Max and Alec
"Season 2"
Disclaimer: I don't own it!
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Chapter 9: Medium is the Message
Max's apartmentIt was just turning morning, you know that time of dawn when the birds start chirping and the sun is just coming over the horizon. Yeah, well that's what time it was when Alec was rudely awakened.
The constant pounding on the door is what he tried to ignore but it didn't help the Max was pushing him out of bed with her feet and telling him to answer the door. They had just gotten back from bring Zane to the hospital, more specifically to Dr. Carr. They had only been asleep a few hours when the pounding started and for some reason they couldn't block it out.
"Alec get the door before I kick your ass," Max mumbled as she gave him one last push with her feet and he fell off the bed. She smiled as she stretched herself over the bed so he could lay down, which meant that he had to answer the door.
"I'll get you for that," he said grumpily as he walked toward the living room. He looked over to where OC was supposed to be and remembered that she told Max that she was going to stay with a friend tonight. "This better be good," he called out as he opened the door. You think someone living in the time he did that he would make sure it wasn't someone how wanted him dead, but when you could kill someone in less that five minutes you tended not to worry about that stuff. When he opened the door Asha stood in front of him all wet. "Asha…come in before you get sick," he said worriedly because they thought for sure she would stay with Zane all night.
"I can't stay but I thought you would want to know this," she said and as she said it she noticed Max walking out of the bedroom rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. "They found out the owner of the gun that was fired as Zane," she said. "Now they don't know if this is the guy that shot him or if it was someone else, because let's face it…you guys have a lot of enemies." She paused.
"Well?" Max asked when Asha paused. "Who is it?"
Asha looked back and forth between Alec and Max and she knew that neather one of them was going to like the answer. In fact they might even blame her for it. "Logan," she stated simply. "And before you say anything I feel really responsibly for what happen." She added holding her hands out stopping whatever Max was going to say. "I mean I'm the one that cheated on him with Zane and why wouldn't he want revenge…he did lose the love of his life to a transgenic and then he lost his rebound girl to a transgenic…" she let her statement trail off.
Alec started toward the door as if he was going to go search for Logan Cale himself but the hand on his arm stopped him. When he turned around he came face to face with Asha. "Don't bother," Alec looked at her confusion clearly written on his face. "The police have already been to his apartment and he's missing," she stated. She looked back at Max and gave her a weak smile. "I guess I better be getting back to Zane, Carr said he should be waking up any time now," she said sadly before she turned and walked out of the apartment.
"Well…this sucks," Max, said. Then she brought he hands to her face and started to cry. She would never cry in front of Asha or anyone else. She didn't want any of them to think she was weak or anything, but Alec was different. He knew what it was like to be in this mush pain and not understand why. Max felt Alec's arms come around her and she thought about life at Manticore and how they tried to get rid of your emotions.
They were all sitting in a class like good little soldiers as they watched the clips of words flash by. Words like discipline, honor, and most of all weakness. From day one the would tell them, drill into their heads that emotions were a weakness and that one day it would kill them. That it would cloud their judgment and give their target time to reverse that situation.
Max never believed it until now. Look what happened to Tinga, Zack and Ben. They let their emotions control their actions. Tinga gace up her life for her son, Zack gave up his life for Max, and Ben did it because his emotions confused him. And now Zane, because of what he felt for Asha he is struggling for his life at this very moment. Sure X5's are strong and they heal quickly…but they shot only missed his heart by an inch.
Max pulled away from Alec's embrace and looked at him with teary eyes. "Why does this alwayd happen to us?" she asked but he had no answer for her. "When ever we find happiness it has to be taken from us, does that just further prove that we don't belong in this world?" she asked.
Alec took her hand in his and led her back to the bedroom. He took a seat on the bed and pulled her down with him. "Listen Max, I know that sometimes it feels that we don't belong…but we do belong. Don't ever think otherwise." He paused. "Me and you weren't made to kill," he stated. "We would hate ourselves if we lived our lives that way when we knew that we could have taken a different path." He said. "Promise me that you will never think that you don't belong in this world because you do…and so do me and Zane…along with everyone else you let out." He finished.
All Max did in response was hug him. "What would I do without you?" she whispered into his ear. Then she pulled away a little bit, but only enough so that she could kiss him. "I love you," she stated simply and he smiled. They once again tried to get some sleep as they held each other afraid to let the other go.
Somewhere in SeattleAmes White hated transgenics more than anything in his life. They were and are an abomination to the world. There was no reason for them to be created in the first place. Okay there was one reason and that was to stop him and his kind. The pureblood, or so they thought, they called themselves the familiars and no one, not even the stupid transgenic know of their existence.
Right now he had his first living transgenic in custody. All the other ones they ended up bring in always seemed to end up dead…mostly because he killed them when no one was looking. He couldn't help it, he hated them that mush. It gave him pleasure to see them die by his hand, and was what he was going to do to 452 and 494.
