Summary: Zack is brought back to the transgenics' world while Logan has some trouble getting Max to trust him as she's done in the past. He blames Alec for this and makes a dangerous choice. p

A/N: I realised I made a mistake earlier, obviously Dix is the rune specialist and Luke the comms guy. I've rectified it. p

Episode 2 – Family First p

"I don't want to hate, but that's all you've left me with. A bitter aftertaste and a fantasy of how we are to live." Robbie Williams, No regrets. p

"Those that I fight, I do not hate. Those that I guard I do not love." W.B. Yeats p

Act1 p

Max sighed and turned to the side again, feeling uncomfortable and exposed wearing only a sports bra. The brunette hid her irritation and tried to keep her mind on the negotiations planned for that afternoon to keep her mind detached from what was happening in the room. p

Dix approached her earlier saying he wanted to verify his research into the runes. Max was utterly unprepared for the request to see them as on her skin, instead of on pictures. Her first instinct was to throw a fit but one look at the guy's open and honest face convinced her of his intentions. She silently even applauded his courage for braving her temper and asking her something he knew she would have been very suspicious of. p

Smiling benevolently she looked down at Dix who seemed to be studying the symbols on her wrist extremely intently. He was earnestly intrigued by the ancient scribbles and Max couldn't help but feel proud of all he had accomplished despite having been ignored for most of his life. Differently to, say Mole for instance, he harboured no hard feeling to the X-series despite their better treatment and Max wondered, as she had done many times before, why Manticore had kept them alive when they had seemed so callous with the lives of their 'precious' soldiers. Part of her wanted to ask Dix about his experiences but something always stopped her before she did. p

A knocking on the door interrupted both of them and Max looked at the door with big eyes, Dix hadn't bothered with locking the door and Max was suddenly aware that everyone could just walk in when they wanted to. Which, in the next moment they did. Or rather only one man did, the only one who was brave enough to ignore her closed office door. p

Whatever Alec was expecting to see after walking into Max's office, watching her being studied while half-dressed by their best researcher certainly wasn't it. Despite a serious lack of attention for what he was saying his eyes never wavered after that first somewhat languid exploration of exposed flesh and he continued his sentence without a hitch in his voice. "Max, about the meeting planned this afternoon." p

Alec was feeling quite proud that his voice carried none of the surprise and exhilaration he was feeling. "I think you should," he paused pretending to notice the situation only now, "Oh, hi Dix, everything alright?" p

Dix scurried out of the room as soon as he saw Alec enter the office not willing to be witness to the outburst that was guaranteed to follow on this intrusion. Max was frozen to the spot, feeling panic rising inside her. Her first instinct was to grab something, anything to cover herself back up but she knew Alec would take that as a reason to tease her with her silly prudish nature. So she did nothing and waited then when she realized he didn't even bother to look twice at her she felt oddly disappointed. Resignation sounded in her voice as she spoke "You think I should what?" p

"Hmm, yes. I think it would be wise if you decided to forgo this round of negotiations." p

"Alec, you know I need to be there, we need to be perceived as reliable and predictable." p

"Yes, well there's predictable and then there's predictable. I mean, I like surprises now and then, don't you?" p

Max recognized the all too familiar gleam in his eye and responded sounding more than half amused. "Alec let's not play this guessing game today. What scheme have you thought up now?" p

Recognizing his opportunity Alec dove in for the kill. "There's an X6 I want to introduce you to. She's managed to make a telepathic link with Rashel, without losing control of herself. She can use the discoveries he makes immediately. We've been training with her for a few days and it'll really give us an edge." p

"And?" p

"And it will give you more time to be the hands-on leader you need to be in here. Most of us don't trust you to make the best decisions yet, despite their agreement to stay. You need to convince them, and you won't do that tied up in negotiations." p

"Look, Alec, I'm sure you mean well but Logan said…" Max paused and considered what he said. It was true that she needed more time here. p

Alec took the opportunity of her silence to add another lesson in leadership. "Max, think about it. You can't do everything yourself and having a representative will only buy us more time. They've send one haven't they?" p

Max looked at him with narrowed eyes, "Alright she can go but she makes no decisions, everything goes through me first. Now tell me about the hidden agenda." p

Alec hid his hurt at her lack of trust, even if she did take his advice. "And it will give you the time to distract Logan while we get all his sensitive data from his computer system." p

Max's voice came with a clear warning. "Alec." p

"I know, Maxie, I know, but aren't you the slightest bit nervous about the material he's sent to Matt Sung? I mean he convinced Cain that this was under your orders but you and I both know you didn't know about it till after the fact. Add to that the fact that we still don't know what was in it…" p

Alec let his voice taper off and threw up his hands in a protective gesture. After taking a deliberate pause he softened his tone and continued. p

"I know he said it was just instructions to the informant net but without seeing it how do we know for sure?" Then he launched his final blow to Max's defences. p

"Bedsides, don't you think your 'brother'," Alec made sure to place a subtle emphasis on the word, "would be safer here with us? He has all that intel sitting on his system." p

Truthfully Alec didn't need Max to distract Logan to get the information but it was useful to plant a seed of doubt in Max's mind about the loyalties of Logan. Plus it felt great to legitimately make Logan look bad to Max when the old man frequently used blatant lies to make Alec look bad in Max's eyes. He held his breath waiting for Max's reply. Although he knew she'd say yes, her body language told him as much, he also knew it wouldn't take much to sway her. Slowly she began to nod, then her eyes hardened and she nodded more forcefully. p

At that moment a soft whirring came to both their ears and Max scrambled for her shirt while Alec set himself down in a chair. She hurried to her chair and the both of them were engaged in a seemingly polite conversation when Logan peeked through the door shortly after. It didn't take Max long to convince the man that she had freed her schedule so they could spend some time together and Alec rolled his eyes at her performance whenever Logan couldn't see him. Max did see from the corner of her eyes and she was confused because it didn't make her feel irritated, instead she felt this odd sensation that tugged at the corners of her mouth. Max bit her lip to control her face and that made Alec's mouth twitch. Max quickly led Logan out of the room without hearing a word the man was saying to her and frantically wove her hand behind her back the entire way out. p

