Chapter 16: Back to Normal
As promised, I gave Logan a call before the week ended. We set up an appointment and I met with Logan to administer the cure.
"So it works?"
"I'm certain," I told Logan confidently when he arrived at my lab.
"This shouldn't hurt, right?"
"Nope. You won't even notice it's there."
"That's good to know."
I smiled. "I hope needles don't bother you," I said as I attached the necessary equipement.
"I'll be OK," Logan reassured.
"This shouldn't take too long. As soon as I have a large enough quantity circulating in your bloodstream, you'll be set. As you know, they are self replicating, so it will last you a life time, and you won't need to worry about getting any further treatments."
Logan nodded in understanding.
"So, how's everything else going?"
"Same as usual. I did try to locate some of those contacts you gave me...the majority of them lead to dead ends...or are dead."
"Oh...sounds like someone didn't want them talking..."
"Yeah...can't say I'm surprised though. You know...after this, I'm actually going to be leaving town. I've stayed long enough and I really shouldn't be taking anymore risks."
"I understand. I'll can get you some papers to get to Canada if you need them."
"I would appreciate that."
"It's the least I could do."
The treatment was done, so we said our goodbyes. He promised to send me the papers and keep in contact. I continued my research for a week longer, but I was soon ready to pack up. A month later, I found myself in Canada, free from worries of Manticore looking for me. It was a great feeling. But my story of freedom is not the only one left to be told, so I hand it over and set my pen down as another friend details the report of what becomes of those transgenics left in Terminal City.
Months passed as the siege on Terminal City continued. Various attempts between Max and Detective Clemente to reach an agreement ended in failure. The transgenics continued to get restless, and so did the crowds. Everyone just wanted an end to the ordeal.
As the siege reached its one year anniversary, a deal was finally struck. Max managed to convince Clemente that the transgenics would look out for their own and guard their own from harming the Ordinaries. It took endless documentation of proofs that the "murders" committed by transgenics were not entirely representative of their whole race. Eyes Only also conducted a hack educating the public of a thousand year old breeding cult to level the playing field a bit, explaining their agenda and how it related to the creation of transgenics. Whether it helped sway the public in any way is unknown.
Most of Terminal City's residents remained inside Terminal City after the siege ending, having no where else to go. Some of the X Series ventured out into the city, but the anti-transgenic groups still lurking around the corners of Terminal City made it dangerous to travel alone. In spite of the end of the siege, most of Seattle's law enforcement officers were not to eager to side with the transgenics. There was still an undying hatred for those who were different.
The government allowed the transgenics to remain in Terminal City, but they required that they payed a fee every few months. This problem was solved when several transgenics banned together to build make-shift shops at the entrance of Seattle, allowing them to market anything they made or market their services to interested customers – whether it be to repair technology or spy on their cheating spouse, everything the transgenics could do, they did.
Money came in slowly, but gradually as their services were sought more and more. Eventually, Terminal City was able to function on its own with plenty of extra money. Other transgenics willingly stepped up to the leadership positions Terminal City's leaders were eager to leave in order to get back to their normal lives.
Logan was making dinner in a newly purchased penthouse similar to the one he had lived in before. Max had been so busy with the affairs of Terminal City that they barely had a chance to talk, much less have dinner together. Tonight, Max was handing over her position to another X5 ready to show his leadership. Max was returning to her old "normal" life, and this was the first event scheduled to welcome the change. She finally admitted that her relationship with Alec had been a lie meant to protect him. Logan was furious at first, and it took him a while to come to terms with what she had done, but he had heard from Kat that it was a possibility, and so he forgave her with time. He too wanted things back to normal, and now that he had a cure for the virus, he was more than ready to take things to the next level. He only hoped she would be just as ready when he revealed his surprise.
"Being a leader sure makes a girl hungry. So what are you feeding me today?" Max asked as she arrived through the open window of Logan's new penthouse.
"It's a surprise," Logan's eyes replied. He still hadn't told her about the cure yet, thinking it would be best to surprise her.
"It sure smells good." Max came into the kitchen to take a peek.
"Hey, out of the kitchen! No peeking!"
Max just grinned mischievously.
"How does it feel to be normal again?"
Max shrugged. "Were things ever normal?"
Logan smiled and amended his question, "How does it feel to have the weight of being the transgenic leader off your shoulders?"
Max smiled, "Quite good, actually. I just hope Normal will give me my job back."
Logan chuckled, "I don't think you'll have a problem with that."
"I don't know...I have been on leave for over a year now. That easily gets a person fired."
"Not when you're the leader of the transgenics. Dinner's ready," Logan announced as he started making their plates.
"Mmm...I've been waiting for this for months. The rations at Terminal City just don't do the trick."
Logan grinned as he held out a chair for Max to sit down. He then poured them some wine before taking a seat himself. "A toast," Logan began, holding up his glass. "To a new beginning."
Max raised her glass up to complete the toast and took a sip. "How's Eyes Only doing now? Still protecting the downtrodden and all? People are starting to think you're only worried about us transgenics," she added with a wink.
Logan nodded but returned the grin. "I'm getting to the people. There's plenty of cases for Eyes Only to take on. Just sorting through all the information at the moment." He didn't tell her that he had actually been trying to find information on the contacts Kat had left him. Although the list she had given him had been a page long, more than half of the contacts turned up dead or missing. The other half were practically untraceable as their searches led to dead ends. They just seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. It was not easy.
As the two finished their meals, Logan went to collect the plates and deposit them in the sink. Max went to the couch to relax. Logan sighed as he knew now would the be moment of truth – the moment he had been waiting for to see if Kat's solution worked. Logan came up behind Max and pulled her into his arms.
Max instantly pushed him away, shocked and horrified by his actions. "Logan! You can't..."
But after a few minutes, she noticed nothing happened. "You...cured it?"
Logan answered by pulling her in for a kiss, catching Max off guard, but she quickly recovered her senses and kissed him back with a passion she had locked away to keep him safe.
"I had some help while you were busy," he whispered into her ear. "I've been waiting for this moment forever..."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Max scowled, sounding rather angry, but clearly was not from the loving look in her eyes.
Logan just smiled, "I didn't want to distract you..."
"Distract me how?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Let me show you..." Logan swept her off her feet and led her into the bedroom.
Max kept a smile to herself as they both realized they were finally ready to be the couple they had long been denying themselves. They were finally ready to show the love they had for each other, something they were previously too stubborn to admit.
Logan's computer beeped as he entered the room. He had been cross referencing the contact list and his computer seemed to finally come to a halt as a successful search came up. Although Logan heard it, whatever it was, it could wait. What he had in mind for the evening was far more important.
That night, a star show lit the sky as toxins entered Earth's atmosphere infecting anyone that crossed its path. It was the beginning to the end, but no one would know for a few more days.
A/N: Ok, if anyone's actually reading this, I know it was kind of cheesy, and the Terminal City siege ended rather lacking of details, and well I know this isn't my best work, haha. I'm sorrry! I've been side tracked by my Manticore fic Reins of Leadership...which most of you may not be interested in since it's an MA fic, but that's been keeping me away. I wanted to give this story an ending though, and I'll try not to make it crappy, but I'm starting to doubt that it'll be anything more than a cheap rushed ending. As with my other piece I'm also trying to bring to a close, you can expect roughly one more chapter and an epilogue to conclude the story. Sorry! Thanks for reading though and all reviews are appreciated.