A Street Cat named Desire 5

Disclaimer : I don’t own the characters from Dark Angel, not even Alec though I’d love to. Blah, blah, woof, woof ! So please don’t sue me for using them without authorisation.

WARNING : This part contains elements of violence. Sensitive people may want to look away...

Dedication : Thanks to my ever present Betas, CrystalEyes and KiwiChick... You know how grateful I am, don't you!
Thelma, you did participate a lot on this one... Maybe next time you'll be the one writing it!

A Street Cat Named Desire - Part Five

Alec turned to Dalton who was still trying to recover the power of speech.
"Dalton, meet X5493 or rather Ben, we grew up in the same test-tube but he's more Max's brother than mine..."
The naked man stopped struggling at the sound of the familiar name.
"Yeah, pal... We're the good guys, we're getting you out of here!" He started to untie the ropes.
"Team Three report"
Dalton having returned to his senses was working on removing the handcuffs.
Alec stepped away to answer.
"We found somebody that needs our help. We're bringing him with us. Do your thing and be ready to leave in 5."
He turned back coming face to face with Dalton who was helping Ben to walk. Alec looked at his twin and ran a hand through his hair.
"We can't take him out like that."
Ben's naked body was riddled with bloody scars: cuts, scratches, injection marks...
*What the Hell had they done to him...*

Alec removed his jacket and slid it on the wounded man's shoulders. He scanned the room and spotted a pair of blue pyjama pants that must have been Ben's.
As soon as they had him dressed, the three of them exited the room, following the same path by which they'd entered.
"Team Three ready to go."
"Team Two, all clear..." Brain 2 answered.
But something was puzzling him. This had been far too easy.
He examined all the data in his head again.
Team One had made their way out of the building and were heading his way. He froze as he realised what was going to happen next.

Team Three exited the building, Dalton and Alec holding up Ben, who was struggling to remain conscious.
"Team Three. Immediate danger..."
Brain 2 heard the movement behind him.
"What the hell...?" Chess let out.
"I'm sensing Familiars in two minutes..."
Alec kicked open the entrance gate in a hurry, knowing that they couldn't make the jump with Ben, thus setting off the alarm.
Five blue Lincolns appeared out of nowhere, encircling the three men.
"I'm going to help them..." Chess said turning to go down.
Brain 2 held him back.
"You can't, you'll get killed. Wait."
"But we can't just stay here and do nothing... Those are our friends." Zero answered angrily.
"Friendship is irrelevant in these matters. My objective is to preserve your lives." Brain 2 said unmoved.
"What about their lives?" Fixit shouted pointing to their companions.
"He's right..." They all heard the words via their transmitters.
Alec's voice.
"Just follow Brainy's instructions..."
But Alec didn't feel as cool as he appeared. All five cars had their lights turned in their direction and he could hear dogs closing in.
A lone figure came out of one of the cars and walked towards them.
"Oh, how touching a nice family reunion!" White said smugly pointing at Ben.
"He doesn't look so good though..."
Alec forced a smile.
"You know what they say... You can't choose your family! YOU should know that by now, shouldn't you White?"
The Familiar didn't answer but tightened his jaws.
"Yeah..." Alec went on, "How's your Dad these days, White?" The X5 said with a sardonic smirk.
Dalton was eyeing the people around them. He knew they had to act before the security guard's arrived.
"It's nice to see you can keep your sense of humour even under these circumstances. Completely stupid but nice."
White looked at his prey.
"I am so going to enjoy making you squirm with pain X5494. And maybe I'll let your brother and friend here watch..." The sadistic glint was back.

His phone rang and he stepped away.

"Alec, in 30 second’s I want you to throw two of your grenades in the car just behind White. You and the boys run for cover. Team One will be right behind to help you get out."

