M.A.X. (Finale)

Part 2

Max drove for what seemed like forever. They had left the city and were now out in the woods. "Max what is wrong with you...speak to me." Taylor cried from the backseat. Max hadn't said a word since the city and she was really scared. "Max please...what's going on!"
         Max finally came to a stop on the side of the road and got out of the car. He tossed the gun to the ground and walked over to a tree. He started banging his head on it time and time again. He did this for about ten minutes before he slumped to the floor. Taylor watched him as he got up and opened the back door of the squad car and sat down in the front and just held his head in his hands.
         Taylor was finally able to get out of the back of the car and quietly got out and stepped away from Max. She didn't say a word till he finally pulled his hands away. "I should have told you...why did I think things would change?"
         Taylor walked over to him and knelt in front of him. "Tell me what...?"
         Max sighed as he leaned back. "Those guys have been chasing me for a while now. It takes them awhile to track me down each time, but lately they have been attacking me in every town I visit." Max looked at the gun and shuddered. "And what you saw...it's like a defense mechanism...Whenever someone points a gun at me or I truly feel in danger I just go blank and I take out anyone my body sees as a threat. Then I wake up...usually far away from where I was, with who knows how many people's blood on my hands."
         Taylor took his hands and looked him in the eye. "You shouldn't blame yourself...if you can't control it you can't control it. Plus the last thing we needed was the police finding out about you. You would be all over the news." She moved close and wrapped her arms around him. "It's going to be okay. You don't have to go through this alone."
         Max felt tears in his eyes as he hugged her tight. "Thank you...you have no idea how much that means to me." They shared that moment together for a moment until Max composed himself. "Well not much left to do now but move on and try to keep our heads down. They abandoned the car after driving with it for a while to get some distance. Lucky for them they had their bags on them when the cops arrived. By the time the sun went down they were both tired and they decided to turn in.

         Taylor woke up in the middle of the night and got up with a yawn. She walked out and could barely see anything even with the fire they made still glowing with embers. She heard something moving behind her, and then felt a prick on the back of her neck. She barely made a sound as she fell to the ground. When she opened her eyes again she was laying on cold metal. She sat up and felt the cuffs on her hands. She turned to see Max staring at her.
         "Thank goodness you are alright...did they hurt you!" Max said as he helped her sit up. He was chained up to, but his cuffs looked stronger then hers.
         "Wha...what happened?" She said groggy.
         Max growled a bit as he sat back. "We got ambushed in the middle of the night. They said if I didn't surrender they would hurt you." He sighed as he sat back. "I am sorry...you shouldn't be involved in this."
         Taylor looked around but there were no windows in whatever they were in. "Where is this thing going?"
         Max sighed. "No idea, but we have been moving for quite a while so it can't be good." They sat in silence for what seemed like hours before the truck finally came to a stop.
         The back opened and the men in black gave a quick warning. "Try anything funny and the girl gets it...remember that." Max growled as they were ushered out of the back of the truck. In front of them was was a huge building built into the side of a large cliff. A roaring waterfall flowing next to it through some kind of machine. It didn't look like there was any sign of people for miles except for this building. They were pushed inside and they were forced to walk. The building was full of very weird things. They could see all sorts of lab equipment and jars full of stomach turning things. As the main door opened they were met by a man wearing a lab coat with goggles on top of his head.
         He smiled as they entered. Max was pushed forward as Taylor was still guarded by the men. "It is good to have you back experiment ten. I was starting to think you would never find your way back here."
         Max raised a brow as the man addressed. "Experiment...ten."
         Taylor glared at him and called out. "His name is Max you whack job!"
         The man looked at Max for a moment and then laughed. "Ah yes...M.A.X. why didn't I think of that. I guess even simple minds can be clever."
         Max gave the man a dirty look and growled. "Why did you bring us here? What do you know about me anyway!?"
         The man smiled. "Ah yes where are my manners? My name is Dr. Centric, and I know everything about you because I made you what you are now." Max was in shock at his words. Centric motioned to the men and they were pushed forward as they walked down another hall. "You see I have made it my passion to push mankind to its limits! And while drugs and exercise have their uses they can only bring out latent potential. So I decided to add something a bit more...feral."
         The door at the end of the hall and Taylor and Max went wide eyed at what they saw. Five huge windows were in front of them and each one had some kind of weird human like creature. Centric saw them staring and moved to the first one. The plague on the bottom read. R.A.II. "This is Reptilian application two. The second attempt at my experiments. I may have gotten the mixture right but he became far too uncontrollable to be used as a fighting machine." The creature inside was covered in scales and had razor teeth. A long tail laid behind him and he had huge muscles and claws.
