Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel and I never will.
Story: 452 attempts to pinpoint her target while the transgenics in Terminal City are getting increasingly restless.
A/N: Hey, guys! Long time no see. School and work and various other activities have kept me super-freakin' busy, but I finally had time to sit down and work on my lovely WIPs, since it's Thanksgiving break! I know what I'm thankful for right now... sleep, and free time. Yessss! Anyways, sorry for the crazy, long wait on an update here. I love those of you who've stuck with this and put up with my horrible time issues! Really, I do! You guys keep me writing. I especially love those of you who took the time to review, so once again, a huge shout-out Thanks!! to: CandyCentric, dooski, HYPERLITE.HO, src13, Eden, timetowaste247, dont listen, Silverwolf 2006, and Amiwilson. You guys rock!

OK, now to clear up some confusion I sensed from my reviews. It's kinda like this. I'm trying to tie up some terribly loose ends S2 and Fox left us with, like Zack, for example. I thought it was pretty crappy of them to shove him off to the side in the series and act like he didn't exist anymore. I personally don't think he could ever live the idealistic life Max and Logan had planned for him by sending him to live on the ranch. He could never fit in, because he's not like everyone else, and the end of S2 was all about transgenics finding their place in the world without having to hide or change who they are. I think Zack would have played a significant role in this, or at least had another episode devoted to him in the show, if S3 had been signed on. So I wanted to include that. And yes, you'll see more of him later.

As for the pairing... Yes, I intend to end this with Max and Alec together. It will sort of seem like a Max and Logan pairing for a while, but that's due mainly to plot purposes and conflicts created by Max's memory loss. So the pairing is implied and not physical, for the most part. It's represented in Alec for now. But fear not, fellow shippers. The best with that aspect of this fic is yet to come.

Well, I hope that answered any questions you guys might have! If not, feel free to ask me in a review or send me a message or whatever. I'm always open to eliminating confusion. SO... Thanks for reading this! I will now stop babbling so you guys can read what you really came to read.

-- christique

Chapter 10

After a whole day of searching and asking the right questions, haunting the library newspaper records for suspicious content, and scoping out a few key target locations, 452 had finally narrowed her search down to two locations. In one of them, she would find her target at long last. She was sure of it.

452 had bugged the locations with the slowly setting sun to her back, and she set off to find a place to spend the night. She wouldn't sleep; she simply needed to check out her surveillance somewhere where she wouldn't be disturbed.

452 crashed in some old dusty building and spent the night monitoring the movements of the occupants of both of her possible targets.

By the small hours of morning, it was clear that the first location was actually just home to an older man who took up 'boarders' for rent. However suspicious those people may have looked, they were by no means her target. Perhaps they were criminals, all shady-looking and grimy with shifty eyes, and the owner himself had pockets that bulged with more than money, but their criminal activities were of no concern to 452. She was on a mission, and that mission did not involve saving the neighborhood from pistol-packing drug dealers and their messed-up clients.

The second location, though, piqued her interests much more. The occupant never once stepped outside, and the windows were all painted black. The building had a dilapidated look to it, even though it had a homey front porch with a friendly, if old, staircase leading to a dirty front door.

At one point in the night, 452 was surprised to see a skinny young woman with the hood of her jacket convering her head approach the residence and let herself in. So, he has a live-in girlfriend, 452 thought with slight annoyance. This had to be it. Her target was inside of that house, she was certain.

452 thought again about her warning from Manticore about her only having three days to complete the mission and contact home base. Two of those days were gone now, and she was already a few hours into the third. So it has to be tonight. I'm all out of time.

452 stared at her pocket-sized monitor sitting on the dusty little desk with her elbows resting on its surface. Her hands splayed out in front of her with her fingertips touching, drumming on each other as she sat lost in thought. She had some serious planning to do.

She absolutely could not screw this mission up. It was a test she had to pass if she had a future at Manticore, and she didn't want to think about the consequences involved if she were to fail. So that meant she had to kill that man with the mysterious blue eyes, and possibly his skinny little girlfriend, if she were so inclined to interfere, as some foolish women were.

This would have to be clean and quick. Huh, as if murder is ever clean. No, 452 had to separate her rather emotional self emerging of late from the reality of her mission. She wouldn't be able to go through with it if she kept thinking of it as murder, and of her target as a person, let alone a kind man that somehow tugged at her heart. Stop it, soldier! You have a mission to plan, so focus!

452 firmed her resolve and stayed put, laying out a plausible plan of action in eliminating her target. Tonight, Eyes Only. It ends tonight.

"So... you're saying the trail was cold?"

