace—when Alec finally shut his trap and discovered the phenomenon of silence—but now the one thing she wanted most was for him to simply open his eyes, his mouth, and make one of his characteristically irritating remarks.
When she'd cleared enough space, she pulled him from the rubble, being careful not to disturb the large blocks that would crush him if they fell. A hand placed under each arm, his back against her stomach, she grabbed him and yanked him out. Glancing toward the still-unconscious sector cops who'd managed to remain unscathed in the little incident—well, unscathed but for the injuries that the two transgenics had inflicted—she didn't stop even once she had him out in the clearing. If they were found here, how would she possibly explain their presence?
Max dragged Alec to the edge of the parking garage and out. It would have been easier if she just carried him, but she couldn't be sure he hadn't been hit anywhere besides his head, and she wanted to keep him as still as possible unless it was absolutely necessary to move him.
"C'mon Alec," she said softly as she pulled him. "Help me out here. How the hell am I supposed to get you over that fence?"
That was their best chance, she figured, getting out of the lot of the abandoned building so, at least, they wouldn't be automatically shot on sight. She had to get Alec to safety first then she could come back for Joshua. Leave Alec here and go after Joshua, and she would be endangering them both.
They'd reached the perimeter, and as she glanced about to ensure there was no one in sight, she spied a corner of the fence that had been torn from the ground and pushed aside. No doubt, Joshua hadn't been the first to venture onto the site after it had been declared condemned, and she secretly thanked whoever had been here before him. At least that was one problem down.
Holding up the corner of the mesh fence with one hand, then her leg, she managed to pull Alec through. But while she was ensuring the loose bits of wire didn't catch him along the way, she managed to riddle her own hands and arms with numerous cuts. Then there was a tearing noise as one bit ripped through her shirt.
Max froze and glared down at Alec. "You are so buying me a new shirt." It wasn't a big tear. It's not like it left a big gaping hole or anything—which was a good thing, considering she'd chosen not to wear a bra today and she wasn't looking forward to providing the sector police or anyone else with an eyeful, unless of course it was a means of saving her life—but still, any hole was one hole too many.
"Who knew you could be a bigger pain unconscious than you are awake?" she grumbled as she made the final stretch. "And that's quite the accomplishment, considering just how big a pain you are when you're awake."Oh, she wasn't really angry with him. It was just that when it came to Alec, anger was so much easier to deal with than concern. It was a sort of comfort to bitch at him, even if he couldn't hear it.
After she'd dragged him out onto the sidewalk, she paused for breath and to check up on him. His breathing was fairly deep and steady, and she frowned as she noted that.
"Hey," she said, peering down at him suspiciously. "Are you out cold, or sleeping?"
In response, he let out a strange noise… that sounded… very much… like… a… snore?!
"I don't believe this!" she exclaimed, in shock. "You… you… ah!" Reaching for his collar, she pulled his head up slightly and slapped him. Lightly, of course, barely a tap at all—alternating from one cheek to the other.
Alec made a whimpering noise of protest, and tried to turn his head away from her.
"Oh no you don't!" Max grabbed his face and jerked it back. "Wake up, you idiot!" His eyes began to flutter open, slowly, and seeing that he truly was all right, she felt all her earlier anxiety, fear, and flurry of unnamable emotions dissolve into one giant puddle of exasperation. "I can't believe you were just sleeping! That whole time… and what is it with you and sleep? Haven't you already gotten enough of it today?" Pulling away, she ran a hand over her face. "And to think that I was actually…" She finished the sentence with an inarticulate noise to convey her frustration.
"You were actually what?" Green eyes, wide open and very aware, peered up at her as she lowered her hand.
She ignored his question. "I can't believe you're alright! You made me drag you all the way down here, and under that fence. I ripped my shirt!" He glanced down at said shirt, and she exclaimed, "Don't look! Why the hell are you looking? Argh!! I am so going to—to—"
"Kick my ass?" He flashed a grin as he finished for her.
"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of strangle you until you turn blue."
His eyes fluttered shut momentarily and a grimace passed over his features. "Well, before you do either of those, let me assure you that I am not alright. I feel like I went toe-to-toe with a Mack truck"—he groaned slightly—"and the truck won." Then his eyes reopened and settled on hers. "Well, at least it didn't kick me in the balls."
Max sat back and gave him a disgusted look as she watched him struggle to sit up. "Oh, will you get—" Alec winced and fell back, and she caught him, just barely in time. "Careful," she said softly, all anger dissipating immediately, "Just give it a few minutes."
As he looked up at her, surprise was clearly etched on his features. He opened his mouth to speak—
"Hold it right there!"
They both froze in place. A flashlight shone across Max's back, but she was blocking Alec's face from view. In a quiet voice, so low, only he could hear, she told him, "Close your eyes and just go along with whatever I say." He nodded once, ever so slightly.
Max turned abruptly toward the source of the light, two sector cops a few meters behind her, both with their weapons drawn and aimed. Eyes widening, she said in a breathy voice, "Oh thank god you found us officers! We were attacked!" She edged back slightly, giving them a clear view of Alec's bloody head, his closed eyes. "This… creature… it just came out of nowhere and hurt my boyfriend"—I'm sorry Joshua, she thought silently, feeling guilt course through her at the lie, but knowing it was necessary—"I thought it was going to hurt me too… I'm so glad you're here!" If the very thought of it didn't disgust her so much, she would have faked some tears. As it was, it was hardly necessary. Her little act won the men over.
They approached slowly, and cautiously, though not nearly as cautiously as they should have. Damsel in distress gets them every time. Not that she was complaining or anything.
