So this is my new story!! I hope you guys like it! It takes place in the 4th book, The Final Warning.
Fang: Who has the secret?
Me: wouldn't you like to know....
Max: It better not be a secret girlfriend!
Disclaimers: I don't own The Final Warning or any of the characters from said book. They belong to the brilliant mind of JP.
Claimers: I do own Halley (pronounced HEY-lee) Apollo, Raine, and Pele (pronounced PAY-lay)
Chapter 1
Halley's POV
Pitter pitter
The rain outside picked up. I looked around at my family, sleeping soundly in the old church.
"The rains picking up," a voice said behind me, one I would follow to the ends of the earth. Apollo, named for the Greek god of healing and a bunch of other stuff, looked down to where I sat by the window, my wings outstretched.
"You should be asleep; you need your rest," I said, taking in the dark purple circles under his silver eyes. He was getting weaker.
"I'm fine," Apollo said stiffly. His jaw tightened, meaning he was lying.
"Bull. Go lay down. It's my watch," I ordered, spinning him around. He smiled, totally ignoring me, and plopped down by the window.
"Halley, you need to sleep too. You always take watch all night. I swear you're a vampire."
"Which ones? The traditional ones or the ones that sparkle."
"The sparkly ones," he said, laughing. Apollo pulled me onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, supporting my head like a baby, though I'm fourteen. I sighed against his hard chest. My eyes fluttered shut.
Apollo's POV
I looked down at the sleeping girl in my lap. Her salt and pepper wings shook. She was having a nightmare. I gently rocked back and forth until her wings were still. I spread my own silver wings, the moonlight gleaming off the smooth feathers. Halley always said she loved my wings because they matched my eyes. Her black eyes matched her long wavy hair.
I looked at the rest of my family. Pele, who's five and named for the Hawaiian goddess of fire, was sleeping next to Raine, who's 14 like the rest of us. Pooka, Pele's fluffy white cat, (no one had the heart to tell her it means puppy in Russian) sat in the crook of her neck. Pele's shoulder length reddish curls veiled around her little head. Her wings were also a fiery red chestnut, like her hair. We all have skills, though Pele's is the most, um, frightening. Being five and being able to control fire should never be combined in one temperamental child.
Raine, on the other hand, was very sweet, very sarcastic, and very very protective of Halley. This pretty much means I can't even touch my girlfriend while she's around. Raine is also the only black person on our family. I mean, I'm half white, half Hispanic. We're a pretty colorful flock. Anyway, she likes to jokingly pull the race card. Other than that, she's slightly bearable. Her skill is the ability to draw water out of anything that holds it and control it; hence the name Raine. Right now, she was restlessly rolling on the pew. Her fluffy dark brown hair floated around her. The bluish tint of her gray wings glinted in the light.
I turned back to the window. The rain had stopped and the clouds all but vanished. In their place were tendrils of pink and cream from the rising sun. Halley stirred and her eyes fluttered open.
"Morning, Advil," She said, using my annoying nickname. I smiled.
"Morning, Sunshine," I countered. She groaned. Halley absolutely hated that name. Raine had given it to her, do to her ability to control and create light. I laughed at her contradicting dark expression. Before she could insult me, I tilted her chin up and kissed her.
"No!!!!! You are in the presence of children, well, child!" Raine yelled, frantically gesturing to Pele, now waking. I rolled my eyes.
"It was one kiss," I said.
"One kiss! One kiss turns to you deflowering my Sunshine!" she yelled again.
"Deflowering?" I asked.
"Yes," Raine seethed.
"I'm sorry." Halley said.
"It's okay. It's not your fault. It's yours," She said turning on me.
"Raine, I kissed her. I didn't rip her clothes off and corrupt her," I pointed out.
"Wow, graphic," Halley murmured.
"For now," Raine continued to seethe.
"What are you guys yelling about?" Pele said sleepily. Pooka stretched and yawned.
"Nothing," Halley said quickly.
"Oh. I thought Raine was yelling about Apollo and you having sex," Pele said. We all stared at her. That girl knew way too much for her own good.
"Could we please drop the subject?" Halley yelled, totally mortified and frustrated. She was the leader and it annoyed her when things got out of control. I put my arm around her shoulder.
"Okay guys, pack light. We're heading out." Halley clapped her hands together.