"It's about time the guys at forensics got a chance to take about a live mutant," White said as he looked down at the mutant sitting in the chair. Just as he was about to say something else his cell phone rang and he turned his back on the mutant and his partner and walked out of the room. "Fe'nos tol," he said into the phone but as soon as he did so Otto, the mutant dragged out his partner in the room. "Hold on," he said into the phone.
Just as everyone raised their guns to shot they stopped when Otto put his hands out indicating that they shouldn't shoot. But then White raised his gun and Otto began to panic. But White fired one shot and nailed the mutant in the forehand. "NEVER turn your back on them…you'll live longer," he said going back to his phone call as he walked out of the building.
Joshua's placeWhen Max woke up that morning the first place she went was the hospital to see if there was any change with Zane…there wasn't. And then she headed over to Joshua's before she headed over to the Jam Pony offices.
When she walked into Joshua's house the first thing she noticed was that he wasn't in his usual spot. Which was sitting in his comfy chair and ready a book. She walked through the house but there still wasn't any sign of him and at this point Max was getting nervous.
"Joshua?" she called out as she walked toward the stairs. "Josh?" she called again when he didn't answer.
"Little Fella?" she heard him call from the basement. "Joshua in the basement," he said and she headed that way. When she entered the basement she saw him standing by a canvass with some sort of panting on it. When she saw the proud grin on his face she assumed it was his. "Joshua number 1," he stated simply. Then he looked around behind Max, "Alec not here?" he asked.
"Um…no. Alec is with Asha at the hospital," she said simply as she looked at her shoes. "Zane is there," she added. Joshua didn't say anything and Max knew it was because he really didn't know what to say in this situation. So she decided the best thing for her to do was change the subject. "So Joshua number 1, every think of selling it?" she asked. "You could make a lot of money." She added.
"Money?" he asked and Max nodded. "Max going to sell it for Joshua?" he asked.
"No…" Max said with a shack of her head. "Alec is better at that kind of stuff than I am," she said. "I'll get him to stop by before he heads over to work," she added. "Normal is giving us so time off because of Zane, basically he is just saying that we can be late." She added.
"How you doing little fella?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she lied. "Everything is fine," she said. "Listen Josh I gotta blaze, I was thinking about stopping by the hospital before I head into work." She turned and walked away. "I'll make sure that Alec stops by." She added in her way up the stairs.
Max walked into the main room of the house and instead of walking out she took a seat on the stairs. Are you okay little fella? It was a imply question and I lied to him. I am far from okay. I am seeing my family falling to the ground either by White or Manticore. And now I have to worry about Logan too. I know I can't tell Joshua about Logan because Joshua will sniff him out and kill him.
And we don't even know if it was him or not. But if it was than Logan better find a good ass place to hide because I may be able to stop Joshua by not telling him but I doubt I'll be able to stop Alec from hunting him down.
Max sat there staring into empty space. Why did this always seem to happen when things were going so well? Alec was just forgetting about the whole baby incident and it seemed as if White had cooled down. Now this, Logan, the person she thought she could trust no matter what turned his back on her. Sure they didn't know it was him, but she knew. It seemed that his jealousy finally got the better of him this time.
Max looked out the window and saw that it had started raining and she sighed. Such a gloomy day and she had to ride a bike all day in the pouring rain. She stood up and started toward the door. When she opened it Alec stood in the doorway all wet.
"Alec…what are you doing here?" she asked as she moved aside so he could enter. "I thought you were at the hospital?" she asked again.
"I was and than I decided to stop by Joshua's before I headed to work," he looked at her and smiled. "You were doing the same this thing…my guess is that you were on your way to the hospital right now," he said with one of those oh so sexy cocky grins.
"Shut up," she said with a playful slap. "Listen I need you to sell something for Joshua…it is a painting he painted downstairs." She said and he cocked an eyebrow at her. "I told Joshua you could sell and you can…they way you talk people into doing things for you," she said with a knowing smile.
He laughed a little and then headed toward the basement. "Oh Max…where you going?" he asked.
She looked at him, "The hospital." She said and then walked out of the house.
Alec walked down the stairs and into the basement where Max told him Joshua would be. When he saw the painting he was working on he grimaced a little. It was ugly and he knew Max knew that and that was why she didn't want to sell it. Damn she can be sneaky some times. On the other hand he might be able to get the frame of the painting to sell for something.
"Hey there Josh," Alec said as he walked over to the dog man. "So Max tells me you need me to sell something for ya," he said and Joshua nodded.
"Yeah...this painting," he said. "Joshua number one," he declared proudly.
Alec nodded in a way that he thought it was good painting even though he didn't. Joshua handed him the painting with a big smile and Alec turned and walked up the stairs. "How do I always get myself into this?" he asked as he walked out the front door.
