Chapter Five: Preparation

"Okay Iggy and Gazzy do you have it??" I questioned asking for the bomb they were supposed to have.

"Yeah, but like I said before Max it could be dangerous," Iggy stopped but after no remark from me he continued. "Alright, this should be able to break through the plastic, leaving small enough of a gap to let us out, but before I throw it I want everyone in the corner." He instructed.

"Everyone, needs to be ready to jump and crawl, we need to get as much stuff out of our backpack as possible and we need to take our shoes off," I saw Nudge about to ask something but didn't give her a chance. "No questions just do what I saw."

I looked around at all their dirt cover, worn out faces and that stupid pang of guilt washed through me again. I had left them here in this hell hole and didn't even notice it. They were my flock, my family and I had left them here, what kind of leader am I?

"Max none of us hate you, and you are a great leader," when Angle said this all eyes turned towards me, even Iggy's.

"Right, lets just get out of here," I instructed while swallowing the lump in my throat. Everyone nodded and looked convinced except for Fang, I swear that boy can read me better than Angle.

Iggy and Gazzy went walking around the cage trying to find the best area for the bomb, yet they were rather unsuspicious while doing it. Angle and Nudge were going through all the bags trying to find what we absolutely needed. Yet Fang was still sitting next to me, with a stern look on his face.

"Max??" he whispered barely audible.

"I'm fine," I lied, I mean when girls say they are fine, its normally the opposite, and boy did fang know that. He glared at me telling me that it wasn't my fault, and we weren't mad… a load of bullshit.

"I'm… I'm sorry," I whispered while a tear fell down my cheek. "I was so involved with myself, happy that I got to be normal for once. I wasn't paying attention to anything or anyone, I was horrible. If I had actually paid attention to them I would have know, I just… I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

He sat thinking for a second, looking me straight in the eye. I was obvious h knew what I was thinking and feeling, I mean he always knows.

"Your right Max, it was your fault," he suddenly surprised me. "We were locked here and it was your fault, but no way in hell I would have wanted you to come get us, no way. Had you decided to come get us: a) you would have been captured and you probably wouldn't have been put here with us, b) you probably would have gotten hurt, and c) you would have given up a chance to be normal, no one in this flock would have wanted that! So Max, if you had come to get us we would have been upset with you, but not this way."

I sat there thinking about what Fang had just said. I mean Fang, how many times does he do things like that?? Almost never!! But through-out the whole thing I could tell he was telling the truth.

"Thanks," I whispered standing up to go help the others.

POV Change: The scientists

A young man was put in charge of watching the Avian hybrids, and from what he could tell that was a serious job. Apparently they were very important and needed to stay in complete lock down. If he screwed this up he would certainly be fired and he needed this job. So many jobs before had failed and his wife was getting anxious, they money at home was at a shortage. He needed this money, so he was going to do anything to keep tabs on theses trouble makers.

He had heard stories about this group; they had continually escaped this place. The scientists had kept them in lock down yet every time this group had been brought back they always seemed to escape. This had left some doubt in James, which is why he was setting high standards in that room. Nothing was going to happen.

He had been sitting there, looking at the group on the screen. Yet all he could think was how did this small group of five escape?? They weren't smart enough, there was nothing about them that could out smart the scientists. Thoughts like this continued to string through his mind until the doors to the cell opened on screen.

He leaned forward to see what was going on, panic running through his body until he saw Hanlid, his co-worker, bringing in a young looking girl. The girl looked to be about the same age as the two boys, about eighteen. She was probably the single most beautiful girl that James had ever seen. She had dark blond hair that at the tips had a light faded pink color. Her eyes were a darkish blue, and she was tall and skinny, much like the others.

She sat down in the cell and started crying blindly unaware of the five others surrounding her. James sat in wonderment as to why this girl was in there, was she part of the 'flock'? If so why had he not been notified??

Suddenly the girl looked up into the faces of those that surrounded her. She had a pained expression matched with a confused one. James had guessed she was debating something in her head… but what could it be. They started interacting, the hybrids, and no matter how much her turned up the sound system he could not hear what they were saying.

"She's a beauty isn't she?" Hanlid asked suddenly behind him.

"Yeah, who is she??" James questioned and Hanlid could not mistake the confusion in James's voice.

"She's their leader," Hanlid answered and after seeing his co-workers eyes widen he continued. "A feisty little bitch too, stubborn as hell."

"How did I not know there was another, and why did she get put in there?" James asked.

"You aren't all that James, the people in this vicinity are way too safe and only tell certain people. I didn't know she was here until I was called down to help relocate her," Hanlid explained.

"I can't hear anything they are saying," the worry was apparent in James.

"Eh they're good whisperers, been doin' it forever," Hanlid replied. "Nothing to worry about!"

James leaned back into his seat, looking at the girl. About an hour passed and all the hybrids were acting weird, two were walking around the cell, it didn't look like they were doing anything, but you can never be too cautious. The two eldest were sitting in the corner talking, and James didn't like how they all talked barely above a whisper. The two girls were rummaging through the bags, sorting them. 'Maybe this was some thing they always do' James thought to himself, but something told him he was wrong.

"Hanlid, does it look like they're planning something??" James asked the larger man next to him.

"Hmmm, possibly, these bastards always cause so much trouble, and it always starts with inconspicuous actions like these. I'm gonna call the boss," he said already reaching for the phone.

"Boss, we got some action… we don't quite know sir… I think you might want to come down… you know them best… alright… thanks sir," and he hung up the phone.

