Song of the Chapter: Flight - Tristam and Braken (Drumstep)
Escape - Rogue (Dubstep)

(Braken's POV) 

After my story, I eventually fall asleep in Noisestorm's arms, exhausted. I don't know if he sleeps, too, but I wake up, still hugging him, as an echoing voice announces that it's five thirty in the morning.

He releases me and rubs his eyes. "Thank you," he says silently. He's smiling brightly, like he finally has a friend in this dark world.

"Thank you, too," I reply, returning the smile. I feel like I haven't smiled in months.

I slowly climb to my feet and try to stretch my wings without hitting him. I fail miserably and smack him hard in the face. The sound he makes causes me to spin around in panic, hitting him again. "I'm sorry!" I yelp, but he's laughing, not like he usually does, but just a quiet chuckle. It makes my heart soar to know he's still able to laugh.

He shoves the black feathers out of the way and sneezes.

"Oh, tell me you're not allergic to me," I say.

He shakes his head and touches his nose before sneezing again.

"Thirteen hours," a soldier reminds, walking past our cell with his partner.

"Is Aero alright?" I call after them.

"As fine as he can be," he laughs ominously.

I sigh, and then that terrifying rage hits me again. I let out a yell of fury and slam my fists into the bars of the door. "Why are you doing this to us?" I demand, my voice sharp and cold.

The soldiers don't answer.

I take a breath to yell again, but Noisestorm puts his hand on my shoulder as a warning. His touch relaxes me and I sigh once more. "We have to get out of here."

We both know that's impossible.

The hours seem to pass far too slow, and yet much too fast. I finally get Noisestorm to let me clean him up, and I'm relieved to see that he doesn't have the bullet still in him. I don't know what I would have done if it was still there. I don't bother to ask him where he got his own scars. He wouldn't have been able to tell me anyway, even if he was willing to. An hour or so into my wait, he suddenly scrambles to the tiny toilet in the back and throws up. He's shaking, too, and presses his fists into his forehead. I try to ask him what's wrong, and after a painfully long time, I finally understand that he's suffering from alcohol withdrawal. I didn't know he had a drinking problem - it seems like it was a problem long before yesterday, or whenever he got drunk again. I wish I could ask him about it, but I'd only hurt and confuse us both. He climbs into the second shelf bed and curls up to get some rest, and I try my best to avoid hitting him with my wings. He's shivering from the cold and his sickness, and I give him my scratchy blanket, so that he has both of them. Eventually, I give him my hoodie, too, and discover that it's been ripped open in the back - for my wings. There's snaps at the bottom of my wing-holes, so that I can unsnap it and take it off. Even so, I almost rip it the first time, and then I almost rip my wings, which is more painful than I thought. He puts it on and almost starts to cry again. I never imagined he would be the one to cry, or show any kind of saddened emotion. He tries to tell me something, and finally, I understand that he's apologizing for being an emotional wreck. I almost laugh at him. He's not the one sobbing his heart out every time he starts talking.

Finally, he falls asleep and relaxes, and I allow myself to relax as well. I feel like I've done everything I can for him. In only about seven hours, I'll be executed. I'm already on my own, but I don't want to leave Noisestorm by himself. I can see it every time he looks at me. He needs a light in the dark world, and if I've become his light ... No one has ever needed me before. Leo always claimed he did, but I think he was just helping me see that I can do things right, helping me regain and keep my will to live. But no one has ever needed me ...

I don't understand, but I don't complain. It feels good to be appreciated for once in my life.

I sit down on my shelf bed to rest my throbbing leg. Jensen allowed his medics to set and cast it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. They didn't do a very good job.

A few minutes later, something that sounds like an explosion jerks me out of my thoughts. I jump to my feet, stumble a little, and run the two steps to the cell door. I grip the bars and look out, but I can't see anything. I can only hear shouting, a gunshot, and then a blaring alarm goes off. The entire facility is washed in red light, the white vanishing.

