This is for Darling Summers for beta-ing it, and Angelmail for introducing me to MR.

"Max!" yelled Angel suddenly. "Where's Total?"

I looked around anxiously, hoping that we hadn't left him tied up outside the shop we'd just visited.

"I've got him," replied Iggy calmly, shifting the dog from one arm to the other so Angel could see him.

Angel visibly relaxed and flew over to me.

"You okay, Ange?" I asked, reaching across and brushing a stray hair from her face.

"Yeah," she said, moving so that her wingtips brushed against mine.

Now, I'm no mind-reader, but I know my flock. Angel didn't look okay.

"You've been thinking about your parents, haven't you?" Angel sniffed and nodded. "I'm sure we'll find them." I sounded much more confident than I felt.

"No, you're not."

Oh...shucks. I forgot about our mind-reader. I gave her a one-armed hug.

"I'm not sure about anything, sweetie. But we're going to try."

"But I've been thinking." Angel looked away. "If they gave me and Gazzy away, what kind of parents are they?"

I shrugged, wishing I could offer her something concrete, something certain. The truth is, nothing in our lives is certain. It never has been.

"I don't know, Ange. I really don't know."

Angel looked back at me and smiled.

"Okay. I'm going to go and see how Total is."

"Okay. Stay with Iggy. I'm just going to stretch my wings."

"Will do." She flew over to Iggy, who was doing his best to ignore Total's backchat. Our dog was as bad as Nudge when he got going.

"Yo, Max."

I practically jumped. I hadn't even heard Fang coming towards me.

"Hey, Fang." I turned around to see him watching me. "Look after them, will you? I'm gonna stretch my wings."

Fang nodded. I flew up higher, loving the feeling of the cool air on my face. The tower blocks of New York City looked like they'd been made out of shiny grey Lego bricks, as though some children would come along and put them back into their box. After scanning the immediate area for planes and helicopters, I closed my eyes, letting myself relax for the first time in weeks. For once, my Voice wasn't bothering me and I could think clearly. A song rose in my head, and I began to hum to myself, enjoying the temporary peace.

Emerging from my world

Imagine living in a box

I had a sudden flashback to when Jeb had helped us to escape from the School. We'd been sitting in our cages like good little mutants: Gazzy and Angel were trying to sleep, Iggy and Nudge were just sitting staring at the walls, and Fang and I were keeping watch. At that moment, a tall whitecoat we'd seen a couple of times before came in, on his own. To my surprise, he knelt down by my cage and whispered:

"Keep quiet, Maximum."

And I won't come up

Until I've broken all the locks.

Standing up, he unclipped the surveillance camera from its bracket and threw it into the corner. The cable connecting it to the main system trailed along the wall after it. The whitecoat turned back and smiled at us.

"Hi. I'm Jeb Batchelder. I've come to break you out of here."

Slurring all my words

Until something sticks.

I couldn't even speak. Was this some kind of sick experiment? Fang spoke up for me.

"Why?"

Jeb crouched down by Angel's cage and unlocked both of the locks. The door swung open.

"I don't agree with this. I never have. You can come with me: I'll look after you."

He moved on to Gazzy's dog crate, and I shrugged helplessly at Fang. At that moment, this white-coat was our best bet.

"Angel! Wake up, honey! We're getting out of here" I called.

My baby woke up slowly and stared at the open door in astonishment. She wasn't the only one.

But in this smoky universe

My mind keeps playing tricks.

I wondered if I was imagining it. But now Jeb had unlocked Nudge's cage and she was walking over to me.

"This is great! We're getting out of here!"

I grinned.

"Can you get Ange and Gazzy out?"

Nudge nodded, and helped the kids out of their tiny dog crates.

Jeb helped us out of the windows and then followed us out into the open air enclosure patrolled by Erasers. We supported each other, still shaky on our legs: we hadn't been let out for days, but Jeb kept up a relentless pace.

"Follow me: my car's just here."

"Can't we just fly out?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Too risky. The Erasers would shoot you down."

I shuddered, and followed him to the car park, where his Land Rover was waiting. I noted with disgust that the other white-coats' cars were expensive-looking: no doubt they'd been paid well for torturing us. From the outside, the School looked perfectly respectable, with smooth white walls surrounded by neat, short grass. A pretty face disguising an ugly interior. I turned away, not wanting to think about it any more. We got into Jeb's spacious car, and I noticed that it had tinted windows, hiding the inside from view.

"You'll have to get down in the foot-wells. I can't risk you being seen" directed Jeb.

We hunkered down by the seats, making ourselves as small as possible as the car pulled out and drove to the gates. Iggy was shaking, baffled by the new sounds assaulting his ears.

