Thank-you to my amazing Beta Adam!
Without you, this would be a forgotten dream!
I can't thank you enough
xxx
Flock You!
Chapter 4.
Sailing above town with a storm heading your way and the wind in your hair is the best feeling! The adrenaline coursing through my veins pumped my wings down further to induce greater speed.
I looked behind at my flock, making sure everyone was handling the wind resistance okay.
"You guys alright?" I called, noticing a change in the wind.
"Fine," Fang said, glancing at me quickly from the corner of his eye.
"All right, man!" Iggy called suddenly, swatting away Gazzy when he smiled mischievously.
"Ew! Max! Gazzy let one rip! Like... Ew! Why did I fly behind you! Oh my God Max, come over here and smell the air. It's tainted with Gazzy! Iggy, don't encourage him!" Nudge babbled on.
I rolled my eyes and made sure to stay in front of The Gasman in case he does a repeat and proves to everyone the truth in his name.
"Max, it's getting harder to fly, can we stop?" Angel asked from behind Fang. She smiled, well... angelically at me, already knowing I'd say yes to her.
"Sure, you guys up for some muffins?" I called- wishing we were close enough to Arizona to ask if they were up for some of my mum's amazing cookies. I noticed a little cafe and a few houses down below. We had enough time to make a quick stop. Maybe find some shelter of some kind or a motel to rest in for the night.
I subconsciously checked my flock, grinning when they all cheered at the sound of food.
I could see Gazzy's eyes drooping, Nudge's wings beating slower, Angel's yawn and even Iggy's usual headroll that I've learnt meant that he was tired. Fang, of course, remained quiet and emotionless. I couldn't even get a hint that he was tired.
"Tired?" I asked Fang.
He looked at me before nodding once, "Yeah, you?" He wouldn't admit that to the younger kids- I know that. And a sense of pride washed over me as I realised he could be honest with me.
"Not really, but I'm so hungry I could eat a horse... and chase the jockey," I added when my stomach rumbled.
His lips quirked up as he tilted his wings down, dropping in altitude as everyone followed. I held back, watching to see that my flock landed safely.
We found a nice little coffee shop, the smell of chocolate-chip muffins luring us in.
"I want this... no that! Wait- No, that one. Oh, but what about this one... the icing is shaped like a flower. Aw, Max. I wanna grow up to be a pastry chef and then I can decorate cupcakes! I'd make heaps of them with flowers, loveheart- Oh, my Goodness! I could even use those edible ladybug lollies that we found that one time in the supermarket in Washington. I wish we could go back there..." she finished wistfully.
"So that would be yes to the flower cupcake?" I asked slowly.
She nodded her head before running off to join Angel in the corner booth. I ordered what everyone wanted, pretending that Fang's presence behind me wasn't making my heartbeat a little faster than usual.
After handing out the muffins and hot chocolates to everyone I watched as Nudge sat on one of the computers, absentmindedy playing solitaire.
"You know, out of everything you could do on the computer with your skills, you chose to play solitaire?" Fang asked, noticing the direction of my gaze.
"Not just solitaire, spider solitaire. Solitaire is so boring. You can't even do this... see? I think-"
"Jeez, sorry I asked..." he muttered, effectively cutting her off. I tried to stifle my laugh.
"Blue," Iggy said holding the blue napkin that Gazzy handed to him. Ever since Iggy has discovered his new skill he has been obsessed with playing the 'Give-me-something-so-I-can-tell-you-what-colour-it-is-game,' with Gazzy.
It's a great game, but it's heaps more amusing if you're... oh I don't know, bind! In case you have failed to read the other books, let me just tell you this now so I don't repeat myself. Iggy's blind but can 'feel' colours. He's also a notorious bomb-maker and dessert stealer. Nudge is a computer-hacking genius that is like a human magnet. The Gasman (a.k.a Gazzy) has a neat-o trick that involves his funky digestive system and he can mimic sounds and throw his voice; sometimes that's more annoying then useful.
