Title: Today 'They' Won the Battle Part 8
Author: Rhasa
Category: Drama
Keywords: M/A developing relationship
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Today 'They' won the battle, but the war is just beginning.
Revelations.
Disclaimer: Not mine. No money being made.
Feedback: Rhasa4@yahoo.com
Today 'They' Won the Battle Part 8 By Rhasa
Alec's heart was pounding; its furious rhythm outstripping the rapid tempo of his heavy footsteps thumping against the concrete.
He mentally cursed.
It seemed like he had been running forever, he had completely lost track of time. He knew that he couldn't keep going at this pace indefinitely. Even X5's had their limits, and Alec was beginning to worry that with every other step he took, he was fast approaching his. He needed to rest. He risked a quick glance behind to see if he had lost his pursuers. No such luck. Whoever these guys were they weren't giving up easily.
The streets he found himself on passed by in a blur, as did its occupants. All sights and sounds before him seemed to pale in comparison to the heavy panting breathes he was drawing. His mouth was dry; his muscles ached as his heart beat on and on, faster and faster.
He tried hard to think just how he had got himself into this mess. Last thing he had remembered was talking to one of his black-market suppliers down at the docks. There was a scuffle, and then everything seemed to blur. The details didn't matter now. All that mattered was whether he could reach the next corner with enough distance between him and the goons behind, for him to manage a quick diversion, losing their sorry, but persistent, asses.
Another quick glance and Alec felt confident that he could lose these guys. Up ahead the narrow alleyway fanned out onto the main street once more. He knew this area well - having frequented it often before his Terminal City days, many a time trawling for cheap company on those cold lonely nights that once plagued him.
He made a sharp right turn at the desired point and head off with renewed stamina towards a green door, one of several, immediately to his right. He hoped and even prayed that the Chinaman he passed just as he stepped through would somehow block those who were after him. He had taken a dozen or so steps when his prayers were answered with a resounding crash amongst muttered curses and cries. A few minutes later, he allowed himself to relax, albeit slightly. It seemed that he had lost them.
His brush with the unstoppable strangers had left him a little more shaken up than he had realised, as he found himself back at Terminal City in no time at all - the return trip not registering in his consciousness. He wasted no time searching for Max, looking for her in the command centre, mess and even infirmary before heading off towards her quarters.
The sight of the door to Max's quarters being open unsettled him a little, but not nearly as much as the laugh that wafted through it and the familiar voice that followed. Alec tentatively pushed the door open further with the tip of one finger and stepped half-way through, stopping in complete surprise at the sight before him.
"Heya, Alec."
Logan.
The arrival of this sudden 'guest' left Alec's mouth drier than it was before. He nodded briefly towards the older man, words failing him- from surprise or some other emotion he wasn't sure. A small cry shook some sense into him as he turned his eyes towards a smiling and, what looked like, a deliriously happy, Max. She was holding a squirming Jed on her hip.
"Isn't it wonderful?" Max beamed towards a dumbfounded Alec.
"What?" he asked, his voice managing somehow to scratch out that single word.
"Logan's come back to us," she smiled. "For good."
"What?" Alec asked, clearly needing more information to process this sudden turn of events.
"That's right buddy," a gloating Logan chuckled. "I decided I couldn't stay away any longer. I've given up Eyes Only. I thought I would come and fight the good fight alongside my girl here," he added with a smile, staring intently into Max's sparkling eyes and reaching out a hand towards Jed, ruffling the unsettled youngster's hair.
Alec stood watching the strange scene before him. It disturbed him, for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the moment.
To his credit, Jed whimpered, when Logan touched him. The older man clearly not worried with the child's rejection, continued his attempts to placate him without success.
"Wh-What about the toxins?" Alec asked finally, his voice a little too meek for his own liking.
"Yeah, well. You know what they say. No guts no glory. I'm willing to take the risk, if it means I get to see Max every day."
"What about the cure to the virus? I thought you had leads up in Canada? Ex
Manticore scientists seemed to flock there in droves and all that," Alec said.
"That's true," Logan nodded. "I've spent the better part of three months
chasing ex techs down with limited luck. But I can follow leads just as well
from my new base of operations."
