A/N- to everyone who asked about Asha- yeah she was in S1W but this is set before Season 2 so at this point she is just trying things out and joined May 22nd. Oh come on, who thinks she didn't have a criminal record before meeting Logan????
Chapter 17b- Shaking things up II.
Previously in this chapter- Max is having a seizure and thinking about the last mission that she was on when she had one.
##--
"All clear!" Aiden said as they hauled Max into the cell. Steve had rushed off to the medical bay to get Mets.
Pix lay Max on her bed and grabbed her hands as they flailed in the air.
He rested his hand on her head and tried to stop her shaking so much.
"Shall I get Alec?" Aiden asked and Pix shook his head.
"Not just yet, if he sees Max like this he'll freak out," he smiled "You know how much he cares for her."
Aiden paced the room, "What is taking Steve so damn long?"
Steve blurred down the hall, bowling into several X8's and sending them flying into the wall like mini skittles with crew cuts.
He slammed open the door to med bay and searched for the tousled dark hair of Mets.
He was in one corner talking to a doctor and Steve hurried over.
"Hey 133, you are needed," he said urgently.
Both Mets and the doctor that he was talking to broke off and stared at Steve.
"361?" Mets frowned questioningly and Steve smiled, not altogether reassuringly.
He was worried; he had never seen anyone seize as bad as Max was doing right now. Not even when he was younger and that friend of Skye's had almost fallen to pieces, her seizures so bad that her head repeatedly smacked on the stone cold concrete in their dorm, her blood pooling everywhere. None of them had had any idea what to do and Alec had eventually called the Guards in to help. They had never seen the young girl again. When Steve had seen Max shaking like that he had felt as helpless as he had back then.
Mets responded to the urgency in his tone and the scared look in his eyes and nodded.
"Please excuse me Dr. Ellesse."
"Of course," the Doctor smiled and turned back to her clipboard.
"Max is seizing bad," Steve whispered into his ear. "She's in her cell and needs help."
Mets stared at him for a nano-second and nodded. "I'm there."
He turned and raced away down the hall, knocking into the same bunch of X8's that Steve had sent rolling. They scattered across the hallway and glared at the blurring form.
"X5's!" One growled and they nodded as they staggered to their feet again.
Steve paused at the doorway. He didn't know much about seizures except that they'd been stopped when he was young. But when Max had been talking, rambling in her delusion, she was rasping hard. Steve thought that she'd be thirsty when she came out of it. She'd also be embarrassed that they had seen her like that.
He walked down the hallway towards the kitchens and smiled charmingly at the staff who were just getting things ready for dinner.
"Hey 361," one of the serving girls waved to him.
Max had once told him that no one ever spoke to the staff because they thought that it wasn't allowed, and so the staff thought transgenics were all stuck up. But back in Wyoming she had spoken to them and they had treated her better because of it.
Steve had taken her advice and started with a smile and a thank you. That had progressed to conversation and he had struck up a tentative friendship with one of the serving girls. She was called Isabella and was only working there to help her go to College.
"Hi Bella,"
"Thirsty?" she beamed and he smiled at her eagerness. Steve sometimes had trouble sleeping and so he would wander into the kitchens. He had found that a warm glass of milk helped him to sleep and in some ways it was a comfort. Maybe it would comfort Max too.
"I'd love to stop and talk but I have to go, I just wanted something to drink," he explained why he couldn't hang around and she nodded.
"I'll get you some milk, and we can chat later, okay?"
"Sure, can I have it to go?"
Isabella snatched a flask off the shelf and went to the fridge. Her jean clad behind lifted in the air as she searched for the milk and Steve watched her.
She had a very devoted boyfriend, but he could still admire the view.
"Here ya go," she handed it over and he grinned.
"Thanks Bella."
The girl opened her mouth to talk but before she could she was called.
She pouted as the head cook screamed her name.
"Later!" she promised and walked back to her job as Steve headed back to the cells.
Mets pushed open the door to see Max still trembling with Pix rubbing her hands and Aiden biting his nails in one corner.
He sat on the edge of the bed and felt her forehead.
"She's burning up."
"No shit Sherlock!" Pix snapped tense.
Mets held up his hands as if to say back off and Pix sighed.
"Sorry, man."
"I get it," Mets nodded and soothed Max's sweat soaked hair back from her face. "How's she been doing?"
Pix raked a hand through his own hair. "In and out, shaking almost non-stop although at times it gets worse than this," he pointed to where Max lay with only the occasional tremor, "and she's delirious."
"It's a seizure, but not like one I've seen before," Mets frowned. "The shaking is standard but she shouldn't be delirious. That only happens under extreme duress and emotional trauma."
"Max said something about going to find an 09er."
They turned to see Aiden chewing on his fingers.
"She went on a mission yesterday and I think it had something to do with one of her old Unit. I saw her as she was on her way out of here; I was coming in after live ordinance."
