e Are The Champions-For the Moment, Anyway

When I saw them at last, on a barrier island off the coast of North Carolina, I almost couldn’t speak. Nudge, Total, Angel, and I coasted to a landing on the beach, feeling the sand squeak under our shoes.

There was a line of gnarled oaks at the top edge of the beach, and I looked through them, then checked my watch.

“You’re late.”

Fang stepped out of the shadows, eating an apple. He was dressed in black, as usual, and his face looked like a lumpy plum pie. But his eyes shone as he came toward me, and then I was running to him over the sand, my wings out in back of me.

We smashed together awkwardly, with Fang standing stiffly for a moment, but then his arms slowly came around me, and he hugged me back. I held him tight, trying to swallow the lump of cotton in my throat, my head on his shoulder, my eyes squeezed shut.

“Don’t ever leave me again,” I said in a tiny voice.

“I won’t,” he promised into my hair, sounding most un-Fang-like. “I won’t. Not ever.”

And just like that, a cold shard of ice that had been inside my chest ever since we’d split up-well, it just disappeared. I felt myself relax for the first time in I don’t known how long. The wind was chilly, but the sun was bright, and my whole flock was together. Fang and I were together.

“Excuse me? I’m alive too.” Iggy’s plaintive voice made me pull back. I wiped my sleeve across my eyes, then turned and hugged Iggy hard, and Gazzy, and then we were all hugging one another and promising never to split up again. Basically we just got caught up, and ate doughnuts and apples, which the boys had thoughtfully provided.

“Well, what now?” Gazzy asked, as I tried to smooth his sticking-up hair.

I let out a deep breath and looked at my flock.

“I need to go to Arizona,” I said.

Jeb was already there, at Dr. Martinez’s house. I had half expected it.

The flock and I landed in the woods close to the house, and after looking carefully around, we stepped into the yard. Immediately, Magnolia, the basset hound, lumbered out from under the porch, baying. She ran over, saw Total, and started barking harder.

“Oh, please,” said Total.

The front door opened, and Ella burst out, her face alight. Then she saw I wasn’t alone, and she stopped, staring at the rest of the flock.

“Oh, gosh,” she breathed. “All of you…” Her face split into a humongo smile, and she raced to me, catching me in a skinny, wiry hug. “You’re my sister!” she cried. “I had wished you could be. Now you are.”

She pulled back, and we just smiled at each other. I mean, I felt much closer to Nudge, sisterwise, but knowing that Ella and I shared nonbird blood meant a lot to me. It made me feel more solid, somehow. That sounds stupid, but that’s how it felt.

“Max.” Dr. Martinez stood on the porch, her hand to her mouth. Jeb came out after her, his face drawn and sad. He looked glad to see us all, though. I remembered how he’d looked when Ari died. I was so confused about him it made my head hurt.

“Hi,” I said lamely. Unfortunately, finding out who my parents actually were had not improved my social graces by leaps and bounds. Oh, well.

Dr. Martinez-it felt too weird to call her anything else-came down the steps, and then she was hurrying to me. I stood stiffly for a moment while she wrapped me in a warm, momlike embrace that felt like the best, softest blanket in the whole world.

“Oh, Max,” she breathed, stroking my tangled hair. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw you before. I wasn’t sure. But it was you! It was you all along.”

I nodded, slightly horrified to see tears running down her cheeks. “Yep,” I said, then cursed myself for being so awkward and tongue-tied. This was my mother! This was who I’d dreamed of my whole life! Not only that, but she was the best mother in the whole world, the one person I would have picked! And I was standing here like a scarecrow.

I cleared my throat, looking down at my feet. “I’m glad it was you,” I managed to get out, and then, total nightmare, I started bawling into her sweater.

After my fourth chocolate-chip cookie, I started calling her Mom. All of us, the whole flock, plus Ella, Mom, and Jeb, rested up. The flock and I took fabulous hot showers, and Mom came up with some clothes for all of us. Everyone seemed to adore her and gave me envious but happy looks. I felt so proud of her.