Alec leisurely walked over to the console Dix was working behind and nodded once. Dix immediately activated the program that would search Logan's system and added a small virus that would corrupt some of the more sensitive files. It took less than 30 minutes for the program to complete its cycle and when it did Alec sent Jondy and Zane after Max to rescue her from Logan. Alec meanwhile walked over to a different building to pay a visit to and old friend. p

To say that Demon was surprised to see Alec visiting their quarters voluntarily was an understatement. His voice carried an undertone of snideness he deliberately failed to remove. Now that they weren't in Manticore anymore, the time for being subtle to avoid detection by the guards was over. "So, her royal ninerness let you out did she? Doesn't need you to turn all of her failures into successes today?" p

Alec smiled at Demon, an open and inviting smile. Despite an awkward last few years, Demon as he called himself now had been something of a friend at Manticore and Alec was determined not to let bad experiences spoil this chance of renewing their bond. "Still harbouring old hurts I see. I guess that means you're not cleared for active duty?" p

Demon kept his face a solid blank as he gazed back under Alec's scrutinizing look, not for the first time Demon inwardly cursed Alec for his emphatic abilities. "Just making sure you weren't deliberately trying to shirk your responsibilities. I have no intention of taking your place, again." p

Alec tightened his smile a little at that and Demon showed his pleasure to indicate he'd noticed. "Play nice, Demon. I have a mission that needs doing. Now I'd like to have the best guys watching my back but maybe I should go to the next block and see Lucifer's men about it?" p

Demon guwaffed "You said you wanted the best right?" p

Then he took Alec's hand in both of his and gave him a warm welcome. "It's good to see you, man. I admit for about 10 seconds after seeing the compound I was worried you hadn't gotten out, with that whole save the others first thing you have. But then I remembered this is 494 we're talking about. He's just fine, hustlin' his way around as always. It was nice to see your signal though, the guys have been itching for some action, all this laying low crap gets really boring." p

Alec returned the squeeze of his hand and felt the connection between them reaffirming himself. "It's good to see you too. Now about this op, are your guys ready for some sneak and creep?" p

"It isn't their favourite as you well know but I can get them in line. What did you have in mind?" p

Alec and Demon sat at the table and went over the plans to rescue Zack from his involuntary exile. When Demon realised this was about another 'niner' he recoiled for a moment. Thankfully Alec had expected that and proceeded to explain that Zack was the name given to the soldier with the designation 599. Hearing that, Demon went to get the others in on the plan. At the end of the afternoon all details of the retrieval were discussed at length and both men felt they were suitably prepared. p

Demon was just a little curious about the timing of the op, he argued that if they waited till most of the novelty wore out operational security would be better achieved. When Alec explained the reason for retrieving Zack at this point was the demands of Colonel Stendahl to join his troops, Demon was more than a little surprised. "Why are you so opposed to this, man? This Stendahl guy didn't seem any worse than Lydecker ever was. What's the problem? I mean I remember you schemed your way out of getting orders to Quantico even though you were a solo ops guy. What gives?" p

Alec sighed, this was what he'd been worried about. He knew not all the units had taken Max up on her offer and he was afraid more of them would feel this way and accept Stendahl as their CO. "That guy is bad news, man. Do you know why he only took solo ops people? 'Cause they were the ones that had been modified, simplified. You saw what happened to Lane and Jewel after they got back. They were robots, they had no human emotions left to nourish. I know you have less trouble with your conscience than I do." p

Alec looked at little chagrined at this, Demon just waited for him to continue. "But they have none, they wouldn't even hesitate to shoot other transgenics. I'm telling you, man, you don't want to be under his orders. He gives you no leeway and he doesn't care if you die on your mission as long as you complete it. Do you want to betray your unit mates in favour of the mission?" p

When Demon slowly shook his head, trying to assimilate this new information to what he already knew, Alec silently breathed a sigh of relief. He needed Demon and the others to be with him on this. He couldn't afford any of them deciding Stendahl was the better tactical option for their survival. If Demon's unit and that of Devil and Lucifer stayed with them odds were most of the others would follow their lead. They had done so at Manticore and it was something the outside world couldn't change. Demon smiled ruefully at Alec when another realisation hit him. "Guess we'll be fighting against your old unit then, won't we?" p

Alec's eyes hardened and his voice took on a steely edge. There was nothing charming or suave about the man now seated at the table. "They haven't been my unit for a long time. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't speak of them that way." p

Demon pulled his drink closer and regarded Alec with a piercing stare, then abruptly leaned back in his chair and cocked his head. "So, which 'niner' are we taking on this mission? I take it you want Zack to have a familiar face present?" p

Alec smirked and pulled himself out of his memories. "I've been thinking of that. Why, do you have a preference?" p

Demon was determined to keep his nonchalance, some reconnaissance had informed him that Jondy spent a lot of time in Alec's apartment. Yet, neither acted like they were committed to each other. Jondy displayed a clear signal of interest in him the other day and she wouldn't have if she were attached to Alec. Unless, she didn't know the rules but that seemed unlikely to him. "I was thinking it would be wise to bring one of the females from his unit. He would be more likely to follow her lead, a male might cause him to want to assert his status." p

"Mmm, good point, obviously we can't risk Max out of the boundaries of TC at the moment since the Cult still has her at the top of their hit list. So that leaves Jondy and Syl. Both have kept with training, though Syl has focused on honing the skills most applicable to cat burglary." p

Demon interrupted "I hear Jondy has received some extra training while working to for a private protection firm. That might be what we need for this op she would be prepared to guard Zack while he regains his memories." p

"Right. And the fact she's seriously hot didn't factor into this." p

Demon snorted. "I have 5 gorgeous females in my own unit, they made us that way, remember? I'll admit she's got some life in her but you should know that better than anyone." p

Realising his friend's intentions Alec was more than willing to share the truth. "Yeah, she's a good friend." p

At Demon's obvious surprise Alec grinned. "What? Surprised I could let myself be friends with a rogue? Please I'm mostly a rogue myself, we get along great." p

Demon mumbled something incoherently under his breath and looked over the papers once more. "When do you want to move out? I want to brief my unit and I need to brief Devil and Lucifer on the protocols if they're going to be our back up. You do want them as our backup right?" p

"Like I'd trust anyone else to watch my back. Last intel briefing is this afternoon, I'll send a runner with the time. Have Devil and Lucifer come too, I want them to meet our security chief and the other section leaders before we leave." p

