A.N. Thanks again for all of the awesome reviews you guys keep sending me! I'm really glad you guys are liking the story, and thanks for sticking with it. I would love it if you kept continuing to send me feedback on it- I always look forward to hear how I can improve my writing.
I know nothing much has happened yet, but just stay tuned! The epic adventure is going to start soon!
*Warning* There is minor cursing in this chapter.

Chapter 6:

I followed Anne out of the school doors, feeling more mortified than I ever had before in my life. I had just gotten out of the principal's office, where Anne had come for a meeting with Headmaster Pruitt. And gee, I wondered what that meeting was about.

I was pretty sure that along with interrogating Anne about my history of random brain attacks, that which Anne knew nothing about, my mental stability was also being questioned. This day was so freaking awesome. Not.

One thing's for sure: I'm never going to be able to fake normalcy after today.

We made our way towards Anne's red four-door Honda, and I tried not to let what had happened get to me. This wasn't the first time I had a brain attack, and goodness knows that it probably wouldn't be the last, but it hadn't been just a normal one.

Aside from this being the first time I'd had an attack in a public setting, I had never experienced that feeling of being on fire before with the usual ones. I wasn't sure what that meant, but that paired with the images I'd seen, well... it seemed almost like the beginning of something. Maybe? I couldn't tell. All I knew was that the images kept replaying in my head, over and over again, burned into my memory, were critically important. Don't ask me how- but I had a hunch that I was right.

It was damp outside, much chillier than it had been yesterday. The temperature had dropped since the clouds moved in a half hour ago, and it was nippy. Definitely fall weather. I tugged my navy blue jacket closer around me, biting back a shiver as a few droplets of water dripped down from the leaves above and onto my back. We reached the car and Anne walked over towards the driver side wordlessly while I slid into the passenger seat. I shut the car door beside me and buckled myself into the seatbelt, holding my backpack close to my chest. We sat in the car for a minute in silence. I think that Anne was comprehending everything.

She was dressed in her fancy pinstripe suit with her blonde hair twisted into a tight bun at the back of her head. I felt kind of bad that she had to leave from work to pick me up, but it wasn't my decision, trust me.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Anne finally asked softly, giving me a sympathetic look that I hated. "Max?"

I sighed, fiddling with a strap on my backpack. "I get these really bad headaches, which… umm… hurt really bad."

Even though I semi-trusted Anne, something told me not to tell her about the Voice. For one thing, it would probably make her think that I was crazy if I told her that I heard a voice in my brain and saw pictures in my head like a nutcase, especially after what happened just an hour ago. So how do I explain this whole ordeal without telling her about the images I saw? And not sounding like a complete idiot?

Oops, too late for that last one.

Anne pursed her lips. "Max, I'm not stupid. There's a lot more to it than that, I know it."

I met her eyes and resisted the urge to tell her to back off. I knew she was only trying to help me, but I didn't see how having her know what had actually happened would help anything.

"You can tell me, Max. I won't even tell the others if you don't want me to."

I glanced away from her earnest face and out the window at the school building, now silhouetted against dark clouds. It was beginning to drizzle outside, and the surrounding trees and dense forest, paired with my overwhelming paranoia, made it seem like part of a scary movie. Oh geez, and I'm going to leave my flock there while I go home and relax?

Anne sighed after a while of me not speaking and shifted her car into 'Drive'. She pulled out of the school's parking lot and I rested my head against the window, feeling anxious as we passed the school and turned out of view. I knew I had no reason to worry; I had talked with Fang in the office before I had been told that Anne was coming for me, and I had ordered him to be extra cautious and careful. He had rolled his eyes in his irritating Fang-ish way and agreed, and we had gone our separate ways. And now here I was, riding through the large Virginia town with Anne.

At least it was warm in the car. Anne had the heaters cranked up, and soft alternative music was playing quietly in the background. I would have never pegged Anne as a 'Three Doors Down' fan, but then again, I didn't know this woman that well after all.

I could tell that what had happened with me today was really bothering her, and that she wasn't going to rest until she got answers. But amazingly, she was trying hard to respect my space. Guilt started to creep in at her worrying, and I knew that I had to give her some kind of answer. I owed her that much, even if it wasn't the truth.

I cleared my throat and she glanced over at me.

"I have panic attacks." I said, watching the windshield wipers swipe back and forth against the glass.

"Really?" Anne murmured, surprised, a bit of happiness lacing her tone. If only she knew that my 'confession' wasn't spot-on. "Do they happen a lot?" We turned off of Main Street, which was littered with many different shops and restaurants.

