Chapter 9
Home Truths

"I don't care what it will do to her! Just get that damn child out alive!" There was a pause over the phone as the person on the other end tried to speak. "It is possible you moron, get her to have a go, she designed it. Just get on with it!" Derrick King slammed the phone down on his underling and stood to look out of his office window.
Everything had backfired on the new Acting Director this week. His bid to recapture Aires had failed miserably and a malfunction in the commander unit had pasted the winged boy all over the news. The incident with the missiles had prompted a full field recall, Itex can't just go and wave its more illicit activity's in the faces of the media. But King had a suspicion, and it wasn't one he liked.
"Mr Director?" The intercom on his desk buzzed. "Dr ter Borcht has arrived." Ah, stress relief at last.
"Send him in." The AD sat behind his desk and tried to look nonchalant as two suited men walked in and dumped the limp and bloodied Roland ter Borcht in front of his desk. The guards left and Derrick stood up to look over his desk as the doctor bled onto the pine floor.
"So Roland, have a nice holiday?" The AD said flatly. Borcht clawed his way up the front of the desk and knelt, his broken nose bleeding onto his designer suit.
"I...thought...it was.." Several broken teeth didn't help his speech.
"Over? So you were going to had us over to the UN Security Counsel and watch us burn while you find a nice house, settle down, have kids."
"It makes no difference now." Borcht murmured. "All of our plans have been destroyed by them"
"The Avian hybrids. Yes, they do have a habit of cropping back up. But you see Roland." Derrick grabbed the doctors nose and twisted viciously, shattered bone grated around in his skull and he screamed. "We have one last option, don't we? The virus. The one you helped create." He punctuated each sentence with a twist, blood oozing between his fingers. "All we need is the antibody from Aires and we can do what we should have done years ago. That, or we have a plan B." He let Borcht go and rubbed the blood off his hands with a silk handkerchief. "You have one last assignment. Go to the Devil's Backbone station, provide your expertise with the clone. I want to have that half breed born in the next month. Or you will join her in the apocalypse."

I stepped out of the boys dorm and instantly regretted it.
"Wow, err." Was Max's response. Fang raised a cynical eyebrow and everyone else burst out laughing.
"I look like a total prat don't I?" I spread my arms, the tailored suit creaking on well starched hems.
"A bit yeah." Total nodded from the nearest bean bag. "Why do you need a tux for a news report?"
"Its not a tux, its a suit." I tore off the jacket and threw it over the sofa, leaving just the shirt and trousers.
"Well I wouldn't mind a well dressed man." Nudge winked at me from the floor.
"I would too, shame none of us has any fashion sense." Fang said and received a thrown pillow for his troubles.
The sort of flat they had put us into sat high up in the main section of MI6 HQ in Vauxhall Cross, overlooking the river and the city. The floor to ceiling windows were all fully retractable and bullet proof enough to stop a 9mm round at point blank range. Boys and girls dorms were on each side of the main flat area. A massive flat panel TV was mounted on the wall and perpetually played the news over and over. We hadn't been allowed out while Jeb tried to sort out the media but after everything over the past few days I was glad for a few days rest. The Flock was however ready to do something and cabin fever was setting in. But I felt like I was getting on well with them and I had a friendship with most of them. Fang however wasn't the most accommodating, I'd need to try and iron out relationships with him before I asked Max what had been on my mind for a while.
The door opened and M looked in.
"Jeb is waiting for you downstairs." I nodded and stood up.
"Moment of truth." Max stood up and looked at me curiously. We stood there looking at each other for a moment.
"Good luck." She passed me my jacket and held my arm for a second. She still had a sort of awkward smile on her face when she turned away. I smiled at the rest of the Flock and headed for the door.
But I couldn't miss the look of suppressed fury and confusion on Fang's face as I left.

"What was that about?" Angel asked as the door shut behind Aires.
"I'm not sure." Max was still looking at the door, a slightly worried look on her face. "He's got something on his mind." She looked over at Fang who quickly averted his gaze.
'But I can guess what it is' she thought.

