A/N: Yep, late- story of my life. Ask my friends and teachers, they'll say
the same, but I hope this is worth the wait.
Chapter 5
"What?" came Max's groggy voice, promising grievous bodily harm to her alarm clock at the door.
"Max? It's me, Alec," Alec warned Max from a good seven feet away.
"You're back? Couldn't this have waited till I was up?" Glancing at the clock, the realization shocked her that she had slept for an hour.
"You're not exactly sleeping beauty," Alec teased.
Max blinked, the blurriness in her eyes disappearing, sleepiness dissolving. Alec's 'alec' tone wasn't right. "What's happened? Are you alright?"
"Course I am," Max heard Alec say- but his face said another, the I'm- always-alright face slipping.
"What happened?"
Alec ignored her. "Get much sleep?"
"Plenty."
****
Alec, looking at the state of the bed and sweat-socked sports bra she wore, knew Max was lying. He had no pity for her- she'd signed up for the job on her own. No one forced her.
"What happened?"
There it was again. The question he was dreading. Instead of answering, he waited for Max to untangle herself from the sheets and pull on some clothes.
****
Feeling Alec wanted some time to think about the question, Max got dressed, the tension removed by an hours' bath and sleep snapping back into place ten-fold.
"So, what happened?" Max repeated for the final time, pulling on her boots. "The transgenics from the hover drone footage. Did you get them?"
"Yes."
Max let out a breath she did not realize was locked inside of her. Glancing up at Alec's miserable face and she forced herself not to look away from the battle transpiring over it.
"They have a bunch of X-10's." he began.
"X-10's?"
"Babies."
Alec went into soldier mode, face suddenly blank, feet exactly a foot apart and eyes glued on the far wall, staring at nothing. Max did not want to hear this report.
"And?"
"They just let the transgenics free, no fighting. Nothing."
"Why?" Max prompted.
"Providing I give you this," Alec said, and an envelope materialized in his hand.
Glancing from Alec to the envelope, Max knew this was his burden. What made him go into soldier mode; what made his 'alec' face and tone slip.
"Just like that?" Max asked, taking the envelope. "Do you know what's in it?"
Alec nodded slowly.
Taking a raggedy breath, Max tore open the envelope with surprisingly steady hands. It contained a single sheet of paper- a picture.
Tears bit at Max's eyes as she looked down at the picture. It was sadistic. Only White could do something like that.
A baby, lying in a pool of its own blood, lay dead.
Cuts blanketed its body like a second skin. Though the face remained untouched, it was contorted from crying- the last tears still not dried from its eyes. It- no, she, had green eyes.
Max's own brown ones closed in response. "How could even White have done this?"
"There's writing on the back."
Turning the picture over, it took her several tries to read the two lines.
I've got fifteen more X-10's to perfect my torture methods. Meet me at the warehouse at 0000 hours.
"You know what this says?"
Alec clenched and unclenching his hand to control himself before replying. "I can guess."
"You saw him do this, didn't you?"
Biting his lip, Alec nodded.
Reaching up, Max brought Alec's face down to her shoulder, his face completely slipping as tears welled and soaked her t-shirt.
"She was my daughter," Alec muttered into Max's shoulder, fingers digging painfully into her shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
****
Even fast asleep, Alec's face was misshapen in pain and hand still clenched Max's while she sat with her arms wrapped protectively around him. She was his teddy bear.
Max was going to hand herself over- she did not even hesitated in that decision. But a few things needed to be sorted before leaving.
Gently prying herself from Alec's iron grip on her hand and waist, Max left.
****
Max ate on her own that night in the mess hall, staring at her untouched food as her fork mixed the indefinable mush together.
"Max," Alec said from across the table.
"Hm?"
"Are you alright?"
"Course," Max said, flashing a weak smile.
"About earlier . . ." Alec muttered, face flaring red.
"Alec," Max said, reaching out to grip his hand tightly. "You needed earlier."
"Thank you."
They both sat, deep in their own thoughts, Max absently tracing invisible patterns on Alec's hand.
"What are you going to do?" Alec asked slowly, almost fearfully.
Max sighed. "I don't really have a choice. Do I?"
It was Alec's turn to sigh. "Not really."
Max finally caught sight of their linked hands at the same time Alec did, and they both let go as if it burnt them to touch.
"I-I better be getting some work done," Max said, clearing her untouched food.
