The sun was peaking over the horizon, and Max needed to get to the Jam Pony (or is it Pony X-Press?) or she'd hear it from Normal. Not that he'd actually fire her,
but the constant threats were beginning to get on her nerves. He'd gone over the top with the whole Theo deal.
<*-*-*>
"Hey, welcome to your job," Normal greeted Max sarcastically. "I've got a package here for you to deliver, and it's already an hour late. And, I'll be happy to take
that off your check."

"Don't start, Normal," Max said calmly. She wasn't in the mood to bicker with her Buddy Holly wannabe boss. Her pager buzzed, and Max looked around. She
grabbed the package from Normal's hands, and rushed to her bike. It was Logan, just as she'd suspected.
<*-*-*>
"What's up?" Max asked, talking quietly into the payphone.

"Where are you?" Logan inquired. Max squinted at the street signs. The silence irratated Logan. "Listen, just get here quick!"

"Logan, about last night," Max started, but the line was dead. Get it together, Max. You just work for him. You do his legwork and he keeps you alive. Nothing else,
she told herself. But, Logan seemed angry with her. Why do you care? He's just some guy, Max screamed to herself.

Pushing the thoughts out of her mind for the moment, Max delivered her package quickly. Then, with little effort, she pedaled at a high speed towards Logan's
apartment. Bringing her bike with her so it wouldn't get swiped, Max let herself into Logan's place. He was in his office, doing an "Eye's Only" report. When finished,
he manuevered his wheelchair in order to face Max.

"I've found one," Logan told Max, handing a manilla folder to her. She took it into her hands, feeling nervous. Before opening it, she looked at Logan, who'd turned
back to his computers.

"Thank you," she wanted to say, but just couldn't bring herself too. Shaking her head, she looked down at the folder in her hand. Slowly, she opened. There were
pictures, and sure enough the bar code was visble. This was a male, and Max tried hard to remember him.

"He slept three beds down from me. He and Zach were friends," Max reminisced (i don't know how to spell this...) out loud. Logan nodded, and Max sat down on
the couch outside his office. Logan rolled himself out there, and "parked" in front of her.

"He's somewhere in Seattle. I could run a check if you want," Logan stated. Max looked up and Logan was smiling. She smiled too.

"But, there's something you need me to do, right?"

"You guessed it," he replied, rolling back to his office for more paperwork.
 

"Max, I'm sorry about the things I said last night," Logan practiced. He was sitting in his apartment alone, awaiting Max's return from her latest assignment.
Sighing, he went over the events last night.
~*~
"I got the money," Max stated, handing Logan a bag. "I borrowed some of it for a new jacket." She showed Logan a rip in her leather coat. Her pants were
smeared with dirt, among other things. And her hair was wet and disheveled.

"What the hell happened? I thought you said it'd be easy," Logan asked angrily. Max shot him a nasty look, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm not in this to be criticized. I do the work, and you don't complain," she stated.

"How am I not supposed to complain when you've nearly gotten yourself killed every other night this week?"

"You're not so good in the combat department yourself, are you?" Max said, gesturing towards Logan's wheelchair. Logan didn't say anything.
"I have to go, I'm not hanging around this sappy place anymore."

"Max," Logan called, but she was already out the window, making her way back down the ground. "You could have at least used the door," he said into the
empty air.
~*~
"Do you always sit around and sulk?" Max asked Logan, shaking him from his thoughts. "This guy I was supposed to find-- "

"Yeah?"

"He's dead," Max said suddenly. Logan looked at her confused.

"That's the whole point, Max," said Logan.

"You don't understand, he was dead long before I got there. And all the evidence was gone."

"What?!" Logan exclaimed, nearly toppling out of his wheelchair.

Max studied Logan's face as he prepared another "Eyes Only-Streaming Video" from outside his office.

<Warning the planet about some other damn scummbagg who's out for everyone's money,> Max told herself. She turned her thoughts to the manilla foler
Logan had given her a couple hours before.

Suddenly, her arms began to jerk and she could feel sweat to begin to form on her face.

