Blood In The Water . Part II
Part II. the middle
Or How to Suffer a Demon Trapped Inside a Demon
Donald was leaning against his truck, the paint peeling off at the corners, gritty with rust. The scars across his arms stood out against the harsh light, folded across his chest, skin slick under the heat of Arizona. He stared through narrow eyes at the two figures in the parking lot, standing together, so familiar. He watched dark hair shift in the wind, full lips pull across perfect teeth in a smile. He watched Max glance over her shoulder, at the closed motel door and then back at 494. He did look so much like his clone.
494’s head jerked suddenly, his head swiveling around and suddenly he was looking through the heat rising from the pavement and straight at him. He mentally scoffed and pushed himself away from his truck, the movement cooling his skin. 494 always was quicker than Ben.
He watched Max’s eyes widen for a split second then roll. She ignored 494’s growl of Max and stalked towards Donald, her eyes flashing against the sunlight.
“Lydercker.” Her voice was low and challenging, a bit on the sarcastic side, (like he was inconveniencing her, showing his broken face around here) it carried through the heated parking lot and across the street to the 7-11 where he was parked. Donald ignored the traffic (what traffic? It was the end of the world, there was no traffic.) and crossed the street, meeting Max halfway, 494 watching her back, his fingers twitching for the knife strapped to his ankle. Max stopped, hands on her hips. “What the hell are you doin? Stalking me?”
He couldn’t help the chuckle, dark as it was, that exhaled through his nose. “You would think you would be harder to find.” She glared at him, and tilted her head to the side, watching him through dark eyes. He cleared his throat. “Heard about the mess you’re making. Thought I’d shed a little light.”
“You think we’re stupid?” scoffed Max, raising an eyebrow and planting her feet into the pavement. “What makes you think we don’t know everything you do and then some.”
“Stop being so damn cocking, 452,” snapped Donald, his eyes hardening. He brushed past her, feeling her bristle. Her boots scrapped against the ground as she spun around, staring at him as he walked up to Ben’s clone, giving the boy a smile and a nod. “494.”
“It’s Alec,” he snapped through gritted teeth. “Wouldn’t expect you to get it on the first try, Deck.”
“I always did like you, 494,” mused Donald, sneering at the way Alec’s eyes darkened a little with rage and fear and memories. “You never did stay out of the loop of anything for long. Only a matter of time before you and Max started running things.”
“How do you know-”
“I haven’t been dead for the past year,” interrupted Donald, ignoring Max as she stomped up behind him, her question still burning on her tongue. “I’ve been in hiding. The conclave tried to kill me.”
“Yeah, well, who the hell wouldn’t,” growled Alec, stepping forward into Donald’s space, glaring down his nose at the older man. Donald smirked, unaffected. “Step back son. I’m here to help you.”
Max wedged herself between Alec and Lydecker, forcing them back and away from each other. “Help us with what?”
.
The skin on Bobby’s arms was starting to cake with blood, staining up past his elbows and splattered against his clothes. The woman Jo had been with, Zoë, had nearly been torn to pieces by something or someone, he didn’t know, she hadn’t been conscious long enough to tell him. He had fixed her up as best he could, she seemed like a fighter and it was only a matter of time before they found out if she would survive or not.
Bobby sighed and sat back on the bed next to Zoë, brining his hand to the bridge of his nose to massage some of the tension out. Jo hadn’t been there when he and the transgenics arrived, and it gave him the sinking suspicion that she might not have been exorcised in the first place. More lies, like dirty fingers streaking against stark white cloth.
Bobby looked over his shoulder at the closed door behind him. Max and Alec hadn’t wanted to come in, which was unfortunate, he could have used their medical expertise (or at least Alec’s from what his research on Manticore had told him, Max was pretty much useless) on Zoë.
The whirling click of a gun not from this time echoed in the peeling wallpaper, close to the side of his face. Bobby tensed, closing his eyes briefly and turning his head to find himself staring down a very long gun barrel and into the fiery dark eyes of the woman he had been treating.
