Asha�s Apartment – the next morning

Alec squeezed his eyes shut against the sunlight that forced him
awake. He attempted to turn away from its unwelcome presence and groaned
with pain. Moving more slowly, he pushed the blanket covering him aside
and sat up, rubbing his face with his hands. He looked over and saw
Asha asleep in the chair beside him, her legs pulled up against her
chest and her head resting on her knees. A tattered old blanket was
sliding off her shoulders.

�Hey.�
Alec reached over and gave Asha a gentle nudge. At his touch, Asha instantly
woke up.

�Hey,
yourself.� She looked at him intensely.

�Have
you been sitting there all night?� Alec asked softly, meeting her gaze.

�How
are you feeling?� Asha asked, concern evident in her eyes.

�Great!�
Alec grinned. �I�m a fortunate beneficiary of the amazing recuperative
powers of the X-series.�

�Liar,�
Asha retorted. �Let me get you something for the pain.� She climbed
out of the chair and stretched for a moment, then walked to the bathroom,
returning with a bottle of pills that she then handed to Alec.

�Pretty
potent stuff,� Alec whistled softly. �That�s what Logan�s on.�

�How�s
he doing?� Asha asked.

�Not
good. He can barely stand on his own,� Alec answered, concern clouding
his face.

Silence
fell upon the room as both Asha and Alec became absorbed in their own
thoughts.

�So,
are you going to take a couple of those, or are you just going to contemplate
the label for a few more hours?� Asha asked, finally breaking the silence.

�I�ll
pass.� Alec set the bottle down and stood up, stretching stiffly. �I
just need to work the kinks out.�

�You
sure? You don�t have to play superhero to reassure this frail, human
female.� Asha stepped closer to Alec, her
expression mischievous.

�Frail,
human females have proven to be very valuable,� Alec grinned back. �A
guy doesn�t have to fear for his life around them. And I�ve discovered
they have many talents.�

�Such
as?� Asha questioned, her eyes locking on Alec�s.

�My
memory fails me,� Alec replied with a glint in his eyes. �But being
one yourself, perhaps you could provide a demonstration.�

�I
think I can accommodate,� Asha answered, her face and voice deadpan.
She reached out and pulled Alec toward her, kissing him softly on the
lips. They leaned into each other, deepening the kiss, holding each
other close. After several moments, they stepped back, soft smiles playing
on their faces.

�I�d
better head back. The troops get antsy without my entertaining presence.�
Alec gave Asha a sly smile, then headed for the door.

�Don�t
pull any more stupid scams!� Asha shouted after him.

�Never
in a million years.� Alec winked at her before opening the door and
disappearing down the hallway.

Roof of Command Center, Terminal City

Max
stood by Joshua�s flag, facing the crowd of transgenics that gathered on the roof of Terminal City. The
spillover ran down the stairs and onto the courtyard below. Logan and
Alec wove their way through the crowd, finally making it up the stairs
and finding a place beside Joshua, near the flag. Logan caught Max�s
eye, giving her a soft smile.

Max
returned the smile, then turned to the crowd. �It�s been 24 hours, people.
I�ve been keeping in touch with Clemente out there. The siege is officially over.�

The
crowd stood silent for a moment, then broke into an exuberant cheer.
Alec grabbed Logan�s hand, raising it in the air. Joshua wrapped his
arms around Max, then turned to Alec and Logan, enveloping both in his
arms. Logan strained to look over Joshua�s shoulder, then caught Max�s
eye and laughed out loud.

Max
looked at Logan, a pleased grin on her face. �Listen up, people!� Max
shouted above the crowd as Joshua released his grip on his friends.

As
the crowd quieted down, Max�s face sobered. �I know we all want to celebrate
our new-found freedom, but we need to stay in the game. Our local vigilantes
are going to do everything they can to create trouble for us.

�Stay
in small groups. Don�t call undue attention to yourselves. Stick to
the main streets. No looking for fights in the back alleys. I don�t
care how good you are at kicking ass. The last thing I want is another
Biggs.�

The
mood sobered as the crowd nodded its reluctant agreement.

