A yell was first to escape my mouth, followed by a natural reaction to just turn and hit whatever was in range. It was a full blown punch, I think, because the figure of fuzz backed off with a dreadful howl.

The oversize wolf-like form crouched and had its hands clasped over its left eye, shifting back with imbalance, thus wobbling side to side. It removed its hand and I grimaced at the sight of blood trailing down its cheek, staining the fur to a darker shade of grey-brown. It bared its fangs at me, growling and advancing once more.

I immediately retreated backwards, inching away. I felt my foot suddenly gave way, stepping onto nothing. I dropped backwards with a sudden relief washing over and using the leg which was still on the edge of the cliff, gave a strong push so I took to the winds.

The invisible currents of the air took a nice change of direction and had me pulled away from my opponent whom in frustration was frantically slashing his hand-like claw out to grab, yapping as well.

It was a split second later I remembered that I was in mid-air, also dropping vertically down to the crashing waves. I flipped over, and they extended. The two, almost weightless spread of feathers opened to their fullest and I felt a strain on my upper back. However, my descent speed slowed and I could feel that I was moving slightly more parallel to the sea below.

Concentration was the first thought in my head. I kept out the howls of disappointment from the wolves and I ignored the fact that I was dangerously way above ground level.

One beat down, and I shifted up a little higher. As if sweeping against my bare skin, I could feel the winds brush the very tips of the feathers; I loved it.

I took another beat down and successfully elevated myself.

I was absolutely thrilled, now that I could stay airborne without having a single fear of falling. I couldn't help but smile.

"Ran!"

I looked over my shoulder and gasped. Height had a streak of red along his temple and a gash of bite mark on his side. It didn't look like it was affecting his flight, but he was struggling to do so.

He flew straight into me and I turned around just in time to catch him. He didn't weigh as heavy as I thought he would be so holding onto him even with one arm wasn't a problem, but flying while trying to was. My wings were in an awkward position: beating was making me go backwards and downwards at the same time more then keeping myself afloat in the skies.

Thankfully, Height was still but barely beating his. He clasped weakly onto my shoulder, uttering under his breath.

"Hold on. I'll get you back to my place", I said.

Home was the only place I could think of right now which was safe enough, even though the rest were probably there. But if I snuck in through the window they wouldn't know I'm there.

"No, I'm not going there", he growled.

"Look, you're injured and bleeding badly. The best I can do is wrap it up", I frowned at his insolence.

"No. Just… find a place a little further from here and I'll be fine."

"I said I'm bringing you back, whether you like it or not", I snapped. "Now where's the direction of the city?"

Height fell silent in my arms. I don't know what he's thinking about, but it had better be that he's debating to accept the situation.

"Fine. Head in the direction opposing the sun. However, you've got to fly much higher for the humans to not be able to recognise what you are."

I sniffed. Right, currently I'm a little oversized to be flying too close to the ground. I held Height around his upper back while he held on around my waist. I have no idea how I'm going to do this, but I have to get back nevertheless.

"Arch your back and keep your legs straight", Height mumbled, as if understanding that I was clueless about my flight. "Beat as far as your wings can go for now to gain height."

He made it sound easy. It actually was. My legs fully extended back and as if naturally, my backbone seemed to lengthen without pain. It was all in the control, I think. I was telling myself a repeated rhythm of ups and downs. Clearly it worked.

I was finally able to head home. It felt like ages since I've been there.

-------

After about fifteen minutes, the city was in sight. I never really notice, even in a plane, how massive the place I lived in was. I was doing some useless thinking, like how small everything looked. It was as if I was staring at the bugs at my feet. Everything was tiny.

I really enjoyed the trip though, despite having to carry and extra load. Height was silent throughout the entire time, but I couldn't see his face without losing my stability in the air. So I chose not to take a look. He didn't move a muscle, just kept a loose but sure grip.

I searched around for a familiar park which was near home. Apparently it was west of where we currently were.