"Max?" Logan called, trying to turn his wheelchair around. Max reached for something to hold onto-- something to break her fall. The crashing sound of
some of Logan's espensive sculptures caused his heart to race. If he could only get the damn wheelchair to coroporate.

~*~
"Max, help! My leg," screamed Aaron. Max looked back. Aaron had gotten under a tree limb somehow. There were large men headed right for Max and
Aaron, and she didn't know what to do.

She ran quickly, something they all did well, to free Aaron. The men, dressed in black security uniforms were only a couple feet awayas Aaron and Max
bolted towards freedom
~*~

"Where the hell is the triptophane?" Logan questioned, dumping stuff out of Max's bag onto his lap. Her seizure continued, and she was falling in and out of
conciousness.

~*~
"Aaron?" Max yelled. He'd been walking right behind her, where could he have gone. "Aaron!" She heard gunshots nearby, and began to run again. She
could only assume Aaron was safe.

Stumbling onto the road, Max looked around. She heard something coming and held her breath. It was a woman in a car--
~*~

The seizure was getting worse, and Logan continued to search for the pills that would set Max back to normal-- at least for the time being. Logan knew that
Max may never be normal, not with Lydecker after her.

Max, barely concious, tried to pulled herself up. Noticing, Logan wheeled over to her, and helped her lean up against the back of his couch. With jsut
enough strength, Max reached for her pocket to her tight leather pants, her head falling to the side.

<Leave it to Max to try and save herself,> Logan thought, wishing for once that Max wasn't so damn stong willed. He eased himself to the ground, and
slowly crawled next to Max-- using only his upper body strength, for obvious reasons.

"Let me help you," Logan offered, setting Max's hand on her leg.

<It's a good thing she'd barely concious,> Logan thought as he slid his hand into her pocket, <otherwise I wouldn't survive this little venture.>

Sure enough, deep in Max's pocket were nearly ten triptophane pills.
 

<Couldn't keep them in a bottle,> Logan lectured Max in his head.

It wasn't long before Max had recovered from her shakes, but Logan had fallen asleep while waiting. When realizing the weight on her shoulder was
Logan's head, Max stood up quickly and rolled her eyes. Logan's body slumped to the floor.

"It's a shame I've grown to care about you," Max sighed with disgust, knowing very well Logan couldn't hear her. She picked up his body and placed him in
his wheelchair, hoping secretly it was comfortable enough to sleep in, but guessing it wasn't. "Why the hell would you get out of it anyway?"

Quietly, Max snuck into Logan's office and sat down. Bringing up a search window on the computer Logan did research on, Max typed in Aaron Zerkeland
(the last name from the file logan had given her).

1607 Market Street
Seattle
Apt. #6

Max tried not to smiled with satisfaction as she scribbled down the address on Logan's computer screen. She gathered her things, putting everything Logan
had dumped out of her bag back into it. Logan barely stirred when she slammed the door behind her.

There was a payphone in the bottom of Logan's building, and Max used it to call Kendra.

"Kendra," Kendra said on the other line.

"I'm at Logan's. How do I get to Market?" asked Max.

"Just, umm, go down two blocks, turn left, the go down one more block," Kendra told Max, after a moment of thought. "What's up?"

"Just a package. I'll be late tonite," explained Max. Kendra laughed.

"What else is new?"

~*~

Max carried her bike into the apartment building, hoping Aaron wouldn't mind if she brought it in with her.

If he even lets me in, Max told herself. If Aaron was as smart as he was when they were younger, (which Max was certain he was), he wouldn't just let
some stranger in.

She knocked three times and stepped back. Inside she could hear footsteps and wondered what she'd say to him when he opened the door.

Unlike Max had expected, the door swung open and a male near Max's age smiled. No cracking the door to see who was out there. No looking through the
"peep hole," (as far as Max could tell). He hadn't even asked who it was.

"Max?" Aaron guessed. His smile broadened, and he invited Max in-- who was in shock that he'd recognized her so quickly.

