Chapter 38

I let my wings slightly catch the air to push me along forward. Brigid and I clashed, me taking a wing at her face. She ducked easier and quicker than human should. We crossed paths and had to turn to face each other. That's when I saw it.

Brigid's eye was gone. Seriously, no brown normal human eye was left. Instead, there was a bright green M-Geek eye censoring all around her better, faster than a normal eye. Her right arm also faded from human skin to a robotic forearm and gun. She gave me a wicked smile and stood sideways.

Behind her my team was fighting off the M-Geeks without releasing the toxins they carried. Brigid's brown eye lit up with an evil shine as she lifted her arm/gun and her green eye focused in on her target.

My limbs went numb.

My joints locked up.

My heart stopped.

She pulled the trigger and my stomach dropped with the pop of the gun. Blood turning screams erupted through the battle field as Brigid stepped out of my view so my eyes could rest on who she had hit. Why couldn't it have been me?

I've seen Erasers, Flyboys, M-Geeks die but never a bird-kid who is more human than them. Meld held her bleeding chest with one hand but she kept trying to fight M-Geeks. Tears streamed down her face, she was losing too much blood fast. Her knees gave way until Mela was crumpled on the dirt ground. Her chest beat fast as her breathing tried to hold on to life.

Fight Max, Ari's voice forced its way through my mind. My hands formed into fists as I turned my attention back to Brigid. Her arm was pointing towards my flock aiming again. My body took action and ran towards her.

Brigid's robotic eye caught me but I was faster. I wrapped my arms around her waist and fell forward on her. I landed on Brigid before her arm could turn and shoot at me. My fists connected with metal as I attacked her only threat, her arm.

My knuckles scraped and bled as I pounded down on the gun. Sparks flew from the silver metal as Brigid tried smacking me with her human hand. Rage was breaking through but I still managed to keep it under control.

My chest was rapidly moving up and down as I breathed. Brigid lay covering now with the no longer working gun covering her face for protection. Her human self only had a few cuts and bruises. I managed to stand up.

Turning around my eyes rested on blood soaked ground. My feet moved over the heaps of M-Geeks pieces to see Mela covered by half a metal body. I winced at the sight, her blonde hair mangled with the dirt and the M-Geeks green, gooey substance. Her blue eyes open and her lips cut. Her shirt stained through with the dampened blood of the shot to her heart.

Max! I followed Ari's voice to see an image even worse.

Jeb rushed through the M-Geeks. He had faced worse in Germany. Then, the mutants were fighting everyone and sides weren't clear. Here, it was obvious. The flock vs. Mr. Chu. Plus, in Germany, there had been more enemies to face.

M-Geeks were the easy targets, they didn't fight, and they only focused on their purpose. That was their flaw, to do as they were told without adjusting to a situation. Ari stayed close beside him, watching the thoughts of the only humans fighting, Brigid Dwyer and Mr. Chu.

Jeb wasn't worried until the gun went off. He watched as a bird-kid from a New York institute fall to the ground. Jeb saw Max watching, standing there in horror. He had warned her not to be too close to people; that's how she would get hurt in the end. Jeb turned his attention to his son, "Ari, tell Max to fight."

Understanding, Ari told Max to pay attention. Once, Jeb had spoke to Max as the Voice in Germany but under Ari's orders when Ari didn't want Max to know it was him. Jeb didn't remember the incident or he would've known his son was truly alive (not dead like the Eraser copy of Ari).

Max, from what Jeb saw, attacked the red-headed traitor Brigid. Max clearly had all of the advantage even though the other girl had been fit with a gun. Jeb smiled, he was proud to say he had been the one to train Max and raiser her to fight like that.

He attacked several more M-Geeks to see the numbers decreasing. The flock was fighting well as thy always did, even Angel who couldn't read minds anymore. Ari took down one M-Geek alone and smiled up at Jeb for approval.

They stood out in the open as Jeb smiled back. M-Geek pieces surrounding their feet and the fake blood of the machines all over their clothes. The indestructible boxes that held the toxins landed on the ground. The toxics would only be released if the boxes were hand opened.

When the gun went off, Jeb searched the area and scanned for the red-head. She had disappeared and Jeb knew Max had destroyed her only weapon so it couldn't have been her. His eyes landed on Mr. Chu still standing back from the fight with the gun giving off smoke in the cold October air. The barrel pointed to Jeb's right and when he turned to see who had been shot Max was already running at them.

Her back was facing Mr. Chu as she hugged the bleeding body. Short, prickly, brown hair, partially closed blue eyes, and a small, seven-year-old body covered in blood. "Ari!" Max was screaming, the rest of the flock still fighting. Jeb stared back at Mr. Chu.

He lifted his gun again.

Taking aim between her wings.

Jeb saw the motion of Mr. Chu's index finger and did what he had trained Max to do. He reacted to the situation. Jeb fell over Max and wrapped his arms around her. He bit his tongue not to scream as the bullet entered his back, hit his heart, and instantly killed him.

He only felt three seconds of pain.

Before it happened, he knew if he saved Max, then it was worth it.

To my horror, Jeb's dead body fell sideways and I turned to see Mr. Chu with the gun. Ari was like a fish out of water trying to breath, not to lose life. Jeb, he had given his life to protect us- his children.

Mr. Chu called to the M-Geeks, "Fall back!" The coward! All of them backed into the woods. My flock followed the M-Geeks as Mr. Chu ran back towards the woods as well. "Fang! Iggy! Forget the M-Geeks and grab our friends!" I handed Ari over to Fang as Iggy picked up Mela's body. I took Jeb's weight running on anger and adrenaline. Ari was still fighting as we gathered together to run through the woods back towards the van. We were left untouched. I couldn't leave Jeb or Mela behind. I couldn't let Ari die. I was willing to let Mr. Chu go and get my revenge later.

I placed my father's body on the ground next to Mela's. Blood had soaked through his shirt onto mine. I couldn't believe I had carried him but I was already super-strong and you never know what someone can do with adrenaline in their blood streams.

Who will you let get hurt the next time Max, if you don't fight him now? Mr. Chu has to be stopped today and you can't save me anyways. Go end this. Ari had his head turned towards me. "Fang, put me down," he whispered. Fang listened and placed Ari's body by Jeb's. We were right next to the van. We could drive him to the hospital. Too much blood, said my pessimistic voice. "Go Max, save the world."

He wouldn't let me protest, he shut his eyes and focused on smoothing his dying breath. My brother wouldn't have tomorrow like I planned. Neither would Mela or Jeb. I stared at Ari's face, at peace for someone dying, before turning back to the woods. "Don't follow me," I whispered as I ran off, thirsty with revenge and dying to put an end to it all, before anyone could stop me.

Off to Save the World.

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