Logan's apartment
Max walked into Logan's apartment and looked around and aw no sign of him. Not that she didn't believe Asha when she said that he was missing but she needed to know for herself. She looked around the apartment and it looked as though he never left. The computer was still running, the lights were on, and the part that told that he was still here was the fact that he left the oven on.
"I know you here," she shouted as she looked around for him. "You left the oven on like a idiot," she added. "Okay I don't care if you come out or not. I know the cops said that the gun could have been stolen and in fact you had nothing to do with the shooting." She paused. "You better pray to God that I or anyone else in my family doesn't find out any different because you will be a dead man." She was silent for a few minutes before she continued. "This friendship is over Logan…consider me just another one of your enemies but the difference with me is," she walked over to the closet and opened the door, harshly. "I can find you a whole lot easier." She said and before he knew she was gone.
Logan stood there in his closet afraid to move. He just made himself a enemy that he didn't want.
Art Gallery
Alec took Joshua painting to the only gallery that he though it had even the slightest chance of selling at. The lady was someone that he did a lot of business outside the art world with. When he brought it to her she was surprised because a lot of their work together was done at night and it was secrete. So secrete that she didn't even know his name and he didn't know hers.
She had been standing there in front of the painting in silence for what seemed like hours and Alec was beginning to be nervous. He didn't like long silence because it meant that the other person was trying to think of something to do about the situation that would cost them anything. He knew how people thought, even if he was locked away at a military facility for most of his life.
"So…" Alec said trying to break the silence. "What do you think?" he asked.
"I like it," she said. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye but she didn't seem to notice. "The texture and the brush strokes, it is magnificent." She added. "I'll give you two thousand," she said and Alec looked at her. "Okay five," she said and then she snapped her fingers and an old white haired man came walking out of one of the rooms. "Bring me five thousand from the safe and put this in my private collection…" she paused. "No wait…leave it here." She said. "I would like to meet this…this…Joshua," she said.
Alec looked at her a panicked looked but again she didn't notice. "I'm sorry but he is incredibly shy and he doesn't leave his house that often," he said. "I'm sorry but you are stuck with me," he said with a smile as the white haired man brought him his money. When he looked in the envelope he eyes widened and then they went back to normal. "I guess I better get going because believe it or not this is not my full time job," he said as he started walking away.
"If you have Joshua do another one I will double the money next time," she shouted as Alec walked out the door.
Alec walked over to his bike and stuck the money in his coat pocket as he rode off toward the Jam Pony offices. Today was a good day.
Hospital
Max walked into the hospital room where Zane is. She looks over at the couch and sees that Asha is fast asleep. Max walked over to the bed and put her hand in Zane's larger one. She didn't like to see her family like this, especially not because someone she thought was a friend put them here.
"Zane," she said and he didn't move. "You transgenic healing powers better kick in soon because I think Asha is going to have some serious neck problems if she keeps sleeping like that." She said with a small laugh.
"Max," a voice said behind her and when she turned around she saw Sam Carr standing in the doorway. "We need to talk," he said in a serious tone that Max didn't like very much. Max got up and followed him out of the hospital room. "This is about Zane," he said.
"What? What about him?" she asked worriedly.
"It seems that the bullet that hit him was one that had some kind of chemical in it…" he trailed off.
"What kind of chemical?" she asked.
"One to render him without his transgenic healing ability," he said. "That is why he isn't all the way healed yet," he finished.
Max turned and walked back into the hospital room. But before she did she turned back toward him. "Would a transfusion help?" she asked and he shuck his head no. Than she walked all the way back into the room and sat back in the seat she was sitting before.
Joshua's house (later that night)
Alec was sitting with Joshua in his living room. Joshua was painting another one of his awful painting, or at least that is what Alec thought. He had called Max's cell phone but there wasn't an answer and he was getting worried and when he told Joshua he stopped painting.
So here they sat in the dark, alone, and worried about Max who has yet to call him back. Alec got up and walked over to the window and when he looked out he saw that it was still raining and he hoped that Max would call him back sometime soon.
"Don't worry Alec, little fella is fine," Joshua said as he placed a comforting hand on Alec's shoulder. "She can take care of herself," Joshua added.
"That's not what I'm worried about," he said as he continued to look out the window. "She always calls me back no matter what she's doing. She does it because she knows what kind of world we live in," he added. "But this time she hasn't and that it was worries me…that she isn't able to call." Alec said and he looked at Joshua now. "What are you doing? Paint man, paint." He said. He didn't want Joshua to worry because all in all Alec knew that Max was fine and that right now she couldn't call him because maybe she was too busy.
