Thanks for being so patient with my updates.
I've been bouncing around with a few future story ideas.
I think I want to do a Fang and Max child adventure.
I've left a poll (hopefully) on my profile for name ideas.
If you have a different idea for names other than my choices feel free to leave a review or PM me.
I don't want really cliche ones though like Ash, or stupid, like Tooth -_-
Thanks! Now, Enjoy and Review!
Breathe in...
Breathe out...
Breathe in...
The sounds of heavy panting was amplified in my ears and echoed through the hollow air vents, metallic sounds of feet slamming against the thin metal joining the choir of sound. Faintly I could hear the blaring of sirens underneath us and every so often, if I concentrated, a small scream of resistance. But my exhaustion took over once more, the sounds becoming smothered as if they were underwater or far off in the distance.
Breathe out...
I wasn't running in the darkness, the warm arms holding me up under my knees and across my back could tell me that much. I tried to remember how to use my body, but it only sat limply, bobbing as whoever carried me ran. Right now, just breathing was hard enough.
Breathe in...
Relax, let the tension go. All it'll take is twelve, tiny muscles to get your eyes open. In fact, just open one eye, cut your work in half. Just open your eyes Max, don't just sit here. For god's sake do something!
Breathe out...
I could feel the twitches and tremors of my muscles as I tensed and untensed them, slowly feeling the streams of blood rushing through my veins, fueling my body. It made me even more aware of the pain under my collarbone where the metal dart had hit the bone. I could practically feel the dark colours it was going to turn the skin, blood clotting inside of me. Bleeding on the inside is better than out I guess. Too bad Ari wouldn't get that luxury.
Breathe in...
"Relax." I heard the word slam into my eardrums, sending needles of pain through my scalp. My mouth tore open as I sucked in the cool and metal tasting air. The feeling was good and relieved my lungs as they started to expand.
"Relax." I could hear the anxiousness in the voice now, how much force was being used just to get two syllables. It was like the words were being said through teeth that wouldn't part for the air. The desperation only made me more desperate to comply. We swerved suddenly to the left, the brushing feeling of hair falling off my face was nearly overwhelming, feeling more like nails digging through my cheek more than a few light, and most likely blood matted, strands of hair.
"Breathe out." No air left my lungs, but the darkness left my sight. Even the faintest light in the air vents burned my eyes and with desperation I tried to shut them, but now my eyelids were content with staying separated as far from one another as possible.
"Breathe out." The voice was panicked now, and so was I. I hadn't seen even a second of the air vents before a bright white light scorched my sight. I wanted to scream but I couldn't feel anything anymore.
"Breathe!" I was trying!
Breathe Max, please, just breathe...
Slowly my eyes adjusted from the white light to the dark blue carpet on the ground. Everything was aching from my neck to the bottoms of my feet. But the feeling was more uncomfortable than that. It was like, I didn't belong in my body. A stand of hair fell in front of my eyes and out of instinct I moved to brush it away. My hand didn't move from my side and so my hair hung in front of my face, my black hair. Now my hands moved but only to rub to back of on of my hands. No, they weren't my hands, they were darker than mine, and smaller, but just as calloused.
"Zen?" I heard a voice ask from the side. I didn't turn to look at the speaker, but sadly I knew it well enough to know it was Jeb. "Zen, did you hear what I said?" I-err- Zen didn't speak but just continued to rub the back of his right hand with the heel of his left.
Answer him.
He looked up to see Angel. It was strange; there was no glare on her face, not even a smirk. More of a look of worry.
It's better to co-operate now than be dead later, right?
What she thought wasn't making any sense, at least not to me, but Zen seemed to understand. His head righted to face Jeb who was sitting at a heavy, wooden desk, two Erasers on either side. This must've been his office considering the ugly wooden panels against the blue rug.
"I heard." Zen snapped at him, now crossing his arms defensively. "It just didn't seem important enough to respond to." He added casually. Jeb flinched slightly before clearing his throat, pushing out from his desk. He crossed around to the front of it and leaned backwards, sitting on the edge.
"I really thought you'd come around. You seemed like you understood the importance of Experiment Ultimate." Jeb said before sighing, shaking his head with fake regret. "It seems I was wrong."
"Obviously." Zen responded immediately, a bored tone in his voice. Jeb flinched again before brushing off Zen's comment. He motioned to one of the Eraser who handed him a clip board. He took his time to flip through the pages and I wondered if he was actually looking something up or just trying to look important.
Jeb finally cleared his throat and looked up at Zen. "I'm assuming we can't trust any of your visions for our success?" He questioned. Zen shrugged and let his eyes wander.
"It would probably be wise, since those visions don't exist." He said. "Your project is deemed for failure anyway you go about it." Zen added, emphasizing "failure" trying to make Jeb see the truth. But this was Jeb we were talking about, so his response was a smile and a hint of disaster.
"We'll see if you change your mind in the next few days." I shuddered along with Zen. A devious Jeb was about as complimentary as a chipper Fang. Ugh, creepy.
