So, so sorry for the wait, readers! I've just been on a short holiday to Europe, in which most of my computer escapades were banned :( and by the time I got back, my laptop had crashed for some unknown reason :( But thankfully it's now up and running again and I'm able to present to you the latest chapter of Membrane Of Lies. Special thanks to all my reviewers :) :)

And I'm pleased to announce that throughout this chapter, Jeb makes a decision concerning Iggy's secret :) I won't spoil any more for you, so read, review and enjoy!

-Twinleafe

Throughout all Jeb's musings, his careful unravelling of various gene pools to create the miracles that were the School's mutants to this day, Jeb had never encountered an anomaly such as the one that currently paced before him, muttering under his breath while the flock chattered in the kitchen several doors down.

Jeb had been worried about Iggy for a while.

No, that wasn't right. He had been worried about Iggy from the beginning, ever since the shy, malnourished nine-year-old child had approached him in the truck, whispering words that would turn his world around, words that would shroud himself and his wings – the evidence – in lies. Now, years later, not only did Jeb have to contend with the stubbornness that came naturally to teenagers his age, he also had to worry about how the psychological effects of hiding his true self from the flock would affect Iggy.

Jeb had walked in on that fateful day when Iggy had cut himself in the bathroom. Jeb could still see it in his mind's eye: the red running down Iggy's smooth, pale arms and turning the water crimson, staining the white of the sink, like tomato juice on snow. What stung him was that he had been unable to help; bundling Iggy up in a dressing gown and helping him onto the sofa in the living room, proceeding to question him with what he thought was entirely justified concern.

Iggy had just stared back at him in brooding silence and Jeb had somehow sensed a terrible, terrible rage building under the surface. And so Jeb had fought to keep it contained in the years that followed; listening politely when Iggy vented his complaints about Max's phobia, dissuading Iggy from cutting himself again, holding back the outbursts that seemed to be becoming all the more likely to explode out of him nowadays.

Jeb still had the video the School had taken the day Iggy had been forced to fight the two Erasers inside the arena. Jeb knew from his long talks with the bat hybrid that Iggy didn't know it himself, but the two Erasers had ended up with their ribcages completely caved in, their hearts pulled out and crudely dissected and their arms and legs separate from their bodies, each limb snapped completely in half.

Jeb didn't want to admit it, but he was afraid. Deathly, deathly afraid of the anomaly they had unintentionally released upon the world.

Iggy had long been resigned to hiding his true self; it was only now, after years of sleepless nights waiting for that uneven flap of leathery wings to sound above the porch of the E-shaped house, that Jeb began to believe it was best to carry on hiding, for fear of whatever would be lurking beneath Iggy's mask of lies and feathers.

And what was worse, Jeb wasn't sure if Iggy knew or was even aware of whatever it was that lurked beneath his lies. Jeb couldn't deny Iggy had seemed different when the flock had rejoined each other after the siege of Itex; altogether darker and more brooding that the cold, composed teenager that had talked with Jeb in the grey light before morning back in the E-shaped house.

Every one of the flock had had some story to tell of what had transpired to them when they had split up in Itex's siege. Iggy hadn't told his.

31 days. Jeb had chanced upon that fragment of Iggy's muttering when he had checked in on him while Iggy had been sleeping. That scrap of mumbled nonsense might have been dismissed as gibberish to any other, but Jeb's blood had run cold.

31 days.

How could Iggy have known?

Being the analyst he was, Jeb's mind had instantly flown to Iggy's neglect to tell of what had happened to him in Itex's siege. The rest of the flock had returned to the E-shaped house with many cuts and bruises, faces flushed. Iggy had returned silent, cold, scuffing the ground with his sneakers and continually glancing back at the burning shell of Itex's headquarters with what Jeb now thought to be nervousness.

31 days. Iggy had mumbled that with a high, nasally inflection Jeb found familiar, but who...

Jeb's fists clenched; the by-now heavily abused mouse sent the computer screen flickering into a frenzy that Iggy failed to notice. Marian.

Jeb had noted Iggy's abrupt return to the topic of Marian Jensen screaming at him in the lab when he was created; if Marian had had some contact with Iggy during Itex's siege, his worrying about her would make perfect sense.

Now all Jeb had to crack was the mystery of the 31 days, what Marian had told Iggy, and who, or what, Iggy's true self was.

31 days.

It was a dilemma. Who Iggy really was could be far too dangerous for Maximum to confront head-on. Although he pretended not to, Jeb knew that every member of the flock had been created to provide some support or increase in Maximum's strength.

But he hadn't been there when Iggy was created. Thus he had no way of knowing if Iggy was truly meant to be a part of the flock at all- or if Iggy had been a separate endeavour from the Maximum Project.

Marian knew. Jeb was certain of it. She had been there when Iggy was created, after all. She would know everything about him; from Iggy's chiroptera genes, to the brief flashes of inhuman rage Jeb sometimes detected stirring under the surface, like magma from a volcano about to erupt.

And if it did…

Jeb's other fist clenched now. The computer had long given up any attempt to follow his mouse clicks, and had now subsided onto the login screen. He was intensely worried about Iggy's psychological state right now, but he couldn't be sure if interfering would just bring yet another one of Itex's projects crashing down around their ankles. Just as he couldn't be sure if Iggy hiding himself from the flock was all part of whatever project Iggy had been created a part of, or if there was any separate project at all. But he couldn't let Iggy continue doing this to himself for long; sooner or later Jeb would have to interfere, or Iggy would explode.

And Maximum would likely be the first target. So in reality, it was really best the flock knew about Iggy's secret, then they could prepare for whatever or whoever Iggy was unconsciously building under the surface.

31 days.

What the hell was 31 days? What had Marian told Iggy?

Jeb had thought. He had thought and thought and thought for the past fourteen years, pondered until his head was likely to explode, analysed his way through all the options, but he could see no other option.

31 days.

Iggy and Jeb were in the spare guest bedroom to the left of the kitchen now; there was always a chance Jeb could sneak out into the kitchen to the flock under the pretence of getting an apple. But Iggy entering the kitchen and finding Jeb dobbing him in would likely ignite his rage. Jeb knew it was best to wait until night; night-time was when Iggy was away flying and there would be no chance of him walking in.

31 days.

Jeb would tell the flock tonight.

CLIFFHANGER! Haha, I'm so evil, aren't I?

Pheaugh, that was hard to write! Sorry if this chapter was missing my usual style; I had to cram a lot of information in, plus Jeb is a terror to write from the POV of. And Iggy's meant to be some sort of murdering, angsty maniac now? Hmm… not entirely what I planned it to sound like. But we'll have more on that in later chapters :)

Of course, it doesn't help that I'm listening to music while writing. I always seem to be listening to music while writing Membrane Of Lies, don't I? :)

Speaking of music, my virtual hugs and commendations to anyone who can correctly guess the names of the songs mentioned in chapters 2 and 4!

You all probably know the drill by now; read and review :)

-Twinleafe