Title: Discussion

Summary: After Max and Alec's volatile conversation at the bar in The Berrisford Agenda, Max and O.C have a chat.

Disclaimer: Don't own the lovely transgenics, nor their human counterparts.

Discussion

"I don't want your pity. I want your absence."

The harsh words stung, but didn't bite at her quite as much as the tightly controlled suffering she'd caught in his tone as he'd described Manticore. She felt a rising need to defend her and her "rugrat brothers and sisters," to tell him that they hadn't meant to abandon anyone but simply had an unbearable desire to escape. Yet as she stared at him, she realized it would do no good. He wasn't paying attention to her anymore, but rather staring into his drink as if the dark amber liquid held some secret answer that could end his mysterious sorrow.

"Then I'll leave you alone." She said quickly, turning to walk away. She'd always known instinctively that he buried his emotions behind a solid, impermeable wall, and that his sarcasm and wit were just tools to stop people from looking beyond the cocky, confident person he presented. To see a crack run through the façade he'd so flawlessly established and to catch a brief glimpse of everything he kept bottled up... it unsteadied her. And she felt a tinge of regret as she realized that she was the last person he'd confide in with his problems.

Max shook her head wearily as she returned to her table, and realized with some surprise that O.C still occupied it. "Where's your shorty?" She asked, sliding smoothly into her seat and trying to regain her casual demeanor.

Original Cindy narrowed her eyes at the voluptuous blonde decorating the pool table. "That honey beside her ain't her sista'." She replied, her voice tinged with disappointment. Then her eyes focused on Max's face. "What about you? Find out what's up wit' your boy?"

Max's face narrowed into a scowl as she fiddled with her hands. "We've already had this discussion; don't call him that. And no, I still don't know." Her scowl melted into a troubled look that Original Cindy's inquisitive eyes didn't miss.

"Think it's serious, boo?"

Max stole a glance in Alec's direction. "What do you mean by serious?"

Cindy rolled her eyes impatiently, noting Max's stalling. " Is it serious as in, he's gonna make us work another long shift for doing something stupid, or serious like, he's gonna get himself killed if you don't bust somebody's ass?"

Max shrugged, still discreetly marking Alec's position in the bar. He'd ordered another drink and was now taking small sips from the short, round glass. She watched his throat work as he swallowed the burning liquid, watched the way his face narrowed as he welcomed the feeling.

"I don't know. He brought up Manticore, which tells me that his problems stem from somethin' he's done that he regrets." She shook her head, staring down at the cracked tabletop and wearing a puzzled frown.

"You mean he killed somebody?" O.C asked bluntly, causing Max to jerk her gaze in Original Cindy's direction.

"What?"

O.C shrugged. "Boo, from what you say about Manticore, they ain't above sendin' one of you transgenics out to shoot somebody. Right?"

Max said nothing for a long moment, knowing that O.C had just pulled her deepest fear out into the open. The thought had been in the back of Max's mind since Alec's abnormal behavior had begun, and now there was no denying it.

"It's possible. Likely, even." She admitted.

"So you sayin' maybe he's feeling guilty 'bout bein' a murderer?" O.C asked. There was no accusation in her tone, but Max felt defensiveness bubble in the pit of her stomach.

"It's not like you can say no." She said, more sharply than she intended. "They tell you to jump, you ask how high. And if you don't jump high enough, you're nothing but a defective soldier." Her eyes turned shadowy. "And they don't keep around a broken product."

"Hey, boo, I wasn't sayin' nothing against Alec. I'm just sayin', your boy could be in deep trouble." Original Cindy spoke in a pacifying tone.

"Maybe someone's after him because he messed with somebody special back when he was still being a good soldier. Maybe he's trying to figure out how to save his ass." Max said, more to herself than to her companion. O.C snorted slightly, causing Max to return her focus on her friend. "What?"

"Boo, I don't know much about Manticore or transgenics or none of that. But I do get emotions. And that boy's got a bad case o' guilt if I ever saw one."

Max frowned in confusion. "Alec? Alec doesn't feel guilt. Anger and pain, maybe, but he would have to care about someone else to feel guilty. He's so cold and detached from everyone that it's just not possible."

O.C shrugged. "You can come off pretty cold yourself." At Max's slightly hurt glance, Original Cindy clarified, "Oh, I don't mean it in a bad way. Maybe somethin' about that place makes you like that. Cold and detached. But that's not really you, right boo?"

The simple yet probing question sent Max's mind into a tailspin yet again. She didn't know if she could handle being compared to Alec. Because the more she thought about it… the more she saw herself in him. But he was an ass! He didn't care about anything or anyone; he had no qualms with putting people in danger; he--

"He's leaving." Max spoke suddenly, grabbing her jacket and hopping out of her chair. He'd finished paying the bartender and was now storming up the stairs, knocking into a few innocent bystanders along the way.

"Where you goin'?" O.C asked, her face clouded in confusion.

"To make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, like usual." To make sure he gets home ok, she silently added. "I'll be back later."

"A'ight." O.C said, glancing around for another female to occupy her time. By the slight lowering of her lids and the smirk that slid into place, Max guessed she found one.

Shrugging into her coat, Max hurried out after Alec. She exited the building in time to see two men harassing him, one holding Alec back while the other tasered the transgenic's chest. Max sprung into action, taking on one of the goons and freeing Alec to spar with the other. After a few complicated punches and one fierce move in which Max flipped the man over her head and onto the cement at their feet, Max's competitor was out of comission. She turned to Alec and noticed him behaving a little too violently with the second thug, kicking the man painfully over and over as the latter writhed on the ground.

"Alec!" She yelled, lithely stepping over the man in front of her and pulling the male transgenic off of his victim. "Hey!" He continued to fight against her, forcing her to slam him down on the hood of a nearby car. She grasped his shoulders tightly, holding him still. She inhaled sharply at the look in his eyes, the same look he'd worn the night of Joshua's party as he'd reached for the dog man's throat. Rather than being sharp and full of biting wit like they usually were, his green eyes were glassy and unfocused, as if he was completely unaware of his surroundings. Then, all at once they cleared, narrowing on her face as a look of fury came over his features. He jerked away from her and straightened his jacket roughly.

"Stay the hell away from me." He said in a deadly tone, pushing her away and storming in the opposite direction. She stared at his retreating back, a troubled look crossing over her face.

End