�One
final thing,� Max said, turning to look at Joshua�s flag again. �We�re
finally here, people. We got what we wanted. We�ve got our chance to
stand in the light. It�s not going to be easy, but I can promise you
one thing. It�s worth it.�

Logan
looked at Max once again, their eyes locking as he nodded in agreement.

Command Trailer, Outside the Gates of
Terminal City – later that day

Another
boisterous crowd had gathered at the gates of Terminal City. For the
first time, though, the gates were open.

The
police had managed to cordon off a ten-foot-wide path leading from the
gates. A slow but steady stream of transgenics made its way down the path, heralded by the taunts
and congratulatory cheers that alternately came from the crowd.

Some
officers reached out their hands in a congratulatory gesture. Others
stood back, aloof, coolly doing their jobs.

Bennett
Cale took off his glasses and cleaned them
where the incessant mist fogged them. He�d abandoned his car a few blocks
back. It was impossible to move in the chaos surrounding Terminal City.
Arriving at the Command Trailer, Bennett knocked on the door.

A
very harried Matt Sung flung the door open and looked at the well-dressed
man before him. �As you can see, we are very busy around here. Unless
you have pressing business, I suggest you make an appointment downtown.�

�I�I
need to see Logan Cale,� Bennett quickly replied.
�I understand he�s in there.� Bennett pointed toward the perimeter fence
surrounding Terminal City. �I thought you might help me with a pass
or whatever I needed.�

�We
don�t exactly hand out visitor passes to Terminal City.� Sung directed
Bennett into the crowded trailer. �Exactly how do you know Logan Cale?
Mister��

�Cale.
Logan is my cousin�It is important that I see him,� came the reply.

�Mr. Cale, in case you haven�t noticed,
we�ve got a lot on our hands. Facilitating family reunions is not a
priority right now.� Matt glared at Bennett impatiently.

�Look,
Detective, I need to see my cousin. Are you going to help me or should
I try other means?� replied Bennett coolly.

�Entering
Terminal City without authorization is a punishable offense.� Sung looked
at Bennett, then turned and spoke softly into his phone. Moments later
he looked back at Bennett and said, �I�ll walk you to the gate. After
that, I can�t promise you anything.�

North Perimeter Fence, Terminal City

Joshua
and Gem patrolled the north perimeter fence, watching the crowds as
transgenics made their way out the entry gate.
As they approached the gate, they noticed Cain and Regina walking towards
them, carrying overloaded backpacks.

�Cain,
where you headed?� Gem called out, as she and Joshua hurried to catch
up.

�Hey,
Gem, Joshua.� Cain stopped and smiled at them. �Got myself a gig in
the French bakery downtown. Seems there�s a shortage of French pastry
chefs in Seattle.�

�That�s
great, Cain,� Gem smiled, a hint of envy in her expression.

�I
knew that stint I did in Paris a couple of years back would pay off
some day,� Cain grinned.

�You
taking Reggie with you?� Joshua asked.

�Yep.
Got us a little place not far from the shop. Reggie starts school on
Monday. It�s a tragic story,� Cain added with a mischievous wink. �We
just moved up from Tacoma. Our parents were killed in a horrendous house
fire. We lost everything. All our documents were destroyed, too. My
boss was very understanding, helping us to get new IDs.�

�Are
you sure you�ll be okay?� Gem asked, caution in her voice.

�Yeah.
He knows. My boss, I mean. He�s cool with it,� Cain added, sobering.
�Reggie and I are the only ones left from our unit. This is our chance
to make a life.�

�Good
luck,� Joshua smiled. �You�re free now.�

�Yeah,
good luck,� Gem added wistfully as Cain and Reggie joined the transgenics
heading for the gate.

�Gem,
where will you go now that we are free?� Joshua asked as they returned
to patrol. They stopped for a moment to observe the police patrols on
the other side of the fence.

�I
don�t know, Joshua,� Gem answered, her face creased with worry.

