Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! I'm glad people are liking it. It's something different, and it's still kind of canon to the original storyline… I just changed a few semi-major things.

And just to clarify, I'm using the graphic novels to guide me through this story. That, and like I said, I'm changing things up a little, so nothing is going to be exact.

I've got major twist planned for the future chapters. So stay tuned!

Chapter Two: The Fight to Survive

-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-

Max

It just had to be raining, didn't it?

I trudged through the woods, holding my wounded shoulder tightly.

'I wonder how long I can stand this…?' I thought, wincing at the throbbing pain in my left should and wing.

'I can't fly in this rain, especially with my wing busted.' I glanced around me and saw a clearing in the trees. Painstakingly, I shrugged off my jacket and tucked my wings behind my back. 'I better hide them and look for shelter from this rain…'

I dragged my feet for what felt like hours, looking down small allies and spaces between houses for somewhere to rest. I was getting weaker by the minute. And my hunger wasn't helping anything.

Just as I was about to give up and try flying to Lake Mead anyway, busted wing or not, I heard a voice in a years nearby.

"Come on, Magnolia! Make it fast!"

I turned and saw that girl from earlier, the one who was being bullied by those jerks. She was standing outside with her dog, holding a pink umbrella over the both of them.

"You don't want to get wet, do you?" she asked her Pug, turning at lead them both back inside and out of the rain.

This was going to be very selfish of me, but I don't have any other options. It's either ask this girl for help, or die in this shitty weather.

I took a few steps closer. "H-Hey…um…Ella?"

She stopped, and so did the dog. "Who…?" She looked around for the source and when she spotted me, she smiled. "Oh, it's you! Thanks so much for helping me. I—"

As I got closer, she saw my current state and gasped a hand flying to her mouth. "Oh, my God… Is that blood?"

I flashed a nervous smile. "Yeah. One of the shots managed to clip me…"

Her and Magnolia ran over to me. She must not be squeamish about blood, because she came right up to me and look a closer look. Then with the hand that was holding the dog's leash, she grabbed the sleeve on my right arm and lead me toward the house.

"Why didn't you go to the hospital? We have to get you inside, quick!"

I took a second to make a mental note: she talks almost as fast as Nudge…

Her and nudge would get along really well.

As soon as they were through the door and it was shut behind them, Ella dropped the leash and umbrella by the doorway and ran off.

"Mom, Mom! This guy needs help!"

Seconds later, Ella reappeared. Right behind her was a woman with dark brown hair and kind eyes.

"Mom, this is…erm…"

"Max," I finished for her, just realizing that I never gave Ella my name.

Ella's mom quickly noticed the blood pouring from my shoulder and rushed over to. If I wasn't so weak and shaking, I would have been more cautious. But there was something about these two… Something I could explain.

"Yeah! Max is the one I told you about from earlier," Ella went on. "He rescued me from José and Dwayne and them."

Her mom barely seemed to be listening as she examined my shoulder. When she did acknowledge Ella, it gentle and sweet, despite the urgency in her voice.

"Ella, go get my first aid kit and some juice for Max."

"Okay!" Ella ran down the hall and disappeared.

Ella's mom put her hand on my lower back, gently guiding me over to a comfy-looking chair. I hesitated to sit. It looked so nice and clean. And I was anything by clean.

Despite my hesitation, she helped me sit slowly. "Don't worry about the chair. Just sit here and relax for a minute."

I nodded. But my body couldn't relax fully; being in a strangers home was a little unsettling. However…

'This chair is as comfortable as it looks…' my overly tired mind observed.

Then I remembered that she had asked me a question. If I'm going to get her help I probably have to play nice, right?

"Like…Ella said, I, er…got shot…"

"Here's the juice, Mom!" Ella came out of nowhere, a glass of orange juice in hand. As soon as the glass was passed off, she was gone again. "I'm going to get the first aid kit right now!"