Mets exchanged worried glances with Pix, "That'd do it."
"How do we stop it?"
Mets chewed on his bottom lip and regarded the slightly shaking form of his C.O and friend.
"Tara would be the one to talk to."
"On an assignment," filled in Aiden.
Mets sighed, "Dek may be able to help."
"I'll get him!" Aiden was eager for something to do. He couldn't just sit there and watch Max suffer.
As he walked out, Pix watch him go and regarded Mets.
"You don't like Dek," he stated and Mets shrugged.
"Doesn't matter. I like Max and she needs our help."
A sudden shudder from Max had Pix moving behind her and pulling her into his arms.
"Here we go again," he said and almost on cue Max's whole body began to spasm hard, almost knocking him over.
"Hang on Max, we've got you," he rocked her. "We'll take care of this."
##--
"Tell me where they all are already, I'm getting antsy," she demanded as her shoulders trembled.
She had to get out of here. Now.
"Relax 452, we've taken care of that." McCarthy said sarcastically and Alec frowned at him.
"What are you doing?"
"We should tell the cops that we have someone on the inside and take over," McCarthy said slowly as if he was talking to a simpleton.
"The essence of this mission was to be discreet," Alec rolled his eyes. "Announcing military interest in the bank, as well as admitting that we have an agent in there, isn't what I'd call low profile."
McCarthy reddened at the reprimand from the pretentious little shit. He'd taught and tortured arrogant upstarts like this guy and here he was acting like it was McCarthy that had minimal levels of experience. He'd been in the army before this moron was a glint in a lab technician's Petri dish. He bristled and glared as the dark haired youth walked off.
So he and the damn 09er thought that they could tell him how to live, how to do his job? Well he'd show them that they were nothing.
He stared at the monitor where the blips showed the locations of the May 22nd members. He glanced up to see the boy and two girls in deep conversation and gave a nasty smile before leaning down to tap into the computer. He'd show them.
Max watched from behind the door for the location of the other members of the movement.
She dragged the unconscious Murray behind one of the desks and looked around. "Hey!"
The prep school girl started. "Me?"
"Yeah," Max felt herself grin. "You know how to tie a guy up?"
The girl blushed heavily, "Yeah."
Her boyfriend looked at her strangely and she avoided his glance.
Max threw her some rope.
"Tie this guy."
"Where are you going?" the arrogant businessman asked.
Max smiled and gestured to the roof. The ceiling in the office was littered with the light tiles that lifted up. Max jumped and pushed at the white speckled board until it slid aside. Then with one more jump she hauled herself up into the dark passage. Dust bunnies and electrical cables littered the small cramped space and Max crawled over the cables.
"Need those details guys," she sang.
"Got it 452, There is only one in the security room now, you could take him easily."
"Great," Max searched her memory for the schematics that she had memorised before coming into the bank. If her memory was correct- and it usually was- she had to head west and at least fifty feet.
Max edged carefully over the cables and peered through cracks down to the thieves below.
They seemed to be arguing again.
"Barlow, this isn't time for you to be getting cold feet!"
"You're talking about murder! Now I get that the police are corrupt and need to be taken down, and I agree that technology is ruining lives. But I am not a murderer! Especially of children!" the blonde women gestured furiously to the dark haired man.
"Take it to someone who cares, Asha!" he spat. "If you want a bleeding heart liberal go find that freaking Eyes Only!" Darius mocked and Max paused.
Eyes Only was responsible for the death of Seth and she wanted him dead. What exactly did Darius know of Eyes Only?
"Bite me!" Barlow growled and Darius laughed.
As much as Max wanted to listen to the rest of the conversation she wanted to get out of here before…
Almost as if the thought triggered it, she was hit by another dose of the shakes. Her knees gave and she crumpled to the floor, spasming in the ceiling.
"Did you hear that?" Darius looked up and Max bit down on her lip, drawing blood in a desperate bid to halt the whimpers that were torn from her throat as she seized.
"Must be the cops trying for a rooftop attack," Barlow dismissed.
"How new," Darius' voice was set in a mocking tone, which annoyed Max even as she was relieved at his arrogance.
Her body slowed its tremors and she edged to her knees, spitting out the blood that trickled from her torn lip as she made her way shakily down the filthy crawl-way.
She finally came to the security lounge, which was the centre of the security system that the bank had installed. From here they could lift or lower the levels of security needed, including the lasers, infra red and window shutters.
Max peered down and saw the single man in the room. She grinned and dropped down.
"Hey, what the-?"
"Room service," she quipped and shot a foot into his chest. It knocked him back and he lay against the control board stiff for a second and then stood. Max pressed her advantage and swung a fist into his face. He fell to the floor and she was about to knock him unconscious when she heard the click of a safety being taken off.
"I think 'freeze' is the word I'm looking for."
