I am very sad right now. :(

Fox thought that it would be a good idea to play baseball rather than Glee. I am now mad at Fox.

If Glee isn't on next week, someone is going down. haha

Here's the next chapter...

CHAPTER 29

Fang POV

"Trouble?" I asked Nudge. "What kind of trouble?"

"Itex is back!" she exclaimed.

Max and I looked at each other in shock. I quickly climbed to my feet and helped Max up.

"Come on!" Nudge hurried. "Anne needs to see us, like, now! The others are there, waiting for us."

Max nodded to me, and the three of us raced to the conference room the others were waiting in.

"Max, Fang," Anne sighed in relief. "Did Nudge tell you?"

"Yes," Max nodded. "What do you mean Itex is back?"

Anne frowned, "Well, we aren't completely sure that they're really back."

Before Max started chewing her head off, I said, "Explain!"

She nodded and pointed a remote to the projector. An e-mail appeared on the large screen before us.

"We received this about an hour ago," she explained. "At first, we thought it was some kind of prank, but everything seems legitimate.

Max and I read over the e-mail and stiffened. It couldn't be possible!

Max POV

"Trouble?" Fang asked Nudge after her random message. "What kind of trouble?"

"Itex is back!"

I couldn't believe it. I stared at Fang in complete shock. A second later, he was on his feet and pulling me onto mine.

Nudge waved her arms toward the door, saying, "Come on! Anne needs to see us, like, now! The others are there, waiting for us."

With a nod, we took off down the hall and to a conference room. Angel, Gazzy, Iggy, and, to my annoyance, Jeb, sat with different expressions of fear, horror, and anger.

"Max, Fang," Anne sighed. "Did Nudge tell you?"

"Yes," I answered. "What do you mean Itex is back?"

"Well, we aren't completely sure that they're really back," she said with a frown.

Why could I never get a straight answer?!

Fang saved another life that day by stating, "Explain!"

With the click of a button, the screen on the wall revealed an e-mail.

"We received this about an hour ago. At first, we thought it was some kind of elusive prank, but everything seems legitimate."

I couldn't believe what I was reading.

"Are you sure this is real?" I pressed. "It sounds like a trap."

Anne nodded. "We've reviewed it numerous times. The information provided couldn't come from anyone outside of Itex."

"It's true, Max," the Voice added. "It really is Itex."

"We believed it was a trap as well," Anne continued. "But it all makes sense, now."

"Max, what are we going to do?" Angel asked on the verge of tears.

Thinking quickly, I said, "For one, we're all going to go to bed. We aren't doing anything unless we're well rested."

"Can we all stay together tonight? The six of us?" she asked in my mind.

To answer her, I said aloud, "We'll all stay in one room. I'm not leaving anyone unprotected."

Angel smiled weakly and mouthed "thank you."

"Now," I continued. "Iggy, please go with them to find a big enough room. Fang and I will be there soon."

I knew Fang wasn't going to leave me alone, now. Not after my very recent breakdown.

Iggy nodded while Nudge and Gazzy led the way to the door. Angel took Iggy's hand, and the two of them followed the others.

"I still don't understand how they know where we are," I said, rubbing my temples.

"We can figure that out later," Anne replied.

"This is it, isn't it?" I asked quietly, although, it was more of a statement than a question. "It's all or nothing, now."

"Yes, Max," Jeb sighed.

I nodded with frustrated understanding, and Fang wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"We'll figure this out tomorrow," I stated.

"Alright," Anne agreed. "Goodnight, Max, Fang, Jeb."

She and Jeb headed for the door, but Jeb stopped and turned back to us.

"Max," he said. "Please know: I had no idea about any of this. You must believe that."

"It doesn't matter, now," I replied. "You need to know that I can never trust you again, regardless."

He smiled apologetically. "I guess I deserve that."

Jeb walked away, and Fang began walking us toward the door.

"Fang, wait," I whispered.

He faced me and gave me a confused look.

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. You didn't deserve it."

He pulled me into his chest and placed a kiss on my forehead, wrapping his arms around me.

Finally, we left and found the room the others chose. Fang offered to take first watch, Iggy second, and me last.

Fang was sitting against the wall, and I stretched out on the floor near him. Angel curled up next to me and fell asleep quickly. I, however, struggled to fall asleep. The last thing that went through my mind, before falling asleep, was the e-mail:

"Max,

You've ruined our plans for the last time. We know you and your flock are at the Lerner's School, located in Virginia. That is why we chose to inform you that we are not finished. The Flyboy attack in San Francisco was a test.

We are stronger than before. You cannot stop us. And, to prove it, we've decided to disclose the location of the center of Itex…

Your first home. The School."

Dudes! I just figured out how to put in a horizontal ruler! hahahaha

(P.S. "Dude" is a genderless term for me. I had some people mistake that as me calling them a guy. I call anyone and everyone "dude." Ok?)