“Feeling better?” he was too annoyed at the irony to not be sarcastic. “You should put your arm down before you get dizzy and pass out.”
“You must be Singer,” her voice was strong and grainy sounding. “M’Zoë.”
“So are you from the distant future or the not so distant future?” Zoë raised an unamused eyebrow, lowering her gun and pressing it up against her thigh. Bobby’s eyes followed the path it took, the bandages around her stomach and arms catching in his peripheral. “So?”
“I don’t think I can answer that proper,” said Zoë. “My ship went down, don’t know how long ago, don’t much care to know, but it went down. Bits of my home tore me to pieces and left me to die. So you tell me. What future do you see me in?”
Bobby was quite, seemed it only respectful. The woman had nothing but bits of metal still caught in her flesh, too small for him to remove. But he was never one to suffer the art of tact. “I’d have to say very distant future. You know about the Reavers, then.”
“Run into my share, yeah,” said Zoë, turning her head away from him. “They around?”
“Haven’t run into any as of yet,” he chuckled darkly. “Of course, Reavers aren’t the only thing to worry about.”
“That I know,” said Zoë softly. “Been lookin’ for a way to stay out of the world and we just keep getting pushed further in. Before she left, the girl who dragged me into this fèn kǒng, she was talking. Me, I was half insensible with pain, merely caught bits and pieces. She mentioned something about a girl I know. Name’s River Tam. We were looking for her long before our ship went down, the crew I’m on. She said someone named Sam Winchester had found her.”
Bobby swore under his breath, half in relief that Sam was alive and half because the kid was a giant idjit. The big doofus really had no idea how to cover his tracks when he was on a mission. Zoë raised an eyebrow. “Take it you know him.”
Bobby grunted in reply, opening his mouth to say something along those lines when the motel door swung open and Alec and Max stomped in. Alec looked stony and Max looked pissed (not that they’re expressions changed much, Bobby was starting to notice). They were closely followed by an older man. Bobby stood up, his eyes flickering over the trio.
“Don’t get comfortable,” hissed Alec, throwing himself into the desk chair and crossing his arms over his chest.
“Who the hell is this?” asked Bobby, frowning at the older man. Max rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Colonel Lydecker-”
“We call him Deck,” snapped Alec, glancing over at Bobby. He did a double take, blinking at Zoë on the bed. “Who’s this?”
“Zoë,” said Bobby. “She's coming with us.”
“Is she?” muttered Alec. “And where exactly are we going, grandpa?”
“It's Bobby, ya idjit. And we're taking out the Conclave.” Alec straightened up in his seat, his arms falling to his sides.
“We are?”
“It'll solve our problems faster if we get rid of the most manageable threat first,” interrupted Lydecker. All eyes flickered to him and Bobby narrowed his eyes. Lydecker looked at Alec and scoffed. “I trained you better than to brood in a corner and take orders, 494.”
The muscles in Alec's face tightened and he looked away, propping an elbow up on the table.
“We have coordinates of three other locations,” said Max, matter-of-fact, pulling a folded up map from her back pants pocket. She ignored Lydecker's open hand and moved to the table where Alec was sitting, unfolding it and lying it flat. “I figure, Alec and I can check them out and blow 'em to kingdom come. Very little chance you'll get your hands dirty-”
“Unless the demons show up,” finished Bobby. “Soulless beings such as those in the Conclave are perfect hosts for 'em.”
“Nothing's worse than the breeding cult,” said Max, quirking an eyebrow and cocking her head slightly as she concentrated on the map. “Trust me, they're as strong as we are. Not as fast, defiantly not as smart, but they don't feel pain and they don't punk out.”
“You still don't understand what a demon is, do you?” it wasn't a question. Max looked up at him, at the icy tone is voice had taken. “A demon was once a person. Their souls turned black by inexplicable torture. Souls ripping apart other souls with their bare hands, tearing to shreds only to be put back whole again. A demon wants nothing but destruction and chaos. In a normal human host their strength, any power they posses, will increase. A demon in possession of a member of the Conclave would cause inexplicable amounts of damage.”
