Author's Note: Here are a few things that I have forgotten to mention.

The Pairing is Max/Alec, as it had been in 'The New Addition'. There isn't much Logan-bashing in this one. I don't think that it's call for.

The Characters that were in 'The New Addition' will most likely be in this one...including the beloved '09ers, and some of the not loved bad guys.

Hope you enjoy it...

Chapter Four

Gem and Syl glanced up the moment that Max entered the infirmary. Syl quickly got to her feet and went to cut Max off. "Max…" she started softly. "You…"

"Do not tell me to remain calm," Max said glancing up at her fellow '09er. They had been through a lot since they all came back together. Some of them had ventured back to the lives that they had before venturing out to Terminal City. Max hardly if ever heard from Zach, but maybe that was what he wanted. He always seemed to have a hold on their whereabouts and knew how to contact them if something big came up. "Cause we all know that won't work right now."

"They're still recovering," she said softly, as she turned to face their fallen warriors. "They …"

"I know," Max replied just as soft. She had watched the newsfeeds about what had really gone done. Her guys had gone out of their way to help those children, when they didn't need to. It was what they were born to do. Help out those who are less fortunate then themselves. It was both a blessing and a curse when it came down to it. They had lost so many over the years cause of it. They had lost CeCe and a few others. "They did good."

"Max…" a voice hissed out through the pain, causing her to move away from Syl's side and make her way over to the wounded X-5. If she hadn't known who it was, she would never have been able to even guess. His entire body was bandaged. They had caught up with them on the way back to Terminal City and tried to burn some of them alive. A few got away and a few did not make it. He was one of the very few who had made it, if you count having almost all your entire body covered in third degree burns. "Any news?"

Max shot him a fake smile as she moved to his side. "Nothing yet, Biggs," she replied. "Don't worry about it. It's not your place to worry about it. We'll take care of this."

"I was his second…" Biggs hissed out through the pain. "I let him down. He got shot cause of…"

"That's enough," Max ordered softly. Syl's eyes went straight to her. "It was not your fault that he got shot. You've always done amazing when it comes to keeping him out of trouble. Do not blame this upon yourself, Biggs. Alec getting shot was his own doing."

"Yes, Ma'am," Biggs whispered, before closing his eyes and slipping back into the world of darkness, a world where he felt no plain.

"Status on the rest of them," Max said, not moving her eyes away from Biggs. They had all been through so much in the last few years. She had grown to trust Biggs just as much as Alec did. She tried not to think how they would react if Alec did not ever return. How much more difficult it maybe to move on, to survive the upcoming war they knew that was coming. "Anything?"

"We lost two of our best scouts," Syl started. "We have four who received second and third degree burns, and two who are missing."

"Two?" Max asked, her eyes moving away from the wounded to glance at the care-taker of them all. Gem had done good by her Manticore training to learn all that she could from the field meds and other doctors that she came across. She turned what used to be an empty barrack into a well sought out infirmary. They did their best to keep it stocked for times of need. Those who had high knowledge of field medicine or wanted to learn more, spent their free time here, volunteering under her watchful eye. "I thought it was just…"

"No…" Gem started with a shake. "Alec is the only one who's not come back." She then bit down on her bottom lip before turning her head slightly toward Syl. "I should get back to work and check on the others." She then excused herself, leaving the two 09'ers to talk.

"Who is the other one, Syl?" Max asked her, as she moved forward. She had thought she had known who all had gone off. Apparently she had been mistaken. "Syl?" She tried to rack her mind to think of who it was. "It's not Zach, he's not here anymore and neither is Brin. Haven't heard from Jondy in a while. So that leaves…"

"It was Zane…" Syl replied, keeping her gaze down. "I told him not to go, but he figured that there would be trouble and thought that Alec and the others could use his expertise."

"Yeah, and look where that ended him." Max shot her a harsh look. "Do not keep anything from me. It doesn't help in the end." Then she was gone.

Gem shot Syl a look as she came up to her side. "Did you tell her?" she asked her. Syl shook her head no. "What? Why? She seemed to be upset about something."

"Yeah, cause I lied and told her that it was Zane who was missing."

"But Zane isn't missing. It's…"

"I know…" Syl muttered. "If I told Max who it truly was, she would have killed me right here for letting him go after the incident. He wasn't ready for the field then, and sure as heck wasn't ready now. But he knew the risks and that's why he went. Now he's paying the ultimate price."

"I just hope that she finds them in time. If she doesn't and she ends up loosing them all, we might as well say goodbye. Cause the Max that we all know and love, will be no more."

"Yeah, let's all hope that never happens." They then turned and went back to work, checking bandages and making sure that their fallen weren't suffering anymore than they had to.

until next time...