A/N: Kay you guys, just so you know, when I said I wanted it 'darker' I don't mean torture, it won't get dark-dark, just like, it'll get more serious because they're going to the school, and you know how the experiments at the school turn out from M. Ride books, so I mean like that. There'll be torture like the Flock went through when they were there, but it won't be that bad, just wanted you guys to know. Anyway, I'm glad you guys think I did Gazzy right last chapter, I hoped I did. Well, enjoy the next chapter, which is mostly about Max and Em as they're the two focused on by Jeb.

Thanks Metal Flowers, Lilypad22, and EliseInWonderland247 for reviewing. You guys are all amazing. 83

Disclaimer: I don't own M. Ride…sadly 8D I wish I did, I'd be so rich.

Chapter 8: Cookies and Jail Breaking

MAX POV

Sometimes I hate having wings, they just…anger me. Why does everyone have the need to experiment on me? I mean, can't we all just be sane and not experiment on innocent others? It's not like I've hurt anyone…recently…After Jeb left and Angel's hysterical moment was over, the Flock and I sat in the living room and watched old Disney movies until Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge were asleep. Iggy, Dylan (I remembered 8D), Em, and I stayed up, watching old cartoons for a while before we started talking about what we'd gotten ourselves into. Em stayed silent, but she giggled when we laughed and smiled at us while we spoke. I was actually a little worried about her. She didn't have many memories of anything and already a bunch of that was being stripped away because Jeb wanted to turn her back into a monster…or more into what she was before. Dumb Jeb…I really hate him. See, everyone else was all; "Max, give him a chance! He only wants to help!" and I was like "Yeah, help dissect our wings and our bodies so he can understand how we really tick". People should listen to more. I did warn them, didn't I? I said that Jeb was only a liar and a cheat. That's why he left us so long ago and never came back until he took Angel and put Ari on us and ruined so much. Our lives were perfect and then he came along…and now we're on the run. Well, not now, because now we're sitting here in the kitchen eating eight to ten pancakes drowned in syrup.

"So…What're we going to do about Jeb?" Dylan asked, laying on the couch upside down, feet up, and head dangling to the ground. Iggy was sitting like that as well, right next to him. The two were having a thumb war and seeing who could win. Em and I were in the chairs next to the couches. Em was draped across the seat, her feet dangling of one end and her head on the other, she was actually watching the TV, laughing at Phineas and Ferb. I was sitting criss-cross apple sauce in the other seat, playing on the I-pad my mother owned.

"I say we find a way to 'accidentally' drop him out of the sky mid-flight," Iggy said, the pausing after he won the thumb war against Dylan and uttering an 'aha!' before continuing on. "We could catch him after a while…or not." He smirked at me, and I threw a pillow at his head. He only laughed. Em shushed us, pointing to the younger bird-kids sleeping peacefully. I rolled my eyes at her and she stuck out her tongue. We both laughed quietly.

"Hey you guys, let's get some cookies!" Em cheered. I nodded, and the two boys grinned mischeaviously. All four of us got up, preparing to sneak over to the kitchen 'stealth-mode' style.

"Cookie-raid!" Iggy cheered behind me. I was behind Em, and Dylan was at the back as we started towards the kitchen. Em led us, quietly and quickly, towards the counter, where the cookie jar was shrouded in the shadows

"We each grab two, and then I'll get the milk while you guys get the cups and then we'll fill them up, put the milk back, and pretend like it never happened," Em ordered. "Ready, set, RAID!" That sent all of us off, scampering around, making far more noise than bird-kids trained in stealth should, and laughing at every noise. I hadn't felt so normal in such a long time, it was fun. When we had finished grabbing our cookies and milk, we snuck quietly back into the living room, still laughing, and sat back down. I think most of us were on their second cookie when Iggy suddenly took a whole bag out of his pocket and asked us if he should share. We threw pillows at his head.

The joys of family, right?

"So, that, was fun," Em said, giggling as Iggy handed her her fourth cookie. She smiled at him and he grinned back. I stuck my tongue out and shivered.

