Backslide

Letting go of each other, Max turned towards the forest of where she had come. "I need to go and get Zack, 'cause..." she began to say to Logan, but stopped as she saw a shadowy figure coming out of the trees.

"What the….?" Logan asked, equally as confused. Max walked across the road and saw that the figure coming out of the trees was only Zack.

He was hardly limping. In fact, to the average bystander, he wouldn't have appeared hurt or injured at all. Yet, upon closer inspection, one could see the tiny beads of perspiration clinging to his upper lip as he bit down to avoid screaming from the pain.

Max hurried over to him and was about to offer a helpful hand when Zack turned to her. "I'm fine," he stated, very matter-of-factly.

"You could hardly walk a minute ago, what makes you think you can walk now?" she hissed so that Logan wouldn't hear them, despite the fact he was on the other side of the road.

"I just can-ok? So, let's go hop into Logan's car and everything will just all fine and dandy," he told her. There was ice in his voice as he spoke, and it worried Max.

She paused, trying to absorb yet another change in Zack's personality as he walked across the road towards Logan. Zack had gone from cold to flirting to killer to flirting again and now to cold. Would he ever just pick something and stick with it?

Quickly, Max walked across the road so any oncoming cars didn't hit her. Logan and Zack were in a stare-off. "Zack," Logan said, unimpressed. "You came back after all."

"Yeah? Well, somebody has to lead." Logan ignored the comment and turned to Max.

"You ready?"

Max shrugged. "Sure, let's get going."

After helping Logan, (with many protests from him), Max entered the car herself, sitting in the passenger seat next to him. Zack took the back seat and looked out the window, silent as usual. Logan turned onto the road and began to drive casually, not in any hurry to get home.

"So how bad are you?" he asked Max.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you hurt real bad?"

"Not too bad, no. Just a couple burns and singed hair." She shrugged. "Just cosmetic flaws, nothing too extreme."

"That's good to hear." He paused as they turned a corner. "Did Lydecker do anything to the child?"

"I don't know. I really don't. I mean, I'd assume so because I was taken out a couple times."

"I guess that could be a good or bad thing-" Logan began, but stopped as the car bumped over a rather large pothole. Logan cursed quietly to himself. There was a slight squeaking sound from behind Max.

She turned around in her seat to see Zack trying not to wince and holding his leg gingerly. With a silent look, she asked if he was all right. Zack just stared her away, regaining control of himself.

Somewhat hurt by Zack's look, Max turned back to Logan. "Speaking of Lydecker, do you know if he survived?" Logan asked.

Max paused before answering. "He did."

"You're sure?" Zack spoke up for the first time, which caused even Logan to look back at him.

"Very sure."

"How do you know?" Logan questioned Max.

"I saved him," she replied. Zack snorted angrily and said nothing more for the rest of the trip. Max was sure she even heard him mutter something about, "mistakes that can't be undone".