Logan thinking – ‘ This is the day I tell Max how I feel. Will she run away from me? What if she does? I’ll be totally lost.’ He walked into the bathroom, looked at himself in the mirror, and took a deep breath. “Hi Max, for some time now, I’ve really really liked you. No, no. Logan, you're being corny. Just be yourself. It’ll be ok. Yeah right, what am I saying? She’s gonna freak!!!!!” He walked out and left to see Max at Jam Pony.
He got there, and opened his mouth to ask Normal where Max was. Without looking up from the papers he was filling out, before Logan spoke, Normal said, “She’s not here. Didn’t show up for work this morning and I don’t know where she is.” Logan replied, “OK, thanks, I think.” ‘Where could she be?’ Logan went home. Something wasn’t right.
He got on his computer, and looked up files on it. He found a headline titled, “Manticore Information-restricted access”. Curiously, Logan logged on into it and easily broke the restriction. It read, “New Info”, and Logan clicked onto that button. There was a whole article about Manticore retrieving one of the twelve missing genetically enhanced and trained soldiers. Logan was frantically searching for the number, when he was kicked off the Manticore Information. He was tracked down as well. But that didn’t matter to him. Only Max mattered, and she needed his help.
Max- ‘Where am I?’ She was laying down on her back, with lights above her, when in her view came Lydecker. “Oh, great.” Max sighed. “It’s over, Max. We’ve got you, and Zack, and 6 others accounted for and taken care of. That leaves four more out there. Most of you runaways are dead, but you, you are a work of art. We’re keeping you.” Lydecker sounded so proud. “I’d rather die,” said Max with disgust. “Too bad for you.” Lydecker nodded across the room. Doctors came in. “What are you going to do to me?” “We’re gonna make you ours. You’ll be our soldier again”. Lydecker intended to erase her memory and enhance her genetic enhancements for better use. Max was gassed with one last whisper, “Logan”.
“Mulder, someone’s been reading our files.”
“That’s impossible, Scully. I encoded the restrictions myself”
“No wonder the hacker got in,” Scully replied, half smiling.
“Well, did you trace it, Scully?”
“I’m not an idiot, of course I did.”
“How long was the hacker on? How much do you think he read?”
“I don’t know. He snuck in pretty well. I didn’t pick his signal up until I scanned the file. The alert didn’t go off. He must be good”
“How do you know it’s a he?”
“I have a hunch.”
“Since when do you get hunches, Scully?”
Scully didn’t answer and got to work. If the FBI found their secret project, Mulder and Scully would be fired for real this time.
Logan thinking – ‘It’s gotta be Max. She must be in trouble. I gotta help her. But I can’t do this alone. I need help. The police, NSA, FBI, and all those other people wouldn’t help take down Manticore. Who knows why but they wont. What am I going to do?’ While Logan was thinking, he heard footsteps come up to his door. “Max? Bling?” He heard a boom and the door fell down. A red haired short female walked in and said, “FBI, we need to know how much you saw now.” She pointed a gun at Logan.
“You’re not with the FBI.” Mulder came in behind Scully, signaling for her to put her gun away. Logan was unarmed anyways and there were two of them, one of him. Then he pulled out his badge to prove that they were FBI agents. Logan smiled, “Then you guys are running an X-File in private. There were inconsistencies in your codes and the FBI’s traditional codes. I read their files all the time. They’ve never detected me. But you have. I take it if your colleges found out what to you were investigating, you’d be in trouble.” Mulder smiled at Scully. “He’s good”.
Scully asked, “So you’re gonna expose us for publicity or money?” Logan gave her an unbelieving look. “I’d never do such a thing.” Mulder, who was still curious, asked, “Why would a hacker like you want to read our Manticore files?” “I needed help”, replied Logan. And he went on, “And I still need your help. That genetically engineered soldier they just got back. I have a hunch it’s my friend, Max.” Logan told the whole story to them, trusting them and hoping to win their help. These guys had connections to Manticore. They could go in and get Max out. Logan didn’t trust FBI, but he had to. He had to for Max.
“Scully, can I talk to you outside?” Scully nodded, deep in thought. Logan topped it off, “Please, she’s the only thing I have that’s worth living for in my life now. I love her, and the last thing I want to do is let her know. Please.” Logan was almost begging for help now, for Max’s sake.
