The guards at Terminal City shot Max and Alec a confused look when they walked past them with Dakota between them. They had stopped at a store and bought her some clothes and stopped at Alec's place. Dakota now was dressed in black pants, blue shirt , and black shoes. "What is this place?" Dakota asked them, as she looked around, noticing all the Xs and Anomalies around them. "Why are there so many here?"
"This is there home," Alec said, as she came up to his side and took up his hand. "This is Terminal City, or Freak Nation, depends on who you ask, I guess."
"Little Fella," a voice called out, causing Dakota to hide behind Alec as Joshua came running towards them. "You came." He quickly pulled Max into a hug that pulled her off the ground. "It's good to see you."
"You too, Big Fella," Max replied, as soon as he set her back on her feet and she turned her attention to Alec and Dakota. "Joshua, there's someone we want you to meet. Joshua, this is Dakota." She peered out the dog looking man and ducked behind Alec. "Dakota it's okay, he's not going to hurt you. Joshua's our friend."
"Pip, he's fin," Alec said, as he reached behind his back and gently snagged her arms. Max shot him a curious look. "What? She needed a nickname. Dakota's such a long name." He then drew Dakota out in front of him and felt her tense up as she looked up at Joshua. "It's okay, he's not going to hurt you. Joshua is our friend. He's from Manticore."
"He is?" she asked, as she shot a glance over at Max for reassurance, as if she didn't believe her father. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, sweety we're sure," Max said, as she moved over to Joshua's side and put her hand on his arm. "Joshua, Dakota's, Alec's and my daughter. Manticore's Scientist's made her for Alec's and My DNA"
"That why she look like you and medium fella?" Joshua ask as he looked down at Max. Dakota shot Alec a confused look and he shot her a reassuring smile as he put a hand on her shoulder. Max nodded and he smiled before he moved towards them and hunched before Dakota. "Welcome to Terminal City, Tiny Fella. I'm Joshua." He offered her his hand.
"Please to meet you, Joshua," Dakota said, as she shook his hand only to get pulled into a tight hug. "Okay, you can let me go now." He released her and she stumbled back into Alec. "Boy is he strong." Alec softly chuckled as Max went to talk to Joshua about something. "Are there others here like him?"
"Yeah, but there are more like us. That what makes this place so special. It gives it that home feeling to them."
"And not you?" She shot him a look, as he shot a smile at a few Xs who walked by them. "Or Max."
"We choose not to live inside so in case TC ever came under attack we could help from the outside. There are others who live outside for that same reason." He let out a sigh and looked around. "You want to take a look around. It seems that Max has disapeared on us."
"Won't she get upset that we left our post?"
"Nah, and we haven't left our post since we really didn't have a post to start with." He grabbed her hand and lead her head quarters. "Let's go see what's Mole doing?"
"Mole?"
"Mole?"
"Yeah, Mole." They entered Head Quarters to find Mole sitting with his feet propped up watching the computer screening smoking one of his cigars. "You do know that those things are going to kill you one of this days right?"
Mole jumped and spun around to face the X5 and growled as he picked up his dropped cigar. "Damn, you, Alec," he growled, as he sat back in his chair. "Who's the kid?" Mole turned his attention toward Dakota as she sat on the edge of the table next to him as she looked at the screens as they flipped through the many security cameras around TC. "Alec?"
"Pip, Mole, Mole, Pip."
"Pip?"
"Dakota, Mole, Mole, Dakota," Max's voice called out from behind them, causing Alec to turn to see her coming up behind him without Joshua. "So, Dakota, I see you've meet, Mole. Mole, I see you've meet our daughter."
"Your daughter!" Mole stuttered, the cigar falling from his mouth. "I think I'm going to need a really strong drink now, or a really big explanation from the both of you."
"Just one word," Dakota said, as she looked up at him. "Manticore." She then went back to watching the screens. "Nothing more to say about it."
"That explains it."
"Pretty much," Alec said, as he went up to sit next to Dakota on the table. "The Manticore Scientists took Max and my DNA and made Dakota her, five years ago. We had no idea about her. We came home from a mission for Logan to find her at my doorstop, and she's been with us ever since."
"Sounds like a interesting tale," Logan's voice called out, causing them to spin around to face him. Dakota moved closer to Alec's side. Logan held out a folder to Max and she took it from him. "Doctor Heights gave me Dakota's file to me to give to you guys. Seems that you might it for your records since you might need it since you guys are her parents."
"Thanks, Logan," Max said, as she handed Alec the file, and he flipped it opened and quickly scanned it. "How's Asha?"
"She'll heal," Logan replied, as he shot a glance over at Dakota. "Max, can I talk to you in private?"
"Sure," she answered, as she followed him out of headquarters.
"Why did she do that?" Dakota asked Alec, as he watched Max leave with Logan and she sat on the table. "How can she trust him after all that he does?"
