“Liz, you okay? You in there?” he tried to see her face, but the curtain of dark hair that flowed onto the white tile blocked it completely. She was trembling, her arms wrapped around herself. She looked like she wanted to be as small as possible.

“Subjects HM-354 and FA-3 proceed to the sterilization chamber.”

Alex pulled back from Liz and glared at the walls around him. “Could you give us a minute to like, adjust, here? And alright, what the hell is a sterilization chamber?”

“I don’t think I want to know,” he heard Liz’s low whisper and looked down to see her sitting up. She was still covering herself with her arms, and her eyes were wide open.

“Subjects proceed to the...”

“Yeah, yeah,“ Alex ignored the mantra and turned to Liz with his most persuasive, no-B.S. look. “I’m sorry, Liz, but we have to do what they say.” She looked away. He listened as the monotone voice finished up with its threat of being forcibly removed. His eyes slid shut at the images that accompanied the threat. He had to try to protect Liz as much as he could, for Max as much as for her own sake.

“Alright, then,” he said in a falsely cheerful voice. “Let’s get a move on.”

Liz looked up at him like he’d just suggested they form a conga line and do the bunny hop.

“Hey, it’s either get up on your own and walk, or have the pleasure of being escorted by Moe and Joe, the evil canary twins. And, I don’t know about you, but I found their dinner conversation to be less than stimulating.” He offered her a hand and there was a strained moment as she wavered. Then she took his hand and slowly unfolded her naked body, her eyes downcast.

Alex looked away, suddenly furious for her. Then they stood a moment, collecting themselves, each battling their emotions.

“I don’t know about that,” Liz forced the words from her tight lips. “I found Moe and Joe to be delightful companions.”

Alex folded her frigidy hand in the crook of his arm, determined to be as strong as she was. He gave her a gentle smile. “Now if they’ll just open the damn doors, we’ll show ‘em what we’re really made of. Right, Parker?”

A sudden pop sounded and doors on the right wall slid open, revealing a smaller white room just beyond.

“They really need to diversify in their decorating scheme, don’t you think,” Alex said calmly as he started forward, pulling Liz along until she finally gave in. “White is so overdone, so ‘last year.’ Why don’t they go with a nice Orchard Peach or Lusty Bronze?”

Liz giggled spasmodically. “Lusty? Sounds like a fantasy male color scheme to me.”

Alex prided himself on being the least lust-driven male he knew, but for the sake of the inane conversation that was keeping them relatively sane at the moment, he agreed. “Oh yeah, I‘m all over it. When I get my own pad, it’ll be all hot, metallic colors, all the time.” They were just crossing the threshold of the doors and Alex looked around the empty, smaller room as he continued. “Lusty Bronze, Wanton Gold, Slut-on-a-Halfshell Silver.” They stopped shortly inside the door. “Yep. I’ll really be able to bag the babes in a macho sex parlor like that.”

Liz’s grip on his arm was growing uncomfortable, but her tone was amazingly calm. “I think you might want to go with Brazen Bronze myself. It’s a little less obvious.”

A buzzer sounded and Alex whirled to see the doors clang shut. He hit them in a sudden panic, all thoughts of morale gone. He was desperately trying to feel for a knob, a button, anything to get the damn things open again. This room was too small, too white and the air in here was very, very cold. It instantly reminded him of a doctor’s office, and that feeling of being completely vulnerable. And, of course, the bonus fear: he had no idea what these people wanted from him. His shaking fingers could find no hidden latches, no holes to slide into- nothing. Alex finally forced himself to give up, turning his back to the wall and leaning against it. They were trapped.

Liz was standing two feet in front of him, still as stone. “So, this is a sterilization chamber, huh,” she said quietly.

Alex looked over at her, his eyes automatically traveling over her unclothed body. He was surprised at his appreciation of her figure, even in these circumstances. The curve of her back and hips and way her hair fell down her back- beautiful, he thought with detachment. He thought he’d tell her so, in an effort at further distraction, when he felt a stirring in a place that sent immediate panic through him. He grimaced and turned slightly away from her.

Stupid teenage hormones.

Of all the idiotic-

Alex cursed himself roundly, hoping desperately that maybe Liz wouldn’t turn around.

And- she did. He could see her even more alluring frontside out of the corner of his eyes. Didn’t help a bit.

“Alex,” Liz said in a strained voice. “I can‘t get Michael to wake up.” She took a step toward him and Alex threw a hand up to stop her. She froze and he shook his hand for a few more seconds, emphasizing mutely the need for her to stand back.

“Keep trying,” he said shortly. Then he lowered his hand and kept his back to her. “Uh... Liz, I haven’t seen you naked since my Dad stuck us in the tub together in sixth grade. And you’ve... matured. Quite nicely, I might add.”

“Alex-”

“I just have to say this, alright,” he knew his voice sounded angry, but so be it. Being kidnapped and naked was just a little bit stressful. “If my body happens to react to your body in a certain way, I want you to remember it’s simply the reaction of a severely underexperienced body, and it means nothing. Just take it as a compliment, alright?”

He looked back at her and saw her glaring at him. She turned away, swiping a hand through her hair. “Alex, would you just shut up? We have much bigger things to worry about.”