"Not really. They kind of come suddenly though, without much warning."

Anne nodded, shooting me a reassuring smile. "That's kind of inconvenient, isn't it," she stated.

I couldn't help but laugh a little bit. "Yeah, you could definitely say that."

Anne laughed, turning the car onto a road to the left. "So, if you don't mind me asking – What are they like? The panic attacks? The Headmaster said something in the meeting about you... screaming?"

I puffed air out of my mouth. That was going to be almost impossible to live down. When my head stopped feeling like it was going to burst into a gazillion pieces, I had opened my eyes to see the entire lunchroom crowded around me in complete silence, gaping at me in horror. Iggy had been trying to comfort me through the whole thing, crouched beside me with his arms wrapped tightly around my shoulders.

But the worst part of the whole thing?

I had met J.J.'s eyes, and she had the same expression on her face as the rest of the kids in the room: Horrified. Scared.

Like I was some kind of freak.

And to add to my further embarrassment, I was escorted to the main office down the hallway from the lunchroom by a few teachers, and couldn't escape the sound of the students' whispers as I left. Great, Right?

Now I was Charlottesville Prep. High School's new juicy basket case. Goodbye, normality; hellooo, freakdom. Good thing I was used to being a freak.

"Yeah," I explained. "Sometimes they make me feel like I'm suffocating, and I can't breathe." I mentally patted myself on the back at my quick thinking.

Anne shot me another sympathetic look. "That sounds terrible, Max. Are you supposed to take any medication, to help stop the attacks?"

"Uh, no. I don't take well to drugs." I answered immediately. Years of being injected with them for different tests and experiments back at the School has made us extremely wary of them. "Plus, with our huge metabolisms, it would burn right off anyway."

It was true. Headache medicine didn't work either, which was inconvenient since mine had gotten even worse with the passing of the brain attack. Luckily it wasn't at the 'head-splitting' level, though.

"Hmm…" Anne murmured, flicking on the blinker and turning down a road flanked by a large forested nature reserve park. "How do you pull yourself out of them? Do they just kind of fade?"

I watched the trees rush by, blurred by the raindrops pouring down the glass windows. "Yeah, after a while. It usually only lasts for a minute or two."

"And they hurt you?" I briefly met her eyes, lined with curiosity.

I looked back out the window, rubbing my head. "Yeah." I then quickly added, "But it's more of a panic thing than an actual pain thing."

If she knew that they really did hurt me, I knew she would try to find a way to stop them. And not like that would be a bad thing to have them all done and gone with, but she would most likely take me to a specialist, and then further examinations and diagnosing would go on. And I so didn't want to be examined again. Although... The more we talked, the thought of opening up to her didn't seem like too bad of an idea. I could tell that she really did want to help me… But I instantly squashed those thoughts down. She was a stranger, an adult I didn't know that well.

But why was it so hard not to trust her?

"So you hurt because you're in a panic?" Her tone was light and friendly. She was masking her worry well, I observed. But not well enough.

"Umm… It's more like my chest is feeling like its compressed, and it's kind of painful, but completely normal." No, it really wasn't. Again, that longing to tell her resurfaced, but I resisted. I knew I couldn't tell her. Then she would know about the Voice, and then she would know about the visions I see during the attacks. And I wasn't sure I should let that happen.

"And you don't-"

"Look, can we please talk about something else?" I interrupted, rubbing my temples again. I then realized that I had snapped at her and apologized. "Sorry, it's just… I don't want to talk about it anymore." I put down my hands and looked at her, sending her a smile that I hoped looked convincing.

She nodded, a little bit surprised at my sudden outburst, but she returned my smile, which I took as a good sign. "It's okay. I understand." I couldn't help the jolt of disbelief that went through me. "You've had quite the interesting day." All of the other adults I had met, which wasn't many – mainly the scientists at the school, would demand answers, and not have rested until they got them.

Heh- not like they ever usually got them.

"Thanks."

After a few more moments of wordless driving, Anne looked at me as if just suddenly remembering something. "Did you even get to eat lunch? Your panic attack happened in the cafeteria, didn't it?" She asked, breaking the silence.

I nodded, watching the pretty green hills roll by. Virginia was a truly beautiful state, if I do say so myself. It still doesn't compare to Colorado, though. Sometimes I really missed living there. "I had an apple, but I wasn't really feeling good."

"Wow. You must be starving!" One thing that I really liked about Anne was her willingness to accommodate our raging appetites. She always had food stored in the house, which means she pretty much had to go to the grocery store every day. "I can cook you something when we get home. You like soup, don't you? It might help you feel better."

