A/N: Well, hello hello! I know i'm a terribly slow writer and for that i'm very sorry, and i hope you'll forgive me ;P This took particually long to write because i don't really have a plan to writing chapters, i just know where i want them to head. oh and i know how evil i am with cliffies (he he he) so this one doesn't really have one, just to make up for the long updates :D Thanks again to everyone who reveiwed the last chappie, hope you all enjoy this next chapter (PS don't kill me!)
My heart just about tears in two. I would think it had broken if it weren't for fact that it was roaring in my ears. I try to look away, try not to feel the dismay inside, but I can't take my eyes away from her. I try to slip my well created mask over my face, but it just doesn't seem to work. She doesn't know me? She doesn't know who I am! I've been thinking; been dreaming about her since the day I left that god forsaken place, and she doesn't even recognise me! I can't stop the low growl that escapes my mouth.
Wait… what? Did I just growl… at Max?
I pause and look down at my hands. Claws, not fingernails, protrude out of my callous, olive coloured fingertips. I'm an Eraser. I must have morphed when they brought me into this cell and now I look nothing like the Fang that she knows. But this creates more questions for me. Like, why am I so calm right now? What happened to the rage of my inner wolf? Why aren't I trying to rip this cell to shred?
I look back up at her; a confused frown now gracing her features. I only feel relief. Relief and… disappoint? Disappointed that she doesn't know it's me underneath the monster; relieved for the very same reason. Finally, I slip my mask back into place, and I try and dismiss of the oddly calm feeling running through my mind.
Time for a little damage control.
"The famous Maximum Ride," I sneer at her, flashing my fangs a little. Okay, there's a little of my wolf peaking though. Her confused frown is quickly replaced with a cool stare. It feels almost surreal, talking to her now after all those years, especially as an Eraser.
"Have you got a problem with me, dog boy? Cause now's not a great time to take it up," she replies coldly. I remember the sirens overhead and stop the retort in my throat. I look away and I can still feel her stare lingering on my face.
"Sorry to break you two up, but we've got to go," comes a new voice from somewhere within the prison. Max's head whips around and her mouth drops.
There's a loud clank and all the doors start to screech open. Max stalks out of my vision and as our cell opens loudly, I glance back at Pup who's giving me an odd look. Before me, Amity walks out of her cell and frowns at me as if to say 'what was that?' I shake my head; not here.
I glance up the hall and watch as the Flock and the Pack emerge as one. I don't have enough time to take all their appearances in. Ahead of them, I notice Max and Nudge strolling into the control room. I follow them quickly, and find myself in a new room full of buttons. A reception desk stands to the left of the entrance, behind a bullet-proof shield. Behind the desk, Omega stands with his hands flying over the keyboards rapidly.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Max shouts angrily, as she eyes the control panel tentatively. The sirens suddenly cease, and Omega pauses and looks intently at Max, as if she'd only just appeared in front of him.
"Max? What are you doing here?" Omega mutters, and his eyes seem to glance in my direction uncertainly.
"Oh, I'm just here for the architecture. I've always admired grey steel. Oh and my Flock was just captured by an army of Erasers. What do you think I'm doing here?" she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, right… Well, that's cool; just stay out of my way, okay? I'm going to redirect the signal output to the blast doors and recode it so they can't get in here. It'll hold them off for the time being," Omega says loudly, not bothering to look up at us. I steal a glance at Max, whose guarded face was unreadable.
"Why?" Nudge asks quietly. Omega glances up from his work and misreads her question.
"There's a secret passage through the base, which only me and a few high end generals know about. Do you still have that key card I slipped into your pocket?" he asks, directing his question to me. Suddenly, I remember back to the meeting with the Director and how Omega had slipped something into my pocket. I swiftly dug my hands into my jeans pocket and my hands grazed the cool surface of a card. Pulling it out, I realises that it's made of metal and the cover has braille writing on it
"Good. I didn't know if I'd make it here today or not, that's why I gave you that. That is a very useful card. It'll give you clearance anywhere in the base, including…" he stops typing and ducks down under the desk. Max and Nudge exchange a look, before leaning over the desk to get a better look. Following suit, I see what Omega is talking about. Just below the control desk is a small man hole and a flat swipe pad for my card.
"Wow, that's all good, but um, what I meant was, eh, why are you helping us?" Nudge mutters, sounding kind of embarrassed. Omega jumps back up and stares at her blankly.
"Oh… well, because I've got a lot of things to make up for," he says, giving Max an apologetic look. He glances at me, and I give him a reassuring smile.
"Look whose gone out and got themselves a personality. Alright then, you work on that and we'll help out with whatever else you need to do," Max says with a smile, and Nudge nods as well. Omega smiles a little and points to a small panel on the wall.
"Okay. You two try and get the cover off that."
"I'll check on the others," I say quietly to Omega who nods for me to go. As I leave, I hear a commotion going on in the holding cell. I quicken my pace and just make it to the cell to hear an angry shout.
"You've had this coming for you since you crossed the line in Montana!"
I race in just in time to see a dark blur hurl passed me and crash into the cell opposite. I watch as Echo sits up and lets out a groan. As I turn, Kith strolls past me and grabs onto the front of the dark haired avian's shirt and lifts him swiftly into the air, before smashing him against the cell bars.
"They thought they'd survive! They thought you were there to save them!" Kith snarls, throwing a punch into Echo's stomach. I feel cold; was he implying that this guy Echo actually had something to do with Montana? I stand and stare blankly as Kith drops the guy and kicks him hard in the ribs.
"Stop it!" I hear Angel cry.
"Get off him!" Iggy yells as he shoves his way passed me. He grabs Kith from behind and throws him to the ground. Kith looks a little dazed but jumps back up anyway, ready to defend himself against the noticeably taller avian. I snap out of my thoughts and rush over to hold him back.
"Kith! Back off!" I growl at him commandingly. I can see he's close to snapping, and I inwardly scowl at myself for not stopping him earlier. I look over my shoulder at Iggy who looks like he's going to attack me. He glances at my face, growls and lends down to check on Echo. Did… he just look at me?
"Okay! I redirected the signal input in this part of the building. Nothing's coming in or out of those doors any time soon…" Omega trails off as he and Max comes back though the control room door. My eyes come in contact with Max's and I wonder what must be going though her mind right now. Her eyes move from mine and down at Echo, still lying on the floor.
"Eck? What happened?" Max asks, turning to Iggy for an explanation. He glares at Kith and helps Echo stand, pulling his arm around his shoulder.
"The Eraser attacked him," he growls, making Max round on Kith.
"Okay, I've had enough of you, dog breath!" she snarls, coming at him ready to fight. I react without thinking; I push Max back away from him and stand between them with my arms our stretched.
"Hey! Both of you; calm it. In case, you haven't noticed we're in a bit of a situation here! Now, like Max said before; we can work out our issues after we get the hell out of here," I turn to speak to Kith directly.
"Don't attack any of them again, that's an order," I mutter to him, and he growls at me angrily. I growl back loudly at him, staring him down. He gives me one final glare before looking away.
"Fine!" he roars, before stalking away to go and stand next to Amity and Pup. I sigh and turn to Max. She gives me another strange look, as if she is still trying to work me out. I stare at her back at her, her face, her eyes… so-
"Okay, guys lets get out of here!" Omega yells, and I realize I've been staring and look away in embarrassment.
This was going to be harder than I thought.