Title: Harm's Way
Author: Bent137
Chapter: Five
Rating: R, Violence, Language.
Genre: Angst, Humor
Pairing: M/A Friendship with undertones, M/L angst
Summary: Max finds out how Seth came to die, and she's none too pleased.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything at all to do with Dark Angel, if I did it would still be on the air.
Author's Note: First, Thanks to Adrolien for taking a chance an unknown and new writer and betaing. This is a response to a challenge posted at NWP. It's the "After Seth" challenge posted by Vanessa_TaleWeaver, and includes spoilers for the entire run of the show and the first book "Before The Dawn."
Challenge: Here are the parameters:

1) Can be set anytime season 2, after freak nation, or in an alternate universe.

2) Alec and Joshua must help Max work through the fall out. OC would be nice too, but that's not compulsory.

3) Sketchy must make an appearance, in which he shows he's not as dumb as he usually acts. (long or as short as you want.)

4) Max must confront Logan about not telling her about Seth, and they need to have a rip-roaring fight.

5) Someone needs to point out to Logan that the deal he made with Max was extremely heedless of her safety, given what happened to Seth.

6) Logan cannot be portrayed as stupid or maliciously selfish. Narrow-minded, blinkered, and not nearly as accepting of Max's special abilities as he pretends to be, sure!

7) One of Max's other siblings must be mentioned. Living or dead, real-time or flashback, mentioned in passing or full-blown guest appearance - anything goes.

8) Whether Max forgives Logan or gets together with Alec is up to you. BUT she cannot blame any part of this mess on Alec, and they must be friendly, at least, at the end. Hot love and steamy sex are always preferred, however.

9) Alec cannot be the one to tell Max about how Seth died. He can be the first to know, but he cannot be the one to actually tell her.

Chapter Five: It's Not What You Think You Know, It's What You Don't.

Alec hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. The simple B&E had gone slightly sideways, nothing they couldn't handle, but still nothing that didn't get him injured, as usual. He couldn't even remember the number of time's he'd been shot. He lost count somewhere around 25, and that was while he was still in Manticore. Since he'd met Max the number had easily tripled. He'd been shot 15 times during the siege alone. He'd have thought it was that Max was unlucky if he hadn't been so enlightened as to realize that any transgenic in the outside world is unlucky. Figuratively speaking of course, they're lucky to be free. However, when that many people are after your ass a bullet or 15 tend to stick.

After they'd gotten out of the building Max had taken him right to his place. Pulled the bullet out of where it was lodged in the delicate place where his thigh met his buttocks. A mere half an inch from his manhood. He was almost disbelieving at it and had pleaded with Max multiple times to be careful until she finally knocked him out and went on with the emergency surgery. The good news was she hadn't damaged him as he had almost expected. He still walked into TC that morning with slight bowed legs. He sat carefully on a couch and looked around headquarters.

Logan hadn't told her yet. This much he knew for sure. There were many clues that tipped him off on this, the fact Logan didn't page her at all last night. The fact that she hadn't told him or acted any differently at all. The fact that she was with Dix now seeing if he came up with anything. Alec knew it wouldn't be long before the talented transgenic figured it out and told Max. Hell, if he could figure it out without access to Logan's hard drive Dix should know by now. No sooner was this thought through his head than a loud shout rung through the headquarters at Terminal City, startling the handful of transgenics that were hanging around.

"No." He heard it again. "Dix, that's not possible." Max was gesticulating wildly as she backed away from Dix, believing, but in denial.

Alec sighed, the shit hath hit the fan. He hurried over to the two and cautiously lay a hand on Max's arm. She spun startled and Alec raised his hands.

"Easy Max," he said and she relaxed visibly. "What's wrong?"

"Dix says that it was Logan. Seth was working with Logan. Logan sent him there, so he died because of Logan." Telling it to Alec seemed to release something inside of her and her shoulders slumped a little. Alec could tell that she was no longer in denial.

Alec was quiet, but he knew he had to know the answer to the question burning in his mind. It would make or break Max, and the way others viewed her. He was well aware that while the other transgenics in the headquarters busied themselves with fake work, they were listening with rapt attention, memorizing every detail to later tell their buddies with glee that they had been there.

"What are you going to do about it?" his voice was quiet, tentative.

Max looked up at him. She looked worn. He felt sorry for her a little.

"I guess I'll confront him," Max said finally. "I need to know the truth. Seth was my brother. If this is true, then," she shook her head, "well I feel really sorry for Logan."

"Why?"

"Because he'll wish the virus had killed him."

Exactly the answer the gathered transgenics had wanted to hear. Alec suppressed the urge to smile. "If you need backup, or just a friend..." he let the sentence drop off, knowing she'd understand.

"Thanks Alec." She smiled at him sadly. She looked down and turned to leave. She'd only gone three or four steps when she turned back to him. "Will you come with me? Just to wait outside of his apartment, you know, just in case."

"Of course." Alec was almost shocked she thought he wouldn't. She nodded and turned again. He fell in step beside her as they made their way out of Terminal City.