And home cooked meals are a plus, although Anne is about as bad of a cook as I am. But canned soup and PB&J- she can whip up no problem. Iggy takes over the cooking, for the most part.

I nodded thankfully. "Yeah, that sounds good. I could always cook it, though." I knew that Anne had to get back to work, and I knew that she trusted that I would be fine on my own until the rest of the flock got back.

Anne grinned slyly at me. "I'll cook it. We wouldn't want the house to burn down and Iggy to get upset over the loss of his kitchen, now would we?"

I mock-glared at her and she laughed. "You're probably right." I admitted.

But something bothered me about what she said, though, about the kitchen belonging to Iggy. It was like she was implying that this was our home, not just a place to stay until we found our next heading. I knew that the rest of the flock were beginning to settle down here, but I wasn't sure I wanted that. What if we had to leave? Would they really want to stay? Where they could have a real home, with their own beds and a fancy pond and tasty food every day? Where they could have a real mom, and not just the bossy teenaged girl that I am? A sour feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Would they really choose her over me?

"Max, are you sure you're okay?" Anne asked, becoming worried at the sudden change in my mood. We turned onto the long winding driveway of her estate, the tires gliding across the dark pavement.

"Yeah, just tired. From the panic attack and all." We passed under the arches of trees and climbed up the hill towards the huge mansion-like house that Anne owned. Pulling up to the garage, she parked her car in front of the door, unlocking it.

Anne turned to me, smiling softly. "Maybe you should go lay down. Take a nap. You have the rest of the day off, Max. You might as well get some rest."

And suddenly, taking a nap didn't sound bad at all. Right now, I didn't have to worry about deciphering the codes. I didn't have any immediate homework to do. The rain was soothing. Fang was watching the flock...

"You know what? I think I might do just that." I agreed.

"Good." She looked out the window before huffing at the rain. "Is it just me, or is it always when you have to get out of the car that it starts down-pouring?"

I smiled. "Definitely the latter." Laughing, she hopped out of the car, and I did the same.

The rain had gotten heavier now, and the cold droplets seeped through my school jacket. I ran towards the door with Anne hot on my tail, her high heels clacking against the wet concrete. How could she run in those death traps? We paused under the awning of the door while she unlocked it, then we burst inside to where it was nice and cozy. And by that, I mean 'not wet'.

Anne shivered, placing her purse on the entryway table. "Are you still hungry? I have two cans of Vegetable Beef with your name on it!"

I could almost hear my stomach growl, my appetite mysteriously back. "Sounds delicious!"

She grinned and walked gracefully off to the kitchen, her heals clicking the entire way. I kicked off my shoes and headed upstairs to put my backpack in my room while Anne got my food ready.

But as I walked up the wide stair steps, I couldn't help but be haunted by a thought: I wondered if this is what it would've been like to have a real mom.

Would she have come pick me up from school when I was sick, or make me soup to help me feel better? Would we have laughed and teased each other, and told each other silly jokes? Not that Anne and I had done that, since I'm about as untrusting and, you know, not normal, as they come.

But still, there were traces of those happy feelings… Weren't there?

My heart felt heavy as I walked into my room, conscious, for the first time in a long time, of the fact that I didn't have a biological mother. The papers from the institute in New York, the ones that had actually printed off non-coded, had said so themselves.

And I was regretfully aware of the fact that if I had a choice, if I wasn't the leader, and if we weren't in danger…

I might want to stay here too.

36.2469N, 116.8169W
Death Valley, California
5:30 PM (PST)

Black, well-tended shoes, clacked against the white, bleached, laminate floors of the facility. The man wearing them was as equally groomed, with a clean shaven face, neat dusty brown hair, and smudge-less glasses. He was around thirty four years of age, one of the younger sets of personnel at the facility.

But that didn't mean he was the least of importance.

Workers greeted him as he walked by, acknowledging him with wide smiles and over-the top exuberance, seeming honored to be in his presence. He greeted them in the same manner, but internally scowled. Ever since he was promoted to head director and overseer of Itex's California branch, there was nothing but sucking up and fake smiles from his coworkers.

Truthfully, he was getting tired of it. He had devoted his life to this position, to get where he was today. He had sacrificed and forgone his own heart to his occupation, leaving behind what was most dear to him in the process. Couldn't he at least get a little genuine respect?

"Good evening, Doctor," A pretty brunette scientist greeted as she passed with a cart full of different fluids and empty needles, giving him a lewd smile that was a bit too unprofessional for his liking.