"Which is where?" Alec asked, a sickening sensation forming in the pit of
his stomach.
"Here."
"Here, as in, here in this room *here*?" Alec couldn't help his voice from going higher, as he pointed to the ground indicating the very place they were all standing.
"Logan's moving in with me," Max clarified.
"Moving in?"
"Yeah," she said.
"What about the virus?" Alec asked, Max, wondering if only for a moment if he was the only one in the room that hadn't lost his mind.
"We'll be careful," she replied with a casual shrug.
"Ah, no offence, Max, but you've been down that road before and it hasn't exactly worked out all that well, if you'll remember," Alec replied sarcastically.
"We'll be *extra* careful," she emphasised.
"Yeah, so, feel free to book it out of here whenever you want," Logan suggested to Alec.
"What are you talking about?" The transgenic asked.
"Max doesn't need you anymore," Logan stated bluntly. "I'm here now."
"What?"
"Face it, Alec. You're a solo kind of guy. Nothing wrong with that. It's the way you were designed. You've probably been dying to bust out of here since the day you all holed up. Well, now's your chance. I'm here now, and the logical choice for the new second in command, a good go-between for the transgenics and the ordinaries. Maybe we can get something done around here now. Maybe, now, the real negotiations will begin."
Alec stood and stared - completely speechless.
"This is a good thing, Alec," Max tried to convince him. "It means I don't have to come to you with all my problems. No more dumping on Alec," she threw at him over her shoulder.
"Oh, I wouldn't call it 'dumping'," Alec replied, his voice clearly strained, while he tried desperately to get a handle on what was happening.
"Well, whatever you want to call it, there won't be any of it anymore," Logan growled.
"So you're free to return to your footloose and fancy free kinda days," Max
said.
"I would say that those days are pretty much over now, Max," Alec said, nodding in the direction of his son.
"Oh, haven't I told you the best news of all?" Max smiled. "Logan has agreed
to adopt Jed."
"He'll be our son," Logan announced while beaming with happiness. "Max's and mine."
A feeling of absolute dread filled Alec only to be almost instantly replaced
with a searing anger.
"WHAT?" he yelled. "Over my dead body!"
"Well if that's the way it's gotta be," Logan shouted as his hand reached inside of his jacket.
Everything next seemed to happen so fast but at the same time, Alec saw it in slow motion. It didn't make any sense. Logan pulled the gun before Alec could even register his actions as a threat. Nevertheless, Alec blurred and managed to grapple Logan, the ordinary surprising him with his strength, which prevented Alec from getting the advantage. They both had a tight grip on the weapon. Alec seemed to have forgotten all one-on-one combat moves while he fought to ply the gun from Logan's hands.
He looked up into his enemy's eyes to find him grinning maniacally. This didn't make any sense. Why would Logan be trying to kill him? For a brief moment Alec tried to locate Max, maybe she could put a stop to this madness. But before he could glance back over his shoulder, a shot rang out, and piercing cries filled the air.
Alec spun around quickly, forgetting the threat from Logan, concerned only by the noise behind him. He saw them slumped in the corner of the room. Jed's screams rebounding off the bare walls. Alec tried to move towards them but his feet felt as if they were made of lead. What the hell was wrong with him? He had to get to them. Which each step Jed's screams grew louder and louder and then Max's voice began to call to him as well.
"Alec," she cried.
His heart was pounding with his efforts. If he could just get to them.
"Alec," she cried again, as Jed's cries intensified.
"Alec!"
I'm coming, he tried to reply.
"Alec!" came Max's voice, a little stronger this time.
Alec sat bolt upright. His heart was racing as it had been in his dream. He drew in a deep shuddering breath as the realisation that he had been having a nightmare dawned on him. Thank god. He drew a shaky hand across his face as he reached up to rub his eyes, trying to wake further. It took him a few seconds before he realised that it was Max's hand that lay softly on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I dreamed he shot him," Alec whispered softly, still not free from the remnants of the dream.
"Shot who?" Max asked, concern tinging her voice.
"Nevermind," Alec sighed, after a moment, as he turned to face her and stood. "Is it time?" he queried, as he took in the level of activity around him.
