"Max,... if we don't leave absolutely, positively right now, we won't get in." "Girl is always late." "My oh my." "Can you see my barcode?" "No, but sugar, the rest of you is comin' in loud and clear." " I'm done with being miserable." " It's about time." "And I'm through with feeling sorry for myself." "And since you got love at the classiest club in town  tonight we're gonna party like it's 2099." " Thought you said you were tight with the bouncer." " Boom Boom." "He's gotta be around here somewhere." " Thought you said he was gonna get us in." " He will as soon as he sees that we're in line." "Oh." "Looks like they're tight with Boom Boom, too." " To the Marrow, brother!" " To the Marrow!" " Excuse me, we've got a reservation policy." " We're the entertainment." "You can't..." "Get Boom Boom." "I'm gonna go up front and I'm gonna see what's going on." "If I come back and find out that you bailed..." " I'm not gonna bail." "I'm here to have a good time." "Okay." "Have no fear, excitement is here!" "Oh, somebody pinch me." "I think I've died and gone to heaven." " Off the bar, buddy!" " Not you, Mr. Serious." "Oh, hey there, creature of the night." "I want you." "I want you." "Oh, I want you." "I want - hell, I want all of you." "Concubinage." " Come on, man." "What a crowd!" "Boom Boom." "Big brother." "Built like - just big." "And gets real mean when his friends get left out in line!" "I know who Boom Boom is." "Now, you're gonna have to wait like everyone else." "That ain't waiting' in line." "That is doin' time." "Dude!" "Dude, I love your tie." "Hey, can I have it?" "Never mind." " What are you doing, Push?" "You lost it?" " You lost it." "You're the one who's crashing." "Come on!" "Let's jack the house money and be gone from this dreck!" "Just call Boom Boom." "You think every time that someone claims to know him,..." "Boom Boom's just gonna come runnin' out the door?" "Hey!" "Ghost face!" "I got it!" "Let's go!" "No!" "You'll kill him!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "To the Marrow!" " Are you okay?" "What happened?" " Those line-jumpers... they had barcodes, Max." "They designed her to be the perfect soldier - a human weapon." "Then she escaped." "In a future not far from now, in a broken world, she is haunted by her past." "She cannot run;" "she must fight to discover her destiny." "Please, um..." "I need help." "I'm sick." " Are you injured?" " I said I'm sick." "Okay." "Um, have a seat, fill this out, and somebody will be with you shortly." "You don't understand." "Honey, you're gonna have to wait just like everybody else, okay?" "Donna Stein?" "Excuse me, are you Donna Stein?" "What are you doing standing around?" "Let's go." "Back to work." "Bip." "Bip." " I'm really sorry about your arm." " It's not your fault." "Except for how it was me who opened the cages and let everybody out of the Manticore zoo." "You let 'em out 'cause you figured that they'd be smart enough to lay low and blend in." "Sounds to me like somebody needs to smack some sense into 'em." " Believe me, if I can find them, I will." " You talk to Logan about it?" "No." "I've put him through enough mutant mayhem to last a lifetime." "Not to mention if I sneeze on the poor guy, he drops dead." "No wonder he's over me." " He's not over you." "Not ever." "He just needs some time, that's all." "Which is why I don't need to do anything to remind him that I'm not just a regular girl." "Logan." " What are you waiting for?" "Go call him back." " I don't know." " It's what a regular girl would do." "I told you the merchandise would be in today, and it's in." "It's in, right?" "Good." "Look, why don't you meet me around noon?" "We'll make the excha..." " Excuse me." " Hang on." "Trying to do a little business here, Max, okay?" " People need to use the phone." " Just give me a sec." "Hello?" " You know what you just did?" "I'll forgive you - this time." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Yeah, I don't know." "He had to go." "Little girl problems." " Hey." " Hey." " How you doing?" " So, uh... how's your week been?" " Slow." "Tell me about it." "Well, I thought you should know I've been getting all kinds of earplay about some kind of whacked-out gang." "Revved up." "And, need I say it, barcodes." "Yeah, I heard something about that." "Well, they're drawing attention to themselves, which is not good, especially after the close call you had last week." "Rumors are still flying about how the CDC had their hands on a real live transgenic." " Nice to know they miss me." " Well, there's more." "Beverly Shankar does pro bono at the Helman Clinic." "She just contacted me about a girl with a barcode who walked into the ER