A/N: Sorry for the long wait. School is driving me insane.

4ever Max & Alec – OH MY GOD. YOU'RE RIGHT! Haha I could've sworn I had a scene where Alec found out why Ben was pulling out the teeth, but I must've forgotten about it. I'll have to edit that sometime in the future. Thanks for pointing it out! :)

But you, you're the only one that ever got me
and you, got me feeling like that
and you, like a bullet in my heart
that shot me right down, boy
and I can't get enough of that

I don't know what it is that you do to me baby
if you knew would you tell that you feel the same way that I do

Like a Bullet, Eva Avila

The sound of something hitting something solid made its way through Logan's bedroom door. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him and he nudged his door open slightly, poking his head out warily. Ice settled in his veins when he caught sight of Ben standing in his kitchen, a gleaming knife clutched in his hand. He hastened to close his door tightly, but Ben's voice stopped him.

"You hungry? You've been hiding in there for a couple of hours."

The X5 shifted slightly to the left, revealing a couple of sandwiches sitting on the counter. "Found some stuff in your fridge. Lettuce, tomato and salami. You want one?"

Logan stared at him cautiously, eyes still trained on the knife. "You cook?"

"Making a sandwich ain't exactly rocket science. Besides, I do have to eat, and people don't always do the trick."

Horror shone in Logan's eyes and he rolled uneasily backward. Ben gave him a droll look.

"Joke," he pointed out. "Jeez, would you relax?"

"How can I, when you've killed people?" Logan shot back. He knew he was treading on dangerous territory; the X5 could kill him in a matter of a second if he became irritated, but he couldn't help the comment.

Ben's eyes seemed conflicted, and he averted his gaze. "Yeah, well… it was a joke." Still not looking at him, the transgenic took hold of a sandwich and held it out towards Logan. After a moment of hesitation, he took it.

"Thanks," Logan said awkwardly. He inspected it, debating whether Ben might have put something fatal in it. Deciding that if the transgenic were going to kill him, he would have done it already, he took a small bite, chewed and then swallowed. "It's not bad."

Ben's lips quirked to the side. "Considering the fact that we never had culinary 101 back at Manticore, just be glad it's edible at all."

"I thought that they designed you to be perfect."

"Cooking ability doesn't really factor into the assassin part of the job."

Logan thought about this. "What if you were posing as a chef, and had to give someone salmonella? Bam. Death by pasta."

Ben gave a low chuckle. "Now there's one that the tactics trainers missed."

Logan took another bite of the sandwich, chewing contemplatively. He certainly wasn't comfortable around Ben, but he wasn't as terrified as he had been before. He studied the other man and immediately noticed differences between him and Alec. Ben had circles under his eyes and a striking pallor, as well as a predatory look brimming beneath the surface. He was still without a doubt appealing to women, but Logan didn't think Ben oozed the same charm that his clone did. It was the haunted look that put people on edge, warned them that something wasn't quite right.

That he was a killer.

Suddenly his gut twisted, and the sandwich didn't taste as good anymore. He put it down on the counter and moved a bit away. He couldn't help his reaction. He had made it his life's work to take down people who committed crimes, and here he was eating with one.

"Thanks for the sandwich."

Ben seemed to understand the reason behind his apprehension. He nodded, polished off his own sandwich, and moved away from the other man. Logan watched him limp over to the couch, putting his weight on his good leg, and plopping down on it unceremoniously.

Logan sighed, putting the dirty plates in the sink. He just hoped that Max's other siblings weren't like Ben. Tinga had seemed normal enough during the short time that he had met her. Then again, he was starting to learn that there was a lot more to theX5s than what they projected outwardly.

She felt like smacking her head against a brick wall. What kind of normal person would make such a suggestive comment to someone who had just poured his heart out about his dead love?

Maybe that was the problem. She wasn't normal.

She grunted in frustration, and after checking her watch, wished that someone would just kill her right then. Work had started several hours ago; if Normal hadn't already fired her, she was in for a massive bitching out. There was no way she could go though – Alec had probably already made his way there, and there was no way that she could face him at the moment. Her face still flushed every time she thought of what she had said.

