A/N: Ok, this is getting out of hand – I must learn how to update faster. But beware, boys and girls, because 3/4th of the next chapter is already written! Not much happens in this chapter, sadly But I need it to set up the plot.

Chapter 3 – Just a regular couple?

All eyes on me

And the things you chose to be

All eyes on me

Just slip away - so hard to be someone, stronger than today

And all that you knew, slips away

~Goo Goo Dolls - All eyes on me~

2026

There were several things Max loved about LA. Less cops held her up on her way to work, for one. And there was a coffee shop on every corner, another plus-side, considering she'd woken up on the couch in the morning.

The light jacket she was wearing protected her from the cold that came with autumn. She made her way towards her working place with ease, and her boss; Richard Willems, greeted her cheerfully as she stepped inside.

Mornin' Caroline. The old man smiled at her, his voice echoing through the large hall. He was one of the few people that hadn't been completely overtaken by the pulse. Living in one of the last villa's left in L.A, he was the envy of many.

But he was also the man who paid her money for setting up a new delivery place. A bike messenger delivery place. It seemed like that little bit of her history had followed her all the way from Seattle.

Caroline, daydreaming isn't gonna get ya money these days, Richard chided her. She looked up, smiling,

Just thinkin', she replied.

I hope it is about the design of the delivery – it needs something to attract the kids.

I have the designing plans in the back, I'll go get them.

Even thought envied by many, Richard wasn't a greedy man when it came to money. With the delivery place she was helping him to set up, he hoped to get people out of the criminal ways, and into the system of earning money fair and square.

Not that Max thought that would really happen, but who was she to go against the deal when it brought in the money. And money was one of the most important things at this moment.

As she walked to the back of the villa, there was a small office' where her desk stood, she felt a slight chilly wind brush past her. Glancing around, she noticed the window being open. The cool October air was entering through it. She closed it before grabbing the designing plans she'd stashed against the wall. They were the reason why she'd been tired yesterday – she'd spend most of the day walking around the empty building the place was being set up in, trying to draw out a design to satisfy her boss.

In the end, she'd realized it'd ended up looking too much like Jam Pony, and she'd thrown it. Which had ended up in working overtime to get new designs.

When she'd returned, she lay the plans out on the table, and went over the details with Richard, who smiled at the ideas she had.

They're good, Caroline.

That mean I'm gonna get payed? Max replied.

A smile broke out onto Richard's face, There was never any doubt about that, Caro.

Even in his old days, Richard refused to take any household employees that had the right qualifications and were a lot more expensive. Men may say the ones he did have were all thieves, but his experience with qualified ones were that they were the thieves. So he took in the homeless instead.

When he'd decided to set up a place where people could get an honest job, he'd set up the same standards'. He hadn't even been looking for anyone to work for him when he'd gone out to a dinner spot near the sector point through which people entered L.A.

From his standard booth by the window, Richard watched the people come into the diner, some calm – obviously the regulars, others rather wary of coming into an unfamiliar place.

The couple coming in now was of the latter kind, both dressed in black, their poses calm, but their faces were tense as they sat down and ordered from the menu. Even Sally, the waitress who usually flirted with anything male, was keeping her claws in as the woman shot her a murderous look.

When she'd left to give their orders through, Richard couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation.

We've entered L.A, we got through the checkpoint without a pass- The young woman started, but was interrupted by the man.

We could've gone through without you making cops lose their eyes.

It's called basic survival in the year 2023, The woman stated.

Any girl could've raised her shirt anytime years ago.

We didn't have a pass. I had to figure out something.

Richad listened, amused. It wasn't unusual for people to enter the city in a more in-appropriate way. He tried to hear more of conversation, but that was blocked out by Sally shoving his plate onto the table.

The usual, Richard, She said with a smile, eyeing the man at the booth next to him.

She received a blank stare in return, and sighed, walking back to the bar.

Hello? Remember what I was talking about?

Yeah. How are we gonna get that? No one knows us in here, She paused, And we don't have any place to stay.

We'll figure it out.

The conversation fell dead then, and Richard concentrated on his plate of food, eating silently. Sally brought the couple their food, mumbling to herself about silent strangers as she took the money from the man.

When she skipped off to take someone else's orders, Richard turned to the couple in his booth, and took a good look at them. The woman wasn't very tall, and even in his old age, he knew she was stunningly beautiful. She caught him staring at her, and glared.

What do you want? She asked him.

The man turned too, yet Richard didn't back down at the murderous glares he was receiving. From what he'd just heard, he knew they wouldn't hurt him without reason.

Scratching his chin, he started, I have a job to offer, and -

Sorry, I don't do hanky-panky, she flipped him off immediately.

He smiled at her reply, Not that kind of job You get to keep your clothes on, for one. And you need to be able to use some creativity skills.

Seeing that she wasn't going bite, he simply pulled out a card with his phone number on it and handed it to the silent man. Standing up, he left the diner.

That had been about a year ago. Setting up the bike messenger place took longer than he'd expected, yet Caroline worked at her best, sometimes working overtime, like yesterday.

Max watched the older man think, and reached out to roll up the plans. But Richard shook his head, and smiled at her.

Leave those here, I'll look over them today. Go home early.

Sure you won't need me here? She asked, and when he shook his head, she smiled and grabbed her bag.

And tell Daniel I said

Sure will. She said with a smile on her face, leaving the hall, where Rosalie – one of Richard's maids, opened the door for her.

Walking back onto the street, she sighed, trying to figure out what to do the rest of her day.

BANG!

Ames jumped aside as a huge metal pipe missed him by a few mere inches, and he glared up at the top of the building.

You alright Brookes? One of his co-workers called.

Grumbling he nodded and sighed. He'd been working at this madhouse for only 2 months now, yet he'd had more near-death scenarios then he'd had in his time when he'd been hunting down transgenics.

The building they were trying to construct was one of mayor Miller's newest homes. Good money came in from this job, even if it meant constructing a place for the man who had possibly more blood on his hands than Ames.

A cold gush of wind, filled with autumn leaves, brought Ames out of his thoughts. He sighed, grabbing the small elevator together with a rather robust looking man, who took a good time at staring him down.

Not that he was scared – the knowledge of being able to take out this man without breaking the sweat with him. And the fact he didn't fear lots of things.

As the elevator came to a rocky stop on the 4th floor, (making him wonder yet again how the tiny man needed so much space), he quickly stepped out together with Scruffy' as he'd come to call the guy in his mind.

Grabbing his tools, he went to the part of the floor in which he was employed for the day, and started his work. Nothing eventful happened for the first two hours, until he suddenly heard a cry of help coming from the bottom floor. Stopping his work temporarily, he heard someone shouting Everyone, get down here, now!

It took him only minutes to get down, and he went to the spot where everyone had gather. Several shocked gasps same, and he pushed himself forward. And even he had to gasp at the sight that greeted him.

Two of the construction site workers were laying on there back, their fingers obviously cracked into and awkward angle, and their chests exposed, crosses carved into them, blood seeping from the wounds.

The wall behind them was also almost his undoing, as he read the words, obviously written in the men's blood, judging by the red colour.

Fe'nos'tol, traitor.

He dropped the tool he was holding onto the ground, completely oblivious to the shoutings of calling an ambulance that were around him. He re-read the words again, wanting them to be a figment of his imagination.

But he knew, by the wild beating of his hard in his chest, that they weren't.

It was starting to seem like the past would never leave him alone.

=-=

A/N: Sorry you didn't get to see him shirtless Amber ;). I'll just save that image for some other time then huh? :-P