Chapter 3

He walked in unscathed avoiding any sector police as well as any authorities. As he was about to enter through the gates in the heart of Terminal City he stopped suddenly to the sound of clicking… the sound of guns getting ready to fire. Adam instinctively looked up to the roof of the buildings beside him, and saw transgenics pointing shotguns at him. He stood still no knowing what to do, "I'm not the enemy." He stated. "I'm one of you." A transgenic that appeared to be the leader stepped up and looked him over. "Show me your barcode." Adam lifted his blonde locks of hair and showed him his barcode. The transgenic looked him up and down, then shoved his gun into Adam's chest. "If you try anything you'll be dead in a matter of seconds." Adam looked at him keeping his emotions in check, and nodded once. The transgenic waved his hand to the others, signaling that the gates were to be opened. "Welcome to Terminal City." A transgenic said as he helped open the gate and Adam stumbled in as he was being shoved in from behind.

Inside he found a community, a huge community working together preparing for what was to come. He found, as he looked around transgenics, all of them different. Some looked like him like a human and others had abnormalities. He sighed as he took his first step into their society. Then as he scanned the main room he found a young woman staring at him. Adam looked at her too, confused at first but then realized that she was the one he had come to Seattle for. She was Max.

Adam started to walk towards her, as she stood up. "Zack?" Max whispered in uncertainty. "Is that really you?" "My name isn't Zack, it's Adam." He corrected. "I'm here looking for answers, and I know that you can give them to me."

***

They had sat silently watching the sun set upon what was known as Terminal City. No words were spoken between them as if each were contemplating on what they were to say to one another. Not one of the two individuals sitting upon the roof of that abandoned building made an attempt to start any conversation. Though it was silence, it was not one of awkwardness, but a comfortable silence. It was, as words were not needed, for the silence expressed almost all they needed to know.

Adam Thomson knew he knew this young woman sitting beside him, he knew that in someway they were close… how close he didn't know, but close nonetheless. This silence was driving him nuts, he was here to talk and find the past he left behind not sit around and stare off into space. He sighed loudly, not knowing whether it would be better or not to find out about whom he was before.

"About your past…" Max had broken the silence with a whisper. "Yes?" Adam wanted her to go on. Maybe he was finally going to get his answers. "You were my brother, my commanding officer, my family." She had said that last statement nearly in tears. Yet she went on. "We were part of a government experiment to make the perfect soldiers, and we are it. We lived in a place called Manticore and we escaped for our freedom, but you are the only one who knows where everyone is." Adam's eyes urged her to go on. "Tell me what happened to me before I became Adam." Max sighed, her sigh full of emotion, he could see her blinking fast as to not let the tears fall. "When we went to bring Manticore down with our brother and sister Krit and Syl, you and I got captured. I got shot by a transgenic and to save me you gave me your heart." A tear fell down her cheek. "They told me that you were dead Zack! And then renfro took me to see you… it was horrible! They said that they were shipping you off somewhere, and I couldn't bear to look anymore. Then the next time I saw you was after I escaped and burnt Manticore to a crisp." She looked up at him her eyes glazed over with tears. Adam looked at her, and closed the space between them in a tight embrace. "Logan showed me a surveillance video and there you were. I found you but there was something different about you, and you wanted to kill Logan. So when you lost your memory again we made arrangements for you to become Adam Thomson and work with Buddy on his farm."

Adam let her go and looked at her, processing the information he was just given. "So you thought that this was arrangement was going to be better for him… for me?" Max only nodded. His eyes lost the warm glow they once had, instead they were aflame with anger. "You thought that me not knowing exactly who I was, was a good thing? Do you know how it is for you to look at someone knowing that you should know them but don't? Do you know what it's like to one-day wake up and find you have hidden abilities. Abilities that no normal human would have? You don't know how much pain you caused me. How could you have done this? How?" Max looked at him in surprise; somehow she thought that he would have understood why she had done what she did. "I thought that is was the right thing to do at the time." "No you didn't, from the way you talk about that Logan guy and what people around hear say about him and you, it just seems to me that you just wanted to protect him and that's all you wanted. Do you know how it is when someone you love looks at you in fear?" "No." Max whispered in reply. "No. Well I do!" His expression softened. "Max, I loved her… I can't forget her face when she saw my barcode and realized who I was. It broke my heart to see her running away from me, seeing her afraid of me. I blame you… I blame you and Logan for doing this to me. Things could have been different, but all you cared about was yourself. Do you know what its like to not know who the hell you are? I'm not Zack but I'm not Adam either." Max looked at him tears trailing down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." She whispered, it was all she could say. "Sorry? Well sorry doesn't cut it!"

Adam sighed as he got up from his seat and headed to the door leading to a staircase going down to ground level. He looked back at Max, his face held once again an expressionless mask like the one Zack used to wear. "Suck it up soldier." His voice took on a commanding tone, and softened as he said the next statement. "I know I have." With that he went down the flight of stairs.

Max watched as he turned his back to her and fled down the stairs. She didn't blame him for being angry after he heard that part of the truth. She understood now more than ever how much she was wrapped up about the not being able to touch Logan thing. She hadn't realized the consequences of her actions, and now Zack or Adam had to pay the price of her incompetence. Nonetheless dwelling on the past wasn't a good thing and Zack was right she had to suck it up and be the soldier she was born to be… this was a war and there was no place for cry babies.

TBC…

Authors Note: Sorry for the long awaited chapter!