None of the flock had even the slightest hint of knowing about Max's crazy predicament. When the full shape of the sun appeared over the trees, the flock ascended into the jungle to find their missing members. While the younger ones stayed in a group and went off to another direction, Fang was lured by the noise of some muffling within the trees. He was sure that it wasn't any jungle animal's noise he had ever heard, so naturally he was curious. When he reached the spot though, he saw that it was—
"Iggy! What the hell happened to you?"
Iggy's head popped up at the sound of his friend's voice. "FANG!" he cried. "Oh you have no idea how glad I am that you're here." He struggled against the knots that fastened his wings to his back like a clipped bird.
"Judging that I'm not feeling anyone undoing my knots, you're just standing there gawking at me like a dumb-ass three year old. What, you thought I wondered off into this God-forsaken jungle to practice knot tying?"
Fang quickly snapped out of his flabbergasted state. "Sorry Ig, it's just that it's so weird that someone would just tie you up to a tree and leave you there…speaking of which, who did this to you Iggy?"
"Okay," Iggy sighed as Fang got to work on the knots. "Right now, I'm strongly working under the theory that Max has been lobotomized by a talking snake."
He said it in all seriousness, but Fang couldn't believe what he had told him. He paused in tediousness.
"Look, I know you think it doesn't sound realistic or plausible, but then maybe talking dogs with wigs aren't ether." Iggy pulled one arm free from the vines. "Listen! My point is that Max could be in deeper crap than you or I can imagine. The white coats may have built some kind of biological weapon, and we were the frigging test subjects; Max and me because I'm blind."
"Alright, alright," Fang quickly undid the last knot. "Do you know which way Max and this snake went?"
"Not exactly, but I think he was gonna follow Gazzy back to camp when we came through here yesterday." Iggy stretched his limbs as the vines fell off of him. "And...I don't think you should look that snake in the face." He warned, spreading his wings.
"Again, I have no frigging idea what you're talking about Ig, but I guess I'll have to take your word for it. Let's go find the other kids and get back to camp now."
"Roger!" Iggy saluted. So the boys pushed off and flew away to rescue the others.
Meanwhile…
Angel continued to trek though the undergrowth, looking for any clues like tracks or maybe candy wrappers. She turned around and saw neither Nudge, nor Total or her brother, anywhere in site.Looks like I'm on active duty after all,she thought smirking. Then she unfolded her wings and levitated into the treetops. Levitated was the accurate definition, because she looked as though she was half floating and half flying simultaneously up in the air. This wasn't any act of a new ability, but simply because she was as graceful as a swan. As she perched herself on the branch, she looked out over the jungle in wonder, and wariness.
...Max...where are you?
Suddenly, a new wave of thoughts passed into Angel's mind. It was like those of Max...but not the Max. Maybe it was her clone...no, unless…she crept slowly and silently to the source of the strange thoughts. When she came to the edge of a branch on the tree she was on, she glided over to the next tree, and then the waves were starting to feel closer and closer.
She ascended into a clearing within the tree tops and almost landed on Max. When the pair saw each other, they stared at each other for a second or two before Angel broke the silence.
"Max, what…are you wearing?" She asked, frightened and disgusted. Max's ratty jeans and baggy shirt were gone; she was almost bare to the skin save for a leopard-skin loin cloth and bra. From her hand, she dropped a reddish colored mango she had just eaten. Then she took a swing at Angel's head, but she swiftly ducked and retreated to another corner.
"Max stop it!" she yelled, unwilling to hurt her leader. She tried to reach out to her with her mind—
Have to fight the clone and get her to Fang...Need to find the real flock...have to obey Fang...
Angel was dumb struck...someone had really screwed with Max's mind. Maybe she could fix it...but suddenly—
"Over here, deliciousss sssnack." Angel whirled around and saw a huge snake descending over her head like a spider to a fly. At once when she saw it, flashes of color began to glow from its eyes. Angel tried to scream, but the aurora of the snake's eyes were so beautiful to look at she stopped. Her voice wouldn't make a single sound, it couldn't make a sound, but for some reason—she felt that it didn't need to.
What's going on? Angel thought. Why couldn't I hear his thoughts before he…ooh, what pretty colors in his eyes…
As soon as Angel was under the trance, Max pulled out a knife from behind her and held it against the little girl's neck. "Alright, so what now Fang?" she looked at the snake. "Should we interrogate her?"