A/N: Whoo! Look at me go! Seven chapters in less than seven days! I hope you people appreciate my bloody fingers, after this is over, I'll be out of movitation for a year at least! Any-who, now you start seeing landmarks from the Original books. Most have been taken from The Angel Experiment, though I'm thinking about throwing in several from Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports. And now I'm just rambling, so please ENJOY!

Nari Streeter

Chapter Seven: New York Public Library

Wolf was soaring effortlessly across a backdrop of smoky clouds. The rain was falling all around him, soaking into his shirt and hair. The clouds below him opened up to reveal a lake brimming with glassy black water.

Pandora's mousy wings could be seen just above the surface.

She looked terrified. Wringing her damp shirt in her tiny fists, her wings pumping furiously to keep her small body above the water. She twisted her head from side to side, scanning the clouds for some sign of life.

Wolf smiled, a sickly smile, spreading across his face like oil spilt over blacktop. He tilted his wings slightly, practically floating down to where Pandora was hovering. She smiled nervously as he flew up, the terror disappearing from her face.

"I got lost," she called, rising higher into the air to meet him.

"I found you," Wolf whispered, circling around her, his eyes scanning the sky calmly. Pandora banked lower to the water, confusion filling her innocent eyes.

"Wolf?"

"I found you," he whispered again, turning his gray eyes to her. He smiled angelically, opening his arms wide, "Come here," he breathed, "you're tired. I can fly for both of us."

The image blurred. Wolf's smiling face distorting like a picture thrown into a fire. Nari shifted in her sleep, sweat snaking down her face as she tugged the sheet over her chin. The clock on the wall snapped in a steady rhythm. The only sound in the absolute silence.

A girl was standing in front of a tall building. Her windbreaker clinging purposefully across her back, even though the sun was shining brightly. A tall boy with vacant eyes stepped forward, his lips moving, but no sound coming out. The girl said something back, jerking her thumb in the direction of the building before starting up the steps. Five blurred figures following after her.

The sign on the lawn read New York Public Library of Humanities and Social Sciences. The image flickered, and went black.

"Hey."

Nari groaned, rolling over on the bed and burying her face in the pillow, the last strands of her dream still clinging to the edge of her vision.

"Nari?"

She flinched, feeling a warm hand shake her shoulder gently. The hotel room lurched suddenly into focus, crashing through the quietness of her dream like an earthquake. Nickoli's face hovered over her, his brow knotted with concern.

"Are you okay?"

Nari propped herself up on her elbow, running a hand across her sweaty face. Wolf stirred next to her, his wings shifting softly across his back as he slept.

"You were dreaming," Nickoli whispered, crouching next to the bed, "you…looked scared. I shouldn't have woken you up, I'm sorry."

Nari shook her head, the dream still bugging at the back of her mind. She curled her legs up to her chest and pressed her forehead against her knees, a headache slowly uncoiling behind her eyes. "No, I'm glad you did. What time is it?"

Nickoli glanced at the clock on the wall, "Four in the morning."

He stood up, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and shuffling back over to the couch. The television was on, the news reporters face distorted and green, her lips moving yet the sound was on mute.

Nari slid her legs out from under the sheets, careful not to disturb Wolf next to her. She folded her arms across her chest to keep in what little warmth was leftover from the bed, self-consciously sitting down next to Nickoli on the couch.

"What are you doing up anyway," she asked, picking at the edge of her pocket.

Nickoli shrugged, his face bathed in the green light from the television, "I don't think I've slept through an entire night since I was nine. I've been up since twelve-thirty."

Nari brought her feet up to sit cross-legged on the couch, wiggling her toes in the slight breeze from the window. They sat in silence, watching the news reporter's mouth move with no sound coming out. After several minutes, the news broadcast ended, and a flashy commercial about hair growth blinked onto the screen.

"I'm going to shower," Nari announced, pulling herself to her feet, "hey, if Wolf asks…don't tell him about the dreaming, okay?"

Nickoli nodded, not even asking for a reason to keep her secret.

The water was scalding hot as it washed over Nari's shoulders. She scrubbed her head with vigor, hardly remembering the last time she'd felt this clean. The bathroom mirror was fogged over when she got out, blurring her face like a ghost.