I smiled ever-so slightly. 'She really would get along good with Nudge…'

The glass of orange juice came into view. I looked up at Ella's mom and took the glass. I downed half glass before she could blink.

When I did look up at her again, she was watching me, her arms crossed with hand folded under her chin. She didn't look skeptical or judgmental. Just…worried. Worried about me.

I felt a pang in my heart. No one—aside from the Flock—has worried about me before…

Just as I tipped the glass in my hand back to finish off my drink, she said, "I assume you don't want me to call your parents…"

I swallowed, and then looked down at the now empty glass in my hand. My silence was answer enough.

"…Or the Police either, right?"

I quick glanced at her and then back down. I nodded my head.

Another warm smile. "All right."

She lightly touched my bad arm, avoiding the injured area, and said, "I'm a vet, so I can take a look at your wound. Let's go to the bathroom."

She motioned for me to follow. I slowly got up, leaving the glass—that was now lightly coated in blood—on the small coffee table, making sure it wasn't near anything that looked important.

I followed her down the halls, causally looking at the pictures on the walls and in rooms with the doors left open, all the while looking for any and all emergency escape routes.

"Here." She stopped in motioned for me to go inside. "Can you sit on the edge of the tub?"

'Can I? Yes. Will I fall backwards into it? Probably.'

I took a breath and did what I was told for once, praying to whatever God was up there that I didn't actually fall backwards into the tub.

Once secure on the side of the tub, she looked down at me, a pair of scissors in hand. My heart immediately leapt into my throat.

"I'm going to have to cut your shirt off." She looked at me apologetically. "Would that be okay?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Um…Yes…"

I not so easily slid my jacket off and let it fall into the tub behind me.

"Who long has it been since you got hurt?" she asked as she knelt down on my right side and started cutting the shirt from the bottom upward.

"…About…half a day…" I answered, not entirely sure myself. For all I know I could have been walking around for more than half a day.

She cut the sleeve, too, and peeled the wet shirt away, being extra careful near the wound. Then I was half naked sitting on the edge of a tub in front of a stranger.

…Can we say 'awkward'?

I tried not to blush, but the heat in my cheeks was evident.

"Oh, my… You must have been in a lot of pain." She tenderly touched the area around the wound, a steady expression on her face. "It looks like the bullet just grazed you, which is good, but it's pretty deep and messy…" She trailed off, her hand lifting from my shoulder to reach behind me.

"And…this…"

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"I got the first aid kit!" Ella announced as she came through the door. Then she paused when she saw what was behind me. "What's…that on your back…?"

I had a smart comment on the tip of my tongue, but bit it back.

"Max… What is this?"

I clenched and unclenched my fist, my heart beating harshly. "It's…a wing…"

'What the hell am I going to do now? They've seen my wings… They know I'm a freak! I could still run…'

Ella cautiously drew closer. My 'doctor' stroked her fingers through my features, as if she had to make sure what they were seeing was real. My wings twitch, enjoying being free from my jacket.

"It's…um…my wing…"

Silence.

The longest silence ever in history. And then:

"It…got hurt, too," Ella's mom observed, noticing the blood near the base when my wing connected to my back.

I looked at her in surprise. She didn't look scared or freaked out at all; her and Ella both. They watched in awe as I flittered and stretched my wings, moving the achy muscles.

"Yeah… These are your wings, all right," Ella's mom said softly, taking the longer feathers at the ends of my wings gently in one hand. She smiled kindly, taking in my worried expression. "Don't worry, Max. I think the bullet only nicked the bone a bit. I'll take care of it, so relax."

It was like…magic. Everything she was saying… I knew I could believe her, trust her. And I did exactly what she asked: I relaxed for the first time since this morning.

-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-

Fang

The night was rough. I didn't sleep much at all, even after Iggy stirred awake and offered to take the next watch. Not that you can really call it a 'watch' when it comes to him. But his hearing is better than ours. He'd know when something was coming before we did.

