A/N: I want to apologize for not updating quick enough - I blame it on my clutziness. I'm in physical therapy right now for injuring my knees and back. So, between sports, school, therapy, chores, sleeping, and eating, my only free time is on Saturdays and a little bit of Sunday. It's really hard to fit time in, so if it takes me a while to update, I am sincerely sorry.
Wow, I sound so diplomatic... or like I'm being totally... um... I dunno... what's the word? Idk, but I'll make one up.
Nevmooring= (adj) to blame something on someone unsuspecting; to deem one's self as not responsible for an action
I could write a dictionary for made up words! But who would wanna read that anyway? Sorry, this has NOTHING to do with ANYTHING, sooo
HERE'S CHAPTER 3!
We were in the air over miles and miles of dark ocean. The sun had been slowly rising off to our right, and as much as we wanted to be playing on our way, we didn't. So far, we'd been flying 9 hours straight with no breaks and only burritos and granola bars for food. In other words, this was bound to be a long flight from the beginning.
"Gazzy! I swear if you sing one more version of wheels on the bus, I'm gonna flip!" Nudge huffed. Most of our breathing was getting kind of heavy, but we only had one more hour left, so we weren't freaking out over the fact that we were actually tired.
"Yah." Angel said. "And I hate to break it to you Gazzy, but you're not the best singer anymore."
Iggy whooped. "'Cuz I am!" And he started in on the new song "Radioactive" - by Imagine Dragons.
Gazzy whined, pulled out several wires and scrap metal from his pocket, and then started fiddling with them. He was so good with explosives, he could have made them with his eyes closed, so being newly blind didn't really affect his hobby that much.
I glanced around at the five others, automatically counting heads out of habit. Angel was falling behind and was flutter-flapping, her wing beats uneven and strained. "Angel?" I asked quickly falling back in the group.
"Sorry, Max. The Voice didn't let me get any sleep last night, it's been doing internal analyses on everyone, and was recording them verbally." The look on her face told me she was lying. Her next wing beat slowed and she dropped several feet before coming back up. "Max, my head really hurts." She adjusted the strap on her backpack, her face white with pain and effort. She smiled weakly at me and then sucked in a sharp breath. Her hand started to lift up to her temple again, but suddenly she cried out in pain. Her wings flattened against her back and she tightened into a ball.
I shot down after her and fought for a hold on her tight body. She was screaming blood curdling shrieks and shaking. I finally caught one of her ankles and pulled up hard.
We both kept falling. Oh, God! I was Nudge, and I wasn't strong enough. "Nudge!" I yelped. I was going to need Fang's body strength for this.
Within seconds, Nudge was at my side helping me lift Angel, still shrieking in agony.
Once we leveled out, I let Nudge take all her weight. "Holy Cheese!" I gasped. "Fang, you're right. I do weigh a freaking ton!"
He turned his head to look at me and shrugged. "Told you."
It took a few minutes until Angel was just whimpering. Nudge decided to take this time to start up one of her monologues. "I was just wondering, like, what if one of us died. Would we be stuck in our bodies? Like if Angel died, would you be stuck in that body because you couldn't switch with a dead person? And then because your stuck in my body, I would be stuck in Fangs body? And then because I'm stuck in Fang's body, he'd be stuck in Angel's? I mean, think about it, wouldn't that be totally weird?" She tilted her head in thought. "Or if, like, I died or something, maybe Fang would die too because he would have to switch back into his body, and then he'd be dead." She looked at me and frowned. "Ya know?"
This came as a smack to the face. What Nudge said made total sense, and suddenly, I thought this whole saving the world business should be put on hold. Yeah, the risks were high before, but now with the possibility of us all dying because of one person, it seemed like we were just asking to get shot in the chest. And if I needed to be some kind of sacrifice to save the world, I normally would have. But I would NOT bring the flock down with me. It wasn't an option.
Neither is the idea of you even thinking about sacrificing yourself. The sudden thought was loud and sounded angry.
I sped up and kept pace with Fang near the front of the Flock. If it saved the world or you guys, it would be. I thought back at him, getting frustrated at the fact that he read my mind more than Angel did.
We'd find a way around it. But sacrificing yourself is not up for debate. It would never happen. His wing tips brushed mine. Never, okay? So don't even think about it.
I sighed and flew ahead of him a little, still looking back. No. You don't worry about it. It was just a passing thought. I wouldn't, really. I thought with as much conviction as I could muster. Then I blocked my mind, which probably didn't help my case.
Fang's eyes narrowed dangerously. Just when I thought he was going to say something out loud, Nudge shrieked, "Land! Oh, Land, never have I thought I'd be so happy to see you!" She adjusted Angel in her arms.
"Me either!" Iggy said, grinning at the fact that it was actually possible for him now. Gazzy mumbled something unintelligible, probably lucky that I hadn't caught it. He tucked the newest of his exploding contrapions in his shirt, most likely with an infinite stash of others he'd made.
