"Max? Max?" A strong, deep voice cuts through my train of thought. Fang. "Yeah?" I answer, looking up. "How does Chinese food sound?" He says, plucking the book that I've been staring at out of my hands. I haven't been able to focus much, especially after Angel 's disturbing message this morning.

It isn't safe, Max. There are people coming. Bad whitecoats, but this time they have something different on their side. Something...supernatural.

Basically, it hasn't been helping my stress level. Iggy is on edge, too. It's almost like he can feel something, something none of the rest of us can. None of this is helping. "Max?" Fang asks. "You in there?" He teases. I laugh, like nothing is bothering me, and reply with a simple, "Sure." I get up off of the couch and clap my hands. "I've got to do something." I say, widening my eyes so I look crazy. "I have to do something, right now, or else I'll flip."

"I'd say you've already flipped." Iggy says, wandering in. "I heard someone say Chinese food." He explains, flopping down on the couch, completely not seeing (well, duh) the bright red Whoopie Cushion right underneath him.

"AAUGH!" He yells, jumping up. "GAZZY!" Fang and I crack up, and in my head I can feel Angel laughing. Nudge and Gazzy fall into the room, and Nudge is practically crying with laughter. Gazzy's snickers can be heard through the whole house, and Total is laughing too.

"Not funny." Iggy says, though he's fighting down a chuckle himself. Fang smiles and gets off the couch.

"One giganto order of Chinese, coming up." He says, and then swoops down to kiss me. My heart feels like it's melting out of my chest. My stomach knots up and my wings shiver.

Let's just say I haven't gotten used to that yet.

"Get a room." Iggy remarks. "Get a girlfriend." Nudge retorts. "I think they're cute." She says, with a slightly sad glint in her eyes.

"If you think they're cute," Angel says with a smirk, making air-quotes as she says the last word. "you should hear what the think of each other." Iggy cracks up, and my face goes super red. I turn around to roll my eyes at Fang, but he's already gone.

Gone into the shadows.

° ° ° FANG POV

Angel is right; something is wrong. As I step outside of Chang's Wok Inn, a shiver crawls up my dark wings. I think back to her warning to me this morning.

Fang, bad people are coming. The whitecoats have something with them, and its something powerful. We're gonna need help if we want to win this one. I can still hear her small, young voice in my mind, even though I'm miles away from her now. I can't leave her in danger, she's like my little girl.

But more than that, I can't leave Max alone. Ever again. I've done it enough, but I won't. Never. I can't. I just...

Can't.

My head whips around and I stare down into the alley. Nothing. Darkness. I was sure I heard a...

SHK-SHK! This time I know I heard it. That's the sound of a shot-gun being cocked.

"GET DOWN!" I hear. It's a deep, rough man's voice. Instinctively, I drop to a crouch and the man shoots over me, right where my shoulder would have been. There's a grunt of pain from behind me, and then a hiss.

"Thanks." I say, standing up to look at the man as he steps forward. Or, men, I should say. Two men step out of the shadows, one really tall, and the other about my height, which means tall by human standards.

"Turn around slowly, and don't look it in the eyes." The really tall one says. I slowly twist my head around until I see what 'it' is. And then I almost scream.