Max heard a buzzing noise and looked around cautiously. As it got louder, she realized it was coming from overhead. A freakin' hover drone. Great. Max grabbed her baseball cap from her backpack and yanked it on, hoping the drone would go about its business. Thankfully, it did and she made her way to sector 3. It was her last drop of the day before she was going to head home and take a nice long bath. Well, she would if OC had remembered to start heating the H2O on the stove. If not, she'd still find a way to take her much needed bath. Maybe head over to Kendra's apartment or something.
Max pulled up to the checkpoint for sector 3 and flashed the sector police her Jam Pony badge. Fortunately, the cops were in a good mood and let her go on her way; however, the loser whose package she delivered was a bit on the moody side and slammed the door in Max's face. No tip? Not even a penny or something? Come on. She memorized the address, as she made it a habit to avoid delivering to those poor souls who couldn't spare some change for a hard working girl.
Max felt her pager vibrate against her shoulder, where it was attached to the strap of her backpack; she recognized Logan's number and made a mental note to run by his house on the way home. Once she returned back to Jam Pony, she traded her bike for her Ninja and made her way to Logan's penthouse.
Logan was on the phone, staring out the window, when she walked into his living room and sat on his sofa. His face looked concerned, but also relieved as he said, "Okay, Alec. Thanks a lot." He hung up and walked over to where Max was waiting. The air between Logan and Max was tense and awkward, and neither wanted to be the first to break the silence.
But Logan knew he had to get the truth out there. "Max, I assume you saw my cable hack earlier today." He didn't even stop for a response from Max. "Well, naturally I heard about this operation from a source that works with my Eyes Only project. And it seems that Sam Carr isn't all he's cracked up to be. My source hacked into White's computer and happened to get Carr's folder before the hack was compromised. It seems that Dr. Carr has had some dealings with Manticore in the past, something that he has spent a lot of time, and money, trying to hide. You haven't been seeing him recently, have you? I mean, I know you saw him three months ago when you got shot and the whole CDC thing went down, but you haven't had any reason to go back to him, right?"Logan looked at Max, holding his breath.
Max's thoughts flashed back to earlier that day, when Alec had tried to ask her about Dr. Carr, and how she had just brushed him off. For a moment, her stomach tightened and she realized that what Alec & Logan had been saying could be true, although she desperately hoped it wasn't. She looked up at Logan, his worried expression causing him to look sad. Even guilty, Max thought.
Max saw Logan's hand out of her peripheral vision. She wanted to know if the antigen was working, if it really was an antigen. She wanted to touch Logan and comfort him, but to do that, she'd have to explain that she had indeed been seeing Sam Carr. She really didn't want to get into it with Logan. Not now. Max held her head in her hands and sighed as her head started to pound. Must be from the stress. Well, she hoped it was the stress. Could be the antigen. Max felt a tremor run through her body and she started shaking. She thought she heard a voice, maybe Logan's; she couldn't be sure.
Logan saw Max beginning to seize and ran to his kitchen to get some milk to calm her seizures. The Tryptophan in the milk would stop the seizures, as long as they didn't get too violent. If they did, he'd have to get her to a hospital, and he did not want to do that. He pulled two latex gloves from their box in the cabinet, stuffed his hands into them and rushed to Max. The gloves were a barrier between their skin, allowing Logan to touch Max without getting infected with the virus. Logan lifted her head gently, silently willing Max to at open her mouth and drink the milk. He started talking to her, barely whispering close to her ear, "Max, come on. Don't you do this. It's okay. I'll take care of you, just please stop seizing."
Max looked up at Logan and he could see a faint smile form on her face. She managed to take a small sip of the milk, which settled her seizures enough for her to take the glass herself. God. How embarrassing. Now he's going to know something's up.
A few minutes later, her seizures stopped altogether and Max and Logan sat in silence once again. Both were sitting on the sofa, but at opposite ends. What the heck are you doing, Logan? Logan thought to himself. You should comfort her and see if she's okay, not sit here like a socially challenged dork. But I am a dork, Logan fought with himself. Fine, but I don't think she's gonna like it. Logan moved closer to Max, careful not to get too close. He then took her pale hand into his gloved one, giving it a careful and loving sqeeze.
"Max, I—"
"Logan, I—"
Both spoke at the same time, but Logan, being the gentleman, nodded to Max to go first.