"In money, or something else?"

It was just that he got under her skin, drove her insane, made her feel things that she never knew existed…

So what did that mean? That she liked him? And if so, to what extent? What did it all mean?

This time she actually did stop and banged her head against a streetlight, shooting dirty looks at whoever stopped to stare. Before Alec crashed into her life, things hadn't been so complicated. A little B & E, jobs for Logan, chilling with her crew at Crash… men had never been a problem. She kept them at a distance, unless she had had an itch to scratch, but then she was in control.

She pushed off from the streetlight, taking a breath to collect her thoughts. She couldn't see Alec right now, so where was she going to go?

Oh, shit. Ben.

She couldn't believe she had completely forgotten about her brother. Her brother who was currently staying in a penthouse with –

Logan!

She rushed into the penthouse, scanning frantically for Logan.

"Logan!"

"He's in his bedroom." She sighed with relief when she spotted Ben sitting on the couch, seeming relatively sane for the time being."

"How are you?" she asked slowly, perching on the edge of the couch.

"Peachy."

"Seriously, Ben."

He focused his hazel eyes on her. "What do you want me to say, Max? That I'm a homicidal maniac? Do you think I don't know?" His eyes shimmered, and he blinked rapidly. "I know it's wrong. But I just can't – I can't…" He gasped, putting his head in his hands. "Nothing makes sense, Max. I can't make myself stop."

"You can," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him. A tear trickled down the side of her face, landing on his cheek. "I'll help you. I promise, Ben. I'll always be here for you."

"You should have done it," he whispered back. "You were going to. I would have been better off."

"No, you're wrong. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She clutched him tighter.

"Sometimes, I know exactly what I'm doing, and I don't care. I want to do it. And others times… I just want to stop."

"We'll figure it out, 'kay?" She smiled into his hair. "Bet you can't believe that your little sis kicked your ass."

He gave a choked laugh. "Rematch, Maxie. We're having a rematch."

She checked her watch again, cringing at the time. It would be a miracle if she weren't already fired.

"Work?" he guessed.

"Yeah. Don't want to go just yet though." She squirmed at the thought of running into Alec. She stood up, and her eyes landed on Logan's door. "Be right back."

She almost walked right in, and then remembered how he hated it when she just appeared out of nowhere without warning. She stopped herself and knocked on the doorframe.

"Can I come in?"

Logan opened the door wide, seeming surprised that she was standing there. "You're asking?"

She shrugged. "Decided to switch it up a bit." She walked in and leaned against a wooden dresser. Looking around, she realized she had never been in his bedroom. It was nice – tidy, with elegantly crafted furniture. It had barely any personality to it though. No personal touches, no photographs. His computer desk seemed more utilized than his room. The thought made her slightly sad.

"Max, I'm sorry." He wheeled towards her, face remorseful. "You were right. I never should have gone to Lydecker."

"You asked me what was going down, and I didn't tell you. Partly my fault too, I guess." She sighed. "Logan, the reason why I don't tell you everything is because straight up? You're just not gonna understand. And some smartass told me that that's okay, 'cause at least you're trying. Maybe he's right. But you're my friend, Logan, and I just need you to accept that I can't tell you everything."

She had hesitated on the word "friend" before deciding that it fit. Maybe a long time ago there had been something there between them that could have grown into something more, but it was gone now. And what remained – the friendship portion – seemed just as strong.

"I know that, Max. I just wish it were different." He smiled at her. "But I'll try."

She returned the smile, her eyes flicking to the clock that sat on his night table. Crap. I'm so fired.

He seemed to read her mind. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

I really, really don't want to go.

"Yeah, I guess."

No. Come on. Don't make me go.

"Well, I'll see you later then?"

What if I just stay here? I'm probably already fired anyway.

"Hmm."

"Max?"

I wonder if he has any Eyes Only jobs for me. Then I could go find the douche bags, smack the crap out of them, not go to work…

"Yeah, I'm going."