As soon as Ames White hung up he turned back to his "prisoners" with a highly satisfied expression on his face, Alec winked at him and waved. The action distracting White's attention from what he was holding in his other hand.
The sound of the explosion was deafening. Fragments of the first car blew across White's back.
He growled with anger as he saw the three men trying to escape.
Simultaneously bullets rained down on him from up above.
*Damn!* He had thought it was only the three of them.
He followed the fleeing group, leaving his men to deal with the others.
When he was close enough, he pulled out his gun.
"Game over, children. Turn around nice & slow and nobody will get hurt... For now." White was enjoying having them completely at his mercy.
Alec turned to Dalton then looked at the unconscious body between them.
"I'm gonna deal with our little friend here. I want you to make your way to Brainy and bring Ben with you."
Dalton didn't seem very enthusiastic with the idea.
"What about you?"
"Don't worry about me. I'm a big boy. Go on and don't look back. Just follow the plan." He patted the young man's back.
"But..."
"No buts. Follow orders."
Alec whirled around, both hands on the butt of his gun, and fired two shots.
White swiftly stepped away and looked at the holes at the side of his coat.
"Hmmm... You missed 494. See what happens when you lack proper training!" The X5 just smiled.
"Let's say it was a warning. You've probably read my file. You know I don't 'miss'. I'm a perfect sniper amongst other things. So please, don't try to insult me by questioning my skills."
The Familiar snorted.
"Am I supposed to thank you or something?" He saw Dalton and Ben moving behind his interlocutor.
"You don't really think I'll let those two escape that easily, do you?"
He raised his weapon, aiming at the two men. He squeezed the trigger, but before he could fire Alec closed the distance between them.
"No! You don't!" He roared.
He lashed out with his left leg, catching White just below the knee knocking him off balance. Ames fell to his knees, then keeled over backwards as his gun flew in the air.
His hands hit the ground but with a slight push the Familiar brought himself up into a standing position. Without hesitation he threw a punch hitting Alec squarely in the chin.
The force of the blow spun Alec round, taking him by surprise. He brought his fingers to his chin and saw blood on his hand. He tasted it and smiled.
He looked at the man before him a crazy expression on his face. Tossing his own gun and clip away he grabbed White by the throat swinging him single-handedly so that his back was towards him. He then hit him between the shoulder blades so that he slumped down.
"You wanted to see the killer in me, didn't you White? Well, guess what? I think I'm gonna grant you that wish..."
Ames started to laugh.
"Yeah, well... I guess you're right..."
Sensing something was awfully wrong, Alec attempted to turn around. Too late.
He felt more than saw the butt of a gun being slammed against his temple.

The lights went out.

*** They had all fell back to their initial position as planned.
Zero had seen the man hit Alec from behind. And now, he was lying completely unconscious on the ground.
"I'm going back..."
"No!" Brain 2 shouted more aggressively than usual.
"But we can't just leave him behind?"
Brain 2 pointed a finger to the sky and a few seconds later they heard the sound of a helicopter closing in.
"You go down there now and you're dead." His steady voice back to normal.
Fixit growled with frustration.
"Would you stop saying stuff like that?"
"That's what I've been designed for. And Alec knew what he was getting himself into anyway. Just ask Dalton."
Every eye turned to the younger transgenic who was still holding their friend's identical twin.
Unable to get a sound out, he just nodded.
"Alright, so we can't do anything for now. We need back up."
Brain 2 closed his eyes then gazed at Chess again.
"You're right, contact HQ first. Tell Max what went down. Then we'll have a good chance of getting him out."
The others looked at one another as doubt crept into their minds.

*** They were running out of medical supplies.
And DeDe seemed to think that reminding Max of that fact everyday would actually achieve something.
But all it did was get on her nerves.
She sighed as she once more went over the blueprints of a Pharmacy in sector 9.

*Where was Alec when she needed him..."

A huge headache-attack was threatening to hit her. She rubbed her eyes and pulled herself back on her chair.
The loud ring of her phone startled her. She picked up right away.
"What?"
"Max, Chess here..."
Max took a deep breath, not wanting to display her bad mood right away.
"Oh, nice of you to call... So are you guys enjoying your little outing?" The sarcasm had come out all by itself.
"Well since you're asking, I have good news and bad news.... Which one do you want first?"
A few seconds flew by in silence. Max didn't feel like playing games.
Obviously they needed something from her and she wanted to know right away what it was. She bit her lower lip with exasperation.
"I could use some good news right now."
"We've got Ben."
Max's mouth dropped open as various emotions enveloped her at the same time.
"Oh, God! You're kidding me, right?"
"Actually, no. That was the reason for our "little outing" as you so nicely called it. Alec wasn't sure about it and didn't want to give you false hope so he made us promise to keep it secret..."
Rage rose back in her temples as fast as it had left.