Half a dozen transgenics were moving around the command centre, buzzing about in preparation for their latest "raid". Alec marvelled at the fact that he had managed to get any sleep at all on the makeshift cot that they had erected next to the stairwell, with all the noise - but then again, the last few nights he had been up trying to settle Jed to sleep.
His heart tugged at him as he thought of his son. The experience of being concerned for a child, was something new to him. He shook his head slightly, as if to rid him of his concern, and reassured himself that his boy was safe and being looked after by Gem for the time being.
"We move out in ten - fifteen minutes," Max replied with a deep sigh, breaking his thoughts. "Did you get much sleep?"
"I'll be okay," Alec answered, while looking up at her, noticing a hardness to her features.
It wasn't tiredness that he saw reflected in her eyes. She was concerned. The news that two transgenics had broke curfew and gone outside Terminal City without permission and subsequently been captured by the Seattle PD, had taken its toll on her. She felt responsible for T.C's inhabitants. And although they had disobeyed a direct order, a fact that Mole kept reiterating along with his objection to the current plan, she was damned if she was going to let them rot inside a Seattle PD cell or be handed over to White and his band of merry men to have god-knows-what done to them. The little "rescue" mission they were about to embark on, was put together quickly - too quickly for her liking. But with White undoubtedly onto the arrest they didn't have as much time to plan as she would have liked. She had only permitted Alec a half hour of 'sleep' before they moved out because that was the minimum amount of time it had taken Luke to obtain the plans to the new Seattle PD detention centre, where her fellow transgenics were being held.
"Everyone ready?" Alec asked, as he put on his jacket and tightened the buckle of the shoulder holster he was wearing.
"As ready as they're gonna be," she offered.
Alec nodded as he stepped in line and walked in silence with her to the northwest tunnel where the trucks were parked. They watched nervously as the group poured into the vehicles, each deep in their own thoughts and concerns, Alec trying desperately to not let his dream and the emotions it had dredged up, distract him.
He managed a quick glance in Max's direction to find that she was chewing her bottom lip. He watched as Max caught Mole looking at her from the front of the first truck causing her to quickly lifted her head a little higher and square her shoulders more. She didn't want her "men" to see she was worried. Alec knew better.
"It's going to be alright," he tried to reassure her.
"I don't like these hit and run raids, they always end badly," she said, more to herself than to him.
"We'll be fine. We have more than enough man power and armoury to take them out if it comes to that," he offered meekly.
"Well, let's just hope it doesn't come to that," she turned to face him. "I don't want you to take any risks, Alec. I'm not going to be there to rescue your ass. In and out. Simple-like. Quiet-like. Undetectable. We only resort to bringing in the rest of the team if. if.
"If my part fails?"
"If things go wrong," she clarified quickly. "Got that?"
"Yeah, okay boss," he smiled, not being able to help himself.
"I'm serious, Alec," she snapped, annoyed that he may be taking this too lightly.
"I know you are," he said, as he looked once again into her eyes that held the same worry and fear as they had as they had at breakfast.
"Okay, come on!" Mole called to him.
Alec flashed Max one of his trademark grins. "Later," he said and began to walk off.
"Don't forget what I told you," Max said, as she grabbed his arm before he could move beyond her reach, more desperation in her voice than she would have liked.
"I won't," Alec grinned. "In and out. Simple-like. Quiet-like. Undetectable. We only resort to bringing in the rest of the team if things go wrong."
"No. Not that," Max shook her head, looking down at her feet and then back up into his eyes. "Don't forget what I said this morning."
Forget? How could he forget?
"I meant it, Alec," she whispered, staring at him intently. "I do love you."
TBC
Author's notes:
Yeah, I know that it was cruel to leave things there. Those who know me, know that I like to tell stories in third person retrospective. So as you can guess I will be explaining how it came that Max said those words to Alec in the next chapter. Now, those who know me, also know that if you want to read the next part you better keep the pressure on me to finish it, as I tend to slack off. So drop me a line at Rhasa4@yahoo.com or hit review or whatever to get on my case.