"Like you aren't worse!" Iggy said, as if knowing that I made the face. Well, he probably heard the ack noise I made to go with the movements.

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"You guys are so immature." Em muttered, taking a bite of the chocolate chip cookie, which she had happily informed us had beaten out sugar cookies and become her favorite circle shaped pastry.

"You guys, we're just like normal teenagers! We steal cookies, watch TV till four in the morning, act immature with each other, and we're crazy!" Iggy cheered. The rest of us raised our fits in agreement and nodded. We ate the cookies in silence for a while, laughing at the TV on occasion and cracking jokes with each other happily. I think we fell asleep around five in the morning. When we woke up, it was noon. I woke up to my mother looking at me with a wide smile on her face.

"So, care to tell me who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?" She asked with a laugh. I didn't respond besides giving her an awkward smile at her joke. Oh mothers…

"We didn't mean to take so much." I answered, sitting up and stretching.

"Well now there's not enough for the rest of us," My mother said, looking at me with slight annoyance in her eyes, yet the smile held on her face.

"Sorry," Em muttered, waking from her sleep. Her dark hair was thrown all over her face because of sleep, but somehow, she could pass off the look. Lucky her, I knew I looked like a monster whenever I woke up in the morning. I tried to straighten my mousy-brown hair with my hands.

"I'll make some more, Dr. M," Iggy called from his spot on the floor. He must've fallen on the floor during the night so Dylan could have the couch. Dylan himself wasn't awake at all he was the only one of us asleep. "Em, want to help?" Iggy stood up, stretching and yawning loudly, he rubbed his hands together before moving towards the kitchen.

"Oh, yeah! Can they be chocolate chip cookies?" Em said, bouncing up. She spread her hands on her pajamas, which were decorated with cartoon-like cows.

"Sure," Iggy answered, rolling his eyes. "But I'm only enabling your addiction." Em snorted a laugh, walking into the kitchen after him.

"Well, chocolate does solve everything, remember that," She joked, only half-kidding I'm sure. "Hey, can I work on the chocolate? I want it to be so chocolately it's like you've been hit by a chocolate cow."

"You're a weird girl," Iggy laughed.

"Yeah? Says the blind bird-kid who makes bombs,"

"Ooh, Touche"

"MAX!" I turned sharply at the sound of my name. Nudge and Angel were running from down the hallway. "Gazzy stunk up our room." Angel whined. Nudge held her nose and blinked at me with narrowed brown eyes.

"How can I help?" I asked them, and they just frowned. Gazzy ran from the room, trying to hide his laughter.

"Sorry you guys," He managed. I heard the phone ring from the other room, and Em picked it up.

"Hullo?" She asked in a sing-song voice. "Who's this?" She suddenly sounded serious. Her tone of voice worried me, so I went into the kitchen to see what was going on. When she saw me, her hand covered the bottom of the phone and she looked at me, fear in her red-brown eyes.

"What is it?" I asked quietly.

"It's Jeb…I think…he's…ranting or something," She responded, listening more, her eyes narrowed in focus. "Sounds like he's talking to someone…but he sounds kind of far off…I wonder why…" Suddenly we heard a scream, a loud scream, from a girl. I took the phone from her, putting it to my ear.

"Why? Why can't you listen to me…? All of you…animals…we created you, you do what we say!" Jeb screamed loudly at…whoever it was. "You will attack the Flock. You will take Ella, and we will bring her back, and bring her to her full potential again."

"No! I won't lead them anywhere," The girl's voice must've been familiar to Em, because she tensed up.

"Oh my gosh, I know that voice." She whispered…

"You shouldn't have tried to run away today…" Jeb said, sounding calmer, and almost sounding as if he was getting closer to the phone. "Because you did…many of the monsters you tried to release have died. Those deaths were caused by you." I heard a sob, but nothing more other than Jeb's footsteps as he grew closer to the holder of the phone.

"They wanted out! We all want out! They'll save us…I know that they'll save us…" The girl sobbing screamed at him.

