Max's POV
I don't want to go on a full on explenation since i'm in a rather tight spot at the moment. My names Max, I'm fourteen. Me, Fang, Iggy (also fourteen) Gazzy or The Gasman (eight), Nudge (eleven), Angel (six) and Total, the talking, flying scottie dog, are all mutants, born and raised in cages in a horrible place called School. Scientists or Whitecoats mixed our DNA with avian DNA making us 98% human, 2% bird.
We have wings and yes, we can fly. The School's plan is to destroy half the popullation and turn only the "Perfect" people into mutants to make a "better" place. They say humans have destroyed the planet, global warming and all. I think they really need to get over their freakin' self hate since they're human to.
When I said we were in a tight situation, I wasn't kidding. We'd been captured by those wackos again! The flock and I lived most of our lives in dog cages, being tested on and never knowing freedom... until one scientist helped us escape, Jeb Batchelor. We lived with him for two years before he dissapeared. We thought he was dead but it turns out he was a no good trator. My blood still boils at the thought of him.
Anyway I also here a Voice in my head that tells me what to do. Insane, right? I know. But thats an every day part of life of the Flock. I shifted restlessly in my cage, it was barely large enough for me, cramming my body in and cramping my tucked in wings. I could lay down if I wanted but anything can happen if I succumbed to sleep.
I glanced at Fang's crate, right next to mine to my right. Like always he was quiet, not giving a single sliver of emotion, but I knew better as he sat stock still. He was retreating into himself. None of us liked being back at the school. It was painful being back and I could almost smell the loss of hope. Fang was dark, wore dark clothing, had dark hair and eyes and never showed his fear. But in knowing him so long I knew he was scared beyond belief. His long hair covered his face, hiding himslef.
Iggy was to my left. I could almost feel his trembling. When we were still trapped here Iggy was the last to be experimented on. They had wanted o improve his eyesight to unbelievable strengths but it failed, leaving Iggy blind.
His strawberry blonde hair stuck to his forhead with light sweat and his sightless eyes glared hatefully at the bars. Despite the loss of his sight, Iggy has strong hearing, knowing when an eraser was coming from a mile away. To follow all we had to do was tap his hand twice or let him loop a finger through one of our belt loops and he could follow with ease.
An eraser used to be other mutants. Wolf like monsters, used by the School to keep mutants in check and to hunt us down. But recently they'd dissapeared and we'd found out that they were killing all mutants,they'd now been replaced with robots, M-Geeks. Not us though. Apparently we were so special they want us on their side, specificaly me. I was supposedly designed to save the world. Says my Voice and stupid Jeb.
The white walls seemed to stretch endlessly to the steel door on the other end. The sickening familiar smell of antisepctic filled my nostrils. Other cages lined the room, all vacant.
It was my fault the flock was here again. I'd been a terrible leader and failed them miserably but I AM going to get them out, no matter how many scientists or M-Geeks I had to throw out of a window.
Nudge was asleep, he curly deep brown hair contrasting with her caramel skin. Gazzy was playing with dust that rested in the corner of his cage with a bored expression, blonde hair sweeping into his blue eyes. Angel looked like him. Same blonde hair and blue eyes. Actually those two were the only ones who were blood related.
None of us knew our parents except for me. Jeb had told me earlier he was my dad and Dr. Martinez was my mom. I don't know if he was telling the truth about himself but mom had confirmed it was true.
I only hate him more.
"Fang? You awake?"
Fang looked at me, alert. He was my second in comand, my other half. We could read each other's minds like our own hands- I don't remember that spot being there!
"I don't want to hear one of your "I made this up five minutes ago" plans." he said blanky. He knew me so well. I was a quick thinker but sometime I don't think ahead and make a five minute plan, the flock don't know there five minute though.
"It'll work, I swear." I assured with a smile. He raised a dark eyebrow. We couldn't plan here. I couldn't tell him. The room could be bugged but we did have a mad up language for when we might be overheard. We had hand signals also.
I opened my mouth to speak but stopped abruptly as the metal doors slid open.
The others were up and alert in seconds.
It was a Whitecoat. A tall woman with short scraggly, ear length red hair. She looked in her mid twenties as she carried a smaller crate forward and carelessly dropped it down by Angel.
Another white coat followed behind her. A much older man in his fourties with a clipboard and pen.
"Subject 234781900 is obedient and responsive. He's the last one other than those," she waved her arm dismissivly at us and I snarled.
"Doesn't fight whatsover. You can do whatever you want with him. We have no more need for the older generation since or newest generation is much stronger and more useful. You can observe them from here if you want the others. Don't open any of the cages. They may not look it but they're strong and can easily kill you, even the little ones."
He nodded and shook hands with her before she left, the metal doors sliding shut again with low clicks.
He came closer kneeling infront of Fang's and prodding him sharply.
"Hey!" Fang snapped, lashing at the hand. Mr. Old pulled back, blinking in surprise, as if not expecting It to talk.
"Extrordinary." was all he said, before moving over to me.
"Whats-your-name? I-am-Dr. Leary-can-you-speak-fully?" he asked, pronouncing his words.
"Of course you blundering idiot. I suggest you back off before I bite your ugly sausage fingers off!" I barked, my eyes narrowed.
