Title: The Meanings of Pain
Author: InkaCajo
Disclaimer: Mine in an alternate universe. Too bad this isn't an alternate universe- Dang it!
A/N : Thanks for the reviews. They really inspired me to write this part which is even longer than I planned. I really appreciate it! Being my first time posting it took me a while to figure out how to read the reviews. I think I already forgot. Oh, well at least I know how to post a part. Here it goes. Hope ya like it!!
Chapter 2
The plan was perfect. Yet, that didn't give Alec any solace. In the field, a perfect plan was just a theory. There was always something that you could have seen and prevented only in hindsight. He'd been on countless missions where something went wrong just because the universe liked to f*ck with you. He hoped today wasn't one of those missions.
Logan had tracked down the convoy that was coming into Seattle to deliever the transgenics that had recently been captured with whatever new technique they had figured out to spot transgenics who looked like humans. Max had been real gung-ho. Maybe even a little too much. It was obvious that she was still upset about the whole Logan thing.
"Great, we can ambush them there. We should round up all the transgenics who can pass then come from the rooftops here and here." Her eyes were steady as she pointed out the ambush sight on the map.
"I don't know Max. It feels like a trap." Alec studied the map, resenting himself slightly as he fell into soldier mode. Same old, same old.
Max flushed with sudden anger." We're not just letting White and his men have them. We're going to rescue them Alec."
Alec turned with a cocked eyebrow." Of course we're going to rescue them. But how about you take half the human looking transgenics and I take the other. One of us goes in and attempts the rescue. If it's a trap then the moment they try to close on you we can flank them."
As quickly as that Max got ahold of herself. Alec was right. It probably was a trap and she had almost lead them right into it. It irked her that Alec was the one to point this out to her so she just nodded and and said, " okay, let's suit up." His hazel eyes flickered a moment and then he turned away.
So here they were. Max tried to calm the anticipation she felt lying on the rooftop. The convoy was an armored van escorted by sector police before and behind. The area was relatively deserted with shambling structures crowding in on the roadway. Perfect for an ambush. The van seemed to be moving slowly. Almost too slowly. Max gave the signal and suddenly the van and the police cars were rolling over metal tacks. The first car swerved and the van crashed into it. The third stopped just in time. Max and four other X-5's jumped on top of the vehicles. With the police cars it was easy to just shoot through the roofs but the armored van required explosives. Max had just finished setting the explosives and yelling to the transgenics inside to get out of the way when a bullet almost gave her a new hair cut.
Out of nowhere had come reinforcements. For a split second the transgenics were outnumbered, then shadows moved and the reinforcements were picked off one by one. Alec had arrived with his team to flank the agents neatly. Max shot him a grateful look as the van door exploded and the transgenics hustled out. Whatever else he was, Alec was a good soldier.
Triumphant, they returned to Terminal City. Tonight there would be a little celebration, sure thing.
Terminal City sounded joyful. Everyone was having a good time. With the extra man power and the morale boost it seemed things were going their way for the time being. With such a relaxed atmosphere, Max felt some of her guards let down. She spied Alec chatting with some others about foreign campaigns. Maybe she should go over and tell him he did a good job. She knew she had been really bitchy with him lately. So she walked over.
" Hey Alec." He turned from the card game he had started watching. His expression was blank as if he didn't know how to respond to her. Probably thought she was going to bite his head off again over something trivial. Max held back a wince. She had been at him worse than she thought.
" Hey, Max." His expression remained noncommittal.
Max took a deep breath and said tried to project friendly thoughts." You did really great today, at the ambush. I know I tend to act ..." Max searched for a word.
"Bitchy?" Alec said with a helpful smirk.
Max frowned." No, I was going to say tense."
" It's fine Max. I think I've gotten used to it. If you were ever nice to me I'd keel over dead from shock." He said it so dryly with that slight twist of his full lips that she wasn't sure if he was joking or not.
