Fourteen Years Later...

Ditto's POV

I looked back over my shoulder, barely flinching at the sight I beheld as I did so. A rather large man in a navy suit was chasing me on foot, reaching for his taser. I dove as the small tip shot out towards me, and protected my neck with my arms as I did a forward roll across the sidewalk, through a crowd of people, and into an alley. I felt the tip graze my overlarge camouflaged hooded jacket, but as I weighed that against having it lodge itself into my back and electrocuting me… it seemed really unimportant.

"Stop! Thief!" Called the policeman, and I leapt onto the dumpster occupying good space in the alleyway. Before the balding man had even rounded the corner into the alleyway, I had jumped higher than a normal fourteen-year-old should be able to jump, and was climbing a fire escape, stolen parcel under my arm.

I turned sideways to see him better, and by now, there was the flashing of lights and the screaming of sirens to shatter the noontime stir. For such a huge city, New York hadn't bee my favorite hiding place. Sure, there was enough commotion that you could smuggle a zebra through a street without being noticed, but where there are literally over 18 million people, there is going to be an awful lot of coppers.

The man spoke into his radio, and you would have thought I was a murderer with all the fuss they were making. I suspected it to be because of a slow day. But no matter the reason, I had to make a clean escape. I didn't care that they were writing down my hair and skin color, and I even gave the man a really good look at my eyes. It didn't matter; this wasn't how I really looked anyways. The creamy tanned skin? Not mine. The short black hair? Not mine. The dark brown eyes? You guessed it: not mine.

I didn't even care that I heard people describing my clothes; there were thousands of people wearing camouflage and jeans right at that moment. A new, thinner and more muscular man was now trying to heave himself up onto the fire escape ladder (which by the way, probably isn't supposed to be climbed up). I was hanging over the railing of the platform with an amused expression on my face. I quickly lifted myself up to the next highest platform, pleased to see that the policeman was still fighting his way up the first ladder.

I sat on the next step and checked to see that everything I had liberated from that store was still tucked safely into the newspaper I had snatched along the way. Always good to know what's going on in the Senate, right? Like I even cared.

I unfolded the paper, glancing back at the officer, who was a good three flights of steps below me. I only needed a moment to check, and then I would be on the roof of the building. After that, I was as good as gone.

I sighed in exasperation at the sight of my squished sandwich; that forward roll with my arms clamped to my sides must have done it. The Cheetos were probably cheese dust by now, and I bet the Ho-Hos weren't always pancake-shaped. I carefully refolded the items into the packet I had made with the paper, and jumped up the next flight of steps with the grunting cop on my tail.

"AAHH!!" I screeched as the package slipped out of my grasp. I was dumb enough to dive after it, and within seconds, I was free falling from about five stories up. I made a split-second decision and internally measured the alley. It was a good fifteen feet across, I decided. In literally a second, I had pushed my wings through the holes cut into my jacket, and they snapped out wide, catching the air I rode on.

I heard several gasps, and a loud clattering and thumping as the cop on my tail fell off the ladder in shock. I swooped over the crowd of navy-suited people, cursing them all for my lost meal, which was now splattered all over the dumpster lid.

I growled to myself as I shot over the street, listening in humiliation and anger as people marveled and screamed at my glorious wings. Hot tears threatened in my eyes as I hid my face and grew out my hair back into its usual state, strawberry-blond and long.

It wasn't my fault the people were screaming. Not my fault they gawked and pointed. If I had it my way, I'd be down there too, gawking and pointing, and not being the one gliding over cars and busses, just low enough to be spotted, too high to be seen crying.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, I relaxed my muscles, looking around for a place to land. The roof of a building was extremely appealing, but I knew News choppers would be out looking for me. There is absolutely no way a bird-girl can be left alone in this city. I decided I would be better off if people didn't see me flying; lord knows how easy it will be for the white-coats to find me now.

