Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: So in my efforts to rewrite Hope, this chapter has added another 30 to its word count, as well as being rearranged until almost nothing is where it was first time round.
Chapter 1: A plank in Reason, broke
You held what we were looking for
Max stood up in the hill, gazing at the funeral pyre that was Manticore. It truly was a pretty blaze, long licks of flame rising from the labs, the odd explosion as volatile gas cylinders succumbed to the heat, sending sparks into the starry night sky.
"Well I guess you did it, 452"
Max glanced to the side at the man standing next to her. She felt a twinge when she realised that she had robbed him of the only home he had ever known.
"We did it. And my name is Max." She stuck out a hand and quirked a smile. "Nice to meet you."
Her partner in crime grinned and shook it. "Well, I'm called Alec."
"Just Alec?"
Alec grinned and winked at her. "Yeah, just Alec. Like Madonna and Cher."
Max quirked an eyebrow. "How'd you-"
"Common Verbal Usage 101, Maxie."
"Don't call me Maxie." She swatted his arm, then turned back to look once more at the burning Manticore, the sight oddly compelling.
Alec shuffled his feet beside her, then pointed down towards the droves of transgenic making their way through the forest.
"So. What'cha gonna do with all the strays you picked up?"
Max gaped at him. "What am I gonna do?"
"Well, yeah. You set 'em free on an unsuspecting world. So you're kinda responsible for them." He turned to walk away.
Max gaped at his retreating back and then jogged to catch up. "Hey, you helped you know!"
They were still bickering on just who was responsible for what when they caught up with the first of the Manticore refugees.
Max gasped as she bolted upright in bed, visions of fire and heat and flames dancing before blurry eyes.
"Where is it?" She frantically patted down the sheets around her body, heart fluttering its way free from her chest, hands shaking while swiping tears from blurry eyes.
"Where is it? Where's it gone?" Max tore through her room searching for she knew not what before finally collapsing on her bed and into the arms of sleep.
Cries of protest rang down the street marking the path of two bicycles hurtling down the route as fast as possible. Angry shoppers and loiterers jumped out of the way, some more successfully than others as the riders continued blissfully onwards, disregarding the chaos they left in their wake.
"Come on Alec. We're gonna be late!" Max yelled over her shoulder, barely managing to turn the bike before it rammed an old woman with a pram full of cans. Vaguely she heard her almost victim shout profanities after her.
Alec laughed, hazel eyes flashing as he followed: "Don't know why I should worry. Normal would forgive me just about anything. You however…" He let his comment taper off.
Max smirked: "Well, Montycora, I don't know about everything but I'm sure he would be willing to negotiate if you turn up in that toga costume."
Alec's bike wobbled. "That's a low blow, Maxie. Is it my fault everybody falls for my good looks and charm."
Max suppressed a smile: "Come on then charmboy. Let's get to work before Normal fries both our asses and even your 'Get out of trouble free' cards don't do the job anymore."
As they drove on, scattering hapless pedestrians in their wake, both transgenics smiled.
In the month since their destruction of Manticore some normality had returned to their lives. The transgenics had holed up in a desolate part of Seattle, fondly known as Terminal City. The more esoteric members of their little family did their best to make the place defensible as well as moderately liveable, while the X-5s and X-6s were slowly getting jobs and spreading through the city.
Slowly but surely things were getting better, Max finally working on getting the family she had always wanted. The family she had fled Manticore with might be lost to her, having disappeared once more, but the ache was getting less from day to day.
Life was good.
Helplessly, weak as a kitten, Max clutched the toilet bowl as another convulsion wracked her petite frame. Bile rose in her throat only to be spit out.
Shaking fingers reached up to push sweat-drenched hair from a pasty-white face.
"Boo?" Cindy's worried voice floated into the pristine silence of the room. "You okay?"
"It's open." Max managed to squeeze the words past the agony of her overly abused throat, then swallowed harshly as another bout of nausea attempted to rid her body of something no longer there.
The door creaked open and Cindy peaked in. She couldn't hold back the gasp as she saw the sorry state her best friend was in. In a flash she was beside Max, cooing softly as she wet a washcloth and laid it against Max's sweaty forehead, the other hand flushing the toilet.
"How long you been like this?"
"Coupla hours." Max mumbled.
"Hours? Why didn't you call me, Max?"
"Didn't want to wake ya."
Cindy huffed, but decided to save the reaming out for another time when her friend did not look so pitiful.
"You're sick, boo. We should take you to the doctor."