On his way out Alec greeted the unit members scattered across the apartment, who were still checking their equipment. Something about the scene struck him as odd, but soon he realized he was missing Jenny. Jenny had been Demon's SiC since becoming an active unit but she had been pulled from the unit and into the breeding program. Seeing the unit together without their signature SiC brought a chill to Alec and for a moment he wondered how many of the pregnant females other than Gem had made it and what happened to them. Alec promised himself to look into that after they returned. It was likely most of these females would have stayed in the area, so why weren't they at TC? p

Feeling the strain on his body and mind he grimaced when it struck him that he hadn't gotten the sleep he needed either, despite reminding Max endlessly to get enough sleep. Somehow there was too much to do, even for those with transgenic advantages. The fatigue was probably wearing on his mind, not for the first time Alec felt gratitude that the Hellfire Trio had joined them. Now he could start thinking about delegating some of his responsibilities to others, after he'd assessed their loyalties to be beyond reproach. p

Act2 p

The moonlight brought an eerie glow to the corn and wheat fields surroundings the group of buildings. The crops had grown about knee high, providing at least some cover to hide their approach from watching eyes. At a cursory glance it was a silent night, with a bright moon, occasionally obscured by small patches of clouds passing before it. Under the cover of darkness a group of figures moved effortlessly through the fields in two rows, effectively hiding their numbers. As the leading figure balled his fist all dropped into a ditch running along the final sand road that needed to be crossed before reaches the farm buildings. It was typical farmland territory, the nearest neighbour almost a mile away. Using hand signals Demon sent out his scouts to confirm the intel before moving in closer. p

They had been watching the farm all day, looking for unusual traffic or any hint of foul play. Around dinnertime most of the trucks left the group of buildings leaving one parked in front of what they assumed to be the barn. They could see some lights still on inside what looked like the main building but no lights anywhere else. Demon felt he was probably being overly cautious, but his training drilled into him at a young age told him it was better to triple check your data since everyone can make a mistake. Well, maybe not them but ordinaries could and the main intel had come from an ordinary. p

Leaning back against the dirt he relaxed his muscles and waited patiently for his scouts to report in. He took this lull in vigilance to review their journey here and looked for anything he might've missed or dismissed at first glance. Nothing came to mind and he felt confident in the outcome of this mission. Operational security had been paramount since the first minute of this mission. Her 'ninerness' had covered their exit with the ordinary, the rest of the way had been routine. His unit had enough training in travelling inconspicuously and they had met up outside the nearest town without incident. p

Thinking back on it, his journey had been quite pleasurable with Alec and Jondy. She'd amused them with stories of her assignments as a bodyguard and kept careful watch as they slept. None of his unit had been adapted for night time duty so none had been given shark DNA. The fact hat Jondy only needed 4 hours of sleep and usually slept during the day meant both he and Alec had gotten more sleep on the trip than they had in the week before. Demon felt rested and completely at the top of his game. p

Even better, the trip had confirmed for him that Jondy and Alec were exactly what Alec had said, good friends but nothing more. Demon certainly didn't begrudge him that. All through training at Manticore after the escape, Alec and his unit were watched more closely and were hence left out of the tentative friendships that formed naturally from running exercises together. This became worse after he messed up that one mission and Demon had a difficult time of remaining in contact with him after he returned. Then came the fatal incident with Stendahl, and the repercussions of that blew a rift between them that Demon was feeling a little ashamed of now. p

It also reinforced in him the belief that Jondy was the best trained of all the 'niners' he'd seen so far. She had no issue with taking orders and was naturally observant albeit a little prone to risk taking. Not that he minded, he never liked his women docile and easy. He was a predator at heart and the idea of a chase made his blood boil. p

Now that he had experienced more of the outside world, Demon had a better understanding of the things Alec had spoken of after he returned from the Berrisford fiasco. Even though Demon would be the first to admit he still had an issue with feelings, he could now understand why Alec hadn't wanted more responsibilities at Manticore, he simply cared too much. Manticore might have been his home but its destruction had been Alec's saviour. Demon mused whether Max realised how indebted Alec probably felt to her and assumed she didn't. A lot of things that were natural or obvious to him seemed to slide by her. At least she treated him with more respect. When Demon heard how their interaction had been prior to his arrival he had been inches away of pounding some understanding into her. It still set him off just thinking about it, although he didn't want to examine why he cared so much. p

He looked around and silently assessed the frame of mind the rest of his unit was in. Although he lacked Alec's aptitude at empathy he knew most of these people so long that reading their state of mind was second nature to him. He could tell all of them were excited to be active in the field but there was an extra edge to them that Demon could only attribute to the absence of any ordinaries watching over their shoulder. p

While he was making eye contact with every member of his unit the scouts returned for their report. All parameters were still normal, they hadn't managed to eyeball the target but Demon hadn't really expected them to since they were still too far out. He assigned 2 infantrymen to guard their rally point and exit and motioned the rest to follow him. As the team formed the tactical columns he signalled for Jondy to move up the line to him and Alec while they crept through the last field. Halfway through the field he halted them with a single fist in the air and signalled for them to spread out and circle round the property, Demon was taking no chances on this mission. He had every intention of grabbing their target and be far away before anyone discovered he was gone. p

He watched down the line of figures creeping forward and noticed with satisfaction that Jondy was walking down the centre of the line watching the others and him for her cue to move forward. Demon signalled down the line for the scouts to locate their target and indicated to Alec and Jondy to move closer and wait for their report near him. In a soft whisper he reminded Jondy of her job. p

"Remember, as soon as they return with his location you get 5 minutes to tell him who you are. According to Max it took her less than a minute to convince him last time. We're counting on the fact that that hasn't changed. If it doesn't work, you're to distract him while Alec takes him out with the tranquilizer gun. We'll have ample opportunity to explain once we're far away from here. Take no risks; we don't want him alarming the other occupants. We're hoping he still sleeps in the hayloft, giving you plenty of privacy from the main house. Got it?" p

