Thank you Scar for the Betaring.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Max could feel the tension and heat and hear the angry talk as she and Kat entered the gap that had opened in the crowd and that would lead them to the front and Alec. The smell of testosterone was getting stronger the tension and anger around her was palpable.  The noise was loud again, bombarding her from all sides. She could only distinguish fragments of the talk, but whoever this challenger was, he wasn't popular.  Max didn't need Kat to tell her the situation was explosive.  If Alec lost control and they did start to fight amongst themselves, she knew that White and the Ordinaries would be the least of their problems. 

The gap that had been made for them wasn't large and they were hemmed in on both sides. As they walked through, other members of Alec's unit fell in beside them, pushing her and Kat even closer together.  She heard two quick shots, followed by a slower third and trying to figure out what was happening, she watched in bewilderment as Todd and Biggs backed Tanner off and suddenly she was packed in beside Kat, staring at a circle of solid male backs.  The press was so tight she couldn't move. Kat was right, she wouldn't have wanted to be trapped in this without Alec's unit around her. She could hear the threat in their voices as they warned the other Transgens pressing in on them back and she sensed the movement away from their tight little group.

It all happened with bewildering speed, she could only just make out Alec's roar for quiet.  The noise faded and they were surrounded by an ominous silence as all movement around her stopped.

"Alpha Unit report," Alec demanded harshly.

"The shots," Kat whispered,  "an alert our unit is under attack."

"Alpha two clear north east corner, two bodies Thors's Unit," Steve called.

"Alpha 3 and Max secure in th…" Kat called.

"Who is with you?" Alec interrupted.  Oh, fuck no, what the hell are they doing in here? His instinct about not trusting Thor had been correct, he had already sent Biggs and half the Unit back to Max and the rest of their females but they wouldn't have had time to clear the car park yet.

Which means Max and Kat had come on their own.  Fuck, why hadn't he just brought her with him? How the fuck can they be secure in this? If these guys start to fight, they'll just roll right over the top of them. Even Kat with her training is out of here depth in here, Max pregn…

"Alpha 4 is with alpha 3 and Max." Biggs welcome voice interrupted his panic thoughts.

The rest of the Unit had found them. Relieved, he listened as they called in their positions. All except for Tav. Where the fuck is he?

"Alpha 5 clear, two bodies Thor's unit now headed for Biggs," Tav called.

It makes sense Thor would go for Steve and Tav.  If he did manage to take him, they would have been his next challengers, to Thor, it would be sensible to try and eliminate them.  But Max would have been the way to hurt him the most, and that's Thor's main motivator he thought uneasily.

He didn't realize how tense he had been until he felt the rush of relief as they emerged from the crowd. He'd been really lucky today. Despite Thor, everybody in his Unit was okay and he now had Max, here with him, safe, where he could see her.

"All right?" he asked, his gaze flicking quickly from her stomach to her eyes.

"Yeah," she replied, feeling ridiculously pleased just to see him. 

She wanted to ask him what was going on, but he had already turned and his attention was back on the tense crowd of males in front of them.

Distracted, her eyes lighted on Biggs as he shifted closer into her.  For the first time, she noticed the rest of the unit ranged behind and around them. Something niggled at the back of her mind, something Kat had said.

"Alec, if we got the women here, what would happen?" 

Preoccupied with what was happening in front of him he didn't hear her. 

"Alec," she repeated, her hand on his arm to get his attention as she repeated her question.

"They couldn't get through, Max, you saw what it was like. They'll be blocked out. It's not safe for them." He replied distractedly, his attention still on the noisy mass of aggressive males.

"But if they could get in, it would diffuse things, wouldn't it? This lot would protect their units before they'd choose to fight, wouldn't they?" she asked urgently.

"Yeah, they would," he replied, glancing at her in surprise.

"I'm going to send Kat to get them.  When they get here, you can figure out how to get them in," she told him decisively.

His instinctive reaction was that he didn't want the rest of the female members of his Unit here also in danger. "No Max th…" he started to tell her, his eyes swinging back to what was happening in front of him. He just caught the flash of hurt in her eyes.  By the time his eyes were on her again, she wore the blank faced mask that he hated, the one she used to protect herself from Logan.

"Its not your call, Alec, it's mine," she said quietly.  "A fight for alpha is a Transgenic issue, not a military one.

She might not be clear on a lot of things but she knew her job and as alpha female, she had a responsibility to the women and they needed to be here.

"If I decide that women need to be here, Alec, then they come. That is the way of it." She didn't really know why she repeated that phrase. Kat had used it when she was explaining mate fighting, but it seemed to fit.

"That is the way of it," Alec echoed, his surprise evident. He stared at her for a long moment.

"You're right Max, it is your call. I'm sorry.  When they're here let me know and if I still have control I will get them in."  He knew it wasn't a bad idea. Women would bring a calming influence, no Unit leader would willing let his females go against males fired up on this much testosterone.

Surprised at how easily he had changed his mind, how easy it had been to get him to listen to her, Max stared wordlessly back at him.

His eyes searched her face for an indication of what she was thinking. If she is starting to understand and recognise how things were organised and separate for females, and she can acknowledge it as the way our instincts dictate it, then maybe she understands more than he realized.  Maybe she could understand and accept how it was for him.

