When I woke up, someone was looking at me. Screaming, I sat up and scooted back. It turned out to be one of the girls I had seen walking with Max. She looked at me, and then started talking.
"Did you really have a fight with Max? I bet it was hard, she's tough. Did it hurt falling through those trees? Are you okay? Why don't your wings have feathers? Are you like me? Did you come from the School? Or are you from the Institute..." I eventually just tuned her out and started looking around. It was then I remembered: Max. The whole battle came rushing back. I was still angry, full of hatred and anguish, but it wasn't as bad. I didn't feel the urge to kill Max, but the urge to kill itself was still there. My humanity, my sanity, was slowly returning, but I would have loved some Erasers to come at that moment. Erasers... And what were the Erasers created by? I remembered killing the scientist. As far as I could see, if you traced back, the scientists caused this whole thing. More would happen, too, if they weren't stopped. Killed. Destroyed. I could do that.
Suddenly, as if knowing this bloodlust and fury I felt could be used to better the world, I felt like a ton was lifted off my shoulders. I smiled.
"What's wrong?" The girl said.
"Oh, nothing," I replied. "What's your name, anyway?"
"I'm Nudge," she said. I smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Nudge. I'm Garret." Just then, a boy wearing all black, his wings black, too, came crashing in. He glanced at me with malice, then said to Nudge, "Hurry! Erasers are coming!"
I jumped up and was about to ask where they were when the boy was attacked from behind,(sorry Fang fans!) slashing up his back. The Eraser turned to attack Nudge, who was in shock from seeing the boy attacked, and I jumped to intersect.
I kicked it in the nose, feeling cartilage being smashed to smithereens under my foot. I hovered backwards, changing all the while. The Eraser jumped at me, but I had transformed enough that I was stronger than it and swatted it away from me like a fly. It hit a tree, and I heard its backbone crack. I didn't worry about it.
Fully transformed, I smashed through the trees, not taking the time to land, and saw the others, including Max, surrounded by about ten Erasers, doing pretty well as it was. They had managed to fight off one.
I lunged at the nearest, who was attacking the youngest boy, and deftly ripped off its head. I continued grabbing the nearest one and killed them as quickly as I could, although the clearing was getting rather bloody.
When they were all dead, I was exhausted and changed back, slumping to the ground. The youngest boy, Angel, and Max stared at me with disbelief, while the last boy stood there with his hands on his hips. It was about a minute before I realized that he was blind.
"Well? Is anyone going to tell me why no one is talking?" He said irritably.
"This big bat Eraser thing jumped in and killed all the regular Erasers, and then it turned into that girl that Max said attacked her because she accidentally killed Ari," the youngest boy said. The blind boy's mouth dropped open.
Just then, Nudge ran in.
"Fang needs- Whoa, what happened here?" She turned to me. "You did this, Garret? You killed all the Erasers?" I looked at my hands. They were all bloody.
"Yeah, I guess I did." For some reason, Nudge smiled.
"Wow, that's SO COOL! Oh by the way," she turned to the others, "You know Angel and Max, but this is Iggy and the Gasman, or Gazzy. You know, Angel and Gazzy are really brother and sister. And Fang..." her face went white.
"Fang! Fang needs help!"
The whole group of us jumped up, running to the aid of the injured boy. I got there first.
Sitting on my knees, I carefully turned him over, inspecting his back. He had four long gashes, two of which at the base of his wings. It looked like a couple feathers had been torn out. It was pretty bad.
"He needs help." I looked around at the now assembled mutant kids. "Do any of you know someone who could help?" I held my breath, then said, "If we don't, he'll die." Every one of their faces went white. I thought for a second we would have to take him to a hospital when Max spoke up and said, "I do. She's a vet, but she can help."
"Well," I said, "We'll have to carry him." I turned to Max, momentarily feeling that I had suddenly assumed her position as leader.
"I know the way, but you guys will have to carry him."
As it turned out, I ended up transforming and carrying him. I was barely able to contain myself, but, luckily, it wasn't hundreds of miles away. We were able to reach the house by sunset.
"I have to approach the door," Max said, looking at us. "I'm the only one they know. When I say to, bring him out." I was no longer transformed, so Iggy and I had to carry him to the door when the time came. But before that, Max walked up.
Max knocked on the door twice. It was answered by a girl a little younger than me. The girl almost screamed with joy.
"Max! You came back! But why-"
"We don't have much time to talk," Max said. "I need to see your mom. One of my friends got hurt really bad."
"Okay, hold on just a sec." The girl ran back in, and a woman then came to the door.
"Max, what happened?"
"One of my friends got hurt," Max repeated. "I didn't know who else to go to."
"Do they have..."
"Yes." I figured they were talking about wings. So someone besides the scientists knew about us.
"Okay, guys." That was our cue. I picked up Fang's head and torso while Iggy carried his legs. Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel followed us. The woman waved us inside.