Backslide

Minutes, perhaps hours later, for time no longer held any type of relevance to Max, the door opened. She sprang immediately to her feet, poised and ready to kill if necessary. In walked Lydecker followed by Zack. Surprisingly, no other men followed them. Max wasn't sure if this was a good thing because she only had two men to deal with, or a bad thing because of the power they might have held.

Lydecker closed and locked the door behind him. He snapped his fingers. "Alright," he said to Zack. Zack nodded curtly and walked towards Max.

"This doesn't have to become violent," he told her.

"You wish," she bit back. Zack laughed cruelly, his upper lip twisting into an ugly sneer.

"If only you knew." Then, he lunged for her. Having been expecting some kind of attack, Max was able to dodge out of his way. This move though, put her closer to Lydecker. She jumped again, and scurried to the opposite corner.

"Don't let her get to you," Lydecker told Zack. If Zack heard, he didn't show it. He once again dashed for Max. This time, though, he was able to grasp onto her upper forearm.

"Let me go!"

Zack began to push her to her knees so that she wouldn't be able to fight at all. Yet, Max wouldn't go with it. She swung one of her legs out, pulling Zack's feet out from underneath him. He hit the ground on his back and grunted as the pain shot through him.

Max dashed away like a boxer in a match. Realizing that Zack was much stronger than she, this challenge would require her to think, not fight quite so much. He picked himself back up, his black jeans stretching taunt across his powerful thighs that could easily snap at any second. Looking up at Max and making eye contact, she thought she caught a glimpse of the old Zack. But if he was there, this new Zack pushed him out.

"C'mon," Zack persuaded in his mock kindness voice, "it's just me, Zack. Nothing's gonna happen."

"Get away," Max snapped, her fists blocking her face. Zack shook his head sadly like he was going to give up. Suddenly, in one fluid movement, he kicked out at Max, violently knocking the wind out of her.

She stiffened, gasping for air that couldn't be found. Zack approached her, seeing that she had fallen. No, she told herself, don't give up so easily. You can't let this happen. Yet, a part of her still said that this person was Zack, and she couldn't hurt Zack. But when she once again saw Satan sparkling in his eyes, she knew that this wasn't Zack.

Just as he was ready to finish the fight, Max pushed herself up and smacked him in the jaw. He swayed and shook his head, trying to clear it. Again, she jabbed at him, hearing her knuckles crack as they hit again in his temple. He snarled and smacked her cleanly in the nose. Blood spilled out and Max forced herself to ignore the warm liquid running over her parched lips and staining her shirt.

"Get her!" Lydecker barked from behind, impatient with how long this was taking. That comment was all the impetus Zack needed. In one powerful swing, he hit her under the chin in a sharp uppercut. Max's eyes rolled crazily in their sockets before she lost conscious, crumbling to the ground.

Lydecker, seeing the job finished, whistled to his men to come and get Max. The soldiers, who were waiting just outside the door, scurried in and picked up Max like a sack of grain, hauling her roughly out of the room.

Zack stood staring at the spot where Max had been, only speckles of her blood revealing that she had even existed. Lydecker noticed his prime soldier's quietness and walked over to him. "You did the right thing," he told Zack.

Blinking, Zack turned to look at his commander. "Thank you, sir," he replied dumbly. Lydecker hesitated, but left Zack to himself, leaving the door open.

Zack slowly brought his hand up from his side where it had been hanging. As he stared stupidly at his hand, a memory tickled the back of his mind.

Lydecker's men had dragged Max away, and Zack didn't help her, just like he didn't help her today. He was so angry that he had inflicted pain upon himself by smashing his hand against iron.

He looked closer at his hand. Blood, although not his, but still blood, was smeared across his knuckles, creating such a cruel parody that Zack found himself wanting to cry, even though he wasn't exactly sure what for.