Halley's POV
Fang's Blog I typed into the search engine. I pulled up the page. He's been getting a lot of hits lately. I read Fang's latest entry.
P.S. I'll see you soon. We're in DC at the Jefferson Hotel. He wrote in super tiny font.
"You ready?" My heart jumped at the sound of Apollo's voice.
"Yeah," I said, closing the laptop and putting it in my backpack. Apollo pulled me up and wrapped his arms around my waist. I stood on the tip of my toes to kiss him, after looking out for Raine, of course.
I pulled back, still in his embrace. "Let's roll."
We took off together, flying fast and high. We were in Napa Valley in California. Now we were headed all the way across the country to D.C. It'll probably take us a week or two to fly there. (AN: They were created in another branch of Itex) I scoped the area around us. No one seemed to be chasing us or attacking us, for once. Fang and his flock have an easier time fighting Erasers. For one, they have a mindreading/controlling 6-year-old. Max can fly extremely fast, Iggy and Gazzy can whip up a bomb like nobody's business, and Gazzy can incapacitate them with his other, um, skill. We only have for people in our flock, and one is five. They had Jeb, even if he is an ass, to take them from the School and train them. We had to get out by ourselves and train ourselves, usually practicing on Erasers. I looked at Pele. She has the least amount of flying skills. We've been flying for hours and were already over Wyoming. Pele was getting tired.
I waved Raine over. She flew closer.
"Pele's getting tired. Can you carry her for a while?" I asked. She nodded.
"Pele, I'll carry you." Rain said, flying under her. Pele nodded. She tucked her wings in and fell. Raine caught her in her arms. Pele hid her face in Raine's neck. She soon fell asleep.
Two hours later…….
"Halley," Raine groaned. "Halley."
"What?!" I snapped. I rubbed my forehead.
"I'm hungry," she whined.
"You're always hungry," I sighed.
"But I'm really hungry."
"So are the little children in Africa," I grumbled. She gave me a dirty look.
"But I'm really, really, really hungry," She whined. Ugh.
"Okay, we'll land. There's a KFC down there." I said, pointing down.
"Oh. So we have to go to KFC 'cause I'm black. I see," Raine said while trying to maintain a straight face.
"No! We're going to KFC because it's the closest freaking restaurant!" I snapped. "Now we're eating at KFC and you are going to love it."
I was practically foaming at the mouth.
"Jeez," she grumbled.
"There's a forest down there we can land in," Apollo said, no doubt trying to diffuse the situation. I gave him a grateful smile. He returned mine with a breath-taking grin.
"Halley, you're falling," Pele pointed out.
"I do believe I am," I replied dreamily.
"No, Halley, you're actually falling," Raine called out. I shook my head and looked down. The ground was rushing up fast. Hm. So I was. I wheeled up quickly, rejoining my family.
"So you really are falling for me," Apollo said with an unbearably smug smile plastered on his face.
"Ha ha. Very corny. Let's just eat." We swerved down to the forest waiting below. I landed first. The soft sound of my family landing around me barely brushed my ears.
"Come on, Pele. I'll give you a piggyback ride," Apollo said, leaning over slightly for her to jump on his back. Pooka stuck her little fluffy white out of her back pack.
"Off we go." We started walking towards the restaurant.
After a heart-healthy meal of greasy fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gallons of gravy, we hit the skies.
Five minutes later…..
"Halley?" Raine said quietly.
"Yes Raine?"
"You won't like me if I tell you." She smiled sheepishly.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Just tell me."
"I'm hungry."
Later that evening……
Apollo's POV
"There's a cave," Pele said. We followed her line of vision to a small cave about twenty feet up from the base of the mountain. We wheeled down, perfectly synchronized. We landed at the cave entrance. Pele grabbed Raine's hand and pulled her to the back of the cave. Pele loved everyone on the family equally, though she always seemed to show a certain kind of affection towards Raine. They seemed to have a stronger bond. Halley is Raine's best friend. But Pele, Pele was more like her, I don't, know, baby, or something. Halley wasn't jealous though. She had me. She would always have me.
"Apollo?" Halley said. It occurred to me that she had said my name three times. I smiled.
"Yeah?"
"Help me make the fire."
After we made the fire and ate a delicious meal of Thumper and friends, everyone settled in to sleep. I sat at the mouth of the cave for my watch. The leftover embers of our fire left a warm glow. Several hours past. I didn't wake Halley for her watch. She looked tired. It didn't matter, she woke herself.
