A/N: This is the first series i wrote at least a year ago. This is what inspired me to become a writer, originally put up on deviantART. so really, it's all done, so i'll be posting a few chapters at a time until its all up here. anyway, i enjoyed writing it, and i hope you guys enjoy reading =]

Max, fly to these coordinates.
I groaned and groggily opened my eyes before a map flashed before my eyes. After processing where I had to go, I asked "what's there?" I didn't expect it to, but the Voice actually answered a direct question... more or less
There's a mutant in that area. He'll be a valuable asset to your mission.
I debated on whether or not it would be a trap, but decided that so far the Voice hadn't set me up before, so I didn't think it would start now. Once again, I had no idea what to expect, but I had no other missions currently on my shoulders, so I figured a side trip would be nice for me and my flock.
Speaking of which, I decided it was time to wake them. I clapped my hands together and called out "Up and at 'em, everyone!" Iggy, who was on last watch, winced at my loud noisemaking, but opened his backpack and started fixing breakfast. Which wasn't much, of course.
We had camped out at the forest, somewhere in Illinois. The coordinates the Voice gave me were pretty much in the suburbs of Chicago. Can't get more specific, for safety's sake. It only took about an hour of flying to get to the coordinates, and we ended up at the end of a neighborhood. It wasn't a big one, but it took a few minutes to walk back and forth. The coordinates led right to a two story house. Not fancy, but not cruddy looking either. No one seemed to be home, but of course we couldn't go right up and knock on their door. So what did we do? We hid in some bushes across their yard. The great outdoors, huh?
"Max, what are we doing here?" Fang hissed behind me.
"I guess we're suppose to be finding someone here...?"
Fang looked like he was about to start spitting venom at me, when suddenly I saw Iggy's head tilt, indicating we should listen. Well, we ended up actually seeing instead of hearing. Iggy had heard a door opening, and we saw someone walk out of the house. He was plugged into an iPod, a blank expression on his face, looking down at the ground as he walked down the driveway. He looked kinda Hispanic, but it was just in a bit of traits at best. He had short brown hair with the front spiked up. He had to be at least 15, maybe 16. He had a thin jacket on, but it wasn't zipped up, and it didn't look like it could hide wings or anything. He just looked like a plain ol' human.
"Is that him?" Nudge whispered. I shrugged. "Doesn't exactly look mutant-ish."
I was torn between an internal conflict of listening to the Voice's coordinates and approaching him, or just blowing the Voice off and finding something else to do. The guy was approaching fast, and I didn't know if he'd see us or not. I held my breath and waited.
He turned out of his driveway and kept walking, straight past us. I let my breath out. He must've been too tuned into his music to notice us. I sighed and stepped out of hiding and onto the pavement. I felt the flock's unease at my actions, but regardless I waited till the guy felt my eyes on him to turn around. He raised an eyebrow, because at this point all six of us (seven if you count Total) were now standing on the pavement where he just was a few seconds ago. He turned off his iPod and waited for us to say something. I could see his muscles tensing, as though he was expecting us to fight him. As if, I thought. I cleared my throat. "Um... hi there." He nodded, but stayed silent. "Uh... me and my friends are... kinda lost. Do you think we could crash at your house till we figured out where we need to go?" I mentally slapped myself for such a lame excuse. Usually I was better at that kinda stuff, but I guess I was just off today.
There was a long silence while he scanned all of us, up and down. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he simply said "sure." And with that, he walked back to his house, with us behind him.
He seemed a little disappointed at having to miss his precious walk, but there was something else in his eyes... it kinda looked like suppressed excitement. He opened the front door and held it open for us to get in before closing and locking the door, which sent my senses on precautionary alert. I was automatically scanning the area for emergency exits. He nodded for us to follow him, and he led us to a kitchen.
I heard the yapping dog before I saw it. No sooner did it start barking before the guy said "Abigail, hush!" The dog shut up. As we rounded the corner into the kitchen, we saw a small Maltese, hopping on its back legs trying to get over the little gate. We stepped over it and past the dog. The guy stepped behind a counter island-thing in the middle. "Help yourself to some food. Don't worry about the supply, we have plenty." Then, he surprised me with a smile. "I know you guys are big eaters."
