Ch.1: Prologue

Rebel's P.O.V.

"You're dead, freak." His words were ice cold, like a steel knife slicing through my scarred skin. I might have come in time to save her, but my life was a different story. My jaw was set, along with my mind. To survive you have to make sacrifices. I hope this one makes up for my mistakes, but knowing how wrong and cruel I've been I know that this simple action is not enough to give me a halo and a set of pure, white wings. At least I will die with my pride. At least I'll die doing a noble deed. At least my family won't scoff, or deny my name any longer.

His arm raised with a quick, fluent movement, like what he was doing was just and natural. In his hand was a killer, a handgun, a shiny, cheap gun bought and sold illegally, most likely. It glistened, bringing back memories of my past. The bars. The guns. Their fangs.

The bullet left the gun in a second. In one second, one pull of a trigger, my life was laid before me. The lead burned hot in the air. It tore through three feet of distance between us before coming to a stop directly under my heart. It scraped past my ribs and broke through an artery. Screams echoed around me. It was too late; I was going to die. I happened to twist his arm back to where he shot himself on the second fire.

I came crashing down, to my knees first, then I was withering in a pathetic mound on the gym floor. My body came to rest beside the cooling corpse of the shooter. My blood poured and stained the polished, sneaker scuffed floor. Hands pressed against the wounds, but I was too far gone. People were shouting around me, but in my mind all was calm. My sweet serenity is death. Sad world that I've created, filled to the brim with crumbling walls and harsh words.

My head lolled and my eyes rolled. My heart hammered in my chest as my limbs went limp and I stilled. One last breath entered my lungs, and one last exhale left my lips. I closed my eyes and balled my fists, ready to join the shooter in hell...

•••

Whoa! Slow down. Let me start from the beginning.

•••

"Rebel!" Alice cried as she raced down the hall.

Not now! I begged in my mind. Please not now!

"Babe, I totally found out that they are going to have free drinks at the party later today. We have to go now. Besides, I already heard that the other's are going, and that flirt from homeroom is going to wear the same skirt I wore to Ashley's party! Not fair! I need you to take me so we can show them who's in charge. What time are you picking me up?" She talks as much as Nudge. Alice has been my girlfriend since the begging of 12th grade. She's a bit of a snob, and defiantly an idiot, but her appearance makes up for that.

Gwen and Kale tell me I'm shallow to go for just looks. I prefer to say that I'm just an eighteen year old boy searching for something appealing to gawk at. Don't get me wrong, Alice is great and all, but it will probably never work out. Then again, she has been trying to fit into my life, and she treats me like I'm more than a mutant. She's helped me become popular. At least I have a lot of friends at school now, maybe too many.

"Sorry, but I can't go," I sighed.

"But...why?!" She demanded an answer then and there. I could tell she was ticked off by the way her eyes flicked and her jaw set. She even brushed some of her perfectly curled hair from her face and propped a hand on her hip.

"Gwen wants me to go with her to a reunion." I shrugged it off. That seems genuine enough, right?

"You and your stupid family!" thundered Alice, "You are always with them! Have you ever considered spending Christmas with me, just this once? I bought a new outfit that will make your jaw drop."

Tempting, very tempting.

"I haven't seen my..." I stumbled on the word, not knowing what to call Ava and Eva. "My friends in a while. It's been almost five years. They miss me."

"Well you're going to be missing out on something too!" Alice threatened. "Please at least spend some of the holiday break with me! Between your family and your excessive training I never get to talk to you!"

"You should like my training, it gives me abs and muscles," I joked.

"That's true. I guess you are pretty sexy, if you can overlook the wings."

By this time we had reached the sidewalk that led away from the high school. I wouldn't have to come back to the building for another three weeks, although it never seemed like a real, snow covered Christmas here in California, not like the ones I spent with the Ride's back when I was younger. This year Kale and Gwen were taking me back to the little house that lay hidden in the woods of Virginia. Ava and Eva would be thrilled.

"Bye, Rebel. Call me later, ok?" Alice wrapped her arms around my middle and hugged me like there was no tomorrow. I knew that deep down she would truly miss me, even if she could have any other guy at the flick of a wrist. But I could get any girl on command too, so I no longer felt fearful that I was going to be cheated on. I let my orange wings spread behind me without answering Alice. I've been told to never make promises; they're always broken.

My fly home was boring, like usual, but I did get some thrill flying hundreds of feet above California effortlessly at top speed. I dove and came to a harsh landing, not bothering to slow down. I might need to do that one day if I break a wing in a fight, or I may just be paranoid. Kale warns me about that a lot. He says I'm to edgy, that I need to make friends, real friends, ones that don't follow me around like mob a school. In my book, connections are weaknesses that your enemy can use against you. I can't have weaknesses.

