"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 bar code?" "No, but, sugar, the rest of you is coming in loud and clear." " I'm done with being miserable." " It's about time." "And feeling sorry for myself." "Since you got love at the classiest club in town..." "Ow-wha." "...tonight we're gonna party like it's 2099." " Thought you were tight with the bouncer." " Boom-Boom." "He's around somewhere." " Thought you said he'd get us in." " He will, as soon as he sees us in line." "Oh, looks like they're tight with Boom-Boom too." " To the Marrow, brother." " To the Marrow." " We've got a reservation policy." " We're the entertainment." "You can't..." "Get Boom-Boom." " What are you doing?" " Oh, thank you." " Thank you." " Bless you." "I'm gonna see what's going on." "If I come back and you've bailed..." "I'm not gonna bail." "I'm here to have a good time." "OK." "Whoo!" "Have no fear, excitement is here!" " Pinch me." "I've died and gone to heaven." " Off the bar, buddy!" "Not you, Mr Serious." "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." "Ow!" "Hey!" "My purse!" "What a crowd!" "Boom-Boom." "Big brother." "Built like..." "Just big." "Gets mean when his friends get left out in line." "I know who Boom-Boom is." "You have to wait like everyone else." "That ain't waiting'." "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'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 someone claims to know him he's gonna come running?" "Hey!" "Dog-face!" "I got it!" "Let's go!" "No, you'll kill him!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "To the Marrow!" "To the Marrow!" "Whoo!" "Are you OK?" "What happened?" "Those line-jumpers..." "They had bar codes, 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, I need help." "I'm sick." " Are you injured?" " I said I'm sick." "Have a seat, fill this out and somebody'll be with you as soon..." "You don't understand." "Honey, you're gonna have to wait, just like everybody else." "OK?" "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 it was me who opened the cages and let everybody out of the Manticore zoo." "You let 'em out cos you figured they'd be smart enough to lay low and blend in." "Somebody needs to smack some sense into 'em." " 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 can't do anything to remind him 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." " Why don't we meet around noon..." " Excuse me." " I'm doing some business." " People need the phone." "Just give me a second." "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... how's your week been?" " Slow." " Tell me about it." "I've been getting all kinds of earplay about some kinda whacked-out gang." " Uh-huh." " Revved up." "And need I say it, bar codes." " Yeah, I heard about that." " They're drawing attention to themselves." "Which is not good, especially after the close call you had last week." "Rumours are still flying about how the CDC had their hands on a transgenic." " Nice to know they miss me." " There's more." "Beverly Shankar does pro bono at the Helman Clinic." "She just contacted me about a girl with a bar code who just walked into the ER." " We should check it out." " It's OK." "I'll do it." "I mean, what's the big deal?" "I go in, show her my bar code to prove I'm simpatico, give her the "you gotta lay low" speech." " I got a funny feeling about this one." " Don't sweat it, Logan." " I'm not sweating it." "I just thought..." " Got it covered." " Thanks for the tip, OK?" " OK." " Well?" " He got a lead." " So much for being a regular girl." " I'll take you home." "Hot run. 457 Slattery." "Can't you see she's hurt?" " In that case, here." " Get someone else." "I'm taking her home." " No, there is nobody else." " Oh, sure there is." "What?" "I'd love to help you out with this, but I..." " No buts." "We're short-handed." " I really can't." " Take these, too." " I'm late for an appointment." "Get somebody to cover you." "It's no skin off my nose." " Sky, buddy..." " Don't even think about it." " 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." "This isn't for me, this is for you." "A chance for you to get out and see the world." "Your kind like to take walks." "OK." "All right, you know what?" "You can take my bike." " Bike?" " Huh?" "No." "Max." "You know, Max is a worrywart." "And she treats you like a pet." "Do you wanna 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, "You dog"..." "I got you covered." "Safety first, my friend." "Try it on." "Oh..." "It's perfect." "No one would ever know there's a dog-boy under there." "Here's your packages." "Great." "Here's your map." "Don't lose that." "Remember, a messenger is friendly, courteous and kind." " Friendly, courteous, kind." " Always get a signature." " Signature." " And don't take the helmet off, OK?" " Safety first." " Safety first." "I'm so proud of you." "Now I gotta go." "Meet me back here tonight." " Hello?" " Goodbye." "Not thinking of