*The manipulative son of a gun, how dare he...*

"Which actually leads me to the bad news...."
Deep in her guts, she already knew what was coming next.
"White has Alec..."

*** Consciousness returned to Alec like waves breaking over a beach, but each time his mind cleared an undertow of blackness would pull him back and he'd return to nightmares where guns were fired, knives slashed and men died screaming. He would briefly wonder what they had given him but before he could come to a conclusion the darkness would return.
The pain however was there whether he was conscious or not, a dull ache behind his right ear and a burning sensation in his wrists as if his hands were being sawn off with a blunt hacksaw.
During his brief periods of consciousness his eyes would flicker open and he was able to make out that he was somewhere dark and hot with metal pipes running above his head and wooden panels on the wall. The pain in his wrists was becoming sharper as if hot needles were being forced between the bones.
His shoulders were aching and he could feel his arms being pulled from their sockets, then he would surrender to the dark undercurrent again, dreaming of a dark man, a long, sharp knife in his hand and evil in his eyes, laughing as he cut and sliced. Some time later his eyes flickered open again and he found himself confronted by the dark man, his face only inches from his, a cruel smile on his face, saying something, which he couldn't hear through the ringing in his ears. He fainted again and when his eyes opened next the dark man was gone and Alec was alone with only his pain for company.
He lifted his head, a movement that sent waves of nausea rippling through his stomach, and fought to focus on his arms, which were stretched above him. A shiny steel chain flecked with blood shackled his wrists, and the chain was looped over a metal pipe that ran across the ceiling. The chain was supporting all his weight, and it was biting deeply into his wrists.
During his years in Manticore, Alec had learned different methods to overcome pain and his mind was automatically dealing with it.
He tried to turn his attention to his surroundings to assess his possibilities of escape. But as he did so, the door opened and a figure was framed in the light behind it. The figure reached for a light switch and fluorescent lights blinked into life, flooding the room with stark, white light. Alec screwed up his eyes trying to focus on the figure.
Shoes clicked on the cement floor and there he was standing in front of him. Ames White.
"Had a nice nap, 494? Now it's time to play!"
Alec tried to speak but his throat was too sore and dry to form words. He coughed and tasted blood at the back of his mouth.
White grabbed his prisoner’s sweater. He twisted it and ripped it open so that his chest and stomach were bared, gleaming wetly under the fluorescent lights, his perfectly shaped muscles in full view.

"What are your views on electric shock therapy 494?"

*** Brain 2 had chosen the most "secure" meeting-point.
Max had driven all night long to get there as soon as she could. She parked in front of a dubious-looking motel. It was a dump, although there was certain quaintness about it. A shabby sign creaked in the stiff wind, dust lifted in the breeze.
The tired neon sign indicating "Pink Flamingo Paradise" still glowed faded lime. She entered the place reluctantly.
A short plump man with thinning hair stood behind the reception desk. His gaze wandered down her body, lingering over her breasts and thighs, as she slowly walked towards him.
The young woman repressed the urge to spit in his face.
"Hello, young lady... What can we do for you?"
Max knew she had to be careful she didn't want to attract attention more than she already was.
She smiled and tried to make herself as vacant as possible, hiding as many brain cells as she could. Vacant but sexy.
"Well... er... Actually, I've got a business appointment, Dear?" She said with a girly voice.
The receptionist seemed to get the hint and wiped his sweating brow as he leaned forward to get a better look.
"Ok, what room number?"
Max paused a little, pretending she was trying hard to remember.
"Huh... number 11... I think."
The man reached for the phone beside him and pushed the buttons with his pudgy fingers.
"Yes, sir... Sorry to disturb you. Reception here. A young lady is here to see you." The old man's eyes travelled over the woman's curves again as he listened to the person at the other end of the line.
"Alright. I'm letting her through, then." He hung up and smiled at Max.
She really felt like smacking his face now, but only smiled back.
"Well, honey... They're waiting for you." He pointed to his left. "Just take this corridor and follow the numbers."
"Thank you, Sir." She turned away from the receptionist as fast as she could without it looking strange.
The old man shook his head.
He remembered the guys in number 11. He had counted five of them.
He smirked.
And that tiny and frail looking girl was on her own...

