"Guys! Let's move I found out where Fang is!"

I was in the boy's room, trying to get the lumps amidst the sheets to move.

Iggy sat up upon hearing what I'd said.

"You found him?!" Iggy turned his sightless eyes to me.

"Yes, now move." I threw the blankets off of Gazzy.

"Oi." Iggy smacked him upside the head.

"What'd I do?"

"Max knows where Fang is, get moving."

"Oh…Okay."

I rolled my eyes and moved on to the girl's room. Nudge was tangled in her sheets and Angel was curled around Total in a little ball.

"Girls, you gotta get up, I found Fang."

"What?" Angel sat up gracefully and Total shook himself. Nudge, however, remained utterly motionless.

"I know where Fang is. C'mon Nudge. Get up." I shook her shoulder.

"Fivemoreminutes…" She mumbled.

"No, Nudge. We gotta go now."

She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Fine." Then, after a moment, "Wait…You found Fang?!"

"Yes, Nudge."

"Oh, my gosh, I'm sorry Max!" She began getting dressed in a flurry.

"Max…" Total started.

"Yeah, Total?"

"Could I, uh…stay here? I wanna sleep." At least he was honest.

"Sure. Not in the mood for biting flyboys?"

"Exactly. Not to mention, it has been way too long since I last slept in an actual bed, and I like it."

"Okay, Nudge and Angel, just meet up on the porch. We'll come back after we've got Fang with us." I left the room after scratching Total behind the ears and went downstairs to sit on the couch. Keez was waiting there, flipping a pocketknife up in the air and catching it by the blade.

"So, you're going to need the Ghosts again?"

"Actually," I plopped down next to him. "We have to go it alone this time. Only the flock can reach this cave."

"Ah. Gotcha. So, we just wait here?" He said, putting the knife away.

"Yeah. Well, not just wait. Make sure there's food for us when we get back." I grinned.

"No problem."

"Wotcher, Max." Tonks came gracefully down the stairs. "So we have to miss out on all the action this time?"

"Yeah, sorry Tonks."

"No problem." She shrugged. "Hey, c'mere real quick." She motioned to the kitchen. She shut the door behind us and went to the fridge to get some water. Taking a quick gulp, she turned to face me. "So, you're going after Fang."

Again, it wasn't a question. It was just a casual statement.

"Yeah."

"Don't do anything stupid." Tonks became serious. "Don't go and get yourself hurt for no reason."

"I'd say that if I got hurt saving Fang, it'd be a pretty dang good reason."

"Fine, then. Don't go and get yourself killed. Because Fang wouldn't be able to take it."

"What?" Okay, that little statement actually threw me way off balance.

"Fang couldn't take it if you got killed. He'd snap, and possibly ." Tonks said, in a very matter-of-fact tone. "Trust me on this one."

"How do you know?" Could she read minds too all of a sudden?

"Just watching him. I've seen how he looks at you when you can't see. I've seen what he hides behind those eyes. What you don't realize, Max, is that the only place he is constantly showing emotion is his eyes. Everything he feels is echoed there, and you just have to learn how to see it."

"How'd you learn to see it?"

"Keez is the exact same way. Most people are, in fact."

"And what does he feel? What did you see?" Yeah, I was honestly curious. So what?

"You have to find out yourself, Max. Either find it in his eyes, or wait for him to tell you. Either way, it won't be too long before you know. I'd bet money on it."

"What if I want to tell him first?"

Tonks started to answer, but I never heard it. Gazzy and Iggy came in and she shut her mouth so fast I almost didn't see it.

"Come on, Max. All the rest of us are ready!" Gazzy was practically on the verge of an explosion.

"Yeah, Max. I thought you were chomping at the bit to get going." Iggy tilted his head to one side, 'looking' at me.

"Okay, guys. Once we get outside, it's up and away. He's at the bat cave we used to hang out at while staying with Anne."

"Gotcha, Max!" Gazzy tore back into the living room, Iggy following.

"What if I want to tell him first?" I hissed to Tonks.

"Go." She shook her head and waved to the door. "Find him, and you'll know."

Jeezum! Good luck getting a straight answer out of her. I flew as fast as I could without going into hyper speed thinking over what she'd told me. I wondered, for most of the flight, if you really could see what she'd said was there in Fang's eyes.

"Guys, veer left. I see the cave." It was time to stop wondering and get ready to find out.

We all landed on the cave floor in the same instant. Six or so flyboys snapped their heads toward us, and I heard a voice growl from the shadows.

"Take them!"

In unison, the flyboys came forward. They were so fast, the flock and I couldn't do anything. But it wasn't like we didn't try. We were still unsettled from our landing, and that gave the flyboys the advantage.

"Good. Against the wall with them." The voice came again. The flyboys backed up into a line against the cave wall. My gaze found Fang bound to a chair watching me intently. I locked eyes with him for only a second, not long enough to see anything.

"Maximum." The owner of the voice stepped into the late morning light that was filtering through the cave to sweep his gaze over the flock and me. He looked like a flyboy, but didn't sound like one. So that left one option: Eraser.