But before any of them had a chance to think about it Max came running through the doorway. He looked at Joshua and than she looked at Alec and he saw that she had been crying. He walked over to her and brought her into his arms. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"I know who did it," she said into his chest. "I know who shot Zane." She added. Alec pushed her away and held her by the shoulders to steady her.
"Who?" he asked.
"I know you think that it was Logan and it was but it wasn't just him," she said hurriedly. "He teamed up with White and together they are the ones that decided to shot Zane," she said and he looked at her. "What?"
"How did you find this out?" he asked.
"I talked to some people." She said and he continued to share. "Okay so I broke into Logan's apartment and looked on his computer…" she trailed off. "We have to go to White's house," she said.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because there is a chemical in Zane's bloodstream that enables him to heal properly," she said. "And the cure to that is at White's house." She added. He didn't say anything he just stood there in silence. "What are you doing…we have to go before it's too late!" she shouted as she grabbed his hand and together they ran out of the house leaving Joshua alone in the house to paint.
White's house
Logan was sitting across from Ames White's wife waiting for White to come home. When he teamed up with White he did it because of pure jealousy and now he didn't want in anymore. He knew already that Max and Alec were out for his blood so he wasn't sure whether or not to stay with White for protection or to go out on the run and how they don't track him down.
The only reason he was jealous of Zane was because of what happen with Max. And he was right because Asha went to Zane because he had something that he didn't. What that something was he didn't know.
"What are you doing here?" White said from behind Logan. "I thought we made it clear that you were not to show your face around here unless it was important in by important I mean life and death." He paused. "And by life and death I meant my life or my death not yours because I don't care about you," he said.
"Well it is about your life and death, Max and Alec are out for blood. And I have been told by a source of mine that they know about our little team up." He said. "So this evolves both of us," Logan added.
Before either one of them knew what was happening the front door was blown off its hinges and in walked Max and Alec. Before Logan had a chance to move Max had him by the throat. Alec than had White on the floor at gunpoint. "Where is it?" Max asked Logan. "Where is the cure to the chemical you put in Zane…I swear to God Logan if you don't tell me I will kill you," she threatened
"Over…there." He chocked out and Max walked over to the vase on the fireplace and opened it finding a vile that held a green liquid.
"If this doesn't work and ti kills him instead you both better get on the next plane out of here," she said as she walked over to Alec and leaned down to where White was lying on the floor. "Nice to see you again White," she said and then he and Alec walked out of the house.
"What were those things?" White's wife asked.
"They're an abomination that must be eliminated," he said as he rubbed his throat, "You still with me in this Cale?" he asked.
"Oh yeah," Logan said all thoughts of how he was hurting Max out if his mind. All he wanted was her kind eliminated.
Hospital
Max and Alec ran through the hospital as fast as they could without giving away that there where something other than human. They ran into Dr. Carr and gave him the potion and told him that it should get rid of the chemical and allow Zane to heal all on his won again.
That was an hour ago and there had still been no change and Max was beginning to think that Logan and White had played them. That was until Asha felt him hand squeeze her and she started crying when his eyes opened up and looked at her.
"He's awake," she yelled and Max went running in.
Max came up to the side of his bed with tears in her eyes. Alec came in and stood at the edge of the bed and Zane juts gave him a little nod that showed he knew what Max and he did for him. That brought a smile to his face.
"Welcome back," Alec said.
"Tell me you got the basterds that did this to me," he said and Max looked at Alec and Alec nodded.
"Dead," he said simply. "Max found them and together we went and took them out," he added.
"Good," he said.
Max continued to look at Alec as Asha and Zane started to talk. She knew why he lied to Zane but that didn't mean she understood it. Sure if he told Zane that they didn't kill them that he would go out looking for the people that shot him and probably get himself hurt. Max stood up from where she was seated and walked over to Alec wrapping her arms around his neck.
"What do you say we get outta here?" she asked and smiled crept onto his features. "Thought so…Zane catch you later," she said as she grabbed Alec's hand and the walked out of the hospital room. They walked along the corridors of the hospital until they made it outside in the rain. Max climbed on her bike and Alec did the same to him.
Together they rode off into the night leaving all doubt about the world and what dangers lay ahead behind them. Tomorrow they could deal with that but right now it was all about them and what they meant to each other.
Back Alley
Logan stood in the corner as White stood by the limousine with his son. White had told Logan about this but that didn't make him anymore prepared for it. He knew that White was different from other people, more powerful. That's what made him want to team up in the first place.
But White was giving up his only son to this cause that he led. To something that he would forever have to deal with. He was sending him away to get ready for the war against the transgenics and White knew that the war would probably not be in his lifetime but in his sons.
When the limo pulled away with White's kid inside Logan felt pity for White but it passed. White turned to him and smiled. "It has begun." He said and then turned and walked away form Logan.
AN: Sorry for the late update but i've been busy with school and stuff.