leavin' us, are ya?" " No!" "Let me go!" " Dumb-ass play, Lida." "You wanna go belly-up in a hospital bed?" " I trusted you and you sold me out." " Come with us." "It's not too late." "Marrow is the only one who can help you." "You know that." " I'm not going back!" " Let's go." " There they are." " Hey!" "No!" "Get the door, get the door." "You'll be OK." "You'll be all right." "Watch her head." "Hey!" "Children?" "We need to chat." " What's with sweet-pants over there?" " Just get rid of her." " Who the hell are you?" " Let's skip the Manticore handshake." "You've been naughty little transgenics, not to mention stupid." " Maybe I should 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?" " I thought you might need a hand." "Guess you missed some training." "What're you, X5?" "X6?" "X what?" "What the hell are you talking about?" "Arh!" "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, 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 goin'?" "Made a delivery and the cat scratched me." "Oh, Leo." "Someone should make chow mein out of that little rat." " Chow mein." " Yeah." "He get you bad?" "Pretty bad." "I got just the thing." "A little herb, you'll be feeling no pain." " Like Father's pipe." " There ya go." "Like father, like son." "Toke up, dude." "Yeah, come on." "There you go." "Well, 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 bar code?" " Why?" "You want one?" " I already got one." " Where'd you get that?" " You tell me, I'll tell you." "No." "No, I'm outta here." "I don't think so, girlie." " Don't be scared." " I'm not scared of anything." " Maybe you should be." " Maybe you should." "Why?" "Are 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." "You'll find that out from Marrow when he comes for me." "Marrow?" "Who the hell is Marrow?" "Tell me about this firecracker you ran into." "She wasn't normal." "She was amped up on something." "She took out Rain in, like, two seconds and said something about..." "What, mantle-something?" "Push?" "Yeah, yeah, it was, um..." "Manticore." "Whatever." "They were helping you." "Taking care of you." "And now we lost Rain." "I made a mistake." "I know that now." "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 was ordinary." "Ordinary?" "Lida, darling, you were a shadow." "You were the grass that's too close to a fence to be cut, or the water in an abandoned tyre!" " 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." " Of course you do." "I told you." "I told you that this was for ever, 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, hey!" "You OK?" " You gotta let me go." " Tell me about the bar code." " We only got them to be like him." " Like who?" "This Marrow guy?" "I gotta go back, please." "So you're going through some kind of withdrawal." "She's burning up." "Get her jacket off." "I'll call Shankar, see if she can take a look at her." " May I live my life to the Marrow..." " Come on, arms out." "What are you on?" "May I live life to the Marrow..." "Strive, reach, take..." "She's on her way." "Keep an eye on her." "I'm gonna go." " Where?" " To church." " Guys, hey." " Hey." "OK, Josh, this is Kurt." "This is Josh." "He works over at Jam Pony." "Sit down, man." "You're, like, eight feet tall, dude." "You're freakin' me out." "You hungry, mystery man?" "Hungry..." "like, a lot, dude." "Great." "We got some buffalo wings coming." " Buffalo wings?" " Chicken wings." "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 wanna die." " You should've 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... was senseless." "She knew the covenant." "She knew what we all know:" "that this... this is for ever." "So 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?" " I came to light a candle." "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 mother of all blood brothers." "I'm the Bank of Sangria." "Manticore gave you the perfect body." "They gave me the perfect blood." "Please." "We're all universal donors." "Please." "That tap water you got in there?" "Uh-uh." "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 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, of 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 bar code, just like me." "The only difference between you and me is that you're still hunted... and I'm in demand." "You are fooling yourself." "You think you can hide." "Sooner or later the world will realise 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 would 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'm going to let you go and hope that you send her back to me, because if you don't... she'll die." "You can spin that any bloody way 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?" " Basement." "Basement!" "I dig you, J-man." "I dig your scene." "You are, like, worldwide, man." " You got a hottie stashed somewhere?" " Hottie?" "A girl." "You know, a little friend." "Friend." "Uh, Max and Cindy friend." "Two?" "You dog, you!" "Doggie's got