A/N: Hmmm...another short chapter...ah well! There's a lot to digest in this chapt. so take it slow, I promise I'll go in more depth about Gasman and Iggy later on, until then you're just going to have to hang on tightly to the cliff edge i've left you at. Oh, and Happy Birthday JFW1415!

The Riddlyr

Chapter Eleven

Robert ran his worn hands through Nero's hair, smiling down at his son with mixed emotions of fear and relief. Tomorrow was the day he would be admitted for surgery. The day he would return to normal, and everything would be okay.

A frown tugged at Robert's lips as he watched Nero turn the pages of his picture book, completely fascinated by the bright colors. His wings hadn't changed as the other fledglings his age had. While others were molting and loosing feathers…if anything, Nero's seemed to continue growing. Healthy and full.

The wall clock ticked in the silence, interrupted only by the faint flicker as Nero turned his pages. Robert shoved back the anticipation growing in his throat. Everything would be fine. It would all be okay.

The wall clock seemed to disagree.

Ridd-lyr. Ridd-lyr. Ridd-lyr.

Angel pulled herself dreamily from the approaching thoughts of the strange mind, her head still swimming with images from his memories. Max stared at her disapprovingly from atop her stage, arms folded across her chest, her ever-faithful Rail standing next to her.

Nero shuffled into sight, a burlap bag wrapped in his arms and the rusty-winged messenger on his heels. He looked confused, his dark eyes sweeping over the white-winged older fledgling leaning against the stage, a strange smile flickering across her flawless face.

"Nero," Max said sharply, before Angel had a chance to open her mouth, "take that bag back stage. Rail…go with him."

Rail nodded once, pulling both Nero and the bread-bag onto the stage with one tug. In seconds they were gone, the tattered curtains of Max's domain swallowing them up. Angel drummed her fingers on the stage edge, glancing up at Max who continued to stare.

"You didn't have to do that," Angel said quietly.

"Why are you here?" Max whispered, her fingers tucking into fists at her side.

Angel lowered her eyes, tracing the stage boards carefully with her fingertips, "I heard…Nudge died…didn't she?"

Max's face hardened, "You've been reading minds again."

Angel scowled, "Not yours. Never yours…never again. Rail's on the other hand…he's free game."

Max gritted her teeth together, throwing a quick look over her shoulder to the dark space between the curtains, "I wish you wouldn't," she said bluntly, crouching on the stage so she was level with Angel's baby-blue eyes. Angel blinked slowly, folding her soft hands in front of her, "I have every right."

"You left us, Angel!" Max bristled, "Months ago. When we needed you most! You have no rights within these walls, not anymore."

Angel's eyes hardened, "Itex killed my brother, Max. It's because of them that Gasman is dead! I have every right to be a part of this, even if I'm not leading the charges into battle anymore. The only reason I stayed for that long was because I couldn't leave Gasman behind…" she gritted her teeth, averting her teary eyes.

"If only you would have known how much he loved this," she hissed between clenched teeth, "I checked. I know it was wrong of me…but I checked his mind every morning when we woke up. He was different…ever since this whole revolution started. His thoughts were violent…it's like…he was looking forward to killing those Erasers. And in the end…that's what killed him."

Max flinched, stung by her words, the skin beneath her feathers crawling.

Angel pushed away from the stage, her long-cropped blonde hair spilling over her shoulders as she shook her head, "I know your only trying to help, Max. I know you think this is what Itex deserves…I just…don't see eye to eye with you. And that kid," she jerked her head backstage, "he's the one you've been looking for, isn't he? Someone that's immune to the Alter pill?"

Max looked away, standing up and shoving her hands into her pocket, the cold grip of the pistol rubbing against her wrist. She concentrated on that instead of the needle in her throat, or Angel's burning stare against her back.

"That's it then?" Angel breathed, her lips forming at thin line, "You're just going to drag him into this too? He's a kid, Max…"

"So were we!" Max shouted, spinning to face Angel, "That didn't stop Itex from coming down on us with everything they had! That didn't stop them from killing Gasman and Iggy…" she bit her lip hard, the taste of blood tinting her tongue.

Angel glared at her, her teeth clenched, "Iggy killed himself, Max. Itex had nothing to do with it."

Max threw her pistol down on the floor, the barrel making a satisfying crack against the boards. She folded her arms over her chest, "They pushed him to it," she muttered, remembering the sweet faces of her flock all those years ago. Back when things were good, normal even…better. So much better.

Angel took a deep breath, her eyes closed as if struggling to reason with an unresponsive child, "I'm leaving now, Max," she opened her eyes, a frown tugging at her lips, "and I don't suppose I'll be coming back."

She kicked a loose rock out of her way, reaching out to rest her pale fingers on the rusted doorknob, a shudder passing through her body. "The kid's life is worth more than your revenge," Angel whispered, not even sure that Max heard. In seconds she was gone, the only trace of her being a crumpled white feather resting finally on the stage edge.

Max stared at it, anger boiling beneath her chest.

Itex would pay for what they did to her.

What they did to her family…

Nero set the burlap bag down next to an overturned crate pushed against the wall, the white-winged fledglings shocking eyes still staring at from the back of his mind. He was surprised to find his hands shaking…and even more surprised to see tears rolling down Rail's face.

"What's wrong?" Nero asked hesitantly, watching worriedly as Rail kicked at a box lid, his eyes fixed on the curtain that hid the stage from them. He swiped the tear away, looking surprised himself, and sat down heavily on the crate.

"Just…" he ran a hand over his face, "a trip down the memory lane from Hell."

Nero pulled himself onto the crate next to Rail, his feet dangling a few inches from the ground. "Who was that girl?"

Rail sighed, leaning back against the wall, "Angel. An…old friend of Max's. She left the revolution after her brother died…a few months ago, I think. We haven't heard from her since. She probably heard about Nudge…"

Nero stared at his hands, "I thought only you and Max knew about Nudge?"

"Yeah," Rail muttered, "good lot of help that does. Angel…reads minds. She probably knows every move Max has made since she left. You know…gone, but still keeping a metal read on us."

"Was she one of Itex's earlier experiments?" Nero asked, "With the side-effects?"

Rail nodded, laying one pale arm over his face and taking a deep breath.

Nero swung his feet against the crate, chewing thoughtfully on his lip.

"You look confused," Rail muttered, a smile tugging at his lips.

Nero shrugged, "It's just…how many were there? With Max, I mean?"

Rail pushed himself to his feet, his brow pulled together as he peeked past the curtain to the stage. He retreated back into the darkness, pacing the small extent of the wooded floor carefully.

"Six," he finally said, "including Max."

He held up a pale hand, counting off on his fingers, "Nudge. Angel. Her brother, Gasman. Iggy…he died a few years back…had some inner demons he couldn't deal with I guess and jumped from a building…without opening his wings. It really tore Max up. After Gasman was killed in an Eraser raid, Angel left off on her own. Nudge has been with us…and that's it."

He shrugged, letting his hand fall back to his side.

"And?" Nero pressed.

"And what?"

"You said there were six…including Max," Nero pointed out, "you've only named five. Who was the other one?"

Rail shoved his hands in his pocket, glancing nervously over his shoulder, "Well," he sighed, flinching as the loud crack of Max's pistol hitting the floor split the air, "if you really want to know that one…you'll have to ask Max."