Another five minutes and I was pretty much hovering above my roof. I was waiting for the best time when no one was around. However, when I got the chance to, I was stuck. I just realised I didn't know how to make a descent in the first place.

I took my chance anyway. I wasn't going to stay up here forever and wait another time when the people below clear out. I think I dived for the roof, which was a big mistake.

Height suddenly turned our positions and ended up being the one doing the landing. When he switched, he started beating his wings really hard, but in swift, small angles. From the swap, I was facing towards the sky and had no idea when we were going to reach. My heart stopped beating for a moment or two.

The next thing I knew, I was left to be settled down on my feet. Height was crumbled on the ground beside. I was totally puzzled. I knelt beside him and took the arm on his uninjured side and threw it over my shoulder.

"What was that about?" I asked softly, hoisting him to his feet.

"Don't know", he uttered. "Just trying to make sure we didn't crash or something."

I scoffed. Yeah right. So I didn't know how to do any landing whatsoever.

Thankfully, but for some reason, the others weren't back yet. I brought Height down into my room and went to grab the first-aid on the lower floor. I went back up and found him standing by the window.

"It won't be good if someone saw you", I stated, kneeling on a knee by the bed and flicking open the box.

"It doesn't matter", he replied, but somehow, I comprehended it to be a growl.

I fished out the antiseptic and bandages. "Sit down. I'll deal with your wounds."

"Don't have to. They're fine", he looked over his shoulder at me.

"Don't try to be all high and mighty. A wound's a wound so stop-", I paused when he pulled aside the stained area of his clothes. His skin was smooth and firm as if nothing happened at all. What in the world…

"Remember Ran, we're not human. Even your own injuries have faded off."

I was surprised at what he said. What he said had been true. I never noticed that my arm and leg were better and was running to and fro. Freaky, if you ask me.

"Well, whatever", I sniffed and threw the stuff back into its box, shutting it with slight annoyance. I left the box where it was and went to my cupboard, pulling out a pair of jeans and a baggy top. I folded my wings in the slight awkward angle, forcing them a little lower and the tips overlapped just a little past my butt.

"You shouldn't do that. It's not comfortable", Height commented. I glared at him to mind his own business and wore the top over, followed by a jacket to hide the big bump on my back.

"I think you can leave now", I said, sitting on my bed.

"Why should I? After I finally got to meet you personally…"

I raised an eyebrow at him. That didn't sound very right.

"Explain yourself, clearly."

"There is only that much I know, but I'll tell you anyway." He walked over and sat on the floor beside my knee, leaning back against the bed. "You know we're both not human, right?"

"Well, you're not at least", I corrected and I felt my knee receive a nudge. I kept silent.

"The guy you're supposed to assassinate? He's the one who had me created. He managed to fuse the DNA of my kind with humans, sort of like reforming us from birds to people. I suppose I'm the only one who succeeded the reformatting of genes.

"I managed to escape and fled to the nearby woods and stayed there for months, learning how to be the way I was now. For some reason though, I kept popping back and forth from human to bird."

I got a little annoyed with the beating about the bush information. I crossed my arms and legs, seeing if this hint would tell him to get on with it.

"So one fine day I found you with your group of humans fighting off some mutated guy. I followed you then on, found out you were like me. Only different."

"What sort of way?" I inquired.

"I was reformed from bird to man. You were the opposite. You became from man to bird."

I stood up from my seat and stood a few feet away where I could look down at him.

"So you're saying we're both some kind of experiment?"

Height didn't look up. He continued staring down at the ground. "Yes, and here comes the harder part to digest."

"He's out to get us back, isn't he?" I interrupted. Sapphire eyes raging with hatred flicked up and I flinched a little.

"That's right, and those that you've seen are his little minions. They're the reformed wolves as humans. I have no idea why, but they're working for him. They weren't at first, because when I fled, most of the others did too." He raked his hair back.