"It's okay, Ig. We'll be safe soon," I whispered, putting my arm around his shoulders. He smiled shakily.

"I just have to get my bearings," he replied. "This is just so...strange."

I nodded sympathetically. The car stopped at the gate, and we instantly froze, not daring to breathe in case we were heard. I heard the whine of a window being wound down very slightly.

"Mr Batchelder," acknowledged the gate guard.

"Tony," replied Jeb with a nod. "Can you open up the gates for me?"

"Sure thing, Mr Batchelder."

There was a buzz of static from the guard's walkie-talkie.

"Yes, sir? You what? They escaped?" He swore. "Yeah, will do." He clipped it back onto his belt. "Sorry, Mr Batchelder, but I've had an order from the main security team to search all vehicles. The avian-hybrids have escaped."

My heart sank. What had I got my flock into? Jeb also sounded worried.

"Tony, you know me. Why would I help a load of mutants? Besides, where would I hide them? In the boot? Clinging onto the roof-rack?" he laughed nervously. "Can't you just let me go? Just this once?"

There was a tense pause. Every muscle in my body was tensed, ready to fight. Or fly. But then the guard gave us the right answer.

"Okay. But don't tell anyone. I could lose my job if anyone finds out."

"I won't," assured Jeb. "Thanks."

The gates opened and the car drive through. Jeb turned briefly back to us as we sped down the private road.

"All right, kids? You can get up now. You're safe."

And although you're the only home I've ever known

As if by magic

All thoughts of you are gone.

I don't care about Jeb any more. He betrayed us, he left us, and I would never forgive him. Ever. With a shake of my head I soared up, trying to leave the memories behind me.

And though I'm keeping my head in the clouds

It's not so tragic

If I don't look down.

I had a sudden unwanted flashback to when Jeb was in the lab, after we'd been caught.

Submerging from your world, and

Back into my bliss

I hadn't known what to say. Jeb, the one who had looked after us for so long and who we thought was dead, back at the School.

A day rolled into one

Is burning on my lips

I'd wanted to scream at him, to tell him how the Erasers had snatched my Angel, my baby, and shoved her into a sack. The Erasers from the School that he was happy to work in. This had to be a mistake.

Blurring all your words

Until they don't exist

Jeb kept saying things like how proud he was of us. 'If you're so proud, why did you shove us in cages?' I wanted to shout. Then he'd say that we were safe here. Oh, yes. We're so safe in this madhouse where white-coats want to cut us open. How could I have trusted him? He was a white-coat, same as all the others.

And in a parallel universe

It's me you can't resist

I couldn't resist him: I was so starved of affection that Jeb seemed like a dream come true. He'd protected us for a little while, but now he'd betrayed us. Just like all the others.

And although you're the only home I've ever known

As if by magic

All thoughts of you are gone.

I dived back down through the clouds, trying to forget all the good times that we'd spent with Jeb. I needed my flock with me again.

And though I'm keeping my head in the clouds

It's not so tragic

If I don't look down.

I nearly flew straight into Iggy, who was holding Total.

"Hey! Watch it!" he said, dodging.

"Watch it yourself!" retorted my voice.

"That hurts, Max," replied Iggy, sniffing pathetically.

"I didn't say anything!"

We both turned to Gazzy, who was doubled up with laughter.

"That does it."

I launched myself towards him, but he was already flying off. I heard Iggy say: "Take the dog, will you?" to Fang, before flying after me.

"I'll leave him to you," I responded, veering off and turning back to the rest of my flock.

He soared off after the Gasman. Oh, well. Life was back to normal. Fang smiled one of his rare smiles at me and held Total out to me.

"Here. Have a dog."

I rolled my eyes.

"Gee, thanks. I don't know what to say."

And although you're the only home I've ever known

As if by magic

All thoughts of you are gone

A few minutes later, Iggy returned, towing Gazzy behind him.

"Got him," he said triumphantly. I snorted.

"Gazzy, do you remember the very important conversation we had about impersonating me?" I queried.

"Yep."

"And do you remember me saying that you were not, under any circumstances, on pain of death, to do it? Ever?"

Gazzy looked sheepish.

"All right. Iggy, you can do what you want with him."

Iggy grinned evilly and steered the Gasman away.

"Max! Wait!" he yelled. "I'm sorry!"

I shrugged and pretended that I couldn't hear him.

"Where are we going?" asked Nudge.

"No idea!" I called back cheerfully.

Sometimes it's better not to know. To go with the flow, where ever the wind takes you.

And though I'm keeping my head in the clouds

It's not so tragic

If I don't look down.