Some time before...
------------------------------------

Logan sat at his desk, gazing intensely into the computer screen. Max crept up behind him.

"Ready?" She spoke softly, but he jumped anyway. A small, satisfied smile panned across Max's face. Logan glanced at her almost blindly, absently, and turned back to the screen. A bluish glow illuminated his face. Her smile faded. Small lines on his face were visible, the circles under his eyes made more obvious by the lighting. Not that these small changes had gone unnoticed.. She felt a pang of apprehension.. she had been feeling these frequently, as he gradually became thinner, more distant. She didn't know how to approach him. Their usual friendly banter hadn't been working lately, it only seemed to drive him further inside. She was at a loss of what to say. Or more honestly, she couldn't bring herself to say ..

She sighed. "Logan?"

"Yeah? What. .. Oh. Right, I just lost track of time here.. I'll be done in a sec.."
The keys continued clicking.

She stood up straight.
"Logan, you have to stop. You keep staring at that screen for so long, your eyes are gonna burn out! 'Hands Only' - creative, but just doesn't have the same ring.. "

He smirked, and cracked his knuckles at her. "People have told me that some of my broadcasts were Touching.. "

She felt hopeful, and pressed on. "Great, now that you have a Feel for what I'm talking about, go get ready! We're late!" He smiled and turned, this time looking her in the eyes.

"Are you sure you want me to stop? I've just finally gotten into some Level 2 files of a certain military project that rhymes with Antikore.. But if you aren't interested.."

"Movie, shmoovie. What'd you find?" She eagerly read the display..

"Check this out. Funding cut off completely in 2009. Apparently there was one more successful group after yours, the X-10's. Doesn't mention anything about the 6-9 groups, if they even existed.. Looks like the modern minds of science were too pricey to lure into the project, tempting as it may be I'm sure. Seeing as 82% of the original staff mysteriously disappeared, I'm guessing that any more genetic twiddling was too expensive, and there wasn't enough manpower." Logan advanced a few screens and kept reading.

"Huh. So, we escapees are an investment that never paid off, and they can't make new batches.. I'm guessing Lydecker wants his money back. He probably has some schemes for his supersoldiers that would justify the cost of our creation. At least it explains why he's so bent on recapturing us." Max said thoughtfully. "Any info about my mother, or any of the others?"

"No, nothing like that documented here. These are mostly fiscal reports."

"Well I thank you, InfoPimp. You have outdone yourself again."

Logan raised his eyebrows. Max grinned at him, happy that he seemed to have recovered some sense of humor.

"And what, exactly, does that make you? - Nevermind." He glanced at his watch. "We missed the movie."

"Yeah, well.. We could rent one instead, ..or, go for a walk? Or how 'bout some chess? You nearly beat me last time, maybe tonight's the night hell freezes over.. " she taunted him.

"I've got a better idea!" He was more cheerful than he had been in quite a while; he had that mischievous spark Max had missed. "There is supposed to be a great meteor shower tonight-- we could take some blankets up on the roof, snuggle under the stars, open a bottle of '97 Inniskillen that I.." he trailed off, as Max looked at the floor and shifted uncomfortably.
" .. I'm not.. I didn't mean.. .. . It's late, don't you think? And I still have a ton of stuff I have to finish before the next brownout.." his eyes dulled, he looked away.

Max stared at him helplessly.
"Logan, its not that I don't-"

"Max. Please. You have nothing to explain. Its just that I'm really tired, I'll finish up here and then I'm out for the night. You should go, have fun.." He was already typing away, fixed on the screen, his expression unreadable.

She stood awkwardly, a flood of things she wanted to tell him surged through her mind, but she couldn't force them past some invisible barrier.. Her mouth was dry. She hesitated, each second becoming more strained..

"Ok, uh.. if you're tired, I guess.. I'll see you later then.." She couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. The door softly clicked behind her as she walked out.
Logan laid his head down on his arms.