He waited for Jondy's abrupt nod and was pleased to note her lack of protests of recriminations at his repeating the instructions. He knew it was overkill, reminding her again but she was rapidly proving her worth to him by keeping her silence. Through the darkness his eyes caught the small roll of eyes she couldn't suppress and he let a hint of a smile come out, letting her know he'd seen it. She lowered her eyes ruefully and looked toward the buildings with renewed determination. Alec gave a curt nod at Demon's silent question and he was satisfied that Alec would watch her back and would shoot at the first sign of disbelief. p

He let his eyes roam her figure for any shiny objects and saw none, the only thing non-standard issue on her was the object holding her hair back. He hadn't asked her about it but he found he was curious as to the function of what seemed to him like a frivolous addition to her gear. Alec had let him know during one of her naps that she carried it on every mission and Demon assumed it was something superstitious then. That was something he could understand as he had his own rituals before going out on a mission to ensure luck would be on his side. p

He could see the scouts creeping back to him and noticed one was still out. The lead scout gave his report in a urgent whisper and Demon immediately turned to Alec and Jondy. p

"Alright, the target," he paused and tightened his lip, "Adam, is indeed occupying the hayloft. However, at the moment he is sitting on the roof, preventing a clean approach for you. He has one of my scouts pinned under the combine to avoid detection. He seems to be meditating, now if he were a transgenic with all his memories I'd say he'd spot you as soon as you break cover. Since he has no memories I'd say he'd know something was going on but wouldn't be able to interpret the signals." p

Alec held up his hand to stop Demon before making another inference. "I have to say that when we confronted him previously he resorted to violence before hearing our story. Risking exposure before explaining it to him would not be a tactical option." p

Alec glanced at Jondy to see her open her mouth, he already knew that she was going to say he was provoked but that didn't matter in this instant. She closed it before saying anything and shook her head to indicate she had nothing to add. Demon regarded the scene and appreciated her restrain for the second time that night. He was getting more and more impressed with this woman and wondered how her fighting abilities would measure up against the rest of them. They had at least a decade of training on her, how much of an edge would they have against someone who was only trained by ordinaries. The fact that he had been trained by ordinaries also, escaped his attention. p

Unable to do anything else they waited knowing they could only approach unseen after he entered the loft. Soon the signal reached them and Alec and Jondy crept into the relative light of the moonlight and towards the barn. p

Crossing the yard seemed endless and Jondy carefully navigated her way across taking extra care not to disturb anything laying around for fear of alerting Adam. Despite not having his memories he would still have all the sensory input of a transgenic just no references to deal with them. Not for the first time she cursed Logan for coming up with such a flawed plan and Max for going along with it. What did they expect? That Adam would just ignore all the things his body was telling him and never would go to find some answers? Very unlikely, thought Jondy to herself. p

The way he was now he was an easy target for any transgenic hunters and he wouldn't even know why they'd want him. They could tell him anything and he wouldn't know they'd be lying to him. With pain in her heart she remembered how her CO had been in the hands of people who only wanted him for what he could do for him and had kept him in the dark about who he was. For a moment she had classified Max in that category for shipping him off to some farm because he had been too difficult to deal with. After seeing the anguish in Max's eyes, Jondy's judgement became less harsh, Max had dealt with the situation the best way she knew how but Logan, now there was a culprit waiting for her disdain. p

Jondy could feel anger and turmoil bubbling inside her at the thought of Logan. She remembered feeling sorry for the man when she went to talk to him earlier and now she wished she'd been less magnanimous in her approach. She pushed all those feelings deep down sensing how she would need to have all her wits about her if she wanted to pull this off without a hitch. She mentally prepared herself for the shock of seeing her CO as someone else and steeled her courage. Pushing all other feelings aside she focused entirely on her task and watched Alec as she followed him to the door of the barn. Both would be aware that opening the door would shine moonlight into the barn but the only alternative was jumping to the second story to the hay door. Not knowing what would greet them inside they opted for a more stealthy approach. p

Jondy saw Alec opened the door a crack and listened for any sounds that would indicate Adam's position inside the barn. He must have been satisfied it was safe for he opened it a little wider and crept inside. Jondy followed him and closed the door behind her. Finding some straw she wedged a piece between the door, hoping the sound of it breaking would alert them to someone approaching. Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness inside she could see farm equipment all around her. They were all foreign to her but she could clearly see the sharp edges on several pieces and ascertained automatically their worth as a makeshift weapon. The distinct smell of various animals still hung in the air and Jondy could hear the scurrying of small rodents all around her. p

Then she froze when she heard a shuffling somewhere higher up. It was an indistinct noise that she couldn't directly place but it was a clear sign of another presence in the barn. She could see the ladder that led to the hayloft but around the corner she spotted a more permanent method of assent. It seemed Adam had made another route to get to his room. Jondy smiled, some things would never change even if you don't have memories to base it on. No real transgenic would let himself get caught somewhere without at least 2 escape routes. Feeling proud of her CO even I he couldn't remember it she nodded at the stairs and gave Alec a thumbs up. Alec rolled his eyes at her but smiled nonetheless. p

She crept closer to the stairs while Alec waited at the ladder, now she made no effort to hide her approach since she didn't want to startle Adam, who knew what he might do then. Reaching the top of the stairs she looked around but she couldn't see Adam anywhere. Puzzled she looked around again trying to penetrate into every dark corner of crevasse. She hesitantly took a step forward then another. p

A whoosh of air passed her and Jondy fell to the ground instinctively. She turned ready to pounce her assailant when she was struck by the sight of Adam pointing the barrel of a gun directly at her. She made eye contact with him and a sad smile unwillingly came to her face. She could see the confusion on his face as well as the determination of getting some answer. Taking her eyes off his for a second, she glanced up behind him and cursed herself for her nonchalance. She hadn't looked up as she came off the stairs and she could now clearly see the beam he'd been waiting for her on. The noise she heard must've been from him jumping up to it. Looking him in the eye again she tried to look unintimidating. "Hello, Adam." p

He didn't seem impressed with her act and his hands tightened around the gun. He seemed to be struggling between anger and curiosity. "Who are you and how do you know my name?" p

Jondy sat up on her heels and wiped her hands on her pants. "My name is Jondy and I've come to see you." p

"What about the other guy, the one who's waiting for my back to be turned so he can climb the ladder?" p

Jondy smiled ruefully and waited for Alec to climb up the ladder. Alec walked closer with his hands in front of him, palms up and open. "We weren't sure how you'd react so…" p

