Chapter 7
I stared at the helicopter door for a second, realizing that, if I hadn't pulled my head back, I could've lost my head, get the joke. Then I remembered that our helicopter was about to crash onto the streets of NYC.
"Open the door!" I yelled to Iggy and Gazzy. They both ran toward the door and started pulling on it, with no success. I looked around the helicopter, trying to find something to help. Then I saw a button marked 'Open/Close' next to the door. I sprinted over to the button and slammed my hand down onto it. The door slid open and I pushed Iggy and Gazzy out. Then I jumped, unfurled my wings, and flew as quickly as I could away from the falling helicopter. I looked back and saw that Gazzy and Iggy were on my tail, and I continued flying. Then there was a loud boom and the sound of shattering glass and roaring flames filled the air. I winced. Then I noticed a cloud moving towards us. My bird eyes saw the black cloud in the night as if there was a flashlight behind it. I could also see that the different parts of the cloud had wings. "Flyboys!" I turned my head and saw that the cloud of flyboys was surrounding us. My mind was racing. I began to feel like I was running through a shrinking tunnel that never ended. Then, as the flyboys were only two hundred feet away, I yelled, "Follow me!" and went into a dive. I looked back and saw Iggy and Gazzy behind me. Then I looked forward and saw that I was about to crash into the ground. I turned quickly so that I was parallel to the ground, almost crashing into it at a hundred miles per hour. Then I pushed my chin into my chest and put my hands on top of my head as I crashed through a window. I flew through a lobby, weaved around a metal wall in the middle of it, and crashed through another window.
As Iggy and Gazzy weaved around the wall, Gazzy asked, "Max, what are you doing?" Then I heard crashes and explosions as flyboys crashed into the wall and exploded. Then I slid to a stop and ended up next to a manhole. I grabbed the manhole and pulled it up, revealing the river of sewage beneath.
"Get down, now!" I yelled. Iggy felt the space and jumped into the water. Gazzy jumped through next, and I followed them through. There was a loud splash as I crashed into the water. I was underwater for a second. I came up spluttering. Then I gagged as the sewer smell reached my nose. I grabbed the walkway that ran along the pipe and pulled myself out of the water. My hair stuck to my soaked leather jacked and water dripped onto the floor. I saw Iggy and Gazzy pulling their soaked selves out of the water. I ran over to them, crouched down, and asked, "Everyone okay?"
Iggy spit out some water and replied, "I'm good."
"I'm good to go," said Gazzy. He shook his head, spraying water everywhere.
"Gazzy!" I yelled, putting my hands in front of my face to protect it. Then I noticed something in the wall. It looked like a rectangle was carved into it. "Wait a second." Then I heard a clang as another manhole cover hit the bottom of the pipe. "Uh-oh." I didn't want to, but it was my only option. I pushed the rectangle and it opened inwards. I grabbed Iggy and Gazzy and dragged them inside. Then I pushed the door closed.
"Where are-?" Gazzy started to say, but then realization crept onto his face.
"What?" asked Iggy.
"We're in the Institute," I said.