Chapter XII: My Intentions are Honourable... Mostly.
AN:
Hey there, Fan-fic-folks!
I'm now officially moving update day to Wednesday. I know I update on Wednesdays most weeks anyway, but from now on that's going to be on purpose. ?ᅡᅠAlso, yes. I know the second flashback sounds hella expository. I just needed you to know
Thanks for reading and, as always, please review.
Momijifan Low-Ki:
I guess they are. Mostly just trying to cram as much past story exposition into each upload as possible in an attempt to get things moving a little faster. I feel like I'm doing a lot of chapters where people move around and do things but not much of interest/import actually happens, I guess? I know that's not true, but it's kind of hard sometimes to mesh thinking and feeling, y'know? Anyways, yeah, that's the reason for the more/longer flashbacks.
And she certainly is. The number was just plucked from thin air, but it'll come up later on. :)
Aaron Leach:
Thanks Aaron. Hope you enjoy this one too. :)
Ugh. I hate long shifts. I always ended up shuffling about a shitload on the drive back trying to keep myself awake. Seriously, thank fuck my boss lets us have free coffee or I'd doze off on the job and get my ass fired.
I grab the travel mug of espresso from my cup holder and take a long drink from it. My eyes close as the caffeine takes effect and...
"Oh shit!" I fumble the cap of the mug closed and drop it in the passenger seat as I swerve the truck back into my lane just as a huge fucking semi roars past me. The driver yells something I don't catch but guess is probably a shitload of pissed off swearing.
Okay, fuck that was close. Eyes on the road, Price. Eyes on the fucking road. I'm too hungry to die right now.
I keep telling my boss we need to start doing actual fucking food. I love muffins as much as anyone else, but fuck, I'm a growing teen and I need a hella lot of them to keep me going for my whole shift. Some, like, sandwiches and shit would be awesomesauce.
Fuck. Why did I think about food? I really need some noms right now. I immediately swerve, turning onto the road to the Two Whales. I park up outside, swing out of my truck, and head in.
The Diner was still open. It never really closed. Truckers didn't really have, like, schedules, so the diner would get customers all the time. There was three in there when I got in. One at each end of the counter and one in a booth. They all had food and were eating hella quietly. I always hated being in here this early. Too fucking quiet.
I swaggered over and flopped onto one of the stools around the counter. "Hey Mom-zor."
Joyce looked up at me from the book she was leant on the counter reading. "Hello, Chloe. Max and Rachel were in here a minute ago. You just missed them."
I blink. "They were?"
"They sure were. Came in, shared a plate of pancakes." She nods over to our usual booth. "They spent the entire time chatting to each other in the booth, mostly about stars, of all things. I barely got a word in edgeways."
I grin. Sounds like my two best friends are getting on like a house on fire. That's good, right? "They looked very comfortable together. After all these years, and everything she's been through, it's great to see Max livin' her life again and getting to know people. And Rachel, she looked so... happy." She twists her mouth in a weird way then, like, leans over the counter towards me. "They were very... I mean, are they..?"
Seriously, Rach? We fucking talked about... Wait. I stare, slackjawed, at Joyce. "Uh, Mom? Are you trying to... gossip?"
She blinks in shock, looking down at herself for a few seconds. Fucking right. Moms shouldn't gossip. That's just hella weird. "I... Oh lord, Chlo'. Let's forget that ever happened." Her mouth curls again as she makes weird "Ah, um... er..." noises, then she takes a deep breath and says "How was work, Chloe?"
I shrug, trying to forget the fact that Mom just tried to gossip about Max and Rach. And the fact that there is gossip about Max and Rach. God-fucking-damnit Rach! I shake my head. Later, Price. You can find her and kick her ass later. Now, noms. "Still hella crazy. Emily, the girl on my shift, cut her fucking finger off."
Joyce's mouth drops open. "She did what? Is she okay?"
I wave her off. "Yeah, she's fine. It was only the top. Got it all sewed up and shit."
Joyce blinks for a sec, then shakes her head. "I will never get how that coffeeshop stays in business." She takes a deep breath. "So, what can I get you, Chlo? The usual?"
I nod. "Hell yeah. But gimme a double and put it on the rocks."
Mom rolls her eyes. "Eight waffles and some ice cream, coming up." Then the Mom-Light in her head switches on. "Now, sit down, before you fall down. Christ, Chloe."
I snort and mutter, hella sarcastically, "Okay, Mom." But I head over to a booth anyway.
