Recicup: yup, oh hell is right, and wrenches galor! Dalton needed it anyways.

While I do sense a lose in viewers relax the smut will be returning, I just wanted our couple to experience what it's like to work so much and to realize they aren't immune to the demand of work and other people.

Season 4 ep. 11

We waited in the park for ten minutes before Dix called up again, "Okay got a slight map routed out for you." I furrowed my brows, "Slight?" I questioned, "Well…" Dix…I felt like warning with my voice, "The air stripe Alec's guys on isn't actually on any map, the place is technically off grid due to New York's budget cuts. So I can only get you close to it." Great… just great….

"Well get me close then by that time Alec will know and he can tell me where his flight buddy is from there." He sighed, "Ah…Max, he kinda - " the phone he was using to talk to me suddenly went speaker on me, "Max!" Alec snapped into the phone…well shit. I had to say something, and fast before his temper blew up, "Bitch later, take care of White, Deck and Gem first, THEN you can help me. Till then Dix and I have this." I hoped it would help pacify him.

"If you mess this up…" he warned, but I knew it wasn't directed at me. I could hear the little 'digger' as Dix was designed for, shacking his head to Alec 'yes I will make sure she gets home'. I felt sorry for the poor guy. Alec could be pretty intimidating. Speaker off Dix helped me, "Okay Max, I need the three of you to start heading to 3rd Ave at the end of Tremont Park. From there you'll make a left turn to Crotona Park north." I was wondering, "Dix?" I asked.

"What Max?" he clicked on the computer, "How far away is this airstrip?" "Ah…less than 15 miles away. Your only problem might hit when you get to the end." I narrowed my eyes even if he couldn't see me. I never realized how difficult it was to hold Eve in my arms while handling a cell phone, "Why will I hit a problem?" I asked, "Cause the air stripe is near the heart of New York." Fucking perfect.

I looked down at Eve, "If I didn't have Eve in my arms you'd have a few nasty words said right about now. Where to from there?" I asked dismissing my earlier comment, "Take it to Carter Ave, and make a left till you hit the expressway above you. From there you'll need to take a taxi and use it to get you over the river going down the expressway and it'll lead you right up to the air stripe." I should know the area from there… "Thanks Dix, anything else and I'll call." I hung up.

I looked to Dalton, "Follow me." we walked the mile-ish there till we came to the expressway as Dix described. I gave Eve to Dalton to hold while I flagged down a cab at a pub near the expressway. Once one of them stopped I gave them the directions of where we were going. The ride gave my feet a chance to relax while I was wondering how Gem had managed to do the trek from the Manticore site all the way to a half a mile from TC while at full term pregnant.

I was going to have to give her kudos for that one. Nearly ten minutes had passed, the cabbie hadn't tried to conversation at all which was a shocker but we didn't mind. The less chances of needing to talk the better the cabbie wouldn't look twice at us again. I then discovered that while Seattle's traffic was bad, New York's was a bitch to deal with even on the expressway.

Now we sat in the cab for another twenty minutes. I needed to go pee badly! This waiting was getting worse too. I hadn't even thought about it before we left the café nearly an hour ago! Trying to figure out timing here, "Hey does this traffic look like its letting up any time soon?" I asked the cabbie, "Nope." He answered and put on the radio. For a moment I thought he was trying to ignore me when I heard what the radio was saying.

"Two wounded and another severely hurt on the express way up near west 125th Street." I looked up, "That's just over there." I looked out the window, zoomed my eyes in to see the wreckage ahead of us. The cabbie couldn't see it but with my vision it was cake. I sat back in the seat, "Is there anywhere around here with a bathroom?" I asked, not caring that I was asked to use a toilet.

He pointed to the left of us, "There might be something over there. But you'd have to get off the expressway and it'll be a bitch to get back on." he laughed at his own choice of words. I looked at the cash in my pocket. I had sixty dollars to my name right now, twenty of it got us this far… "How much to go down there for me to use a bathroom then find another way to get to where we need to go to?" the look on his face answered me. I rolled my eyes…however much I have…what a dick…

I knew it wasn't going to take my full $60 so I figured if I could get him to drop us off down there we could just walk the rest of the way. It was less than five minutes…ish now. We weren't due to be at the plane till tomorrow at this time so I wasn't going to rush to the point of going into labor to early. The cabbie shrugged his shoulders without a care and got off the expressway.

