Okay, I just wanted to go one a mini rant here; I can't believe they cancelled DA!! What the hell are they thinking?! Honestly, if the show didn't have great ratings this year, it's because some idiot at Fox decided to run it on a Friday night when most of the target audience is out and about. So I'm just urging everyone to check out all the sites they can about how to help save our show. This means war!!

Now for the usual: R & R, pleeeeeeeeease. * said in a very whiny voice * It might be a little while until the next chapter is up, cause it's a really important one. So if you guys could let me know what you think about the characters' motivations and actions in this chapter, I'd greatly appreciate. Also, I like to write detailed fight scenes. I think that the fight sequences in the show are an integral part of the action and it's just really cool how they kick ass! So, plenty of detail. Okay, I'm done now.



Blood Lust



Beauty and the Beasts




Alex was seriously looking forward to some downtime. Between the beating she'd received the night before and the mental callisthenics she'd been engaged in all day trying to figure out Max and Alec, she was wiped out both physically and mentally. All she wanted was to sit back, grab a beer and laugh with her friends. So naturally she headed to Crash.

She shivered as she entered the bar, her body shaking off the moist chill of the Seattle night air. Music strained through the old speakers set up haphazardly around the room; some pre-Pulse hit from a former rapper. Groups of people wandered around the room, talking, dancing, kissing, fighting, drinking. Generally living normal lives.

Alex spotted her friends at their usual table near the back and took a moment before going to join them. Alec was sitting beside Max, a small grin on his face, as they no doubt continued their verbal sparring. He was wearing the leather jacket she liked so much and his hair had that slightly mussed, I-just-got-of-bed look he managed to make incredibly sexy.

{{It's funny,}} she mused to herself, {{I should've known from the beginning that he was just too damn perfect to have been made by Mother Nature.}} Strangely enough, knowing what Max and Alec were didn't change the way she felt around them at all. {{Guess it's easier to accept the fact that two of your friends are genetically engineered killing machines after you've been told that you yourself are the salvation of all mankind.}} Alex could've stood there staring at him and his genetically perfect body all night, but some amount of self-control kicked in and she forced herself to cross the space separating them.

Alec became aware of her before any of the others and he kept his eyes trained on her as she approached. For some reason she thought she saw concern in his face for a second before his features smoothed and he called out a greeting to her, alerting Max, Sketchy and Original Cindy to her arrival. The other three turned and Alex became even more puzzled. Sketchy looked normal, but Max had adopted the same alert stance as Alec and Original Cindy looked down right tense.

Alex frowned as she came to a stop in front of the table. "Hey guys. What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, glancing between the four of them. They looked at each other and shrugged as one entity, Sketchy entirely oblivious to anything out of the ordinary.

"Nothing's wrong," Max said, trying to sip her beer casually.

"You sure?" Alex asked, taking the stool Sketchy proffered. "You guys look kinda tense."

"Oh, yeah," Max waved her hand dismissively. "Normal was just being a bigger pain in the ass than usual. Which is kind of. . . usual." She laughed at her own extensive vocabulary and Alex relaxed, accepting the lie easily. "We all just need to chill a bit."

"I know what you mean," Alex said, helping herself to the pitcher of beer in front of her. "Work seemed to suck especially hard today."

Sketchy stood, noticing the pool table was finally free. "Yo, Alec, wanna play a game?"

"Sure," Alec replied, pushing out his stool and standing up. He felt uncomfortable being around Alex and keeping secrets from her, even if he was only trying to help her. The two guys wandered off, leaving the girls to spend some quality time together drinking beer and rating the various hunks that passed their table.

The group passed an uneventful hour and a half together, as Max, O.C. and Alec slowly relaxed around Alex and stopped trying to sneak a peek at her skin to look for any new injuries. Alex chalked their strange behavior up to stress and thought no more of it. She was enjoying herself too much to worry about anything. She and Max shamelessly ogled anything male that passed their way, while O.C. pointed out the multiple honeys scattered around the bar. Alec and Sketchy alternated between playing pool and returning to the table to grab some more beer and tease the girls.

Alex was feeling so good, she even volunteered to play Alec at pool, which drew quite a bit of attention from everyone else. O.C. and Max immediately set about rooting for their girl and attempting to psyche Alec out while Sketchy collected bets from a few other patrons around the bar. Still, the atmosphere between Alex and Alec was comfortable despite their competitive banter. Alec was at the top of his game, but Alex wasn't above leaning forward across the table from him and "accidentally" allowing him a glimpse of her cleavage. Alec was well aware of what she was doing, but he was more than happy to let her continue, even if it did mean that he eventually lost the game to her. He good-naturedly handed over the set amount of ten dollars, silently promising himself that one of these days it would be him collecting from her. And not necessarily in cash.