Damn.

Alec hung up his leather jacket in his locker and slammed the door shut, frowning when it refused to stay closed. He hit it a couple of times to try to get it to stick to no avail. Finally, after looking around casually, he applied a little more force and got it to shut. Shaking his head, he headed over to the dispatch center for a package.

"Golden Boy! Where's Max?"

He shrugged. "Got me, Normal." His boss walked away, muttering under his breath.

He didn't know why Max hadn't shown up yet. She had to know she was seconds away from being fired. Maybe she had gone to check on Ben. Or maybe –

He remembered the way she had leaned forward and tilted her head coyly at him. She had been so close –

He abruptly broke off from his thoughts. So close to what? He and Max were friends, nothing more, nothing less. Two people thrown together by coincidence.

Right, and that's why you haven't left Seattle yet.

Alec shoved the package into his backpack and headed out back to grab his bicycle. He leaned over to unchain it from its post when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, warning him of danger. He turned around with unnatural speed, but he wasn't quite fast enough to avoid the hand shoving him up against the wall, pinning him there. He tried to see who it was, but the sun was blinding his eyes. Clutching at the assailant's arm, he used as much force as possible to push it away, but the other person was unwavering.

He struggled to suck in some air. "Who the hell are you?"

"What are you doing here, Ben?" the person hissed.

Alec squinted, trying to block out the sun, and saw a muscular blond man in his early twenties standing there, a hard look on his face. He had cold blue eyes that currently looked like they were penetrating straight through him.

He fidgeted this way and that to break loose, but that only served to make the man apply more pressure on his throat. "Not… Ben…" he wheezed.

The blond man frowned. "What kind of game are you playing at? Ben, have you completely lost your mind?"

"Well, now that you mention it, he kind of has. But I'm not him!"

"God, what happened to you? I leave you for a couple of months, and you start killing people? Don't think I don't know about what you've been up to, Ben. You're leaving a huge trail for Lydecker to find you. You might as well just turn yourself over to him if you're going to do this!"

Alright, so Blondie had to be one of Max's siblings if he knew Ben. Great.

"Ben! What the fuck are you doing?"

Alec shot him an offensive glare and shifted a bit so that he was able to speak. "Do I look like I know the first thing about amateur dental surgery?"

The man's lips pressed together in a tight line. "Alright, so if you're not Ben, who are you?"

"I'm Alec. X5-494. Check my barcode if you want."

The man studied him and then roughly turned him over. Alec forced himself not to reflexively attack the guy and stood still while he wrenched down the collar of his shirt.

"494," the man muttered.

Alec was released from his hold for a second before being slammed back into the wall.

"What are you doing here? Did Manticore send you?" he said harshly.

Alec fought hard not to roll his eyes. Was this going to happen every time he met one of the 09'ers?

"I asked you a question!" The man shoved him roughly and he winced slightly.

Are all 09'ers homicidal? I know we were trained to be assassins but this is getting ridiculous.

"No, Manticore didn't send me. No, I'm not going to try to bring you back. No, I'm not lying. Have we covered everything?" he drawled.

The man looked at him suspiciously. "Then why are you out of Manticore? I'm guessing that they're not letting you have a vacation unless things have changed since my day."

"Screwed up my last mission, and since I kind of like being alive, I bailed."

He was really going to have to make a recording or something. How many times was he going to have to repeat the same thing?

"Just like that?" The doubt was evident in the X5's tone.

"Do you like being shot?"

His sarcastic response obviously wasn't appreciated as the man lifted his hand again – probably to hit him. His eyes darkened, and he pushed the man with tremendous force, causing him to teeter backward. Blurring around him, he kicked the man's legs out from under him, snarling as the guy jumped right back to his feet and came at him, fists swinging. He blocked the hits, and this time it was him who shoved the guy against the wall. Alec didn't think Max would appreciate him beating up her brother, but he was getting nowhere with this guy.

"I knew it," the man hissed.