Mulder and Scully stepped outside of the fallen door. “Scully. This is good for us. We can learn more about Manticore and perhaps expose them and their evil ways. Scully hesitated, but knew Mulder was right. Plus, this was for her job. They walked back into Logan’s apartment room. Mulder said, “Ok, Logan Cale, we’ll help you. You get your girl, we get out info and we’re out, understood?” “Yes, and thank you.”
Mulder, Scully, and Logan worked hard long hours of planning, connections, and stuff. Meanwhile, Lydecker was halfway through the process of purging Max’s mind and enhancing her already enhanced genetics. He was so proud to get the girl who had caused him so much trouble already. She was strong willed and would make an excellent soldier, committed and fierce.
He watched the procedure outside the room through a glass window, when one of his men reported, “Sir, there’s been some suspicious activity.” His men were observing Max’s friends and everyone close to her. If they caught on… it would only mean trouble. “Which one?” The man answered, “Logan Cale”. Dammit. Cale would make the worst trouble. “What’s fishy?” The man answered, “Two FBI agents are over there right now.” “Eliminate them all.” “Aye sir,” replied the man, respectfully. When the man was gone to carry out the orders, Lydecker turned back to watch the procedures taking place. He talked to himself, “Max, why do you have to be so hard?” Lydecker shook his head, looking down. Then he walked away.
Logan and Mulder were looking at the blueprints of the Manticore building where Max was being kept. Scully was in the kitchen taking a break and stretching when they heard marching coming up the hallway. “S***”, Mulder said, knowing what was to come next. Scully came in, “Let’s get out.” They went down the fire escape, and ran for their very lives. Cars came after them. They ran all the way to the dock, when with nowhere else to go, they got on a motorboat, and used it to escape yet further. Other boats came after them. Logan, knowing the territory, turned the bend. Scully fell out. “Scully!!!” Mulder yelled. The other boats got Scully. Logan and Mulder got away, but that night, they would have to rescue Max, and Scully. Would it be too late for both of them?
“You what?! They got away?” “Yes sir, sorry sir. We got one of them, sir.” “Bring him in.” Lydecker paced back and forth in the room. Trouble awaited him and he knew it. A red haired short lady was brought in. Lydecker looked at her.
“Hello Lydecker.”
Lydecker nodded, “Scully. What’s the FBI doing?” Scully didn’t speak. Lydecker went up to Scully. “C’mon Scully. Tell me.” She still didn’t speak. Lydecker slapped her in face. She backed away, and put her hand on her face. Lydecker stepped up to her again. “Whatever you do to me, wont matter,” said Scully. “I doubt it Scully. You see, your partner, Mulder has had his eye on you for some time now. And Logan, is he in for a surprise.” Max walked in the door. Lydecker gave her an order. “Max, kill her. I’m sorry Scully. But you and your partner are getting to be too much of pests for us to handle and deal with.” Max came up to Scully, grabbed the cuff of her blouse, and dragged her out of the room.
8:00 pm. Manticore headquarters.
Mulder was tense. If they got Scully, she wouldn’t talk. Therefore, they’d either use her as bait or just exterminate her. This made things way worse. Mulder and Logan were both troubled. They crawled under the perimeter, got through defenses, and neared the building. Max came out, with guns. “Max, I knew you were here. Do you know where Scully is? We need to get her and get out.” Max came closer to Logan and Mulder. “Yeah I know where. I just finished killing her.” At that, Max grabbed Logan and put her arm around his neck, with a gun to his head. Other men came out, and grabbed Mulder. He looked ill, sad, and broken-hearted.
Mulder and Logan were taken into a room within the building. Lydecker saw the sadness on Mulder’s face. “What’s wrong Agent Mulder? Didn’t get to tell your sweetheart the truth? Funny how things work.” Mulder didn’t say a word. Logan asked, “What did you do to Max?” He smiled and answered, “Oh, you mean #32?” Lydecker summoned her over. “I’ve enhanced her genetics to make her all she can be. That’s all I did. Oh, wait, I also purged her memory, to serve me and only me. She’s truly committed. Max, go kill these two as well, then all my troubles will be over. Good-bye Agent Mulder, Logan Cale.”
