A/N: My bad. It's been so long since an update I don't even remember what excuse I gave for the delay. It's weird coming to this story having been so involved with Undeserved. I don't think it's half as good as I wanted it to be, but that's because I immersed myself in Infie's Mission fic, Search and Seizure. Let's face it, we all pale in comparison to the gems in that series but I just can't seem to even begin cleaning up the way Inf does. Hopefully you don't hate this despite the long wait. Reviews welcome. The harsher the better!
Chapter 10
"White."
Alec blinked. Coincidence much, he wondered silently to himself.
"He wants a meeting," Max replied evenly, catching his gaze.
"Where? When? Why?"
The questions were instant. Still the soldier, he thought dryly to himself.
"The guy works fast," commented the X5 known as Duke.
"Yeah, guess this big event they're hosting doesn't happen too often," Alec quipped.
"Dix, pull up a map on the military base ten clicks north of Seattle. I want personnel files, building diagnostics, security –"
"Woah, hold your horses Max," Alec interjected, holding his hands out. Unfortunately such a gesture was nothing against the sharp gaze now directed at him.
"Before you go all Lydecker on us, don't you think we should discuss this? For all we know this is just another trap to walk into."
"You mean the fact that this is White we're dealing with? No that hadn't occurred to me at all," she shot back, a little more scathing than he, or she, had anticipated. He chuckled to cover his surprise.
"Hey, I'm just sayin'," he defended, ducking his head in submission of sorts.
"He's right," came Mole's unmistakable growl, "this is a bad idea."
"It's the only opening we've had for the last three weeks. The longer we sit here doing nothing, the smaller our chances get of figuring this out peacefully."
"Peacefully? You mean like how they hit Tank with five thousand volts and beat him black and blue down in Precinct three? And then using live fire on us when we went to bail him out?" Mole challenged.
Max let out a sympathetic breath.
"I'm not saying this isn't a messed up situation. We were built for," she paused, searching for the diplomatic phrase, "aggressive negotiations. And it seems beyond stupid that the one thing we have going for us is the one thing we can't use. But you know the second we start taking people out they're gonna shoot to kill. They're just waiting for a reason," Max said, feeling a need to impress on the reptilian transhuman that she shared his sentiments.
"And White doesn't need one," Alec said, echoing her earlier statement.
"We don't show to that meeting tomorrow and they can justify military action against us. At least if we show up we can say we tried to co-operate."
"Tomorrow?" Alec repeated.
"Seems he didn't leave much room for discussion," Logan remarked, earning himself a disdainful glare from Mole.
"All we can do is know our target. Do our homework and get prepared."
No one said anything as they considered their options. Max hadn't led them wrong so far and they couldn't deny that what she said made sense, as unfair as the situation even was.
"So, you, me and a six man support team?" Alec suggested after a moment.
But Logan interrupted before Max could nod in agreement.
"Maybe I should go."
Seven heads turned to him with a mixture of curiosity and incredulity.
"If White decides to pull a fast one on you maybe having a civilian caught in the cross fire will work as leverage if the media get wind of it."
"You said yourself White's not stupid enough to pick a fight in public," Alec reminded him.
"There's no way you're coming with us Logan," Max assured him.
"I know how to work negotiations –"
Max shook her head emphatically, making it clear she would not waste her time listening to an idea she would gladly pretend she hadn't heard first time round
"Max –"
"No offence man but this is White. Do you really think if this does go sideways, White will let leak the fact that there was an Ordinary in the mix? For all anyone knows, everyone from our end going into that building is bringing the improved DNA," Alec got in on Max's behalf.
Logan kept his eyes on Max, willing her to get on side. But even he knew the idea was laughable the minute it came to him. As if there was any place for him in a room filled with super humans since it was a given White's committee would be Familiarised.
"You said if the media find out?" Max started, holding his gaze.
Logan nodded with a slight frown.
"How about we make sure they do?"
Logan searched her warm brown eyes. But the conversations they used to have in a
look seemed to have gone AWOL on him because all he found was her patiently waiting for him to take her gentle let down.
"I'll get on it," he conceded with a disappointed sigh. Oh how the mighty had fallen.
"Thanks," Max offered appreciatively before turning to Dix, "that intel?"
The monocled nomalie nodded, turning immediately to his computers.
"Mole, I need a van prepped for the team. Luke I want them all wired."
He turned on his heels with a short nod.
"Too bad ours won't make it past the search they'll do at the gates," Max commented ruefully. It would have been helpful knowing everyone's positions. That and somewhat comforting knowing it would all be on record.
"Actually," Luke started, heading over to a set of drawers.
Alec shrugged when Max shot him a quizzical glance.
"Played around with some equipment we found in a building two over from here," Luke explained, offering them a tiny chip each.
"Micro transceivers?" Max wondered, her tone betraying the fact she was clearly impressed Luke had fixed it up rather than had it supplied.
"Neat little hobby you got there buddy," Alec chipped in, examining the device.
"Thanks," the nomalie muttered bashfully.
Despite the new living arrangements, that being all transgenics in Terminal City, the different series still mostly kept to themselves. The Xs were friendly to the transhumans and nomalies when confronted with them but Max and Alec were the only ones who treated the non-human looking transgenics as if they didn't know otherwise. To these two, Luke wasn't a bald communications geek with a slightly off colour pallor. He was a cheerful and helpful individual who happened to be a dab hand at all manner of electronics.
"Right, well we'll get these over to Chief," Max said with a smile and a wave before heading out the building.