Chapter 2

I rose early as usual and continued to walk through the forest. There was no point in flying as that was a fast mode of transportation and I had no where to be required me to get there fast. I couldn't go back to Mom's cause of the memories and I had no other ties to anywhere. Once I got to an open space I'd fly again. No point in getting noticed by the human press.

I had been walking for a couple hours when I heard a commotion up ahead. I allowed myself a small smile. More Flyboys. Perfect. Maybe today I could actually get myself killed, it sounded like there were a lot of them.

I got to a clearing up ahead and saw a furious battle going on between the Erasers and some other people. Probably other experiments, as no one else was strong enough to fight them, all though I couldn't actually tell since they were losing pretty badly. I didn't announce myself, I just through myself into the fight.

I let myself react, rather than pay attention to what I was doing. I sent a roundhouse kick to the one in front of me, while slamming the head of the one to my right. I could hear definite cracks from both of them. I kicked the one to the left of me in the spine cause it was facing away from me and then spun around to slam the one behind me in a swift uppercut. Slowly, but surely, I fought my way though the Erasers until there was just twisted heaps of smoking metal left. I allowed myself one last small smile of satisfaction before turning to leave. Even though I kept hoping to be killed by them, it was still good to see the things that had ruined my life destroyed, again and again and again.

I heard voiced murmuring behind me but I began to walk away as I didn't need to hear what they were talking about.

"Hey, wait up! You were really good and we want you to join our group." I stopped when the girl spoke. I recognized that voice. It had been over a year but I would have recognized that voice anywhere. I had certainly heard it often enough. She came up and tapped me on the shoulder. I took a deep breath and turned around.

Nudge gasped. "Max!!!"

All of the others spun to look at me. They were all there. Gazzy, Iggy, Angel, and-here my breath hissed out of me-Fang.

"When did you learn to fight like that? That was amazing! You took out probably 30 Flyboys all by yourself and we were losing really badly with the 5 of us!" She kept chattering on but I tuned her out and looked at the rest of the Flock. I wouldn't cry, I wouldn't cry, I wouldn't cry.

"So you want me back, now that I can fight well?" I put as much edge into my voice as possible. Everyone flinched except Fang. He gave his equivalent of a flinch.

Fang waited for a beat, then stepped forward. "Could you at least remain with us for today while we talk? It has been a long time."

"Yes. A very long time." I refused to say anything more. If they wanted to try and take me back, they were going to have to put some effort into it. I didn't want to go back, but I would love to see their faces when I tell them that after they think I might consider it.

He nodded and started to walk off into the forest. The rest of the Flock looked at me before silently following him. I brought up the rear. We walked for an hour in silence.

At last, we got to an area that had high enough trees that they left a cleared area on the ground while blocking aerial attacks from above. The branches were also nice and wide. Fang stopped. "We'll camp here for a few days." Everyone else picked trees near each other to spend the night in, while I picked one near the edge. I wasn't a part of their group so I wasn't even going to bother pretending, even for just one night.

"Max, why don't you come next to me?" Nudge asked smiling brightly.

"I'm fine here." She looked a little crestfallen but I didn't care. She would get worse later.

"I think we should talk in the morning about our offer." Fang said quietly into the stillness.

"Oh, so the terms have changed since you discovered who it was?" I snapped sarcastically.

"No, we are going to discuss the terms." He replied.

"Fine. I'm going to get food then. Don't expect me back soon." I turned to fly away as I was hungry. I also needed some time to recover myself. This was too much.

Gazzy looked at me quickly. "You can find food here?"

"Of course." I was shocked. How long had they been in the forest that they hadn't been able to find food?

Iggy spoke up now. "Could you show us? It's been a couple days since we last ate."

I sighed. I wasn't going to starve them, even if they had broken my heart. "Come on then. It's not that hard."

I spent the next couple hours showing them different plants they could eat and which ones were more filling. They kept looking at me with more and more respect. Finally, Nudge spoke. "How did you figure all this out?"

"I didn't care which ones were poisonous so I just tried everything. I got really good at telling the difference and I only had to go to my mom once." They looked shocked but I was done so I walked back to camp.

When we got there I turned to them. "I'll talk with you in the morning then. Goodnight." Then I flew up into my tree and settled down. But I did not get to sleep for a long time. My emotions were beginning to try and break past the wall I had created and I couldn't let that happen. Then there is no telling what I might do.

Hope you like this chapter as it is far better than the last one. Please review and give me ideas for I have the next two chapters planned out but after than who knows what could happen. Maybe you do. I certainyl don't.

Flyer