Chapter 14

Brigid's POV (back during MR4)

All my life, I had been a misfit. Super smart and nerdy to the core, so I was never surprised to graduate through high school and go through most of college before I even kissed a boy…and that didn't end out well. I turned to my studies, totally convinced that I was never going to fall in and love and all the stupid crap that the dump people believed in. I was too smart for that. But I spoke too soon.

Dr. Valencia Martinez called me up, I was doing Global Warming "research" out in Antarctica. Apparently her daughter, and her loosely-termed "family" were in need of learning for gaining the bigger picture. Apparently, one so important that the entire world depended on it. I easily agreed to this- under orders from Mr. Chu who had hired me two years ago when I was in college to spy for him. He was working alongside the Uber-Director temporarily until Mr. Chu moved in as head of the company.

A few months after that call, we met them and went on board the boat to take us to Antarctica. I pretended to be interested in them, especially Maximum but naturally I found myself being drawn towards Fang. He was silent but when I talked to him, he actually listened and seemed interested in what I had to say. I went on about Global Warming facts to go with my cover.

At times, I would find our heads bent towards each other while leaning over a map or other information. I could feel his warm breath rise up in the air and touch my cheek. Sure, he was fourteen but I was only twenty-one, which was about seven years apart. My mother and father were eleven years apart. Plus, he sort of seemed interested.

One day we were watching Max fly around. We had been hanging out in one room together. He was telling me how young I was to be a college graduate and all. Max just stormed off. For a few minutes we watched her and then, Fang rolled his eyes and walked away. I felt myself following him as if some bond was holding us together.

Fang sat below deck with his hands on his knees and his head leaning against the wall. I sat beside him. "What's wrong?" I asked casually, bumping my shoulder with me. He opened his eyes and stared at me for a moment. He didn't say anything. There were certain things- things he didn't say to me- as if he reserved them only for Max. "Are you two fighting?" I asked, kind of hoping he would admit that Max wasn't important to him and that I was. He shrugged.

Silence was strange for me. So, I kept going. "I guess Max can kind of be stubborn sometimes." He laughed lightly at that. "She doesn't seem to treat you very well." They seemed to be on two different spectrums depending on the day. Either arguing or talking to each other like the best of friends they were. "What exactly what is going on between you two? Is it enough to not give me a chance?"

I turned my head to look over at Fang. He stared equally back at me. He wasn't breaking eye contact so I took a leap of faith- which as a scientist I never do. I lightly touched his lips with my own. Our breaths mixing into one as I kissed him. Just as it started though, it ended. Fang pulled back and shook his head, staring at me. "No, I can't."

"Why not? I don't see Max trying to kiss you," I whispered the last part but with his very good bird hearing, he had heard every word. Fang stood up and stepped back.

"Max," was his response.

"What about her?" I demanded, standing as well.

"I'm in love with her," that was the sweetest thing I've ever heard Fang said. Too bad it wasn't about me. I felt my heart crush.

"She doesn't love you," I replied harshly. He winced at that slightly for a moment but both of us knew the lies in those words. Just because Max didn't realize it didn't make it any less true. Stupid bird-girl loved him all right and Fang just had to fall right into her trap. And I was all alone again.

"She does," Fang whispered. "Not go away Brigid."

"What about all those things you said to me before?" I asked, needing to know.

"To make Max jealous, I didn't think you'd be interested. There's too much of an age difference, it wouldn't work even if Max didn't have my heart. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to use you that way." Wow- I was used…by a fourteen year old mutant freak boy. I felt so stupid. "You should go Brigid." And I listened.

I went back up on the deck and watched Max fly around a bit more before she landed. So, she was jealous. I could tell by the evil glance she tried to send at me without me noticing. When she went downstairs I silently followed and listened to their conversation. Only one sentence stuck out to me.

"Oh, there's a you and me all right. There always will be," Fang whispered but it echoed off the walls up to me.

I pretended he was talking to me.

But even that didn't work, seeing Max and him kiss on that submarine set me off.

All I wanted now was revenge…for Fang breaking my heart.