"Because she's Max," Alec said, as he set down the file, sat down on the table next to her and let out a small sigh. "Max has a certain way of trusting people. Plus she's known Logan for a long time. He's helped her since she's been out. They have a connection."
"Don't you?" Mole shot Alec a smirk as he got up and headed out of the room.
"Max and I have a different kind of connection." Alec ran a hand through his hair. "Max and I fight as a team together, but we can also fight each really well. We tend to get on each others nerves more often than we want to."
"That's sad. You two make the perfect pair. That's why manticore choose you for the pairing." The sound of arguing caused them to look up to see Max come storming into the room. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Max lied, as she ran a hand through her hair, as she looked around the room. "Logan is just leaving. Are you guys hungry?"
"Yeah, I'm sure that Pip is probably starving," Alec said, as they got off the table and he slid the file into his bag before putting it on. "What are you hungry for?"
"Food?" Dakota said, as she looked up at the X5s.
"Sounds good," Max said with a smile, as Alec ruffled Dakota's hair, as they headed out the door. They left TC and soon found themselves at a small restaurant. Alec ushered them towards the back, where they found Biggs and Cece in a large booth. "Hey, guys."
"Hey," Biggs said with a smile, as he shook hands with Alec and looked over at Dakota. "Miss Dakota. How is the big world treating you today?"
"Good, I kicked Manticore butt," she said, as she slid in beside Alec, as he sat down beside Max.
"Really?" Cece asked, as she took a drink of her tea. "This I must hear."
"Logan had a Manticore Scientist check her out. She came to, saw him, and kicked his ass," Max said, as she scanned the menu, causing Alec to glance over at her. "Nothing out of the ordinary."
"Really?" The other X5s said, as they looked at her.
"Yeah, I'm sure we could have taken them when we her age."
"Yeah, we could have, but we didn't."
"What can I get for you folks," a voice called, bringing their attention to the waitress.
"Burgers," Biggs answered, as he looked around. "And fries."
"Sounds about right," Alec said, as Max and Dakota nodded. Then she was gone. "Well, you should have seen Mole today, we made him speechless and drop his cigar." That got Biggs to chuckle as he took a drink of his water. "It's been a good day."
"How did you know that they would be here?" Dakota asked Alec, as their food arrived.
"They always take their lunch here," Alec said, as he looked over at Biggs. "It's a bad habit but it makes him easy to find."
"I know, but tomorrow we're trying someplace new," Biggs said, as he began to eat his burger.
"Good for you."
While they were eating, the conversation was nimimal. After they were done, CeCe and Biggs went back to work and Max, Alec, and Dakota went back to the his place. It was there that he pulled her aside to talk to her about what Logan had pulled her aside to talk about.
"Max, we need to talk," he began, as he came up beside her, as she was staring out the window, while Dakota was taking a nap on the bed with the bedroom door closed, so they knew she couldn't hear them. "What did Logan say to you that got you so upset?"
Max turned to face him and he soon wished that he hadn't even asked her. "It's none of your damned business, Alec," she snapped, as she moved across the room, putting space between them. "None of it's your business."
"Yes, Max, it's my business," he said, as he threw his bag and jacket to the floor and came up to stand in front of her. "If you haven't noticed It can't not be my business."
"He found the cure, Alec." Alec was taken back by the sight that she was on the verge of being taken over by tears. "He's had it for months. He just hasn't told me because he didn't know he could trust me because he didn't know where my loyalties lay."
"You're joking right? Where your loyalties lay? Okay, you stay here, and I'll go tell him that you're working with White." He turned to go and she grabbed onto his arms. He turned back to see that the tears had won and now were running down her face. "Oh, Max, I'm sorry. It'll be okay. Logan's not thinking straight. He's mind is off-wired or something. You've been loyal to him, as loyal to him as you possible can. Trust me I should know." He reached out and gently wiped away her tears. "Come on, you need a nap. You'll feel better after a nap."
"I need a heist," she replied, as she looked up at him. "Something to get my blood running. Something with a lot of danger."
"That would do it." He moved closer to her and her eyes grew a little wider. "But for right now, all you get is a nap." He gently took up a hold of her shoulders and turned her towards the couch. "Come on. You haven't slept very well for the last few days and it's taken a toll on your body and mind. Trust me you need this. I'll keep a watch on Dakota." Max allowed him to settle her down on the couch and cover her with a blanket. "Don't worry, Max. Just remember, we X5s watch each others back. Sleep well." She then closed her eyes and automatically was asleep. Alec let out a deep breath as he watched her sleep. "Damn you, Logan Cale, you are more trouble than you now. You better watch you back." He then sat on the edge on the couch at Max's feet and watched her sleep as he tried to think of a heist that would be good enough for her.
TBC
What did you think?
Please Review and that did you think?