I can fly at really fast speeds that I have yet to record. And don't get me started about the voice in my head. What? You mean you don't have one? Well then, you are missing out... not.
Fang can blend into stuff- it's not exactly disappearing into thin air... wait, actually yeah, it kind of is. Angel can grow feathers and a beak- it's not really that useful either, unless we were trying to attract a bird of paradise. What is useful is that she can swim underwater and talk to fish. She is also our mind-reader and mind controller of the group. Speaking of which...
"Max- that girl over there knows about us!" Her eyes were glazed over, like they do when she's reading someone's mind. Think that's freaky? Wait 'til you see her controlling someone without them even knowing!
"Which one?" I asked, my own mind on full alert. I looked over to the far corner of the room where a girl around my age stood up from the chair. She spotted us instantly but she didn't seem excited to see us... more determined?
"The girl with the black hair. She's coming over here. She keeps on thinking of these words... What does offense and E&E mean?" she asked tilting her head to the side.
That got everyone's attention.
"Is she making... fighting strategies?" Iggy mumbled to himself.
"Angel, does she want to fight us?" I asked, watching as she came closer. A young girl skipped infront of her, and suddenly the kid was pushed away brutally into the wall by the teen as her strides became longer. The mother shouted something at her but she paid the woman no mind, pushing a nearby table violently into the wall when it was in her way. People started shouting but her attention was focused solely on us.
"Aha," Angel nodded.
"She could have just walked around the table," Iggy muttered when The Gasman explained what was going on.
"Hello, Maximum," she mocked, standing in front of us. How does she know my name? Beats me.
"Hello, stranger," I stood up, standing before my flock protectively without any hesitation. Fang and Iggy flanked me automatically.
"Excuse me! Excuse me, miss! You're going to have to pay for the damage-" The waiter didn't get to finish as the girl grabbed him by the throat with one hand. His face turned red as he choked, struggling to get out of her grip. She threw him into the front window, where glass smashed everywhere. The two couples that were left in the cafe were running out hysterically, dialing 911 on their cell phones.
"Who are you?" I stepped closer, snarling. From the corner of my eye Nudge walked to the window- stepping through it carefully as she helped the waiter up.
"Pfft, like you don't know," She glared, before I could blink her fist connected with my face, pushing me back into Fang. He caught me easily, cussing at the girl with a colourful vocabulary that would make even a sailor blush.
She lunged at the next closest person, who happened to be Iggy. He fell to the ground while tackled him, delivering punches into his face. Gazzy, seeing this jumped on the girl, crashing them both under a table. She kicked him off, showing no emotion except a smirk on her face, as he went skidding across the floor.
I stood up from Fang, momentarily dazed as my head stopped spinning.
"You okay?" Fang asked, holding me steady.
"That... that actually hurt." That girl is freakishly strong.
I glanced in horror as the girl somehow had both Angel and Gazzy in either of her arms, holding them by their throats.
I ran towards her but when her eyebrows raised, holding them tighter, I froze.
"Come and closer and I'll snap their necks," she threatened.
Angel! Do something! I thought, scared.
A second later Gazzy and Angel fell to the floor making me wince. Gazzy sucked in a breath as he landed on his elbow.
The girl quietly sat down on the couch. Her eyes twinkling dangerously with a mixture of confusion.
In a second my foot was pressed against her chest, pinning her to the couch.
"What did you do?" I heard Iggy ask as he wiped the blood from his nose.
"I made her stop what she was doing and sit down," Angel replied. Her voice was strained and I bet that her neck would be bruised.
"You guys okay?" I called out, my eyes not leaving the dark-haired girl's face.
I heard a chorus of "Yeps!" and heaps of mumbling from Nudge as she stepped through the glass window again.
"Tell me who you are!" I demanded icily, my eyes narrowing as the girl glared at me.
"You wish!" she sneered, copying my tone.
In a second she had grabbed my foot by the ankle, twisting it roughly and making me gasp as I went twirling to the floor.