"No! No doctor. It will be better tomorrow. Goes away after a while."
Cindy thought over things and forced herself to ask: "Max, you couldn't by any chance be pregnant?"
Max gulped, fighting back another wave of nausea. "No, definitely not. You know it takes two to tango, or put a bread in the oven."
"Come again."
Max grimaced. "It's been two months since we left good old hell on earth and I haven't - um since Rafer."
"Damn, girl. It been that long?"
"Yup. No lovin for this gal." Max attempted to make a joke of it, but the feelings churning through her stomach made the gesture fall flat.
Cindy smiled, still deeply worried.
Moving slowly she got Max into a standing position, then slowly helped her back to bed. After tucking her in and placing a trashcan beside her bed, she said: "Well, there's no way you're going to work today. I'll tell Normal. If you're not better in two days we're going to the doctor, whether ya want to or not."
Max nodded feebly, turned on her side and fell into a restless sleep.
Two days later she was back on her feet.
Crash was heaving with bodies. Some filling the dance floor, swaying in the grip of the base, moving with the beat of the drums. A few were standing around the dance floor, while most of the people were watching a tall young man with hazel eyes take on anybody foolish enough to challenge him at pool.
A very few were sitting at the high tables scattered around the room, caressing cold beers, lost in thought.
"What's up, boo?" A cheerful voice interrupted Max's reverie.
"What d'ya mean?" She attempted flippancy.
"Nothing. Just, you've been staring awfully hard at your beer there. And I just thought there might be something botherin' ya. Or something really wrong with the beer."
"Haven't been sleeping well." Max mumbled just loud enough for her friend to hear .
This slightly worried O.C. Max didn't sleep much at the best of times she knew. "That virus thing still botherin' you?" She ventured.
Max considered the thought then dismissed it with a flick of her wrist. "Nah. That Manticore lab rat we picked up a few weeks ago subdued it. No real cure though. Just means that I can't kill Logan with a touch."
"You don't seem too cut up about it."
Max blinked in surprise. "What gave you the idea that I'd be really cut about it? I mean, yeah, the no-touching thing sucked big time, but it is not like we're star-crossed lovers or anything."
Now it was Cindy's turn to be surprised. "Coulda fooled me, boo. Way you were carryin on. All dinners at his place and the funky chicken dance in dream-space."
Max grew serious: "I'm not denying I was attracted to the man, but sometimes I wondered. If he hadn't caught me and offered that quid pro quo thing -"
"Would you have gotten together at all?" Cindy finished for her.
Max nodded. "And he just doesn't get it. How important these people -" She waved vaguely at the transgenics dotted throughout the room. "How important they are to me.
"We have so much to do to get organised and safe and there he is constantly asking for my help. He did his Eyes Only shit perfectly fine without me before, why can't he now?"
"I get where you're coming from, boo, really I do. So, if Logan's not the one messing with yer sleep who is?"
"Been havin' weird dreams lately, but can't seem to remember them."
Something was tickling the edge of Max's memory, just out of reach. The vague feeling that something was missing, something vital. Something that she should be remembering.
"Hey! How's my favourite girls?" Alec bounced up behind them and once again the fleeting feeling retreated to the depths of Max's mind. Alec plopped down between them and gave both girls a quick hug.
"Hey boo. How's the ripping off of innocent bystanders?"
"If they want to throw their money my way, who am I to deny them the gratification?" Alec grinned unrepentantly.
Her morose mood lifted by Alec's chipper mood, Max allowed herself a smile. The sniggered inside. Chipper made him sound like a deranged chipmunk.
O.C. outright laughed and stuck her hand out. "Well, hand over some then. The next round's on you, loverboy."
"If only." Alec quipped handing over the money. He let himself drop into the chair Cindy had just vacated, muttering something about keeping her seat warm. After a quick glance at Max, who once more seemed entranced by her rapidly flattening beer, he let his eyes scan the room, slowly becoming lost in his own thoughts.
After a time Max gazed at him, unused to this quiet side of the usually gregarious Alec. Sure he'd changed in their months away from Manticore. He'd gone from being the perfect soldier, well mostly perfect soldier, to somebody who fit in, had friends and above all a life. And she liked to think that she had some role in that, helping him find his feet.
Narrowing her eyes she gave him a careful once over. There was something else there tonight, something familiar, a shadow beneath the eyes, something lurking in the hazel depths. It called to her.
"Are you okay?" It burst out of her, causing his head to jerk up in surprise.
"Of course. I'm always alright." His customary smile was missing as he threw out his trademark phrase.