One man lowered his weapon and crouched down, checking for Alec's pulse. Hey, Junior! She recognized him from her earlier survey of the building. Which must mean that that, over there, must be Rambo. "It's pretty strong," Junior informed them both. Looking toward Max, he said, "Don't worry ma'am, he'll be fine."
Ma'am? Jeez, how old was this kid?
"Oh thank you!" she gushed, flashing him a brilliant smile that caused him to duck his head shyly.
They were interrupted by Rambo, who had wandered away from the trio to investigate something in the shadows. "Hey, I think I heard something!"
Junior glanced up and met eyes with his partner. "You stay here," Rambo told him, "Watch over the civilians and call for backup. I'm gonna go check it out."
Rambo disappeared into the darkness, and his partner pulled out his walkie-talkie. Before he could call it in though, Max cut in—"Wait!" When he looked toward her, she decked him. "Sorry Junior," she muttered, picking up the little radio, "Can't let you do that."
Alec sat up. "Junior? What is this compulsion you have to name everyone you meet?" Max said nothing. Pulling himself, a little unsteadily, to his feet, he continued, "Your boyfriend, huh? First it's Logan, now the sector police… when are you gonna cut the act and just admit you want me?"
She turned to glare at him. "The only thing stopping me from smacking you upside the head right now is the fact that it might reopen your cut."
"Aw, Maxie, you are too good to me." He grinned, but it was a little lopsided, which just made it even more difficult for her to stay angry with him. She scowled at the thought and trudged ahead.
"I've got it!" Rambo's sudden excited cry drifted back to their ears. No gunshots sounded, so that was a good thing, Max told herself as she raced to find him.
Joshua lay on the ground, defenseless, the gun aimed directly at his chest. "Check it out, Myers, I got him!" Rambo said again as he heard the footsteps behind him.
"Too bad you can't keep him," Max replied, kicking the gun from his hands. One blow to the gut, and while he was still recuperating from that, another to the temple, and he was out even before he hit the ground. "And he sounded so excited too," she said with mock sympathy.
"Hey, that one was supposed to be mine!" Alec complained from behind her. "You got the last guy."
She rolled her eyes. "Relax, you can get the next one."
That didn't seem to appease him much, as he grumbled something to the effect of, "Action hog."
"Joshua," she said, a large grin warming her features as she saw her friend, unhurt, gathering himself to his feet. "I'm so glad you're alright, big fella." She reached forward and gave him a hug, but he didn't return it. Frowning, she pulled back. He stared down at her unhappily, but she filed away the observation for later scrutiny as she grabbed his hand, trying to get him to follow. "C'mon, we gotta get out of here."
"No Max," he said, refusing to budge. He snatched his hand from hers.
"Joshua, what are you doing?" she demanded.
"Shit, backup's on its way," Alec remarked as he picked up the sounds of sector police approaching. He looked at Max, "I'll try to hold 'em off—you take care of this." He waved his hand vaguely, but she understood what he was trying to say without being too obvious.
"Max and Alec go home," Joshua told her. "I can take care of myself. I have to do this."
"Do what?" she asked angrily, glaring up at his hulking figure. "Get yourself killed?" She grabbed his hand again. "We don't have time for this—lets go."
Again, he pulled away from her, and then placed his hands on her shoulders as he stooped over to face her eye-level. "Listen, Max. I'm not going home—not yet. White killed Annie. I can't forget; I can't pretend it didn't happen."
"But what can you do about it?" she returned. "If it were really that easy to take him down, don't you think me and Alec would've done it by now? We're not holding back for old times' sake!"
"Max, no. I—"
But whatever he was going to say next was cut short, as voices cried out behind them, "There it is!" Obviously, Alec had been unable to keep all of the sector cops at bay. Before either Max or Joshua could react, however, shots fired out and a searing, burning pain in her leg drove Max forward, into Joshua's arms.
"Max!" That wasn't Joshua's voice, but Alec's, as he arrived at the scene, too late to stop it. Though her injury kept her from turning to observe the action, she heard the sounds of flesh hitting flesh, startled voices calling out. Then Alec was at her side, concerned eyes peering down at her. His fingers hastily probed the wound and she stifled a cry.
"We have to get out of here, now," he said. "There are too many of them, and I can't hold them off."
"Alec take Max, leave," Joshua replied, propping her against him. "I'll distract sector police, take them away in wrong direction."
"No!" Max interrupted.
"It's the only way," he insisted. "Max hurt—sector police will catch up." He put a hand on Alec's shoulder, "Protect Max, I'll distract them." Then he was off, already on his way, ignoring all her protests.
"Joshua! Get back here!" But it was too late. "Alec, stop him!" she shouted, trying to pull away from his support. It was a futile gesture—her one leg was completely useless and she almost lost her balance as she did so.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but he's right, Max," he said as he put one arm across her back, and with other scooped up her legs, careful to keep the injured one on the outside. "They'll catch up with us if we stick together. Besides, we couldn't all fit on your bike anyway. We're better off going separately."
"Hey, put me down!" she demanded indignantly. "It's just a graze; I can walk."
He spared her a look before returning his attention to their getaway. "Right. You know, I'm beginning to wonder if you didn't get yourself shot up just so I would have to carry you. I mean, all this talk about you and me being a thing, the way you drag me along on every little mission you go on… and now, this—you'd do just about anything to get a little closer to me, wouldn't you Maxie?"
"Oh, that's it. Just leave me here for the sector police. A few more bullets would be preferable to this."
TBC
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