Max froze and slowly raised her arms. On the outside she looked cool and calm but inwardly she was seething- why the hell hadn't the others warned her?
As she slowly turned she saw, not one, but two others in the room along with the guard that was supposed to be on his own.
"So much for insider Intel," she said sweetly.
Outside, Alec frowned peering at the computer. There was still only one blip in the Security room, Max should be there already.
"452, where are you?" he asked into the com link. There was nothing but static. "452?"
He exchanged worried glances with Drew.
"Okay, get me a trace on 452," he instructed B.J.
"Trust the 09er to screw things up," McCarthy scoffed and Alec resisted the urge to punch the guy- but only barely.
"Hey freak face, 452 is a kick ass C.O and unless you want your freak-assed face kicked, then shut the hell up and help us figure out what's wrong!"
Anna obviously had no compunctions about letting loose her worry and anger on the Lieutenant. Alec hid a grin as the man's eyes narrowed.
"291, please control your temper!" B.J smirked and Alec groaned internally. He knew that it had been going too well. It seemed that B.J was physically incapable of reigning in his hostility towards her for the duration of a mission.
Anna glared at him, "Get bent."
B.J opened his mouth but Alec cut him off.
"Enough you two, we need to help 452, now can someone tell me where she is and what's with the comms?"
Max held up her hands and Alana eyed her.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Maintenance," she sassed. "Heard we had termites."
Alana gave a short laugh.
"Hey Martini, we have a comedienne here."
"Ha fricking ha!" he rubbed his head. "Bitch packs a mean punch."
"I work out," she smiled but it was strained as her hands shuddered above her head.
Alana turned to the man she stood next to, one of the brothers from earlier, Sean or Donald- not that it mattered, they were alike enough.
"Radio Jon," the woman instructed and Sean unhooked his radio.
Max made her decision in a split second, she dropped to the floor, her whole body shaking, eyes rolled back in her head and twitching.
"What the hell?"
"She's seizing, is she epileptic?"
"How the hell do I know?" Martini hissed. "She hit me, we didn't exchange medical histories!"
Alana leaned down and Max's flailing foot caught the gun in her hand, kicking it across the room. Before they could respond she flipped to her feet and snap elbowed Alana in the face. The woman went down without a fight, her body slamming to the carpet and Max spun on her hip, kicking Sean in the face with her heavy boots, his head snapped back and he dropped the radio. Martini grabbed her in a bear hug and Max leaned forwards flipping his solid weight over her shoulder to land on top of Alana. The air whooshed out of him as Max dug her heel into his solar plexus and his eyes bulged as he fought for breath.
Sean had recovered and was going for his gun when Max grabbed at his wrist and snapped it with an audible click. She slapped her hand over his mouth before he could scream and fixed her hand over his nose, suffocating him.
He grappled with her, fighting for breath, his hands scrabbling at hers but she was too strong for him and he fell to the floor the fight gone out of him.
Max wrenched open the nearest drawer and then the one under it searching for rope or string or something to tie them up. Manticore might have said that they should be killed but Max wasn't going to do that. It just wasn't necessary and her talk with Alec on their instincts and then her chat with Drew on the ethics of being a killer made her pause and wound rather than kill.
In the fourth drawer she found a roll of duct tape and she set about tying them up.
##--
Dek arrived just as Steve came back from the kitchen.
"What's going on?" he urged as he walked in. He took in the room and its occupants.
Pix sat on the bed with Max in his arms, she was still trembling but didn't seem so bad right now. Mets was rubbing her hands, trying to keep her circulation going.
"Dek, Max is seizing."
"Okay," Dek came in and sank down on the mattress next to her and did what Mets and Pix had both done, he stroked her forehead.
"What's wrong, baby?" he murmured.
Max whimpered in her sleep and all three men tensed as her eyes opened.
"H-h-hey," she whispered. "W-wha-" she couldn't finish as her throat was too dry.
"Here Max, drink this," Steve urged and he passed the flask to Dek.
Dek held it to her lips and Max tried to drink some. Her shoulders shuddered.
"What's wrong with you, Max?" Dek asked.
"S-s-serotonin imb-alance," she managed.
Dek frowned, "We all got that fixed as kids."
"I remember the tests," Mets agreed.
"I w-was in Psy-Ops at the time," Max said hoarsely. She looked up into the concerned faces of her Unit. "T-they n-never d-d-did me. I hated the lab, s-so I didn't care. I h-hid them before."
Mets nodded. He knew how much most of the transgenics hated the lab technicians and medical bay. After all, since they didn't really get sick, it was only when they were being punished or were hurt badly that they actually needed to go to Med Bay. It gave them the wrong impression of both the facility and the staff. So he did understand where she was coming from.
"What can we do?" he asked concerned.
"Need milk, or Tryptophan," Max smiled at Steve in thanks for the milk.
Mets frowned at the flask and then up at Steve, "How did you know?"
