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Max
They'd been flying for twelve hours straight, and Max was ready to drop.
If I'm tired, then everyone else must be ready to lie down and die.
"Okay, flock. Let's take a break," Max said, angling her wings into a dive.
"Thank God!" Nudge cried. "Ohmigod, I think my wings are about to fall off."
"I lost all feeling in mine like, two hours ago," Gazzy declared, following Max into her dive.
"Where are we, exactly?" Iggy asked. "It feels like we've flown over two states, at least."
"We're either in Iowa, or Illinois," Fang told him, tapping his ankle as he flew by. "Head for 7 o'clock, Ig."
"Roger, copy that."
Fang just rolled his eyes. Gazzy snickered.
Angel was racing to keep up with Max.
Because of their history of disagreements through the years, Max had finally agreed to compromise with Angel, and let her take over as a sort of co-leader to the flock.
Max was just thankful no one wanted to kick her out anymore.
She'd also agreed that after awhile, she'd run the flock like a dictatorship, and had tried her best to turn the flock into a democracy. Everyone had input, and this time, it was actually acknowledged.
Max still rolled her eyes whenever anybody complained that she didn't listen when she disagreed with anyone's ideas, especially Gazzy's. But it wasn't her fault that they were dumb ideas anyway, and everyone else agreed that they were.
Max knows best.
Everyone knew it was true. They just didn't want to say it.
On the ground, they took shelter in a small forest, out of sight. Not that there was anyone to see them. Wherever they hell they were, it was just as empty as Nebraska.
Max tucked her wings against her body and groaned as the muscles were finally relaxed. Fang came up behind her and pulled her into his chest. "You okay?"
"Fine," she patted his hands and leaned back. "Glad this is the last CSM show, ever."
Fang snorted. "I was beginning to feel like a trained monkey."
"Trained flying monkey, you mean."
"Does that make you the Wicked Witch?"
"Yes!" Several voices chorused.
"Just because we're a democracy, it doesn't mean you have to give your opinions all the time," Max grumbled, pulling away from Fang and opening her backpack to distribute water and energy bars.
"Yes, it does," Iggy said. "First Amendment, Max; freedom of speech."
"I'm surprised you know that."
"Ella's trying her best to make me smart."
"It's not too late to tell her you're a hopeless case," Fang said and ducked as Iggy flung out his arm to smack him.
"You're lucky I missed, I wouldn't want to rattle the rocks in your head," Iggy flipped him the bird and flopped onto the grass next to Gazzy and Nudge.
"He's kind of right, you know," Angel said to Fang. "There's not much in there."
"Hey!"
Angel smiled sweetly at him.
Max rolled her eyes as Fang gave her a small half-smile in return.
He's such a softie.
"I feel like we need tinfoil hats or something," Max sat down and leaned against a tree.
"That doesn't work!" Angel called as she began picking dandelions to weave into a crown.
"I tried," Gazzy admitted. "And it didn't change a thing."
"Better keep your thoughts PG, lovebirds," Iggy grinned. "The small child has access to any and all of those R rated fantasies."
"You would know," Fang shot back.
"Oh, ew, Iggy, really?" Max groaned.
Angel gave her a deadpan look. "At least you don't actually have to see it."
"I so did not need that mental picture," Nudge shuddered. "About any of you." She wrapped an arm around Angel. "You poor thing."
Gazzy looked green, and Max paused, staring at him.
Is he uncomfortable, or just… oh God. Oh no.
Max shot up. "Gazzy. Don't do it."
But it was too late; the smell hit her a second before the sound did.
"Gazzy!" Nudge shrieked. "My eyes are burning, oh my God, agh, I can't see…"
"Nice one!" Iggy leaned over and high fived him, holding his nose closed with his other hand.
Fang coughed a few times and stood up. "Who's ready to get going again?"
"ME!" Nudge and Angel cried, flapping their wings and taking off to get away from the smell.
"It's not my fault, you guys made me uncomfortable!" Gazzy complained, following them into the air.
"Is that a new puberty thing?" Max asked. "Because then that is up to Fang to discuss with you. I'm not having any part of that."
"Don't say that word!" Gazzy shrieked. "I'm fine!"
"Wait till you start to sound like Mickey Mouse with a head cold, then it really gets fun," Iggy said.
"What's puberty?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, Max, what is it?" Iggy cackled.
Max contemplated pulling her wings in and plummeting to the ground.
"Hey, what's that?" Fang interrupted. Max glanced at him gratefully, and looked to where he was pointing.
She saw a large group of figures on the horizon, rapidly approaching at full speed.
"They're too big to be eagles," Max said. "What birds are native that are bigger than eagles?"
"They're not birds," Angel said, flapping her wings and banking. "We have to go, now."