"Rebel! We're out back!" Gwen was standing in front of the van, throwing a suitcase on top of various other items. Then I remembered that we were going to visit and shook my head at their overabundant packing.

"Do you have to bring the whole house?" That was a ridiculous question for me to ask. The house was way to big. Four levels of nothing but pure, first-class appliances and only the best top-shelf luxuries. Why wouldn't it be? Gwen and Kale were on TV every other day. They were celebrities, and people paid millions to hear about the bird freaks. I, on the other hand, was a burden. Apparently the whole world wanted to see an avian baby. They wanted to see Ava and Eva, who, at the time when this all started, were no bigger than watermelons. When I was rescued by Flair, Jace, Alex, and Ice I was gingerly handed over to Gwen and Kale. They've raised me for eighteen years now, and have barely held onto their sanity because of it.

"I'm so excited! I can't believe it's been five years!" She squealed, her wings flapping behind her in pure glee. I could see the metal tips gleaming against her black feathers. I couldn't believe it had been five years either, quite honestly. Ava and Eva were my best friends for the first thirteen years of my life. They were almost my sisters. Max and Gwen kept us three very close. Same school, same house, same...everything. Then the day came where what was left of the wretched House of Despair came after the Epic. Again and again they tried to capture Ava and Eva. To this day we don't know who the Epic truly is, but that doesn't stop them. On one of their attempts they brought me in instead. My eyes were opened and my attitude changed. I haven't been the same since. Gwen and Kale were advised to stay away from Ava and Eva so that the cameras wouldn't find out where the twins were hidden, and maybe then the enemy wouldn't know either.

"Did you get my skateboard?" I questioned impatiently as she slammed the trunk closed.

"And your iPod, and your headphones, and your laptop, and your jeans, and-"

"Ok! I got it!" I snapped and sunk into the car, leaning my head back on the seat. Why do girls talk so much?! Gosh.

"KALE!" Gwen called. He came out out of the house, his pants around his ankles and his shirt unbuttoned. Some times I wonder if he's simple. He half waddled, half ran to the car and plopped down in the front with a frustrated grunt.

"Seriously?!" I thundered, wanting to get this long ride over with. Why couldn't we just fly like normal avian mutants I'll never know, but for some reason Gwen hasn't wanted to fly since the accident and now I have to pay for it. Great, just great!

Kale fixed his pants and buttoned his shirt, managing to only screw things up once by knocking us out of park. Some kids may say that rolling down your driveway is fun, and it probably would have been if you weren't at the top of a hill with a busy highway at the end of it! Thank God he remembered where the break was. By this time, Gwen was in the passenger's seat.

"Hurry, Kale! We'll be late!" She was smiling the most I had seen her do in a while, that wasn't fake, and it kept me from moaning from boredom. Right now on any normal day I would be going to the gym and working out, but no, I have to go see the stupid family. Ava and Eva probably don't even remember me.

"I can't believe it, Rebel!" Gwen laughed as she tossed me a piece of paper, "They said we could finally go visit! The labs are finished! Isn't this great?!"

No. I didn't see why it was so great.

"Yeah, Gwen. I'm thrilled. I'm missing out on the best Christmas party in history, I don't get to kiss my girlfriend on New Years, and-oh what was it?- I have to spend the whole freaking holiday with a bunch of old people!"

"We aren't old!" Kale defended, "I'm only thirty-two!"

"Going on four," I snorted.

"Rebel, what's with you?" Gwen frowned and looked back at me. I slumped in my seat and looked out the window.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," I grumbled, not meeting her eyes. Actually, there were a lot of things wrong with me: the wings, the fact that my brain calculates everything perfectly, and the little tweak of being able to practically take anyone down in a matter of thirty seconds.

"Hormones," Kale whispered to Gwen. Yeah, that's it. They blame everything on the fact that I'm a teenager. Apparently I do everything wrong. Who doesn't try to smoke a cigaret every now and then? Who doesn't accidentally get caught DUI every once in a while? Who doesn't get in trouble for skipping classes to go hide out at the skate park or the mall with their gang? Who doesn't throw a well deserved punch here and there? It's normal, right? It's just me being a kid. That's cool, right? It's not like I killed anyone.

But you could have, I think to myself. Then I realized that I could care less either way. I don't really feel anything anymore, other than agitation, frustration, anger, hatred, and boredom. I used to feel, but once you're kidnapped by genetically engineered werewolves and put through torturous tests you become numb to the world. Either that, or you become an over paranoid, killing machine. I guess I'm a little of both.