Max idly scratched the back of her neck, at a spot right below her neck. She and Alec shared a look.
“You expect my kids to believe that?” asked Lydecker. Bobby glared at him.
“I expect them to believe what they see and adapt. You're not the only person who knows how to lead an army.”
Max and Alec were still staring at each other, ignoring the ordinaries as they argued. They spoke with their eyes, Alec asking Max if she believed any of it; she did, just because she wasn't stupid; Alec rolled his eyes, the universal sigh of oh sure you're not; Max kicked him in the shin, Alec muttered incoherently under his breath.
“Bì zuǐ!” Lydecker and Bobby stopped arguing to look over at Zoë. Max and Alec blinked at her because they totally understood every word she said, and it was kind of amusing. Zoë took a deep breath, wincing at the pain but biting back any sort of sign. “Ain't nothing gettin' solved arguin', children. I ain't aware int he slightest what you all seem to find so interesting. But if I'm stuck with ya, I might as well put in my two cents. I've seen my share of unnatural and gruesome, got as much an open mind as the next person, but I ain't toleratin' any hiss fits while we try and understand what's fiction and what's less than so.”
They stared at her, all four of them, for what felt like an eternity before Max shrugged. “I can deal.”
“Ya, me too,” said Alec quickly, bouncing to his feet and clapping his hands together. “I'm starving. Let's grab some grub.”
“I saw a chicken place a mile or two back,” piped Max, perking up and following Alec as he left the room. Lydecker let his eyes glance from Zoë to Bobby one last time before he turned on his heel and walked outside as well. He didn't follow the transgenics, but crossed the street to his truck. Bobby huffed and Zoë closed her eyes, wincing now that all eyes were not on her.
“I have a heavier painkiller in my truck,” said Bobby in a low voice. “It'll help you sleep.”
“Appreciate it.”
Zoë was left alone with her pain, flashing back to the last moments she had with her ship and her crew. It was mostly exploding wires and screaming metal. She had been in the cockpit when the glass above her started to crack. It had gone black sometime after that. She didn’t even know how long ago that had been.
.
Max drummed her fingers against the cracked plaster counter she was leaning across as Alec order from the short kid in a uniform that looked a size too big for him. One thing to get used to about this worm hole was the cheapness of everything. Max could totally get used to buying a pack of razors for five bucks instead of 22.
She stiffened suddenly, feeling eyes on her. A glance at the mirror behind the register told her that Lydecker was outside in the parking lot, leaning against his truck, staring at them with his arms folded over his chest. Max nudged Alec with her shoulder and straightened up, tugging her coat around her chest. Alec’s eyes made the same path hers had and he tensed as well.
“He just doesn’t give up,” said Alec casually, grabbing the plastic sack full of food from the kid’s outstretched hands and looked sideways at her. “What the hell does he want.”
“I could only guess.” Max turned away from him and walked outside without waiting to see if he was following. He did with an exasperated groan, reaching into the bag and pulling out a handful of popcorn chicken.
Max was already in her ‘bitch pose’ when he sauntered up to her, offering her some of his chicken, which she declined with a distasteful flick of her eyes. Alec shrugged and stuffed the rest of his food in his mouth, partly so he wouldn’t have to talk to Deck and partly because it tasted delicious.
Lydecker didn’t even bother rolling his eyes in disgust at 494’s behavior, kept his eyes on Max, having a silent conversation with her most likely (if Alec could guess) in the form of a reprimand and a brush off.
“I’m not asking you kids to trust me.”
“You can’t ask us anything,” snapped Max. “Don’t presume we’re doing anything more than tolerating you.”
