Learning of Alec

Disclaimer - If they follow me home, can I keep them? er.. Just one, then?

A/N: Well, I had intended to move along a bit faster than this, but I've found that, now that I've met 494, I'm reluctant to give him up. (Go figure).

Learning of Alec - Chapter 9. (Rated R - Language)

- infie

RECAP

(Monday)

"What's wrong, Alec? Afraid to come out on your own?" Max's voice was taunting, only the barest hint of strain coming through. "Afraid I'm gonna kick your ass?" She stalked towards the door of the cage. "Or, maybe it's just more comfortable for you to be in there all alone. Maybe you don't want out of your little cage at all."

494 glared at her for a long moment, evaluating the likelihood that she would dare come close enough to lock him up again.

{This is Max.} his inner voice pointed out darkly. {Of course she would.}

494 straightened and walked out of the cage.

Even as he passed under the clean steel crossbar that defined the edge of his captivity, 494 felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He paused on the far side of the door, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Even the cold floor felt different to his stocking feet on the outside. He shut his eyes, shuddering, and forcibly fought back the desire to explode into real violence. He focussed on Max as she backed carefully away from him, and began stalking her slowly around the outside of the cage. She danced lithely away from him, maintaining her distance by keeping at least one row of bars between them as they circled. He was still darkly, dangerously angry, and it was gratifying for him to see that she was, for once, taking him seriously. {About goddamned time.} He studied her through the bars as she passed them, assessing her as the tension began to ease from her shoulders and she began to move more fluidly. He realized that they had circled the room several times in silence, and that her full lips were beginning to curve in a smile, likely at the absurdity of their slo-mo chase.

{Are you feeling complacent, Max?}

As he passed the still open cage door for the tenth time, he reached out one arm, pausing just long enough to slam it shut with all of the impressive strength he could muster. Max jumped like a scalded cat at the reverberating clang that rang deafeningly through their room, and decided wisely to increase the distance between them to fully the other side of the cage. The tension in her stride was back, robbing her of some of her usual grace as she continued to glide sideways around the steel.

"What's wrong, Max? You seem a little... nervous." his voice was soft, full of dark menace. "Is it not so funny anymore?"

"Now, Alec, there's no need to take all of this so personally, you know." Max replied lightly, forcing a smile.

{Not personal?}

The sheer nerve of her statement froze him in his tracks. Max stopped as well, staring at him challengingly through two sets of steel bars. The dim light from the overhead bulb cast straight shadows on her face, veiling her eyes. "Not personal?" he echoed in disbelief.

"Of course not, Alec. A good soldier never takes anything personally, right?" Max taunted.

"Betrayal is always personal, Max. No matter whose side you're on." he gritted in reply. The hot glide of rage was back in his throat as he relived the moments after waking, when he had realized that he was locked up. Again. He felt his blood pulse heatedly with a new rush of adrenaline, and involuntarily clenched his hands.

Max blinked at him innocently. "Isn't that just a little dramatic, Alec? I didn't betray you." she grinned at him with a mischievious glint in her eye. "I did kidnap you, though."

He couldn't contain the simmering anger in stillness any longer, so he contented himself with blurring around the nearest corner of the cage, regaining the extra distance she had managed to put between them when he slammed the door. Max immediately moved away again, returning them to circling the gleaming bars. {Smart Max.} He bared his teeth at her. "I'm still waiting for the 'why' in all of this, Max. Why the fuck did you start this dance? What the hell is your game here?"

{What the hell did I ever do to deserve this?} The unexpectedly painful thought made his eyes sting, and he blinked rapidly to clear them and keep his mind on his objective.

His objective was watching him as closely as he was watching her, and he fought to bring his expression back under control. He didn't know exactly what he revealed, but for an instant her whole face softened, before she plastered that irritating, cocky grin back on her face.

"Why, Alec? Hmmm." she made a happy little humming sound. "Why did I bring you, of all places, here?" Her arm swung wide, gesture encompassing the dingy room, the newly crafted cage. He growled faintly, and she apparently realized that he had reached, once again, the end of his patience. She stopped her circling, and faced him squarely. He approached her slowly, vibrating with the anger he couldn't... quite... suppress.

"Why Alec, it's simple." she said when he was only a couple of meters away. "I needed to get your attention."

The absurdity of it stopped him dead. "You needed to get my attention? My attention? Sweet Jesus, Max! Have you ever heard of a fucking phone?"

"No, Alec. I mean your full, complete, undivided, attention."

{Mission fucking accomplished.}

He glared at her with furious eyes, his focus on her absolute. "Well, congratulations, sweetheart. You sure have it."