E’RE GOING TO return to base now to make a formal report,” Captain Perry said once he’d gotten his voice back.

“Wait—what about finding my mom?” I asked.

“She’s got to be around here somewhere,” John agreed. “Can you wait on that report so we can comb the area more thoroughly?”

“There’s leaking radioactive waste out there,” said Captain Perry. “Who knows where that radiation is ending up, how far it can travel? It must be contained as soon as possible.”

“We came out here to find our colleague,” John said.

“My job is to protect the United States, which Hawaii and its surrounding waters are part of,” said Captain Perry, looking steely eyed.

I was calculating the chances of success if the bird kids staged a mutiny and seized control of the submarine, when Nudge suddenly said, “Where’s Angel?”

And if those words don’t strike terror into your heart by now, then you haven’t been paying attention.

It took barely two minutes to search the entire sub. The systems engineer determined that someone had opened the diver’s air lock approximately four minutes before.

“She couldn’t have gone out into the ocean!” the captain said, horrified. “The pressure at this depth is

tons per square inch. She’d be crushed instantly!!”

“Or… not,” I said, looking out the window. The water, even with the floodlights shining into it, was cloudy and hard to see through. It was still full of bits o’ ‘bots, drifting downward like evil, metallic rain. Plus, all the explosions had stirred up aeons of debris on the ocean floor.

Even so, I could see the light color of the small jumpsuit Angel had been wearing, and the flash of gold as her hair floated around her like a halo that sheso did not deserve. She was dog-paddling away from the sub, looking extremely uncrushed and three-dimensional.

“That’s… impossible,” Captain Perry said, sounding stunned.

“Totally and completely impossible,” John agreed, staring out the window in awe. “There’s no way anyone could be out at this depth without a pressure suit and survive. It—it just can’t be done.”

“Hello?” I said. “We’re children withwings . And now gills. Wefly . Angel can read minds and communicate with fish, Iggy can feel colors, Nudge can draw metal to her, and now you’re saying that there’s simply no way Angel could be out there? Have I mentioned thewings part?”

John nodded, still looking shocked. “But still—this defies any kind of understanding we have of vertebrate animals. It’s … almost impossible to comprehend.”

“You mean, more than the freakingwings? “

Captain Perry looked at me seriously. “Yes, actually. More than the wings. This is, in fact, stranger and more impossible.”

“Oh,” I said. “Well, then.” I gave a little cough. “Anyway, let’s get her back in. You got any of those claw-arm thingies?”

“No, I’m afraid not,” said Captain Perry.

“Max,” said Nudge. She turned away from the window with wide eyes. I hurried over and peered out into the murky water.

“Oh, jeez,” I said, my heart sinking. Or rather, sinking more.

Angel, being Angel, was being: (1) stubborn, (2) a rule breaker, (3) not sensible, (4) reckless,… and

(5)… swimming directly at a group of the sea monsters, who were heading toward our sub at light speed.

“They’re gonna kill her,” Gazzy breathed, his face pale.

Yeah,I thought grimly.And then I’ll bring her back to life and kill her again, for doing this to us.

One of the creatures spotted Angel. It slowed, turned, and began to head toward her.

“Oh, God,” Nudge squealed, covering her eyes. “Max! Do something!”

I was already striding toward the door. “On it.”