"Do you understand what's happening here?"  He gestured with his head toward a makeshift, elevated platform she guessed the fight would be fought on.

He watched her eye the fight platform with distaste before her gaze swept the crowd and her conflicted eyes were once more on his.

"Yes."

"That is the way of it…?" he asked her tentatively, his eyes locked with hers.

She knew what he was asking of her. Mutely, stubbornly she stared back at him.  Its bad enough he had to do it, she wasn't going to give it her approval, she thought indignantly.

She saw the disappointment in his eyes as he turned away and she watched uncertainly as he went up the steps of the makeshift platform, into the ring. Her alarmed eyes swung to a silent Kat.

"I'll get to see him before the fight, won't I?"

"I don't know, Max.  Maybe its best you don't. Thor is a tough opponent; Alec will need all his focus.  He doesn't need your disapproval distracting him."  It was the coldest Kat had ever spoken to her and it made Max angry.

"So I'm expected to give this barbaric bullshit my approval am I, Kat." 

"Alec is not barbaric," Kat spat back furiously. "None off them are. What is happening here today is dictated by their instincts. It is the way of it. Who the fuck cares about your approval? she asked angrily.

Do you think Alec wants to get in that ring with Thor and be pummelled and bashed if not killed?  He doesn't even want to be Alpha, he never has. He does the job anyway because he knows he's the best choice and it has always been the best way for him to protect us.

"Alec wasn't asking you to approve this," Kat gestured expansively at the fight platform and the horde of noisy males, he was asking you to approve him, to accept him for who he is.  Not a big ask before he gets into a ring to fight for his life," she finished angrily.

Max flashed to Alec's face as he had turned away from her. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest and a tight lump of dread forming at the back of her throat.  No it isn't, she thought, closing her eyes in painful agreement.  Please don't let those to be our last words before he fights.

"I'm going to get the women now, if won't take me long me long because most will be waiting outside by now.  When I go, half of these barbarians are going to follow me to protect me, just in case Thor has any other little tricks up his sleeve, the other half will stay to protect you.  Eyeing Max scathingly, she turned on her heel and stalked over to Biggs.

After a short argument with Biggs, Max watched Kat head towards the crowd. Biggs, shoving the cell phone he had been trying to offer Kat back into his pocket, rolled his eyes in exasperation.  Gesturing Todd over to Max, he took off after Kat and the other males in his unit who had already left with her.  Her emotions numb and feeling ashamed, Max felt the rest of Alec's unit close in around her. 

Todd looked down at her as she stood forlornly at his side, hugging herself.  When he had first met her, he hadn't known what to make of her. A transgenic that acted like an Ordinary and thought she was a cut above everybody else. He'd resented all the time he and Tav had wasted trailing after her to keep her out of trouble, time that could have been better spent looking for Ana and Tanya.  But now she was part of his unit and since she'd mated with Alec, she had changed.  She worked hard, and she cared about what she did, and he'd grown to like her.

"Kat has a pretty sharp tongue, we've all been on the other end of it, onetime or another," he offered neutrally.

Max, her thoughts full of Alec, regret and worry glanced absently at Todd. It took her a moment to register what he'd said. She felt herself flush as she realized he must have heard what she had said to Kat.  Of course he'd heard, he had transgenic hearing. They all must have heard me, she realized in self-disgust.

"I'm sorry, Todd, I didn't mean…I mean I didn't realize…" she trailed of lamely.  Inhaling, she tried again,  "Sometimes I say things without thinking.  I'm sorry."
He shrugged, "I've been called worse, it doesn't really bother me.  It's better than animal.  That's what we mostly get," again he shrugged.

Yeah, but you get it from Ordinaries, not from your own kind, she thought, feeling a painful rush of shame and regret.  Thank god Alec hadn't heard her, she thought in heart-felt relief. She liked Todd, he reminded her of Zack, and it wasn't just his looks. He was solid and dependable and something about him inspired trust, just like Zack.  She pushed back the rush of pain and sadness thoughts of Zack always bought her.

In some ways, Zack and Todd were similar, but there was a difference too, Todd was happier and better adjusted. Perhaps he was who Zack might have become if their Unit had managed to stay together after the escape.  If they had been lucky enough to have grown up together, like Alec's unit. Maybe it's who Zack has become wherever he is.  I hope so, she thought, the pain of loss lighter as she remembered the last time she had seen him, his face free of its usual tension, as he'd smiled sweetly at her. Nobody deserves to be happy more than him.

"You remind me of my CO, Todd you're like him."

"Yeah, 599 my twin, what was he like," Todd asked curiously.

"His name was Zack, he was a good CO, a lot like Alec in that way.  He cared about us, he always protected us, always did the right thing for his Unit no matter how hard." Just like Alec is trying to do here today and all I had for him was disapproval. She heard her voice quaver as she struggled to go on.   "He was someone you could always depend on and we all knew he cared about us." Just like Alec, she thought. The tears were spilling down her cheeks now, it was pointless to try and stop them.

"A good CO," Todd confirmed.

Yeah, like Alec, just trying to do what needed to be done.  She remembered what Kat had said about all transgenic males having the same instincts and she thought about how protective Zack had been of their Unit and she thought about Alec and her brothers and Biggs and Steve and the similarities in their behaviour.