"Nice place," Max observed, picking up a peice of very exspensive looking crystal. Her eyes floated from the crystal to the back of Aaron's neck, whom
(obviously) had his back to her. She resisted the urge to reach out and touch the visible barcode-- to make sure it was real.

But why wouldn't it be? Max asked herself. It's not like anyone else in this damn city or country knows about us.

"Would you like something to eat?" offered Aaron, turning towards his guest. Max shook her head, and looked around.

"God, she said, "I never thought any of us would have so much money." Aaron laughed somewhat uneasily, looking around his rather posh apartment.
There was a long awkward silence between the two, and Max began to feel a little uncomfortable.

Maybe I shouldn't have come, she wondered. But if she hadn't, she knew she wouldn't have been able to live with the thought that Aaron was out there
somewhere and she knew EXACTLY where. A knock at Aaron's door broke the silence, scaring both of them. Aaron swallowed hard, and looked at the door.

"Excuse me," Aaron whispered, and Max lowered her eyebrows in confusion. Why did he look so nervous?

There were men at the door, Max could tell by their voices. But, they were talking to Aaron too low to hear. Not that Max wanted to eaves drop, it was just
that well, he was acting a bit odd. Then again, Max had only met him a couple minutes before, and didn't know what sort of character he'd developed since
Manticore. There were footsteps, and Max stood up to greet whoever had decided to drop in.

"Max," Aaron said, coming into the room with five men dressed in black security uniforms. Next to them was a man with greying hair and a walkie-talkie in
one hand. He wore a suede brown coat over his plain blue shirt. "I'd like you to meet our creator, Lydecker."

"We've met," Max said, suddenly disgusted with the fact that she'd lead herself into a trap. She walked slowly up to one of the guards and held out her
wrists, ready to be handcuffed.

The guard, a young brown headed male, looked to Lydecker for approval, whom nodded.

"It's a shame," Max said to Aaron, "we could have been close, ya know?" Aaron looked at his feet. The guard prepared to place the silver handcuffs on
Max's wrists when she grabbed both of his and twisted his arms behind his back, quickly handcuffing them together. A second guard jumped at her, and
she blocked his jump with the brown headed guy, knocking them both out in the process.

There were three guards, Lydecker, and Aaron left, but Max wasn't afraid. She jumped in the air, and while spinning extended her legs and kicked at two of
the guards. They fell back, holding the spots Max had just injured.

"Get her," Lydecker yelled.

The room Lydecker was holding Max in was not unlike the room she and Maria were going to live in at the Warden's
quarters before they escaped. (And killed the warden for that matter). While observing her new environment, Max
noticed she wasn't alone. Lydecker was sitting scross the room in a wooden chair.

"What are you staring at?" demanded Max, sitting up in the bed.

Lydecker didn't make a change in his serious countenance as he stoof and walked to the opposite side of the room. Max
looked up at him, and there was a silence between the two of them. Creator and creation. Enemies. Max clenched her
fists, but Lydecker beat her to whatever she could and wanted to do, by raising his hand and coming back down hard on
Max's right cheek. She let out a gasp, falling to the side slightly and holding the right side of her face.

"What kind of idiot do you take me for?" Lydecker questioned angrily. Max, who'd been avoiding his eyes since he'd hit
her, stared at him now-- seething with anger. This angered Lydecker, and he clutched up Max's dark locks, and then
pulled her to the floor.

"Go to hell, Bastard," Max whispered hoarsely. Lydecker tightened his jaw, and pulled Max's hair up towards him, and
over, revealing the barcode-- Max's whole identity. He smiled now, with delight.

"You're a prototype. A genetically engineered being," stated Lydecker. "YOU belong to ME, and now that I've got you--"

"What the hell are you going to do with me?" Max inquired, cutting him off. Lydecker laughed, and let go of Max's hair,
letting gravity take it's toll. Max grunted with frustration.

"As you know, I'm sure, what we believed at the time was a perfect soldier, is of less quality than expected."

"The seizures," Max said. Lydecker nodded, clasping his hands together behind his back. He paced the small room.

