Chapter 1: Recollections.

The heavens had been pouring for most of the day and now the constant stream showed no signs of abating now that the darkness of night had arrived. The ground was sporadically covered in deep, murky puddles and the wet grass glistened in what little moonlight slipped through the clouds. It was a surreal atmosphere in the only park left in Seattle.

Logan had been sitting on the same park bench since this afternoon. Seemingly unable to move, he had just sat as Mother Nature did her best to make him leave. Even the thought of moving was too exhausting. People had passed him throughout the earlier hours. None of them gave him a second thought as they hurried, desperate to escape a soaking. Logan smirked as he remembered his thoughts at the time. Watching them going about their lives little realising that sat on this bench was Eyes Only, their self appointed saviour. For the bulk of his adult life he had committed his life to the cause of these people. He had struggled everyday to do the right thing, not for himself but for the sake of others. This thought angered him. He had put everything in his own life, even the things most important to him, on the back burner so he could save those in need. Was it too much to ask now for one person, just one, to stop and see if he was ok. He let out a dry laugh. How pathetic he was being. He wasn't crusading in the assumption that he would get anything in return. Besides there was little they could do for him. They probably couldn't even see his tears, probably assuming they were just beads of rain.

A tender gust of wind began to pick up pace, blowing Logan's usually spiky blonde hair across his face causing the matted strands to lash water across his face. He reached to scratch his face. He felt a prickling sensation as he ran his hand along his now quite substantial stubble. Max had told him she thought his scruffy beard gave him a sort of attractive edge. What would she think now? Logan felt his stomach turn at the thought of her name. "Max", he said aloud, no one around anymore to hear. The name seemed foreign yet the emotions it caused were all too familiar: hurt, pain, regret, at times a little hate, but the most overriding emotion was love

How long had it been now? A year give or take a couple of months. Logan remembered that day as if it were yesterday; flying the freak flag atop that building in Terminal City. It had been the home to the transgenic creations of Manticore. Rejected by society and hunted by various groups looking for their destruction. This, including a certain hostage crisis, had guided the transgenics, and Logan himself, to Terminal City. A place that was subject to high amounts of radiation. Although the transgenics were immune, it was harmful to humans if they remained there too long. It was here that they had decided to make a stand against those that hated them. Surrounded by both the police and the National Guard, there had been no way out. A mutual stand off between the two forces. In response to this threat Max, Alec, Original Cindy, Sketchy, Joshua, Logan himself and a handful of other transgenics had come to the roof of the building they were occupying. There they took the flag of the freak nation, created by the half man half dog concoction known as Joshua, and flew it high. A fuck you to the authorities on the outside who would have liked nothing better than to storm Terminal City and kill its entire population.

Logan's thoughts again turned to Max. Unable to touch flesh as a result of a rather clever little virus created by the 'oh so loveable' people at Manticore, Logan and Max had become distant in the run up to the siege at Terminal City. However, on that roof, not even that bastard virus could suffocate the sense of togetherness between the two. They had stood hand in hand, gloved of course, watching the flag wave in the wind. Surrounded by their friends things had seemed perfect, as if the reality of their situation could not penetrate their little bubble of existence, for a while at least.

As time had passed and night drew near, the occupants of the roof began to fall away. Retreating to rest and prepare for what lay ahead, a mystery to each and every one of them. As night finally won the battle with day, it was just Max and Logan left sitting together. The dog boy Joshua and Original Cindy, Max's best friend and roommate, had been the last to leave. Almost sensing the couples' need to be alone, for a little while at least. They had sat in silence for a few minutes. A comfortable silence as both took comfort in each other's presence.

"So there's kinda something I wanna tell you." Max had said.

"Sure what is it?"

"Its about me and Alec." Alec was another X-5 transgenic like Max. A while ago Max had accidentally touched Logan unleashing that beast of a virus. After he had recovered, she had told him her and Alec were an item. He had been the one to bring it up after he had spied the two of them hugging. He had pleaded with Max to tell him it wasn't true. "I cant", had been all she could say. That incident had marked the beginning of the deterioration of their personal relationship. Although his feelings towards her never changed, her persistent reluctance to be around him and the niggling issue of her and Alec had resulted in him giving up hope of them ever being together. That didn't mean they had continued to be friends, the pretence of it anyway. Logan did come to her aid during the Jam Pony hostage crisis. A choice which had led him to where he had sat on that roof in Terminal City.

