-hides behind table from angry readers-
This story hadn't been updated for weeks and weeks, and I'm so sorry! :(
It's just that I've been hitting a bit of author's block with this story, and my muse wouldn't let me stop working on an other story, and -
I'm sorry!
But I'm sure you don't want to read about my excuses, right?
So on with the (very belated) chapter...
How could you not see what was right before your eyes?
Fang POV
Sunlight tore through my eyelids like a knife through paper.
Distantly, I could feel someone prodding me in the side.
"Yo, Fang. Get up already!"
I groaned, and shifted so that the sun wouldn't shine so brightly into my eyes.
"Fang! It's a freaking eleven o'clock! Get up!" Another prod, harder this time. "Even Nudge is up. Do you want me to get her to yell in your ear? Maybe that'll convince you."
Nudge? Please, no.
With more effort than it should have taken, I snapped my eyes open. "No Nudge," I pleaded.
The Flock—and Ella—were standing around me. To my right, Iggy was laughing his head off, and Nudge whacked him in the arm. "That wasn't nice," she said.
I slowly sat up, and put a hand down to support myself. But instead of hitting soft blanket and bed like I was expecting, my hand unwittingly hit the ground.
I blinked, and looked around me again.
"Why am I in the hallway?" I asked, getting up.
Max shrugged. "That's what I wanted to ask you."
"Maybe he was sleepwalking," Iggy suggested, poking me in the arm. It was freaky how he could do that, seeing that he was blind and all.
Nudge looked at me curiously. "Are you feeling okay? You don't sleepwalk. And since when do you sleep to, like, eleven? Not even Total sleeps that late!"
"Hey!" Said lazy lump of black fur looked indignant as he glared up at her from his position at her feet.
Standing up, I swayed a little, resting a hand on the wall to steady myself. I frowned when I realized that whatever memories I had of yesterday were hazy, as if I were looking at them through a screen, and blinked at the sunlight that was suddenly seemed far too bright.
My arm burned dully, my head pounded with the beginnings of a killer headache, and I felt about as strong as a baby bird.
What was wrong with me?
"Are you okay, Fang?" Angel asked.
"'Course," I lied. "I just need a nice, long shower, that's all." I started down the hallway.
Liar. She accused in my head.
Oh. Right. Mind reader.
Already, the Flock was beginning to disperse, seeing as I was not dead or maimed or anything, so I left as well, pretending to not have heard her.
Inwardly, I was relieved that Angel didn't voice her thoughts out loud. The Flock was worried enough as it was with out me.
Outwardly, I tried to walk quickly-and, most importantly, normally-to my room. But I noted with dismay that I had to pause twice, leaning against the wall, panting, trying to catch my breath.
What was wrong with me?
Max POV
Scowling, I slumped against the wall, hand to my forehead.
I'd almost prefer being surprised by Itex and running away on impulse to this. This preparing.
Angel wanted to bring her toys, particularly her second-hand teddy bear collection.
Nudge asked if she could pack some of her dresses.
Total wants to carry along a year's supply of food. 'To meet his refined sensibilities', or so he says.
And I made the mistake of relenting to Gazzy and Iggy's constant nagging, saying that they could make a few bombs just in case. Do I really need to explain why this was a bad idea?
Right on cue, a loud bang sounded from upstairs.
"I said connect the yellow and the red together, not the yellow and green!"
I groaned, and hoped that the damage wouldn't be too bad.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw movement from the kitchen. I tensed, then relaxed again as Fang came into view.
"You 'kay?" I asked. Fang seemed a little pale and wobbly. "You did follow Mom's instructions and didn't strain yourself, right?" Who was I kidding?
Fang swiped at his face with a shaky hand. "Yeah…I'm fine. And I packed the emergency backpacks, just as you asked. Now what?"
I thought for a moment, then said. "Find the Flock and tell them to meet me in the living room."
Within two minutes, everyone was assembled and ready, sitting around the coffee table. That was how good the Flock was.
"Okay," I said, leaning forwards on the couch. "So basically, our emergency supplies are ready, right? Just in case any more Flyboys storm into the house, or ambush us, or anything."
Nods all around.
I took one bulging canvas backpack from the table and checked its contents. Clothing, food, materials, all seemed to be accounted for.
I closed it and leaned back, satisfied that we were on our way to being prepared.
"Good. Now-"
I stopped abruptly, as Fang kneeled over and fainted, right there, on the ground.
"Fang!" I shouted, echoed by the cries of the Flock.
I kneeled beside him, shaking him softly. "Fang!"
Then, his dark eyes flickered open and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fang! Are you okay?" I said as I stood up. "Fang?"
My brow creased as I regarded him thoughtfully. There was something…not quite right…
That's about when he leapt at me.
Instinctively, I brought up a hand to block a blow. I winced as my arm went numb when he hit it.
What's going on? That shouldn't happen—was he heavier than before?
"Fang!" Nudge shouted. "What are you doing?"
The Fang in question was moving to fight, limbs blurry in a fit of attacks. It was all I could do just to block them. I was normally better than him when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting, but now, he was slowly driving me back. Already, I could feel one wallpapered wall pressing into my back.