"Yeah," Alec said, doing the same.
****
"Right, explosion experts," Max said lightly with a commanding undertone. She had gathered Mole and two other X-5's that excelled in bombs. "I need a bomb. Think you can do that?"
"What do you want, Max?" Mole skeptically, knowing Max too well. "Where's the hitch?"
"Well, I need it built into this coat." Max replied, throwing a leather jacket on the table with the explosion devices.
Groaning, Mole replied with a, "Fuck you Max!" shocking the other two X-5's with his attitude towards Max, their leader and CO.
Max laughed. "Yoda, Finn. Allow me to properly introduce myself- I'm the Bitch."
Yoda and Finn's uneasy smiles turned genuine as they were included in an inside joke.
****
"Gem!" Max called as she walked into the TC nursery she had placed Gem in charge of. "Expect a delivery of fifteen X-10's."
"Fifteen?" Gem repeated faintly.
"Yep," Max said, picking up a yelling baby and calming her as she talked. "I'm planning on knocking a few walls out and making the nursery bigger. I'm also going to get hands in here to help with the extra load.
"But I want you to choose who works in here."
"Alright. When can I expect the X-10's?"
"In the early hours of the morning. I want to temporary move the nursery to room 704 across the road so I can get people in here to expand."
"Now?"
"Now."
"Wow," Gem said, feeling overwhelmed.
****
Slumping into her office, leaving the door open to watch people scurry in and out. Max had really caused an upset in TC with preparations for the X- 10's.
She had employed at least twenty in the refurbishment of the nursery, ten more were being trained personally by Gem at this very moment. And that was just to start with. Max had also deployed about ten transgenics into the outside world to gather baby supplies according to a list from Gem.
Who knew kids were such work?
"Here's your fucking jacket, Max," Mole grouched, stomping into her office.
"Looks great," Max said, shrugging into it. Patting the sides down to feel for explosives, she felt nothing. "Perfect."
"What are you using it for?" Mole asked slowly, looking suddenly suspicious.
"To blow things up, silly," Max laughed.
****
"Logan!" Max snapped, cutting of his protests.
"What?" he said, shocked at the interruption.
"I gotta do this. And I'd prefer to say good-bye instead of knocking you over the head to shut you up." Max's anger was rising, and she hated to leave Logan like this- but life was a bitch.
"But there must be another way," he said desperately.
Damn- Max wanted to reach out and comfort him!
The only thing keeping Max moving was the knowledge that if she faltered now and stayed, it would be impossible to live with herself.
Max turned her back on him so he did not see the mirrored look on her face and pulled on leather gloves. "When I tell you where the X-10's are, make sure you have them before you...do it." Max could not say it. Instead, she patted the explosives fitted into her coat.
"Max. . ."
Unable to help herself, the desperation in Logan's voice making her turn. One last look was all she wanted. Nodding to him, Max said: "I got you in my head," and tapped the near invisible earpiece in her ear.
Rewarded with a weak smile, Max forced herself to walk away.
****
Sighing, Max wheeled her ninja through TC to the underground passage.
Signing out, someone said behind her, "Leaving without saying goodbye?"
"Why don't you say goodbye for me," Max suggested, not wanting to make this harder than it already was.
"Joshua will be heartbroken if you don't say goodbye."
Max pretended not to hear and continued to push her Ninja down the underground corridor, Alec falling instep beside her.
"This could be a trap," Alec said.
"You're not making me feel good about this."
"We could set a counter-trap."
"Too dangerous for the babies. One slip- and they could all be dead."
"So this is it?"
"Yep."
"Goodbye."
"Bye."
****
Savoring the feeling of wind in her hair for the final time, Max slowed to navigate herself through a crowd safely.
Catching site of the warehouse to meet White, Max parked her baby in the shadows. Kissing her hand and placing it reverently on the leather seat, she mutter, "Love you, baby."
"Max?" a voice said in her ear.
"If this isn't necessary, you better shut your hole," Max snapped irritably into her microphone.
"Sorry."
Biting her lip, guilt racked her brain. Max did not want to leave Logan this way- but if she got all mushy now, the mission's over. Taking a deep breath, she whispered to the microphone, "I'm sorry."
Max sensed Logan nod, but remaining silent for her benefit.
Taking a deep breath, Max rounded the corner that led to the meeting point. Looking out the corner of her eye, there were familiars hiding on rooftops.
