Welcome

[Alec McDowell]

Alec bobbed his head to his mp3 player as he shuffled through his locker. They had to be in here somewhere... He didn't see his gloves anywhere. And he had been late because he had been tearing up his apartment looking for them. It wasn't a big deal, really, but he would like to have them... Where the hell could those gloves have gone? He groaned in frustration, slamming his locker shut. Normal yelled something about keeping it quiet in the locker room, but Alec didn't hear him over the punk rock hammering into his ears.

He was zipping up his jacket when he saw Max walk in out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, Max, have you seen my gloves?" he asked her, a little too loudly because of the earbuds blocking out the sound. He paused his music and took the earbuds out of his ears. "Sorry," he said, then, "So have you?" Really, it wasn't that important, but they were his only pair of gloves.

He knew he should just leave it be and get on with his day, but damnit, he wasn going to find that pair if it was the last thing he did. Even if he had to bitch about it all day, he was going to find them. Or he could just buy a new pair today... Whatever.

[Max Guevara]

Max thought that maybe today might bring whole new meaning to the term "woke up on the wrong side of the bed". In all actuality she had fallen off the wrong side of the bed when OC had waken her up, hollering to get ready for work or she'd be late. . .and since when wasn't she late? If she showed up on time then Normal might just have a heart attack and that thought had amused her enough to get out of bed and manage to choke down breakfast. If it could legitimately be called that. . .But then she couldn't find her favorite shirt and her bike wouldn't start. Finally she had walked towards Jam Pony, only to be nearly run over by some newbie bike messenger that had started yesterday. So by the time Max reached the doors of Jam Pony and stalked inside she was beyond cranky.

She had halfway hoped to find OC at the lockers but the other woman was already on a run and Max barely managed to dodge Normal's tirade about the importance of being on time. Even after everything, after Normal had found out that Jam Pony was transgenic central . . .the man still found it in his heart to yell at them about every little thing they did. It was almost. . .endearing. Max would never say that out loud but she appreciated that Normal treated her like everyone else enough to yell at her about being tardy, which was ridiculous.

Instead of finding OC at the lockers she was stopped by Alec's voice, a bit too loud, and she turned to face him slowly, one hand going to her hip. He had in headphones and it took him a moment to realize that he was practically yelling. She arched an eyebrow in his direction, looking past him to the redecorated locker. .. redocorated since he had torn through it.

"Yeah, Alec, I swiped 'em yesterday and gave them to a beggar on the street corner," she told him, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "No. I haven't seen them. What's the big deal?"

[Alec McDowell]

Alec rolled his eyes at her. God, was there ever a day when she wasn't on a bad mood? It was getting a little insane. Yeah, she had a lot on her plate with Terminal City and work and her waning relationship with Logan. "Nothing. I just had them yesterday and can't find 'em now. And they're not in my apartment, because I would have found them." If he went home to night and found them, he was going to be pissed.

He shut his locker. "So, what's your deal today? You're snappier than usual." Seriously. Usually when Max walked in, it was Hey, what trouble did you get yoursel into last night? Not I am woman, hear my bitch about how shitty my day has been. And it's only 9:30! He sat down on the bench and tied the laces to one of his boots. He could already tell this day was not going to be good.

[Max Guevara]

Max instantly felt bad for snapping at him like she had but she didn't let it show on her face. He might think that she'd been possessed if she did. The rare moments that she showed any kind of caring toward him where most definately not in public places like Jam Pony and it wasn't any secret that the roguish X5 drove her insane and not always in a good way. But. . .he was her friend and the one most likely to win "Best Ally" award if they ever bothered to hand one out. And deep down in a place that she didn't really like to venture she knew that she cared about him a lot more than she was willing to admit. He had always been there for her, even in his unorthodox ways, and she couldn't deny that he had proven himself time and time again. But sometimes. . .

She sat down across from him and draped her elbows over her knees, tilting her head to watch him lace his boots. She had to admit, his hands did look bare without the usually ever-present gloves. She really hadn't seen them around but she might consider snagging him a new pair on her next run. Her way of apologizing. . .she wondered when she'd ever be able to just say "Hey, Alec, sorry I was a bitch. . ." Never. That's when. That involved a little too much swallowing of the pride.

"I just managed to start my day the crappy way," she told him, trying to joke it off. "Forgot to eat my Wheaties or whatever. . .Which, with missing gloves at nine in the morning. . .doesn't look like you're ranking up much higher on the list of great days. Where did you leave them last?"