*** Alec coughed and spluttered awake, as water dripped down his face and splattered onto the concrete floor of the basement. He shook his head but immediately regretted it, as the pain was acute, it felt as if his brain was being squeezed by giant pincers. He didn't understand why it took him so much time to recover.
His eyelids were heavy and it required an amazing effort to force them open.
Ames White was there again, a yellow sponge in his hand.
"Now, now... Don't fall asleep on me, 494," he said. "We need to have a little chat."
The transgenic licked his cracked lips, trying to get some moisture from his face.
"Can't talk, huh?" He said softly then sighed, shaking his head.
"You know, I'm quite disappointed. Just look at you! My father's greatest creation and your close to tears already. How pathetic is that!"
Alec licked his lips again. This time, he tasted blood.
"Just untie me, White... And we'll see if you're up to the challenge."
The familiar let out a loud laugh.
"Nice try, Soldier... But we're not in Kinder Garten anymore..."
White paced the room in front of Alec back and forth.
"Normally I give a little speech at this point," He said as he clasped his hands in his back.
"I explain that you'll tell me everything eventually and that you might as well save yourself the pain. I usually lie too. I explain that once you've told me everything, I'll let you go." He smiled.
"But you've been through this before, so we don't have to bother with the preliminaries."
Slowly, his eyes never leaving his prey, he removed his coat and started to roll up the sleeves of his white linen shirt.
"Where is my son?"
He suddenly saw Alec's body shaking all over. At first he thought he was having a seizure but then he heard it. The laugh.
"And I'm the pathetic one?" He coughed. "As you've said, I've been through this already... You should know that you’d never get anything out of me."
Ames picked up a large pair of scissors from the small table beside him and tested the point with his fingertips. Satisfied with the sharpness, he grabbed the sleeve of Alec's sweater and pushed the blade of the scissors up his arm, catching the material. He began to cut the piece of clothing, along the top of the sleeve to the neck, taking care not to catch his flesh. The scissors made tearing sounds like an animal feeding. In a few seconds, nothing remained of his sweater.
He put down the scissors and started to examine the other tools that he had brought with him. He picked up one of the kitchen knives and held it up to the light as he scrutinised the stainless-steel blade. He seemed unhappy with his selection and chose another. He finally walked over to Alec slowly drawing the knife over his skin but not cutting the flesh.
"You've resisted so far because you've never come across someone of my expertise. Torture is an art that I have mastered completely. Just wait and see."
Alec bit down on his lip in anticipation of the pain to come. He heard White take a breath, then he pushed the point of the knife against his shoulder and twisted it so that it screwed into his flesh like a drill, gouging into the muscle so deeply that he was sure it had gone through the bone.
Alec attempted to breath deeply but he felt so tired and didn't know if he could resist the urge to scream for too long.
"And if I don't get anything out of you. At least I'll have a little fun while we wait for your pretty sidekick to come and rescue you!"
Alec barely had time to open his mouth before he felt the blade bite through his flesh again and stop somewhere deep inside the muscle behind his breast and then the pain lanced through his chest as if he'd been impaled on a metal spike. Alec screamed and he felt himself blacking out. He grasped onto the oblivion, welcoming it because it would end the pain, but it was elusive, the more he tried to reach it the clearer his mind became.
White knew exactly what he was doing; he waited patiently for the Alec's breathing to steady itself so he could continue.