"I didn't!" Steve shrugged. "I just thought she'd be thirsty."
"I am," Max half laughed and started to cough.
Pix rubbed her back, "We've got you Maxie. Do you want us to get Alec?"
Her eyes grew dark and her hands clenched. "No."
Mets looked taken aback, "But Max."
"K-keep him the hell away from me, okay?!" she choked and trembled.
The pure fury in her voice startled them and they agreed.
"Sure thing."
Max sat up and Pix hurriedly supported her back.
"Dek, under the s-sink, third brick f-from the left slides away."
Dek got to his feet and knelt under the sink pulling the brick away from its foundations. He pulled out a few books and a small, nearly empty, bottle of pills.
"I'll need about five." Max said and Dek shook them out, handing them to her.
They watched as she downed them with the milk and closed her eyes in relief.
"What are these?" Dek asked passing the bottle over to Mets who peered at the label.
Max opened her eyes and blinked slowly. "Tryptophan, they help."
"Contraband!" Pix teased. "Tut tut, Maxie!"
She smiled weakly and shuddered.
"You okay?" Mets asked, concerned.
"I'll be okay in a while," she said closing her eyes. "I just need to rest. Just need to rest."
##--
"Damn I need a break," Max said as her fingers flew over the keys. She hacked into the surveillance system since Alec wasn't responding and spied out the main lobby. She had taken care of Murray, Sean, Alana and Martini. That left; Darius, who was standing there preaching to the cops, Donald, who was standing watching at the window, Barlow, who was glaring at Darius, and Flynn, who was still trying to crack the safe. Those were odds that she could handle, especially now that she knew who they were and why they were there.
She grinned at the controls and started to hack away.
"Why can't we trace her?" Alec demanded, his hair askew from raking his hands through it.
"Maybe because Miss thang won't let me at the controls?" B.J said equally frustrated.
Anna rounded on him, "Listen butt-kiss, I scored higher than you at schematics and diagnostics so shut the hell up okay?"
"Guys this is neither the time nor the place!" Drew emphasised shooting a nervous look at Alec who seemed one step away from attacking them both. She frowned, "And you all have taken Common Verbal way too much to heart."
"Well there was a reason Max wanted me on this mission and it wasn't to sit here and play second fiddle to her!"
"Your detonations skill is what we need," Drew reminded him.
Anna scoffed. "Yeah well he's good at blowing things up!"
"And just what the HELL is that supposed to mean?" B.J rounded on her, his eyes flashing in unbridled fury.
Anna smirked, "Simply that you take the smallest thing and blow it out of all proportion."
If possible, his eyes darkened even more and his breath began to come heavy. He advanced on Anna. "If you-"
"CUT IT OUT!" Alec yelled. "You are acting like children and I am sick of hearing you bicker. So you don't like each other- deal with it and move the hell on already! 452 is in there and she needs our help and if you two don't stop acting like brats I'll throw your asses in the brig and hand you over to Renfro for eval. She is relying on you and the last thing we need is this shit! I don't care what your issues are, as of this second you are best friends, okay! You are supposed to be soldiers dammit, now act like it!"
Alec finished furiously with a stab in their direction.
Anna and B.J looked suitably chastened and Drew's eyebrows slowly came down.
"Hmph!" Alec spun to see McCarthy leaning on the doorframe, "And you are supposed to be Special Ops. If this is the best of the Manticore program, then they should have dismantled it back in 09."
Drew reached behind her and drew out her gun. She aimed it at his feet and shot. McCarthy jumped back a few feet and gaped at her. The whole camp stopped to stare.
"Run along," she smirked and McCarthy walked away casting incredulous looks at her.
Alec looked at Drew who shrugged.
"That guy has been pissing me off since I got here."
Max spied on those in the Lobby and smiled as Darius seemed to get more and more frustrated when Flynn couldn't get into the vault as fast as he wanted.
"Temper!" she sang as she tapped some commands into the computer.
She heard a faint grunt and turned to smile at a furious Martini who was coming around.
"You guys are really bad," she smirked "And I don't mean that in a good way!"
"Bitch!" he spat and Max shrugged. A few more keystrokes and she achieved in a few minutes, what Martini had taken an hour to attempt. She watched in the grey speckled monitor as the outer door to the vault slid up revealing only the small inner door and its defences. Now the large barrier was out of the way all they had to do was crack the lock, a simple job. The grainy image Darius raised his fist into the air and she shook her head.
"So darn predictable," she slung her gun higher over her shoulder and spun, kicking out her foot to impact on Martini's face. He was slammed into unconsciousness but Max was already out of the door, so didn't notice and didn't really care.
"Uh, Sir?" Alec stared up at Drew.
"What is it?"
She bit her lip and gestured for him to follow her into a corner. "I've figured out why we lost communication with Max."
"And?" he asked, sensing that this was important.
