Work Text:
It was not an overstatement to say that Max loved her job. In fact, it might have been something of an understatement, though she would leave that to heads smarter than hers to understand fully. All she knew was that there was great responsibility tangled up in what she did - but it was a responsibility that was hers alone, and one that she took a lot of pride in.
Not everyone could protect a whole city like she did, more or less all by herself. It was a lot of work - a lot of walking, a lot of keeping her eyes sharp, a lot more of just simply knowing how to recognize the more mundane signs of creeping evil and being prepared to squash it out whenever it might rear up its ugly head.
And the people loved her for it, too. They cheered and sang and chanted her name and children waved and parents took pictures and she posed and blew kisses and it made her feel something like a superstar.
“I’m doing it for each and every one of you!” she would call out, and she really meant it, too. They made every bit of it worth it - the long hours, the injuries, the sleepless nights, the worry… she wouldn’t have traded any of it for the whole world.
Plus, she had the best friend a person, superhero or no, could ever hope to have, and that was Surge. They got along perfectly - two peas in a pod, as thick as thieves - cut from the same cloth, probably, except for the fact that she was flesh and Surge was metal.
It was warm metal, though - kept light and cheerful all through the night by the humming motor inside him as they sat and talked and laughed and drank and reminisced together. Evil, as Max had learned, was fairly regular, and it was the same four villains who attacked the city on a regular basis, specifically, one every hour-and-twenty-minutes, and it took about an hour to dismantle their plans, leaving a breather in between each.
Six fights each day, there were, except days where it rained or snowed or the weather was too inclement in some other way. Max couldn’t blame anyone for wanting to stay home during such times, even though she herself could not - she had a responsibility owed to the people of the city, even during such times as they weren’t out to see it… she knew they appreciated it and they would be the first one to show her, later.
Things were… perfect.
They changed for the first time since Max could remember when the girl showed up. Max hadn’t been fully sure where she’d come from, but it was no matter - all villains needed to be defeated, and the law did not discriminate in any case.
‘Bibi’, she said her name was when she was announcing her evil plan, and she said it again later, when Max had defeated her - knocked her to the ground and was busily cuffing her so she could be properly dragged away and perp-walked into the City’s jail.
“I’m Bibi,” she said. “I like you. I think you have… something interesting about you. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other in the future - doesn’t that sound fun?”
And Max had been a little stunned by her forwardness (none of the other villains ever spoke her at all, usually), but she had to admit it was… flattering, in some sense. Bibi maybe have been a villain, but Max could tell she was being genuine in that particular moment and it … held a strange sort of attraction to her.
So she talked to Surge about it that night, as she was wont to do.
“Did you see the new girl out there today?”
Surge offered her a drink. Max accepted, of course, popping the pull-tab away, listening to the delicious fizzing inside the can as the metal peeled apart. A slight spray of mist puffed out. Delicious. Max thought she could never get enough of the way it tingled down her throat, crisp and clear and slightly burning, maybe.
She drank deeply, half of the can, wiping the sticky residue on her arm and then her shirt. Surge rumbled at her and she frowned.
“There’s no need to be so standoffish,” she said. “I thought she was nice. I feel like we’ve known each other for a long time, you know and it’s - well, me and you, we’ll always be best buds, you know? You have the best drinks… there’s no way anyone can contest that. But... “
Of course there was a but . Max found it hard to articulate the exact way she was feeling - it was like a sort of urge inside her, deep inside - that she wanted to get to know this girl. That she wanted to do more than get to her know her. In some ways, she felt like she already knew her, just from that brief encounter.
“Her name’s Bibi,” she said, and Surge’s eyes were unblinking on her, deep into her soul. “What?” Max gesticulated defensively, sloshing particles of sugary, carbonated drink out of her can. “Don’t be like this with me. She’s different from the rest of them. I know it. I … I want to be with her.”
She got a little annoyed. Maybe a little more - more than a little. “Just gimme another drink. I’ll go find somewhere else to sleep tonight.”