Several others followed but didn't follow us to the restaurant we were dropped off at. I handed him the twenty. "See you." I said as Dalton shut his door and came around to help pull me up with Eve in his arms. The driver pulled away. We went inside to find a couple of patrons sitting down watching the news footage. That could be potentially bad…but when nothing surfaced for a few minutes I tugged on Dalton's sleeve. "Keep an eye on Eve, I'm using the bathroom." He handed her back to me.

"Then you might wanna change Eve to." Oh god…I forgot about that…sighing I took her back and went to the rest room. I didn't know how to make this work. I had to go badly but I couldn't just leave Eve to tend to herself. Grabbing the little blanket I sat her down on the ground in the stall I was in so I could go pee. I hope no one says anything about my lack of parenting skills right now…

Thankfully no one came in so I didn't worry too much about her. Getting up I got her from the ground and put her on the changing table which is apparently standard for most places these days. Pulling out the diaper bag I fumbled with what the hell I was supposed to do. There is powder to put on…right? I questioned to myself. The baby book that Alec got me talked about the baby in the womb not about how to take care of it outside the womb! I felt so out of my expertise.

I wanted to call Alec since he was about to be a dad to but he was busy with the mission plans AND he had no clue. "But Dalton does." I surmised out loud. Taking Eve with me I peaked out of the bathroom and spotted him, "Dalton!" my mini transgenic shout caught his ears but no one else's, "Get in here now…" I ordered and I rarely ordered this teen around, so he knew to come.

Sneaking his way around a multitude of people he slipped into the ladies room, "Ah Max I'm not to sure I should be in here…" of course he was weary of it, it was the woman's bathroom, "Buck up and get your ass over here. I've never changed a diaper before and you're going to help me." I snapped back, "Sides no one else is here and I have NO training in this area." He sighed before guiding me along.

Is it bad that I'm getting help on how to change a babies diaper from a barely there 15-16 year old kid? I couldn't even get to close without my own stomach bumping into the changing table. Eve was having fun though. I'll have to tell Gem to ease up on this teen here, he knows what he's doing. Once she was changed we packed everything back up and cautiously headed back out. Managing to avoid most of the crowd I got halted as I heard my name, with much distain.

I looked back stunned to see who I saw, "Last I saw you were on your way to Portland." I remark trying to gently nudge Dalton out the door with Eve. She looked kind of pissed off, "Last time I saw you, YOU cost me nearly $20,000. Let it fly out the sliding door of a train." She snapped very effectively back. But she wasn't the only one who could snap, "You helped to murder an innocent man, your own father." I snapped back with equal fever. A few people noticed our conversation so she started to walk away.

Good now we can leave. We got out the doors only to be stopped again by her, "You think you can do that without pay back, bitch?" not now! "Sorry but we don't have time for this. We have a flight to catch." I moved to walk past her when I saw a taller man step out from beside her. Not big and burly but tall, lanky, with broad shoulders, and…did I mention tall?

"Let me guess you're the boyfriend." I stated more than asked. His attire was similar to hers, beat up and broke down. Much like the small time restaurant we just walked out of…I know this isn't going to end well. "You really want to do this? In public, in the day light, with people mulling about?" how stupid could the bitch be? She looked around, "You owe me for that money." She stated.

I scrunched up my face to her, "I don't owe you anything. That was blood money. You wanna know something?" I asked. She folded her arms, her boyfriend looked bored with all of this, "The guy that put you back in touch with your father again, your dad gave him a parting gift, hell I can recite the whole thing still. I felt so bad for your father I really wanted to go to Portland where you're supposed to be and nail you for it." I just had no evidence to put claim to.

"Your dad was so excited to see you that night. Had dinner ready and everything. He was going to ask you to go away with him, start a fresh." She took a step back as if in disbelief, "He gave your contact guy information on a bad guy the very one you were paid to find your father." She opened her mouth but no words could form, "He had proof that that man had killed a Seattle DA, he was sitting on it all that time out of concern for your safety." I snapped out at long last.

This Alena bitch was going to hear what I had to say, "He wanted you to leave with him so you could be safe. And yet here it was all this time it was him that needed to be safe from you…oh the irony…" I smirked out angrily at her. She huffed in anger but before her initial retort could come out a news bulletin came distracting her, her boyfriend and both myself and Dalton. The feed was given of two 'suspected transgenics' with a possible kidnapped child that took down a grown man.

