Sorry, to any faithful reader, for not updating sooner! I will be more faithful. Oh, special thanks to violetrulz132! So far, my only reviewer for this story.

I do not own MR. Although I really wish I did.

Because of Ari Chapter 2

Oh. My. God.

To say I was surprised is a huge understatement.

"I mean, it's understandable if someone already asked you to go. I mean, I hope no one has asked you yet. But I wouldn't be surprised if you already have a date. And I was just wondering, because I really like you. Of course, you probably already guessed that, but anyway - " He was smiling now. Smiling.

Wait a minute. Me? Him? Like me? What? This is all new weird and freaky, at this point in time. I mean, first, prom's a pagan dance thing, and why would I want to go?

Ummm, Max? Didn't you want to go? Angel thought.

Wow, she was right. So there is an upside to having a girl who could read minds. Well, besides warning us from persons with evil intentions, convincing Erasers to commit suicide, and stuff like that.

I thought about it. Yes, I did like Joe. And yes, I wanted to go to prom. In fact, to put the two together would be perfect. I smiled thinking of a Max-having-one-perfect-night thought.

"Why, I would love to go to prom with you," I said, smiling widely and openly, Joe grinning with me. And I didn't mind at all that I was carrying a fluffy huge pink nightmare.

"OMG, Max! I can't believe you're going to prom! With Joe! Max, do you know how cute he is? He's like a total babe! He's like almost as handsome as Fang - " and Nudge rambled on more, but I didn't hear it. My mind stopped working at the word Fang. Crap. Forgot about him. What's he going to think? How's he going to take it? What if Fang beats up Joe? Wh -

And why would Fang do that? annoying voice said.

Don't ask me! I responded. Who knows how Fang thinks. Well, except for Angel. And how embarrassing would it be if I asked her?

Then I really began to think why Fang would do that. Because maybe…just maybe…Fang would be jealous. And if he's jealous, then there's a possibility that Fang could like me, and finally tell me that. Or on the other hand, if he doesn't, then I don't have anything to worry about, cuz I'll have a date - a nice date - and I won't be embarrassed by admitting to Fang that I really like him, and have him tell me to bug off, creep. Yeah, that could really be good….

"I know something you don't know!" Nudge practically yelled, as soon as we had gotten home, "Well, Max, and Angel know. But you, and you, and you don't know it!" she pointed at Gazzy, Iggy, and Fang.

"Hey, don't exclude me! Just because I walk on four legs and don't use a toilet, doesn't mean I don't have feelings!" Total piped up.

"Don't tell me!" Gazzy said, rather loudly, "Let me see your palm!" with that, he took Nudge's hand, and began inspecting it, as if held a major clue in a murder case or something. I guess Nudge was distracted enough by him to forget me. Yay. Thank heaven for small blessings.

Gazzy just started up on a palm reading stage, btw.

"I see a huge hotdog the size of a house! And a teeny tiny drink, you know the kind they give you at McDonald's? Oooh, I can't quite make out the last part because - " and he droned on. But my focus was elsewhere.

More accurately, my focus was on nothing.

I could no longer see or hear anything. Everything was black. All of the sudden, it felt like I was being pulled into another dimension. It almost felt like I was being hurled through a tornado. My breathes - what few I had of them - came in large gasps of air.

As soon as it started, it stopped. And no sooner than it stopped, a scene played before me.

At first, it was hard to see, but the images got clearer as time progressed. Three men in a workshop of some kind. There were tools or something all around them. I recognized some tools as surgical tools. Doctors. Then brought in on a gourney was an animal of some kind. It was large, dark, and resembled a wolf? Yes, a large wolf. I gasped involuntarily as I recognized what was on the operating table.

Ari.

As the three men put on white coats, I knew they were "scientists". Actually, just your typical mad scientists you see in the movies. Except worse. These guys were real. My blood boiled at the thought of what these men might do. It would be bad enough if the wolf/boy was no one I knew, but this was Ari. It still hurt to think of him, so I tried not to, most of the time. Ari, who tried to kill me countless times, ended up saving me. He died protecting me and the Flock.

I tried to do something, to stop these psychos, but invisible barriers held me back.

"I found a way!" the short, rotund scientist exclaimed.

"The boy may live!" they all started screaming with joy. I was happy, yet guarded. Why would they be so happy?

Suddenly, I was snapped out of my vision and back to reality.

I was standing in the exact same place as I was before, and everything else seemed normal. Well, except for four human bird mutants staring at me. Well, technically, three, since Iggy couldn't see. But still.

"Max, are you okay?" Angel asked, her eyes expressing concern that warmed me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just gotta find out more," I said, kind of lamely. It was only partially a lie. I'd be okay as soon as I found out what happened.

It was a vision. The Voice startled me.

Crap, do you always have to do that? Wait? A vision?

A vision of what could happen, If you give yourself up to them. They have no reason why to raise Ari otherwise. Nothing they couldn't get from the other Erasers.

The voice was sad, and I could imagine why.

"…that bad. Max? Max! Have you been listening?" Iggy's voice reminded me of the other conversation going.

"She's talking to the Voice!" Angel scolded, and looked at me with angelic eyes.

Me? What are they asking for specifically? Don't give me any crap, either. I can take the truth.

They want to do experiments on you. They won't kill you, but it will hurt, and it will be years of experiments. But they're asking for only you, because they know you wouldn't agree if anyone else was involved. They will let Ari go.

What do you think I should do?

This shows you how surprised I was by this all. I didn't even have any snappy comebacks, or even an opinion.

It is not up to me, nor can I make a decision based upon what I would do. It's too complicated.

I was lost in thought for a while. I would give up myself for any of the Flock members, and Ari was my brother. Of course I would do it. A pang of sorrow hit me when I realized I would never see any of the Flock again. And how could I know the White Coats weren't lying?

Believe me, they're not lying.

With a sigh, I decided I would do it.

"MAX!" Angel screamed, "NO! You can't! You can't leave us! I won't let you! No one will let you! How could you even think like that?! Max, please don't do it!" Angel was in hysterics. She was almost crying. Seeing that really broke me up.

I put my arms around her in a huge hug, as everyone looked at us in confusion.

"Baby, it's okay! You know I love you more than anything! It's gonna be okay."

It was really hard to say that, because I had no idea if anything was going to work out.

There. I even started the 3rd chapter. I made myself promise not to start another story until I at least get to chap 5.