*** The door opened as soon as she reached it. Fixit pulled her in.
"They're all in there... I'd better warn you, Ben is..."
But Max didn't want to listen to what he had to say. All she wanted was to see her brother.
She suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"How long has he been like this?"
He was laying on the king size bed, eyes closed. She could see he had been badly battered...
*Would it never stop?*
Tears trickled down her cheeks and her whole body shuddered.
As she closed the distance between them, she saw that her friends had done what they could to dress the wounds. Blood was seeping from under the bandage on his shoulder and his hands were gripping the bed sheets tightly.
"He's been drifting in and out of consciousness since we found him... When he's conscious he's been pretty incoherent though."
Max laid a hand on Ben's face and watched him in silence.
The other men in the room looked at each other, uncertain about what they should do.
Max stood there staring at her brother. Not quite believing that he was alive.

*"Max, I don't want to go back..."*

She could remember that day so vividly. Him lying there, so peaceful like an angel.
More tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry..."
Her fingers moved over his face, caressing the soft skin like she would have done with a child.
The resemblance was amazing: the long thick eyelashes, the perfect nose, and the curvy lips...
Yet she knew that behind those eyelids, she would only see sorrow, hurt, and maybe even madness!

No glint of mischief, cheerfulness or insolence.

Max wiped the last tears away and stood up.
"So Brainy... How do we get the idiot out of the shit he's put himself in... Again?"
The round face lit up.
"We don't know where they took him. I have several hypotheses in mind but the probability is too low to risk anything. The sure thing is that they're expecting you... They want you to find them so I figured the hiding place shouldn’t be too hard to find. We should start by going back to Arcadia and having a little chat with whoever's the boss there."
Brain 2 paused, his eyes going left and right several times.
"Look for Professor Howard."
The other men started to put their jackets back on.
"I'm going there alone... They've got you on film already, not me. I'll try to make a discreet entrance for once.
Call, DeDe and tell her to send someone to take care of Ben."
Chess reached for her elbow.
"You shouldn't go there by yourself. It's dangerous."
"Thanks Dad, but I think I'm old enough to take care of myself. Don't question my orders."
Chess backed away startled by the unusual harshness in her voice.
Max headed for one of the windows and picked up one of Zero's handguns and checked the bullets.
"Do you mind?"
The young man shook his head in shock had Max just taken his gun, the said same Max who's aversion to guns had been the cause of a major blow-up between her and Mole back at TC. He looked down at Bens' battered body lying so still on the bed, the mirror image of Alec. Was he the reason for her abrupt change of heart or was it Alec himself...
Max opened the window and looked back at all the men in the room.
"If I'm not back in three hours, you can come after me..."
She looked at the sleeping form on the bed.
"And guys... If Ben wakes up, be careful. Under no circumstance let him out of your sight. Do you understand?"
They all nodded.
She disappeared as the sun begun to rise in the sky.
*** They had called in the cavalry. Guards were everywhere. But that hadn't stopped her; she had gotten in without incident.
She knew who she was looking for; all she had to do was find him.

-------------------------------------

Professor Howard was typing nervously on his keyboard. All his employees were completely paranoid after the intrusion the night before. He took out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat on his brow.
And that call he'd taken telling him to expect a visit...
He felt something hard press against the back of his neck. Something hard and circular. His stomach churned as he realised what it was. The barrel of a gun. *Here we go!* He thought trying to control the shaking of his body.
"Hello Doc, I believe you were expecting me!"
Max turned him around so that he could see her face.
He was surprised by her youth and beauty. But then he looked into her dark eyes and recognised an old soul.
She threw a towel at him and it fell across his chest.
"Maybe we could talk about this." Howard said with his hands in the air. He flashed his professional smile, but his legs were shaking under his desk.
"Hold the towel," she said waving the gun at his chest.
He gripped the towel with his right hand.
"Now, Professor tell me... How would you like it if I did to you what you did to Ben?"
The old man swallowed hard.
"Ben?"
"Yes, Ben... My brother... X5493... The young man you've been doing your freaking experiments on and who's been missing since yesterday. Ring any bells?"
The man starred at the gun barrel, paralysed with fear.
"Tsk...Tsk... Don't wet your pants yet; I don't have time for that right now. What I need is information and you'd better give it to me."
Howard nodded; sweat dripping heavily on his face now.
"Where's Alec?"
"Alec?"
Max pulled him by the hair, shoving the gun in his nose.
"Would you stop repeating my questions and answer for Christ sake? We don't have all day..."
The scientist bit his lower lip.
"Sorry. I'm not sure it's what you want but a man called earlier..."
He pulled out a piece of paper from under his keyboard.
"That's all he gave me..."
The transgenic took it and read it with a smile.
"See, that was easy!"
The man let out a sigh as she backed away.
"You were lucky today. I really wanted to shoot you, you remind me so much of the man who brought me up. So don't make me come back, stop Project 5493... Or else..."
Max aimed the gun at his head and Howard closed his eyelids tightly.
When he opened them again, she was gone.

