Chapter 29
I ran my claws through my hair. A fine comb and other touches around the house were some of the advantages, even if people did like the old flesh-and-blood Max better, I liked me just fine.
Fang's little cell phone started chiming some distance behind me in our room. In the mirror, I saw him pick up.
"Yo," he said. "Uh-huh. Sure, I can score you some coke."
I turned around, arching an eyebrow at him.
"No, nothing. Just making sure Max was paying attention," he said. "Turns out, she was. So, what's up?" He paused. "And Sean? Damn. …Oh, no worries. He's a sneak, that's his whole deal. Kellie couldn't even figure out where he'd gone. Cool, I'll see you later."
He hung up. "Who was that?" I asked him.
"That was one Emil Yozan," Fang said.
"The criminal?"
"My father, yes."
"Hmm," I said. "So, what's he like?"
"Oh, he's a deeply flawed individual, make no mistake," Fang said. "He's got the guts to single-handedly hunt down a mutant like Sean, but won't even go near Isobel. And there's the whole 'cocaine-and-heroin' deal. But the man crossed the country just for the off-chance that he might find me, and I can't ignore that."
"Uh, lots of people do that, Fang," I said dryly.
"Exactly. Good or bad, we might as well keep our eyes on those people."
"Yeah, I see what you're saying," I said.
"But he cares, Max, you know?" Fang said. "He cares about DNA, and I'm not gonna be a hypocrite about that. I've told you how I feel about genes."
"What, that I look really good in them?" I offered.
Fang gave me a thumbs-down. "Bad pun," he said in a shrill, grating voice.
"The hell was that?" I said.
"Well, Emil isn't without his own skills. He can handle a machine gun and has been aiding me with my Gilbert Gottfried impression." He resumed the voice. "A family walks into a talent agency…"
I snorted. "Wow, that's actually less sexy than steel-beam legs," I said. "That's new to me."
"New to you? Being the sexy one? Right, well, that was… that was Gilbert Gottfried."
"Sure was," I said, leaving the room. "Yo, Immy! Sup with you?"
"Eh, I'm a'right," she said. I flinched, realizing she was giving herself her daily injections.
"You feeling a bit down on yourself, Imogen?" I said gently.
She glared at me. "I've just found out me life is a dirty deception and I'm supposed to die. How am I supposed to feel?"
"Oh, come on, dude…" I said.
"I'd like t' talk t' those damn whitecoats," Imogen grumbled. "I don't even know why I'm here anymore, why am I… why do I bother?" She tossed aside her syringe.
"Um, how about to keep your human brain functions active?" I offered. "Look, Imogen, I don't want you to 'die in my service'. That's ridiculous."
"I would, ye know," Imogen said suddenly.
"Don't," I told her. "Okay? Don't. You're my protégé. Who else is qualified to be a leader?"
"Fang, then Iggy, then Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, Tooey, Airy, then me?" Imogen offered.
I paused. "Um… okay, you might be right about that. But not Airy! I'm not gonna put up Airy as a successor, she's a baby."
"Fine," Imogen muttered.
"And Nudge outranks Iggy."
"Really? Isn't Iggy older?"
"Yeah, and a lot more qualified, but… I don't know, maybe I just like her better. Anyway, Imogen, don't die on me, dude, and keep taking your dope. I like you better as a thinking person."
Imogen shook her head. "Well, ye might be out o' luck there. I'm goin' t' get some wine, the flock's gonna get blitzed."
"Imogen!" I said. "None of us drink."
"Oh, please," she said, sneering. "Keepin' people away from alcohol is one o' those American things, like the word 'dude' and havin' to pay somebody when you go t' the frickin' hospital."
"Feeling a bit anti-America are we?" I said dryly.
"Sorry," she muttered.
"No, I'm with you. I've never been a citizen of anywhere, you know. The world is messed-up. All the bad guys who are out for 'universal reform', I agree with those guys. I'm just gonna do it without killing everybody."
"Really?" Imogen said with interest.
"Are you kidding?" I said. I held up my arms. "Look at these. Shouldn't everyone who's ever lost a limb have one of these, for no cost? And what about people who can't stand up straight, or even move anymore, wouldn't their lives be better with a cybernetic spine? And…" I started clicking my fingers against my artificial eye. "I mean, things would be better if the people who knew how to do this stuff didn't have to be so evil all the time."
"You are so beautiful, Max," said a quiet voice. I turned happily to Keegan.
"Hey, buddy," I said, drawing her into a hug.
"Hi, Max," she said.
"It's so good to see you, what brings you by?"
She looked over at Imogen, eyeing her large ears, and said, "Let's go talk privately, Max."
"Okay…" We stepped over to the side. "What's happening, Keegs?"
"I… can't be involved in this war anymore," she said.
"What?" I said. "But Keegan, we need you."
"I can't do it," she said. "My father has seen the things that happen to you and the people you know… and he forbade me from being involved anymore."
"Your dad forbade you?" I said. "So what? Disobey him. Better yet, screw up his mind, make him totally happy you're doing these great things."
"Well, I… I feel like I have to respect him," Keegan said. "I mean, I've gone without parental authority for so long. You must know what I'm talking about."
"My mother," I said, "would never dream of telling me what to do. Certainly not anything so monumentally stupid."
"Well, that's the difference between you and me, then," Keegan said. "Because I'm doing what my parents want."
"You're kidding me," I said. "So, what are we supposed to do? Fight the omnipotent Headmaster without any backup? Yeah, we're not dead yet. But what happens when he says, 'Hey, wait a second, I'm the bad guy. I don't need to hold myself to some weird standards like Keegan does. I'm gonna take over the world right now!' What then? You're not gonna help?"
"I'm sorry," Keegan said.
"Yeah, yeah. Speaking of your dad and Headmaster, aren't they the same guy? Don't you think this order is a bit suspicious?"
"Oh, shut up!" Keegan said. "I think we agreed it's equally as likely that your dad is Headmaster."
"Who, Jeb?" I said. "Big deal, I don't care about him."
"Well, there's another difference between you and me," Keegan said. "The idea that my dad might be the world's most terrible villain just kills me. That's why I'm pulling out."
"You're seriously pulling out?" I said. "I don't… how dare you. You are not running away on me again. You know how much we need you. Why do you have to pull this coward move all the time?"
Keegan sighed. "I don't want to fight with you, Max."
"WHAT?" I demanded. "You yelled at me, you freakazoid!"
Keegan's face scrunched up with anger and she vanished, leaving behind a bitter wind that felt like needles in my face but quickly vanished.
Ugh, and she has to remind me how good at heart she really is. Even when she's having a fit of anger, she thinks enough to let the pain pass.
I stomped my feet and tore at my hair angrily. "Damn it, Keegan," I muttered. "Hand us to Headmaster on a platter, why don't you."