Dr. Leary blinked owlishly.
"Umm, yes, of course." He avoided us and moved down the row to the other cage the woman had deposited.
It was a small boy, no bigger than Gazzy. He was frail looking, pale and thin. Big idigo eyes stared at the Whitecoat fearfully as he huddled to the far corner. What caught my attention was his wings. He had wings like us!. They were deep, dark brown with white primary fathers and base tips. He also had two dog like ears, both flattend and a short fluffy tail tucked between his legs.
Dr. Leary glanced at his clipboard, his eyes scanning it with vigor.
"Mmm. Says you're obedient, mixed with K9, Feline and Avian. Inhanced eyesight and hearing. As a precaution it says to beware of claws and fangs. Well you don't sound dangerous at all."
He was obviously not experienced with any kind of mutant. A cornered animal either submisses or snaps. I may not know him but it brings me joy to see any Whitecoat to be in pain. Seeing that other boy lash out would be pretty freakin' hilarious.
We watched as he unlatched the cage door and gripped a firm hold on the black leather collar wrapped tightly around the kids neck. Thats when I realized the skin around the leather was an angry inflamed red, looking as if it was suffocating him.
He didn't struggle as he was dragged out and placed on a metal table ot the left side of the room. We watched tensly as he looked him over. Dr. Leary suddenyl reached out and yanked hard on the kid's ear, making him yelp loudly and jerk away.
Dr. raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You felt that? Its almost as if you can actually feel! That sound was so life like! But I know better. Its an instinctive reaction to negative touch. I know that you mutants can't actually feel. You weren't created to."
I growled. They seemed to be getting stupider and stupider til' they hit Jupiter. Of course we can feel it! We're alive!
"That's called pain, idiot." I snapped.
"If you actualy had any feelings maybe you'd understand that." said Fang.
At that moment that woman from before came back. I almost didn't notice as the boy shuddered.
"Yes, you've decided to check over Subject 234781900. If you haven't noticed we enhanced the volume on his pain receptors. That's the secret behind his obedience. Its was rather good idea. They were planning to do that to all of them, to keep them in line. Just one pinch on the arm would be twice the normal pain. Sadly they did a recall on all of them except these seven." she made a sour face, as if the thought of her precious test subjects meant everything in the world.
I really wanted to spew the foulest comments I could think of, but I couldn't, that would mess up the plan.
Forcing down my disgust, I said sweetly, "Excuse me. I could also be of good use to you. I'm indeed strong enough to help in whatever you need."
I refrained from rolling my eyes in annoyance and smiled nicely. The woman's eyes narrowed but the newbie smiled back.
"Wonderful! I'll take her also." The woman's lips thinned to a strand of hair.
"I suggest not releasing them. She is very strong and I'd rather not have her escaping and reaking havoc in this facility." she said tightly.
"I suggest you stop trying to tell me what to do, Dr. Striserd, as I don't have to buy them. Any of them. I shall do as I wish. Thank you." he snapped. Mood change...
He moved towards my cell and I tensed, ready to pounce.
"No, don't! Please! They are highly dangerous!" she gasped, latching desperatly onto his upper arm in a feeble attempt to stop him. He shook her off.
I heard the latch click and burst forward with all my strength, knocking him back so he crashed into the table. The boy made a startled yelp and scrambled away from the unconscious body. I unhinged Fang's cage and he jumped out to, stretching out his wings for a milisecond before knocking out Striserd. But it was too late. She"d already hit the panick button. Red lights flashed and sirens blared noisily, pounding my eardrums.
Quickly, I helped Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge and Angel out and we made for the door before I stopped short. I'd failed so many lives in just one day that I couldn't fail another. I stuped down and hefted up the other mutant, his thin arms wrapping around my neck. Fang sent me a questioning glance and I shook my head.
We raced the halls knocking over anyone we saw, startling them. I saw about three or four M-Geeks line up, blocking out path and six more trapping us from behind. I smiled at Fang and he smiled back, his dark eyes humorous.
"I've been looking for something to punch." he said. The M-Geeks leered closer, their heavy metal bodies clinking and whirring, red eyes flashed.
"Go." was all I said. Gazzy and Iggy immediatly took flight, landing on top of four, Angel and Nudge taking another two. Fang jumped into action, kicking and punching and ripping their heads off. Before we'd discovered that their heads weren't mutant proof and popped off pretty easy. I put the other kid down and pushed him behind me, lashing and kicking.
As soon as the first set was down, more poured in.
"Up and away!" I yelled over the sirens, grabbing him up again and unfurling my wings. The ceiling was pretty high, high enough to get over the robot's heads and zoom through the halls. The robots were slow and clumsily flew after us, hover boots or whatever helping them defy gravity. We raced into a large confrence room, the walls completely glass windows. We didn't even slow down. I covered the kid's head and turned my own face before we smashed through the glass, shards digging into my arms and scrapping my jeans.
The sun felt good on my face and I welcomed the light. It felt good tto let the wind ruffle my wings as they beat effortlessly, allowing us to glide high.
I turned around for a head count on instinct. They were all here, I'd saved the flock, myself and another mutant.
I felt pretty darn good.