DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything.

FANG POV –

Instinct took over my muscles. As soon as I felt Max's fingers go limp in my own I made a grab for her waist. I pulled her close, searching her face. Her eyes were dull and the lids were sliding shut. Within seconds she was out completely.

I pulled her against my chest and spun to seek out the danger. Something whistled through the air and sudden warmth spread through my neck. I lifted my hand and found something lodged there. I pulled it out; unsurprised to find it was a syringe.

I glanced around. I couldn't see anyone in the surrounding area but that didn't mean there was no one there.

Whistle. Warmth.

Again, I pulled out another dart but this time I didn't stick around. Everyone else was unconscious around me and I didn't know how many enemies there were.

Without knocking, I twisted the doorknob and was thankful to find that it was open. I dashed inside, Max still cradled in my arms. I placed her gently on the ground just inside the foyer before dashing back outside. Nudge and Angel were the closest to the door so I grabbed an arm each and began pulling them inside too. There was another whistle but no sudden warmth. The syringe hadn't hit. I got Nudge and Angel inside and left them next to Max.

Gazzy was the only one left. He had been trailing behind Max and me as we walked up the driveway so he was the furthest away. I could see him only a few meters away, face down on the cobblestone. I ran out to him and got my hands under his armpits.

As I was hauling him towards the house I heard a different noise. It was a sort of muffled putt sound. I would have ignored it if it hadn't been for the surprising flare of white hot pain that shot through my left arm. All strength in that arm fled and I dropped Gazzy.

Gasping in pain, I stared down at my arm. Just above the crook of my elbow was an almost perfect circle of red that seemed to go straight through muscle and tissue and out the other side. My whole arm, from shoulder to fingertip, was numb and useless.

Clearly they had changed ammunition. Jerks.

"Step away from the boy."

The voice seemed to come out of nowhere. With my hand clamped firmly around my wounded arm, I glanced around the front yard. My teeth were grit together but the pain was slowly becoming bearable. The tingle had started to spread through my chest and down into my arm. I couldn't let whoever was attacking us see that my arm was healing already. No point in risking a more deadly shot.

A shadow dropped down out of the lower branches of a huge elm and straightened as I watched. The dark glint of shiny metal was pointed at my chest.

"Next time I won't miss. Now step away from the boy."

I slowly stood, keeping a fake mask of agony on my face. The skin was repairing itself quickly and the wound would soon be nothing more than a blood covered scar.

"Since when do the government shoot to kill people they want alive?" I demanded.

"Since the tranquiliser didn't work on you. You're different from the others," the shadow replied.

I snorted a laugh.

"So how did you find us?"

Talking wasn't usually one of my strong points but I was pulling a Max. Keep them talking to either figure out their plan or until you figured out a plan. I was hoping for the latter but with four unconscious friends to look after I wasn't sure that I would be going anywhere. And leaving them wasn't an option.

"Stop talking kid. Get down on the ground and lie on your back."

My mind was working furiously but no easy solution to my problem was forthcoming. So I carefully lowered myself onto the ground beside Gazzy and rolled onto my back. The sun was shining right into my face and I had to squint and turn my head so I could still see.

Footsteps approached and then the gun was shoved into my face.

"You're Fang right?"

I didn't see the harm in telling him my name so I nodded. The metal was cool on my hot skin.

"How fast do you reckon you'll heal if I put a bullet right here?"

He rapped the gun barrel twice on the spot direct between my eyebrows before letting it rest there, just firmly enough for it to be uncomfortable.

I swallowed and refused to reply. I didn't know how he knew about the nanobots and their continued healing but at the moment that wasn't my biggest problem.

Car tyres screeched and the deep thumping of helicopter rotors filled the silence. I closed my eyes as fear finally started creeping in. I had told Max that they would be watching her mum's house but had she listened to me? No, of course not.

Doors opened and closed and dozens of footsteps crunched their way up the driveway.

"The rest are inside," the shadow said.

A strong hand grabbed my arm and rolled me over. He pulled my other arm behind me and then cold steel clipped shut, locking my hands together. I didn't bother to struggle. I couldn't escape and leave Max and the others in the hands of the government.

I was hauled to my feet by my hands and then a length of rope was wound around my chest. It pinned my arms to my body and more importantly held my wings trapped between my body and arms. Definitely no chance any more.

There were men surrounding the house, all armed and looking cautious. Six men came out of Dr Martinez's house carrying huge dog crates between two. I could see Angel's blond curls hanging out from between the steel grate door of one and Max's shoes pressed up against another. There was no doubt that Nudge was in the third crate.

I turned to the left and saw Gazzy being bundled into a fourth.

"Let's go," the man with the gun said.

He gave me a harsh shove in the back and I stumbled forward. I was led towards a fancy looking Mercedes with tinted windows. A door opened and I caught a quick glimpse of the inside before somebody tied a blindfold around my eyes and I was thrown in the back.

My mind was reeling. The inside of the car had been lushly furnished and comfy to boot. But what had startled me was the lone figure sitting, casually sipping wine from a tall perfectly polished glass.

How could Iggy betray us like this?

Again, sorry about the wait guys but it's about to heat up soon! I'll try to be quicker from now on :D Thanks for your support!