�I
have a house. Baby needs a house, a family,� Joshua said thoughtfully.
�I can take care of you and Elfie.�

�I
don�t know, Joshua,� Gem repeated. �I don�t know if it will be safe
for us out there.�

�It�s
not,� Mole interjected, joining them by the fence. �No way this is real.�

�It�s
real,� Joshua said quietly.

�If
it�s so real, why are we doubling patrols?� Mole challenged.

�Additional
precaution due to the unexpected speed of resolution,� Gem said matter-of-factly.
�I�m not kidding myself–we can�t all march out of here at once in a
celebratory parade.�

�You
got that right,� Mole spat out. �Doesn�t matter if we�ve been granted
amnesty or not. We�ll always be freaks.�

�I�m
free,� Joshua insisted.

�Just
look at yourself, Joshua. Look at me.� Mole yanked his cigar out of
his mouth. �The only place we�ll ever belong is in the sewers.�

He
stared at Joshua and Gem. Adding with a hint of sadness, �We�ll never
be free,� he tossed the cigar on the ground and walked away.

Terminal City

Dix
walked quickly across Terminal City, followed by a stunned-looking Bennett.
They stopped in front of an old lab building. �He�s on the second floor.
I�ll take you up.� Dix walked Bennett to the door of Logan�s room before
turning and quickly retreating downstairs.

Bennett
stared after Dix for a few seconds, then raised his hand to knock, only
to have the door open. Logan stood there.

�What
are you doing here, Bennett?� Logan turned, walked back into the room
and looked out the window. He whirled to face Bennett. �Didn�t you say
enough at the house, or did you find a few more bricks to hurl?�

�Logan�look�I
said some things�I didn�t�� Bennett came to stand next to Logan. �You
and I were always partners in crime as kids. But it�s more than that.
We have a connection. That�s why I asked you to be my best man, even
though it really pissed off Dad.�

Logan
stood silent, turning back to the window and fixing his eyes on the
broken pavement three stories below.

�We did some wild things together. Do you remember when you were
ten and you hacked into Dad�s computer? He had �Bennett loves Lucy�
scrolling across the bottom of his screen for days. I thought he was
going to kill you. I thought I was going to kill you.� Bennett laughed
out loud. �Your dad thought it was hilarious, but he grounded you for
three months anyway and you just accepted it. It was like, �I did it
and this is my punishment.�� He turned to Logan, sobering a bit.

Logan
stifled a small laugh, still staring out the window. �Bennett, why are
you bringing this up now?�

�I
never completely understood you�I think I might finally be getting a
picture of what makes you tick�� Bennett said softly. �Logan, Dad�s
death was not your fault.�

Logan
didn�t say anything.

�If
anything, I�m more responsible. I worked for the company. I should have
known what was going on,� Bennett added more emphatically.

�You
didn�t expose him, Bennett. I did,� Logan said to the window, unable
to face his cousin, his voice thick with emotion.

�The
Cales are very good at causing each other
pain. We�re masters of the art, but, Logan, I�m not letting you run
away from our family.� Bennett put his hand on Logan�s shoulder. �You
may not want it right now, but you are a member of my family.�

�Bennett��
began Logan, finally looking at Bennett, his eyes reflecting a grief
from deep within him.

�Logan,
don�t say anything right now�just think about what I�ve said�� Bennett
held Logan�s gaze, his eyes revealing a similar sadness. He looked away
and walked toward the door. As he turned the doorknob, he felt a hand
on his arm.

�I�ll
walk you back to the gate,� said Logan. Together they walked down the
stairs.

Crash – that night

Max
stood with her back to the bar, watching with a half-smile as the crowd
celebrated. The Jam Pony crew was partying hard with Trig, Glory and
several other transgenics from Terminal City.

Alec,
with a beer in hand, walked up and leaned on the bar beside her.

�You
did a good thing, Max,� Alec said quietly, keeping his eyes on the crowd.

�Huh?�
Max turned and looked at Alec with confusion.

�Letting
them come here.� Alec raised his beer toward the crowd.

�I�m
not a prison warden,� Max shrugged.

