Maximum Ride Fan Fiction / Maximum Ride Fan Fiction ❯ If I Asked You To, Would You Kill Me? ❯ Life of an Angel ( Chapter 18 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

As Fang meets more of Sky's men, he finds out about the life they actually lead and that Sky leads a gang of outlaws called the Avenging Angels. After learning to trust these men who have saved his life, Fang decides to trust them with the whole truth about his origins.

Non Anime: Maximum Ride Fan Fiction / Maximum Ride Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Sci-fi / Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 05.23.2008 | Pages: 5 | Words: 9.1K | Visits: 169 | Status: Work In Progress

Chapter 18

Luke looked over his shoulder at the young teen lost in his own thoughts. Joaquin had been hard on the boy by calling him a freak. It wasn't like they were the jewels of society themselves…

However, you had to admit that the boy didn't exactly look human. I mean, he still held human shape and features, and that he must have looked like any of them at a point in time. But somehow, he had changed. He looked foreign and almost vampire-ish in nature. His ash colored skin, long disheveled raven hair tinted with silver, the dark but gleaming metal wings upon his back, retractable 2 in. claws on his fingertips, elliptical eyes the color of burnished amber, and a pair of 2 in. fangs to complete the picture.

However, through all of that, Luke could still see the humanity within Fang's eyes. Buried under the uncanny cover of this book, was simply a young man who had been kicked too many times, and now stood on his own two feet, wary of anyone and everyone. In fact, the more he looked at the teen with new eyes, he could see that the boy might have more in common with them than what first met the eye. Did Sky see this within him? Is that what drew the two together? Kindred spirits?

Well, the first thing is to get him settled. “Well, we're going to have to get you a room first of all. I don't think we want you holding up the sickbay anymore than you have to. But of course, that's Sky's call. He might want you to just stay where you are for observation sake. You scared us a few days ago, wouldn't want that to happen again.”

Fang was startled out his thoughts by the blonde's voice. “Huh? Oh, yeah…I'm probably not going to stay too long.”

Luke nodded, “Got somewhere to be?”

Fang shook his head, smiling ruefully. “No…more like there's some people after me—the murderous kind.”

If the young medical assistant was surprised, he didn't show it. “Same here. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember a time when there wasn't somebody after us.”

Fang blinked. Somebody was after theseguys? They looked as if they had just gotten out of college, who could be after them? Did they have some secret too?

He finally asked the question that had been bugging him for so long. “Who ARE you guys? What is this place?”

Luke smiled, “Well, I was wondering when you were going to ask that question. But before I explain, could you help me carry some stuff?”

Fang suddenly realized that while they had been talking, they had somehow ended up in another large room in this ever enlarging “house”. This one was covered in stocked food materials, crated, stacked, and barreled. Flour, sugar, bread, crackers, cookies, fresh fruits, various canned goods, and many other food supplies stood in nice neat piles.

“What is this?” He asked.

“Our store room, it's connected with the kitchen nearby. We run a slight risk going to the grocery store like normal folks, so we order our food online in bulk, then store it here. I need some stuff for Sky. Troy isn't here right now; he's the culinary technician, so I'm just going to have to leave him a note saying what we took. He keeps a record of everything used so that we know when we're out of something.”

Nodding the bird teen began to wonder how big this operation was. Everything was well planned and organized. Yet, these people are on the run?

Luke finished writing his note and then pinned it on a nearby pegboard. He then went over to several food stacks and began stacking things into Fang's waiting arms: a loaf of bread, box of crackers, and couple cans of chicken soup and bullion broth. He then went over and hefted a 20 pack of bottled water and a couple liter bottles of apple juice into his own arms.

Fang watched as the man struggled over the load, but tried not to show it. “Why don't I carry that, and you carry what I got? You look like you're about to fall over.”

Luke shook his head, even though the muscles in his arms were screaming. “No…you're wounded…I can't let you…”

Balancing his supplies with one hand, he lifted Luke's right out of his arms with the other. Slipping his own into the hands of the open-mouthed Luke, he shifted the water and juice into his arms with ease. Heading toward the door as if he was only holding a thin paperback in his hands, Fang nodded his head at the shocked man.

“After you.” He smiled back.

Luke shook his head in amazement as he joined him at the door. “What are you? Some type of Superman or something?”

Fang shrugged his shoulders, “Or something….”

Luke once again began leading the way, this time towards another staircase.