about a half-hour ago." "I thought maybe we should check it out." " It's okay." "I'll do it." "I mean, what's the big deal?" "I go in there, show her my barcode to prove I'm simpatico, give her the "you gotta lay low" speech, and send her on her way." "Well, I got a funny feeling about this one, Max." " Don't sweat it, Logan." " I'm not sweating it." "I just thought that..." " Got it covered." "Thanks for the tip, okay?" " Okay." " Well?" " He got a lead." " So much for being a regular girl, huh?" " Come on." "I'll take you home." " Hot run, 457 Slattery." " Can't you see she's hurt?" "Oh." "In that case, here you go." "Get someone else to do it." "I'm taking her home." " No, there is nobody else." " Oh, sure there is." "Oh, I'd love to help you out with this, boss, but I, uh..." " No buts." "We're short-handed." " No, I really can't." "I..." " Here, take these too." " I'm gonna be late for an appointment." "I..." "Well, get somebody to cover you." "It's no skin off my nose." " Sky." "Buddy, pal." "Hey." " Don't even think about it." " Okay." "Sketch, my man." " No, dude, I can't." "Somebody?" "Anybody?" "Money?" "For me?" "We'll go fifty-fifty on my salary, and the tips you can keep." "Rather paint." "Come on, come on, this isn't for me." "This is - this is for you." "You know?" "A chance for you to get out there, see the world." "I thought your kind liked to take walks." "Okay." "All right." "You know what?" "You can take my bike." " Bike?" " Huh?" "Max..." "You know, Max is a worrywart, and she treats you like a pet." "Now do you want to be dependent on her for the rest of your life?" "You think she wants that?" "People afraid... of things they don't understand." "Screaming... running... dog..." "Well, I got you covered." "Safety first, my friend." "Try it on." "Oh, it's perfect." "I mean, no one would ever know there was a dog-boy under there." "Now, here's your packages, all right?" "Great?" "Here's your map." "Don't lose that." "And remember, a messenger is friendly, courteous, and kind." " Friendly, courteous, and kind." " That's right." "And always get a signature." " Signature." " Yeah." "And no matter what happens,... don't take the helmet off, okay?" " Safety first." " Safety first." "I'm so proud of you." "Now I gotta go." "Uh, meet me back here tonight." " Hello?" "Yeah..." " Goodbye." "Not thinking of leaving us, are ya?" " No!" "Let me go!" " Dumbass play, Lida." "I can't believe you wanna go belly-up in a freakin' hospital bed." " I trusted you, and you sold me out." " Lida, relax." "Come with us." "It's not too late." "Marrow will help you." "He's the only one who can, and you know that!" " I'm not going back!" " Let's go." " There they are." " Hey!" "Get the door." "Get the door." "You'll be okay." "You'll be okay." "You'll be all right." "Watch your head." "Hey!" "Uh, children?" "We need to chat." "Hey, what's with sweetpants over there?" " Just get rid of her." "Who the hell are you?" "Let's skip the Manticore handshake and cut to the chase." "You and your playmates have been naughty little transgenics, not to mention stupid." "Maybe I should just bend you over my knee." " Oh, yeah?" "That was for my friend." " All that clubbing's slowed you down, hon." " I am gonna kill you, you bitch!" " Who's next?" " Come on, sweetheart." "What are you doing here?" "Well, like I said, I thought you might need a hand." "Guess you missed some training, sweetie." "What are you?" "X-5?" "X-6?" "X-what?" "What the hell are you talking about?" "Ow!" "Hey!" "Hey, hey!" "I just had it done!" "Take it easy!" " What?" " My tattoo." "She's not Manticore." "Friendly, courteous, kind." "Friendly, courteous  kind." "Jam Pony messenger!" "Oh, my God." "My Franklin Mint plate collection." "I can't believe it's here already." " Sign here, please." " Here, you hold Leo." "You just made my year." "Now hang on - you deserve a tip and a half." "Nice kitty." "What's going on out there?" "No tip." "Keep the cat." "Hey, man, how's it going?" "Made a delivery and the cat scratched me." "Oh, Leo." "So you must have made chow mein out of that little rat, huh?" " Chow mein." " Yeah." "He gets you bad?" "Pretty bad." "I got just the thing." "Little herb, you'll be feeling no pain." " Like father's pipe." " There you go." "Like father, like son." "Toke up, dude." "Well, it looks like she's on something." "Pupils are dilated." "And you're a little jumpy." " What's got you all revved up?" "Steroids?" "Amphetamines?" " What's it to you?" " Where'd you get the barcode?" " Why, you want one?" "I already got one." " Where'd you get that?" " You tell me, I'll tell you." "No." "No, I'm out of here." "I don't think so, girlie." " Look, you don't