My offer to take requests also still stands. The dream sequence was in response to one of your suggestions - I hope you enjoyed it. (Did you guess Alec was dreaming? Or did you really think I had brought Logan back??)
Today 'They' Won the Battle Part 8 By Rhasa
Alec's heart was pounding; its furious rhythm outstripping the rapid tempo of his heavy footsteps thumping against the concrete.
He mentally cursed.
It seemed like he had been running forever, he had completely lost track of time. He knew that he couldn't keep going at this pace indefinitely. Even X5's had their limits, and Alec was beginning to worry that with every other step he took, he was fast approaching his. He needed to rest. He risked a quick glance behind to see if he had lost his pursuers. No such luck. Whoever these guys were they weren't giving up easily.
The streets he found himself on passed by in a blur, as did its occupants. All sights and sounds before him seemed to pale in comparison to the heavy panting breathes he was drawing. His mouth was dry; his muscles ached as his heart beat on and on, faster and faster.
He tried hard to think just how he had got himself into this mess. Last thing he had remembered was talking to one of his black-market suppliers down at the docks. There was a scuffle, and then everything seemed to blur. The details didn't matter now. All that mattered was whether he could reach the next corner with enough distance between him and the goons behind, for him to manage a quick diversion, losing their sorry, but persistent, asses.
Another quick glance and Alec felt confident that he could lose these guys. Up ahead the narrow alleyway fanned out onto the main street once more. He knew this area well - having frequented it often before his Terminal City days, many a time trawling for cheap company on those cold lonely nights that once plagued him.
He made a sharp right turn at the desired point and head off with renewed stamina towards a green door, one of several, immediately to his right. He hoped and even prayed that the Chinaman he passed just as he stepped through would somehow block those who were after him. He had taken a dozen or so steps when his prayers were answered with a resounding crash amongst muttered curses and cries. A few minutes later, he allowed himself to relax, albeit slightly. It seemed that he had lost them.
His brush with the unstoppable strangers had left him a little more shaken up than he had realised, as he found himself back at Terminal City in no time at all - the return trip not registering in his consciousness. He wasted no time searching for Max, looking for her in the command centre, mess and even infirmary before heading off towards her quarters.
The sight of the door to Max's quarters being open unsettled him a little, but not nearly as much as the laugh that wafted through it and the familiar voice that followed. Alec tentatively pushed the door open further with the tip of one finger and stepped half-way through, stopping in complete surprise at the sight before him.
"Heya, Alec."
Logan.
The arrival of this sudden 'guest' left Alec's mouth drier than it was before. He nodded briefly towards the older man, words failing him- from surprise or some other emotion he wasn't sure. A small cry shook some sense into him as he turned his eyes towards a smiling and, what looked like, a deliriously happy, Max. She was holding a squirming Jed on her hip.
"Isn't it wonderful?" Max beamed towards a dumbfounded Alec.
"What?" he asked, his voice managing somehow to scratch out that single word.
"Logan's come back to us," she smiled. "For good."
"What?" Alec asked, clearly needing more information to process this sudden turn of events.
"That's right buddy," a gloating Logan chuckled. "I decided I couldn't stay away any longer. I've given up Eyes Only. I thought I would come and fight the good fight alongside my girl here," he added with a smile, staring intently into Max's sparkling eyes and reaching out a hand towards Jed, ruffling the unsettled youngster's hair.
Alec stood watching the strange scene before him. It disturbed him, for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the moment.
To his credit, Jed whimpered, when Logan touched him. The older man clearly not worried with the child's rejection, continued his attempts to placate him without success.
"Wh-What about the toxins?" Alec asked finally, his voice a little too meek for his own liking.
"Yeah, well. You know what they say. No guts no glory. I'm willing to take the risk, if it means I get to see Max every day."
"What about the cure to the virus? I thought you had leads up in Canada? Ex
Manticore scientists seemed to flock there in droves and all that," Alec said.
"That's true," Logan nodded. "I've spent the better part of three months
chasing ex techs down with limited luck. But I can follow leads just as well
from my new base of operations."
"Which is where?" Alec asked, a sickening sensation forming in the pit of
his stomach.
"Here."