As they began to climb, the teen asked, “So, about my question?”

Luke nodded, “I haven't forgotten. Well, who are we? Well that depends on who you talk to. To the misinformed public, we are a malicious gang of gun-running murderers and rapists, who terrorize the streets and recruit young, malleable teens into our ranks.”

As he heard a bottle of juice fall to the ground, he snickered in amusement. “Something wrong, Fang?”

The teen stood in absolute shock, ignoring the juice on the stair. “I refuse to believe that. There is no way that Sky's a murderer.”

Luke looked back at him, his face slightly more serious. “People aren't always who they seem.”

Fang felt a twang in his heart at the blonde's ambiguous words. He slowly reached down and picked up the bottle from the floor. “I still don't believe it.”

Luke broke the tense mood with a hearty laugh. “Well, then you're not one of the “misinformed public” are you? Yes, we are a gang if you will, but not like the type you're thinking of. We prefer to think of ourselves as a team of vigilantes with a purpose. Those who we help know as you do, the truth of our “gang”. That'd we'd never put a gun in the hand of a child, not even you. None of us have ever raped anyone, and if we even thought about doing such an act, the gang is required to use its own brand of “punishment”, issued by Sky, stripping that man of his membership and turning him in to the police. And we do not recruit anyone. Anyone in this gang, has been here from the beginning and will be with us until the end.”

Fang relaxed slightly that he had been right in the first place. “But how come the public is misinformed? And why are you on the run? Why don't you just get into law enforcement or something? Can't you just tell everyone the truth?”

“Well, it's not that simple. There is a very rich, influential, sadistic man, who has a personal vendetta against us, just as we do with him. We foil any plan he comes up with, and he takes revenge by spreading lies about us to the public and police. But, does that stop us? We've vowed to take down his organization, and we will stop at nothing to complete our goal.”

As they stopped at a landing, Fang gave him a look; written all over his face as the question: Yes? Go on!

Lancaster shrugged, “I know what I just said is vague and doesn't answer many of your questions, but that's all I'm at liberty to say. It's up to Sky whether or not to tell you the full story. I'm sorry.”

The two continued up another flight of stairs in silence. Disappointment settled on Fang. What is the secret of this gang? Would Sky trust him enough to tell him?

“I know it's hard to trust us. Hey, you don't have to, we don't mind. But one thing you must know, is that we have placed our trust in you. I know my brother and Sky don't want to put any pressure on you right now, but you must know that we, nor this place, can be mentioned to anyone.”

The teen looked at him in surprise, “I have nobody to tell anything to, Luke. Don't you trust me?”

He looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, “Is there a reason why I shouldn't? I was just making sure all the cards were out on the table, you know? Anything other than our history that you want to know?”

Fang thought about it and scratched his head, “Well, what city is this exactly?”

“Well, you can hardly call this little dust ball of a place a city. We live in an abandoned natural history museum far on the outskirts of the smallest town in Arizona. A little settlement called McNary, even thought it's still called Chaabito by some of the native Apaches who live here.”

Arizona? What was he doing way on the other side of the states?

“How do you get anything done, being out in the middle of nowhere?” He asked politely.

“We have amazing contacts for transportation. And this “middle of nowhere” is where our adversary does a lot of his business. We've traveled all across the states in the business we're in. We have many hideouts, but have a main HQ here where no one can find it. Who'd think of looking for us here, “in the middle of nowhere”?”

“And where did you exactly find me?”

“You, were lying asleep on the outskirts of a small brush patch next to an abandoned gas station, about two blocks from here. That gas station hides a secret tunnel that leads to here, and sometimes we do routine checks to make sure everything checks out. There are often delinquents hanging around there, and we have to often scare them away. That's how Sky and the others found you. Of course, you weren't the normal delinquent….” He smiled looking over Fang's shoulder at his closed wings.

That's something Gazzy would say, Fang thought, feel a slight pang from missing his family.

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have a family? I mean, one with a mom and dad and stuff?”

There was a period of silence, before the man finally answered. “I never knew my parents. I grew up on the streets of Los Angeles with my brother, going from one shelter to another. All we had was ourselves, we were part of the system that slipped through the cracks. Kurt was the only family I ever had. However, now, the Angels are my family too. They're all the siblings and parents I need.”

