XD second chapter, pretty soon. Maybe i might go over this and fix it up if i want to tweak the story but i'm already starting on the third chapter :) I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to James Patterson but the idea, the OCs, and much of everything else is mine :)
Max relished in the feeling of flight, the cool air moving over and under her wings, tickling the feathers. She didn't fly long, instead she landed on a low rooftop, taking the fire escape down. She was on the outskirts of New York City, where you could see the bright lights but none were close.
She quickly found a cafe and entered. It was the kind that was becoming more and more popular these days, soft, cushy loveseats and couches, a few beanbag chairs along with them. There were a few library shelves full of random paperbacks, all colors and genres. It seemed the Sunrise Cafe worked on the honor code, if you wanted to finish the book you took it home and returned it sometime later, no questions asked.
A barista met her at the door, and she asked for just plain black coffee. The cafe was about halfway full, and plenty of space remained at the area surrounding the fireplace. Max took a seat by the fire, warming her hands. She glanced around her a few times before remembering that she could relax now. The flock had spent so much time being paranoid, watching their backs, suspicious of everyone, that it had become routine, second nature. Now, they were accepted for the most part, and nothing in the cafe gave her the feeling that she would be kicked out for being who she was.
THe barista looked over at her every once in a while, so obviously there was at least one person who knew who she was. Max swallowed her apprehension, the nerves, the already-coming-on feeling of regret, and threw some trust out there. She stretched her arms out and then, with a light rustling, let her wings spread part of the way. They were soaked, but immediately started drying out in the heat of the fire.
Not long later, her wings were spread wide. "Hey, it's Max," she heard from behind her. Max took a deep breath and pulled her wings in halfway, fighting the urge to run and hide, trying not to be scared, and wishing that she was stronger when it came to strangers. Evil, crazed scientists she could tackle. Robots working for the government shivered under her glare. But when it came to Max and people, Max was the one shivering in her boots.
She turned with a smile as the barista handed her the large mug of coffee. "Four bucks enough?" Max asked. She reached into her pocket for the small wad of bills hidden deep down. THe barista smiled and shook her head. Her nametag said Amanda.
"No, don't worry about it. It's on the house," she said. She sat down across from Max, and rested her arms on her knees. "I just... It may be weird but I wanted to say thanks. For everything you, and your flock, have done." She smiled wistfully, and Max recognized her, briefly.
After the fall of Itex, people, relatives of the experiments, had come to the mass burial. Some cried, some were angered, and some stood, stunned, at what Itex had done. Only sixty or so of the modified humans they had created had survived the fall of the company, and after an assessment of whether they could be integrated into society or not, they were returned to their families. Max, among the rest of the experiments, had received an ID card. It listed all the regular information, along with what kind of recombinant they were, and also stated that under law, they were citizens. With no Social Security, no insurance, no anything, they could go to a hospital and trust the staff fully and receive health care, thanks to the government's pocket.
"Amanda Goodwin?" Max asked, holding out her hand. The barista nodded and reached out to shake Max's hand. THe young woman had found out that she'd had a twin when the company fell and Itex's offenses were revealed to the public. Her twin had survived, and it was another avian-human recombinant like Max and the flock.
"Yeah. Um, again? Thank you, Max," she said, her voice warm. "I... It was hard, you know?" She looked up at Max as if for reassurance. Max nodded, attentive, and Amanda looked to the side, at the fire. She continued speaking.
"After, when he, my brother, came, he was, and still is, really jumpy. He has bad dreams during the night, and sometimes he thinks he sees things. But it's a lot easier now. Sometimes he helps out with the cafe, and even though there are still some days when he stays in his room all day, penned up, he's starting to smile." Amanda herself smiled.
"Well, I gotta go. But, um, after hours, if you want to meet him, Alex might come down," she said. Max looked up at her, about to say no, she had to be on her way, but Amanda was already walking away.
"Thanks for the coffee," Max whispered. She leaned forward on the couch and shook her wings, about to pull them in, when the door opened loudly. She jumped and looked at it, expecting it to be Fang, Nudge, and the rest of them, looking for her, but it was just a punk-looking teen. He and Amanda greeted each other like long-time friends, and Max pulled her wings in, looking back to the fire. She picked up her coffee, steaming hot, and took a sip, nearly burning her tongue.
"You should read this book," she heard from behind her. It was the guy who had just walked in. He was soaked, dripping water, but he smiled warmly at her. He sat on one of the love seats and tossed her a worn book. The cover was torn, but not in a way that looked like it was abused. Just like somebody had read it many, many times. Max looked down at the book and up at the guy. His long, dark blonde hair hung over his eyes, which were a bright, surreal green.
