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With more than a little bit of relief, Max watched on the surveillance video screen as Alec and Joshua walked away from the Halliwell Genetics Lab building. The cameras were set on motion detectors, and usually only activated when triggered by movement defined by body heat. However, she'd had Dix put this one in constant mode so she could keep an eye on the lab while the two were inside. Surprisingly, nothing had shown up on the cameras with regards to what had happened to Kade. It was as if her assailant had been invisible -- a thought more than a little bit worrying to Max because, where Manticore was concerned, invisibility wasn't outside the realm of possibility, Kelpy's camoflauge abilities being a perfect example.

Zack came up behind her, also watching the oddly matched pair as they talked to each other while headed down the street.

"You really love him?" Zack asked her quietly.

"Yes."

"Why? What's so special about him, Max? From what I've seen, he's not even a good soldier. And you've said yourself he lies sometimes, is self-centered, and you can't trust him. Or is it that, after so much time spent with Logan, you now crave someone more unpredictable in your life just for the excitement?"

"Alec has honesty issues," Max admitted as she continued watching the dog man and his "unpredictable" companion on the monitor. "And sometimes he's self-centered."

"Sometimes?"

"Not about things that count," Max said defensively. "He's changed, Zack. Not a lot, but enough. It's like Alec's grown up over the past two years. When he was first freed from Manticore he was a kid in a candy store. He just wanted to have fun. But then slowly, he began to care about more than just himself. Joshua, me, O.C., his other friends at Jam Pony ... even Logan ... we all began to mean something to him. We became his family."

"Alec still only cares about himself, Max," Zack snorted. "He'll always be selfish that way. It's how he was raised ... how he survived Manticore."

"You're wrong," Max said, absolutely certain of her words. "Alec loves me, and he loves his family. He's proven that over and over the past year -- risked his life for all of us. He didn't have to go with me to rescue Logan from the Breeding Cult. It was a suicide mission. But he did it for me, and because he considered Logan a friend. And everything he's accomplished in Terminal City ..." She waved a hand around, indicating the people and buildings.

"--he did because he wanted to make money," Zack said darkly.

Max smiled a little bit. "That too," she conceded. "But mainly, whether he admits it to himself or not, Alec helped build TC up because he wants to help his people. The profit margin is just his excuse so no one will guess what a big heart he really has."

"Max," Zack pleaded. "You're romanticizing a Manticore soldier. You know what Alec is. You know how he was programmed. I'm telling you, he can't be trusted. It's not his fault, but he can't be. Besides," the big X5 added with a growl, "he's too pretty."

Max reached out and tapped the computer keyboard, switching to a different monitor so she could continue watching Alec and Joshua on the street. Pretty? She teased Alec all the time about that, calling him "Pretty Boy." He had, indeed, been gifted with some of Manticore's most physically attractive DNA. Studying Alec analytically, she noted his lean hard body, full sensuous lips, high cheekbones, and large hazel-green eyes. Add to that an intelligent forehead, firm jaw line, perfect nose, and sun highlighted dark blonde hair that looked even better mussed than combed, and the guy was, indeed, a candidate for the cover of "GQ Magazine."

Alec pretty? In a way, yes. But not so much as he'd been a couple of years ago, Max realized. Now, there was a character line or two on his face, and a glint of experience in those gorgeous eyes that made him more handsome than pretty -- more man than boy. And, whether anyone else believed it or not, it wasn't even Alec's looks that she loved the most, or his wit, or his intelligence, or even how good he was in bed for that matter. It was his soul -- a soul that had survived Manticore.

Alec had potential -- huge potential.

"Max?" Zack said. "Hey, snap out of it."

Max shook her head, realizing she'd been staring too long at the screen.

"They're almost here," Zack said, tapping a key and switching the monitor off.

Max turned and looked toward the entrance of the media center. Half a minute later, the obviously weary subject of her daydreams and Joshua walked through the door. The dog man was carrying something, a package.

"Luke said to give you this," Joshua said, handing Max an object wrapped in plain brown paper. Scribbled on the front in longhand were the numbers "four five two." "He said someone left it by the front gate."

Alec was peering over Joshua's shoulder. "Gifts?" he said. "Max, don't tell me you've got a secret admirer." His attention flickered to Zack who scowled.

"Not that I know of," Max said as she tore off the paper. Her eyes widened slightly at what was revealed -- a videotape.

Silence. Then, "I don't suppose it could be good news for a change?" Alec said. "It never is."

"Let's find out," Max said evenly, turning to one of the monitors that had a built-in videotape slot.

Alec's hand on her wrist stopped her from inserting the tape. "Uh, Max," he said in a low voice. "Considerin' what was on the last video I saw, are you sure you shouldn't maybe look at this in private?"

"I've got nothing to hide," Max said coolly.

"Fine by me," Alec said, backing off, his hands held defensively in the air. "Just don't say I didn't warn ya."