"Yes, Max, very good. I am an Eraser." Our captor chuckled.

Oh, crap. So he was a-

"A mind reading Eraser, yes." He gave a nasty smile. "I am Kieran. The only Eraser to escape the extermination." Suddenly, his head snapped to Angel, who was looking at him intently. "If you are smart," He said to her, "You will stay out of my mind."

"You're going to let us go." Angel said in her sweet little girl voice.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are." Angel concentrated harder, and Kieran's face contorted in pain.

"Stay out of my head, bird!" He snarled viciously and grabbed Angel's head in his hands. Angel screamed and tears streamed down her face.

"Let go of her, fleabag!" I yelled, trying to break the iron grip that the flyboy had on my wrists.

"Angel!" Fang called, straining at the ropes that bound him to the chair.

Kieran let go of her head and cast her a look of contempt. Angel went limp and let the flyboy support her. Her head slumped to her chest and she panted. I could hear her tears splashing onto the cave floor over her gasps.

"Next time, listen to me, bird." Kieran glared at her for another second before turning to the flyboy holding me. "Let her go." He told it. It obeyed, and went to flank Fang with the other flyboy.

I bent my knees ready to pounce on the Eraser.

"Max, that would be far from wise." Kieran said pleasantly. "I have a proposition for you."

"Make it quick, I'd like to beat the crap out of you soon." I snarled at him.

"As you wish. I challenge you to a fight. No weapons, just you and me."

"Then let's start."

"No, I'd like to make it…interesting." A nasty grin crept onto his face. "If I win, I do as I like with your flock. If you win, my flyboys will shut down and you can fly free once again, taking Fang with you. Goodness knows I'll have no more use for him."

"What decides who wins?" I asked, ready to beat on him for taking Fang. I glanced at him again, taking in his bruised face and his bloody chest. His shirt was ripped to shreds, and almost no even there. He seemed to be holding his breath, as if he knew something that I didn't.

"The winner," Kieran's grin widened, "Will still be alive."

"Fine. It's a deal." I said, once again preparing to spring.

"Excellent. Then let's begin, shall we?"

"Sure, let's." I snarled, jumping five feet in the air toward him. He tried to duck, but I managed to flap and push myself downward onto his back. I wrapped my hands around his thick neck to choke him. He jumped almost six feet in the air and flipped, trying to slam me into the ground. I dove off of his back, hands in front of me. Hitting the ground, I tucked into a ball and rolled away. I heard the loud thud as he hit the ground and the whoosh of his breath leaving him.

"Very good." He grunted, flipping himself off of the ground and facing me again. "But you will have to do much, much better than that."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You want better? You got better, fleabag!"

I ran forward, feigning a punch to his jaw. He tucked in his chin; ready to block the fist that wasn't going to come. I pulled my arm back, and then snapped my feet up to kick him square in the chest. As my feet were going down, he caught them and slammed me ruthlessly onto the rocks on the cave floor. I heard Angel gasp and caught mutterings of Gazzy commentating to Iggy.

"Max…" I heard Fang whisper.

I rolled over in time to see a huge boot coming for my face at full speed. I caught Kieran's boot and rolled in the direction the kick had been aimed. Kieran lost balance and landed hard on the cave floor. I knelt on his chest, landing about five hard punches in his face. I felt a few of his teeth pop out of place, but nothing else happened before he threw me off. I extending my wings to catch air and slow myself down. Luckily, I was fast enough and didn't hit the cave wall. I missed it by only about six inches. I kicked off the wall behind me and went for Kieran's middle. He twisted, and I went past him. I felt a blow land on my side but didn't feel much pain. I was blocking all pain.

"Max! Lean left!" Fang screamed.

I obeyed, and felt Kieran's fist whoosh past me. As I leaned, I turned, punching him in the ribs as I passed. Air rushed passed me with my velocity, and I could feel the wetness of blood on my side. Still, I let no pain enter my thoughts.

"Go Max!" Nudge yelled. The flyboy behind her cuffed her over the head. She tried to kick his shin, but he was holding her too tightly.

"On your right!" Gazzy yelled to me.

I kicked my right foot out, catching Kieran's knee. He stumbled slightly, but remained standing. He threw his arms around me from behind and squeezed. Hard. I felt a couple of ribs pop out of place. Titling my chin down I bit his arm, thinking rottweiler thoughts. I felt my teeth go through fur and skin, and felt the disgusting blood rush into my mouth. Kieran threw me off of him, and stood wiping the blood off of his arm. I spit red onto the cave floor.

"That wasn't smart, bird!" He yelled, and sprang at me. I ducked and punched his belly as he went over me. He rolled himself, like I had, and face me again. He sprang just as fast as before. I flattened myself onto the floor, letting him fly over me. I stood up and aimed a kick at his head. He caught my foot and threw me. This time, I hit the wall. Stars exploded in front of my eyes, and I was too stunned to move.

"Max!" I heard Fang screaming, making my nightmare into a horrible, ugly reality. "Max…MAX!!"