"Well... whatever it is I just wanted to say that however much you annoy me, you're somebody I'll trust with my back." The words came fast as if Max didn't want Alec to really notice them. Too late. He started grinning at her.
"Max. I didn't know you cared. Don't worry, I've got your back-and any other piece of your anatomy you want to trust me with." He said it with a wink. He had incredibly long lashes. Max flushed and spun away from him with her hands clenched. Just when she was actually trying to build some rapport with him he had to get on her nerves.
After that Max managed to avoid him for almost three days.
The vidscreen encounters with Logan could get tense but she still clung to them. After all at least this way she could see and talk to him. It wasn't difficult when they talked shop. Nothing major had happened for the last three days and their talks had grown progressively more silent, more full of troubled glances back and forth. That's why she was almost relieved when Logan reported that another transgenic had been taken. It was off to the rescue again. What a relief, waiting was one the hardest parts of battle. The operation was easy. Since that last ambush they had more human looking transgenics to work with. Also, they had a lucky break when Orignal Cindy had spotted the agents take the girl down. Hopefully, they could rescue the girl before the agents got a lot of back up. It worked like clockwork. The girl was slightly wounded but not bad. Max got off her bike and took a look at the girl. She must be a X-5. She looked just that age. It didn't surprise Max that she looked beautiful. Her hair was raven black and her eyes were ice blue. Her figure hourglass perfection. She vaguely reminded her of some pre-pulse actress. Liz? Taymore? Taylor? Something like that.
"What's your name?" Max asked.
"X-5 477. Thanks for back there. You?" The girl tilted her pretty head.
"Max." She noted the puzzled look the girl threw her at the name." X-5 452." Max added.
Max lead her into the Terminal City headquarters. Great, another Manticore brainwashee who hadn't even picked out a name. She began to show the girl around and introduce her to everyone. Max then spied the Alec's slightly curly head of hair as he was bent over a map. She thought about avoiding him but as if he had heard her thoughts, at the moment he looked up and spotted her. Max stiffened as if in preparation for something unpleasant. She wasn't ready for a confrontation now. But then Alec's gaze moved from her to the girl at her side. His eyes widened and he straightened.
Max looked to see the raven haired girl break out in a radiant smile. Where before she had moved slightly stiff and soldier-like now she acted like a little girl and ran to Alec and threw her arms around his neck.
" Commander 494!!!! I can't believe you're here." Max looked on with unbelieving eyes as Alec broke out in a genuine smile.
"Cut out the Commander stuff. And I actually have a name now. Call me Alec." Her eyes went wide.
" A name?" She said it with the awe that children ascribe to fairy tales.
" Don't worry, everybody gets a name here. We'll have to find one for you too." Alec talked to the girl with the wide blue eyes as if she was someone special. Someone innocent to be protected. For once he was talking without sarcasm. Somehow Max found it rather unsettling.
Get ahold of yourself Max, she told herself, you're just surprised that Alec could find it in him to not act like a jerk. The girl was staring up into alec's hazel eyes as if they were the only thing in the room. She still hadn't quite let go of the front of his jacket.
Max decided to step in. " How about Taylor? She looks like an old-time actress by that name." Alec and the girl startled slightly and refocused on the intrusion. Max felt something twist inside. She ignored it.
"Taylor." The word lingered on the girl's full red lips. She looked up to Alec and he was nodding. Her mouth widened into a smile. " I like it. My name is Taylor."
" Taylor it is! Don't worry Max, I'll finish introducing her to everybody. Come on." He lead her away by the hand. She looked entirely too pleased with the simple gesture.
Max forced herself to turn away. Who cares what Alec did? Especially when it came to females. Especially that. Max walked up to the vidscreen and decided to check if Logan was in. Even now, with things like they were , the sight of him made her feel better. And she needed to feel better because for some reason at the moment she didn't feel all that good. Max took another glance in Alec and Taylor's direction. No, she didn't feel good at all.