a kennel club and you're not invited." "No, everyone invited to J-man." "My hero." "My big dog." "Josh..." "Joshua dog." "Messengers rock!" " Tell it, doggie." " Friends, they like the doggie-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." "This is one of those that I've never seen before." "Oh, please..." "Please, you've gotta help me." " We're doing everything we can." " I'll die without his blood." "It's not too late." "Just take me to him." "It's not too late?" "How do you know?" "He told us." "Marrow." "Up front." "He tells everyone up front." "Once the 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." "Yeah, I cleared, like, two grand on the deal." " 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 who called to say they didn't get their packages." " No, that can't be." " Let me see your signatures." "Yeah..." "Where's my clipboard?" "Where's my clip..." "I left it at my last run." "You people would lose an intestine if it wasn't attached." "Go get your clipboard." " On it." " Bip, bip, bip, bip!" "Joshua." "Where the hell have you been?" "Are you OK?" "Are you hurt?" "Hey..." "Dudeheads said they were cool, but they weren't." " 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." " Ah..." " Ate winged buffaloes." ""My hero, my hero." Lying hottie!" "These dudeheads..." "Did any of them try to follow you home?" "No." "No." "Oh..." "It's OK." "So what's her problem, anyway?" "She's special, like Marrow." "They're the same, except 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?" "He's born to some kind of glorious destiny?" "What do you know?" "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." "They've spent years defending their freedom with their lives." "That bar code on the back of their necks, that was put there to keep track of 'em, 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." "Well, I don't." "It's up here in the middle of the block." "Good luck." "You're gonna need it." "Yeah." "You know, even if I wanted out, I can't leave." "You said so yourself." "He owns us." "What happened to the good ol' happy Joshua we all know and love?" "Should've listened to Max. "People scared of things that are different."" "I know, but you didn't..." "Joshua definitely different." "Not meant to be with outside people." "It's OK." "I thought they would understand." "So I took off my helmet, and they didn't understand." "Max, they were just like "Agh!" "Agh!"" ""Oh, my God, dude, look at him!" "He's got a dog face!"" ""I'm tripping!" "Are you tripping?" "Sorry, sorry..." "I'm tripping!" "Oh, my God!"" "It's all right." "It's over, it's over." "It's OK." "It's OK." "It's all over, OK?" " 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." " Bad Leo!" " Joshua, Joshua, listen to me." "It's just the drugs." "It's just the effect of the drugs." "Joshua not worldwide." "That's not the plan!" "I know." "That is not the plan, is it?" "Flying buffaloes inside my stomach." "It's..." "Joshua, it's all inside your head." "Flying buffaloes inside... inside my head." "All of this is just inside your head." "Just take me to him." "There is no out!" "I am the only out!" "It didn't have to end like this." "This is for ever." "I'll die without his blood." "Whose fault will it 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..." "I'm shaking." "Rain, you are going to die if you don't let me save you." "Sip." "Now." "They brainwashed him with the same lies he used on you." "Rain!" "Rain, sip, please." "No." "I don't want to." "You lied to us." " So you found out my little secret." " Oh, 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, I won't." "You will." "There's nothing worse than a nagging conscience." "You know what I mean?" "I'm sorry." "Oh, hello." "You should whip up another batch of plasma milkshakes for these guys." "You don't look like a happy vampire." "What'd you do with Rain?" "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." " That is enough." " Because I found out the truth." "Shut up!" "Rain, I told you that it was for ever, and I meant it." "You guys, it's all a lie." "Ungrateful little bitch." " You all right?" " He's dead." "So are we." " Now we're all gonna die." " No, you're not." " It's true." " No, he told us this was for ever." " He lied." " 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 OK." "All of you." "Thanks." "You know, he told me about you." " Who?" " Your friend." "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." "And 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?" "OK." " What happened?" "What's up?" " Up is right." "The thing flies." " What flies?" " Another creature." " Oh, no." " Yep." "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 wanna know about the group." "Shankar says they're in the clear." " That's good." " We don't have to worry about exposure." "They'd just as soon forget they ever met a transgenic." "We hope." "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."