I gave a sigh of distraught. This was getting from bad to worse. I don't intend on living my entire life running away from some psycho. God knows what he'll do if he ever got to us. Heck, I don't even want to think about it.

"Anyway, just leave."

"I won't", came the firm reply. I glared down at him as a warning.

"You can't stay here anyway. The rest will be back any minute and they'll freak out if they see you. And those things on your back."

"Why are you so secretive about them? I don't think there's anything wrong with being out here in public, just because they are there", he growled, pushing himself onto his feet. "Ran, you're not like them anymore. Stop siding them. You're different now. You're one of us so you have to think like us."

"What do you mean by that, saying that I'm siding man? And for your information I was made to be like you. I had no single intention of becoming one of you so stop haunting me to be the same", I snapped angrily, hands fisting.

"You don't get it do you?" Height frowned. He reached out and grabbed my wrist and locked it on my lower back even before I could respond. I felt a sharp twist along my muscle and I chocked back a soft cry.

"What the hell are you trying to do?" I hissed, barely able to look over my shoulder.

"Make sure you remember you're one of us", he said.

I felt a sharp pain against the back of my neck and I yelped. It was the exact same feel when a sharp beak just grabs your skin and holds on, pinching that small area of skin and not letting go.

I didn't know what the hell Height was up to, but he wasn't releasing me at all. He remained bit onto my neck and I felt a hand under my jacket first, then top. I struggled a bit from the grip before they weakened.

Height trailed his hand along my mid back and it caused me to shudder. It sent a nice pleasant feeling down my back and I reluctantly moaned.

Next, I was pushed down to the ground and by the time I recovered, Height was gone. The feeling tingled in the back of my brain at first, but my attention was drawn away by the footsteps on the stairway.

I got up, walked out and found the other three; Omi in Ken's arms asleep. He was bandaged up well, so I assumed he was alright.

"Aya! We were looking all over for you!" Ken said through grit teeth, in a small voice. I assumed he didn't want to wake the youngest up.

I just nodded. "Had to direct the unwanted company from Omi."

"You're not hurt?" Yoji asked and I nodded again. "That's odd, seeing that you fell from such height."

"It's a miracle", I said sarcastically and the two stared at me. "Never mind."

"Well, Omi's fine. The doctor said he hasn't sustained as much injuries as he thought, so yeah. Do you want to have a check too?" Ken asked as he went into Omi's room and putting him down on his bed.

"I'm fine", I said again and leaned against the wall of the hallway. I could've sworn Yoji was eyeing me suspiciously, and I had no right to say he shouldn't. I'd obviously think he would be lying, if the person had just made a freefall from a high building. "What about you two?" I attempted to change the centre of the topic.

"We're both fine, just minor stuff we can live", Ken walked out and closed the door behind him and paused. "How did you get back here so fast? I mean, you didn't drive to the site and Yoji and I took both our vehicles."

Great, why do they always end up with the questions I will have a hard time answering?

I shrugged. They gave me those looks again.

"I'm tired, so I'll just be in my room", I dismissed them and turned. I was about to step into the room when someone grabbed my elbow. I looked over and it was Yoji. "What?"

"There's blood on your neck", he said and reached over past my view of vision. He brushed against the spot when Height had bit me earlier and I hit his hand, stepping away.

The brunette and the blonde stared at me as if I did something really bad.

"It's nothing", I said and rushed into my room before any of them could say anything. I shut the door and locked it. I leaned against it quietly, listening if those two had any further conversation. Thankfully, they had none and I heard their footsteps fade further into the hall.

I reached up and carefully rubbed the back of my neck. A cold liquid was first upon contact. I accidentally smudged it a little and I removed my hand, leaving a slightly cool feeling. I glanced down to my fingers at a red patch.

"Damn you." I cursed softly.

Blah. how nice. i continued. i got exams coming ups oon (i'm a poor soul) hope ya like this chappie :) apologies for rubbish english.