Author: InkaCajo
Disclaimer: Mine in an alternate universe. Too bad this isn't an alternate universe- Dang it!
A/N : Thanks for the reviews. They really inspired me to write this part which is even longer than I planned. I really appreciate it! Being my first time posting it took me a while to figure out how to read the reviews. I think I already forgot. Oh, well at least I know how to post a part. Here it goes. Hope ya like it!!
Chapter 2
The plan was perfect. Yet, that didn't give Alec any solace. In the field, a perfect plan was just a theory. There was always something that you could have seen and prevented only in hindsight. He'd been on countless missions where something went wrong just because the universe liked to f*ck with you. He hoped today wasn't one of those missions.
Logan had tracked down the convoy that was coming into Seattle to deliever the transgenics that had recently been captured with whatever new technique they had figured out to spot transgenics who looked like humans. Max had been real gung-ho. Maybe even a little too much. It was obvious that she was still upset about the whole Logan thing.
"Great, we can ambush them there. We should round up all the transgenics who can pass then come from the rooftops here and here." Her eyes were steady as she pointed out the ambush sight on the map.
"I don't know Max. It feels like a trap." Alec studied the map, resenting himself slightly as he fell into soldier mode. Same old, same old.
Max flushed with sudden anger." We're not just letting White and his men have them. We're going to rescue them Alec."
Alec turned with a cocked eyebrow." Of course we're going to rescue them. But how about you take half the human looking transgenics and I take the other. One of us goes in and attempts the rescue. If it's a trap then the moment they try to close on you we can flank them."
As quickly as that Max got ahold of herself. Alec was right. It probably was a trap and she had almost lead them right into it. It irked her that Alec was the one to point this out to her so she just nodded and and said, " okay, let's suit up." His hazel eyes flickered a moment and then he turned away.
So here they were. Max tried to calm the anticipation she felt lying on the rooftop. The convoy was an armored van escorted by sector police before and behind. The area was relatively deserted with shambling structures crowding in on the roadway. Perfect for an ambush. The van seemed to be moving slowly. Almost too slowly. Max gave the signal and suddenly the van and the police cars were rolling over metal tacks. The first car swerved and the van crashed into it. The third stopped just in time. Max and four other X-5's jumped on top of the vehicles. With the police cars it was easy to just shoot through the roofs but the armored van required explosives. Max had just finished setting the explosives and yelling to the transgenics inside to get out of the way when a bullet almost gave her a new hair cut.
Out of nowhere had come reinforcements. For a split second the transgenics were outnumbered, then shadows moved and the reinforcements were picked off one by one. Alec had arrived with his team to flank the agents neatly. Max shot him a grateful look as the van door exploded and the transgenics hustled out. Whatever else he was, Alec was a good soldier.
Triumphant, they returned to Terminal City. Tonight there would be a little celebration, sure thing.
Terminal City sounded joyful. Everyone was having a good time. With the extra man power and the morale boost it seemed things were going their way for the time being. With such a relaxed atmosphere, Max felt some of her guards let down. She spied Alec chatting with some others about foreign campaigns. Maybe she should go over and tell him he did a good job. She knew she had been really bitchy with him lately. So she walked over.
" Hey Alec." He turned from the card game he had started watching. His expression was blank as if he didn't know how to respond to her. Probably thought she was going to bite his head off again over something trivial. Max held back a wince. She had been at him worse than she thought.
" Hey, Max." His expression remained noncommittal.
Max took a deep breath and said tried to project friendly thoughts." You did really great today, at the ambush. I know I tend to act ..." Max searched for a word.
"Bitchy?" Alec said with a helpful smirk.
Max frowned." No, I was going to say tense."
" It's fine Max. I think I've gotten used to it. If you were ever nice to me I'd keel over dead from shock." He said it so dryly with that slight twist of his full lips that she wasn't sure if he was joking or not.