So I landed lightly in another alley, hitting the ground so softly that it was like I hadn't just bee flying over the city. I shed my jacket and tied it around my waist, already wearing a forest-green tank top beneath it. Have you guessed yet that I like my natural colors?

I reluctantly removed a knife from my pocket and hacked at my hair until the long blond locks were at my shoulders. I grew out my bangs with great effort (morphing isn't as easy as it looks) and through a quick and painless process that I can't explain without pulling out the scientific dictionary, turned my hair dark auburn. I decided a blue-eyed redhead was a little too exotic for a girl who was in hiding, so I held the knife up to my face, staring into my own reflection. I swiftly changed my eyes from their usual blue to brown and gave myself freckles. Then, I flipped the blade closed.

Pleased with myself, like I usually am after transforming, I walked casually into the street, where people were carrying on with their afternoons like there wasn't a bird-kid in their midst. Idiots, I thought immediately. Then I blushed to myself, realizing that a normal human education did not usually include learning how to tell a bird-kid from a kid-kid.

I wandered around, which was hard to do seeing as the currents on the sidewalk were trying to push me one way or the other. The entire time, I had my face tilted towards the sky. That was how I usually endured my severe claustrophobia.

I stopped just outside a newsstand, where the traffic of people seemed to thin considerably. I caught the eye of the man behind the counter, and gave a weak grin. He didn't grin back. I raised my brow as if to say 'Rude much?' and went to rifle through the newspapers and magazines. Of course, being the little foreign birdie I was, it never occurred to me that the news of the past four hours wouldn't already be in print. But you know what? It was okay. Because at that moment, the little television perched behind the counter flashed a blinding red, attracting the attention of quite a few people and nearly blinding me, with my over-sensitive eyes.

"Warning. There have been reports lately of a flying person. This creature was first sighted in a Woodmere alley, being chased by police, because the creature had stolen from a local drugstore." A woman's voice said, and the screen panned from one picture to another, all very blurry images of… me. "Police described the creature to be feminine in appearance, about thirteen or fourteen years in age, with short black hair, dark skin, and brown eyes. 'She' was also seen wearing a camouflage hooded jacket and jean pants. When the creature spread her wings, however, there was much excitement. Its wings were an orange color, with brown feathers near the bottom and black tips.

"Later on, a different creature was seen flying through the streets, at about sixty feet. This one had longer blonde hair and pale skin. Police believe there are multiple creatures of this kind, and references have been made to the appearance of similar beings about fifteen years ago."

I stared at the woman, who was shuffling papers on her professional-looking wooden desk. Similar beings?

"Rewards will be handed out to anyone that can attain information on these creatures, and anyone with such knowledge should contact your local police station or…"

I was already gone before I knew whom to call. My mind was buzzing, and I ran into more people than I could count. There are others like me! Oh my God, how do I find them? They might be able to… What if I have a family? A real one? Friends and parents and sisters and brothers… Like Blue…

I didn't care anymore; not about secrecy or lying low, or my brilliant plans for survival. I lifted myself atop a parked car, producing protests from people, especially the car's owner, who was busy unlocking it. I didn't care. I unfurled my great orange wings with a snap. I didn't care. I heard the gasps and cries from spectators, and saw flashes as cameras saved my image. I didn't care!

And with a laugh that only a person with one goal and no cares can laugh, I leaped into the air and caught the wind, allowing myself to drift along slowly, probably only clocking thirty miles per hour. I grinned broadly at the people below, allowing myself to bask in their attention.

But I didn't care. Because I was going to find my home.

Author's Note: This is from Ditto's POV. I will most likely be experimenting with POVs, but seeing as Ditto's persona matched my own more closely that Blue's does, I will probably be using hers more often. I hope you liked it, and the next installation will come after I get 5 reviews, no exceptions. I will wait as long as I have to ;) Please don't just sit in the corner, I want to know what you think. Even if you just want to swing by and give an opinion

Just wanted to give amsrule a shout-out; she's a great pal and writer (and I wanna see how long it takes her to realize that I posted a MaxRide story lol)