X Amount of Words

"You're not dead, yet, Alex…"
Opening his eyes, he faced the floor, blood dripping from his mouth and nose. He didn't bother stemming the flow, looking to X, who knelt next to him, holding his helmet.

Without pause, Alex grabbed the head-piece and slipped it back into place. He got back to his feet, X rising up as well. The scientist only watched him for a moment, before turning and walking to the reactor.

Blur took a deep breath, his helmet showing him some details about his injuries, mainly the fractured rib, and a ruptured blood vessel in his arm. He chose to ignore them as he left, coming face to face with Mary and Asazi.

Both women said nothing, and let him pass.

What had come over him? He just… attacked without a second thought, and kept going until he was knocked out. He didn't think, didn't analyze, just… reacted. Was he a mindless machine? What was happening to him? He barely made it back to his quarters before heaving into the toilet, helmet tossed aside. His rib burned where it was fractured, but he didn't care. He had helped destroy something, totally eradicating it from existence. Dorian wasn't someone he liked all that well… but Colin looked up to him, had been learning from him.

Alex washed his face, and then sat on the floor, back against the wall, staring blankly to the mirror over the sink. He pulled off his gloves, seeing that his arm was turning black and blue from the blood, growing in size. With a sigh, he pulled out his knife, and stabbed the growing spot, the blood pouring out. The pain slowly went away, and as he held the arm over the toilet, the blood dripping off, he felt something else go as well. Was he slipping back into a killer? Was he throwing away his humanity again? He watched the blood go, eyes dropping closed. What would they think of him if they could see him now?

He didn't know how much time had passed. When he looked up, Asazi was kneeling in front of him, wrapping his arm. The pain of the vessel was gone, and a bug sitting on the toilet seat was slightly bloody from the work it did. He cast tired eyes to the woman, letting her work. "Thanks…" he muttered, trying to smile.

"You're not out of the woods yet, lover-boy." She replied, looking at him with narrowed eyes. She had pulled her gloves off as well, her fingers tinted red. "You need to get to the medbay to make sure nothing else is broken."

"I'm fine… I just need to sleep." Alex said, using his other arm to sit up. She saw his wince, and nodded.

"Right… and you don't wince for any reason. Come on, get up." She braced herself, and hauled him to his feet, letting him balance. She slipped her hand into his, squeezing tight. "Alex?"

He closed his eyes, his head spinning. "Just… gimme a moment." He muttered, taking deep breaths. Pain rocketed from his chest and stomach, and all along his back. "I… wont make it to the medbay…" he whispered.

Asazi sighed, realizing that Alex was having a conscience issue right now, and so just led him to the bed. Once he was down, she looked him over, and then removed his boots and shirt. Bruises were appearing all over him, small blooms along his tan skin, circling his scars. She kicked off her own boots, and crawled onto the bed, sitting his head in her lap, running her fingers through his hair. A man who had saved her life countless times, and she never repaid him. Was his life in danger now?

Alex opened his eyes, weak and bleary. "You… don't have to stay."

"I do. You vomited blood, cut your own arm to drain it… Alex, you're becoming a wreck." She ran a thumb along his cheek, watching his eyes. They slowly closed again, his breathing evening out. "I would say you are being stupid, but this isn't the time or place, or even life, for that attitude anymore. You run into fights, get heavily injured, and come crawling out, saying you don't need any help. Stop being so bull-headed and take what is offered. Myself, Tempest, and Colin, all want to help you. We give what we can, but… I guess we don't see what is being given in return. Are you fighting for us, or for yourself?"

Alex sighed, wincing at the pain in his chest. It took a few moments before he could reply. "I'm fighting to take out X, and build a better life—a better world, for everyone. I'm just…"

"You're blinded by his words. That is all you need to say. He has you wrapped around his fingers, like some sort of puppet. You need to stop listening to him. His words always sound confident, but underneath… just a bunch of hot air. He was worried because you were always in his way, keeping him from his goal, though he always thought he could just step around you. You were a thorn in his side… and now you're taken over, his thorn to use against everyone else. Your plan… it wont work, Alex. You aren't strong enough to face him. Maybe for Quake and Gangrene, but not against X… none of us can take him out. Not even as a group. He is too well protected no matter where he goes." Asazi lectured, still running her fingers through his hair. He seemed to have drifted off, and she was about to get up when he gently latched onto her wrist, pulling her hand to his chest.

