Chapter 4

"So Max you see anything," Iggy questioned standing at the very edge of the cliff, which was making me very nervous.

"No, how about you Total and Gazzy got anything?" I asked them.

"No, oh wait there he-never mind that's just a black bird," Total moaned, "Its hot here can we go somewhere and get something to eat? I'm really starving."

I rolled my eyes then took a leap off the edge of the cliff, free falling. I unfurled my wings then started flying and looking for a place to eat. The Gasman, Iggy, and Total copied me and started jumping off the cliff too.

At least an hour latter we found a place that let dogs eat in also. It was huge and anyone in there could have been in there to kill us or something. We tried to act like normal teens getting something to eat, but that didn't work.

"Hello can I take your order?" the waiter asked.

He didn't look suspicious, but I knew for sure that he was about me and Iggy's age.

"Yea, I want the one pounder cheese burger with a side of two large fries, and two large bowls of onion rings, and a large chocolate milkshake with whip-cream and I want a large coke, please," Gazzy ordered.

"I want the same as him except without the onion rings and with three large bowls of fries," said Iggy.

"I'll take the same as him," I pointed to Gazzy then looked up to the waiter and gave a casual smile.

"Do even have that type of money?" he asked looking a little concerned.

I reached in my back pocket and pulled out the wad of money I had. I plopped it on the table then looked back at him, trying to be nice. "I have the money now I just want the food and everything will be just fine, please."

He rolled his eyes then walked back to the kitchen.

"So what do we do if this turns out the same way it did in New York?" Iggy whispered.

"Well, there is an emergency exit over there," I gestured to the door, "so we can run out those doors then take off flying. Anyways it's not like we aren't known to the world anymore."

About twenty minutes later the waiter brought us our food and we, no joke, chewed everything down at once. Total licked his plate down and gave a huge belch. Iggy and Gazzy were still hungry and complaining for more food and I was trying not to look like I hadn't eaten food in days, even though I missed breakfast because of our unexpected guest who ruined my day.

"Are we ready to go yet guys," I moaned. I laid my head on the table waiting for them to prepare themselves for eight hours of flying. Then my senses went off.

"Max, are ya alright?" the Gasman questioned staring at me.

I did a quick 360 of the diner and everything looked alright until I placed my eyes on an army of Flyboys entering the place.

"Emergency exit guys," I yelled and we flew out the doors.

Everyone that was in there gasping and taking pictures with their camera phones. Little kids were yelling "Look it's the bird kids" and "They look so awesome flying, I want wings!" and no you don't want wings.

Once we got outside and a little more than a mile away from the diner, we saw more, but this time they were actually flying.

"Ig, Gaz, you got a plan?" I asked them in a panic.

"Duck," Gazzy yelled over all the humming. He pulled out a bomb from his pocket. Where does he hide this stuff? I have no clue…

I grabbed Iggy's hand then dove behind a rock. Total was peeking over the rock to watch the Flyboys explode into millions of pieces. When the Gasman chucked the bomb at them nothing happened, it was as if they were now bomb prove. Only a few dropped then eventually exploded but the rest were all coming after us.

"Down there," I pointed to a forest of trees and Evergreens, "Meet up here once you know nothing is following you."

Iggy had already disappeared into the green and Total was right behind him. Gazzy was going the opposite direction of Iggy and I just dive bomb down through the trees. I went into rocket mode and I remembered I had to make faster turns and decisions or else I'd break my wings, or something else. I had already gotten the end feathers of my left wing clipped off by some of those trees and it was starting to hurt like hell.

Quick left, my Voice chimed in. I did what it said and five flyboys fly into a tree and exploded.

Everyone has a conscience, but for me I just had an annoying Voice. It just randomly showed up New York when we were sleeping in the subway tunnel. Oh how I hated that stupid Voice…

Long time no hear. Well actually I'd still rather you be gone because it was very peaceful without you, I groaned in my mind.

Make a left again then a right.

About ten more Flyboys crashed into a tree and exploded. Those scientists always tried to make inventions that could out-do us, but there was always something we could do better than them. Right now that was quick turns and dodging trees.

On my left I heard another explosion and I knew that was Iggy and the Gasman because right after I heard Iggy say "describe everything". I looked back and there was no more Flyboys attacking me so I flew over to Gazzy and Ig.

"Let's resurface up guys," I mentioned to them.

We flew back up to the sky and it was all clear, except for the storm cloud that was rolling in.

"Did you guys see Total?" I finally brought up.

"Nope…oh crap, Total probably is still in the forest?" Iggy moaned.

"Or the Flyboys could have took him too," Gazzy whispered.

Great. As if I already lost Fang because he had to leave and then Nudge got taken but now I have to help save Total. What next is someone going to steal Iggy and Gazzy then we'll all end up at the School again? I shouldn't have thought that.

Be careful. Right now is not the time to question your future because you never know if what you're thinking might actually happen, the Voice chimed in.

And what is that suppose to mean? I asked, knowing that it probably wasn't going to answer my question directly.

You never know if that may be how your future will be…

"What does that mean?" I blurted out not meaning to say what I was asking my Voice.

"What does what mean?" the Gasman questioned me looking a little worried.

"Sorry I didn't mean to say that?"

"What was your Voice talking about now? Was it giving us some directions on where to go 'cause all I see are trees, trees, and more trees," Iggy complained.

"Nuh-uh, there's a bush over there," the Gasman intercepted.

"Okay guys let's take a break for today. The next place we see that has decent landscaping and trees we'll stop there and energize," I recommended.

We landed at least a little less than a half an hour from the California border line. Iggy started a fire and was cooking squirrel. Gazzy was figuring out what he could make that he could use as a bomb if something bad broke out.

"Dinner is ready!" Iggy called out.

"Yes, I am starving again," Gazzy ran to the fire and grabbed a roasted squirrel. "We are like cavemen now because we eat random animals and make fire the original way."

"No we didn't, we used Iggy's lighter to make the fire. We may be living like homeless kids but we still have the technology," I explained.

Then Iggy had to change the whole entire subject. "I wonder how Fang is doing," Iggy questioned.

My eyes perked up at Iggy who, of course, didn't notice me staring at him. My stomach started to turn upside down. I hated it when people just randomly started talking about Fang.

"Yea I wonder how Fang is right now…"