Adam interrupted "….so he's here to watch your back. Standard procedure." p

At his last comment his face scrunched up in confusion and Jondy jumped at the opening. "Guess you don't know why you said that, huh? If you put the gun away I'll tell you, how about that." p

Adam regarded them with a calculating stare seeming to weigh his options, suddenly the gun swung in Alec's direction. "I've seen you before." p

Jondy took charge of the situation before things could escalate. She got up and stepped in front of the gun. "You've seen me before too. Do you remember?" p

Adam shook his head and looked at her face more closely. "I don't know, you seem familiar somehow but you look different somehow." p

Jondy nodded encouragingly and gave him an impish smile. Suddenly Adam's eyes went wide. "I remember you looked at me like that before. I was angry with you then." He frowned trying to remember. "Something about risking your cover for no good reason. Why would I be angry about that?" p

Jondy mutter softly. "I wondered that too at the time." Then in a louder voice as she heard Alec snicker behind her. "Well, you felt responsible for me. You wanted me to be safe. Do you remember anything else?" p

Adam considered this and answered in a small voice. "Sometimes, sometimes I see these images of little kids running around or sitting in class. But they never smile and they're all looking at me like I have all the answers but I don't." p

Adam lowered the gun and dropped into a chair still speaking with wonder in his voice. "And I have these dreams of running through snow, but I'm not cold. Or maybe I don't notice it. I have this one dream about a girl, she's on a table in front of me and there's so much blood. People are telling me she's dead but I don't want to believe them. I want to save her so I grab a gun and then everything goes black." p

Jondy blanched and she looked at Alec for confirmation. She'd heard about the raid on the genetics lab but it was from Syl and Krit and they were long gone before any of this happened. Alec nodded almost imperceptibly and she could see he was affected by Adam's story as well, even though he tried to hide it. Jondy could see the tears brimming herself but she pushed them back and kneeled in front of Adam. "That really happened. The girl was Max, she was the baby of our unit." She hesitated but time was running out and she had a feeling Demon wasn't going to give them a second extra. "You're Zack, our CO. I'm Jondy. I've been your SiC even if you threaten to demote me every time you see me. Listen I know this doesn't all make a lot of sense right now but Max really wants to see you and it's no longer safe for you here." p

Jondy could see doubt in his eyes and she wondered what else to say that wouldn't freak him out but that would break through the barriers of his memories. She turned on her heels and lifted her hair to expose her barcode. "Here, look this is my barcode. I used to be X5-210, but you gave me my name, Jondy." p

She turned back and looked at the blonde in front of her for any sign of recognition. "Please, Zack, do you remember me?" p

Jondy could see the turmoil in his eyes and she waited for him to process all this information. He shook his head as if to clear it and suddenly sagged in her arms. She flashed Alec an angry glare as she held Zack up in her arms. "What'd you do that for? We were getting closer." p

Alec silenced her and pointed outside. "Listen, that's a chopper, and I'll bet you it brings bad news for us. We need to get out of here and fast. And I didn't dart him, I just knocked him out he'll come to in 5 minutes." p

Jondy stood holding Zack up awkwardly and glared at Alec again. "That doesn't make it alright. Now help me get this guy out of here, he's heavy." p

Alec took Zack's limp body from Jondy and carried him to the barn door in a fireman's hold. They were met there by a few of Demon's unit who kept their eye on the perimeter as Alec and Jondy crossed the yard once again. Halfway there one of them balled his fist and the group halted instantly. In the distance Jondy heard the sound of large trucks heading up the road. They rushed the rest of the way to the ditch, as they dropped down the front door of the main house opened behind them. Alec shoved Zack beneath him and gestured for Jondy to keep him subdued. Jondy watched as he moved closer to Demon and spoke to him in hushed tones. p

Still hiding they saw trucks coming closer and heard the chopper flying in overhead. Demon signalled for retreat as Zack began to stir beneath her. Jondy quickly lifted his head to hers and put her finger to her lips. Zack's eyes opened wide and recognition lit up in his face. He whispered softly, but with some urgency. "Jondy, what's going on? What are you doing here? For that matter what am I doing here?" p

"Zack. Shhh, we have incoming, probably hostile." p

Zack nodded and peeked over the rim of the ditch towards the main house and saw the men waiting in the doorway. He then took a look down the road and ducked back down. "Who's in charge of this operation?" p

Jondy pointed at Alec and Demon still talking in hushed tones. Zack immediately got off his knees and making sure to keep his body out of sight moved up the line to speak to them. Jondy cringed for a moment and debated with herself the wisdom of staying put against her mounting curiosity. Zack had always been her commander and although he hadn't exactly told her to stay put she knew he wouldn't want her to follow him. She chided herself softly under her breath making the people next to her give her an odd look and crept closer to the group. p

She could hear Zack asking both men to save the couple inside the main house if possible. "They're good people and they don't deserve to get caught in the cross fire." p

She could see Demon looking at him and observed him and Alec sharing a look. She wondered what they were going to do, she would gladly risk exposure to save these people considering everything they had done to keep her CO safe. But she knew with certainty that no one would ask her opinion nor would they care to hear it. She could see Demon shaking his head resolutely and signalling for retreat. Although she understood the need for security it was hard for her to leave those people to whoever came to see them. p

She stole another glance at the main house just as the chopper set down in the yard. Looking over she observed several people getting out with assault weapons and her eyes narrowed as she recognized Stendahl among them. She could hear him shout orders to search every building and wondered how he'd known Zack had been here. She felt someone pulling on her arm and looked back, a nasty remark already on her lips. It froze there when she saw the hard look on Demon's face. "We need to put as much distance between us and that chopper as possible. If they do a search of the field they'll have us zeroed in no time." p

"Not if we disable it. It'll never get off the ground." p

Demon's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "And how do you propose we do that, I won't order any of my unit to take out those guards and sabotage that chopper while the backup is armed with assault rifles. It'd be a suicide mission." p

Jondy stood her ground. "It doesn't have to be, do any of your guys have a sniper rifle? I can take out the fuel line from the edge of the field. We can disappear in the cornfields and be gone before they're halfway down the field." p

