Me: Hey guys!

Fang: Sup.

Me: Oh, I've missed you all! But I'm back for another year of stories!

Fang: And another year of torturing me.

Me: -laugh evilly-

Fang: Oh dear...

Me: So for anyone new, welcome... But as you may have seen, this is a sequel. Feel free to stay with this one, by there will be some references made to the last story... I.e. half the setting and everything...

Fang: So it won't make sense?

Me: It might, but it won't... You know?

Fang: Uh, okay?

Me: So yes it will make sense, but it won't be totally as good as with the first story.

Fang: Okay...

Me: So that's enough rambling. With this, I present you the very important prologue and the first chapter! More ramble at the end of the prologue!

Disclaimer: I own niente.

Prologue – An introduction to me

Zila POV

Welcome. That's what the mat at the door of the School said. But you never felt it. There was always a sense of misplacement. Unwanted

Smile. That's what They did when ripping into the others they called "experiments". But I never did. I hated being forced to harm another life form.

Wave. That's what They would do when they saw you. But it was without care. They only did it to seem polite and they knew some could kill in seconds if they weren't pleased.

Return. That's what I'd been stupid enough to do, every day. But I didn't have a choice, everyday in the presence of these people killed me and i was filled with regret.

My father put me up to it. Said it was what Mum would've wanted. The reason i'd never be able to leave.

But he never spoke to me when it wasn't about my sister or not leaving. And Ari thought he was ignored.

When Ari turned, I had no one left to talk to. I begged him so much to stop him from being changed. I didn't come into work for three weeks after he did. Until my father came knocking at my door with complaints and guilt trips. I finally went back, reluctantly. It was the only thing I could do to keep Ari and Mum off my mind.

I became a workaholic, mechanical. Doing everything so my father wouldn't get angry with me...

I did it all for him. I was all he had left, excepting my sister. He called her ignorant, I called her brave. He called her stupid, I called her incredible. She was always my idol, even though she was six years younger than me. I always looked up to her and what she did.

Our only difference – she had wings.

That's right.

My name is Zila Batchelder. Welcome to the School.

Me: Okay, so no one tell Max about that... Or Fang...

Fang: Don't tell me what?

Me: Nothing... -smiles suspiciously-

Chapter 1 – Getting my bearings

Max POV

"You okay?" Fang asked me through the cold metal bars of his cage. Man, been locked away in a dog crate sucked. They're too cramped and just plain inhumane. I mean, let's shove some whitecoats in these someday, and see how much they like it.

"Yeah," I sighed, beginning to read the letter Zila had put in my crate.

Max,

The name's Zila and I'm going to help you get out. That is, if you let me.

Soon is the big experiment which you and Fang are the guinea pigs for. Hopefully we can get you both out before that.

I know you probably won't trust me, but I promise this is nothing you would normally get from a whitecoat.

I'll talk to you in person soon, but this is just so you know what's happening.

Take care until then,

Zila.

"Hmm," I sighed again when I finished reading the note. She seemed legit, for a whitecoat. It was hand written so she'd taken time to write it. And it seemed like she cared from the way she had said 'good luck'. Still could never trust a whitecoat. Ever. Not after everything they've done to us.

Guess we'd have to wait and see what she'd do to make a final decision.

"What's it say?" Fang said, having heard me finish the note. I looked up to him. He was sitting against the side closest to me, fiddling with a bit of bone that had been thrown at him as a sick joke by the whitecoats.

I handed the paper over to him and then began to grab at the bandages covering my legs, arms and wing. I pulled the one on my arm almost fully off when I heard voices down the hall.

Quickly wrapping it back up, I tapped the back of Fang's hand twice and lied back down on my side. His head snapped up, he handed back the note and assumed a sleeping position on the far side of the crate.

I sat in silence. Moments before the doors burst open.

"As you can see, they are both asleep," someone whispered, sounding annoyed, rushing in after the first pair of feet.

"Has Max woken up yet?" I heard none other than Jeb ask. God, why did he have to survive the fight and not anyone else?

"No, I just had Porsoft in here asking the same thing," she whispered. Zila, it was Zila.

