I used to envy Max, back when I was living – well, being held captive is more like it – in the School outpost they tweaked us at. She had a family in The Flock; a family she had her entire life. I used to have a family kind of like that too, before the School got them.

Now though, I don't envy having to lead a rag-tag band of merry mutants against an institution. It really sucked.

My merry band of fifty-nine mutants was disorganized and very unwilling to listen to me. I might be the one ultimately responsible for their new freedom, but they were not willing to give me their loyalty. Being the leader sucks.

According to Rake, all fifty-nine experiments were either brought in recently or were some of the few mutants that were too afraid to leave back when Max and the Flock crashed through.

About half of them ran wild before I even finished my speech, soon to set off all kinds of alarms and bring down the wrath of the erasers, I was sure. (At least the confusion and chaos they were sure to cause would give Ade and I some cover as we busted out.)

Most of the rest formed their own merry bands after refusing my leadership and attempted to get out as quickly as possible. Mouse, Rake, and six others actually listened and agreed to help me. Well, Rake had agreed to that before I freed him, and he appeared to be keeping his word.

For a second, one very, very brief second, the thought of calling Neal and Peter flashed through my mind. Like exactly less than a second, so brief it was like it never happened. Because I would never call them. Ever. Even if I was lying in a ditch somewhere with a cell phone conveniently handy.

I took a deep breath, trying to get a grip. I needed my game face for this, (and maybe a bucket load of adrenaline with advanced kung fu skills). Yeah, I would totally like being a ninja. Wait – not helping, focus!

I looked over my group and asked them for any powers and names. I couldn't use them if I didn't know their abilities. (And names would be useful, so I knew what to call the one I was about to order. Less confusion that way.)

Mouse spoke first, "I'm Mouse, and I have super-hearing and sense of smell."

Rake spoke next, "Call me Rake, and I have super-human strength."

"I'm Pan, and I can shrink to half my size and grow back at will," a curly redheaded boy said next.

"I'm Bug, and I have x-ray vision."

"I'm Thirty, and I heal super-fast."

"I'm Nose, and I don't have any powers. I just have a lot of hair," said an adorable little fluff ball. I tried not to laugh at him, but his last comment made me smile.

"I'm King Henry, and I can remember everything I ever hear or see. That's it."

King Henry was a very short and serious looking bald kid. He also made me want to laugh, his choice of name matched with his disproportionate stature humorous.

The last boy, however, was not speaking at all.

Mouse noticed my stare at the silent kid, and she spoke for him, "He can't talk. His name is Hook, and the white-coats say he can shape shift or something like that."

I nodded as I analyzed the situation and made a plan. All this done in less than two minutes, mind you. Call it grace under pressure or whatever.

"Alright, listen up! Bug, you will take the lead. Your job is to look for any threats, and then relay a warning to the rest of us. Rake, you are immediately behind Bug. Your job is to attack and incapacitate the threats that Bug finds if we can't go around. Thirty, you're beside Rake. Your job is to help him with his job since you heal fast. I will be in third position. From there, I can quickly find out the situation in front and give new commands to the forward and rear sections. I can also join Rake and Thirty in stopping any threats."

I paused to make sure those three understood. They nodded, so I continued, "King Henry, you are after me. You know a lot about this facility and the people you've seen and heard in it. I will be relying on you for intel. Nose, you are behind King Henry. Your job is to be the communicator between me and the people behind you. Pan and Hook are together after Nose. Your guys' job is to get small and use that to your advantage in tripping up any enemies that come from behind. Mouse, you're last. Your job is to listen and smell for any threats coming from behind us. Warn the boys in front of you so they can take action in slowing the enemy down until word gets to the front and help is sent back."

That was probably the longest speech I've ever given in my life, and I had to pat myself on the back for this one. I came up with and explained a brilliant plan very quickly.

If I ever met Max, I'd have to challenge her to a leadership match. I think I could at least win a round of spontaneous-but-good-planning. Maybe.

All of them but two gave me confident nods. Then I wanted to kick myself. The youngest two didn't understand half the words I'd used.

At least the rest had figured out the gist of what I was trying to tell them. Small comforts I suppose. I'd never beat Max at anything at the rate I was going…

They lined up like I had instructed, the young two going where I pointed. Then we were off, me telling Bug where to go after consulting King Henry.

It was tense and slow; the kids were unused to being out of cages and walking for so long. Especially without the white coats prodding them around.

I felt bad, I really did, but Ade was higher on my priority list.

King Henry, as it turned out, had over-heard one of the white coats talking about a bird kid.

The two scientists/henchmen had come into the wrong room by mistake with the dolly. They argued and complained about having to transport the "feathered brat all the way to the witch's lair." According to Henry, the big boss lady, Dr. Karen Micheals, was hated by her employees and called names such as witch. Henry also knew where the "witch's lair" was.

We were so close when everything went so wrong.

The wild kids finally triggered something, because Bug signaled us to stop, explaining that there was eraser activity all over.

I ground my teeth in frustration, "Is there any way around them Bug?"

