Chapter 2 Breaking Point

(Angel Pov.)

Angel gaped at Nudge who continued to glare at her with angry brown eyes. "I didn't….I don't….what's going on!" Angel cried in confusion. Her knees felt weak not only from weariness but from the weight of the glares from her former family. What had happened to make them hate her so much?

Angel cast a glance at her hands and knew that the others could see the red stain. But how did it happen? And why?

Fang took a step forward and she saw uncontained pain in his eyes. When he reached her Fang's hand snapped out and lifted Angel off the ground. Holding her above him as she struggled Fang snarled, "Why'd you do it, huh, Angel? All she ever did was love you! I don't think she ever believed you were really dead. Maybe it would have been better if you were dead."

Fang's words worked like daggers against Angel's heart. She struggled to say something but Fang dropped her to the ground and walked slowly towards Max. When he reached her Fang knelt and scooped her body into his arms. With a shaking hand he gripped the dagger and pulled it out, wincing at the sound it made. Tossing it at Angel's feet he glared at her with barely withheld disgust. "Let's see if you're fast enough to finish off the rest of us."

The Flock circled Angel immediately. She noticed that Ratchet was hunched over with Star supporting some of his weight. As she shifted though Angel could see blood staining his right shoulder. Angel winced, had she done that too?

"Angel, why'd you do it?" Gazzy asked. Angel turned to look at her brother who was staring at her with such a strange expression that she felt something stir in her gut. "I don't know, I don't!" she cried as Iggy snorted. She looked at the blind boy with pleading eyes. Iggy please I don't know what's going on.

"Stay out of my head!" Iggy snarled, rounding on her with furious blue eyes.

He shoved past her and joined Fang who was looking down at Max's face which he cradled in his lap. Iggy took up shop by Max's shoulder and stared mutely down at the sand.

"Angel just talk to me, please. How could you? How could you kill Max." Total's eyes were full of tears and by now Gazzy and Nudge's were too. Kate was standing on Ratchet's other side with tears rolling down her face while Holden seemed locked in between the three groups, a hurt expression on his face.

Angel looked back at Nudge and her brother. "Please tell me what's going on. I don't know!"

"Take a guess," Iggy muttered darkly, glaring over at her. He jerked his head down at Max as he rubbed her arm. "You're caught red handed. Her blood is on your hands, Angel. And even if that weren't enough we know you stabbed Max when she hugged you. She trusted you!"

Angel winced at the harsh tone of his voice but still confusion clouded her mind. Suddenly, a wave of thoughts hit her so strongly that she closed her eyes as her head tipped toward Holden.

(Flashback)

Holden shifted on his knees beside Iggy who was struggling to understand what was going on. On his other side Kate crouched beside Ratchet as she pressed Iggy's torn and bloodied shirt to his shoulder. Beside Ratchet, Star's eyes were full of fear as she stared wide eyed at Ratchet's bloody shoulder. Ratchet himself, was grimacing in pain.

Looking up Holden saw Gazzy shifting closer to Nudge while she tried to soothe Total who's fur was standing on end as he eyed one of the mutants holding them hostage. The mutant growled at him and Total snarled which earned him a kick in the side. "Max!

Holden looked up as Fang yelled and on the projector they'd brought out he watched as the mutant with the white hair slapped her hand across Max's back causing Max to fall to the ground with a scream.

Holden watched in horror as Max's body shook and Fang and the others were clubbed down as they tried to stand. Then, Max's body went still. Holden's eyes widened and he gaped as suddenly Dylan flew down, snatching up the knife and plunging it into the jellyfish girl before stooping and stabbing a needle into her heart. Pressing the plunger home he leaned back as Max sat up straight and sucked in a deep breath.

Max let out a cry of pain and threw the needle down and throwing up. "Max!" Dylan knelt down beside Max, in his hands was her pocket knife stained with the blood of the box jellyfish girl he'd killed.

Max's mouth opened but she didn't say anything. Dylan dropped the knife and knelt beside her again.

"What happened?" Max asked, her voice sounding breathless to Holden's ears. Dylan pulled his arm around her and prepared to help Max to her feet. "That mutant, was a hybrid Box Jellyfish. She stung you when your back was turned and then the poison took over. I was able to save you with my antivenum."

"How do you have the antivenin?" Max asked, her eyes wide. Dylan frowned, "Nino Pierpont gave it to me incase I ever got stung on accident."

Max nodded as if that made sense. Dylan helped her to her feet and though she looked as if she might fall over at any moment she managed to stay standing. As they looked down at the two dead mutants a rage filled voice rang out, "What have you done!"

Dylan and Max looked up at the grand box. There Nino and Brigid were standing leaning over the edge with rage filled masks on their faces. "What have you done, Dylan? She was dead!"

"How could you, brother! How could you?" Brigid wailed, her fiery gaze trained on both of them. Holden found that his heart beat faster as she stared at them. If looks could kill...

Dylan glared up at them and said coldly, "You're not my family."

