AN: Thanks to everybody who reviewed. I appreciate it. If you have any suggestions, please give them. Questions, please ask and I'll try to answer.
Chapter 2
Tegan finished explaining the finer dynamics of their own computer system to the transgenics then stood up and stretched as they messed around with it. After a minute, she started to pace under Alec's watchful gaze.
"I'm booooorrreeeddddd," she whined.
"SOMEbody has a short attention span," Alec commented.
"You have NO idea," Tegan told him. "My best friend says I have the attention span of a 2 year old on crack. My family generally agrees. The only time I pay attention is when I'm playing around with my toys or when I'm working."
He watched amused as she stretched again, this time bending backwards until her hands were touching the floor. Pushing off with her feet, she did a handstand. His amusement faded into extreme interest as her shirts slipped down to reveal a toned abdomen.
"Hey, pretty boy, you're staring and I think I might see a little bit of drool there," she called out. "Like what you see? I can show you more if you want."
Alec's mouth dropped open as she lifted one hand to her shirts, inching them up her body a bit. Suddenly, she laughed and pulled them back to the waist of her jeans.
"Yeah, right. You totally WISH I were that easy," she said, pushing off with the one arm and doing a flip.
There was a 30 second period of silence before she started chattering again. "Bored bored bored. Don't suppose you guys have anything fun to do around here. No bars, clubs, movie theaters, et cetera?"
Alec cocked an eyebrow at her and she sighed. "That's what I thought. A gym? I could work off some of this excess energy. Oh, or how about a building I could jump off of? I could always use some practice with that. A garage? Anything?"
Alec started to chuckle. "A 2 year old on crack."
"Totally."
"Will a TV do?"
She sighed. "I suppose. How many channels do you manage to get in here? Satellite? Have any movies? My mom has a HUGE collection of pre-Pulse movies," Tegan told Alec as they walked to his apartment.
"Oh yeah?"
"Uh huh. My mom loves movies. Dad indulges her. Ten years ago he and I created a movie theater in the Rock just for her."
"The Rock?"
"Oh, that's what we call our house. Well, the one we usually reside in."
"Who exactly is we?"
"Ummm, my family?"
"Yeah, it just all keeps coming back to your family, doesn't it?"
She looked at him as if he were insane. "What else is there?"
Alec shook his head, entering his building and taking the stairs to the third floor. "So, you're not Manticore, right?"
"Nope, not created in a lab. One hundred percent natural."
"So, you know of Manticore?"
"I do possess the ability to read and hear so yeah, I know of Manticore. News reports all over the place about Manticore."
"Hmm…"
He reached his apartment and unlocked the door, throwing the keys on a table and holding the door open for Tegan. "Come on in."
She walked in, looking around with interest. "So this is where the big bad wolf lives, huh?"
"No canine in my cocktail but yes, this is where I live."
"Oh, I know there's no canine in your DNA. I would imagine it wouldn't mix well with the feline that IS in it. I can smell that."
"So it's not just your eyes?" he asked with interest as he closed the door.
"Nah, enhanced vision, superior hearing, great sense of smell – unfortunately at times…like when passing a garbage dump or a sewage plant or anything else that smells just so nice – and quick reflexes. Oh, and I land on my feet. I think I may be more cat than you are actually."
"How – "
"Am I like this? Mutated DNA as far as anybody can tell. Now, where's your remote?" she asked, settling herself down on the couch.
Max and Logan walked into Alec's apartment to find Alec staring in an odd mix of horror and awe at the girl sitting on his couch, flipping rapidly through the television channels. Alec looked over at them, shaking his head.
"Get any answers?" Tegan asked without turning from the television.
"Some. A lot more questions."
"Of course," Tegan murmured then cursed as her phone rang. Looking at the display her eyebrows shot up and she answered it with an enthusiastic, "Hey!"
"Hey, Brat. You get into Terminal City without getting shot?"
"Duh, yeah. Safe and sound. Watching TV actually. Makes me miss home."
"Watching – what the fuck are you doing watching TV? We're working here!"
"I knooooowwwww that. Trust me, I'm working. Anyway, why'd you call?"
"Oh, White's in town so be careful."
"Yeah, I already saw him. Can I kick his ass? Please?"
"No. Just be careful. Did he see you?"
"Possibly. When did you see him?"
"Few minutes ago. He drove by as I was walking around."
"Ah, you be careful too then. You're more vulnerable than I am as far as randomly running into him and being surprised. Anyway, is that it?"
"Yeah, but call later and update me."
"Will do. Bye bye, Colin!"
Colin hung up, tucking his phone into his front jean pocket. Looking around, he sighed. He didn't think he'd ever get accustomed to Post-Pulse America and he could only imagine how much worse it was for his parents and the rest of the older people in his life. He'd been a teenager when the Pulse had hit, causing nationwide economic depression.
While his family through foresight, preparation, and the ability to adapt, hadn't been affected money-wise, it still hurt to see everybody else struggling to survive.
Shaking his head, he went back to business. Now that he'd checked to make sure his brat of a cousin was safe, he'd be able to concentrate. He had a specific agenda and step one was to familiarize himself with the city of Seattle. By the time he was done he would know details on every building.
He sighed again. This was Tegan's specialty. He was better with people. Tegan, with her inability to stand still, was better at skulking around, getting information, and remembering everything.
Vaguely he wondered why Tegan had wanted the social part of this job. If it had been anything other than spite that made her take it. With a shrug, he went in search of a place to stay, right in the middle of the first sector he was going to map out.
"So, who's Colin?" Alec asked.
"My cousin. He's mapping out buildings."
"A simple Net search would do that," Logan told her, condescendingly.
Tegan rolled her eyes. "Nooooo, a simple Net search would tell you what is SUPPOSEDLY in buildings. Normally I do what Colin is doing but I took this job instead."
"You were in the mood to slum it? We saw the place you live in," Max commented.
"The Rock?"
"Huh?"
"That's the name of the family's main home. It's a bit of a joke. Pride Rock…it's from an old Disney movie."
Alec's eyes lit up. "Disney? All of the old Disney movies are rare! Do you have any? Do you know how much money they're worth?"
"Not more than what Dad would pay to kick the ass of whoever stole from us," Tegan told him, narrow-eyed.
"Is that what he did to the people who kidnapped you?" Max asked abruptly in an attempt to shock the other girl into giving them more information.
Tegan paled. "No, those – the ones he caught at least – they were killed. And trust me when I say that they deserved it. Now, I need some air so if you'll excuse me."
Alec watched as she quickly exited his apartment then looked over at Max and Logan.
Max sighed. "Why do I suddenly feel bad?"
"Um, because you just made a young woman pale so fast she looked like she was about to pass out?" Alec offered.
"Shut up, Alec," she said with a scowl. "I'll go talk to her. From the sound of it she went up and not down."
Max found Tegan standing on the edge of the roof, looking out over Terminal City.
"Not as fancy as what you're used to huh?"
"You'd be surprised at what I'm used to," Tegan told her without moving. "Do you think it's gonna rain soon?"
"Huh? No, not for another couple of hours is my guess. Look, I'm sorry about bringing up the kidnapping thing."
Tegan nodded sharply. "It was the Conclave who kidnapped me. Just so you know. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
Max watched as Tegan jumped off the building. Running to the edge, she looked down to see Tegan walking leisurely down the street.