Angel squirmed in Nudge's arms, wiggling her legs free. "I think I'm okay to land on my own now if it makes it easier."
Nudge looked at her suspiciously. "Are you sure?" Her eyes glanced at her curled fists and white knuckles, fighting against pain. Angel nodded hastily and pushed out of Nudges grasp, easily moving her wings out and catching air.
"Geez, Nudge." Angel sighed. "Thanks for saving my life and everything, but next time, could you hold me a little more gently?"
She nodded cooperatively, not one for sarcastic comments after every sentence. Her dark black eyes widened. "Ooo! Max! Look at the sunset!" She fluttered up with a new energy. A flash of pink shot up from distant buildings, over laced with orange and purple. "We're finally here!"
Within minutes, we were there landing on some deserted cliff area with a forest a few hundred feet inland. Gazzy bent over and kissed the ground. "Something I can touch! I never thought I'd say this, but I am sick of flying." He laid down and rolled onto his back. "So now where do we go?" He asked making perfect dirt-angels in the dust with his wings.
Angel bent over him and drew a halo over his head. "We sleep here tonight." She said.
I'd helped the others unpack the sleeping bags from our packs. Soon we had a small fire going and we were roasting s'mores with the stuff Fang had picked up from the nearest store.
"Mmmm." Nudge sighed. "These are so good!" Her her mouth was full of marshmallow and the white mush in her teeth made her look like some kind of monster.
"They better be." Fang said gravely. "I almost got into a fight with the cashier lady."
"What?" I asked. "How?"
He laid back and patted his stomach. "The lady thought I was too young and had a fit when I pulled out the wad of cash. She thought I stole it or something." He licked the rest of the stickiness off his fingers. "Anyway, she was asking me where my mother was. And I told her she was in the restroom. So the lady told me I had to wait, and I didn't want to so I said some things a seven-year-old should never say." He shrugged his shoulders. "Guess she didn't like that. I was getting tired of the woman and just kind of... persuaded her - as Angel would say - into giving me the freaking groceries for free."
"Fang!" I hit him playfully on the arm.
Iggy pinched Fangs cheeks. "Aww. The wittle baby didn't wanna throw a tempwer tantwum." He patted his head. "Good girl! You're growing up so fast!"
Fang grinned. Suddenly, Iggy let go and he smacked himself in the face.
"Hey!" He protested.
Fang shrugged again. "Don't mess with a mind controling seven-year-old. Didn't that story teach you anything?"
"You're not setting a very good example for our real mind-controlling girl." I said, wagging my finger at him.
He turned his head to me, stuck out his bottom lip and blinked big blue eyes at me. "So-wwy, Mommy."
Everyone couldn't help cracking up.
Out of nowhere, Fang cursed. He shook his head and shouted, "No!"
We all turned to look at him. He was giving Iggy a horrified, wide-eyed expression. "What's up?" Angel asked.
Fang slowly turned his head to look at us. "Iggy was wondering if the whole 'human fart being flammable' theory is true." He blinked in shock. "He wants to test it out."
Nudge exhaled quickly, sprang up, and ran screaming into the woods. "Will there be no mercy?!" Her voice faded as she tried to get as far away as possible.
"No, Ig." Fang said. "Don't do it, dude. It's not worth finding out."
Gazzy was jumping up and down excitedly. "I bet it is! Do it!"
Angel raised her hands defensively. "I'll watch from a distance." She said, making her way into the sky.
Fang leaned over toward me. "He's blocking me. He's gonna do it. There's no changing his mind!" He pushed passed me and shot up into the air after Angel. "Get into the air! Every man for himself!"
He didn't have to tell me twice. I followed quickly to where the two of them were hovering a good two hundred feet away.
"I'll be at your funeral!" Angel shouted down to them. "You're both gonna blow up!"
And then our campfire exploded and was as big as a one story house for about two seconds. The flames died quickly, and Iggy jumped over the cliff edge with his pants on fire, flames trailing behind him. He made a perfect dive into the ocean and came up whooping and hollering. Gazzy flew out to meet him. "That... was... AWESOME!"
Ig's grin was huge. "How do you know?"
Gazzy was spazzing out. "'Cuz I heard it, and felt it!" He held out his fist and Iggy bumped it. "We are sooo making bombs with that!"
Angel flew down to them. "You guys are nuts. And Iggy, get some new pant's on, you burned a hole in them and you're showing my brothers butt off to the world."
"Oh." Ig's face reddened in embarrassment. "Be right back."
He flew to his bag and ran into the forest.
The rest of us that were left in the air landed back at the blackened ground of our camp site. Nudge came out of the woods. "Oh, no!" She held her nose. "Now it smells like burned fart! It's even worse!"
I wrinkled my nose against he smell. It was awful, but bearable. Fang sighed, shaking his tangled blonde curls. I reached in my bag and tossed him a hair brush. He caught it. "Brush your hair, Fang. I'm sure Angel doesn't want to switch back into a body with a shaved head just because you don't take care of it."
