Eleven

Max POV

From what I could tell so far, this dome was huge. The destroyed city that Nudge and I had woken up near seemed to be the center, with several buildings spread out to the far edges of the walls. It was early morning, and I stood on the church balcony watching the projected sun rise. I wondered again if it really was morning. It had been a cold night, with the temperature dipping just below freezing. Nudge and I hadn't slept much because of it. Our thin jackets didn't provide much protection from the frigid air and we had resorted to snuggling close together for warmth. The fire we had built didn't do much good either.

"We need to find them. What if those monsters got to them first? I would never forgive myself." Nudge said next to me. She was talking about the boys; Gazzy and Iggy.

"We'll find them. I doubt that Jeb just stuck the girls in here." I tried to smile but she only nodded. I sighed and looked back out at the desolate town around us. The shadows slowly disappeared as sunlight began to warm everything. I took a few steps back and then jogged towards the railing, jumping out over it, and unfurling my wings. Nudge copied me and we both climbed as high as the ceiling would allow. I would start my really finding out how large this place was and then slowly circle inwards, scanning everything.

Gazzy POV

Iggy and I had taken shelter in a large oak tree on the edge of the wall. Underneath us, a creek flowed freely, although it had frozen over during the night. It was bitterly cold and I wished I had a better coat on or a blanket. Now I was stretching stiff muscles and making sure Iggy was awake.

"Ig, you up?" I yawned. My breath came out in a cloud in front of me. There was an annoyed groan that gave me my answer. I hopped down from my branch and landed in the frozen grass. It crunched under my feet and I grinned as I saw the frozen creek. Flickering movement just below the surface caught my eye as I moved closer.

"Gazzy, be careful." Iggy's tired voice said as he too jumped from his branch. I ignored him and cautiously stepped out onto the thick ice. It held my weight and I crouched to peer into the crystal clear water below. There were fish!

"Ig, there's fish still alive down here!" I said excitedly. "We could totally catch one, make a nice breakfast."

"Not now. Come on, we gotta keep moving." Iggy's voice seemed weary and it put me on alert. Iggy stood still, his head cocked as he listened carefully.

"Can't we just get a couple? I'm starving." I begged, feeling my stomach growl.

"We're not alone." Was all that Iggy said. Instantly, I forgot all other emotions and trained my eyes on the trees around us. I could only see the thick trunks of trees, dead leaves decaying on the ground, and boulders scattered here and there. But then I heard a few small footsteps and Iggy's head immediately swiveled towards the sound. More were behind me and I turned to scan everything once more.

"U and A?" I whispered so quietly I wasn't sure if I had even said them.

"Now." Iggy whispered back and the instant the word left his lips I was airborne. My feet crashed through the ice of the creek, soaking my pants up to my knees. I gave my wings a few extra beats to compensate. Iggy was already above me, hovering to make sure I made it up to him. I glanced down to see three forms standing where we once were. Each were mutated beyond recognition. One had several tails and blue skin, another with yellow cat eyes and missing a jaw, but the third was opening its own pair of wings. They were bat like, covered in thin skin and muscle. Its body was short and stout, and its skin was a gross pale red color.

"Go north, one's airborne!" I shouted to Iggy, which meant go south. He instantly veered and we both put on the speed. I glanced behind us and saw that the creature was falling behind but wasn't giving up the chase.

"Just follow the wall, we'll lose it." Iggy panted and I nodded. After several minutes, I checked again. I breathed a short sigh of relief as I saw it was no longer interested. It didn't have much stamina apparently. I looked back along the wall and saw two forms heading straight for us. Panic ripped through me, I wouldn't have time to warn Iggy.

"Ig, 12 o'clock!" I yelled as I veered sharply, just missing one of the flying bodies. Iggy's pewter wings fanned out wide and back beat once, twice, and managed to just begin to gain altitude before the second body crashed into him.

Max POV

I was lost in my own little world; worrying about Fang and Angel, Iggy and Gazzy, and what the hell Jeb wanted us to do here. I was only dragged back to reality as I heard Nudge yelling, but it was too late. I had time to just barely glance up and register Nudge diving away from another flying form, and a second right in front of me. My wings opened up just as I collided into it. My breath wooshed out as two sneakered feet rammed into my chest, and my own kicked into another solid object. I heard several cracks, both from me and the other body.

"Max!" I recognized Gazzy's scared voice but couldn't tell where he was as I began falling. I desperately tried to flip over and avoid the ground and trees below. How in the world had I managed to be so out of it that I flew right into another flying thing? Oh, perhaps because I had been day dreaming, and the other flying thing happened to be Iggy, who also happens to be freaking blind. We both came down hard. We fell through a small pine tree, branches snapping and pine needles flying everywhere. I landed hard on one of the lower branches on my stomach and I clung to the bark for dear life. Iggy wasn't so lucky and landed on his back on the ground with a loud thump. I gasped for air, my ribcage jarred from Iggy's kick and the landing.

