Before I go on,
I would like to say that I do have other stories coming out very soon, so when this one ends, don't worry, I'll still be here writing. :D Keep checking my profile for new ones. (I am planning by the time I have the ending typed to this story, I will have the beginnings to the other ones).

The second thing is that the song in here is Conspiracy, by nonetheless than Paramore, my favorite band. I suggest listening to it while reading the chapter, it'll add a bit of a 'vibe' to what you're reading. Even though I cut some parts out, I still suggest it :)

And the third thing is to just read, and review, so I know what you guys want and what to improve on.
Adios!

(Just to let you know, this chapter is almost 2,000 words... trying to reach it... four more... words... THERE!)

Chapter 9

Subconcious

I was still sleeping, yes, I was sure I was, but I was awake at the same time. Freaky, I know, but it was something I took as an advantage in a very odd, scary way. At first, I felt my head lift up voluntarily and search the sky, look at the clouds, and then lay back down again. Then I was watching the squirrels playing around in a tree, fighting over which part of it was theirs. They kind of reminded me of what us, well, I wasn't technically, humans fought over. And boy, was it stupid. Then I fell asleep, for real. For about two seconds. Flashes of the squirrels played in my head, and I sat up groggily. This wasn't working.

'Save the world, Max', the Voice repeated.

Get a life, Voice, I retorted, annoyed.

The flashes of the squirrels stopped, and then switched to the Flock. Mostly Fang, though. I inwardly twitched, feeling the anger die down suddenly inside me. Why wouldn't it come? Was I becoming my old self again? I didn't want to be my old self, ever. I was weak, blinded by protecting my family, I couldn't see what potential dangers had been threatening to get the best of me. Now, I was a 'flock' of one, and it was a bliss. Only worrying about myself, no matter how selfish it sounded. I didn't have to worry about anything but food, sleep, and defending my own life, not someone else's.

'You say that as if you don't want to be part of a Flock anymore', the Voice countered.

I don't., was my clever response. The images flashed up again, and I swallowed loudly. Pictures of the Flock laughing, pieces of memories of Total, Angel, Nudge, Iggy and Fang. Did everything have to revolve around him? Couldn't there be a part in my life when his face didn't shove shivers down my spine and make me want to suffocate in dirt?

Please speak softly,
For they will hear us,
And they'll find out...
Why we don't trust them.

I bit my lip as I remembered all the times we fought, and closed my eyes. I didn't miss them, I didn't.I wasn't even going to let the matter enter my brain. I tried to ignore the flashing remembrances from my head.

Speak up, dear,
'Cuz I cannot hear you,
I need to know...
Why we don't trust them.

I fought to forget the secrets that Ig, Mr. Silent Betrayer (for some reason, this was easier to say), and I had kept from the younger members of the Flock. The things we had kept from them to help them live normal lives as best as they could, so they wouldn't go through as much pain as I, or the others, had.

Explain to me,
This conspiracy against me,
Yeah, yeah, yeahh.
And tell me how,
I've lost my power,
Oh, yeah.

I just cringed, not even bothering to sort through my emotions anymore. I just let them flow through me, like a fire sparking my cold, numb skin.

Where can I turn?
'Cause I need something more,
Surrounded by uncertainty,
I'm so unsure.
Tell me why,
I feel so alone,
'Cause I need to know,
To whom do I own?

I began to compose myself. There was no way I was going to let them get the best of me. 'But the question is, Max, what side are you on?', the Voice asked, and I thought for a moment. I still hated the Flock, but I didn't want them to get hurt. Was I becoming some evil experiment of Itex, or was I turning back into the stupid, idiotic person I was before? I felt myself go down under again.

I thought,
That we'd make it.

Because you said,
That we'd make it through.

And when all security fails,
We'd be there,
To help me through...

I had lost it. There was no anger left. There was just a hint of regret and a speck of fear. What was I going to do when I completely went insane, when I finally see them again, and they beat the hell out of me for what I had done? Even though I hadn't done anything? When they were the ones who caused it?

'Reality hits you fast,', the Voice agreed, and my eyes narrowed. I wasn't that delusional to let a stupid thing harass me.

Talk again and I'll show you a fast hit.

There was no reply.