"One of the controllers was missing from the com pack and I think that our computer has been tampered with as well."
Alec's face showed his anger before being replaced by the blank Manticore mask.
"It was fine earlier, I checked it myself."
Drew nodded, her own face dark, "It was pried out with a screwdriver. Deliberate."
"McCarthy," Alec spat and raked his hand through his hair.
"Should have shot him," Drew mused and waited until the flicker of anger passed his face.
"So he wants to jeopardize Max? Well we'll see about that! Can you fix it?"
"If Anna has the parts we need we'll be hooked back up with Max in minutes."
"Great!" Alec smiled for the first time in hours, "Then we'll sort out McCarthy!"
##--
Max gently opened her eyes to see her friends gathered around looking at her intently, the room was dark and Max felt drained as she realised that it had taken so long to get over the seizure- much longer than normal. But her friends had stayed by her side and that meant a lot to her.
She dredged up a smile from her depths and tried to fix it to her face.
"You okay, Max?"
She shivered and hauled herself up looking around at those gathered in her cramped cell.
Dek and Mets were actually sitting side by side and Aiden propped up the corner. Steve was standing by Aiden and Max could feel Pix at her back stroking her hair.
"Well I'm not ready to take on all five of you, but I could try."
They all let out a breath of air as cheeky Max came to the fore.
"She's teasing, that means she's feeling better."
And she was. Her hands were still a little unsteady but in all she felt much better than before.
"Max, we have to talk about your seizures. You said that you never went in for reversal right?" Dek asked, his fringe flopping into his face as he gazed intently at her.
Max nodded. "I was in Psy Ops at the time."
Dek paused as he considered how to phrase this; "I know that you hate the doctors and med labs, but I know a very capable nurse who could fix the-"
"No!" Max's reply was emphatic. "I don't want to."
"But Max, if you seize in the middle of a-" Aiden tried, but she glared and cut him off.
"I don't care! I don't want to have any surgery. Who knows what they do when they put you under!"
"Well how about if one of us was there," Pix tried. "We could get Alec to-"
"NO!"
This time they were all taken aback at the venom in her voice.
"Did something happen with you and Alec?" Aiden asked worriedly and Max shuddered as the memory assailed her.
"I'm sorry, but you're not going anywhere."
Alec whipped out a gun from his back pocket and they faced off.
"Alec, he needs me," she tried to reason through her tight throat.
"Needs you to what? Bring the full force of Manticore down on his neck? Face it Max, if you run with them they will never stop hunting you both down. You'll get him caught and they'll kill him and dissect him to find out what went wrong," he spat bluntly. "Do you want to be responsible for his death? Trust me; you don't want to live with that guilt."
Alec whipped out a gun from his back pocket.
"I'm sorry but you're not going anywhere."
All Max could see was the gun.
He pulled a gun on her.
Her throat felt tight and she didn't answer for a moment, her eyes flickered and the Manticore mask fell down shutting the door on her emotions.
"Yes," she answered. "I can't talk about it right now…or ever. So don't ask. But I don't want him anywhere near me."
Dek and Pix both had the same idea and they reached out to stroke Max, one on her back and the other on her hand.
"Ok, so how about one of us, or one of the girls. We'd stay with you to make sure that the doctors didn't try anything. But, Max, you need to get rid of them, they are a potential threat and-"
"We eliminate all threats," Max sighed. "It's the mark of a good soldier."
##--
"Eliminating all threats is the mark of a good soldier!" Max mimicked Trainer Banns as she made her way down the hallway towards the main lobby. Half of her was torn into wanting to go back and kill those she had left unconscious in the security room the way she had been taught. But the rest of her reminded her that she was not just some mindless automaton, but a person who could feel and react. She didn't need to kill everyone in her way.
She peered out into the main lobby and quickly took in the positions of her remaining targets. Barlow and Darius were off to one side whilst Donald was still at the window and Flynn was at the far back, standing in front of the vault.
She could hear the cops on the outside and knew that, even though she couldn't hear them, Alec was taking care of things on the outside.
Max knew that she could blur over to Donald and take him out without Darius even realising that she was in the room. Then all she had to do was neutralise Darius and Barlow, and she'd be set. Flynn was too busy trying to crack the safe and he'd be done soon.
Max readied herself and saw her opportunity arise when Darius spun to talk to a furious Barlow.
Max blurred across the room and was almost at her target when her legs buckled.
No, please, not now!
But her plea was in vain and she faltered, her balance making her stagger and trip.
"Who the hell are you?" Donald yelled, alerting Darius to her presence. Without another second to lose before bullets started flying, Max swung into action, pushing her trembling limbs to disarm Donald. Her hands snapped out and ripped the high powered rifle from his grip with a grunt from him. She swung the butt of the gun straight into his forehead, but on the downward swing her arms shook and she almost dropped the rifle.
