Chapter 9
Author's Note: I know, I know this has taken me forever. (Ducks head and waits for rotten fruit to be tossed.) This is hopefully a fitting end to this story, and yes, I will be continuing Complicated as soon as the plot bunnies in my ehad start rolling again.
Disclaimer: Unless things have changed recently, I still don't own em.

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A dark form lay prone in a thick stand of trees. He lay face down in the pine needles and snow. Alec shifted uncomfortably and groaned, his mind dull. He fisted the ground reflexively. Where was he? What happened? And why exactly did he have such a splitting headache?

Then he remembered, an attack from behind. He'd been tracking Jondy's herd toward the cabin. Alec rolled onto his back, feeling a dull ache in his ribs. He opened his eyes slowly, feeling the dried blood on his lids split and crack.

He grimaced, bringing his hands to his face. The flesh around his left eyes was hot and swollen, sticky from the congealed blood. He blinked a few times, straining to get his eyes to focus on his outstretched hand. "Shit," he finally managed. 'What the hell happened?' he thought to himself. With another long groan he sat up, clutching his left side with his right hand.

He kneeled on one knee and checked his ankle. He swore beneath his breath, his knife was missing. Alec stood, swaying slightly on his feet. He shook his head a little and blinked a few more times. The pain in head was sharp, dull in the ribs, but for some reason his head cleared. He glanced around, relieved to find that he hadn't been dragged off anywhere. His eyes flicked between the shadows, wary of another attack. 'Could it have been Zack?'

He dismissed the theory quickly. Zack was perhaps the most obvious choice, but he wasn't the type to hit him from behind. Zack would want Alec to face him, to show him he was the better soldier. SO then who? Jondy was a possibility, after all, he didn't know her fighting style, but he doubted it. The figure that had jumped him was large, like a man, and there had been something strangely familiar about him.

So then, if not Zack, and not Jondy, who? The answer he didn't have, nor would he get it standing around the middle of the forest. He considered for a moment to keep moving toward the cabin, but a disturbing clenching of his gut made him turn back. 'Max.' He broke into a trot, limping slightly and still clutching his side. But soon his adrenaline was pumping, and the pain subsided.

As soon as he neared the outcropping, Alec knew that the situation had spun completely out of his control. The fire still flickered, casting ominous shadows against the granite, but Max's familiar, albeit prone form was gone. Alec broke heavily into a walk, fists balled together. "Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!! Shit!" Heavy bootprints littered the ground near where Max had lain. The prints headed back in the direction of the cabin. Alec took off without another thought.

--

Max's eyes widened reflexively. He watched confusion and disbelief flicker through them. Her moth opened in a silent, horrified cry. She pressed down into the cot, as if trying to sink as far away from his as possible. She worked her jaw, trying to find words. "Ben?" her voice was quiet, raspy. "No. It's not possible."

Ben's hand never left her throat. The glimmer of unadulterated hate and disgust didn't waver in his hazel eyes. "it's possible," he assured her in that same low whisper.

Max was having trouble focusing. She was still staring past him and her body writhed a little beneath his touch. "You died. I killed you in the woods. No."

"Yes. You killed me Maxie, but it wasn't good enough. I was resurrected." He reached across with his left hand and pressed his palm onto her chest. "You know what that is, don't you? Sweet eternity being yanked away? I didn't want to come Maxie, but Manticore brought me back."

"I snapped your neck," Max was crying now, tears streaming freely from her eyes.

"Oh come on Max, be smart. I know you can figure this out. You got a new heart, Zack's a bionic freak. You don't think they could fix something like a broken neck?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I tried."

Ben jumped up from the bed, the movement of which sent a screaming jolt up her back. "You tried?!!!! Fuck you tried! It wasn't good enough Max. I woke up strapped to a table. I went through reindoctrination, and do you know what I learned? The Good Place? It doesn't exist!!! There was nothing Max, nothing!"

"But the Blue Lady………"

"I was wrong. She's not real. Manticore was the only thing that was real. I realized that. Manticore was our home, we belonged there, we never should have left."

"NO Ben. The world outside Manticore may not be perfect, but it's still better than being a slave."

"No!!! We had a purpose there. They made me see that I was sick. When I got better, they gave me a mission. I was supposed to bring you all back. You, Zack, Jondy, Brin, everyone that escaped in 09'. My mission was to bring you all back, dead or alive." His voice wavered, and his hands dropped by his side.

"Manticore's gone Ben. It's okay."

He turned on her then, rage flaring in his eyes once again. "It is not okay!! It's gone, all of it. And whose fault is that Max? But the mission objective doesn't change because Manticore's gone. My mission remains, but there's no longer any point in retrieving you all alive."

Max's head screamed for her to move, but her body refused to cooperate. She felt Ben's thick, large hands encircle her neck once again. Her hands clawed at his wrists uselessly as he choked the life from her.