So, Todd thought, 599 had been a good CO and a good Transgen. And Max had obviously cared about him. And that he reminded her of 599, pleased him, it meant she thought well of him.  And now she was upset, uneasily he looked down at her.  Crying.  He hated crying. He never knew what to do about it. Awkwardly, he patted her back.  Talking sometimes worked with the other women in his Unit. "Would you like me to tell you what's happening, Max?" he asked her hastily.

Alec's eye caught and held his and Todd shrugged, signalling he didn't really know what was up as he continued to intermittently pat her back in awkward consolation.

"Thor, Alec and those two, all fight in roughly the same class," he gestured to the side of the platform where Steve and Tav stood, their eyes like Alec's, constantly moving over the crowd.  They've all beaten each other at different times.  If Thor beats Alec, and that ain't likely," he assured her hastily, when her eyes swung to his. "Alec has consistently always had the most wins. He has never let us down and he won't today.  Thor knew when he challenged Alec that Steve and Tav would be lined up to challenge him if he did win.  He knows that one-way or another once he gets in that ring he's a dead man."

"This fucked up mate fight was the beginning of the end for Thor. He used to be a good CO but I think his Unit have been covering for him for a while. A lot of them have died since Manticore burned. Four more died here today because he sent them into the crowd after Steve and Tav, he's so fucked now he's even lost his instinct to protect his own."

"He'd managed to reform his Unit by picking up strays from other defunct units, but after his screwing up of the mate fight today, he wouldn't have kept the males.  I heard the female who found out about the mate fight was also demanding to see you and that wouldn't have been good news for Thor either. He knows he's fucked it and Alec would have had to discipline him so he's challenged Alec." 

Good, she's stopped crying. "Thor knows he doesn't have the allegiances needed to be accepted as alpha and he doesn't expect to be, that's not what it's about for him.  He hates Alec and if he can kill him, well and good, if not, he'll cause him the most trouble he can before he dies. That is why we're waiting.  The longer Thor can stall, the better, as far as he's concerned. The more testosterone this lot drop, the more primed to fight they become and the more likely they are to explode.  Testosterone and adrenalin is being dumped in here at a rate that isn't normal unless we were going into battle.  Units are nose to nose with anyone that they've ever had a grievance with and this situation is set to blow. That is the real danger here and that is what Thor wants to happen. He ain't in any hurry to fight."  

Its all so intricate and complicated, how naïve she had been to just assume that Alec was the Commander because he had been the highest ranked in Manticore, it was so much more complex than that.  "It doesn't make sense. Why would Thor want to kill his own kind? Why would he want to do that?    Max asked in bafflement.

"He doesn't really want to kill us, he just wants to fuck Alec over the best way he can.  Manticore fucked his head, and sometimes he doesn't think straight.  This challenge has angered everybody because we know it's a nonsense, we know it's just an opportunity for Thor to settle old scores with Alec. Alec has the allegiance of almost all the Units most are only here because Alec called them. Thor has no allegiances.  If by some twist of fate, he beat all the challengers here today, most of the Units would be trying to slip out of TC tonight."

"With Alec as Alpha and with us all fighting together, we have a chance to live a free life.   Fear and anger about losing that chance is what caused the initial tension and fucked everybody off.  But as more adrenalin and testosterone has been dumped and the more primed to fight, the guys have become the less rational they are and the situation has taken on a life of its own.  If Alec looses control and they start to fight, then all White will need to do is come with enough body bags."

"Why are we putting up with Thor stalling? Why doesn't Alec just haul him into the ring?" Max's eyes followed Alec as he circled the fight platform, scanning the crowd.

" Because there are rules and the challenge takes place when the challenger is ready.  He also has the right of first strike." Todd explained patiently.  Women you have to explain the simplest things.

This lot could be tearing each other apart any moment and the boys are worried about breaking the rules. Max rolled her eyes in disbelief.

Glancing around, she tried to pick out who Thor might be. She knew all of these Transgens he couldn't be here. "Where is this, Thor, anyway? Alec is here why isn't he?" she asked with annoyance.

"His Unit is in lockdown so he isn't with them. He's probably holding up somewhere, just waiting it out. Alec would normally be with us, or rather, you, now, since he's mated, waiting for Thor to show.  But he can't leave there, he gestured to the platform.  He is only holding this down by a thread and he's only doing that cause he keeps eyeballing the Unit leaders."

"He's fought these challengers before, then?"

"Yeah," Todd answered surprised. "He's fought alpha challenges before and he's fought Thor before too.  Alec's been alpha since we were fifteen.  There were quite a few challenges in the first couple of years, but since then, he's had the allegiances and he hasn't needed to fight." 

They watched Alec as he circled the make shift platform, his eyes continually sweeping the noisy angry crowd. 

"Do you think I'll get a chance to see him before the fight, Todd?" she asked, her eyes once more on Alec and the fight platform.

"He can't leave the fight ring, Max," his eyes swung to her. "If he takes his eyes off that lot for a moment, they are going to start to fight. But maybe you'll be able to see him for a minute before it starts," he reassured her.  His eyes returning to the ring as he watched Alec as he continued to circle. "He can't continue to do this indefinitely," Todd added absently.

I'll only need a minute and I will see him, she thought determined.  She could see Alec talking into his cell phone. Kat must have the women ready to come in, she guessed. She watched him shove his cell phone back into his pocket as he moved quickly to the front of the ring and, leaning over, gestured for silence as he watched whatever was happening below him.

