Her senses were first aware of the unusual but comforting warmth around her. Then came the pain... A keen and unbearable torture. She opened up an eyelid and cringed as the buzzing in her head grew louder. The sunlight from the window making her feel as if a thousand needles were being thrust into her brain through her eyes. Her vision was hazy and blurred.
*What the...* Max brought her hands to each side of her head and tried to remember the events of the previous night. She could remember alcohol, lots of it... It had left a bad taste in her mouth.
*Tequila! * She felt her stomach heaving in protest at the thought.
As her eyes adjusted to the light, she looked around and realized she was lying on her couch, in her living-room... And two strong arms were holding her tightly.
*Alec!?!* Her head shot up and she saw him sleeping soundly.
What was he doing there? Had they...? Max shook her head in disgust. She was still fully dressed and so was he. She sighed in relief.
"'Morning, Sunshine!"

*Damn, he's awake!* She didn't bother to look at him but she could feel the smirk spreading across his face at the back of her head.

Alec wasn't quite sure how she'd react. After all she had been the one asking him to stay and snuggling against him before going to sleep. At least, he had behaved like a gentleman and had not taken advantage of the situation.
He felt her tensing against him.
"Get off me!"
*OK* He sighed. This wasn't going to be good!
As soon as she stood up to go to the kitchen, the room started spinning and she began staggering. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to stop the pounding, and swore loudly.
"My, my, my... You're obviously not a morning person!" Alec was still on the couch, watching her painfully approach the coffee maker.
"Just shut up!" Max really felt like smacking his head on the wall. But she wasn't in any state to kick anybody's ass.
Finally she made it to the kitchen counter. She inhaled deeply to appease the nauseous feeling that was rising through her whole body.
"You're not that fast for an X5... Must be the lack of training!"
She ignored the comment and started to prepare the coffee struggling to prevent her hands from trembling.
"Need help maybe?"
This time she turned angry eyes in his direction.
"Would you please shut the fuck up? Man, you're like a convenience store... You just never close!"
He tilted his head to the side and smiled.
The door of Original Cindy's room suddenly swung open and the woman herself stepped out with sleepy eyes. She looked from Alec to Max and scratched her head.
"Don't mind people trying to sleep!"
Max glanced at her friend guiltily.
"Sorry, it's just that..." She turned her eyes in Alec’s direction, letting the cup she was holding fall to the floor.
OC shrugged, closed her eyes and sighed.
"No problem boo, I had to get up to go to work anyway..." She slowly walked to her roommate's side and took the spoon from her hand. "Let me do that... And go get yourself a bottle of aspirin and a shower! You look like Hell!"
"Geez, thanks..." Max seemed unable to move though. She raised a finger to silence Original Cindy who was about to say something. "Just give me a minute!" Alec felt it was time to make himself helpful.
"I can give you a hand with the shower if you want..." Both girls cast irritated looks in his direction.
"Well, don't say I didn't ask..."
Max eventually made her way to the bathroom and waited for the water to start running in the old pipes.
The young transgenic stood up and went to join OC behind the counter. The woman stared at him for a while and smiled.
"What?"
"You're such a flaming imbecile, Alec!"
Seeing that she was done with preparing the coffee, he turned to the fridge to check its content.
"You want me to cook a little something for breakfast." He said seriously, eyes concentrating on the little food that was left, thinking hard of something he could prepare.
Cindy started giggling behind him.
"You're kidding me, right? You actually know how to cook!?" Disbelief was readable all over her face.
The X5 closed the fridge and answered with modesty.
"When we were sent for long missions in the field, we had to feed ourselves somehow!"
OC nodded. She took a green file that was left on the counter and handed it to Alec.
"We don't have time to have breakfast... Bip, Bip... But I think you might want to take a look at this before we go to work." She winked at him. "And I'm gonna get you a T-shirt or something..."
She went to her room; leaving Alec in peace to study the papers she had given him. He sat on one of the stools and enjoyed the silence and the scent of freshly prepared coffee filling the room.
He opened the file and studied the information carefully. His mind racing through all the data, processing every single detail. This was what he had been designed for... He switched into full-scale soldier mode: The location, the settings, the security system, the guest list, the catering personnel, the musicians, and the guards... He was already assessing every possibility to come up with the best scenario.