She wiped her hand across the glass, slowly taking in her own image. Small shadows wormed their way under her slightly bloodshot eyes, her hair piled in a wet tangled mess on top of her head. Nari fished out a comb from the drawer and fought through the knots, the nervousness that the dream had brought washing away.

Nickoli was standing next to the window when she came out. The corner of his collar pulled down to examine the pink scar on his shoulder. He smiled when she came in, straightening himself and rustling his wings comfortably.

"That was so worth it," Nari sighed, tying her hair back into a ponytail with the rubber band she'd found wrapped around the bathroom door handle. The bed was empty; the sheets lumped up against the headboard.

"Where's Wolf?" Nari asked, tossing the hairbrush onto the bed.

"He went to go check out," Nickoli shrugged, "didn't even ask where you were. He seemed a bit…" Nickoli stared at the ceiling, fishing around for the right word, "…spacey. Like he wasn't all here."

"Hmm," Nari mumbled, stretching herself out across the bed and spreading her wings open to let them dry. Seconds later, Wolf hobbled back into the room, his nose buried in a Guide to New York City brochure.

"Morning," Nari yawned.

Wolf glanced up from the brochure, the cocky smile returning to his face, "Morning, beautiful. All right," he slapped the brochure down on the table, "today's mission; trying to find a mission. We need a place to start. New York's a big sucker and I want to find Max as quickly as possible."

He spread open the brochure to reveal a large map, "I think we should start in Central Park. Max is no idiot and she wouldn't land where everyone could see her. Central Park is dark, green, leafy, and offers good coverage."

Nari twirled piece of thread she'd found on the bedcover in her fingers, chewing thoughtfully on her lip. "What about a library?"

Wolf folded the map back up, "What?"

Nari sat up, glancing over at Nickoli who was watching her, "A library," she continued, "if I were Max, I'd be looking for answers. Answers to…I don't know, saving the world or something. Why not a library?"

Wolf folded his arms across his chest, staring thoughtfully at the far wall. A smile broke out across his face, "You know what Streeter, this is why I love you. You're brilliant! A library…which one?"

Nari ignored the squirming in her stomach as she thought back to the dream, "New York's public," she suggested, hoping she didn't sound too obvious, "it's the most basic place to start."

Wolf grinned, "It's perfect! All right, pack up we're leaving as soon as possible."

The young man behind the desk looked impatient, drumming his fingers on the polished wood with his chin cupped in his palm. His nose wrinkled as he looked over the ragged teenagers standing before him, "Can I help you?"

Nari stood on her tiptoes to see over the ridiculously tall desk, "Do you have computers?" she asked, trying to imitate a sweet voice.

"Fourth floor," the man said flatly, swatting lifelessly at a fly crawling across the desk, "just off the main reading room. It doesn't cost but you do have to sign in."

"Thanks," Nari nodded, suppressing a flinch as Wolf slid his hand into hers and led them to the elevators. Nickoli leaned against the wall as Wolf hit the fourth floor button, not releasing his grip on Nari's hand. He whistled happily, rocking back and forth from the tips of his toes to the heels of his feet as the elevator slid upwards.

The lady at the sign in desk smiled sweetly at them and pushed a long paper in their direction, "Nice to see some new faces," she beamed, "not many people are coming around the computer rooms now a days."

Nari returned the smile, trying to calm her jumping nerves and signed the paper as Holly Sharp. As the desk receptionist slid the paper back, a certain name near the top of the list caught Nari's eye.

Ella Martinez.

Wolf tugged her away from the desk, his eyes sweeping across the room. He froze, staring lividly at a girl whose face was half-hidden by the computer monitors. She shifted slightly, revealing the long sleeve of a dark brown windbreaker with scuffed ends. Wolf released Nari's hand and trotted forward, reaching his hand out to touch the other girl's shoulder.

Nari exchanged a dark glance with Nickoli, the tips of her fingers humming with excitement. Wolf brushed the girl's shoulder and she froze, her grip on the mouse tightening.

Nari was surprised at the amount of anticipation building in her chest. This was Wolf's dream, not hers; yet, why was she so looking forward to seeing the fabled Maximum Ride?

Nari held her breath as the girl slowly turned around…