Chapter 11

When I woke up, Angel was sleeping next to me on my bed. I had passed out from the pain, apparently having been shot in the wing. Jumping into full panic mode, I went to jump off the bed when my mother unexpectedly walked in. "Max! Honey, calm down!" How could I? Brigid had Mela and A.J., my children! What was happening to them right now? Was Brigid torturing them? "You were shot! You aren't fully healed you need to rest!"

Suddenly, I felt my mother jab a needle into my arm. No time for this, I thought idly as I struggled with getting out of bed. Angel's small hand pushed me down. "Normally, Fang would be doing this but he really had to pee, otherwise, he wouldn't leave your side. Max, you need to rest, it's the only secure way of getting Mela and A.J. back. Future Nudge went on ahead to scope out a plan. We'll be ready."

"Have I ever told you how smart you are?" I mumbled resting against the pillow. Large tears formed at the corners of my eyes. Mela…A.J….they looked so happy and free flying like that. I'd hope to avoid this future for them. I'd get rid of Brigid now so that she'd never hurt my children ever again.

Angel smiled to my remark, "No but now is better late than never. Time to trade shifts, rest up Max. We need you super strong to handle this." I watched as she jumped off the bed and made her way towards the door where Fang stood in the doorway.

He did not look good at all in the sense that his eyes dropped and his hair was all messed up. Fang had done some crying as well. I had read once that some birds push their young out of the nest earlier than they are suppose to so only the strongest live. That's why I prefer that 98% human part of me. Fang and I understand that Mela and A.J. are just children, and they don't deserve to be in pain. They didn't deserve torture or death. They ought to be home here with me, taking their afternoon nap from a long morning of swimming.

Silently, Fang sulked into the open portion of the bed that Angel had once occupied. He laid on his said and stared at me. The drugs were starting to kick in so I was getting drowsy. Slowly, Fang brushed my hair away from my eyes and then held my cheek. "As soon as mom will let me, we're going out to save them. How did she get here?"

"Iggy called," he replied. "Took a few hours." Meaning I was out for about half a day and Brigid could be anywhere with my children. Fang kissed my forehead, "Sleep," he ordered. I nodded my head and moved into his side. Sweeping his fingers across from cheeks, he wiped away the tears that had fallen.

A.J.'s POVs

Contact Mom or Dad before they knock us out. Mom said the red-head isn't a nice lady. I sat wrapped in Mela's arms in a cage. We dare not speak with the M-Geeks and the red-headed lady staring at us while the van drove us somewhere.

I had seen the mean lady before once. Mom had showed me a picture of her when she was the age she is now (cause she's older in the future of course). She had been on a boat with Mom and Dad before they were dating. She looks just as scary as usual. I wet myself when she picked me up and got her wet too. She didn't like it or laugh like Uncle Gazzy when I did that to him.

Daddy? I called out, pulling my knees up against my chest and burying my head into Mela's hair to hide. She was a lot braver than me. She seemed a lot older than she was because she was so smart.

A.J.? Where are you buddy? Are you hurt? My cheek hurt where Brigid had smacked me for getting pee pee all over her but otherwise, I was fine. Mela was complaining about her leg which had been crushed when the M-Geek caught her badly. Stupid robots with wings- they can't do nothing right.

Tell them once we stop for definite, we'll give them the exact location. I nodded my head. Mela wrapped her hand into mine reassuringly. Nothing is safer than Daddy's hug or Mommy's kiss or Mela's hand holding mine. We were family, I love them… I told Daddy as Mela told me.

How can you do that A.J.? Is Brigid there? I suppose when he said Brigid he meant the red-head. As for how we would know, I explained it as Mela told me word by word.

Mela says she knows where she is if she stands still long enough like longiatude and latude. Numbers, she says, she knows the numbers so you can look on map. Yes, mean witch lady is here. Is Mommy okay? My heart was beating fast…I was really nervous. M-Geeks are scary…stupid but scary.

Mommy's fine. She's resting and then she's going to come get you. Daddy asked.

Tell her not to use her power if it scares her- the reason we left Uncle Iggy, Aunt, Nudge, Uncle Gazzy, and Aunt Angel in the first place. She doesn't have to do that. And you don't have to use your gift either. We won't get hurt, we promise.

What's Mommy's power buddy? What are you talking about? By then, the van stopped and we were pulled out still in her cage. The red-head was mumbling to herself picking at her still wet clothes. She had been wearing white but now some of it was yellow. She mumbled mean words that Mommy says we aren't allowed to say.

We're almost there. Mommy's power? Something about stealing the flock's power if her life is threatened. Brigid tried to get Mommy to use is. Is still trying to get Mommy to use it.

Why?

Because, if Mommy accidently steals everyone's powers, you die.

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All right, let me explain this to you. Mela's little nifty gift is similar to Percy Jackson. She knows longitude and latitude of where she is if she stands still for a good enough time and it does not depend on whether or not she's on land or water (unlike Percy)

Max's power is similar to Peter on Heroes if you've ever seen it. All of their powers- Fang's invisibility, Nudge's future seeing, Angel's walking through objects, could transfer to Max if her life is threatened and only then without Max's consent. (Like when Fang's power was unlocked when Max was threatened in Save Us). If their powers are stolen, Max is also stealing their life energy and therefore, kills them. It's the reason she separates herself from the flock.

The reason she is called 000001 is not just because she wasn't suppose to have kids but because, if this power is activated, she would be the perfect bird-avian and the only one.

Mela and A.J. are the exception because they are not the original flock. I'll do a future scene most likely next to show how A.J. knows this and why Fang is still with Max even though her life threatens his.