I kept thinking about Angel, and about why Max hadn't come back yet. Was he hurt? Did he need our help?

I sighed, watching the birds fly freely overhead. My wing didn't hurt nearly as much as yesterday, though it was still a little sore. I was hoping to let it rest more, but when I heard rustling from the cave I knew that wasn't going to happen?

"Fang… Fang, where'd you go?" Nudge's panicked voice came from the cave.

I stood and stretched my arms over my head, working the sore muscles loose.

"I'm sure she's fine, Nudge," Iggy said tiredly.

"Yeah, she probably went from a quick flight," Gazzy reasoned.

But that didn't calm Nudge in the slightest. "Well, what if she got hurt? What if she's stuck somewhere?"

I rolled my eyes. 'If anything, that's Max's current situation; not likely to be mine.'

"Fang!"

I dropped down from above the cave entrance. "What? I'm not deaf."

Nudge gasped and then quickly gathered me in a hug. "Don't scare me like that! Where did you go? I thought you were gone!"

I sighed and lightly hugged her back. It wasn't worth trying to explain that I went all of ten feet away.

She pulled back, her clinched fist pulled to her chest. "Don't do that again. Don't ever leave me alone—"

Her sentence was interrupted by a very loud, hungry growl. The beast from her stomach made itself known.

Iggy and Gazzy burst out laughing. I smiled, trying not to laugh myself.

She turned on Ig and Gaz. "Sh-Shut up, you two!"

The laughter quieted and Gazzy said while wiping tears from his eyes, "I-I think I saw…a burger joint about a mile back."

Iggy stood, still smiling from Nudge's embarrassment. "Well, sounds good to me."

I nodded, stretching my wings. Without any motivation needed, we took to the sky and headed for a source of food.

Just like Gazzy said, there was a burger place not face from Lake Mead, and it looked like there were plenty of 'old' burgers in the dumpster for us to choose from.

"Woo Hoo! Food!" Gazzy barely had his feet on the ground by time he was picking burgers up from the top and passing them out to us.

"Well, it's not the fanciest way to pick your meals," Iggy said, taking a burger from Gazzy, sniffing it. He shrugged. "'Beggars can't be choosers.'"

Nudge declined his offer, and instead peered into the dumper. "I think after watching those hawks tearing small animals apart—Oh! There's a salad. I'll take that." She rummaged for a minute as the rest of us bite into our cold, slightly stale burgers. "Sweet! Guys, there's pies, too! Jackpot!"

We all ate our till of burgers, fries, and whatever else we could find. I don't think we've eaten that good in months.

Lately we've had to scrounge for food wherever we could, and had to start rationing because we were running out of money to spend on food. I was sure that was part of the reason Max was so out of it yesterday. He's just trying to take care of us…

"Fang?"

Nudge drew me from my thoughts. I looked over at her, raising a brow.

She lifted her arm and pointed at a road sign in the distance.

"That's the name we saw in the papers from yesterday!" She bolted up suddenly, already unfurling her wings. "I'm going there!"

And with that, she took off.

I almost choked on the food in my mouth. "N-Nudge! Get back here!"

"Nudge!" Gazzy called out, him and Iggy standing up, too.

I reached out and tapped Iggy on the back of his hand. The three of us took to the sky after Nudge.

She looked back, pure determination on her face. "I memorized the address! I'm going to look for my parents!"

"Nudge, that's crazy! Come back!" Iggy yelled, panic in his voice. He seemed just as nervous about this situation as I was. She had a big head start on us. Even when we did catch up, it would be too late to drag her back.

"I'm going!" she called without stopping for slowing down. "And none of you can stop me!"

'I've got a bad feeling about this…'

-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-

We had been looking for the address Nudge apparently memorized for almost two hours, searching up and down the streets. I was getting irritated, and being on the ground in an unknown area made me nervous. I constantly kept an eye out, always looking back to make sure there was no one following us suspiciously.