"Now that we've discovered the whereabouts of two of our faulty test subjects," he paused, and Max cringed at the
thought of being a "faulty test subject." "We can continue our research, and create the REAL perfect soldier."

"You're overlooking something, though," Max told him. He looked at her for further explanation. "I have a neurological
condition, Dumbass," she stood up quickly, "I can still fight," she told him, cocking her head to the side. She then
furiously threw a punch at Lydecker's head. He grabbed her wrist, though, he fist just millimeters from his face. Max
looked up at him in disbelief, and swallowed hard.

"You see, we expected something like this," Lydecker whispered into Max's ear, after twisting her body around by her
arm. (Much like she'd done with the guard at Aaron's). "And, we're very prepared." He pulled a syringe from the pocket
of his dark slacks. Max struggled, trying to free herself.

"Fuck you, Lydecker," Max screamed. "You won't get--" Max trailed off when the needle punctured her skin. And as the
needle slid in to her, Max slid out of conciousness.

"Hello?" Logan said into his phone. It was already eight in the morning, and the only thing waking Logan from his
slumber was the ringing of the phone.

"Logan? It's Original! Where the hell is Max?" Original Cindy asked. "Normal's in a pissy mood and if Homegirl don't get
her ass here by at least eight-thirty, things could be ugly."

Logan looked around, (and in the process discovering a crick in his neck from sleeping so long in the wheelchair).

"She's not here," he observed. "Have you tried Kendra?"

"No, I mean I figured since--"

"Stay on the line," Logan ordered, cutting Original off and nodding once to himself. He set down the phone and wheeled
to his office to retrieve his cellular phone. He dialed Kendra and Max's aparment while returning to the other phone.

"Kendra," Kendra said into the phone.

"Kendra, it's Logan. Original Cindy says Max has yet to show up for work. Could I talk to her?" asked Logan.

"Well, you could, but she's not here," Kendra told him.

"When was the last time you heard from her?" wondered Logan, alarmed suddenly of Max's safety and whereabouts.

"Yesterday when she called from your house," Kendra stated. "She said she had a to deliver a package, and needed
directions."

"She must have left when I'd fallen asleep," Logan suggested to himself. "Kendra, hang on a second." Logan picked up
his apartment phone. "Original?"

"So, what's the dealio? Was Homegirl around?" said Original Cindy.

"No, Kendra said the last time she'd heard from her was yesterday when Max was leaving my aparment. She mentioned
Max had asked for directions for a package she was delivering."

"Hold up, Max is a bike messanger, why the hell would she need directions?" asked Original. Logan shrugged.

"Something doesn't sound right," he told her. "Let me call you back, Original Cindy. Maybe Kairos knows where she is."

Logan hung up with Kendra as well, just in case Max called his cell phone. Then he dialed Kairos.

"Yeah?" Kairos said, answering the phone.

"Max is missing. Have you talked to her since yesterday?"

"No," Kairos said simply.

"You'd better get over here," Logan told her.

~*~

Kairos arrived in just under ten minutes.

"Kendra says Max called her at around five or six yesterday asking for directions," Logan explained.

"That doesn't make any sense, Max is a bike messanger--"

"Yes, Original Cindy and I have already established that. Come in here," Logan told her, motioning her to his office.
Kairos followed his wheelchair. He stopped in front of his research computer and pointed at the screen. "When I came in
here after I got off the phone with you, I found this."

"It's an address for Market Street. Who the hell does Max know on Market Street?" wondered Kairos. Logan typed
something into his computer and pictures of Aaron flashed onto the screen, along with the information about him that
Logan had given to Max.

"Recognize him?" asked Logan. Kairos nodded touching the screen where Aaron's barcode's picture was. "Kai, are any of
you rich?"

"Jesus, Logan, how the hell should I know? I haven't seen of them since we escaped! It's not like we have Manticore
family reunions and discuss our financial situations or--" Logan held up his hand.

"Kai!" he said. "God, sorry I asked!" Kairos rolled her eyes.

"Well, it was a stupid question," she told him angrily. "Now, could we please concentrate on finding Max?"

