A/N: I'm starting to feel back on track! Filler chapters should be over soon, and a fight (along with another new ability) will be coming soon! And remember, criticism and reviews are always welcome!

Upon being asked how he possibly could have known such a thing, Fang explained to the others that he just knew but didn't know how. Kind of like how Max knew she had a Voice but didn't know why. Iggy had immediately guessed that it was another new power, and Ella had been sent off to download and print a detailed map of Kansas off her computer.

"Goessel. I've never even heard of that place," Nudge commented when Fang stabbed a pushpin into the dot marked Goessel. "Goessel, Kansas, then, huh? Looks like a small town. Like, literally, a neighborhood-sized town. I mean-"

"Ella," Iggy interrupted, "do you think you could get us a map of Goessel?"

Ella, happy to help, ran for the stairs, calling back, "On it!"

As it turned out, there was a reason none of them had ever heard of Goessel before. Its downtown was literally the size of a very large neighborhood. Heck, there wasn't even a Wal-Mart!

The area surrounding downtown was just farmland.

Was it just Fang, or would hiding a laboratory in that kind of terrain be kind of…difficult? Not only that, but tracking it down proved to be quite the task, as well. His hand hovered above the map for well over ten minutes, but no matter how hard he focused on Max, Angel, and Gazzy, he just wasn't able to find them.

"This power is newly developed," Dr. Martinez said comfortingly, rubbing Fang's back. "It might take a while to be this specific about finding locations."

Fang nodded slightly. To the surprise of everyone there, he actually smiled at Dr. Martinez.

"I'm sorry to have to do this," he said, standing (he'd always been taller than Dr. Martinez, but now it seemed like he towered over her), "but we have to leave. We don't know what they're doing to Angel, Gazzy, and Max, so we have to find this place as soon as possible to help them. The fact that I can't be more specific only adds to that urgency. As soon as we get them, though, I swear we'll come back and visit. I'm sure Max will be happy to reconnect."

Dr. Martinez got a worried look on her face. "But surely you need to sleep," she stated. "You're welcome to spend the night."

Fang shook his head, still smiling. "Sorry. We really need to get as far as we possibly can tonight, though. We've gone several consecutive days without sleeping before. We all managed to catch some Z's last night, so we should be fine."

The middle-aged woman nodded her head understandingly. She smiled at them. "Good luck," she offered.

"Show no mercy!" Ella piped up happily, at which everyone just had to laugh.

Then, the three bird kids turned and walked out the front door.

"Quite frankly, I'm offended."

The indignant remark made Nudge, Iggy, and Fang all turn on heel to face the source.

"What is it this time, Total?" Fang half-groaned.

Total glared up at them. "Am I not a part of the flock as well?" he sniffed, turning his nose up at them. "Am I not a valuable member of the team? Would you even be alive today if it wasn't for me? Won't my impeccable skills and stunning good looks come in handy for the daring rescue of our captured friends? Won't-"

"Do you really want to come?" Fang interrupted. He tried to sound annoyed, but the slight smile tweaking his lips couldn't have been missed.

"Why, I thought you'd never ask!" Total exclaimed with a grin. Or, as much of a grin as a winged Scottie could muster.

Shaking their heads and laughing, Nudge, Fang, and Iggy took off with Total right behind them. The four of them sped off in what they hoped was the direction of Kansas, somehow feeling like another piece of their lives' missing fragments had just been restored.

Total had too much pride to admit it to their faces, but life just wasn't the same without the flock.

And no matter how much the others hated to admit it, life just wasn't the same without Total there to annoy them every step of the way.