Hey guys. My condolences for taking so long to update. Firstly, my laptop has been officially taken over my my mom, my older sister, and my two year old brother. Don't ask me why, I have no clue. Then my phone decided it didn't want to work, so I Couldn't use that. And typing on my tablet just makes me want to kill something. But I finally got a new phone! Yay! It's a Veer. Worlds smallest smartphone. I love it. Anyway, I would have updated the second I got on the internet with it, but then my Grandpa died and I was busy with the funeral and visitation and all that. I had to wear a dress. It was terrible. *shudders* Luckily I never knew my grandpa that well, and the entire family is at peace with it. He's been sick for thirteen years.

So, anyway, sorry for that Nudge moment. Let get on with the story, shall we?

Chapter 14

Kai POV

I walk into the dining room just in time to see the light fade from Max's eyes and feel the sudden shift in her energy.

Then I notice our guests.

Then I realize our guests have not yet realized what happened to Max.

So what do I do? I quickly get them out of there, that's what I do!

"So, Nudge, why don't you show Arian the living room?" I suggest in a lighthearted tone.

Nudge notices what's off about the request, but doesn't question it.

I'm wondering about what the mess I'm going to do with Fang when Ryder walks in. Idea!

I plaster a sweet smile on my face. Ryder stops when he sees me.

"Ryder! Would you care to show Fang our entertainment room?" I ask.

Ryder hesitates.

"Please?" I add.

He gives me a suspicious look, narrowing his eyes. "I'm kind of concerned." He mutters.

I cross my arms and raise a single eyebrow.

"You know what? I don't feel like getting beat up in some odd, scarily creative way, so... Fang, you like video games?"

I smile and drop my arms.

Fang raises an eyebrow. Ryder holds up his hands in an "I surrender" gesture and says, "I have no clue what she's up to. I've know her for five years and she still scares me."

Fang sighs and follows Ryder silently.

The second they are out the door I turn on Max. Before I can get one word out, her hand latches onto my arm. "Kai. Why did you make them leave? We need to tell them. We need to let them know that we're going back to the School."

"No, we don't. We aren't going back to the School." I state sternly, desperately racking my brain for a way I can get her to snap out of it.

She narrows her eyes and is about to start fighting me when I think of something. Using one hand to block her fist- Ouch, this girl packs quite a punch!- I use the other to rip off the necklace that restrains my power. I feel it come back to me in a rush, everything around me in hyper-detail. I know that my eyes have turned fully silver at this point. I focus my power, drawing it toward me, creating a scene in my head. Then I push it onto Max.

She sits there, still, trapped in the illusion. I watch as the light slowly fills her eyes again, how her energy returns to normal.

I sigh in relief. I wrap the choker necklace back around my neck, feeling my power get smaller and smaller, muffled.

Max fixes her gaze on me. "What just happened?" She asks, looking slightly dazed.

I swallow. "It happened again. You blacked out. You were controlled by them... Again. Max... This isn't good. We need to figure this out. How to stop it. You get violent toward us. I don't want you ending up hurting one of the flock." I explain, the words pouring out of me.

Max looks at me, alarm in her eyes. "What?" I nod, and she shakes her head. "No..." She takes a deep breath.

*.*.*. Ryder POV .*.*.*

We walk into the game room to see Iggy and Gazzy have already taken over.

"No, it's the left! The left, the left!" Gazzy yells frantically, his thumbs moving spaztically across the controller.

"Got it!" Iggy answers.

"Yes! We win! All thanks to you, Ig! Yeah!" Gazzy exclaims, jumping up and cheering. Iggy leans back, looking smug and content.

Fang raises a questioning eyebrow at me.

"We have no clue how he does it. But, then again, most blind guys don't cook and make bombs. Or never miss a high five."

"I'm just special like that." Iggy says.

"Modest, too." Fang says sarcastically.

"But who's this Ed person?" Gazzy says. Iggy glares at him.

"Hey! That's my joke!" Iggy whines in fake offense. Then he grins evilly. "You've learned well."

I shake my head. "Okay, one Iggy is enough. You really shouldn't encourage your own stupidity."

Iggy snaps his head toward me. "Hurtful! You are so mean!" Iggy says overdramatically. He huffs and walks away. "I am so offended right now!" He yells over his shoulder before walking into the edge of the door frame. "Stupid walls. I hate you all." He grumbles, walking out. Gazzy laughs and follows him out, throwing the controller that was in his hand on the couch.

"So... How did you get electricity here?" Fang asks.

"Oh, we have our ways."

Fang raises an eyebrow but lets it slide. I'm about to mention what games we have when the door is thrown open. Angel walks in.

"Hey, guys. Flock meeting in two minutes. Fang, you come, too." She walks out the door.

This should be fun.

*** Fang POV ***

I follow Ryder warily, fighting against my rising curiosity. I wonder what this is all about.

As I make my way into the meeting room, I catch sight of Max. I don't know what it is about her, but she just seems... familiar. Like I've seen her... known her before we met at school just recently. The knowledge is there... the memories, just right there, n the back of my mind, just out of reach. They'll get closer, and right as I try to grab a hold, try to focus on it, it pulls away, leaves. Taunting me. I can almost imagine it just yelling, "SIKE!" Then laughing and running away.

What? Don't give me that look. You're just jealous because the voices don't talk to you!

Ahem. Anyway.

I stand in a corner of the room. Well, really more beside the wall. Do round rooms have corners? I didn't think so.

Max stands in the center of the room, nodding to everyone as they make their way in.

"Okay, guys. There's something we should talk about. But first; Fang, Arian?"

I snap my attention to Max at the sound of my name.

"I'm pretty sure I already know the answer to this, but," Max takes a deep breath. "How did you get your wings?"

I sigh. I suppose I knew this was coming.

"I don't really remember. All I know is that I was rescued with Fang when I was six. But I know that we got our wings from the School." Arian answers.

Max nods and turns her attention to me.

"Well... It's a bit of a long story. Arian and I were in the School until I was nine, when Father rescued us..." Then it hit's me. The memories pelt me, as if they were stuck behind a dam, just waiting for the right words to tear it down, so that they could come crashing.

I remember Max and I talking between cages. I remember the two of us bandaging wounds, setting broken bones in the rooms we were thrown into. I remember working together to fight whitecoats. I remember when they brought Arian, told me she was my sister. I remember when Iggy was brought into our holding room. I remember when Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel were brought in. I remember when we met Kai and Jazmine. I remember laughing at the arguments between Kai and Ryder. I remember the battle of wits between whitecoats and I.

But I mostly remember Max. Talking, laughing, growling, arguing. I remember her glaring at the scientists. I remember her fighting in the arena's with other experiments- mostly Erasers. I remember the last time I saw her, fighting and screaming as she was dragged to yet another experiment.

I also remember trying to convince my Father to go back for the rest of the flock. Him telling me that it wasn't possible for him to get all of them, just me and Arian. I remember my rage at that, how I stayed in a stony silence the first month after he got us out.

But I show none of this, of course. I just leave it at that, promising myself to talk to Max later.