Disclaimer- The characters don't belong to me, they are property of James Cameron and Charles Eglee

A/N- Sorry, I've used some swearing. Actually I'd never use these words in real life, I'm a thorough conservative, I quite surprised myself by using them.

A/N 2- A Kariff is the knife that the familiars use for the test of initiation into the cult- 2x16-Exposure

A/N 3- Thanks to all the reviewers again!! Please review this and tell me if you like the direction this is going in and what's happened. As a warning, I probably won't be updating for a week at least, x'mas hols start then so I can work on the story.

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Recap-"Good" Max said "Now if you don't mind I'd like to get back to TC"

"But we were so looking forward to your stay" a cold voice rang out across the basement. Ames White stepped out from behind a pillar.

Chapter 7- White

Basement of Fenworth Museum

Alec swore under his breath. "Sorry to disappoint Ames ol' pal ol' buddy but we were just leaving"

"Well we're just going to have to make you stay then aren't we?"

"We? Now, Ames I don't see anyone else so either you've finally cracked and are hallucinating or you're schizophrenic, either way not happy prospectives"

White pulled out a gun from his holster "Whoa" Alec put his hands up "There's no need for violence. Why don't you and your imaginary friends just let us go and nobody'll get hurt" 

"Sorry. No can do, you're staying. A friend of mine has put in a special request for your hides by tomorrow morning, you're not going to give them to us. We'll just have to take them"

Max was defiant "You and what army?"

"This one" he gave a piercing whistle, three men and two women stepped out behind pillars.

"Jeez what do you guys do, apparate and disapparate, dissolve in air maybe?" Alec muttered

White smiled and made a cutting motion across his throat. They moved in. Alec recognized the woman that had kicked his butt at Jam Pony (Freak Nation).

She circled him "I've been waiting for a rematch, no motor-boy here to save you now"

"And no holes in my body caused by bullets to save you" Suddenly, she pounced. She tried to spin kick him but he caught her leg, she backflipped; Alec wisely let her go and moved out of the way before her feet could hit him, he'd learned his lesson after fighting with Max. She dealt him a swift uppercut that he blocked but she managed to punch him in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him for a moment. He continued to hold her hand and side kicked, it caught her on the side of her head causing her to stagger forward. He elbowed her in the vertebrae hard enough to temporarily paralyze her; she was out of the fight for the moment.

Meanwhile Max was fighting one of the men; so far she was getting the better of him. He had gotten a hold on her and run towards a pillar to ram her against it. She raced up the pillar and somersaulted over his head she landed, turned around and viciously stamped her leg behind his knee joint, dislocating his femur. She slammed his head against the pillar, rendering him unconscious.

Another attacked her from behind; he caught a hold of her waist and lifted her up intending to slam her against the pillar or floor. She squirmed and writhed before finally managing to elbow the guy in his face, she broke his nose. He hurriedly dropped her and wiped the blood off his face, he looked at her murderously

"B***h" She spin kicked him, her boot caught him across his face.

"Oh, like I haven't heard that before. You familiars aren't real innovative huh?"

She dealt out a swift combination- a jab to the liver that made him double over in pain, then a kick to his leg to make him look up followed by a nasty uppercut that knocked him out. She dusted her hands "Two" she saw the familiar Alec had taken down "Scratch that. Three down, three to go" Then it was time to face another.

Alec was panting heavily, he couldn't take much more of this. He was facing Thula and the woman fought like a wild cat. She was the head of the Phalanx, well trained and vicious. She was holding a wicked looking (and I don't mean in the good way for those of you that use the term 'wicked') 6 inch switchblade that gleamed brightly in the dim phosphorent light as she prowled around him. The edges were still wet from his blood, she had managed to get in quite a few little cuts and caused quite a few bruises. He was watching her warily, suddenly she gave a wild cry and charged for him again. He held his ground. She thrust with her knife, he caught her hand and twisted it. The evil witch still managed to keep a hold on it. She had too much control on her wrist to loosen her grip, she had spent too many hours hanging onto those ropes for that (In FN when she holds herself up). She banged her head against his knocked his legs out beneath him. He fell, hard, but quickly jumped up and warily watched as she circled him yet again.

Max smiled in satisfaction as she heard bone pop, she was twisting the third man's arm behind his back as he kneeled. She stooped and then kicked him in the back, he fell forward onto his face but frantically stood up and faced her again, his right arm hanging useless by his side and a maniacal gleam in his eye.

"Jeez. Don't you guys ever get enough of getting your butts kicked?" she asked with a disgruntled and disgusted look on her face. She heard the clatter of steel and saw a switchblade land near her opponent, in the blink of an eye he had it in his hand. He grinned at her, the blood on his teeth kind of gave it a freaky effect. She shuddered in horror. He charged like an angry bull, she nimbly stepped aside allowing him to pass but caught him in a headlock just as he passed her. She grabbed his flailing hand and banged it against a pillar making him drop the blade. She performed the chokehold counting down the seconds until he fell unconscious, it took slightly longer than usual because he was a familiar. She smiled at her handiwork and turned around to see Alec playing the part of a personal punch bag to… Thula?

