TERMINAL CITY SECURITY TERMINAL SEPTEMBER 3 MONTHS LATER

Max laces up her shoes, the only pair she owns now thanks to the hostage situation that forced her to leave all her belongings back in her old crib. The black tank top over her torso stuck to her glistening skin. There was no AC in the place, though it was a mild 78 degrees for the norms outside, the transgenics felt the heat at a high of 88. That was the only problem with hyped up genes, getting a higher temperature than the average person. Max swept her long silky brown hair into a long tail and quickly knotted it into a braid. She had to cut this hair soon. Now every news station had seen her face on a screen and every soldier back in Manticore had been taught that the best way to avoid being recognized after being exposed was to be rid of the hair. Max rinsed her face in a sink just feet away. The cool water splashed against her cheeks offering a temporary relief to the temperature. Her pants were lightweight black cargo pants that she had owned for quite some time. This was an outfit that she would often wear when on a hot run back at Jam Pony.

Alrighty Maxie, time for another day in the holy city.. She smirked at her mental irony and headed out of the community bathroom.

"Hey, Max!"

"Yo!"

"Hey gurl!"

"There's The Hen."

The last greeting brought a smile to her lips; Logan had informed her that a few of the transgenics had nicknamed her 'The Hen' because she looked over everyone within the city gates. She didn't argue with the term. It wasn't often that there was a joke that could be made in Terminal City. These greetings followed her as she made her way up to the concrete platform of the Security Terminal.

Everyone in this room was a computer wiz, trained to become a military mainframe technician. This team of fifteen knew every hacker code and virus ever created and put into a hard rive. They called themselves 'Brain' after the most famous transgenic in the smarts department. Max allowed Luke and Dex to choose the security team. She trusted their judgment.

"How are things this morning?" Max asked the duo.

"Sixteen bugs worked out all morning, twenty two firewalls collapsed and six cameras shut down from loose wires. Tell me how you would be." Luke answered in a sour tone.

Max shrugged, "Can't say I'd be the happiest camper."

"Yeah, Logan's been trying to get one of our large hard drives to work so we can increase the internal memory on the."

Max held up a hand, "Whoa whoa whoa. Slow it down kid. Your talking computer wiz to a field fighter. Escape and Evade is my thing."

Luke grinned in spite of himself, "That's right. I forgot, you guys are taught the easy stuff. Can't handle the memory cards huh?"

Max snorted, "Take a day in the field under fire. We'll see how you deal."

Luke just shook his head. Then a calm voice crept from around the corner and followed her statement.

"Hopefully that will never happen."

Logan. Always there watching my back whether I know it or not Max thought to herself and turned to look at the man. Always gotta play Mr. Save the World. Now look at me, attempting to hold together the strings of a broken down city. What a bite in the ass.

"I was just leaving." Max replied. She didn't want to be near Logan. Not right now. Ever since the hanging of the flag the two had simply broken apart. Max pushed him away every day. The idea of accepting the only way of human touch through gloves was devastating. Max kept telling her that she had to get him away before she fell in too deep; too late.

"No, I'll go." Logan held up a hand accepting Max's constant withdraws even if he didn't like it.

Max shook her head, "No. Luke needs your help on some camera crisis. I'll be with Joshua if you need me."

She turned on her heel and left, averting her gaze from those never ending blue eyes. Things were hard enough without a romantic fling going on. Fling? Fling! Max you're an idiot. You know this isn't just a fling. An annoying little voice spat at her. Max pushed the thoughts from her mind and continued down the corridor into the Bunker Zone. Joshua would be somewhere in here. Minutes later, sure enough, she could hear his gentle humming coming from his room. Max hadn't been in this wing for a long time so she knocked before entering.

"Huh." Joshua answered gruffly then glanced to the doorway to see Max leaning relaxed against the doorframe.

"Hey big-fella."

"lil'-fella." He answered her in a well-practiced manner.

Max could smell the paint from where she stood. Joshua's room was probably the most beautiful one in the entire block. May be even the city. On all four walls he had painted a mural. One of a forest, another of the night sky, another of a meadow, and currently he was working on a beach. These were his first landscape paintings and he was very proud of them. Like an ecstatic child who was informed that not a clown, but a real magician was coming to his party, Joshua showed off his work to everyone. Max watched the dog man make dramatic strokes of blue and green to crash against the pale gold sandy beach. "That's beautiful Joshua." Max whispered truthfully as she came up beside him.

He grinned a toothy grin.

"Tanx. It called. Silent Wave."

Max smiled and looked at him, "How did you come to that name?"

"Because. It is a wave. Painted, so it is silent." Joshua answered Matter of Factly.

Max's smile broadened. Although Joshua's artwork never really had unique names for some reason they always fit and he always made up for it with the work. Max had just begun a conversation with Joshua about his newest painting when suddenly she felt a tremor in her wrists.