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A Max/Alec fic.
Chapter Fifteen.
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Disclaimer: See previous chapters ...
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A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. I'm happy you guys are still enjoying this story!
I'll respond to some reviews here:
recicup: Yep, Max has a bit of anger management of her own to do, I think. Something's gotta help her work through her issues.
Alec-Lover494: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
452max: Yep, I'm trying to get these chapters up quickly for you guys, I'm happy you're liking it.
Hall: Lol, I'm working on it!
AlecDeanFan: Wow ... well, it is definitely true that Max is being selfish, and not really giving Alec a chance to grieve. We'll have to see what happens, and if she clues in that Alec has feelings too.
Alright, let's get on with the next chapter, shall we?
I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it.
As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!
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It was almost two months before they got a solid lead on White. Thing was, they were fairly certain he'd laid out the breadcrumbs himself, hoping Max would take the bait. It didn't matter. They knew where he was gonna be, that was enough for Max, even Alec. But they didn't want to put anyone else's life at risk.
Max suggested going in alone, hoping to have the element of surprise, but Alec wouldn't have any of that. He told her she wasn't going in there by herself, practically handcuffing her to him.
So, they left it to everyone to decide if they wanted to come on the attack. Many of the X7s came, wanting to avenge Archer's death. Mole and his crew signed up, itching to get out and do some damage. Several of Alec's unit mates from Manticore joined up, Biggs being the first one. Syl and Krit stood by Max's side, ready to back her play. There were over 50 of them in total. Max's emotions swelled at the number of transgenics willing to lay their lives on the line for her, but told herself she would do everything in her power to keep each and ever one of them alive.
She didn't hold anything against the ones remaining at Terminal City. In fact she gave them standing orders for what to do if the worst should happen, naming a temporary CO and SIC, just in case something happened to her and Alec. Joshua wanted to come, but she'd named him SIC, mainly because she didn't want anything to happen to him, and because most everyone in TC knew and respected him.
After three days of solid training as a mass unit, the day of the attack had finally come, and they made their way out of Terminal City. Orgininal Cindy and Sketchy came to see her off, wishing her luck. OC made her promise to come back in one piece, threatening to kick her fine ass if she didn't. Max could see Logan behind them, clearly wanting to say something to her, but she brushed him off, making her way to her bike that was parked beside Alec's. Several transgenics had discovered the wonderful beauty of motorcycles, and a few of them were using them today, but they also brought a few big trucks in case it went bad and they had to bail right away - just load everyone up and go.
They made their way to sector 7, pulling up to an abandoned warehouse. Max, Alec, Syl, Krit and Biggs got off their bikes, taking in the building and examining all the entrances and exits.
Clicking her earpiece, Max told Mole to park the trucks behind the sheds they'd passed on the way in, giving everyone orders to make a stealth approach after they entered the building.
Max knocked her fist with Syl and accepted a reassuring shoulder-squeeze from Alec as they made their way into the building, Krit and Biggs flanking them. They moved slowly, giving the others time to park the trucks and get into position. With their genetically empowered hearing, they could hear soft voices coming from the floor above them. A staircase at the back wall lead to the next floor, but Max could just imagine the bottleneck that would create, leaving her and her team lambs to the slaughter.
She motioned for them to follow her out an open window on their level, catching sight of a fire escape outside of the view of the second-floor windows. They climbed up the ladder to the third floor, judging the distance from the fire escape to the nearest window. Max jumped, catching the ledge with her fingertips and quickly pulled herself up, easing the window open and sliding inside.
The others followed her lead, the jump easier for them as the window was already open. Once inside they stepped lightly, not wanting to give away their position. Mole's voice in her ear told her that they were getting themselves into position, telling her sixty seconds before they were ready to attack. Max whispered her agreement into the earpiece, gripping the hunting knife on her thigh.
She made her way to the staircase, crouching low to peer down onto the level below them. There were about a dozen men that she could see, some of them standing in a circle and chanting over some weird symbol. Great ... frickin' cult, Max thought. Her eyes drifted to the other side of the room where the first staircase had been, and she quickly discovered that she'd been right. There were two men standing on either side of the opening, guns poised to shoot anyone who came up.
Max signaled to Syl and Krit to take them out first, so that the others could come up without getting slaughtered.
They'd been right to assume it was a trap, but it appeared that they still had the stealth approach. No one seemed to be aware that they were above them, not below.
Her internal clock told her it was about time for the coordinated attack, and she held up her fingers for the others to see, waiting for them to move around the opening. Counting down three, two one ... they jumped down the staircase, one after the other, swiftly moving into the room.
The men were clearly surprised to see them coming from above, turning to late. Syl and Krit easily dispatched the men by the opposite staircase, throwing their guns out of their hands and initiating a hand-to-hand fight. Max blurred around the room, hearing Mole and the others come up from the stairs and crash through the windows, attacking everyone that looked like a threat.
Max saw White standing back from the crowd, watching the scene unfold before him. She could see that he was trying to look nonchalant, but it was clear that he hadn't expected so many of them to be there.
The room was getting too crowded, too many flying fists and flailing bodies. She wanted to take her time with White, wanted the time and space to do with him what she wanted.
He saw her staring him down from across the room, smirking as he pulled out his gun once more. Max was ready for him this time, and before he knew what was happening, another transgenic had knocked the gun out of his hand, allowing her the opportunity to charge him, knocking him out the window behind him and crashing from the second story.
When they hit the ground Max came out swinging, cracking her fists, elbows and even her own head against White's, working to knock him unconscious. Max gripped the knife she'd dropped on the way out of the window, raising it above her to drive it into his chest. At the last second he grabbed her arms and diverted the strike, winding up with the knife in his side.
Max expected him to groan out in pain or try to shove her off, but he had almost no reaction. He smirked up at her, kicking her off of him before standing up and pulling the knife out of his side.
"What the hell are you?" she asked, backing away to regain herself.
White smiled, toying with the blade in his hands. "Better than you."
Max rolled her eyes. "We'll see about that." She removed the tachi from the sheath at her back, pulling the glistening blade in front of her and taking an offensive stance. "Round two, White. I owe you a world of pain."
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Alec made his way through the crowd, seeing his fellow transgenics plowing through the enemies in the warehouse, lending a hand where he was needed. There were a lot of people in the run-down building, making it near-impossible to move about without coming into contact with someone. Mole and Biggs were cutting their way through the mob, breaking trail for the others.
He lost sight of Max for a second, and the next second he heard a shattering window slice through the noise around him. His head whipped around to see Max taking White through the window and down to the ground.
He cursed out loud, shoving his way through the soldiers - both friendlies and enemies - making his way to the window. He saw Max attempt to stab him in the heart, but he pulled it away and took the hit in the side. For a second, Alec let himself believe that the fight would soon be over; that Max had wounded him enough to finish him off.
But White took the hit like it didn't even effect him, pushing her away and standing up.
Alec watched as they exchanged words, and Max pulled her new sword out of its holding, preparing to attack him. He watched as the two began circling each other, wondering why it had to be her ... why she had to go at it by herself, why she couldn't let him in. He could help her ... he could be there for her.
He just wished he could get that through to her.
Alec gripped the edge of the broken window, preparing to jump down the distance to Max's side, but he was grabbed from behind, thrown back into the fray.
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End of chapter fifteen.
Well, what did you guys think?
Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful.
Until next time ...!