Max brought both Logan and Mulder down the hall, guns on them at all times. No one talked. She brought them into a room, where Scully laid, lifeless. Max locked the door behind them, and brought a needle out of her pocket. Mulder kneeled beside Scully, as if he were to cry. He looked so puppyish. Max neared Mulder, grabbed his arm. Mulder didn’t resist. He was ready to die next to Scully. “Max, how could you do this to me?” Max didn’t answer. Instead, she pushed Mulder away and gave the injection to Scully. Within 30 seconds, Scully took a new breath of life. She gasped for more air, and came back to life. Mulder grabbed her and helped her up. Soldiers came. They managed to break down the door, and all four were taken back to the room.
Lydecker spoke when they all had entered. “You see Max, something was wrong with the inhibitor in which we implanted in your brain. You have full memory. I’m gonna have to kill you know. You’re of no use anymore. Logan, I’m sorry you have to watch this.” Lydecker pulled out a gun. He put a silencer on it. Max looked to Logan, and then bravely back at Lydecker. He aimed, and pulled the trigger. It sounded, and Max fell, onto her knees, and then onto her back. Logan yelled, “No!!! Max!!!” They let him go to her. Lydecker aimed for Mulder next. He loaded, aimed, and shot. But Scully took the bullet instead. Both women lay on the floor, bleeding badly. Everyone else left the room. Lydecker smiled and said, “I’ll deal with you two later. It seems I have a problem outside.”
Logan kneeled over Max. “Max, don’t leave me, please. He was crying now. Max looked up, smiled. She reached up her hand to touch his face. Logan held it in his hand to his face and kissed it. He held up her head, and his head neared hers. Her hand was on his neck now. They shared a tender kiss, and Max fell to death. “Sleep now Max. I’ll see you soon.” Tears fell out of his eyes, and he lay there, next to Max, breathing slowly, and crying over her lifeless body. There were gunshots outside. Something inside told him to go, to run for his life. So he did. Little did he know, Max was one step behind him the whole way.
“Scully, you’re going to be ok.” Scully awoke in a hospital on a bed, and Mulder was sitting next to her. “Mulder? Am I dead?” Mulder shook his head and smiled at Scully. “Then how?” Asked Scully. There was no way. Scully felt a sharp pain in her stomach. “You took the bullet for me Scully. It was fatal, to your stomach. You were internally bleeding.” Scully wanted to ask something, but Mulder beat her to it. He stood up, and put his finger to her lip. “Just listen, Scully. The doctors repaired the damage, but they said you would die from lack of blood.” Scully couldn’t resist.
“Then why am I here now?”
“That Max donated all the blood you needed.”
“But she died. I saw it.” Mulder bent down to whisper to Scully.
“That’s what it says in the records. That’s exactly what they wanted us to believe.” “Who’s ‘they’? Manticore?” “We don’t know.” “I don’t get it Mulder.” He kissed her. She didn’t hesitate to kiss him, intimately, back. “Don’t try to Scully. Our file was closed down. Skinner is cleaning our mess up and is also boiling mad at us, but he’ll get over it, he always does. No one else knows about it.” They kissed again. “Any more news?” Scully asked. “Yeah Scully. I almost lost you twice yesterday Scully. I don’t ever want to loose you again. That’s why I want you to know, that I love you, Scully. I love you.” He kissed her again.
Two days later, Mulder took her home with him. And that night, their lives together had just begun. Later on, Mulder explained that the trouble outside was the FBI and the NSA and other Federal tribes to save them all. Before Mulder and Logan went in, they called Skinner for back up. Also, that Logan never made it out. They shot him down at the perimeter.
“What if they’re still alive out there somewhere?”
“Scully, I saw them both get shot and fall to death. There’s no possible way.”
Scully wore a sad look on her face. It was confused as well, but very familiar with all the government conspiracies going on and the losses and confusion of truth. They always seemed to be so close to getting something, but it’s always just out of reach or taken from underneath them.
“It’s not fair Mulder.” She began to sob at the experience.
“What’s not fair Scully?” He walked over to her, and held her in his solid arms.
“What happened to them. We lived. We’re here, talking. What happened to them?”
“Shh. It’s over Scully.” Scully gave in.
But, how could Max donate her blood if she was dead? If Logan was dead, how could Logan’s Eye’s Only still be run under the same alias? Somewhere out there, Logan and Max existed. Yet, how? As mindless drones? With the government? Or together, living a loving and passionate life? Who knows?
-The End-