"Hey," she said behind me. I turned around and smiled. Her long black curls shimmered in the moonlight. Halley no longer looked like a kid. She was grown up. For a moment, I forgot how to speak.
"Earth to Apollo," she said waving her arms.
"Sorry. Just thinking."
"You don't talk and think more than anyone else in the world," she laughed. I got up and brushed the back of my jeans. "Let's go for a spin."
"But Raine and Pele…." She began.
"We'll stay close." I smiled, noting the way her heart fluttered.
We raced to the end of the cave and launched ourselves into the air. The moon was so bright it gave a silver glow to the world around us. I landed nimbly on the thick branch of a tall tree. I sat down and she sat on my lap. She looked up at the moon.
"Beautiful," she mused.
"Yeah. Very," I said. She probably wasn't aware that I hadn't taken my eyes off her. She swiveled to look at me and smiled nervously. Halley rested her head against my chest and sighed.
"We'll get there," I said, always knowing what she was thinking.
"I know."
"You know something else?" I asked, deciding to make my point quickly. Something in my voice made her look up.
"What?" Halley asked warily.
"I love you," I said simply. It was the first time I'd ever told her; the first time I had ever admitted it to myself. Her smile faltered, and a look of surprise replaced it. Then she straightened up and looked confidently into my eyes.
"I love you too."
"Really?"
"No," she said, sarcastically, shaking her head. I smiled and wrapped my arms around her waist. Her arms snaked around my neck. I leaned in and gently brushed my lips against hers. She reached up to press her mouth to mine harder. I let all my emotion flood that kiss. We broke apart. I looked at her face. Her obsidian eyes were glittering. Her olive skin was bleached pale by the moon. A slight blush colored her cheeks.
"I love you," Halley said quietly.
"I love you. More than you will ever know," I said sadly. She frowned. Leaning forward, she gently pressed her lips to my neck.
"You'll get through this. You always do," she said against my neck.
"I know, but-"
"But what? You're going to beat this. Or I swear I will bring you back to life and kill you again," she growled at me.
"Okay, now's not the time," I said, tightening my hold around her. She responded with a gasp. I leaned down and kissed her again, this time more powerfully.
Raine's POV
"Are they back yet?" Pele asked.
"No," I said, looking away from her. We were sitting at the cave entrance, looking up at a tall tree, watching Apollo practically eat my Sunshine's face. Pele crawled over and sat on my lap, holding Pooka. I should clarify something. It's not that I don't like Apollo, he's like my brother. I just love Halley more. She's my Sunshine, and no man is going to taint her. And if anyone tries to hurt her, well, let's just say they'll wind up disappearing mysteriously in the night. But hey, nobody can really prove anything.
"Rainy, would you tell me a story?" Pele said. She unleashed the full force of her emerald green eyes on me.
"Sure kiddo." I positioned her better.
"Tell me about the Flock?" She asked.
"Okay." Pele always wanted to here about the flock. In truth, she was terrified that they wouldn't like her. "Where to begin…. Ah! Once there was a girl named Maximum Ride. She grew up in a terrible place called The School. During her stay there, she met five other people. Fang, the second oldest (14), was very dark, and very quiet. He became Max's best friend and her right-wing man. His wings are black. Then there's Iggy, 14. He's blind and a pyro, kinda like you. He's also an amazing cook. Nudge is next, being 11. She's black, like me, and very talkative. She can pull information off of any surface and attract metal to her. Her wings are tawny. The Gasman is eight. He is Angel's older brother and Iggy's best friend. He can mimic any sound with 100% accuracy. His other skill is unmentionable. Finally there's Angel. She is Max's baby, like you're mine. She is also the most gifted. She can read minds, control them, change her appearance, talk to fish, and breathe under water. She has pure white wings. Together they escaped, became a family, and are on a quest to save the world" I finished.
"Wow. They're amazing," Pele said in wonder. "What if they don't like me?"
"They'll like you. 'Cause if they don't, I'll kick their butts until they do," I assured her. She laughed. I looked up again. Halley and Apollo were coming back. They landed lightly, holding hands. They were looking in each others eyes like……
"Oh my God!!!!" I screamed, hopping up. Pele fell to the ground and Pooka ran deeper into the cave.
"What?" Halley asked, still looking at Apollo.
