Chapter 4-

**Fang POV**

I looked at the sky. They must've started looking by now. If they could just fly over I could get them and tell them we were fine.

I looked at Max and the pool of blood under her.

Well fine, more or less.

I had somehow wrapped my hoodie around her wing and it was keeping some of the blood at bay, which was good. I had found some water and made her drink it and she gulped it down. Also good. Plus some color had returned to her white face. Good too-

I can't do it. I couldn't keep looking on the bright side. I was pointless and deceiving. I had to look at it the way it really was. Thinking Max wasn't dieing wouldn't make her any less dead.

I needed to do something, anything. I really wanted to scan for erasers, but I couldn't leave Max here alone; she wasn't even conscience. There was nothing- medically- that I could do for her and I couldn't just carry her around. I looked at the sky, but it was clear like it had been all day. No flying bird kids anywhere.

They were looking, no doubt, but it would take a while and I didn't know how much time Max had left. And if they went looking for us and ran into the erasers, well, the erasers might get them. This situation was looking worse and worse.

I looked back at Max. The blood on her face- and on my hands- was drying, but the blood was still spilling out onto the grass. I went back over to her, feeling restless, and put pressure on the wound again. What else could I do? We were stuck here until the flock found us.

Then I heard a twig crack.

My neck snapped around at the noise, but I saw nothing. I hadn't imagined it, something or someone was here. I could feel them watching us. We needed to get out.

Slowly I put her arms around my neck, then put one arm under her knees and one behind her back. I gently lifted her up, looking in the trees and in the bushes. It was all still. Max was still. I felt one of her arms slip and drop like a dead weight.

We were in so much trouble.

I heard another crack behind me and spun to find… a little girl?

Yes, a little girl, about Angel's age. I would have relaxed, but what are the odds that a little girl was walking alone in the woods? I tensed as she took a few steps forward.

"Hello mister." She said in a sweet, innocent tone. Her deep brown eyes sparkled and she smiled, revealing teeth that seemed a little too pointed. Her hair was brown and short- shorter than mine- and jagged. Like she had cut it herself with a knife.

"Can I see your wings?" She asked like it was a run-of-the-mill question. I didn't answer, just stayed still. I couldn't read her; I didn't know how to react to her. If she was an eraser I would have kicked the crap out of him, but she was a little girl.

She took another step closer. Her arms seemed too long for her body and it just looked unnatural. Then there was this sort of rash that covered her body. There were dark splotches of skin all over her.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." She said. I didn't get what she meant… then I saw her tail.

Yes, the little-lost-child had a tail. A cheetah's tail to be exact. Oh, crap.

She didn't have a rash; she had spots.

She looked at me expectantly. I hesitantly spread my wings. Who knows? I might need to use them. She looked at them with a sort of wonder and envy. It was all too strange.

"Where did you come from?" I asked. I needed information. This was bad and strange, If Max was conscience she'd feel it too. I couldn't really run with Max in my arms, but I would if it was my only option, I had to.

"Don't you see? I'm like you." She said.

"Did you come from the School?"

"School?" She frowned, as if she were unfamiliar with the word which is very possible. "No, I came from a lab. They said I was good, so I could go out. Then I just ran and… ended up here." She explained. "They told me not to, they said I was a lot faster than them, but I just needed to run. You know?"

"Yeah sure, whatever. Do you know where those scientists are?" I asked urgently. If she ran away, then they would look for her. And if they were coming here to get her, then I needed to leave.

"They'll be here soon. I didn't run too far." She said. "Is she okay?" The girl asked, almost as an after thought. It was like she was used to people in pain, suffering.

"She will be. Listen, you need to come with us. Now. Before the scientists find you." I guess I couldn't leave her to the mercy of scientists. The problem with them is that they had no mercy. It was going to make things even more difficult, but I couldn't forgive myself if I didn't stop them from taking an innocent child that I could save.

"Why?"

Why? I knew a million reasons why, but there was no time to list the off.

"They'll hurt you, if they haven't already." I said frustrated. "Come on!"

She didn't move. "They say they need me, I'm important for research. They say I'm going to help mankind."

"Leah! Leah!" I heard a man calling in the distance.

"I'm over here!" She hollered.

"You need to come with us now! They just want to use you. Come on!" I practically yelled. I couldn't just wait for her to come anymore. I needed to get Max and me out and if I couldn't save the cheetah-girl, then I couldn't save her. I would not let us go back to a school because of a stupid little kid. I started fast walking/jogging away.

I looked back at the girl. She blinked, like she was just realizing something or waking up or I don't know. The fact is that I didn't worry about it; I just tried to carry Max as far as I could.

I felt something blow by me and almost ran into the little girl, who was no in front of me. She stood there confused by something. She didn't say a word.

I didn't have time for this. I weaved around her and kept going. I heard the scientists hollering her name, they were getting closer. I don't know how much time we had left. Maybe it would be better to hide and-

"Where are we going?" The girl, Leah, asked, suddenly appearing at my side.

"I don't know. Just away from them." I yelled, frustrated.

She nodded and followed my pace with ease. She was prancing around, almost like she was ballet dancing and began to hum. Did she not realize the danger we were in?

Ugh. I forgot how much I hated children. She made me realize how lucky I was to have Gazzy and Angel.

"Leah! Come out honey." One scientist yelled.

All of a sudden she stopped prancing and began trudging toward him. Her face was blank and emotionless. She walked toward them, entranced. It was so freaky and it made my skin crawl.

I used Max's food and nudged her shoulder. Then came the blinking again, like she was waking up. But she wasn't. She was overriding the brainwashing they've done to her.

She caught up with me, a little more serious this time.

The scientists were in sight now. Their white coats were visible between tree trunks and leaves.

"If anything happens, run." I said. I'd fight them if I had to, which seemed like the biggest possibility right about now.

Then I heard the pft of a silenced gun. And then another. Leah, at my side, went down. I shot a glance over my shoulder to see a dart pricked in her leg.

I kept going and they kept shooting. I looked back at Leah, unconscious now. Her body a limp rag over a tree root. I needed to keep going, but I could just leave her.

Damn conscience.