Noisestorm jolts awake, sitting up fast and banging his head on the ceiling of the slot bed. He shoves my wings out of the way and tries to see out, too. If he had his voice, I know he'd be yelling at me, not out of anger, but out of panic. He's still shaking.

"What's going on?" I call, mostly to myself. "I can't see anything."

Noisestorm shakes his head.

I think someone is coming toward us. They're running, but I can't tell if it's an intruder or a soldier. There's another gunshot and the panel controlling our door explodes. I jump back with a terrified yelp and trip over myself, my wings, and also Noisestorm. The door opens just as someone - two people - approach us.

"We're getting out of here!" Aero shouts, and the shorter person behind him voices his agreement.

"Ephixa?!" I shriek.

"You have wings, too?!" the penguin ... human ... thing yelps at the same time, our voices overlapping.

"And Noisestorm is here, too," Aero says, grabbing my arm and pulling me back to my feet. "Stay on the ground, Braken. It's harder to shield yourself in the air."

"I can't run by myself," I say, staggering to keep up with their pace.

Noisestorm pulls my arm over his shoulders and half-carries me so that we go faster, catching his breath in pain. I try to avoid touching his wounded shoulder, which I'm pretty sure is bleeding again, but it's hard to stay upright without him.

Jensen's soldiers are right behind us, and I can hear them readying their guns. My heart leaps into my throat as I realize something. Why try to recapture me when I'm just going to die in six hours?

"Alex!" I cry as one of them shoots, the bullet just barely missing my foot.

He slows for a moment to let us catch up and then flares his wings as the soldiers fire again, the bullets bouncing harmlessly off of his bullet-proof feathers. "Use your own wings, Braken!"

"They're not like yours," I yelp as he pulls me and Noisestorm to the railing of the balcony. The next story seems an awfully long way down ...

"We're going to jump and we'll glide to the floor. The door is on that end of the building." Aero takes Noisestorm's arm and jumps up onto the railing. "Come on. We don't have much time until they put the base on lock down."

He pulls me up next to him. "Wait - I don't think ... " I try to swallow my fear, with no luck. Before I can protest again, Ephixa and Aero jump, dragging us with him. I try to scream, but no sound comes out. Aero spreads his wings with Ephixa, but as he constantly mentions, he can't hold us up, and I doubt Ephixa has ever even flown before. We fall to the first floor, crashing painfully, and Aero, Ephixa, and even Noisestorm are up and running again, dragging me along. "Wait ... slow down," I beg, tears streaming down my face once more. What is it with me and crying all the time?

"We're trying to save your life - literally." Aero yanks me forward and then bashes one of the guards with his wings. "How long do you have left? Five hours?"

"Six." The door to freedom is calling, but I don't think I can make it.

"I'm trying to give you sixty years. Come on."

The door begins to close. "Come on!" Ephixa yells, somehow staying ahead of us all, even with his shorter legs.

"Leave me," I whisper, barely audible.

"You guys go ahead," Aero orders, ripping Noisestorm's hand off of my arm. "We'll catch up."

Noisestorm glances back at me, wanting to protest, but then grabs Ephixa's arm and they both speed up. They dive through the door, barely making it before it slams shut.

"We're going to need another way out." Aero spreads his wings to deflect another round of bullets. "And what do you mean, your wings aren't like mine?"

"They're not bulletproof." I follow him as fast as I can as he drags me to a set of stairs, the door still wide open. The guards who were rushing toward us now hesitate, unwilling to try and engage two unstable experiments hand to hand. My leg is aching and I can barely keep up. Aero gives me a shove up the steps and I fall, but he hauls me back to my feet and pulls me up. The door at the top of the stairs starts to close and I panic. "We're not going to make it!"

"Tuck your wings and lay flat," Aero orders, his grip tightening on my arm. He dives, sliding on his stomach and dragging me with him.