Alec winced in pain as she punched him yet again in the stomach, the momentary feeling of triumph he'd felt a moment before for getting her to drop the switchblade had all but vanished. She noticed his apathy

"What's the matter? Tired, or are you worried your little transgenic slut won't make it?" She smiled nastily "You should be"

He didn't rise to the bait, he looked at her with bloodshot eyes "She is not a slut"

Thula laughed coarsely "You're not much fun anymore" she kneed him in the groin.

Alec groaned. "Not again" he croaked "Women" The excruciating pain in his lower extremities was overwhelming. He had a sudden urge to wallow in self-pity and bawl like a baby *Hmm… I'm becoming more like Max everyday* he thought. Thula used a finger to tip him over, he fell like a dead weight. *This feels too familiar* he let out one more moan from his position on the floor. His vision was hazy and his thinking muddled but he managed to catch a few words that penetrated the fog, Max's voice, he hung on to that.

"Hey" Max's voice rang out clearly in the basement. She strode across the floor. Thula attacked, she ran across and attempted to tackle Max around the waist. Max easily stepped aside and viciously drove her elbow into Thula's back. She had a good idea of her opponent's moves she could still remember the fight at Jam Pony. The humiliation of having her butt kicked by a human, genetically superior by normal standards, but nevertheless, human. Never again.

"Sorry b****, but that move is copyrighted" Thula was temporarily stunned and on the floor. Max brutally kicked her twice in the stomach causing Thula to jerk upwards. Then she kicked Thula in the legs and whacked her around a bit. Thula finally managed to gain control of her legs again, she stood up staggering.

Max high kicked her in the chest "That's for me" She spin kicked her in the face, Thula's head snapped back "That's for you being you" then she punched Thula so hard that the pitiful familiar fell unconscious, but just before the world went black she saw Max standing over her and heard "And that's for Alec"

Max was contented, she was just about to turn around and help Alec when she felt a stiff object pressed against her windpipe, cutting off her air supply. She flailed, tying to disable her opponent but to no avail. She began to see spots, her vision was flickering. Then unexpectedly the choking sensation was gone, she coughed and gasped trying to catch her breath and hastily turned around. She saw the female familiar that Alec had temporarily paralysed before (the one that kicked his butt at Jam Pony) sprawled out on the floor and a staggering Alec with a car jack in his hand.

"Hey Maxie" he smiled at her weakly then he fell to the floor himself, unable to keep conscious any longer.

**clap clap clap**Max whirled towards where the sound was coming from and saw White walking towards her with mock benevolence in his face and pure malice in his eyes.

"Impressive work 452, but unfortunately not good enough" he snapped his fingers twice and five more familiars appeared (not literally) behind him.

She screamed in anger and charged towards them but realized that she was straining against an invisible barrier then she felt a floating sensation as her feet were lifted from the floor. She could see one of the new familiars' faces scrunched up in concentration *Damn it, he must be one of those specifically breeded loonies that can make stuff fly around the room* she gulped *like people* She desperately tried to resist the force as she flew through the air, her head connected with concrete. She fell into a deep slumber.

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She woke up in a dark, dank cell with a throbbing headache. She looked around and made out a figure slouched in the corner. The figure stirred, she saw a pair of bleary eyes staring at her.

"Hey Maxie" Alec said weakly.

"Are you alright?" she asked

"I'm always alright"

"Don't give me that crap. What did they do to you?"

He shifted slightly on the hard floor and winced in pain, he groaned before he could stifle it. Max was next to him in an instant. She felt his forehead, "You're burning up"

"Great"

She looked him over, he looked extremely battered she noticed a dark patch on his head, she put a hand there and some of the blood rubbed off. He winced at her touch "How does it look? Cause it hurts like hell and I think me brain cells are having a war in my head, it feels like it's going to explode" he put a hand on her knee to steady himself as the dark room spinned around him.  

She quickly let go of him and said brusquely "It doesn't look that bad. You should be over it soon" she retreated to the creaky bunk (think Designate This, Manticore cell).

"You know Max, for a second there I actually thought you cared" he said bitterly, he laughed shortly "Hell there have been so many seconds when I thought you cared" he said softly. He felt just the slightest bit delirious.

She turned around to face him "Of course I care"

"Well you have a funny way of showing it"

She was losing patience "Listen Alec. I don't have time to mollycoddle you, maybe they did that at Manticore I wouldn't know. After all I wasn't there to suffer all the things you did; I've never done any solo missions"

"What is it exactly that you want from me Max?" he sounded tired, defeated.

"What is it you want from me, Alec?" she asked angrily, her eyes flashing.