While most of it was true – obvious not the kidnapping part – the real hurt was from the sketches of myself and Dalton, "These two were seen fleeing the scene with an infant in tow." Well fuck a duck…this was getting better and better. Now we really had to lay low and avoid being seen, dark alleyways anyone? We turned around to see the gleam of vengeance on Alena's face. "You wouldn't…not to a preg - " she yelled out, "Hey here they are!" Dalton and I blurred before anyone could turn their heads.

We made it around a corner, "Okay I guess she would…" I mumbled off irritated. "What do we do now Max?" our faces were now on TV screens so we couldn't take regular streets, not ones with nearby TV's anyways, "We lay the hell low and call Dix." I gave Eve to Dalton as we rounded another corner making sure to cover up our faces and hid our barcodes. Taking my cell out I heard the answer, "How close are you?" it was Alec's trying to be calm voice. At least he wasn't bitching…yet…

"We got made…again…" talk about holding a grudge…and it was her fault! "I've got an idea. How do the sewers sound to you?" I didn't care I just wanted to get both kids to the plane and get both kids home. "Sounds good. I just need an entrance and an exit that'll get me there in record time." We started to look for manhole covers that weren't in the center of the streets.

Around the corner from west 125th where you're at there should be Broadway Street. I want you to make a right and a block down there should be an entrance. Go." I didn't bother to argue we needed to exit from the streets where we could be made. We walked the several blocks – correction the near half a mile – to the corner before we rounded it and spotted in the distance the entrance.

Not bothering to call up again at this point I figured to wait until we were safety down there before – wait…what was Alec doing at Dix's spot when he was suppose to be working on White's deal bit. I called, "You in there yet?" he asked, "Not yet – why the hell aren't you working on the mission?" I snipped out. We couldn't afford for White to find out the truth and kill Gem – Deck I was on the fence about but we did care and like Gem, she was good peoples.

"Mission's planned out. We've got a day before we leave for it." Wait! "What do you mean the meeting isn't till - " Alec sweetie that he is did that 'abababaa' thing again, "Don't worry I've got it covered. I called White up again after Dix made the tape mix bit." Are you… "You told him to meet you there tomorrow instead." I confirmed while pinching the bridge of my nose, "We need to do this fast that way there's less chance of his killing off our friends." His being right was getting on my nerves.

Either that or it was my own situation that was, "Fine do it. But please for the love of god make sure everything goes smoothly." I was seriously hoping to be there when Alec and them made the exchange, be on the com's with them…I guess not, "When you get down to the sewers call back. Dix is mapping out a route for you so there's no chance of interference." Well that's good.

"Talk to you later." I hung up. "So where to now?" Dalton asked. Over there, the sewers are our ticket out of here, as nasty as that sounds." I grumbled in annoyance. Reaching it we looked around and scanned for any passerby's or curious people who could report us in. Not seeing anything at first we started to fuss with the manhole cover. Then something in the distance caught my hearing.

I stopped Dalton from moving the cover since seeing a 15-year-old kid move a cover that usually takes two men to do would be a tad suspicious. The next set of sounds I heard prompted my next words, "We need cover. Now." I knew those sounds anywhere. When you've been on the run as long as I have you can tell the 'tell – tail' signs of cop cars coming forward. Not bothering to figure out why they were coming this way…could be completely unrelated…but either way we needed to bail…and fast.

Grabbing Dalton we ran from the manhole cover just in time as a squad car came up, sirens blaring and all. Out of the street we took a few different turns to avoid the cops patrolling the different areas. However it also ended with us lost now. Fuck! I wanted to mutter out, but I wasn't trying to spout negative words like that while my baby was in the womb. He or she could hear it all. "There!" Dalton pointed to a set of train tracks leading further towards the airports.

It wasn't exactly where we needed to go but the trains would help us in speed so we took our chances and ran for them…well I wobble – ran. I felt bad knowing that a 15 year old X6 was running faster than me, but considering I was pregnant…I was willing to let the decrease in speed slide. Running up the walkways Dalton slipped his spare change into the turn style as we bounded – squeezed – our way through the people there to slip through the sliding door.

Walking a little bit through the throng of people we finally found a car of the train that wasn't completely occupied. The few people in there seemed to be either minding their own business or asleep. Finally we could rest while the train did the 'walking' for us. "I think we might be in trouble Max…" Dalton's low words flew by me. I felt tired from the day's journey already. Eve was thankfully still in her wrap around that I had seen Gem sport with her in.