Gwen began her annual storytelling. It started, like it always did, with her and Kale being thrown on a stage and people shouting bids. I knew how it would end, too. I had heard this story, the one of her life, so many times that I could say it along with her. By the time she had reached Dylan dying, I had put my headphones in and started looking through pictures. Most of them were of Alice, or the others that hung out with us after school in the alley ways. Then, I reached the very last picture. It was, unlike the others, not taken by myself.

At home there was a thick photo album filled to the last page with memorable pictures from over the years. Gwen's favorite was of Ava, Eva, and myself when we were no older than ten months. We were wearing onesies and each of us had a stuffed animal tucked under our arms. Our eyes were closed and one blanket was tucked over the three of us. I was in the middle with my mop of brown hair sticking oddly to the left from a rough sleep. Ava and Eva had little bows tied in their hair an each was snuggled up against my side, Ava with her thumb in her mouth, and Eva with her wings stretched out behind her. That picture made me feel...sad. Sad because I knew that the relationship we once had would always be severed. Sad because I secretly missed them with every fiber of my being. Sad because when Gwen looks at it tears spring in her eyes. The next was of me and Eva smearing frosting on each other's face at her sixth birthday. The last one I remembered was when we were thirteen, the day before I was taken back and changed for good. In the last photo it was only me and Ava. I was laying on the couch in only my swimming trunks and Ava curled up with her head on my chest. She was asleep, and so was I, yet Eva took the picture anyway. How it got on my iPod, I'll never know, but it probably had something to do with Gwen. The memory held too much for me to study the picture to long, and I threw my iPod to the floor with a great effort. I sat with my arms crossed, shaking my head and trying to forget.

"And then the report came on the TV, and I stood with as much courage as I could muster in front of that microphone and announced my opinions on the subject. It turns out that Kale had his zipper down the whole time, and became the laughing stock of the world. People never forgot that day, and neither would I, because that's what pushed us down this path. That's when fame swept us away from our old life. Then it ends, and a new page was turned." Gwen concluded the story and closed her eyes, savoring something. What that something was, is unclear to me. Maybe it was the feeling of childhood. Maybe it her feeling of security in her family group. Or maybe she was just closing her eyes to keep tears in. Maybe she missed those days, the days where she spent every waking moment with her family. Did she miss her past?

When I was younger, and was spending the night at Max's while Kale and Gwen were gone on business, I heard her tell Fang about how she missed being The Flock's mother. I knew that I shouldn't have heard that, but it made me realize that family and trust was important to this group. I never confronted Max on the subject. I started to notice that she took great pride in Angel's accomplishments in the political field, and Gazzy's awards of being promoted to being one of the president's bodyguards. When Nudge had her two children Max almost cried, and when Iggy and Ella said their "I do"'s she had a smile ten miles wide. She was also a really experienced mother with Ava and Eva. It was like she had done it before, which she probably had with Angel. Then she had Blane seven years later. Nichole, who is now four, was her last, and gave her a steady six members with the last name of Ride. It was almost like her Flock. Lets just say Max really likes the number six.

"Rebel?" Gwen poked me.

"What is with you! Can't you understand the phrase 'leave me alone'?!" I growled.

Her lips turned to a thin line and then she replied with a, "I just wanted to tell you goodnight."

The sky outside had turned dark and I knew that Kale and Gwen would soon switch places so we could drive through the night and get to Virginia sooner. I felt guilty for snapping at her like that, but I just rolled my eyes in response and rested my head against the window, the cool glass sending shivers through my arms. This car ride was going to take forever.

I fell asleep, waiting for the next gruesomely terrible day, wondering how many miles I was going to be pulled away from the love of my life. Little did I know that I might have been drawing nearer to her every rotation of the wheels.

Five reviews and I'll update on Monday!

Oh, and here's the ages(please note that some of the characters haven't come into play yet):

•GWEN:32 KALE:32 REBEL:18

•EBONY:34 STORM:34 HOLLY:10

•SELENE:33 RYAN:32 PETER: 12

•FLAIR:31 ICE:31 COLE: 13 SAPPHIRE:13

•JACE:31 ALEX:31 DEMI:11

•MELEE:27

•LUCY :27

•JESTER:25 SYLVIA:26 BETHANY:2

•MAX:36 FANG:36 EVA:18 AVA:18 BLANE:11 NICOLE:4

•IGGY:36 ELLA:35 LANI:12

•NUDGE:34 HILLBILLY:35 KRYSTAL:12

•GAZZY:31

•ANGEL:29

•MOON:30

•NIGHT:39 GLOOM:39 GREY:12

•DRAKE:31