“You said you could help us,” said Alec around his hand, fingernails picking chicken bits out of his teeth. He spat out a piece of something he really didn’t want to think about and started rummaging around the bag for something new and different, his nose picking up the sent of gravy. “Why the fuck do you think we need it? This Bobby guy seems to know exactly what’s going on and I don’t have the itching urge to rip his throat out with my bare hands.” his eyes flickered back to Deck, and Alec stared at him darkly. Max tightened her arms across her chest slightly, which Alec noticed but Deck didn’t. Max knew he was bluffing, Deck didn’t, and the muscle in his jaw gave that away.
“Don’t trust so easily,” snapped Deck, matching Alec’s gaze. “Trust is a weakness, and weakness, any weakness, will get you killed-”
“Save us the speech, Deck, we aren’t brainwashed kids anymore. Don’t fuck with us,” interrupted Max before Alec could open his mouth. “Tell us what you know, and maybe we wont tie you up and set you on the Committee’s doorstep.”
Deck flinched away from them, not because of their words, but because he was furious. They watched him run his hand across his mouth, catching against the scars across his chin. He turned his head towards them, staring, evaluating, finally he shook his head.
“Demons are real, kids,” he said seriously. Alec scoffed, shaking his head, while Max just rolled her eyes. Deck’s nostrils flared and he stepped closer to them, catching them off guard. “Demons are real and that man, the one you trust so easily, is one of them.”
A light breeze could have knocked them over. The bag of food in Alec’s hand slipped from his fingers, hitting the floor. The container of gravy exploded in the air, splattering over their boots. Deck continued, still staring down at them. “You think it’s a coincidence that he showed up with information? He’s not from our future. The Conclave is a secret cult, one that’s been hidden for millennia. For those who’ve dared to look into them have gotten themselves killed. Or in my case, almost.”
Suddenly it was like they were nine years old again, staring up at the Colonel, larger than life, in control of their futures and their expectations. He was their guide in a world that they didn’t understand. Alec moved fluidly into attention, Max following shortly after.
“You’ve seen what demons are capable of,” hissed Deck. The transgenics glanced at each other, because they were both thinking of the same incident, of black eyes ripping apart people with bare hands. Laughing into their souls and bleeding them dry. Deck smiled grimly, nodding in understanding.
“You don’t have a soul. How convenient, pretty little sack of meat.”
“What do we have to do, sir?” asked Alec his voice low.
“You have to kill him, before he kills all of us.”
They looked at each other again, saying with their eyes that they should have just stayed in TC with their people, then they wouldn’t be caught in this. Max nodded, settling her nerves and turning back to Lydecker. Her eyes were clear, the mission weighing solid on her face. She nodded once and blurred away, followed immediately by Alec. Lydecker was left standing alone in the parking lot, staring through the spot the transgenics had been. The corners of his mouth twisted, moving around to stare after them, the white of his eyes fading into liquid black.
Alec skidded to a stop just outside the motel door, Max standing next to him. She rejected the offer of his backup gun but took the lead, slamming the door open and marching in, Alec’s gun pointed over her shoulder. Bobby turned around, frowning at their abrupt entrance.
“What the hell-”
“Shut up,” snapped Max. “You’ve been leading us on a leash like we’re green, like we don‘t know up from down. We want the truth. Straight up, Bobby, or whatever the hell you are.”
Alec kept his gun trained, clicking the safety off. “Don’t lie, we’ll know. We don’t like being played.”
“Seems to be happening a lot these days,” said Max with a thoughtful nod, her eyes narrowing.
Bobby sighed. “You kids are new to this game, so I’ll tell you now that a gun isn’t going to kill a demon. I’m not your enemy.”
“We’ll decide who our enemy is,” snapped Max. “We’re pretty good at it.”
“I am not a demon. And I can prove it.”
Alec tightened his grip on his gun, his chest pressing into Max’s shoulder. “Then show us.”
Bobby straightened, moving one hand to his coat pocket slowly. Someone blinked, or maybe all of them blinked, like slow motion and Lydecker was standing behind Max and Alec, twisting the gun out of Alec’s hand and pointing it at Bobby, pissed off and eyes narrowed.
