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CHAPTER NINE – PROVISIONS

Alec had no way of knowing it would have come to this. For years he had followed his orders, maybe not always exactly, but he had been a soldier, and a loyal one at that. But then she had come along, had thrown his life into discord, had changed everything. And now this is what it had come to. Max, the woman who had changed his life, lay dying in a provisional hospital in a provisional home - Terminal City. He watched her, watched the weak rise and fall of her chest, watched as someone so strong, so powerful, slipped away.

Logan stood uncomfortably beside him, his hands in his pockets, his lips terse. Alec knew that Logan blamed himself, and he couldn't say that he didn't disagree. Yet, for all their differences they stood together beside Max's now fragile frame, the only two men she would ever love.

Alec had gotten Max back here as quickly as he could, but she was already too far gone, and there was apparently nothing that could be done to save her. It killed Alec to just stand around, waiting for her to die. He was action, and yet there was nothing he could do, no action that could save her. The bullet had pierced her right lung, and as he and Logan stood there, waiting, Max's chest was slowly filling with her own life fluids, each rasping, choking breath reminding them that she would be gone very soon. Alec closed his eyes, as if blocking out the image would erase the reality. Max had helped him out so many times, saved his ass more times than he'd thought about hers (which was a surprisingly great number) and was always there, always, when he needed her. Whether it was breaking him out of prison, to breaking him out of Manticore, to helping him out of his Steelhead troubles… she was always there. But very soon she wouldn't be. Soon she would be gone… forever.

Alec's train of thought screeched to a halt. Steelheads. That was the answer. He didn't know if he could save Max, but he had to try.

"Needles, how long's she got?" Alec turned to Needles, TC's resident doctor, and pleaded with his eyes.

"We can keep her going for another three hours, maximum. But Alec, what are you thinking?"

The doctor's question was directed at Alec's back, however, as he slipped on his leather jacket and headed out the door. Moving slowly, Logan followed, catching Alec at his motorbike.

"Alec what are you going to do…?" Logan's voice was condescending and Alec turned to him with a scowl.

"What you should have… protecting Max…"

Logan watched as Alec sped off on his motorbike. He didn't trust Alec, but he'd have to trust him on this one, for Max's sake.

************************************************************

Alec lay quietly watching the warehouse. 10 minutes wasn't exactly recon, but it was all he had. He was certain the steelheads weren't there now. Well, kinda certain anyway. Okay, he was guessing, but hey, Max's life was at stake. He knew that this was Max's last chance. He knew that right now she needed him like she never had before, and he knew that he couldn't let her down.

Alec leapt from his stomach swiftly yet quietly and blurred silently to the door. He didn't like approaching in broad daylight, but he had no choice.

A simple twist of the doorknob and Alec was in warehouse, face-to-face with three angry steelheads. Alec held up his hands and flashed them one of his infamous cheesy grins.

"Hey fellas, arrrr, sorry, but I was just looking for…." He paused as they began circling him predatorily. "Damn, I haven't got time to make up a story for y'all…. Just show me where you keep your artificial human organs and I'll be on my way".

Gruff, angry faces responded and Alec knew that it would take more than manners to get him out of this one. Luckily, he was a genetically engineered superhero and had much more than etiquette on his side.

Back at TC Alec regaled his fellow freaks with the story of how three punches had taken them all down, and how it hadn't taken Alec long to find the big brown box with 'AHO' in huge red letters printed on it. Okay well it did, but he'd never tell anyone that. But he'd saved Max, and now that he was sure she'd be okay, he had no problem telling everyone that. They'd probably build a statue of him near the communications centre. Yeah, that wouldn't be too bad. Alec smiled as he shuffled away from the main crowd and into the makeshift hospital.

Max looked up at him weakly from the bed, her face still pale but her eyes blazing. "Hey… good work", she smiled at him weakly.

"Damn good if I don't say so myself" he grinned back at her. Her smile dimmed slightly as she shifted.

"It's gonna leave a hell of a scar… and…" Max looked down, a hint of guilt in her eyes, a deep sadness. Alec sensed what she was about to say, but he couldn't handle it; he couldn't deal with it right now. So he did what he always did, he smiled and he joked, and he built a wall around his feelings.

"Hey, so what, you have a fake set of lungs, who doesn't these days?" Max rolled her eyes and choked on a small laugh, but her tone soon became serious again and she looked at Alec sadly, her eyes apologizing.