Max came out of the bathroom fully dressed. Her hair still slightly wet from the shower she had taken to clear her head. As she glanced across the room she noticed that he didn't even look up. He was completely absorbed in the file he was reading... The file! She raised an eyebrow.
"Who told you that you could touch that? This is none of your business... Isn't there a girl you need to peep at?"
She reached for the papers and pulled them out of Alec's hands. She heard him groan.
"Oh, come on Max! You know you can’t do this by yourself... I'm not even sure that both of us would be enough!" She turned away from him walking to her bedroom. She couldn't care less what his opinion was on the subject. She knew it wasn't going to be a piece of cake but she wasn't a novice.
"Did you at least look at these? The guy has his own little army... It's not Logan's apartment. The 'sky-way' entrance is out of the question; it's too risky. You need to go in through the entrance-door... And I know how WE can do that."
Max stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes. Wretchedness slowly invaded her. She felt so tired... She looked back at him.
"Ok, I'm listening... This better be good!"
Alec beamed in victory.
"All you need to do is to find a decent evening dress and I'll be picking you up at 1900."
The young woman looked at him with a frown.
"I think you'll have to tell me a little more than that!"
But he only smirked and took the towel that Max had around her neck.
"Nope. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to freshen up!"
And the bathroom door was closed.

***
Max was still fuming as she walked into Jam Pony, OC remaining a few paces behind. Normal noticed their early entrance and smiled ironically.
"Hmmm... To what do I do the honour of this..." - he looked at his watch -"... early arrival! Are you actually really sick?"
Max passed him by without acknowledging his presence. Original Cindy, however, took the time to stop in front of him and whispered in his ear.
"Normal, you'd better get off her case... I think the anger management classes her Doctor sent her to didn't work!"
Normal looked at Max who was loudly banging the door of her locker then back at OC who was fighting hard not to laugh.
"Maybe I'll give you a few minutes to gather your things before I give you the packages."
"Yeah, you just do that!"
Cindy walked away from her boss when he picked up the phone, which was ringing again. She sat on the bench behind Max and watched her pacing around.
"He is so conceited... What’s he trying to prove? I'm supposed to be the one in charge but he keeps on doing whatever HE wants to do. And now this... We have a mission to complete and he is acting like a spoiled little brat. How am I supposed to prepare myself if I don't know what the plan is?"
Original Cindy looked at her nails seemingly unmoved.
"Well, why don't you just trust him? Ya' know he's never gonna do anything to put my gal' at risk...."
"I don't know the inner workings of his twisted mind! I can't afford any uncertainty here! Eyes are on us even more than before... My coming back here was dangerous enough as it is, I don't need to lose more people than I already have!" Max was trying to keep her voice low so that nobody but OC would hear her. Her friend stood up and leaned against the lockers.
"Are you listening to yourself, Boo? You're turning into the exact thing Manticore wanted you to become... The perfect little soldier! I know it's serious stuff you're dealing with right now, but you have to learn to rely on your friends." She wiped away a lock of hair from Max's face. "And if he screws up... I'll take care of his transgenic ass!"
At the same moment, Max's cell-phone rang and she rapidly took the device out of her jacket.
"Yeah!"
"Max, is that you?"
"Do I sound like the Easter Bunny to you?"
Logan closed his eyes and sighed. She was still angry with him.
"I tried to reach you yesterday. I was worried that something had happened to you..."
"Well, as you can hear I'm fine. What did you want to tell me?"
She heard him pause. She could imagine him removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes as he usually did when he felt defeated.
"Max... I'm sorry..."
The X5' face softened and OC rolled her eyes before walking away.
"It's alright..." She could never stay angry with him for too long. His tone could always appease her nerves... He was such a loving and caring person.
She smiled.
"Do you know why he wants to see me?"
"What?" Max hadn't been listening to what he was saying for the last minute, too carried away by the soft sound of his voice.
"Alec... He called me earlier. 'Told me he would drop by." He laughed lightly. "Which is kind of strange considering that you two don't usually bother with those kind’s of civilities... Anyway, I thought you would be able enlighten me!"
