Alec and Max ran down the street, both as fast as they could. As soon as they got into the city, the slowed down and ran into a small restaurant. "So, do you think they will pick us up again?" Alec asked taking a bite out of a French fry, and noticing Max's worried face. "I.I don't know Alec. If we run they follow, no matter what." Max replied also grabbing a French fry. Alec shook his head in agreement. "I hate this." Max said out of no ware, breaking the silence between them. Alec's eyes looked at her, she had his attention. "I hate living in fear Alec. All I ever wanted to be is normal and they are hunting us down like we're some kind of wild animal, and it's not right." Max replied. Alec shook his head. "Yeah I know Max, but what are we to do about it? Ames is in the government and he's telling lies and the people are believing those lies so there is nothing that we really can do but just sit back and watch Ames ruin our lives." Alec replied.

The 2 sat, ate, and talked about how much their life sucks. Alec gave a cocky grin and looked out the window. He gave a serious face once he saw a figure climb down into the sewer. "Um, hold on Max, I'm going to go pay the water bill ok." Alec replied referring to the bathroom. Max smiled and giggled at how Alec put it. Alec walked to the back to where the bathrooms were at but went out the back door. He found a sewer hole and jumped down in it. Water fell as he walked around looking for the person that came down in here. Suddenly he spotted the person and peered closer.

"Logan!?" He called. The man stopped and turned around. "Alec?" he asked. "Logan, what are you doing down here?" Alec asked walking closer to him. "Well White found out who I was so I have been running from him and I went down here to lay low." Logan replied. "Oh, that's cool. Hey wanna come up to the restaurant with Max and me? We got a big plate of French fries." Alec offered. Logan looked at him. "Max?" he asked. Alec looked at him weirdly. "Yeah, Max." he answered. "I might, but hey first I want to know what that is." Logan replied pointing. Alec turned his head to where Logan was pointing. "Where what is?" Alec asked. Logan then picked him up and threw him. Alec's back slammed against bars before he hit the ground. Logan then slammed a door shut. Alec jumped up, he was in a cage.

"Logan, what the hell are you doing!?" Alec asked. Logan just smiled and walked up close to the cage. "Logan, open this cage now! This isn't funny!" Alec warned. Logan just began to laugh. "Hey, wait a minute. How could you out run Ames, when a transgenic barely could?" Alec demanded. "I didn't, I wasn't, I'm on his side." Logan replied holding up his palm, with the breeding cult symbol on it. "Oh God Logan what did White do to you?" Alec asked scared, yet concerned. "He made me better, stronger." Logan answered. "He brainwashed you!'' Alec corrected. Logan just grinned. "I'll be back." Logan replied making sure the lock was locked.

"Hey where are you going!?" Alec shouted. Logan didn't say anything and continued to walk away. "HEY! LOGAN! COME BACK HERE! HEY! I'm NOT DONE WITH YOU BUDDY!!" Alec shouted clutching the bars. "AHHH! Why am I always caught when stuff like this happens!!!!!!" He yelled at himself. Alec ran his hand through his hair, then his eyes widened. "Max!" he old himself

Logan walked into the restaurant and found Max looking out the window. Logan walked up to her. "Oh, hi Logan." She said smiling widely. "Hey Max." he replied then sat down across from her. "You just missed Alec, he should be back soon." Max replied. "Alec? Huh, that's too bad." Logan replied. Max looked at him weirdly. Suddenly Max's beeper started beeping. Max took it off and looked at it. "who is it?" Logan asked kind of scared. Max looked at Logan. "Cindy." She replied. "But I'll call her later, right now I got to pay the water bill." Max replied getting up and grinning, waiting for Logan to catch on and laugh. But Logan just looked at her, unamused. "I need to empty the tanks." Max added, using another one of Alec's expressions. Logan arched his eyebrow. Max sighed. "Forget it." She replied then left for the bathroom. Gosh I never noticed how boring Logan was, he doesn't laugh at the same stuff me and Logan do. Max thought as she walked to the ladies bathroom.

She was about ready to go into the bathroom, but it was locked. She jiggled the handle, sighed, and pressed her back against the wall and folded her arms across her chest. Suddenly her pager beeped. Max looked at it. It was Alec. "Alec? Why would he be paging me from the bathroom?" she asked herself quietly. Suddenly someone grabbed her and covered her mouth. Before she could do anything, he dragged her off.

Alec sat down with his knees in front of his face and his arms draped over them. Hearing a muffled cry, he shot up to his feet. He saw Logan dragging Max towards him. Max then bit Logan's hand and flipped backwards over his head. She threw a punch at him, which he blocked. Then Logan tired to kick her, which she blocked. The 2 did a series of moves, kicks, and punches on each other until Logan gave a powerful kick to Max's chest. Max flew backwards into a wall. Logan walked over to her while she was still recovering form the shock and pain. Logan grabbed her hair and dragged her to the cage then threw her in. "Wow, that sucks. Can't believe you couldn't take down the computer geek." Alec replied. Max hit him in the shoulder. "Logan, what are you doing!? How did you learn to fight like that!?" max demanded. "Uh, I can answer that question." Alec replied. Max rolled her eyes. "He's a breeding cult loony!" Alec added. Max gasped and looked at Logan. ''WHAT!?" she shouted angrily.