"Alec… about… your friend… I…"

"Max don't… just don't… I can't"

Max saw the slump in Alec's shoulders, the heaviness in his voice. She knew that things were different now. Alec had killed – and not because he was ordered to, but because he wanted to. He wanted to kill Frell to protect her – to save her and the other transgenics. She watched him turn and walk away, defeated, beaten, and for the first time in a long while, Max cried. Max cried for Alec and what he had lost, what he had lost because of her.

************************************************************

Alec was slumped in a chair in the control room of HQ, every bone and muscle in his body aching. Even his teeth ached, if that was possible. He sighed exhaustedly and shuffled until he was relatively comfortable, ignoring the metallic click and electronic buzz of Logan's exoskeleton as he approached.

"Alec, thought I'd find you here"…

Alec responded without turning around. "Well now, I'm surprised…"

Logan raised his eyebrows. "That…?"

"That you thought."

"Alec, you don't need me to tell you that this is bigger than us, bigger than our… issues…"

"You got that right pal…"

Logan stuttered. "What happened to Max, it wasn't anyone's fault."

Alec spun the chair around slowly and looked up at Logan with dark from underneath dark lashes. His voice was laced with venom.

"Yes it was…"

Logan darted his eyes to the side as Alec seethed. Logan let out a long breath and changed the subject.

"I've got word from a source that Caldwell has captured four transgenics, 3 X6 and one X5. They're being held at the TIEO until the government can get the papers together to have them moved. You need to get back in there Alec, and quickly."

"Are you sure this is legit?"

"Quite certain."

"Well then I guess I'm going back up."

"It would seem so…"

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Alec breathed in the air around him. It was so fresh, so crisp. One good thing about the pulse – no-one can afford cars so there's less air pollution. He'd heard that it had been a big issues in pre-pulse America. But this was a different kind of clean, this air was clean in the sense that it wasn't Terminal City, stinking as it does of pain, provisions and pollution. This air smelled of freedom. Alec smiled.

The morning sun stretched along the road that Alec walked, it's golden rays licking at water pooled in potholes from the nights rains and peaking into all ramshackle housing erected on the sidewalk. In the distance Alec heard a woman singing and he suddenly felt like bursting into song too. He didn't, of course - not that he didn't have a magnificent voice, but he thought he ought to remain inconspicuous for the time being. Not that he was doing a great job of fitting in. His smile radiated outwards and touched the hearts of everyone he passed. They all looked, they all wondered what incredible accomplishment he had achieved. If only they knew. He had killed one friend to save another and now he was about to infiltrate a dangerous street gang again in order to rescue his people from an almost certain death. If only they knew. But for now, Alec had a sense returning to him, a warmth inside, as slight as it was, but it made him fell like he was coming home, and it made him happy.

************************************************************

The Transgenic Information And Inquiry Office shone brilliantly beneath the perfect sun, its glass windows reflecting each ray and breaking it into a thousand strands of coloured light. Alec shuddered as he momentarily thought it looked beautiful. What a paradox, a sick, ironic twist that evil could often inhabit the most beautiful vessels.

Alec pushed the door open and the first thing he saw was her. Their eyes met as she turned to face him and he suddenly felt exposed. He couldn't lie to her, he wouldn't be able to. As if in slow motion she moved toward him, her dark hair bouncing around her shoulders and the sharp click of her almost too high heels resounding in his head and reverberating off the sides of his body as she approached. He saw her mouth moving, but he couldn't hear her as she screamed his name in joy and relief. All he heard was the beating of his heart, and all he saw was those eyes, dark, cavernous and all-seeing.

She threw her arms around his neck, oblivious to who saw them, not caring if their secret was exposed. She was so happy that he was alive, and that he was standing here right now. When they found Frell's body they had feared the worst. She was sure Alec had gone off to find the transgenic and somehow been killed in the process. But he wasn't, he was alive. She kissed his neck and cheeks and held him tight to her as if trying to ensure he would never leave her side again. It was a while before she realized that Alec wasn't responding, before she felt the cold damp of his skin and the blank, unseeing eyes.

"Alec, Alec are you alright?"

"Frell's dead." It was a statement, cold and matter-of-fact.

"We know, we found his body… where have you…"

I tracked the transgenic through the sewers, but I couldn't get it… it was too fast, and there were others…"

"But you're okay?"

He turned to look at her, his eyes blank, his face unreadable, but she sensed a trace of muffled guilt in his voice. "I'm alright".

He pushed past her gently and headed toward the elevator.

"I need to write up a report…"

"Alec?"

Antigone pleaded, but Alec turned his back to her and walked away, his body tense. She stood still in the same spot for a long while later thinking. Just as the sun was slipping away behind the mountains, a single tear slipped from those incredible green eyes.

"Alec…" Antigone whispered. "What have you done…?".