Thanks to everyone who added this to their story alerts and reviewed. Much love to you! Here's Chapter 2.

Chapter 2

We came back with a bunch of food. Iggy had gone all around the little store, up and down the aisles, feeling everything and marveling at the amount of different colors. If it was to make me laugh or that he was actually fascinated by the colors of the marshmallows on the Lucky Charms box, I'm not sure, but it was pretty funny.

There was only one worker there, the cashier, and the place was too small and run-down to have a security camera. Nudge had distracted the young woman at the register by pulling her to the back of the store and asking her about all the different types of alcohol in the refrigerator, outraged at why she wasn't allowed to have any. The woman was dumbfounded. She was obviously really shy and looked like she was going to jump off a building if Nudge didn't leave her alone. Too bad for her, I guess.

Anyway, while she was distracted, I got the stuff we needed and got out of there, with Iggy right behind me. I'm not completely above stealing, considering how I've been raised and such, but I only took what we needed. And some chocolate.

We returned to find Gazzy, Angel, Akila, and Total all in the same spot. Angel was asleep with her head on Gazzy's shoulder. I approached them and realized that I didn't see Fang anywhere.

I walked over to Gazzy and said, "Gazzy, where's Fang?"

"Um, I don't know?" he said, his angelic little eyes looking up at me in surprise. He looked around, obviously unaware of Fang's location. "He was here earlier-"

"Where the heck did he have to go that was so important that he couldn't say anything?" I asked no one in particular. "I told him to stay here." I was angry now. I absentmindedly began pacing back and forth, growing more and more irritated. How could he just leave the kids alone like that? I was going to give him a nice kick in the face as soon as he came back.

Nudge, who was behind me with Iggy, giggled suddenly. She clapped her hand over mouth, but it was too late.

I walked back to Nudge and looked at her suspiciously, and then without taking my gaze off her, I punched the air to the right of her. Hard.

"Ow!" Fang said, appearing there where I had punched, falling back a step. A flood of relief and renewed anger went through my mind. I was relieved that he hadn't left Angel and them alone, and I was also relieved that he was standing right there, because I would have looked really stupid if I actually just punched the air.

And assuming you have a brain, you can guess why I was angry.

"That wasn't nice," Fang said shortly.

"That wasn't funny," I said back.

Nudge said timidly, "He didn't leave. He just wanted to see your reaction. It was just a little joke."

"Well, he should have known better than to sacrifice my trust with leaving him in charge for a joke," I said to her, mad that she had tried to hide it from me. Mad because she didn't say anything despite the fact that my rage and uneasiness had been visible.

I turned back to Fang. "You are so stupid sometimes!" I said, raising my voice.

Nothing. His face was completely blank. Nothing was more obnoxious, and I'm pretty sure he knew that. My fist automatically clenched at my side, ready to punch him again if necessary.

"Why would you do that? What am I supposed to think when I come back and I think you're gone? What kind of right-hand man are you, making me worry like that?"

Darn it. I just admitted to worrying.

"I didn't actually leave, Max."

"You wanted me to think you left, which is just as bad!"

"Not really."

What kind of argument is this? How can he act so calm?

"Have a sense of humor," he said.

"You don't have any sense at all! I am not going to put up with you being an aggravating moron all the time. Don't mess with me, Fang, because next time I hit you, I won't hold back." He gave a quick glance at my fist, knowing it had the ability to cause serious injury. And I mean serious injury.

"You wouldn't."

I hated how casually he said that, how sure he was.

"That's what you would think, isn't it? Well, think again."

I finished with a long, icy glare. He showed no sign of repentance, so I turned away from him and left him there.

"Sorry," Nudge whispered to Fang, feeling bad for having given away his position.

Iggy snickered. "That was probably the stupidest argument they've had so far," he said quietly to Nudge as they followed behind me, thinking I couldn't hear him.

Nudge replied, "It's guess it's kinda funny. But more than funny, it's sad."

I pretended to not hear them. I didn't care about the flock saying things behind my back (literally!). Whatever. That was becoming my word lately. I wonder if there's someone you can call so you can claim a word for yourself. I would totally do that.

Angel had been awakened by the noise, and she looked at me with half-opened eyes. As soon as Iggy put down his bag full of food that he was carrying at Angel's feet, everyone started eating. Everyone except for Fang. I heard him walking off somewhere, and right now I didn't care where he was going. It seemed that everything he did lately bothered me and caused a fight, and it wasn't fun.

I did set some food apart from the pile for him, though, so the kids wouldn't tear through it and leave him nothing.

I know. I'm a saint.

After we all shoved the food in our faces, I decided it was time to move on, but Fang still wasn't back. I put Iggy in charge and flew into the air to look for Fang.

I used my raptor vision to spot him way high up in the air, doing graceful arcs, stroking with his long, dark wings. He caught sight of me and started swiftly upward, already above the clouds.

You are so immature, I thought bitterly. I sped up to him and yelled, "Come back down and get Akila! We're leaving to find somewhere for Angel to rest!"

He just kept going up, and every foot higher he went, the angrier I got.

I shouted up to him, "Fine! I left you food down there. You better get it before some animal does! We're heading west, toward those hills!" I pointed, but he didn't look.

"Whatever, you'll find us," I said, almost to myself. I returned to the ground at super speed. I picked up my pack and Angel's, then helped Angel up off the ground.

"We only have to fly a little bit more, and then you can sleep for a long time and get better, okay?" I said to Angel, "Do you think you can do it?"

She nodded. I was proud of her.

Iggy took Total, and I scooped up Akila.

"Where's Fang?" Nudge asked nervously as we were about to take off.

"He'll meet up with us later," I responded, not answering her question.

She didn't question any further. She knew better.

We then all rose up into the air together, the ever-cheerful band of mutants, minus one, plus an annoyingly heavy Malamute.

That's Chapter 2, hope you liked it. Please review, and tell the truth! I can take it! Hopefully...

-Skye