"Knew what? I already told you I don't work for Manticore. I just don't really enjoy getting slammed into a wall."

The man glowered at him, but he couldn't get out of his grasp. Alec wasn't screwing around anymore – he was getting really tired of everyone trying to beat him up.

"You got a name? Cause if not, I guess I can just call you Blondie."

"I'm not telling you anything," he growled.

"Blondie it is."

"Alec! What the hell are you doing?"

He turned his head slightly, spotting the brunette stalking towards him with an unhappy look on her face. "Hey Max." He noticed the change in demeanor in the man, his eyes conveying a look of shock and something soft.

"Are you insane?" she hissed under her breath, not knowing that the man could hear every word she was saying.

"Yeah, been asked that a lot lately. You know, Maxie, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell your brothers not to kill me. It hurts my feelings."

An odd look crossed her face. "Ben tried to kill you? But I was just –"

He shook his head. "Not Ben. Blondie over here."

She looked at the man he was pinning to the wall for the first time. "What are you talking about?"

Finally, the man spoke. His tone was quiet and cautious. "Max?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah? Do I know you?"

A look of awe shone on his face, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He tried to contain it, but it broke through the surface anyway. "I can't – Tinga told me but… I thought she was – you…" He struggled to form a coherent sentence. "You're alive," he said simply.

Her brows knit together and she stepped forward, studying him more closely. Alec finally let go of him, and she reached out to touch the hard line of his jaw, which made him flinch for a second. Alec ground his teeth, for some inexplicable reason irritated that she was standing so closely to him.

After another moment of observation, her mouth broke out into a wide smile. "Zack."

"Yeah." Some emotion stirred behind Zack's eyes, but Alec saw that he was working to keep them under control. "Maxie, I'm so sorry."

Alec bristled. Maxie? He called her Maxie. That was his nickname for her. Not Zack's.

He watched Max frown. "Sorry? Why?"

"I should have known you'd be strong enough to survive. That you'd make it out. I should have looked for you after the escape, should have been there to have your back." He hung his head. "But Jondy sounded so sure that you went under the ice."

She touched her brother's hair. "I'm alright. Everything worked out." She hugged him, and Alec didn't miss the look of relief in Zack's face. He caught him watching the exchange, and immediately Zack's face hardened, hiding any emotion. He pulled back from the hug, eyes still trained carefully on Alec.

Max saw the look. "He's okay, Zack. You can trust him."

"How do you know?" He didn't bother to hide the open hostility. "He can be feeding Lydecker information about you."

"He's not," she insisted. "He helped Tinga escape."

"Doesn't mean he didn't have his own reasons for it."

"Zack, please." She decided to change the subject. "How did you find me?"

He gave Alec a look and then switched it to her. "Tinga called me, told me you were in Seattle. I didn't believe her at first. So I came to make sure, but then I heard about all the murders…" He trailed off, suddenly unable to look her in the eye.

Max seemed to understand. "You thought it was me."

Zack shook his head violently, the sun's rays catching on his flying hair and turning them golden. "Just for a second! I thought – I don't know – maybe you made it out but you lost it because you were all alone… you always believed in the Blue Lady stuff. I guess all of us kind of did."

"But not as much as –"

"Ben," he finished. "I knew it didn't make sense. You would never do something like that. So, I checked in with all the others, and I realized he wasn't where he was supposed to be. I tracked him, and I saw the two of you on the Space Needle. I wasn't sure it was you, and I didn't get it because I knew you wouldn't go along with what Ben was doing." His gaze moved back to Alec. "I guess he explains it."

"We stopped Ben, before he –" She cut off abruptly. "Before he did something stupid. He's at a friend of mine's."

Zack looked at her sharply. "What friend? You told someone who you were?"

She pursed her lips. "We can trust him."

Disbelief settled across his features. "You seem to say that about everyone, Max. Did you forget that we're not safe, no matter where we are? Is he another rogue X5 or an ordinary?"

"An ordinary." Her voice had an edge to it, one Alec recognized. It crept into her voice when she was irritated.

