Angel P.O.V
We had been traveling by air for at least a day with no stops except for food and bathroom breaks. My wings felt like they were going to snap off in the cold weather. I could tell both Iggy and Gazzy felt the same way by their thoughts.
But, now, since I had pinpointed the location of the School, we were circling a grove of trees, picking the best spot to stop and rest. We needed all of our strength back in order to save Nudge, Max, and Fang.
Gazzy tugged on my shirt sleeve and pointed to a tall evergreen tree below. I nodded, too tired to speak.
I landed clumsily on a thick branch. I heard a creaking noise as Gazzy caught a branch above me; it bowed under Gasman's weight.
"Gaz, you'd better get off that branch before it snaps." Iggy warned as he was un-packing a pile of energy bars.
"Kudos to Captain Obvious." Gazzy grunted.
Just as he spoke, the branch broke and, Gasman and all, tumbled to the forest floor.
"Are you okay?" I yelled.
"Don't worry. The ground seems to have broken my fall." He didn't sound injured at all. Thank God.
"Get back up here. I'll check you over." Iggy growled. He hadn't been very sympathetic ever since Max left after Fang. I felt for his thoughts.
How the hell am I supposed to save their asses? They're probably locked up. Gotta make some lock-poppers. What am I going to do about them? Leave Angel outside the School. No reason risking her life. Max would kill me if something happened. Iggy's thoughts were simply one problem after another.
"I'm going in with you guys." I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up, and quit reading my thoughts. What if you got hurt? That would not only be the end of me, but the end of Max. Think how much pain she would be in if you got hurt, or worse, killed?" I sighed in exasperation.
"You guys need me to control people, though." I persuaded.
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I already told you."
"You guys need me though."
"We can go without."
"No you can't. You're making a huge mistake right now."
"Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up. I already told you, no. I will not be responsible for your stupidity. Just, please drop the argument. There's no way I'm letting you in there." I stopped after he said that.
Max P.O.V
We must have slept for a few hours, days, whatever. I didn't care. I felt rejuvenated. Finally.
"Feeling better?" I jumped at Fang's voice. I squirmed around onto my other side so I was facing him. He was the one who looked better. The black circles around his eyes were almost gone. A smile trickled onto his cracked lips.
"Yes, and you?"
"Oh, yeah." Yep, Fang just admitted that all he needed was some sleep. I win, ha ha.
"You look a lot better."
"Well, I hope so. Not that I need to look any better, since I'm good-looking enough to be your boyfriend." He must have liked the look on my face, because he threw back his head and laughed. Like a real laugh. It sounded wonderful. Like the Liberty bell chiming noon.
I rested my head on his chest, and he stroked my hair.
Fang P.O.V
It was perfect. It would only be better if we weren't in a cage trapped inside the School. Max was happy. That was all I really needed. But it wouldn't last long.
Nudge P.O.V
"Why can't you just get it over with, instead of starving them?!" I cried. I was balling at 'Jeb's' desk.
"This is part of the first stage. We need to tire them out." 'Jeb' answered unsympathetically.
"I think 'stage one' is complete. God, can't you just leave us alone! We're humans too!" This brought on a whole new wave of tears. He didn't seem to care. He just swiveled back to his computer and randomly pecked at the keyboard.
This is how each and every one of my days starts.
Angel P.O.V
I scarfed down my last power bar and tossed Total his four. Total was curled up on a fat branch above me. For once he wasn't complaining about his lack of flying. Iggy had made sure that Gazzy was alright after his recent new-found talent in falling out of trees.
I wrapped my windbreaker tighter around myself against the cold. Laying my head softly against the rough bark of the tree, I tuned into the thoughts of those poor victims within my range of thought-reading. Iggy and Gazzy were both dreaming a fat un-naturally large cheeseburgers, Total was dreaming about Akila, I concentrated further out. Hundreds of thoughts streamed into my head. Way too many for this rural area.
The dark line in the sky, which I had thought was the approaching night, seemed more prominent than before. Darn.
Iggy P.O.V
"Iggy! Gazzy! Get up, quick!" Angel's raised voice broke into my dream of a freaking huge cheeseburger. The meat had been dripping in grease, the bun sagging with the weight of the melting slices of cheese, three thick slices of tomato, still-wet lettuce, ketchup, mayonnaise, and, perhaps best of all, four layers of bacon-wrapped beef slabs. It was beautiful, basking in the glow of the most holy burger ever made, crafted by God Himself.
"Come on!" I grumbled and rolled over.
"What, Angel?"
"Erasers, or something new… I don't know, just, whatever it is, it isn't good!" Damn it. How could I have thought that we could make it to the School without disturbances? Not a problem, Gazzy and I had enough bombs to blow up half the planet…literally. I jumped off my branch, and motioned everyone down to the forest floor.