"Max! Are you ok?" Nudge had landed below the tree and was looking up at me bewildered. Gazzy had landed next to Iggy and was now crouched next to him.

"Yeah, I'm good." I wheezed, having no idea if i really was or not. I slowly lowered myself down from the branch and cursed under my breath as my skin on my arms was nearly raw. I looked over at Iggy, who was still struggling to breathe. He lay on his back, one wing still fully extended and the other halfway folded in. I knelt next to him and saw the bloody scratched from the branches. Both of our feathers fluttered in the light breeze and were caught in the tree above.

"Pretty sure my collar bone is broken." Iggy groaned, trying to sit up. "Couple of ribs too."

"You kick pretty hard." I chuckled, but hissed in a breath as my own ribs protested.

"Well, I knew that I was gonna hit something. Might as well try to slow it down." Iggy's hand was over his left shoulder, his face in pain.

"How's your wings?" I asked and he lifted them slowly, flexing the muscles and folding them neatly against his spine again.

"They're sore, but ok." He said, which was a huge relief to me. The worst we had was a couple broken ribs, some missing feathers, and Iggy's fractured collar bone. It could have been a lot worse. I took his hand and helped him to his feet. I was sure I would have two sneaker sized bruises tomorrow.

"Glad to see you two are ok though. Why were you moving so fast?" I ruffled Gazzy's hair and he smiled up at me.

"We were running from a nasty bat thing. It can fly too!" Gazzy said quickly and I looked over at Nudge.

"Sounds like some of the monsters Nudge described." I said and Nudge nodded. "Ig, I assume that you know we're in a massive dome, right?"

"Oh yeah, all ten miles of it." He said and I blinked in surprise.

"Ten miles?"

"I mean, give or take a few miles, yeah." He held his bad arm against his side. "Just a rough guesstimate though."

"There's a small ruined town maybe a five minute flight from here." I said and Gazzy's face lit up.

"How ruined?" He said eagerly.

"Like a bomb went off." I said and he pumped a fist into the air. "Now let's go."

Fang POV

"Fang." Angel's voice, but quiet and calm. I opened my eyes to see her standing next to the couch, still wrapped in her blanket. "It's morning."

"Wow, that was fast." I said as I sat up, yawning in the process. I must have really crashed last night. The fire was still smoldering in the fireplace but now bright light was filtering in through every window. The small cabin was warm and quiet, and I didn't want to get up.

"It's snowing outside." Angel smiled and ran over to the largest window. I stood and moved to her side, stretching my wings out. Outside, the ground was blanketed in white. Every tree branch hung low with the frigid powder, and yet it was still softly falling. A light breeze carried it along and it was building up on all the windowsills of the cabin. It was calm, peaceful, but a setback.

"I don't know if we can fly far in this, or if we'll find shelter again." I said quietly and Angel looked up at me.

"We can do it. We have winter coats now, and as soona s it starts getting back we'll hunker down." She was pleading with her eyes.

"You just want to go out and play in the snow." I said and she nodded innocently. I sighed and reached for the coats still hanging up by the door. She quickly pulled it on and opened the door, letting a huge gust of freezing air to blow into the cabin. I shivered before zipping up my coat. We had gotten them just in time. We would have been in some serious trouble if it had snowed any earlier.

"Fang, I want to build a snowman." Angel said and then began humming the song from Frozen. She had seen clips of it while passing through towns in the past and now I was doomed to hearing the soundtrack forever. She began piling snow into a large ball by the door of the cabin. I moved to a softer area and then turned around and spread my wings out. If Max ever caught me doing this she would never let it go.

"Snow angel!" I said and let myself fall back into the soft powder. My wings outspread made it look that much more real. Angel squealed and ran over, falling down next to me. I lay there for a moment and looked up at the gray sky. Snow continued to fall and the breeze was freezing, but it was nice to just have a moment to enjoy the wonders of weather.

"I need a carrot!" Angel suddenly yelled, scurrying back towards her half built base of a snowman. I slowly got up, careful not to disturb the perfect inprint in the snow. I turned to look at it and grinned, pleased with my work. I shook my wings out and ruffled my feathers, effectively removing the snow that clung to them.

"You'll have to use a stick." I called to her and she began looking around for a suitable one. I knew that we would have to refuel soon. We'd barely eaten anything for the past 3 or 4 days and I was already feeling the consequences. Now we'd burn even more energy trying to stay warm on top of flying. The burning hunger in my stomach was becoming more difficult to ignore.

"Look! It's Olaf!" Angel said as she ran over to me. I looked at the snowman standing by the door. It's base was too small, the middle tilted to the side, and the top was formed into a cone. She had stuck a large stick in the center to make the nose, a couple of rocks for eyes, and even a few more for teeth. Pinecones trailed down the center of the middle and base to form buttons. To top it all off, she had stuck larger sticks on either side for arms.

"Who?" I asked, confused. She gave me a sour look and ran to stand next to the snowman.

"It's Olaf, from Frozen." She said, a smile wide on her face now. I blinked, trying to process.