         They moved to the next window which read. A.A.V. "This is Avian Application five. Took me a couple of times to get a mixture I like and it still didn't end up any more controllable then reptiles. A shame too, so deadly but so useless." This man had wings for arms with clawed hands on the end, and his feet were like talons. The eyes were like a birds and most of his body was covered in feathers. He stared at Taylor as she walked by with a look that sent chills down her spine.
         The window after that was filled with water and what was inside was like something out of a nightmare. The sign read I.A.VIII. "This one had so much promise. Ichthys Application eight. But not only is the creature limited to water but it goes berserk at the smell of blood. Oh well, you win some you lose some." The creature had skin like a shark and a fin like tail. The hands and feet were webbed and a large fin on the back. The teeth were very sharp as well and the eyes were buggy.
         They get to the fourth window and Max goes pale seeing the sign. M.A.X. Centric smiled. "And here we get to the highlight of our tour. Mammalian Application Ten. As you can see my experiments have grown more human looking as I learned to balance the animal and human DNA. And while I seemed to have mastered my mixture something didn't go quite right. You ended up far too docile, a shame really considering how well you tested."
         Taylor was starting to get scared. "Wait...you have experiments two, five, eight, and ten...Where are the others?"
         Centric sighed as he looked away. "Sadly nothing could be learned from those poor souls so I did the humane thing and put them out of their misery. What you see before you are the perfected models, and while they are not ready to field test I can still experiment with them."
         Max snarled out at him. "You monster! These are people whose lives you have destroyed! You think we are just your play things to mess with until you tire of us?!"
         Centric burst out laughing. "People? Hardly, I acquired my test subjects from prisons...the burdens of society that no one wants." Max had a devastated look on his face. "That's right dear boy, you were a dirty murderer...you honestly might have spent your entire life in a cell if not for me."
         Taylor cried out at him. "You're wrong! Max would never do that, he is the kindest person I have ever met."
         Centric smiled. "He is the way he is because of my tampering with his mind. A little subliminal messages while he was asleep and poof...he can't even remember his own name. Perhaps I did too well of a job. I wiped out your killer instincts, or at least most of them. I was going to put you down but when you felt the cold metal of a gun to your head your feral DNA kicked in and sent you berserk. We chased you down but all we found was car in the street with a very Max shaped dent in the bumper." He said with an insulting laugh.
         Max held his head and groaned. "You're lying...your lying!"
         Centric smiled. "I was planning on keeping you for more experiments after that little episodes, but seeing what you brought me I don't think I need you anymore." Max picked up his head as Centric waved to the empty cell. "You have brought me a new test subject, maybe this time I will perfect the mammalian application and finally have my perfect weapon."
         Max turned to Taylor for a second then glared at Centric. "I will never let you do that to her you monster." He tried to charge Centric but he hit a button on a remote and he dropped into a trap door and fell into a dark room. The cuffs he was wearing started beeping and they unlocked automatically. Max looked around, but even with his night vision he didn't have enough light to make out the room.
         The lights all flicked on at once and he saw he was in some kind of arena with raised platforms, a huge pool of water under him and a high ceiling. He turned to see part of the wall open to reveal a window with more scientists and Centric in the middle with Taylor being held behind him. "There is still one more thing I would like to test before you breathe your last. I am curious to see how you will stand against my other experiments! I don't have time to watch the gruesome details myself but I am sure my men will give me all the juicy details." Max had to watch as he walked away, even with microphone off he could hear Taylor screaming.
         Max's ears perked up as he heard door opening behind him. He turned to see the other three creatures drop in. They all looked to him and went for him. Max cursed under his breath as he took off in a full run. The bird was the first to catch up to him as it swooped down with its talons and tried to tear at him, but Max slid down under the attack, feeling the wind go past his head. The fish came next using the water and going over to him. It jumped from the water with bared teeth as it lunged at him. Max cried out and ran at him full speed and jumped forward and delivered a powerful kick to his chest sending him back into the water.
         The lizard was the slowest but finally catching up he slammed down trying to catch him. Max dove out of the way of his swipes, but what he wasn't expecting was the tail to whip around and grab his leg. He was pulled off his feet and slammed into the ground. He growled as he got up and dug his claws into the lizard's tail, making it cry out and loosen its grip. The fish jumped out from behind him but he rolled out of the way leaving the fish to flop on the water as it struggled to get back into the water. Max quickly got back up and scaled one of the platforms with his claws and huffed as he watch the two below him try to get to him.
