Hero On the Run: Phony Sentimentality
Vogelsang knew too much. He was a threat. Zack knew how to deal with threats. Standard training had taught him to exterminate possible enemies before they could do the same to you. It may not be pretty, but it kept him alive. It kept him able to do his job… to protect Max.
It was nearly 5:30 when Zack got to the meeting place. It was right outside the rooming house on Jackson and third, room 18. He'd conveniently used his genetically enhanced senses to overhear Max's conversation. Good ol' Manticore. he thought, and rolled his eyes.
After scanning the area, he found his target. Vogelsang was early. Surprising, Zack thought. Wouldn't have thought that double-crossing tub of lard would bother to show up.
Casually he sauntered over to an alley wall no more than 10 yards away from Vogelsang and pulled out a cigarette. He leaned up against the shabby brick and lit up.
He quickly took in his surroundings. Only a few witnesses. He'd be gone before they knew what was going on anyway. No cops.
Vogelsang was checking his watch. He looked nervous… jumpy. Not even close to trustworthy. Zack's window of opportunity was quickly shutting itself. No time like the present, right?
He flicked his cigarette to the ground, pulled himself to his full height, and began walking towards Vogelsang, hands in the pockets of his jacket. His fingers closed around his .38 caliber… his one familiarity. He was closing in casually.
When he was only an arm's length away, with Vogelsang looking the opposite way, he took action. He whipped out his gun with transgenic reflexes and took aim at the back of the traitor's thick skull.
In the blink of an eye, he had pulled the trigger and disappeared from sight. He didn't look over his shoulder to admire his gruesome handiwork. He simply walked away, placing the gun back into his pocket.
He'd taken the "scenic route" back to his current residence. It really wasn't a home. It was just somewhere to crash. He'd need it tonight. There were so many thoughts… so many memories.
He'd often wondered what it could have been like after the night of their escape… if he hadn't made everyone scatter. But eventually he came to the same conclusion: they wouldn't have survived if they had stayed together. They would have been too conspicuous… practically sitting ducks. No… he'd made the right decision.
God… no ten-year-old should ever have to make decisions like that… he thought with disdain.
As he approached his… what should he even call it? Room? House? Hole in the wall? At any rate, he was near that place. But tonight there was something different. He spotted a motorcycle near an alley wall. Max's. He could sense her nearby. Had she found him? Did he want her to find him?
Silently he crept into his room and pulled out his gun, just to be safe. He moved into his "bedroom" until he saw her. She was rifling through his things… the photographs of her, the classified ad, the tryptophan. He put away his gun and simply watched her, stunned temporarily.
He'd waited so long for this moment. She would finally see him again… and know him. He was almost reliant on her… and she didn't even know it! The thought made him panic. He shouted the first word that came to mind: "Stop!"
He moved closer and grabbed her firmly. She tensed instantly. She was already in a standard defensive position. Good girl he thought.
"It's me… Max!" she exclaimed, a nervous edge to her words.
He let her go, and she turned to face him. Her eyes were wide with disbelief… and, if his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, a sort of passionate joy. It quickly turned to annoyance, though. All he could do was grin.
"You? You're Zack?! Why did you tell me?!?!?" she yelled as she pulled him into an embrace.
She was so warm… so perfect in his arms. He had denied himself everything but pain for so long… but it had never really been prominent until that moment.
He had the sudden urge to laugh, but he heard a foreign noise. She heard it, too. They both looked out the window. There were several HumVees arriving. "Lydecker," he said coolly, the authoritative edge he'd made his trademark coming back into his voice. She nodded in compliance, and they made their way to the stairs.
Lydecker's men were infiltrating the building rapidly. Instantaneously, both Zack and Max switched into a combat mentality. They chose their targets with decisive ease and grace, using a mix of martial arts and streetfighting to take down the genetically-inferior Manticore soldiers.
They kicked and punched a trail down the stairs, towards an old fire escape. "Not bad," commented Zack, grinning slightly. Max just gave him a smile. The moment was soon ruined, however.
More soldiers were taking their positions, trying to surround the two X5's. Fat chance… Zack thought. He took the lead this time, clearing a path to the fire escape.