“Never hesitate,” he growled, and like slow motion, like someone blinked, Alec was reaching for Lydecker’s wrist and his gun. Deck swung the gun on Alec, pulling the trigger. Alec’s instincts clashed briefly with his brain and he hesitated, the bullet grazing his shoulder for what it was worth and Lydecker’s arm weaving around his neck, pulling the transgenic into his chest.
“Alec!”
“Cristo!” Max’s mouth dropped open, in horror and betrayal, watching as Lydecker’s eyes flashed black, spinning to hiss at Bobby. His grip around Alec’s throat tightened, but the sudden exposure, the burst of strength was quick to disappear and Alec used his own strength to throw Lydecker off of him and into the wall behind them. Max grabbed his arm, dragging him back, closer to her. They watched as Bobby stepped forward, pulling back the tore up carpet, revealing something spray painted into the concrete flooring.
“What-”
“Devil’s Trap,” interrupted Bobby gruffly, shaking a small book out of his jacket pocket. “Get inside and shut the door, damn it.”
They did and moved to stand behind Bobby, staring over his shoulders at Donald Lydecker sprawled awkwardly on the floor, bent to the drawling of the Devil’s Trap.
“He lied to us,” said Alec. “Why do I feel so surprised?”
“Demon’s lie, son,” said Bobby. “This one’s no exception.”
Max was still holding onto Alec, his blood slipping against her fingers and running down the sleeve of her coat, sticking uncomfortably against her skin. Liquid black eyes seemed to focus on her, lips pulling across teeth. “You have such pretty eyes.”
Max started forward with a jerk, baring her teeth, a low growl deep in her chest vibrating against her throat. Bobby held out an arm to stop her. “Demon’s get inside you head-”
“No, that’s Lydecker,” hissed Max, her vision filming over with rage. Bobby leafed through wafer thin pages of his book so quickly that it caught her attention. She huffed and grabbed the book from his hands, scanning the words quickly, taking them in before she realized- “Latin?”
“It’s an exorcism,” said Bobby. “Recite the passage and the demon will be expelled.”
“Trade one demon for another,” muttered Max, her tongue catching between her teeth as she studied the exorcism. “Seems simple enough.”
“Be my guest,” said Bobby, inclining his head in an offer for Max to read the text. She pulled her eyes away from the book long enough to look over at Alec, staring at Lydecker with an unreadable expression, wishing not for the first time why Manticore couldn’t hook her up with some mind reading trick.
She started the passage from memory alone, and immediately her hair was caught up in a gust of wind.
“We are inside, right?” asked Alec over the gale. Max continued on, shouting as the wind screamed, shaking the walls. Zoë was unconscious on the same bed they had found her in, oblivious to what was going on. She was almost finished when Lydecker’s voice filtered through the wind.
“You’re nothing but an animal, a chimera in the weakest sense. You pathetic excuse for a soldier- you can’t even save me! Weak, pathetic, Renfro was right, you’re poison, 452. How long before you get him killed?”
“Don’t listen to him, Max,” whispered Alec. The last part of the exorcism came out in a rush and with the final word Lydecker’s head jerked backwards, his mouth snapping open, black smoke erupting into the air. Max watched it happen, how the muscles in Lyedecker’s face smoothed out, that air of confidence and cockiness that the demon had vibrating through his hosts bones falling into Lydecker’s posture like he was breathing. It was a different kind of arrogance and superiority. It was the kind that deserved it.
The book fell out of Max’s fingertips, a few pages coming loose as the book hit the ground. She turned on her heel, retreating physically like she did. Alec watched her go, crossing the parking lot to her motorcycle and climbing on. She’d be looking for a tall building, some place she could think. A High Place. His attention snapped back to Lydecker when the older man spoke, his voice grainy and tired.
“Thank you, son.”
Alec bristled, even half dead it sounded more like a pat on the head than genuine appreciation. Alec scoffed, his eyes narrowing in distain.