It was weird to see her trusting Jeb. He seemed normal, like he used to when we lived with him. We all kept our distance, though, even when he tried to reach out to us. Maybe in the future we could get over everything that had happened. He did his best to explain the stuff he’d done. Part of it was because he truly believed it was the best way to train me to save the world. Part of it had been designed to seem much worse than it was. And basically, he’d helped me escape any number of times. And part of it had been stuff he’d been forced to do-playing along with the Director so he could stay in a position to help me and know what was coming.

I was like, whatever. Deep down, I was glad to learn all that, but I wasn’t going to make it easy for him.

“Okay, everyone,” Mom said, coming in from the small kitchen. “Food’s up!”

We all crammed in around her tiny dining table. She had made real Mexican food herself. We’re not talking Taco Bell here. It was incredible, and she’d made enough for a big crowd because she knew how hard it was for us to get enough calories.

“Oh, man, this smells so good,” Iggy moaned.

Ella watched him as he started eating, not spilling a drop. “It’s so amazing, how you can do that,” she told him.

Iggy seemed taken aback. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”

“Well, I think you’re amazing,” said Ella, and Iggy blushed.

I glanced across the table and saw Gazzy and Angel sitting next to each other, looking calmer and safer than they had in so long.

“And Max, I’ve put some scraps in a bowl for your dog,” Mom said. “It’s on the floor, by the back door.”

The flock and I went still.

Uh-oh, I thought.

Total stomped up to me, his glare accusing. “A bowl on the floor!” he seethed. “Why don’t you just chain me to a stake in the yard and throw me a bone!”

Mom stared at him, and Ella looked like her eyes were going to pop out.

“Uh, well, they didn’t expect-,” I began.

“No, no, it’s fine!” Total snapped. “Just put an old towel on the floor for me to sleep on! Listen, I’ve been practicing my barking! Arf! Or is it bowwow? I can never remember.”

I looked at Mom. “Uh, do you think Total could maybe have a plate here?” I pointed to a tiny space next to me. “He, uh, likes to eat at the table.”

“Because I’m not a complete barbarian!” Total said.

“Certainly,” Mom said smoothly. “I’m sorry, Total.”

I looked at Fang, and he rolled his eyes and reached for seconds. Everyone started talking again, and it was like a Norman Rockwell painting, all of us sitting there, eating together. Well, maybe Norman Rockwell with, you know, mutants and a talking dog. But still.

“You just got here,” Mom said, teary eyed again.

“I know,” I told her. “But we’ll be back. Promise.”

“Why do you have to go?” Ella wailed.

“I have…responsibilities,” I said. “You know, a world to keep saving and all that.”

We each hugged Mom and Ella about a hundred times. Total peed on their sage bushes and gave Magnolia a dirty look.

Then it was just me and Jeb, facing each other. I knew he wanted a hug. I also knew that my hugs didn’t come cheap.

“So, why me, Jeb?” I asked. “How come I’m supposed to save the world, when I’m not even the most evolved experiment?”

“You’re evolved enough,” he said. He swallowed. “Max, you’re the last of the hybrids who still has…a soul.”

I thought about how empty and expressionless Omega had been. Hmm.

“She doesn’t have soul,” Gazzy scoffed. “Have you ever seen her dance?”

“Not soul, Gazzy,” I said. “A soul.”

“Oh.”

One last good-bye, and then Fang and I looked at each other.

“Okay, let’s hit it,” I said, just as he said, “Up and away, guys.”

I gave him a little smile. I turned to the others. “You heard ’im. Up and away!”

Then we were flying again, rising above the confusing and troubled Earth, into the simple, perfect, clear blue sky, where everything was peaceful and made sense.

“You know what?” Total said conversationally. Iggy had him in a carrier thing on his back that Mom had found in her attic. It made flying with Total much easier. Okay, basically it was a baby carrier, but for God’s sake don’t tell Total.

“What?” I asked.

“Your mom isn’t so bad.”

“Gee, thanks,” I said dryly, and the others laughed.

And finally, as we fly off into the sunset, so to speak, there’s only one thing for me to add:

Hopefully, we’ll be back.

And if we are, it won’t be pretty.