Chapter 3: Plans That Backfire
Mochaije
Summary: A lucky coincidence leaves our quartet out of town - at the cabin.
Rating: PG 13
A/N: Probably confusing to Europeans and Australians because the second season doesn't start for a while in those parts, but I'll try and fill in the background stuff (like what happened before the story) for the next chapter. Italics are thoughts, obviously.
"When did Manticore recapture you? The night after the escape?" Max said softly. Now that she had a good look at Asha, she knew the blonde was one of the 11 other X5s that escaped with her.
"A week after. Good thing, too, my seizures got pretty bad, and a lot of people thought it was wierd that I didn't sleep." She tightened her grip on Logan and adjusted the gun. Max smiled. She knew exactly what would happen. Logan's gun had gotten a trip to a gunsmith after she found out that he was suicidal. Logan wouldn't die; Asha was about to screw herself over.
Asha pulled the trigger and the gun backfired. Logan winced as her blood splattered on him and she fell to the ground.
"After I found your records at Doc Vertes', I had your gun... Fixed," Max said confidently. Logan had her back to her - he was half-sitting beside Asha's corpse. "As in it backfires. It's hard enough not being able to touch you, Logan..." Her voice faltered on the last sentence. She paused and continued. "We'll have to, um, get rid of her." Max, Alec, and Joshua still stood in the hallway entrance. After an uncomfortable moment, Max walked over to Asha's dead body and squatted on the opposite side, across from Logan. She looked up at Alec and Joshua and gave them a look, and they retreated into another room.
"How much of that was true?" Logan whispered bitterly.
"How much of what?" She was just as bitter. "You didn't believe this chick, did you?"
"Max," he said, in a softer tone. "How much of it?" She sat down cross-legged beside Asha, as did he.
"They did put something on my Red implant, they press a trigger and I whack you... In case the virus and an asassin didn't work..." She didn't look at him - she couldn't. She just picked at her boots.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He was bitter again.
"I didn't want you to be more afraid of me than you already are!" She said this a louder voice and looked right at him. Logan was taken aback but continued.
"Who's got the trigger?" He grunted a bit before speaking and looked at Max.
"I don't know! I don't frickin' know and I shouldn't have even told you." She sighed and looked back down at her boots. "You'd better get out of town, in case they press the magic button. Alec will be able to get word to you that I'm on the hunt." Max stood up and brushed off her pants. "You gonna need help with this?"
"Probably not." He was thoughtful for a moment, then remembered something and looked up at Max. "Manticore will probably track you to see if you're close to me before they press that trigger. And the cabin's outside of Seattle, which is probably the only place they'll bother looking." He smiled and hoped she knew what he was getting at.
"True, I'll go and... Uhh... Get some more clothes from my place," She looked down at Ashas sprawled post-mortum form and showed a bit too much teeth. "I'll get Alec and Joshua to help you with this. I'll pitch in and clean up the blood after." He stood up and his exoskeleton beeped suddenly, and he fel forward - onto Max.
"Logan!" She yelled as she blurred to the side. He hit the corpse.
"Gee, thanks," Logan slithered off of Asha and flipped himself over, propped himself up on his elbows.
"At least you're not dead," She shrugged. "Falling on a dead body isn't so bad. So is the vote unanimous to get her dead ass out of here?" Yeah, let a parapeligic hit the linoleum, what a people person you are, Max. "Um, I'll go get Alec to get your chair, because I'd better not touch it or anything," She chuckled and Logan smiled back. She started down the hall and Logan called out to her.
"Max?"
"Yeah?" She turned around.
"Nothing else..she said..was true, right?"
