I'm so so so so so so so incredibly sorry I haven't posted in a couple days. We're having state testing at my school, and all my creative juices are gone. Plus, I just started an original story of mine (that i one day hope to get published!!) and I've been trying to spend time on that as well as my fanfiction. Once again, sorry!
Oh, and I don't know why, but for some reason I'm really not satisfied with this chapter. The ending is a little rushed, and I apologize. Please don't flame me! I beg of you!
P.S. - There's Eggy in this chapter! Yay!
The Flock just stared at me. Shock, anger, sadness… all of it was written on their faces. I felt so bad, but I had had to tell them. Erasers were probably looking for us right now, and this would be one of the first places they looked. So we needed to get out. Right now.
"How can they be back?" Iggy asked, his fist clenching. We might all hate the School for what they did to us, but I don't think any of us hate it as much as Iggy. I mean, jeez, they took his sight! He's going to be blind forever because of them. Something like that just doesn't get forgiven easily.
"I don't know, Ig. Maybe we didn't wipe out every branch like we thought we did." I tried to say it as gently as I could, but I think it came out sounding like a growl. I was totally ticked right now.
"But that's impossible! Angel read that one guy's mind in Australia, and he said that his lab was the last branch."
"Maybe the different branches didn't keep in touch well, Iggy. Or maybe he was thinking that to confuse us and give us false security. Whatever his motive, he seems to have succeeded, considering that Itex is back and already making Erasers."
"I hate them all," he said, his blind eyes hardening. Ella sat down next to him, taking his unclenched hand and intertwining her fingers in his. She looked worried. "Why can't they ever just leave us alone?"
We were all silent, the melancholy mood in the room so dang depressing I thought the radio would just magically turn on and start playing some kind of depressing opera music or something. It sure would've completed the moment.
"Maybe you don't have to go on the run again," Dr. Martinez said slowly, getting up and heading out to the kitchen. "If I can just make a phone call…"
"Huh?" I leaned back to watch as she dialed a number on the kitchen phone. "Who're you calling?"
"Jeb."
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No matter how many times he saved our butts, I couldn't help but feel angry and resentful when I saw Jeb. I didn't openly protest when my mom called him, though, even though I wasn't exactly looking forward to see him. But my mom was right; he was probably the only person who could help us with something like this, even if he did betray us a few times.
Jeb arrived only an hour after my mom called him. I wondered if he was stalking us, but then again he seemed to be hanging around the School to make sure that it didn't get back in operation. Either way, I guess I was kind of glad that we knew someone as closely associated with Itex as he was (since he was on our side, of course).
"I'm glad you could make it here quickly," Mom said as she opened the door for him. He looked tired, but I didn't pity him one bit. Even if he was going to help us, he had still betrayed us. And I still wouldn't trust him.
"I wish I could've got here sooner," he said, nodding to us. I think Iggy's eyes narrowed, but since he's blind sometimes it's hard to tell. "Have you seen any other signs of Itex since Fang and Max were on their date?"
"No, thank goodness."
"Good." He moved to the window and peered out, pulling aside the curtain. "Max, do you know if you were followed?"
"I don't think so," I said, trying to think back to when we'd made our escape. "I didn't hear them, anyway."
"Do you think they have to leave?" Mom asked.
"They probably should. At least to go back to their house outside of Seattle. Itex shouldn't know about it, and it's in a much safer location than this house." Jeb looked at us. "It's a shame to cut their visit short, but it's necessary."
"So we have to leave?" Gazzy asked.
"I think you should."
"I'm not leaving until Max says we have to," Nudge said firmly. She looked at me expectantly.
"I think we should too," I said quietly. "We can't put Mom and Ella in any danger."
Everyone nodded, except Iggy. There was a pained look in his eyes. And I knew why. He was going to have to leave Ella earlier than he'd thought. Poor guy. I really didn't want to tear him away from her and make him a fugitive again, but it was the only way we were going to survive. And survival was what always mattered most.
Iggy's POV
I couldn't believe it. We were going to be on the run… again. This sucked! And the worst part of it was that I probably wouldn't be able to keep in touch with Ella.
Max dismissed us to go pack what we could so that we could be off as soon as possible. As I was packing my last pair of pants and a shirt, I heard a light rap on the door of the guest room Fang and I shared. Fang was already done packing and was out in the living room with Max.
"Come in," I said, and I heard the door open.
"Iggy?" It was Ella.
"Yeah?"
"Iggy, are you okay?"
I shook my head. "I just hate running. But I guess I'll fall into the routine again after a couple days."
I felt the bed move as she sat down on it. "I really wish you could stay. I can't believe Itex just came back like that."
"It definitely isn't the most wonderful thing that's happened to us."
"Yeah, it sucks pretty bad."
"Look, Ella, before I go, I just wanted to tell you… I love you. I love you so, so much."
I felt her get off the bed and walk over to me. She reached up and brushed my bangs out of my face, and I could imagine her gentle face. "I know," she whispered.
And, just like that, we kissed. My lips touched hers, and she kissed me back. We were so close I could feel her eyelashes. I didn't need sight to know that she was beautiful, and I put every feeling for her in that kiss. It didn't last especially long, but it wasn't especially short either.
When we broke apart, I kissed her again, this time on the forehead. "I'm sorry that I have to go," I whispered.
"It's okay," she said, hugging me tightly. "Just stay out of trouble, alright?"
I was so lucky to have her. I was, without a doubt, the luckiest blind mutant on the planet.
Max's POV
As the Flock gathered back into the living room, each of them carrying a backpack full of clothes, I felt a deep sadness. They were going to have to fly to survive again… they were going to be running for their lives again. All because Itex wasn't willing to give up.
But you know what? We weren't going to just give up either. We were going to fight until the very end.
I shouldered my own backpack, and when I was opening the sliding glass door in the back of the house I heard an ominous flapping sound. When I looked up, I saw them; about fifteen winged Erasers, and before my eyes even widened they dived at me.
I fought with everything I had. Kicking, punching, biting… every move and trick up my sleeve was used. I could see Fang and Iggy fighting back-to-back against three, and Angel was making one of them run into the side of the house over and over, until blood ran all over its face and it collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Jeb was trying to keep the Erasers away from my mom and Ella, who were standing in the door, petrified. They'd never seen the Erasers, and I would've preferred for it to stay that way. But I never get what I want, do I?
As one of the Erasers rushed toward me, I lashed out at him with a hard punch to the gut, and when he doubled over I grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the groin. He howled in pain, so I did it again. When he was lying on the ground I kicked him, hard, just for good measure.
Then, just like that, the Erasers were gone. They all took off awkwardly, their patched on wings carrying them up unnaturally. They had a couple of sacks with them, but I couldn't tell if they were full or not. They were flying for a chopper that had been circling in the distance, and as I watched they reached the helicopter and dropped off their sacks before climbing in. I looked around at my Flock.
Everyone was there…
Except for Ella and Fang.
Cliffy!
Anyway, hope you enjoyed, even though I was unsatisfied with this chapter. As always, reviews are welcomed, though I would appreciate it if you didn't flame me. My creativity is being pushed to the max right now, so bear with me please! Tomorrow's the last day of testing AND an early dismissal, so hopefully I'll have another chapter up by then.