Zack's steely gaze matched her own. "Great. And I bet he just loves the fact that you're a genetically engineered killer."

"Not all ordinaries are bad, Zack. Some understand. Even after everything Cindy has been through –" Too late Max saw her mistake, and Zack inhaled sharply and started pacing.

"So not just one ordinary, but two?" He turned away from her, deliberating, and then he strode forward and took her arm. "Alright. You've already been here too long. It's about time you got out of here anyways."

She wrenched her arm out of his hold. "Got out of here? Zack, this is where my life is. Where my friends are."

"Friends are liabilities. And they'll get you killed." His expression left no room for argument, but she stepped back.

"I'm not leaving."

"I gave you an order, Max. I'm trying to do what's best for you." He glared at Alec. "I can get you out of here. Alone."

"You're not my C.O. anymore, Zack."

"Someone's got to tell you what to do. You're obviously not thinking properly. Where's your training, Max? Did you forget everything?"

"No, but I'm trying real hard." Her look softened for a moment. "You're still back at Manticore, Zack. We escaped for a reason – so that we wouldn't be under their control. Seems like you still are."

His mouth twisted regretfully. "I can't help you if you won't listen. I just don't want to see you end up back there."

Something was niggling the back of her mind. "Brin. Brin's back there."

A pained look came over his face. "I know."

"Who's Brin?" Alec interjected.

"My sister," Max responded, just as Zack said "None of your business."

"We need to get her out of there."

"No."

She stared at him in incredulity. "She's our sister!"

"She willingly turned herself over to Lydecker. She made her choice."

"You don't know what the circumstances were! We can't just leave her there!"

"I'm not going to sacrifice the rest of us for some half-assed rescue attempt. We try to get her out, we risk handing over a couple extra X5s in the process."

"We can't just do nothing!" Her eyes were blazing, her fists tightly clenched at her sides.

"Max, maybe he's right." Alec stepped forward to put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off.

"You could all end up captured. I get that she's your sister, but you'll be trading three lives for one," he said.

"It doesn't matter! That's what family is for, Alec." She shot Zack a look. "We help each other. You're telling me if I got caught, you'd just leave me there?"

His jaw clenched. "Don't say that, Max. Don't turn this around."

She tensed and then slumped, all the fight gone out of her. Her face was one of sadness. "I didn't think we'd fight when we saw each other again."

Zack looked off in the distance. "I can't help who I am, Maxie."

A heavy silence hung in the air, until Zack stepped towards her and hugged her stiffly. "The offer still stands. I'll be in town for a couple of days. If you change your mind about leaving, let me know." He handed her a slip of paper. "And tell Ben to come and find me. I need to talk to him."

He started to turn away, but stopped. "You."

Alec mockingly looked around for anyone else in the area, and pointed a finger at his chest, mouthing Me?

"If you hurt my sister, I'll kill you."

"Nice to meet you too, Blondie."

Alec could see he was pushing Zack's buttons, as he received a murderous look. Zack cast one last look at Max, and there was a glimpse of vulnerability in it as he let his guard down slightly.

"I missed you, Maxie. I'm glad you're okay."

"Right back atcha."

Zack nodded, turned and walked off down the street.

"Well, isn't he a ray of sunshine?"

She turned to face him, face completely serious. "We're going to get Brin out."

He started to shake his head. "Max, no. It's too –"

"I'm gonna do it with or without your help, Alec. You're either coming with me or not."

"And what about Ben?" he challenged. "You gonna leave him alone here to chase people around like Happy Meals?"

She wrinkled her nose. "What's a Happy Meal?"

He rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Point is, where exactly is he going to stay?"

"At Logan's."

"Great. Yeah, I'm sure Logan's going to be receptive to that idea."

"Fine. Then you can stay here." She started to walk away. He let out a huff of exasperation and then ran to catch up with her.

"If I get shot, so help me God I'm gonna kick your ass."

A/N: Well, that's all for today, folks. I'll try to crank out the next chapter as fast as I can.