Chapter Text
Max walked into Jam Pony and was slightly surprised when Normal didn't yell at her for being late again, but then she noticed everyone's eyes focused on the TV. She walked over to Original Cindy and Alec, "What going on?"
The two turned to her, and Alec sighed, "Glad you finally decided to show up."
Max gave him a dirty look, "Hey, don't go busting my chops like Nor..."
He cut her off, "Max, White's got got a group of X7's."
"What?" She asked, her hostility immediately gone, as she looked up at him, "How do you know? What happened?"
Alec motioned back at the TV, "Reporters got it on tape, their showing how some of the transgenics are human looking kids. Scaring the hell out of everyone."
Max thought about it, "We have to go get them." She said, "I can't believe White actually got filmed getting them though."
Alec rolled his eyes at her, "Max, he let the reporters get the footage. He wanted it shown on TV."
Cindy and Max looked at him, "Why?" They both said.
"He wanted you to see it. He knows you will try and rescue them, it's a trap."
She knew he was right, it made perfect sense. White wasn't stupid. But, if it was a trap... "If it's a trap, then they are still alive. We have to save them."
*We.* Alec sighed, *Why am I always included in this?* He asked himself, but failed to ask why he always went along with it. "Okay, but we need a plan, and we need to be ready for anything."
"Well, first... we need to get outta here without Normal..."
Cindy smiled, "Original Cindy's got your back, I'll deal with Normal." They smiled their thanks, and they headed out of Jam Pony.
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A few hours later, they were outside of a newer compound just outside of the city. They had made their plans, found the exact location, and were now scouting out the area before they would move in. They crouched low to the ground by the trees, looking at the building, the guard towers, the high fence. "Looks like basically the same design as the last, just a lot smaller, and newer." Alec said quietly. Max nodded.
"Well, let's do this." She said. He nodded and they leapt up, and ran to the fence, jumping over it quickly, and ran towards the main building. They headed around to the back, and made their way up to the roof, and over to the sky light. They looked in, and saw the group of X7's caged up.
Alec shook his head, "This is such a trap Max."
"Shut up." She said.
"Max... think about it. Come on, it's way too easy. Skylight, the kids right in plain sight...."
"Who cares, they're alive, and we are getting them out of here." She said opening the widow.
He rolled his eyes at her, he knew there was no changing her mind. Max opened the window, and jumped inside, he sighed and followed her. They looked around, ready to be attacked, the room was empty, they turned to each other shocked, and then ran up to the X7's. "Hope you brought a key." He said looking at the lock on the cage door, and then looked around to try and find something to pry it open.
"Funny!" She said to him, and then turned back to the kids, "We're getting you out of her, just relax." He found a large lead pipe and pried it from the wall, and lodged it against the lock. Then they both jumped at the sound of a gun shot. Turning they saw White standing in the middle of the room, with his gun raise in the air, pointed at the ceiling.
"452, 494. How nice to see you again." He said pointing the gun at the two of them. Alec looked over at Max, eyed the pipe, and then grabbed the railing in front of him, and flipped over it, and jumped, hitting White in the chest with a swift kick, and then rolled to the side and up to his feet, the gun flying in the opposite direction.
White jumped to his feet, the two men looked at each other, and started to circle one another. Max watched from the second story for a second, and then turned back to the cage, and started working the pipe against the lock again. "Well, White, where are all your men? You can't really be here all alone."
He smiled at Alec, "Wouldn't you like to know." He said, and moved forward with a kick, which Alec dodged, spinning and bringing an elbow to his gut, the other arm wrapping around White's neck, and flipping him over him. White moved with the flip, landed on his feet, and turned with a quick punch to Alec's chin. His head moved back, but only for a second, as he countered and his arms came out, grabbing White by the side, and sent him sailing into the brick wall.
White hit the wall, but bounced back with a spinning kick to Alec's chest sending him to the floor. White jumped ready to land on him, he rolled out of the way and up to his feet, his fist coming out and connecting with the side of White's head. Max looked over her shoulder at the two men kicking the shit out of each other. She turned back to the lock again, seeing that he was holding his own, and soon the metal was giving way.
Alec picked himself up from hitting the stairs, and they started to circle again, "Getting tired 494?"
He just smirked, spit out a little blood, "No where near, just trying to figure you out." He said, then they lunged for each other at the same time. White taking a kick to the head, Alec getting swept off his feet hitting his back on the floor, but then moving his arms back over his head, pushing himself back up, kicking White again, sending him flying into a bunch of crates. The wood broke around his body, and he jumped back up, his jaw tense.
Max finally pried open the lock, and flew open the cage door. "Out. NOW!" She yelled at the kids, "Move, move." They ran out, and down the stairs, her right behind them. They headed for the door, and she yelled to Alec, "Let's get outta here!"