He breathed in exasperation. "What if I told you I don't know how to use one of these?" He asked, smirking and dangling it out in front of him as if he'd never seen a plastic hairbrush before.
"You'd figure it out and use it anyway." I said building the fire back up to a normal blaze.
He sighed, defeated. "Okay, Mommy."
By the time the fire was in decent shape, everyone was back in their sleeping bags. I was almost asleep, and Fang was on watch, when Angel finally yawned and said, "We leave in the morning guys. To Paris."
I don't know why, but this made me kind of mad. Angel seemed like she was trying to take over my role as leader lately, yet again. "Angel, why are we even here?" I sighed for the millionth time. "We all just flew ten hours. We deserve to know."
"I can't tell you." She whispered.
"Angel..." I said annoyed.
Angel glanced at me. "The Voice... it said not to..."
I was about ready to smack her, even if she was in my body. Her excuse was always 'the Voice this, the Voice that'. I became aware of me starting to 'lose my cool', because Iggy's sleeping bag zipper was going haywire, and the keychain attached to Fang's back pack was straining toward me, dragging it's way across the ground.
"I'm sorry, Max."
I ripped one of my sleeves angrily. The backpack responded by shooting past me and over the cliff edge. Iggy lept off to catch it. "Angel! If you tell me that one more time..."
"Max." Fang warned. "Calm down." He gave me a pointed look. I'll see what I can find out, okay?
I clenched my hands into fists and then released them again and again. Angel walked over and grabbed my hand. "I wish I could tell you." She whispered. "But I really shouldn't. I don't want the Flock to separate again. That's what the Voice said. If I told you, you'd leave."
"What?" I asked. "Angel, sweety, I'd never leave you guys! Never! No matter what that thing in your head tells you!" I was no longer mad at her, but I wanted to punch the Voice's lights out. How dare it put those kinds of thoughts in her head?
"But I believe it." Angel said, barely audible. "I think you really would."
Suddenly, I wanted so bad to hug her, cry, yell, and smash some heads together all at once. Instead I walked away so I wouldn't do something I regretted. Iggy did the Star Wars theme song as I stomped into the woods. "But Luke! I am your Father!" I didn't glanced back at him. What did that have to do with anything?
ANGEL POV
But she's mad at me. She thought wildly to the voice. I don't know what to do.
There wasn't even a pause before the Voice answered. Angel had been wondering lately what Max meant about the voice never answering a direct question. It had been answering everything and more. Angel, you know how she'd react if we told her our plans.
Your plans! She thought near tears. Max didn't get angry at Angel like this, like the way she was now. The only other time was when she told Max that Fang would be the first to die. They're your plans, not mine!
And you're following through with them. The Voice sounded calm.
Angel was shaking in her sleeping bag, not from the cold, but from the fear running through her. I am! I am! So, just don't do it, okay? Don't do that to Dr. Martinez and Ella!
I won't. The Voice replied. Just make sure the Flock brings him in tomorrow. Dylan, has to be back in the Flock with you all, or else he might go through with some other... less fortunate plans. I'm sure you don't want Max's mother and sister to go through the same torture Ella's poor father is going through.
I'll make sure we pick him up. Angel agreed feverishly She couldn't believe Ella's father was alive. And more than that, she couldn't believe what was in effect. Would Dylan really do that again? Be that horrid and help those people? And why include Max's biological family?
One thought kept ringing in her ears. The one the Voice wouldn't let her forget. Fang will be the first to die. Angel had hoped she'd be wrong, but the Voice assured her that her prediction was true.
That's right, Angel. The Voice soothed. I know you don't want it to be this way, but Fang will have to go.
Angel's silent tears landed in her hair. The hair that shouldn't have been hers. She knew she would do whatever it took to stop what the Voice had planned, because she was Max now, and it was up to her to stop was was happening.
But the question was, How do you outsmart something that was busy hearing your every thought?
You don't.
I just wanted to let you guys know that I draw! I drew my profile pic. It's not my best drawing, but it gives you an idea of what I can do. So If you want me to draw you a picture, I can try. Just message me the details of what you want, and I'd be happy to make you one!
MAJOR! I have a HUGE question for you! I'm thinking about bringing a new member into the flock as a requirement from the Voice. Maybe someone for Nudge to finally have a relationship with, one that doesn't end with the guy running away and screaming in terror... so, what do you think about that idea? Should he have wings or no wings? Should there even be a new guy? I just felt really bad that she ended up single after those stupid "boyfriends" of hers.
Also, I know ya'll probably have better things to do, and better fanfics to read, but could you please review? I've got so many viewers, and only twelve reviews, and I'm starting to wonder if it's because you don't like this story. Even If you don't, let me know! It's killing me not knowing! I don't know. I know I sound like a whiney baby, but that's probably because I am one. Anyway, I hope you guys have a wonderful spring break whenever it is, 'cuz I know we all need one! Happy Spring! Yayyyy!
Erasers may be coming too! Maybe...
