I looked around me in shock. I was the only one left standing.
I should explain. As of about two weeks ago, I had been on the run for about three years, hacking into computers at every library I could find, downloading as much information as I could, using what skills I had (which, tech-wise, was about limitless) to get what I needed.
Based on some of the stuff I had downloaded, I had become a decently strong martial artist, but it didn't help me resist the chloroform-soaked rag held over my face one night as I slept.
I came to in a cage, once again in a lab. I remembered swearing mildly before I realized exactly where I was, and switching to some far harsher terms with which to describe exactly how I felt about everything.
As it turned out, I was in the main branch of the School, in Death Valley. I knew because one of the trademarks of their Death Valley branch was the fact that there was scrawled on a wall "Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here." Nobody else had managed to scrawl that in any other branch. I had been the one to put it there after, in one experiment, I hacked into a computer they had in the lab.
But everything had gone to hell in a hand basket when six human-avians broke in. They set me free, and as I looked into one of their faces, I remembered them.
"Max?" I had asked.
I remember she had been startled to see me, though she tried to hide it and nearly succeeded. "Omicron?" she asked incredulously.
"Yeah. It's still me."
"You and your weird thumb." she said, shaking her head, and tucking a stray lock of blondish hair behind her ear.
"It's been very useful." I said defensively.
No sooner had I said that than several Erasers burst in, and I dropped one with a kick in a very prized place of his. (Not that I did it on purpose, I'm a dude after all. Not cool.)
After that everything was just one big ugly blur. Punching, kicking, slashing, tearing you name it. But eventually we somehow managed to get out. The Flock and I had evacuated, finally landing in a clearing somewhere in Colorado. Compared with them, I was still very clumsy in the sky, the equivalent of a 747 with six fighter jets nearby. My only advantage in the sky was that I could keep a steady pace for as long as eighteen hours at a stretch, twelve if I carried the younger ones on and off.
We were in Colorado because I had stashed something there: a Rock Band guitar that I had left hidden in a safe place where the Erasers wouldn't think to look for it. It was a crude excuse for a guitar, but it worked well enough for me to rake in a few bucks playing in bars and coffee shops. It could play any song on my mp3 player, and I had quite a few songs.
Needless to say I should have seen it coming because they certainly did; it was an ambush, and though we destroyed every Eraser that attacked us, everyone was either severely wounded, or dead by the time the last drop of blood settled on the wet morning grass.
Iggy had been the first to fall, what with him being blind, the swirling noise of battle had quickly disoriented him, and he lost his ability to fight coherently.
One of Gazzy's bombs had gone off too soon, taking the target Eraser and Gazzy with it when it blew up.
Greif had become anger, but it was enough, it was seven to one in close quarters and no ability to take to the sky. Somehow, having done most of my training on the ground, I was able to survive the brutal attack, but by the time it was over, it was too late. And as I whirled taking out the last Eraser with a punch to it's temple I hit my knees, exhaustion overwhelming me as black spots danced before my eyes and as I looked I saw Max hit her knees as well, her brown eyes dull, her hands and face bloodied, the body of a Eraser lying beside her, it's claws coated with her blood as it poured from a gash in her throat, which only stopped bleeding after she slid sideways and didn't move anymore.
I mutely dug six graves, being careful to preserve the top-layer, so that nobody could figure out where the Flock had been buried.
It was dusk as I was finishing the burial. "I wish I could properly say good-bye to you." I whispered brokenly. I turned around to the tree where I had hung my guitar, and slung it over my shoulder.
"What the hell." I thought. "I like walking anyway, makes me a harder target to find." I took one last glance at the graves, and thought I saw something. Looking closer, I saw each member of the Flock, hovering over the piece of ground I had buried them in, their skin clear and clothes bloodless, their eyes bright and smiles dazzling as their faces were illuminated in a sort of white light.
"You can say goodbye." Max said to me. "We haven't left just yet."
I nodded mutely, suddenly knowing just how I would do just that, and began playing my guitar, singing along with the music.
Snow is falling down on this glorious land
Colors fading, turning into white again
To fallen heroes angels sing, they cry their winter tears
Endless mourning days will turn to years
So this is goodbye, I take leave of you
Spread your wings and you will fly away now, fly away
Now nothing on this earth stays forever
But none of your deeds were in vain
Deep in my heart you will live again
You're gone to the home of the brave
Every solemn moment I will treasure inside
Even though it's hard to understand
That a silent wind can blow the candle out
Taking everything leaving the pain behind
You call out my name, but your voice is fading
Into the wind, embraced, you'll fly away now, fly away now.
Nothing on this earth stays forever
But none of your deeds were in vain
Deep in my heart you will live again
You're gone to the home of the brave
My eyes are closed I feel you're far away
Far beyond that shining star
I know you'll find what you've been fighting for
Far beyond that shining star
Down on bended knee I pray, bring courage to these souls
Make 'em live forever in the heart of the bold
So I say farewell my friends, I hope we'll meet again
When my time has come to fall from grace
So this is goodbye, I take leave of you (and)
Spread your wings and you will fly away now, fly away now.
Nothing on this earth stays forever
But none of your deeds were in vain
Deep in my heart you will live again
You're gone to the home of the brave
(Repeat fading slowly)
(Repeat fading to silence)
As the last strains of the song drifted away, I watched as Max gave the signal for "Up and Away".
As the rest of the Flock took flight, Max walked over to where I was down on my knees, crying.
"I guess it's your turn to save the world, kid." she said, reaching out and putting her hand on her shoulder and my eyes widened as I felt the pressure, though it wasn't at all cold like I expected.
"I might recommend a better name, though." she added with a smirk. I nodded managing a small grin, and she took flight, leaping into the air and beating her brown and white speckled wings as she joined up with the rest of the Flock.
And as I watched, a hole opened in the sky, exposing a golden city beyond. The Flock flew through the hole, and it closed as quickly as it had opened.
Ever since then, I've stayed on the move, gathering friends, setting up networks, and putting my usb thumb to work for me as an IT consultant. Itex shut down shortly after an uprising resulted in several labs belonging to Itex getting bombed, and an environmental group has been working towards practical renewable energy resources so as to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels. Life has been good, though I still mourn for the Flock, and visit their grave every year on the night of the ill-fated ambush.
And as I stand there, looking down at them, I know that I'm not really looking down, but they are. Always watching, always guarding, always there. Saving the world, just like I did, and will continue to do when I join them someday.
But not any time soon….