The flock just about had it. Everywhere they ran they were followed by erasers or some other hybrid. Angel was desperately wanting to lead the flock but wouldn't say anything. After all, who would follow a pesky six year old anyway? Though she wasn't alone in her thoughts. Everyone was tired of cutting it close with their enemies. It seemed like a never ending cycle of running away and hiding.

"Can we stop flying yet Max?" Gazzy called out from the middle of their V shaped flying path. "It's been hours and I'm so hungry."

"Yeah, Max." Nudge added. "I'm tiredddd."

Everyone was getting tired and the fact that their last meal was yesterday night was beginning to catch up to them all. Max looked at Fang and he gave a silent nod. "Okay, there!" Max pointed straight ahead. "There's a small forest not to far from us. We'll make camp there."

Soon they were landing in a clearing and throwing their packs down to get out what little supplies they had. "Nudge, Iggy you guys start working on a fire." Max ordered. "Fang go look for some things we can snack on. Like berries, water, or just anything you can find. We only have a few granola bars left for now. And Gazzy, Angel and I are going out there" she pointed east, referring to civilization "to see if my card will work. If it does we'll come back with food and whatever else we can get. Everyone back here before sundown." With that everyone parted their separate ways.

Nudge hummed as she walked down the forest pathway until she tripped on a random root she didn't notice. Luckily, since Iggy was using Nudge as a guide he was holding onto her belt loop and was able to catch her just before she hit the ground. "Ah! That was close, thanks Iggy".

"No problem," he responded back with a smile. "What did you trip over?"

"I don't know. Some tree root thing."

"Huh weird." Iggy said. "Let's keep looking for firewood. I don't like this place." Nudge nodded forgetting it was a useless notion and then guided Iggy's hand to her belt loop as she led them both to where there seemed to be a never-ending path of trees.

Once out of sight an unknown face appeared after the couple disappeared. He didn't have much time to hide once he noticed them coming so he just became transparent and leaned back trying to blend in with the trees. Radioing contact, he managed to get out "targets are in sight but it's only two of them. The other four can't be too far. Shall I eliminate them now?"

His communicator responded back quickly with "no. Just follow them for now. We've got your location. Radio us again when they're all together. Reinforcements are already on the way."

"Roger that." Stealthily he obeyed his orders and continued following Nudge and Iggy. Soon we'll be reunited, very soon my love, he thought as he went into his transparent form again.

Fang had been silently wondering alone for about fifteen and hadn't found anything but dirt, trees, and more dirt. He couldn't even seem to find any bunnies or squirrels. There's gotta be something around here, he thought. For the longest time since he left the camp, site he felt like he was being followed but whenever he turned around no one was there. Maybe I'm just paranoid. Soon he heard something that sounded like… water! At least that's something.

When Fang turned to where he heard the sound he felt eyes watching him again. He pretended to pick something up behind him so he could scan his rear but as expected, no one was there; but he was certain he was being stalked. He quickly decided to run towards the water stream and get lost in the mass of trees. As he did he quickly turned invisible, leaned up against a tree and waited.

As he predicted someone was following him. He couldn't tell their gender but this person was pretty fast. They wondered around disappointed that they lost him. He or she started heading back in the direction they came from. Gotta go tell the flock about this. After he waited a couple more minutes to be sure the coast was clear, he started running back towards camp.

"Max look! There's an ATM right there." Angel easily pointed out.

"Thanks Angel." The trio tried to casually walk up to it without drawing to much attention to themselves the best a avian-human could.

"Oh my God" Gazzy started. "It's.. It's.. It's.." he trailed off in shock.

Angel gasped as well as she realized what he was talking about and gulped after her stomach growled at the sight. "It's huge."

Max finally entered the correct pin number to the card: 2473, which was supposed to spell BIRD in numbers. Thus, she was able to take out two hundred fifty dollars and it seems the card still had a lot more money left on it. When she finally turned around to see what her two youngest flock members were talking about she gasped at the sight of it and her stomach made a loud strange noise.

Peter Piper's Pizzaverse. It was rumored to be the best pizza place in the world. Make-your-own-pizza, pizza sandwiches, pizza cake. There was no hybrid of pizza in existence that this restaurant doesn't sell. Although it was slightly expensive, it was a buffet, meaning: all you can eat.

"M-Max. We have to go there." Gazzy insisted. "Please". None of the flock could remember the last time they had a good meal or ate something that wasn't a granola bar or hot dog. Actually they can. When they were living with Jeb at the E house but, no one talks about that anymore. "Max we have enough money."

"Yeah, please Max, pleassse" Angel insisted and started pulling the Bambi eyes on her. She tapped Gazzy and got him to join in on it too.

"Okay, fine" Max caved in. "But there's no way we can go get some and bring it back into the woods without it looking suspicious. We'll need to go get the flock and come back."

"Yes!" Angel and Gazzy cheered in unison as they high five'd each other. The trio went back into the forest with good news hoping the others we're safe.

"I can't believe with all these trees everywhere there's no firewood. At least we got these branches. I wonder if everyone else was able to find food." Nudge rambled on as she and Iggy returned back to the camp. "Huh? We're the first ones back. I thought Fang would've beaten us."