I passed out bombs and gave everyone instructions.
"Okay, Total, you keep tabs on Angel. Gazzy, you and I go all out with the bombs, we have enough spare to use on these circus freaks." I heard Angel crossed her arms over her chest and huff.
"I don't need anyone to watch over me."
"Angel, I already talked to you about this."
"How can I stand here, while you and Gazzy are out risking your lives? What if something happened to you? How would Max handle that?" She tapped her foot. She was proud of her witty response. Frankly, she was right. What would Max do if I got hurt or killed? Then I realized we were all eligible to get into a sticky situation. What difference would it make if Angel fought with us? It'd probably be a big help, that's the difference! We had to do this together if we were going to get Nudge, Max, and Fang out.
"Fine. Angel and Total, you two are kicking a—I mean butt, too. You're also coming into the School. No if, ands, or buts." She must've been happy since she bounced forward and hugged me.
"I'll help, I swear!" She squeaked.
"I know you will, hun."
Nudge P.O.V
I sat in my one lonely chair, fiddling with the edge of my shirt. I sniffled and tried not to cry.
"We have video. Would you like to see it?"
"No." 'Jeb' turned it on anyway, and I looked away.
Max P.O.V
"What about the Flock?" I asked Fang. I was deeply concerned for their safety.
"They'll get away. I know it." Fang sighed, still stroking my hair softly.
"Hi, Max."
"Nudge?"
"Yup."
"The Flock?"
"The Omegas are still on course so far." I held back a sob.
"Do you know what they're going to do?"
"You don't know?" Nudge made it sound like I should've known.
"No."
"That bastard."
"Language."
"Jeb was supposed to tell you."
Well, he didn't."
"Anyway, they are going to catch them, bring them here. But, they aren't going to kill them. At least, that's not the plan."
"You mean they aren't going to kill them?"
"No. Their orders are to bring them here without a mark on them."
"Thank God."
"Max?"
"What?"
"Just, remember, they don't know that." Oh. Iggy, Angel, Gazzy, and Total would fight back anyway. There was no guarantee that they would get here unmarked.
"Fang?"
"What is it?" I noticed he had tensed behind me when he noticed that I was having another head-conversation.
"The Omegas have strict orders to bring the Flock here unmarked." I heard him sigh in relief.
"We'll break out when they get here."
"Fang, they don't know what the Omegas planning to do. For all they know, the Omegas are there to kill them." He tensed up again.
"We need to be ready." He stood, taking me up with him.
"We should take a look at your leg." He said motioning at my t-shirt bundled shin.
"Yeah." I bent over and started unwrapping the blood-soaked cloth. Fang kneeled down beside me, watching the rag become a deeper and deeper red as it neared the cut.
I hissed in pain, and took my hands away from the bandage as I was almost done. New waves pain shot up my leg. Fang, understanding me as always, very, very carefully peeled away the last of the once-white t-shirt.
"Ahhhh," I gasped as he pulled away the last of it. He sucked in his breath.
"Shit," he whispered. The split running down my leg hadn't closed up at all; it was still like a gaping crevasse. He efficiently began re-wrapping the shirt, and held it while he tore of a strip of tough windbreaker fabric. He tied the whole bundle together and leaned back, admiring his handiwork.
"Wow," I mumbled, "Where did you learn to do that?"
"Look at our lives, Max. I think I'd know how to tie up a bandage." He shrugged his shoulders.
"Let me see your arm." I said.
"Why?" he asked, genuinely confused as to why I would be interested in his welfare.
"Hmmm, let me think, your shoulder is pretty swollen, so I'm just guessing that it's infected." I laughed. He rolled his eyes, but shifted so I could see his shoulder clearly.
"Jesus. What the hell did you do?" His shoulder was swollen twice its regular size, with, I swear, a hole, in it. I gently felt around the wound and watched his face.
Wince, wince, cringe.
Yep, it was definitely hurting him.
"I'm going to ha—" I broke off when I heard footsteps coming down the hall.
Angel P.O.V
Iggy and Gazzy flanked me on either side while Total floated just above my head. We were concealed by a tangle of tree branches, but still with a clear view of the crowd of Omegas headed toward us. Iggy and Gazzy both had their hands full of bombs. I was listening to their thoughts intently.
Grab 'em, take 'em to the facility.
I wanna get my hands on that little dog and break its neck! The bite wound that thing left on me…urgh…
Settle down. We're not supposed to kill any of them. That includes the dog.
Why can't you just stay out of my head?
Well it's hard to ignore when you're talking about breaking a dog's neck.
Whatever.
Oh. My. God. They can hear each others thoughts.
Whew, long Chapter.
Sorry for the super crappy ending, it was getting really long.
R&R???? PLEASE!!!