Her heart in her mouth, Max waited for silence.  Waited for them to do as Alec had ordered.  Wondering what the hell was going on, she watched in surprise as Tav and Steve launched themselves off the platform and into the crowd.

"He's lost it," Tanner shouted, gesturing his Unit forward.

She could feel the repressed energy around her as Alec's Unit watched the area of the crowd where Steve and Tav had disappeared and Tanner's positioned themselves along the front of the crowd, pushing back as it surged forward.

It had all happened so fast, she had barely had her eyes off Alec for longer than a moment. When they found him again, he was standing on the rail of the fight platform, his arm raised in what looked liked the gesture for challenge. 

"What's he doing?"

"He's issued his own alpha to alpha challenge.  He's challenging the Unit leaders to fight him if their Units will not obey his orders. None of them are going to be breaking their necks for that one," Todd laughed humourlessly.

"Do you accept my challenge Kane?"  

Max could her him loud and strong, even above the din.

"Do you accept my challenge Kane?" he roared again. "Answer me?"

"No. I have no challenge." It came back clear and strong above the noise. 

"Do you accept my challenge Matthias?"

"No. I make no challenge." It was clearer again above the fading noise.

The noise level had dropped as Alec had continued challenging each Unit Leader individually. The earlier agitation seemed to have disappeared and the crowd was still again.  The smell of adrenalin and testosterone was still strong, but for the moment, they were relatively calm.

Steve and Tav emerged from the mob. Tav had a chokehold around the neck of another male he was dragging behind him. "Tanner put this undisciplined asshole in lockup. He can't control his urge to fight," he said in disgust.  His Unit Leader is Kane, and we'll want to see him as soon as this pissant challenge has been won." 

"Yeah," Tanner agreed.  "We were fucking lucky it didn't spread,"

"No thanks to this stupid asshole."  Tav released the other Transgenic and gestured him over to Tanner.

Alec's got control back, Max thought in relief.  He's getting them to reaffirm him as alpha and restate their allegiance at the same time.  Smart move, she thought as he continued to run through every unit Leader in TC.

"Thor's unit still locked down?" Steve asked Tanner.

"Yeah."

"Bring Thor's males to the fight platform.  If Thor won't fight, then Alec's gonna hear the mate fighting dispute while we wait. Don't release the females yet."

"Find Thor and tell him the dispute is to be heard in fifteen minutes, with or without him."

"Steve, the women are waiting outside to get in."

"Yeah, Alec knows, Max, but he can't keep stalling this for much longer."  Both their eyes swung to Alec, still standing on the rail calling on the individual Unit leaders.

"Thor has fucked up badly over this mate fight and he doesn't want it heard.  He will choose to fight rather than have his fuckup aired in public. This kind of dispute cannot be heard in front of women and Thor won't come if there are women here.  Alec has given orders to the Units down the back to start letting women in once the fight is due to start. The priority is to get the fight started."

"Its better to get them in now, Steve, it will help calm things down."

"Yeah, but we would still have the problem of Thor stalling.  This has to be settled as soon as possible or what happened before will happen again and Alec isn't a magician.  He doesn't have an endless supply of tricks like this up his sleeve. Thor could stall all day.  If we're still here by tonight and Alec has to send them home, inevitably some of the Unit Leaders are going to start to pack up their Units and disappear. If any of those Units are picked up by White or any other Ordinary agencies, then we have a security problem. If we send these guys way from here with this unresolved, then they'll still be fired up and we with still have fighting except it will be spread across TC.  The priority is to win the challenge and get things back to normal."

She could see the sense of it. The priority had to be to get the fight started. "I want to see Alec before the fight Steve."

"Yeah, Max I'll tell him."

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Alec's eyes roamed the crowd pausing momentarily as he continued to lock gazes with the different Unit Leaders. He knew that although he was the popular choice for alpha, he had no illusions that his remaining alpha depended on anything other than being able to fight off all challengers.  This was never going to be a society that voted for its alpha, he thought humourlessly, surveying the tense angry mob in front of him. He had to get Thor into the ring and soon, or he was in danger of loosing control.  He needed to get to put an end to Thor's bullshit stalling.

Frustrated, his eyes lit on Max again.  He had seen her crying before and it had pissed him off.  He should have been hold up somewhere with her, waiting this out in private, not strutting around this ring like a captive rooster.  She didn't really understand what was happening. At least if he could have been with her, he could have explained what was going on and maybe she would have understood what he was doing and why he had to do it. He had to kill Thor today, there was no other choice.  But when he did, would that mean she would retreat from him again? Would she look at him with the loathing and disdain she had in the police station when she had thought Ben's kills were his?  He could still remember what that had felt like. It had been bad enough then, when she had mostly treated him with disdain anyway.  How much worse would he feel to see the warmth and care that was in her face when she looked at him now, replaced by that the old loathing and contempt. 

What a circus this had become, he was trapped up here.  He couldn't leave. He couldn't take his eyes of these assholes for a second.  While Thor, the crazy fuck, was no doubt laughing his socks of somewhere, just biding his time and waiting for this lot to start killing each other.