--

Fang POV

I was flying back to the campsite, the heavy backpacks weighing me down. I was doing mental calculations, trying to figure out if I could leave one somewhere semi-close, so I could fly one bag to the Flock, then turn around and get the other one. I finally decided to leave one in a clearing below me. I swooped down, like a dove (Psh, yeah, right), and dropped one of the backpacks on a pile of pine needles. I set the other one down, just so I could stretch my back.

I froze in a nanosecond when I heard some leaves being crushed by someone's shoes. I found myself in defense position, when I realized the predator had her arms around her legs, her blonde-ish brown hair covering everything but her eyes.

"Hi, Fang." she said in monotone, not moving anything but her lips, and they barely even parted. I wasn't even sure she was breathing, that's how still she was.

I glanced at her. "Uh, hi?"

She took her hands away from her legs and put them in in a cross-legged position. I instinctively took a step back.

"I'm not going to challenge you, if that's what you think." She said boredly, staring at the clouds. "I don't even have the potential to anymore." she added, muttering. I didn't move any of my facial muscles, just incase this was a surprise attack.

"I taught you well, now didn't I?" Max chuckled, noticing that I hadn't moved from my fighting stance. "Amazing how just one mistake that you made could make such a big misunderstanding."

"I made the mistake? I don't think so," I said, trying to ease the anger that flared inside me. I didn't do anything. She's the one who made the misunderstanding. "You're the one who got yourself caught or whatever!"

"Oh yeah, 'cause I would love to be caught by scientists against my will just so I could get away from you. Actually, that doesn't seem like a bad idea!" she screamed, and I winced. "All of you fricken left me there to die. And let me tell you something, I'm still here! Remember how we promised not to leave each other? Well hell, look who forgot they're promise! What is with you? You know what? I'm not even going to bother trying to explain to you. It's like yelling at a freaking wall!"

I just stared impassively at her, watching her express all her anger, sitting down. If this was the real Max, she would be up and ready to punch my guts out through my nose. But, this was a different Max. A changed Max. I didn't like it. "Did you ever think that we assumed that you were dead? Did you even go over the possibility we didn't want to consider anything else because we didn't want to look forward to something and be turned down to the worst? We thought that your fourteen year-old ass was hung up in th Itex 'Wall of Shame'!"

"I'm fifteen," she spat, rage growing in her eyes. "And I'm glad I'm a year older. At least I've learned something about promises - Never count on them!"

"What happened to you? What happened to the person who had the authority to lead five kids through all the horror of being on the run? Huh? What happened to the girl who saved the only family she had ever known from trouble, and defeating every fricken idiot who tried to run our lives? What happened to her?"

"She changed!" Max exclaimed, jumping up. I snarled and took a big step back. She seemed to change her mind, and turned around and shook her head.

"To think I thought that I had the strength to destroy you," she whispered.

"WHO DESTROYS THEIR FAMILY?" I yelled, outraged.

"Someone who hadn't thought over it properly." she answered, sitting down again. Except, this time her back was to me. I lifted an eyebrow and then noticed how weak she looked, how her bones stuck out out her skin, how I could easily snap her wrist.

I hesitantly walked towards her, and sat in front so she could see my face, so I could have a full look of the changed Max. She was different on the inside and outside. I shivered when her brown eyes, so full of live before, were now full of sadness and hate. "I'm sorry," was all she said, shaking her head for the second time. "I'm sorry for trying to... hurt... you guys."

I stared at her, hoping that the amazement didn't show on my face. Apologizing? Since when? "Er... Okay?", was all I could come up with for a reply.

"But I'm not sorry... for what I said. That really hurt me. Being stuck in there and waiting for something to come in and save me. Every time the door opened I was hoping for one of you to come in and grab the keys and get me out of there! But there was no body who cared. No one who thought I mattered. And you, I don't know how many times I wanted to punch and yell at you in my life! I thought you would have atleast looked for me."

I closed my eyes as she blinked back tears. She never cried. Before I knew it, I had my arms wrapped around her, trying to comfort the tears into stopping. There was no way I was going to watch her do this to herself and not help. I already done enough damage. She stopped after a minute, and looked back at me.

"Sorry," was the only other thing I could say. She rolled her eyes.

"You suck at this crap."

Stupid apologies. They bring out the weakness out of the strongest people.

Erm, yay?

I'm not sure if I liked this chapter. However, there is much more ensured in the next, and in the Epilogue. (That means that this story is going on for eleven chapters. Is that okay with you?)
Review, please.
It'll make me feel better (I'm sick), and it'll encourage me to start typing again!!

-Mare