The news reporter who came in looked somewhat familiar as she sat down on the other side of the desk with her cup of coffee.
"You were in the park weren't you?" She looked over the top of her cup at me.
"Yes, you crashed into the police squad when you tried to fly off." I got the feeling I was in trouble for the butterfly strips that covered the large gash on her cheek. Jeb lent in close next to my ear.
"Its probably best if you don't talk at all, this is going to make a huge difference in our fight against Itex." I frowned at him but said nothing. I thought this was my fight for safety, not Jeb's crusade against Itex.
"On in 10. Clear the set." The camera men manned their posts and the reporter shoved her cup under the desk out of sight.
"Good afternoon. I'm Joan Wakefield. With me tonight are Jeb Batchelder, advisor to MI6 and Aires, the avian-human hybrid who was the center of events in London five days ago. It is just Aires isn't it?"
"Yeah." I nodded, trying to relax and failing miserably.
"So, Aires. Can you tell us how you are? Your ordeal five days ago doesn't see to have done much."
"No, I just heal faster than normal humans, I had a sliced ligament in my ankle and cracked ribs but I feel fine." I opened my mouth to continue but Jeb cut across.
"We believe that we have an idea of who did this to Aires, not to mention possibly hundreds of other hybrids across the world." I looked over at him, his face was hardened, no trace of the smiling man left.
"And who would that be?" Joan immediately swapped targets.
"Itexicon."
"Itex? One of the biggest companies in the world?" She pressed her earphone with a finger as researchers behind the scenes scrambled for information.
"Several security agency's, including MI6, the Russian FSB and CIA have all been watching Itex closely. There has been reason to worry about some of the companies activity for quite sometime."
"And you have evidence of this?" Joan was looking skeptical.
"Your looking at it." Jeb gestured at me but didn't look at me. "This specimen is one of hundreds of recombinant lifeforms bred by Itex." I shrunk back into my seat, I didn't ask to be a show and tell subject.
"But surely you can't link this child to Itexicon? Its one thing to bring a new form of life into the world, another to bring down a company that supports the economy of every major power in the world." Joan looked at me, this interview was nothing but a publicity stunt and Jeb was the only one talking. This wasn't about the Flock, this was just Jeb's crusade against Itex and we were his evidence.
"I need some air." I muttered, tearing off the microphone on my jacket and stood up, the camera following my movements as I burst out into the the corridor outside the studio.
"Aires!" Jeb's panicked voice followed me out as I pounded along the corridor, ploughing over people who didn't move fast enough.
"I've just realized something Jeb." I yelled over my shoulder but didn't turn round.
"Aires, we haven't got time for this." A hand grabbed me and instinct kicked in, literally. The roundhouse kick that hit Jeb in the chest sent him flying back down the corridor for at least ten feet. He gulped for air like a fish out of water and for a moment I got just a tiny bit of satisfaction.
"It was never about us. Was it?" I said. The grown man rolled onto his side and coughed violently.
"Its always the bigger picture Aires." Jeb gasped between gulps of air. "It has to be."
"Thought so." I turned my back on the traitor and headed for the stairs, climbing three at a time before coming up onto the roof of the BBC. The leading edge of the building faced toward the river, but I never got lost, not now. I threw my suit jacket into the gravel of the roof, releasing 14 feet of tan wings into the air, the edge not far away and then space. Glorious freedom.
The wind was funneled up the front of the building and shot me high into the air over London, barely having to work my wings as the wind carried me up into the chilly, clear air. I'd had enough of publicity and politics, leave Jeb to sort out Itex, but I wasn't going to become a zoo exhibit and be his 'proof'. Raptor vision picked out the people on the pavement below shielding their eyes from the setting sun to look up at me. I banked round and headed for the river. It was about time to set the record straight with the Flock.

The window was open when I passed the front of our makeshift flat. I scad to a halt just inside and slammed the window shut, trying to warm myself up from the bitter cold outside.
"Guys?" I walked toward the boys door and looked in. A pair of hands grabbed me and pulled me inside.
"Alright kiddo, lets chat." Fang's low voice could have sliced steel. "You think I don't know your little game, but I do." I drew my arms up and smashed down on his wrists but instead of breaking his grip my shirt tore apart.
"Getting a bit paranoid Fang?" I raised my fists into a judo position. Six years spent having the snot kicked out of me on the judo mats looked like it was going to come in useful. "You've spent too much time on the run." He rushed me and I barely had time to raise my arms before a forearm collided with my head. Each hit was enough to break any normal persons collar bone. "Go on then!" I skipped past him and round the bunk beds in the dorm. "What is my genius plan that I don't even know about?"
"I know, thats what matters. I've seen how you look at her!" I raised my eyebrows and had to dive over the bed to escape Fang's reach.
"Who?" I clambered back up.
"Max! You want her and then you'll tear her heart out and... What?" Fang's face creased over as laughter rose out of the bottom of my shoes.
"You have....to be kidding? You think that...oh God." I doubled over with laughter. Fang stared at me and the door banged open.
"What the Hell's going on in here?" Max stood in the door, the rest of the Flock looked round. Total padded inside and looked between us.
"Smells like an overload of testosterone to me." He said sniffing.
"I'd say. Ha!" I wiped a tear from my eye ad stood straight. "You guys need to have a chat, seriously. Tell you what Fang, I'll be best man!" I ducked round the corner as a fist swooped toward me but he pulled it at the last moment, letting me run from the room, cackling impishly.