�Yeah,
but if you hadn�t given the okay, they wouldn�t have come,� Alec insisted.
�They listen to you, Max.�

�They
deserve some freedom,.� Max looked at Alec with concern. �I don�t know
if I can keep them safe. I get this feeling that something is going
on.�

�Speaking
of something going on, the weirdest thing happened to me last night.�
Alec looked at Max, his expression suddenly serious.

�Let
me guess, you met a girl,� Max said sarcastically, then looked at Alec
sternly. �More likely you decided to head out on your own and had to
do some impromptu ass-kicking with our vigilante friends.�

�I
wasn�t exactly alone,� Alec covered.

�Whatever
that means.� Max rolled her eyes.

�I
was checking on this lead Sketchy tipped me on, the latest super juice.
Makes andy look like sugar pills.� He pulled
a vial out of his pocket and handed it to Max. �It was weird, though.
It was like the dealers recognized me. The moment they saw my face,
they forgot about making the sale. They were after me, Max. They were
prepared. I barely got out of there.�

�What?�
Max looked at Alec in shock.

�There�s
something going on, Max,� Alec said intently.

�I�ll
check into it,� Max said with a worried expression. �Keep them together.
When they�re done here, everyone goes back to Terminal City. No solo
sightseeing trips tonight.�

�You
got it, Max,� Alec nodded.

�I�m
heading out,� Max said. �Take care of yourself.�

�You
too, Max,� Alec shot back.

Sketchy
bounded into Crash as Max headed out. He ran down the stairs to where
Original Cindy and the other riders congregated. Original Cindy looked
him up and down.

�Well,
lookie here, if it ain�t Superboy.
Where�s your cape, sugah?� she said, grinning at him.

�Dudes,
you wouldn�t believe today–no hangover. It�s like I didn�t drink at
all. I delivered all my packages and had plenty of time to fulfill my
extracurricular activities. You know, chasing down leads and stuff.
I am on my way from the hell that is Jam Pony. Hey, I�ll get the next
pitcher of beer.� Sketchy bounded off to the bar.

�Now
I know that boy�s sick. Sketchy offering to buy beer. I have officially
seen everything.� Original Cindy turned back to the table.

�Yeah,
well, I�ll believe it when I see it,� Sky mumbled, slightly jealous.
�Maybe I�ll get some of that juice.�

�Don�t
make Original Cindy slap you upside your bald head, fool. You don�t
have no idea what you may be asking for.� Cindy looked up at Sketchy
with a worried expression.

Sketchy
was telling his story yet again to anyone who would listen. �And then
I used a right-left combo��

Mac,
a guy with a high tattoo-to-teeth ratio sitting at the bar, said, �Shut
up, man. I am so sick of that story�so you got in a few lucky punches�big
frickin� deal.�

�Are
you dissin� on me, man? ‘Cause we can take
care of this right now.� Sketchy assumed a pugnacious pose, ready to
try out his skills on another victim.

�Sketchy,
you fool, don�t go makin� no trouble!� Original
Cindy called as she tried to intervene.

Sketchy
ignored her and headed out the door, followed closely by Mac. Sketchy
turned, only to be met by Mac hitting him square in the jaw. Sketchy
staggered back, then quickly assumed a defensive position. He danced
around, saw an opening and threw a punch at Mac�s ample midsection.
The punch never landed as Sketchy�s face was
met one more time by Mac�s fist. Sketchy folded up and collapsed onto
the ground.

�I
don�t want to hear anything more about your fight, weasel�got it?� Mac
looked at Sketchy in disgust and left.

Original
Cindy ran to Sketchy�s side. �Sketchy, you
okay?� she said as she knelt down beside him.

�I
knew that stuff was too good to be true.� Sketchy looked at Original
Cindy through unfocused eyes. �I wish something would be what it seemed
for once.� He wiped his bloody nose, got up and staggered off with his
head down, not looking back.

Committee Headquarters

Rex
Selkirk walked down the hall to the large, well-appointed conference
room. He smiled as he entered, nodding to the group of well-dressed
people waiting.

�Ladies
and gentlemen, I think we can bring this meeting to order. We have a
lot to cover. I have received very useful information from Agent Martin.
He planned to join us today, but unfortunately he was detained by an
ongoing investigation,� Selkirk said.