“You just can’t leave us alone, can you, you son of a bitch,” he growled. Bobby was staring grimly at him, his eyes hard and understanding, like he knew, like he could possibly understand. Alec jerked away, heading toward the door after Max. “Lock him up. We’ll deal with him when Max and I get back.”
Bobby nodded, turning to an semi unconscious Lydecker, his eyes half open as they followed Alec’s form. “She’s stronger than she looks, Alec.”
Alec didn’t even bother with a snappy comeback, just let the door slam behind him.
The place Max settled on really wasn’t all that high. It was a good fifteen miles away from the motel, and it was the bell tower of a church. She made witty comments under her breath as she climbed the stairs, breaking the lock on the door and entering. The sun was starting to set…
“Now this is just wrong.” Max didn’t bother looking over her shoulder, she’d knew he’d be there, even if she didn’t want him there. Alec had his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the doorframe, staring at her back. The sun was haloing her hair.
“Hey, girl’s gotta think somewhere.”
“You think they can follow us in here?” asked Alec. Max shrugged.
“With your luck? Defiantly.”
Alec nodded, more out of something to do than actually agreeing. He cocked his head to the side, watching. “Max?”
“I know, Alec,” interrupted Max softly. “But I can’t help feeling like everyone I care about get’s dead, one way or another.”
“I’m not dead,” commented Alec, pointing out the obvious and yes, thank you Alec, but sorry, only enough space in this itty bitty room for one brooding government experiment.
“Give the kid a gold star,” said Max, not bothering to mention that she didn’t really care about him. Except that she did. He was the only one she had. Worm hole apocalypse or not, she had a feeling that Alec would have been the only one she had in the end. “I found Ben in a church, haven’t really been able to stomach them since.”
The silent question in the air hung heavy. Demon’s and hellfire, let the good times roll, but what about the good place? Max had a place in her head that swallowed her fears and spit them back out. The good place, the Blue Lady. So did angels exist too, or was the universe really just that screwy?
“You want me to go?” asked Alec. Max’s eyes narrowed against the glare of the sun as it bounced off a telephone pole.
She didn’t say yes. Alec started forward, his face grim and his eyes looking a little hollow and a little needy. His back pressed against her front lightly, staring down at her as she stared into the sun.
She didn’t say no either, but she leaned into the pressure of Alec’s fingertips as the slid down her spine. Her eyes were dark and hooded when her turned her head, looking at him around her hair.
“Being broken sucks.” and Alec chuckled darkly at her words. “I don’t even have memories of being whole.”
“It’s easier that way,” said Alec, dipping his head low, breathing in her air, her scent. “Going through life with memories like that is very painful.”
“Like anyone on this fucking planet isn’t broken.”
“Max-”
“I know, Alec,” interrupted Max softly. She reached up, brushing her fingertips across his jaw, watching his eyes flutter close for a moment. “Shit ain’t getting any better.”
“I’m not Logan,” said Alec, his eyes going hard. Amusement flitted through hers.
“Can’t compare.”
Alec closed his eyes tightly, his jaw clenching, his body tense. Max shifted her nose brushing against his, her body molding into his, the arm between them pinned against his chest and her collarbone. Kissing him was awkward and dry and chaste, but it was real. Kissing Alec was real. His body relaxed under her mouth, cracked, dry lips parting against each other, tongues sliding against liquid warmth, curling together.
The black blocked out the sun, the trees blocked out the moon. Slick skin slid together, mouths touching. It was soft gasps and bruising hands, digging deep into flesh. Skin covered bone slapping against each other. In the morning the brick marks in her back would be faded and he was going to smell like her for a long time. Max curled her body against his, still and cold on the church floor, moisture making rivers down her cheeks. Alec blinked away the voice in his head.
“You’re poison, 494. You’re defective.”
“Yes, sir.”
Bobby lead the way out of town the next morning, Zoë leaning against the truck door, breaking slowly, Max and Alec following on their motorcycles in silence.
They left Lydecker in the motel room, slumped against the rope binding him to a chair, the blood still dripping from his forehead, his brain matter sliding down the wall behind him.
Part II (cont.)