A/n: How's this for a quick update? Thanks for all your reviews, everyone. It's great to know you're enjoying all my hard work.

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Chapter 16: BOOM!

Max had stationed teams of transgenics at every entrance to the college building as well as a perimeter guard. Every group included at least one X7 to help with communications between them. At each entry point were a number of explosives experts, ready to blow them open. Alec was in charge of the force attacking the main door.

Max was leading a side attack; she sensed that it was the closest entry point to Logan. She could hardly stop smiling. After so long a separation, the feeling of Logan's proximity was almost overwhelming. She could sense his location, literally feel where he was like a compass finding north.

Joshua had insisted on accompanying her. He said he wanted to protect her, and anyway, White was most likely to be found near Logan. The normally gentle giant had a score to settle with him. Mole and Dix were leading their own team, as was Zack, who led the rest of the '09 X5's to cover the smallest exit.

They lay in wait, dusk just starting to fall around them as they waited for the right time to attack. Lydecker had been instructed to watch TV until it was interrupted by an Eyes Only bulletin. Then he would use a satellite phone to call Max and she would signal the attack via the X7's hive minds.

At almost exactly 8pm, the phone call came through. In less than a minute the fuses had been lit and the transgenics hit the ground, fingers in ears.

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The simultaneous explosions were earth shattering. Even the transgenics were slightly stunned, and they'd been prepared for the noise.

"That's for Terminal City," said Max with satisfaction, shaking her head to clear her hearing. "And this is for everything else." She filled her lungs and yelled as loudly as she could. "ATTACK!"

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Alec broke cover at the head of his team, opening fire on the big hole where the door used to be. The transgenics charged inside to find a huge lobby filled with injured and confused familiars. Their stolen AK-47's made short work of the disorganised throng, although not without loss. It seemed a couple of members of the phalanx had been in the lobby when it exploded. They returned fire enthusiastically, wounding three and killing one before they were taken out. Alec sent the wounded back to the perimeter and left a small detail to guard the door against any familiars trying to attack from the rear.

Then he ordered the advance, Max's plan being to move as quickly as possible and prevent the familiars organising a defence.

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Lydecker sat with Sandeman in Sebastian's living room, just waiting. He was so frustrated that his kids were going into battle without him it was hard to keep still, but his self- control was almost unbreakable. In the end, his companion broke the silence.

"Does Max know about why the first escape happened?"

"No. I never enlightened her about that particular detail."

"Hardly a detail, Colonel. She was the reason for the escape, after all."

"She knows that. She knows they all tried to run to get her safely away, where she wouldn't be dissected like Jack. She knows that's why I had to shoot Eva. She doesn't need to feel any more guilt about it."

"But it was my fault, for programming the others to protect her at all costs."

"Max has her own life now. She has more important things to worry about than events that happened twelve years ago. The battle she's fighting for one."

"And one battle will not win the war. Even if they destroy the Highview familiars utterly there are many others, all over the world. She still needs to persuade the ordinaries not to persecute transgenics. It will be a long, hard fight."

"Max's whole life has been a long, hard fight, Charles. At least she's not alone in it this time. She has her family now."

"Not just family. What do you know about this 'Logan'?"

"He is a good man. Perhaps even good enough for her. If they both survive."

"How likely do you think that is?"

"If one dies, it will destroy the other. I saw it happen when Max was recaptured. Cale thought she was dead and knew he'd lost everything. I had to knock him out to get him to leave her. Even in his condition, and he was still determined to do all he could for her."

"What condition?"

"He's paraplegic. Or he was, until the familiars so conveniently provided him with nanocytes to repair his SCI. Before that, he used an electronic walking machine to get around."

"So that's what she meant about nerve damage."

"Whatever happens tonight, the two of them will be together. We need them to survive; Max is our only hope to stop the coming."

"No, actually."

"What?"

"There is another."

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Max was in the midst of her team. Since she refused point blank to carry a gun she would only get in the way if she were in front. Her group's primary objective was to recover Logan, and then move to help Alec in his annihilation of the familiars.

"This way," she told the group with certainty.

"How do you know, Max?" asked Dalton beside her.

"I just know," she replied.

The group followed her directions, growing slowly closer to Logan's workroom. They paused only to fight off any familiars they came across. Max was becoming more excited every minute. She could feel how close she was to Logan, like warm air on her skin where she'd been so cold before.

At last, she knew this was it. Her love was just around the corner. She felt it so strongly it was like a magnetic force pulling her towards him. With a swift hand signal, she told five transgenics, including Joshua, to follow her and stepped around the corner. She froze for an instant, recognising the scene before her with a dreadful sense of déjà vu. There was no forest, and no X7 clone, but the scenario was exactly as she remembered.

This time it was Logan on the receiving end instead of her. White stood between them, his back to the transgenics while he pointed his gun at Logan. She was just in time to see his finger tighten on the trigger.

The shot rang out, and the body crumpled to the floor.

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Yeah, I know. I'm a bit cliff- happy at the moment. I will try to not leave you hanging too long. Unless I'm feeling really evil.