"I was looking up some stuff about Aaron's--"

"Aaron?" interrupted Kairos. Logan nodded.

"Him," Logan said, bringing Aaron's picture back up onto the screen.

"I know who he is, damn it! What does he have to DO with it all?"

"Oh," Logan said. "Right, well, the past couple of years Aaron has been moving from one homeless shelter to the next.
Then, a couple months ago he moved into an apartment on Market Street," said Logan. Kairos shrugged.

"So, he's off the streets. Big deal!" she said. "How does that help us find Max?"

"The apartment complex he's living in, Cheviant Studios and Apartments, is one of the most expensive in Seattle. I also
checked recent purchases made by Aaron Zerkeland," Logan told Kairos. He brought up a list of merchandise
accompanied by prices for each item. "Furniture, dishes, crystal statuettes, etc. All totaling to a very hefty sum."

"He's got money, what's your point?" Kairos asked with irratation. Logan turned his wheelchair towards Kairos.

"All the checks were signed by Lydecker."

"What is all this shit?" Kairos asked, speaking of the military looking equipment lying on Logan's dining room table.
Logan smiled, wheeling over to the table. He picked up one of the three guns lying on the table and turned it over in his
hand.

"Pre-pulse US Military equipment. Easy to conceal bullet proof vests, bugging devices, sound sensitive ear peices, guns,
it's all here," Logan told her. Kairos looked at him surprised. "I called in a few favors."

"Damn, Logan! I was only gone for a couple hours," stated Kairos. She and Kendra had been covering for Max at the
Jam Pony X-Press. Normal had been reluctant to let them, but business was at an unusual high for nine in the morning,
and Normal needed all the help he could get.

"Well, like I said, a couple people owed me some favors," repeated Logan.

~*~

Parked in front of Aaron's apartment building, Logan and Kairos went over the plane one more time. Before they'd left
Logan's place, he'd given Kai a heavy, though safe, dosage of the stronger Tryptophan to hold her over for the next
several hours. He'd also provided her with some extra of the regular strength Tryptophan pills, just in case Max needed
them.

Then, making sure Kairos had everything, she got out of the car and went to Apartment #6. She took a deep breath,
and knocked. The door opened, and Aaron smiled at Kairos.

"Kai," he said. "It's good to see you! I must say, I was surprised to get a call from you!" He offered her a hug, but Kairos
brushed past him into his apartment. He sighed and closed the door.

"Let's get to the point," Kai told him. "I know you're in cahoots with Lydecker."

"I don't know what you're talking about," insisted Aaron.

"Don't play dumb with me, okay? I may have been the youngest," she told him, "but that didn't make me the most
unintelligible." She paused, then said, "Truth is, I haven't been doing so well these past few years. I owe the Sector
Police major dough, not to mention jail time, and there are severael other people after my ass for ripping them off as
well. Basically-- life's been rough."

"What do I have to do with it?" asked Aaron, merely curious, not angry or anything. Kairos worked up some tears.

"I wanna go home, Aaron," she whimpered, looking to him for comfort.

Logan saw a black car and black van, both with very tinted windows, drive up and Lydecker and his men get out. They
went into the apartment building, and returned a couple minutes later with Kairos. Neither of them made eye contact,
but Logan knew Aaron had fallen for Kairos' trick. As the car, followed closely by the van, drove past Logan pretended to
be fumbling with his radio.

Round one, he said to himself. Hold on Max.

~*~

Kairos wondered how far and how long they'd ridden in the van when it stopped. There were no windows in the back,
so she couldn't see where they were, or whether or not Logan had been able to keep up without looking suspicious.
She hoped, for sake of getting away, they weren't far from the city. And she hoped even more, that Logan had been
able to follow-- because who cared how far away they were if they had no get away car?

"Come with us," a bulky security guard told Kai, pulling her arm roughly. She fought the urge to make a face and call the
guard a rather insulting name.

"Where are we?" she said instead. Lydecker, who'd gotten out of his car, (obviously), smiled and put a hand on Kairos'
shoulder.

