Chapter 8: Questions

Max had been held at gunpoint by so many people, she had no choice but to surrender to them. She had been taken to what seemed like an abandoned warehouse, but once inside that wasn't the case. This was the supposed holding facility for the transgenics they had captured. She had been handcuffed, taken to a room, and tied to a chain hanging from the ceiling.

White was extremely pleased with himself. He walked around with an irritating smug expression on his face as if he'd just gotten laid. Max would have done anything at that moment to punch his teeth in his head.

The entire time C.J. had followed behind and crawled in the corner of the room, muttering quietly.

Ames locked the door behind him and walked up to her. He gave a disgusting grin again and reached up unzipping her sleeve in a crude motion. Turning her arm outwards he examined the runes on her skin.

"Poor Sandeman. One son's a loon. The other's a psychopath," she taunted but White only smiled wider.

"Be nice. We're practically family," he repeated what she had told C.J., and she narrowed her eyes at him. He had probably told him what she had said to convince him. Now he was taunting her back with her own words.

Rolling her eyes, she attempted to chew on her tongue to bite back her anger. "Don't remind me."

"Hey, I'm not happy about it either," he said inattentively as he read the symbols on her skin.

C.J. was still rocking and muttering, and he finally spoke up to his older brother. "Did I do the right thing, Ames? Did I do good?"

"Oh, yeah, you did read good, C.J. Real good," Ames said his tone of voice indicating someone used to dealing with a loon. Simple words of annoyance really.

"So you're not going to send me back there, right? To that place." He was fidgeting with his fingers, his feet tapping nervously on the floor.

"No, no worries. Nothing like that, little brother." Again, he answered with that aloof tone plainly lying to him.

Max was watching the exchange quietly still wondering how on earth she got duped, by a lunatic of all people.

"If you're wondering about the name, I changed it." Ames informed her with a sardonic smile. "Sort of a…" he reached for the neckline of her shirt and ripped it, "symbolic thing."

"Hey!" She said through gritted teeth. Oh god. Not only was she in the hands of the man who had made it his personal crusade to hunt her down and capture her, but he was going to torture her slowly.

"White, as in unsullied…" He was still talking, and she averted her eyes. Think of something else. She tried to divert her thoughts to Alec. Only to be reminded of how stupid she felt for leaving without him or at least telling anyone.

"Free of my father's betrayal and shame."

"What do they say?" C.J. asked desperately. When White didn't answer him he spoke up louder. "Ames, what do they say?" Max vaguely noticed him standing on his chair shaking a leg. If she hadn't been in a completely desperate moment in her life, she would have laughed. Only White's hands all over her skin gave her dreadful shivers.

"What do they say Ames?!" C.J. sank in his chair almost in panic.

Max was extremely curious as well, but she would have given anything to have C.J. shut up. "Answer him," she said forcefully, and he stared right into her eyes.

They were mere inches from each other and he answered in a half whisper. "What do you think they say?" She just stared back quietly without an answer.

"They say all of the same stuff that he was spouting off about for years." He looked over his shoulder shouting to his younger brother now extremely irritated. "About how all life is sacred" He went back to examining her neck. "Blah blah blah – and how the meek will inherit the earth." Almost laughing he looked up. "You know what? The meek will not inherit the earth. The strong will take what is theirs and crush the meek." Now he put on the same derisive signature sneer he seemed to permanently wear. "After our long wait, our time has come." Throwing back her shirt, he dropped his hands in disgust.

"Good. Can I go now?" She asked impudently, and he walked around to her back. "You see, he wanted to destroy our destiny. He pushed her long hair out of the way and unzipped her shirt to reveal her back. "Five thousand years of planning."

"Destroy? How?" C.J. seemed to have calmed down and was now talking to himself again.

"By creating her." Ames answered him disdainfully.

"Oh, she's the one he used to talk about." He sighed and spoke as if reliving the memory of his father. Max didn't think it was possible, but her fear grew as she watched Ames pick up the tazer from the floor leaning it on his shoulder.

"Now…before I kill you and end this little story, I have to ask you about my son." His eyes grew cold and dangerous.

"Oh, boy, this changes everything." C.J. held his head now in remorse.

"Is he alive?" White asked in a terrifying voice.