"Nudge, I think it's time to give this up," I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. I casted a glance at the sketchy-looking trainer she was heading for.

"Yeah, Nudge," Gazzy agreed. "What if they moved?"

Iggy stayed quiet, cocking his head from time to time, listening intently.

She turned around, glaring at us. "If you guys didn't like the idea so much, why did you even follow me?!"

I almost rolled my eyes. "You told me not to leave you alone. Tears and all."

She turned away, frustrated.

I sighed. "You don't want to hear this…" I started to say, but Iggy stepped in.

"What if they don't want you back?"

She stopped dead in her tracks. Iggy's words came out harshly, but they spoke worlds of truth.

"Even if you weren't a test-tube baby—which you probably were—what if they gave you up for a reason?" By the look on his face, Iggy had been thinking the same thing about his own 'parents' for a while now.

There was a long pause. Then:

"Do you really think…I haven't already thought of that?" she said quietly. I could tell by her voice that she was crying again. She turned, the tears in her eyes confirming my suspicions. "I know that! But I have to try! I mean, if there was the slightest chance, wouldn't you try?!"

When Iggy and Gazzy didn't answer, she turned her tearful eyes to me. "Fang? What about you? Would you jump at the chance to find out the truth?"

'I don't know if I would actively look for someone who could or could not be my parents… I don't know that I would want to go back.'

After a long moment, I said, "I don't know."

"That's because you don't need anyone or anything, Fang," she said harshly, wiping her eyes.

"Nudge, that was mean!" Gazzy said, taking in the steeled expression on my face. They knew that normally meant I was hiding how I truly felt about something.

Nudge sighed, ignoring Gazzy. "But I'm not like that. I'm not strong like you are… I need people. I need…this."

'Nudge…'

Suddenly, the door to the trailer swung open. We ducked behind a beat up truck, watching as a woman with the same skin tone and Nudge walked out of the trailer. She lit a cigarette that rested between her lips, looking miserable about something.

Nudge stared wide-eyed. "Do…Do you think that's my mom?"

Before I could think to answer, I heard movement behind us. I could smell their odor—it suddenly hit me like a freight train.

"Looking for something, freaks?"

We didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

They found us…

"A-Ari…?" Nudge whimpered.

He looked up at what we were spying on and then chuckled. "I guess you found it."

Ari raised his fist to swing at the closest bird-kid to him—which just so happened to be Gazzy, who was frozen in fear. Just as his fist came down I shoved him aside. Ari's fist went through the door of the truck.

A short, sharp whistle left my lips, signaling everyone to get away and get in the air.

Iggy grabbed Gazzy and quickly did just that.

Nudge, however, was frozen. Ari and his goons stood before us, cornering Nudge and I without an escape. She stared at the snarling, furry beasts before us, pity in her eyes. She was afraid, for sure, but her kind heart always got the better of her.

"Nudge! Fang! Get out of there!" I heard Iggy call us from above, but I couldn't risk taking my eyes off Ari.

Nudge put a hand to her chest. "Ari…what did they do to you…? I'm so sorry."

"Save your pity for yourself," he growled. "I'm exactly who I want to be. And I've got some news for you." A sickening smile formed on his lips, exposing his sharp, pointy teeth.

"Max won't be joining you. He seems to have had an…unfortunate accident. He's dead, and he's not coming to save you!"

My jaw fell open in a silent gasp. I felt my eyes go wide, my heart pounding in my chest from the adrenaline.

Max… Dead…?

'No.'

"L-Liar…" Nudge choked out, unconsciously agreeing that it couldn't be true.

Ari snapped a hand out and grabbed Nudge by the face, his claws digging into her cheek.

"Yum." He licked his lips and chuckled. "Little brown piglet…"

I used all the force in my legs and put as much momentum as I could into my body weight and slammed into Ari, knocking Nudge free of his grasp. Ari flopped hard to the ground.