The girl frowned slightly.
"No, I'm as clueless as you are... Keeps telling me that he's taking care of everything..." She mumbled.
"I'm relieved to hear that you're finally going to do this thing together... Yesterday, he told me...."
"Yesterday? When did you talk to him yesterday?" Panic was running through her bones. She didn't remember every detail of the previous night but from what Original Cindy had hinted she had behaved like a wild cat and she didn't want Logan to know any of it. She was praying that Alec had not gone bragging about it.
"I don't know really... I think he was in a strip club or something. Obviously, I disturbed him 'cause he hung up on me! Anyway, where were you last night?" Max nibbled her upper lip in distress. She hated lying to him.
"I needed a little time on my own... I went for a long ride on my baby. Nothing like speed and fresh air tingling through your blood to help clear your head!" "Right, I don't know how you can find all this buzzing appeasing! 'Cause, as far as I can recall, that little toy of yours roars at full level!"
Max controlled the giggle that was threatening to come out.
*If you only knew!*

***
He was trying to show the blueprints of the house to the men around him, as the cloud of smoke grew thicker.
"Oh, c'm'on... Would you just keep that thing out of your mouth during the briefing, please?" Alec didn't raise his voice but the note of authority was clear.
Mole removed his feet from the large removal box that they were using as a conference table and crushed his cigar on the sole of his combat-boots.
"Is that OK with you... Sir?" He purred ironically.
Alec shook his head and continued.
"Alright, guys... An opportunity has arisen which we feel you are the best-qualified men and women to exploit at short notice. This is a standard procedure... Nothing out of the ordinary! You all keep your positions unless something goes wrong."
He took out another sheet of paper, similar to the previous one, except that numerous red spots had been added to it. Everyone studied the document for a few minutes without uttering a word.
"The guy is clearly paranoid. Those" - he pointed to the spots- "are mercenaries: Sneaky little bastards, heavily armed... And see, that's the only thing I have concerns about, 'cause if anything happens, Max and I are undisputedly out-numbered, and therefore... screwed!"
Light laughter rang through the room.
"But I'm counting on you guys to make sure everything goes smoothly! Any questions?"
Nobody spoke up. They were already concentrating on the task awaiting them. The air was filled with anticipation and excitement. Alec looked around him with a smirk.
"Anyway, you could use some exercise... Slacking around isn't exactly what you've been trained for! A little butt-kicking wouldn't hurt!" The transgenics cheered at the idea and walked out of the room to prepare themselves for the mission. Mole was still comfortably seated and another cigar had magically appeared in his greenish mouth. He was watching the X5 in front of him with mischievous eyes.
"So tell me Alec, what's in it for you?"
The young man winked at the transhuman and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Just Christian devotion for my fellow-men's well being!"

***
Logan was in communication with a Russian Biology Professor, who specialised in genetics. The line was fuzzy and the guy kept on whispering in a very low tone, which made the conversation even more difficult.
"It's a retro-virus created to strike on a unique combination of genes... Mine actually."
"I'm certain that you are aware that my intervention in that matter could put me in great danger." The man answered in perfect English.
"I am, Professor... And obviously the compensation will be evaluated accordingly!" Logan crossed his fingers and closed his eyes, waiting for the man to turn him down as so many of his colleagues had before him.
"Give me a little time to think about it..." And he hung up.
*Well, it's better than nothing!* He smiled. As a matter of fact, that was the best lead he had had in months. A little hope never hurt.
"Sorry for interrupting your profound reverie but didn't we have a lunch date?"
The tall, athletic X5 had appeared out of nowhere as usual.
Logan almost fell out of his chair. "When are you people going to learn how to knock?"
Alec patted his shoulder gently, a playful smile on his face. "Look at it this way... At least I gave you a phone call before I came by; can't you take that as an improvement?"
The older man gave him an annoyed glance but just sighed. He removed his glasses and looked the transgenic straight in the eyes.
"So what is it that you want from me? If it's about tonight' expedition, you should tell Max."
Alec chuckled. "Oh, so she's been complaining to Daddy already..."
Logan didn't laugh at the comment; he just kept watching him with iron eyes.
The X5 cleared his throat in an attempt to bring back composure.