"What about you and Alec?" There had been a hint of irritation in his voice as he spoke.

"Well…I…I kinda made it up." Logan looked at her, somewhat shocked at this confession.

"I don't…why?" He had spluttered.

"It was the only thing I could to think of."

"I still don't understand."

" It was the only thing I could think of that would keep you away from me." She had said, signs of regret etched on her face. Although angered at what she had done, Logan could understand why she had done it.

"Because of the virus, because you didn't want us to be too close."

"It was too hard; living with the knowledge that one little slip could result in you dying!" Desperation had begun to sink into her voice, tainting her words with regret. Logan remembered the moment well. He had looked at her face, her beautiful, perfectly designed face. Her dark eyes beginning to fill with tears. One escaped leaving its mark down her cheek as it fell. With her long dark hair lashing around her face, Logan remembered looking at her as if in a trance. He knew then that he loved her, truly loved her for all that she was. Although she had lied to him and tried to distance herself from him, he understood why she did it; she had done it for him.

"I'm sorry." She had whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind. "I couldn't risk losing you, I…" She laughed as though the words she was about to say were too absurd. He had chosen that moment to wipe away the stray tear from her cheek. He then placed both of his gloved hands on either side of her face and looked deep into her eyes.

"I love you Max." He had said it softly but the words were full with all the emotion his soul could muster. She had paused for a moment. More tears began to break away from her eyes, slowly running down her subtle features.

"I love you too." The words seem to linger, caught in the breeze. As they finally registered with Logan it was as if nothing else mattered. Not their current plight, or all the hurt of the past few months.

It was then sitting alone on his bench in the park, back in the present, that Logan felt a wave of hurt rush over him. She had said the words he had longed for, practically since he first met her. In that instant things had seemed perfect, except of course for that bastard virus. How he had wanted to kiss her or, at the very least, feel the warmth of her gentle skin on his. But once again fate had not been kind to them.

They had sat together, her resting in his arms while he slouched against the wall. Of course there was no actual contact between them. It hadn't been perfect; but with everything else that was going on around them it had been enough.

The rain finally began to subside, realising that Logan was going nowhere. He looked up at the night sky. No stars, nothing but the bitter grey of the rain clouds. For the past year this had been a common past time for him. He would wake up, already dressed, and then proceed to the same worn, battered bench. Here he would sit and think back to that day in Terminal City for hours on end. Vivid memories that cut deep into his consciousness. Sitting in a long black trench coat, soaked to the bone, he must have cast a pitiful figure. Not that he cared though. He didn't care for much at all these days when he thought about it. He had all but given up Eyes Only. It must have been several months since his piercing blue eyes were last seen on the nation's screens. Let them look after themselves he thought, I'm all out of fight. All because of one day of brutality. Ignorance and fear had come and stole his life away. Logan could feel the rage hand in hand with the hurt as it tore at his insides. That day in Terminal City, that was when the door was closed on his life.

It must have been about the break of dawn when Max had woken him with a gentle nudge oh his arm. The sun was beginning to rise on the horizon. Its rays set the city on fire yet the air had still been so bitterly cold.

"What time is it?" Logan had asked.

"Just gone six", Max replied.

"Don't suppose the military had a change of heart and left?"

"You know, you would think they would", she had said with a smirk. Logan had smiled at her. He loved that, even when things seemed to be at their darkest, Max could always see some hope. Not that she would admit it. She was after all a genetically enhanced killing machine. Hope and humour were not key factors in such a profession. Max however, was not bound by the limits of her creation. She was just as human as those baying for blood outside the gates of Terminal City. More human it seemed to Logan. She had shown on many occasions her compassion, acceptance and many other such qualities unbecoming of her would be killers.

"We should probably go see the others", she had said breaking the silence.

"Yeah probably", he had replied, a blatant lie. He would have been happy to stay with her on that roof forever. Maybe then things would of played out differently. He wouldn't be in the reality he was currently sitting in…alone.

As they had turned to walk down the hatch into the building, there had come a large crack followed by a faint whistling. Then came the unmistakeable roar of an explosion and the hissing of spitting bullets and falling debris.

"What the hell!" Max had cried. They ran to the edge of the building. It seemed so surreal now, looking back on it. Logan remembered thinking at that moment, looking over the edge of the building, that it was not possible. How could they have been so stupid? Yet it had been happening. The military and the police were attacking. Already there were pitched firefights as groups of transgenic community flocked to try and hold back the heaving mass of attackers. This had been what they feared; the stand off was over, there would be no more talking. This disagreement would be settled in the manner most natural to both sides.