Demon looked at her closely and weighed his options. Taking out the chopper would alert Stendahl to his presence but Zack's absence would most likely do the same. That chopper gave them a serious advantage and Demon was worried they'd get it back in the air before everyone had cleared the field. After taking another moment to calculate the risks he nodded and called out to one of his men and traded rifles with him. He handed it to Jondy and signalled the others the change in plans. He told Alec to bring Zack to the rally point, telling him to take command till he showed up with Jondy. Demon knew that if they didn't Alec would get his unit back to TC safely. p

Demon and Jondy followed the others to the edge of the field and waited 60 seconds for them to get far enough away. Jondy could hear screams coming from the main house and she fought to keep her professionalism. She knew the couple was being tortured for information and prayed Logan told them to break quickly. By the sounds of the screams and the length of time it took for Stendahl to appear outside again it seemed they were being brave and were trying to withstand the pain. Jondy's heart bled for them but she slid down on her stomach and shouldered the rifle. The only way of honouring their memory now was avenging them by getting away safely and making Stendahl pay for his crimes at a later date. p

Demon leaned close and whispered, unknowingly voicing her thoughts. "You have one shot. Don't be tempted by taking out Stendahl as well, just disable the chopper and we'll get out of here. We'll get him later." p

She nodded and focused on finding her mark. The light of the moon which they cursed on their way in now made it easier to find her target. She adjusted the scope, zeroed in on her target and waited for Demon to call it. When he touched her shoulder she fired and with satisfaction saw the bullet pierce the fuel line. The sound of gunfire attracted the attention of the guard sitting in the cargo door of the plane and he turned to them catching a glimpse of muzzle flash. p

Without hesitation he swung around the assault rifle and fired blindly into the night. As the bullets struck the earth rim of the edge of the field no one was there. Demon and Jondy were already racing through the field, keeping their heads down. Soon they reached the end of the field and both risked a glance behind them to see how their pursuers were faring. Jondy took a teetering step back when the smell of burning wood reached her. p

As they stood watching, the windows of the main house exploded and a thick black smoke came billowing out. Demon assessed their situation and spurred Jondy to keep moving. Jondy felt like she was frozen to the spot. These people had done nothing other than hide one of her own, was this the way things were going to be from now? Everyone who helped them could count in this kind of treatment? Any doubts she might've had about making a stand instantly vaporized at the sight.

She looked at Demon and wondered if he felt the same. Jondy wasn't a fool, she understood perfectly that his initial motive for staying at TC had been more of a tactical option that a moral one but she wondered if this strengthened his resolve. Would he see these people as nothing more than collateral damage, or was he appalled by the action of these men as well? p

Demon must've felt her gaze because he turned his head to face her. His eyes were guarded and Jondy could read nothing from them but an urgency to get back and complete the mission. She was amazed at his uncanny ability to block everything except his mission goals from his mind. It wasn't something she envied since it came with some side effects she found less than desirable. Soon enough she let Demon drag her onwards and picked up the pace herself as they got closer to the rally point. p

The 2 men guarding the access road were already laying down covering fire as the group spread out across various vehicles. Jondy could see Zack from where he was waiting, pacing anxiously next to their car. She pushed him into it and got behind the wheel. Alec got in next to her as Demon pushed Zack and himself down on the ground. p

Jondy eased the car back on the road and freed her hair with one hand. She opened her vest and peeled herself out of it as Demon handed her a more inconspicuous outfit. With a little help from both men she was changed in no time and making good time back home. p

All the way during her shift behind the wheel she kept glancing at Zack wondering exactly how much he remembered already and how he would deal with life inside TC. Things had changed so much since they had all been together. Max had gone from being the baby of the unit to the leader of their people. She had gone from a somewhat irresponsible, rebellious teenager to a valued member of the team. Even if she wasn't exactly sure what team that was, they weren't a part of a unit anymore. p

With a sideways glance at Alec, sleeping in the passenger seat she mused, 'well neither was he and he does alright.' Keeping one eye on the road she straightened the blanket spread across him and made him more comfortable. She didn't realise the 2 men in the backseat watched her, one with brotherly amusement and the other with barely concealed jealousy at the familiarity of her gesture. p

Act3 p

Back at TC, Max was pacing her office. She mused how soon there would be a track for her to follow if she didn't stop but that thought didn't stop her. She was still contemplating how to tell Logan that Zack was coming to TC and that Logan was moving out of TC. Mole had already offered to do the honours, repeatedly. And though the offer was tempting Max knew if nothing else she needed to keep Logan on their side, he knew too much about them and despite some odd choices during his stay here he had been a good friend to her before that. p

Besides, what if he was captured while on the outside? They would have to allocate valuable resources to free him before he would be 'persuaded' to tell his captors what he knew. In that sense he had been right to protest against her when she had asked him to leave, but he had become a bit of a nuisance in the day to day affairs. She still defended him to everyone but even Max was recognizing the uphill battle she was fighting. Why had he redirected those supplies to an orphanage? And why had he sent sensitive information out of TC without informing her first? These things made him look very bad in the eyes of the others and Max was no longer sure what she could say to keep him safe here. p

What was worse, she couldn't seem to stop worrying about the team out to get her brother back. More particularly 2 members of the team. Not for the first time she wondered exactly how close those 2 were and when that had happened. Alec wasn't the type for a long relationship but he seemed eerily comfortable with Jondy by his side. Max wasn't sure they were really in a relationship since she hadn't asked anyone and neither of them had volunteered the information. But why else would they spend so much time together? p

Max closed her eyes in frustration, here she was brooding again. She thrust her door open and checked the command room for Mole. Looking around the room she could see the improvements made in the last few weeks. All the garbage had been removed and some of the gofers had stripped other buildings of their office furniture and gathered it here. The large room was now filled with several rows of desks most of which had various screens and other computer equipment bearing them down. Max smiled as she saw the techies hard at work monitoring the comm. cannels or the PD outside the perimeter. Most of them were transhumans, too obviously altered to start guard outside but eager to participate in the fight now that Mole had convinced them. p

Another new addition were the extra screens lined up against the wall, the images showed the streets of TC they didn't use frequently and the access points that weren't under fulltime guard. Thanks to Zane's modification they had several hover drones watching the streets, easing the strain on the people on guard duty. It also helped them keep the cool between the groups. None of the transgenics were used to being cooped up like this with nothing but guard duty to occupy their time. There had been only a few disturbances but Max feared it was merely the tip of the problems and that soon things would get out of hand. p

