Project Songbird

Chapter 37

I spot Tyler making his way out of the forest. He stopped once he saw the state of the city. His protective layer of stone had reverted back into his skin. He looked to be in a state of shock.
I shift my shoulders, trying to stay airborne as long as possible.
I can't believe Travis is making me fight him! He won't fight me! I'll tear him apart!! My wings begin to ache and I descend towards where Tyler stood at the edge of the forest. He glances up once he sees me, "Ethan!" I can't make out the emotion on his face as I land a few feet away from him. Tyler, please, run away! Please get away from me!!
My wings tense and I let out a crackling howl before I start forward. There was an itch in the back of my mind; ready to fight.
"Ethan?" He questions.
I spring forward and strike with my claws. He dodges me and stumbles back, "He got to you, didn't he?" His voice was soft and there was a bit of pain. I wince but it comes out as a snarl. My head snaps in his direction, my teeth bare at him, "KILL KILL!!!"
We clash!
His arm blocks my attack! My claws shred through his skin! Blood begins to drip down his arm. I'm sorry, Tyler, please protect yourself!!!! Don't allow me to tear into you!!
He grunts and shoves me backwards. I stumble back, my wings steady me. He glances at his arm, and then back to me, "He's serious." He tilts his head a bit. His body begins to sink down into the ground. My body snaps forward and strikes out but I miss as he completely vanishes in the ground.
'Tyler can essentially become the ground and move within the stone.' I recall my conversation with Wade. Where does he plan on going??
I begin to claw at the ground, Where'd he go?? He must be in the ground somewhere, right??? I tilt my head. The itch starts to become irritating. Is that Travis' presence within me??
Ethan, return to me. My guardian thinks he can just bypass the fight I have prepared for him. I will not allow that. You will fight him.
Once more, I take to the sky and head back to the city. I'm glad he can entertain himself with our pain.

Felix was hovering above the city. He had one arm crossed over his midsection as the other lightly touched his exposed skin. I slowed down and then stopped a few feet from him. I take in his back side. His wings pump every few seconds to keep him airborne. He had the strange ridges that traveled down his spine and connected to his tail, which swayed from side to side in a lazy manner. What could possibly be going through your mind? Are you devising a plan? Do you have a way to escape? Or did you lock yourself away like Jack did? What about Mark? Is he alright? Is he still trying to portal people to safety??? As if sensing my presence, Felix turns around to face me. The exposed human skin was now traveling down his neck, revealing his nasty scar. His eyes narrow slightly but he turns from me as if quite annoyed with me being there. He huffs heavily and then he grumbles softly.
Quit stalling!
I jerk to the side and then fly past Felix, heading back to Travis. I land in front of him and glance at Mark. His face had crimson blood splattered all over it. He didn't look bothered by this fact. His eyes were dull. Jack was nowhere to be seen. Mark takes flight as soon as I land and he disappears around a few remaining buildings. Travis walks forward and pulls me over to his side, "Take a seat. Stay here until he arrives. As soon as you see him, it's on sight. And do not let him get away this time!" He spits as he grips my arm painfully tight. I take my place at his side and then sit down on the ground below me. The city was strangely silent.
It broke my heart to see the destruction that came from my friends. It broke my heart that we were merely tools to be used to create such chaos. Why Travis? We were finally free. We finally had a life of our own. A life worth living.
I rest my head on my arms that I propped up with my knees. I closed my eyes briefly. Please be a nightmare, when I open my eyes, I just wish to be home.