"Drop it!" The sound behind Max was of a gun being cocked, unnecessary, but effective. Max glanced over her shoulder to see Barlow in an open legged stance pointing her gun at her. She looked comfortable with the cool metal in her hands and Max glowered at being caught off guard.
"Drop it!" Barlow repeated.
Max's response was short and pithy and would have earned her a week in solitary should a trainer have heard her. She dropped the gun and held her arms out to show that she wasn't armed.
"Well, well, what have we here?" Darius walked up behind the blonde woman and Max smiled at him.
"I was on my way to the bathroom," she sassed, her hands away from her sides. "Just couldn't hold it anymore."
"Liar, are you with the FBI?" he regarded her and she took the opportunity to do the same.
He didn't look dangerous; his polo neck was black and high disguising his long neck and angular chin. He wore a puffy waistcoat which made him look less lean and was helped by his baggy combat trousers. He didn't look dangerous, until, that is, you saw his eyes. They were hard and serious, hidden but gleaming with a sense of pride and purpose. Jon Darius was a zealot and he was dangerous.
Max took a deep breath trying to steady her whole body as it fought against her, "No, I'm not FBI."
"Well whoever you are with, you won't be soon. This is our cause and we are dedicated to it."
"So dedicated that you'll let children get gassed?" Max asked derisively and it incensed Darius.
"You don't understand, you and your pathetic generation. All you care about is the technology of the future. What you don't realise is that the Pulse was the best thing that happened to this country."
"Come again?" Max's tone was incredulous.
"Technology, my dear, is destroying us all. Soon there'll be a computer chip placed in every newborn child and nothing will be safe. The May 22nd wants to prevent that, as our inspiration Theodore Kaczynski did before us."
"He was a terrorist," Max remembered him from her history classes.
"He was a visionary!" Darius spat, starting to pace. "He knew what would happen."
"So you guys are against technology?" Max frowned and gestured down to the gun that she had kicked to one side. "And yet you're attacking with guns, computers and explosives instead of bows and arrows, how… progressive."
Darius's gaze darkened and she felt a sliver of pleasure at having riled him. As he opened his mouth to speak Max heard a crackle from her headset.
"452, 452 are you there, are you okay?"
Alec's voice was a welcome change from that of this maniac.
"The end justifies the means, we have to adapt. Society is changing too fast."
"Where have you been?" Max was talking to Alec but Darius thought she was talking to him.
"Our following is small. But we are growing in number."
"Sorry, technical hitch in that McCarthy hates you more than we thought."
"Isn't it great to be popular?" Max knew that McCarthy hated her but putting her and the mission in deliberate jeopardy? She watched Donald pick up the rifle that she had dropped and check it over. She rolled her eyes.
"No matter our size, each and every member of our organization is devoted to the cause and we are prepared to fight for what we believe in."
The sanctimonious voice of Jon Darius was starting to bug Max, and on top of the discovery that McCarthy had landed her in trouble, it was enough to make Max reckless.
"Gee, how nice; so where exactly does robbing a bank fit into all this techno fear crap?"
"The founders of this bank are allied with some of the most heinous acts against the human race!"
"Geez, this guy likes the sound of his own voice." Alec said in her ear.
"I didn't know Steinman and Sons invented Speedo's," Max heard Barlow stifle a giggle and felt a small wave of remorse that she was going to have to kill the blonde for pointing a gun at her.
"I'm talking about crimes against life, against liberty, do you know what that is?" "Where are you Max?"
"Shouldn't you know that?" Max asked Alec and smiled at Darius sweetly. She started to edge closer to Donald figuring that she had to do something soon. Darius would get tried of the sound of his voice soon enough- Max knew she was- and he would probably shoot her.
"He's corrupted the data we're being fed, we have no idea where you are."
"The biggest is scientific exploitation of children. We have intelligence of them stealing young women off the streets and forcing them to have children, only to ship the mothers off and take their offspring to experiment on."
Max didn't move for a moment, "What?"
Darius looked triumphant at having gained a reaction from her. "Does that shock you? Experimentation on children? Torture and annihilation all in the name of science?"
"Actually sounds like my childhood," Max said truthfully. "But please get to the part where you oppose the morally bankrupt by stealing money?"
"If we take their funds away, their backers will have to find alternative methods of funding and we can catch them and expose them to the world."
Exposure? Max felt a tremble run through her that had nothing to do with her seizures. If they exposed the Manticore project it would mean death to the project and possibly to the subjects. THEM.
"Darius. Got it! We're in!" Flynn's voice was the distraction that Max needed.
"You are crazy," Max said sidestepping closer to Donald.
"Uh oh, Max don't do anything…"
"And I am done talking."
"…Stupid!"