I rolled over and glared up at her, my eyes filled with hate while she breathed a laugh. She remained sitting, thanks to Angel, but she had still somehow got me on the floor.
Face first.
"Angel?" I asked.
Angel stepped in front of me (which I didn't like, considering how strong the girl was and how small Angel was) and her eyes glazed over for a second before the girl started talking in a strained voice as she tried in vain to fight the mind controlling.
"My name is May."
"Anything else?" Angel looked at me.
"Where did she come from?" Iggy asked.
Angel turned to look at her, her eyebrows furrowed.
"I'm from TBL" she answered in a voice that told me she didn't want to spill too much.
"What's that?" Gazzy asked, I then noticed that Iggy was lightly wrapping his arm with the material that Nudge had handed to him.
"Testing Beings Plant... Stop doing that!" she yelled at Angel.
"Doing what?" Angel asked innocently.
"Doing... that! Controlling me! Making me say things! I can't stand up!" She yelled, her legs kicked and her arms punched the cushion but she was still sitting down. Who needs rope and duct tape when you have Angel?
"Testing Beings Plant? Is that like Itex?" Nudge asked, ignoring 'May.'
"It's better then Itex!" she grumbled at us. She'd stopped squirming around, and for some reason I didn't think Angel made her answer that time.
"She's on a mission," Angel announced.
"What's her mission?" Fang asked, hovering close. I clentched my fist while glaring at her. How dare she touch my flock and I. We haven't done anything to her... that I know off
"Stop being cowards and let me up to kill you." May whispered casually.
"Correct me if I'm wrong... but I bet her mission is to kill us... just a hunch," Iggy offered sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and stood up.
"Listen, you! Tell me everything you know!" I threatened, pointing my finger in her face.
She swatted it away, no doubt leaving a bruise but I held her gaze with only my determination.
"How bout you tell me everything you know, you have powers?" her eyebrows raised in question.
It was weird, shouldn't she know all this already? If her mission was to hurt us... ? Does she even know if we have wings?
"Duh! Why do you think you can't move? Angel is controlling you... she has all this mind-reading and controlling gifts. She can make you do whatever she wants!" Nudge went on. May's eyes widened. She looked at Angel with a glare.
I interposed myself protectively between them, giving May a dirty look in response.
"And if you were made out of metal I could-" she stopped instantly when Fang put his hand over her mouth.
"Don't tell her this stuff!" he whispered fiercily.
"What do we do with her?" Gazzy asked walking up to her. She managed to flip him off while he let one rip.
Iggy laughed, slapping Gazzy's and Fang's high-fives while the girls stepped away cautiously. Boys.
"How does it feel to be the one getting choked now?" he cackled when she lifted her chin up high- determined not to feel sick.
Her eyes begin to tear up and I might have or might have not laughed at her expense.
I smiled at Gazzy, though it was so not the time. Especially the sounds of police sirens buzzing in the air. I looked around frantically. As if there would be some button to press to make the police go away and May disappear.
The coffee shop was damaged way beyond repair. The front window was open, chairs were broken and one table had left a massive chunk of plaster on the floor from where it fell from the wall.
"What do we do!" Nudge almost screamed. She stood closer to Fang, ignoring the fact that May was within reaching distance.
"Leave her, let's go!" I ordered, pushing Nudge towards the door.
"She'll follow us!" Angel called out.
"Let's blow this place up then!" Iggy called out excitedly. Gazzy nodded in agreement.
I hesitated for two reasons. I didn't want to cause an even bigger scene and there's a possibility that there will be no survivers from Iggy and Gazzy's bombs. As much as I hate to admit it- May shouldn't die. She was sent from some sort of facility, she had a mission to do. We could let her escape. Let her be free.
"Max- she's evil. You can't let her stay! She was meant to destroy the world!" Angel cried over the sirens, answering my thoughts.
"What?" Fang spoke up.
"Explain later, let's get out of here! Iggy, Gazzy, DO IT!" I called out, almost throwing Nudge, Fang and Angel out the broken window, where a few police cruisers had already pulled up.