"You're home," he told her. Kairos forced a smile and followed them into a very large and futuristic, (even for 2019, which
isn't, by the way, vey far in the future), looking building.

~*~

Logan wasn't sure how accurate the mile counter was on his car, but it was displaying 16 miles, (from Logan's, not
Aaron's), and that seemed good enough for him. When Lydecker's car and the black van parked, Logan sped past and
then parked his own car out of view. All he could do now was listen and wait. (Kairos had one of the "sound sensitive
ear pieces" in her left ear and Logan had the other end in his ear. In other words, Logan was able to hear everything
going on inside the building as long as Kairos was there).

~*~

"All right, let's go," a guard told Kairos. They were standing next to a receptionist type counter. Lydecker had
dissappeared, along with many of the other bodyguards. There were only three or four standing around. Kairos slowly
unzipped the coat she was wearing, (which was lined with a thin, yet strong bullet vest), eyeing one of the security
cameras. Under it, was a small and powerful hand gun. She pulled it out and pointed it at the guard.

"I turned myself in. And I'll do whatever you want, but I get to see Max first," she demanded, waving the gun in his face.
The guard reached for his own gun, but Kai's enhanced reflexes got there first. She unloaded it and dropped it to the
floor. Kai pointed the small gun at the other guards standing in the corridor. They held their hands up, dropping their
weapons as well. "Let's go."

"Where?" asked one of the guards. An older male, who had the most crystal blue eyes Kai had ever seen.

"To wherever Lyfu-- Lydecker is holding Max," Kairos told him.

"This way," he said. Kairos followed him through halls and doors and more halls. Finally, after what seemed to be an
eternity, he pulled out a key ring with several keys and unlocked the simple wooden door in front of them.

~*~

Max was startled to hear someone unlock the door. The shots Lydecker had been giving her the past couple hours were
starting to make her gittery, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stand many more.

Just part of the process of disection, Max said to herself. When the door began to open, she felt her heart sink.

Why the fuck did I let myself fall for that damn trap?! she asked herself.

~*~

Kairos couldn't help the gasp which escaped from her lips when she saw her sister's state. Kai and Logan hadn't put
anything in the plan about Max not being up to escaping.

"Give us a minute alone," Kairos pleaded.

"All right," the guard told her, clearly not pleased with the idea. "But, give me that gun." Kairos handed it over almost
too quickly, and then went to Max. The guard closed the door behind him as he left.

"Are you all right?" Kai asked, sitting down on the bed next to Max.

"He's been giving me," Max said. She closed her eyes. "every half hour he comes in--" Max put her head into her hands,
trying to stop the tears that she didn't want Kai to see.

"Max what happened? What'd who do to you?" Kairos asked, trying to get Max to look at her. Finally, she just took
Max's shoulders into her hands and turned Max towards her. She looked into her sisters eyes, searching for the answer.
"Please just tell me!"

"You have to get out of here, Kai," Max told her. Max carefully pulled up her sleeve, exposing the places where Lydecker
had been giving her the shots.

"I'm gonna kill that son of a--" The door clicked open and Kairos didn't finish her sentence. It was the guard. Only,
Lydecker was with him now, and he had another syringe in his hand.

"All right, time's up, Ladies," Lydecker told the girls. Kairos stoof up in front of Max. Smiling sweetly, she put her hands
behind her back.

"I'm so glad," Kairos began, pulling a second gun out from under her shirt, "we found each other," she continued,
slipping the gun to Max. Max stood up, relying somewhat on Kairos.

"That's good to hear," Lydecker said, lowering his eyebrow at Max. "Is there something wrong?" Lydecker questioned
Max.

"Max is fine," Kairos said.

"Max?" asked Lydecker. He'd hadn't known that the soldiers had given themselves names, though it made sense. "Very
fitting," he commented, "cause you are the maximum of every capability available to modern man." Kairos tried not to
laugh at this.

"Gee, thanks," was all Max could say.