Max and O.C. went off to play some foosball and Sketchy noticed some guys at the bar he hadn't seen for a while, so as soon as the game ended he headed in their direction, leaving Alex and Alec alone. Alec followed her back to the table, absently guiding her along with his hand at the small of her back before realizing what he was doing and letting his hand drop back down to his side. Alex missed his warmth.

They each grabbed a stool at their table and Alec poured her another mug of beer without even asking. Alex grinned at him, "You read my mind."

He smiled back, green eyes sparkling. "Well, it's what every woman wants."

"Beer?"

"A man waiting on her hand and foot."

Alex threw back her head and laughed and Alec found himself fascinated by the pale skin of her neck. What Max had said earlier about someone trying to choke her ran through his mind and for a second his body tensed, rage flashing through his blood like lightening. And it was just as quickly chased out of him by other emotions when she lightly pushed his shoulder. The simple touch sent another type of electricity coursing through his system.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Alex asked, tilting her head to the side. "You left me for a second there."

"Sorry," Alec smiled, " I just-" he was cut off by Alex beeping at him.

"Whoops, hold that thought," she said, reaching into her jacket and pulling out her beeper. She studied the number, then smiled apologetically at him. "I gotta make this call, it's Brian. Be back in a minute?"

He nodded and watched as she stood and made her way over to the phones near the washrooms. He waited until she was a little farther ahead, then stood and stealthily followed her, pausing in the shadows just close enough so he could hear her end of the conversation.

Alex slipped some change into the phone and dialed home, impatiently tapping her foot. Brian picked up the phone and she immediately said, "What's up? You okay? You said it was an emergency."

"I'm fine," his familiar voice reassured her on the other end of the line. "I just wanted you to respond right away. I managed to track down someone who's in the loop in the Seattle Underworld. It's a Kayorsha demon, he's willing to tell you what he knows about the big players in town."

"Right," Alex drawled. "And he's doing this out of the goodness of his black-as-night heart?"

"Well, actually he wants to be paid, big surprise there. He's only willing to meet tonight though. Seemed kind of jumpy when he called me. I think someone may try to stop him from talking to you."

"I'll just have to get to him first," Alex replied. "What's the address?"

"2641 Younge St. over in sector six. Don't worry about paying him right now. Tell him he'll get his kittens after we validate the information."

"Kittens?" Alex shrieked quietly into the phone, if shrieking quietly is possible. "There is no way I'm handing over some innocent kittens to be eaten! No way!"

"Fine, fine," Brian said impatiently. "Offer him cash and if he doesn't take it, well-"

"If he doesn't take it then I'll just convince him to give it up for free," Alex said brightly.

"Right. Report back as soon as you've finished the meeting. Oh, and Alex?" She smiled into the receiver, knowing what was coming next. "Watch your back out there, okay?"

"Okay," she said softly, appreciating his concern. "See you in a bit." She turned around to make her excuses to the rest of the group when she ran smack dab into what felt like a brick wall. A warm, breathing brick wall.

"Oof!"

Alec reached out a hand to steady her, then smiled blandly down at her. "So, what did the B man want?"

"Oh, um, he, uh, got stuck at a sector check point. Forgot his pass or something. I gotta go vouch for him so he can get home."

"Too bad, the night's just getting started," Alec said easily, face set in blank smile.

"Yeah, well. . . Tell the others I said bye, 'kay? I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Yeah," Alec said as she walked past him. He turned around to watch her go, the smile slipping from his face. "See you tomorrow." From what he'd heard, she wasn't exactly going to help out a friend. And what really confused him was the part about kittens. He quickly scanned Crash for Max and found her still playing foosball with O.C. He approached them quickly and tapped her on the arm. "She's moving."

Max nodded at him and grabbed her jacket from a nearby chair. O.C. pressed her lips together, unhappy that they were spying on a friend but worried about Alex all the same. "Be careful, you two hear?"

"We hear you, Cind," Max lay a comforting hand on Cindy's shoulder before motioning for Alec to follow her out into the street. They spotted Alex off to their right, setting a brisk pace as she moved down the street. They followed her silently, hanging back in the shadows in case she looked over her shoulder.

She didn't head for home as they assumed she would. Instead she moved purposefully through the city, taking short cuts through abandoned buildings and dark alleyways. "Girl's gonna get herself mugged," Alec muttered angrily to himself as his eyes scanned the area for any would-be thieves.

Max nodded and whispered back, "I thought she was smarter than this," indicating the isolated route they were following.

She led them through some parts of town so shady even they usually avoided them, all without batting an eyelash. Max and Alec waited behind when she reached the sector six check point until she disappeared down the street on the other side, just to be safe. Then they stepped into the pool of light and offered up their Jam Pony passes to the sector guards for inspection. After enduring a moment of hostile scrutiny and, in Max's case ogling, they were waved through and they both began to run silently to catch up to Alex as soon as they were certain the sector guards wouldn't see their above-normal speed.

