Family Feuds
"Morning, freaks," Jab said, eyes no longer brown and playful, but black and cold.
"Jab?" Nudge whispered, tears starting in her eyes. "What did they do to you?" Jab smirked, strutting to the center of the room.
"They fixed me is what they did. I feel like a new me." She flipped her hair and smirked, walking over to my cage and squating down.
"A cute freak. That's a first." She stood up and switch walked to the door, where Cam was waiting. He encircled his arms around her waist and the door swung shut, leaving us shocked and more than a little hurt.
"What just happened?" Max asked.
"She betrayed us!" Gazzy yelled, tears pouring out of his eyes and down his cheeks. "All this time, she lied."
"No, she didn't," Angel said. "It's not Jab."
"That... doesn't makes sense," I said.
The next day, Jab came in, clad in black glittery leggings, a pink tutu, and a silver glittery lace-lined cami.
"Hello, goodmorning, freaks," she sneered, taking her bright pink earbuds out of her ears, even though I could swear that they'd been blue. I sat back in my crate, sighing in exasperation. She was the same as yesterday. She looked at me and winked, but I knew she was flirting, not telling me it was all a show. She sat on Angel's crate, crossing her legs and looking around at our depressed faces. She frowned. "What? Not happy to see me?" Fang rolled his eyes, and we all said nothing. "Well, you're going to have to put up with me. I'm the boss." She smirked and her bright pink watch started beeping. "Oh, goodie. My mudbath." She stood up and waved. "Tootles." She skipped out, blowing me a flirtatous kiss that I'm sure Cam would kill me about later before going out the door.
"I'm guessing we're going to get daily visits from Queen Jab," Nudge mumbled.
"That's a good thing, right? We get to see her every day, which gives us the oportunity to figure out how to save her everyday," Angel said. "Plus, she only stays for a couple minutes, then leaves.
"Why does she enjoy coming here, anyways? Other than to rub in her power and flirt with Iggy?" Max mumbled.
"Maybe there's still a part of the old Jab in there that is making sure we are alright," I suggested.
"Wait, I just got through to Jab," Angel said excitedly.
"How, may I ask, did you do that?" Max asked skeptically.
"Jab is still in there, the new one is just taking over the body," Angel explained. "She said that she misses us and she's been trying to get control, but evil Jab is too strong. She made a deal with Evil Jab - oh, her name's Cruella, wow. Well she made a deal with Cruella that Jab would stop complaining every time she kissed Cam if she came to see us every day. Cruella, luckily, isn't exactly the brightest mind."
"Wow," I said.
"Tell her we miss her, too," Fang said, smiling for the first time in... well, ever. Then again, he just found out his twin sister was alright and alive - in whatever form she may be in.
"You all can talk to her through your thoughts, I just have to translate."
I love you, I thought.
"She says she loves you, too, Iggy," Angel said, speaking for Jab. "She says that she'd like to see you try, Gazzy. Miss you too, Fang, Nudge, and Max."
Are you sure that you're putting all of your strength into getting back out? I asked, directing the question to Jab.
"Yes," Angel said. "She's pretty sure. But she's not that energized because the blood she drank from Cam wasn't enough to fuel her completely." I shuddered.
Gross.
"She laughed at Iggy. And she'd like me to only repeat things when she- Oh, sorry." I laughed.
Where are you now?
"Mudbath, and it's feeling amazing."
"Wow."
"I know right."
How long is it going to take?
"About 10 minutes, why?"
Ask Cruella if you can come back in.
"She's going to say no. Why do you think we only stay for two minutes?"
"Angel, you don't have to say it exactly as she says it."
"I'm not Angel," Angel said. "I'm Jab." She smiled, her brown eyes fixed on my blue ones - wait brown?
"Jab!" I exclaimed, grinning. "How in the world?"
"I have no idea." She stretched an arm in front of her, blonde eyebrows smushed together, then pulling a blond curl in front of her to see it. "What the fuck?"
"Aye, you may be in 14, but no cussing while in Angel's body."
