AU story: Manticore had multiple divisions all over the US, and was taken down by the US government but because they unprepared for what was within, most of the transgenics/transhumans managed to escape and scatter. Max has never met Alec before, and escaped around the same time all the other transgenics did. Alec had another love before Max, named Rachel also an X5, who died in the battle for TC. In the aftermath, Alec withdrew into himself and grew hard and cold, until one day, an X-5 named Max found her way to TC…