Too Far Gone
Part Ten
Previously:
The mass of people that were at Crash dashed for the doors, screaming in panic. Cece rushed to Biggs' side and clutched his lifeless body to her as she sobbed, deep, terrified sobs. Baz and Nell grabbed Max who lay heaving and crying on the stairs, frozen in shock at her actions. There wasn't time to process her presence or assess the damage. They had to get out before they all got caught. There would be time enough to deal with the consequences when they got back to Terminal City.
Original Cindy and Nell picked Max up and made their way out of crash, Sketchy followed behind supporting a wounded Alec. And Baz had the worst part to play. He had the burden of carrying the quickly stiffening body of one of his best friends to safety. As they scurried through the dark night, Biggs' body grew heavy and cold. Much like the feelings they now shared for Max.
Internment & Persuasion
The thought of it made her shudder. She'd come to Seattle to take a life and in the end she had. Just not one she had ever considered taking. She still couldn't believe she had killed one of her closest friends. It wasn't enough that she was wracked with guilt for what she'd done, and that the pain was so intense she wanted to die. The fact that no one would listen to her explanations cut deep. Max's entreaties fell on deaf ears.
When they'd arrived in Terminal City, hordes of people came out to meet them. Nell had called ahead, telling them to prepare a secure room for questioning and detention. "We're bringing in a traitor." had been her exact words.
Max had long since run out of tears. She was tired, cold and hungry but she knew it was unlikely they would show her any compassion. As far as the inhabitants of TC were concerned, Max had murdered one of her own kind in cold blood. Betrayal in its purest form.
Joshua was the only one who came to sit by her door. Alec didn't trust anyone else not to assault the prisoner. And he had been instructed not to speak to Max. She was in solitary confinement, hell on earth, and had no where else to turn. Max wondered if enduring Psy-Ops wouldn't have been preferable to this.
She leaned against the door, knowing Josh was on the other side. She decided to beg one last time. What else have I got to lose?
"Big Fella, I know you can hear me. And if you don't want to answer me, that's fine. I know the evidence against me is damning, and it's true, I did kill Biggs. But I swear to you on Annie's memory, that I did it to save Alec! If you ever believed in me, please believe that! I must speak to Alec, please. If it's the last thing I do before I die, please ask him to listen to what I have to say." Max's breath caught in her throat. What's the fucking point? I've already been condemned. She knew that with a betrayal such as this it was only a matter of time before they executed her. And from deep within, the tears she thought had died, returned. And she cried.
Max didn't say another word. The silence stretched as seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours and hours to days.
Joshua has spent the last two days listening to Max sobbing behind the door. And every time he wanted to reach out to her. The only thing holding him back was that Alec had told him not to interact with the prisoner. It pained Joshua to think of Max as a traitor, to know that she was being held against her will, that she was suffering. So he tuned her out.
But after her last request, before the silence had set in, he had broken. Max knew how intensely he had loved Annie, and by swearing on her memory he knew she truly meant what she said. Joshua decided it was time for Alec to listen. Really listen.
Joshua left his post and headed for the Command Center. He saw Alec deep in discussion with a group of X5's.
"Medium Fella? Need to talk." Alec looked up at him and smiled.
"What about, Josh?"
"Max."
With that single word, the smile fell from Alec's lips and his face suffused with anger.
"No."
"YES." was Joshua's harsh retort. Joshua rarely, if ever, got angry and Alec took notice.
"Fine. In my office." he nodded curtly toward the room on his right and they went inside.
"What?" Alec was being rude, and he knew it. But discussing Max was not something he wanted to do. Every time someone brought up her name the scene replayed in his head, and he saw his best friend die all over again.
"Joshua thinks Little Fella had good reason for what she did. Joshua thinks Medium Fella needs to listen."
"Medium Fella doesn't wanna listen to anything that bitch has to say." Alec replied, his voice resembling a growl.
"Maybe not want, but Medium Fella need." Joshua stood, looked at Alec for a while and then silently left the room to return to his post.
And Alec? He sat and contemplated Joshua's words. Maybe he did need to hear it. Even if he wasn't going to believe it.