A moment later Iggy and Gazzy joined us, dodging bullets from the cops' guns. We soared into the air and I tried to ignore the fact that this was probably not the best way to leave- to fly off.
Great job, Max. I mentally scolded myself. We have enough attention as it is.
You did the right thing,the voice argued. I ignored it for the time being, gaining altitude before the sound of a bomb going off rattled my brain.
I heard Iggy and Gazzy laugh once again, but I was too busy looking down at the massive crumbled building. A plume of grey smoke covered the entire street as we flew away.
May was created to destroy the world,the voice chided as my mouth dropped open. Just like Angel mentioned before.
"Max, May isn't good..." Angel said, her eyes almost teary as thoughts of what May has done entered her head.
"What was she thinking?" Gazzy asked, swooping up to his sister. The tips of his wings touched hers as comfort. It was nice to see the flock looking out for each other.
"She kills people, Max. She was made to kill people!" Angel sobbed. My heart broke imagining what Angel had seen. She was too young to see this kind of stuff.
"It's okay, Ang. She's not going to bother us anymore," Nudge said comforting. For some reason I didn't believe that. But I kept that to myself, hoping Angel wasn't reading my mind at the moment.
"I hope not," Angel said. Her sobs were fading away as everyone helped her feel at ease.
"What about when Gazzy let one rip! Right in front of her!" Iggy chuckled. It caused more laughter just thinking about it. It got to be too much when I imagined her face, her eyes welling up in tears, and I burst out laughing. My ribs hurt from laughter. Even Fang- Mr Stoic, was chuckling.
I took a quick glance at the flock and saw Iggy, Gazzy and Angel bruised and bloody. Other then that everyone was safe and relatively happy... for now.
May got up slowly. Her eyes fluttered open as she gradually took in her surroundings.
She was trapped beneath a pile of plaster and brick. She wondered briefly what had happened, then it all came rushing back to her.
She easily dislodged the rubble, dusting off her clothes off as she rose. The former coffee shop had collapsed under the force of the bomb. A few fires were burning but were soon gone after a man with a yellow helmet hosed them out.
The place was swarming by fire trucks, police cruisers and ambulance trucks.
A huge group of people were working their way through the mess looking for bodies. A couple of people noticed her, covered in soot, blood down her face and the unmistakable anger in her eyes and rushed to aid her.
This infuriated May- she abolutely hated when people tried to care for her.
"I can take care of myself." She declared icily, glaring at anyone who dared to step too close.
"Miss... you're bleeding. Let me help. Susan, get some bandages. George hand me that-"
She ignored the old woman completely, startled by the way she was so willing to help.
"Weirdos," She grumbled under her breath while walking away. The group of five followed after her close but never touching.
As long as they don't touch me- everyone lives. She thought to herself harshly.
She realised then that she was the only birdkid around. She froze, then looked around frantically for the other flock.
They're gone? She thought to herself disbelieving.
Questions ran through her mind such as: How did they escape me? Since when have they ever had powers? Why the hell aren't they here?
And the one question that threatened to give May a mental breakdown.
Did I fail my mission?
She pushed the thought to the back of her mind before she could freak out and go into a frenzy.
Her rage dimmed as she scanned the rubble and her eyes caught something.
Her eyes rested upon feathers. A bunch of them, varying from black to white.
She picked them upon. There were about ten feathers in total but May's guess was that they only came from three flock members.
A white one, a black one and a browny coloured one.
She put them in her pocket without hesitation. She silently shrugged off her jacket, throwing it at one of the fire-fighter's face roughly and expanded her wings.
People gasped and pointed but May was in her own little world as she sprung into the air as high as she could and soared through the skies finding her way back home.
She briefly wondered if her own flock was home but on a second thought she knew they'd be fine. They were taught from the best.
May glanced down at the coffee house, her anger brewing.
She's never failed a mission... until today, that is. Her fists clentched as she swallowed the lump in her throat.
She really needs a punching bag right now.