Surge gave her a drink. Max opened, and on second thought, took a third one that she put in her pocket for later. She cast an aspersive glance back at Surge, but kept her promise to herself and stalked away, down the alleyway, not stopping until she was around a corner or two, and she could rest beneath a streetlight’s familiar orange glow.
She was really thirsty anyway, so it was fair to take a break. Max opened one of the two new cans, leaning against the light pole and sliding down until she sat on the ground, groaning. Now she felt bad for leaving in such a huff - and especially leaving her best friend... Surge didn’t deserve it, even if she did feel a bit slighted by the way he’d responded to her story about the girl.
Would it kill him to be excited for her? Then again, it wasn’t fair… he usually was supportive of the things she did and maybe he had good reasons for doubting this but...
Max tossed aside an empty drink can, listening to it clatter on the road, watching it bounce and then roll away. She opened another. The taste sizzled down her throat and it made her feel better about the whole situation - it was like her head cleared, she could think again.
The next day she apologized to him, first thing in the morning. He gave her a drink and she couldn’t keep up the silent treatment during the process - such an obvious symbol of the connection they were supposed to share.
“Surge, I - I’m sorry,” she said. “I just - I don’t understand what you don’t... why you’re acting like this.” Max drained the rest of the can, letting it fall from her fingers. She twiddled her thumbs violently. “Maybe - I mean - I thought last night, if you just told me… we could sort things out, you know? I just… missed you, last night. You know we’re always meant to go together, right?”
It felt good to apologize, to get it off her chest. “I know you worry about me,” she said slowly. “But I’m not… it’s not gonna turn badly, I can feel it. I’ll be alright. It’s gonna be okay.” She frowned. There was something of a headache beginning to brew behind her eyes. “Hit me up again, will you?” Just one drink before work, enough to make her focus.
Bibi was there again, as she suspected she might be. She had another crime (Max didn’t really pay attention to what it was, but she hardly paid attention to any of them anymore.)
“Say,” Bibi said to her this time, when Max tackled her and was slapping the cuffs on. “Wanna hang out after work?”
And Max hesitated. “Uh - you know, I - it’s not that I don’t want to, you seem pretty cool, but-”
Bibi seemed disappointed. “Oh. No, that’s okay, I guess. I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to be inappropriate.”
“No, no, it wasn’t that - just -” Max sighed. “Ask me again tomorrow. I have to talk this over with Surge. I don’t think we see eye to eye on it yet.”
Bibi didn’t seem to understand, but Max didn’t mind - not many people did understand the bond that she and Surge shared. It was much, much more than just any old ‘friendship’. She had never felt as in sync with someone else as she did with her partner - there was no one else whose words she could predict and whose thoughts she could think and understand.
“Bibi asked me out today,” Max said that night. She was leaning against Surge, letting the heated air that fanned from his exhaust ducts warm her as the night fell. Max idly stacked several empty cans on top of each other, and drank greedily in an effort to have another empty one to add to her tower. “I - I don’t think she’s moving too fast, no. It’s like I already said, I feel like … we’ve known each other forever. I bet she probably feels the same. It’s… strange... “ Max frowned, unable to recall exactly when they’d met - but it had been a while ago in any case.
“I do think she’s nice. And interesting. I know, and a villain.” Max frowned. “I know.”
Surge gave her another drink. She took it gratefully. He always knew when she was getting riled up - and just how to help her calm down, to remain in control. Sometimes she got a little carried away, she thought, but Surge was a … great friend in helping her that way. She felt better than ever honestly, and most of that was because of him, in fairness...
“Tell you what, then,” she replied, shifting awkwardly against him. “Why I don’t bring her to meet you tomorrow? Then you could get to know her. And there’d be no worries at all! Do you think it’d help?”
Surge offered her a drink, a sure sign of agreement. Max accepted it with a smile. “Thanks, buddy. I knew I could always count on you.”
