Chapter 29
Imogen sat on a ledge, her face buried in her hands. Max II sat next to her, gently rubbing her back.
I could see them but not hear them, until I started drifting lower… then I realized that Max was singing.
My clone, singing! A comforting lullaby for Imogen.
Dang-gum, that girl's a sweetheart! To think, four years ago we were engaging in a very sincere fight to the death.
Some things I get over, others not so much. I surprise even myself.
Anyway, I took to the air again, to give Max and Immy some privacy. I had heard the song, though.
Iggy told me once that he believed the entire flock possessed an innate gift for music, just like birds, that it ran through our blood. I wasn't sure if that was a sound theory, or if I'd've even cared if it was. But hearing Max II sing! It was her voice, so obviously my voice as well, and it was beautiful. I knew immediately that I wanted to make music like that.
I backed away further, trying to get out of visual range… but that's not easy when you're up so high and you can see so well. I clearly saw that Max II had dropped a confession-bomb, and Imogen reacted with shock… then smiled broadly.
I was up too high for the humans on the ground to even be able to tell if I was human or bird, but I saw the moment when Imogen leaned into Max and their lips met.
I began my descent. Max II caught sight of me.
I tapped my heart with my palm, smiling. It truly was the sweetest thing.
Max II shrugged and waved me over. I sat next to her, putting her between me and Imogen.
"Hey," I said.
"Hey, Max," Imogen said, looking out into the field.
I clasped Max II's hand. "This is so great," I said.
She shrugged. "I dunno," she muttered.
"What?" I said. "Is something wrong? What happened?"
I looked to Imogen, who shrugged.
"She doesn't know what happened," Max II interjected. "It all happened in here." She tapped her own head. "Anyway… Imogen wanted me to find you, Max, so it's… good that you showed up. I'll leave you to it."
She dove off the ledge and flew away.
"So, she's the one had feelins for me?" Imogen said.
"Yeah," I said.
"Guess it makes sense," Imogen murmured. "So determined to get through her lessons, and she wasn't even all that bad of a fighter."
"She just wanted to be close to you," I agreed. "Listen, Immy, I'm… I'm sorry."
"Don't ye dare be sorry," Imogen snapped. "I feel like crap right now, ye know that? Freakin' out like that over a bloody nose and a minor breach in the rules of engagement? I'm completely revolted right now… with meself." She sighed. "Ah, it's just… all me life, they been tellin' me, 'Imogen—yer life, yer very bein' Imogen, is the most important thing anybody's ever gotten accomplished. 'Cause ye're supposed to save the world.'"
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "That's precisely what they said to me…" I muttered.
"And now," Imogen continued, "here I am, cryin' over a stinkin' nosebleed… I mean, that's gotta be completely alien to ye, am I right? Ye wouldn't dream of cryin' over a physical injury."
"Hey, what I wouldn't give to… to be the kind of person who remembers where they got all their little scars and cuts," I said. "I would so love to live in a world where, like, say, breaking my leg is a major cause for alarm. But that's not the case… even what you have sounds better than what I have."
"I've got nothin'," Imogen said. "I don't know anything about saving the world. How could I possibly…?
"Immy, Immy, hey," I said. "You don't need to save the world. Neither of us need to do that. We're not their tools. We're people, with our own minds, our own lives. Okay?"
She didn't answer. I could tell she was processing that.
"And if we do save the world, I think you'll be a lot more prepared for it than I will," I added. "You've spent your life training for it. My guys went about it entirely the wrong way. You don't teach a girl to save the world by torturing her and messing with her mind… but, you know, like I said to Sean—who's a total douche bag, by the way—"
"Hey, don't say that," Imogen interrupted. "He cares about me. He's me brother. He gets… overly defensive. Too much. But I still love him, Max, and ye should trust that he means well."
"Well, anyway, I was telling him… people tell me I'm supposed to save the world, but I don't buy that! I want my own life, with me and my family. If the world's saved, well, that's fan-doodly-tastic, but my main concern is the well-being of the people I love. I think that's a good deal."
Imogen sighed. "Ye might be right about that."
"I am," I said confidently. "Anyway, what exactly are your plans for the apocalypse?"
"I don't know," she said. "They never tell me a thing."
"Yeah, me neither," I muttered.
"But… try to forgive Sean, okay?" she said. "We'll… need to get along, the lot of us. 'Cause someday, from what they tell me, we mutants'll be all that's left of humanity." She smiled. "So, I'm hopin' we'll all be friends when that happens…"
"I'd hope so too," I said. "Otherwise… majorly uncomfortable. But, I don't think we need to worry about that. See, 'cause in my version of saving the world… everybody lives."
As she thought about that, I pitched myself off the ledge and floated back up to her.
"You're really cool, Immy—sorry, Imogen," I said. I shot her a thumbs-up. "Stay that way, all right?"
She gave me the thumbs-up back as I veered off and then settled to the ground, to walk back to my flock.
I heard an impossibly loud cricket chirp.
"Sup, Jeb?" I said, not looking at him. "Listening in, I suppose? Did I pass another test?"
He didn't answer, and I still didn't give him the dignity of looking at him.
"Of course I did," I said. "If I'm destined to save the world, then of course I'm gonna pass the tests. That's what 'destiny' means, jackass. So, why don't you quit being all cryptic with me and tell me what's happening to the world?"
He didn't answer, didn't make any sound at all. I resisted the temptation to turn around and look for him—I knew, with no sensory perceptions, just my intuition, I knew he was still there.
"You know, you almost had me," I said. "I started thinking maybe you were a real-live person. I started to trust you. I asked you for help. I seriously considered letting you back into my heart. Hell, I even thanked you for fighting Jewel off. …Don't know what I was thinking."
Still no answer.
"I'll see you around, traitor," I said. "'Cause that's still what you are, and I'm not about to forget that."
He still didn't answer, but I felt his presence, right over my shoulder.
"Go kiss a spider," I sneered. I started to run before he could touch me.