Max was extremely afraid but it was in moments like these where she relied on her Manticore training. Being tortured and put to the question she was going to be as elusive as she could. "No. Yeah, well – What was the question?"

He lowered the tazer at her words, pinning it to her chest with an electrical crackle, and she convulsed against the charge.

"You made a big mistake!" C.J. said gravely reprimanding himself or White she wasn't even sure.

Dropping the taser he advanced on her and grabbed her chin in his hands squeezing tightly. "Is he alive? Answer me!"

"But it's not too late." C.J. said sounding resolved.

Ames had finally had enough of his incessant talking. "Will you shut up?" He whirled on him, and he was surprised with a shock as the tazer was pressed against his chest. Giving a dangerous look at his crazy brother, he slumped to the floor while C.J. continued shocking him. "Sorry, brother, but if what you said is true she's the only chance I've got."

Max frowned at his words and watched him pull out the keys from his suit pocket. "Oh, he's going to be mad. He's going to be really mad." Worry was heavily apparent in his voice. "He's got a will to him like you won't believe." He rushed up and undid her cuffs.

Grabbing the keys from his hand, she continued to untie the rest of her bonds. "Not that I'm complaining, but why the change of heart?"

Picking up her coat from the floor, he turned around sighing. "Don't you ever listen? You're it, man. Time's running out. It's coming."

It wasn't that she wasn't grateful that he was helping her. She just still found herself doubting him and his state of mind. "What's coming?"

There was an abrupt knock at the door, and they both stopped talking to stare at it in fear.

"Sir?" Came the voice on the other end and C.J. imitated his older brother's voice. "Yeah?"

"The prisoners are ready for transport." He informed him, and Max looked up still trying to fix her ripped shirt and stuff it in her jacket.

"Five minutes." C.J. said in a commanding tone.

"Very good, sir."

They waited a few moments to make sure there would be no one to greet them once they opened the door and made their way through the warehouse. Creeping on the edge of a wooden wall Max stopped and watched as chained transgenics were led in an armor plated truck. "You ready?" She whispered to C.J.

"You kidding? I'm sticking with you," he whispered back. "I'll take that as a yes."

Running in a blur, she ran to the nearest agent, kicked the gun out of his hands, and elbowed him powerfully across the jaw. He fell to the ground quickly. Continuing her run, she made it to the back of the truck, and slammed the open door into another agent's face catching him completely off guard, and he fell back with a yell. She kicked another one that had started to approach her and slammed the backdoor shut.

She ran to the driver's side and punched agent Gottlieb square in the jaw. His eyes rolled in his head, and she grabbed him by the jacket and threw him to the ground behind her. Pulling the agent that was already sitting at the wheel she threw him into some barrels and quickly jumped into the driver's seat.

Gunfire went off behind her, and she watched as C.J. grabbed the gun she had kicked to the floor and shot at the agents who had begun to shoot. "C.J., come on!"

Ames was finally awake and out of the room, and he was shooting in Max's direction. C.J. seeing this ran to the door and stood in front of her hoping his brother would stop shooting. "Stop! Hi! All done, all done! I was wrong!" He dropped his shotgun like it burned in his hands. "Mistakes were made here!"

"Move!" Ames yelled at his brother.

"Come on, bro. It's all good!" He smiled and Ames yelled angrily. "I said move!" At first he didn't want to shoot at him, but he had left him no choice and he shot him in the chest. Slumping to the ground Max reached back and closed the door. The truck's reinforced exterior protecting her from the bullets.

She looked down at C.J. with a saddened expression. He had just taken a bullet for her and now she was debating whether to take the risk of saving him. "Go!Go!" He waved her off, and she closed her eyes and looked back to the front and slammed her foot on the gas pedal. Driving right through the door it shattered around the vehicle, and she was finally out on the street again. With the captured transgenics in tow she drove back to the one place she knew they would be safe; Terminal City.


Alec had returned to Terminal City with Joshua both using the sewers instead of the streets. Joshua kept looking over to his smaller friend, and all he got was silence. He wanted to ask Alec so many questions, but he didn't know where to begin. Keeping with his earlier thought, he preferred leaving this one to Max. Alec was just being too slippery for him. Evading the question, and giving him vague answers. What was even the point in trying to talk?

They both walked through HQ and without stopping Alec looked around the room quickly. Max was still nowhere in sight. He walked up to Dix. "Hey did Max show up yet?"