Instead of keeping my wings pressed against my back, in my panic, I let them slide across the floor. As the metal gate crashes to the floor, Aero pulls me up and my right wing pulls painfully. I cry out and he glances at me, sighing in annoyance and kneeling down to try and free me.

I can hear the guards at the bottom of the stairs, yelling for the doors to be opened. I try to tell him, but he tells me to shut up. I know what he's thinking. He's wondering why he decided to help me, since I can't seem to do anything right.

The door clicks and starts to open again. I yank my wings back and break into a staggering run. Aero swears as he has to shield us again and then pulls me to the railing again. Without explaining, he jumps up and leaps, his enormous wings spreading and smacking me in the face. While in the air, he yanks me onto the railing and even lifts me a couple inches in the air. I open my own wings to help him, but I just throw off his wing beat and his fingers barely catch the railing of the next floor.

"You're not helping!" he yells, both of us relying on the strength of his hand to stay in the air.

I'm too terrified to answer. I'm afraid that they'll shoot me right here and now, or that I'll slip and fall. I'm gripping his arm tightly with both hands, but my fingers are slick with nervous sweat and I'm slowly slipping.

"I'm going to swing you up and you're going to grab the rail," he says.

"WHAT?!" I screech, sounding almost bird-like.

He doesn't listen to my protest. Instead, he practically throws me, but I don't let go and we swing back down, narrowly avoiding two more bullets. "Let go, Braken!" he shouts.

"I can't do it!" I cry.

"Let go or we'll both fall!"

He swings me up again and I finally break his grip. I scream in panic and beat my wings, but only just barely catch the railing. As soon as I release him, Aero flaps twice and flies over the side, grabbing my arm and pulling me up.

"Fly next time," he snaps before running down the hall.

I follow after him, calling for him to slow down. As I'm running past the prison cells, I hear someone.

"Get back in your cage, bird, where you belong," he sneers.

"You can do it!" his cellmate cheers. "Monstercat! Monstercat!"

Suddenly, the whole prison is echoing with the cheer. A bright smile spreads across my face. I can make it. These people believe in me.

"Come on, Braken!" Aero calls. He's slowed a little to let me catch up. "We'll climb out here." He points to a window, but it's closed and locked. He suddenly shoves me down and the glass shatters above us, broken by the soldiers' bullets. Without hesitation, Aero jumps through the window, spreading his wings and taking to the sky.

Oh no ... I gulp nervously and pull myself out. To my relief, there's a ladder only a few feet away, some emergency escape. I'll climb down ... or up. I'll hide up there, even though I'm afraid of heights. I'd rather be safe up there than in danger down on the ground. I take a leap of faith, both literally and figuratively, and slam into the metal ladder.

The wind is howling and it's starting to rain, both forces threatening to throw me off the side of the building to my death. Still, I climb, flapping my wings, but I can't will myself to let go of the rungs. I get up to the roof and slip, falling flat on my stomach. The rain soaks my wings, making them heavy and dragging. I flip over, one wing spread and the other smashed against my back. I close my eyes and let the rain drops splash on my face, sticking my now-feathery hair to my forehead. I just want to rest for a moment.

Aero's boots slam down next to my face. I shriek and scramble to my feet, shivering in the biting wind.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he practically screams.

I flinch and duck my head. "I can't - " I pause to catch my breath. "Alex, I'm afraid ... "

"You don't have time to be afraid." His gaze softens a little. "You'll be fine. Just spread your wings and let instinct take over."

I take a shaking breath. "Okay."

"We're going to escape. I told you we'd make it." He flashes a grin and turns, taking off.

There is only one thing left to do.

I take a deep breath and shake out my wings.

We have got to fly away.

I've got my wings. I can do this.

There is only one thing stopping you.

I have to face my fear. I'll fly my way to safety.

Something you must throw away.

I break into a run, narrowing my eyes on the edge of the building.