"Come on," Lydecker said to Kai. Kai smiled, then turned her back to Lydecker, facing Max. They looked at each other,
and something strange happened, something unexplainable, something that could only happen between sisters. Max
smiled, and Kairos turned back around, whipping out yet another gun, (she's loaded...).

"You know, now's not really good for me," Kairos said. Lydecker's eyes fell to the gun in Kai's hands.

"I thought you took her firearm away," raged Lydecker. The guard gaped.

"I- I did, sir!"

"Well, then how'd she get it back?" Lydecker yelled. The guard held up the gun he'd taken from Kairos earlier.

"It's right here," the guard said. Lydecker grabbed it from him, pointing it at Kai and Max. Kairos smiled.

"And unloaded," she told them. The guard pulled his loaded gun out of his holster and pointed it in Max and Kai's
direction. But they weren't there.

"Over here," Max said, finally speaking. She was on the left side of the room, Kai on the other.

"Okay, very funny," Lydecker told them. "Games over." Lydecker called for security on his walkie-talkie.

"Sorry," Max said, cocking her head to the side. "Gotta blaze."
And with that, she kicked Lydecker hard in the face, Kai, knocking the gun out of the guards hands at the same time.
They high-fived each other then strolled out into the corridor. All the while, Max hiding that she was in pain.

Outside, there were about ten security guards dressed in black uniforms rushing towards Max and Kai. The sprinted, but
Max had a hard time keeping up. They were only twenty feet from the building's exit when Max fell to the cold tile floor.

"Kai!" she screamed. Kairos turned on her heels and rushed back to Max. The guards were gaining on them, and by this
time Lydecker had recovered. He was leading them, and the odd thing was they weren't running or in any sort of hurry.

"Come on," Kai told her sister, helping her up. Suddenly there was a loud clap and now Kairos screamed. "Damn it! God,
damn it, you mother fuckin' son of a bitch!" she yelled over and over, holding her shoulder.

"Kai, what is it?" Max asked. Kai moved her hand from her shoulder. It was bleeding profusely, and Max's eyes widened.
Exactly the reason she despised guns. They made her nervous, and they were too dangerous for their own good.

"Max," Kai said like a small child, swallowing hard. Max thought she was going to explode. Kai was right, Lyfucker was a
son of a bitch.

"Can you stand?" she asked, closing her eyes tight as she stood up herself. Kai got up, wincing. Then, without warning
at all, Max turned and held up the gun Kairos had given her. She shot and shot not caring what she hit.

After a couple seconds, Max dropped the gun, looking at her hands ashamed. Some guards had been injured, and even
Lydecker was lying on the ground in pain.

"Let's get away while we can," Kai yelled. Max, unable to control her emotions over what she'd done, nodded, letting
Kairos lead her out of the building.

"You can't leave," Lydecker whispered painfully. But Max and Kairos were already gone.

~*~

Max slept in the car on the way back to Seattle. Logan knew a couple people at the hospital downtown that treat both
Max and Kairos without any questions.

~*~

A couple weeks passed and Kairos' shoulder recovered quickly. In the genes. Max, who'd been given high dosages of an
"unidentifiable" depressant, was out and about again. Normal had even spared her her job, though he swore it would
be the last time.

~*~

Max sat on top of the Space Needle, hugging her knees.

It was probably the scariest thing that's happened yet. But, that's twice we've been able to escape from Lydecker's
grasp, and more than likely won't be the last," Max thought to herself.

So, I guess I owe Logan one. Maybe I can save a friend of his from being killed off by some sort of law-breaking
ambassador. Or not. I'm just glad he's knew what to do, cause without Logan's help I'd be lying on a lab bed right now.

And then there's Kairos. We're not sure what we'll do about Aaron turning us in, but I'm sure it won't be something
negative. Times are tough, and even I have done things before that I regret.

Maybe now that Kairos and I know that we make a great team, we can find the others easier. I'd like that, and I think
she would too.

Max's pager buzzed.

"Damn," she said. "Logan can't live a minute without me..."

THE END

(not the best ending in the world, but i hope you guys enjoyed the whole series. thanks for reading.)