Disclaimer – I don't own James' Patterson's amazing work.

Disclaimer II: And no, I don't own Nickleback either :/ What a dumb question.

A/N: This is the New & Improved Soldiers :D

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Smudges In The Sky

"All I need is you
Come please I'm callin'
And oh I scream for you
Hurry I'm fallin'"

--Savin' Me, Nicklback

Clear, cloudless, inky black-blue skies with a myriad of stars. I shifted my gaze from the perfect view, to the view of wreckage in front of me, behind me, surrounding me.

Itex had been blasted into smithereens, only rubble and dust and a few sputtering fires were left. I wanted to find the moron that did it, so I could beat their stupid ass. I was literally seconds away from discovering the answers to our lives, when a NUCLEAR like bomb blasted from the other part of the building. When Itex started falling apart, the walls collapsing right in front of our eyes, I figured it would be a pretty good time to get the flock the hell out of there.

Except the freaking Erasers just had to turn up, slavering and sweating everywhere. They were ready to rip our throats out, and I had a few seconds to wonder how they always seemed to know exactly where we were, before I had to concentrate on beating their sorry butts. A few rib breaking roundhouse kicks, nose smashing punches, wing ripping slashes and ear drum pops soon sorted them out. Gotta love your team of mutants. Exhausted, I counted five heads - black, black, reddish, brown, blond- and almost passed out in the blazing wreckage that had been Itex - the people who were going to save the world.

I tore my gaze away from the ruins and onto my still comatose flock. I allowed myself a moment to bask in the silence, to try and get my head together. I wasn't cut out for this leader stuff- being strong and capable all the time. But I only allowed myself a moment, before rousing them out of unconciousness. We needed to leave-the Itex boom was inevitably going to cause a scene, and just this once, I didn't want it to be because of us.

Heran was the first to really wake up. The eleven year old helped me get the yougest – Taj and Lily- up and ready to go, and my heart just melted. They really were so damn cute. Heran even dared to try and get Sephy on her feet. Which meant I had to wake up Jet.

The handsome, slightly tanned, black haired boy with an impressive wingspan.

He's four months younger than me, but already at least six inches taller. His eyelids were flickering, and he suddenly opened them wide and I saw his pupils dilating. It was too dark to see his irises, which were a mix of ambery-yellow and brown. Y'see, Jet's not even in the same league of freak as we are. Most of his body is covered in strange markings, kind of ringed black and brown freckles. The proper name for the marks – rosettes. The marks you usually find on the Panthera pardus, a leopard.

"Where?" he said simply, getting up and stretching out his wings. I shook my head, forgetting about his rosettes and focusing on Jet himself.

"South."

It was a dual purpose really. It was December, and it would be easier to stick to warmer climates (can you imagine flying with a duffel coat on?) and I was sure I had seen six bird kid shapes flying that way. Maybe they were nothing more than smudges in the sky, but I trusted my instincts. Mostly.

So we flew that way until sunrise, and I saw Them dip down into the Everglades. I watched, and knew exactly where They landed. I took my own flock down there, to a different but nearby patch of land, where they curled up haphazardly, dusty and dirty but still in one piece. Tears almost leaped out my eyes. We were safe, at least for now. I went over our past few months in my mind. It felt like we had been on the run forever.

I leaned against the bark of a thick tree, on the first and only watch. I needed to watch out for Them, these other bird kids. If that's what I had really seen. There was the possibility it was another trap I'd fallen for, another mistake I'd made. That seemed to be the story of my life. The labbies, the evil scientists from the School, knew exactly how to manipulate me. So I would be on my guard, trusting nobody, trusting nothing.

Because the last trap I'd fallen for, it had cost me almost everything. I gripped my arms tightly, feeling the goosebumps and feeling my fingernails digging into my skin. But it was okay. Being freezing, and cutting my own fingernails into my skin was better, a lot better, than remembering that day.

That day was the day we rescued Lily from her abduction to the School, after an extremely bad roller coaster ride to get to Death Valley in the first place. That was the day I found out Hayley had just been playing at being dead -that was the day I found out the real meaning of betrayal. That was the day I relived my worst nightmare of being locked in a cage. We fought the worst fight of our lives. And we lost, because the flock ripped apart. I learned the true meaning of agony that day.

I was wide awake, and I knew I would get no sleep. Instead I walked about the flock, checking them in their sleep. I smoothed Lily's blond hair down and kissed her forehead. She was only a little girl. An unbelievably sweet little girl. Taj, her brother, was curled up right beside her. His dark brown hair was flecked with Itex debris. I picked it out, careful not to wake him, and tucked his jacket collar right up around his chin. Heran was close by, frowning in his sleep. His reddish, russet-y coloured hair looked clean enough, and as I brushed the dirt off his clothes, he stirred. I was terrified his clear green eyes would open, and see my tear streaked face. That he would see right through me, the way I think Jet sometimes could.

Sephy was far away from the others, so she could stretch out her wings. She looked calm, almost serene, which was unusual for her. Sephy's black dreadlocks were becoming fuzzy, but she was still gorgeous. Her skin smooth and dark, her eyelashes like thick curtains framing big, beautifully shaped brown eyes. Her wings, stretched out to their almost full 14 feet 2 inches, were striking. Deep blue at the top, then the feathers changing to a brown-grey, and pure white underneath.

And Jet... Was awake, and by the look on his face, he knew every single thought that was going on in my head. I tried not to look panicked, or surprised. I was glad none of the flock could read minds, like properly. Jet kind of could, but not physically. At least, I hoped not. I gestured him to walk with me, a little bit away, with the flock still in sight of course. So that we could have a conversation without waking them.

"You couldn't sleep either?" I asked him. He shook his head, and for some reason this just set me off. I was still finding it hard to accept the fact that we had almost discovered our secrets before having them blown up in our faces.

"Would it kill you to answer with speech? It's hard enough having one mute flock member, I don't need another! Do you know how hard it is for me to try and work out what you all need, and how hard it is to feel like you're failing at providing you all with what you need?!"

Jet just regarded me calmly, not even the slightest bit pissed off, like I thought he would be, like I hoped he would be.

"And what do we need?" Jet asked quietly.

"Answers! Parents! Safety! A place to stay, clean clothes to wear, food, showers... And I can't give you any of those things! I hate this! I can't do this Jet, I can't be leader because all I do is make mistakes. I'm not cut out for this, 'I don't have what it takes'..." I started sobbing, and Jet pressed me into his solid shoulder. I cried for a full minute at least, before pulling away.

"I never wanted this," I said brokenly. Jet stiffened, and looked almost angry.

"I don't think Sid wanted it either."

I gasped. I couldn't believe he had said his name out loud. I almost screamed in frustration and hurt and despair. I needed to get away from him. I started climbing one of the tall trees. I ignored him calling after me, I ignored the splinters of wood slicing into my hands, I ignored the mounting pain settling on my chest after just hearing that name said aloud...

Standing up straight on one of the thickest, tallest branches, I took step into the sky.

I kept flying, straight upwards, even when the air began to get dense and cold.

You'll never get away, Charla, my Voice reminded me annoyingly. You have to accept it at one point. Your grief is making you weak. Sid's dead, and it's your fault. Just accept it, and move on.

That kind of talk from the Voice made me want to fold my wings in tight, so I could fall from this height of almost 2300 feet. I needed Sid, more than ever. He really had been the wind beneath my wings. And now, without him, I was falling so fast it made me sick.

If you're reading these words, well done. Chapter 2 coming soon. Its a Max POV.

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