It has been forever since the update, and I apologize, life, National Novel Writing month has just gotten in the way…so I hope you enjoy it…

Alec's nails dug into his palms as the armored cult members left, and saw Max being taken away. Ignoring Logan, Alec tried to focus on thinking of ways to intercept ways to get Max back. "What the hell is the matter with you?" Logan spat at Alec. Alec turned to Logan.

"If you would have just stayed out of it, Max would be fine," Alec growled, turning his head towards Logan. "Logan…we all have appreciated some of the help you have given us…but you need to stop acting like you are some superhuman, when you are not. Get out of the way before you get hurt," Alec spat turning towards a console. Joshua looked at Alec, and tapped his shoulder.

"I got Little Fella's scent," Joshua informed Alec, "I'm going after them…" Alec was a little reluctant on letting Joshua go. "I wear a mask," Joshua promised, to hide his face.

"Alright…give a call if you find Max…" Alec said, and Joshua clapped Alec on the shoulder, before sprinting off in the direction out of Transgenic City. Logan was fuming still and Alec turned to him. "If you aren't going to do anything, then get the hell out of here," Alec snapped at Logan.

Logan opened his mouth to retort angrily, but closed it, walking over to a computer console to try and help efforts to find Max. Alec felt his blood boiling as he saw Logan…he shouldn't be here…he didn't deserve Max.

Factory somewhere outside Seattle

Max woke groggily woke up, and felt her arms chained above her head. Slowly looking around where she was, she unsteadily got up onto her feet. "About time you woke up 452," Max glared at him, but kept her mouth shut. "You are going to tell me where my son is 452,"

"You know White…" Max shot glaring at him. "You always go for the anticlimatics and it never works. Whatever you try to do won't get me to spit a word about where I saved your son," White shook his head in disgust at Max.

"Manticore was never great with creating…you…or anyone else with the simple ability to obey an order," White grunted. "You will tell me where he is 452…"

"Bite me," she snapped at him, with an eye roll. White backhanded her and she felt blood in her mouth. Turning her head, she spit it out, and smiled at White. "That the best you got?" she questioned. White snapped his fingers, and a couple figures in white suits came in, and injected Max with something. Max felt her vision start to swim, and they unlocked her cuffs. Instantly punching one of them hard across the jaw, she tried to run away, but White was on her in an instant, tackling her to the ground.

"It won't do you any good to try to escape 452," White growled, as the whitecoats grabbed a hold of her from White. She felt herself being strapped onto a cot, and they strapped her down in chains. "As I said, you are going to tell me where my son is whether you are 'Max Guevara,' or 452," An object was rolled into the room, and one of them pried Max's eye open. A laser shot into her eyes ,and as much as she tried, she couldn't fight the laser.

"452…you have been very bad…you know the consequences for trying to escape," Lydecker said to the young girl. "I really don't want to do this to you…you are my kids…and I'm sorry," he whispered, as the white coats came in once again for behavrial modification. After hours of grueling modifications 452 no longer remembered why she wanted to leave Manticore, or why she felt that she was forgetting something.

"Max…" 452 turned to the voice and…. Max gasped, fighting the laser again. "My name…is Max," she growled. She spat blood at White, and he wiped his face.

"Crank it up," and Max let out a painful scream as they started to try and pry the information out of her brain.

Outside of Seattle (Hours later)

Zack growled as he finally entered Seattle once again. He made sure his hair was covering his barcode tattoo. He wondered what happened to him since he last blacked out… he knew that Maxie had set up a Transgenic City. Zack felt a little wounded that Max had rejected him…and that she actually fought him…to save a human. Zack shook his head, and got off his motorcycle. Trying to avoid the cameras, he heard something behind him. Feeling for his handgun he turned around and gave a sigh of relief when he saw it was Max. "Max…" he said. She didn't say anything to him, she just walked over to him, and Zack gave her a small smile. He started to worry when Max didn't say anything. "Are you ok?" he asked, grabbing her shoulder.

She grabbed his wrist, and twisted it painfully behind his back. "Max, what the hell are you doing?"

"My designation is 452…" she yanked his hair back revealing his barcode tattoo. "And you were apart of my group…until you defied orders and got sent to the barracks. You are going back," said in a monotonous voice.

Zack twisted his arm back around, and restrained Max's arms behind her. "Max…you need to snap out of it…you don't have a designation! Your name is Max Guevara…" 452 snapped her head back, and hit Zack's face. Joshua heard the tussle and heard Max's voice.

"Little fella…" he said, and while still holding onto Zack, 452 whipped her foot towards Joshua, hitting him full on in the gut.