"Nudge, go!"

One of Ari's buddies made a grab for me, leaving Nudge an opening to get away. She opened her wings and within seconds she as in the air. The Eraser that grabbed me from behind wrapped his meaty arm tight around my neck. I fought and kicked, but that only pissed them off more.

Ari loomed over me then, still in his buddy's clutches. The hatred I saw in his eyes was evident; if looks could kill, I'd be dead.

"You're going to pay for that!" he roared.

"Hah—!" I cried out as his large fist connected hard with my stomach, almost making me lose my breakfast. I fell to my knees, using one hand to stay up, the other wrapped around my gut. But he wasn't done. He kicked my side sending about 5 feet in another direction. I rolled a couple times, and when I stopped, I groaned and tried to sit up, but my body wouldn't listen.

I tasted blood in my mouth, and spit it to the side. I felt the ground shake behind me as he stepped over my body, grabbed a chunk of hair at the back of my head, and yanked me up off the ground.

"Aah!"

I cracked open an eye, watched as Ari raised his claws to take a chunk out of me. "You're dead, freak! Just like your precious Max!"

Crap. Was this it…?

"Who are you calling freak?!"

"Why don't you take a look in a mirror, dog-boy!"

Suddenly a full can of paint came out of nowhere and hit Ari square in the head. He roared and immediately dropped me. Before I could catch a breath, Nudge swooped in, grabbed me around the waist, and high-tailed it back up into the sky.

"Go!" she called to the other two.

Iggy and Gazzy were hovering nearby, high-fiving each other. Iggy had another paint can in one had, ready to pass it to Gazzy, who I assumed threw the first one while Nudge grabbed me. When Nudge called for them to scram, they did just that.

Before we could get far, I heard the distinct sound of the cocking of a gun. I looked down and saw Ari pointing it right at me and Nudge.

'Shit!'

Just as it fired I shover her to the side, and the bullet (thankfully) passed between us.

That displeased Ari greatly, judging by the look on his ugly mug. "I'll get you!"

Without another glance back, we were gone.

Now a safe distance away, I spit more blood out and wiped my mouth with my sleeve. It was black, so it wasn't going to show.

"Fang…" Nudge said, worry and regret written on her face.

I shook my head. "Don't worry about. You're just a kid…"

She looked at me worriedly, and then nodded. We flew back to the caves. And I hoped that Ari wasn't going to show up there, too.

-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-

Max [at the time Fang is sitting over the cave]

I slowly opened my eyes, rubbing the sleep from my vision.

'What…?'

I looked to my left and saw… Well, I didn't know where I was!

I sat up quickly, sending the blanket that was placed over me to the floor. I instantly regretted the sudden jerky movement when my wound throbbed painfully.

I groaned and gently touched the bandaged area. That's when I remembered that I wasn't at home sleeping in the comfort of my own bed. I was…at Ella's…sleeping on her mom's couch. They offered the guest bed at the end of the hall, but I declined, saying that the couch was fine. I don't think they understood why, but it was just in cade I had to leave in a hurry.

"Max, you're awake! Did you sleep well?

Startled again, I looked over and noticed Ella at the door. I looked like she was putting her shoes on.

"Uh…yeah. Thanks," I said.

That's when Dr. Martinez, Ella's mom, came in from another doorway.

"Bye!" Ella waved to us. "I'm off to school! I'll see you later!"

Her mom waved and smiled kindly, and then Ella was gone. Dr. Martinez turned her kind smile to me. I couldn't help but smile back. Last night she told me that her name is Valencia Martinez, but that I could call her Val or Dr. M. She's a veterinary surgeon at works for a large veterinary office.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, nodding her head toward the kitchen. "There's some breakfast left for you."

I nodded more times than needed, but my stomach was practically eating itself.

She laughed and headed for the kitchen.