I managed to keep the surprise off my face. "Excuse me?" I said. "Come on," he said. "Don't play dumb. I know you guys are the kids with wings I've been hearing about."
"What makes you think that?"
"The fact that you match the descriptions on the news and on Fang's blog. And the coincidence that all seven of you just HAPPEN to be together, and come practically out of nowhere. Yea, I'm pretty sure you're them."
"I don't see YOU introducing yourself" I snarled. He bowed his head. "Where are my manners? Call me Matt. You guys are them, right?"
"Maybe we are," Fang said. "What's it to you?"
"Curiosity, that's all. Don't worry, I'm not one of 'Them' " he put air quotations around Them. "And I highly doubt my parents are either. My dad's an ex-Secret Service agent with a bad back, and my mom's a perky cosmetologist, so you can relax about that." We all looked him suspiciously, then he blinked and said "oh, and my brother's away at college. You guys are more than welcome to come and go as you please. I'll try to make you guys as..." he looked up as if to search for the right words. He finally said "less tense, as possible."
We all looked at each other. Yes, it would be good to have a few more days of downtime. Yes, it was a possibility of a trap, and yes, we didn't trust him. But here was my thinking: if my Voice told me that there was a mutant in this area, and if this kid wasn't him, than maybe he could lead us to him. And we needed all the help we could get to save the world.
I sighed. Sometimes being the leader sucks. I shrugged. "I guess we can stay for a little."
The flock looked excited at being able to chill, and Matt seemed pleased. He didn't show it on his face though. He nodded, and walked off, muttering something about having to buy more food for us. He was about to walk out the door when he stopped and turned back. "Oh yea, few more things. Like I said, make yourself at home. You're welcome to anything in the house. And as a heads up, my mom'll be home soon. When she sees you guys the first thing she'll do is play 20 million questions about your personal lives. Sorry, she's just like that. So you might want to come up with a story now."
Total trotted up and sat down. "What can a dog do for fun around here?" We all expected Matt's eyes to bulge, but to our surprise, he scratched his chin thinking, as if a dog talking was completely normal. "Well, if Abigail will stop being snotty, you could play with her. You can also go into the back yard to run around."
Total turned back to me. "Why don't YOU ever let me play with other dogs?"
I mentally counted to ten. Matt was trying to stifle a laugh.

Well, I'll hand it to Matt, he does mean his mother's interrogative. As soon as she walked in the door and saw us, the 20 million question game began. After we were sure she wasn't thinking we were robbers, robbers who where watching the boys who where probably having too much fun on Matt's Wii, we told her we just wanted to rest, and she left us. Not much later, Matt returned with loads of groceries. Then, get this, he looked around the house and brought us a freaking mini fridge to his bonus room, where we were going to crash. Not only that, but a microwave as well. Sheesh, did this guy have everything? Well, everything except maybe wings. "Look!" the Gasman cried happily. "I made me!" I looked at his cheaply made "Mii" on the tv set. "Nice..." I said sarcastically. He crackled mischievously. "Don't worry Max," Fang said. "I made you too." It took only a few seconds before Fang pulled up my Mii. My eyes widened at the crappiness he made it into. It basically looked like me, but the idiot made me super skinny (which i guess i am), super small, and it looked like I was yelling. I stuck my tounge out at him. Fang tried to hold back a smile, and the others were laughing at all the different Miis. Even Matt was there, kinda distant from us (wise on his part), but still laughing with us. After several more hilarious tries, Matt got up. "Ok guys, I'm headin' in. See ya in the morning." With that, he departed to his room. Gazzy was helping Iggy make some different Miis while I slid over to Angel. "What are you picking up from him?" I asked her. She scratched Total's ears. "Nothing bad," she said. "From what I can tell, he really does want to take care of us, and he doesn't want to hurt us. He's kinda paranoid though."
"Anything about any mutants?" She shook her head. I groaned. Matt's bonus room had two couches, and a slumped into a sitting position on one of them, even though me and Fang were gonna sleeping on the floor. I could practically smell the false lead already.