For the occasion, even Max had deigned to dress up. She'd borrowed one of Original Cindy's skirts, which was actually of a decent length – even if it had some hell'a high splits. Alec had cleaned up as well and, thanks to some good cat burgling and a bit of a shopping spree, Emily and Maria were dressed up in a modernly refined way.
They were off to dinner.
The joys of the pulse included the fact that some prospered even through it. While most of America was suffering through a new third-world status, some of the rich had managed to stay afloat. And so had some restaurants.
Nestled securely in the richer sectors, a few decent restaurants survived, and Alec and Max were determined to go to one of them with their mothers. Decided that they needed one really good memory to wipe out all the others.
Reservations were made, the precious old Babylon 5 footage was fenced; the dinner was on. In respect to the ordinaries, they'd even parked at Logan's, so that the walk would only be a couple blocks. Of course, that was enough.
Max stopped dead, motioning Emily and Maria to stay still. Alec cursed under his breath as he took up a fighting stance. From just about every corner of the street, familiars emerged. One of them was holding a heat sensor. "Look what we've got here. A couple of transgenics and a couple of ordinaries."
Smirking, Max shot back, "And a big bunch of scum. Guess which one I'd rather be?"
Two of them launched themselves at Alec, who ducked back so that they were on the same side of him and kicked out. Faster than a normal eye could see, one familiar was on the ground – thrown out of the fray – as another moved to take his place and the rest advanced on Max.
Alec ducked low; Max jumped high, both of them darted careful glances around the street as they fended off the familiars. Catching a brief moment, Alec called out, "I see London, I see France…"
There was only time to curse the skirt mentally before Max was pushed down. Exploding up, Max threw several of the familiars off of her and running up the side of a nearby building to flip over the other and break his neck on the down swing. Flashing her underwear was the least of her concerns. "Ass." She missed Alec's 'well, yeah,' look.
Two of the thrown familiars got up, along with the one Alec had tossed out, cracking their necks and moving towards the two defenseless women between the transgenics.
One grabbed Maria, intending to break her neck when Alec, full transgenic ramming speed used, bowled him into. The two went tumbling away as Max angled closer towards the mothers.
Emily screamed. Both Alec and Max looked up in time to see her go crashing into a nearby garbage can. Maria moved to help but was caught round the feet by a familiar with broken kneecaps, and was pulled to the ground.
"Alec," Max called out, indicating a familiar that was coming towards him, even as she spun another over her head and through the wall of a building across the street. She started towards Emily and Maria, but was caught in the back by a vicious kick and stumbled down.
A yelp in the other corner signaled that Alec had broken his arm, but he simply rounded back and kicked his attacker in the shins. Then he changed hands and continued his attack on the other two.
Spinning up to avoid a kick in the stomach, Max regained her footing and aimed a high roundhouse kick at the familiar's head. It was caught but, instead of spinning out of the grip, Max brought the rest of her body up, her foot meeting his face and her fists his body as she swung crashing to the pavement.
The familiar flew back to be impaled on metal spoke. Max climbed back to her feet to take care of the last familiar heading towards her mother, as Alec was engaged in a tumble on the ground with the only other familiar still capable of causing damage.
Alec growled, "Just. Stay. Down…" as he pummeled his opponent.
Knowing that the longer they were there, the greater the chance was of more familiars appearing or the others recovering, Max fought against her last adversary with as much vigor as she could muster. He swung at her face, but she tilted to the side just in time, the blow missing her nose and catching her in the cheek instead. Only minor cracking resulted.
In retaliation, she caught him with a punch to the jugular so hard that even for a familiar, he wouldn't be getting up again. Blood gurgled and he fell.
Breathing heavy, she looked up. Alec's enemy seemed to be no more as he stood and popped his arm back into the socket, and squinted at the broken bones. Both of them moved towards the two women who were now sitting up, just outside of the immediate battle area.
Max got there first, "Are you okay?" Inspecting the bruises, small cuts, and splatters of blood for any major damage.
Though both women looked shocked and frightened, there didn't appear to be any excruciating pain. It was Maria that spoke up, as Emily still looked slightly dazed from her fall. "I-I think we're all right… Are you?"
Worried motherly glances searched Max and Alec's eyes, but the two transgenics were more than proficient at hiding traces of pain. Alec smiled reassuringly as he looked the other three over, purposely keeping his damaged arm relaxed at his side. Noticed Max pause as she stood. "Nothing to worry about," he shrugged, "just a beginner's round, really."
Now Emily spoke up, as the two mothers' moved to stand, "Who were they?"
Darting a careful look around them, Max decided to forego explanation for the moment. "Why don't we get home and look at those cuts… Then we can talk about it."
Still shaken, Emily and Maria nodded, moving to follow Alec and Max, who did their best to keep their injuries to themselves. It would heal as long as there was no more immediate danger – no need to worry their mothers further.