These were things she never considered when she convinced them all to stay, and Max wasn't sure how to deal with them. She needed some advice but her only source of it was away for the moment. Max was getting tired of walking on eggshells and she headed out stopping at Mole's desk. "I'm heading out to inform Logan of his new living arrangements. You're in charge. Also I want a meeting with everyone when Alec and the others return." p

Satisfied with her performance as leader and pleased at the thought she was taking charge of her life again Max headed out missing the glimpse of respect the flitted across Mole's face before his natural scowl returned. She did hear him barking out orders as she left the building and couldn't help smiling. Her smile faded as she was faced with the apartment building that housed amongst others Logan and Joshua. p

Inside, Logan was working on his computer but he was distracted when his eyes fell on one of the pictures of Max's runes. He remembered how he was willing to let Max go but he realised she still needed him when she turned to him when the runes started showing. Max had been drifting away from him, even more so since they'd been holed up here, behind the fences of Terminal City surrounded by the others of her kind. Seeing the pictures always helped to remind Logan that whatever happened Max would always turn to him for support and it proved to him that they were still meant to be. p

It was more important now than ever that he stayed here to support Max even if he couldn't do it directly. His lips pursed in disdain when he remembered how Max's sister cornered him and issued a warning. She had followed him to the rooftop where he could watch Max in her office talking to the representatives from the units gathered in the streets. He was shocked to see Alec by her side but watched with affection how she made her passionate speech to compel them to stay and fight for their right to live. He was so caught up in watching Max that he never noticed the redhead till she sat down next to him and drew his attention by speaking to him. He still remembered their conversation vividly, especially because she had seemed genuinely concerned for him as well as Max. p

"Logan Cale, I presume?" p

Logan turned to see the redhead he knew to be one of Max's siblings squatting down facing him. She nudged her head at the building across the street and spoke. "Impressive isn't she? Of course it helps that she has Alec by her side." p

"She would do just as well, without him. Max is impressive in her own right." p

"That she is. Look, Logan, I can understand how you feel." She smiled at his disbelieving glance and spoke when he faced the window where Max still spoke, gesturing wildly to get her point across. "I do know what it's like to be in love, Logan, and I remember wanting nothing more than to be normal. But you have to understand that Max will never be any different than who she is. If you can accept her as a transgenic with all that that entails you will be happy together but if you can't then this is doomed to fail. If you can't, you need to let her go so she can be happy with someone who can."' p

"You mean Alec." p

"Maybe, but that shouldn't matter. Max needs acceptance and support, not accusations and innuendo. Just think about it." p

And just like that she was gone, Logan had stayed there watching Max and wondering how close Max and Alec were exactly. Ever since the day he found Alec at Max's apartment he had expected to see them lip locked somewhere but so far every time he had followed Max she had done exactly as she had said. p

Logan found himself mulling over what Jondy had said, again and again. Max had made such progress since the first time he met her. She was so self-centred when he met her, always only looking out for her own best interests. It hadn't taken him long to make her see how it was her responsibility to use her abilities to help others. It was only after she escaped from Manticore the second time that she began to pull away from him. She started putting transgenics above the things Eyes Only was trying to expose. He had tried repeatedly to convince her that they weren't her responsibility but Max wasn't listening and this got worse after they lost the X5 known as Biggs. p

He was startled from his thoughts when he heard a noise behind him and turned to see the person that occupied his thoughts almost continually these days. He curled his lips in a welcoming smile and greeted her with warmth. He could see Max wasn't looking directly at him and Logan prepared himself for another argument about his continued presence inside TC. He was determined to stay and offer his advice on things she had no experience in dealing with. That was why her words took him by surprise. p

"Logan, I need you to move." p

"Move?" p

"Yes, I need you to move to the other side of TC where the non-combatants are housed. You'll be safer there." p

"Alright, if that is what you want. How are you doing? You look tired. Things not going well?" p

Max wondered what she could say to that. "Things are fine, well as good as can be expected." p

"I've been thinking about this new plan. How about we take care of some of the corruption in this city? Eyes Only could even make a broadcasts letting people know it was the transgenics doing." p

"Logan, I don't want anymore exposure. It would be too easy for the NSA to pick us off the streets. We'll have to find another way to sway public opinion." p

Pleased that she said we Logan launched his other plan. "Good idea, how about I take an office near the command centre and work on that for you?" p

Max blanched, she needed him further away and the thought of him working near command was unsettling. "No! You can't." p

"Max?" p

"Look, Logan, I have to be honest with you. Alec and the others have gone to bring Zack back to TC." p

Logan was unable to keep the venom from his voice and he spewed the words. "Max, why would you want to do that? Did Alec put you up to this? Zack is fine at the farm, if anything was going on they would have told me. And what about those implanted memories? Are you sure you're ready to deal with him following you everywhere? Aren't you worried he'll kill me? Or your new lover?" p

Max's eyes narrowed in fury, she opened her mouth to utter a denial and then changed her mind and headed for the door. With her hand on the handle she spoke in a voice laced with ice. "Someone will be by in an hour to help you. Be ready." p

Max was heading for Joshua's door when one of the X8's halted in front of her and saluted. Max smiled at him and raised her eyebrows. The kid quickly dropped his hand but still stood somewhat at attention while he delivered his message. p

"Ma'am, scouts have reported intruders in the northwest quadrant. Your presence is requested to deal with them." p

"Right, let's go." p

Max led the kid out and they both jogged back to command. Max hid her surprise at seeing an unfamiliar unit waiting on the street and headed in to hear the report from Mole. She zeroed in on him leaning over their map of Terminal city with an X5 she remembered from the negotiations. Mole shifted his attention to her as she came closer and smirked. "Well, well, seems you get to stretch those claws after all. A group of civilians have cut the fence in the northwest quadrant and are steadily moving inward. Lucifer and his unit are ready to deal with them." p

Max couldn't but smile at the thought of using her skills and stretching her muscles. She'd been going stir-crazy, stuck in meetings, negotiations and the like. An old-fashioned brawl was exactly what she needed. "Well, what are we waiting for, let's roll out the welcome wagon." p

