The Vicissitude

Lex wasn't the kind of person I wanted in the flock.

And no, it had nothing to do with the fact that he looked like Fang.

Well, maybe a little bit, but that wasn't my only excuse.

We were huddled into a flock meeting while Lex casually leaned against a post a few feet away. And as it was, short one member, we were at evens counting Total.

"I say we let him in, he seems awfully lonely standing there by himself," Nudge replied. She watched Lex carefully for a second before turning her head and facing the group. "But honestly Max, it's really your decision it comes down to. If you can't have him around without…without being like you were after…what happened, than he shouldn't come."

"I don't like his smell," Total muttered.

"I think we can't trust him," Gazzy whispered. "What if he's the equivalent to Max II? For all we know, his mom could just be a scientist and she's lying too." I smirked at him and ruffled his hair. He was thinking smart.

"He's not lying, I can tell," Angel whispered. "All his thoughts are normal and very non-threatening." She stood in the middle of us from where we huddled. I then turned my attention to silent Iggy, my new right hand man.

"Igs?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Well, what is he to you Max?" Everyone was watching me on this one.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I have no issue with the guy being in the flock. He's clearly 'one of us' in the having wings department. But is he just going to be a replacement? Are you trying to make him fill Fang's spot?" I winced at the mention of his name.

"No," I answered, "I just don't know about him. He knows everything about me through one touch. Who's to stay he can't be the enemy? Maybe he's on our side today, but tomorrow can easily change that, right?"

"Still Max," Angel insisted, "He's Fang's brother. He's part of this flock honestly. We can't say no."

I knew she had a point.

::::Several Days Later::::

"You know, you've barely said two words to me since I first met you." We were all resting on the top of a food chain restaurant. We were only a few hours from Connecticut and I had a feeling of heading over there.

"Well, here's four more." I replied before turning my head and staring at the black sky. I was on watch and Lex was sitting on the ledge of the roof. I was too. We were facing each other with a good amount of distance between us.

Lex laughed, "I wonder who I'd be if I was in my brother's position and he was in mine. I would've liked having a flock, a group of people to understand me."

"You'd be dead," I pointed out. There were dark clouds covering the moon so it was almost completely dark.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Seconds ticked by and I listened to Lex tap his fingers against the brick wall. It was very, very annoying. "So, how long have you been on the run?"

"Long enough," I whispered.

Lex nodded his head, hearing what I said. "I can tell you don't like me much. I suppose I look a lot like Fang. I knew you and he were closer than you were to the rest of the flock."

"I love all of them," I shot back. Lex stood up and walked over to me. Now, in comparison to where I sat, I couldn't see his lower half.

"Liar," he teased. "You loved him more than all of them. In your decision between them or him, it would be him in a heartbeat, wouldn't it?" He crossed his arms and stood a few inches away from me.

"I'd surprise you," I clenched my jaw. I wrapped my arms around my legs while continuously glaring at him.

"But you see him now all the time now that I'm around, don't you?"

"No," I spat, "I don't."

"How could you not? We are twins after all."

At first glance, Lex may have looked a lot like Fang, but anyone who spent so much time staring at Fang could see the differences in the two after awhile. For example, there was the obvious that Lex talked too much. But Lex also had smaller eyes that were spread out farther. Lex's nose was bent from a bad break. His hair was styled professionally and too perfect. His grin was larger and his teeth were huge. Nowhere near to what Fang ever was.

"I'm not that bad a person," Lex brought me out of my trance.

"I suppose you aren't," I replied, "But that doesn't change the fact."

"What fact would that be?" He challenged.

"The fact that no matter how much you look and sound like Fang, you aren't him and I'm going to have to deal with the fact that I will never get him back again."

We sat silently for the rest of the night, letting what I said sink in.

The Subsequent

"Fang?!" I walked down the stairs, pretty fast, at the sound of another living being in the house besides me. It had been about a week now and I was already losing my mind.

Jeb stood there with his hands in his pockets and a grim look on his face. Lines were all over his face from the stress. At least he didn't have to save the world like Max, who was beautiful all the time. "How is everything? I hope the house still suits your likings?"

"Cut the crap," I mumbled.

"Should you really be talking to the person who saved you?" I went into the kitchen and went to grab some food. Well, he was also keeping me prisoner here. I wasn't much for the mood of thanks. Jeb seemed to get that. "Fine," he mumbled, "Let's just talk."

"What did they do to me?" I motioned to my scalp as I grabbed a banana.

"You're gift," Jeb said simply. I raised an eyebrow. "Of seeing the future," he continued. Well that's new. "They got into the system of it and began tracking the future to avoid Max beating them."

"I don't see the future," I replied simply.

"Yes you do," Jeb affirmed. "Yes you can. How else do you think we discovered Max was destined to save the world?"

"What?" I asked, but the memory was already coming back to me.

"Jeb! Jeb!" I ran into his room, it was the middle of the night and I was frightened. The nightmare was strange and I was only eleven. It was almost as bad as living back in the school.

"What is it Fang?"

"I saw Max, but…she was older…and I saw me…I was older too. We were fighting and I saw Max's face. She hated me Jeb." Jeb rushed over. He knew this was serious because I had a dream a week before of spilling milk on Max's favorite shirt and it actually happened. Only Jeb knew about that too. "We were fighting and at one point Max was choking me. She was crying and was upset and said, "I'm sorry. But I had to save the world. This is the only way." Then, she began punching my face and I was just about to die when I woke up." Jeb was suddenly shaking me. Tears of fear were running down my face. Max hated me enough to hurt me, if this came true I don't know what I would do.

"Fang," Jeb yelled. "Fang! You've got to listen to me." He smacked my face lightly to gain my attention. I stared him in the eyes but my body was trembling. "I don't want you to give this information away to anyone else. Do you hear me?" I didn't respond at first. "Do you hear me?! You must never mention anything about this again. If this means you never talk again, I don't care! I want you to forget this happened. Never let Max know of her fate, no matter what. She has to save the world, you've seen this! So not another word," Jeb demanded.

"You remember now?" Jeb asked.

I nodded my head. It was a life changing moment for me because after that night, where Jeb shook me and yelled at me, I became a different person.

After that, I barely said another word.

The Vicissitude means The Change

The Subsequent means The After

What did you think? I hope you liked it!

Bye, See Ya, Peace,

flyerac1029