Fang, still sprinting, heard his name from the only persons voice that could be. Nudge. The whole flock has heard her ramble enough times to know that voice from anywhere.

"Oh look. It's Fang. You look tired are you okay?" Nudge asks dropping the tree branches.

"Yeah." he quickly responded. "Max?"

"She didn't come back yet but I think I here them coming." Iggy told him.

"We're going to need to re-locate soon." Fang simply said. "Someone was following me earlier. I lost 'em but they might come back."

Iggy had a look like he was really concentrating on his face. "Yeah," he simply said. "When we were walking around I felt like we were being followed too."

"Guys!" Gazzy hollered running into the clearing. "Max got the card to work and we're getting food. Real food. C'mon." Nudge didn't need to be told twice. She started chasing after Gazzy and then realized she forgot about Iggy. She ran back to him and grabbed his hand and started running after Gazzy. Fang silently followed. "Max and Angel are already inside getting a table" he informed the group.

They all came to the edge of the street and Nudge gasped, Iggy just had a confused look on his face, and Fang said something no one heard. "This is where we're eating? No way." After waiting for a walk sign they crossed the street. Remembering Iggy didn't know what was going on Nudge softly said "It's Pizza World Iggy. The restaurant." Max motioned to them after they walked in.

Fang gave her a look saying that they needed to talk. Max nodded her head but all she said to them was "I already paid for all of us. Don't worry, it's a buffet so eat as much of whatever you want." With that Gazzy took off to the "Build Your Own Pizza" line. He was planning to make the ultimate pizza and maybe salvage some stuff he could use for some fart bombs later. Iggy was practically drooling at the incredible smells. He wanted to try everything. Nudge just wanted pizza with possibly every meat on it. The Ultimate Meat Lovers Pizza.

After the flock departed Fang and Max went to grab their drinks first. Fang softly spoke "Max we can't go back to the forest. Iggy & I think we're being followed. And I think we should lay low after this. Stay in a hotel or something."

"I think so too. I know we were in public but when we got the money I felt like we were being watched but Angel didn't seem to pick anything up." Once they filled up their cups they head over to get their food then regroup with the flock at their booth in the back corner of the restaurant. In the rear, near windows and an emergency exit, Max was content with their seating.

"Iggy can you believe this? They have so many cheeses here. Perfect for our new stink-bomb!" the Gasman said before stuffing his face with his five inch pizza-burger hybrid.

The person in question was busy chugging down his fourth mug of Root Beer at the moment. He finally stopped to say "I know bro. Make sure to get some before we go. I have a great idea for that bomb."

Angel and Nudge were about to go out for seconds but Max stopped them before they went. "Guys, there's a good chance someones following us right now. After were done here we're going to U and A west and head to a hotel. If anything goes wrong here everyone meet back at the cave." Max had explained. "Don't worry about your stuff in the woods. It wasn't much anyway and we have enough money for makeovers."

Nudge and Angel, but mainly Nudge jumped up and down at the thought of going shopping. "Zomg. We have to go first thing tomorrow." All the males and Max grimaced at the thought. Angel just started smiling and whispered to Max, "don't worry. It'll be fun."

The hotel was, well, to say it was nice was an understatement. It seemed that there was a celebrity or someone of importance in that hotel and most of the rooms were booked or off limits. Max had planned on getting two separate but adjoining rooms: one for the guys and one for the girls. "Can I just get one big room then?" The desk clerk gave them three keys to the room.

The suite had four beds; two singles and two queens. "Okay, how are we gonna do this?" Max asked nonchalantly. "Gazzy and Angel could–"

"No!" Angel quickly interjected. "Gazzy just had about a million different cheeses tonight and I refuse to sleep in the same bed as him." She flailed her tiny arms around for emphasis "and he farts in his sleep! Nope. Not happening."

"Alright, Gazzy can get a single bed but that still means three beds and five of us." Gazzy ran to the bed at the end of the room and jumped on it like a kangaroo.

"Here," Nudge started as she walked towards one of the queen beds. "Angel and I can sleep together."

Iggy gasped that he was losing his partner. He fell to his knees and melodramatically said "but Nudge, I neeeeed you." Everyone guffawed at dramatic notion. Everyone except Fang who lightly smiled.

"You'll survive Iggy." Max said. "I guess you can have the other single. Fang do you mind sharing one?" Fang nodded his approval. "Alright then it's settled."

The flock took turns showering for what seemed like the first time in forever. Gazzy was the first to fall asleep, followed by his sister Angel and then Nudge. Iggy drifted off thinking, imaging things. Fang was just about to fall asleep until Max asked "Fang ,what if they're back? The erasers, fly-boys, or something worse?" She paused and after she noticed he was listening she continued. "That person or people that was following us could be a total new hybrid. I just– I just don't know what to do."

"Shhh," Fang whispered and held her to his chest. Patting her hair with one hand and rubbing her back with his other. "We'll deal with everything in the morning. We're safe now. Don't worry Max." Fang kept rubbing circles in her back until she finally fell asleep. I won't ever let someone hurt our family was his last conscious thought before he was out.

Thanks for reading.