"But I am," Angel whispered. Max and Dylan turned to see that Angel stood behind them. Her blue eyes were wide and her face serene. She raised her hands to Max with a pleading look on her face. Something shiny lay half hidden in her palm and Holden's eyes narrowed as she wrapped her arms around Max.

"I missed you, Angel." Max whispered, her chin resting on her head. Angel said nothing but Holden saw her bring her arms in beside her. "Max-," Angel stabbed a dagger into Max's chest who let out a gasp, "I missed you too."

"No!" Fang cried in horror as Max stumbled away from Angel, a dagger sticking out of her chest. Blood pooled down the length of Max's shirt as she fell to her knees in the middle of the arena. From up high Nino and Brigid laughed. Doctor Gunther Hagan gave a single, loud clap and the whitecoats stood up.

Holden gaped as Max looked up at the screen. Her eyes seemed to lock with someone's, Fang's he realized, and Fang let out another rage fueled cry.

"Max!"

Fang leapt to his feet and shoved the mutant closest to him to the ground before snatching up his gun. With a yell Fang turned and let the bullets fly. The mutants dropped to the floor by the twos and threes until none were left standing. Holden turned and saw Iggy leap to his feet first followed closely by Nudge, Gazzy. Holden jumped up with them and stood back to back with Gazzy who's eyes were red but determined. Total leapt into the air but Kate and Star remained rooted beside Ratchet who had gone pale.

"Get him out of here!" Fang ordered, them, spreading his wings. More mutants were running towards them and Holden took a step back as he realized how out numbered they were. "Grab the guns!" Fang yelled suddenly.

For a moment no one moved. Then Nudge snatched one up and began firing while Gazzy threw bombs and Holden grabbed a gun as well.

Row after row of attacking mutants fell. They came from everywhere. Rushing them and clawing over each other as they tried to reach the Flock. Holden turned and fired left and right hearing the others fighting behind him. One mutant got closer than the others and leapt for his throat but Holden managed to club him with the butt end of the gun, knocking the mutant to the ground where the others leapt on top of him, finishing what Holden had started.

Suddenly, flames lit up the sky coming from the School. "Max!" Fang shouted then he began firing again. Holden snatched up another gun and was about to start firing again when two large objects burst through the roof and sped into the air towards them. Less than ten seconds later Dylan and Maya landed, Doctor M. on Maya's shoulders, Jeb on Dylan's and Ella in between them.

"Help! We've got to get out of here!"

"What!" Fang shouted, firing again though by now most of the mutants were running away from the School. Behind them the zombie men and women they'd seen from the air were stopping beyond the destruction. It seemed what ever was bringing them there had stopped working for the moment.

"Max is gonna blow the place! We have to get out of here!" Holden's mouth dropped but he noticed Iggy gulp. Fang turned towards him with a weird expression and said, "Iggy?"

Iggy looked at Fang and ducked his head. "I knew she would need it. Somehow, I knew. But I never imagined-."

Fang had Iggy by the throat a second later but was thrown back by a crying Nudge and Gazzy. Holden's body tensed but he stood his ground. All around him the mutants were retreating. But the others seemed to have forgotten about that now.

"You gave her a bomb! You know how Max is! She'll kill herself to protect us!" Fang yelled, his eyes wild.

"Max is already dying," Dylan whispered. Fang whirled on him. "I can save her." Fang spread his wings but was grabbed by Iggy, Gazzy and Nudge.

Fang glared at all of them but then his shoulder's drooped. "Fang, we have to get into the air or we're going to die. Max wouldn't want that." Nudge whispered, her voice hoarse. Fang nodded slowly. Nudge walked over to Holden and took his arm before taking to the air. Dylan and Maya supported Ratchet between them while Star carried Kate out disappearing in a flash. Gazzy and Total took to the air after them. Dylan passed Ella to Iggy who leapt up to join them followed by Maya. Fang was the last to leave with an agonized look towards the School.

Higher and higher they climbed and Holden knew that Nudge was struggling to carry him. Still her wings beat harder and faster to keep them up. Just as they reached the clouds, the bomb went off and below the ground was enveloped in a fiery cocoon of flames and black smoke.

"No!" Fang yelled and for the first time Holden heard his leader's voice break. Fang dipped his wings but Iggy flew in front of him and stopped him. "Fang! She's gone, she's gone." Iggy put his hand on Fang's shoulder and Fang dipped his head as his eyes closed.

"I know."

Holden's eyes widened as he glanced back down at the School. Nothing remained but a crater full of fire.

"I need to go see if I can find the body," Fang whispered, his wings beating slowly. Fang's eyes narrowed in pain as Iggy shook his head. "With the fire, we'll have to wait until at least night fall. By then the ground and air will have cooled enough for us to go back. Otherwise we'll risk dying too."

Fang didn't say anything just stared down at the School. A single tear fell down his cheek before spiraling through the air to the flames below where it evaporated instantly. Then they headed away from the flames.

Angel blinked and sucked in a deep breath. Looking over at Holden she saw that his eyes held a haunted look and she now knew why. His memories were what she'd seen. And what she'd seen…was her self killing Max.