I slid in, running my hand over the little carved heart again.
Max & Chloe 4-eva 2008
Joyce was so pissed when we carved this. I say we. More like me carving and Max sat opposite me blushing like a fucking tomato and frantically muttering at me to stop. Heh. She was so cute when she got all scandalised.
That's not gonna happen anymore, I guess, now she's all... whatever the fuck she is. She's hella cool, but she's hella different. Definitely more of a badass than she used to be, but... I remember her face after that fucking nightmare and after her... whatever the fuck that was when we were Princess Bride-ing around the junkyard.
Fuuuuuck.
"Chloe?" Mom smirks down at me, as she slides the plate onto the table. "You know that carving's gonna disappear if you keep rubbing at it like that."
I look down, finally noticing I've been running my fingers over the heart hella hard since I sat down. "I, uh... yeah. Sorry."
"Somethin' bothering you, Chlo'?" Mom tilts her head and looks at me. She always was hella concerned about me. Being concerned for me is a... nice fucking change.
I shrug. "I..." I don't even know where to fucking start.
Mom laughs. "It's been a hell of a week, ain't it? Max comin' back, you two gettin' close again, her gettin' on so well with Rachel..." I tense at that last bit, only just realising her face was lit up with a triumphant grin. That sneaky bitch! "Chloe Elizabeth Price, are you... jealous of Rachel? Or is it Max?"
I immediately flick my head up to stare open-mouthed at her. "What the fuck are you talking about, Mom?"
"I don't know Chlo', but you've been rubbin' that old carving the entire time we've been talking." I immediately yank my hand away from the table and glare at the traitorous thing, then promptly sit on it. Mom shakes her head with a laugh. "You have got to work out your intentions toward that girl, Chloe. Whichever one that's got you in this state. Someone's gonna get hurt if you don't."
I roll my eyes and smirk dismissively. "My intentions are purely honourable, Mom."
...mostly.
The look Mom gives me almost screams the fact that she doesn't believe me. I don't really give a fuck, just as long as she stops fucking talking about it. After a few seconds of quiet, she nods at the carving. "You remember how angry I was when you did that?"
I give a small grin back. "Heh. Yeah, it was hella funny. I thought you were gonna pop a vein or something."
She snorts. "Lord knows you've gotten me close to that more than a few times over the years." She sighs, looking out the window with a weird look on her face. I think it's wistful? "I never could talk to you like he could."
I, uh... um... I have no idea what to say. But I gotta say something, right? Right? "I..."
"You don't have to say anything, Chlo'. Just been a long day." She stands up with another deep breath. "Enjoy your waffles, and get home safe. I don't wanna hear anything about you tearing up the Bay, okay?"
I give her a mock-salute. "Yes mom."
She laughs lightly and heads back over to the counter. I lean back in the booth when she leaves and breathe out hella deeply. Then, I dig in. Omnomnom.
"And that's all for today, class. Read pages 118-164 and do the factorial exercises on page 7 for next week." The class files out as the teacher finishes talking. I'm at the trail end of them, staying out of the crowd. Force of habit. Plus, I had a free afternoon and plans to use it.
I manage to make it three steps into the corridor without attracted attention until Rachel slips in front of me, a smooth and fluid motion. I immediately stop, but she's still uncomfortably close.
She smiles softly at me. "Hi Max. How was class?"
I frown. She'd made it sound like English would be hell on Earth, but it was fine. It was my most quiet class all day. My math [an1] class had been hell though. Nobody would be quiet for the entire lesson. The teacher eventually just gave up and forgot about teaching for that lesson. "Fine. What were you talking about?"
Her smile disappears as she stares at me in confusion. "You didn't notice? I mean, it's... really, really blatant."
I shrug and shake my head. "Everything seemed normal to me, Rach, what did I miss?"
Her smile flicks back on, bright as ever. "Oh, no no no. If you didn't notice, I'm not gonna tell you. You'll have to work it out yourself." She clicks her fingers. "Think of it like practice. To get better at people."
I briefly consider pushing her for an answer. I stop considering after a few seconds. It's not likely to get me anywhere. "Okay. I guess. I'll let you know if I work anything out."
"That's the spirit, Maxie." She spins around and throws her arm over my shoulder again. "So, when are we getting together to work on that competition picture?"
I blink. "The what?"
Rachel rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "The competition for Mr J that we're totally going to win?"
Oh, right. That competition. "I remember now. We can get together..." I think forward. "Um. Before the party? Or sometime next week?"
