Today 'They' Won the Battle part 15

By Rhasa

Rating PG 13

Disclaimer: Not mine. No money is being made. No infringement intended.

It took a full thirty minutes - half of which was spent vehemently arguing with both Kyra and Logan - for Max to literally drag herself to the command centre. There was no way that she was going to remain in the infirmary once she heard the news of Alec's capture. A drugged and badly injured X5 was still an X5, and despite thinking he had the upper hand for a while when Max was still on the cot, Logan found he couldn't keep her down when she was hell bent on getting word about Alec. Logan finally gave up and assisted her for the last twenty metres or so, after she grabbed the wall near the stairs and began to sway - drops of sweat running from her brow. He was afraid that if he didn't help her, she would have collapsed.

Logan had wondered if it was wise of Kyra to fill Max in on all the details of Alec's capture. But Max had been insistent about it.

Max had gritted her teeth in anger. "Tell me. Tell me everything," she had demanded of him.

But it was Kyra who fully apprised Max of their situation.

"Yesterday, Alec and Mole left to go after Jed and Joshua," Kyra told her solemnly.

"By themselves?" Max cried in disbelief. "Without backup?"

"Yes," Kyra answered honestly.

"We have to find them," Max said with urgency. "We have to get them back."

Kyra looked down, shuffled her feet uncomfortably, and stole a glance towards Logan, who tried to avoid eye contact. Their body language did not go unnoticed by Max.

"What aren't you telling me, Kyra?" she asked. Kyra's hesitation in answering only made Max more uneasy. "Kyra, tell me," she demanded.

Kyra looked up at her leader, and shook the hesitation from her stance. She stared straight into Max's eyes and gave it to her straight. "Alec traded himself for Joshua."

"Traded?" Max queried. "I don't understand. Alec wouldn't 'trade' himself, or anyone else for that matter, for anything. X5s do not negotiate for anything, least of all hostages."

It was one of the first things they had learnt at Manticore. Negotiation and trading is not an option. Doubly so when it comes to Ames White, Max thought. Deep down inside, Max knew Alec would not have been so stupid as to fall for the cultist's trap.

"Well, for whatever his reasons, Alec 'did' trade himself for Joshua," said Kyra

"Then we know where to find him," Max said optimistically. "Joshua could give us some idea of his location. Some clue. Even if he was blindfolded and never saw where he was held. It's a starting point…We have to talk to Josh—" Max, began as she turned to leave to find her 'big' fella.

"Max, wait, no," Logan called, as he grabbed her arm before she was out of reach.

"Come on, Logan. There's no time to waste!" Max cursed Logan inwardly for trying to stop her.

"No. There's more. Wait," the older man tried to explain. "Please," he pleaded with her. "There's more. And there's no easy way of saying this, so I'm just going to tell you what happened." Before continuing, Logan looked at Kyra, seeking support. Kyra nodded. "Max, we know Alec traded himself for Joshua because a message was delivered not long after he and Mole left Terminal City to find Jed, Joshua and White."

"What did the message say?"

"The message 'was' Joshua. His…… body ……was dumped at the north gate. He's dead, Max. Joshua's dead. White killed him. Beat him to death, it looks like. A warning accompanied the body. It alluded to the trade and said if White didn't get Ray back soon, they'd be making another 'delivery', only next time it would be Alec's body. To 'assist' us with a quick reply, they also sent the tape."

Max felt her insides swimming. Nausea built up inside of her. She heard and felt a pounding in her ears. Could it be true? Joshua dead? Not her sweet, lovable Joshua. She suddenly felt that she couldn't breathe. Her lungs heaved and ached and she tried to draw in breath. She was only vaguely away of Logan's arms around her, guiding her to a nearby chair. A chilled sweat broke swept over her body as Logan admonished Kyra, "I knew telling her was a bad idea. It's too soon. She's too weak…"

Max took a few deep breaths.

"Max, I think you had better lie down, " Logan told her.

She opened her eyes willing the sots before them to clear. "I want to see the tape," she whispered, her words weak

"I don't think that would be a good idea, Max," Logan replied.

"I want to see Joshua."