Max followed, finishing off the soldiers until they were, for the most part, knocked out. Zack opened the door and scanned the area. He motioned to Max that it was clear, then slid down a cable to the ground below. Max followed him, landing perfectly. They ran silently towards a nearby railroad yard.
Not a word was spoken until they reached the yard. They both scanned the area, waiting for the slightest indication that they'd been followed. Nothing.
Finally, he broke the silence. "How did you find me?" he demanded in a slightly softer tone than he would usually take.
She looked him straight in the eyes. "Vogelsang tipped me on your visit to the tattoo parlor. You killed him, didn't you?"
Was that annoyance in her voice? He was only trying to protect her!
He regained his composure and stated calmly, "Lydecker was set up on him. You were walking into a trap."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, emotion clear in her words. "You should have warned me… told me not to go."
"Vogelsang knew too much," he reiterated. He was just looking out for her. Doing what he did best.
"You murdered an innocent man!" she spat out. He had to break eye contact with her. It was too much. She'd find him out if she looked at him too much longer… he just knew it. He let his temper slip slightly. "The night we all escaped, you put your lives in my hands. I've been looking out for you ever since. Every one of you. Vogelsang was weak. Lydecker would have gotten the information out of him. He would have hunted us down one by one, and I couldn't let that happen."
Max was still staring at him. He would've sworn that the girl's eyes were damn magnets or something. It wouldn't surprise him… judging by Manticore's track record. "So you traded one life for twelve, is that it?" she asked indignantly.
"I stand by my decision. It's not safe here. Lydecker's men will be combing the city. We have to leave tonight. I can get us to San Francisco, and we'll split up there," he said. It was more of an order than anything, but orders were Zack's comfort zone.
A look of panic and confusion lit up Max's features. He'd seen that look before… the night they had split up the first time. She had been the loudest protestor of the idea. He remembered it like it was yesterday.
"We have to split up, Max! They'll be sure to get us if we stay together! Don't you understand? I'm just trying to take care of everyone!" he had said.
"Zack… what if we never see each other again? We don't know what to expect out there! Who's going to look out for us in the outside world?" Max had protested. She was just expressing the fear that was written so plainly on each of the twelve children's faces.
"I'll take care of them. And I'll take care of you, Maxie…"
"Split up?" she asked in desperation.
Zack almost caved in. He almost crumbled. No…. no… he had to do it. He couldn't stay with her. "What are you talking about? We can't stay together, Max! It will compromise everyone's safety."
Her eyes flared. Uh oh… he thought. She's gonna be pissed now.
"You know where the others are?! Tell me!" she demanded.
He leaned forward to get his point across. If she could only understand. "The less you know about the others, the better. That way, if anyone gets captured, the others will still be safe."
She grabbed for him desperately. "But they're my family!" she shouted.
He stared at her icily. "They're soldiers... and so are you. The only person you can rely on, Max, is yourself. Everything else is just a lie. It's phony sentimentality… and it will get you killed. Now, let's go."
"No."
He pulled himself to his full height and looked down at her condescendingly. "I'm not asking you, Max. I'm giving you an order."
She smirked and tilted her head to the side. "What are you going to do… court-martial me?"
He couldn't believe it! She was going to get herself hurt! Didn't she know that she was his responsibility?!
He tried to talk some sense into her. "If you stay here, you risk tactical exposure. Or have you forgotten everything that they taught us?"
"No, but I'm trying real hard at it. You're still back at Manticore. Maybe I'm chasing a sentimental lie, but at least I'm trying to get away from it."
Her words cut deep. It was the truth, he knew. Sometimes truth just wasn't helpful.
"I can't be responsible for you if you won't listen," he spat out, turning around to leave.
"Zack… don't go! Please!" she called out, reaching for him.
"I have to," he replied, revealing as much emotion in his eyes and voice as his body and mind would allow. He smiled at her sincerely. "Did a good job on you, Max. Turned out okay."
With that… he walked away. On the outside, he was simply walking. On the inside… he was running…
Author's Note: Woo! Sorry that took me so long… I'm way too easily distracted. Love it? Hate it? Send me some criticism… or *gasp* praise! I'll be continuing this just as soon as I can.
