Chapter 3

Inside Terminal City

The loud roar of the motorbike signaled the multitude of moving bodies inside the compound that one of their members was back home. A lime green cycle rolled to a stop on the side of the building.

Alec cut off the engine and swung his leg over his bike. Frustrated, he took off his helmet and scrubbed his hand through his hair. Outside the large building, tables and chairs had been set up, and various transgenics sat playing poker with singed cards while others played chess with broken pieces.

Since taking over this area of Seattle as their own, they'd managed to create a community of their own. He snorted under his breath. A prison was more like it. It had been a nice dream to stay in Seattle and make the people acknowledge them and hopefully in time accept their presence, but a dream was all it was.

Max had unrealistic expectations. She thought that in time, the Ordinaries would relax, and by the end of summer, or at least the end of fall, they'd all be singing 'Kumbaya' and holding hands. The reality of the situation was the police would only help the "non-freaks"; the Ordinaries, if they found a transgenic alone, would attack, and now they had to ride with helmets so no one recognized them from the news.

There were a few places that were transgenic friendly, Crash, Jam Pony, a couple strip bars, one or two stores, but most of the city hated them for existing. Like they had any control over Manticore; they were created, and it wasn't their fault they were better-equipped then regular people.

Alec took the briefcase from the back of his bike and walked into the building. There were still a few transgenics that saluted him when he walked by them, but as they grew accustom to civilian life, it became less and less common.

Max sat up on the platform talking to Logan on the monitor. Even though Max and Alec had made it abundantly clear to Logan that their "going out" had been a spur of the moment plan by Max, Logan still didn't completely trust him. Why did he get the blame for crap he didn't even do? Max thought up the genius plan, shouldn't she be the one getting the third degree from Logan?

Hearing some of the others say 'hi' to him, Max turned around and called to him. "Did you get the briefcase?"

"Yea, the cops weren't too pleased, if using my back as a target was any indication." His latest job was to steal the money the sector police gave to politicians every week.

"Did they notice you had the briefcase?" Max questioned. The whole point of the mission was to not have anyone know a transgenic took their precious money.

Alec set the briefcase on the table and kept his back turned to Max. "Nope." He snuck into the office where the money was being handed over, switched the cases without anyone realizing, then hurried out of there as quickly and quietly as possible.

"Then why were they shooting at you?" Logan spoke up from the monitor.

At that Alec turned to face the tentative couple. "Could it be because we're transgenics and public enemy #1? Gee that sounds plausible, doesn't it?"

"The whole point was to not bring attention or be seen, Alec. You may have caused police to have less hesitation in shooting us now." Max argued.

"As if they hesitated before?" Alec shouted. "Just last week, three of us were shot at, one killed, and another beaten for mouthing off to a sector cop. They don't need a reason to shoot us or hate us Max, they've already found one." Angry he stormed off to his room in TC.

RosDARosDARosDA

Max stared at Alec until he disappeared from view. Once she heard his door slam she turned back to Logan on the monitor. He had an expression of irritation. "What?"

"Nothing." He leaned back in his chair.

"No, you have something on your mind, so say it." Max told him.

Logan remained silent for a few moments thinking about how to word what he thought without alienating her. "You were pretty rough on him. He didn't get a thank you for doing what you asked, and you're upset at him for getting shot at. Which he had no control over."

"It's Alec; he had to have done something." She argued back defending her actions.

"Maybe, but he's not the only one whose gone out and gotten shot at. You've asked how they were, said they did a good job, but Alec got nothing but grief. Is there something else going on?"

Max glared at Logan. He couldn't be suggesting that… "No, there is nothing going on with me and Alec. That was me trying to get you to move on…"

Logan interrupted. "We already talked about that—that wasn't what I meant. But you are a lot harder on Alec than anyone else."

Max thought it over for a bit. Logan's right, she did rake Alec over the coals regularly for things that weren't even his fault. "You're right. I do." She sighed. "But he's the only one who won't censor himself to make me feel better. He'll tell it like it is, and if I don't like it, too bad."

She had been trying to push his buttons. With the stress of outside forces and doing her best to keep the morale up with all the people in Terminal City, it became easier to piss Alec off, and a part of her needed to do that. He didn't blindly take orders from her as many of the others did. Max knew that if she set him off, he'd get in her face if he had too.

"I should go apologize to him." She stared up at the platform leading towards the rooms. She should, but could she swallow her pride and tell him she was out of line?

"But you're not going to." Logan finished for her.

"No, I didn't say that." She defended.

Logan nodded. "True, but I'm not wrong."

"Even if I said 'sorry,' what would it accomplish? He wouldn't say it back, I'd get upset, and we'd be right back where we started, mutual annoyance."

Logan leaned into the camera. "So you'd only say sorry to receive a sorry from someone else? That doesn't seem fair."

"Why do you have to be so frustrating?" Max asked. She hated when he used logic.

"That's just who I am." A knock sounded off in the distance. "That's probably Joshua. I'll see you tonight, right?"

"Absolutely, wouldn't miss it." Max agreed. With a small wave, both turned off their web-cams.

TBC

Note: There are about 5 more chapters to post (to get caught up with this story) and I'll post those Saturday or Sunday.