Lucifer openly stared at the exchange between them and spoke with a voice completely devoid of emotion. "Rules of engagement?" p

"Disable only, we don't want any of them returning with tales of excessive violence. We will however take whatever they bring into this place, finders keepers." p

Lucifer responded with a single nod. "Understood. I'll report back to you upon completion." p

"Hang on there, I'm comin' with you." Seeing his raised eyebrow and anticipating his irritation. "Not to look over your shoulder, you're in charge of this mission, but I need some exercise. You know how it is." p

The look on his face made it clear that he didn't but he shrugged and headed out to his unit. Max followed him out after refusing the gun Mole offered to her. "Won't need it. Not going to kill anyone, remember." p

Lucifer sent out 2 men to clear out the most direct route to the intruders. Considering they were dealing with a relatively small band of civilians he wasn't particularly worried, despite receiving the instruction not to use terminal force. Reaching their intercept area all the men dispersed and found various places to take cover. Max surveyed the scene and took up a place on the second story of a rickety fire escape using an old trashcan for cover. Lucifer caught her location and ordered his SiC to guard her at all times. He wasn't about to let their leader get injured on a routine mission, not while under his protection. p

Soon a group of 25 men swarmed the alley and moved in small groups. Lucifer observed their approach and felt disdain for his opponents. To say that this was going to be easy would be an understatement. They neglected to use scouts and offered minimal rear guard, clearly they were counting on their number and firepower to get them out alive and with trophies. p

Lucifer waited till the entire group had entered the alley, looking up to get confirmation from the scout assigned to track their progress. Getting the confirmation he was waiting for he sought eye contact with his SiC and ordered the assault. p

Max watched him for the sign to attack and moved to the edge of the fire escape, preparing to drop down on the man waiting directly beneath her. When the signal came she gripped the rail and flipped herself over. She landed on the man and felt him go down beneath her. She jumped off him and kicked his gun back towards the wall only to realise he was already unconscious. A bellow of rage was uttered beside her and she swivelled to face the threat. She watched the man approach with a feral gleam in her eye. He was carrying a sawed off shotgun but in his fury he seemed more determined to pummel her. That suited Max fine, a single kick to the head would end it but that would be too easy. Instead the opted to kick the gun from his hands high up in the air, catching it in her hands on the way down. Seeing the scout still on the rooftop she motioned for him to come down and start collecting the guns. p

Max tossed the gun far behind her, out of reach of any of the intruders and faced off with her opponent. She grinned and crooked her finger. "Come on, don't you want to hit me?" p

The burly man let out a menacing roar of rage and stormed her. He let his arms wide to crush her but Max vaulted over his head and spun round with a kick to his kidney. The contact made him stumble but he regained his footing and faced off with her again. Max stood a few feet away one hand on her hip waiting for him to charge her again. Before he could a fist came out of nowhere and he went down without a single sound. p

Max pouted at Lucifer who stepped in front of the unconscious shape on the floor. "Hey, I was having some fun here." p

"You want to spar, find someone to practise with. Don't do it while on a mission." He turned on his heel and ordered the backup to start their scavenging. Soon all 25 were scraped clean of all their possessions and Max led them out the main gate. Max and the others watched with malicious delight as the men gingerly searched a clear path out of TC carefully using their hands to keep from exposing themselves to the world. Max followed them to the gate and mock-seriously surrendered them to an open-mouthed Detective Clemente. p

She turned on her heel without offering any kind of explanation for the state the men were in. Without looking back she knew that Clemente was having a hard time containing his mirth and was pleased with her non-violent solution. Max headed back to where she was no longer in the line of sight and immediately took off to where she expected the retrieval team to arrive with Zack. She waited there outwardly patient for everyone to arrive. Most of Demon's unit arrived in small groups looking relaxed and cheerful, as though they were regular teenagers returning from a field trip. As soon as they spotted Max however their behaviour became more subdued, as though they were expected her to scold them for it. Max tried to smile reassuringly but she suspected it had little effect as most swept past her with little more than a cursory nod. p

She realized that the ones she was waiting for were most likely going to come in last, it was what she would've done as well. This didn't abate her anxiety that seemed to grow with each passing hour. She cursed her pride and wished why she hadn't just asked the others for news. Pacing up the street once more she strained her hearing for any sounds that would signal their arrival. p

Thanks to that she heard the footsteps coming a block away and hurried to intercept Logan before he got too close to the access point. Feeling exasperated she hissed, "Logan, what are you doing here? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" p

She could see Logan was surprised and offended by her outburst but this time she didn't care about is insecurities and restrained the impulse to shove him back towards his new lodgings. Carefully he schooled his features and gave her a smile that dripped with benevolence. "I heard about the intruders. I thought you could use some help in dealing with them." p

One hand on her hip Max stood frozen to the ground at his condescending tone. "The matter has been dealt with. They were tossed out of TC in a very appropriate manner." Max smiled at the memory of the men trying to find some cover against the camera's of the assembled press. p

"Are you sure about that Max?" Logan interrupted her recollection and she felt oddly disappointed at his obvious lack of faith in her leadership skills. p

"I was there myself. Not that it was necessary." p

"How can you be so sure, Max? The others don't understand the rules of civilized society. I really feel that you should prevent any opportunity for disaster. Who knows what a disruption could mean for the negotiations. Perhaps a class on civilized behaviour would help? I'm sure I could…"

Raising a hand she stopped Logan, and pushed down her irritation. "Logan, everything is under control. Now you have to leave because Zack will be here any minute."

"Too late, Maxie, we're already here."

Max swirled round and came face to face with her big brother. She launched herself into his arms and clung to him. Alec observed the scene with an odd smile on his face and with a sigh confronted Logan. "Logan, buddy, you better get out of here while they're still in the welcoming stage. I don't think Maxie realised exactly how insulting that suggestion really was. And trust me, you don't want to be here when she does."

Logan took one more look at his love, firmly encased in the embrace or the large blonde. Jerking his arm free from where Alec had grabbed him he pivoted on his heel and headed away. Alec glanced over his shoulder at the endearing scene and headed off as well, Demon soon caught up with him and the two went of in search of some alcohol to celebrate the success of their first joint mission. p

The end. p

Watch out for episode 3 in which Max is fed up with being stuck inside TC and transgenics are let loose on Las Vegas.