*

They stopped outside of Logan's apartment door and faced each other. Max took a deep shaky breath. "Are you okay?" Alec asked, reaching out and rubbing her arm.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"I'll be right here, if you need me, you just yell my name okay." She nodded. He pulled her into his arms for a brief hug that seemed to stabilize her. As she put her hand on the doorknob he leaned against the wall. Settling in to wait, his senses alert.

Max took another deep breath and opened the door. She took a few steps into the apartment and looked around. "Logan?" she called out.

"Max?" He was in another room, his voice muffled. As she made her way towards him he came out from behind a partition looking curious. He smiled when he saw her. "Hey Max, what's up?"

Max tried to take another deep breath, but it was shallower than she would have liked. She looked right at him, "Why don't you tell me?" Her words were slow, punctuated, and he knew exactly what she meant.

He sighed, "Alec told you."

Now Max looked confused, "Alec told me what?" What could Alec tell her? What did Alec know? No matter, she was here on business. "I'm here because I found out Logan. I know you're the reason Seth died."

Logan was thinking quickly now. Alec had to have told her. He was the only one who knew. He could use this. He snorted, "You're going to believe him? As though I wouldn't have told you."

Max was startled. He knew Dix was looking into it? He dared to question that? "Of course I'm going to believe him. He's never misled me before!"

Logan looked at her like she'd grown a second head, "He's misled you every step of the way. What about the virus?"

Max thought back, Dix had gotten them the cure, was there something fishy there? No, she decided. "What about the virus. He didn't mislead us at all that I can think of."

"Oh so you don't think he misled you by letting you escape and making sure you finished the job?"

Max was reeling, "Are you talking about Alec?"

"Of course, who else would try and feed you that rubbish? He was here the other night accusing me of as much."

Max's brain was moving as fast as it could. Alec had been here, looking for information. She'd bet all she had that Alec had gotten the information he wanted, that's the way he was. That means he'd known. He'd known for a few days and hadn't told her. Why hadn't he told her? "Alec!"

Logan looked shocked as the door opened and shut and Alec blurred in he stopped abruptly next to Max and took in Logan's unarmed form. "Uh," he looked at Max, "something wrong?"

"You knew didn't you?"

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. He was so screwed. "Uh, yeah I did."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Good question, why didn't he? Maybe he should have. At least she wouldn't be busting his balls now. But would she have believed it? Oh. She's waiting for an answer. "Well two reasons. I didn't think you would believe me, and I wanted to give Logan a chance to come clean."

She studied him. He looked at ease, vulnerable. She looked at his eyes. He wasn't lying. Not this time, he was making a point of exposing himself to her. "Oh. Okay." She turned her attention back to Logan and both men were amazed. "So what do you have to say for yourself? And don't give me no crap. Dix is the one who found out. He hacked into your files. So you can't hide it."

Logan paled, "I didn't mean to Max. It's just those paintings were so important as a part of American subculture. Seth was supposed to skip town right after the job. He was concerned about Manticore being in the area."

"Why didn't he go before?" Alec asked.

"He thought that someone at the drop was involved with Manticore."

"You mean you told him that just to get him to go," Max said.

"I did not."

"Whatever," Max said. She pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose. "I don't want to see you again. Don't call me. Don't page me. Don't come to Jam Pony. Don't contact Terminal City." She sighed, "Alec will you guard him while I send someone from Terminal City to come and confiscate his computer."

"Not my computer Max! It has all my Eyes Only stuff on it, I need it to make my broadcasts."

"Not anymore you don't. Eyes Only is out of business and if you don't like it you should have thought of that before you lied to Max and put her life in danger," Alec said.

"Exactly," Max said. "Wait. That's right. You knew what happened to Seth and yet you did the same thing with me? I thought you loved me!" She walked over to him and shoved him up against the wall. "You are so fucked now Logan. I would suggest not breathing wrong because you do, and you're dead. Got it?" Logan gulped. "Like I said, don't attempt to contact me. Don't attempt to contact any transgenics. You stay away from me and mine, and that includes OC and Sketchy, and we'll have no problems. You call, you page, you send mail, a package, a fucking smoke signal and we'll be on your ass so fast. It'll make those bad guys you bust look like kids playing cowboys and Indians." She backed away. "I've got to go tell Dix he's getting some extra equipment." She turned and walked towards the door, nodding at Alec, who was now sitting on the couch, on her way. "Thanks Alec."

"No problem." She left and the door clicked behind her. Logan sighed with relief and moved towards his computer until he heard the sound of a gun being cocked. "I don't think so." came Alec's cold voice. Logan turned around and Alec was still sitting on the couch but now he had a gun trained on Logan. He motioned to a chair across from him with his other hand. "Have a seat Logan, buddy."

Logan sneered, "You wouldn't shoot me. Max would kill you."

"Really? Do you want to bet, because I'm thinking I have the winning odds asshole. Let's examine the facts. My twin was insane. Max hates you right now. Max and I have grown closer than you would have ever wanted us to and I'm proud to call her my friend." Alec scratched his head. "Wait. I'm forgetting something." His eyes lit up. "Oh yeah!" His eyes narrowed. "I've been a trained assassin since I was 12. Now sit your candy ass down old man."

To Be Continued...