The contraption allowed for her to stay clung to me, wrapped around my neck or Dalton's neck while running. Though she was now getting a bit big for the thing. Second generation X5 speedy growth…I thought to myself. Unhooking the contraption from my neck I saw that Eve was wide-awake and looked ready to cry. The events having her to shocked to cry out before hand, and now that things seemed to be calmed down she was starting up the water works.

"Oh no please don't cry." I begged the tyke. Taking her out of the sling I held her firmly as she balled her eyes out. The few passengers seeing that there was a crying baby on board started to migrate to another boxcar. "Try this." Dalton pulled out a stuffed pink fuzzy toy. Its resemblance was lost to me but the moment he waved in front of her face the crying ceased. I looked to him in shock, "How in the hell do you know so much?!" I couldn't believe it.

Gem owed Dalton a serious raise for taking care of this baby! A few rumblings here and there indicated a lot of people coming from both directions. Using my advanced sight I saw a group of men coming in. Not po po's but black open vested guys with anger in their features. This isn't…happening…I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. Please let them pass through without fault…I let out a mental anguish seeing Dalton's eyes at the guys coming from the opposing sides.

Why can't we get home safely? Without mobs chasing us? I asked myself… "Max what do we do?" Dalton asked. Only it was a question one would ask a friend, no this was his 'ma'am what do we do now ma'am voice. As a commander I needed a 'safe evac' for both him and Eve out of this place. "Give my head a minute to process possible egress routes." The boxcar we were in had no people in it now thanks to Eve's screams that Dalton had made die down.

Less worry of civilians…but the two sets of guys coming towards us were blocking both entrance and exit points. The only other option was to try and shove Dalton off to safety through the sliding down but I wasn't doing that with the train going as fast as it was. It would do more harm than good. "There are no egress routes at this point. Let's just see how this plays out." he looked at me hopelessly.

"Relax Dalton I won't let anything happen to you or Eve." My face and tone both conveyed my promise. He nodded though still weary. "Sometimes you've got to let the idiots fight it out so you can reap in the spoils." He arched his own brow. "Does it ever work?" he asked as the guys from the area we had been watching the past thirty seconds came into our boxcar. "We're about to find out."

He looked to me with slight fear. After all X6 or not, even he wasn't so sure he could take down eight-ish from one end and ten-ish guys from the other end out with a pregnant X5 female. When both sets of what I had now deem as street thugs entered the boxcar we were in we slunk as closest to the edges as possible to avoid conflict. We'll I did, my inner cat and soldier telling me to protect both babies, within and out of the womb as the guys duked it out.

Dalton hadn't thought to do the same. Before I could tell him one group began to talk, "The hell's yo' punk ass's doing on our train man?" okay he looked pissed, "Well yo' train my man is in our territory." Bad move there. First off your crap talk is only enraging the thugs further and secondly you trying to talk like them, was failure in and of itself. "The next stop coming up yo' asses is leaving in body bags." The idiot gang didn't back down only stepped up to the plate...so to speak.

"Is that so?" they walked forward as did the other side. Once again I pinched the bridge of my nose, "This isn't happening…their going to kill each other." I groaned out only loud enough for Dalton to hear, "Yeah and attempt to kill us in the process." He muttered out just the same. "We need to get out of here." Though we were highly trained and skilled it was too many guys, in a small-enclosed space. The risk of severely hurting someone was far too great. That wasn't our objective.

We have no weapons, they do, were trying our damndest to avoid exposure to our kind so it makes it kind of hard to beat them all down. "We could wipe the floor with over half of them." Dalton said in low tones. Muttering back over I replied, "That maybe but what part of 'tactical exposure' did you forget at Manticore?" glancing over I saw the look of worry that he'd disappointed his CO.

Great now he's worried about remaining a good soldier in the eyes of his idol… "Look over the years I've worked hard myself to forget all about what Manticore's taught us but there are something things that no matter how hard you can't and shouldn't - as much as I want to protest that part – forget about. Their training is going to help us in getting out of here with hopefully no casualties." hopefully…

However the two groups kept expanding, we weren't getting out of here without getting caught up in the mix. They moved towards each other in a fighting stance. I grabbed Dalton by the jacket on his shoulder indicating to climb over the seats towards me so we would be a seat closer towards that door. We needed to 'evac' without causing a scene towards ourselves. He slowly started to move but only as the guys did. Not wanting to move when they weren't might allow them to catch our movements.

