Chapter 17 – Thoughts, Feelings & Emotions

Jeb POV

"Have you got the latest scans?" I asked Wilkinson.

"Yes sir, I've just received them. From what we can tell he isn't going to co-operate. As soon as he gets her back he's going to leave. He won't carry out the plan." I closed my eyes and sighed, trying to think of a solution for this. "Where does this leave us sir?"

"It leaves us in a very awkward position." I replied. "There is only one real solution to this then isn't there?"

"What's that sir?" he asked, frowning.

"Isn't that obvious? We can't let him have her yet, she must be sent with the others. It will put things in motion quicker, but I'm sure it will work."

"What if it doesn't work?" he persisted.

"It has to work." I said finally. "Hand me that Walkie." Wilkinson picked it up and handed it to me. I changed the frequency and spoke into it. "Ari? Are you there?"

"Yes, Dad, what is it?" he replied mockingly.

"We decided to have a small experiment; it should help speed things up." I replied. "Make sure you relay this to men. We aren't going to be able to keep the promise you made Will. He's not going to be able to have Emily back yet. It may compromise the plan if he does. I need you to send some men to collect her and make sure she is found by Fang and his group. Do you understand me?"

"I don't see how-" he began but I cut him off.

"Don't ask questions Ari, just do it, OK?" I shouted into the Walkie. There was a pause before he replied.

"Yes I understand. Are you going to tell him or shall I?"

"I'll do it. I want to see how Max is doing anyway." With that I turned off the walkie and turned to Wilkinson, who quickly turned himself away, to disguise the fact he had been listening in.

"Inform the director of the change in plans." I turned around and headed towards the Southern Exit, where I knew I'd find him.

I was waiting in front of the doors which led to the outside, the doors that Will and Max think will give them their freedom. Not yet though. I had ordered all personnel to stay clear of this wing until they had left. I was wondering what they both were going to say when they saw me here, alone. Then they came, out through a door, about 50 yards down the corridor. They stopped in their tracks when they saw me. Max looked at me with the hatred and disappointment she gave me every time I saw her. Will's expression hadn't change. Just the same determination he'd had in his eyes since I saw him earlier.

"Max, go back. I'll handle this." He said to her, not taking his eyes off me. She looked at him, with a concerned yet confused expression.

"Will, lets just find another way around."

"Just go! I'll catch up." He shouted at her. Max looked furious, she was never happy to take orders from someone else, but she reluctantly ran down the corridor and out of sight.

"So Will, hello again." I smiled.

"Yeah, we should really stop meeting like this." He replied mockingly, raising an eyebrow. "Let's just cut to the chase this time shall we? Where is she?"



"Ah, now, you see, there's been a change in plan. We can't let you have Emily back yet. We don't think you'll uphold your half of the deal if you get her back first. So until you've set the wheels in motion, you won't see her just yet."

Will gave a small chuckle. "Why doesn't that surprise me? What other big reveal are you going to throw at me? The rest of the flock are dead? You're an alien? You're actually a good guy? Stop me when I'm getting warm!" Will looked at me savagely. "You know I could hurt you? I could tear you apart."

"But that wouldn't get you Emily now would it Will?" I replied.

"No. But it would make me feel a whole lot better." He said bluntly. "I still don't have any idea how I'm going to do it."

"Surely someone so fuelled by emotion as you could figure it out Will? What's the one thing that we could do to you that would tear your world apart at the seams, the one thing that would destroy you?" I pressed.

Will's face went dark. "I don't even want to think about something like that." He said gauntly.

"Well, with any luck, you won't have to imagine it pretty soon. You've seen how we use your emotions and feelings against you, how we've channelled your drive to get Emily back, and manipulated it to our needs." I persisted. "Use their emotions and feelings towards you to you're advantage, manipulate them, push them against each other, and I guarantee you, you'll be back home within a week."

"Why are you telling me all this now?" Will frowned. "You were Mr. Mystery earlier."

"Like I said Will, the plan has changed." With that I turned to leave.

"Wait! What about Emily? When will I see her, where is she?"

"She's with Fang and the others. If things go as planned, you'll see them in a few days." I said to him. "Now go. I'm sure Max is waiting." Without another word, he left after Max. "Oh and Will!" I shouted after him, smiling. "If you ever need to contact me, just call!"

Max POV

I waited for what felt like ages. The effects of the drugs were beginning to wear off. My hearing was beginning to improve and I could hear the faint, muffled words of Jeb and Will, but I could only make some of it out properly. Something about emotions and feelings, the usual Jeb crap. He was no doubt trying to convince Will to stay for some warped reason.

The talking stopped and I heard Will running towards me before I saw him. When he caught up to me he said forcefully "Come on, we'll find another way out." Before taking my hand and dragging me along with him at a slow jog. "Look in all the rooms for a window to the outside. We'll just have to get out the old fashioned way."

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

Will looked at me and grinned. "You'll see."

Eventually we came across a small bathroom, with a tiny window in the corner leading to the outside world.

"Will, I know I'm slim, but there's no way I'm gonna fit through that." I joked.

"Well, I'll just have to make a bit of a bigger hole aren't I?" he replied. "Have you heard of the X-Men?"

"Yeah, Gazzy used to joke we could form a super group like them, turn the school into a school like theirs, and find other like us, the whole shebang. Why?" I mused.

"There was one, the Juggernaut he was called. He could run through walls." Will smiled, taking a few steps back.