"Anyway, huh... I found a way to get in the house like everybody else, you know the old-fashion way!"
The other man was taken aback.
"You got an invitation or something? You know I tried..."
"No, no... No invitation card, unfortunately!" Alec grinned slightly. "Actually, I had something a little different in mind..."
Logan shot up an eyebrow with interest.
"You know those strings you pull to have papers done... Could you pull them hard enough to set us up with new ID's, by 6 o'clock this evening?" Alec had a strange gleam in the eye.
There was something strange in the air. Logan twitched uneasily in his seat, taking time to think before answering.
"Yeah, I guess that could be done... What exactly do you want?"
Alec took out at piece of paper and handed it to him. The man unfolded it and read the whole thing carefully. He looked up and let out a crazy laugh.
"You're kidding me, right?"
"I've never been more serious in my life..."

***
A light knock was heard at the door. Original Cindy was finishing the last touch on her roommate's hairdo. She widened her eyes in exaggerated eagerness. "Do ya' reckon it's Mr Prince Charming?" Max rolled her eyes and snorted, as her friend walked out.
The dark-skinned woman crossed the living room to open the door. Slowly pulling the door, she took the time to study their visitor from head to toe. She gaped in shock and suddenly started to guffaw whole-heartedly.
Alec made a face and walked past her as she was still holding the doorknob, struggling not to choke herself with laughter.
"Hey, Boo! There's a penguin waiting for you in here!" OC wiped the tears away from her eyes and warmly slapped the transgenic's back.
"Oh, very funny, Cin... Very mature!"
"Coming from you, I take that as a compliment."
The X5 gave her an evil look while she was openly showing her amusement.
After a few minutes of awkward silence, when OC was able to talk with a straight face, she turned to Alec who was standing in the middle of the room; fists deep in his pockets, sulking like an upset toddler.
Original Cindy repressed a grin and pointed to the couch.
"Please, take a seat while I go check on my sister..." she paused watching him relax"... But then again, be careful! You don't want to wrinkle your tail!" She didn't give him a chance to speak, as she ran to Max's bedroom straight away.
Her friend was standing in front of the piece of mirror that they had found in a waste-yard a while ago. The surface was irregular and rough, cracks could be seen all over, but the reflection was quite acceptable. And that was the puzzling thing. Max couldn't recognize herself.
"Better call 911, Sugar... You're gonna light some boy's fire!" She saw OC looking at her in the mirror with an appreciative grin. "Mmm... What a Honey!" She was right, she knew she looked amazing. The dress had been a bit loose when she had tried it on. She had lost several pounds since the last time she had worn it. But Cindy had worked that "needle-magic" of hers - making Max swear never to tell anyone that she could do such a feminine thing - and now it fitted perfectly on her body. Its deep red colour brought out her warm caramel complexion. A few bits of glitter added here and there reflected the sparkle of her eyes.
Logan had loved that dress, she thought with a smile.
She could remember the look on his face when he had first seen her in it.
She closed her eyes and sighed.
He had liked it so much that he had actually paid for it via the shop she had "borrowed" it from.
Max felt like she was betraying him by wearing it now, with Alec as her escort... Well, it wasn't really a date. And it was for the good of the mission.
She straightened her back and took a deep breath. "OK, I think I'm ready..."
OC grinned. "Just wait until you see Wonder Boy..."
They stepped out of the room silently.
Alec stood up as soon as he heard the squeaking of the door opening. His heartbeat grew faster.
Time stopped.
Max met his eyes and swallowed hard. She had not been expecting the sight before her, after hearing Original Cindy bubbling with laughter earlier. Sure, his attire was unusual, especially for him, but he really looked amazing. He had given up his trendy leather jacket for a black swallowtail coat, a pure white shirt and a bow tie. His baggy pants had gone too and had been replaced by a smartly tailored pair of black pants, that fit like a glove... Her gaze unconsciously lingered on a certain part of his body in acknowledgement. She shook her head and knitted her brows. When she looked at him again, he was smiling smugly.
*Damn*
She ignored him, and picked up the shawl she had left on the couch walking to the door.
Alec followed her and waved at Original Cindy as he heard his "date" already running down the stairs.