He heard her, and as White lunged for him, he moved to the side, and turned, kicking him in the back, White hitting the floor once again. Then he turned and ran out the doors behind Max, that's when he heard gun fire. He turned his head slightly, and saw the guards running towards them, guns firing. "Move! Move!" He yelled. The X7's were already at the fence, when Alec saw Max hit the dirt. He ran to her, and saw the blood trickling out of the back of her leg. He pulled her up by her arm, "Come on," he yelled, knowing she would be okay, and they kept going. They just made it to the fence, the kids on the other side. Max looked quickly over at Alec, her leg throbbing. He looked down, and knew she wouldn't be able to jump it herself. He was just about to pick her up, but he wasn't fast enough, as more guards came from the other direction.
Max looked at the kids, and yelled. "GO!" towards them, as her and Alec moved back to back, the guards circling around them. The X7's running into the woods.
Alec looked as the guards holding their guns, trained on them, and caught the sight of White walking towards them. "Great, this is just great."
Max winced at the pain in her leg, "At least they made it out."
Alec nodded, "Yeah, but what about us?"
They turned towards White, as he walked into the circle, "You know, why don't you just make this a whole lot easier on everyone, and just give up?"
Max rolled her eyes, "Why don't you just learn, that you won't win."
White laughed, and looked at all the guards, "Because 452, I think I did just win. I finally have you where I want you."
Alec looked at Max, and then to White, and knew he was right. There was no way that they were both going to get out of there, and he knew that if White got Max, they were going to experiment on her. They didn't care what happened to him, but they would torture her. He looked around at the guards, and noticed they were watching the talk between Max and White, and he made a quick decision.
He looked over at White, his face like stone, "You only think you have won." He said, then turned to Max, and quickly said, "Don't look back." And with that, in a blur of motion, his hands went around her waist, and with a bend of his knees, and big push, he was throwing her up into the air backwards and over the fence. The guards barely had time to react, as she landed on the other side, and with a shocked look on her face started to turn, when she heard his voice again. "RUN MAX!" He yelled not even turning around, and she ran, as she heard the sound of one gun shot going off, and it echoed in her brain as she ran through the woods, tears running down her cheeks.
______________________________
(One Month Later)
Max walked into the apartment, and immediately went over to the computer, "You paged me?"
Logan looked up at her expectant face, "Yeah, I've got an Eyes Only assignment, it seems that this crime lord..."
She cut him off, dropping her shoulders, "An Eyes Only mission? That's it? Still no news? Nothing at all? Are you even looking, even trying to find him?" She yelled.
"Listen Max, I know you want to find Alec and rescue him, but you have to give this up. It's been a month, and there is nothing. No news, nothing at all. Maybe you need to accept the fact that..."
"Accept what? That he's dead? NO! I won't do that. Did you do that? Did you give up believing that I was alive?" She asked him, and saw the slight hurt look on his face.
"That was different."
"How Logan? How was that different?
"Two reasons. One, Manticore always wanted you alive, not Alec. And two, I loved you."
She caught herself on her the words that were about to come out of her mouth, and she swallowed hard. Logan caught it, his eyes widening slightly. She closed her eyes and turned away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. She heard him stand up and move around her, staying far enough away not to touch her, but still have her feel his presence.
"Max..." He said, looking down at her. She shook her head, not wanting him to continue, she didn't want to hear it, her mind remembering a month ago. After the X7's had escaped, and she had somehow managed to drag herself to Logan's door. She had went there, hoping that he would help her, help her get him back. But once she got there the only thing she could do was collapse on the couch, and cry, trying to get out what happened between sobs.
It was then that all kinds of memories had flooded her brain, as her heart and mind actually started to communicate, and let her see how things really were. How wrong she had been about Alec, how much she depended on him, how much she needed him. And since then, her brain and heart had been constantly attacking her thoughts, battling her stubborn nature, getting her to realize one simple fact.
She looked up at him with tears running down her face. "But I do love him." She looked back to the floor, not able to handle her own emotions, and the look of hurt on his face as well. "I just didn't know it then, I didn't realize it until just recently, until it was to late." More tears ran down her face, and she shook her head. "No, no. He can't be dead. He can't be." She looked back up at him, "I have to find him, or at least find out the truth."
_________________________________
(One Month Earlier)
"Where does she live?"
"Antarctica"
**shock**
"Where does she work?"
"On the street corner"
**shock**
"Where does she go after work?"
"My place", cocky grin.
**shock**
"Tear out the stitches, and turn up the power. Where does she live?"
"France"
**shockkk**
"Where does she work?"
"As a Nun."
**shockkk*
"Where does she go after work?"
"Wouldn't you like to know."
**shockkkkkkkkkk**
"Pry open his eyes, get the laser ready."
(Two Weeks Later)
"Where does she live?"
Nothing.
**shock, blinding light, cutting pain**
"Where does she work?"
Silence.
**shock, blinding light, cutting pain**
"Where does she go after work?"
Quiet.
**shock, blinding light, cutting pain**
(Present)
"Where does she live?"
**EMPTY**
"Where does she work?"
**HOLLOW**
"Where does she go after work?"
**NOTHING**
***NOTHING***
****NOTHING****