She thinks for a second, then grins again. "I've gotta dash, but sometime before the party should be great. Looking forward to it already, Maxie." She leans in and kisses my cheek, then splits off from me, heading for the stairs.
I stare after her for a second, then head for the exit. As soon as I'm sure I'm out of sight, I start running for the mines.
*Flashback Begins*
As they walked, Max began to inquire more about the new world she had found herself in. She had been away from it for many years, and wanted to catch up as fast as possible. "Do the... offshoots attack here often?"
Artemis raised an eyebrow. "The offshoots? Is that what they call them up in the Mountain?"
Max nodded and Artemis let out a short chuckle. "The Doctor never was a creative one. No, they don't attack me often anymore. They did, but I've bloodied their noses often enough that they leave me alone, for the most part. There are still a few who think me weak because of my condition." She waves vaguely at her eyes and Max immediately realised her earlier supposition had been true. The old woman was indeed blind! She chuckles again. "They learn the folly of that belief very quickly."
The 'Refuge' Artemis offered turned out to be a large network of treehouses built into the upper boughs of a tree taller than any Max had seen before. The construction meshed perfectly with the tree's natural shape. The base of each platform interlaced itself with the branches around it, giving her the impression that the house had grown from the tree, rather than been built there. Each platform was connected by rope-and-wood bridges crossing at various heights. There were several heavy crossbows securely mounted at fairly regular intervals across each bridge. The house was a marvel of
It suited her new companion wonderfully.
As they walked up, animals appeared from their hiding spots to greet the old woman. Birds fluttered past, chirping loudly, squirrels and other smaller creatures dashed out of the undergrowth to dance around their feet. Max stared as Artemis stopped and smiled at each one, breathing out heavily every so often. Every time she did, the animals nearby would make excited-sounding noises and hop around hyper-kinetically. Max knew the the breath and the excitement were likely linked, but she wasn't sure how. She resolved to ask later.
Artemis lead her through a small furrow into the roots of the tree, showing her a set of spiral stairs carved into the interior. Huge and intricate patterns spiralled over the tree's bark and every inch of the surface was covered by the designs. "Welcome to my home."
Max spoke again, staring up at the house in wonder. "It's... It's amazing."
Artemis smiled, looking up from where she was tending to one of the animals that had appeared. "Thank you. I've worked hard to keep it this way. Now, come upstairs and I'll show you around. I want you to be comfortable here, for whatever time you do stay."
Max followed, without hesitation.
*Flashback Ends*
The Hunter presses at the limits of its cage as I walk into the dark mine. The cold darkness around it was... familiar, even though I'd been above ground for years now. I quickly got it under control. The darkness never bothered me, anyway. My eyes adjusted in seconds and I could see as well as I always could.
I walked through the mine quickly, wandering past the headframe for the the mine's single elevator. The elevator was old and didn't actually work anymore, so I had to climb down the shaft. The metal girders made for good hand and foot holds. I navigated the 250ft from top to bottom in a few minutes, dropping down into my sanctuary.
I put a hand on the metal of the elevator and followed the wall alongside it to a small shack, entering it. I quickly found the generator cord and pulled it, bringing the thing roaring into life. A second or two later, several large lights flicked on, illuminating the small cavern.
The laptop sitting on a small table in the middle of the room also flicked on. I sat down, bringing up one of the files I'd brought with me. I quietly studied the face, and memorised the name shown. Pretty Boy Floyd... Wanted for the kidnapping and murder of two children and fleeing prosecution. 100,000$ offered for any information that may lead to his arrest. [AN1]
I headed over to the scattered series of benches and tables I'd set up against one wall. The floor wasn't level, so they weren't all together. I went for one table specifically, the one holding the large crate.
I quickly pulled it open, and reached in to grab what was inside...
Time to Hunt.
*Flashback Begins*
As the days turned to weeks, so did acquaintances turn to friends. Max had met a kindred spirit in Artemis, another subject found freedom. For both of them, this was a time of easy living and shared pleasures. But there was still... doubt. Although Max had asked questions about Artemis, her situation and her abilities; the old woman had avoided answering any personal questions.
She was, however, very willing to share her knowledge. Max learnt many things, practical lessons about the flora and fauna of the area, in those first few weeks. She learnt which fruits were safe to eat and which were not, she learnt how to tell animals by their tracks and plants by their flowers and colouring, she learnt everything Artemis was willing to teach her.