“Angels?” Fang suddenly remembered to look at the man's right shoulder. “Does that have anything to do with that tattoo on your shoulder blade? The one like Sky's and your brother's?”

“Oh, you noticed? Yeah, it's our symbol. It's unique, and uses a special iridescent ink that Jackie makes himself. All of us have it tattooed on the back of our right shoulder. It's the symbol of our “family”, our “gang” if you will: The Avenging Angels.”

“The Avenging Angels? Catchy name…” Fang commented.

He was beginning to make sense of all this. Men, on the run from the law…lived out in the middle of nowhere…made to have bad reputations…there whole goal is to save people and get vengeance against some archenemy who had wronged them in the past…

Actually, Sky and the Avenging Angels, sound a lot like Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Who knew there were still men of daring-do still around? But what is the past behind these men on the lam? What binds them together so strongly? It was almost like life with the flock. All for one, and one for all…

Luke finally stopped at a landing and began walking left, down the corridor that linked to it. Fang noticed doors lining both sides, almost like offices.

Luke began to speak once again as they walked. “Yeah, I know this place is big, but…its home! There are five floors and a basement. This floor was used for office space, but we cleared out all that, and made them into rooms for all of us. Sky's is down here at the end.”

“How many are there in the gang?”

“Including me? There are a total of 15 members of the Avenging Angels. You've met me, Sky, Kurt, Tyler, and Joaquin. There's also, Tawny, Jackie, Ron, Jonas, Shawn, Troy, Joey, Curtis, Tony, and Von. But you'll probably meet all of them later. They come and go, but should all be back around tomorrow morning. Well, here we are.” He stopped at the last door at the end of the hall.

Laying down his packages, he was about to reach for the doorknob, when the door burst open from the inside!

Joaquin stood there looking annoyed. “What took you so long? Sky's still out. And why did you have to bring him?”

Fang felt the man's eyes looking at him with suspicion, but this time, instead of shirking away, he looked back with defiance. The others were right, he had nothing to be ashamed of. He had a right to be here too.

And strangely enough, Joaquin seemed to acknowledge this. His face softened slightly, and he stepped aside admitting them both inside.

Once there, Fang could see that the place looked a lot like his sickbay quarters. The room was plain for the most part: cream colored walls, wood flooring, and a window on the east side. There was a small open closet filled with only a couple of jackets. A wooden chair and desk covered in papers and a reading lamp stood near the window, a large fan sat beneath it awaiting those hot desert mornings, and a short, three-drawer bureau sat near the closet having only a picture frame on top to adorn it.

A simple twin bed covered in plain white sheets, sat in the middle of the floor. There Sky lay, bare-chested and underneath the covers. He was pale but breathing regularly, to Fang's relief.

Joaquin sat in the chair, while Luke sat at the end of the bed. First he grabbed a small bag from on the desk, but then turned to him.

“Turn around, Fang. I need to give Sky an injection to help with his body's metabolism. And I don't want you going all crazy on me, okay?”

The teen nodded and faced away, only too happy to oblige.

After a minute or two, Luke called to him. “I'm done, Fang. I need you to bring me a couple bottles of water, and a can of broth.”

Collecting the stuff he brought it to the man. “Don't you need a can-opener or something?”

“I'll get one.” Joaquin offered, already up.

“No that's okay. I can just use my knife.” Luke answered.

But he was interrupted by the sound of the metal snapping, as Fang stuck a claw straight through the can top!

Handing it back to an amused Luke, he shrugged. “They can be for better things than hurting people, you know.”

Tipping Sky's head up, Luke opened the water and began to slowly pour it into the leader's mouth. “Come one, Sky. Drink. Don't make me choke you.”

Fang watched with earnest as the young medical assistant operated on his leader. Come on Sky, wake up…

As if he could hear the boy's unspoken wish, the raven-haired man suddenly sat up, coughing and sputtering up water.

It almost seemed as if the entire room breathed out a sigh of relief. Luke capped the water and smiled both in amusement and respite. “Well, you're awake—about time.”

Sky opened his crystal blue eyes, and slowly reached up to wipe the spilled water from his mouth. “What were you trying to do? Drown me?”

Luke giggled and Joaquin got up to greet him. “How're you feeling, Skylark?”