"I don't know why you believe that," Jeb said, his voice leering and dark. I jumped a little in shock. Jeb hadn't been so crazy before. He was psycho now…like a sociopath or something. He seemed different…whatever happened to him when he was gone must've changed him. "They don't know you're here. They know nothing."

"They know. They know now. They'll help us…Ella…she promised…" The girl's voice was shaking, but she held a strong sense of courage underneath, courage and determination.

"There is no Ella."

EM POV

Pippa was talking to Jeb. Jeb had her, was talking to her, was hurting her. I remembered Pippa, she had become like a little sister to Ella whenever Ella was in the School, the two of them had been so close, such good friends. Ella had promised something…what?

Pip I'll get you out of here…

Promise?

Cross my heart and hope to fly…

She'd promised to get her out. But…Ella wasn't really around to get her out…so…she was stuck. She must've been waiting for so long. Meeting her before while we were flying, that must've caused her to change…some emotional trigger. That's too much…It was probably the sun. Maybe Jeb didn't know that sun undid all his work. From what I remember from my home as one of those monsters, there were no windows, and we didn't drink orange juice. No Vitamin C must've done it.

"Ella will come get us. She'll save us, just like she promised."

"You're full of it, experiment," Jeb snarled at her. "We'll take you out to Isolation. That nice, hot, stuffy, cement room all alone." I heard Pippa cry louder. There was a scream, but it was cut short by the phone going off. The entire room was silent.

"Who was that girl with Jeb?" Max asked, her voice laced with anger.

"Her name's Pippa, she's really sweet, about Gazzy's age. I…Ella…promised to get her out of there," I told her as much as I could without fainting from the waves of memories hitting me hard. –take you out to Isolation- It felt like I'd been in Isolation many times before, and I think the words terrified me, and it seemed to terrify Pippa too. She had cried so much harder…

"Oh my gosh that poor girl!" Nudge cried, covering her mouth with her hands. "Max, I wish we could help her!" I had already started towards the room I was sharing with the girls of the flock when Max suddenly asked me a question.

"What're you doing Em?" Her brow was raised in question. At first I didn't answer, looking from Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, Dr. M, and then back to Max. I shrugged and turned around again.

"I'm going to go and save her," I answered, looking at her matter-of-factly. "I'll be back…whenever…"

"You're going to do what?" Iggy asked, grabbing my wrist and holding it lightly. Our eyes met, and the confusion in his didn't really register with the need in mine

"I promised her…Well Ella promised her…but that just doesn't matter. Ella's still…somewhat me," I remembered me avidly ignoring that Ella even existed anymore barely 24 hours before, but I decided to ignore the fact that I ignored that. "Ella promised, and since the real…then Ella…can't do it, the me who was Ella has to," I retorted, hoping I didn't sound too retarded. When Iggy looked at me in exasperation, I sighed. "I have to Iggy."

"You're giving yourself right to Jeb! He'll catch you!" Angel came over to me, her eyes wide in fear and terror. She was obviously against me going to the School willingly.

"Maybe that's my plan." I muttered, and Max looked at me skeptically.

"You have a plan?" Her eyes narrowed at me in disbelief.

"Okay so not really, but I have instincts, I'm sure I'll come up with a last minute, perfect plan that'll somehow go just the way it should and then I'll escape without a scratch along with everyone else in the school." I grinned at my own sarcasm.

"Oh my gosh Em," Nudge said, her eyes wide. "This is not a James Bond Movie. You will not just…make it out like that. You could get seriously injured…or hurt…or captured…or changed…or memory wiped…or turned into a zombie…or killed…or worse! Or-"

"NUDGE!" Iggy yelled. "Please, stop." His voice grew quieter on the latter.

"Sorry, I'm just so…worried…" Nudge said, bringing her hands from her side and clasping them together. She looked at me with large Bambi-eyes. "You can't go all on your own Em!" Nudge pleaded.

"Yeah Em, what if you get stuck there forever?" Angel asked.

"I won't! I'll be positive, and think I can get myself out of it. I did once." I said, locking eyes with the curly-headed blonde girl. She sighed at my stubbornness. Some people you can never please, right?