"Sorry." She smiled. "I forgot I was in the body of a six-year-old." She looked at the fingerprint-operated locks and they all beeped simulatniously, signalling that they were unlocked.
"How the hell...?" I breathed, pushing the door opened.
"I can control elecronics with my mind. Plus, I have telekinesis." She shrugged.
"How the hell do you have so many powers?" Max cussed.
"Well, half of them are actually Fang's."
"Excuse me?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"Well, when one twin develops a power, the other gets it, too. You just didn't realize you'd developed the ability. I think the telekinesis, healing, and the ability to move silently are yours and mind reading, controling electronics, and visions are mine. And the electricity we've both had since birth. I think it's something genetic that we both got at the same time."
"So, what you're saying is everything you can do, I can, too?"
"Exactly." Her eyes had a little blue mixed into them for a second. "Angel says that she hopes we find a way to get me back into my body soon cuz the room in her head is very bland. Well, Angel, all you have to do is think about how you want and it'll happen. You could have a little Edward Cullen in there if you wanted." Jab shook her head.
"You had to give her that much information?" Max laughed. "She's probably got all of the Cullen guys, Justin Bieber, Cody Simpson, and Chase Crawford in there."
"She said shush." Max laughed. The door opened and there stood... I guess until Jab is back into her body, I call her Cruella.
"Jab, get back in here," she said, hands on her hips. Jab crossed her arms over her chest.
"Make me," she said defiantly, sticking her tongue out at her. "The only way I'm going in there is if you give me my body back."
"Not happening," she said. Fang looked at her and nodded. He stood up and walked up to Cruella, touching her and, therefor electricuting her. Jab smirked and stood up.
"Reverse psychology, beach." Max was about to make a comment, but Jab said, "I said beach."
"Whatever."
"Anyways, I'll explain how this is going to work." She touched Cruella, making Cruella scream more. "You'll give me my body back and I won't have Fang and myself blow you into oblivion. Deal?"
"In you dreams!"
"Fine." She looked at Fang and then she put both hands on her, Max and Nudge rushing to shut and lock the door. Cruella screamed bloody murder. There were cuts and burns appearing on her skin, but she wasn't burnt to a crisp. Jab closed her eyes, and then opened them a minute later, only, they were blue. She was Angel again. She pulled back with a squeak, shaking her hands. Cruella wasn't screaming anymore. I looked at her and grinned when our eyes met. Her eyes were brown again, not black. She grinned, though her face was a bit marred from the electrocution, and shot foward at me. I stood up in time for her to slam into my chest, her arms wrapped around my neck and mine around her waist.
"My God, I never thought I'd see you as you again," I said into her hair.
"I love you, I love you, I love you," she whipered into my neck. I could feel her tears on my neck. "Don't ever leave me."
"Never. You do the same."
"Promise." We pulled back and smiled, our eyes connecting. I cupped her cheek and leaned down to kiss her. Her hands slid from around my neck to cup my face. Someone cleared their thoat. We broke apart with a laughed, turning toward our family. I could imagine if we were in a movie, this'd be the part where they played happy, closing music and then it would fade into black and credits would start rolling down the screen. But this was no movie, and we still had to get out of the School.
"That's the thing," Jab said, smiling widely. "We're not at the School. We're at the Institute."
"We're at the Intitute?" Max exclaimed.
"As in the Institiute?" Nudge asked.
"Yup," she said.
"Well, we found it. Now what? Do we look for our information, or try to find our way out?"
"We... I don't know. Wait here." Jab looked at herself in a compact that was in her pocket, heaaling her cuts and burns so she looked completely normal. "Time to play Cruella." She put on a snooty face, a hand on her hip, and started to strut out of the room. I watched after her and listened as she talked to Cam.
Jab POV
"Hey, Cam," I said in a high, girlie voice like Cruella'd used when she'd had control.
"Hey, Cruella," he said, pecking me on the lips. I could feel Iggy's jealously from here. He was watching.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Where do they keep records?"
"Why?"
"In case I want to find some dirt on these freaks," I said, forcing a smirk.