We can fall or we can fly ...

I leap off the building, my wings seeming to fill the air. I did it. I did it! I'm -

Falling.

I scream in pure terror, beating my wings frantically, but I can't do it. I'm falling. I'm going to die. "Alex!" I scream, tears and rain blinding me. "Alex, help me!" The ground is coming up so fast ...

"Glide!" Aero shouts, his voice hinted with panic. "Don't flap, just glide! Come on, Braken. I can't help you!"

I try to do as he asks, but the wind seems to rush right through my feathers. I flap again, but nothing slows my fall.

Aero swoops down and grabs my arm, pulling up as hard as he can, but with the added water weight of both of our feathers and his weaker wings, he barely slows our fall, directing it more than breaking it.

We haven't saved my life. We've shortened it. I'm going to die, crash against the ground, the impact killing me. I'll be a splat on the pavement.

"We're not going to die," Aero growls through gritted teeth, struggling with my weight. I realize I've been muttering. "Will you at least try to help?"

"I am!" I choke out, past my quick breaths and tears. I try to steady my wings again to prove it to him, but nothing happens.

Aero swears loudly as we crash against a building, slamming painfully into the side and then falling to the ground in a tangle of feathers, arms, and legs. I curl up and tuck my useless wings around my body, starting to cry again.

"Get up, Braken," Aero demands angrily. "Do you want to die or not? Oh my - How old are you, kid? It's time to grow up. Survive now. Cry later. Stop crying and let's get out of here." He tries to grab my arm again, but I tighten my feathery shield and turn away from him.

"Can't you see?" I whisper, past the sound of soldiers running and the sirens blaring and the thunder roaring in the sky. "I can't do it. I'm useless and a failure and I can't do anything right and nobody needs me and nobody cares and nobody gives it a second thought when something happens to me or I need help. Everyone just thinks I'm a weak little kid, but they don't know the whole story." I take another deep breath and that crushing terror returns. "And that Flight experiment ... I've never felt anything like it. I thought I was going to die. I'm not strong enough. I'm not like you. All I could do was scream and cry for Leo as they just kept ripping and ripping ... " I can hardly bring myself to say the next words. "I just want the pain to go away, Alex. I don't want to die, but ... maybe it's for the best." Those thoughts, those thoughts I haven't had for four years, the thoughts that scare me, the thoughts of death and escape - they're coming back. I try to push them away, but they refuse to leave.

"Braken, why do you think I just went through that nightmare? Because I had to? No. Because I need you. If I didn't need you, I would have left you in there alone. We all need you, even if we don't know it. Especially Noise." Aero kneels next to me. "Did you see the way he looked at you? You've become the friend he so desperately needs. And sometimes ... you hurt to know it meant something. You hurt to know you're alive and can still feel. Better to hurt than feel nothing at all. But don't ever let that hurt become your weakness. Use it to become stronger instead." He pauses. "Your past doesn't define you. It's how you decide to remember it that does."

I finally start to realize that he's right. I allow myself to loosen my wings and sit up. "Okay. I think ... I think I understand now." I smile just a little and he helps me stand up, but I'm still hurting inside.

"Let's get out of here." He points up a ladder, an alley ladder. "Up there is our safest bet - not in the air, but on the rooftops." He doesn't wait for a response. Instead, he climbs up faster than I thought was possible. I follow much slower, but eventually reach the top with him. "We're not very far yet," he says, "but I want to - " He cuts off suddenly, his eyes glued to the streets below.

I look over, the height making me dizzy, and see that soldiers have surrounded Noisestorm. They haven't attacked yet, and I can barely see Ephixa hiding in an alley, unable to do anything.

My breath catches in my throat. What are we going to do?

Without saying anything, Aero catapults himself off of the building, his wings flaring like a majestic angel. I watch him, unable to speak or cry out, as he dives at the soldiers, attacking them with full force.