"I hope stupid is a good colour on you." Zen muttered loudly. Jeb turned away. After so many years of facing my flock's comments I think he'd gotten a bit of immunity to insults. He walked around his desk again and put the clipboard into one of the drawers.
"We'll have to continue on with the experiment." Jeb continued, pretending as if he hadn't heard Zen speak. "Think of it as a test run." He said and sat back down, motioning to one of the Erasers. Jeb spoke softly to him and I strained to hear but Zen wasn't paying attention. He turned to focus on Angel who was watching Jeb and the Eraser with concentration. Before I could figure out what she was doing Zen was already looking back at Jeb, he and the Eraser separated.
"We'll start with you Angel." He said and motioned for the Eraser to walk forwards. Zen could see Angel in the corner of his eyes, a confused look coming over her face.
"E-excuse me?" She stuttered her eyes going wide as she stared at Jeb. He tapped his finger on his desk patiently, his twinkling smile returning.
"I don't tolerate lies Angel," he said knowingly before crossing his arms. "Especially not about experiments." The Eraser started forwards and I caught a glance at the look on Angel's face. It was absolutely priceless. I took in the moment as much as I could not being myself, knowing that she finally felt what it was like to be stabbed in the back. But part of me couldn't control my guilt or sympathy, the part that still thought she was my sweet little girl, which she clearly was not. But I saw something flash suddenly in her eyes, not pain or heartbreak. It was concentration. And as the Eraser's came closer I realised, she already had her grasp in their minds.
Zen suddenly stepped forwards in front of Angel, his arm out protectively. The Erasers immediately stopped in their place as Angel lost focus for a moment.
Zen! I winced at her telepathic shout. Angel needed to learn how to use her in-mind voice. What are you doing?
"Buying you some time to get them out of here." Zen thought back, motioning to the Eraser's with his eyes. His thoughts were clear and firm, not echoic like in movies.
I can handle it! Angel snapped angrily.
"Not for much longer you can't." Zen shot back, mild concern in his tone. He was right, Angel didn't look like herself. I wasn't sure what was wrong, but she seemed to be struggling quite a bit with her conscience. "Get them out of here." Zen demanded, bringing Angel back to his focus.
And then what? Zen paused with his words, unlocking his eyes from Angel's, turning to place them on Jeb, his eyes narrowing.
"And then we stall." He thought finally, pressing his lips into a thin line as Jeb interrupted.
"Zen, is she controlling you?" Jeb asked, a confused tone in his voice, as if Angel controlling anyone was completely absurd. Zen shrugged at him.
"Why would she?" He answered aloud, not faltering. "There are others in here that would be much more valuable to control." There was a fake, but very well delivered obnoxious tone to Zen's voice as Jeb looked at him gravely, receiving the hint. He looked to both Erasers before nodding towards both the doors. Without pause I saw Angel flick her eyes at the door and the Eraser's responded accordingly, marching like mindless robots towards the doors. Jeb waited till the door was shut before sitting down, giving Angel time to shake herself free from the Eraser's minds.
"I'm not in the mood for games, you two." Jeb snapped sternly, folding his arms across the surface of his desk. The scowl on his face seemed very out of place (Ha, rhyming!) but the twinkle hadn't fallen from his eyes, at least not yet.
"We're not playing one." Zen shot back as Angel stepped beside him, leaving a thin gap between them.
"The only one playing games is this sick place." Angel hissed angrily, her small hands curled into fists at her sides as she threw her best glare at Jeb. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes for a moment, resting his forehead in his hands. He knew me and how I raised my flock. You couldn't get any more stubborn than my group of winged kids.
"This hassle is unnecessary, and a complete waste of time for everyone in this facility." Jeb finally spoke calmly, lifting his head to face the two kids across from him. He could try bribery, he could try threats, but nothing would work on my kids.
"Your experiment is a complete waste of time, and a waste of lives." Angel seethed back at him, taking another step forwards. "You'll kill every experiment you try this on."
"It doesn't matter if it's us." Zen spoke up, his tone just as harsh. "It doesn't matter if it's Max. I already told you this project can only go downhill. And it will end in disaster." Zen's tone was grave now as he stared straight at Jeb, trying to make him see the truth. Both he and Angel were holding their breath, waiting for Jeb's response, but the one they got didn't help anything.
"That is what tests are for." Jeb answered his cool and relaxed, all his tension seeping away from his face and voice. "If disasters occur, they can be prevented. And that's exactly what you two are going to help us do."
There wasn't any response from either side minus the anger starting to roll off Zen and Angel. "You really are deranged." Angel said softly, her face long but her eyes narrowed with hate.
"I can't even begin to picture how someone can be so narrow minded." Zen added, his own fists curling.
Jeb chuckled at her, sitting forwards in his chair, startling her. "Me, narrow minded?" He joked. "This is honestly why Max was never supposed to infect the other experiments."
"Infect us?" Angel snapped angrily. "You're the one that helped us before, when there was something human in you. You took us with Max, all six of us!" She yelled.