"Good evening," He replied, adverting his eyes. He didn't need any distractions, especially from a deceiving woman like Marissa Chase.

He kept travelling down the white hallway before pausing at his office door. He pulled his set of keys out of the pocket on his white lab coat, unlocking the door with ease. As soon as he entered, he shut the door behind him, appreciating being alone for a brief moment. He loosened his tie, sinking back onto the plush roller chair in front of his desk.

For a moment, the man closed his eyes, letting out a stress eliminating huff, allowing the tension of his job to fade away. He let his mind wander back to a few years ago, his heart aching from the happy memories of the kids he had loved so much. It was painful to have left them as he had.

A pain that would have been haunting, save for the fact that he was able to keep tabs on them easily.

Opening up his eyes, he opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a yellow manila folder labeled 'Experiment 210X41B' He placed it on his desk and pulled out a few of the files, scanning the words on the report. His lips tugged up when he glimpsed a picture of his favorite creation, the five other kids following obediently behind her.

He knew when he left them that they were in good hands in his absence.

A hasty knocking came from his door, startling the man out of his thoughts. He cleared his throat, placing the papers back on his desk. "Come in," He greeted, and a man that he knew as Micheal Harver, head nuclear chemist, barged in, looking disheveled and out of breath.

He raised his eyebrows. "What's the matter, Harver?"

Micheal Harver struggled to regain his breathing, swallowing thickly when he accomplished the feat. "The nuclear codon cells are gone."

Immediately, the man stiffened, and Micheal swallowed again, understanding the severity of the situation all too well. Slowly, the man raised from his chair, heart pounding in his chest. "You're sure about this?" He questioned urgently.

Micheal nodded. "Yes, Doctor. The wires have also disappeared, and so have the radon strips. I've had Dr. Hiechlon and Benjamin Taylor help me search the records and the warehouse for any traces of the materials, but they've just... vanished."

A grim feeling settled over the man. This couldn't be happening. Not after the multiple precautions they had taken to make sure this never happened. "They didn't vanish. They were stolen." He moved over to his phone, sitting on a charger in the corner of his room. "And I have a very good guess as to who could have done it."

"But why would he wait this long?" Micheal questioned, moving to lean against the desk as the man scrolled through his phone to find the correct number. "It's been months since his project has been disbanded... Why didn't he just carry out his plan initially instead of waiting until now, at the most obvious time? I mean, it's way too simple to pinpoint him as the culprit. Why risk that exposure?"

The man met Micheal's eyes. "Dr. Marcus is unstable. I've been trying to tell that to the Board ever since they allowed him to become head of the project."

"It just doesn't make sense," Micheal announced, rubbing tiredly at his temple.

The man found the number he was seeking, but didn't push call. He too needed to collect his thoughts. "Think about it, Harver. First the compounds went missing. Then XX4. And now, all of the materials that were required to make the exact form of detonator device necessary of 'Winter Fall', go missing as well? It's not just a coincidence."

"Sir," Micheal continued quietly, "Based on the commonality of the items missing... You think that Marcus's project really has been re-commenced without authorization?"

The man sighed, suddenly feeling like he wanted to sleep. "Yes, Harver. That is exactly what I'm saying."

Micheal gulped, shaking his head. "Man. This is bad. This is really, really bad."

"Well, that project wasn't disbanded without reason, Harver," the man agreed.

"But if this really is going on, the repercussions of what's about to transpire..."

"Will be cataclysmic," the man finished.

Micheal groaned, shaking his head again. "Shit." He hissed.

"Very eloquent, Harver," the man said. Although, he was barely containing a few choice words of his own. "Let me make the phone call. I'll meet you in your office- we'll contact Marian."

"Yes, sir." Micheal agreed, immediately trudging out of the office, shutting the door closed behind him.

The man let out a sigh, looking down at the phone in his hand, the black numbers staring back at him from the lighted blue screen. After a short moment of collecting his thoughts, he pushed 'Call'.

The phone rang in his ear, and he waited with baited breath for the receiving end to pick up.

'Ring, ring... Ring, ring... Ring-'

Click

"Dr. Marcus speaking," Marcus's deep voice answered, his tone curling with the snarky undercurrent that he always possessed.

"Hello, Doctor." The man greeted, struggling to keep the accusation and blatant dislike for the doctor, magnified by the situation, out of his voice.

"My, my." Marcus drawled darkly. "Jeb Batchelder. It's been awhile, old friend."

A.N. Hopefully that wasn't too anti-climactic. And please review!

Anne's surprise day will be revealed in the next chappie!

And it might just have a Fax moment in it. ;)