Something freezing cold hit my skin and I jolted up. There's a woman standing in a corner of the fairly small room behind a light that is pointed in my direction. What? Where am I? What is this?? My eyes dart around the room. It's mostly empty. The walls are a bland tan color. The door is closed behind the woman and next to her is a window. I squint past the light in my face to see my reflection in the window. I look hideous. My eyes jerk down to my wrists and I jerk against the chains.
"W-what's this!?" My voice crackles through my lips. I stand but immediately sit back down as my head spins and I fight the urge to vomit.
"Easy, the chains are just a precaution." The woman begins to speak, "Take a breath. I mean you no harm."
"Precaution, for what?" I ask.
"Do you know your name?" She asks, ignoring my question.
"Of course I know my name." I reply.
"What is your name?" She asks.
"What's yours?" I counter.
"I am Agent London with the NWO." She replies, flashes a badge at me for half a second before pulling it away and shoving it back in her pocket.
"NWO? Can you turn that stupid light off, it hurts my eyes." I grumble.
The light clicks off and the above light is turned on. I can see a little more clearly. The woman has long blonde hair and blue eyes. She's wearing a pressed suit and a sidearm is strapped to her hip.
"New World Order. We are an anti-government corporation." She explains briefly.
"Anti-government..." I bring my eyes back down to my hands. I'm cuffed at the wrists and the cuffs are chained to the floor.
"Again, those are a precaution." She states.
"You think I'm going to leap across the room and rip your throat out?" I ask.
"I don't know what you are capable of." She replies, "All I know is what I have seen on video, Ethan."
"Video? Wait, how do you know my name?" I look back up at her.
"We know a lot about you. Your name is Ethan Wright. You are 5'8, weigh 131 pounds, and your blood type is AB negative..."
"Alright! Alright," I interrupted her, "What the hell does the New World Order want with me?"
"Not just you, but your friends as well. We are a corporation that was made on the grounds of righting the wrongs made by the government." She begins to explain, "After the destruction of several cities, we stepped in to protect you from the government which has declared all of you as terrorists."
"Terrorists? Us?? We were being mind controlled!" I spit, my head begins to pound and my ears ring. I bring my head down and groan, covering my eyes.
"Do you need something to drink?" She asks in a softer tone. I can't help but lick my lips at the mention of a cold drink, realizing just how parched my mouth was. I took in a few breaths. My body begins to feel heavy, as if my limbs were made of lead. I look up once I hear a clinking sound on the table in front of me. A glass of water. I lick my lips again and then glance at the woman in the corner.
"It's not drugged." She says once our eyes meet.
"And why should I trust you?" I ask.
"Because we are the only safety net your people have left." She answers.
I frown.
"The government has declared you terrorists as to keep their favor with the public eye as your, leader-"
"He wasn't our leader!" I snap, baring my teeth, standing again. Just the thought of Travis makes my skin crawl and my anger boils.
She clears her throat, "...your controller," She corrects herself, "Claimed that he worked for the government to make all of you."
"He wasn't lying." I snort, "We were created as government weapons."
"To keep themselves in favor, you are all enemies now. And if we hadn't jumped in to collect all of you, you would've been gunned down." She continues.
"You're on our side yet you chain me to the floor??" I bring up my arms and wiggle them to make the chain rattle.
"You're chained to the floor for my safety. We don't know if Travis' control is still in effect." She says.
"If Travis was still in control of me, I wouldn't be talking to you." I take a seat and reach for the glass of water. The glass is cold against my hand and sends a chill of goosebumps up my arm. Lifting the glass took a lot of focus, my body aches, "...why am I so sore...?"
"I'm not sure what happened before we arrived. My people found you passed out in the middle of the street. You were covered in a lot of wounds." She starts to fill me in.
I set the glass down after a drink, "Wounds...?" I jerk my head to the side as a shooting pain strikes me, "Agh-!"
There's sudden shouting that rings through my ears and brings back flashes of some kind of fight. It's hard to make out what's happening. I shake my head, trying to clear it. I tumble forward from my seat, my breath becomes labored, reaching up to block the sound from my ears.
"Ethan!"
"Ethan!!"
"Stop, stop it!" I shake my head again, groaning.
"Tear him apart!"
I can hear Travis' stupid voice. My hands shake as the transformation takes over. I stumble backwards as far as I can go before the chains halt my movements.
"Stop it!"
The flashes get worse and I can just make out Tyler's face.
He looks to be in pain.
I jerk my head backwards, the back of my skull collides with the wall behind me. A crackling howl escapes me.
I slam my head back into the wall again, "STOP IT!!!"
My vision begins to swim and I jerk forward, stumbling over my own feet.
"Please stop!"
"Don't hurt me!"
"Leave my child alone!!"
"Please please spare me!!"
Voices I don't recognize begin to force their way through my brain.
The chain jerks my arms back behind me and my head snaps around to it. I hiss in annoyance and give them a rough tug, "Let go!" It strains under my strength but does not give. I take a few steps and slice my claws through the floor, trying to dig up the part that was connected to the ground. A loud cry comes from behind me and I jerk around. My eyes dart around the empty room.
"Hello?"
I shiver slightly as the room suddenly drops in temperature. I pant heavily. I can see my hot breath beat around me. My pointy ears shift a bit and lay more flatly against my head as I feel frightened. I shift slowly backwards, glancing around the room. I open my mouth to let out another breath.
No one ever answered me.
It was silent, yet at the same time it was ear splitting. I shake my head, rubbing at my ears to get rid of the annoying sounds that buzzed.
"Please, forgive me."
I collapsed on the floor, a searing pain floods my senses, and my body contorts in anguish "AHHHHH!!"
The memory busts forward, slamming against my brain. Tyler reaches up from underneath me. His face was bleeding. He looks upset, "...forgive me..." His enormous hands grip onto my wings at the base and in one swift motion rips them from my body!
I curl in on myself, "N-no, no, it's not possible..." I take a breath, "H-he wouldn't do that..." I take another breath. It feels like I can't get enough air to fill my lungs. I take my right hand and claw at the floor and pull my hand towards me as I slowly turn over and face the floor. I sit up on my legs and try to swallow down more air. My hands begin to shake as I reach back to my upper back and place my hand where my wings were supposed to be. I jerk my hand back, wincing at the throbbing pain. I bring my hand back in front of me, it shakes, and my eyes widen at the sight of blood.
...Tyler...T-tyler...took...
My vision blurs from the flood of tears.
My heart wrenches in my chest.
...my wings...
My stomach lurches and I lean over, beginning to dry heave.