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"You good on your Tryptophan?" Max asked Alec as they walked together from the coffee shop to TC's media center, the more-or-less "heart" of the fledgling city.

"Yeah," Alec said rather absently, his keen eyes taking in the subtle yet telling changes he saw in his home as they made their way through the streets. "The stuff Manticore uses lasts a lot longer than the pills we take, so I'm probably okay for awhile." He glanced at Max. "I wish I'd had time to pocket a dose before jumpin' the fence, but my chance came up kind of sudden. Dix could have analyzed it, and then maybe Tryptophan wouldn't have to be the center of our world any longer. Sorry 'bout that."

"You had enough on your mind without trying to smuggle drugs out of Manticore as well," Max said honestly. "Just ... watch it. At the first sign of any seizures returning, dose yourself up." She reached into an inner pocket of her vest and pulled out a small bottle. "Here."

"We're short on supplies," Alec said, holding up his hand. "Keep it for yourself."

"Got more at home, don't worry. I just don't want you going down at a bad time."

"Max," Alec said. 'I should be fine for a couple of weeks on the Manticore stuff. Maybe even a month. 'Least I was before."

"Take it," she insisted, thrusting the pill bottle into his hand.

With a rueful smile, Alec pocketed the offering, finding it kind of hard to get used to someone actually worrying about him, other than Joshua, of course. He was about to say something sarcastic to Max about "mother henning" when the sound of running feet made them both look up.

Dalton, the young X6 who'd weathered the Jam Pony siege with them over a year ago, was hightailing it toward them as fast as he could go, his blonde hair flying in the breeze and the tail of his denim jacket flapping.

"Max!" he cried out. Then it suddenly registered on the youngster who his fearless leader was with, and he skidded to a startled halt. Eyes wide, he stuttered, "Alec? But you're--"

"I was just on hiatus," Alec drawled. "Not canceled."

Dalton blinked large blue eyes, and turned to Max for a rational explanation.

Sighing, and wondering how many times she was going to have to go through this, she simply said, "Manticore had him, Dalton. But he got away. They fooled us into thinking he was dead when he wasn't."

Soldier that he was, the X6 accepted his commander's explanation without argument, his only reaction a large smile splitting his boyish face. His hero had returned.

"What is it?" Alec asked, realizing there had to be a reason for the kid's rush.

"Sir," Dalton said, drawing himself up to attention. "There's been a body found."

"A body?" Max said. "Where? Who is it?"

Dalton shifted his feet and looked down at the ground, his brief enthusiasm evaporating. "It's Kade," he said quietly. "She's dead."

Alec was surprised at the feeling that rose in his chest at the mention of the pretty X5's name. Kade, one of TC's more outgoing X5 females, had been his sex partner a few times in the past. Although he hardly labeled those brief one-night-stands a relationship of any substance, he did consider her a casual friend, not to mention a sister-transgenic. He glanced at Max, and ruefully realized his emotions had been visible on his face. She was looking at him oddly. Had she known about him and Kade? Did she care? But Max's words jerked Alec out of his self-centered train of thought.

"Take us there," Max commanded. "To the body."

*****

The pretty young X5's remains were lying half hidden beneath a collapsing outside wooden staircase that led up to a former living area above one of the older buildings, Halliwell Genetics Lab. Far from the center of TC, this block was pretty much scavanged-out and abandoned. No one had quarters here that Alec knew of, nor was there any reason for someone to be back here at this time of day other than a patrol.

"Was Kade on sentry duty?" Alec asked, catching Luke's eye. The little bald-headed "mule" mutant was bustling around the crime scene, asking questions of his own. He was, after all, in charge of perimeter defenses, and collaborated closely with Mole regarding TC's security. Clued in by Mole that their presumed-dead leader had returned to the living, Luke was able to answer Alec calmly without an accompanying double-take.

"No," Luke said. "She worked in communications. I don't have any idea why she'd be out here in the middle of the day. Oh, and welcome back, Alec. We missed ya."

"This didn't happen in the middle of the day," Mole said. He'd been bent over examining the body, and now stood up, cigar in hand. "From the condition of her, this most likely happened sometime last night." The lizard man looked to Alec. "You knew Kade pretty well," he said. "Did she ever bring her 'dates' out this way?"

Alec glanced around the completely abandoned area, and shook his head. "She had nice quarters," he said quietly. "No reason for her to be out here with anyone." Not really wanting to, but knowing it was his duty, Alec moved away from Max and squatted down beside the blanket-covered corpse. Lifting one edge of the covering, he took a good long look at what was left of the pretty X5. Then he closed his eyes. He had to. Otherwise he'd have vomited. Her throat had been slit from ear-to-ear, and the rest of her body (or at least what he could see of it) was covered with what appeared to be bites. "Shit," he quietly said, fighting for emotional control. He turned to Mole. "What the hell could have done this? It looks like she was attacked by some kind of animal."

"Yeah, it does," Luke agreed. "She's all bit up ... part of her eaten, too -- and don't ask what part. But the problem is, there isn't much blood."

"What?" Alec said. Then he looked down at the ground and realized Luke was right. With the kind of injuries Kade had sustained, the lacerations and that huge gash in her neck, there should have been blood literally soaking the pavement.

But there wasn't.

"Ordinaries didn't do this," a voice said from the back of the crowd.

Max and Alec turned around to see Zack shouldering his way through the onlookers, his lantern-jawed face even more taciturn than usual, blue eyes riveted on Max. "It was one of us."

"We talkin' a Kelpy-type here?" Alec asked no one in particular. "Another psycho-killer on the loose? Great. Just ... great."

"We need to check the surveillance tapes," Zack ordered Luke. "Get Dix to run through them. I think this quadrant is covered by camera C10, but I'm not sure."

"Won't do much good unless you got infrared up and running," Alec pointed out.

"We did," Zack replied, the two words sufficing.

"What about the body?" Dix asked.

"Take her to the infirmary," Max said. "We need the medics to go over her and see if they can figure out what happened."

A couple of volunteers gently lifted the girl's blanket-covered corpse, and headed off for the main TC building which housed their medical facilities.

"You want to come with me and Zack to check the tapes?" Max asked Alec.

But Alec was looking up at the abandoned building, and the partially collapsed staircase. "I'll be along later," he said. "I wanna check somethin' out."

"Not by yourself!" Max said, grabbing hold of his arm.

Alec looked at her, an amused smile on his handsome face.

"Whatever did this had the strength to take down an X5, Alec."

"She was probably caught by surprise," Alec replied easily. He squared his shoulders. "I won't be."

"Don't be an idiot!" Max snapped. She looked around at the dispersing crowd. "No one goes anywhere alone!" she shouted. "No one! We watch each other's backs. And everyone needs to get armed." Spotting Joshua coming down the street she gestured to him.

"Joshua," she said as the dog man neared. "Stay with Alec." She turned to the X5. "You packing?"

Alec slid his Glock 9mm out from the back waistband of his jeans -- another item Joshua had kept safe for him. "Looks like we're gonna have more to talk about at the meetin' tonight than leadership issues," Alec observed.

"Looks like," Max agreed. "Just ... be careful. And get back to base well before dark."

"Yes, mam," Alec replied with a mock salute and a roll of his eyes in Joshua's direction.

"Use your cell if you find anything," she added.

Alec nodded, then together he and Joshua headed for the cement steps that led to the basement of the Halliwell Genetics Laboratory.