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Description
Chapter 1 Ambush

The black ops team trudged through the sands of Iraq, looking for the last little bit of resistance from Al-Qaida. The year was 2024, and the war on terrorism was approaching an end. Only a few select groups of troops were still deployed, cleaning up the terrorists. This particular group had just been clued in to possible enemy presence in the area.
"Jedi, move up and take point," said their leader, a massive black dude with scars all over his face.
"Yes sir," Jedi, otherwise known as Corporal Ivan Vladlen Yuri, said.
He slowly advanced towards the bend in the road and snuck a look around. He quickly looked back at the Captain. "Sir, you're going to want to see this."
The Captain walked to where Yuri stood and peered around the sand dune. Several bodies lay on the ground, and the area around them was bloodstained.
"Quickly, everyone fan out and search for hostiles. These are British troops, and the bodies are fresh. This happened no more than an hour ago. Most likely their bodies are being used as bate to lure more troops in," the Captain instructed. "Yuri, park yourself right there and watch our backs."
The troops flattened themselves out and crawled around the flanks. Corporal Charlie Daytona was about to give the OK sign when he started coughing up blood. A hole from a 50 caliber rifle showed in his back. Right then, all hell broke loose. Several mines were remotely triggered, killing half the force. The Captain fought his way up a sand dune, grabbed one of the terrorists, and wrung his neck. He held the body outward in challenge to the rest of the terrorits. As they opened fire, he threw down the body and rolled down the hill. Yuri was about to come out when the Captain yelled, "DON'T YOU DARE JEDI! RUN BACK AND GET HELP!"
He dove in front of Yuri, blocking the machine gun fire. He sank to his knees. "Go! Don't let our deaths be in vain." He fell the rest of the way to the ground.
Yuri started to run back. He heard a whistling sound and looked up just in time to see an RPG hit to the right of him, blowing him off his feet. As his blood poured out of the place where his arm used to be, he whispered, "I am sorry sir. I failed." And he went under.

The gunfire stopped. One of the terrorists turned to the leader and said in Arabic, "All hostiles eliminated si…" He was cut off by a bullet in the head. The leader looked up to find almost all of his troops dead. A tall, skinny creature covered in scales the color of sand looked at him through red eyes. It held up an outdated Beretta silenced pistol and fired three times. The creature hissed into a radio. A few minutes later, an APC drove up. Two men in white lab coats jumped out.
"Good job," The first one said. He was German, and he was a well-known scientist. His name was Doctor ter Borcht. His partner was another scientist, not nearly as well known. The only name he gave was Die Neo-Fuhrer. The two scientists went to each of the troops and checked for a pulse. They stopped when they came to Corporal Yuri.
"I don't know how, but this young man is still alive. If he can withstand injuries like this, experimentation won't do anything to him. He could be a very powerful fighter for us," Fuhrer said.
"Agreed. Call ze APC. We haf a stretcher on board."
They loaded the nearly dead Yuri on the stretcher and put him in the APC. They both got in and drove off. The mutants slithered back under the sand and followed.