"You. Are. In. Love!!!" I yelled at them. I ran up and jabbed a finger into Apollo's chest. "You! I'll be watching you twice as closely."
"Oh, great. Now, if I even look at my girlfriend, I'll disappear mysteriously in the night," Apollo groaned.
"Just got to sleep," Halley said, pushing him towards the back of the cave. Later that night, she and I sat down to talk. Pele was sleeping next to Apollo, his arm protectively around her.
"I feel like I'm losing you. Hales," I admitted. "You've been my best friend since I was born. Now, it feels like you love Apollo more than me."
"Oh, Raine," She said while hugging me. "I'll never love Apollo more than you. It's just a different kind of love. And you won't lose me. I'll always be here."
"So, tell me about it." I took both her hands in mine.
"What's there to tell," she said, blushing. She let her hair fall around her face.
"Well, was it romantic? Beautiful? Corny? Tell me," I said, bouncing slightly.
"Okay. Well, it was a little corny. Very romantic," she admitted. I urged her to continue. "So we flew up to this really tall tree. I sat on his lap, like I normally do. We talked for a while. I was looking at the moon and I said 'beautiful'. Then he said 'Very'. I could feel his eyes on me the whole time. Then we talked about meeting the flock and he asked, "You know what else?" and I looked up at him. He said, "I love you." I was surprised then said it back. We kissed and talked about his, disease." Halley gave me a sad look that nearly killed me. Her eyes glistened with tears.
"Oh, Halley. It's okay." I patted her back. I felt her shake with sobs. I shushed her gently.
"I can't lose him. I can't. It's too hard. If he dies…" she trailed off and her tears started afresh.
"He won't. He's strong. He'll beat this," I assured her.
"You don't know how it feels, waiting. There's only two ways it can go. I feel like I'm dreading the, alternative more than he is," she laughed darkly.
"You're wrong. I know how it feels. And I'm dreading, that too."
"Why? You hate him," she snapped. It stung, but I dismissed it.
"I don't hate him. He's like my brother. I'm dreading it because, if he dies, part of you dies too. I'll lose part of my best friend," I finished. She looked at me for a minute. Then, her control broke. She sobbed while I tried my best to comfort her.
"You guys are the only people I trust and I know you'd do anything for me." Halley pulled back to say. I smiled at her and nodded.
"I want us to be on guard when we meet Max's flock. I know the situation is, different, but we don't know them. I don't want this to end badly." She put on her leader hat.
"I don't think it will end badly. But I agree, we'll be on guard," I said.
Halley's POV
"Morning, Sunshine," Apollo said, kissing my cheek. "Whatchya up to?"
"Just cooking breakfast," I said while cutting up squirrel with a knife. I know, gross. But, we need at least 3,000 calories a day and Raine eats like 4,000 calories, so no quibbling. While I was slicing the last bit, the knife cut my finger. I sucked in a breath.
"Shit."
"What?" Apollo asked.
"I sliced my finger open," I grumbled, pressing my finger to my shirt.
"Here, let me see it," he said, grabbing my hand gently. He looked at my finger.
"That's pretty deep," he said, smiling.
"Apollo, don't," I said, pulling my hand away. "You need your strength. Don't waste it on me."
He shook his head and grabbed my hand again. "It's nothing I can't handle."
He lightly brushed his fingers against my cut. There was a strange burning sensation.
"That should do it." Apollo smiled, giving me back my hand. I looked at my finger. All that was left of the cut was a thin pink line.
"Thank you," I said, reaching up to kiss him quickly. Pele and Raine walked up.
"Breakfast time," I declared.
10 minutes later………..
"What's that buzzing noise?" Pele asked. I was sitting cross-legged on the floor. Apollo was sitting across from me. We were looking into each others eyes, reading each others body language.
"Huh? Oh, It's probably some bugs," I said absently.
"No, it's not. Halley! What is that?!" Raine shouted, pointing to cave entrance. I looked out. At first I didn't see anything. Then my eyes focused, and I could see a huge black buzzing cloud coming towards us.
"I don't know! Are they Erasers?"
"No, they sound too mechanical. A new threat," Apollo said.
"Well that's great." Raine threw her hands in the air.
"Come on guys, focus. Battle up!" I yelled, just as the dark cloud reached the mouth of the cave.
So new story, new characters. It's so exciting! Well I hope you enjoyed this riviting (most likely misspelled) tale.