"It's in a little portion of the Institute that's underground. You have to get to it through the sewers." I saw exactly which route you had to take to get to the little portion.
"Thanks." I looked up at him, directly in the eyes, and his own green ones widened when he realized who I was.
"Wait a second, you're-"
"Night night, bitch." I punched him in the face and his eyes went crossed before he passed out, falling back unconcious. It was actually quite comical. I waved for the Flock to come out.
"Come on. We have to get to the sewers, and I know how." I looked around and then squatted down to open the air vent, using my nails as screwdrivers. When I had it open, I motioned everyone into the small space, Angel first, then Gazzy, followed by Gazzy, then Nudge, Fang, Max, and Iggy. I went in last, pulling the vent into place on the way. It wasn't easy for us. We were all still claustrophobic, added to the fact that the heat was on and our wings, even pressed to out spines, were kind of making it a tight squeeze. We didn't want them all the way tucked away, just in case the vent gave way.
"Left," I whispered. We went left and came to a steep slant where the stairs were. "This will take some time. Bomb's away." We all - with some struggling - had our feet in front of us and were sliding down the very long vent, Iggy eventually landing between my legs. He looked back at me and smiled, the wind making his black-tipped hair blow in his face. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him to my chest. The vent's slant came to a stop after about five minutes of sliding.
"Thank you for riding the Vent Express. Please do not leave any trash or feathers behind. Thank you," I whispered. Iggy laughed. "This is where we get off." I nodded to another air vent and looked at it, trying to figure out how to open it. I sighed and bit my lip, knowing my only idea would be painful. I nudged everyone foward so I could get to the vent and, taking a deep breath, struck it with the inside of my wrist, - not the one that said Iggy - knocking it out of place. I sucked in a breath, clutching a hand to my chest.
"Holy-" I grunted, eyes squeezed shut. Taking in another shaky breath, I healed it and continued on, wiggling the vent the rest of the way open. I stuck my feet out, dangling by my hands before dropping into the room lightly, with the help of my wings. I looked around, finding the room empty. "All good," I said, standing up. I found some clothes and changed quickly in the closet while the flock dropped in. The clothes were a simple pair of jeans and blue cami. I stepped out, looking around at the dozens of computers.
"Whoa. I hope they all have the same stuff." Max ran to one of them, turning it on. We swarmed around her, looking at the screen.
"Crap. Password."
"Now way," I groaned. I shook my head. "Not even I can-"
"Let me try," Nudge interupted. Max shrugged and stood, letting Nudge sit in the seat. She touched the keyboard, and as soon as her fingers made contact with the plastic, they starteddrumming quickly, making no apparent words. When she pushed the enter button, the computer went to its home screen.
"How the..." We all stared at Nudge in wonder as she continued to type and click and type again, finding random files that were labeled "Experiment Type # (insert number here)." There were thousands, and she was picking out random ones, but at the same time she seemed to know what she was looking for. I shot straight as my dog genes - I know, I'm very messed up - picked up another dog in the area. Not Erasers. It was maybe a Scottish Terrier? Yeah. I got on all fours and followed the scent, sniffing the air. Iggy looked at me, an eyebrow raised as he followed me. I pushed the door open and sat on my hindquarters, my toungue sticking out as I panted like a dog. Iggy squated down in front of me.
"Jab, why are you acting like a dog?" he asked me softly. I shook my head, snapping out of it. I laughed nervously, rubbing the back of my neck.
"Another thing I never told you." I stood up and laughed uneasily again. "I'm part dog." He eyed me. "But I'm not Eraser part dog. I'm just, part dog, like, I'm part... um, I think I'm a chiwawa-pitbull mix. I'm not sure. But the point is I sensed a Scottish Terrier in here." I looked behind him, my eyes widening.
"What?" He looked over his shoulder, his own eyes widening when he saw the dozens of dozens of crates, some empty, some containing an experiment. Some weren't moving.