The
people at the table began to murmur expectantly. �Exactly what might
that information be, Rex?� said an older man with a badly broken nose.

�First
things first, Matthew, I will get to that�As you well know, the bringing
down of this arm of Manticore hurt us and set back our plans by several
years. We are slowly beginning to rebuild our genetics program, but
it will take several years to implement fully. To that end, it is necessary
to recapture as many transgenics as possible.
We need the genetic information they hold, and they can be quite profitable
as well.� Selkirk smiled in a predatory fashion.

�Precisely
how do you plan to do that, Rex?� asked Kathryn Birman. �The siege has
the transgenics effectively protected, even though the police
would believe otherwise.�

�Ahh,
well, this is part of the good news. I have spoken with our fine governor
and she has seen fit to lift the siege for humanitarian reasons. Soon
the transgenics will wander into the wide
world, making them easy pickings for our people.�

�I
wouldn�t exactly call a transgenic ‘easy pickings’, Rex,� another member
of the Committee said dryly.

�You
have a point, Harriet, but they are more vulnerable alone than in a
group. We do have specific targets in mind. It is imperative we recapture
452, 494, and if we knew the location of 599, we would take him as well.
These are the best and most important genetic sequences we have. All
the others are bonuses,� replied Selkirk.

�What about Lydecker? Is he a viable option for us? He seemed to
control the transgenics well and has invaluable
knowledge we could use,� wondered Harriet Short.

�I�m
afraid Colonel Lydecker is lost to us, Harriet,� sighed Kathryn Birman.
�All my research indicates he is putting together an elite strike force
of transgenics. He has several recruits from
the escapees and it seems he has been able to elicit the cooperation
of several of the �09 escapees as well. He was bitten once and it is
unlikely he would make the same mistake twice. Too bad–we could have
used him, even though he cost us dearly when he helped 452 in her little
adventure.�

�What
about the Familiar threat?� asked Matthew. �Are they contained?�

�It
appears that Colonel Lydecker has been of significant assistance on
that front. But we�ll have to keep an eye on the dear Colonel.� Selkirk
paused for a moment, smiling. �I have one more thing to tell you. We
have an important new weapon to use against 452.�

�What
would that be?� asked Kathryn.

�Our
informant inside Terminal City tells us that 452 is in love with a human.
We now know who that is.� With a flourish, Rex Selkirk threw a picture
of Logan Cale on the table.

South King Street, Sector 7

Max
gunned her bike down South King Street, her hair whipping in the wind
of the rare rainless November night. Suddenly, a flash of movement in
an alley stopped her in her tracks. Almost by instinct, she turned the
bike and headed down the alley. Two hundred feet ahead she saw a teenaged
girl with her hands cuffed behind her back, struggling furiously with
two men who were trying to stuff her into the trunk of a brown sedan.

�Gentleman,
it looks like the lady doesn�t need a ride tonight,� Max said as she
skidded in, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

In
answer, two Taser probes shot out from the
car and embedded themselves in her chest, sending painful electricity
coursing through her body. She allowed herself to fall off the bike,
using it to break the connection. A split second later she was up again,
somersaulting over the bike. A half-second more and she had the driver�s
door open and the driver�s face slammed into the steering wheel. Ducking
the Taser probes fired at her from behind, she pulled the driver
out of the car, yanked his weapon out of his hand and the keys from
the ignition. She flipped the lock, slammed the door and hurled the
keys onto the roof of a building down the alley.

�Guess
we�ve got a little problem getting home,� she snarled as the man behind
her tossed his spent Taser to the ground and
lunged at her, his fists flying. She blocked his blows, flipping quickly
onto the roof of the car to gain a vantage point. With surprising speed
he followed her onto the roof, shadowing her moves. They fought intensely,
trading punches and kicks, each blocking the other�s blows.

Seeing
that she had reinforcements, the teenager made another effort to free
herself, kicking off from the trunk of the car and flipping behind her
captors. She fell quickly to the floor, sweeping the legs out from one
of the men. The other avoided her maneuver and brought a foot crashing
into her chest, leaving her gasping for breath on the pavement.