The man laid back down, his muscles seeming to groan in exhaustion. “Tired, but that's nothing new. Must have overdone it, but he needed so much attention. And I wasn't about to let him to go untreated, just so I could get a few measly hours of sleep. What's been done to him, I—”

Suddenly, he stopped talking as Luke kept shifting his eyes to the right, trying to tell him something. Looking in that direction, he was only slightly startled to see that the boy in question was standing in the corner, a bashful color coming through on his ashen cheeks.

“Fang? What are you doing up? You need to let those wounds heal, and I still haven't figured out how you keep losing blood so fast. You need to be in bed.”

He made a move to get up, only to be pushed back down by Luke's stern hand. “Anything he needs boss, we'll take care of him. You need to get your own rest. You need to slowly build up your food intake, so for the first few hours, you're going to be doing nothing but eating broth and drinking water. Then, we might try some crackers.”

“I know how this goes, Luke. I taught you, remember?” He answered back with ironic sarcasm.

He took the water from his aide's hand, “Well, I'm going to be out of commission for today. Get Tawny back here, he's going to have to take charge for the time being.”

As Sky drank, Luke looked at him strangely. “Well! I guess I'm not needed. Forgive me for being concerned.”

The man's blue-eyes twinkled as he swallowed and smiled. “Stop pouting Luke and get a move on, you're going have to be head medic while I'm in bed. Joaquin, do we have a spare room for our young guest?”

Fang, who had stayed silent in the background, suddenly came up shaking his head in discomfiture. “No, no, that's okay. You guys have done enough. I mean, I hardly—”

He felt Joaquin's hand on his shoulder leading him to the door. “Come one, kid. Stop yapping and let's go.”

Luke placed the supplies on the floor near Sky's reach. “Well, if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to call on the radio.” He nodded towards the walkie-talkie sitting on the desk.

“I'll be downstairs in the rec room if you need me.” He smiled, pausing only to give a friendly wink to Fang, before heading out the door—only to be stopped by Sky's voice.

“Luke…”

He turned around earnestly, “Yeah, you need something?”

Sky shook his head, “No, but I was wondering, if you could please give Joaquin his lighter back?”

Joaquin suddenly felt around his pockets, “Man, I didn't even know it was gone! How'd you get it out—oh, never mind…just give it back.”

Luke looked at his hand, as if seeing the silver, mother-of-pearl lighter for the first time. He handed it back, with uneasy embarrassment. “Sorry Joaquin, I didn't mean…”

The man took the lighter back, gesturing for Luke to forget it. “I know, Luke. It's okay, just get going.”

The blond once more bobbed his head in apology, before taking off out the door.

Sky sighed once he was gone. “I wish I could help him more, but I don't know a lot about psychological therapy.”

Joaquin shrugged his shoulders, “We just have to watch over him, like always.”

Fang looked from one man to the other. “Did he just steal his lighter? What's wrong?”

Joaquin smiled sheepishly, “Well, Luke has a slight…problem.”

“Problem? He seemed normal enough to me.”

“Well, he is. He just has—well…”

Sky broke in, “Luke, is a kleptomaniac. He steals sometimes without even knowing it. So, be sure to watch your stuff when you're not looking. He doesn't steal because he wants to; he just gets these urges at times. We can't afford to give him the help he really needs, but I'm studying new techniques in order to treat him.”

Fang sighed with sympathy, “Who'd have ever guessed? He looked so normal when I was talking to him. And I thoughtmy family had problems.”

Sky shrugged his shoulders, “What family doesn't? Joaquin will take you to your new quarters, at least for as long as you figure on staying. And once you're settled, come back and see me. I want to talk to you.”

The bird teen smirked; I want to talk toyoutoo.

“Okay”

He let Joaquin lead him out of the room, and they walked in silence down the hall. Fang noticed there were ten doors on each side of the hall. That was twenty, and Sky's room at the end made twenty-one. Fifteen guys including Sky, meant there were six rooms unoccupied. Well, at least he knew he wasn't intruding.

“Here you are.”

The man pointed to the third door on the right. Opening the door, Fang could see it was clean, if plain. Just a bed, dresser, desk, and chair, a window in the back; nothing fancy, but it was definitely more preferable to sleeping chained up in a cage.

He looked at his young escort with steel-flinted eyes. “Thanks, it's fine.”

Joaquin rubbed his neck in discomfort, “Umm…it's Fang, right?

He crossed his arms, immediately on the defense. What did this guy want now? “Yeah, what of it?”

“Well, look. I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot. I want to, well……I want to apologize, for what I said earlier.”