Squashing down the feeling of being vulnerable, Max walked into the middle of the clearing knowing she was too valuable to kill.
Waiting for a couple of minutes, the fact that White would enjoy making her squirm forced the urge to fidget out.
Max met White's cool eyes when he stepped out. Hand on hip, weight balanced on one foot and a cocky look- that if Max had a mirror, she would have sworn looked identical of Alec's- lighted her face.
"You showed."
"Observant," Max spat.
"Unarmed?"
"Try risking that skinny white ass of yours to find out," Max said with attitude.
Giving Max his customary stony look, White patted her down, coming up with nothing, the explosives sewn into the coat safe.
"I'm here, unarmed. Now, where are the X-10's?"
Max heard, rather than saw, a truck of familiars enter the warehouse from behind.
"Warehouse 736, sector 7."
Repeating the location into the microphone, Max handed the communications equipment smugly over to White. "Think you missed something."
Max did not want to hear Logan complaining voice during her last breathing minutes on earth.
Ignoring White's angry look, Max held out her hands to be shackled and was silently loaded into the van, like a piece of luggage.
As the van began to move, Max held her breath, forcing any last regrets from her mind as she waited for the explosion.
A/N: So whadya think?
And a thank you all for your reviews! I meant what I said about writing this story even if ya guys weren't reading, but it just feels good that someone is at least reading. So you put a smile on a an injured runners face- which is quite a feat.
Amy- glad you think so.
Ringogurl07- I can't wait to the twist in the love story- you're going to put me on the World's most wanted when I do. Hehe
Jade-k- well, here's my perusal late update. Hope you enjoyed!
m/a fan- I can promise you action (just finished writing some in fact, I just won't tell you what chapter I was working on!)
Jamie's Spawn- he'll be taking more than 'some' charge soon. *grins mischievously*. Oh, I'm not so sure Alec would have gotten out of this one without a little outside help from Max if White had not, say, just set him free. But it takes all the fun out of things if Max doesn't at least give him a helping hand at least once, so look forward to it. And I've read you chapter 5, just need to get my thoughts on it sent to you, soon (Please say I'm not late!!!)
Ally- I'm happy you liked it, and I hope this ties up some of you thoughts. If not, feel free to criticize again.
Chapter 5
"What?" came Max's groggy voice, promising grievous bodily harm to her alarm clock at the door.
"Max? It's me, Alec," Alec warned Max from a good seven feet away.
"You're back? Couldn't this have waited till I was up?" Glancing at the clock, the realization shocked her that she had slept for an hour.
"You're not exactly sleeping beauty," Alec teased.
Max blinked, the blurriness in her eyes disappearing, sleepiness dissolving. Alec's 'alec' tone wasn't right. "What's happened? Are you alright?"
"Course I am," Max heard Alec say- but his face said another, the I'm- always-alright face slipping.
"What happened?"
Alec ignored her. "Get much sleep?"
"Plenty."
****
Alec, looking at the state of the bed and sweat-socked sports bra she wore, knew Max was lying. He had no pity for her- she'd signed up for the job on her own. No one forced her.
"What happened?"
There it was again. The question he was dreading. Instead of answering, he waited for Max to untangle herself from the sheets and pull on some clothes.
****
Feeling Alec wanted some time to think about the question, Max got dressed, the tension removed by an hours' bath and sleep snapping back into place ten-fold.
"So, what happened?" Max repeated for the final time, pulling on her boots. "The transgenics from the hover drone footage. Did you get them?"
"Yes."
Max let out a breath she did not realize was locked inside of her. Glancing up at Alec's miserable face and she forced herself not to look away from the battle transpiring over it.
"They have a bunch of X-10's." he began.
"X-10's?"
"Babies."
Alec went into soldier mode, face suddenly blank, feet exactly a foot apart and eyes glued on the far wall, staring at nothing. Max did not want to hear this report.
"And?"
"They just let the transgenics free, no fighting. Nothing."
"Why?" Max prompted.
"Providing I give you this," Alec said, and an envelope materialized in his hand.
Glancing from Alec to the envelope, Max knew this was his burden. What made him go into soldier mode; what made his 'alec' face and tone slip.
"Just like that?" Max asked, taking the envelope. "Do you know what's in it?"
Alec nodded slowly.
Taking a raggedy breath, Max tore open the envelope with surprisingly steady hands. It contained a single sheet of paper- a picture.