"Out, big kid talk." Max slammed the door of the dorm after shooing away the other kids and turned to Fang as he stood looking unusually awkward. "Well, for once I agree with Total. You boys need to sort your heads out. Now." Max's words sounded like they were coming from a school teacher. "What was this about? You and Air have hardly been chums since he appeared."
"I don't trust him. All of a sudden there's another one like us out of no-where and we're being 'protected'. It sticks Max." Max's face didn't change at all, still the unconvinced glare.
"Fang. Don't feed me that line. Angel hasn't felt anything from Aires, we know he's as scared of us as we are of him."
"Well Angel might be wrong." Fang muttered, avoiding her gaze.
"It was over me wasn't it?" Fang's mouth opened to protest but Max cut over him. "Angel told me the second you started your little chat. For God's sake Fang, how the Hell did you work that one out? You and your testosterone fueled head obviously. Aires isn't even interested in me, he's been asking me if he can come with us. Thats why we've been talking." Fang deflated like a burst balloon.
"I....didn't realize." His voice was hardly audible.
"No, I bet you didn't." Max stepped up next to Fang, her face inches from his. "I love you Fang, about time we faced that. Your the only person in my life I can share that with."

"Are they kissing yet?" I asked Angel quietly. She raised a finger and shut her eyes.
"I love you Fang, about time we faced up to that." Angel's mouth moved but it was Max's voice, mimicking what was happening in the other room. "Your the only person in my life I can share that with." Angel's face cringed for a moment. "Yuk, yeah, their kissing."
"Yes!" I quietly punched the air. "Thanks Angel. Your the best." I gave the girl a quick hug just as the dorm door opened and Max stood dazed.
"I did it." She murmured in a tiny voice.
"See! Aires, marriage councilor for mutant teens, I should have a business card." I beamed at her. "Well done Max. I must admit that last line was a bit corny though. 'Your the only person in my life I can share that with.' I thought you were going to burst into song." She wiped her lips and punched my arm softly.
"Don't push it, thanks for the counseling Dr Air. Anything else I need to know about the mysterious life of love I'm now leading."
"Always use protection." The look I got would have melted my eye out my sockets. "Its up to you now, don't rush and don't let him rule your life. And I get the feeling Fang likes being beaten down sometimes."
"I'm not going to give him a chance." She chuckled and headed over to the rest of the Flock. I stood looking at them for a moment before joining them.
I noticed something as I sat down next to Iggy. They no longer looked over at me like an intruder, someone not meant to be there, but with a smile and almost instantly we were laughing together, chatting, just normal kids. After a while Fang came and sat down next to Max and nodded at me, a rare smile on his face and we began chatting again, planning where to go next once all this was over, trading stories of the Flock's journeys to the Antarctic and The Institute and the storm in Miami. For a moment, just a moment, I looked around me and saw the tips of wings poking over shoulders and didn't think these kids were different. Because we were the same, I was another kid lost and found again among others like me.

A Flock.
A family.
A family I was now part of.

You swore to me he was to be kept safe. The Voice in Jeb's head cut through his thoughts like a knife.
We can't discuss this now, its too late. He's being uncooperative. There is nothing more I can do. I'll be coming for you soon.
You swore Batchelder, you swore you'd protect him.
I'm sorry. We can't wait.
Well we might have another problem. Max's clone is here. Jeb's hands balled into fists. And she's pregnant. Heavily, their giving her some kind of formula to increase the baby's growth.
Do we know who the father is?
No, but I have an idea.
You know what you need to do then.
I will not kill her, if we can save this child it might be the key to-
You are to kill that child! There was a long silence between the two minds.
You have changed Jeb, you've become the thing you meant to destroy. I'll speak with you when I know where I am. Goodbye Jeb. He felt the other mind leave his and shut away. He felt alone in his room, his plan was crumbling around him and now she had left him. He dropped his head into his hands and shut his eyes.
97.4 percent, the figure kept screaming in his mind. 97.4 percent