"Mmm, thanks," Max murmured. He nodded and settled into his chair, looking at her, like he was judging her. "What the hell do you want?" The guy laughed at her.
"I'm Adam," he said. "Amanda's younger brother." He rose and walked over to her, sticking out his hand. Max shook it. His grasp was warm, friendly. He sat back down, relaxed.
"Her, um, twin?" Max asked tentatively. Adam shook his head and laughed.
"No, that's Alex. But, I was in there too. Itex." When he said it, he pretty much spat out the word. As if it had burned his tongue. Obviously there was a little bit of anger there.
Max picked up the book and opened it to the first page, drinking more of her coffee. It had begun to cool down, but just barely. The reviews proclaimed that it was powerful, moving, and a revolutionary tale to match those of the Ride Flock's. Max stopped at those words and set the book down gently, her fingers shaking slightly. It unnerved her to think that so many people knew their story.
"I'm sorry. I learned reading secondhand, and it's still hard for me to understand sometimes," she explained lamely. A lame excuse. Adam eyed her, this time not critical. He leaned back in his chair and promptly fell asleep.
It wasn't long after that, her coffee cup empty and the fire dwindling to a mere crackle, that Max followed.
Dark shadows chased her in her dreams, and a soft hand woke her up, shaking her shoulder slightly. Max's eyes snapped open and she looked up to see Amanda, her face kind, worried. "Okay, you're fine," she murmured, sighing in relief. The cafe was empty, and the fire was crackling loudly again.
"Do you need a place to stay?" Amanda asked. How did she know? The question must have shown on her face. Amanda nodded sympathetically. "It's gotta be at least ten. I know you're one hardy girl, but I absolutely refuse to set you out on the streets at this time of night." Her smile was motherly. This girl, woman, had to be only twenty-five, twenty-six. And yet Max felt like a little girl. The feeling was disarming.
Max sat up fast, looking at the windows. It was pitch-black outside, with few lights to break up the darkness. Curtains were pulled halfway, covering much of the shadows. Max could see two other forms in the darkness. As her eyes adjusted, she recognized Adam from the night before. Another form, tall and lanky, was nearby Adam, almost hiding behind him.
Only two or three candles lit the cafe. Amanda apologized. "I'm sorry, it's just that Alex's eyes have been hurting lately and it's worse in the light." Max nodded. Only months before she'd known exactly what she had to do, where she had to go. Now, she felt a kind of emptiness that came only when one had no idea, absolutely no clue, where they should be or what they should do, and sometimes, who they were.
"Hey," said Adam, his voice low, pleasant. He tipped his head at Max. "Adam. From last night." Max nodded again, knowing her confusion showed on her face. She straightened it out, letting her brow relax and her mouth settle into an easy smile. Over the past months, Max had learned how to convince people that she was fine. Adam nodded over to his side, at the other figure. "Alex," he stated, without much emotion.
Alex, the other figure, stepped forward uneasily. Max could see him stumble and Adam help him. Max felt some sort of obligation and rose to her feet, keeping her gaze light as she watched him approach slowly.
Suddenly, he stopped a few feet away. In the shadows, Max couldn't see much of his face, but enough to know that he was related to Amanda and Adam. For one, they all had the same nose, and they all had the same slight frown when they were uneasy, or deep in thought. They stood like that for a few seconds, then on an impulse, instinct maybe, Max flexed her shoulders. Her wings unfurled, the feathers whispering to her of flight and secrets. Alex visibly relaxed.
"Hello, Alex," Max said in a warm voice. "I'm Max." Alex's lips curved into an uneasy smile.
"I'm... My name is Alex?" His words came out as a question. He winced a little, drawing back, but Adam murmured something and he nodded. "I, um, I just wanted to thank you? For, you know, all you've done?"
Max turned to see Amanda beaming behind her. When she turned back Adam was hugging Alex, in a brotherly, compassionate way. Max pulled her wings most of the way in, letting them hang a little to warm in the light of the fire. Alex was turned into Adam, and his shoulders shook. Adam led his brother away, to some dark corner.
"That's the most he's said in a long time," Amanda murmured. She looked at Max and her eyes held a hint of sparkle. "Thank you."
"For what?" Max asked, confused. "I didn't do anything but say, 'hey, I'm Max.' " Amanda smiled, and looked off at where her two brothers had disappeared.
"I know," she said. "And isn't that the wonder of it?"
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