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Max smacked the back of Todd's shoulder, trying to move him out from in front of her again. Tanner smirked at her in amusement. "The worse way to hurt any CO is through his unit.  As fucked as Thor is, even he knows that, which is why he's already hit Alec's and why they're so jumpy," he explained.

Sighing in resigned frustration, Max gave up on trying to move the bodies out from in front of her and manoeuvred so she could see around them.  That must be Thor's males, she thought, as fifteen tense, angry hard-faced males stalked past them and up the steps into the ring. Not that she could see much, through the press of bodies ranged in front of her.  Exasperated, she glanced upward to Alec.  He had stopped circling the platform while he waited for Thor's males, but his eyes were still continuously raking the crowd.

'They aren't a bad lot, it isn't their fault Thor's an asshole," Tanner commented, as Alec's unit bristled aggressively as Thor's males passed. Her attention diverted by a surge of angry noise, Max manoeuvred to see what as happening. Her eyes zoomed in on one of the largest X5's she'd ever seen.  He must be nearly 7 foot tall and at least 240 lbs. Please don't let that be him, she thought with dread, knowing it was a forlorn hope. Just the angry reaction of the crowd and the tense, watchful aggression coming from Alec and Tanner's Units as they shifted closer was enough to tell her the arrogant muscle bound hulk contemptuously flicking his eyes over them was, indeed, Thor.

"Tell the bastard I've come to fight and send my Unit down here," he demanded.

"Your females stay in lockdown, we'll send your males down. They've already been told what will happen if they try anything else.  Not that they seem all that willing to do your bidding anymore, you fuck," Steve said coldly. "If you aren't in that ring in fifteen minutes then they go back up those steps and Alec will hear their grievances. Steve's cold eyes raked Thor with contempt.

"I'll be there. I can hardly wait," Thor scoffed, his harsh mockery of a laugh following them as Max went with Alec's Unit up the steps and onto the platform. She looked around her, the whole structure was about six feet off the ground with a largish ring in the centre, surrounded by the wide ledge they were standing on.  It was bigger than it had looked from below.  .

"Where did this come from, Steve?"

"We erected it.  We use it for training. It's portable, only takes an hour to assemble."

Yeah right, training she thought sceptically, her eyes on Alec as he walked over to them.

"The women are being let in now, Max, and everything is a lot less tense now they know the challenge is about to be fought."

"That's good," she agreed absently, her mind again on the huge bulk that was Thor.  "I've just seen, Thor, he's a lot bigger than you, Alec," she said uncertainly, her anxious brown eyes on his.

"Yeah, but I'm better. There's nothing to worry about, Max," he assured her.

"Todd said that he's sometimes beaten you before," she added apprehensively.

Fucking Todd, the dickwit, he thought, as her worried eyes searched his.

Max, her attention on Alec, distractedly returned Kats tentative smile as she and Biggs and the rest of the females in Alec's Unit came up the steps and onto the platform.

"Thor has only ever beaten me in training.  We've fought outside of training and I've always beaten him, and I will today. There is nothing to worry about," he assured her confidently, fervently hoping that Thor had been as long out of training as he had.

"Yeah, I know you will," she agreed, relieved his confident assurance calming her fear. "I was just worried about him messing with your pretty face and sending you home damaged," she joked.

Smiling, he drew her to him, "Is that your clumsy way of telling me I'm hot and you like what I've got, Max," he whispered teasingly into her ear.

"Yeah," she agreed huskily, rubbing her cheek against his chest. "I like you just the way you are and I want you back at the end of this without a dent or a scratch."

"Okay, dully noted," he laughed into her hair, thinking how unlikely that was. He knew how this fight would go and he wouldn't be pretty at the end of it. Uneasily, he again wondered about how much she really did understand about what was happening here.

"Max, I don't want you to watch the fight I'm go…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Alec, so you can just stop right there." 

He gazed warily into her determined eyes. "It will be bet…."

"Shh shh," she interrupted her finger on his lips. "I don't want to fight with you, not now.  I'm an X5, nothing is going to happen here that I haven't seen before, and I'm staying. I'm not leaving," she reiterated emphatically.

He didn't want her there, she already disapproved of the fight.  How much more disapproving would she be once she had seen him kill Thor? But she was right, he didn't want to fight with her either, not now, and he could tell there would be no changing her mind, he could see how determined she was. "Alright, Max," he agreed, resigned.  "As long as you keep well back from the ring. Thor is an unpredictable fucker and he wouldn't be above trying to hurt me through you."

When he said things like that, she knew it wasn't just about them being good together sexually. He did care about her and seeing her hurt would hurt him. Just as it was going to hurt her when Thor hurt him. Unnerved she moved her hands up his back and hugged him tighter.

"Yeah, I'll stand back."

"I hate that you have to fight, Alec. I hate the thought of you getting hurt. But I know you're only doing what you have to do," she said quietly.

"You do, huh Max," he asked, tilting her chin up. Cautious green eyes gazed into warm brown.

"So what does that mean, then?" he asked carefully. Does it mean she wouldn't look at him with loathing and disgust once the fight was finished? That she wouldn't think of him as a killer?

