A/n: Thanks for your reviews, everyone.
This chapter is dedicated to Maria656; if she hadn't been so persistent with her threats on DAR it would probably have taken a back seat for a lot longer.
Oh, and for the record, I don't have JC locked up in my basement. There wasn't room, so I had to put him in the attic instead. ;)
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Chapter 21: Domestic Violence
The explosion happened just as Max and Logan reached the top of the stairs, ahead of the others. The whole group hit the floor as the building shuddered, knocking them all off their feet. The couple fell forwards as the stairway collapsed; Max grabbed at the edge but the fractured wood gave under the combined weight of her and Logan, who was dangling from her other hand. She caught the next floor down with a sharp jolt, eliciting a grunt from him.
"Max! Logan!" Shouted Joshua in alarm as he saw their precarious position. The drop extended into the basement, four storeys below. Not dangerous for an X5, but for a human…
"Logan, you're slipping, hold on!" Said Max, desperately.
"Can't move my fingers," Logan managed. He did his best to grab her leg with his right hand as his left slipped from her grasp, falling limply by his side.
"Joshua's coming, little fella!" The first transgenic yelled, climbing down until he was dangling from the floor above and then swinging himself so he fell onto solid ground below. Joshua crouched by the edge, reaching over to grip Max's now free hand and pull her up, Logan still hanging onto her ankle.
Once the couple were back on firm ground, Max examined Logan's arm. It hung loosely from his shoulder, out of alignment so it gave him almost a hunch.
"This is dislocated," she said, anxiously. "Must have happened when I caught the ledge."
"You'll have to pop it back in," said Logan, his voice tight with pain. He found the nearest intact support pillar and wrapped his good arm around it, bracing himself.
"This is going to hurt," said Max, grasping his left wrist.
"Just do it," he replied, closing his eyes. Max pulled the displaced limb and twisted in the same motion, causing an unpleasant crunching sound and a strangled cry of pain from Logan.
He let go of the pillar and turned back towards her, trying to move his fingers. "Guess I'll have to type one handed for a while," he said, wincing. Max wrapped her arms around him for a moment; only her Logan could make a comment like that.
"What was that?" asked Dalton, calling down from above.
"It was big, whatever it was," said Max, detaching herself reluctantly from Logan. "Is everyone else ok?"
Dalton checked his team-mates briefly. "Affirmative," he said. "No serious injuries. But Logan is stuck."
"We'll find another way out, ok Dalton? You can all jump down, Joshua, Logan and I will meet you outside. Go on, go."
"Max, you know you should go on without me," said Logan. "You have to escape, remember?"
"Screw Sandeman, and screw the rest of the world." Max's voice would brook no disagreement. "I'm not leaving you, Logan, not ever. Dalton, go. And if I don't make it tell Alec he's in charge." Still, the X6 hesitated. "That's an order, soldier."
"All right, Max." The group of transgenics began to jump down the collapsed stairwell one by one, leaving Max, Logan and Joshua to hurry away, searching for another way down.
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Lydecker crouched in the shadows outside the pretty suburban house, using the well tended shrubbery for cover. A shadow crossed the drawn drapes, pacing back and forth. Gun in hand, Lydecker made his way to the front porch, and rang the doorbell before ducking out of sight of the windows.
A few seconds later, the drapes twitched as a woman peered out. Not seeing her visitor, she let the fabric drop back into place and resumed pacing. Lydecker rang the bell again, once more moving quickly into shadow.
The light in the corridor behind the door came on, and a clear shape approached the door, one arm outstretched. The door opened slightly, revealing an attractive Hispanic woman of around forty, holding a gun out in front of her.
Lydecker waited until she was looking away from his hiding place and darted out, grabbing the weapon from her hand and turning it on her. She spun to face him, her face contorted in fear.
"Hello, Catalina," he said. "It's been a long time."
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Max pulled Logan by his good arm into what seemed to be some kind of theatre, Joshua close behind. They hurried across the stage, halting only when they heard the voice.
"Well, well, 452; you came to save your mate. How admirable."
"That's just the kinda girl I am," said Max, scanning for the owner of the voice. "Sorry we can't stop to chat, but we gotta go…"
"Oh, no, 452, you aren't leaving." The priestess stepped out from above them, a large pistol in her hands. "Not alive, at any rate."
Logan immediately drew the weapon they'd taken from Thula earlier. "Drop it," he warned.