I gently swung my feet over the side of the couch and stood up. I realized I was still in my jeans from last night, which were now dry, though still dirty. The shirt I was wearing wasn't mine, and from what I could tell Ella's father wasn't around.

'So who's…?'

I quietly patted into the kitchen, which smelled heavenly. I took a deep breath.

Dr. M giggled lightly. "Have a seat. I'll fix you a plate."

I did as she told me (again) and sat at a stood. She set a plate full of pancakes and what kinda looked like a salad in front of me. "Dig in!" she said happily.

Half the stack of pancakes were gone before she could blink. I felt her eyes on me and realized that I didn't have very good table manners. I awkwardly cleared my throat, fighting back a blush of embarrassment.

She laughed. "Try the breakfast salad. It balances out the sweet of the syrup from the pancakes."

I timidly took some on my fork and put it in my mouth. My face must have been priceless, because she laughed lightly again.

Dr. M took a seat across from me, put her elbow in the count and her chin in her hand. I was just about done with my food when she asked, "So, if you don't mind my curiosity, can you actually…fly with your wings?"

I made sure to swallow. "Well…yeah. My bones are thinner and lighter. And I ate more often then normal people."

"Really?" She seemed my fascinated then surprised, which urged me to continue.

"Yeah. And even though I eat a lot, I don't weigh more than a hundred pounds."

She smiled. "Most girls would kill to be able to eat all the time and weight that much," she joked.

I grinned. "My heart is more efficient, and I have extra muscles and bigger lungs."

She nodded, and then said, "You're not out there alone, are you? Are there other like you?"

I stopped chewing and looked away. 'I can't tell her there are others… It's bad enough that she knows about my wings.'

Noticing my discomfort with the question, she switched the conversation. "So…'Max'. Is it short for something?"

I swallowed again. "Erm…yeah. Maximus. Maximus Ride. I gave it to myself."

"I see."

A silence passed over us. I placed my fork on my empty plate.

"Max. Can I ask…how…this happened?"

The question struck hard and deep. I closed my eyes. Immediately images from my past flashed in the back of my mind. The ghost of the pain I've experienced…the torture we all went through…

When I opened my eyes again, she looked as though she regretted the question.

After a deep breath I said, "I don't remember."

"O-Oh. I see… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." She looked at me apologetically.

I shrugged, and stood from my stool. "Thanks for…helping me. And for the food. I…should probably go."

This surprised her. "Already?"

I nodded. "I've got somewhere I need to be." I couldn't say too much, otherwise she'd worry. I don't know why, but I…didn't want to make her worry.

"Can I give you a ride?"

I smiled sheepishly, shaking my head. "No…uh, I need to…you know, fly there." I felt my wing twitch in protest. "But…I don't think I can yet."

She crossed her arms over her chest, looking thoughtful. "As of now I can't tell you the full extend to your injury. I could get a better idea of what we're dealing with if I could get an x-ray."

"Do you have x-ray vision?" I asked, raising a curious brow.

After a moment to process what I'd said, she busted out laughing. "No, no! Nothing like that!" She giggled some more making me feel stupid for asking. She smiled. "But some of us have access the x-ray machines."

-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-

It wasn't a long drive to the veterinary office Dr. M worked at. When I got out of the car I looked up at the tall, shiny building before me. I felt a huge lump form in my throat as she lead me inside.

"Hi, guys!" Dr. M greeted as she walked in.

"Hi, Dr. Martinez," I few greeted back.

"This is a classmate of Ella's. He's doing a report about veterinary medicine, so I thought I'd give him a quick tour."

As she chatted with people in the office, I was having a mini panic attack. Everywhere I looked there were medical supplies and people in white coats. The sickeningly sterile smell… The clipboards and folders of documents…

"Max?" Dr. M whispered. I felt her hand on my shoulder as my body started shaking.

She quickly steered me in a different direction, putting on a face smile for everyone around us. "Shall we go to the exam room first? This isn't the dentist, so there's no reason to be afraid."

