Hi all! I was watching clips from some past seasons of the TV show 'So You Think You Can Dance'. You people just have to check out the clip of Melanie and Neil (Season 8) dancing to the song Total Eclipse of the Heart. Whether you're a fan of the show or a fan of dance or you're not, this thing is just amazing. You can Youtube it if you want to watch it. It's just… wow.

Ch. 25:

Max POV

I opened my eyes to see I was in unfamiliar surroundings. Everything around me was silver, shiny, sleek, and new-looking. As my sight adjusted, I managed to figure out that I was trapped. It was a cage, one that looked like you'd keep a dog in. I felt cramped, and for the first time in my life, claustrophobic.

It all hit me in a wave. I had been taken. The School or whatever was behind this, and I had no idea what was going on. Once we got back to his car, Jack had drugged me. Why? I was unsure, but I guess a drugged victim will cooperate better. Iggy and Gazzy. They had been taken, too, hadn't they? They had been dragged behind me and-

"Max?" I heard a voice whisper.

"Iggy?" I asked hopefully.

"I'm right next to you, on your left." I whipped my head to see Iggy sitting in his cage looking very cramped. He was even worse off than I was, seeing as he was 6'2" and very lanky. "What's happening, Max?" He asked, trying to mask the frightened edge to his voice.

"I-I don't know. I think we're at a place called the School. That's where Jack, the bulky guy who kidnapped us, said he was taking us. I also heard Fang talking about it to Ella. They were saying some really weird stuff, like how Ella's not really his cousin. That's all I know, Igs. But I'm sure we'll be fine." I tried to grasp my optimistic side for Iggy's sake, but I was just as panicked.

"Guys?" I heard Gazzy's voice.

"Where are you, Gaz?" I asked.

"Behind you." He deadpanned. Both Iggy and I craned our heads to look behind us, where the Gasman was shoved in an even smaller crate then ours. "Oh my God." I gasped at the sight of him. His wrist was bent at an unruly angle; it didn't even look possible. "What the hell happened?"

"I don't know- and the worst part? I can't even feel it." Gazzy told me. I tried to keep my eyes from watering. I suppose I had just discovered my extreme fear of the unknown. We were trapped in dog crates at an unknown place called the School. Gazzy's wrist was completely broken from what I could tell- and he couldn't even feel it. If you were me, I think you'd be pretty damn scared too.

Iggy seemed to notice me beginning to hyperventilate and grabbed my hand, squeezing it in reassurance. Although his hand was a source of warmth and safety, I couldn't help but feel physical contact of a squeeze alerted me to the fact this wasn't some kind of terrible dream. It was real. It was happening. And I was scared.

"Ah, they're up." I looked up to see a woman in a white coat peering down at us. She looked rather young to be a scientist, which was the white coat implied. She had her hair done in two blond braids, making her look like a school girl ready to leave for first grade. "I'll go get Jeb." She muttered to herself.

Jeb. She couldn't mean-

"Hello, Max." I gulped and looked up to see Jeb, Fang's father, looking down at me.

"Hi." I said meekly. From the superiority in his eyes and the cruel smirk playing on his lips, I knew at once that the dream of the argument between him and Fang wasn't a dream.

"Do you know where you are?"

"The School?" I guessed, already knowing I was correct.

"And do you know what we do here at the School?" I just bit my lip and shook my head. "Well, Max and company," He referred to Iggy and Gazzy, "we're a group a scientists here at the School, as you call it. We specialize in gene combination. We like to see how we can take different amounts of DNA, and mix them with each other. Do you understand?"

"No." Combining DNA? Was that even possible?

"I was hoping you would respond that way." A smile spread across his face. "I'll show you some of our special combinations. Brigid!" He called. "Bring in the felines first!"

Cue the school girl walking in. With her, she dragged two girls- if you could even call them that. They had furry ears sticking out of their heads, and tails exiting their rear ends. Most noticeable though, were their eyes. Yellow and narrow, they were the eyes of a cat, whipping back and forth across the room. I had to stifle my gasp. Now, I understood. This was DNA combination.

"These are fairly successful experiments. We call them felines here. They're 12% cat DNA." Brigid babbled, reciting facts.

"Hmm, let's show them one more, shall we?" Jeb questioned. I didn't object, but I knew I didn't want to see another one of these experiments. I had had more than enough of this. "The Erasers, Brigid."

She left, only to come back a few seconds later. This time, though, I wasn't able to stifle my gasp. These men were the wolf-men from my dream. No, if the wolf-men were real, that meant Fang really did have…

"These are Erasers." Brigid cut off my train of thought. "50% wolf, 50% man, their only downfall is their short life span. You see, they age rather quickly and only last, on average, for 7 years before their expiration date shows up." I didn't have the heart to question what an expiration date was.

"So, now Max, you understand what we do here at our fantastic facility. I would love to show you our most successful experiment, but sadly I have none here to show you. I can tell you, though, that they are quite amazing. 2% avian and 98% human, they are truly extraordinary. They can hide their wings and fit in with every day society, even." Jeb smiled. "But going on to why you're here. Well, a certain experiment of mine has seemed to have gotten away from me and broken a deal we had. If he had just come in like he said he would, you wouldn't be in this compromising position. You see, if he doesn't show himself and his sister within three days- well, let's just say that you two will be one and the same. Would you like to know who your friend is, Max?"

I felt a lump in my throat, but nodded. I didn't need to hear him say it, but I wanted it finalized.

"Your friend, my experiment, happens to be my son, Nicholas. Or as you refer to him, Fang, is it?"

And that's when I found out. My best friend was 2% avian, and because of him, I was stuck in this place, possibly to be tortured. This was what had Fang running scared to Arizona. He had taken me and Iggy and Gazzy with to protect us.

I probably should've felt malice, for me getting targeted was somewhat his fault, but I didn't. Instead, I only hoped to God he would stay far, far away. Because if anything bad happened, I didn't want it to happen to him.

Because I loved him.

Wow. Talk about speedy updating, huh?

Last Chapter's Song: Barely Breathing by Duncan Sheik.

This Chapter's Song:

Oh, I've been watching you all night. There's something in your eyes.

Saying, "C'mon, C'mon" and dance with me, baby.

Oh, the music is so loud. I wanna be yours now.

So, c'mon, c'mon and dance with me, baby.

You all had better get this…

~Cake.