Dalton shook his head slowly. "...Not exactly. We managed to find some Ordinary she'd been talking to. You know, the one in the picture?"

Gem nodded excitedly. "Not cold at all! The kid had really seen Max! And have we got a hot lead for you!"

Alec held up his hands in front of the ginger-haired X5. "Woah, OK! What's the lead? Did Max tell him where she was staying?" he asked with hope tinging his voice. The thought of seeing Max again in the flesh was dizzying.

The younger X6 shrugged uncomfortably. Something about the news was troubling him. "What's the lead, Dalton?" Alec asked again, growing concerned at Dalton's reaction.

Dalton shifted again and looked up from the ground at Alec. "Well, Sir, the kid said Max had been asking... about Logan Cale. And Eyes Only."

"It was odd, though. She also asked about Terminal City, like she'd never heard of the city she runs," Gem added thoughtfully.

Alec felt like he'd been punched in the gut by a really tough X4. Or maybe slimed by a gossamer. He went numb for a moment. So Max was aware of her surroundings. But why on Earth would she need to ask to locate Logan? He hadn't relocated. He was still living at Josh's old digs. And she didn't know about Terminal City? That was impossible. Something was wrong.

I guess she didn't care to ask about me, then. Alec knew he had no reason to feel a little miffed about this, but a part of him did anyways. What did she want with Logan? Well, DUH. OK, what did she think she was doing, asking about Logan and Eyes Only in quick succession? So much for being worried about exposure, eh Maxie? No, something was most certainly wrong. Max would be more careful than that. Wouldn't she? Alec's head was spinning with unanswered questions and painful feelings.

"Alec?"

Alec snapped out of it and looked at Gem. "Hm?"

The other X5 was eyeing him uncertainly. "Um... that was a pretty good lead, don't you think? I mean, if she's trying to contact Logan, maybe we'll be able to find her at Logan's place. Then we can find out what's going on with her. Right?" she asked him slowly.

"Right. Of course. We'll just have to keep contact with Logan, and I'm sure something will turn up." The transgenics were still looking at him expectantly. "Um, good work, guys," he added.

Both of them brightened and left the office. Dalton poked his head in and gave Alec a slightly apologetic look, for some reason, as he closed the door behind him.

So Max is back. She's here, in Seattle. And she doesn't want to see her friends, only Logan. But at least she's not locked up in Manticore anymore. She's just... trying to find Logan. Maybe she has something important to tell him. And not me. Which is fine. I mean, why tell Alec when you could go directly to the man with all the resources, Eyes Only himself? Maybe she'll swing by TC when she's done with whatever business she's got with -

Just then, the door burst open, and a group of transhumans stood sneering at Alec. Alec jumped up out of his reverie and stood alert, frowning at the group in momentary confusion.

"494, we've got some business to discuss," said the transhuman in the middle of the group, an anomalie with wolf's eyes and snout, with matching sharp teeth and furry skin. Right now he was grinning wolfishly at Alec.

"As I recall, we don't go by designations anymore. Fang, right? Whatever business you'd like to discuss surely doesn't require you to break down the door to my office. I'd be happy to talk calmly with you, one-on-one, in private if you'd like. All you have to do is ask," Alec said, eyeing the other six or so anomalies cooly. He tried to keep his voice even; he really didn't like being ambushed like that.

Fang laughed coldly. "Alright. May my friends and I, oh fearless leader, please have your permission to discuss some very important business with you?" he said mockingly.

Alec smiled tightly. "What kind of business?" he asked shortly in a clipped tone that kept his frustration hidden.

Fang's sharp-toothed smile grew wider. "The kind where we discuss the qualities of a good leader. Like strength, determination, firm resolve to get something done, and some balls. You know, 494, all the things you've been lacking of late." The transhumans laughed menacingly.

Alec's smile shifted, his anger only given away in the slight curling of his lip. "And what exactly do you think I'm not handling properly?" he asked tightly.

"Oh, how about everything?" Fang answered sarcastically, still grinning.

Alec wiped his face of all emotion, just the way Manticore had taught him, into that unbreakable mask he was so well-practiced at. It was the only check he had on his anger. What was this, some coup? "Alright. What do you propose for me to do? Since I'm such a horrible leader, maybe you can give me some pointers," he asked dangerously.

Fang stopped laughing and grinning. He regarded Alec coldly. "You can start by getting the hell out of Terminal City. I don't know what the bitch was thinking making someone as incompetent as you the leader of this rat hole when she left us for dead."