"I know all that… but… I'm trying to find a way around it all. I just…" Alex whispered, feeling her hand on his chest, knowing she felt his heartbeat.

"Shh… rest, all right? I'm not going to go anywhere." She ran her other hand through his hair, leaning back against the headboard. "You just need to worry about getting better."

Alex nodded, sparks of pain lashing from his chest. This wasn't going to really heal all on its own, but he really didn't want to go to the medbay, either. Laying here with her was just enough for him, as he knew there was someone who wouldn't leave… though when he started believing that of her was hard to say. Maybe they were just meant to be? He rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb, wanting to keep her there. She was safe, his protection after all the times he needed it. He never thought he would need a shield, but right now, he greatly appreciated her company. He felt his eyes get heavy, his body helping him ignore the pain, and he drifted off, not sure where he would end up.

A light was shining in his eyes when he came around, but it was still the ceiling of his room. He felt bugs crawling all over him, his chest locked in plaster with barely enough space to breathe. When they realized he was awake, they paused, and then kept working.

"Welcome back, lover-boy." Asazi whispered, somewhere above him. He felt her hands, warm against his face. He tried speaking, but his tongue felt sand-paper dry, and stuck to the roof of his mouth. He felt water trickle in, slowly loosening his jaw. He looked to Asazi, who was holding a water bottle. "Feel better?"

He nodded, finding his voice. "A lot better… what'd they use, morphine?"

"Something like that. You have been out for several hours.. X stopped by, and when he left, they all trooped in here. Just lie still, they are finishing up." Asazi rubbed his temples, relaxing him back into a nap. He knew she was still there the whole time, always within reach. It was a comforting presence at the back of his mind; always there, protecting in a way he couldn't ever have imagined. He had thought of nights with her, before all this, and if they would have gotten along… He knew she was a trained seductress, but there was still a woman underneath that alluring exterior. A chance to see the real her was another matter.

"Alex?"

His eyes opened weakly to her voice, before sliding closed again. Something felt off, wrong. He let his mind wander to the past two months, and everything he had accomplished. The list was rather short. He needed to get to Grey, get Colin off the ship, and take out X… though there were still certain steps that needed to be taken.

"Do you…. Do you think that X knows everything we do?" His voice sounded weak.

"No, he can't possibly know everything. He isn't a god, Alex… he is just…" Asazi trailed her fingers though his hair, hearing and feeling him relax. "I know you have a lot to hide from him, we all do. There are secrets he can't ever know." She watched him for a few moments, leaning over to kiss him lightly. "Don't sleep on me now, loverboy, you might not wake up."

Alex opened a bleary eye, watching her. "If I do?"

"Just don't. Stay awake a bit longer."

"Then you are implying that I can sleep." Alex grabbed one of her hands, holding onto it.

"Of course not."

Recovery from that was long, taking more time than anyone was expecting. Blur seldom left his quarters, and only Asazi ever visited. Tempest and Colin where trying to cover for Dorian with X's help. That attack, mainly the destruction of the cyborg, caused extensive damage to the reactor, and all three were hard-pressed to fix what happened. No fingers were pointed, as X had announced that it was a malfunction of Dorian's personality, and nothing that was crew tampering.

Blur stepped into the Hanger bay, where all the helicopters had been carefully set to allow as much open space as possible. The ship was holding position over the ocean while X did some engine repair that couldn't be trusted to the Trilobugs. He looked to Asazi, Mary, Colin and Tempest, all standing around talking. Silently coming up behind them, he made Asazi jump, barely missed being slapped by her crossbow. There was no smile in his features.

"I told X where Grey is, and just about everything is in place. Colin, you'll go down with me; Asazi, Mary, Tempest, stay here. Don't stop Gangrene or Quake from going down. This is it."

Authors Note: Ok, this is as far as I have with the story. I have started work, so I don't know when I'll be able to work on chapter 12. I hope you enjoy, and I really appreciate the constructive feed back, Akili-chan!! I hope this tied up a few loose ends.