They caught up to her just in time to see her disappear into an old, run-down building that looked like it had served as a warehouse in better days. They shared a worried glance and Max sighed. "Let's do it." They moved towards the dark doorway.

* * * *

Alex proceeded cautiously, constantly scanning her surroundings. The first room appeared to be a small office area and it was completely empty except for some smashed crates and boxes. She spotted a door at the end of the room, leading deeper into the building. She tried the handle and found it unlocked. She slowly pushed it open, wincing as it creaked. The sound seemed deafening to her and she paused in the doorway. The room before her was huge, the storage part of the warehouse. There were various walkways and levels around the perimeter of the room and large support pillars broke up the open space. She couldn't see that far into the dark room, but her sensitive ears picked up a grunt from farther in and then a sick wet sound. Shit.

She sprang forward, running silently into the warehouse. There was a skylight in the middle of the roof and it let in just enough moonlight for her to make out five figures in the middle of the room. Only four were standing. She skidded to a halt as she took in the form of a badly mutilated demon lying on the floor, greenish blood seeping from multiple wounds. The vampire standing over him held a knife covered in the same colour. He and his friends whirled as they heard her approach, pale skin glowing in the dim lighting. They smiled ruthlessly when they saw her and growled low in their throats.

She pulled her eyes away from her dead informant and snapped irritably, "Do you have any fucking idea how long it took to find a guy like him?" The creatures roared and rushed her in a single wave.

* * * *

Max and Alec paused at the front door and she pressed her ear up against the damp wood. She heard Alex opening another door inside and moving through it. She turned and nodded at Alec, opening the door without a sound. They moved through the room quickly while instantly reviewing their surroundings as their Manticore training kicked in. As they moved into the next room, they heard Alex running up ahead of them. Max was about to follow, when Alec grabbed her arm. She looked at him questioningly and he motioned to a ladder leading to a metal walkway overhead. * Better vantage point, * he said, using the hand signals they'd been taught. Max nodded and quickly followed him up the ladder and down the walkway.

Their keen eyesight prevented the darkness from hindering their vision and they tensed as they drew even with Alex. Below them, lying on the floor was a creature that looked like nothing they'd ever seen before. Green scales glistened where they showed through torn bits of clothing. Iris-less blue eyes seemed to stare directly at them as they looked down at the grim scene below them. They both instantly jumped to the conclusion that the creature on the floor was an escaped Manticore experiment gone wrong that had just met a violent end with some bigoted humans. They both felt their stomachs tighten as they wondered what business Alex had with the four men who stood over their slain comrade. Then she spoke.

"Do you have any fucking idea how long it took to find a guy like him?"

Shock washed through the pair of hidden transgenics. Not only did she know of their existence, but she was *looking* for transgenics? And was apparently very peeved that this one was dead.

The four men below them let out strangely primitive roars and leapt toward her. Alec and Max tensed, placing their hands on the railing to vault down and save her. And then she jumped, flipping over the heads of her attackers and spinning to face them. She kicked the farthest man to the left and snapped the next man's head back with a sharp uppercut before flipping backwards to avoid a viscous punch from one of their friends. It was then that Max and Alec finally noted the twisted features of her attackers.

"Holy shit," Max whispered. "What the hell are they?"

She wasn't just referring to the men.

* * * *

Alex staggered backwards as one vamp landed a hard kick to her stomach. She used the momentary distance to reach into her jacket and pull out a stake. She blocked the next blow with her right hand she held the stake in, then pushed him back a step with a punch to the jaw. She followed through with a backward jab, the stake moving smoothly into his chest as if it were an extension of her arm. She had already turned and attacked her next opponent as the vampire behind her exploded into dust.

She was knocked sideways by a strong punch and then the second vamp tackled her at the knees, bringing them both down and sending the stake skittering across the floor into the shadows. He landed on top of her and raised his hands over his head to smash her face in. She quickly jabbed him under the jaw and sat up, forcing him off her and smashed her forehead into his. He collapsed on the floor, temporarily out of the fight and she dropped down onto her hands, sweeping her leg around to take out a third charging vampire. He hit the floor like dead weight and she moved to stake him, but he rolled out of the way and jumped back onto his feet. She rushed forward, but he grabbed her arm, using her own momentum to throw her across the room onto some old abandoned crates. Unfortunately they didn't break underneath her and her breath rushed out of her lungs.

The vampire reached down and grabbed her by the jacket, hauling her to her feet. Before she had time to regain her balance, he rammed her headlong into one of the concrete posts. She stumbled back, but he didn't let go and ran her forward again. This time she managed to clear her head in time to jump up and use the post to flip herself over. Landing behind him, she punched him the back of the neck and delivered a savage knee to the stomach.

