"What're we gonna do then, Dr. Maximus?" Fang taunted.

"We wait for him to come home. Surely he's not....dead." I said calmly.

"Erasers are all over the place, Max! There's no way if he's alone he survived. He's blind! He can't see a thing--"

"He can hear if they're coming. He can sense where they are. He can tell the colors of the fur or any distinct thing, he's fine!"

"I gauruntee you that that kid won't make it back, and we'll have to go save him ourselves. And if he wouldn't have run off, we wouldn't be having this talk, would we?"

"You're the one who made him leave!!"

"Oh, so now I'm the problem!? Do you want me to runaway, too!?"

"Fang, you are fourteen years old! You have perfect vision, hearing, and your able to talk. You don't have any idea what it's like to be blind!"

"You don't either."

"I can relate! I understand him more! You don't even try! You expect every member of this flock to be just like you! Well they're not going to be. Gazzy and Iggy aren't going to grow up like you. You don't show emotion, you won't even smile half the time. Those two are too free-spirited to be like you!"

"And Angel and Nudge are too sweet to be like you, hows that make you feel!?"

"That's the same attitude that got Iggy set off! And if I left, you'd have NO IDEA how to lead three little kids on your own! Let alone trying to save the world all at once! And worrying about Iggy and me and if we would ever come home to help you out!" Fang was silent for a minute. I heard a sniffle coming from the doorway. I looked to the side of Fang and saw Angel crying. When her eyes caught mine, she ran off back down the hallway.

"Angel!" I said worried. I got up from the couch and power walked to her room. Nudge was asleep peacefully. Angel wasn't in her bed. I left the room and went to my room. No Angel. I went to Gazzy's room. Still no Angel. I checked Fang's room even. I found a couple of CDs of mine, but didn't find Angel. There was only one room left to check. And that was Iggy's room. I walked into Iggy's room, and Angel was curled up in his bed sheets, sniffling and sobbing. I walked over and layed down beside her on the bed.

"I don't like it when you and Fang fight." she said through sobs.

"I know honey, we're all going through a tough time right now."

"I don't want Fang to chase off anybody else. Iggy might be in danger, and he doesn't seem to care." I noticed that one.

"I know. But we care. And he'll come home." Angel turned over to look at me. Her face had dried tear streams and some new ones running down her face.

"You're not really going to leave us, are you, Max?" she asked desperatley. "I don't want you to leave." I know I said it like I meant it......

"No, I'm not going to leave you. Even if Fang DOES get on my last nerve every five seconds. You three are the only thing that keeps me here. And Iggy, of course."

"What about Fang?"

"He's....a different reason of why I don't leave." Angel giggled. I knew she was thinking of my reason as love.

"No, not in that way!" I rejected loudly. Angel snuggled up against my chest and wrapped up in the blankets.

"I hope Iggy does come home, Max. I miss him." I hope he did too.

CRASH! BOOM! FLARP! Angel and I ran down the stairs and to the front door.

"Stay behind me, Angel." I grabbed an umbrella from the rack and prepared to hit anything that came through the door. The door flew open and I swung the umbrella around.

"Max! Wait! It's Iggy!" Angel shrieked. I opened one eye and looked for myself. There was Iggy. Alive and well. And with....some girl....but that didn't matter. It was Iggy.

I dropped the umbrella at my feet and ran over to hug the tall, thin figure I missed so much. "Oh, Iggy!" I hoarsly squeled as I threw my arms around his neck. Angel ran over and hugged his waist.

"Iggy!" two voices chimed in. Nudge and the Gasman hurried over to join the hug. Fang was standing quietly in the kitchen doorframe. We all turned to look at him, as if we expected him to say something. He smiled one of those rare smiles and said, "Welcome home. We missed you." Iggy kept a straight face and nodded at him.

"Max, Fang, Angel, Gazzy, Nudge. This is Sakka." the blond, blue highlighted haired girl stepped through the doorway. She was gorgeous. She had crimson red eyes, a scar around her left eye, she was slim, but not as skinny as Iggy. (which is impossible anyway.)

"Sakka, this is Max, Fang, Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge. My...family." he stammered on the word "family" because he had never used it before.

"Nice to meet you." Sakka said friendly-like. I may not have known her long, but I already know this girl has something wrong with her. What was it though?

"Why don't you ask, Max?" Angel whispered. There she goes again. In case you didn't know, Angel can read minds.

"Is there any unnatural power, thing, personality trait, about you?" I asked. Sakka looked at me, then to Iggy.

"Go ahead, show her." Iggy said. Sakka exhaled heavily and slowly extended a white wing. Almost an angel white. Snow. Yeah, snow white. She was a mutant. Just like us. But that wasn't the thing I was sensing.

"She's really important to Erasers. She holds a key to the Ride." Iggy explained.

"Key to the Ride?" I asked.

"I'll explain." Sakka said assuredly, as we all litterally opened our ears and listened.