--

Alec felt the sweat bead on his forehead. His tongue darted over his lips and he willed himself to remain absolutely still. His eyes flicked down from his perch, and he watched Zack's dark form pass underneath him. His knuckles were bone white as he gripped the branch above his head with one hand. His feet were pressed firmly into the bark of the large pine tree.

He'd been watching the cabin from the edge of the woods, just beyond the herd. He didn't understand why anyone would have taken Max here, and do such a piss poor job of hiding their trail, but then, Zack hadn't been making a hell of a lot of sense as of late. The tracks had, regardless of the logic, brought him here, to Max, and that was all that mattered.

A slender beam of light shot out into the darkness when they opened the door. He'd leapt up and grabbed hold of a low branch. He swung his legs over the branch and clambered higher up into the tree, balancing precariously on the pines weak limbs. He only hoped that the intense odor of the cattle beneath him would hide his own scent.

Alec waited until Zack had moved past him by a good 150 yards before dropping silently out of the tree. His eyes darted around him as he landed, his tongue flicking out over his lips. Then he bolted for the cabin, staying low and hopefully out of sight.

--

Max struggled valiantly against Ben's grasp on her throat. She dug her nails into the undersides of his wrists, drawing blood. He held on. She drew her leg up, planting one foot in his chest. Ben's fingers slipped from her neck as he stumbled back. Max coughed violently. "Alec!" she cried out, her voice little more than a hoarse whisper.

Ben righted himself and came at Max again. "494 can't help you. I already took care of that."

Max's eyes widened reflexively. "Alec….." she whispered to herself. "You.. . .?" She let the thought trail, glaring at Ben expectantly, waiting for some confirmation or denial of what she thought.

He grinned. "No, he's alive, for now. Though I'm sure Zack and Jondy are taking care of that for me right now, which leaves me plenty of time to deal with you. Then, when they get back," he took a pistol from its holster and set it on the stand just behind him. "I'll be waiting."

Max's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, her mouth thinned. As Ben turned back from the table she leapt from the bed, launching herself at her brother. A sharp stab of pain leapt up her back, and her punch lacked the force it usually held. Ben seemed more surprised by the attack then anything, and he quickly laid Max out on the floor, flipping her over his hip. She landed on her back, barely biting back a cry of anguish. "That was stupid." Ben sneered. He planted the toe of his boot in her midsection. Max dry heaved, clutching her stomach.

Ben raised his foot, readying himself to crush her neck. Then, from behind them, was the sounding of shattering glass. The window exploded, and a dark form flew through. IN one fluid motion Alec had leapt through the glass, rolling on impact and leapt to his feet, charging Ben. He kept his head low, blurring forward and catching his twin around the midsection. The two flew back, crashing into the small table. The wood splintered and broke underneath Ben and Alec's combined weight. The gun skittered on the floor and the lamp smashed on impact. Alec hit the wood on both knees, gritting his teeth. Ben smashed the heel of his palm into Alec's chin, and rolled out from underneath his double.

Ben jumped to his feet, wheeling quickly to hit Alec with a roundkick. Alec, face cold and filled with unadulterated hate, was ready. He grabbed Ben's ankle, twisting it. 493 spun, barely keeping his feet. Alec got up. He drove forward, smashing his fists into Ben so fast even Max could barely keep the blows straight. He drove his twin back against the wall, driving his forearm against Ben's throat.

"Give me one good reason not to crush your damn throat!" The veins in Alec's throat throbbed. His jaw clenched spasmodically. His hands were still clenched in fists, knuckles bone white. Ben sneered, and attempted to push back and get away. Alec threw him bodily into the wall, and Ben began to wheeze. "Tell me."

"I'm your brother," Ben coughed weakly. His sly, sadistic grin returned. "Must be like some kind of hell for you."

"Been there, done that. It's overrated. And as for being my brother? That's bullshit. Think of a better reason," he told him through gritted teeth.

"I'm…..I'm Max's brother." Alec's jaw softened slightly, his eyes traveling to where she still sat on the floor. She was half propped against the cot, one hand pressed to her bleeding forehead.

The door to the cabin burst open. Zack rushed inside, Jondy on his heels. The whole thing took but a moment. Alec's head snapped around. Ben used the opportunity to his full advantage. He drove his heel into Alec's already injured knee, forcing the other transgenic to one knee. "It's Ben!" he yelled, rolling away from the wall. "He has a gun."

Alec spun completely around, eyes wide as he watched Zack level the rifle in his direction. Ben darted toward where his pistol had fallen on the floor. Max screamed. "No!!!!" Jondy froze at the sight of the twins, her gaze sweeping from Max, to Alec, to the rifle. She slammed into Zack, driving into him wither her shoulder. Zack fired, and Alec hit the wall. Ben blurred for the door and into the night. Max screamed.