Dix shook his head and looked behind Alec to Joshua who had quietly followed him.

"Something's wrong." Alec said quietly. He had already tried looking everywhere in Terminal City, this time he was going to take it a step further and try widening his search.

He just couldn't shake that dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach. "If she shows up, call my cell." Turning around he left and Joshua watched him with curiosity. "Joshua worried," he said to Dix.

Headquarters was situated right in the middle of Terminal City surrounded by crumbling buildings. Marching a distance down the littered street, Alec turned a corner when he heard a loud clatter followed by a squeal of tires. Surprised at first, he looked up in alarm seeing a truck crash through the front gate. Watching from his position he saw the beat up armored truck whiz past him at high speed. "What in the world?" He whispered and followed it at a run.

When the truck stopped, the door opened, and a disheveled Max jumped out. Her shirt was hanging loosely at the front, and she drew her hair back out of her face. She took in a deep breath and sighed in relief.

Alec stopped a few feet away from her, stunned. No matter how angry or worried he had been earlier it seemed to wash away as he caught sight of her. His frown slipped away slowly, and he cocked his head at her questioningly. "What happened?" He asked seeing the state she was in.

She noticed him standing there and immediately she felt a sense of relief settle over her like a shroud. She didn't care that he was probably pissed, she was just glad that she had been able to escape. and he was still here waiting for her.

She walked towards him and hugged him fiercely. "Alec," she said simply

"Are you hurt?" He asked concerned, and she shook her head. "Just happy to see you that's all."

He frowned at her lack of explanation expecting a little more out of her, but all questions vanished when her lips captured his almost desperately, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Breaking the kiss his voice grew deeper. "Where were you? I've been looking for you everywhere."

"I'll tell you later, first things first." She ran to the back of the truck, and he watched as she opened the door. Curiously he followed her, and to his amazement several people were sitting in the back. They were cuffed and linked together by a chain. Closer inspection revealed them to be transgenics. His brain finally made the connection.

The armored truck riddled with scuffs was probably bullet dents, Max looked worn as if she had seen better days, and the transgenics in the back of the truck completed the story.

"You went without me?" His eyes grew wider in disbelief.

"Well not exactly." She sighed knowing she was going to have to tell him, and then he would get angry or concerned whichever came first. "Can we do this later? We really need to get these people out of here." She looked behind her to the gate of Terminal City, and protestors were watching with hate filled eyes.

He was going to drop it for now seeing that they did indeed need to get to safety. The important part was that she was there and safe. He'd get an explanation later whether she wanted to give one or not.

More people had started to come out of Headquarters to greet her. Joshua came out at a run and grabbed her in a stronghold. "Little fella ok." He sighed in relief, and she smiled in his chest.

"Yeah big fella I'm fine now." She smiled looking up at him, and then turned to the others that had followed behind Joshua.

She looked over from Luke who seemed nervous, to Mole with his stogy and shotgun in tow, and finally the rest of the crowd. "Get these people unchained. Make sure they have food and something to drink. Who knows how long White's had them. If anyone is injured I want their wounds tended." She had started to name down a few things, and her voice droned out as Alec watched in amusement. She was in command mode now, and everyone stared at her confounded. An eerie silence seemed to stretch around, and everyone stopped moving.

Alec could see they were trying to process her tone and demeanor. It was one thing to be a soldier and to accept command, but they weren't just about to do it for anybody now that they were free. His eyes shifted around seeing their unsure expressions, and he looked back to Max, raising his hand in a salute. "Yes Ma'am," he said seriously, and the tension that had seemed to settle suddenly lifted, and everyone started to move again following her orders.

She gave him a smile of appreciation, and he grinned back secretly. Pulling on her jacket to hide the indecent part of her top, she followed behind the gang towards Headquarters but Alec's arm stopped her.

Turning around she faced his concerned expression. "Why did you leave without me?" His smile had vanished to be replaced by disappointment.

"Contrary to what you might think Alec, even if we're together, I'm still the same Max, and I can still take care of myself." She was starting to get defensive, and he frowned. "I never said you couldn't Max, and that's not why you left," he tested, and her brow drew down.

"I…" she looked back at him with determination, "you looked busy with CeCe." She said her eyes staring into his.

He had caught her first word and focused on that. "You… what?"

