One-Year Ago

"Max? What are we going to do?" whispered Angel.

"I don't know, Angel, I'll think of something," I said, shutting my eyes.

The metal table was cold underneath us. I set Angel on my lap.

That was when a Whitecoat came out of the door leading to the little cement room, carrying a clipboard. Four Erasers came out behind him.

"Experiment thirty-one," he said, pointing at Nudge with a ballpoint pen. Two Erasers came forward and one reached through the glass-like gel cage enclosing the six of us. Nudge bent her head forward and bit one's finger. It smiled and reached in it's other hairy paw, grabbing her head.

"Nudge!" I shrieked, grasping for a leg, a shoe, a shirt, anything that could bring her back.

We were too late.

She was dragged through the gel, and the backup Erasers cuffed her hands together behind her back with two metal things. They locked another one around her neck. Nudge kicked out behind her, and something happened. It looked like an electric shock ran through her entire body, shaking her and causing her to crumple.

"Nudge!" I yelled again, horrified.

They just SMILED, the crazy monsters, and prodded her through the door. One of the walls flipped, and turned to glass. The dissection table on the other side looked like it was mocking me. They set Nudge down on her stomach and unlocked all of the electrocuting things, but before she could move she was covered in red dots. Laser points.

The head Whitecoat was moving his lips. I strained myself to hear them.

"…One move and you will be immediately terminated…"

"Angel," whispered Fang," can you pick anything up?"

Angel shook her head. I held her closer, and she buried her face in my jacket. I stroked her hair and Fang moved the little length his chained wrists would allow to sit beside me.

I put my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

After what felt like forever, I felt Fang shift.

"Max. It's over," he said.

"They killed her?" I whispered.

"No. But she'll never… she'll never fly again."

My brain didn't register, couldn't comprehend, that they'd sliced off her wings.

I looked up.

The horrible metal electric pieces were back. A Whitecoat flipped her over and held out a vial of liquid to pour into Nudge's mouth. She clamped it shut. Immediately, a spasm ran through her body. When she still didn't open her mouth, it hit again, her spine arching and her eyes rolling back.

I choked back a sob.

Nudge parted her lips weakly. They poured the hell liquid in and pushed her roughly to her feet. An Eraser kicked the door open and tossed her into a corner.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!" I screamed, tears springing to my eyes.

"Experiment nineteen," the Whitecoat said, glancing over his clipboard at me with just a hint of amusement. They reached in for Gazzy.

His eyes widened with fear as he tried to get away, but he was stuck about a foot away.

I couldn't watch it again.

They pushed him into the other corner, but he was still semi-conscious.

"Twenty-seven, please come forward," the Whitecoat turned his gaze on Iggy, "you have been rendered useless due to your lack of eyesight. You have been scheduled to be immediately terminated."

I gasped. Iggy looked stunned. There was nothing we could do. Again.

The pulled him out, and he still looked in a daze. He took one step in the door and there was a loud explosion.

Suddenly, the gel collapsed, leaving no trace of our imprisonment. I pulled at the chains around my wrists, the only thing standing between my broken Flock and me. Just as my hands were losing feeling, the chains crumpled to dust.

"Angel?" I looked at her disbelievingly. She nodded and turned her eyes on Fang's chains. The same thing happened to them. I hugged her and jumped up, looking through the rubble and dust for my family.

"Nudge," I choked out, reaching down for her. Her eyes fluttered open.

"M-Max. My wings. They're…they're…"

"I know, sweetie," I whispered, tears streaking the dirt on my face," Stay here. I need to find Iggy."

I picked my way through to the door.

"Fang! Come help me!" I gasped. Iggy's entire body up to his shoulders was under the collapsed dissection table. I started to heave it out of the way.

"Holy hell. Holy. Fucking. Hell."

"Iggy?" I breathed in relief.

"Max, when they shocked me, I think-"

"Guys!" Fang said, rushing over and shoving the table off. Nudge limped in behind him, followed by Gazzy and Angel.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"Of course not. But listen, I think, when they shocked me, it… it gave me my sight back."

There was a shocked silence.

"Seriously? How many fingers am I holding up?" asked Gazzy, making a peace sign.

"Two," answered Iggy," and you have a little drop of blood on your left earlobe."

"Oh, Iggy, that's beyond awesome." I whispered in awe.

"Thanks. But we have to get out of here. I'll carry the Gasman, and Angel, get those things off Nudge," Iggy said," Max, Fang, you guys can make out while we 'confirm that it's safe'," he added, rolling his eyes.

I shot him a look, but there wasn't much that I wanted more right now, other than the obvious. I watched them exit the room.

I turned around and before I knew what was happening Fang leapt at me, knocking me onto the ground and putting his hands around my waist. I put one hand in his sweat-matted hair and brought his lips onto mine. They parted on impact and I put one hand on his waist, bringing it slowly up under his t-shirt.

He unfurled his wings and enclosed us in feathers.

"Well it's not like you're not already practically screwing each other, but can we end this soon? It's time to go," said Iggy.

"Language, Iggy, language," I muttered as I stood, "You guys can carry Nudge. I got Gazzy." I sighed, brushing the dirt off.

We found the younger kids looking determined. I lifted Gazzy up and we got out of that place, only four of us flying.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*