First Original FanFiction by Victoria Speramus published - EVER!

Tonight, Monday, November 23rd, 2009.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the shooting star. DA belongs to someone else...

-With the face of the devil-

Chapter 1: Shooting Star.

LOGAN

He had found the tall building in his leisure. When analyzing it, Logan knew it was probably the best structure in Terminal City, but there was no doubt that transgenics would always refuse to occupy it because of its strong resemblance to a hospital, something that reminded all experiments and abuses that they had to bear in Manticore. In addition, the building was well blocked to the outside but was right next to a street that the Ordinaries were those who walked in, and no matter how strong they were in comparision with the average people, they were always looking forward for troubles.

So there he could find a place to reflect, relax and free his mind from all the stress that dominated headquarters. Because when wasn't Dix asking how to repair a computer, was Mole asking for more cigars... or Max being with Alec.

It was only necessary to see how she unfolded when she was with the young X5 to realize it was all an elaborate - but bad, after all - acting. Although he knew they were not a couple, - that indeed, they had never been one -, it hurt too much to know that Max was lying to him, that she still saying that. He found, before Cindy's death, that she was doing that for his own sake. For his own sake? God, since she had returned from death and they had to deal with the virus - a biohazard girlfriend, Max had called herself - , Logan was more than aware of the danger he was in with being with Max. And yet, he accept the risk, because life was better without being able to touch her that without her.

He had tried to meet other girls and didn't deny that he liked all the attention he received from the females inside TC. They were cute, actually. But none of them was Max.

Moreover, he recognize he had no bore nor grudge against Alec. After all, his performance did not go beyond taking Max's hand when he was present, or tell her a few sweet words. Besides, the young transgenic had made him a pleasant morning, perhaps at the expense of his ignorance, when he had taken several rolls of coaxial cable to deploy the new equipment in HQ. Coaxial. He could not resist making fun of him. Definitely his specialty hadn't been telecommunications, like Max's.

Thinking about her again, he inevitably looked at the sky at the exact moment when a shooting star across it. Recalling as that he thought, when he was a kid, that it'd fulfill his wishes, he asked, aware that the star wasn't going to make it true, to be able to touch Max again. It had been a really long time since the last time he could do that without starting to die, and he missed her, so badly.

Then, looking down the street, Logan noticed the black car parked next to the building, and saw a shadow going to one of the windows on lower floors.

MAX

After spending 6 months in Terminal City, Max was adapted to the Big Brother lifestyle: All those within that toxic place knew who she was and couldn't ignore her presence when she was around. On the other hand, they had installed a security camera system in the less crowded places, in order to detect whether some unknown or suspect someone was inside.

She had also become, not willing, to be the voice and face of the huge group of soldiers, so going out of there was almost unthinkable, unless she wanted to be lynched by a group of angry citizens, as the poor Biggs had been. The few times she left the complex, she did through the sewers, wearing the most unnoticeable outfits she had. She had also dyed her hair light brown. And, the worst part, without her Baby.

The main problem of living there, was having to live with Logan. Actually, it was not a problem, but seeing him every day, although it gave her a reason to stay strong, was also her own curse. It was pretty bad having to see him and not being able to touch, hell, not even having the courage to tell him how she really felt. Worse, she had to deal with those female X5's who watched the only ordinary among them as their next conquest. And she knew, deep down, he had tried to be, he had tried to move on, but nothing had worked. He still in love with her. She loved him more than she thought she could.

Looking to the horizon where the flag was upright, she noticed the shooting star crossing the sky. And she asked, silly but desperately, that she could be back with Logan. She missed him so much...

"Excuse me, ma'am." A small boy cut in her thoughts. Lex was an X8 around the age of 5 or 6, and his look - blonde spiky hair, green eyes - reminded her of Logan. "Max." The kid corrected himself. "Mr. Mole and Mr. Dix's are looking for you. They ask you to go to HQ immediately."

She sighed and nodded, smiling to the little kid. So things were there. No time to be a poor girl in love. She took Lex's hand and went back to her life.