[Alec McDowell]

Alec tied his boots as Max asked him where he had last seen his gloves. "Last time I had them was here. Took 'em off yesterday and I swear I put them in my locker." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder for effect, almost to illustrate the point that he swore he was right and his fingerless gloves had gone MIA. Or perhaps AWOL in this case. And now was the time of the day where he had to tell himself to stop thinking like a soldier. He couldn't help it. Being in Manticor for roughly nineteen years messed with a person's brain.

"If you want to look, be my guest. And for God's sake, woman, eat those damn Wheaties and stop biting my head off. Honestly, everytime I have to retrieve it a sew it back on, I start missing pieces." He smirked at his own joke. It really wasn't that funny, but hey, it lightened his mood. He finished tying his shoes and checked the pockets of his jacket. Nothing there but a napkin from Crash with the waitresses number. Damn, he was going to call her last night...

[Max Guevara]

Max would swear that Alec would lose his head if it wasn't attached to his shoulders. . .It was amazing how many times he lost something during the day and then found it later, usually when he wasn't looking for it. And most often when somebody bothered to check where he had already "looked". Max sighed and stood up, moving to his locker. She had something to talk to him about, disturbing rumors circulating through Terminal City and although she had been asked a million times. . .the fearless leader had no answers. And she wasn't quite fearless. . .if the rumors were true then she could readily admit--to some people--that she was terrified. Manticore resurrected? She didn't even want to think about it but Alec was her second in command, more than less and for better or worse.

"Hey Alec," she said as she dug through his locker. "This is the last thing I wanted to bring up or think about. . .especially before a healthy dose of coffee. . .but have you heard those rumors about a new Manticore?"

Of course he had. . .she pushed her smaller hand into the metal crevices in the back of his locker and felt fabric. A wry groan and she tugged, pulling his gloves free and tossing them against his chest with a hard thwack. She slammed his locker shut and sat down next to him, tilting her head to regard him with a bemused smile and a raised eyebrow. He'd lose his head if it wasn't attached. . .her look said everything that she refrained from saying out loud.

[Alec McDowell]

Alec leaned back against the opposite lockers, still sitting down. "Yeah, I heard about Manticore," he said. He didn't want them to be true, but he knew they probably were, as much as both of them hated to admit it. When Max had first gotten him out of that place, he was hesitant to admit how much he actually liked not being in Manticore. But the outside had grown on him. He couldn’t think of being anywhere else.

He watched her as she opened his locker and stuck her hand in. Damnit, if she found the gloves he wasn’t gonna hear the end of it until next week. He would imagine it now. Hey, Alec, remember when I found your gloves for you? Think you could pay me back a favor? He frowned as she tossed the gloves to his chest. “Son of a bitch...”

[Max Guevara]

There were quite a few sides to Max and the entire world only saw one of them on a usual day. . .Alec had seen almost every side there was to see but that didn't mean that she freely showed them all the time. After everything she had been through with Manticore. . .the thought that they had risen from the ashes and were back on track, hunting them down like animals to stick back in cages. . .And now there was even more at stake. Before she had only herself to be concerned with and then she had only her family to worry about but now. . .her family had gotten a lot bigger than it had been a year ago. Before it had just been herself and the other eleven, but she had lsot them one by one. . .starting with Ben. She remembered the night in her apartment when she had told Alec the truth about what had happened in those woods and to this day he remained the only person on the planet that knew what had really happened. Not even Logan knew. . .

"Alec. . .If it's true, which I think we both know it is. . .then what the hell are we going to do? The media is gonna make it hard for us to hide and we can't stay holed up in Terminal City forever. I've got all these people looking to me for answers and I really don't have any."

She wanted to slap herself. Rather than do that she got up abruptly and turned away from him, taking a deep breath to push "tough Max" back into place. Her question had showed a modicule of weakness and on his best days Alec minimally made fun of her for that and on his worst. . .Once in a blue moon he would go out on a limb and be the comforting type of friend but. . .She had a feeling they hid behind the mock dislike more than either cared to admit. She put one hand against the metal of the locker and bent one knee, the toe of her boot scuffing against the ground. Any second now Normal would yell at them to get to work. . .or maybe he wouldn't. Maybe he'd decide to lay off for once. . .