The men advanced on each other giving us more ample room to leave the area. But all hell broke loose when the guys no longer advanced…they fuckin' jumped each other. It gave us the go ahead to crawl as fast as humanly possible over the remaining seats and not get nailed with a knife blade or any other weapon they might have been carrying. We were four seats away when a slippery – my guess is someone's left over wet spot – substance caused Dalton to loose his footing on one of the seats.

His reflexes prevented him from getting caught on a blade mid throw from one guy to another but it didn't prevent him from landing on the dirty – not to mention full of hooded, thugged out punks – floor and trying to avoid getting killed in the cross fire. It was like watching him try to survive getting accidentally bitten in the middle of a fuckin' feeding frenzie. I lent my hand out to try and help but other than reaching out beyond human capabilities I was going to have to do something more drastic.

Hopefully these guys would stop trying to kill each other if they saw a pregnant woman entering the fray. It was the only way to avoid being exposed and avoid letting Dalton get accidentally stomped on or worse. I screeched out, "Hey!" before I slid from the seat I was currently crawling over and down onto the floor. Many "Whoas!" were heard all around as the fighting was slowly stopping.

Dalton himself looked all around and finally a gang member noticed he had Dalton's jacket in his hands not the other gang members. "What the…?" he was stunned. Dalton just shrugged his jacket back on before slowly getting up. Not wanting his quick movements to trigger any jumpy impulses any of the guys might have. "What the hell are you doing here lady?" one member asked holding another man in his grasp. The knife to his throat inches from severing his trachea.

Making myself remember that I had a baby and a teens safety to ensure I blocked the mans image from my memory, "My brother and I are getting off this train." I told them, not ask, told, "Unless you want a pregnant woman's blood on your hands." I walked forward several steps. Everybody with a weapon backed away at least two feet and held their blades or weapons of choice back to avoid any injury.

"That's what I thought." I kicked my left leg out, knocking a knife from another guy's hands. I grasped it as Dalton clutched a hand around my arm, "Max lets go, we don't need that." He urged. Knowing it was tactically stupid to egg them on while we were in the clear of a free way out. I turned to the man with a knife at his throat before hiding the knife from view.

Dalton and I started to walk out avoiding the members that were looking at us. When we were in the clear, just as our opened path was closing up I shouted, "Fairs fair!" I tossed the knife to the guy who had one aimed at his trachea before Dalton and I bolted from the boxcar. "That was close. Though we could have - " I gave Dalton a look to melt ice. He gulped slightly.

"Unless you want to explain to Alec how you slipped from your position on the seat and fell into the fray where his pregnant mate had to save you're ass I'd shut up about taking them on. Or do you want to tell him how you wanted to take on TWO different gangs at once while trying to protect his pregnant mate and your CO?" he shook his head 'no' and without another word we waited till the next stop let us off.

Back into the streets we saw another manhole cover. Once we were within range we jogged up to it. Eve needed to eat again and though the best place wasn't here I was more than willing to bet the sewers was still a good option for a few moments of rest as I feed the munchkin. I figured as soon as we were safety down in there I could feed her and calm her down.

Evening was fast approaching, our only luck had been that Ray had been easy to get to, and that our ride wasn't due there till tomorrow. We still had 19 hours before we had to worry bout missing it. Once we checked around to be sure we hadn't been tailed or worse spotted, we slipped the cover off as he went in first to help guide me in. Pull the cover back on I remarked, "And I thought the Seattle sewers systems were bad…" I didn't think it was possible but…New York's smelled worse!

Walking towards the first junction I called them back up again, "Safe in the sewers, though we are a little further away I need a way from here that leads to the air stripe." I said before they even had a chance to answer the call, "Tell us which junction you're at Max." I relayed the junction off and waited for Dix's hacking to get me out. Grabbing some more formula from the backpack, I feed Eve along the way as we walked through some splashing water and eventually getting through the maze of the sewers.

We traveled through dozens and dozens of junctions and passageways throughout the sewers before we finally made it to the last one. "Finally." I commented putting the now empty formula bottle away and burping Eve over my shoulder. "This place reeks." Dalton grossed, putting his arm over his nose to attempt to keep out the pungent air. No use he pulled his arm down.

Looking down however he spotted something he stepped in, "I hope that's sludge." He complained looking at the crap he was wiping off of his boots against the sewer wall. I sincerely hoped it was to. No doubt whatever crept around down here was either four legged or homeless. Either way sludge was better than actual poo. "I think it is sludge." I surmised. He agreed.