"Whoa," I breathed, walking in and squatting in front of the first one I saw. There was a little fish boy in there, his entire body covered in green scales. He looked about the size of a two-year-old.
"Hi," I said softly. He looked at me, cowering in the corner when I spread my wings out. "No, it's okay." I smiled reassuringly. "I'm Jab." I unlocked his cage, helping him step out. He was unsteady on his feet, but could walk, nonetheless. "See? I'm not going to hurt you." He stumbled, grabbing my shoulder to steady himself. I stood, bringing him up in my arms. He had curly red hair and sea-green eyes. The only inhuman thing about him was his skin. He looked at me, head cocked to the side. "You're actually really cute, nevermind the skin." I touched his pudgy green nose and he giggled. "Aww, that was cute." I sat him down and called for Iggy to help me let the rest out. I came across many different ones, some with feathers all over, some with patches of scales, some with eyes all over, some with ears on their necks, even some Siamese twins with little splotches of scales all over. They obviously had the genes of the two-headed cobra in them. I don't even want to know how the School got that.
"Is that them all?" I asked Iggy, picking up the fish boy, who I was naming Trent. He laid his head on my shoulder.
"Yeah," he said, grimacing as he looked into the last cage. Obviously another dead one.
"Does anyone know clear English?" I asked the stunned experiments.
"I do," a little girl said. She had brown hair and eyes, and was carrying an infant with little tuffs of hair all over his body. She also had brown wings. "And I can take care of them."
"Okay."
"Ooo, a dog!" Angel exclaimed from the door, running to a cage in the corner that we'd missed. "Ooo, Max! Can we keep him? Please?"
"Okay, but you're taking care of it," she said. I looked at the dog as Angel took it out of the cage. It was a Scottish Terrier, with black hair. Angel hugged it. I looked back at Trent.
"Do you want to come with us?" I asked Trent. He nodded, smiling. I put him down before jogging over to Iggy.
"What would you say... if I asked you if you wanted to be a father?" He flinched away, loosing all color in his face.
"Say whaaaaaa?" he exclaimed. I put my hands up and laughed.
"Not like that." I jogged back over the Trent, picking him up and going back over to Iggy. "This is Trent."
"Tent," Trent copied.
"Hi, Trent," Iggy said, reaching out a finger. Trent grabbed it and Iggy shook it up and down.
"Trent, this is Iggy."
"Iggy," he said.
"So? What's your answer?"
"Yes," he said. "I will be his father." I smiled and pecked him on the lips.
"Trent, can you say momma?"
"Ma-ma."
"Can you say dadda?"
"Da-da."
"I'm momma."
"And I'm dadda." He smiled and touched my face.
"Ma-ma." He touch Iggy's face. "Da-da."
"Good." I kissed his cheek. Nudge and Fang came in.
"That's Uncle Fang and Aunt Nudge."
"Unc Fang. Aun Nudge." I nodded and gave him another kiss. He giggled.
"Aww, who's this?" Nudge asked, ignoring his skin.
"Trent. We're his adoptive parents now." I smiled at him. "Trent, who is this?"
"Aun Nudge," she said, touching her cheek. Nudge laughed and looked at me.
"Can I hold him?"
"Sure." I gave him over. He gave her a slobbery kiss on the cheek. She laughed.
"Hey, Trent." She tickled under his chin. He giggled adoribly.
"It's time to leave. We have the papers. What's holding you- What is that?"
"He is Trent and he is your nephew."
"Unc Fang," Trent giggled, reaching for him.
"My nephew?" His eyes widened.
"Not like that," I groaned. "Jesus, do either of us have scales? No. And if you ever call him a that again, I will kill you."
"Sorry, jeez," he said.
"Jeez," Trent mimicked. Fang smiled a little.
"That was cute."
"At as cute," he copied.
"Stop copying me."
"Op cop-ying me."
"I mean it."
"I ean it."
"Stop it."
"Op it."
"Okay, that's enough." I took Trent back from Nudge. "I'm sure Erasers are already after us. We better-" I heard the door to the computer room burst open. "Right on cue." All the experiments, which the bird girl still was trying to round up, started panicking, scrambling around. Angel picked up the dog, the Flock came together, and I squished Trent closer to me. He was crying because of all of the chaos.