Max slammed her elbow back into Donald's face and he dropped the rifle he had retrieved. She scooped it up with her foot and kicked it towards Barlow who had begun to droop with the effort of holding her stance too long. The gun hit her in the face and was enough to make her flinch. Max spun out and slammed her foot into the underside of Barlow's chin. She heard a crack but didn't stop to see what had happened. She grabbed Donald's head, her fingers tangling in his greasy hair, and twisted; she halted before she broke his neck and instead brought her thumbs down onto his spine, pushing down until the man blacked out with pain. She dropped him onto the floor and dropped down as Darius opened fire on her.
She ducked further as bullets sprayed above her head slamming into the wall behind her. She slid over the floor and tackled Barlow. The woman fell to the floor and Max slammed her head into the stone concrete, knocking her into unconsciousness. She whirled around and brought both of her feet up into Darius' chest kicking with all of her might. He staggered backward, heaving for breath and grabbing at his chest, his gun forgotten as he tried desperately to breathe.
Max stood up quickly, her hands trembling and shoulders aching.
She faced Flynn who stood with his mouth open.
"I am having a very, very bad day," Max told him. "Too many people have tried to kill me and I am tired and ache all over, and I want to go home. Now are you gonna get in my way or are you gonna move aside?"
Flynn deliberated for about half a second and then slid his hand into his pocket. Max sighed and rammed her fist into his face; he folded like a flower and fell to the floor. Max looked down at him in disgust.
"Amateurs."
Alec was waiting none too patiently for the go ahead when he saw Max walk into the encampment.
"452!" he called and ran over to her. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," She bit out, striding through the camp.
"You got out okay?"
"Yeah the police went in when the hostages came out dragging the May 22nd movement all trussed up," Max allowed herself a small, satisfied grin. "I don't know who was more impressed, the police or the feds."
"Well I'm glad you're not hurt," Alec wondered why she hadn't stopped walking.
"Oh I wouldn't say that."
Alec frowned as she stormed ahead.
McCarthy came around the corner and sneered at her.
"Well 452, so you didn't screw up aga-"
He was cut off as her fist met his nose.
"Asshole!" she yelled and slammed her fist into his face again. He dropped backwards and Max kicked his solar plexus. He tried to swing for her but her small hands blocked him and with a quick strike, she broke his nose.
"BITCH!" He bellowed as red streamed from his nose. Max jabbed into his firm stomach and as he bent doubled. She drove her elbow into the back of his neck. He staggered and she dropped and swept his legs out from under him. He toppled back onto the ground, holding his ribs and trying to breathe around the blood that poured down his face.
"Your petty crap almost screwed the mission beyond recognition," she hissed as everyone in the camp turned to stare at the scene. "That impairment of judgement is why you will never make it. You let your emotions cloud whatever sense your God mistakenly gave you. Now I couldn't give a flying-"
Alec's eyes opened wide "452!"
"- what issues you have with me, but I ever find you pulling this crap again, I will not only have you court-martialled and thrown off the mission, but I will have you erased!"
She booted him in the stomach, catching her steel toecaps on his ribs.
She reigned in her temper and pushed her hair out of her face.
"And for your information lieutenant, I always complete my missions."
She threw the small computer chip into the man's lap and spat at him in disgust.
"Pathetic excuse for a soldier!"
Clenching her fists she walked over to Alec.
"Let's go home," She commanded.
Alec looked from the Lieutenant to the shaking form of the girl at his side and held out his hand.
"Yeah, let's get you home."
##--
He'd held her so tight all the way home and even covered for her when they stopped off at a market for her to find more Tryptophan and then when they got back to Manticore, he snuck into the kitchen with her and they had sat on the cold tiles and drunk milk, just laughing and joking until the early morning drills. Max swallowed as Dek and Mets stared at her, the memory hurt.
"Yeah I guess if you two were there it'd be okay."
"Great." Dek stood up "I'll go get Mary to set up the lab okay?"
Max nodded. "Yeah, I kinda wanna be alone right now, okay?"
Mets stood up and the rest of the boys filed out, Pix kissed Max's forehead before leaving.
The five men stood in the hallway.
Dek turned to Mets. This wasn't the time for petty arguments and rivalries, two of their commanders were hurting and they needed to pull together right now.
"Go get Drew," he said, "I think Max needs to talk."
Mets nodded, for once in perfect agreement with the blonde.
"I'll get Sunny," Pix started to walk away with Aiden. "But for Hells sake keep Cece away okay?"
Steve watched as the three of them walked off. "What shall I do?"
Dek bit his lip, "I'm going to see Alec, can you get to the kitchen and get more milk for Max?"
"Sure." Steve was happy to be helpful and he rushed back to the kitchen to get what he had been asked to.
Dek walked down the lonely corridor towards Alec's room and knocked quietly on the door. With his superior hearing he knew that there was someone in there, he could hear breathing.
"Alec?"
Silence.
"Alec, its Dek. You okay?"
Silence.