The .22 caliber bullet tore straight through Alec's heavily muscled bicep and imbedded itself in the wall. His back hit the wall, knees bent. Alec clutched at his arm, bright blood seeping through his fingers. With a growl Zack shoved Jondy away and recocked the rifle. He lifted the rifle to his shoulder, aiming it directly at Alec's head. Blue and hazel eyes bored into one another, smoldering with ill concealed hate.

"Zack don't! That's Alec, Alec! He was trying to help," she cried out hoarsely. The elder transgenic didn't seem to hear, his finger tightening around the trigger.

JOndy growled, brow furrowing. She drew herself up, fists clenched and stormed over to Zack. "Enough!" she barked. IN one fluid movement Jondy planted the heel of her boot into the hollow of Zack's knee and struck him hard across the jaw. She reached one foot out around him then, grasping the barrel of the rifle. She swung Zack tidily over her hip, ripping the weapon from his hands. He seemed mildly surprised to be on the floor on his back with Jondy's foot planted on his sternum.

"Jondy….."

"No."

"But. . ."

"No! Do you hear me? No more guns for Zack. You heard Max. That, on the floor there, that's Alex."

"Alec. . ." Zack corrected her.

"Whatever. Alec. Not that I have any idea what that has to do with anything. I'm confused. I don't like to be confused, and I get the feeling that nothing is going to be resolved if you get trigger happy as hell on his ass. So I stand by my original sentiment of no, no more guns for Zack!"

Alec laughed gleefully at the sight of Jondy and Zack. "Oh, you are so whipped."

"Shut up Alec," Max grunted with a roll of her eyes. Alec's mouth shut with an audible snap.

"Yeah," Zack chuckled as Jondy allowed him to get up, "you too."

Jondy let out a derisive grunt and went over to Max. She guided her younger "sister" back to the small bed. "Seriously though Maxie, what the hell is going on?"

"It's Ben," Max began, squeezing her eyes shut. Her voice remained level, but Alec knew her well enough to hear the hurt behind the words. She opened her eyes, the dark orbs locked on Alec's face. He shifted uncomfortably, feeling, and not for the first time since he'd known her, like she wasn't looking at him at all. She ducked her head, tearing her gaze off him. "Manticore got him back." She didn't bother to explain her part in it, or the fact that he had been dead at the time. It would take too much time, and put too many people through too much heartache, least of all herself. "They put him through Reindoctrination, Psych Ops."

She didn't even have to watch Alec to know his reaction to those words. A lone, tiny muscle in his jaw twitched almost imperceptibly. "He said he had been sick, and they cured him. They cured him, and made him a good soldier again and gave him a new mission."

"Do I really want to know?" Jondy questioned.

"His mission was to locate and apprehend the '09 escapees by any force necessary."

"Doesn't he know Manticore's gone?" Zack asked. "There's no Manticore, there's no mission."

"When I blew up the facility the mission objectives changed. Termination. He's out to exterminate all of us. That's where the surveillance photos came from Zack, the threat on Jondy. He damn near killed Alec setting off an avalanche and he shot me in the back. He's been hunting us, herding us here since moment one."

Jondy let out a long breath and Zack swore. "Can I have the gun back now?" Jondy handed him the rifle wordlessly. He slung the rifle over his shoulder and sheathed a long bladed knife. He stuffed another package of bullets into a small satchel on his belt.

"where are you going?" Jondy asked as he reached the door.

"It's time the hunter became the hunted." Max opened her mouth to protest, but Zack held up a hand to silence her. "I'm not happy about this either Maxie. I know it's Ben. But if it's gonna come down to him or us, I choose us. But I'll give him every opportunity, I promise." He smiled grimly and was out the door.

"I'm going too," Alec declared. "Jondy, stay here and keep Max out of trouble. You," he pointed an accusing finger at Max, "just. . . stay."

Jondy grabbed his good arm before he could take a step. "Let me wrap your arm first at least. It'll take a minute I swear." He hesitated for a moment, then consented with a nod. He stayed standing as she packed the wound and wrapped it with gauze. Ice blue eyes examined him.

"What?"

"You really do look a lot like him, you know?" Jondy told him almost sadly. She cocked her head to the right and smiled poignantly. "And you really don't."

She handed him her pistol and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't get your ass blown off huh? I'm almost out of gauze."

He chuckled and looked over at Max. "I like her." He tried to grin, but her face wouldn't let him. He could almost sense her disappointment. "I won't kill him unless I have to." Part of him wanted to go over to the bed and kiss her again, but the better half of him said it was a bad idea. So they stood, in awkward silence for the better part of a minute. He moved for the door.

"Alec." He paused, waiting for, something. "Keep your head up." The smallest flicker of a smile glided over his face, then he was gone.

--

End Chapter 9

Ok, I know I said this was going to be the last chapter and all, but I feel really bad about letting this go so long without updating I figured I'd give you what I have and hurry up on the last chapter. Hope you enjoy.