"I wasn't talking about you." Jeb glowered at Angel, his tone thickening once more. "I meant you," He snarled, turning too face Zen, "and your little flock." I could feel Zen's confusion mixed in with my own as I listened closer, waiting for an explanation. "See, Jace's flock is completely flawed, out of date," Jeb listed, shaking his head with every word escaping his throat." "Expired if you will." He added carelessly. "Things would have been better off if you'd all been retired manually." The last part seemed to be an afterthought he'd mistakenly said allowed.
"What do you mean, manually retired?" Zen demanded but Jeb ignored him and stood, reaching into the top drawer of his desk. The minute Zen and Angel heard a small click they both assumed a fighting stance, watching Jeb pull the small pistol from the drawer, fixating it between the two of them.
"It may be a game, but it doesn't mean it's going to be fair." Jeb snapped as he glared at the two of them. I couldn't help the feeling of my heart sinking in my chest when the twinkle in Jeb's eye started to fade. "Here are the new rules." He announced , waving the gun slightly like the insane manic he was. "You two co-operate with all my tests and my finger doesn't accidently slip and pull the trigger, understand?" Jeb asked rhetorically.
I spotted Angel peering at Zen from the corner of her eye while he glared at Jeb, his eyes filled with disgust. "Bite me." He snarled slowly, his words barely recognizable. But Jeb heard them and scowled deeper, pointing the gun at Zen.
"You have three seconds to put your hands above your head, if not my finger might just slip." He threatened, but Zen didn't move even an inch.
Zen... Angel pried into his mind, but he didn't respond, stuck in his stare down with Jeb.
"Three..." Jeb said slowly, his eyes fierce. But this was Jeb we were talking about. He would chicken out, drop the gun, and call in more Eraser's to get Angel and Zen. He wouldn't shoot.
"Two..." So what if people changed, so what is Jeb wasn't warm anymore, or kind, or loving, or like anything he was before.
"One..." He dragged out the word long and suspense killing. Great, he wasn't joking, and Zen was't moving. If fact he was being very intrepid, completely ignoring Angel. We all know that intrepid people get killed.
"Do your worst." Zen dared Jeb after a few seconds. This situation couldn't get much worse.
I didn't see Jeb's finger pull the trigger, but I heard the loud noise and felt the sharp pain shoot through Zen's head as my vision started to fade back into white at the worst possible time. But something had hit Zen, and it could've been a bullet.
"Max, get up!" I moaned as the white light faded. Screams and sirens polluted my ears once more as I opened my eyes, looking up to Fang's face, or at least the bottom of it. He was shouting at me as we ran through the air vents. "Get up!" He snapped again.
"I'm up." I croaked, my voice groggy. I couldn't have been out for that long. Even hour visions only seemed to last around five seconds when Harmony or Zen had them.
"Good." Fang responded to me slowly and soon I became aware of the odd light illuminating the tunnel and the heavy smoke smell. "Because you need to fly." I looked forwards and saw the side of the vent completely blown open to the outside. Hmm, I wonder who on earth in our group of misfits could've done that? I felt Fang's and suddenly move to my waist for a millisecond before he thrust me from the tunnel and out into the air.
I quickly shot open my wings as he sprung out behind me, hurrying me along. Both flocks were flying ahead of us and up into the air, including the person the screams belonged to, Harmony.
"Put me down!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she fought against Scholar and Crest who were pulling her up into the air, trying to get her away from the School and away from her brother. "I said let go!"
"Harmony!" I yelled loudly, but she didn't respond and continued to kick and fight against them. I swerved upwards a little too quickly, the drug still inside of me, making me dizzy. But feeling Fang coming up behind me I shook off my grogginess. "You need to stop." I snapped at Harmony but she turned to me, letting me see her full face and the streaks of tears covering her cheeks.
"What happened to family first Max!" She screamed at me angrily, he eyes flushed with fury. "Or is that only when it's convenient?" She snarled at me. I had no idea what to say. What do you tell a kid when you're leaving their twin behind. Seeing my silence, Harmony took her chance. She bit down hard on Scholar's hand, making her pull back as Crest released his hold on her. She took off like a rocket back down towards the School whose fields were swarming with Eraser's , their guns fixated upwards.
"Max, do something!" Scholar screamed at me as I looked back at Harmony, a lump forming in my throat. I took off after and started to gain speed, catching up and fast. She couldn't out fly me if she tried, but carrying her with that much resistance and gravity against me would be near impossible. So I did the first thing I could think of to keep her safe.
I recoiled my fist as I sped forwards, Harmony now in my reach. "I'm sorry, Harmony!" I yelled at her before giving one final push with my wings. I brought my fist forwards and slammed it into the back of her head, watching her immediately go limp. I grabbed under her stomach and pulled my wings up, just out of the gunning range as I rocketed straight upwards, carrying Harmony with me. The lump was still in my throat as I carried her limp body and started to slow as I reached the clouds. "I'm sorry."