Max's POV("present" time)

We stood a few feet away from a small, high-tech building. Fang and I were crouched on the north side as well as young Nudge. Older Nudge was on the south side with Angel. We were waiting for Iggy and Gazzy's distractions and for the sun to touch the horizon- when it was all suppose to begin.

Fang wrapped his hand in mine for a moment. Running into this, according to future Nudge, this had never happened in her time, which means we were changing what was going to happen. "We'll get them, get Brigid in jail, and prevent our older selves from dying." I kissed him quickly enough to say all I needed to; things such as I loved him, I was scared, I needed him, and everything else. He easily read my mind, our connection stronger than ever.

I counted the movement of the sun Five…Four…Three…Two…One…BOOM! Balls of red emerged on the ceiling as two figures above the building flew wildly about. An alarm sounded as more explosions hit the ceiling. We watched Flyboys, Erasers, and other experiments emerged from the forest. Not a lot, but enough to make a difference in a fairer fight for the ones not causing the distraction once they were inside.

"Let's go," I stated once the small number of enemies chased after Iggy in one direction and Gazzy in the other. Nudge ran forward with me and Fang on either side while shortly behind. Wind created through our movement lashed through my hair. All I kept thinking was Brigid was going to pay. She stole MY children. How dare she even contemplate on doing it let alone actually going through with it! Rage spirited me forward as we entered the small building.

Fang and I raced ahead pushing through M-Geeks and a few Erasers. I saw Nudge standing by the door, "They'll focus on me, they just have to stop us from getting by. If they see me, they'll leave you alone." Nudge, always good with technology, recognized their instant programmed flaw of the day. The M-Geeks were instructed to stop us from entering- as long as Nudge didn't enter we were fine, the M-Geek didn't know how many to stop. Nudge took each one easily. Fang and I passed through the small group easily. I missed Erasers in a sense- at least they had a thought process.

We entered another room and took the stairs upwards. I felt that connection- not the mind one between A.J. and me but the one of a mother to a child. Fang seemed to be going off his fatherly instincts as well. My heart raced and sweat dripped into my eyes. Nothing about a rescue mission is fun or perfect. A few of the M-Geeks had cut my skin on their jagged elbows. Fang too had a cut along his jaw but I barely noticed as I reached the second floor. I felt them, they were just through this door and down a hall.

I opened the door and went to them, the farthest door on the left. I pulled open this second door and I heard a scream, "Mommy!" Mela and A.J. were in her hands- Brigid's I mean. They stood there and I felt the rage inside of me. My children…my future babies now in the hands of my enemy and I didn't know what she would do to them.

Brigid covered her hand over Mela's mouth. A.J. was crying and whimpering. From the looks of it, his pants were wet and so was the side of Brigid's pants. That's my son, I thought proudly.

Mommy, it's not safe for you to be here. A.J.'s crying voice broke through my mind and I winced. He was just a kid though, he didn't exactly understand that I was stronger than Brigid. I could take her. But first, I had to save my children.

"Let them go Brigid, they never did anything to you," Fang muttered through his teeth. I was surprised he was talking at all. She tilted her head and stared at him. Only two years ago, we had called her a friend…or at least Fang and the rest of the flock did. I never trusted her completely- not with the way she acted around Fang.

"Oh see, but they did," Brigid began.

"They're another way for you to break my heart."

Then, Brigid lifted her arm that was a gun and aimed…

AN

Hey, sorry it took awhile to post. I had to think about how I wanted this to go. In case you didn't read Taking Back the World…Brigid's arm was removed for a gun as a punishment by - who is dead. I want to also hope that you understand what I'm trying to get at with Brigid. She kind of latched on to Fang in a falling in love manner by light flirting even though he was fourteen and she was older. This is because she's not the girl who gets the guy often. She thought Fang was different, led herself to believe she had a chance, and then sort of went crazy and psycho when she realized she didn't. Sorry to hang with the cliffy. Even I don't know who she's aiming at right now…oh no wait, I do. I just got a brilliant idea as I typed this out. Depending on review amount (or not, cause now I'm excited), I'll put up the post. If I were you, I wouldn't risk not reviewing…