[Alec McDowell]

Alec sighed as she got up. Now it was "tough Max" time. Time to get his ass kicked around and the verbal abuse to start. He was a big boy, though, he could take it. "Look, Max, we'll take care of it just like was always do. Which means I'll got in loud, cocked, locked, and ready to get caught and you'll sneak into the back and bring the whole place down." And that's exactly how it would pan out. "Maybe the media won't get a hold of this. I mean, after all, the only rumors I've heard have been faint whispers from the X7s"

It wasn't true. There were tons of rumors about Manticore going on through Terminal City. And Alec was sure he had heard all of them from Joshua. Only because Joshua had a habit of repeating what he heard unless Alec or Max made him promise not to. But recently, it seemed like the Dog-Faced Boy was the one with all the information.

[Max Guevara]

Max turned around with a slightly narrowed gaze and crossed her arms over her chest, one boot against the lockers behind her as she regarded Alec. Only heard rumors from the X7's? She knew better than that. . .she'd had Joshua corner her with yet another rumor at least five times yesterday. A part of her understood that he was just trying to ease her mind in his own way but all the same. . .This entire thing was pissing her off. It wasn't bad enough that Manticore had taken so much from all of them already but now they had to go and resurrect from the grave? Well. . .that's what rumor said. And Max realized slowly that rumor would have to be confirmed. The thought made her almost sick to her stomach but rather than allow that in front of Alec she leaned forward, gripped the front of his shirt slightly.

"You've got plans tonight," she told him. "So far all we have is a bunch of yap and yammer. . .we need proof. So cancel whatever pool hustling plans you've got with Sketchy because we're getting to the bottom of this."

She released his shirt, gave a decisive nod, then stepped back and looked down at him. Max half expected an argument, a whining session, a protest. . .Alec was the pro at wriggling out of situations that he didn't want to go into. It didn't matter. If he didn't go then she'd go by herself and they both knew it. But one way or another, Max knew that they couldn't find what they couldnt' see. How were they supposed to fight an enemy if they didn't even know it was truly there? And she knew that she would never be able to rest without knowing for certain.

[Alec McDowell]

Alec didn't move as Max whirled around and grabbed his shirt front. Oh, damnit, here we go... He listened to her and studied her as she stepped back. As a matter of fact, he did have plans... He pursed his lips, debating on being an ass or doing his part and getting to the bottom of the Manticore rumors. And by the look on Max's face, she wasn't going to give him a choice.

"Fine. But you own me one." He stood up and pulled on his gloves, as Normal started yelling. "Come on..."

He walked out with her and walked to the desk to get his packages and his bike. His first address was near Terminal City. Cool, he could see what trouble Joshua was getting himself into. He looked at Max. "What time are we gonna meet up then?" Man, he didn't want to be doing this tonight... But if he didn't he was going to get his ass kicked.

[Max Guevara]

This was the last thing that Max wanted to be planning. She wanted nothing more than to go home after work--hell, right now sounded good--and take a hot bath and climb into bed. She didn't want to think about Manticore because if she did then the nightmares would start. . .she would wake up in the middle of the night screaming, the sheets tangled around her, remembering Zack and Tenga, Brin and Ben. . .She would remember getting shot and dying, almost. Except for Zack wouldn't let her. The memories would flood back into place and she would get no rest. But Alec didn't know that and she was sure that he had his own nightmares if he allowed them. She wasn't sure. When she had found him he had been strictly soldier boy and his memories of Rachel seemed to be the only thing about the place that had truly bothered him.

"Meet up at eight, outside of town in the usual place. Don't say a word to anyone about this, Alec. Keep your damn mouth shut. . .we don't need any tagalongs. I'll see you tonight."

She was surprised that he didn't argue more but she was glad that he didn't. He was under the impression that she'd kick his ass if he didn't go and really she wouldn't, she was too tired to do that. She'd be pissed, sure, but it had been her idea. If he didn't wanna go then she'd just handle the mission herself. But a part of her thought that although he might whine and complain, Alec would never let her go find Manticore by herself. It was a thought for another time and she took the packages from Normal, halfway tempted to throw them back at him and head home while she could but she didn't. There was work to be done now and work to be done tonight and for the briefest of seconds she caught Alex's eye in in that glance were the fears of the woman and not the warrior.

Only a second and then she turned and got onto the bike, heading off to the opposite end of town than Alec was heading to. She checked the address again. Maybe she'd get to beat the tar out of some Steelheads. . .