"I don't know who Olaf is, but he is definitely frozen." I smiled at her and she beamed at me. "Now let's try to find another small town. I'm starving."

Angel POV

Fang's black hair and feathers were dotted white with snow, making him look strangely out of place against the endless white. I was grateful for the coat, as it made flying in the cold wind bearable. Below us, the forest was buried in snow. The pine trees swayed in the breeze and snow continued to fall. It melted as it hit my face, hands, and wings.

We had been flying for what seemed like an eternity. I didn't realize just how much energy it took to fly in the snow and freezing wind. My feathers were wet with melted snow and the wind sapped every bit of warmth from them, even freezing feathers as it went. Fang didn't look that much better and I could actually see the ice forming in his feathers. Just as I was about to ask to take a break, Fang glanced down at the warm glow of lights. They were barely visible from this height. He glanced back at me, his eyes two black spots in a sea of white, his black hair rustling in the wind.

We began our descent towards the edges of the town. The snow provided cover for us so we could get much closer this time. We landed hard in the snow pack, our feet sinking in up to our knees. I stumbled forward and fell into the snow, my hands numb and shaking. Fang was shivering next to me as he shook out his wings.

"We'll be here until the storm lets up, which means you need to get your wings inside your coat." He said, unzipping his. I groaned, knowing that wet, freezing feathers would be like hugging two large icicles. Fang pulled his coat off, his jaw tightly clenched as he folded his wings in tight against his back, pulling the coat over them. I did the same, sucking in a breath as any bit of warmth I had left in me vanished. Miserable, wet, and cold, we walked into the small town.

Every door was shut, only small lights above them let people know the place was open. The roads were muddy, slushy pools, and had tire tracks running through them. Fang moved ahead towards a small store with a large glass window. He stood in front of it, peering inside.

"It's a grocery store." He said quietly, his teeth chattering. His entire form was shaking. I stood next to him and saw the darkened isles. They weren't open. I saw the rows of food lining the shelves and my stomach growled loudly. I was feeling light headed and weak in the harsh weather. Fang continued walking, this time stopping at a small sandwich shop. The light in the window flashed 'Open' in large blue letters. He opened the door.

"Good morning." A man's voice said in a welcoming tone. "An awful one outside, huh?"

"You have no idea." Fang sighed, still shaking from cold. The man who had greeted us was on the pudgier side. He was going bald but had a kind face and rosy cheeks. He wore a red and black flannel with blue jeans, and stood tall behind the wooden counter. The store reminded me of the coffee shop we had stopped in yesterday. Not very many people sat in small booths enjoying coffee and hot sandwiches with steam rolling off them. The smells of this place were enough to make anyone whimper with anticipation.

"What can I get you two?" The man asked politely. Two of everything.

"Can I get four of your Gargantuans, please?" Fang asked. From what the menu above the mans head said, a single Gargantuan was big enough to feed two people, so I knew Fang had us in good hands.

"Hungry, boy?" The man winked and Fang flashed him a smile. The charismatic actor when he needed to be. "That will be $37." Fang handed him the 100 dollar bill the woman had given us earlier.

"Go on and have a seat by the fire. I'll bring them out to you." The man gestured towards a booth by the fireplace. It sat in the corner next to a large window. Fang and I moved to the booth and sat opposite each other. It was calm and quiet in this little store, just like the coffee shop. I was grateful for the slow pace, as it eased my anxiety about the unfamiliar area. The only sounds were the soft whirring of the fan above us, the occasional clatter of silverware, and the crackle of the fire. Across from me, Fang was watching everyone carefully, but seemed to be having trouble concentrating. I could hear his stomach growling and see his jaw tighten in response. He eventually leaned his head against the back of the booth and sighed. I saw the man step out from behind the counter, carrying a large tray in one hand.

"Here you go, guys. Enjoy." He said, placing the tray on the table. Fang handed me two of the sandwiches and he took the others.

"Holy cow." I breathed as I sank my teeth into the hot pastrami and turkey, the cheese oozing out from between the meats. Eggs were piled high on top of the meat and avocado was spread onto both pieces of bread. Finally, bacon was layered in between everything. It was heaven in sandwich form.

Half an hour later, and two sandwiches heavier, I leaned into the corner of the booth closest to the fire with my eyes half open. Fang was doing the same, his eyes glazed over but still scanning. We were both finally full, and I had forgotten the sensation. I just wanted to lie down and sleep, but I knew I couldn't do that here.

"You two must have been starving." The man said, clearly impressed by our eating abilities.

"You could say that." Fang said quietly and the man only laughed, taking the tray and wrappers away.

"Can we just wait a minute?" I asked. "I don't think I can go anywhere just yet."

"Don't worry, we'll take a breather." Fang crossed his long legs and put his hands in his coat pockets. "Maybe for an hour."

"I just want to sleep." I admitted, my eyes struggling to stay open.

"Sleep. I'll be here." Fang said, looking just as exhausted. I nodded and lie down on the booth seat. I was out before my head touched the cushion.