"Here, as in, here in this room *here*?" Alec couldn't help his voice from going higher, as he pointed to the ground indicating the very place they were all standing.
"Logan's moving in with me," Max clarified.
"Moving in?"
"Yeah," she said.
"What about the virus?" Alec asked, Max, wondering if only for a moment if he was the only one in the room that hadn't lost his mind.
"We'll be careful," she replied with a casual shrug.
"Ah, no offence, Max, but you've been down that road before and it hasn't exactly worked out all that well, if you'll remember," Alec replied sarcastically.
"We'll be *extra* careful," she emphasised.
"Yeah, so, feel free to book it out of here whenever you want," Logan suggested to Alec.
"What are you talking about?" The transgenic asked.
"Max doesn't need you anymore," Logan stated bluntly. "I'm here now."
"What?"
"Face it, Alec. You're a solo kind of guy. Nothing wrong with that. It's the way you were designed. You've probably been dying to bust out of here since the day you all holed up. Well, now's your chance. I'm here now, and the logical choice for the new second in command, a good go-between for the transgenics and the ordinaries. Maybe we can get something done around here now. Maybe, now, the real negotiations will begin."
Alec stood and stared - completely speechless.
"This is a good thing, Alec," Max tried to convince him. "It means I don't have to come to you with all my problems. No more dumping on Alec," she threw at him over her shoulder.
"Oh, I wouldn't call it 'dumping'," Alec replied, his voice clearly strained, while he tried desperately to get a handle on what was happening.
"Well, whatever you want to call it, there won't be any of it anymore," Logan growled.
"So you're free to return to your footloose and fancy free kinda days," Max
said.
"I would say that those days are pretty much over now, Max," Alec said, nodding in the direction of his son.
"Oh, haven't I told you the best news of all?" Max smiled. "Logan has agreed
to adopt Jed."
"He'll be our son," Logan announced while beaming with happiness. "Max's and mine."
A feeling of absolute dread filled Alec only to be almost instantly replaced
with a searing anger.
"WHAT?" he yelled. "Over my dead body!"
"Well if that's the way it's gotta be," Logan shouted as his hand reached inside of his jacket.
Everything next seemed to happen so fast but at the same time, Alec saw it in slow motion. It didn't make any sense. Logan pulled the gun before Alec could even register his actions as a threat. Nevertheless, Alec blurred and managed to grapple Logan, the ordinary surprising him with his strength, which prevented Alec from getting the advantage. They both had a tight grip on the weapon. Alec seemed to have forgotten all one-on-one combat moves while he fought to ply the gun from Logan's hands.
He looked up into his enemy's eyes to find him grinning maniacally. This didn't make any sense. Why would Logan be trying to kill him? For a brief moment Alec tried to locate Max, maybe she could put a stop to this madness. But before he could glance back over his shoulder, a shot rang out, and piercing cries filled the air.
Alec spun around quickly, forgetting the threat from Logan, concerned only by the noise behind him. He saw them slumped in the corner of the room. Jed's screams rebounding off the bare walls. Alec tried to move towards them but his feet felt as if they were made of lead. What the hell was wrong with him? He had to get to them. Which each step Jed's screams grew louder and louder and then Max's voice began to call to him as well.
"Alec," she cried.
His heart was pounding with his efforts. If he could just get to them.
"Alec," she cried again, as Jed's cries intensified.
"Alec!"
I'm coming, he tried to reply.
"Alec!" came Max's voice, a little stronger this time.
Alec sat bolt upright. His heart was racing as it had been in his dream. He drew in a deep shuddering breath as the realisation that he had been having a nightmare dawned on him. Thank god. He drew a shaky hand across his face as he reached up to rub his eyes, trying to wake further. It took him a few seconds before he realised that it was Max's hand that lay softly on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I dreamed he shot him," Alec whispered softly, still not free from the remnants of the dream.
"Shot who?" Max asked, concern tinging her voice.
"Nevermind," Alec sighed, after a moment, as he turned to face her and stood. "Is it time?" he queried, as he took in the level of activity around him.