As those weeks rolled on, so too did her lessons. Artemis began to concentrate on the life around them, both animal and plants. She taught Max how to forage for food, how to find water, and how to understand the emotions of animals by their movements alone.
Max took to every lesson quickly. Her drive and determination and desperation gave her a powerful motivation. Artemis noticed this, and began to relax noticeably around her.
One morning, shortly before sunset, Max was roused from sleep by a grinning Artemis. "Come with me, Max."
Max wiped the sleep from her eyes, looking blearily up at her friend. "W-what?" Her voice was shaky from sleep, not disuse. The two had spent long hours talking over Max's lessons, sometimes even seguing into other topics; they covered everything from ethics and philosophy to exercise and sports, although the latter was a rare topic. Max and Artemis both shared a similar disinterest, which somehow became a shared interest in itself.
Artemis lead her into one of the smaller buildings of the complex. After a few seconds, when she realised what the building was, Max's mouth dropped open in shock. The entire building was filled with weaponry. "An armoury?"
"Indeed. I've been collecting from the Prescott patrols for years, and designing a few of my own... creations." She tapped the crossbow attached to her arm. "That's what I'm going to train you with today. We can get you back to the sword later on."
Max shrugged. "That works for me. So, where do we start?"
Artemis grinned. "With getting you a crossbow, of course. Come on, we'll find you an armband that fits."
After thirty minutes of searching and adjustment, Max finally had a crossbow mounted on her arm. Artemis instructed her how to open it up with a slight twist of her wrist, and close it by opening her fingers. Max gave a few experimental flicks, her face lighting up when the crossbow springs into shape. "This is amazing."
Artemis laughs at her childlike awe. "You think that's amazing? Wait till you see the rest of it. Come on. I have many more things to show you."
Max followed. Artemis lead her across into another building. The interior was dark, and the floor felt soft beneath Max's feet. Her eyes adjusted to the gloom, revealing a free-range ranch. There was a central space for feeding, with large recessed rooms on each wall. Artemis guided her past each room, pointing out the small forms moving around in each one. "There are many creatures on this Island other than you or I that have been affected by Ratigan and his experiments. Every animal in this room is a product of his work."
She points to a series of fluttering, chitinous insects that swirl around their hive. Their skin matches their hive, a mess of swirling blues and blacks that meld together to create fascinating patterns. The remarkable thing about them was the little blue lines of energy that crackled over their skin like lightning. "Those are Zappflies. They're calm creatures, despite their appearance. Pack quite a punch when you annoy them though. I recommend treating them kindly."
She moves along to the next hive. It's tall, dark, and covered in thick webs. Max catches a faint glance of some equally dark, chitinous insects, but these were without wings. "These are Bolamites. They can create a near-unbreakable web in milliseconds."
She moves across the room, showing Max each group of animals in turn. The small, tribble-like balls of fur were called Fuzzles. They were calm, until provoked, when they turned into vicious balls of teeth and anger. The darker rodents next to them were Stunkz. They were able to emit a powerful and debilitating gas cloud. The brown rodents after them were Chippunks. Max smiled when she heard their rambling chatters. The dark-shelled creatures crawling over the rock formations in the next room she was shown were apparently called ThudSlugs. They were very skittish creatures, liable to curl up into balls in times of stress. Their hard shell would protect them from any danger.
The next room was particularly interesting. Towering rock pillars dotted around the room held a series of nests. Flapping around them were small, fuzzy creatures that Artemis labelled Boombats. The quiet hissing that permeated that room and the scorch marks on the walls answered Max's unasked question about why they had that name.
The final room she was shown had two different creatures inhabiting it. They were both wasp-like, one having a far thinner, mockingbird-like body than the other, which looked like a close cousin of the Hornet. The larger creature was a Stingbee, the smaller was a Sniper Wasp.
Artemis, after showing each one, began the round again. Only this time, she did something in front of each room. She stood very still, letting her eyes flutter closed as she tilted her head back. In moments, she seemed to fall within herself. After a short time frozen in that position, she rolled her shoulders back and breathed out hard. Whichever animal pen she'd stopped in front of, the occupants would reveal themselves and a few would move forward to the front, where they were scooped up and stored in a pouch at Artemis' side. Max watched each one in wonder.
When Artemis was satisfied, she turned back to Max. "Now that is done, we have much to do, and much to discuss. Your first lesson is ahead, Max."
When she left the room, Max eagerly followed her out.