Alec's mask shattered at those cutting words. The anger he had been holding at bay throughout the whole offensive conversation was now blazing as he looked at Fang murderously. Hearing him call Max a 'bitch' made something snap inside of Alec. In a blind rage, he blurred around to the front of his desk and gripped the transhuman in a choke-hold, slamming him roughly against the bare concrete wall of his office. "Don't you ever let me hear you refer to Max like that again. Understand?" he growled.

Even as his windpipes were being closed off by Alec's rough grip, Fang managed to smirk contemptuously at the livid X5. "Go... to hell," he croaked.

Alec mechanically lifted the transhuman up off of the ground and slammed him against the wall again, harder than before. Fang looked a bit surprised that his feet no longer touched the ground; apparently he had underestimated Alec's strength. "Well... looks like... you do have some balls after all... eh, 494?" he said hoarsely, attempting to laugh and make it seem like he still had control of the situation. He wasn't fooling anybody in that office.

Alec's icy glare deepened, and he tightened his choke-hold on the anomalie's neck. Fang's eyes bulged as he looked at Alec in the beginnings of real fear.

"I asked you a question. I expect an answer, and you're not going anywhere until I get it," Alec said coldly. "Now. Do you understand?" he repeated slowly and firmly with a very dangerous undertone.

Fang, now turning a strange shade of purple under his lightly furred face, nodded almost imperceptibly as Alec pushed harder on his neck.

Alec slammed him against the wall yet again and got right in Fang's face with his own. "Say 'I understand,'" he intoned icily, his frigid green eyes like augers boring holes into the wolf-eyes of his victim.

Fang made a gurgling noise and Alec relaxed his grip enough to allow him to speak. "I- I understand," he croaked.

Alec abruptly let go and let him crumple to the ground. "Good. Now get out of my office."

The transhumans scrambled to comply, helping a coughing Fang off the ground and scurrying out the door they had only moments before nearly broken down.

Fang turned around once he was just outside the door, clutching his bruising neck and glaring daggers at Alec. "This isn't over, 494," he rasped. "There's a war out there, and instead of fighting, you sit here looking for your girlfriend! The Freak Nation needs a leader, and if you're not going to do the job, I will!" He turned and left with the final word before Alec could think to respond.

Frustration pent-up inside of Alec exploded even more violently than it had on Fang. Alec let out a frustrated growl, turned around and punched the wall he had just held the transhuman against as hard as his transgenic strength would allow, which meant the wall now had a crater in it with Alec's knuckles imprinted in the center.

Pieces of concrete and dust fell to the ground, but Alec didn't even hear the noise of the debris. He focused instead on slowing his heart-rate, lowering his adrenaline levels, and calming his breathing pattern. He circled his office with his eyes closed and his hands behind his head, taking calming breaths.

How could he say those things about Max? After all she's done for this place, and for transgenics altogether? She's given everything for this place! OK, that line of thought wasn't helping him to calm down at all. Alec took another deep, slow breath. What the hell am I gonna do now? Those guys can't be the only ones who feel that way, or else they wouldn't have had the guts to confront me like that. Oh, God, this place is gonna dissolve into total chaos if we don't get Max back here to whip it into shape!

If it came to civil war, though, how would Max even be able to stop the blood from flowing? Nothing could be done to stop them from fighting if that's what they were determined to do. Not like we could send in a militia to break it up. We are the freakin' militia! Hm... Maybe Max could give one of her fancy speeches when she gets back... Damn. I've really screwed things up here... Yeah, Max is definitely going to kick my ass when she gets back.

Alec sat down at his desk and held his head in his hands, frustrated at the direction his thoughts were taking. Then he heard a quick, urgent knock on his door. Alec growled out loud, "Ohhh, what is it now?"

A young-looking X5 opened the office door and looked inside to find Alec slightly raising his head to glance up from his hands.

"Sir! There's a situation at the south tunnel entrance! Your presence is requested immediately!"

Alec groaned to himself. He stood up straight and adopted his Manticore mask again, chastising himself for letting it slip in front of people so often today. "What seems to be the trouble? Is it another attack?" He didn't say from whom. Attacks lately could come from outside or in, or from any number of other places.

"Uh, no, Sir. I haven't been briefed on the details, but the inner circle members present are asking for you. They say it's urgent, Sir."

Alec pursed his lips. "Fine. I'll be right there." This had better be good, or I'm gonna need something to punch that bleeds more than a wall.

A/N: OK, so... what do you think about how this is going? Feedback is not only welcome, but it also makes my muse dance for joy and forces me to my corner to write more. (Please review! You know you want to...) And thanks again to those of you who keep up with this fic! See you next chapter!