Hey everyone. I am back with a new chapter. Finally. It's been so long since I've had time to update this. Now, for those of you who have read my Harry Potter story, I am working hard to fix the second chapter. I hope to have it up very soon. We'll see though. Also, I have some new pictures up for characters from my all of my fics on my profile. Check those out and let me know what you think. Read 'NeoFlock' by Talon666 and 'Dark Blue' and 'Maximum Ride: Wings vs. Wands' by Madeline Cullen. They are great stories. Okay, here is another chapter for you excellent people. Sorry it's taken this long.
"What?!" Cory asked, looking up from the newspaper that I had tossed at him when Skye and I had come back from our date/shopping trip. "Are you kidding me? I can't believe this!"
"I know." I said, tossing Jewel a water bottle. "It's awful and I have a feeling it's only the beginning."
"Oh, no. Not that." he told me, handing the paper to Jewel so she could look at it. "I was talking about you and Skye getting back together. What's in the paper, I believe."
I rolled my eyes and Skye growled, "Oh, shut up."
"A fire and a missing girl?" Jewel asked, looking up from the paper. She look scared to death. I didn't blame her one single bit. It was awful. I had a feeling the Director was clueless. She took babies, not teenagers.
Skye took the paper from Jewel and scanned it. "'Caitlyn Sniadowski, age sixteen from San Antonio, Texas, was reported missing yesterday. According to her mother, she hadn't seen her since she left for school that morning.'"
"And the School's near San Antonio." I reminded them all. "If that doesn't sound like Tanner, then I don't know what does."
"But why take a teenager?" Jewel mused aloud. "I don't understand."
Cory sighed, taking a swig from his own water bottle. "I think I may know." Skye, Jewel, and I all turned our heads to face him. "I think I heard him ask if the 'E' virus would work on normal kids. He's probably trying to test it out."
That made sense. And, if it worked, Tanner could infect everyone in the entire world. I remembered when he had told me pieces of his plan. He wanted to make the regular people suffer. He wanted to take over everything. He wanted to get rid of the Director.
I shivered. "This is not good. Not good at all." I began pacing and worrying even more. I had to do something. But what? How could I stop this?
"Mel, you okay?" Skye asked me. He'd never seen me pace before. I'd only been worried enough to do it recently and he had been asleep when I'd done it.
"Of course she's not." Cory said, who knew what my pacing meant. "She's really freaked out and worried. Sheesh. Some boyfriend you are."
"Oh, you think I'm a bad boyfriend do you?" Skye asked incredulously. "I'll have you know that-"
"Stop fighting!" I interjected. I now knew how Jewel felt when Skye and I used to fight all the time. "Look, bad things are happening and we're going to have to work together to stop them."
"What was with the fire?" Jewel asked me, trying to relieve the tension. Skye and Cory were still staring daggers at each other.
"It was in California." I told her. "Where the first School was. It burned down before anyone even realized it was there. There had been a news helicopter flying over the area to get another story when they found the remains of the building. No one knew anything had been out there."
"You think he had it burned down to destroy evidence or something?" she asked me.
I shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe. Or maybe he did it just to do it. It's hard telling why an insane person does what they do." And, boy, was Tanner insane.
Skye kicked a huge rock at the tree in front of him. "How could I be friends with that… that… scumbag? That… that… crazy, insane bastard."
Cory looked at him darkly. He was about to say something when I cut him off with a 'Say one word and I will gut you like a fish' look. I was not in the mood for snide, rude, unnecessary comments.
"You didn't know he would turn out that way." Jewel told him, trying to make him feel better. "People are different when they're kids."
Skye shook his head. "No. I remember him talking about how he hated normal people. I… never thought much of it."
"Yeah, well the School created a monster." I said, causing everyone to stare at me in disbelief. "Not saying that I'm sticking up for Tanner." I assured them. "It's just… if they never took him and grafted wings on him, or any of us for that matter, then maybe this wouldn't be happening."
"Mel's right." Jewel said glumly. "It's not entirely Tanner's fault. He's twisted and warped by hate."
"We've got to do something." Cory said, getting a gleam in his eyes. "Something bad could happen if we don't."
"And, how are we supposed to stop Tanner if we don't know what his plan is?" Skye asked. "And you think I'm stupid."
"I think I know." I offered, trying to prevent a fight. Everyone stared at me and, beginning to pace again, I told them everything Tanner had said to me and everything else that I suspected and feared.
"So, you're saying he's gotten rid of the Director and is planning on taking over the world?" Cory asked me, looking a little green.
I nodded. "Yeah. That sounds about right."
"And you think he's either going to threaten everyone with the 'E' virus so he can get what he wants or that he's just going to inject everyone with it anyway?" Skye asked me, also not looking too good.
I nodded again. "That's exactly what I think he'll do. I don't know how he'll do it though." However, I certainly knew he would find a way.
"What if you can't use it on normal humans?" Jewel asked, sounding frightened. "What then?"
I sighed. "Assuming that trying to turn the humans into Erasers doesn't kill them, then he'll just threaten them with it. They'll never know it doesn't work. They'll be forced to do what he says out of fear."
We sat in a stunned silence for the longest time. It's really shocking when you figure out the enemy's plans. You think, 'Oh, that makes sense', but you still wish that you're wrong. How could a person do that to other, innocent people?
Now, I know what you're thinking: Tanner's a seventeen year old kid. How can he possibly take over the world? Well, if I didn't have wings, I'd be thinking the same thing. But, we're super powered kids. We can make grown men cry for their mommies. Then there's the fact that Tanner can also turn into an Eraser. I know he's not bulletproof or anything, but with a threat that big, no one would dare to shoot him. He could actually win.
And, even if he didn't, normal people would know about us. Yeah, I know. I write a blog telling people. But that's only teenagers. Adults are harder to convince with a blog. Now, reports on the news from the President? Those they'll believe.
"Mel?" Jewel asked after a long while of quiet. I stopped pacing and looked at her. "What are we going to do?"
"Yeah." Cory said, looking at me expectantly. "What's the plan chief?"
I sighed, not entirely sure what the exact plan was. "First off, we're going to a car wash to get cleaned off. Second, we're checking into a hotel. Third, we're going to go to Texas and kick Tanner's butt." Somehow, I knew that was exactly what he wanted.
I'm going to have to post a blog and raise the alarm. I thought to myself. Not to get anyone to help us, but so my parents know what I'm doing.
"A carwash?" Cory asked incredulously. "Why a carwash?"
Skye smirked at him. "Whatever she says, you do. Remember?" He then looked at me, that stupid smirk still on his face.
"Right." I said, nodding. "Let's move out."
Okay, that was pretty good. I have no idea when I will be updating. Soon hopefully. Keep your fingers crossed. Catch you all later.