         He heard the cry of the bird as he jumped to the side in time to avoid the attack. He looked around and yelled out. "Damn it I don't have time for this." He looked around, but the only ways out were the doors they came in, and those blended perfectly into the wall. He looked towards the window and an idea hit him. He looked up to see the bird making another pass. Max turned and jumped to the next platform until he was as close to the window as he could get. The bird came down at him like a missile. Max took a deep breath and as the bird came close he stood his ground and side stepped the last second grabbing the birds leg. Using the momentum he spun round and round before letting go sending the bird flying into the window leaving a nice big crack in the window.
         The scientists started to panic a little as Max cursed. "Not enough force...need something bigger." He thought about what Centric said and an idea hit him. He bite down hard on his hand until he started to bleed. He tried to contain the bleeding as best he could as he ran towards the window. Now with blood in his mouth and spat it down into the water, watching the large drop of blood spread in the water. Already he could see the fish starting to frenzy. He smirked as he jumped over to the window and dug his claws into the crack to hold himself in place as he got another small pool of blood in his mouth. Once again he spit into the water. "Let's see how much shark you have in you."
         He could see the fish dive deep down into the water. Then in a huge whoosh he came flying out of the water with the look of a crazed beast. Max let go of the window as he came flying at him and slammed into the glass making the crack bigger and spider web a bit. Max knew he would need one more push as he hit the ground and the dazed fish lay next to him. The lizard saw him on the ground and came charging towards him.
         Max knew he had to time this perfectly as he positioned himself. "I need to time this right or I will get crushed...or worse." The lizard ran at full speed at him and once it was close enough he jumped at him. Max took a huge breath and fell onto his back and got his feet up under the lizard. With a loud grunt he flipped the large lizard into the glass making a decent sized hole before the lizard flopped down to the ground.
         Max smirked as he quickly got up, and with a running start he was able to get up to the window in two quick bounds. The scientists were now panicking and scattering. Max grabbed one before he could run and growled at him. "Tell me where he is before I toss you in there!"
         The scientist screamed and pointed towards the door. "Down the hall to the left, big double door can't miss it." Max dropped the man and ran down the hall. He knew the other experiments were far from finished but he would leave that problem to the scientists.

         Down the hall Taylor squirmed against the metal bands that held her in the tube she was standing in. "Don't worry my dear, it is a relatively quick procedure. I doubt you will be conscious through most of it anyway."
         Taylor screamed out at him. "You can't do this to me you freak! I am not some lab rat!"
         Centric laughed as he adjusted the program on one of the control pads. "Of course you are not, but you are the first of a new breed of super humans. Believe me, you will thank me one day. Not that you will remember you were ever human once I am done with you." He hit a button and the tube lid slid down over her muting her screams. After hitting some more button he pulled a lever and energy started to flow through the pipes above the tube and it started to glow brightly.
         He was in the middle of laughing at his genius when Max burst through the door. "Get away from her you freak!" He barely finished his sentence before a bullet whizzed past his head. He looked to see Centric pointing a gun at his head. He could already fell himself slipping as his body froze.
         "Poor Max, I am not like this incompetent fools, and I have no hesitations shooting you." He moved a bit closer with a smile. "I had a feeling you would find a way here, you were always brilliant, a marvel even. But sadly you are just another failed experiment." He could see Max starting to go into defensive mindset and he laughed. "Go ahead, rack that brain of yours trying to figure out a way to protect yourself, but I will shoot you long before you get to me."
         Max was fighting it with all he could, but the instinct inside him was too strong. He held his head with a growl. Then he heard something, he heard Taylor screaming in the tube, even though it was sealed tight. He felt his mind clear and he knew what he had to do. He took a deep breath and looked up at Centric with a glare of death.
         Centric was thrown off by this and stepped back. "What...impossible, how are you still in control. Don't you understand that your life is in peril?!"
         Max walked towards Centric with teeth bared. "It's simple, I don't care about my survival anymore. So if you want to shoot me then shoot me...as long as I kill you in the end I don't care anymore." Centric glared back at him and pulled the trigger, but Max was ready for it. He dodged to the left and reached out for a beaker on the table and flung it into Centric's face. He screamed out as the glass broke in his face. Max rushed him and knocked the gun from his hand as he knocked the man to the ground.