"I'll tell you what I want Max" his voice rising as a fire ignited in his eyes "I want you to start treating me like a human, not some kind of venting post. I want you to start thinking of me as a human, not some kind of criminal that needs saving. I'm not"

She opened her mouth to respond but he advanced, fixing her with an unblinking stare. She moved back a step

"You're right, you weren't there and about the solo missions, you don't know a thing about them. The things they'd make us do, it comes back to you if you're not re-indoctrinated again. I've been trying to justify all those things that I've done to myself but I can't. I can't justify Rachel, can't desecrate her memory by just forgetting. I feel that I need to make up for all of my past indiscriminations and I've been trying since the day you saved my butt from White; but it's never enough for you is it Max? All you can see when you look at me is the man that murdered in cold blood, Manticore. You can't see me" he bellowed the last part. He had her backed almost against the wall, she sat down on the bunk.

She looked down at the floor "You're wrong"

"Am I, really?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yes" she said firmly, she looked straight into his eyes. The fierce intensity there made her hold her breath. He sat down next to her, very close.

"Then prove it" he was barely audible.

Their lips inched imperceptibly closer. The door opened, both transgenics jerked back wincing at the bright light that flooded into the tiny cell. The figure of Otto was silhouetted in the doorframe.

"Come with me Max" he said.

"Like hell" she snarled.

"We could always go the hard way"

"Sure, why the hell not"

He made a motion with his hands, she made out at least four familiars blocking the light and was smart enough to realize that there were probably more. Besides, Alec was in no condition to fight.

"What are you going to do with me?"

He shrugged; the man had the nerve to look sympathetic "Sir wants to see you, he didn't tell me why"

She clenched her teeth "Fine" she stalked out leaving an anxious Alec behind. He knew he couldn't stop her, there was no point. He just watched her walk into the light. The corroded door creaked shut.

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"Got to hell!" Max's scream echoed in the tiny, poorly ventilated room.

"I hope you realise" White said conversationally trailing a kariff down her arm, she watched panting heavily, Beads of sweat trickled down the sides of her face, continuing their course to the hollow of her throat and lazing downwards. "That you could make this a lot easier on yourself and just tell me where my son is"

"Kiss my transgenic ass" she bit at him. He smiled and twisted the tip of the knife in her skin, Max let out a strangled cry.

"You know 452, you're very beautiful" he put two cold fingers to her cheek "It's a pity you're not human, you would have made a good mate" His hand drew back and then cracked across her face, drawing blood.

"Now, let's try this again" White advanced on her once again but before he could resume his painful torture his cell phone trilled. "What now?" he muttered, he quickly snatched up the phone and flicked it open "This is White"

Max vaguely heard a voice on the other end respond. White replied "Fe'nos tol" 

So, it was another cult loony "Yes. I…" he got cut off

"Can't it wait?"

"Yes, sir" he sighed and glared murderously at Max "I'll be there right away"

The phone snapped shut, he focused on Max "I'll be seeing you soon 452" he snarled.

He walked to the door and motioned to someone, the four familiars that had escorted her before appeared. "Take her back"

They had to help her up and help her to walk, all winced at having to touch the transgenic. White watched them leave.

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The door creaked open and the bright light flooded in once more, Alec held a hand up to shield his sensitive eyes from it. The men threw a body in and shut the door once more, he was left with purple afterimages that floated about in his vision.

The inert form on the floor let out a groan "Max? Max is that you"

He rushed to her and gently lifted her, cradling her head in his arms. He noticed her cut lip. "Are you okay?" he held her arm "What the…" Alec could feel deep cuts under his palm, some were still bleeding but the blood flow was stemmed. The warm red substance was on his hand, he brought it back up to push some hair back from her face leaving a smear of blood in the process.

He gently carried her over to the bunk and set her down, she let out a low moan of pain. "Sorry" he whispered.

She nodded but didn't speak. He turned to go get the sheet that was on his bunk so that he could rip it up and use it as a bandage. Max's hand lurched forward to catch his sleeve "Water" she croaked.

"Sorry Maxie, no water"

She let out a little whimper, closed her eyes and rested her head back on the hard pillow. She tried to sit up "We've got to get out of here" he gently pushed her back down

"Shh. Try to get some rest" she nodded in agreement and burrowed down. Alec smiled and moved towards his own bunk.

Her hand shot out once more and grabbed him "Don't leave me, please?"

He sat on the bunk "Sure" he pushed a sweat soaked strand of hair aside "I'll stay as long as you want"

She pushed back against the wall as much as she could making more space and patted the newly cleared space. He grinned and lay down there. It was a tight fit; he could feel Max pressed up against him, every soft inch of her. He turned around to face her, their faces mere centimeters apart.

"How do we get ourselves into these situations Alec?"

"I don't know, must be my irresistible charm" She attempted to knee him in the groin but a hand on her knee stopped her.

"Aww c'mon Maxie, you have me! And you…" he trailed off when he realized that Max had fallen asleep, her chest rose and fell with even breaths. He kissed her on the forehead "G'night Max"

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