Tears bit at Max's eyes as she looked down at the picture. It was sadistic. Only White could do something like that.
A baby, lying in a pool of its own blood, lay dead.
Cuts blanketed its body like a second skin. Though the face remained untouched, it was contorted from crying- the last tears still not dried from its eyes. It- no, she, had green eyes.
Max's own brown ones closed in response. "How could even White have done this?"
"There's writing on the back."
Turning the picture over, it took her several tries to read the two lines.
I've got fifteen more X-10's to perfect my torture methods. Meet me at the warehouse at 0000 hours.
"You know what this says?"
Alec clenched and unclenching his hand to control himself before replying. "I can guess."
"You saw him do this, didn't you?"
Biting his lip, Alec nodded.
Reaching up, Max brought Alec's face down to her shoulder, his face completely slipping as tears welled and soaked her t-shirt.
"She was my daughter," Alec muttered into Max's shoulder, fingers digging painfully into her shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
****
Even fast asleep, Alec's face was misshapen in pain and hand still clenched Max's while she sat with her arms wrapped protectively around him. She was his teddy bear.
Max was going to hand herself over- she did not even hesitated in that decision. But a few things needed to be sorted before leaving.
Gently prying herself from Alec's iron grip on her hand and waist, Max left.
****
Max ate on her own that night in the mess hall, staring at her untouched food as her fork mixed the indefinable mush together.
"Max," Alec said from across the table.
"Hm?"
"Are you alright?"
"Course," Max said, flashing a weak smile.
"About earlier . . ." Alec muttered, face flaring red.
"Alec," Max said, reaching out to grip his hand tightly. "You needed earlier."
"Thank you."
They both sat, deep in their own thoughts, Max absently tracing invisible patterns on Alec's hand.
"What are you going to do?" Alec asked slowly, almost fearfully.
Max sighed. "I don't really have a choice. Do I?"
It was Alec's turn to sigh. "Not really."
Max finally caught sight of their linked hands at the same time Alec did, and they both let go as if it burnt them to touch.
"I-I better be getting some work done," Max said, clearing her untouched food.
"Yeah," Alec said, doing the same.
****
"Right, explosion experts," Max said lightly with a commanding undertone. She had gathered Mole and two other X-5's that excelled in bombs. "I need a bomb. Think you can do that?"
"What do you want, Max?" Mole skeptically, knowing Max too well. "Where's the hitch?"
"Well, I need it built into this coat." Max replied, throwing a leather jacket on the table with the explosion devices.
Groaning, Mole replied with a, "Fuck you Max!" shocking the other two X-5's with his attitude towards Max, their leader and CO.
Max laughed. "Yoda, Finn. Allow me to properly introduce myself- I'm the Bitch."
Yoda and Finn's uneasy smiles turned genuine as they were included in an inside joke.
****
"Gem!" Max called as she walked into the TC nursery she had placed Gem in charge of. "Expect a delivery of fifteen X-10's."
"Fifteen?" Gem repeated faintly.
"Yep," Max said, picking up a yelling baby and calming her as she talked. "I'm planning on knocking a few walls out and making the nursery bigger. I'm also going to get hands in here to help with the extra load.
"But I want you to choose who works in here."
"Alright. When can I expect the X-10's?"
"In the early hours of the morning. I want to temporary move the nursery to room 704 across the road so I can get people in here to expand."
"Now?"
"Now."
"Wow," Gem said, feeling overwhelmed.
****
Slumping into her office, leaving the door open to watch people scurry in and out. Max had really caused an upset in TC with preparations for the X- 10's.
She had employed at least twenty in the refurbishment of the nursery, ten more were being trained personally by Gem at this very moment. And that was just to start with. Max had also deployed about ten transgenics into the outside world to gather baby supplies according to a list from Gem.
Who knew kids were such work?
"Here's your fucking jacket, Max," Mole grouched, stomping into her office.
"Looks great," Max said, shrugging into it. Patting the sides down to feel for explosives, she felt nothing. "Perfect."
"What are you using it for?" Mole asked slowly, looking suddenly suspicious.
"To blow things up, silly," Max laughed.
****
"Logan!" Max snapped, cutting of his protests.
"What?" he said, shocked at the interruption.
"I gotta do this. And I'd prefer to say good-bye instead of knocking you over the head to shut you up." Max's anger was rising, and she hated to leave Logan like this- but life was a bitch.