The teen looked at him with surprise and suspicion. “Really? Why?”

He raised his hands in desperation, “Look, I shouldn't have snapped off on you like that. I shouldn't have gone off on you for our problems. It's just that—”

The man turned away, and put his hands on the wall as if looking for support. Fang could tell that he wasn't used to apologizing, and therefore was frustrated in doing it. Hmm…he reminds me of myself a little.

He sighed a little, his loose dress shirt slinking down on his bare back, revealing the shimmering wings of the telltale tattoo. “—This is the only family I've ever had, and when I think it might be threatened I…well, I go off a little. And I wanted to say I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions, and for calling you a `freak' and stuff. You're actually pretty cool in my book, like one of the comic book superheroes come to life! It's just that I—”

“Hey…”

The blond felt a touch on his shoulder, and turned to face the black-haired teen. His fanged smile was no longer threatening, and his pale eyes held a look of understanding.

He said quietly, “Its okay. I understand that a family is a sacred thing, and that when it's threatened, you do all you can to get rid of the threat. I would do anything to keep my family safe, and so—I understand where you're coming from.”

Joaquin mouth went into a slightly crooked smile that reminded him of Iggy. “Yeah, so…I think we should have a fresh start. My name's Joaquin Delphi.” He held out his hand in friendship.

“Name's Fang, hope we can get along this time, I'm really starting to like you Angels, and I'd hate for you to be the only one on my hit list.” he said as they shook hands.

He waved the matter away with his hand, “Hey, you better be glad I took you off of mine. You better get back to Sky before he goes back to sleep. And—thank you, for helping him out. We owe you one.”

Fang shook his head, “No, my debt has yet to be paid.”

He left the room waving goodbye, leaving Joaquin alone. A grin perking up on the young man's face as he sat thinking in the dark, I wonder whose family he belongs to, they're certainly lucky to have him.

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When Fang returned to Sky's room, he could see the man was sleep. Good, we can talk later, he needs his rest.

Instead, he looked around the room a little more.

Walking over to the dresser he glanced at the single decoration that graced it: a picture in a beautiful silver frame. In the picture was a scene of three people who were obviously a family. In the center was a beautiful blond woman, her eyes as green and sparkling as an emerald. On her right, stood a teenage boy who was obviously younger, he had a head of unruly red hair and the same emerald eyes of the woman. They must be siblings or something; he's too old to be a son. As Fang looked closer, he was surprised to see the infamous tattoo on the boy's sleeveless arm. Maybe he's one of the guys I haven't met yet…but why would everyone have theirs on their back and he have his on his arm? And why didn't they use the same ink? This kind is dull like the normal tattoos I see, was it a prototype or something? Moving on to the woman's left, he instantly recognized the other man in the picture with his arm wrapped around the woman's shoulders. He was younger, his hair was shorter, and he wasn't as drawn or rugged looking, but there was no mistaking those sparkling blue eyes. That man was Sky!

He looked back at the sleeping gang leader. Were these two his siblings? Did they still work here? Then he remembered Luke's comment about Sky and murder. He shuddered to think, but what if…what if he killed them? No, there's no way. I can't believe that. But…

Moving away from the picture, he stepped lightly towards the desk. He saw several lists of names of people he didn't know, as well as numbers. Nothing seemed to stand out to him, and he didn't see anything threatening—

That name again!

The company name, Itex, lined the heading of many of the papers. What is it with that company? Was Sky working with his enemies? He remembered what Tyler and Kurt had been talking about, that if he was a product of “Itex research”, it was their job to protect him…what did these guys know about Itex? Did Sky know more than he was sharing?

“You shouldn't poke around someone else's stuff, unless you're sure you're not going to get caught.”

He turned towards the Angels' leader, who was sitting up, wide awake watching him, his hands behind his head. “Sky, I've trusted you guys a lot, and I know I have no right to ask, but I have to know. Luke explained to me a little of what you and the Avenging Angels do, but there's a lot of holes missing. He says that he's not allowed to give the whole story, and that only you can decide that. Tell me, what's your connection to Itex? Why are you guys on the run? Do you work for them or something? Do their dirty work?”

Sky just blinked at him and reached for his bottled water. Taking a small swig before answering, he said, “Fang, you haven't been open with me either.”

The teen looked at him with question.