Though I think it was for more of his stomachs sake than anything. Seconds later I heard a splash coming from behind me. Dalton's mild swearing brought my attention to the mess now behind me. Eve had spit up a small portion of her formula. "Thanks Eve…" I heard Dalton utter as I watched him look for something not sludge related to wipe the splatter from his jeans.

Finding the remnants of a piece of cloth, or what was a cloth, he wiped it away, "Come on we have to keep moving. Our stop isn't here and time is still flying by." We needed to move. I didn't want to be in the sewers all night long. "Yeah well you try to get the scent of sludge from reaching your nose. God this place is bad. I don't recall our sewers being like this." He commented.

"Not all of them are. The tunnels we have are hardly used by the city due to budget cuts years back. But when the rainfall comes those tunnels can get seriously flooded. On the other hand, the other tunnel we don't use are filled with all sorts of fun smells. Believe me when it comes to crap and bad smells we got lucky with Seattle." As bad as that sounds…hell at this point even Eve had begun to cry from the stench.

After having calmed her down with a little milk – that somehow had miraculously had managed not to get hit, damaged or stolen since our little trip - and a wrap to keep her face hidden from the scent – not that it did much – we finally found our ticket home, well our last passage way to the ladder to our street of choice. It would lead us right across from the air stripe. Luckily it had a motel less than 50 feet from it – convenient – so we were able to get a room.

That's where the last of our funds went, $40 buck for the cheapest motel room near the air stripe. It was $60 but the clerk gave us a break since we were leaving the same time the next day AND I was pregnant. It helped a little. Even the sleazy clerk couldn't refuse a prego and her little bro when he hadn't had any customers at all. I went to lay down on the bed when I felt some dampness to it. Getting up I pulled the first layer away. It looked damp. Soon went another layer.

Now the damp stain was wider. I flipped off ever cover on the bed to discover, the mass of the bed was wet. "I don't even want to know." I backed away. Luckily the motel had carpets so we put our jackets down on the floor and slept. Well Dalton and Eve slept. My shark DNA didn't let me get much sleep. That added to the hopes that we wouldn't be discovered before we were due to leave.

After five hours of sleep that I managed to score Dalton and Eve woke up. We slept the next four hours waiting for time to go by before a half an hour before we were due we left to avoid getting the knock from management. Turning in the key we set off for the air stripe. Doors locked on all sides, even the giant double doors used to open the hanger for the plane, I realized that either he was attending to business inside and didn't want any intrusions or he wasn't there.

Either way we needed in. I backed up a little bit to try and find an entrance anywhere around the building. Seeing the corner of a ladder on the side of the building we needed to get into I shifted Eve in my arms in the sling once again before motioning to Dalton to follow me. Hoping that there was something to land on or use as a way of getting down

once we got in we started to climb the ladder.

"Is this safe for you?" kid probably didn't know what was safe for a female transgenic, I didn't know what was safe for a female transgenic and I was one. "Doesn't matter, my abilities will prevent me from falling. Sides I wouldn't go up or into something unless I knew with certainty that my training and reflexes couldn't hold up." I assured him as we climbed. "But just the same…" I stopped looking down at him. He looked up, "Don't tell Alec. He's a bit over protective." He nodded.

"I've noticed." His response had me cracking a smile. Getting to the top we found a large metal window opening…probably used as a cheap air vent for the place…I surmised as we slowly climbed through it. However there was one slight problem. There was only a set of building beams – our training and reflexes – keeping us from falling from the top of the hanger which was actually taller than it seemed.

Looking down I figured we were more like three stories up, so even with our advanced healing it wouldn't look the greatest for us. Sure a few broken bones for Dalton but for me…it wasn't a possibility I wanted to think on. Sure my reflexes would take the impact in my legs but how would the added weight of my stomach work on stretching? Not to mention what would happen to Eve.

Gem would never forgive me – I would never forgive myself! Eve though just seemed to be having a blast – for the most part - these last few hours. Still the thought of any disruptions that could potentially hurt the babies or me…I don't want to even think about it anymore. Sliding my shoes onto the beam I looked down at all corners of the place using my enhanced vision and didn't see anybody around.