Logan knelt beside her. "You need to rest. You're weak; I don't think you understand what you've been through."

She raised her face to look at the older man before her and read the worry in his eyes. Pushing that aside she told him, "I want to see the tape. It's too late for Joshua, but maybe it's not too late for Alec."

"I don't think that's a good idea-"

"I don't give a damn what she think," she said gruffly.

After a few tense moments of silence, Logan did the only thing he thought he could do. He nodded silently, rose and held out his hand to help her up.

By the time Max arrived at the command centre, word had spread of her 'recovery' resulting in a somewhat larger than usual crowd drawing close to the Hub of Terminal City.

The whispers surrounding her sudden reappearance in the command centre went unnoticed by Max, but not so by Logan, who was trying hard to ignore the comments.

"God she looks bad."

"I thought the word was she wouldn't pull through?"

"Have you looked at her? She still mightn't."

"It obvious she's just heard about Alec."

"Talk about not pulling through. He's as good as dead."

"We don't know that."

"If she's here, then there's hope for Alec and Jed. Too bad about Joshua…"

"This is White we're talking about. There is no hope where he's concern. No mercy either. Alec's as good as dead, I tell ya'. Better get used to the idea."

Logan turned his attention away from the transgenics and back towards Max. She was on the mezzanine huddled over the large table that was the heart of the command centre, clutching her side.

He couldn't understand why she was doing this. She wasn't anywhere near being well enough to be giving orders. She needed her rest. White already had Alec; there was little she could do for him now in her present state. With his hand on the rail, he climbed the stairs, his exoskeleton whirring slowly. He couldn't help wonder to himself, just what it was she hoped to achieve by dragging herself out of bed. As he drew closer, he could hear the conversation between herself and Dix.

'….you sure?" she was asking Dix to confirm something. Tears were in her eyes.

"Yes," Dix replied.

"I want to see it."

"Max, no," Dix implored.

"Yes. I have to. I have to see for myself," she told him softly.

Taking in the sadness in her eyes, Dix looked away. "No. Just take my word," he begged. "Our word," he said with a sweep of his hand to take in Luke and Travis who were sitting off slightly to one side within earshot. "It's authentic."

"But they could do all sorts of tricks," she offered in a weak tear choked reply.

"No Max. Not this time. It's him," Dix said looking down, not wanting to see the pain in her eyes, not wanting to be the one to confirm the awful truth for her.

"But they can clone. It could be a clone. Another twin?"

"We thought of that. But we saw his scar, his bullet wound from when the siege began. The stab wound he took on the Korean heist. They're identifying features. It's him."

"Then I want to see it! Show it to me," She said with more force, as tears started to fall down her cheeks.

"Max, no,' Travis began, as he came to stand next to Dix offering as much support to his friend as he could.

"SHOW ME THE DAMN TAPE!" she yelled, before what strength she had that was supporting her gave out causing her to collapse towards the table.

Logan caught her just in time. She winced as the arm that he was using to steady her brushed against her injuries. "I got ya," he whispered in her ear.

A small sob broke from her throat. She was in so much pain, she was almost to the point of total exhaustion, but most of all she was worried and fearful…… fearful that what they were saying was indeed true. White had Alec. White had Jed. White had Alec…… and Joshua was dead.

The tears continued to flow down her cheeks, she couldn't help them. With every breath she took in an attempt to quell her sobs, her chest ached with a fire that seemed unbearable. It was too much…… It was all too much…..

As the pain began to ebb away once more, she began to get her breathing under control. She once again came back to herself, only to find herself being cradled protectively in Logan's lap, his hand making gentle soothing strokes against her back. She looked up into his eyes. It had been such a long time since she had seen him. A long, long time since she had really looked into his soul. She saw some familiar emotions within the depths of his eyes – his concern for her – that always present worry he had for her safety and well being – and …. and his love. It was there just beneath the surface. She had wondered over the many months since they parted if he would still love her as he claimed he would when he first left. She had wondered, but never really hoped.

"You need to rest," he gently admonished her. "You can't do him any good if you collapse on us again."