She opened the room to an exam room, all but pushed me inside and slowly closed the door behind us. Mean while I was freaking out, trying to get the images out of my head. I was trying hard to not let my surroundings get the better of me, but it was…too hard. This place was foreign but…all too familiar.

"Max, what's wrong?" she asked, placing a steady hand on my back.

"It's the smell," I said with a shaky voice. "The chemical smell—like a lab. The guys in the white coat…" I shuddered. "I…I need to get out of here. Can we just go?"

She grabbed my shoulder and forced me to look at her calm, reassuring face. "I promise you, you're safe here. Can you stay just long enough for me to get a quick x-ray?" she motioned to an open doorway with an x-ray machine in it. "After that we will leave right away."

-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-

Fang

Once back at the caves with the hawks, we all hunkered down and stayed low, just in case Erasers were coming after us. Iggy and Gazzy were talking about their latest 'creation', though I tuned most of their conversation out. The less I knew, the better.

Nudge sat with me at the mouth of the cave in silence. She probably still felt bad about what happened back at the trailer, but I didn't care. She's young; she'll learn that sometimes we forgive and forget. Or, if you're a mutant kid created by mad scientists who are now trying to kill, you don't.

"Fang… Do you think Max is…really dead?" She asked like she already knew the answer, but we just hoping she wasn't the only one that thought it.

I hesitated answering. Did I hope Max wasn't dead? Of course. Could it…be possible? Who knows? The School is capable of anything.

"I…don't think so."

She sighed, as if my confirmation soothed her.

"We still have to try and save Angel." She sniffled. "Poor Angel…"

I reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it lightly.

I was worried, too. Who knows what terrible things they're do to her. And, on top of that, she probably things we weren't coming after her.

'Damn it, Max! Where—?'

"Uh…Fang?"

Gazzy was point up at the sky. There was a figure flying through the air, coming right toward us. Looking more closely, it was…

-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-

Max

I shrugged on my jacket and stretched my wings out. I sighed, ready to get back in the air.

"How's it feel?"Dr. M asked, still looking a little worried.

I smiled. "It feels good. My shoulder is all healed up, too."

Both her and Ella looked at me, surprised.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "We heel super fast."

Dr. M handed me a small bag. "Here. Take this." I was about to protest, but she just shoved it in my hands. "It…was my late husband's. Please. I have no use for it."

'That would explain the shirt I'm wearing…'

"There's granola bars in there, and a made a fresh batch of cookies." I smiled in thanks. I slung it on my back, being mindful of my wings. "And Max?"

I turned to them, but was bombarded by the two of them hugging me. Ella wrapped her arms around my waist, and Dr. M wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

"Your secret is safe with us," she promised. "I left my number in the front pocket of the bag. Please…call if you need anything."

I smiled warmly, touched by their kindness. "Thank you. For everything."

Once I was free from their grasp, I took a running start and launched into the sky. I glanced back to see them waving.

"Good bye," I said quietly to no one in particular. Their smiling faces almost ripped me in half. "We'll…probably never see each other again."

I closed my eyes, letting the wind take away any regret. With a deep breath I opened my eyes and poured on the speed, head straight for Lake Mead.

'Angel… I'm finally on my way!'

-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-

It took me less than a half hour to get to Lake Mead. While flying overhead, I didn't see any sign of the others.

"Am I too late…?"

I glanced around the top of the mountain peaks that surrounded the lake. "Did they ever make it here? What if—?"

"Max!"

Before I knew what was happening, I was being tackled by Gazzy and Nudge. Their sheer force nearly knocked me out of the sky. They laughed as they both enveloped me in a huge group hug.

"Max! Max!" Nudge cheered, pulling away. She (of course) had tears in her eyes. "I can't believe it! Can I believe it?"

I laughed at her excitement.

Iggy slapped me on the back with surprising perfect aim. "I'm glad you're not dead?"