Puzzled, she gazed back at him, not really sure what he was asking her. I love you that's what it means she wanted to tell him.  She opened her mouth, but she felt fear tighten her chest. He nodded encouragingly at her. Swallowing, she gazed mutely back at him.  What if she told him now and what if something did happened to him? That's ridiculous.  What if she didn't tell him and something happened? she thought in panic. Her eyes fell from his.  Nothing is going to happen to him, she told herself vehemently.  Leaning up she pulled his head down and touched her lips to his ear.  It means tha…"

His head snapped up and suddenly she was behind him, not only behind him but behind Biggs and Tav and Steve as well.  Fucking Thor, she cursed in frustrated exasperation, he sure could pick his moments.  Hemmed in with Kat beside her, Max watched Thor lumber past them, accompanied by four of his Unit.

"Those guys are from Thor's original Unit the rest haven't come to support him.  It means they have rejected him as there CO. it's a gross insult. Thor will be furious about that." Kat whispered.

Great, Max thought, that's just what we need… huge, crazy and now furious as well. They watched as Thor and his entourage lumbered past and Thor paused in front of Alec.

"Ready to die, pretty boy," he demanded belligerently as he loomed over Alec. 

"Nah, not today, Thor I've got plans for tonight."

"Better cancel them, then," he spat contemptuously, as he turned and headed across the ring.

Her eyes reverted on Alec's face.  Max could feel her fear rising as he slowly wove his way back to her, pausing and talking to each member of his unit as he did.  He's not saying goodbye she thought in panic, he's just reassuring them.

He had smelt her fear long before he'd managed to negotiate his way through his Unit.  By the time he reached her, it was strong and he could see the hint of tears as they misted her eyes and the vulnerable tremble of her lip as he reached for her hand and pulled her into his arms.  He thought about how lucky he was that she cared about him, worried about him and how good his life was now. He had his Unit around him, he had Max and he would soon have a child. He couldn't see how his life could get any better. 

"Don't cry, Max, there is nothing to worry about.  Everything will be fine," he assured her adamantly, his lips moving across her cheek in search of her mouth."

"Alec I …" but her words were lost as his mouth found hers and she felt the sweet, hot urgency of his tongue as it slid sensuously into her mouth. Thor, the fight… everything receded, there was just Alec and her.  Feeling the sharp pang of longing his touch always evoked, she clung to him as his hands on her back pulled her still closer until his body was pressed the length of hers. She moulded herself against him until she could feel the flat planes and rounded curves of the muscles in his chest and the sleek power of his thighs where they touched hers. Their mouths fused, she sent her tongue into his mouth, mimicking his thorough exploration of her mouth. She heard her own soft, strangled sound of protest as he slowly pulled away.

"I need to tell you something, Alec," she said softly, blinking as she became aware of the activity around them, He bent his head and quickly touched his lips to hers even before she had finished talking.

"Tell me after, Max, they'll be plenty of time."

"Yeah, okay," she agreed hesitantly, as she returned his sweet smile. "Be careful."

"Always,"

She watched him turn and walk to his corner were Biggs awaited him.

Standing with Kat, Steve and Tav on the sidelines she watched as Thor and Alec stripped of their shirts. Max eyed Thor's heavily muscled bulk disdainfully.  He's got to be at least 6 inches taller than Alec and twice as fucking heavy. Alec may be smaller than Thor, but he's well muscled and strong and he's incredibly fast and smart.  She ran her eyes approvingly over Alec. That's what will win it for him, she assured herself.  Her eyes swung back to Thor as he walked to the middle of the ring.  Thor's cold eyes swept the spectators, and paused on Steve, before moving past him and settling on her. She met his eyes with the same blank cold contempt.  He dropped his insolent gaze to her breasts and then leeringly down her body.  Furious, she stared pointedly at his crutch and snorted scornfully, before running her own eyes contemptuously up his body to meet his eyes again, her own, cold and disdainful. She heard his loud, raucous laugh as Alec stepped in front off her and snarled in his face.

"He's only trying to piss you off, Alec.  Just keep your cool and move the fuck away from the rails."

Thor focused on Tav as Alec moved off the rail. "Good advice, pretty boy. Remember it, cause your next," he sneered.  I haven't kicked your ass since Maniticore but first I'm gonna kill me your big brother, you little fuck"

He moved so fast she didn't see him turn.  One minute he was leering at Tav and the next he was half way across the ring, his foot aimed for Alec's groin. Alec deflected it before it reached his groin with the palm of one hand braced under the other.  He retaliated by smacking Thor in the face with the flat of his hand.  Seeing his easy deflection of a quicker and much more powerful kick, Max fleetingly remembered their fight and her kick to his groin. 

"First strike has been struck.  The challenge is on," Steve shouted, and the crowd roared their approval.

First blood to Alec, Max thought with satisfaction as he watched the blood pour down Thor's face as he jerked his dislocated nose straight on his face.  He was fast, much faster than his bulk would suggest. She winced as his fist thudded first into Alec's gut and then into his face.  Her eyes closed involuntarily, as she heard the crunch of bone. 

No, she thought as Thor's fist headed again for Alec's bloodied nose. Alec deflected his punch with his bent arm and for a moment they were locked arm-to-arm until Alec punched him again in the face and swinging around with a huge roundhouse kick, smashed his boot into Thor's ribs.

"Yes," she heard Tav beside her. "Just keep going for those ribs." 