have to be scared." " I'm not scared of anything." " Maybe you should be." " Maybe you should be." "Why?" "You gonna hit my fist with your face again?" "Why don't you be a good little bad-ass and tell us what we want to know." "No need for that." "You'll find that out from Marrow when he comes for me." "Marrow?" "Who the hell is Marrow?" "So tell me about this little firecracker you ran into." "All I know, man, is she wasn't normal." "She was amped up on something." "She took out Rain in, like, two seconds and said something about... what... uh, Mantle something?" "Push?" " Yeah, yeah, it was, um..." "Manticore?" "Whatever." "They were helping you." "Taking care of you." "Now we've lost Rain." "I made a mistake." "I know that now." "Please." "I just wanted to try and make it on my own." "I'm sorry." "You're sorry?" "She's sorry." "Let me ask you something." "What were you before I gave you this incredible life that you're leading now?" " I don't know." " What?" "I didn't quite catch that." "I" " I was ordinary." "Ordinary." "Lida, darling, you were a shadow." "You were like the grass that grows too close to the fence to be cut, or the water gathering in an abandoned tire." " Please." "I hurt." "Ordinary?" "You weren't even close." "And then I made you strong." "I made you special." "It is a world gone Darwin out there, baby, and I jacked you up into the tribe of the alive." "All of you!" "And... you betrayed me." " I need to sip." " Well, of course you do." "I told you." "I told you that this was forever, didn't I?" "Look at you." "You know what the shaking means." "Even if I helped you, you know it's too late." "Please." "Make it stop." "I wish I could." "No!" "Please!" " May I live my life to the Marrow." " This is just great." " Hey!" "You okay?" " You gotta let me go." " Tell me about the barcode." " We only got them to be like him, okay?" " Like who?" "This Marrow guy?" " I gotta go back." "Please." "Looks like you're going through some kind of withdrawal." "She's burning up." "Get her jacket off." "I'll call Shankar and see if she can swing by and take a look at her." " May I live my life to the Marrow." "Strive." "Reach." " Come on." "Arms out." "What are you on?" "May I live life to the Marrow." "Strive." "Reach." "Take." "The true test of anyone's worth is..." " She's on her way." "Keep an eye on her." "I'm gonna go." " Where?" " To church." " Guys, hey." " Hey." "Over here, Josh." "Janis, Kurt, this is Josh." "He works over at Jam Pony." "Sit down, man." "You're like eight feet tall, dude." "You're freaking me out." " You hungry, mystery man?" " Hungry." "Like, a lot, dude." " Great." "We got some buffalo wings coming." " Buffalo wings?" "Chicken wings." "Ah, chicken with buffalo in his cocktail." "Want some pretzels while we wait?" "You're all right, Josh." "You brought this on yourself." " I don't want to die." " You should have thought about that before." " I'm begging you." " I'm not a cruel man." "It pains me to see you suffer." "Relief is here." "She was our sister." "Beautiful, devoted, passionate... a promiscuous advocate of mischief." "It didn't have to end like this." "Her death... senseless." "She knew the covenant." "She knew what we all know, that this... this is forever." "Still she left,... knowing that she couldn't survive without this." "You've all found what everyone else is searching for:" "strength in a fear-stricken world." "And I've found you." " What are you doing here?" " Came to light a candle." "You shouldn't have come." "This isn't your business." "You're Manticore;" "that makes it my business." "What's your deal, anyway?" " What's my deal?" "I'm the Red Cross." "I'm the motha of all blood brothas." "I'm the bank of Sangria." "Our good friends and neighbors at Manticore gave you the perfect body;" "they gave me the perfect blood." " Please." "We're all universal donors." "What?" "Please, that tap water you got in there?" "No, this is the high-test stuff." "Chock-full of endorphins, and coagulants, and all sorts of feel-good enzymes." "And you got those kids out there hooked on it." "They don't know who you really are." "They think you're some kind of holy vampire." "They know what I give them." "Temperament... vida..." "life." " Oh, really?" "What about that poor girl out there on the bench?" "There is no out!" "She knew that!" "I am the only out!" "Gods." "I make them gods." "They get a taste of superiority, what it means to be like  us." " Us?" "Miss..." "I'm sorry, I never got your name." " Kiss my ass." "You're cute." "You're also a freak." "You are a mutant, with tangled genetics and a barcode... just like me." "The only difference between you and me is that you're still