Max
continued throwing punches and kicks, unable to break through her adversary�s
defenses. Suddenly, his punch broke through, landing on her cheek and
snapping her head back. He came at her again, intending to capitalize
on his advantage. In a fury, she charged toward him, landing a boot
on his ribs. The momentum sent him flying off the car and crashing into
the wall of the building.

The
teenager�s attacker pulled her up by the hair, yanking her to her feet.
�You try that again, you�re dead,� he whispered menacingly into her
ear. She responded by throwing her head back into his face, forcing
him to step back. She jumped into the air, swinging her arms under her
feet and bringing her still handcuffed hands in front of her. As her
attacker stepped forward, she slipped behind him, bringing her arms
over his head and cutting off his airway with the cuffs. He fought furiously,
trying to shake her off, but she held on with everything she had.

As
he began to collapse, his partner stood up and ran toward them, ready
to rip her away, only to have Max intercept him with a vicious kick
to the face. He too fell to his knees, holding his hand over his mouth,
which was gushing blood.

Max
flashed a quick hand signal to the girl, who an instant later was seated
behind her on the bike.

�I�m
sorry, Max,� she shouted into the wind as they peeled out. �I got separated
from my group.�

�How�d
you get mixed up with these guys?� Max asked.

�They
came out of nowhere,� she added contritely. �I tried to get away, but
they got the jump on me with a Taser. They were really good, Max.�

�A
little too good,� Max said thoughtfully.

Alley
Near 4^th Street, Sector 7

�Wow,
I didn�t realize how big Seattle was,� said Lynn, turning to the X6s
walking with her. �Listen, I know you guys want to explore, but I want
to go back. You go on without me. I can get back by myself.�

�Max
said we should stick together. I�ll go back with you,� replied Peter
with obvious disappointment.

�No,
Peter, go on. I�ll be fine. I�m an X6–I can take care of myself.�

Peter
looked at Lynn and then the rest of the group. �Okay then, be careful,�
he called over his shoulder as he ran to catch up with the others.

Lynn
turned down the alley, walking quickly, avoiding puddles and potholes.

�Hey,
pretty girl, where you going in such a hurry?� A drunk came out of the
shadows, lurching toward her, all fetid breath and bad teeth. Lynn reacted
instinctively by grabbing the man and tossing him easily away from her.
She ran down the street, not noticing another man who quickly pulled
a cell phone out of his pocket.

�We�ve
got one heading west toward 4^th Street�move!� He followed
Lynn at a safe distance.

Lynn
was walking quickly when, suddenly, a brown sedan cut in front of her.
Two men jumped out, and before she could turn to run, they pulled out
Tasers and began using them to subdue her.
The jolts of electricity ran through her body, allowing the men to place
handcuffs on her wrists and throw her into the trunk.

She
didn�t know where they were taking her because the car kept driving
around in circles. Lynn was completely disoriented by the time she reached
their destination. Unceremoniously, they dragged her from the car and
into a large, nondescript industrial building. Inside, she was dragged
to an examination room. There, she was stripped of her clothes. A cold
voice came from the shadows. �Designation.�

�X6-713,�
Lynn replied, trying to cover her nakedness, embarrassed.

A
tall, predatory man came out of the shadows and leered at her. �Don�t
worry about the clothes, 713. We will provide you with all you need
in your new home.

�Ave,
examine her, make sure she�s healthy. Oh, and get rid of the hair. She
won�t need it here.� The man turned and walked from the room.

�What
is��

�Be
quiet. Do not speak unless spoken to. Understand?� The woman with a
red burr and dead eyes indicated to Lynn to sit on the table. She quickly
and efficiently examined Lynn, taking blood samples as needed. She never
spoke or looked directly at Lynn. When she finished, she gave Lynn a
pair of gray hospital scrubs. She then shaved Lynn�s head.

Lynn
looked at the long, dark hair lying on the floor and began to cry. She
was led away into another room with large steel cages and just enough
room to stand or lie down. The door of the nearest cage was opened and
Lynn walked into hell.

End Act IV