"Alec…" Max sighed, bustling around her apartment in her tank and jeans, desperately trying to find her leather jacket.
" You haven't had time to heal, Max. And now we are facing a for-sure trap with numerous Familiars, including White who not only wants you dead but will most likely torture you first so he can find out where his son is." Alec said, his voice raising as he rambled on. It also didn't help that she wasn't at all paying attention.
"Where is that stupid jacket? Aha!"
"Max!"
"I'm listening, okay, Alec," she said, turning and facing him, zipping up the front of her leather jacket as she did so. "What do you want me to do? Only 20 people showed up, and most of them are acting completely out of anger."
Now it was Alec's turn to sigh. Half of the people who wanted to fight were seeking revenge. Not great for tactics. Revenge equals irrational actions and when you are going into a trap the last thing you need is for someone to make things much, much worse. Especially against White.
"What if something goes wrong, which by the way is incredibly likely. You are the leader, Max."
"So are you, Alec."
Damn. "But-,"
"What Alec," said Max, walking over to him, "What is really on your mind?"
Alec looked down. Why did he have the urge to protect her? She was made to fight, and she would never back down against White and he knew that. In fact that was something he loved about her, the fact that she was a fighter. No, this worry was coming from somewhere deeper. And he knew what it was too, he has actually known what it was for awhile now. He just wasn't ready to admit it to himself.
"What is it, Alec," Max, said quietly.
He quickly thought of a valid excuse. Unfortunately it wasn't hard, it was usually on his mind when they went to fight, "Every time we fight against them, you're always in more danger." He tried to catch her eyes, only to find them looking away. "Their goal is to kill you, only you. And if Logan is right, which is looking more and more likely after today, then your death could actually mean the end of the world."
She walked over to the coach, staring at the newly formed symbols on her arm. Old ones would quickly disappear only to be replaced by brand new ones. And her "nightmare?" How did she know that something bad had happened? She couldn't explain the feeling, not even to herself. She stared up at Alec's tortured face. All the uncertainty, the fear, the worry was plastered on his features; no mask there to hide it.
"Alec-" Max started.
Alec sighed, coming down to sit by her. "I know, know, you have to fight. I get it."
"I can't just sit around until this suddenly makes sense……not when my friends are dying," Max said, trying to explain.
"I know, Max," looking at her as he said these words, her face shining with grief. "Just be careful, okay."
"I'll try," Max said.
The mood had definitely gone downhill, and Alec certainly didn't like where the topic was going. He definitely needed to lighten it up. "I mean girls kick ass, it says so on the t-shirt, blah, blah, blah"
"Hardy har," Max frowned, but couldn't resist the small smile from breaking through.
Ok," Alec said, jumping up and clapping his hand, "I feel like," he said stretching his arms over his head, "kicking some Familiar ass."
Max smiled completely. So was she.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
She woke up, slowly. The nap seemed to reenergize her. Her eyes once again easily adjusting to the darkness. She could see the scum circling them. Their guns never pointing away from their direction. They had been there for about ten hours and they had not once changed guards or shifted their bodies in any way. Freaks, she thought. She looked around at her companions, surveying the scene for the up-tenth time. They were formed in a circle, each of them sitting down with their hand tied behind their backs and their feet tied in front of them. 1, 2, 3….7, 8. 8. 8. That's not right. There are ten. Where are they? "Mickey, where are Ella and Blaine?" she asked in an undertone she knew only the person to the right would hear.
"They are taking them us two by two for interrogation. I think you and me are the last ones," he responded back.
"What do they-,"
She didn't get a chance to answer. It seems their turn was up.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Of course it made sense. That was the most ridiculous part about this whole thing; it was actually a good plan. If he were back at Manticore, he would have been pleased that they had a person that could provide such a fantastic distraction. Actually if it was any one but her, he probably wouldn't have been that worried. But he couldn't stop her, and it did make sense. It made sense that she would try to save them by herself. It made sense for her to be so ridiculously reckless. White might not completely believe it, but at least he'll believe it enough for the plan to work.
So here Alec was, holding on to Max on the back of her bike, running over the plan in his head.
"Alec? Max?" a voice squawked in his ear.
"Yeah," they both responded.
"Transportation is taking care of. Moving to position right now."
"Thanks Klepto. Remember to await our signal," Alec said.
"Gotcha, over and out."
"He's good," commented Max.
"Top marks in larceny. Anything you want swiped, he can get it without a single trace that he was there."
Max smiled. That will definitely come in handy.
They drove for a while in silence, getting their head in the mission. All the old training coming back full force, completely out of habit. Manticore definitely knew how to make something stick.
Max eventually pulled to a stop in an alley behind several warehouses. Another motorcycle was already there. "Make sure, someone gets my bike," Max said.
"Trust me, they won't forget Max. You threatening two weeks of cleaning duty kind of made sure of that,"
"It's my baby. I'm protective of it."
"Right," Alec smirked.
Max took a deep breath, cracking her neck as she did so. "Ready?" she asked, looking Alec in the eyes.
"I was born ready," Alec joked.
A small smirk escaped Max's lips. Exhaling deeply, she then got on the other bike.
"Max, wait. Just please-,"
"I'll be careful. Don't worry," she interrupted. As she started the engine, she looked over her shoulder. Alec was already busy getting ready. "Alec-,"
"I will, Max," he said, looking up at her. "Don't worry,"
She nodded, taking off as she did so. Alec's eyes didn't look away until she was out of site.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
There it was, right in front of her. A two-story warehouse, with the hostages stationed on the second floor. This was it. She was all alone, walking to the front of the warehouse without any protection.
"Two guards to your left, one behind the door. Two to your right." Alec spoke in her ear. "Team one, there are six on the roof. Two for each side. Take them out on my mark."