hunted, and I'm in demand." "See, you are fooling yourself if you think you can go on hiding." "Sooner or later, the world is going to realize that we are out there, and that we are better than they are." "The time will come when they will declare war on our kind, and when they do,..." "I'm gonna have my own private army to protect me." "See, those kids out there..." "they'd do anything for me." "Fight... kill... even die." "They love me." " Love you?" "Well, they can't live without me." "Isn't that the same thing?" "Now, I really should kill you, but I want my Rain back." "So I am going to let you go and hope... that you send her back to me because if you don't,... she'll die." "And you can spin that any bloody way that you want, but at the end of the day,... whose fault will that be?" "..." "Get out." " Where'd you say you came from, J-man?" " The basement." "I dig you, J-man." "I dig your scene." "You're, like... worldwide, man." "You know?" "You got a hottie stashed somewhere, mystery man?" " Hottie?" " A girl." "You know, a little friend." " Friend." "Uh..." "Max" " Max and Cindy friend." " What, two?" "You dog, you!" "Sorry, girl, doggie's got a kennel club and you're not invited." "Oh, no, everyone invited to J-man's." "My hero, my big dog." "Joshua dog." " Messengers rock!" " Tell it, doggie!" "Friends - they like the..." "the doggie's dog." " Solid, baby-J." "Solid." " We love you, Josh." " Joshua dog-boy." " A-freakin'-men." "Joshua dog..." "His blood?" "That's what they're amped on?" "What can I say?" "Once you've had transgenic, you never go back." "The girl at the hospital?" " She didn't make it." " Oh!" "It burns!" "She's postictal." "Her heartbeat's arrhythmic, cardiac output weak..." "We gotta do something." "At this rate, she might not survive the night." "Unfortunately, this is one of those that I've never seen before." " Please." "Please, you gotta help me." " Rain, we're doing everything we can." "I'll die without his blood." "But it's not too late." "Just take me to him." "Okay?" "It's not too late?" "How do you know?" "He told us." "Marrow." "Up front." "He tells everyone up front." "Once shaking starts, you're gone." "I can't believe I let something like him out there in the world." " You didn't know." " It's sick." "The whole thing is sick." "It's no use." "There's nothing we can do." " I'll take her back." " Thanks." "I just can't look at that guy again." "I'm going to Joshua's." " Oh, yeah, I cleared like two grand on the deal." " Well, well, well." "If it isn't God's gift to messengers." " What's up?" "I said God's gift, not God's blunder, moron." "I got three people called say they didn't get their packages, huh?" " No, that can't be." " Let me see your signatures." "The... yeah." "Where's my clipboard?" "Where's my clip..." "I left it at my last run." "Honestly, you young people would lose a large intestine if it wasn't attached to you." "Go." "Go get your clipboard." " On it." "Bip." "Bip." "Bip." "Bip." "Joshua!" "Where the hell have you been?" "Joshua, are you okay?" "Are you hurt?" "Hey." "Dudeheads said they were cool, but they weren't cool at all." " I don't understand." " Tried to go outside with outside people." "Made delivery for Alec." " What?" "Alec?" "Have you been smoking?" "Got baked with dudeheads." "Ate winged buffaloes." ""My hero, my hero." Lying hottie!" "These "dudeheads"... did any of them try to follow you home?" "No!" "No!" "It's okay." "So what's her problem, anyway, huh?" "She's special, like Marrow." "They're the same, except that she's just... trying to ruin what we have." " Not quite." "She's just jealous of him because we love him and he cares for us." "Rain, he owns you." " He made me better than I was." " So you think he's special, then?" "That he's born to some kind of glorious destiny?" "What do you know, anyhow?" "I do know he was genetically engineered by a government agency called Manticore." "They designed him in a lab, and they brainwashed him with the same kind of lies he's been using on you... that you don't exist apart from the family." " I don't believe it." " But he believed it." "They all did... except for Max, and eleven of her brothers and sisters." "They wanted out so much they escaped, and they've spent the last eleven years defending their freedom with their lives." "That barcode on the back of their necks?" "That was put there to keep track of them, like a brand." "So when she sees someone like you, eager to be a slave, wearing it... it kills her inside." "And you think they're the same." "What do I know." "It's just up here in the middle of the block." "Good luck." "You're gonna need it." "You know, even if I wanted out, I can't leave." "You