"But there must be another way," he said desperately.
Damn- Max wanted to reach out and comfort him!
The only thing keeping Max moving was the knowledge that if she faltered now and stayed, it would be impossible to live with herself.
Max turned her back on him so he did not see the mirrored look on her face and pulled on leather gloves. "When I tell you where the X-10's are, make sure you have them before you...do it." Max could not say it. Instead, she patted the explosives fitted into her coat.
"Max. . ."
Unable to help herself, the desperation in Logan's voice making her turn. One last look was all she wanted. Nodding to him, Max said: "I got you in my head," and tapped the near invisible earpiece in her ear.
Rewarded with a weak smile, Max forced herself to walk away.
****
Sighing, Max wheeled her ninja through TC to the underground passage.
Signing out, someone said behind her, "Leaving without saying goodbye?"
"Why don't you say goodbye for me," Max suggested, not wanting to make this harder than it already was.
"Joshua will be heartbroken if you don't say goodbye."
Max pretended not to hear and continued to push her Ninja down the underground corridor, Alec falling instep beside her.
"This could be a trap," Alec said.
"You're not making me feel good about this."
"We could set a counter-trap."
"Too dangerous for the babies. One slip- and they could all be dead."
"So this is it?"
"Yep."
"Goodbye."
"Bye."
****
Savoring the feeling of wind in her hair for the final time, Max slowed to navigate herself through a crowd safely.
Catching site of the warehouse to meet White, Max parked her baby in the shadows. Kissing her hand and placing it reverently on the leather seat, she mutter, "Love you, baby."
"Max?" a voice said in her ear.
"If this isn't necessary, you better shut your hole," Max snapped irritably into her microphone.
"Sorry."
Biting her lip, guilt racked her brain. Max did not want to leave Logan this way- but if she got all mushy now, the mission's over. Taking a deep breath, she whispered to the microphone, "I'm sorry."
Max sensed Logan nod, but remaining silent for her benefit.
Taking a deep breath, Max rounded the corner that led to the meeting point. Looking out the corner of her eye, there were familiars hiding on rooftops.
Squashing down the feeling of being vulnerable, Max walked into the middle of the clearing knowing she was too valuable to kill.
Waiting for a couple of minutes, the fact that White would enjoy making her squirm forced the urge to fidget out.
Max met White's cool eyes when he stepped out. Hand on hip, weight balanced on one foot and a cocky look- that if Max had a mirror, she would have sworn looked identical of Alec's- lighted her face.
"You showed."
"Observant," Max spat.
"Unarmed?"
"Try risking that skinny white ass of yours to find out," Max said with attitude.
Giving Max his customary stony look, White patted her down, coming up with nothing, the explosives sewn into the coat safe.
"I'm here, unarmed. Now, where are the X-10's?"
Max heard, rather than saw, a truck of familiars enter the warehouse from behind.
"Warehouse 736, sector 7."
Repeating the location into the microphone, Max handed the communications equipment smugly over to White. "Think you missed something."
Max did not want to hear Logan complaining voice during her last breathing minutes on earth.
Ignoring White's angry look, Max held out her hands to be shackled and was silently loaded into the van, like a piece of luggage.
As the van began to move, Max held her breath, forcing any last regrets from her mind as she waited for the explosion.
A/N: So whadya think?
And a thank you all for your reviews! I meant what I said about writing this story even if ya guys weren't reading, but it just feels good that someone is at least reading. So you put a smile on a an injured runners face- which is quite a feat.
Amy- glad you think so.
Ringogurl07- I can't wait to the twist in the love story- you're going to put me on the World's most wanted when I do. Hehe
Jade-k- well, here's my perusal late update. Hope you enjoyed!
m/a fan- I can promise you action (just finished writing some in fact, I just won't tell you what chapter I was working on!)
Jamie's Spawn- he'll be taking more than 'some' charge soon. *grins mischievously*. Oh, I'm not so sure Alec would have gotten out of this one without a little outside help from Max if White had not, say, just set him free. But it takes all the fun out of things if Max doesn't at least give him a helping hand at least once, so look forward to it. And I've read you chapter 5, just need to get my thoughts on it sent to you, soon (Please say I'm not late!!!)
Ally- I'm happy you liked it, and I hope this ties up some of you thoughts. If not, feel free to criticize again.
