Okay, so update: it wasn't Iggy and Ella. They showed up extremely confused right in the middle of things about twenty minutes later. I'll just tell you what happened. Sorry it took me so long, but this is the first free time I've had at all.

So Gazzy opened the door and immediately slammed it shut. "MAX!" he shouted. I basically thew the laptop at Fang and jumped off the couch, sprinting for the front door.

"What happened?" I asked, and he pointed at the door.

"I opened the door, and it wasn't Iggy and Ella, it was this guy, and he had a white coat."

"Do you know him?"

"I don't know, I didn't look that close."

That was all the information I needed before jumping into fight mode.

"Everyone get away from the windows," I called back. "Spread out, don't give them a huge target of all of us. Fang, get the little kids upstairs." As he ran past me, I added in a lower voice, "If you hear shooting, leave with Gazzy and Angel."

"What are you going to do?" Iggy asked.

"I'm answering the door," I said.

"You're not serious," he said, at the same time as Dylan said, "I'll come, too." I looked at him questioningly, and he said, "If it's Gunther-Hagen, he'll probably listen to more reason if I'm there."

I nodded and as the others backed away, Dylan and I cautiously walked to the door. I slowly turned the knob and threw it open, only to find one man standing there. I didn't know him. "Hello," he said in an accent I couldn't really place, "are you Maximum Ride and… Fang?"

"I'm not Fang," Dylan said as quickly as possible. "I'm Dylan." The man looked at him quizzically. He sighed. "Subject 12."

"Ah, yes," he said. "Forgive me, my name is Dr. David Byron, I come here on behalf of Hans Gunther-Hagen."

"Is he dead?" I asked.

The man simply smiled at me. "May I come in?"

And then I did what I'd never thought I'd do.

I let a whitecoat come in to my house.

"Are you insane?" Iggy asked me.

"Apparently," I said, looking straight ahead as I walked with Dylan and Dr. Byron into the kitchen. I thought for a second before closing the door. I looked at Dylan and whispered, "You can go out to the hallway if you want."

He looked at me, slightly confused. "I'm fine," he said. I nodded and sat down at the table, where Dr. Byron was waiting.

"What do you want?" I asked him. He looked a little surprised. Guess he wasn't used to people being upfront. Makes sense, actually.

"Ah, like I said, I represent Dr. Hans Gunther-Hagen. I actually need to speak to all of the subjects created in 1997?"

"Sorry. I was, and I'm representing Fang and Iggy. That's what you get, so talk," I said. Again looking slightly surprised, he nodded and sighed.

"I'm sure you are aware of the regeneration technology Dr. Gunther-Hagen was working on when his accident occurred?" I nodded and he continued. "Well, his research was somewhat destroyed in the… incident that occurred in March two years ago?"

"The incident was his fault," I said shortly. "So that's on him, not us."

"Well, the reports state that it was the avian-human hybrids from the California location that damaged the most research and property," the man said quietly.

"After he killed Fang," I said.

"Fang is alive, Miss Ride—may I call you Max?"

"No," I said.

He coughed nervously. "Well, ah, whatever the reason, his research was destroyed."

"What does this have to do with us?" I asked.

Byron smiled. "Do you remember Dr. Gunther-Hagen's offer, Miss Ride?"

I stared at him. I'd forgotten—Dr. Gunther-Hagen would give Iggy's sight back, if…

"Dylan," I said, "leave. Now."

"What? Why?" he asked.

"Don't argue," I told him, and he left quickly. "What about the offer?"

"It still stands," he said. "If you are to provide us with a way to replace his research…"

"Why now, though?" I asked.

"Well, we've been looking for you for some time," he said. "The island was a clever defense of Mr. Pierpoint. Regardless, we found you, Miss Ride, eventually."

"Was it you that attacked the island?" I asked, suddenly bracing myself for a fight.

His brow furrowed. "You were driven out? We thought you were just… tired of it."

"Of course we were driven out! Why would we leave if there wasn't anything wrong with it?" I asked.

Byron smiled again. "Actually, Dr. Gunther-Hagen's psychological analysis of you suggests that would be the exact reason you would leave."

"What?" I asked. He just smiled.

"Do we have a deal?" he asked.

"What would we have to do?" I asked.

"Provide us with one of the oldest experiments," Dr. Byron said, "and we will make good on Dr. Gunther-Hagen's offer."

I swallowed. Well, of course it would be me. "Fine. Let's go, then."

He chuckled. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but not now, everyone's gone for Christmas."

"There's someone with the children, I'm sure," I said, slightly confused.

He shook his head. "We aren't the School, Miss Ride. We'll be back in the office on December 30th. You can report there between then and January 2nd. Do we have a deal?" he asked, hand outstretched.

"Where?" I asked.

"I'm sure you remember where."

I nodded. The building where Fang died.

We shook on it.

—Max