Half a dozen transgenics were moving around the command centre, buzzing about in preparation for their latest "raid". Alec marvelled at the fact that he had managed to get any sleep at all on the makeshift cot that they had erected next to the stairwell, with all the noise - but then again, the last few nights he had been up trying to settle Jed to sleep.
His heart tugged at him as he thought of his son. The experience of being concerned for a child, was something new to him. He shook his head slightly, as if to rid him of his concern, and reassured himself that his boy was safe and being looked after by Gem for the time being.
"We move out in ten - fifteen minutes," Max replied with a deep sigh, breaking his thoughts. "Did you get much sleep?"
"I'll be okay," Alec answered, while looking up at her, noticing a hardness to her features.
It wasn't tiredness that he saw reflected in her eyes. She was concerned. The news that two transgenics had broke curfew and gone outside Terminal City without permission and subsequently been captured by the Seattle PD, had taken its toll on her. She felt responsible for T.C's inhabitants. And although they had disobeyed a direct order, a fact that Mole kept reiterating along with his objection to the current plan, she was damned if she was going to let them rot inside a Seattle PD cell or be handed over to White and his band of merry men to have god-knows-what done to them. The little "rescue" mission they were about to embark on, was put together quickly - too quickly for her liking. But with White undoubtedly onto the arrest they didn't have as much time to plan as she would have liked. She had only permitted Alec a half hour of 'sleep' before they moved out because that was the minimum amount of time it had taken Luke to obtain the plans to the new Seattle PD detention centre, where her fellow transgenics were being held.
"Everyone ready?" Alec asked, as he put on his jacket and tightened the buckle of the shoulder holster he was wearing.
"As ready as they're gonna be," she offered.
Alec nodded as he stepped in line and walked in silence with her to the northwest tunnel where the trucks were parked. They watched nervously as the group poured into the vehicles, each deep in their own thoughts and concerns, Alec trying desperately to not let his dream and the emotions it had dredged up, distract him.
He managed a quick glance in Max's direction to find that she was chewing her bottom lip. He watched as Max caught Mole looking at her from the front of the first truck causing her to quickly lifted her head a little higher and square her shoulders more. She didn't want her "men" to see she was worried. Alec knew better.
"It's going to be alright," he tried to reassure her.
"I don't like these hit and run raids, they always end badly," she said, more to herself than to him.
"We'll be fine. We have more than enough man power and armoury to take them out if it comes to that," he offered meekly.
"Well, let's just hope it doesn't come to that," she turned to face him. "I don't want you to take any risks, Alec. I'm not going to be there to rescue your ass. In and out. Simple-like. Quiet-like. Undetectable. We only resort to bringing in the rest of the team if. if.
"If my part fails?"
"If things go wrong," she clarified quickly. "Got that?"
"Yeah, okay boss," he smiled, not being able to help himself.
"I'm serious, Alec," she snapped, annoyed that he may be taking this too lightly.
"I know you are," he said, as he looked once again into her eyes that held the same worry and fear as they had as they had at breakfast.
"Okay, come on!" Mole called to him.
Alec flashed Max one of his trademark grins. "Later," he said and began to walk off.
"Don't forget what I told you," Max said, as she grabbed his arm before he could move beyond her reach, more desperation in her voice than she would have liked.
"I won't," Alec grinned. "In and out. Simple-like. Quiet-like. Undetectable. We only resort to bringing in the rest of the team if things go wrong."
"No. Not that," Max shook her head, looking down at her feet and then back up into his eyes. "Don't forget what I said this morning."
Forget? How could he forget?
"I meant it, Alec," she whispered, staring at him intently. "I do love you."
TBC
Author's notes:
Yeah, I know that it was cruel to leave things there. Those who know me, know that I like to tell stories in third person retrospective. So as you can guess I will be explaining how it came that Max said those words to Alec in the next chapter. Now, those who know me, also know that if you want to read the next part you better keep the pressure on me to finish it, as I tend to slack off. So drop me a line at Rhasa4@yahoo.com or hit review or whatever to get on my case.
My offer to take requests also still stands. The dream sequence was in response to one of your suggestions - I hope you enjoyed it. (Did you guess Alec was dreaming? Or did you really think I had brought Logan back??)