         Running to the control panel he started hitting every button he could, desperate to find a way to stop what was happening. Centric yelled at him. "You are too late, the process has already started! You can't save her now!"
         Max growled out. "I may not be able to save her humanity, but I can still save her sanity!" He ran over to the tube and dug his claws into the seam of the door. He pulled with all his strength and yelled as he ripped the door open. Electricity was bouncing off the walls of the tub as he ran in to the table where Taylor was. She was unconscious and Max could already see the changes to her body.
         "No you fool, if you take her out before process is finished who knows what will happen." Centric cried as he finally was able to open his eyes again.
         Max pulled the metal bands away and pulled her free. "Whatever it is must be better than your intentions!" Max dove out of the tube as more beams of energy bounced around the tube, and now with the door gone they started to bounce out into the lab, sparking off the equipment. He turned Taylor onto her back and shook her a bit. "Taylor...wake up please."
         She slowly started to open her eyes, but when she saw him she growled at him and lunged at him, tackling him into a wall of equipment as she started attacking him. Centric got up and screamed. "You fool, without the mental programing her body doesn't understand the changes to her form. She is almost feral now!" The machine was still running and energy was sparking everywhere and going out of control. "With the containment chamber breached the energy is flowing out of control I have to stop it." He said running to the console.
         Max tried to call out to Taylor as she attacked him. He pushed her back and jumped out of the way as she lunged at him again. He grabbed at her before she could regain her footing and he wrestled her to the ground. She was strong but she was still not used to her form yet so he held her on the ground. "Taylor...you have to wake up! This isn't you, take control!"
         Centric huffed as he mashed at the half busted keypad. "Don't waste your breath, there is no way her brain will be able to sort out the animal urges by herself."
         Max turned to him with a growl. "You know nothing about her!" He turned back to her as she continued to struggle. He leaned close to her and sighed. "I know you...you may be rough around the edges, maybe even aggressive at times...but you are a good person, and too strong to let something like this change who you are." He rested his forehead against hers and smiled. "Now come back to me...Taylor."
         Taylor started to pant a bit she slowly stopped struggling and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Max...what's going on?"
         He smiled as he let go of her and pulled her to her feet. "I will explain later, we need to get out of here."
         Centric looked at them with shock. "That is impossible. You shouldn't be able to balance yourself like that, it's not possible!" Taylor saw him and her eyes narrowed again as she growled and tried to go to him but Max held her back.
         She tried to break free of his grasp but he held her close. "Don't bother with him he isn't worth it." He turned to Centric with a smirk. "Seems humans are stronger then you thought."
         Centric looked ready to throw a fit, but then the machines started to all blare alarms and his face turned to panic. "Damn it...all you're meddling has ruined my machines, now it's going to overload! If we don't act quickly it is going to explode."
         Taylor found her sense again and huffed at him. "That is your problem now isn't it. Let it explode for all I care."
         Max smirked as he crossed his arms. "I agree, you put yourself in this position, now you have to live with it." He took Taylor's hand as he turned to leave. "Let's leave him to his madness."
         Centric watched them and screamed. "Damn you. You are just going to let my life's work go up in flames. DAMN YOU DAMN YOU!" They could hear him screaming as they ran down the halls. The lights were sparking and the machines were all sounding off alarms as they ran through the compound until they finally found the way they came in.
         Once they broke free of the doors they took as fast as they could into the trees and didn't stop running even after the sound of the alarms was out of earshot. They turned back to see the pillar of smoke rising over the trees. Max sighed and flopped down onto the grass and sighed. Taylor watched the smoke for a second and then sat down next to him.
         "So what happens now? We are both like this now, and with nowhere to go." Taylor said as she rubbed her new ears and ran a hand over her tail. "It feels different, but in a good way. We ran over five miles and I barely feel winded."
         Max sat up and scratched his head. "Yeah, it does have its perks..." He was silent for a moment as he looked up at the sky. "I don't know what to do now. My goal was find more people like me...I guess in a way I did but it doesn't leave me feeling content."
         Taylor moved closer and leaned against him. "Well you have me don't you? Does that make you content?" She said with a sly smile.
         Max smiled and leaned against her. "I guess it does. The only thing I can think of is try to make a life for ourselves. As long as you are with me I am sure it will work out." They sat there for a moment, taking comfort in each other's presence. Separate they felt like they were alone in the world. But now they felt as if they had something worth living for. They smiled to each other as they stood up and turned their backs to the smoke pillar. Never to look back as they walked forward on their new lives with joined hands.