said so yourself... he owns us." "What happened to the good old happy Joshua we all know and love?" "Good old happy Joshua should've listened to Max." "People are scared of things that are different." "I know." "But you didn't..." "Joshua's different, different... not meant to be with outside people." "Not meant to be..." "It's okay." "I thought they would understand." "So I took off my helmet, and they didn't understand, Max." "They were just like, "Ahhh!" "Ohh!" "Oh my God, dude, look at him!" "He's got a dog face!" "He's got a dog face!" "I'm trippin'!" "Are you trippin'?" "I'm trippin'!" "Sorry!" "Sorry!"" ""I'm trippin'!" "Oh my God!"" "It's over." "It's over." "It's over." "It's okay." "It's okay." "It's all over." "Okay?" " Hey, guys." "What's going on?" " My head is gonna fly off." " He's stoned." " Father's pipe." "Some idiots pumped him full of weed." "See?" "Safety first, right?" "Kind, courteous, friendly." "Signatures." "And..." "Bad Leo!" " Joshua!" "Joshua!" "Listen to me!" "It's just the drugs." "It's just the effect of the drugs, okay?" "Joshua not worldwide." "That's not the plan." "I know." "That is not the plan, is it?" "Flying buffaloes inside my stomach..." "Joshua, it's all inside your head." "Flying buffaloes..." "inside my head?" " All of this is just inside your head." " It's not too late." "Just take me to him." " There is no out!" "I am the only out!" " It didn't have to end like this." " This is forever." " I'll die without his blood." "Whose fault will that be?" "I gotta go." "Sweetheart, did the shaking start yet?" "Thank God there's still time." "Don't be afraid." "You're here, you made it back to us, and I can save you." "Now sip, Rain." "He owns you." "Sip your troubles away." "They designed him in a lab." " Rain, come on." " I'm shaking." "Rain, you are going to die if you don't let me save you." "Sip." "Now." "... and they brainwashed him with the same lies he's been using on you." "Rain!" "Rain, sip." "Please." "You lied to us." " So you've found out my little secret." " Please." "Please, just let me go." "I wish I could." "I mean, you're a real kick to have around." "But I have a... tactical imperative here." "What if you tell the others?" " I won't." "I won't." " But you will." " No." "No, I won't." " You will." "There's nothing worse than a nagging conscience, you know what I mean?" "I'm sorry." "Oh, hello." "You might want to whip up another batch of plasma milkshakes for these guys." "You don't look like a very happy vampire." "What'd you do with Rain?" "I think you should be more concerned with what I'm going to do to you." "Bring it on." " Stop!" "You guys, he's totally been lying to us." " Rain!" " We don't need him." " What is she talking about?" " He tried to kill me." " Rain, that is enough." " Because I found out the truth." " Shut up!" "Rain, I told you that it was forever, and I meant it." " You guys, it's all a lie." " Ungrateful little bitch." " You all right?" " He's dead." "So are we." "You killed him; now we're all gonna die." " No you're not." " It's true, you guys." " No, no." "He - he told us this was forever." " Well, he lied." " Yeah, how do you know?" " Because I didn't sip." " What do you mean?" " I didn't sip, and I made it through without him." " What about Lida?" "He killed Lida, because he wanted you guys to think you'd die without him." "You're gonna be okay." "All of you." "Thanks." " You know, um, he told me about you?" " Who?" "Your friend." "It must be nice to have somebody like that." "And, you know, he's right..." "You're nothing like him." "Rise and shine, big fella." "It's a new day." "New day... same problems." "Not for Alec, especially when I get my hands on him." "Whack, whack." "Hey, cheer up." "Joshua sees life go by through window." "Life looks back and screams at Joshua." "I know who you are." "I love who you are." "That matters." "At least, I hope it does." " Max is worldwide." " What?" "It matters." " It's Logan." "It's urgent." " Thank you." "Go." " You sure?" "Okay." " Logan, what happened?" "What's up?" " "Up" is right." "That thing flies." " What flies?" " Another creature." " Oh, no." " Yup." "Wingspan of a jet." "The thing breathes fire." "Titanium claws." "Some kind of screeching thing that makes people's heads explode..." "I just thought you'd want to know about the group." "Shankar says they're in the clear." "Well, that's good." "And I don't think we have to worry about exposure." "They'd just as soon forget they ever met a transgenic." "We hope." "Well, you're off the hook, at least for today." " Great." "I'll just kick it and be a regular girl, then." " A regular girl... what fun is that?" "Hey, I'll take what I can get."