"So??" James asked already fully aware of what was going to happen.

"He's coming down," Hanlid answered quickly, before the door opened.

"What's going on??" the boss asked walking through the door going straight for the screen.

"Uh, sir it looks like they're planning something," James voice was weak like always when he talks to the boss. Boss was looking at the camera thinking it through.

"I want a lock down, if you can't lock the whole building just do five hundred feet on each side of the room," Boss said. "NOW! But I don't want alarms sounded, it might get them going."

"Right," James said, already pressing buttons and calling around. Theses six aren't leaving without a fight.

Back to Max: The escape!!

"Max there was something outside, a noise I don't know what it was, but it can't be good," Iggy voiced and I felt a twinge of panic. What if they heard?? What if they know what were doing?

"Okay we need to get this on the road, Fang I want the vent down now. Angle, Nudge and Gazzy, I want you in the corner with Total. Iggy I want that bomb ready to go," They all nodded without complaint.

Max they've got the area under lock down… The voice, well I guess Angel, chimed in. Shit, if they hear a single sound they'll be in here so fast. Okay maybe we can at least get the little kids out.

"Fang," I whispered catching his attention. He saw my expression and came over, eyes expectant. "They have it under lock down, if they hear the bomb go off, we're screwed."

He thought this over, "We can get the kids out, if we have them run."

"Nudge can find the way," I finished. "Get them out and tell them to run and keep going."

I looked at the others, they had to get out. They had been here for months; they just had to get out. "I'll hold them off; I want you guys to get out."

He looked me in the eye and noticed that I was not about to change my mind about this. Nothing he could say or do would change my mind. He nodded, but you could see the doubt and resistance, too bad.

"Guys, huddle," I instructed, and they all came over to me and Fang. "Okay we have a little change in plans. You see the white coats have locked down this area, which means that Erasers are all outside ready to pounce. So you three," I pointed to Gazzy, Angle and Nudge. "You are going to get out as fast as possible and keep going. The three older kids are going to fight off here and were getting out. There is a chance that we might get out but if we don't Nudge is in charge."

"Max you must be crazy," Nudge said, probably one of her shortest sentences ever.

"Um excuse me??" I asked totally surprised, it's not often that I hear that from one of my flock members.

"You heard me, you must be crazy if you think I'm going to be able to take care of them, let alone get out of here by myself," she argued.

"Yeah Max we don't know what to do without you, we're not leaving here without," Gazzy informed, hmm this might be a little harder than I thought.

"Look, we have two options, get as many of us out as possible or have all of us here. I would prefer to get you guys out even if it means I gotta stay here, you deserve to be let out. Now, there will be no more argument about this. Iggy," I asked.

"Yes Max??"

"Do you have any other bombs??" I questioned.

"They took most of them but I was able to get away with five, it's not much though…" he answered.

"What about you Gazzy??"

"Yeah Max, I got about three," he informed me with a sullen face.

"Alright give them over to Iggy, and Angle I was wondering, Anne said that you're powers were very strong now??"

"Yeah, I was able to reach you from all the way over here, it hurt though," She said and I felt another wave of guilt, but this time I was able to swallow it.

"Do you think you might be able to control some of the Erasers while still crawling?" I asked sweetly so she knew if she couldn't it would be ok.

"Well for a little while I might, but not for long," she answered hesitantly, that I almost didn't want to ask this.

"Do you think you might be able to, for as long as you can," I asked and she nodded. Okay this might not be so bad.

"Alright we need to get this over with," Fang said, saying exactly what I was thinking.

We had huddled in the corner and a split second after Iggy threw the bomb at the area that had been inspected earlier. And explosion rang out and fortunately no one was injured. The little ones sprang up and ran for the open vent, getting there in less than a second. Nudge jumped up first, barely grasping the edge of the vent to pull her up. Next went Angel, whose wings had made one swift down motion, pulling her up where she grabbed Nudge's hand and she was pulled up. Gazzy had just barely made it up before the door opened.

"Show time," I shouted to Fang and Iggy, taking a fighting stance. This was going to be fun…

The kids had made it up and I heard them scampering away, thanking god that they were up there. I faced an on coming Eraser and punched him hard in the jaw. So blood trickled out and you could tell he was pissed. There was another coming up behind him and kicked him hard in the stomach, while giving the other I nice punch in the chest. Both stumbled back, giving me time to hit another Eraser in the nose, hearing a loud crack, which had to hurt.

In the background I saw a couple Erasers fighting amongst themselves and silently thanked Angle. I lunged at an attacking Eraser making it fall back and after a couple of kicks he was out. I looked over at Iggy and Fang seeing that they had taken about seven out each and adding the five I had taken out that made about twenty, we were doing pretty good.

That is until I head the heart stopping sound of a gun shot. Great now they got guns, just great. I kicked on in the head knocking him out, and looking down around his belt was a gun. Hmm should I, or should I not. Oh it is so mine, I reached down and picked it up. I shot an Eraser in the leg, making him fall. I wasn't going to kill them, but shooting them so they couldn't attack was pretty good too.

"Max what the hell are you doing with a gun??" Fang screamed, while punch the crap out of another Eraser.

"Wait Max has a Gun?? I want one," Iggy bellowed.

"Fang, Iggy, grab a gun…" I said against my better judgment, but we weren't going to get out of this with out one.

"Hell yeah," Iggy screeched, wait a second did I just give a blind guy permission to use a gun… I think I did. Great!!

Sorry it's so short but I got tired of typing…

Please review and if I could get some ideas that would be great…