Title: Can I Help You?

Rating: T

Warnings: Language, Violence

Summary: The flock settles down in NY, but when Kick-Ass and he gang show up, things start getting complicated: identities, relationships, secrets, and yeah... trying to save the world doesn't help much, either.

Feedback: It's always loved and appreciated, guys.

Disclaimer: I own neither characters; I just use them as barbies for my own liking.

Author's Note: So, didn't reach 20 reviews, buuuut I did get faves and follows. c: Thanks guys. Here's a new chapter.

"So it's just us, huh?" Mindy asked, sifting through her closet. Fang was surprised; he didn't expect the girl to be carrying semi-automatics and knives in her room, but he knew from experience that looks can be deceiving too. She pulled out a pistol and threw it in the bag with the rest of them.

"Look… I'm not one to really shoot a gun," Fang said, staying by the doorway. Mindy turned back to him in confusion. "Really?" she asked, sliding the doors closed. "I would've figured you are, considering where you're coming from."

"Speaking of which, you still have to explain," Dave commented, reminding him of their conversation before.

"To be honest, I'm surprised Max hasn't told you already," he replied, sighing. Max was a loudmouth. That's probably why he didn't say much around her when they had conversations. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Anywhere," Dave said, almost exasperatedly. "I just need to understand all this, please."

"What's up with your name?" Mindy asked. The two of them looked at her, confused by her random question. "Why don't you start from that?" Mindy said, rolling her eyes.

"Well… Fang was just a nickname at first. We were given names, but we were all just codes before. Besides Gazzy." He sighed, trying to remember all that happened back when they were just kids. "Max too; she was named by her dad, Jeb Batchelder, "Maximum", and was offered to choose her own last name, "Ride". Jeb was like a dad to all of us though for the longest time. Then the rest of the names rolled in with age; Nikki's "Nudge" because you have to nudge her to stop her babbling; Gabriel's "Gasman" from his notorious childhood of farting, Angelica's still "Angel". Duh. Adam's known as "Iggy" – in other words, firey. He and Gazzy developed a love for bombs."

Mindy then remembered the first time she met Gazzy and smiled.

"Other than nicknames… we didn't have anything connecting us to the normal, fully human life. Wings are wings, scientists are scientists; we were just other experiments to them. But Jeb brought us up to believe we weren't, that we had a chance. Maybe it was because Max was his daughter and we just happened to be her only friends at that point, but regardless, he let us out. We've been trying to stay out of the School since."

"The school?" Dave asked. Fang tried to explain, "Basically our childhood home; we lived there, we could've died there. The scientists at the School were the ones who grafted bird DNA into us and made us adapt to it, in the worst ways possible."

"I thought Itex was behind that stuff," Mindy said.

"It is; every School out there works under Itex," Fang explained.

"So you guys weren't the only school?" Dave asked. Fang shook his head, looking down. "We found out there were other places holding kids captive when we first came here, to New York. Shocking, isn't it? Just think, there were experiments like us here all your life too." Dave stayed silent, pondering the subject.

"Anyway. After that – our escape, I mean – they've sent out Erasers. Those guys are basically half human, half wolf, all predator. We're just birds to them. So far we've only gotten scrapes and gashes here and there, but manage to get away for the most part. There was this one time when Angel was caught and we had to get her. But, as you can tell, we got away. Around that time, Max found out about her chip."

Dave and Mindy stared in question. "How do you say this…" Fang started, looking up. "Basically Max has a chip in her arm that is believed to track down her location at any moment if necessary. We have no idea who is following it, but obviously we have ideas."

Dave tried to comprehend what he just heard. "Uh, why can't you just take it out?"

"It's been in there too long. If we tried, she could lose the use of her arm in the process."

"What if all of this is just pointless then?" Mindy asked. Again, Fang snapped his attention towards her. "What if," she started, "they're just playing cat and mouse with you guys? From what you make it out like, they could be following your every move anyway. Why haven't you tried taking out the chip or ditching Max?"

"You don't understand. It's too risky."

"Even ditching her?"

Fang's jaw clenched. "Why would you even consider that?"

"Well, why haven't you?" Mindy paused, looking away. "I mean, what would you do if it was really like that?"

"We've been fine for the past few years. Besides, Max is our leader. She's done a lot to keep the flock alive."

"I'm sure there are reasons, obviously," she continued. "It's just a question. So, now that they're captured, what's the plan to get them back for the moment?"

"Well… Dave said you know a lot about Itex."

"Psh. I know as much about Itex as you do. They have high security, a little too high for me," Mindy admitted, crossing her arms. It was silent, each person to their own thoughts.

"Wait," she started, looking at the two guys. "If he ran away," she started, pointing to Dave, "and you were somewhere else to begin with, then how the hell are we supposed to know where she went?"

Everything seemed to drag on slowly after that.

"Yo, Maxiboo."

Oh hell no, who just called me that. I fluttered my eyes open, still hazy from the ride over here. Being beaten by Erasers can really take it out of you, sometimes. My side and arm still felt like shit, and judging by the cramped space I was in, I would say I was in a cage.

"Max, wake up."

"Eat shit, Ari," I said when I realized it was him. Ari, the lead Eraser. My arch nemesis. My supposed little brother.

I guess we go way back.

"Jeez, why are you so hostile?" he muttered, and I turned to where his voice was coming from. My eyes widened when I saw he was in the same state as me. "Yes," he clarified, noticing my face. "I gave up. I left. I was caught. You happy now?"

"What the—How did Jeb feel about that one?"

"Apparently I'm grounded."

"Loser."

"Bitch."

"Yo, watch you're fucking tone. Aren't you only 10?"

"Aren't you only 17? Still got another year, Maxie." I groaned, rolling my eyes as I sat up. It was only then when I noticed he wasn't moving. "What, did they turn you to stone or something?" I droned, still unable to get into a comfortable position. Ari frowned, hunching over. I couldn't see his back.

"So on your way of escaping… How were the wings?" I asked. The thing about Ari was that he wasn't like most Erasers. I mean, from what I knew, anyway. Ari was one of the modified ones; he had wolf and human DNA in him, but they patched wings onto him last minute. He was basically the fucked up version of Icarus, but he didn't care. He enjoyed it. He wished he was like us, I think. At least, that's what Angel thought, too, anyway.

"They were still on me…" His voice fell flat at the end, and only then did my vision focus on his contour. My jaw dropped.

"Oh, no," I whispered. Ari looked at me, then gave his shoulder. Crusty red was on the back of his hospital gown, and the flesh on his back was scarring. "Oh, Ari… they didn't. They couldn't have…"

But they could have, and they did.

They ripped off Ari's wings.

A/N: So it's been kind of exciting to write this chapter. I'm trying to see how this will play out. Anyway, as usual, read, review, and suggest! Ta-ta, my lovelies!