"You don't seriously expect me to believe you're going to-" I began, before Will started sprinting towards the wall head first. "Will, STOP!" I screamed. Then I had to duck as brick, mortar and tiles flew all around as Will crashed through the wall.

Before the dust settled, I felt Wills hand picking me up and dragging me out of the dust filled room through the gaping hole in the wall, out into the fresh air. Behind us I heard the distinct sound of a ceiling caving in. Before I could look Will, pushed me forward and we started running. He opened his wings out and shouted "Time to fly Max!"

I woke up slowly and groggily. I looked out of the mouth of the cave. It was day, but dark clouds loomed overhead and it was drizzling. Will was sitting in the mouth looking out over the valley and the forest below. His back was to me and either hadn't noticed me, or chose not to acknowledge me yet.

I sat down beside him, and looked at his face. It was dirty, his jaw was stern, his hair had grown long and matted, and his eyes were bloodshot. "Will, when was the last time you slept?" I asked.

"Can't remember." He mumbled. "Few days, maybe a week."

"You look wiped. Get some sleep, I'll keep watch." I offered.

Will gave a small chuckle. "I'm not keeping watch, I'm just... thinking."

"About what?"

"Everything." He sighed. "Emily, Erasers, the Flock, My Parents, Home. You." When Will said 'My Parents' a pang of guilt went through me. I still hadn't told him they were dead. I had to. I had been waiting for the right moment, but there would never be a right moment to tell someone their parents were gone.

I had to do it. He should know. I should tell him. Do it. Now Max. Do it! Tell him! NOW!

"Erm, Will..." I said looking up at him. But before I could continue Will took grasp of my hand, leaned towards me, and kissed me.

But before I even had time to register the feeling of his lips on mine, he pulled back, letting go of my hand and looked at his lap. It all happened so quickly. Did it happen? Was I still asleep and this was just a dream?

"Sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Will said quietly. "It's just... There so much happening, so many thoughts and feelings. I'm just really con-"

"You're parents are dead Will." I confessed. Will looked up at me, a look of confusion, horror and sadness all over his face. Tears began to fill my eyes. "When we went back for Emily, on the computer, Nudge and I pulled up some files. When looking at Emily's, to see where she was, under Parents it said deceased. We looked at yours too. It said deceased too."

"I was going to tell you, but then the voice came back. Then we had the fight and got captured. I was going to tell you, Will, I should have told you. But..."

Will stood up, and looked down on me. I was crying now. Wills eyes had tears in them. He looked out of the cave, his hands trembling.

"I'm so sorry Will." I cried. He carried on looking out at the landscape. A lone tear splashed down from his face, onto the hard rock next to me. "Will, please, say something! Anything." but he spread out his golden wings and jumped out the cave, over the ledge and swooped away out of sight.

I just sat there crying. I couldn't bring myself to get up or move or do anything except cry. Later that day, I could hear screams of anguish and mourning, carried towards the cave in the wind, from far away.



Angel POV

"So," Iggy asked. "What do we do know?"

Fang looked at me. "We need to rest up. Take some down-time. Then we need to look for Max."

"Fang says we need to rest up here for a bit. Then we need to look for Max. And Will." I added, looking at Fang as forcefully as I could.

"But what if their hurt? Shouldn't' we look for them now? What if they need our help?" Nudge quizzed Fang. I looked at Fang. He raised his eyebrow and told me "They'll be fine now that Will's gone all superman." I didn't understand what he meant by that.

"Fang says they'll be fine for now." I told her.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm knackered." Gazzy piped in. "I'm gonna get some rest." Fang nodded in agreement, to show he thought we all should.

"I got 1st Watch. You guys have had a busier day than me." Iggy said.

"I dunno dude, from the looks of this place, you done some major redecorating since yesterday." Gazzy chuckled, looking at the overturned cabinet and sofa. Iggy didn't say anything.

We stacked our fists together, I urged Emily to do so too, and I felt the others drift off to sleep.

Hours later, I was on a short watch to give the others a break. I was eavesdropping in on Gazzy's dreams. He always had the best. Fanatical stories of superheroes, and explosions, and saving the world. At one point he was flying through the sky, chasing a super villain, the next jumping from an explosion. Suddenly it shifted. This seemed more real than the others, more detail.

He was in a Helicopter. The Pilot shouting "Mayday mayday!" over and over. He was holding some sort of metal ball, with lights flashing on them. The lights were going out. There were Erasers around him, jumping out. He wanted to jump, but couldn't. He was caught on something.

Will appeared at the window. He was shouting something. Gazzy replied but I couldn't understand. The lights were almost completely out. Gazzy looked up at Will, who was inside now. Trying to free Gazzy. Gazzy told him to leave. There was only seconds left. Will did so.

Gazzy closed his eyes and thought of the flock.

Then the dream changed again, back to The Super Gasman. I came out of his head, and thought about what I just saw. I thought I could hear something. Screaming, and crying. It seemed to be coming from all around. It sounded familiar. I went over to Iggy and tapped the back of his hand to wake him.

"What is it?" he asked, alert.

"Can you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! It's not true! "That!" I exclaimed. "Someone shouting and crying."

"Can't hear anything 'cept the birds." He replied. "You're probably day dreaming. Get some rest, I'll take over."

"I guess." I mumbled. It couldn't hear it now. It had gone as quickly as it came. I was trying to figure out who it was while I lay down my head on the cold floorboards. As I was drifting off into my own dreams I realized who it was and whispered "Will."