StarofCalamity: Thank you!

Allien McFunkington: Mucho enthusiasm indeed! Gracias! ;) Teacup Max, lol. Angel is like Max sometimes, isn't she?

Marlee With a Temper: Thanks!

mintyfresh: Read and review, which you did, so thanks! :)

Chapter 12:

"No," the Gasman said stubbornly. "Now you're being too much like Max."

Iggy took a deep, frustrated breath. "Look buddy, the 'bots out there will figure something's up if a kid is running around in a lab coat. Nudge, on the other hand, is over five feet tall. 'Sides, Angel is staying."

"But she's communications," said Gazzy. "Besides, you're the one who's blind."

"Really?" Iggy tried to keep his anger in check. "I'm blind? Thanks for telling me. It doesn't matter; I can follow Nudge or Total."

But that wouldn't work, Iggy realized. Total would definitely sound an alarm, and someone would surely notice both Iggy and Nudge walking together. Two strangers in lab coats would hardly be normal, not in a place like this.

"I can do it," Nudge said. "Just stay here, Ig. I'm just scouting, right?"

"Whatever," Iggy snapped. "I'll stay. Just hurry up."

Nudge pulled on one of the white coats. There were some supplies in the room so Nudge grabbed a clipboard, too. For good measure she pulled an elastic band from her pocket and twisted her wild hair into a tight bun.

"Nudge, be careful," Iggy added as the girl slipped out to search the building.

Iggy waited, praying a scientist wouldn't come banging into the room while they waited for Nudge.

"Jackpot," Angel grinned a few minutes later. "Nudge found the control room for the 'bots.

"Perfect!" Iggy said, his face lighting up. "You're up, Ange. Lead us on."

Angel quietly slipped out of the room, Iggy following her almost imperceptible sounds. The Gasman followed, carrying Total.

Someone's coming, Angel sent to Iggy's mind. Five steps then take a left. There's a hallway.

The three of them ducked into the hallway and shortly after a whitecoat walked by, the heels of her shoes clicking against the hard floor.

The crew carefully navigated through the building, dodging into side hallways and occasionally random rooms. They seemed incredibly lucky—they never got caught.

"I don't know, something feels wrong," the Gasman said anxiously, but Iggy quickly shushed him.

"We're here," Angel later said in relief, and Nudge appeared behind them. Apparently she had been pacing down the hallways, trying not to attract attention.

They entered the room, and it was filled with a bunch of high tech computers and devices.

"Holy cow," Gazzy said, awed. "Now all we have to do is hack into these computers… and change the 'bots so they're working for us."

"This feels a little weird though," Nudge said. "There should be guards or something in here, you know?"

"Yeah, something feels off," Angel said worriedly. "Gazzy was right, something is wrong."

Iggy rolled his eyes. "You guys worry too much. We're here. We'll shortly be in control. We'll soon have our own command of a robot army."

Fang and I both tensed as two robots entered out room. They were clearly waiting for me to come with them. Fat chance of that.

"Max, listen to me," Fang said, his dark eyes intense. "Whatever happens, we'll always have each other."

As Fang gazed at me with an unusual amount of emotions it suddenly hit me how perfect together we were. Sometimes I couldn't do it alone, and when that happened, I needed Fang. I needed him more than I'd like to admit.

As much as I hated emotions, I tried to process what I was feeling at the moment.

-scared, definitely. Would Fang and I destroy our friendship if we went on with whatever we had together? Plus there was the whole wing thing, which I was a tad anxious about. Flying was one of the best parts of my suckish life, and I just might not be able to do that anymore.

-worried, for myself, and especially for the flock.

-seriously pissed, mostly at being a captive again.

-and there was also wonder? At how Fang and I perfectly belonged together. Even held captive in the middle of an Itex hellhole Fang managed to brighten my day. He was here for me, comforting me, and it felt so dang nice.

"Fang," I finally admitted as we looked into each other's eyes. "I'm glad you're here."

It was an incredibly sappy moment, let me tell you.

And Fang could have said anything. He could've teased me, reminded me I'd told him that before under the influence of Valium, could've rubbed it in. I would've whacked him if he did.

But instead, Fang put his lips on mine, tilting his head so we were closer, and we were kissing. Everything, even the 'bots at the door, just melted away. I put my arms around Fang's neck and hugged myself nearer to him, and felt his arms tighten around my back.

It was just me and Fang, in our own perfect little world.

"Really, this was too easy," Iggy said smugly, although there was starting to be an edge of concern in his voice. How could an all powerful organization like this be so easy to take over? Nudge, with a little help from Gazzy, had managed to reprogram the robots to do their will. The 'bots were on their way to Max and Fang's cell, and Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, and Total were monitoring the cameras to watch their progress.

Iggy's heart leapt in his throat. The cameras! He'd forgotten about the cameras. There were cameras in this place, in the hallways. Surely they had been noticed when they snuck in. Surely someone had seen them sneaking around the halls. There was a reason everything was so easy, this was somehow a trap—

"Oh, my God, Max and Fang are making out!" Nudge practically yelled. "The robots made it to their cell and now Max and Fang ARE KISSING INTENSELY!"

"WHAT!?" Thoughts of a possible ambush fled Iggy's mind as the flock started talking excitedly. "Oh, my God, you're kidding!!!"

It feels like my different POVs are getting shorter and shorter... I don't know. I'll work on getting more details in. :) Review?