"I figured you didn't want me involved so I left to go find C.J." She explained her previous unfinished thought.

Not bothering with the whole C.J. aspect, he again focused on her. "Why wouldn't I want you involved?"

"Do we have to do this here?" She asked looking around to eavesdropping ears; everyone had already left towards HQ. She looked back at him, and he squeezed her arm lightly remaining silent. They both stared, each waiting for the other to speak.

He actually held out longer than she did which was surprising. "Fine." She huffed figuring she may as well just tell him. "After what happened I wanted to keep my distance, it still makes me uncomfortable."

"How is that?" His brow drew down lightly.

"I don't know it's weird. It's like the idea of it was planted in my head, and I just need a bit of time to re-adjust, okay?" She smiled weakly. "I'm fine."

"Yeah right." he admitted knowingly. He was in his own right, master at elusiveness when it came to how he felt. "That's not going to work this time Max."

"I just get this mental picture whenever I see the two of you together okay." She finally admitted and looked away embarrassed. "It drives me crazy," she said severely.

"Max," he said her name softly and hugged her. "You know the truth," he said in attempt to appease her.

"I know," she reprimanded herself. "Like I said I just need time," her voice was now soft against his chest. She closed her eyes and smelled him, unconsciously snuggling into him.

"Take all the time you need Maxie, just don't make yourself a victim to your insecurities," he said expertly, and she backed up from him actually gaping. She couldn't believe how mature he sounded.

"That's some good advice." She raised an eyebrow with a grin putting her hands on her hips bending one knee in wait. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my immature, smart ass boyfriend?"

He lifted his hands in mock pain holding his chest. "That hurts, you forgot handsome."

The tension evaporated, and she laughed out loud slapping his hands away from his chest. "You're such a goofball."

"Yeah," he smiled and added, "but you love it." She leaned on him for support and they both continued to walk away.

The laughter died down, and she grew quiet thinking about what he had said. It was like he was slowly transforming into something, she didn't even know what; it just hadn't seemed like him.

He had nailed her in one. She couldn't believe how well he truly did know her.

After a moment she told him so, "you're right Alec."

"About what? Be specific sweetheart, I'm always right," he joked and this time she couldn't grin along with him.

"I've just never been good at this kind of thing," she turned melancholic, and he slowed down his steps. "I get scared and I run. You get hurt less that way," she repeated his own words and they weren't lost on him making him sigh quietly. "Right now I feel like it's too good to be true and that freaks me out. I don't want to run anymore, but I don't want to get hurt either."

Sensing her difference in emotions he figured one of his wisecracks wouldn't be appropriate in cheering her up. She needed to get it off her chest, so instead he simply listened.

"What if something happens? Up until now I never really had…" she didn't know how to say it, "this. Manticore or life just always has a way of messing everything up. I'm tired of it Alec. I just want to be free, not have to worry about anything anymore."

He simply waited letting her tell him what was on her mind. "It just hasn't been easy you know that. With…you know. Just letting myself relax and enjoy..." She said the last quietly dancing on the subject of Logan was something she didn't want to get into, but it was the only example she had so she discarded it all together. "Can we just forget about it for now, promise we'll talk about it later," she assured him, and he rubbed her arm.

He wasn't any better at this kind of thing than she was, but he wasn't about to tell her. "Yeah," he slowly agreed and stopped to look at her. He cupped her face kissing her brow. She closed her eyes focusing on the feeling radiating between them. "Just promise you'll come to me if something else is bothering you k?" He asked in a soft voice, and she gave a slight nod. He brushed his thumb over her lips giving her a slow chaste kiss and lowered his hands.

"You okay?" she finally asked and it was his turn to be evasive. "Now that you're safe, and I can see you, yeah." He gave her the answer she was looking for without having to lie to her. "Just been a rough couple of days," he admitted slowly.

She only then remembered that he hadn't slept since the night before. His eyes were tight and sunken. She stared at him silently. "What?"

"You should get some sleep," she suggested. Shaking his head he gave a smile, "do what you have to do and then we'll go home together."

"Alec," she warned, and he countered with, "Max."

She wasn't going to start playing power trips with him, so she just shrugged, "fine be like that. I'm not dragging your ass out of there if you fall asleep."

He did laugh this time and put his arm around her shoulder. "Trust me Max, just the thought of you finally coming home with me is going to keep me up, all night." He winked and she grinned wryly, "pun intended?"

