A/N: Okay, I know the end of this story is a bit of a coward's way out but at least it's finished. And it does leave room for a sequel. I am sorry but the ending does work for me even if it wasn't quite the grand epic that it perhaps had the potential to be. This story was never supposed to be on that scale and maybe got a little out of hand hits muse over head. So, anyway, hope you liked it.
CJ leaned his head against the wall outside his apartment. He let the cool brick calm him as he heard the sound of his friends inside. The quick phone call to Jen telling them he was safe hadn't explained anything and CJ knew he was in for an interrogation the instant he stepped through the door.
He glanced down at the small LCD screen of his cell, praying that one of the Terminal City alum would check the voicemail box and get back to him so he could avoid the conversation with his friends. The screen stayed annoyingly blank and CJ sighed, placing it back in his pocket and tiredly grabbing his key to unlock the door.
"CJ!" Jen's yell came the instant the door swung open. She leapt up from her seat and hurried over to him, checking herself before she hugged him. Her hair was bedraggled as though she had been running her fingers through it and a glance down at her fingernails showed CJ that they were bitten down. She'd never looked more beautiful to him.
He glanced around the room, taking in the position of each of his friends. Their postures straight and tense, their fingers either weaving around each others or uncomfortably fiddling in the laps.
"Did you kill him?" David asked, his voice fearful. Jack placed a protective arm around him, as though he was scared that CJ might attack. CJ nearly snorted in disbelief. He was remembering why he'd never told any of them his secret. Like he'd ever hurt David. And like Jack could really protect him.
"No," CJ said shortly. He helped himself to a glass of his scotch that had been abandoned on the kitchen counter.
"So what's going on?" Jen asked, wrapping her arms around herself.
They all watched CJ's back tense and then he span on them, the glass fracturing in his hand.
"God, what is wrong with you people?" he yelled, slamming the remains of the glass on the counter. He watched them all flinch and reflexively move together. "You go to rallies for transgenic independence but the instant you're faced with it in practice you turn into people who burn crosses in the street." He made a noise of disgust. "And you wonder why no transgenics come out in support of the movement. And you wonder why I didn't tell you. You know there were people in Seattle who actually supported us."
"CJ," David said, rising and coming over to his friend. He hesitantly placed a hand on the taller man's shoulder. "We support you. It's just a lot to get used to. I mean you had us go hide somewhere because you thought we might be killed to get to you." He shrugged and CJ noted the lack of fear in his posture. "Takes a little getting used to, man."
CJ leaned back on the counter, exhaling. He felt the edge of the counter dig in his back, two inches above his waist, a mere inch above a bullet scar he'd received when he was thirteen. Bullets. He tried to remember how he'd ever imagined that he could hide in this comfortable world forever. "It's been a long day," he said softly, watching the blood on his hand slide across his palm, his fingertips oddly bare where he'd removed any mark of the traceable whorls.
Pacey snorted, "You think?"
"What happened?" asked Joey, leaning away from Pacey's protective presence.
CJ hesitated for a fraction of a second before he decided to tell them the truth. "Did any of you pay any attention to the press, particularly the tabloid press, just before the transgenics went to ground?" David hesitantly rose a hand. CJ shot him a look that clearly showed he thought he was stupid. "We're not in class, man. Do you remember any news articles relating to a cult?"
David wrinkled his brow, clearly thinking hard. A year, three months, two days and, CJ glanced at his watch, twenty-eight minutes since the decision to go to ground was made. A decision made by him. CJ looked around at everyone, his eyes staying longer on Jen, and for the thousandth time wondered if he made the right decision or if he'd merely been blinded by the despair that Max's death had caused him.
His homework still lay on the coffee table and CJ tried to drum up some of the love that he'd felt for this particular identity. He felt the butt of the gun pressing into his lower back and realised something. It felt comfortable there. Perhaps more comfortable than a pen in his hand ever had done. Perhaps more comfortable than having Jen's arm wrapped around him.
"I remember something," David interrupted his train of thought, "something about snakes and stars and runes."
"Exactly," CJ declared, "an ancient group of humans, whose selective breeding had made them an equal to the transgenics, are wanting to destroy the human race. Max's DNA may have been the only cure there was. I have a week to track down the cult again and put an end to all of this."
Jen's mouth was hanging open. "You're kidding, right?"
CJ smiled grimly. "Wish I was. They're responsible for Max's death, so there's a little personal vengeance going to be involved as well."
"But surely they would have done something before now?" Joey asked, always the voice of logic.
"Who? The government? Their special forces taskforces are nowhere near a solution. Why do you think Lydecker was slumming it at transgenic rights movements all across the country?" CJ drummed his fingers lightly on the table, a small smile flitting across his face that Jen didn't miss. "If she was alive Max would have been in the middle of one of them things."
"But why you?" Jen asked, an edge of anger in her voice.
"Who else?"
"Anyone else!" Jen yelled, causing everyone but CJ to shrink back slightly.
"There is no-one else," CJ said evenly. "I'm a soldier, Jen. I've been hiding and I've loved it. But…" he dragged a hand through his hair, missing how short it used to be and absently noting that it needed a brush, "I'm still a soldier. Even in Seattle I got to flex my soldier skills but here? I'm just Average Joe." He spared a glance for David. "We're not human. I don't claim to be. I don't want to be. I need to do this. Because this sort of shit is what I do." He smiled a small, wry grin. "I might not be X5-494 anymore but I'm not CJ either. I'm Alec."
"Alec?" Jen asked, her voice small.
"The name I was given by Max. The name I used when I was still me and not pretending to be something I'm not."
Jen seemed to have forgotten about everyone else around them. "Did you ever love me at all?"
Alec's heart broke at that. "I still love you now. I just tend to hurt the people I love. Least you're still alive."
"You're leaving though, aren't you? And not coming back?"
"I have to."
"Yeah, yeah, you explained all that. But what about me? What about all of us?" Jen's spread her arms wide, making her friends shift uncomfortably in their seats.
Only David spoke up. "She's right. This is your life. You can't deny that. You telling me you won't miss it?"
"I miss everyone of my lives," Alec said calmly, looking at each of them in turn. "But I need to move on. I'm sorry."
Alec's phone rang and he glanced at the screen, MOLE flashed up in large letters. He flipped it open. "Hey, pretty boy, what's up?" came the greeting.
"Lizard man," Alec answered, smiling at the voice of his old friend. "How'd you feel about taking out the breeding cult?"
Dead silence on the other end for three and half seconds then a low whistle.
"Any particular reason?"
"Lydecker told me they're going to end the world sometime soon. Thought it could be kinda fun to stop it."
Dead silence on the other end for two and half seconds.
"Huh, sounds like something to do. I'll mobilise the troops and meet you at Terminal City in two days. Give you enough time to pack up the hair products?"
"I think I'll manage." Alec flipped the phone shut on that and with one last, longing, look at Jen he patted the back of his jeans to check his gun was still in place and slipped out of the door forever.
END