"You only got out then because we helped you, and because Angel was there," Max said, her eyes narrowing. Suddenly, Gazzy jumped up as if he'd realized something.

"Wait Max, what if we help her again? If that happens then maybe…just maybe…she'll make it out, don't you think?" Gazzy asked timidly, his face flushing when he realized that all eyes were on him. I had never really seen Gazzy nervous. He was usually a fearless boy with a crazy appetite and an even crazier digestive system.

"If we help her we're putting all of our lives in danger," Max responded, although she didn't seem to be saying no.

"Yeah, and I couldn't ask you guys to do that, so I won't." I smiled slightly, ignoring the deflated looks from…everyone actually. There was no way I actually mattered that much in the flock anyway, right? Nudge shook her head and stepped up from her place behind Gazzy to beside him. She held his probably trying to show that she agreed with him, she seemed oblivious to the blush that seemed to seep throughout all of his skin.

"I agree with Gazzy! I mean, he's so right. Em, you're like, my big sister, just like Max. I couldn't let you leave and stuff without offering my help. I know I could be useful. I can hack into computers, attract metal weapons, I can do something!" Nudge offered, nodding her head adamantly. Angel smiled widely all of the sudden.

"Yeah! I want to help too!" She looked to Max. "Please Max?"

"Iggy, Dylan, what do you guys think?" Max asked the two older boys. Dylan shrugged.

"Where ever you go Max, I'll follow. Plus, Em's our friend, I agree with them, we can't let her go out by herself." Dylan responded. Iggy snorted at the question, as if the answer was obvious, but when no one said anything, he answered with an over-dramatic sigh.

"Of course I'm going. I was gonna go whether the rest of you wanted me to or not…I was gonna go whether Em wanted me to or not..." Iggy said. I smiled at all of them gratefully, even though I knew I wasn't out of the woods yet. Max hadn't agreed. When I looked at her, she was smiling at me.

"Yeah, let's go, we need some action these days. Last night…or well…early this morning, I was stealing cookies. I can't let my protective nature, fighting skills, and street-smarts relax for too long or I'll get groggy."

"I don't want any of you guys to go! I already lost you once Ella, I don't want to lose you again!" Dr. M cried her eyes wide and upset.

"Well…you won't…" I said…ignoring the fact that my name was Em and that Dr. M was always forgetting that. "I'll be back…Mom…don't worry, okay?" I offered her an awkward smile, but apparently Dr. M didn't realize that. She beamed at my usage of the word 'mom' and nodded.

"Alright, but as long as you come back, I will not lose you again!" She cheered. "I simply refuse!" She smiled at everyone then. "All of you have to come back, alright? But, before you go, I want everyone to eat something. I'm sure all that fighting and stuff really creates a big appetite." The Flock smiled, nodding in happiness at their upcoming meal. I sighed, leaning against a bar stool styled chair and watching my friends and family follow Dr. M around as they prepared to make food. I think I heard the words spaghetti, chicken, and cookies all uttered around the words 'favorite meal'. I couldn't help but smile, despite the heaviness that weighed on my heart. Tonight I could be leading a Flock of very wanted mutants straight into the jaws of who wanted them the most. My eyes locked on Iggy, and as if he knew I was looking at him, he offered me a smile that screamed; I'm surrounded by hungry wolves, spreading his hands to gesture at the ruffian children around him. I chuckled, although I knew he wasn't seeing it, and probably couldn't hear it over the sound of everyone else around him. I could be leading him to his death. Oh great, I just had to have that thought didn't I? 'Course I did. I swallowed loudly as all the realizations hit me at once. I had to promise to myself that I'd protect them…Had to…simply had to…

Em…do you promise to get the Flock home alive and unscathed? I took a deep breath, knowing I'd do anything to keep a promise, and nodded inwardly. Choosing words I knew would spark the cynical-side in me.

Cross my heart and hope to fly…

A/N: Yay, another chapter done. Don't know how often I'll update for the next week because I'll be gone for Vacation with my sister. Sounds like fun, right? But who knows what my sister will torture me with on the trip? 8D Anyway, hope you liked the chapter. Review!
~2XA