Standing there transfixed, both Max and Logan had stared in disbelief. Already casualties could be seen in crumpled heaps. Screams and shouts were merging with gunfire, becoming more and more ferocious as the soldiers moved along the narrow, run down streets of the city. As they moved from building to building they encountered more dogged resistance as the transgenics became wise to what was happening. They flocked to defend their home, their right to exist. Both the human like transgenics, such as the X-5's, and the more freak like creations, such as the dog like Joshua, began to move into defensive positions. Their Manticore training coming forward to take control. This was it; they were in for the fight of their lives. This was what they had been bred for.

They must have been standing there for a good few minutes, like observers to another reality. Then another tank volley had come from nowhere. It struck the bottom floor of their building. There came a moan as the entire structure had shook. Both Max and Logan were knocked off balance, he had fallen but she remained on her feet. It was then that everything went quite to Logan. He remembered seeing Max, her lips moving but there was no sound. There had been nothing but the high-pitched ringing in his ears. He could feel a warm flow of blood trickling down his right ear. Then more sounds began to filter through: the crackle of gunfire, the screams of pain and hate, the sound of falling debris, and then clearer than all the rest came the sound of Max's voice, "Are you ok Logan, can you hear me? We have to get down there and help!" He nodded in response. She then reached out and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him back inside.

As they finally made it to the bottom floor, they came face to face of the damage caused by the tank volley. This floor had been the control room and what had once been a half decent set-up was now a complete wreck. Amongst the scattered rubble were the remains of computers and other electrical devices, their insides torn apart. A sea of dust had settled in the room acting as a veil to further horrors. As the dust then began to clear, it revealed the bodies of those unlucky enough to have been caught in the blast. Some were no longer recognisable, just twisted bloodied mounds of flesh. There was one face that Logan did recognise though. The image still haunted him to the present day. Even with the cuts and the mask of blood the body had been recognisable; it was Sketchy, a young man who worked with Max at Jam Pony. Inadvertently caught up in the earlier hostage situation, Sketchy had been taken along for the ride, that wasn't to say that he was upset about it. Although initially upset and unsure about the transgenics, Sketchy had soon come round to their side. Max was his friend, didn't matter where she came from or what she was. A carefree individual and a joker with a goofy grin; that was how Logan remembered the young man. Now though, now he wasn't smiling, his eyes blank and lifeless. His blonde streaked hair now dirty and wet with blood. He lay there under the rubble, not moving…dead.

Logan remembered just standing there while Max immediately ran to the side of her fallen friend. "Come on Sketch get up! We have to get outta here", she yelled barely able to conceal the emotion in her voice. As she sat there cradling the body in her arms, Logan's mind began to catch up with what was going on around him. Max's usually keen sense must have been dulled somewhat by the loss of her friend as she failed to notice the emergence of three soldiers from the gaping hole in the wall. Dressed in grey, white and black street camouflage with a black flak jacket, each one was armed with an M16 machine gun and had their sights set on Max. There had been little time to react, but Logan had felt a sudden rush of adrenaline fuelled by anger. He grabbed the glock pistol he kept in his left coat pocket. Dropping to one knee he raised the weapon toward their attackers and squeezed the trigger. Max turned just in time to see the first bullet tear through the chest of the soldier closest to her. He fell awkwardly to the ground and lay there dead. The other two then swung their attention toward Logan. He remembered the panic he felt in that moment as he saw the muzzle flashes of their weapons. Then came the sound of the bullets as they broke the air around him. Instinctively he pulled the trigger of his own gun again and again. A second soldier fell in a cloud of red as the bullet struck his forehead. Then came a blur and before he knew what had happened, Logan was staring at the back of the third mans head. Max turned her attention to him as her victim fell.

"Are you ok?" She asked quietly.

"I'm fine…sorry…" had been his feeble reply.

"Come on we should go find the others before…" She turned her attention back to Sketchy. There she paused for a moment before turning back to Logan. He gave her a nod and rammed a second clip into his pistol before following Max outside.