Just then number four decided to join in the fun, wrapping his arms around her middle and pinning her arms to her sides. He tightened his grip and lifted her off her feet. Alex gasped in pain as her ribs cracked and kicked about wildly, trying to upset his balance. He staggered, letting her get too close to the post and she used it to kick off, knocking them both over. She flipped to her feet, grabbing a discarded broom a worker had left behind. She snapped her leg sideways, breaking off the head, leaving her with a makeshift quarterstaff. Number three was just rising and she swung the pole at him, hitting him twice before spinning around to deliver a round-house kick to the head of the fourth vampire. She ducked under number three's fist and shoved the pole forward, skewering him on the end. He exploded into dust and she whirled just as the fourth vampire leapt forward. She bent low and thrust the pole upward and released it. It caught the vamp in the chest and the power of her movement sent him sailing overhead. He turned to dust midair and the pole landed with a sharp clatter.

Alex turned around and was greeted with a forearm to the face. She grunted and the recovered vampire she'd knocked out planted his fist in her stomach. She doubled over and he smashed his knee up into her face. She ripped herself away from his reach, then moved forward and swung at him. She missed, then connected, but he brushed her arms away and grabbed her by the neck and seat of her pants, lifting her over his head. He threw her into another post and she rolled to her feet, rushing forward to meet him again. This time she leapt high in the air, wrapping her legs around his head. He began falling, but she tightened her legs and threw herself backwards, landing on her back and flipping him over her head. She grabbed another stake and rolled backward onto of his chest and slammed the wood deep into his heart. The vamp exploded into dust under her and she paused catching her breath.

Her head snapped up as a sound overhead alerted her to the fact that she wasn't alone and she jumped to her feet, ready to attack. But she froze when she saw the two figures crouched on the crosswalk, staring at her in shock. "Oh God," she whispered.

* * * *

Alec and Max stared at her, basically paralyzed. Their minds, highly trained and developed, only snapped back into consciousness when her whispered words reached their sensitive ears. They slowly stood, then Alec's face hardened as he mentally scanned through the events that had just happened. The soldier in him took over and he vaulted over the railing to confront her. He didn't know what the fuck had just happened, but he had just been presented with an unknown threat and he wanted answers.

He felt Max land lightly next to him, bending her legs to absorb the impact. For a second she just stared at the body on the floor and then at the piles of dust scattered around the room. He turned to Alex. "What just happened?" he asked, deceptively calm.

Alex stared at them in surprise for a second. She took a deep breath, but didn't say anything. Max's face twisted in anger and hostility, their first natural reaction when confronted with the unknown.

"What the hell are you doing with a dead transgenic?" she snapped, eyes burning. She too was shutting off her friendly emotions, just as Alec was doing, in order to deal with the possibility that Alex was a hostile enemy.

Alex blinked at them, then glanced at the green corpse on the floor as if she'd forgotten about it. "What? Oh, that's not a transgenic."

"What is it then?" Alec demanded harshly.

She didn't answer, instead she turned and stared into the darkness, head cocked to the side. She could sense more of them, farther off, but approaching fast. Probably a back up team in case the first four vampires didn't get the job done.

"Answer me!" Alec drew her attention back to him. She was pale, nearly as pale as the men she'd just. . . killed. . . and a bruise was already forming on her cheek.

"I can't," she finally said. "You have to go."

Max crossed her arms and glared at her. "We're not going anywhere until you tell us what the hell is going on."

Alex snorted. "You wouldn't believe him if I told you." The two transgenics merely stared at her, eyes coldly blank. She glanced back over her shoulder again, then sighed. "All right, I'll answer your questions. But not here. There are more coming. We have to leave NOW."

Max and Alec paused for a second, then nodded curtly. Alex immediately pushed past them at a light run and they followed her out of the room.

"We need to get inside, quickly," she said over her shoulder, not slowing down.

Alec glanced at her profile. "We are inside."

"No," she replied, sparing him a quick look. "We need to get inside private accommodations. A home or something."

"My apartment's not far, it's just a sector away," Max offered as they burst out into the street. She glanced back the way they'd come. She strained her ears, but she didn't hear anything. Yet she still had the disturbing feeling that they were being hunted. She could tell Alec felt it too because he kept scanning the various shadows around them.

Alex paused, looking up and down the street intently before nodding. "That's perfect. We should get there quickly, otherwise I won't have a chance to give you your answers."

Alec and Max didn't question her again. Max took off down the street, leading Alec and Alex back to her home. They ran the entire way there, trying to escape the uneasy feeling that death was just a few steps behind them.








Next chapter: "Weight of the World" Secrets are revealed.