*** Ames White wiped his hands with a white towel, leaving crimson streaks on the material. He threw it away and studied his work with a sadistic smile.
Alec was chained to the wall in a standing position.
He was unconscious, breathing heavily through his nose like a sleeping dog.
Thick, clotting saliva bubbled from his lips and greenish yellow slime oozed from his nostrils. He was a disgusting mess, but most of the damage was superficial, White knew. Painful, excruciatingly so, but a long way from death. Over the coming hours he would take the transgenic closer and closer to extinction, narrowing the gap with exquisite skill and enjoying every moment of the journey.
People under torture didn't die from the pain or the shock if they were young and healthy elements.
It was the loss of blood that did it. Even for the genetically enhanced. And White knew by experience that a lot of blood could be spilled before the body failed.
The trick was to prolong the torture, allowing the body to manufacture more blood to replace, that which was lost, and to give the wounds a chance to stop bleeding. By stopping and starting, the procedure could be prolonged almost indefinitely. That knowledge was quite intoxicating... almost arousing.

------------------------------------

When he woke up again, he sensed that he was alone. He had lost track of time.
Alec clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to get the circulation flowing.
His arms felt as if they would pop out of their sockets at any moment, he stood up on the tips of his toes in an attempt to ease the pain. The movement reopened the wounds on his chest and back and he felt the warm blood ooze from under the fresh scabs.
He knew he had to find a solution and fast. He took a deep breath and started to pull on the chains as hard as he could. He doubted he'd have the energy for more than one attempt, and he prayed that he wouldn't pass out.

------------------------------------

Max entered the dark building, leaving the surveillance to the "boys" outside.
She stopped behind a huge column trying to control her heartbeat.
The adrenaline was running full speed in her blood.
She knew they were watching. She could feel it.
But it was the only way to get Alec out. And then he'd pay...
And she had several ideas already. She smiled, unconsciously licking her lips.
*Focus!* The little voice was back again.
Max shook her head.
Silently she ran behind another column as a couple of guards passed her by.
Scanning the surroundings, she spotted the stairs she was looking for.
*"The basement..."* Brain 2 had said.
She checked one more time to the left then to the right and went for it.

-----------------------------------

Looking on the screen, White smirked.
"Welcome 452."
He pushed the interphone button.
"All teams in position. The cat is in."
The woman on the screen was opening every door on her path, a concentrated look on her face.
White smiled again. She'd have to work her way to Sub Level 3 to find the other transgenic.
But would he let her?

-----------------

Max looked at her watch as panic began to set in.