It was if the scene inside the control room had just been a teaser to the devastation that greeted them outside. Here they witnessed the full extent of war in action. Everywhere they turned they could see either transgenics or soldiers huddled behind precious cover, occasionally popping out to fire a few rounds at their respective enemies. Dumpsters, barrels, anything and everything that could be used had a creature of some sort huddled behind it. There were cries of pain and fear, voices shouted desperate to be heard over the sound of gunfire. The previously grey roads of the street were now a dull red as the life of the fallen leaked out into various pools. Logan again noticed two familiar corpses: Dix and Luke. A couple of odd-looking creatures but both smart and good with machinery. They had been the engineers of Terminal City. Now there they lay next to each other bathing in one another's blood.

Together, Max and Logan ran across the street to a small group of three transgenics cowering behind the corner of an old post office. Logan knew one of them; Mole a giant lizard like man. Chewing on a cigar and holding a vintage sawn off shotgun, he had been directing his comrades to fall back. He was being largely ignored though. As they approached, a look of relief washed over his scaly features.

"God am I glad to see you", he yelled.

"What's our situation?" Max inquired.

"Everything is falling apart. We are a mess, scattered in different locations. There's just too many of the bastards. I hate to say it but we are being overrun."

"Well what the hell should we do now?" Max slumped to the ground as she spoke.

"I don't know but I know what I would do; we need to get the hell outta here and fast! We can't win this fight." Defeat was apparent in his voice.

"Well we can't just run, where would we go? There is no way out."

"Alec found a sewer tunnel back at the old market place. It leads to the outskirts of Seattle. We are trying to get everyone back there but we can't get the word out to everyone. Besides some want to stay and fight." Max perked up at this news.

"Alec is alive? What about Original Cindy, what about Joshua?"

"Last I heard they were fine. I think they are already at the tunnel directing things from there. Alec told me to get you over there when I found you, so how about we haul ass over there." As Mole spoke Logan noticed a sizeable squad of soldiers approaching their position.

"Guys I think we should go…now!" He had yelled. Max peeked round the corner and seeing the approaching danger she said, "Ok lets go, move it!" With that they ran down the twisting streets. Mole took point leading the way. They encountered many transgenics on the way. Some agreeing to come with them, others choosing to stay and fight.

After running for around ten minutes, they had reached Alec's position. Luckily there had been little resistance getting here. Any soldiers they did encounter were easily dispatched. The bulk of the enemy were still at their original position, cleaning up the pockets of resistance from those trangenics choosing to stand and fight rather than run.

As soon as Alec saw them he came rushing over.

"Come on, we have to go now!" Desperation was apparent on his handsome features. The bulk of their group, including Mole, wasted little time in retreating down to the sewer.

"Max what are you waiting for?" Alec asked.

" We can't just leave! There's still so many fighting and dying back there. I did this it's my fault. I convinced them we should stay here, that it was our home and that we should defend it with our lives if need be. Now what? I'm supposed to just turn around and run. We knew this was a possibility."

" Yes that's true…but this is going to be a fucking massacre!" Alec's response was chilling, but it was true. " We should leave now while we still can." Logan hated this, feeling so hopeless. There had been nothing he could do but stand and watch events unfold. How he hated himself for that now. He remembered looking around at the time. Tall high-rise blocks, grey and run down, surrounded them. There was only one small road into their position and it was the same one they had used to get here. It led down a narrow street with small houses that bore the marks of wear and tear.

"Oh my god girl you're alright!" The familiar voice belonged to Original Cindy. Max rushed over and embraced her friend.

"Do you know about Sketch?" She asked mournfully.

"…Yeah." Her face showing sadness that Logan had never seen before on the feisty young woman.

"Have you seen Joshua?" Max inquired.

"Yeah he's leading folks down the sewers."

"Oh thank god…"

"Look boo, we have got to move. We can't stay here." O.C was defeated as well.

"I can't", came Max's reply, "I have to go help the others". She looked from Alec to O.C. Both had already resigned themselves to the fact that it was over. Despite all their training, their superior strength and speed, the transgenic community had been defeated. The superior numbers and firepower of the army had been too much, even for them.

Max turned her attention to Logan. He remembered her face. Her pained expression did little to hide her obvious beauty. "Logan?" She had spoken softly her dark eyes pleading with him to help her. "Please, we have to help them, we have to at least try." He had known that going back meant almost certain death, no matter how strong Max was there was no escaping the inevitable. Everything sensible in him told his mind they should leave, start a new life somewhere else. He stood just looking at the small but prominent figure of the young woman he loved so much. At least if they died, he thought, they would die together.

"Ok lets see what we can do", he had said letting a small smile spread across his face. Max returned the smile.

