Words: 1,368
Rating: K+ for now- rating may change.
Takes Place: Post-Angel
Authors Notes: My first multi-chapter story! Some of this is based on my one-shot, Forgotten. You don't have to read Forgotten to read this, however.
Disclaimer: Once again, I am not James Patterson. I'm a girl, for God's sake!

Ella had always been jealous of Max. Ella had always wanted to be one of the flock, to be able to fly like they could, to have their life of adventure. She hated Max, for stealing away her mother and her life. After Max had come into her life, all Valencia could talk about was Max this and Max that. Ella grew to hate her.

Ella still did hate her.

The lights hurt my eyes, and I squinted, throwing up a hand to block my eyes. I was lying flat on my back on a hospital bed, with lights shining on my from every angle. I felt stiff and uncoordinated, sick to my stomach like I was going to throw up, and with a steadily throbbing headache.

I felt like crap.

"Ella?" someone said from above me, their voice seeming to float all around me. "Are you okay, Ella?"

"Ella? Can you hear me?"

"Ella? Ella?"

I couldn't tell if they were male or female voices, or if they were familiar or not. My ears felt like they had been stuffed with cotton wool, and when I tried to answer I could barely open my mouth.

My eyes slowly began to adjust and I was able to back out vague shapes above me. Faces. A woman, a teenaged girl, and a man. As my eyesight adjusted even more, I realized that it was my mom I could make out above me, and Jeb. I vaguely recognized the girl from the news- Belle? I wasn't sure. I couldn't remember, although my mind was slowly clearing.

"Mom? Where am I?" Even as I was saying the words, everything came flooding back to me. The School. I was in the School for Mutants, where the Doomsday Group was based.

I struggled to sit up. My mom tried to keep me lying down, but I ignored her and pulled myself up so I could look at them face-to-face.

The girl was beaming. "Hi, Ella. I'm Beth. You've just gone through the DNA adjustment process. Can you move all of your limbs."

I nodded. My head felt strange, and my back ached, but I didn't think anything was damaged. "The- the DNA adjustment process?"

"Yes."

"You mean- you mean-"

Beth smiled sweetly. "Yes."

I felt a smile slowly spreading across my face. I had wings. Finally. Finally, I could be just as good as Max. Just as good a daughter. I would be noticed.

Now I could feel my wings on my back, my third set of limbs. It was strange, but I was able to move them as easily as I could move my hands or legs. I could feel the back of the bed digging into them, the way they were slightly sore from lying on my back. It was amazing. It was perfect.

I smiled again. Yes. Finally. I didn't feel sick now, or sore- I felt better than I ever had. I felt stronger, faster, better. I was better.

"Are you feeling okay, Ella?" Mom asked worriedly. "Not sick, or anything?"

I shook my head no.

"Good," Jeb said. "Very good. Sit back and rest, Ella. You'll begin flight training tomorrow." With that, he and my mother left the room, leaving me and Beth, who smiled.

"It feels great, doesn't it, Ella? You feel so much smarter, stronger, better-"

"Definitely." I said. "It feels- I can't describe it. Now I can help you, Beth, and help the One Light."

As if that had been what she was waiting to hear, Beth beamed. "Good. I'll leave you to rest, Ella."

She moved on to another bed, and I was left to think. What Angel had done, deprogrammed me- it had worked. I no longer felt the need to serve the One Light, or kill all the humans. I just felt like me, like Ella, only ten times better.

I realized now how stupid I had been. But my resentment of Max was still there, my jealousy and anger at being replaced, just under the surface. I still hated her.

I didn't want to hate her. But I did.

I tried to move my wing slightly. My left wing twitched, and then spread out, and I whistled under my breath. They were even prettier than Max's, I thought personally. Long and narrow, black and white with shades of chestnut along the primary feathers. The coloring of a red-kite.

I loved them.

I swung my legs out of bed and stood up. I was shaky, but I didn't feel like I would faint or anything. Slowly, very slowly, almost as if I was scared to move them, I spread my wings out to their full length.

They were brilliant. The lights glinted off the glossy black and white, making them seem even brighter. I could feel where they were attached to my back, just by my shoulder blades. They felt strange on my back, but natural, like they had always been there.

I looked around the room. I was in what looked like a hospital, with children and teenagers my age and younger on beds all through the room. A few were awake and being spoken to by Beth, while most were still unconscious. I saw children with deformed wings, some who had been disfigured from the DNA adjustment, and a lot- too many- who were dead where they lay.

I felt suddenly, horribly, completely guilty. I knew some of these people- they had been in the Doomsday Group with me. We had all been eager to get wings grafted onto us- eager to serve the cause.

One of the lab-techs hurried over. "Martinez, is it?"

"Yes."

"You should be lying down, you're just after going through a dangerous procedure and you shouldn't be exerting yourself, so if you please, would you sit back down and stay there quietly until we can perform a few tests, we'll be with you as soon as possible so just please, stay resting for a few moments, do you think you could manage that?"

All of this was said in one breath. He could give Nudge a run for her money.

I wondered then where the flock was. Where Nudge and Gazzy and Angel and Dylan and Max were. Where Iggy was.

Reluctantly, I sat back down, feeling irritated. My new wings brushed against the bed, a strange feeling.

For the next several hours, I was poked and prodded and tested for this and that, checked for any powers or abilities like Angel's mind-reading. My wings were measured, my height and weight recorded, samples of everything from blood to saliva taken. I was forced to run on a treadmill, lift weights, do IQ tests. I was faster, stronger than before. It was brilliant.

I didn't have any powers, not that they could find. I could tell they were disappointed as I was directed back to my bed, but I couldn't feel disappointed. I didn't care about having any super-duper powers, like the flock. I had wings. I was unique. That was enough.

A lot more kids were waking up now. They were taken out for tests and then about half of them brought back. This continued for another few hours, until there was about fifteen os us left.

Once everyone had been tested, Beth came back into the room and beamed at the fifteen of us. "Hi, everyone. I'm Beth, one of the regional directors of the Doomsday Group. You've all just gone through the DNA adjustment, and you might be feeling a bit funny for the next few days. That's to be expected. But now, you'll be able to serve the One Light even better." She smiled charmingly at us.

"We'll be teaching you how to fly here, and some self defense, before we send you off to spread the One Light's word. It'll only take a couple of days, so don't worry, you won't be here for long! Any questions?"

There was no questions.

I was careful to not really listen to her words. I had been brainwashed once- never again, I told myself firmly.

"Okay, then!" Beth smiled again. "Let's get you outside, and ready for the first flying exercise!"