“Ouch,” Alex muttered, wondering how much she had seen before he had turned away.

Liz sighed in exasperation. “That’s not what I meant. I’m sure your very... endowed or whatever.” Alex felt a smug smile flit across in face in spite of himself as Liz continued her emotional tirade. “But it’s not like I’d know the difference, anyway. You guys think we have nothing better to do than sit around reading ‘Playgirl’ and comparing sizes or something. It makes absolutely no difference. So could we just...” she started getting choked up. “Could we just stop talking about this now? We are in serious trouble, Alex.”

The fear came crowding back to him instantly. He’d almost forgotten for one, whole blissful minute. “I know that.”

The loudspeaker came to life again, making them both jump. “Subjects FA-3 and HM-354 step on the platforms and place your wrists and ankles into the restraints.”

“What platforms-” Alex let his words fade away as two circles on the floor began to rotate and swivel off to the side.

Metal frames lifted up through the holes until they stood about two feet off the ground. Horror pooled deep in Alex’s gut. The metal frames stood upright and had gleaming cuffs at the bottom and sides. Those would be... restraints.

Alex could feel sweat beading in various places on his body. Why would they need to be restrained unless something was going to be done to them that they didn‘t want to be done? He was starting to feel nauseous.

“No,” Liz said quietly. “Uh- no. I can’t.” She turned to Alex with wide, panicked eyes, shaking her head jerkily. “I’m not.” Saying that as if she had a vote in the whole process.

“It’s okay,” he managed to say breathlessly and completely without meaning. He didn’t even know why he said it, but he knew it was what Max would say at a time like this. The thing is, Alex also knew that Max would manage to believe it, and probably have a plan to back it up somehow.

“No, it’s not okay,” Liz hissed at him. “I am NOT getting up on that thing. I don‘t care what they do to me.”

The situation had reached some sort of crisis point. And watching the emotions play across Liz’s pale face, Alex knew he couldn’t just lay down and play dead. Not while Liz had that brittle look of stuffed-down panic on her fact. She was going to lose it.

“Subjects, step onto the platforms or you will be forced to comply.”

Alex felt anger overtake his fear instantaneously. He was pissed. “Forced to comply, my skinny white ass!” He walked to the center of the room and yelled at the white walls. “Who the hell do you think you are, Schwartzkoff? You think you can give out orders and expect me to roll over like some kind of wuss? And, okay, okay, maybe you CAN get Jack and Jill back in here to screw us over, but you know what?”

The doors clanged open and the two men in neon yellow appeared, heading straight for him.

“Okay, great- there’s Josie and her pussycat now,” he said deridingly. “You know, you can’t just make two people disappear like this. Our friends are going to come looking for us.” Alex backed up as the men came nearer, trying to finish his little speech. “And when they do, you are going to wish you‘d paid more attention in Sunday School class, my little friend, because Armageddon-”

The stick rammed into his gut cut off the words and he bent over in agony. He couldn’t even find the breath to curse as he was unceremoniously hauled over to the platform like the pathetic wuss he‘d just denied any resemblance to. And what really pissed him off was that they completely ignored his tirade. They shoved him up on the platform and jerked his hands over to the restraints without a word. The restraints automatically closed and tightened with a grinding click.

Alex felt the sharp, stunning crack of a stick against one ankle and as he lifted it in reflex, it was shoved into the lower restraint, instantly trapped. He moved the other ankle of his own volition, figuring there was little damage he could do with that one freed body part, anyway. The restraint closed and he was now bound hand and foot on a platform, completely and utterly... naked. He closed his eyes and fought to control the cold, creeping fear.

When he opened his eyes again, the men were now headed for the little Liz statue frozen up against the wall. They had her cornered in seconds and the look of terror on her face made Alex jerk against his restraints. “Get the hell away from her! Hey! HEY!”

“Alex,“ she shrieked. Just like before, one man got behind Liz and grabbed her arms while the other gathered up her legs.

“No! No-” She was struggling and crying and it just looked- wrong. One small, naked, vulnerable girl against two plastic apes with sticks. “MAX!” Her helpless scream made Alex’s blood run cold.

“Let her go! LET HER GO!” Alex made his voice as harsh and demanding as possible. It was the only weapon he had left. But they ignored him and maneuvered her up onto the platform easily. He watched them with seething, dark fury that completely stunned him, wishing with all of his heart that Liz would just lose control and fry the bastards.

And as she grew still, watching them place her hands and feet in the restraints, he thought he might just get his wish. Her hair had tumbled around her shoulders during the struggle and it half-covered her tear-stained face. The brown, watery eyes were fixed on the man in front of her with such hatred that Alex half-expected his suit to spontaneously combust. But nothing happened. The blank helmet silently watched Liz watching him. The seconds passed and the other man turned to go.

Alex jerked against his restraints the instant he saw the man in front of Liz hesitate. “Hey!” It was the one she’d kicked across the room, Alex was positive of it.

But the man just tipped her chin with one finger and stepped down. Liz’s eyes closed as the man walked away.

The buzzer sounded and the doors closed. Alex heaved out a shuddering sigh. Round three of the Defenseless Duo versus the Plastic Avengers was now over.