Was it just me, or did Fang's eyes flash red?
"Gmmph! Get off her, Fang! Are you crazy?"
Iggy and Gazzy were wrestling with Fang, who seemed quite capable of taking care of both of them single-handedly. I wriggled, but Fang's body effectively pinned me to the wall.
"Oof!" Iggy flew backwards into the couch from a blow from Fang. Fang grabbed Gazzy and punched him in the jaw, knocking him unconscious on the ground. Then, he turned to me.
Never let it be said that the great Max was scared. But, in that one second, I was.
This was not the Fang we knew.
Fang leaned forwards, smiling in a sinister, creepy way he usually wouldn't have been caught dead in and…were those freaking fangs I saw flashing in the bright afternoon sunlight? I know the boy's named after them, but…
I struggled wildly in his grasp. "Get off me, you idiot!" Why, oh why did he have to be taller than me? I couldn't see a thing aside from his black shirt.
"Get off her!" I got a brief glimpse of Nudge and Angel whacking his head with one of Mom's heavy dictionaries they must have found under the coffee table.
That was all I needed to push myself off the wall and barrel him into the floor.
"Fang…" I gritted out, sitting on his chest and pushing with all of my birdkid strength in trying to keep him down.
"Max! What's going on?"
Oh, great.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mom and Ella rushing into the room, probably worrying that we were getting attacked or something. How right they were.
But right now, they'd only be a liability. This…this not-Fang brought down both Iggy and Gazzy and made look as if he were on a walk in the park. Mom and Ella wouldn't even be a cause for worrying in the way for him doing…
What was he doing?
Because I was sure this wasn't not-Fang randomly being rabid and biting everything in sight. There was something calculating and decisive in his attacks, as if he was systematically getting rid of the Flock.
Right now, he was jumping up, completely knocking me to the ground. He took no notice of my vulnerable position, though, but was glaring at Mom with narrowed eyes. He curled his lip and snarled—yes, he actually snarled. As in Crazy-Eraser snarl.
He shifted his arm slightly, and I saw part of the bandage on his arm loosen and slump off. Underneath, the skin was mottled purple and blue, somehow organizing themselves before my eyes into a long sinuous swirling and flowing design like one of those intricate tattoos you see in photos that look as if they took forever and a year to get done.
I tore my eyes from his arm. "Mom!" I shouted. "Don't do anything. There's something wrong with—"
Fang pounced.
Mom never had a chance.
The weight of him slammed her against the wall, and her eyes were starting to flutter close. Too late, I could feel myself running, running for her.
Fang pressed his face to her neck, and in one swift motion, tore Mom's throat out.
You know how whenever someone gets injured, somehow blood spurts everywhere?
Yeah. That happens, and more.
"Mom!" Ella shouted, reaching out for the body of her—of our—mother. I pinned her against the wall, shielding her from whatever not-Fang was planning on doing.
A raw shout ripped itself from Nudge's lips as she bounded forwards, hands outstretched.
"I don't know what happened to you, but you can't get away with it," she growled.
Fang turned towards her, and smiled, red blood staining his chin and dripping down his shirt. He dropped the lifeless body of Mom and bounded forwards, knocking Nudge to the ground. "To the contrary, I can," he said. "I can totally get away with it."
It was strangely horrifying hearing Fang's voice speak words that couldn't be his.
Fang—I mean not-Fang—stood up and stepped away from the fallen Nudge. He reached into the pocket of his jeans and drew out a small rod that was wrapped with what looked like brown paper.
Beside me, Angel paled. "No! Don't!"
What was it? I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
Fang unfurled his wings, ruffling the black feather around a bit. He smiled wider and shook the rod-thing in his hand. "Nabbed this from Iggy and Gazzy when they weren't looking. Thought it'll be helpful, don't you think?"
My eyes widened as I realized what it was. "No, please don't, not-Fang—I mean…"
"Not-Fang?" he mused, looking amused. "Probably appropriate. The Fang you know is dead." Not-Fang grinned, and smashed the rod against the wall. Instantly, bright-yellow flames burst from the wallpaper. "Goodbye."
With that, he smashed through a nearby window and took off.
For a moment, I stood staring at his quickly-receding figure, already a dot above the trees, not quite able to believe what just happened. The heat of the flames quickly brought me to reality.
"Guys! Get out! Out!" I screamed, grabbing Ella. I saw Nudge lifting the unconscious body of Gazzy, wobbling slightly under his weight. "Iggy! Ten o'clock, get outside, and straight up. Now!"
I jumped through the smashed window, aware that the flames of Iggy and Gazzy's bomb were spreading throughout the house. Flaring my wings, I leapt into the air, Ella shrieking in my arms.
The rest of the Flock followed.
I stared uncomprehendingly at the tiny dot on the horizon that was not-Fang for a second, then angled my wings for a nearby forest, the Flock and the burning wreckage of what was previously our home at my back.
Not a particularily good chapter...
That was actually supposed to be shorter, but I've been such a bad updater that you guys deserve a longer chapter.
Review?