"Zila," Jeb started in his persuading little ways.

"Jeb," she whined back with perfect accuracy. "I will report any change she has, until then you'll have to wait." Seemed like Zila had enough experience with Jeb so she knew how to handle him.

"Okay, well you have to come and find me before you do anything with them, won't you?" he almost pleaded.

But before she could respond the doors burst open. "BATCHELDER!" she called. It was a young sounding girl.

"Evangeline…" Jeb let out coldly.

"You need to leave," 'Evangeline' said back, equally as cold.

"Yes, but…" he started.

"No buts!" she interrupted, stepping closer. "You don't have the permissions to be in here, do you?"

"I know, I was..." he started again.

"And since this isn't the first time you've done this then I will have to report you if you don't leave immediately."

"Understood, I just needed to…" he was cut off again.

"Max hasn't woken yet," Evangeline said in a slightly softer voice than before. "You will be told when she does and you will be able to see her when she is stable." I imagined Jeb nodding in that pause. "But for now, we all have to wait until she wakes up."

"Thank you, Evangeline," Jeb said solemnly, before exiting the room with Evangeline by the sounds of it.

After a couple more taps on a computer, Zila left the room, locking the doors as she left.

I waited for what felt like an eternity until I heard the clicking of her shoes fade down the hall and through another set of doors, which she locked also.

I slowly sat up, ignoring the room spinning when I did so too fast.

"Sounds like the School's got us some new kids to play with," I mumbled, clutching my head.

"You right?" Fang asked, prying his hands through the small holes in the cages and placing it on my shoulder.

"Yeah, but I think they've drugged me..." I said through clenched teeth.

"Why's that?" Fang's face filled with concern.

"Headache, world spinning, body aches, and yet I'm still able to hold a conversation," I said. Fang laughed a little at the last part.

"Isn't that the norm?" he mocked. I smiled, knowing that even if he was all that was left of my world, at least it was him.

"Yeah," I breathed, with a little more emotion than I intended it to have. Fang noticed, his smile also growing grimmer.

"It's gonna work out," he said grabbing my hand again. "I'll do whatever it takes to get you out alive." His smile became more distant, and almost scared. "even if that means I have to lose everything I have left..."

"Fang, don't," I almost shouted. "Don't even begin to say that. I don't know how I'm living with our current situation... Let alone if I lost you..." My last words were quiet and I felt a single tear slip down my face.

Watching your family die before you changes people.

"I don't want that any more than you, Max," Fang said wiping away my tear as best he could through our metal bars. I laughed as more tears began to fall.

"Sorry..." I mumbled, wiping my eyes on my gown.

"Don't be," he said looking up to me and smiling like he only smiled for me. "I love you, Max. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Fang," I said solemnly. If I had to be stuck in the School, I was almost glad it was with Fang... Even if I knew it could mean that he could be tortured because of my greed. If someone had to be thrown in a cage next to me again, at least I knew it was someone who loved me. And someone who I loved so much too.

I fell asleep with my head towards Fang's cage, while he ran his fingers through my hair as best he could through the bars, with thoughts of a life without Itex running through my head.

Me: So, this is the beginning of my next long time adventure!

Fang: Well at least I'm with Max, I guess...

Me: Okay, straight back into the Pretty Little Questions again!

PLQ: What should I call you, my readers?

MY PLA: I got nothing... My something awesome like Danisnotonfire's name for his fans, Danosaurs!

Me: So bring any ideas to the review box and yours could be chosen!

Thanks to: My good friend Brenden for coping with my stressing, all the while he was editing this for me. Just wanted to say thanks. If you guys could, take a look at his YouTube for me, the link is on my profile. It might get me some credit to use for the next chapter... -laughs-

And thanks to everyone who submitted characters for this in the last story. They will make a more thorough appearance next chapter!

Me: So that's it from us for this chapter. And as always, more reviews means faster updates!

Fang: And we bid you farewell, goodnight or goodbye... Whatever you want really...

Me: Please be sure to check out my blog, site also on the profile, for more updates about what's happening and maybe just the odd laugh!

RR&A!