Perhaps something in Max's eyes caught his attention, as his brow furrowed even as his words faded into silence. Something reflected in her eyes, achingly familiar.
They started as O.C. laughingly plonked down a pitcher of beer, bubbling with laughter as she told of the latest honey to catch her eye. The moment was lost.
Max tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable spot in her bed. Her back ached, and she felt too hot, and in turn too cold without the sheets.
She had no idea what was bothering her, just this insane urge to be up and about. Every night for the last week she'd walked the streets of the city, restless and aware. It was ridiculous.
Huffing with disgust, Max admitted defeat once more and bounded out of bed, slipping back into the clothes she had only removed a scarce hour before.
Like a caged lion she paced the confines of her room, fiddling with her sparse belongings. She made her bed and wiped the dust from her sideboard.
Max was just contemplating doing her laundry, when she snapped out of whatever was keeping her awake. Her vision wobbled and she swayed in place as weariness swamped her like a wave. Dropping her clothes to the floor, she stumbled to her bed and let herself fall facedown on the spread.
She slipped away into the now familiar dreams of fire and flames and the knowledge that something was missing.
"Come on guys, I'm hungry." Max yelled back into JamPony. Work was finally over for the day and she couldn't wait to leave. Impatiently dancing in one spot she waited for her friends to catch up.
Cindy smiled, glad that her friend was once again becoming the girl she had met so long ago. The Max that had first come back from Manticore had walked with the weight of the world on her shoulders. Not surprising really, considering what she had been through.
Add to that her sleepless nights and strange bouts of nausea and you ended with a few very stressful months.
Thankfully the dreams and nausea had abated on their own and long nights of talking had begun to deal with the former. Things were becoming as closely back to normal as it was possible for her crazy friend.
Alec outright laughed at his friend's antics, glad the firecracker had taken the place of the subdued and sullenly reluctant prisoner he had first met. Reaching out, he ruffled her hair, surprised at the burst of warmth blossoming in his chest.
Max beamed at him, leaning into his touch ever so slightly, grabbed one of his hands and dragged him off to the diner down the road.
Smiling, Cindy followed, already contemplating what the menu might hold for the day. Supply to the town was as erratic as ever, so you never knew what it would be possible to get, but the diner was famous for being able to make a good meal out of thin air. If that meant they were scouting the black market, well she didn't care, as long as she was fed. Fortunately at that time of night the diner was never too full, but it also wasn't so late that Kathy the waitress was too tired to be friendly.
"Hey you three. What can I get'cha?" Kathy smiled at them, brown eyes twinkling behind her glasses.
Alec gestured for the girls to go first.
"What's the special today?" Cindy asked.
"We've got meatloaf and apple pie. Apples are from a tin but taste almost as good as fresh."
"Okay, I'll have that then and a beer."
"Will do." Kathy turned to Max.
"Um meatloaf, the pie. Do you have milk?" She asked hopefully, then added: "And maybe some pickles?"
Kathy smiled and nodded.
Alec gracefully bowed to the majority and also asked for the meatloaf.
The time spent waiting passed in a flash as they exchanged stories about work, the happenings in Terminal City and Sketchy's latest dumbass plans.
"Where is he anyway?" Max enquired.
Cindy burst out laughing, while Alec only just managed to control himself long enough to say: "He said he wanted a change. So he tried to die his hair purple. But he's allergic to something in the mix and now he has blue blotches all over his face."
Laughter reverberated through the café.
"My, you are a merry bunch." Kathy commented as she brought the first load of plates. Soon each of them had a plate in front of them and was digging in. Kathy's husband Andy really was a genius in the kitchen.
Max scrunched her nose. Her meatloaf didn't taste right. A quick glance at Cindy and Alec showed that they held no such reservations, tucking into their food with very much apparent joy. Max looked around searchingly, perusing the condiments arranged on the table.
Her hand darted out and grabbed the mustard and three packets of brown sugar. She just knew the white wouldn't be right. After pouring the sugar over the pickles, she added three spoonfuls of mustard and mashed it all together with her fork.
Cindy's fork stopped halfway to her mouth as she noticed what Max was doing. She turned faintly green as Max added mayonnaise to the noxious mixture and then spread it over het meatloaf.
Max tried a bite, frowned and then sprinkled everything with generous helpings of Tabasco. Humming with pleasure she tucked in. Alec and Cindy could only watch her, faintly green around the gills.
Kathy had been watching this with interested eyes and couldn't resist to ask: "Are you expecting, ducks?"