*Flashback Ends*
I sat on the rooftop, watching the apartment across the road. Two men were sat on a crappy couch watching TV. Three more were wandering around the apartment holding guns. I held up my binoculars, checking the face of each one. Okay, Floyd is on the couch.
I stood up, adjusted the tan bandanna covering my face and the stetson turned low over my eyes, then walked over to the power line running between the two buildings. A quick tug test made it seem strong enough, so I climbed up and started over. I let go of the wire and land on a window ledge. It crumbles, ever so slightly, but holds under my weight.
A quick glance through the window shows the 5 men are all in the TV room now.
It's clear, but I can't deal with 5 at once. Not with the number of guns in the room. Too high a risk of them getting a shot off and hitting me or, even worse, alerting someone.
I think for a minute or two, and I have a solution. I reach into my satchel and grab one of the critturs in there, tossing it into the apartment hallway. The Chippunk starts to chatter immediately, and I wince. Wowzers, that's louder than I remembered. I peered in through the window, seeing the five men groan angrily. Floyd waves a hand and two of them head to the door.
I skulk into the hallway through an open window and take position, hiding in shadows. I raised my arm, the limbs of my arm-mounted crossbow flicked out and my weapon was ready. I loaded it with two Bolamites and waited.
The second the door opened and the two were visible, I fired. The Bolamites hit the two men and immediately wrap them in webs. They don't even have time to yell before they're wriggling and bound on the ground.
I rush in, just in time to meet a third guy coming out of the TV room. When he sees me, his eyes bulge and he pulls up his gun. I jump, push off a wall, then take him out with a quick roundhouse kick to the head. When he falls, I catch him and toss him away from the door. I can hear the two remaining men moving about, loading their guns.
I quickly reach into my satchel and pull out another two rodents. These are darker than the Chippunk I fired as a distraction. I don't bother loading them, I just toss them into the next room.
Seconds later, a loud tssss-ing sound fills the room alongside choking coughs as the Stunkz do their thing. Floyd stumbles out first, clawing at his eyes as tears run down his face. I let him continue on, but I immediately knock-out the other flunky as he tries to follow Floyd out.
I take out another Bolamite and fire at Floyd. The web wraps around him, creating a nice package for me to pick up. Which I do, and then hang his cocoon on a doorhook while I tidy up the others. I retrieve the critturs, cut open the two cocoons by the door (making sure to knock their occupants out as well), then stack them in the tv room.
Then, I cut open Floyd's cocoon and pull him to lie alongside the others. I take ten zipties from my pocket and carefully truss up each one. If I did hurt them, it wouldn't affect the police's case, but... it was senseless. No point in it. Indulging that... side of me was a feature of the Hunter, and I did not want to be like that thing.
When that's done, I head outside. There should be... I spot a few heads popping back into cover on the opposite rooftop. I run over and clamber up the walls of the building. Everyone up there scatters to the series of lean-tos and shacks dotted around the rooftop.
I walk over to one of them and throw the door open. "You." I glare at the first person I see.
He's an older guy. His fluffy jacket and hat look worn, but well-looked after. He immediately looks up at me, panicked. "I, uh, yes, what? Oh god, please don't hurt me!"
I level a stare on him and he clams up. "I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, I'm going to make your day."
He blinks. "W-what?"
"What's your name?" I try to make my voice sound friendly, but I'm not sure if I manage it.
"I, uh... Stan?" He straightens up a little, like he's actually sort-of sure I'm not going to throw him off the building.
"Come with me, Stan. It'll be worth your while."
I turn and walk out onto the rooftop. After a second or two, he follows over to stand next to me. "So, uh..?"
I interrupt, pointing across the way. "You see the men in that apartment?"
Stan nods. "Uh, yeah. Are they... okay?"
"They're criminals."
He deflates a little. "Oh."
"There's a 100,000$ reward for their capture."
He perks back up again. "Oh?"
"You call it in, deal with the authorities for me, and I'm willing to give you 25,000 of that reward."
His mouth drops open. "Oh, I, wha-, um... oh, erm..."
I quickly interrupt. "Just nod or shake your head."
He immediately nods. I grin. "Good. Now, how well do you know Portland?"
AN1 - I did a little research into Bounty Hunting in the US (That shit is insane, btw, Americans. Your country is really fucked up to televise people literally hunting each other. Egad.) and apparently the practice is illegal in Oregon, so there goes my plan for Maxie to make her money. So, instead I'm going for most wanted lists, stuff like that. Figured the '100,000$ for information leading to their capture' type deals would be a decent way for Max to find profitable work.