"It's okay," I whispered. He sniffled into my hair. We ran out, running into the Erasers, led by a very pissed off Cam. He glared at me and I stiffled a laugh at the sight of his black eye and swolen nose.
"Try to walk and chew gum again?" I asked sarcastially. He glared harder.
"I'll take that." He took Trent from me, making him cry.
"Hey! Give me him back!"
"Yeah I don't think I will." I growled and jumped at him, biting him in the arm. He howled in pain and dropped Trent, who Iggy caught.
"It's okay, Trent," he whispered, smoothing down his curls.
"This is for taking my family." I punched Cam in the jaw, breaking it. "This is far taking my pride." I punched him in the nose, the already broken bones bending awkwardly. "This is for taking my freedom." I ripped out a huge lock of hair. "This is for taking my baby." I scratched him across the cheek. "And this is for taking my virginity!" Grabbing his head between my hands, I twisted his head sharply, hearing the snap before seeing his head bent at an awkward angle. Angry tears were on my cheeks, and even when his body dropped, I kept punching him, and punching him, and punching him. Because he's taken so much from me, hurt me so much, used me so much, that it just overflowed at this point.
"Jab! Jab! Baby, come on!" I heard Iggy yelling at me. I ignored him and kept on with my angry rampage on Cam's face. I felt hands pulling me off of him and carrying me up. I snapped enough out of my furious daze to realize I had to fly. So I flapped my wings and headed out, narrowly making it out the door. I heard Erasers coming after us. They were angry. I think that what I did back there was worse than the birds. I'd completely pounded his face in, made him inrecognizable. "Heads up!" I turned to Iggy and he tossed me Trent. I caught him and clutched my baby to my chest.
"Mommy's never letting you go, okay?" I said. He wrapped his arms around my neck, shaking.
"I wuv you, ma-ma," he said. I smiled and now happy tears poured out of my eyes.
"I love you, too, Trent," I said. "Forever." We escaped the sewer and ran on foot until we were in town square. We went into a laundry mat and sat down. Trent was lulling to sleep, though he kept trying to keep his eyes open. I laid his head on my chest and smoothed down his hair.
"Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace."
His eyes closed, his breathing evened, and he was asleep.
"Jab?" It was Iggy who said my name.
"Yeah?" I asked him, still rocking Trent.
"What did you mean back there?" he asked. "About Cam taking away your virginity?"
"Oh." I blushed bright pink. "When Cruella had contol, they... yeah." I frowned and looked down.
"Oh." He blushed, too.
"Iggy?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you." He smiled and kissed my temple.
"I love you, too." He kissed Trent's forehead. "And I love this baby."
"You say that like I spent hours in labor," I mumbled. He chuckled.
"Oh my," I heard a woman say. She had stopped with her clothes on a cart. "Is that your baby?"
"Adoptively." Or stollenly.
"Not to be rude... Why does he have scales?"
"Rare skin dysfunction," I said, running a hand through his hair.
"And may I ask... How old are you?"
"14," we said.
"It wasn't an official adoption. We found him and couldn't just leave him." I smiled down at Trent.
"What's his name?"
"Trent."
"And you're both his current parents?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"And your parents actually allowed this?"
"We don't have parents," we said sadly.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"How could you have?" I smiled. "Really, it's no biggy."
"Let me treat you all to dinner."
"No, I couldn't."
"I insist."
"Oh, okay. But you know that all 8 of us, plus the dog, are together."
"No problem." She smiled. "It's the least I can do."
"Thank you, ma'am," Max said.
"What're your names?"
"Jab."
"Iggy."
"Max."
"Fang."
"Nudge."
"Gazzy."
"Angel. And this is Total."
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Glory."
Hey, guys! How do you like Jab, Iggy, and Trent? They're awesome, right? Trent is just adorible, even with green skin. Anyways, bye!
Love,
Ashley