"What would be the point of that, Cale? To achieve my goals I only have to delay you just enough; the fire is growing closer every second."
"But you'll die too," said Joshua, his brow furrowing.
"There are more of us than there are of you," the priestess said disdainfully. "I am expendable, for the greater glory of the conclave." She shifted her aim and fired.
Joshua's howl of pain cut through Max like a knife, even as Logan's shot retaliated, ripping through the priestess's chest.
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"Joshua!" Max cried, kneeling beside her canine brother. The bullet had gone straight through his gut, leaving the transgenic lying in a rapidly spreading pool of his own blood. His huge brown eyes flickered open as she checked the wound, applying pressure to it. "Pretty whack, little fella," he said softly.
Logan had gone to check their enemy was dead; he returned swiftly, pocketing his gun. "Let me see," he said, crouching beside them. "I won't lie to you, Joshua, we need to get you to a doctor, and fast."
"No… need to get Max out of here," he replied. "Back to father."
"We're not going to leave you here, big fella, and that's final," said Max sharply.
"Have to, little fella. No time. Joshua hurt bad; want you to be safe."
"Joshua, no!" Max was desperate now, clutching at his powerful hand.
"Take Logan and go home, little fella," the first transgenic told her simply. "Max and Logan, meant to be. You… look after Joshua's little fella, Logan?"
"Any way I can, Joshua," Logan promised.
"And Max look after Alec?"
"Like always," said Max, her voice choked with tears.
"Tell Father I always thought about him, every day. And tell everyone not to be sad… I'm going to be with Annie, and Isaac, and even Ames…"
"We will," said Logan softly, gripping the transgenic's free hand.
"I love you, big fella," said Max through her tears.
"Love you too, little fella," he murmured, the dark eyes closing for the last time.
"Goodbye, Joshua," Max whispered, pressing her lips against his forehead. She rose, wiping her face before taking Logan's hand again. "Come on," she said, as firmly as she could. "We have to get out of here."
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When Lydecker arrived back at Sebastian's, it was not to a hero's welcome. He pulled Catalina, bound hand and foot, into the main lab where Sebastian, Bling, Sandeman, Original Cindy, Sketchy and Normal awaited him.
"Mission successful," he said coldly on entering. "Catalina Fernandes, the surrogate who carried X5 452."
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Exclaimed Cindy, furious. "No one treats my boo's momma like that. You untie her right now or Original Cindy's gonna have to ruin her manicure!"
Lydecker raised an eyebrow slightly, but obeyed without comment. He pushed the woman lightly down into a chair, where she rubbed her sore wrists and gazed up at the group like a caged animal.
"Who are you people? What do you want with me?"
"We're friends of your daughter," said Sebastian.
Catalina's eyes widened, and a haunted expression filled them. "My baby…"
"Uh huh," said Cindy gently. "I'm her homegirl, Sketchy over there works with us, in the corner is our boss Normal, Sebastian and Bling are tight with her man and this is the dude who spliced her together."
"Why should I believe anything you say?" she asked desperately. "Why are you holding me here?"
"If you wanna go home, you only have to say and I'll give you a ride," offered Bling. "But you should be aware of the consequences."
"What consequences?"
"Quite possibly the end of the world," intoned Sandeman.
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Max laid her palm against the door they'd been heading for; it was uncomfortably warm to the touch.
"We're too late, she said. The fire's right on the other side…"
The couple exchanged a long glance.
"We have no choice," Logan said. "You know what we have to do."
"No, Logan, you can't," said Max desperately, reaching out to him. "There must be another way… We could find something to make a rope out of…"
"No time. You know you can make it; you have to live. I'll be ok, these nanocytes are pretty amazing things."
"But it's too dangerous… I can't live without you; I can't lose you again. I love you so much, Logan…"
"I love you too, Max." They kissed, desperately, like their first outside the cabin, their tears mingling as they did.
Logan pulled away, his brilliant eyes boring into Max's dark ones. "Just go," he said, simply.
"But this time, you're coming with me," she told him firmly. "We go together, or not at all."
Still holding hands, the couple turned back the way they'd come, to where a large window allowed light into the corridor. Logan pulled his gun out again and shattered the glass with his last bullet before tossing it aside.
They kissed one last time, and then, as one, they leapt out into the night, just as another explosion destroyed the building behind them.
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Tell me what you thought.