I raised a brow. "Did you doubt me that much?" Another thought occurred to me. "And are you sure you're blind?" I asked, rolling my mostly healed shoulder.

He laughed, waving a hand in front of his face. "Yep. Pretty sure."

"Then try acting like it." I grinned and flicked him on the forehead.

There was a tap on my other shoulder, and when I turned to look at Fang…

She punched me square in the chest. I hurt, but I could tell she didn't put her full force into it. The strike caught me off guard, and for a second I thought she had gone crazy. But when I looked at her…she was mad. The emotion that flooded in her eyes for that split second were gone now, but I saw it there. Like, completely pissed off, kind of mad. Anger and fear; that wasn't the first time I'd seen that look in her eyes, but I hoped I'd never see it again.

She was mad that I felt them. She was angry that it took so long for me to get back. Most of all…she was afraid that I wasn't ever coming back. Just like Jeb.

I sighed and folded my arms over my chest, pretending that I didn't just read her like a book. "Feel better?"

She took a deep breath. The emotions that blinked over her face for a split second were gone, now replaced her usual blank expression.

"What took you so long?" she finally asked.

If Fang was like Nudge, I would have gotten an earful of pissed off avian kid with an already testy attitude.

I point to the cave just below us. "Let's go down there, and then we'll talk."

The others, who looked as though they witness something they shouldn't have, took nose dives toward the cave. Before Fang could leave, I grabbed her wrist. I don't know if she felt the sudden electrical surge I felt when I grabbed her, but if she did she didn't show it.

"Hey."

She stopped, and we hovered there for a second. She looked over her shoulder at me, showing no sign of expression.

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to sooth her anger. "I… Things didn't go as planned. I got…hurt and I needed time to recover."

She didn't say or do anything. And then I followed her tense gaze to the t-shirt Dr. M gave me that could be seen due to the fact that I never zipped up my jacket.

Using solely the power in her wings, she turned to me just enough for her to reach out and lightly grab the fabric of the dark blue t-shirt. She rolled it in her fingers for a second, and then looked up at me.

"Blue is not your color."

What was that expression on her face? I don't think I'd ever seen it before.

I opened my mouth to say something, but she was gone—suddenly dropped like a rock and headed for the cave entrance.

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I've got some explaining to do…"

Once in the cave, I rummaged through my bag (which Fang also eyed keenly) and pulled out a plastic bag of cookies. Everyone's eyes lit up, and I'm sure that I saw drool coming from Gazzy's open mouth. Giving them free-reign, half the bag was gone before I even started talking.

I told them about helping Ella, and getting shot at; all the way to when I got the x-ray.

Fang's eyes bugged out. "You got an x-ray?"

I nodded. "Details later. And I found out that…" I touched the spot on my upper arm. "I have a micro chip implanted in my arm."

I got showered with bits of chocolate chip cookie, thanks to Gazzy, Iggy, and Nudge. Fang coughed lightly.

"Yeah." I brushed the cookie and (possible) split off my jacket. "It showed up on the x-ray. I'm not positive, but this could be how the Erasers found us at the house. Which also means they'll probably be here soon."

"But it doesn't explain why it took four years to hunt us down," Iggy pointed out.

I nodded. "Right. And I don't know if any of you have one, too, but there may not be a 'safe zone' for us anymore. They could track us anywhere."

The looks on their faces are like they got slapped by reality. We weren't playing 'house' with Jeb anymore. This is out life. Being hunted like prey.

"But that doesn't change anything—none of it matters. We've wasted enough time here."

I stood grabbed my pack and stood up, slipping it on my back. They all did the same, looking as ready as they'll ever be.

"Let's go get Angel back!"

-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-

Well, there's another chapter done! Do you like it? I'm going to start straying away from the original plot line, so hold on to your hats!

The chapters should be coming a little more frequently; I've gotten a major head start the last couple of days.

Please continue to review! They inspire me!

Thank you!

—RFC