Backslide

Max just stared at him, there was nothing she could say. He had to be boasting, had to be. There was no way Lydecker was going to risk losing his most precious soldier. The part about letting her go was a complete and utter lie, that's all there was to that. Yet, still, would he really be so foolish as to put Zack, who was the most powerful human, in danger, and put Max, who was carrying Lydecker's little nuclear warhead, in danger as well?

"You're lying," she told him in a very monotone voice.

"On the contrary, I'll have to admit, this is one of the few times I'll be truthful with you."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons."

"You realize that if you lose me, this child, your supreme creation," she bit, "will be lost as well."

He stared at her, face void of any expression. "There will be others."

"And-" she continued, "you'll lose your best soldier if Zack dies."

"That," Lydecker said to her, "won't happen." He was too cocky, too full of himself, and it was going to cost him.

Max's mind was whirling frantically. Zack could, and probably would, kill her. There was no doubt in her mind about that. Yet, she could escape, could go back to the freedom she had been so foolish to give up. She bit her lower lip, chewing gently on it, while pondering the choice. Would she really be able to fight Zack? Surely, she wouldn't be able to kill him, but at least get him disoriented enough that she could escape-would it be possible? I won't know, if I don't try, she told herself. Besides, if I die, I die. I don't want to, but it would be better than being in here.

"Agreed," she said to Lydecker. The word was a iron gate slamming in her face, sealing her fate for eternity. Life and death eternity.

He nodded, pleased with her decision. "Well, then, it's late, so I'll be leaving now, so that you can be fully ready."

"When?" she asked.

"Tomorrow morning." He turned slowly, lingering for a moment to glance at her, his beautiful soldier, his creation. With a final shake of his head, he closed the door behind him, letting it click quietly.

Max didn't move, she couldn't. She would actually be forced to fight Zack. There was a vague memory of her fighting him at a cabin…but that was irrelevant to the present situation. They had just been "fooling around", more or less. Sure, they had been angry with each other, but the full killer instinct they contained wasn't portrayed. Now it would be.

Tomorrow morning she would feel the full extent of Zack's might. How truly powerful was he? Sure, he had beaten her earlier that day, but he still wasn't full force fighting. He had known he was able to win easily, and had done so.

Sighing, Max sat down on the cot, her head clasped in her hands as she stared at the bare cement ground.

Alright, she told herself, it's the ultimate test. Time to review. Max went over all the fighting moves that Lydecker had taught her, for surely Zack would be using those same moves. She reexamined the hand signals Lydecker used so that she would be able to watch him tomorrow and figure out what was going on.

You can do this, she told herself. But, another voice in the back of her mind was still questioning.

Still asking, are you sure Max? Are you really sure?