"Consider me warned," Max said as she pressed "play."

"Maybe it's just something from one of the news stations," Luke offered from the back of the room as the screen brightened. "Channel seven might be trying to get us to comment on that string of break-ins everyone thinks we've been pulling." But the little mutant's voice trailed off as everyone in the room saw what was really on the tape.

It looked like some kind of war games in a field -- Manticore -- soldiers dressed in military fatigues crawling on their bellies with live ammo firing over their heads. Then one soldier leaped to his feet and blurred for what was apparently the target, a dummy strapped to a wooden post in the center of the action.

"What the ...?" Mole said, taking the cigar out of his mouth as he stepped closer to the monitor. "Hey, Sweetcheeks," he said to Alec without turning around. "That's you. At Manticore's base this summer?" He stared at the X5, as did everyone else in the room including Max.

Alec was standing rigid, fists clenched at his sides, his attention riveted to the screen.

"Geez!" Luke said loudly. "That's a real guy and--" His mouth dropped open. "Alec just broke his neck."

"Alec?" Max whirled and looked at him, her eyes wide with shock ... questioning. "What is this? What did you do?"

"War games," Mole said with a wave of his hand. "Simulations. Manticore gave us death row inmates to practice on." He eyed Alec. "Not my favorite pastime, or Gorgeous here's either I imagine. But hey ... You do what you have to do."

"Alec!" Max demanded, no one else in the room as far as she was concerned.

"Lydecker left the tape," Alec said. He swallowed, his jaw working. Eyes narrowing defensively, he tried to explain. "It was him or me, Max. If I hadn't killed the guy Lydecker was gonna start cuttin' pieces outta me. As it was, I hoped he'd clear me for an outside mission so I could escape. I had to prove myself."

"By murdering someone!" Max shouted. "In cold blood?"

"Max, it was the only way! That kid was dead anyway. If it hadn't been me, it would have been the next soldier up."

The others in the room, even Zack, were shuffling their feet ... looking away.

"Max, I am what I am," Alec said. "I can't help that. I'm X5. So are you. We were created to kill, and I admit it sometimes comes a little easier for me than it does for ordinary humans. But believe me, I hated doing that. I get no pleasure from killin' kids, or most anyone else for that matter. But like Mole said, I did what I had to do."

"That's always your excuse!" Max said coldly. "And I've bought it over and over again."

"It's not an excuse!" Alec shouted at her. "It's a fact of our lives!"

"It's called situational ethics, Alec," she said scathingly. "Something you're good at. You're a real moral guy so long as it suits your needs. But if there's more profit on the dark side, you hop right over the fence."

"Yeah," Alec said bitterly. "It's situational ethics all right. The same kind of ethics you used that night you spent with Lydecker."

"You gigantic ass! That was to save your life! And it has nothing to do with this!"

"It has everything to do with this, Max, damn it! You did what you had to do to save my life! Well, I did what I had to do to save my life, too! And I'd do it a hundred times over again if it meant getting back to you! I forgave you! I understood! Now, it's your turn to forgive me!"

"What are they talking about?" Mole muttered to no one in particular. "I don't understand what they're talking about. Why the cat fight?"

Joshua rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Alec ..." Max looked as if she was about to burst a blood vessel in her fury. "Just ... go away. I don't want to look at you right now. I can't even--"

"Max!" a voice louder than any other roared.

Everyone looked at Zack.

"Give the guy a break. You were just tellin' me how wonderful 494 is, and now you're rippin' the poor guy to shreds just because he did something you consider unethical so he could extract himself form an extremely perilous situation."

"Murdering someone in cold blood is unethical," Max retorted.

"Not when it's your life or theirs," Zack said, his tone hard. "Alec's right. That kid would have been dead in another minute or two anyway. He had absolutely no control over that. All he could do was survive."

Alec was watching the other X5 suspiciously, but he was also keeping his mouth closed.

Max looked from one X5 to the other. Breathing heavily, her anger was still almost palpable. However, the fire in her eyes slowly dimmed as she regarded her indignant lover. "Fine," she finally said. "We'll call it even then. My night with the devil for your act of murder."

"What the hell's she talking about?" Mole continued to grouse. "Does anybody understand?" He looked desperately around the room, but no one was even attempting to explain, the tension between the X5s too hot to touch. "What night with Lydecker?"

"I'll see you at the meeting tonight," Max said coolly as she brushed past Alec, heading out into the main parking garage.

"Where you going?" Alec asked, grabbing hold of her arm.

Max looked pointedly down at his hand, and he quickly let go.

"To get some air," she said, her tone not inviting discussion.

Everyone was still gawking at them.

"Are we all right?" Alec asked.

"No," Max said. But then, in spite of herself, she reached up and lightly touched the side of his face. "But I'm pretty sure we will be."