"Max," Zack said sternly, twisting her wrist. "Look at me," he commanded. 452 refused, and reached into his pants, pulling out his handgun. Shocked she had done that, Zack was left open for a direct hit to his head from the 9mm. Max reached into her pockets, and pulled out a pair of cuffs. Jerking his arm out of place, Zack let out a grunt of pain. Joshua felt for his walkie-talkie, and clicked the emergency button, instantly alerting everyone at TC where they were.

Joshua grabbed 452 from the behind, and held her in a bearhug. "Max…" he whispered, and 452 struggled in his grasp, trying to break it. Zack got up and felt a sharp pain as he popped his shoulder back into place.

Alec was extremely close to where they were, and turned his motorcycle towards where they were. As he drove over to where they were, a gunshot rang towards him, and Alec felt it brush by his ear, and another one grazed his shoulder.

"Stop the cycle and get off slowly," Alec recognized Max's voice, and reluctantly complied.

"Max…" 452 glared at him, gun pointed at his head.

"On the ground, next to them," Alec looked at Max in shock, and she cocked the gun once again. "Now…" Alec walked over towards Zack and Joshua, and saw Zack breaking his handcuffs. Nodding discreetly at him, Alec distracted Max, and yelped as he felt a bullet hit his shoulder. Zack grabbed the gun, and was about to knock 452 out when he suddenly saw Max in her eyes. "Alec…" she whispered as she saw Alec with a gun shot wound. She looked at the gun, and then back at Alec and she knew what she had done. Zack grabbed Max's arm, stopping her from running away.

"Max…we need to get him out of here…" he reminded her gently. Max moved down next to Alec, and felt tears brimming in her eyes.

"Hey…good to see you again," Alec said, pushing through the pain.

"I…I…shot you," Max whispered, and Alec grasped her hand.

"It wasn't you," Alec said, leaning on Max has he pulled himself up. Max stayed silent, and was wallowing in her guilt for what she had done. "Max…this isn't your fault," he said, wincing as he moved his left arm, feeling the bullet had lodged itself into his shoulder.

"Now White knows where his son is…" Alec turned her around, and put his hand on her face, bringing her gaze to his own jade colored ones.

"It's not your fault," he said slowly. Max looked at the wounds she inflicted and Alec kissed the top of her forehead. She slightly heard Zack take an inaudible gasp, but chose to ignore it. "Max…it isn't a fatal shot…I'll be ok," he assured her, and Max nodded. "Come on…we'd better head back to TC…." He was about to mount his bike once again, when Max grabbed his good shoulder, and got in front of him. He opened his mouth to object, but when he saw Max's face, he nodded and wrapped his good arm around her waist, as she kick started the bike. Zack nodded towards Joshua, and they both got onto his bike, and followed Max back to Transgenic City.

Max kept focus on the road, and vaguely felt Alec's arm tighten around her waist. As soon as they arrived at Transgenic City, Logan was there waiting for Max. Wrapping Alec's good arm around her shoulders, she brought him into the infirmary. The X-6 that had been in there to help Max get some rest was in there, and tended to Alec. Max took the opportunity to try and leave, but Alec whipped out and grabbed Max's arm. "Don't go," he whispered, and Max looked at his face. It was pleading, and it looked like he would be hurt that she would leave.

Max sat down next to him, and gripped onto his hand as the X-6 cut deeper into Alec's gunshot wound to take out the bullet. "I'm sorry," she whispered, looking away from his face. Alec pulled Max closer, and had her look at him. Mike, the X-6, got done with cleaning Alec up, and pulled Max onto his lap.

"It's ok," he repeated. "Don't blame yourself for this anymore," he said, kissing the top of her forehead. Logan walked into the room, and dropped the clipboard that he had in his hands, seeing Alec holding Max on his lap.

"Get your hands off of my girlfriend," Logan said stiffly.

"Logan…" she said, gently pulled herself off of Alec's lap, but held onto Alec's hand.

"Don't Logan me," he said stiffly. "I don't understand Max…" he said to her, hurt entering his voice.

"Logan…don't act like you are some victim in this situation…" Max said. "I know about Asha…" Logan instantly pulled back the hurt boyfriend routine, and glared at her. "We're through Logan…just go…" Max said. Too angry to say anything, Logan went out of the room, and Max rested her head on Alec's shoulder. Alec instantly wrapped his arm around her, and sweetly kissed her on the lips.

"Are you ok?" Alec asked, rubbing her arm with his free hand.

"No…" Max started, "but I'll be fine as long as you are here," Max whispered, clinging onto his shoulder.

"I'm not gonna go anywhere," Alec promised, as he tightened his hold on her…