Three pairs of agreement responded back. So, she wasn't alone at all. Not at all, she thought, smiling.
"Maxie, you need to look more self-righteous with a hint of sacrificial, please, or else White will never believe you."
Max immediately put on her fake façade.
"Nope, that's your sexy face,"
Jackass.
"I know, I know. I'm an ass….."
Max quickly smirked.
"Ok, back to business. Klepto are you and Rev in position."
"Check."
"Team four are you in position?"
"Check," six responded.
"Ok good. Team five are you in position,"
"Check," another six responded.
"Alright teams, you know who you got. Alright, Max. It's all you. You're good to go,"
She continued walking forward, here eyes quickly moving trying to catch anything that would seem out of place. Each step seemed incredibly long, and the distance to the door seemed to stretch out more than usual. She was nervous, just slightly. But over that, she still had that sensation from the nightmare. She couldn't help feeling that it was a dull reminder of what was to come.
"Ok Max, they spotted you. The guy behind the door is signaling to the others and-wait hold on. There are two coming from behind you. Shit, I think they are going to knock you out. Yeah, they are definitely going to knock you out. I think it's coming from the guy to the right. Try to lessen the blow. You have five seconds."
She counted down in her head. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1….She shifted her head slightly to the left.
Thunk.
And all there was left was darkness.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Max….Maxie…c'mon Max, I need you to wake up,"
He hated seeing her get knocked unconscious. It was a vicious hit, definitely opened up a new wound. He would hate to see what it would look like if she hadn't lessened it. He hated seeing it now as it were. He also hated the way they dragged her body into the warehouse. And he really hated that she was in there unconscious with White.
"Alec, we see her. She is on the floor with the hostages. To the right. Actually she is already in really good position."
Excellent. "C'mon Max, wake up," he repeated. Finally he heard a groan in his earpiece. "Ok, she's awake. I'm moving into position."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Max slowly opened her eyes. Her head was throbbing, but she quickly pushed past the pain. There is no pain during the mission. There is no pain during the mission.
"452," a cold voice came from the darkness. "You keep coming to me. I thought you were supposed to be smarter than that,"
She looked up at him. "You are just so hard to resist, I guess. Oomph," A quick blow to the ribs was his response, jostling her already previous injuries. There is no pain during the mission.
"Son of a bitch," came a voice from her ear.
"Disgusting 452. You are a worthless animal. Don't forget it," White took a handful of her hair, pulling to her feet. "Came here all by yourself? Why am I not surprised?"
"Let them go, White. Let them go and you can have me." Max calmly stated.
White laughed. "I've already got you, 452." He laughed again, "You know what the one big mistake dear old daddy made, besides making you of course?
"I'm in position," Alec said. "Planting bombs now."
"Putting too much human inside." He circled around her.
"Team one, hit your marks."
"Too many emotions can make you weak," He came to stand directly in front of her, pulling out a gun. "and when you are weak, you die," he said, clicking the safety off.
"Weakness, huh? Like the weakness you feel for your son?" Max asked, catching him off guard.
White instantly froze. "My son?"
"Careful Ames, don't feel too much emotion." Max said slyly.
"Team four, go."
He grabbed her by the collar, his nose barely an inch away from hers. "Shut up. Is. He. Alive?" He gritted through his teeth.
Max looked at him in the eye and smirked. Bam. A hit to the face. Blood was now flowing freely from her nose. Noises were suddenly heard from downstairs, gunfire among them. White's attention didn't waver though.
"Sir?" a Familiar asked.
White ignored him, "Answer the question. Is my son alive?"
Her smile only grew wider.
Bam. Another hit, this time to the ribs. More gunfire from downstairs. The other Familiars were getting nervous.
"Sir, shouldn't we check that out?" one of them asked.
"SHUT UP!" ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION 452!" White shouted, hitting her in the ribs again. "SAY SOMETHING!"
"Team four and five, go."
Max looked up at White's face and smiled, "Boom," as she hit him in the face.
A huge explosion went off in the middle of the room creating a hole right beneath the transgenic hostages causing them to fall through, disappearing into the smoke and debris. At the same time the windows exploded open, team five entering through them, trying to stop the Familiars from going after the transgenic hostages.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Alec quickly came through the hole that he had recently created. As he looked down through it, he saw team three protecting a huge semi with no top in the center of the room. Rev had timed it perfectly, placing the truck expertly so that the hostages would drop right into it. And Alec had to admit, Klepto certainly could steal anything, even something as big as a semi. He looked away from the truck, surveying the second floor. Team one, fresh from successfully taking out the Familiars on the roof, had joined team five as they battled Familiars left to right. But Alec's focus wasn't on his teams, it was directed only at Max. She was busy in a battle of her own. White and her were trading blows so quickly even Alec could hardly keep up. But he did see something, a Familiar from the corners raising his gun at the unsuspecting Max.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Bam.
Out of the corner of her eye, Max saw a Familiar go down, a bullet between his eyes. Alec, she thought briefly, before snapping her attention back to White. His fist came suddenly from the right, but she ducked underneath trying to sweep his legs out from underneath. He jumped over them, but missed the uppercut that Max had sent his way. It hit him square in the face, breaking his nose and causing him to fall to the ground slightly, his back turned away from her, giving Max the advantage.
Or so she thought.
As Max came forward, White quickly spun around striking her in the face with a gun that was recently discarded on the floor. The situation had turned rapidly, now with Max looking up at White and a gun directed at her.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
There it is folks, sorry about the wait. I will not let you wait that long again. I promise.
Please Read. Please Review. Then love. Then review again. And then maybe again. And some more after that…. Just tell me what you think. Please review. I really want to know what people think of my writing. please, please review. This is begging. PLEASE REVIEW. PLEASE....
Yours truly,
Unfortunately Clever.