He chuckled and his eyes twinkled, "ohh." He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "and they say I'm bad."

"Well a girl's gotta have priorities." She smirked, and he nudged her side.

"Is that you asking Kitty Cat?" he said seductively in her ear, and she couldn't help the shiver that coursed over the side of her neck with an, "mmm," in answer.

He kissed the side of her head, "guess that's the answer I need. Just hurry up."

They reached the door to headquarters and both helped get the new Transgenics get settled. Max just wanted to make sure they would be fine, and when she was satisfied left with Alec.

On their way home, Max remained quiet thinking about her ordeal with White until Alec brought her out of it. "Why is your shirt ripped?" he questioned dangerously, and when she looked up his eyes were murderous. He had noticed it the second he'd seen her but didn't comment on it, he hoped she would have told him herself by now.

"Tell me what that fucker did to you so I can go out there and kill him." His voice wasn't its usual dulcet tone it had gotten extremely deep.

She bit her lip at the look on his face, this was new. She had seen him angry before, cold when he was pissed off, but the look was so alien on his boyish face she had to look twice.

"He read the symbols on my skin and the shirt was in his way." She told him and he seemed to relax instantly. She waited a few seconds and dropped the bomb on him.

"C.J. is White's brother," she swallowed slowly again, feeling stupid for even taking the chance she had with him earlier. If things hadn't turned out in her favor she'd probably be dead by now.

This made him stop, and his hand tightened around her fingers. "What?" he hissed.

She put her right hand over his and squeezed it. His fingers relaxed somewhat, and she continued to talk, "White is Sandeman's son." She prepared herself for the pressure around her hand again, but it didn't come instead his jaw flexed. "Oh this just gets better," he remarked flatly.

"Look when I went to talk with C.J. he told me I could meet with Sandeman. Only he never showed up, White did."

"I knew you couldn't trust him," he spoke his earlier thoughts again. "He was just off."

"You have no idea," she said sarcastically. "He's apparently straight out of this psychiatric facility that's run by the familiars. He was their prisoner because he's Sandeman's son."

"That's interesting, so Sandeman is still out there somewhere then?" She hadn't thought of that, being too focused on White. Knowing he was still out there, she could probably try and find him again.

"I know what you're thinking and no Max, you know what this means right?" He asked and she lifted her shoulders for lack of an answer. He continued for her. "That makes him a familiar."

"I know Alec, but if I could just find out what these mean." She brought up her hand in agitation, the one he was holding.

"Well that answers my next question. He ripped open your shirt to read you, but he didn't tell you what they said?" He asked knowing it wouldn't be that easy.

"He was freaked out. He was spewing stuff about the meek will inherit the earth, but it scared him that much I know. He couldn't wait to get rid of me. He made it sound like I was some kind of special being like I threatened him."

"You're lucky you know."

"Yeah, thank god for C.J., he saved my life." She defended her choice or instinct she still couldn't tell which it was.

She sighed in exasperation. "It's a message for me, I know."

With those words he dug in his heels, and she stopped when her hand was tugged with his death grip. "What's wrong?"

I'm so stupid, he scolded himself. With everything that had happened, Biggs dying, Max disappearing, and CeCe's outburst, he had forgotten about the encrypted message. Now he had probably found the solution to his problem. His eyes now shifted uncomfortably. He had promised himself he wasn't going to tell her anything about the message until he was absolutely sure of its content. She had enough to worry about.

"Nothing's wrong. You're right though and we will find out what it means okay?" He wormed his focus back on her. "Can we just sleep on it, Miss I have shark DNA? Then when I have maybe two hours of sleep, we can go back and turn the world upside down looking for him."

"I didn't mean this instant," she rolled her eyes, and he tilted his head leaning closer. "Max if you could, you would, and you know it."

She felt a bit of irritation at his comment and spoke in her defense. "Yeah but..."

"No buts," he put his finger on her soft lips, "just take the night off will you. The only butt I want to focus on is yours."

She bit his finger playfully, and he pulled it away quickly. "Well then you're out of luck if you're complaining about lack of sleep there is no way you can possibly handle me right now." With that she ran off, and he watched her leave with a small smile. "That's what you think," he grinned, running off after her.


A/N: Again reviews are very much appreciated :) thanks