Chapter Fourteen

A man with a beer gut stepped in front of the flock, "Get a med kit, fix her up," he pointed to the fallen Nudge. "Looks like we're too early."

Max tensed. They had to get out of there now, but Erasers surrounded Nudge and she wasn't leaving with out her.

"Max, calm yourself. We aren't going to hurt you."

"No you're just going to kill us," she said glaring at the man.

He sighed and took a step back. "I told you we should have left later," he addressed the erasers.

"What are you talking about?" Max asked.

"Tsk. Tsk. You are slowing down. Doesn't Nudge seem a bit different to you?" the man said.

The flock thought about this. "Yeah, actually," the gasman said at last. Max shot him one of the coldest looks ever. If it was possible all his blood froze.

"Yes well, that's to be expected. You see we didn't plan on you guys escaping but we had to prepare. So we implanted a ship into each of you. For the past few years we've known where you've been and we tried to capture you but they failed. So we let you think you were out smarting us-"

"We'll if you kept getting shot down then haven't you lost?" Fang asked.

The man sighed, "Please don't interrupt, it's rude. Anyway. When Danni came along," he pointed to her and she tensed up, "we decided it was time to execute our plan. We turned the chip on making Nudge jealous. And now look at her," he stepped away allowing the flock to see Nudge.

The branch was removed and a few doctors were working on the wounds she inflected upon herself.

"Who the h-. I mean, arrgh. Oh forget that. Who the hell do you think you are?" Danni screamed. "What gives you the right to play god like that? You're messing with peoples' lives. You just see them as projects, something to poke at. Don't you get, they have feelings and thoughts just like you."

"Uh, gee, really. You have opened my eyes! I see now that I'm wrong that what I was doing was amoral," the man said grinning.

Danni's claws grew; thick and sharp. Her anger was boiling over and about to spill, along with some blood perhaps.

"Wait!" a voice screamed, "Stop! Mr. Jensen wait!"

Jeb Batchelder ran into the opening. Sweat ran over his face making the redness from exertion look even more sever.

The man stepped back in front of Nudge and looked to Jeb, "Excuse me? I'm the jefe, here."

"I know you're the boss but don't. Please don't," Jeb panted.

Mr. Jensen laughed, "I'm just cleaning up your mess. You know what they did was reckless. Back in that restaurant in NYC."

"It was a mistake. Please don't kill them they're still valuable. We can reprogram them."

"I think not," this came from Max.

Silence fell over the group. That was all Danni needed she lunged in quickly and silently. One swipe and Mr. Jensen's throat was ripped deep. Thick rivers of blood flowed out while he struggled for breath.

Fighting broke out. It all became a blur of wings, claws, and sharp erasers teeth. Jeb stumbled backward and fled.

He made it to the stream but wings soon blocked his way. Max turned to him with bloodlust in her eyes.

"You'd kill your own father?" he pleaded with a pain in his eyes.

"My father? I may have half your genes but you are far from being my father. A father's suppose to love you, suppose to be there for you, suppose care for you. And you, Jeb, are not that," Max said stepping forward with each 'suppose'.

Jeb took three huge steps back. Fear was settling deep into his gut. This was it. He closed his eyes and said his last silent good byes.

Death was inevitable and he knew it. Heck even the flock would have to die. At least he would finally see his son.

Max leapt at him and wrapped her hands around his head. A sharp crack and he fell dead. Max backed away from the body.

"Max?" Fang came up behind her. "You did that?"

She nodded.

"Cool." Fang could see that Max wasn't sure if this was a good thing. Comforting wasn't his niche so he did the best he could. Taking her by the waist he lead her back to the gang all the while whispering "its okay".

"I don't think they'll be finding us again. At least after we take that chip out of us," Nudge said. She held up the chip that was inside of her. "I'm sorry about all that Danni. I really do like you."

"Thanks," Danni said with a smile.

Max sighed, "We can't take the chip out of me. It's infused with me."

"No it isn't," Angel said shaking her head, "I heard how we can get it out."

"Really," Max asked hopefully. Angel just nodded her head happily.

The flock, including Danni who was now a flock member even though she wasn't part bird, walked the long trek back to her house.

Things were looking up and moral was high. Well this isn't a fairy tale life keeps going. So this is what you call a temporary happy ending. Anyway happy endings are highly overrated.

AN: Here it is, the longer chapter. Twice the times longer than the first few chapters. Hope you all liked it.

Kool-Wolf - I'm glad you fell that way about Nudge, cause then I convoyed the whole "bad Nudge" thing right. Funny thing, I was just revising this and then you review came up, just in time for me to reply. lol.

Laiannon-fae-elf - I'm so glad that you like the story and reviewed. I appreciate it.