"You better take care of her, or else..."
Alec blew her a kiss and closed the door behind him.

***
The Martelli residence was simply outstanding. It was one of the biggest houses Max had ever seen, and she had "visited" quite a few.
They passed through the large iron gate without a scratch, everybody admiring their beautiful beige "Bentley". The young woman didn't even want to know where it had come from.
Alec stepped out of the car and, like any gentlemen, took Max's hand to help her do the same. They walked slowly to the entrance where people were already waiting to get in.
"All teams in position!" The handsome X5 kept looking straight ahead.
"Please, don't do that annoying thing.. " Max said in a low voice.
Her partner raised a brow. "What?"
"You know... your talking..."
Max just kept smiling at the people watching them approaching.
"You better tell me now who and what we are supposed to do here..." She said between her teeth, digging her nails into his flesh.
"Stop that, I need the full use of my hands tonight..." They were getting close to the group now. He brought a finger to his lips to silence her.
There were four unfriendly individuals guarding the entrance door. Two men were checking the visitors' invitation cards while another pair were taking care of the body search.
When it was their turn, Alec handed over a piece of paper and two passports. The guard looked at them then laid his dark eyes on the couple in front of him. "Mr Feinberg?" He mumbled.
Alec nodded with a grin and squeezed Max's hand proudly. "And this is my young bride..." He heard a few giggles crack in his earpiece. The woman beside him went numb. *His bride? * She didn't know if she wanted to laugh or kick him hard where it hurt for not telling her. So that was the big secret.
"Congratulations, Madam, Sir." The guard's face was closed, expressionless. He stepped aside and showed them in.
"The orchestra is in the ballroom. Second double-door on the left after the banqueting hall." He then turned to the group of people behind them.
The two transgenics strolled onto the floor of the majestic oval hall, paved with black and grey marble-blocks. Max's sharp eyes darted from paintings to sculptures, mentally assessing their value.
"Don't even think about it!" She heard Alec whisper and glanced at him with a pout.
They stopped in the doorway as they reached their destination. The ballroom was huge like the rest of the place. A stage had been built up in the background for the musicians, overhanging a large mahogany polished dance-floor.
Buffet tables had been filled with exotic food set at each side of the room.
Uniformed waiters were making their way among the guests serving Champagne.
Max felt out of place and tightened her grip around Alec's arm. He looked down at her, smiled reassuringly and pulled her further inside.
They scanned the room and spotted ten guards. Cameras would be a problem as well...
The young woman felt Alec put his arm around her waist. Pulling her close to him, he started teasing her ear.
"What the hell, are you doing?" She hissed trying to push him hard.
"We're being watched so stop that..." He looked at the camera on their left meaningfully. "We're newly-weds, remember?" He winked and felt her pinching his back in retaliation. She didn't like this, he was invading her space and she couldn't think straight with his breath on the tender skin of her neck.
"When I give you the signal, I want you to go upstairs and get that little thing we came for... You think you can do that?" She nodded unable to utter a word. They had been over that already, it had been the only part of the plan he had agreed to discuss with her.
The quartet on the stage played its last song and went for a break. A guard tapped on Alec's shoulder and whispered something in his ear. The young X5 turned to his companion and brought her hand to his lips.
Max watched him walking away, following the guard. When she opened her hand, she saw the ear-piece he had left for her.
"Alright people... We're about to begin!" She hummed to herself as if she was singing. She had lost sight of Alec and started worrying about where he had gone.
The guests started to quiet down, looking towards the stage. The dark-haired woman did the same and her eyes widened.
Alec was up there sitting behind the ivory grand piano. He was slowly removing his white gloves smiling at the audience. Max thought she heard a woman moan in the crowd and frowned.
She had known about his gift for the instrument for a while. It had even become a legend amongst the transgenics themselves.
She had even seen him play once before, during that whole Berrisford affair, but she hadn’t really been paying much attention at the time. To busy blaming him for them having to work extra shifts.
Alec hadn't brought a score with him, he didn't need it. Everything was solidly written in his mind.
He let his hands caress the instrument lightly for a second and took a deep breath. The silence buzzing in his head.