"What are they?"
"Erasers."
"Erasers?" Max asked as the flock changed direction and headed north, away from the flying things. "I thought they were all retired years ago."
"All I know is their thoughts sound like Eraser thoughts. But these ones are different than the other flying ones."
"What's so different-" Max began, but was cut off when a thick, hairy hand wrapped around her ankle and pulled.
"Miss me?" Hot breath on her neck made her skin crawl.
It can't be.
She kicked, shaking free and flapping hard, but now there were more hands grasping at her.
The flock was having the same problem. Erasers swarmed, and the flock split up. Nudge took one down with a roundhouse kick, but he just opened his wings and caught himself before he could hit the ground. Gazzy tapped Iggy's hand and they both flew up and away, Erasers in hot pursuit.
"See? I told you!" Angel cried as she kicked an Eraser in the face.
"That's not possible!"
"Oh, but it is, Maxie," the first Eraser circled back around, grinning. "Remember me? It's been awhile, but come on. You wouldn't forget your own brother, would you?"
"Ari?"
"Bingo."
They hovered, facing off. Max jabbed at him with a karate chop but he easily blocked it.
"You're out of practice," he tsked, wrenching her arm. Max cried out in pain.
Fang dove for Ari, but more Erasers followed, and Fang had no choice but to turn around and defend himself.
"You may have noticed something different about these Erasers," Ari continued conversationally, Max's arm still in his grasp. "They're smaller, more aerodynamic, and can you guess what else?"
Max grit her teeth and slammed her foot into his groin before pushing off and ripping her arm from his hold. "Don't know, don't care, Ari. I'd tell you to go piss on a fire hydrant, but it looks like you're having issues." She snickered as he howled in pain. She aimed a karate chop to his neck, and this time, made contact.
The blow distracted Ari enough that he stopped flying, and began to fall, quickly.
The other Erasers turned on her, then.
"Hello, boys, long time no see," Max said, barreling into one, fists smashing into his muzzle.
I've missed this.
Another reached for her, but Nudge soared between them, clapping her hands over his ears and hammering her forehead into his nose. There was an audible crunch, and the Eraser clutched his face, and he too began to drop.
"Ig! Three of them at twelve o'clock!" Fang called, punching another Eraser in the gut.
"Got it!" Iggy flew at them fearlessly, managing to get one below the chin, and elbowed another in the throat.
"Guys!" Gazzy called. He was surrounded by five Erasers, each one lunging at him, growling.
"Gazzy! Fart!" Max cried, for lack of a better suggestion.
"I used it all up back on the ground!"
"Damn it," she muttered, rushing to help. She grabbed one by the wings, knowing it was a sensitive spot for them, and tugged. She expected to hear stitches rip, but instead, the wolf just whirled and glared.
"Sorry, girlie. That don't work anymore."
Max felt her blood run cold. "What-"
"They're a new hybrid," Ari said behind her, catching her by surprise and landed a punch to her jaw. "94% human, 2% wolf, and can you guess the extra 2%?"
"That's impossible," Max gasped, jaw stinging.
"Three years ago, maybe, but not anymore." This time, Ari's fist smashed into Max's nose. "I'm the last of my kind, cobbled together, but the rest of them are fresh, new experiments straight out of the labs."
"We shut down those labs!" Max wheeled back, and dodged another punch. She glanced back at her flock, and saw they were struggling, just as much as she was.
There are too many of them. We're too out of practice.
"Have you heard of the hydra? Because that's what ITEX is, Max. You cut off one head, two more grow back in its place." Ari grabbed her wrist again, and wrenched it behind her back. "And lucky for you, you're going to see where all the heads come from."
With a crack, Max's shoulder popped from its socket. She choked on her scream as pain shot down her arm, white hot and burning.
"MAX!" Fang dove, reaching for her, but another Eraser body-slammed him. Fang hurtled through the air. Two Erasers swooped down and caught him up in a net. Fang thrashed, but with a blow to the head, he stopped moving.
"FANG!" Max struggled against Ari, but every movement jarred her arm. Blackness began dotting the edges of her vision.
"Ari! We want them unharmed!" One Eraser snarled.
"She'll be fine. It'll heal in a day or two," Ari said dismissively. "Get the others. We have to get them back to base by tonight."
Max watched helplessly as the rest of the flock was wrapped into nets, one by one.
Ari shoved her into her own net, and gathered the ends. "Time to go."
"The only place you're going is to hell," Max grit out.
Ari laughed. "See you there."
The last thing Max saw was Ari's paw swinging towards her face.
Then, everything went black.
…and that was chapter two! Chapter three is mostly written already, and I think it's the most exciting one yet. It's why I decided to write this story, so fingers crossed that it goes well. Tell me what you guys thought! Thanks!