Max looked at her in complete incomprehension. "Expecting what?"
Cindy went from horizontal to vertical so fast, she almost blacked out. She gasped for air, heartbeat pulsing madly in her ears, fingers clutching her blanket to her breast.
With no idea what had woken her so suddenly from deep sleep, her eyes frantically tried to pierce the gloom of night. Her room was only very faintly illuminated by a solitary, flickering streetlight outside their building. Normally she was indifferent to the darkness, but that night her mind was conjuring up monsters and worse from the shadows and corners of her room.
Nothing real could be seen and the oppressive silence of the early hours of the night surrounded her, interrupted only once by the faint noise of a passing car on the road. Slowly her heartbeat slowed to normal and sleep tugged at her once more. It had probably only been a bad dream anyway.
On the verge of oblivion, a moan had her eyes snap open again. The sound made her blood run cold with fear as the horrors of the dark reappeared from a long forgotten childhood. With trembling fingers Cindy reached for the light on her bedside table sure that any second now a freezing hand would grab her wrist and drag her off the fate unknown. Light flooded her room, illuminating even the darkest corners and showed - nothing. Her room was empty, cosy in the golden light from the lamp.
"Don't be stupid." she chided herself, voice ringing oddly in the silence of the night. She was too old to be scared of noises in the night. And if there was something there, well it would just have to meet Cindy's wrath. That and the business end of the baseball bat she kept stashed under her bed.
Dragging a light robe around her to stave off the chill of the night, she started to explore the apartment, clicking lights on as she went, more rattled than she cared to admit.
All was quiet in the living room, entry door untouched. Maybe the noise had come from outside.
Another moan filled the flat, causing goose bumps to rise on Cindy's skin. It sounded so pained, as if all the horror in the world had been condensed into one drawn out note of agony. Seriously freaked now Cindy moved towards where she thought the sound had originated from.
"Max." She breathed, hearing clear sounds of distress coming from her best friend's room now that she was closer.
Dreading what she might find, mindful of the nightmares that had plagued her friend for months she was still unable to hold back a gasp of shock at what met her eyes once the door was fully opened.
Max huddled in the far corner of the ruins of her room. Sheets and pillows lay shredded and scattered around the room as did all her clothes and knickknacks. She was muttering to herself, slowly rocking to a beat only she heard.
Cindy was torn, on the one hand she wanted to fly over to her friend's side and find out what was happening to her, on the other she clearly remembered what had happened to the last idiot to storm up to a senseless Max. A quick kick to the head that had put him out of commission for at least five hours and had left a severe headache for a lot longer. But this was her friend, she had to help. And she had faith Max would not hurt her.
"Max? Sweetie?" Her voice was as smooth and calm as she could make it. Max did not even show a sign that she had even heard her. Remembering childhood experiences with frightened animals, Cindy switched to a continuous murmur of assurances and nonsense, slowly edging forward obliquely to Max's position.
"What's the matter, boo?" Again no response, aside from a twitch as she huddled in on herself.
"I'm just going to come a little closer, alright boo?" She was now within a few feet of Max and never in a million years would she admit how unnerved she was by Max right at that moment.
"You can't have it." A voice hissed, sounding nothing like her best friend. Max's head came up and she stared at Cindy with vacant eyes, clearly seeing not her best friend but some wraith haunting her thoughts. Cindy wasn't even sure if she was really awake.
"Max. I need you to look at me."
"Go away!" The voice was filled with venom and a generous helping of terror. "You can't get me here. No-one can get me here. There's nothing." Max's eyes slit and she snarled: "You're not getting it." With no warning she launched herself at her friend, bowling her over in a lightning move, immobilising her on the floor, hands pushing both of hers into the floor.
Max pushed her face close to Cindy's. "You're not getting it. Never again."
"Max, what the hell are you talking about?" Cindy asked, then gasped in fright as Max reared back and literally threw her across the room. A shriek tore itself from Cindy's throat as she impacted the wall hard. The force of it knocked her breath from her lungs in a rush, leaving her dazed and unable to break her fall. She crumpled to the floor, clutching her chest, shaking with shock.
Spots danced in front of her eyes as she stared across the room in the blank eyes of the soldier that wore her best friend's face. She couldn't breath, couldn't seem to force her body to move. Detachment rose in her mind as she watched Max coil in on herself in preparation for the final attack, the last strike.
Blackness rose from the edge of her vision and consciousness faded away. She would die at the hands of her friend and there was nothing she could do about it.