"Well suit yourselves. I mean if you want to go kill yourselves that's fine by me. But I ain't gonna sacrifice myself, oh no! I'm gone." Alec had already begun to leave as he spoke. He stopped suddenly before turning and coming back.

"Ah fuck it…can't let you be the only hero. I have got a reputation to think of after all." Alec grinned at Max.

"Yeah a reputation for being an asshole", Max said grinning back. Alec just shrugged.

"Time for a change I guess."

"Well you know I can't leave my sista hanging", came the voice of O.C, pledging herself to their little suicide mission as well.

"Thank you." Max's words were simple but full of gratitude. "Lets go!"

What happened next changed everything in Logan Cale's life, leading him to the present. He had turned to return down the small road when he felt a searing pain in his left shoulder. He had stood there for a moment, confused as to what had just happened. Then he felt another thud to the right of his heart. A sudden explosion of claret erupted before his very eyes. His body went numb with agony and he fell to the ground, rolling onto his left side. He had seen Alec and Max duck down, but Original Cindy lacked their enhanced speed and reactions. The first bullet struck her in the chest and the second and third hit her in the gut. She stood for a moment, a trickle of blood escaping out her mouth. She then stumbled and joined Logan on the ground. He remembered the glazed look in her eyes, knowing in that instant the she was…dead.

Everything seemed to be moving so slowly. His body ached and he could feel the heavy thud of his heart as it struggled for survival. He couldn't move, as if he had been paralysed again. A steady stream of his blood was pouring across the ground. Then he felt Max turning him so that he faced her. He thought she was an Angel at first; such was her beauty at that moment.

"M-Max", had been all he could say.

"Oh my god Logan hold on!" She had to scream to be heard. "Logan stay with me. I'm gonna get us out of here. Alec is Cindy ok?"

"She's gone." Logan remembered seeing the devastation in Max's face at the news. She let out a pained moan, tears welling up in her eyes before bursting free. He knew he had to let her go. If Max and Alec were to survive then they would have to leave him and go.

"Alec…Alec get her out of here!" He choked on his words as blood surged up his throat, spilling out his mouth like a fountain.

"NO!" Max cried, "I'm not losing you too. I can't." Alec grabbed her by the arm but she shook him off. Logan knew the soldiers were zeroed into their position and would be on them in a matter of minutes.

"Look Max you have to go. Please…for me", he had said having to use all his strength to talk.

"No…no I wont, not without you."

"I'll be fine", what an absurd lie that seemed now. "I need you to save yourself. Just know that I…that I love you and I will find you but you have to go now!"

She stayed still for a moment, just gazing down at him. Her face riddled with emotion, he had never seen her like that before.

"Logan I…I love you and I am not going to let you go." It became clear that there was nothing he could say that would convince her to go. He turned to Alec who nodded knowing what Logan wanted him to do. He grabbed Max and began to drag her away. Alec had had to use every ounce of strength in his being as Max kicked and screamed all the way to the sewer entrance. Her voice still echoed in Logan's head as he sat in the park back in the present day.

"No Alec, no! Let go of me…Logan, LOGAN!" She was almost squealing, raw emotion in her voice.

"Max I love you", he cried after her as she disappeared down the sewer, out of his life. He had then be left there dying as the soldiers rushed past him ignoring him and going straight to the sewer entrance. There he lay with the bloodied body of Original Cindy, staring at the sky. He had fought the urge to pass out but it was a pointless struggle. His last thoughts had been of Max as darkness swallowed him up.

That had been it, the beginning of the end of his life. Dawn was just beginning to show itself and Logan was still sitting in the same place. This was what he did now, his life spent remembering, re-enacting that day. He had woken a few days after that in a hospital bed. . Maybe it would have been better if he had died. At least then he wouldn't have had to go through the pain as each of his attempts to find Max over the past year failed. None of his wide range of contacts had found anything and now after nearly a year searching he had all but given up hope. Resigning himself to just sitting in this park with his memories. Was she alive? If so where the hell was she? Why couldn't' he find her? A burning anger began to rise up inside him. "God", he cried lifting his right leg before driving it into the ground, the enhanced strength from his exo-skeleton causing the ground to crumble beneath his foot.

Logan knew he had to find Max, or at the very least learn what had become of her. This pointless existence he led was driving him insane. He rose to his feet fighting the cramp in his legs. It was going to be another grey day by the looks of it, but that did not reflect Logan's mood anymore. In will find her, he thought, or die trying and it was with these two thoughts that he turned and walked home with a new sense of purpose.