Max closed her eyes and bit her lower lip with anticipation.
He sat bolt upright and hit the first note. His long but strong fingers started flying over the keys with amazing quickness. His technique was flawless, wrists moving harmoniously, palms parallel to the keyboard running with ease from one end to the other. As if he had been training every day untiringly since his childhood like most professionals did.
*The secretive son of a ...* Max thought with a grin.
She understood why the scientists at Manticore had been stunned by his gift.
There was more to it than his enhanced capacity to learn at incredible speed.
She had once heard, that technique was nothing without emotion and finally she realised what it meant. His head was turned to the audience, slightly bent, a dreamy smile floating on his face.
He then dropped the last few notes of the toccata.
A round of applause exploded throughout the room. The audience had been won over. When the clapping started to fade, Alec turned to the crowd and bowed respectfully. He met Max's eyes in the background and put his gloves in his front pocket. She nodded slightly as he started to play again.
All eyes were on the pianist, even the guards. The young woman slowly exited, not wanting to attract attention.
Once she'd emerged into the hall, she quickly checked left and right. She knew exactly where she was going. She only hoped that Logan had been right about the internal layout of the building.
She climbed the stairs quietly, lifting her dress a little in order not to trip along the way. When she reached the landing, she was met by a tall mean looking heavily armed guard.
"What are you doing here?" He asked in a flat voice.
Max turned all her charm on, eyes fluttering to simulate embarrassment. "I need to go to the bathroom really bad and there's a huge queue downstairs... So I thought that in such a big house I could at least find another one." She started to giggle like a schoolgirl. "I think the Champagne didn't agree with me..."
The guard seemed to believe her act as he moved away to point to a door. She gave him a flirtatious smile and walked in the direction he had shown her, down the corridor.
Once inside, Max locked the door behind her and sighed. A familiar shot of adrenaline ran through her veins.
"Ok, Team 1, I'm in..." She was supposed to wait while they were disconnecting the light security system protecting the ventilation system. She decided to remove her dress first because she didn't want to tear it and then because she wanted to be able to move freely once she was in the pipes.
"All clear." She heard.
She removed the grid and climbed in with a single jump. The conduit was all in aluminium and felt cold on her bare skin. She knew she couldn't afford to hesitate at that point. She could clearly picture the blue prints in her head; all she had to do was crawl to the third vent going west. She took a look at her watch.
"Eight minutes." She advanced easily to her destination.
Martelli's office was the only room in the house that wasn't equipped with cameras. Obviously, he didn't want anyone to have his meetings with his "clients" on tape.
Max dropped soundlessly to the floor. The place felt cosy and, unlike the rest of the house, it even had character. She scanned the room and found what she was looking for. The safe was hidden behind a picture of the Martelli family. *So predictable!*
It had been fitted with a digital lock but the X5 hadn't come unprepared. She took out a small device from her hair. It looked like a hairpin but it was, in fact, a micro-engineered chip that Cece had created. It would send different computerised information into the control system on the safe in order to find the right combination without setting off the alarm.
After five minutes, all the lights on the safe turned green and its door clicked open.
Everything was in there: money, jewellery, titles... But all that the woman cared about was the little brown notebook that was at the bottom of the box. "Two minutes" Somebody said in her ear.
Max closed the safe and climbed back up as fast as she could without making a noise.
In the bathroom, she heard the guard knocking at the door.
"Are you alright in there?”
Max put her dress back on hastily.
"Just a minute!" She cried out through the door.
She flushed the toilet and arranged her hair in the mirror.
Outside, the big man was still there, an impatient look on his face.
"You better get down there now, the recital is almost over." He took her by the elbow and brought her to the top of the stairs.
"Have a nice evening!"
Repressing her desire to pull his head off, Max just smiled and simply complied. Alec spotted her right away when she entered the room again, undisrupted from his harmonies. He winked at her, acknowledging her presence.
He had switched from classical music to a sexy jazzy tune. Max was simply amazed.
It was his final piece. The audience was clapping harder this time, whistling excitedly even. The man was an absolute genius.
A group of women were watching him with hungry eyes, which brought Max's annoyance to its peak. She was about to give them a piece of her mind when a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Well, well, well... What do we have here?"