Chapter 10

Authors Note: Yay…the actual chapter ten! This story may end soon, but I think I'll do a sequel, or a pre-quel, or something. Anyway, here it is!

"So what you're basically saying Cree," said Max, "Is you want to destroy Thula, Ames and that little Rose chick?"

"Right," said Cree.

"And you want Dragon, Frankie, Trigs, Alec and I to help?"

"You're right on the money."

"Even though we don't know where they are, what they're capable of, and have no way out of Terminal city?"

"Yeah," said Cree, "So, you in?"

"Why?" said Max, "Give me a reason."

"Cause They're the cause of all this misery. They caused the panic, they caused the death of 583 and they caused the circumstances that made me go nuts and stab Finn."

"About that," said a voice, and then a sharp smack like the sound of a boot connecting with someone's head. Max looked up to see Finn, half dressed and holding a sheet around his midriff. He had just introduced his booted foot, the only clothing he seemed to be wearing, to the side of Cree's head.

"I think I deserved that."

"I found out Adam was alive and you fucking stabbed me man," said Finn, sounding more annoyed that mad, "You need to trust me."

"Sorry," said Cree, "We cool?"

"Can I kick you again?"

"Yeah, go for it. What do I fucking gotta lose?"

"Thanks," said Finn, connecting the toe of his boot to the cheek of his older brother.

"Ouch," said Cree, "Remind me never to stab you again."

"Love you too jerk."

"Fairy."

"Nympho."

"Fag."

"Ass."

"Jerk."

"Person who can't even please his girl…I'm not going to finish that it could get me stabbed again."

"Ya man."

"We're cool."

"Good," said Cree, "Cause we're taking down the son-of-a-bitch who killed 583 and who's holding Brin."

"Good," said Finn, "Payback."

"Damn right," said Cree, smacking his knuckles against Finn's.

"I should go get the others."

"You should go get dressed."

"But Drag likes me nakee."

"I don't, and I know both Trigs and Frankie hate anything with a dick so put some clothes before they emasculate you."

"Fine," said Finn, "But only cause I worry about losing my…"

"GO!" growled Cree, "I can see stuff I don't wanna see little brother."

"Gone," said Finn, staggering off in the direction of his stuff.

"So," said Cree.

"He forgave you?" said Max.

"Yeah," said Cree, "'Course he did. He's my brother. We're blood. Blood don't hold grudges."

"But you look nothing alike and you know we all ain't blood related."

"So?" said Cree, "One day, after you left, I started bleeding. I needed blood. Finn gave it to me. So did Frankie. Adam was a real bleeder. I love her but she's a wuss sometimes. We've all given her some blood. In my veins flows not only my own blood but the blood of the ones who were strong enough to make it out of 11 years at Manticore alive."

"I'm in," said Max.

"Wha?"

"You're mission. You were asking me about it."

"Right!" said Cree, "Well, I should go and make sure every knows where to go."

"Where?"

"The weapons room. You know, the one that digging thing makes."

"Mole?"

"YEAH! Him."

"Okay," said Max, watching as her brother walked away.

*+*+*

"So you agreed?" said Logan, "Max are you nuts?"

"No," she said, "It's just something I gotta do."

"Right," said Alec, "Nice knowing ya."

"Alec," shouted Frankie from the level below, "I need your help."

"What?" he asked.

"You get money!"

"Sure, sure," he said.

"Good job," said Max, "Glad you joined the cause."

"What? You, the mission? That who lets kill the guys who nearly kicked our ass…" said Alec, "Damn. Never could say no to Frankie."

"We should go," said Max, turning to walk away.

"Max," said Logan, "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said, "Fine."

"Okay," said Logan looking a little dejected as Max walked away. Alec, seeing the look of pain on Logan's face, ran after Max, hoping maybe she would talk to him. As he reached her, he saw tears streaming down her face, smudging her make up. He wanted to talk to her, but wasn't sure how. What was he to say to Max, the one he owed his life to, as she cried over something he likely would never understand.

But he knew that there was someone who COULD understand.

*+*+*

"Max," said a calm voice as Max sat waiting for her brothers and sisters to join her in the small 'war-room' as it had been dubbed. Max looked up to see the enormous figure that was Dragon standing with a shotgun in his hand.

"Hey," she said, wiping the tears from her face.

"Baby-one," he answered, smiling for the first time since he entered terminal city as he sat down next to his sister and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I should be stronger. Crying isn't right."

"Why?"

"Because it's immature. I should be stronger. I'm the leader her, aren't I?"

"Baby sister, yes. Leader…soon."

"You're saying I gotta work harder to be leader."

"Time. Patience."

"Ah," she said as Dragon lifted one massive hand and gently wiped away a tear.

"What's REALLY wrong."

"You guys."

"Us?"

"Yeah. All of you are so close, so tight. I remember when I was one of you guys."

"No Max."

"What?"

"Never."

"I was never one of you."

"No."
"Oh."

"I don't want to be. It just happened. We went through hell together. Secretly, I think we're all glad no one else was there. We're all pretty fucked up in the head, and all because of the 11 years we spent in that hell hole. Max, I'm glad you aren't one of us. You'll have the job of keeping us sane."

"I think in the time you've been here you've never used that many words."

"Don't like to talk," said Dragon, looking down, "I think that the others like me better as the strong silent type. I love Finn, and let him do my talking. Why should I waste my breath."

"Cause you're smart?"

"I don't talk for the same reason Trigs acts like she doesn't care about anything, Frankie hurts people, Finn acts like a joker, Cree acts like a leader and Adam tries to understand her visions. It's all about survival. We had to do something to keep our minds off what was being done to us."

"Like that man…"

"The one who molested me?"

"Yeah…"

"I forgave him," said Dragon, "Long ago. I don't hold grudges. Never have, never will. I may not be the smartest in the world, but I know that holding a grudge ain't good. I got better things to do."

"Like what?"

"Like keep the love of my life safe, protect my own little angel, and keep my lezzer sisters from doing something stupid."

"What about Cree?"

"He takes care of me, and Adam takes care of him. It's a big circle. We watch each others back. You're job is to make sure that if one of us goes nuts, someone's there to pull the trigger."

"I couldn't…"

"You did it before," said Dragon, "I was there. I was twenty feet away when you snapped Ben's neck."

"What?"

"I was there," he said again, "And I couldn't do it to one of them. You could…There have been times when Cree acted like Ben. None of us could stop it but you could pound some sense into him."

"I could."

"Yeah little one," he said, "You could."

"I will."

"Dragon?" said Frankie, her voice ringing clear.

"Yeah," he said, standing up and looking to his younger sister.

"We're doing this," said Frankie, "You and Max get your sorry asses out here."

"Righto," said Dragon, climbing to his feet and holding out his hand to Max. Max got up, and followed Dragon into the next room, where everyone was waiting.

"So," said Cree, "Are we ready to save Brin?"

"DAMN straight," said Max.