The lights blared against his eyes, partially blinding him, as he ran through the streets. Ducking down under a bridge, he opened the sewer lid and dropped down, turning up sledge and dirt on impact.
He ran through the tunnel, faintly he still heard the angry barks and knew he was not in the clear yet. Vision blurred and feet cuffed, it was hard to manouevre through the dense fog that covered the sewer. He was slowing, he could feel it, but couldn't seem to do anything to stop it. It must have been the injection they had given him as he slept.
No matter how bad his legs ached or the gash on his head bled, he was determined to escape them. He couldn't go back, not after having a taste of the outside world. They were hot on his heels and would catch up to him soon. The overpowering smell of the sewer caused his stomach to turn. Rolling inside him, he felt the bile stir and rise in his throat. He tried to shrug off the feeling, but it was hopeless. Stopping, he let the fluid drain from his body, leaving a pasty aftertaste. It didn't matter; he had to keep going, as much as the pain was consuming him.
Falling to his knees, he struggled to get up amongst the constraints on his body. He knew he couldn't move anymore. He had to hide. Anywhere. Scanning the confined space, he spotted a dark hole. Wearily he dragged his body to it, climbing in and pushing his knees to a chest, forming a protective ball. He closed his eyes willing the sounds to go away. Not long after he lost consciousness. When he woke up, he found himself strapped to a cold steel table.
The pain in his head was worse than he remembered, and his eyes stung from blood that had found its way inside. It must have dripped from his open wound.
He tried to sit up and failed. Barely able to see, he could scarcely make out a figure that approached him.
"So you thought you could get away, did you 494?"
Alec didn't answer, for some reason he couldn't answer. His ears rung with the sound of the booming voices, sounding much above the normal register.
"Don't try to speak, you can't anyway." The voice warned. "See, 494, the truth is we've been looking for you for quite some time. Not for reasons you think. See, you have no real use to us anymore. Once, you were a great soldier but now you're just some punk transgenic that is of no value. So we're going to take you apart piece by piece and rebuild the entire manticore empire. Do you like the sound of that?"
Alec struggled against his restraints but was too weak to do anything. Then it occurred to him when he couldn't speak, there was a tube down his throat, pressing on his lung.
"I knew you would. See, your little friend has no idea what we have in, store for her."
Alec really struggled to get free, just the mention of Max urged him on. He didn't care what happened to him, but he would never let them hurt her.
"I know what your thinking, Manticore was destroyed. Your friend 452 told you that, but what she doesn't know is that, there is more than one base. You don't think we would be foolish enough to put all our time and energy to just let her ruin it, with one explosion do you?"
Alec glared at the man, trying to create a solid image despite the searing pain in his eye.
"As soon as we have her, everything will fall into place. I know you don't think we'd ever be able to capture her, but there's where you'd be wrong. Bring her in!"
Two large men carried a bruised and bloodied Max between them. Alec struggled to bring her into view.
"No, she's not dead, " the man said, looming over Alec. "But she will be. See we've collected samples from her, that's all we really needed, and now she's just as worthless as you. Kill her!!"
Alec opened his mouth to scream her name but no sound came out. He tried to cough out the tub, so no avail. He could barely breath, but he tried with all his strength to produce any sound and finally he emitted a low growl. He did it again and again. Finally Max looked up, and into his teary eyes. She shook her head at him. There was nothing he could do, but he struggled against the bands on his arms and legs, finally breaking one of his hands loose. He ripped the tube from his throat, and swung at everything beside him, because he could only make out some shapes with his peripheral vision.
He tried his hardest to scream some more. Max must have been drugged and she kept slipping in and out of consciousness. Getting a somewhat clear picture in his head, he locked eyes on her frame, just as two hands went around her neck. Twisting with great effort, Max fell to the floor, dead.
Alec got hysterical and broke completely free of his restraints, rushing over to her limp body immediately. He cradled her in his arms. Letting his tears fall and splash onto her skin. "Maaxxx!!!" Alec called out in a loud, dramatic sob.
******
Max found her way through the dark with her superior eyes. She ran to a distressed Alec's side and shook him, gently at first, then violently almost, when he continued to thrash and shout in his sleep.
Alec opened his eyes and gripped her arm tightly, pulling her to him. "No!" He gripped her forcefully, trying to make his eyes focus in the dark. He had no idea what was happening and thought he was being attacked.
"Alec?" She whispered.
He focused in on her slowly, gently releasing his grasp. "Max?"
"I'm here," She soothed, sitting next to him.
"I thought you were dead," he confided, pulling her tenderly against him.
She stroked his hair, for some reason she knew he needed to be reassured. "It's okay now. It was just a nightmare."
"Max, are you sure you blew up the only Manticore facility?"
She looked at him, seeing the deep hurt and fear in his eyes. "What did they do to you?" She whispered, continuing to run her fingers through his hair and against his arm. It really wasn't a question, she expected him to answer, it was more a thought she said out loud. He looked so much like a little boy wrapped in her arms and for some reason it tore at her heart.
"I can't go back there." Alec told her honestly, taking her hand in his.
Max looked back at him, her own heart breaking as she watched him, looking so confused and utterly afraid. "You won't have to. It's gone, Alec. I promise you." Max was truly touched by his outpouring of emotions; she knew what it was like to not know the certainty of your future and to worry every step of the way. She understood Alec now, better than she ever realized she did.