Dek pushed open the door and peered in. At first he thought that the room was empty, the grey walls seeming so sad and desolate in the quiet; and then he heard it.
A quiet muffled sound and he opened the door wider and checked behind the door.
Alec sat in the corner, his head on his knees and his face obscured by his arms as his hands clasped his ankles. He looked as if he was trying to sink inside himself and Dek's heart went out to him.
"Alec?" he said quietly and Alec's head slowly rose off his knees.
Dek felt as if someone had physically punched him in the stomach as he took in Alec's tear streaked face. He pushed the door closed and crouched by Alec.
"Hey," he couldn't think of anything to say.
Alec swallowed, utter despair shining in his eyes, "I think…I think," His voice broke as a lone tear broke free and trailed down his cheek.
He swallowed again as if the words were too hard to push out.
"Dek, I think I lost her."
nat452- they wont be on the outs for very long- promise.
Elfie- yeah his contacts. Not sure what Techie is going to try just yet- have some kinks to work out there. Heat is fun to write and Progeria- not sure on that one. BJ isn't as on the ball as he likes to think!
Jade-K- nice to have you back g Yup Tara gonna meet Mr Cale! Fun to be had.
GivenAlias- Yup me back. Nah it wasn't you I was referring to so worry not.
Willow98002- I am a teeny bit evil today- but that is all good! Hope for a lot of comments.
Geminangel- McCarthy sucks and we find out what is happening to Tara soon!
Poo- I think it was more opportunity than intended- after all Drew scares him more than Feen. I think Max picked that name to be a smart ass. As you can see Max is capable of sorting herself out- I know that everyone wants Alec to play the hero but I'm more of a girl kick ass chick myself. But I admit to liking protective Alec. Yeah everyone wants to know about Anna and BJ!
Sigma1- Fayth soaks up admiration and then slaps herself before she gets a big head- cheers pet. Glad you like it. I meant to post this first but needed tweaking first!
Jynx- I guess review or else would work. Nah Logie is still as scummy as ever. LOL- gee someone worships Alec- I love the guy- don't get me wrong but feel free to live in denial! It's a great place to be! bows in welcome back parade grinning
Moonlite Star- yeah Long- see I do update and its usually okay length. I had trouble with the two parallel chapters and I did think that perhaps they should be swapped but whatever!
Stormvind- they will be in the next chapter- if I can get the damn thing written.
Talichernin- ok I wont tell you but enjoy it nonetheless
Sassycanuck- I hope the switching didn't get too confusing!
Eden- possibly as good as it was to get it out! sorry you had a bad day and I'm glad that I could make it a little better. I know what I'm like when authors haven't updated in a while and I want them too but threatening isn't doing anyone any favours. Hmm is your big brother cute?
Raven- yeah Mr Cameron dropped the seizures in S2 without a mention but they are a great plot device- wonder what he had in mind for DA3?
Messymissy- it wasn't intended to overlap as much as I know that some don't read both but it has happened that way. Plus if I get one really really angsty part and then one not it balances. In my original draft there was lines and stuff but the new format for FF.net took them out- smiles sweetly- after all "they know best"
Lanlie- it does doesn't it? Max and Alec flirting and then bam- angst. The seizures are great for a while but they needed to be said and sorted rather than ignore them as Mr Cameron did. As for Asha- read the A/N and well…actually- I just didn't like her, so she's a baddie here- sorry to Asha lovers- but the woman fancies Logie for goodness sake and she doesn't have a disturbed childhood to blame it on!!!!
Chaosti- did you earn it? Hmm pretends to think we'll see. Lizese sounds a fun language. Being in charge of McCarthy will be fun for Max and maybe get some closure.
Kim- Not as far as I have written- but I guess someone will tell him eventually.
Fangedangel- she needed t get it sorted but didn't and that's when it goes bad! Yeah it was the group in prodigy- badass people with dubious fashion sense. It wasn't meant to seem rushed, I meant to say that she at first thought she was shaking with anger but it wasn't until she tried to calm down that she realised it was seizure- thanks for letting me know.
Black Rose 9- yup –it was too long to have in one go. Max's FBI was funny.
Maxie- LOL, thanks pet, you made my day!
Ganko- say it as often as you like- I know I appreciate it! yeah I miss Pix! Trainer Bashing coming up too! I did wonder what you meant glad for the clarification!
AcidBurn- writing very fast and too often- which isn't conducive to sleep but hey! Things really kick off from here on out- things escalate and stand up to be yelled about! Yes Asha and Logan are Evil!!!
Lynn- I wish I did- it would be great- I hate working! Glad that I could contribute to your ignoring of classes- after all when in the real world do you need the things you learn in school? So pleased that you fell my characters as real- I know they are to me- hence their always doing unexpected things- even for me! Poor Tara and Asha- urgh! Yes I get the point Dek and Drew- okay! LOL.
Keekee- posting now.