She watched in satisfaction as Alec leapt and sailed through the air, both his booted feet striking square in the middle of Thor's chest, the impact throwing Alec back onto his feet and sending Thor staggering back into the rails of the ring. Using the Rail as an anchor, Thor swung both his legs at Alec striking him in the chest.  She watched in horror as Alec staggered to his knees and Thor quickly on him, grabbed him by the hair and propelled him forward, slamming his face into the corner post of the ring.

Again, Thor slammed Alec's face into the ring post, he's dazed he can't think Max thought, panic stricken, as Thor picked Alec up and threw him across the ring into the railing.  At least he's landed on his feet, her relief short lived, she watched Thor sail through the air using the same move Alec had used.  The thud of his boots on Alec's chest was audible, even above the noise of the crowd. And the crowd were noisy.  Cheering, she realized in disgust.

Both were covered in blood and breathing heavily, Alec's face was swollen and puffy and she could tell by the harsh noise Thor was making that his nose was making it hard for him to breath.  This was like no fight she'd ever seen.  She had know it was a fight to the death, but for the first time, her conscious accepted what it had been repressing, the reality of what that meant in terms of the punishment Alec would take here today.

She heard somebody call out "No, no more," and didn't realize it was herself until she felt an arm hook around her neck and a hand go over her mouth and she was pulled against a hard tense male body. 

Her wide eyes met Tav's. "No, Max don't distract him. Just don't look," he said, as he took his hand off her mouth and turned her head into his chest. 

She immediately turned back to the ring.  She had to look, if she stopped looking Thor would kill him, she thought irrationally. She watched Alec throw himself across the ring into Thor and they both rolled across the mat.  Thor was on his feet first. He's not dazed like Alec Max thought, anxiously, as he smashed his boot into Alec's ribs. Alec rolled out of that and onto his feet.

His left eye was swollen shut and he's fighting blind on that side she realized as she watched him manoeuvre to keep Thor on his right as they slowly circled each other. She felt the splatter of Alec's blood on her face as he passed in front of her, shaking his head to clear it. 

"Fuck, he's to long out of training and Thor's kept his up. Alec can't take much more of this " Steve said, grunting in sympathy as Thor's fist smashed into Alec's ribs again.

"He'll be fine, he knows what he's doing," Tav snapped back. He still had his arm absently hooked around her neck and Max could feel the tension in his body at her back. For the first time, the realization that Alec could die here penetrated her consciousness. He's worried, they're both worried, she realized in desperate panic.

"Not so pretty now are you.  Ya fuck," Thor sneered," as he swung again.

"Still not as ugly as you," Alec mocked, blocking Thor's punch and hammering him in the ribs.

"That's more like it," Steve approved as Alec pounded his fist repeatedly into Thor's gut and ribs, driving him backward against the railing. "Keep pounding his ribs."

"No." Tav's disembodied voice came form behind her. "His own ribs are fucked, his collarbone to judging by how he's hitting.  He can't take any more body hits he's gonna have to go for a quick kill."

"But that's gotta be hurting Thor," she whispered.

"Yeah, it is but its hurting Alec more.  His power isn't there, and he's hitting weak.  His ribs are fucked," he repeated. 

Bewildered, Max watched Thor grunt in pain and his body jerk as Alec's fist drove into him again. Doesn't look weak to me.

Thor's long arm shot out and his hand splayed across Alec's face as he held him away from his body. They looked at each other for a long moment. Alec moving so fast she could barely comprehend the move smacked his right hand into Thor's upper arm from the outside and his left hand into the inside of his forearm.  Max heard Thor's elbow snap and his roar of agony as Alec forced his lower arm out of alignment and again drove his fist into Thor's gut. 

As Thor doubled over Alec bought his clasped hands like a battering ram down on the back of his neck. Thor's wild feral eyes touched Max's for a moment as he fell to his knees.

"A quick kill," Tav repeated with satisfaction, his eyes on Thor.

Moving behind him, Alec dropped to one knee and hooked his arm around Thor's neck.  The muscles in his neck and arm bulged as he held Thor's struggling body. His hand on his head he started to force Thor's neck around.  Max could see Thor's face bulge and pulse as he resisted Alec's attempt to twist his neck. 

Thor his neck bulging with effort managed to drop his head and sink his teeth into Alec's forearm.  Alec grunted, and she watched in disgust as his blood foamed out the sides of Thor's mouth. Thor screamed in agony as Alec his fingers gouging his eyes pulled his head back up forcing Thor's teeth from his arm.  His hand and forearm again gripping Thor's head, he started to forced his neck to the side.

Her numb mind could barely comprehend Thor's ruined eyes as her gaze locked on Alec's face.  His teeth were clenched and his neck bulged as he strained to twist Thor's huge neck. She could see the muscles in the arm he had hooked around Thor's neck strain as he applied more pressure and he slowly forced his head to the side.  The snap of Thor's neck was audible as was the thud of his lifeless leg hitting the mat.  Max felt her involuntary sigh of relief.  She heard Tav exhale loudly and felt the tension leave his body as he removed his arm from around her neck.

Alec was still kneeling, his hand and bent forearm still resting on Thor's head, almost caressingly. Max suppressed a shudder as her eyes moved up.  She couldn't see Alec's face because his head was still bowed as he looked down at Thor.  He lowered Thor's head gently, almost tenderly to the mat.