WHITE

He recognized that they had been extremely stupid for not looking before a map of that area of town known as Terminal City. After watching it, checking it and walking around, Ames White had found a building that apparently was not being occupied by the monsters that his own father - he didn't like to call him that way - had created. Excited like a child about to open his Christmas present, he had decided to finally get to review, in person, the construction, with the intention of seeking to introduce another group of the elite warriors of the Conclave, to annihilate all the transgenic that there were living inside.

He parked his black car on the shadows and got out, looking at his wristwatch. When knowing the time, he looked at the sky as the comet passed by. Within the beliefs of his cult, was that there was a star that it was actually capable of granting wishes. It was that.

So he asked his own. Forgetting all about his missing son, he begged for having a way to finish 452, to make her suffer, to make her pay. Then, turning to the building, he jumped out a window to enter the fourth floor.

THE FIGHT

"White is here." Dix said as soon as Max entered the HQ.

She could not help rolling her brown eyes, obviously upset by the insistence of the government agent. After leaving Lex, she stood behind Dix. "Where are our manners? We should go to greet him." She replied with a sarcastic smile on her lips. "Where is he?" Dix reproduced the video, recorded from the camera installed outside the Evil Tower, as they called the abandoned building because of its resemblance to a hospital, to Manticore.

"Fourth floor." Was all the transhuman had to add.

She immediately went to meet him, followed close by Mole and Alec. Max was really anxious. White had paid them a couple of visits before, which ended with the death of some transgenics, but, most important to her, with the death of Cindy and Joshua. It had been her fault. If only she had let her Big Fella to kill him...

But that didn't happen. And now she was looking for her chance to end his life, once and for all.

*****

The shadow had entered through a window on the fourth floor. Logan felt that he should call Max, but thought better, believing he could handle whatever it was. After all, though his body wasn't half as good as one of a genetically engineered supersoldier, he was capable of doing more than an ordinary human.

Once on the fourth floor, he turned on his flashlight and shone abandoned furniture, partitions, walls, corners... the shadows. There was nothing. He breathed. It was only his nerves. After all, he was in a situation where he didn't know whether the army could start killing them in any second; he was just a little paranoid.

However, he didn't put out his lantern as he thought it. His instinct asked him to wait just a moment longer. And when he turned, his face lit up the macabre Ames White.

He immediately kicked the lantern, hindering Logan's vision, who, nevertheless, found a way to hit him hard enough to make him fall to the ground, several feet away. With long steps he came to him and took him by the collar of his jacket. "You won't hurt her."

"You bet?" White replied, before kicking him in the stomach. He ran quickly to a window, not the same one where he had entered, and looked back, hoping to find the other man lying on the ground.

But he wasn't there.

He was running toward him, pushing him – himself included - through the window. Thousands of pieces of glass flied, while both men fell, and Max's voice was present.

"Logan!"

In that moment, everything crossed her mind. She had been stupid, selfish, a true, real bitch. Max couldn't help regretting every single second she lied to him.

She regreted going back to Manticore, playing with her siblings and Lydecker to be God and trying to finish them. That had only been the beginning of their end.

All those missing opportunities. All that year dancing around each other.

She felt how time stood still, though she still seeing them falling, Logan falling. She didn't care if White was going down too, that would actually would make her happy.

"Don't." She whispered, while tears threatened her with falling down her cheeks.

But it was too late. After what had happened with the nurse at Harbor Lights, Logan knew that not even White would be able to survive a fall like that. So he didn't mind dying if he did have the pleasure of killing him.

0-0-0

Once in the ground, Logan felt more pain that he had before, not even in the shooting. The only thing he was able to do was closing his green eyes. Max's voice was barely audible from the window he had just fell from, but he knew then, that she still feeling something for him, which made harder what was coming: his own death. Eventually, he opened his eyes again, feeling no more pain. He was in a dazzled, dizzy, confused state, just listening all noises around him. When he could finally focus on something, he saw himself, eyes shut, not breathing, blood all around him. Yeah, that had been the end of Logan Cale.

So, this is just the beginning, a short one like most of beginnings. What does mean the tittle? You'll find out in chapter 2, coming out this weekend, if God and my biochemistry teacher allow me to.

R&R!

Besos, Victoria