*Where could he be? And where was everyone? What were they waiting for?*

She took the stairs further down and stopped. The sound of shoes clicking on the floor was clearly audible.
"So 452, you've decided to join us?"
Max spun on herself to look at her enemy.
"Yeah, well.. Thought I'd drop by and say hi!"
White took a few steps forward and pulled his leather gloves properly onto his hands.
"Good initiative, 452. I know 494 is enjoying his stay with us."
Max froze at the name of her friend.
"What did you do to him?" She clenched her fist unconsciously.
"Nothing irreversible...yet." The evil man said taking one more step toward his prey.
"You'd better stay where you are!"
"Or what..." He closed the distance between them a little more, just to challenge her.
Max drew her fists up, her body tensed in a fighting stance.
White threw back his head and laughed.
"You just never learn, do you?"
He suddenly punched her in the jaw to prove his point.
Taken aback, Max rapidly came back to her senses, leaping in the air to strike the Familiar with a deadly turn-about kick in the back. But before her foot could connect with the target, she felt a hand clasp around her ankle.
"Nice try, but I'm sure you can do better..." White said with a smirk.
He pushed her making her almost loose her balance. She did a backward flip to get out of his grip and kicked him in the chin..
"I was just warming up..." She ran to the man with incredible speed, and this time her elbow didn't miss his stomach.
"Ooof..." She heard him take a large gulp of air at the contact. She smiled with satisfaction but regretted it straightaway as he pinned her left arm to her back and twisted it hard.
"You fight like a girl, 452." He whispered in her ear, pulling even harder on her arm. Her clavicle gave up in a crack, making her wince in pain.
He then brought his left hand to her hair and grabbed a handful. With his right hand he smacked one cheek then the other, before producing a syringe from his pocket and ramming it into her neck.
Max could barely move.
As he was about to strike her one more time, he heard a click behind him.
"I wouldn’t do that if were you, White... I’d hate to spoil that lovely suit of yours.”
The familiar whirled his head round and came face to face with his former prisoner.
"Never underestimate an X5, White. Unless you’re into getting your ass kicked." Alec twisted his swollen lips into a smile.
"Whatever strikes your fantasy!"
"You know you'll never get out of here alive, don't you?" White said, his voice as steady as ever.
"I guess we'll just have to find out..." Alec slammed the butt of his gun into his torturer's head with all his strength. White went down without protest.
"See, I can do that as well."
Alec walked to Max's side, looking down at White's crumpled body.
"You sure you don't want me to end this now?"
Max shook her head, they'd been over this before; they needed White alive, for now!

"We should get out of here..." Her voice was barely audible.
"Can you walk?" Alec eyed his friend questioningly, his concern for her overcoming the hot searing pain that was attacking his body.
"I think... Just give me a hand!"
As she started to stand up, she felt her knees weakening.
"Woaa... I think I'm gonna be sick!"
Alec looked around assessing their options.
"I guess I'll just have to carry you then?"
Max would have laughed if the urge to cry from the pain weren’t so strong. She pointed to all the blood on his torn clothes.
"I don't think you're in any state to carry me!"
His "male" instincts took offence at the comment. Without a word, he bent and picked her up.
"Geez, Max! When DeDe told you to eat more, I don't think she meant as if you wanted to box in the heavy weight category!"
Max pinched him, forcing him to put her down, using humour to cover the fact that she'd felt the trembling that ran through his body as he'd lifted her.
"You just wait until the walls stop spinning I'm gonna erase that smug smile off your face!"
They heard voices closing in.
"How do we get out of here?" Alec said taking Max's right hand in his and putting it around his neck to help her walk.
She indicated to her left and they started running in that direction.
Alec was struggling to move, each step an agonizing reminder of his time spent in White's hands. He breathed deeply using his training to block out the pain.
"Please, tell me you weren't foolish enough to come on your own!"
Max gave him a sideways look.
"Don't worry I brought some back up!" At the same time, they heard sound of shot's being exchanged coming from the outside.
"See!"
As they were about to reach the exit, Dalton came out of nowhere seemingly out of breath.
"There's far too many of them out there. We won't be able to hold them back much longer. We have to split up now if we want to have a chance to make it out."
Alec nodded.
"You're right. We dispatch the unit. Meeting point in exactly 6 hours."
The younger transgenic repeated the instructions in his transmitter.
"You'll have to take Max with you though." Alex said pushing her in Dalton's direction. "She can't make it on her own..."
Dalton was about to reach for her when she suddenly backed away.
"I don't think so, kiddo! I'm staying with him 'cause each time he gets out of my sight he ends up in trouble..." Max said shoving her index in front of Alec's nose.
The transgenic shook his head and sighed.
"We don't have time to argue with the lady, so I guess she's coming with me. Now go on and be careful!"
Dalton almost brought his hand to his brow and smiled.
"See you in 6, Sir!"
Alec brought a hand to his bleeding shoulder then looked into Max's hazy eyes. "What am I gonna do with you now!"