There was a huge cheer as he rose slowly to his feet and stood quietly in the middle of the ring.  He looked lost, disorientated. The tears that she hadn't shed spilled down her cheeks as Max watched him just standing there, his face swollen and bloodied. He's never, ever, ever doing this again. They can all get fucked, she thought savagely, as she became conscious of the noise around her.

She watched Tav and Steve as they vaulted the rail into the ring. Alec's head snapped to each of them and her heart constricted painfully as he dropped into a fighting stance. He didn't know them.  He thought he still had to fight.  She felt Kat's hand on her arm, restraining her, as she started for the ring.

"It hasn't finished yet. The Units still have to acknowledge the challenge as won." 

Max's angry, eyes swung to Kat's.  "Fuck them.  "He needs the medics now."

"Yeah, they know that.  But it was a tough fight and Alec was fighting in his instincts at the end. He needs a minute to get his head out of the fight.  He won't let the medics close to him yet   Stay here, Max. Steve and Tav know what they're doing.  As soon as it's safe, he'll have the medics.

Max could feel the cold hardness of the rail against her stomach as she anxiously listened as Tav talked.

"Its only Steve and me, Alec, the fight is finished.  Over. And the challenge is won," he told him calmly. "You need to see the medics now.  Steve's on your north west and I'm on your north east and we're coming in now, just us."

His face was to battered for her to read anything from his expression but he had relaxed his stance, so Max assumed he was now aware of what was going on.  His left eye was completely swollen shut and the right was partially closed.  He can't see properly she realized as Tav put his hand on Alec's shoulder, and the three of them walked to the front of the platform.

Numbly, she watched as, one on each side, Steve and Tav splayed a careful hand across his ribs to brace them as he raised his arm above his head.

The cheer was deafening. They can probably hear that noise in Washington.  So much for TC trying to keep a low profile, she thought resigned. That had better be all they expect from him. The only thing he's doing now is seeing the medics and going home, she thought determinedly.

Alec waited until the din had died down, "The challenge is finished and its business as usual.  Get back to what you're all supposed to be doing.  The scheduled raid is still on for tomorrow, except it will be commanded by Steve and not me."

His voice was strained and she knew he was in pain. The now silent crowd had already started to leave the car park as she entered the ring.   She waited until he was sitting on a bench someone had bought for him.  She knew he couldn't see her as she approached on his blind side but he must have scented her because he turned in her direction.

"Max." 

"Yeah, I'm here," she said as she sat down beside him.  He looks even worse close up.  She felt tears clogging the back of her throat as he turned towards her angling his head as he tried to peer at her out the small opening of his right eye. 

"I can't see you," he said in frustration.

"It doesn't matter, in a couple of days you'll be able to."

He doesn't need anything else to deal with, she thought, trying desperately hard not to cry and to keep her voice calm. Her need to touch him, to feel him alive and warm was overpowering, but there was nowhere on him that looked uninjured.  She snatched her hand back from where it hovered over his.

"His hand too, his fingers are broken," she told the attending medic quietly.

Her voice had changed, it wasn't warm, he thought with dread. It's detached and unemotional. He tried to peer at her again but what little vision he had was blurred. He needed to see what was in her eyes when she looked at him.  He knew with his face battered and swollen like this, he didn't look human.  He knew the fight had been ugly and probably different from anything she'd ever seen, despite what she had said about having seen it all before. Today she'd had a glimpse of his life and how he lived it.  If she couldn't accept him and if it had changed things between them and her old dislike and disgust had returned, then he wanted to know.

His system was already starting to feel the after effects of the fight.  He could tell by how lethargic he was feeling that he didn't have much longer on his feet.  He had used up all his adrenalin stores and his body needed to replenish them. He needed to eat and he needed to rest. All he wanted to do at the moment was be somewhere dark and private, where he could rest, and he needed to know if she would still be with him.  He flinched as a medic jerked his nose back into alignment.

"My eyelids.  Cut them so I can see," he ordered the medic busy taping in nose.

The medic slapped an icepack onto his eye.  "Hold this on it. You're and X, most of the swelling will be gone in a couple of days, there's no need to cut them. You're going to have to rest while your adrenalin stores replenish, and by the time you've done that you'll be able to see out the right eye.  The other won't be far behind.

"Cut them. I want to see now," he demanded.

"There is no need, the swelling will go down while your resting anyway.  If I cut them, they're liable to infect."

Max saw that he was about to argue and finding a place on his body that wasn't injured, she put her hand on his thigh.

Touching.  Touching is always a good sign with Max. He turned his head in her direction.

She smiled brilliantly at the Medic as she nodded her head in agreement.  Here, at least, is someone with the good sense to tell him he needed to go home and rest.

"No, Alec. He's not cutting your eyes.  You don't need to see anything. All you're doing is coming home with me, anyway. Haven't you had enough pain, today?" She heard the tremble in her own voice as once again she fought to hold back the unwanted tears.

Alec heard it to. She wasn't indifferent.  She was upset.  Experimentally, he put his hand over hers on his leg and clumsily tried to lace his fingers with hers.  Carefully, she wove hers as best she could with his taped fingers.

TBC

Please review it reminds me to post.  The address to read later chapters of this fic is Agora - Cradle of our civilisation - Home  If this doesn't show up this time.  Go to the top of the fanficnet page select find and when the box comes up type in zacbele and agora's address is there as my home page.