Abandoning her struggle to jimmy an upstairs window, she leapt from the roof and kicked in the back door.
* * *
White bolted at the sound, and his intentions towards Joshua fell away.
It was Max it had to be her! She had come after all. He flexed his fingers and cracked his neck to loosen the tension, and strode down the hall to find her.
* * *
Using her memory of the house from her previous visit with Logan, Max took her bearings and soon found the lounge. A couple of items of furniture had been smashed and kicked into the hall, but where was White? Just then, Max saw Joshua, chair upturned, and face, sprawled on the ground.
Her first instincts told her he was surely dead, and that she had come for nothing, but a struggled whimper told her differently.
"Joshua?" She called uncertainly, and hurried to his side.
She knelt down beside him and felt for a pulse.
It was faint, but there, Joshua was still alive!
"Thank god" She breathed, as she took him by the shoulders and lifted the chair back into an upright position. She then, released his bonds and attended to rouse him.
What she saw, as she brushed Joshua's fur from his face, was a sight she knew she'd never forget. Across his throat, were a series of gashes, not deep enough to be serious, but horrible nonetheless. His cheeks and jaw were covered in bruises, and one of his eyes bore the look of a wasp sting, with its swelling.
"You're late" A calm and dejected voice, spoke from behind.
"How could you!?" Max screamed, turning to face the man who had done this to her friend. The only man in the world worthy of her hatred more than Donald Lydecker -Agent Ames White.
"I thought you weren't coming" He shrugged, almost apologetically.
"I got bored"
"You bastard" Max said bitterly.
"Max, I-" He began, but Max didn't let him finish.
In a flash, she had torn across the room and taken his neck between her hands, in a death lock.
White struggled for a while, before unleashing his true fury, and twisted her arm from his neck and back slapped her across her face.
As soon as he had done it, he had cursed himself for it. The blow had been harder than he had intended, and he hoped she wouldn't be left with a bruise.
No time left to wonder though, Max had already recovered and was now retaliating against him, with a combination of attacks.
White fought back, of course, but after a couple of minutes, he realised that he wasn't playing the offensive, and instead of fighting back, he was merely blocking her blows and feigning his own comebacks.
White was not the only one to notice this.
Why is he playing with me like this? Max wondered, though not entirely complaining.
He's stronger than this, he could have had me by now.
Despite her thoughts, she continued to drive the attack.
* * *
From where Max had left him, Joshua had a clear vantage of the fight. He desperately wanted to help her, as he could see that White was merely playing with her. Weakening her down, driving out her energy so that when the time came, he would be able to squat her like a fly. Or at least, that's what it looked like to Joshua.
He wrestled with his leg bonds, which Max, in her hurry, had forgotten about, and soon he was free.
He was however severely weakened, so he decided to collect himself for a couple of minutes and regather his strength for that crucial moment, when Max would need him the most.
* * *
Seeing Joshua free himself, sent waves of anxiety crashing through Max. It was clear that he intended to help her, but in his current state, he would be no match for a familiar child, much less White himself. Hell, even she! The chosen one seemed to be no match for him. The guy appeared to be unstoppable, and that last kick that she had delivered to him, hadn't slowed him down in the slightest. She flipped in the air and directed the full weight of her body into White, body slam fashion. Finally, he was on the floor, now was her chance to save Joshua.
"Joshua run!" She screamed to him, but he just stood there, a look of undecidedness etched on his doggie face.
"Josh-"
White returned from the blow and threw her off of him.
They now stood a metre apart, both breathing like bulls and trembling with adrenaline.
"Joshua, leave now" Max repeated, not moving her eyes from White for a second.
"Do what she says…Joshua" White said, pausing to mock his name.
"Max…I" Joshua started up again.
"Do as I say Damnit!"
This time Max did not merely shout out her orders, but she fuelled her voice with such resentment and rage, that Joshua was happy that White was his enemy and not Max herself!
Joshua sprinted out the door, if he had had a tail, he was sure it would be tightly between his legs. In fact, he was so hurt and embarrassed, that the thought of going to Logan or Alec on Max's behalf, hadn't even crossed his mind.
* * *
Now that she was alone with White, fear crept into Max's heart once more. The way his eyes travelled up and down her body, they way his chest heaved from exertion, that hungry, primal look he now possessed, which was seemingly reflected from his soul and brought alive by his eyes. What did a man like this? A sadistic devil such as he, possibly want of her?
Ahhh but she already knew that, for it was the same thing that she wanted from him, and as White closed the space between them, and plastered her, like wallpaper, to his wall, one thought played over and over in her mind.
Maybe we aren't as different as I once thought…White and me…His head tilted to the side, as he studied her reactions with his eyes. That was another thing about eyes like White's, the eyes of a madman, they had a way of searching right into the very core of another, where they'd then continue their search relentlessly, until they found what they were looking for. And what were they looking for? That tiny piece of darkness that exists inside us all, and once they found it, they'd flow to it and feed off it, growing stronger with each hint of desire you threw out to them.
Well, Max wouldn't let him win so easily. That wasn't fair, and she was by no means a quitter.
She violently threw her head to the side, and cast her eyes to the floor.
But White only smiled, and brought her back to face him, gently persuading, with his fingers.
Again he searched her eyes, her innermost secrets, and once again he found her darkness, and this time he acted on it.
He breathed the air between them, it was as though he could smell her desire for him, and then, with no further a due, he replaced the gap with his lips.
At first she resisted…but he was determined on making it hard for her, no sooner had she broken the kiss, did his hands began to wander across her, assaulting her with tender touches. With one hand, he lifted the bottom of her singlet, and walked his fingers, one step at a time, up to her breasts. The other hand journeyed south, and upon arriving at it's destination, Max felt her face flush with want. She felt so cheap, how could she be enjoying this? For what he had done to Joshua, something that came so naturally to him, and for what he enjoyed so unashamedly, Max knew she should hate him. She knew that a man like White deserved nothing better than death, and that in killing him, she'd be doing both the world and White himself, a huge favour. But as she stood there, locked tightly between the wall and his strong, powerful, masculine body, as hard as she tried, she couldn't. She wanted him, and denying it any longer was pointless, she couldn't prolong the inevitable, and she wouldn't hold back her feelings for White any longer. His second attempt to kiss her was met with equal enthusiasm on her part, and because of this, he savoured her lips like a starving man would savour water in a desert. She pressed into his groin firmly, and instantly felt the stirring of an erection in her pelvis.
How could she be doing this? Even thinking this? White was her sworn enemy, but could he also be her lover?
Now genuinely aroused, and feeling short-changed and unsatisfied with the foreplay, Max gave up the fight. Resistance was futile anyway.
AN: That's all for now kids, Yeah I know I have a cruel streak in me, and always seem to leave you hanging out for the good parts, lol, well, I'm just trying to keep things interesting, and have you all coming back for more!
BBL