"Well... whatever it is I just wanted to say that however much you annoy me, you're somebody I'll trust with my back." The words came fast as if Max didn't want Alec to really notice them. Too late. He started grinning at her.
"Max. I didn't know you cared. Don't worry, I've got your back-and any other piece of your anatomy you want to trust me with." He said it with a wink. He had incredibly long lashes. Max flushed and spun away from him with her hands clenched. Just when she was actually trying to build some rapport with him he had to get on her nerves.
After that Max managed to avoid him for almost three days.
The vidscreen encounters with Logan could get tense but she still clung to them. After all at least this way she could see and talk to him. It wasn't difficult when they talked shop. Nothing major had happened for the last three days and their talks had grown progressively more silent, more full of troubled glances back and forth. That's why she was almost relieved when Logan reported that another transgenic had been taken. It was off to the rescue again. What a relief, waiting was one the hardest parts of battle. The operation was easy. Since that last ambush they had more human looking transgenics to work with. Also, they had a lucky break when Orignal Cindy had spotted the agents take the girl down. Hopefully, they could rescue the girl before the agents got a lot of back up. It worked like clockwork. The girl was slightly wounded but not bad. Max got off her bike and took a look at the girl. She must be a X-5. She looked just that age. It didn't surprise Max that she looked beautiful. Her hair was raven black and her eyes were ice blue. Her figure hourglass perfection. She vaguely reminded her of some pre-pulse actress. Liz? Taymore? Taylor? Something like that.
"What's your name?" Max asked.
"X-5 477. Thanks for back there. You?" The girl tilted her pretty head.
"Max." She noted the puzzled look the girl threw her at the name." X-5 452." Max added.
Max lead her into the Terminal City headquarters. Great, another Manticore brainwashee who hadn't even picked out a name. She began to show the girl around and introduce her to everyone. Max then spied the Alec's slightly curly head of hair as he was bent over a map. She thought about avoiding him but as if he had heard her thoughts, at the moment he looked up and spotted her. Max stiffened as if in preparation for something unpleasant. She wasn't ready for a confrontation now. But then Alec's gaze moved from her to the girl at her side. His eyes widened and he straightened.
Max looked to see the raven haired girl break out in a radiant smile. Where before she had moved slightly stiff and soldier-like now she acted like a little girl and ran to Alec and threw her arms around his neck.
" Commander 494!!!! I can't believe you're here." Max looked on with unbelieving eyes as Alec broke out in a genuine smile.
"Cut out the Commander stuff. And I actually have a name now. Call me Alec." Her eyes went wide.
" A name?" She said it with the awe that children ascribe to fairy tales.
" Don't worry, everybody gets a name here. We'll have to find one for you too." Alec talked to the girl with the wide blue eyes as if she was someone special. Someone innocent to be protected. For once he was talking without sarcasm. Somehow Max found it rather unsettling.
Get ahold of yourself Max, she told herself, you're just surprised that Alec could find it in him to not act like a jerk. The girl was staring up into alec's hazel eyes as if they were the only thing in the room. She still hadn't quite let go of the front of his jacket.
Max decided to step in. " How about Taylor? She looks like an old-time actress by that name." Alec and the girl startled slightly and refocused on the intrusion. Max felt something twist inside. She ignored it.
"Taylor." The word lingered on the girl's full red lips. She looked up to Alec and he was nodding. Her mouth widened into a smile. " I like it. My name is Taylor."
" Taylor it is! Don't worry Max, I'll finish introducing her to everybody. Come on." He lead her away by the hand. She looked entirely too pleased with the simple gesture.
Max forced herself to turn away. Who cares what Alec did? Especially when it came to females. Especially that. Max walked up to the vidscreen and decided to check if Logan was in. Even now, with things like they were , the sight of him made her feel better. And she needed to feel better because for some reason at the moment she didn't feel all that good. Max took another glance in Alec and Taylor's direction. No, she didn't feel good at all.