Hey guys! Thanks for reading. I apologize about some of the grammar issues, it's been a while since I've written stories like these due to going to school for science haha. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave your comments/critiques!

Cut to: Underground Office in Sector 8

"What do you MEAN you can't find her!?"

Ames White's voice echoed through the dampened halls and through the ears of his team. It had been several months since they had come up with anything related to X5452. Connections were the main thing that the sour-faced detective lost when he was publicly fired by his peers but his also lost most of his normal life.

Things weren't so good for Ames since the night Max had kicked his ass; living in dire conditions underground with a bunch of revved up cultists wasn't exactly his version of having the good life. He also lost a lot of his credit with the group for too much exposure, so he was confined to hunting dead end leads on their most prized treasure: Max.

It felt as though she was mocking him with her perfect DNA, feline induced abilities, and tough guy attitude but the most puzzling thing to him was her relation to their ancient breeding cult. Sandeman must have some amazing plans for her and Ames was not about to let anyone else on the planet find out what they were. The tribal markings and scripting that laced her filthy transgenic body were the key: nothing was going to stop him from capturing her.

"I want every corpse, every speck of dust, and every hair checked for evidence of her whereabouts, do you scumbags understand?" he growled, circling the desks anxiously. "I want some information by tomorrow night: no sleeping, no eating, I don't even want to hear you breathing until you come up with something."

And with that, he left for temple.

**

Alec paced the floor in Logan's lonely apartment impatiently. It had been over two weeks since they had the computers up and running and still no sign of Max. Any leads they thought they uncovered were redundant and had led them nowhere. Terminal City was falling to shambles around them.

"Logan, we really need to find her. Obviously whatever she has become a part of is new and bigger than both us and White, are you sure you have tried searching everything?"

"Yes. Every picture, every alias, every known location-- she's been has been wiped," Logan replied dryly through bloodshot eyes. "I honestly don't know where to go from here. Maybe you should hit the streets and see if you can hear anything from anyone..right now that's about as much as we can do until we get a name."

"Right. Seattle nightlife it is..not that I know what or who I'm looking for.. or even where to start.. but I'll let you know if I hear anything.."

**

Alec found a quiet spot at the most popular bar in Seattle: Tango. It was owned by one of the big shot mobsters in town and was the happening spot for the most notorious individuals because of their tight security and low-profile attitude. Private booths and secluded bar fronts were the key meeting spots for the kind of people Alec thought he ought to be checking out and thankfully for him, his increased hearing allowed him to eavesdrop from a safe distance away.

His ears tingled at the sound of two men discussing genetics. It was a heated debate over Manticore's influence on the scientific world: how it changed since it's discovery and how they were learning so much from them. The one man, who identified himself as Dr. Gregory Hilden proposed that their studies were advantageous and the beginning to a new world while his opposer, Dr. Brian Chance argued the ethics of the experiments. It was all very vague and it was clear they were talking in code but the very thought of genetic experiments sent a chill down Alec's spine.

After the two had finished their drinks they exited in opposite directions. Alec followed carefully behind Dr. Hilden as he made his way down an alley and to his Lexus which was parked out of view from the road. Alec knew he should have hidden in the shadows but as always he followed his brawn instead of brain and stepped between the doctor and his car.

"Can I help you?" Dr. Hilden said flatly, as if this had happened to him before. " My body guards are in the car I don't think you want to rob me."

Two bulky men approached Alec, and he took them out swiftly and efficiently.. There was no time for games. "In the bar I heard you talking about Manticore and experiments. I want information."

"I have no idea what your talking about. I'm just an MD, nothing more, nothing less I--." Gregory said, but before he could finish his entire sentence Alec had his face pressed against the hood of his car, his arms held roughly behind his back.

"I'm not kidding around. I know over one hundred ways to make you talk, so I suggest you spill before I show you number two." Alec grunted angrily, pressing his face harder into the car.

The doctor winced, "Okay, okay. I am a scientist too, I study genetics at the University of Seattle. We are using Manticore science to clone plant-life with the students I know its controversial stuff I understand that you may not agree with our science but it is the way of the future, and the students need to learn this."

"Manticore was burned down almost two years ago how the HELL do you get your hands on Manticore science! Who else knows about this?" Alec began to grow angry at the mention of his creators name.

"Easy: it was a government run operation. Not many people know much about it because they did highly secretive genetic testing, but once the experiments escaped there was not much more they could hide. The government has released some of it's higher learnings and has offered it to a select group of individuals; unfortunately I was not one of the lucky few."

Alec turned the man around to face him, a sense of desperation in his voice, "Who did those studies go to?"

"The highest bidder, of course. The government was looking for a new namesake and a place to start over, so they invited the worlds best scientists to a private auction. I was chosen but I was easily outbid. It's a shame really, all that transgenic coding and modifications went to one rich bastard and disappeared. I'm not even sure why I'm telling you this, but considering your threat I'm sure I have no other choice," he gulped, "I honestly can't tell you more because I don't know. My nights are numbered."

Alec released the man silently, fully aware that there would be people out for the mans head, nothing seemed to matter anymore except the mission: Max.

He mounted his bike and hit the throttle hard in the direction of Logan's.