Killjoy (A Lesbian Story)

12: Ashley

"So this Nathan guy is coming in," Max looked to the alarm clock on the bedside table, "nine hours to get me and bring me to Grimes, who is the guy that started all this shit?"

For an hour, the four of us had been sitting in the hotel room as we told Max what exactly had been going on since she's been unconscious. She seemed to be taking it well. As well as someone could take the news about an army of psychos coming to get them.

"Unfortunately, Yes." Grace said as she took a sip of black coffee, "They believe that you're some kind of miracle or something."

"Oh I know that." Max said with a sigh as she let her back rest against the wall. Crossing her arms, she looked at the ceiling, "When I was out, I had these dreams. Well, it was like I was in some kind of simulation. There was this person trying to get me to stay under. To stop fighting the disease. Now, I guess that was Grimes. Wants me to himself."

"Perv." Steve muttered.

I looked to Max, "What do you mean by simulations?"

Glancing at me, something changed in her face. Pain was behind her eyes. Something happened with Grimes in her mind. Something that upset her. She only shook her head.

"False reality." She said, "He kept trying to trick me to wanting that world rather than this one. I think that's how everyone that gets infected is. They're not dead. Just stuck in a dreamland."

"Fascinating." Grace muttered, "And you're sure it was Grimes that talked to you?"

"Based on your information that Grimes is sending men to pluck me outta here, I kinda put two and two together." Max looked to the counter and saw the bottle of wine I was drinking earlier that night. She lifted it up and rose the bottle to her lips. Seeing that it was empty, she cut her eyes at me with a slight smirk before dropping the bottle in to the trash can, "This Grimes guy said that his work is complete because of me. That I can save the world or whatever."

"Of course he thinks that." Grace rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. "God, I thought I got enough of this guy. And now he's got some kind of mind control going on."

"He's a literal mad scientist." I concluded, chewing on my thumb nail and looking at the ground, "He's really accomplished all this stuff."

It was something out of a science fiction comic book. Some crazy neurological disease and mind control. It was unheard of and definitely book worthy.

"From what I gathered, he's only been able to infiltrate my mind." Max said, "Lucky me. I guess he wants to round me up to figure out how to make it spread. Since I'm one of them-"

"You're not one of them." Grace interrupted her, bringing her head up to stare at her daughter. "Don't say that."

Max only stared back her. She looked down at her own body then back up, "Yes I am. Look at me! Yeah I look better, but the disease is right under the surface. I can feel it pushing at me, begging me to give in. I turned and almost attacked..."

She stopped herself from saying the rest of the sentence, looking to me. The night she changed, she could have killed me if Grace and the army boys didn't show up. It would crazy to think that she wouldn't have. The disease took over and she became one of them.

It was the truth, no matter how much I didn't want to admit it.

"I'm being affected by the disease." Max continued, "I was able to jump from the roof of the hospital to the roof of the hotel. I broke the chain on the roof door and the leather straps on the bed. It definitely comes with its perks. I could squash those guys if I wanted to."

Grace shook her head again, "You're not going to be anywhere near them when they show up."

"But Grace-" Steve tried to interject, but Grace only interrupted him.

"Hush, Steven." She said, not even looking at him. "Maxine, I can't let you do this."

"You don't have to let me." Max said, crossing her arms. Sassy Max was breaking through as she cocked a hip and rose her eyebrow, "Those guys are after me so I'll show up and give them a fight. I'm not gonna let people fight for me without me besides them."

That was noble, Grace had to admit it. She didn't look like she was going to, however. The fire in Max came from her mother. Grace sat her coffee down and stood up.

"You're going to get yourself killed." Grace said, "And if you do that..."

Letting out a deep breath, she calmed herself before continuing, "Max, these guy mean business. They're highly trained professionals. You're just high schoolers."

"Were." Max corrected her, "We were. Now we're in this crazy ass world where we have to fight for our lives and I'm doing that, Mom, whether you like it or not."

"I don't like it." Grace said, cutting her eyes over Max. "But I know you'll do it either way. Please, be careful and listen to Thor. You can trust him."

Good to know Grace trusted him. It was hard to sometimes, but she does have a point. Thor's been trained to fight. He'll help us. If he keeps Hawkeye from pulling a gun on Max again.

"I will." Max assured her mother and took a step towards her. She put a hand on her shoulder, "We've got this, Mom."

Her mom was quiet for a moment. She pulled Max in to a hug, pulling her close. "I know. I just... I need you to be careful. I can't lose you again."

"I know." Max laughed softly. "I know."

Graced pulled away and kissed Max's cheek. She patted the spot she kissed before saying, "I have to go get the hospital staff prepped for what might happen. I'll see you kids before noon."

With that, Grace walked out of the room to leave the three of us.

"Do you really think we could beat them?" I asked her.

"We need to." Max said, sitting on the bed next to me, "If not, then shit's gonna get a lot worse."

She did have a point. If Grimes could get his hands on Max, the world would be in danger. Not just our quarantined state. He could control the human race and bring everyone to their knees.

"So how?" I asked.

Steve stepped away from the wall. Rubbing his chin, he looked at us with a grim expression before speaking, "I think I have a plan."