Max sat there looking at him. Could he tell? Could he tell what was exactly in her heart? She had once thought that she would love the man that was now before her forever. But what they had had together had been so long ago… and she had been another person. Alec. Her heart burst at the thought of him. Alec……

"I need to know," she whispered back at him.

Logan nodded softly, as Max turned back towards Dix.

"I need to know it all. How did it happen? Why it happened. And I need to see the tape," she added almost politely. "Please Dix. It's Alec. I need to see him."

"Are you sure?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she cried.

She no longer tried to hide the tears. A part of her deep down inside felt that it was wrong to show such weakness in front of the others. But she was beyond caring what anyone else thought. Besides, she wasn't the only one who was crying.

Most of those in the command centre couldn't force themselves to watch all of the recording of Alec's torture. They had been enduring it for the past half hour. Some had left; two or maybe more had turned hastily away to throw up - the brutality of the branding too much for them to bear. Others stood watching stoically as White and his goons took turns in beating Alec, only to look away when the bastards resorted to more, as they put it, 'persuasive' methods.

Max sat and watched. Her legs wouldn't support her. Tears streamed down her face, as they beat, burnt, stabbed, and strangled to near unconsciousness, a helpless Alec. She knew what she were witnessing wasn't the first round of torture that had inflicted upon him. When White had dragged Alec before the camera he was already broken and subdued, so much so, that throughout all that she witnessed him endure, not once did he scream or cry out. He was reduced to flinching and wincing, all the while White ranted and raved, spat, kicked, and demanded to know where his son was.

Oh god. Alec, I'm so sorry, Max thought.

She was struggling to get some control over her emotions, to allow herself to think this thing through more clearly, but the pain she felt was almost overwhelming. To see Alec suffering like that, endearing such intolerable pain that because of something she had done……White wanted his son. Ray. The son that Max and Logan had 'rescued' and placed into hiding in order to protect him from his sadistic father.

Max closed her eyes tightly, trying desperately to overcome her grief and to think. Why now? After all this time. Why is he so desperate to get Ray back now? And how can we help Alec?

"……an eye for an eye!" White was screaming at Alec when Max opened her eyes again. Alec was draped between the arms of two of White's goons, dangling there like a rag doll. Max watched his chest, partly obscured by his head that hung limply in front of him, rise and fall rapidly, relieved to know that at least he was still breathing.

"Revenge!" White was screaming now, as he bent to raise Alec's face in his hands. "Look at me you filfth!" White spat in Alec's face.

Max held her breath as Alec's head rose, cupped in the palm of White's hand. A slap from White and he opened his severely swollen eyes. Max gasped. He was not looking at White; he was looking directly at the camera. He was looking directly at her…… as if he knew….. knew that she would see this….. She was sure, he was looking just at her…. The light in the room in which he was held was enough for Max to see the deep red from the hemorrhaging behind his eyes. She looked deep into those wounded eyes, her heart breaking at the pain, the loss, and most of all the regret she saw there.

Oh god, Alec, she cried. Not like this, she thought. Anything but this……

He continued to stare directly ahead, his gaze defiant. Max gazed back at him a full ten seconds before she realised that Dix had stopped the tape."

"What?" she said, as she hastily wiped at her face.

"There's no need to see more."

"Why?"

"Because, I can just tell you the rest," Dix offered.

"No. I want to see it all."

"Max. It isn't suitable for everyone to see," Travis said jerking his head in the direction of the others that were still watching.

"They can leave if they want to," she said abruptly. "They can leave….."

But no one did. They stayed as a hesitant Dix gave in and pushed play once more.

"You will see what it is like to miss a son!" White shouted before he moved out of camera shot. A moment later, he returned holding a screaming Jed in his arms.

To be continued…..

Author's Note:

I have to thank Care Bear 369369 for kickin' my butt. Because without said butt kick, I think I would have probably abandoned this fic all together. After I wrote it once, and then lost it, I just couldn't seem to get past Alec's capture and torture. It was just too dark, too depressing in my mind and I didn't really want to tackle it. As for the cliff hangers, I know they really annoy some of you, but I can't help it. They just come out that way.

I would love to receive some reviews for this. Please review or drop me a line at my new email address