Who: Max Mendelson and Dani Diaz Where: outside the UMBC and elsewhere What: in the aftermath of the Annihilator's death, Max comes to check on Dani and makes a confession When: early evening, 9/8/18
With the Annihilator -- Zeckendorf -- dead, the restrictions at the hospital were no longer so stringent, and Dani was able to leave the building, alone, with no attempt made to hinder her departure. Only one person in the atrium, an older woman she recognized as one of the regulars that manned the check-in desk, even bothered to ask where she was off to. "I need some fresh air," Dani declared, giving the woman a look that didn't encourage follow-up questions.
Despite the fact that it was nearly October, the sun still set late enough that Dani could meet Max outside the UMCB and not have to worry about the light fading too quickly on them. It wasn't quite bright enough, however, to merit the sunglasses she put on just before stepping through the hospital's front doors. They were mostly to cover up the tender, purplish-green bruise on her left cheekbone as much as possible, and in that respect, they worked well enough. Dani had no intention of keeping the shades on the whole time, but Max had been upset in his texts, and she didn't want his first sight of her to dredge that up again. Or maybe it was a vanity, and her ego couldn't take him seeing her as anything less than perfect. Not today.
With no idea how long the trip from Max's new shelter would really take, Dani couldn't be certain whether he'd already be waiting for her. She glanced both ways down the empty street, before shrugging and walking far enough from the entrance to wait in an out-of-the-way spot. The weather was a little too warm for the light jacket she'd thrown on, but again it was a matter of disguise. If Max didn't see the bandages on her arm, maybe it would keep his mind at ease. This care wasn't something Dani would normally ever take with another person, but she felt protective of Max, much in the way he was of her.
There weren't many sounds to break up the silence of the city these days, so Dani heard the vehicle approaching before she saw it. She didn't move, though, until it had slowed down enough that she could confirm the driver's identity. As Max alighted from his ride, she met him, throwing her arms around him in welcome before he'd even had time to utter so much as a greeting.
"If I'd known mortal peril was all it would take to see you again, I would have figured out a way to get myself kidnapped sooner." Her ribs twinged, but the hug was worth the ache. God, it was good to see Max again.