The chocolate-skinned girl shook her head vigorously; I sighed.

"What's the route with the fewest?"

Bug told us, giving us the exact number and locations of our obstacles.

My new little troopers looked at me apprehensively, but not one of them asked to go back or abort the mission. My mother instincts kicked in and I was angry with myself for even putting these kids in any kind of danger. I should order them to escape and try to find some kind of a life outside the Institute's cruel walls.

I had just opened my mouth to say such, but I was stopped by an exclamation from Bug, "There's cops!"

"What," I asked, brow creased in my genuine confusion.

"FBI according to their jackets," Bug explained, "Whatever that stands for. They're arresting people."

I felt ice climb up my spin, "Have they encountered any erasers yet?"

"No, the erasers keep pulling back every time a cop gets close. I don't think they want to be seen."

That's good, for now. It gave me a little time to warn the FBI. I had a gut feeling that Neal and Peter were out there somewhere, and they were in more danger than they realized. The white coats might take this chance to get rid of them for helping us. I really didn't want to see them get hurt.

"Alright guys," I said, motioning for them to huddle, "Here's the new plan. Those FBI guys will help us, but they won't know us from the erasers in the confusion. So I need you to find any kids you can and find an empty room to hide in until things settle down. Stay in the same formation and be sure to look out for erasers; protect each other if you can't get around some erasers. Okay?"

"What about you," Rake asked, his serious eyes telling me he already knew what I was going to say.

"I have to save my brother guys. But don't worry; we'll be okay. You guys should start a regular life outside of here. I happen to know some of the guys in the FBI; they are nice people and they will help you find new lives."

Mouse, Thirty, and Bug looked hopeful. Their abnormalities could be overlooked; they would be fine in normal houses. Nose looked doubtful, and rightfully so. I hoped he could be shaved or something so that he could pass as normal. King Henry and Rake both had a look that told me they were not interested in a normal life. Pan and Hook just looked confused, and I sincerely hoped they could find a niche somewhere.

King Henry gave me some final directions, and then my little group left without me, heading for the hallway of storage rooms a floor or two up to wait out the arresting. Mouse, Bug, and Hook gave me sorrowful looks. Mouse and Pan had tears in their eyes. King Henry and Rake gave me silent nods, and the others waved good-bye.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and took off. I would never forget them, those brave little fellow mutants and freaks.

I stared down the long drop between the winding flights of stairs. When I was a kid in elementary school (and don't judge me for this by the way) I used to do the same thing and wonder what it would feel like to jump down that drop.

Back then, I used to imagine it would feel kind of like flying until I landed at the bottom and became human pudding. Unless I could do a ninja roll when I got to the bottom, or if I could grab something to slow my fall. I know; I was a weird elementary kid.

Now, I was going to do it. Three levels at a time, I was going to repel to the bottom.

(P.S. Unless you are a mutant bird-freak like me, do not attempt this at home. You know what, even if you are a mutant like me, don't try this at home.)

I climbed up the railing and crouched for just a moment. I had to be crazy. No sane person would ever think of this let alone actually do it. Even another bird kid would decline because there was no way to catch yourself with your wings in the narrow span. Yep, I was insane.

Instead of jumping, I just sort of leaned forward until I fell. Then I counted three floors and snagged a railing. In the span of like two- or three-seconds mind you. I couldn't afford mistakes here.

The jolt of stopping almost popped my shoulder out of its socket (which hurts a lot in case you didn't know already), and I bit my cheek to keep from saying something really inappropriate for younger audiences.

Calling an audible (don't ask how I remember what a stupid football play is called when I never used to watch the sport before all this, because I really don't know the answer), I decided to do two floors instead of three.

With a wince for the anticipated pain to come, I let go of my hold.

Two floors later, my pit stop was much smoother. Pretty soon, I had the hang of it and was dropping at a good pace. Isn't this called parkour or something? I would be so boss at that.

Arriving at the bottom floor, about seven levels below the ground floor, I slipped smoothly through the door I jimmied open. I went invisible again, once more instructing the light around me to bend in a way that absorbed itself. This caused all color of every surface to "disappear."

Going slow enough, the outline wasn't so obnoxious, and the scientists from earlier probably wouldn't have noticed it if I wasn't hurrying down the hall they were entering.

I think I'll call the outline the "Bubble of Invisibility" from now on. It's shorter and accurate enough for me. (No, I didn't have time to come up with a super awesome name. Just try to sue me, I dare you.)

As far as I have figured it out, the bubble occurs because the light is trying to adjust to new surroundings. I guess you could say it was overcompensating because I have to hide a new and different amount of light every time I moved.

Any way you slice it; I'll take mostly invisible Bubble of Invisibility over being fully visible in the middle of enemy territory any day.

Following King Henry's directions, I arrived just in time to see Peter and Neal with some other guys on my right calling out to someone in a room to my left. I stood perfectly still, a little stunned to see them again.

Then the blonde whitecoat from earlier came out of the room. She had a gun…pointed to Ade's temple.

I didn't need to think about it twice.

I just moved.