Logan grinned. "It's true, once you guys left, Ames caught on to who I was and they came up with a way to change people into being stronger, better." Logan explained. "A.K.A breeding cult loony." Alec said again. "Into a familiar." Max replied. Logan glared at her. "If you HAVE to put a label on it, yes. So Ames changed me and now you 2 are my enemies." Logan finished. "Oh God, this isn't happening." Max told herself. "So wait let me get this straight, you think that becoming a breeding cult member, is worth loosing our friendship over?" Max asked astonished. "Max, he made me better." Logan replied. "Oh yeah right Logan, what are you trying to prove!? You have to prove nothing to us. They are using you! They are using you to get to us and when they do, they will kill you!" Alec warned.

"But see Alec, that's where you are wrong, I had everything to prove! Everyone thinks of me as a computer guy with brilliant ideas and amazing inventions. But also the weak one, the one that needs a gun cause he can't fight to save his life. But when people see you they see this young, handsome, butt-kicking guy. I am not going to let people think of me like that anymore." Logan replied. "Logan, that was you! Now if you do this people are still going to look at you in a bad way they are going to see a selfish, insane, ugly person that turned on them just because he was jealous. Girls like you for you Logan, Max liked you for you!" Alec replied. "Yeah and then she started liking you!" Logan shouted. "Logan, no matter what you put on yourself, no matter how tough you are, your never going to beat Alec. He's was created to fight so why waste your time!?" Max asked. "Logan, it doesn't matter how strong you are to Max, she likes the personality in people, and I'm sorry but if I were a girl, I wouldn't like a guy who is trying to kill me. They got you trapped, you're their prisoner." Alec replied softly. "No I'm not, you are. The new Manticore is run by the Conclave." Logan replied.

Max and Alec felt like they have been slapped in the face. Max sank to her knees. "No, this one will be worse than the first one." She told herself. Alec sat down next to her. Max leaned her head on his chest and wrapped her right arm around his waist and rested her left hand by her face on his chest. Alec wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on hers, trying to comfort her. "This can't be happening." She replied again. "Shh Max, it's going to be ok." Alec lied. "How is it going to be ok?" Max asked in between sobs. "Uh huh I see that." He replied looking around. "But we're smart we can get out of this." He added. "this.this is it." She said crying harder. Alec looked down at her, her head still on his chest. He gently moved a piece of her hair out of her face. "I won't let them hurt you Max." he said softly. Max then suddenly felt safe. Now she felt as is she didn't care to go the torture chamber called Manticore that White and his conclave was no in charge of. As long as she knew that someone that loved her as a friend was there as well.

She had lost Logan and Cindy, she dare not bring her into this. The only other person close enough to her WAS Alec, and she was glad it was Alec.

Suddenly Ames and armed guards came into view. Guards unlocked the cages, ripped them apart and shoved them chest first into a wall. They grabbed their wrists and yanked them behind their backs. Max winced at how tight they were. Once they were done they spun them around and Max was face to face with White. "Did you seriously, honestly think that you could run from me?" he asked. Max bit her bottom lip then suddenly she kneed him in the stomach. Taking Max's lead, he elbowed the guard that held him in the stomach. "Take them to the car now!" Ames shouted gripping Max's scalp. She winced and stopped finding that it was less painful if she didn't move. The pushed them along outside, it was raining hard that you couldn't even see very well. They opened the car door and practically threw them him.

"Ah, this is very uncomfortable." Alec replied. Once they slammed the car door shut they were the only ones in the car. With each other's help they were able to sit up. Max looked at him, soon realizing she had been staring at him he looked at her. "What?" he asked grinning. "Nothing, I just noticed...how gorgeous you are." Max replied. Alec's large smile faded into a serious face, who leaned down and kissed her lips gently. Max was smiling once he pulled away. Slowly he had a trouble-making grin on. "Oh gosh, what are you thinking ok?" Max asked smiling. "The keys are in the ignition." He said climbing into the driver's seat. Max laughed as Alec turned on the car with his knee.

Startled, White spun around. "Whoa how!" Alec shouted then jammed his foot on the gas, the car took off down the road. "Dam it!" Ames shouted chasing after the car. Alec steered with his knees and looked in the rear view mirror and saw White chasing him. "ha, ha, ha, look at him run!" Alec yelled to Max. "Watch this!'' Alec replied the swirled the car right into a building. Max laughed and Alec was laughing hardly once Ames approached them. White yanked the door open, grabbed Alec, and threw him to the wet street, he was still laughing. Ames turned off the car and looked at Max, who hadn't moved. "Let's go to your new home." He replied.