It was much more comfortable there sleeping next to him (much warmer, too) rather than elsewhere on the city’s winding streets. The light he put out was bright and friendly, rather than the dank orange glare of streetlights and Max felt nowhere else more comfortable. This was the closeness she didn’t want to lose.
The next day, she brought Bibi to meet him, after hours, after the day was done and the sun was setting. Bibi seemed to regard him carefully (as most people did - Surge was an imposing metal-made fellow, and though he wore a friendly face, his tremendous size put many people off.)
“I want you to meet my best friend,” Max said. “Bibi, Surge. Surge, Bibi.”
“Oh. Hey. What’s up.” Bibi waved slightly. “So you’re the one who sources the drinks around here, eh?”
Max laughed. “You’re funny.” But Surge did offer them drinks, and Max took both - one for her, one for Bibi, and though she tried to convince Bibi to take hers, Bibi refused, so Max drank them both.
All in all, things went pretty well, she thought. She had been a little disappointed in Surge’s lack of friendliness compared to the way he was so talkative when they were alone, but all in all, a pretty okay experience. She walked Bibi home that night and it was late, getting back.
Surge reproached her on her return.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to be so late on a work night but… she offered. And we had a good time. I - I think I like her.” Max flushed. “I know it hasn’t been that long, I - I know, I guess. It’s just... gah. You know?”
Max still struggled to say exactly how she felt, but at the same time, she knew that Surge knew. She could tell that he understood, didn’t he? He always did. It felt like they were more two sides of the one person than two separate sometimes… She appreciated him more than he could understand.
“Okay, okay, I hear you,” she replied to him. “I won’t do anything stupid. I won’t do anything wrong. I won’t let it interfere with work. I-” she smiled gently. “I won’t let myself get hurt. Is that what you’re worried about? You don’t have to worry, you know. When I have these drinks-” she tossed an empty can away and opened another “-I feel like I can do anything. I know, I know, maybe I can’t but it… it feels good, y’know? I think after all the work I put into keeping this place safe, I can take some time off.”
She fell silent for a moment, listening, drinking deeply.
“Feels off? I … I don’t know what you mean. I…” Max hesitated. “Okay, I can get it… it’s obviously not normal , you know, but I’m not sure I could have a normal relationship, exactly. I just gotta take what I can get. It’s part of the job description, isn’t it?”
Another silence, another drink. Surge was trying to be friendly about it, she could tell.
“No, it’s not anything she’s done,” Max said. “It’s … I feel like I’m in my head too much about it, maybe. I think about her and it… it gets a little fuzzy, but I think - I think that’s just part of falling in love, isn’t it?” She hesitated. “Have you ever fallen in love - you know, before you met me?”
She threw aside the can and opened another. “I know you were built to be my sidekick but... okay. I just think... you know, all the other people are kinda… weird, right?” She laughed. “They’re so slow. It’s annoying. I don’t think they can handle the stress I’m under so much. But Bibi… I feel… like it’s supposed to be that way. Like we’re meant to be.” She frowned at his words. “Is it only something that happens in movies? I… don’t know. Clearly not, because it’s... it’s happening to me . Right now. Maybe we’re the first - I don’t know, but… she’s pretty rad, Surge. Makes me feel good. Like I’m where I belong with her.” Max took another drink as he offered. “I mean, what’s the worst that can happen, anyway?”
She laughed. “See, even you don’t have a good answer to that. I told you - it’s gonna be fine .”
Everything would be fine - after all, that was her whole job . Making sure everything went fine in Super City. Putting down crime, helping lost children, directing tourists, generally just managing the busy lives that filled the streets and byways every day from nine in the morning until eight at night, weather permitting.
Max curled up next to the warm vents on the side of his body, yawning heavily in the heated air that rumbled out of the exhaust of the powerful motor inside his body. The stars shone brightly in the sky and though the temperature fell, Max was content. Everything was right in her little slice of the world. This was normal.
Actually, she pushed herself up. “Surge, what do you say about one more drink before bed?”