Grateful for the cat within me I walked quietly and quickly across the support beams with Dalton on my figurative and literal tail. "Max how are you getting down? I can jump around till I get down but your not exactly best equipped to doing so." He asked me as I made it to the end. Seeing the cut out for a ventilation shaft in the ceiling of the office that was inside I slipped through there. "See no chances of getting hurt." I answered his earlier question.

Though I wasn't too crazy about Dalton's comment I could get back into the swing of things, it was just going to take some extra training was all. After he slid through we silently walked down the stairs to look for the pilot. The office itself had been empty safe for a few papers lingering around. Walking around I was tempted to call out the guys name when I figured it might be best to have the element of surprise on this one, which is also why I put a hand to Dalton's mouth to shut him up before he could talk.

Giving him silent commands I told him to take Eve and just check around a few areas while I checked the most used areas of the inside of a hanger. The second office that was off in another corner had caught my interest, but more so it was the sounds of more than one person in the office with him. Sneak and creeping up to the door I listened in, "Look fella's I understand that you need the money but I wont get the other half till the broad and the kid's show back up so my guy can pay me."

From the sounds of it our pilot owes money to some loan sharks and we were his last payday. "We're done Ericson. It's just not worth it anymore." Now the pilot sounded desperate. His heartbeat was now going twice as fast seeing that his life was about to be snuffed. "We'll just have to take this loose. It's better than loaning hard earned money to a deadbeat pilot who can't stop spending money in all the wrong places. You have a problem, but were going to remedy that."

I heard a click. I knew that click. It was the sound of the safety being flipped off. My inner soldier demanded I go and save him from being capped but my instincts to protect my child out weighted that heavily right now. I froze. My body refused to let me go and save him, preferring to protect the young baby growing within and Eve that Dalton was currently holding.

The sound of the gunshot was deafening. I closed my eyes at what just happened of what I could have prevented. The immobility of my body started to dissipate and none to later as the gunman who had let his guard down came walking out of the door I had just pressed my ear into. I had no time to blur without being seen. He looked at me as if ready to start spouting off words till he saw my stomach. "Hey ah Eddie!" he called back to the other man in the room.

The other guy came out. While the gunman was around five foot ten, the other one was shorter and fatter, if the jelly roll around his stomach was any indication, "Sorry to bother you guys but we were looking for our ride out of the city. He was suppose to meet us here." I played dumb, pretending I hadn't heard anything. The shorter stubby one smiled, "Why we can give you a lift sweetheart." I hardly doubted I would want him piloting the plane…ever.

"You're a pilot to?" I asked him, fake surprise. He smiled, "Who said anythin' bout flyin'? I was talking bout giving you a ride state side." If I hadn't just heard everything I'd heard I would actually think he was being a sweet and generous guy. He looked to be it to. What a façade he had…however Dalton came jogging around the corner with Eve in his arms, "Hey Max what's going on? I thought I heard…" he saw the men outside now talking to me.

"Oh so you heard the door open up?!" please agree so we can skip on out of here without getting into a brawl…he saw it but they still connected the dots. The stumpy one had a whole new eye to him now. "So you heard everything huh?" shit! I relaxed from the innocent front I had on myself. "We won't tell if you don't." I told him. He seemed weary of my statement.

"Sorry can't take that chance." He went to reach for me, presumably to take with since he probably didn't want to kill a pregnant woman, but my reflexes reacted without my consent. I grabbed the gun and in a lightening fast move that would have made even Deck proud, pulled the pin keeping the slid on it before I pulled the slide off with my other hand.

They looked to me dumb founded. He still tried to shot the gun but by now Dalton had put Eve down in a safe place before blurring over and kicking the gun from his hand and knocking him down and out. The stubby one went to reach for his own gun. Twisting his wrist back, it snapped causing a cry to come from him as the gun he'd been reaching for dropped to the ground. I kicked it away as I grabbed him by the neck and rammed my elbow right into his face. He was out fast than the flick of a light bulb.

"Now what?" Dalton asked going back get Eve as he dismantled the other gun tossed aside from stumpy. "Now we call Alec. Our pilots dead and we have no way else of getting home without running into state border patrol." New York may not have had sectors but the state border patrol was like going through a countries border. New York residents traded in one necessity for another.

"Like we didn't have enough problems on the way." I muttered in irritation before grabbing my phone and dialing. I didn't care bout the men down on the ground I just cared about getting Dalton and Eve safety home, safety behind TC's gates. The phone rang three times causing me to becoming edgy and a bit irritated sounding. "Dix get Alec on the phone!"