"Look, Logan, there's something I need to tell you." Max looked into Logan's green eyes, seeing the confusion and worry of a man expecting the worst, but hoping for the best. "Logan, I—"
She was cut off by Alec, who said, "She's been seeing Sam Carr, Logan. He's been treating her for the past 3 months." Alec was standing against the deep red-painted wall, arms crossed and an expression of arrogance on his face. "And just so ya know, I've been standing here for, oh, five minutes." He flashed a grin to Max, who shot him a menacing glare back.
"What the heck are you doing here, Alec? Didn't Manticore teach you some manners? Such as how to knock when you visit someone, especially unexpectedly!" Max was furious. Alec was always finding some way to come between her and Logan.
"Ah, Maxie, settle down. Logan knew I was comin' over, didn't ya, Buddy?" Alec walked over and sat down on the loveseat, across from Logan and Max.
"He's right, Max. I had told him to drop by if he could." Logan looked over to Alec. "If you could excuse us for a minute."
Logan led Max into his study and motioned for her to sit at his computer desk. "Sam Carr's file is right here. Everything from Manticore up until now. I want you to read it while I speak with Alec. We'll talk about this later." Logan walked back into the living room while Max fumed. I can't believe Alec. I'm gonna shoot him. She shook the thought from her mind and began reading.
"I'm glad you told me, Alec. I'm not sure if she ever would have if you hadn't stepped in."
"Yeah, well, she'll hate me for the next day or two. You really should have her tested for that X5 virus thing, you know. I mean, I don't wanna get it. I swear I'm gonna kill her if I've been exposed. I have a hot date on Friday. A very hot date, might I add." Alec looked over at Logan to see his response, but Logan was looking towards his office, as if he could see Max through the walls. "So, uh, I did that thing you wanted me to do. Oh, I also bugged Carr's office this morning."
"Yeah, Alec, thanks. But why didn't you tell me about Max and Carr earlier? Surely you knew she put you down as an emergency contact."
"Well, Logie, I figured since Max is usually a loyal gal, she'd fess up on her own. " That and she's doing it to get rid of the virus targeted to your DNA. And this scene is sure to put a strain on your cute, pathetic excuse of a relationship. Alec smiled, but inside he wanted to force Max away from Logan. She belongs with someone like herself, not some loser journalist. "Anyway, I'd better get movin'. Normal's got me training hardcore for my next big fight as Monty Cora. Kinda redundant if you ask me, since I'm a genetically enhanced superhuman, but Normal would freak if he found out I'm one of his 'trannies'." Alec turned to go and yelled, "See ya, Maxie!" as he walked through the door.
Logan walked up behind Max, placing his still latex-gloved hand on her shoulder. He could feel her muscles tense when he leaned over to look at her solemn face.
"So, now you know why I paged you."
"Yeah, Logan. I also know that you have Alec spying on me. What? You think I really wouldn't tell you if I had been seeing a doctor?" Max spun the computer chair around to face Logan.
Logan sighed. "Max, I know you. I mean, we haven't even seen each other in weeks. It's like you're avoiding me or have some dirty secret. I worry about you and I know how you push people away when they get too close or—"
"Logan!" Max broke him off from his rambling. "Sam Carr. I was seeing him about the virus. Our virus. He's been working on it and today, well, I think he might've found out how to kill the darn thing." Max looked at Logan, expecting some kind of positive response.
"Oh." Logan shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I think you should rethink your decision to continue seeking treatment from him."
"Logan, he could be our last hope!"
"Max, he's dangerous!"
"You don't know that! Besides, he was your friend."
"Yeah, before I knew he was from Manticore!"
"Not everyone from Manticore is evil."
Logan looked at Max in disbelief. "Max, what has gotten into you? Weren't you the one who swore to rid the earth of everything Manticore?"
"Logan, he's my only hope. Our only hope to beat this freakin' virus." Max's eyes glistened with the coming tears. "I want you, Logan. And I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get you back." Max looked at Logan in desperation for a few seconds, then dramatically walked down the hall to the door.
Once outside Logan's penthouse, Max practically punched the 'down' button on the elevator, wanting to get back home as soon as possible. She leaned against the cool elevator doors, thinking of how awkward it was to be around Logan and remembering why she rarely came over anymore.
Logan sat in shock for a few minutes, not believing that Max, rock solid Max, had just spilled her guts to him. Logan laughed when he thought of how they sounded so much like a married couple, arguing and making up. And although Max was long gone, riding her Ninja back to her apartment, Logan said, "Be careful, Max."