“I've trusted you far more than I should, because I see something within you that tell me there is a lot more to you than meets the eye. But you must know that I am compromising the safety of my own men by having you here, and that I have shared with you what I haven't with anyone else outside our little organizations.”

“Yeah, but…”

“You know that I could tell my men to kill you right now, and they would do it. They know that I'm only for the best interests of the group, and that they can trust me. They trust my instincts that I'm right about you. Now I need to know that I'm right about you. You give me the whole story, and you can ask me anything you want and I'll answer truthfully; the lives of the Avenging Angels will be your oyster. You asked me what I wanted in return for your care; well, your answer is: I want the truth.”

Fang sat in silence trying to figure out a way around this, but he couldn't. He couldn't fight in his condition, and he couldn't leave in this state either. Besides, what else did he have to hide? If they had really been some of Jeb's agents, he'd been back in that cell or that vat the second after his first operation. Why shouldn't he trust Sky? The big part about being a winged mutant was out; he didn't have the flock's location, so he couldn't give them away if he tried. So what else was there to lose?

He sighed in resolution, “Look, I'll give you the whole story, but on one condition.”

A smirk curved up on Sky's face, “And what would that be?”

“You tell me the whole story on the Avenging Angels, everything. That's the deal.”

The man's indigo eyes sparked, “I guess that's only fair.”

His hand almost instinctively went to his neck. “But I must warn you, only for the whole…”

His voice suddenly trailed off as he felt around his neck. His face went from amusement to concern. “Oh no…”

When he began trying to get up, Fang was at his side instantly. “Hey, you're supposed to stay put. I can't let you get up.”

His superior strength was the only thing holding the man down. “You don't understand. I have to find it. I can't believe I lost it, I never take it off—ever!”

“Come on, stop. I'll go look for—whatever it is. I'll call Joaquin and Kurt or something. They'll help me. You stay put.”

Sky relaxed slightly, not being able to budge under Fang's hold. He looked up at the boy in earnest. “You have to find it! I-I can't have lost it. Please!”

Fang was shocked to see tears welling up in the man's eyes! He was usually so calm and collected. What could he have lost that was so important?

“Do you want me to start looking in here?”

He nodded, “And hand me the radio. I'll have the others look all over the Conservatory.”

He let go and handed him the walkie-talkie from the desk. Getting on his hands and knees, he set forth all his mutant senses out to find—wait a minute, what was he supposed to find?

He arose to ask, but the man was already speaking on the radio receiver. “—No Luke, I do not want any tea! Luke, my necklace is missing, I need you to find anyone available and search for it. -What do you mean, `what necklace?'? I only have one! -Yes, that one! -I don't know how I lost it, I never take it off. It must have slipped off my neck sometime, though it's never done that before.”

Fang suddenly remembered something! As he had been hauling Sky's unconscious body down the stairs, he'd tried to get a better hold on him before he fell off. Something had fallen off Sky's neck then, and he had without looking, reached down and put it…

Reaching down in his pocket, he pulled he felt something cold press against his fingers. Pulling out the object, it was none other than a silver link necklace chain, and on the end glittering, was the most beautiful ring he'd ever seen! (that wasn't saying much since he hardly had time to see them at all…) It was silver as well; the jewel perched on its center was a large marquise-cut diamond, and on the band, small stars had been engraved, a little diamond in the center of each one.

“That's okay Luke, Fang found it.”

The teen snapped awake from mesmerizing shimmer of the necklace, and looked up at Sky, who in turn, was looking at him with suspicion. “Did you take my necklace, Fang?” a dangerous glint was on his tongue.

The bird teen shook his head and offered it back. “When you collapsed in the sickbay, I had to carry you all the way down a lot of stairs and hallways before I found some help. Once, when I was trying to get a better grip, it fell off your neck and I stuck it in my pocket for the time being. I didn't even know what it was; I never got a chance to look at it. I'm sorry, but I didn't mean to take it. I'd never steal it, I promise.”

Sky took the necklace from his hand and unclasped it before putting it back around his neck. As he fastened I back, he looked at Fang, his eyes softening. “I know you're telling the truth, I can always tell with anyone, but thank you Fang. You don't know what I'd do if I'd lost it. For that, I can tell you my story first if you like.”

Fang shook his head as he sat back down. “No, I want to get it off my chest. I'll start.”

The evening was still young as he began to tale his tale, from the very beginning. About the School days, when he had only the flock and his own thoughts, to keep him alive…