The last number I had been calling was in fact the one to TC so I didn't bother going down the 'last call' list to find Alec's number. "What's wrong – you should be there by now!" he said hurriedly. "The pilot's dead." I heard mild cursing in the back round before his voice returned, "Crap…. double crap. How?!" Don't have time for this. "Forget that, I need some else, maybe a friend of his to help me?" anything at this point.

"There isn't anyone else. Let me think…" I didn't say anything hoping my silence would help. "What about you Alec? Don't you have a pilot's license from your Manticore day's." Dix's voice filtered through the phone. "You can fly?!" I was shocked, "Why didn't you ever tell me?" I snapped into the phone. "Cause you would have thought I was boasting or something." damn once again he's right.

"Forget that can you direct me home?" I could fly…right? "Max the last plane I flew was a military - " I cut him off, "I don't care what type I just need a damned quick tutorial flight training. You can help me through this. I need your help Alec." I hated to sound needy but I had no other form of transportation out of New York without going the 'pitch fork' route.

"I can help you but you need and I mean LISTEN to EVERYTHING I say. This isn't riding your bike or jacking a car this is a freaking plane." Swallowing the automatic snap billowing in my throat I replied, "I kinda got how important this was when the news started to broadcast our faces." I tried to make it sound as 'I get it' without the added snap as possible.

"Then listen closely, you'll need the keys. Get them then get the giant doors for the plane open." Doing as he asked with Dalton's help, we got everything needed set up. The next few steps were swift and quick. We jumped into the pilot and co – pilot's seats. "Okay were in the cock pit, I guess. Need to know what to hit and when to hit it." I put the key in as instructed.

Oh god please let the work please let me be able to fly these two innocents kids home safely…I may not be a believer but if this plane landed safety I would seriously consider there being a presence out there. "Alec…?" I questioned, "What next?" he sighed, "The radio receivers on the sides that look like giants head phones with a mouth piece, put them on. You'll need them." he instructed.

Putting them on I gave Alec the frequency so he and Dix could talk to me through the radio and not by cell. "Now please for the sake of all of you listen to my instructions carefully, this isn't changing a battery on your bike." I looked at the board of switches in front of me, "Yah think?" I spat sarcastically. Choosing to ignore it he started instructing me. He guided me through the next several steps, telling me which switches to turn on and what to look for on the radar.

"Okay you'll be up in the air soon. The plane should be facing the double doors you just opened." The question in his statement was hidden, "Yep, ready, willing and able here." I added. I could hear a mumble of something even my transgenic hearing couldn't pick up on before Alec's voice popped back on, "You will have another communication coming through, not from us, we can't jam the signal without it being reported." What?

"What are you talking about?" I asked, "If we jam the radio signal air flight control will demand that you land till they find out who you are. They don't allow any unauthorized personal in the air. Regulations. So when they call you just tell them that the previous pilot is down and you're flying. When they ask what experience you have tell them you've piloted F-16's, F-18's, military air crafts, they'll stay off your back and just keep an eye on you." My eyes bugged out before I could gain control of them.

"Okay…" after nearly ten minutes and a lot of temperature and pressure checks, we were successfully – rockily - in the air. "Okay Dix is hacking into Seattle's air flight terminal systems to get your VOR numbers and approach vectors." I shut my eyes in mild panic annoyance, grateful that Dalton was with Eve in the back. He couldn't see one of his leaders about to have a freak out.

"What - " he cut me off, "Max don't argue with me, don't question me now. You're flying a 20 ton steel bird so just listen!" I know he was trying to help but yelling wasn't helping. "Once you get to the destination I help you from there. Dix has got you while you're in the air." Even though the headphones there were off I used my advanced hearing to listen in on the conversation, "I know you're good with your computers and brain power but if even one thing goes wrong your ass becomes a hat."

I heard Alec's threat to the tiny mutant. I almost felt Dix's tension as he spoke up in a now timid voice, "Okay…Max…" I spoke up, "Were good Dix just don't flake out on me or have a weak moment. I need you." He signed, "Hey listen Alec's just worried. He's got the whole mission with Gem and Deck. I know he trusts you or else he WOULDN'T have left."

Not hearing anything I spoke up again. "Dix you still there?" he gave a slight chuckle. "Oh sorry, I was nodding my head instead of responding." I smiled. "Let's beat this bitch…" I mutter out. I hope this works cause ah…I have no experience in flying these big birds.