I have to help them before one of them gets hurt. My heart is pounding almost painfully against my ribcage, and it's starting to hurt when I breathe. Jensen said my wings are weapons. One movement and they become sharp as knives. I stand on the edge of the building, looking down at the fray. What am I doing? I'm a coward for staying up here. And yet ... I can't make myself do it.

There have been gunshots all throughout my internal debate, but this one suddenly makes me freeze - either that or Aero's scream of pain. He's been shot, and even from up here, I can see the blood spilling onto the street, the scarlet washing with the rain and muddy water.

"Alex!" I cry, my voice cracking. Without thinking, I jump, letting that terrifying rage control me. My wings unfold and finally catch the wind, soaring by themselves.

By the time the soldiers look up, I'm already there. I plow through them, knocking a few of them over, and crash to the ground next to Aero. I can see that he's been shot in the leg, the thigh, up close to his hip, bringing me some relief. I'd thought for a moment that he'd been killed or hit somewhere more fatal. I jump up, spin around, and flick my wings. There's the sound of metal chinks clinking together, and I feel the feathers stiffen and go cold. Jensen was right. They're now hardened blades. "Don't touch them," I say, my voice hard and threatening. I had no idea I could sound like this. It scares me.

"Braken, what are you doing?" Aero hisses, both hands gripping his leg, blood seeping between his fingers.

"Stand down, bird boy," one of the soldiers orders, aiming his gun at my chest.

I don't move. I'm not even scared of them. Time seems to stop and everything is frozen. The only sound I can hear other than my own heart is the sound of my friends' heavy breathing.

"Jensen doesn't want you dead before tonight," the man continues ominously, "but he didn't say anything about hurting you. We can tear you apart, but as long as you're alive, we'll be following orders. It's your choice - come back unharmed or come back in pieces."

"Don't touch them," I repeat.

"They have the same choice you do."

"Aero Chord," I address him without looking, "take Ephixa and get out of here. I'll take care of Noisestorm." I flex my blade wings as a warning to the soldiers. I don't know where all of this aggression is coming from, but I don't fight it.

"Braken - " Aero starts.

"Go, now!" I lunge forward and slash with my wings. The soldiers jump back to avoid the blades.

Aero finally understands and takes to the sky in a flurry of white feathers. The soldiers shout and fire at him, but he deflects their bullets and grabs Ephixa before soaring away. Our mutant friend has no choice but to fly with him, but he screams to us as Aero pulls him away. I order Noisestorm to run and he obeys. I attack the soldiers, but I can feel my fury melting away.

One of the soldiers cracks the butt of her rifle across my face and I fall with a yell. Lights explode behind my eyes and I can feel blood trickling down the side of my head. They try to grab me, but I lash out again and feel my wings rip into someone. The feeling is horrible; knowing I could have killed someone by the sound she makes and feeling her blood splatter on my back.

Noisestorm spins around and suddenly charges back toward me. I yell at him, but he doesn't listen. I know the look on his face. He's not going to leave me behind.

Before he even gets close, a scar faced man slams the barrel of his rifle into his shoulder - directly into his bullet wound. He lurches forward with a silent scream and the soldier kicks him over so he crashes on the ground. As soon as he hits, he curls up, like he's ... giving up.

I scramble to my feet and slash my way over to him, but there's too many soldiers. I call to him, begging him to keep fighting. He looks up, but as he does, his expression changes from despair to terror in a split second. He tries to yell, to warn me, but I turn too late.

Something electric hits my back, between my shoulder blades, and my hope shatters into a million pieces. The shock that jolts through me reminds me of the electric shocks you get when you touch a light switch, only a thousand times worse and a hundred times longer. I let out a choking scream and crumple to the ground like a rag doll, my now soft wings tangling around me. My head hits the ground hard and my vision blurs as everything fades to black from the outside in, the sound of the rain on my face echoing until there's nothing but silence.