The first Flock had separated yeas ago, mostly because they were too old to depend on each other anymore, and for a while, mutants were treated like equals. So Max moved on, deciding that the world was safe.
But she was wrong.
The Flock thought that they took care of Itex. But they couldn't have imagined the monster the left to grow.
Nudge was twenty when Jamar Hodge was born. The first child of the Flock, currently known as Flame, No Last Name.
A few months later, Iggy and Ella had Elizabeth Griffeths (Di), and after that came Ree, daughter of Fang and Max. All of them were born in the same year. Next came Chas, son of Max II and Dylan and not long after that, Iggy had another child named Thomas (Scout). The last child belonged to Max II, and her name was Emma.
When Emma was born, Itex decided to carry out the Master Plan: A mutant army would overthrow the president, and would create a dictatorship, led by one of Max's creators: Marian Janssen.
Children where taken away and abducted on a mammoth scale, the flock's included, and soon they had created an army so massive that it doubled the President's.
The recruits were kept in a place called The Camp, a more terrifying version of The School.
Ree was six years old when she escaped it.
She shook her head, not wanting to relive those moments. Especially the moment when they cut her wings off.
Her beautiful, ebony wings, just like her fathers… cut off.
Ree closed her eyes.
The rest of the kids didn't have wings either, instead they had… other abilities.
Ree picked up her emergency pack to distract herself from the horrible memories. She rummaged through it, hoping to find something other than Vitapills to eat.
Rope, gauze, a cup, a hunter's knife, a rubber band, a white tank top, a plastic bag of Vitapills and half a bottle of water is what she found.
Half a bottle of water… Ree paled and threw her pack on the floor, picking up Flame's.
An apple, an unfrozen ice pack, a book, another cup, and insect repellent.
No water.
Flame always carries water… Ree picked up the rest of the packs.
She found no water but the one she had. Panic surged through her body. Half a bottle of water would not last them.
"GET UP!" she shouted. Four groans were all heard at once.
"Come on Ree," Di rubbed her eyes.
"Give me five more minutes…" Em buried her head in her arms.
"Man, you suck," Chas sat up reluctantly.
"Are we caught again?" Scout looked around frantically, his black hair suffering from bedhead.
Ree threw her pack at Flame, who didn't budge.
"Huh?" he looked up confused.
"Where the hell is our water?" Ree demanded, getting straight to the point.
A guilty silence followed, except Ree could have sworn she heard a soft: "and good morning to you too," from Chas.
"This," she held up the bottle, "is what we have left. Why didn't you guys tell me we were dry?"
Another silence followed.
"You were under so much stress, we didn't want to add to your problems-" Em mumbled
"Water is the root of the problem," she said, "I don't want to scare you guys, but remember Zero?"
Everyone nodded. Zero was part of the flock for a long time, and was supposedly the son of Rachet and Star. He was normal, until The Camp enhanced him to have the ability to turn invisible.
"Well, he didn't die of malaria. He died of dehydration. That mean he was so thirsty he died,"
"We know what dehydration means," muttered Flame
"Shut up!" Ree spat, "the point is we could end Zero. Dying for a stupid reason," she paused, "and I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather die fighting Itex,"
There was a small pause. A smile slowly grew on Scout's face as he stood himself up, saluting to Ree. Ree smiled back as the rest of the flock did the same.
"What's your plan?" Di said.
A promise Ree had made to herself burned like an iron in the back of her mind.
Don't be like Max. Don't ever, leave the flock.
But that's what she had to do. She had to risk it. She took a deep breath.
"I have a plan," she said carefully, "but it involves only two of you,"