4
Well this was something different. The Erasers were just standing there. Angel was staring straight into the eyes of the one in the middle, and his face was slowly changing back to regain some of its human semblance. As I watched, he continued to de-morph until he looked as normal as the other people in the restaraunt. Well, except for the fact that the others had mind-numbingly terrified expressions on their faces at what they were seeing. Erasers didn't tend to have that kind of emotion built in.
Slowly and oh-so-carefully, Fang and I crept up behind Angel and leaned over her shoulder. "Angel, what are you telling him?" I asked her as quietly as I could, all the while keeping my eyes on the Erasers, who were now staring at their leader with confused looks.
Without turning her head or breaking the stare she had on the de-morphed Eraser, Angel said, "I told him to kill his friends."
Well okay.
Fang and I leaned back and exchanged looks of mixed confusion and horror. Our sweet little six-year-old Angel was becoming a ruthless killing machine. No worries there, none at all.
Suddenly, the leader of the Erasers jumped at one of his partners, the one on my side, and began to punch him in the stomach. Owch. I could've sworn I heard a rib crack as the first hit connected.
Fang rushed past Angel and I to get Gazzy, Nudge, and Iggy, who were all standing up and cautiously preparing to open their wings. But why weren't they attacking?
"I told them not to," said Angel, still without averting her stare from the leader Eraser, who was now pummeling his partners with a chair as they fought back as best they could. "I told them I can handle this. Isn't it great? We'll never have to fight Erasers again!"
In an instant, I grabbed Angel's arm and started steering her through the fighting Erasers towards the rest of the flock, who had now fully opened their wings, leaving the McDonald's patrons staring in awe. Bet they're having quite a morning, my Voice chimed in. Odd, the Voice never seemed one to crack a joke at a time like this.
But anyway, the flock lightly took off and began hovering in midair, their wings creating a steady rhythm. Total was nestled in Fang's backpack as he had been when we entered the restaraunt. Everyone checked in and accounted for.
As Angel and I ran, I felt my own thirteen foot wingspan beginning to open up. Weird thing was, I don't even think I knew I was opening them. Go with the flow, the Voice said. Wow, as if it had never said that.
"Max, where's Angel?" Fang called to me from across the restaraunt.
Woah, hello. Angel's small arm seemed to have disappeared from my hand. I looked back to see her still standing there, staring at the Eraser, as if I had never grabbed her. The nerve of that girl.
"Angel, come on!" I said without trying to sound too mean. Hah, too late for that. "Leave them, they can't catch us!"
Fang suddenly was rushing by me, grabbing Angel in his strong arms, and flying at top speed towards the exit with her, the rest of the flock following close behind. Okay, let Fang lead this time. I stole another glance at the fighting Erasers and noticed they had killed their leader and were now staring at me with bloodlust in their eyes. Well that's just fantastic.
As we took off from McDonald's, Erasers right on our tails, I mentally pencilled in my to-do list for the week. One, find out why Fang and I are becoming Erasers. Two, ask Angel about this new "power" that keeps me from even touching her. Three, discover more on how I'm supposed to save the world. I thought that would do it as the leading Eraser smashed his elbow into my back, then I remembered one more thing. Four, survive until next week.