Chapter 2: Captured

Three months later:
When Yuri woke up, he was staring into bright white florescent lights. His limbs were strapped down, and everything was fuzzy. He tried to scream, to call out, to get someone to come free him. But the only thing he could manage was a hoarse croak. Fortunately for him, that was all that was needed.
"Ah, you are awake," ter Borcht said. "We were starting to get worried. You had not woken up in so long, we thought maybe the experimentation had put you in a coma." Borcht's accent was heavily German, and in Yuri's condition, he only caught every two or three words.
"Wha…Where am I?" he asked, ending in a bought of coughing.
"Don't over exert yourself. You are in an abandoned US Air Force base somewhere in Iraq. I cannot give you any more information."
"But, you are German," Yuri said, quickly regaining strength. "What are you doing in Iraq."
"Dat is none of your concern."
"The hell it is."
"No, eet is not," ter Borcht said, unfastening Yuri's restraints.
Yuri noticed for the first time that his right arm was not his own. It was an extremely well made prosthesis. He looked questioningly at ter Borcht.
"Ah, dat. Dat was necessary. You lost your arm ven de explosiff vent off."
"Same with my eye?"
"Ja."
"Great. But I still feel different." He looked over his shoulder. He nearly choked when he saw fiery red wings growing out of his back. That was when he realized that he was much taller, and he had claws.
"Ve added some uzzer DNA to you. You looked like you could uze eet."
"So I'm a mutant?"
"Ja. And a good vun at dat."
That was when Yuri clocked him in the head with his new arm.
"Not dis again," he muttered before falling into unconsciousness.
He jumped out of the hospital bed and picked up an empty syringe. A jab to an artery and a few milliliters of air would put just about anyone out of commission. He was unsteady on his feet, but his new tail helped dramatically. He slid out the door and walked down the deserted hallway. At the end, he found a supply room. After searching it thoroughly, he found some combat clothes that fit him. He had to slit holes in the back to make room for his wings. Several combat knives were in the supply room, and he strapped them all on different parts of his body. He was about to leave the room when he heard voices outside. They were heading towards the hospital room. If they got in there, they would raise the alarm for sure. When they passed the room, he silently opened the door and walked up behind them. He thunked them both on the back of the head, backtracked, and pulled the two scientists into the supply room. Then he ran, looking for an exit, along with an AK-47. He picked up. He dared anyone to challenge him on his way out now. He kicked the door open. It led out into an old hangar. The power had not been turned on, but the two or three planes in the hangar were still in good working order. He hotwired the power box and about half the lights flickered on. He found the starter chip for the jet in the middle, an F117 Nighthawk, and some flight gear. He grabbed the flight gear and walked up to the plane to open up the cockpit. It took him a minute to find a ladder, but once he had, he was ready to go.
The jet engines fired up quietly. After all, it was a stealth craft. He turned the guns to the hangar door supports and fired. Luckily, there was some ammunition left. The doors came down. Alarms blared. He thought to check the fuel, a little too late. Fortunately for him, he was on a nearly full tank. Mutants ran out the doors, but it was too late. Yuri pushed forward the accelerator and moved out the hangar, onto the runway. He powered the throttle all the way up and took off. The mutants didn't even have time to let off more than a few rounds of ammunition.

Chapter 3: Learning to Fly the Hard Way

Yuri had been flying for several hours when he realized he had forgotten one very important thing: food. He had picked up a Snickers bar that ter Borcht had laid on the table at the door of the room he had been imprisoned in, but that didn't last him long.

Five hours later, Yuri was approaching the east coast of the US. The F117 was very close to being out of fuel. The engines would occasionally sputter, making it all too obvious. The mainland was still about 60 miles away when the engines went out. They coughed twice, then shut down. The F117 was pitched into a steep dive. Yuri ejected, but he didn't have a parachute. He opened his wings, trying desperately to fly. As he fell, he watched the F117 smash into the ocean and explode, the remaining ammunition in it breaking under the impact. He flapped his wings, but he could not straighten out. The surface was rushing towards him rapidly. He fought even harder. He was about three hundred feet from splatting on the surface of the ocean when he finally got the rhythm and was able to pull up and fly towards the mainland. Luckily for him, the winds were with him, carrying him with little effort towards the shore. When he finally set down on the ground, he passed out, right in front of a startled flock.
"Huh?" they all asked at once.
Iggy immediately checked him for injuries. He had recently regained his eyesight thanks to new medical technology that allowed doctors to reconnect his retinas to his nerves, but his hands were still as sensitive as ever.
"Nothing broken, though his shoulders are swollen from over exertion. It's probable that this was his first time flying. It looks like his wings were just recently added. Though, by the handy work, I would think our old friend Borchy is back is business."
"Who, Mistuh Snickuh's Bahs?" Gazzy asked.
"That would be him," Angel said. "Mr. I whacked him in the head last time I saw him."
"I do have to say though, that this prosthetic arm and eye are very high tech. From the scar tissue around his arm, I would say he got hit by an explosion a few months ago. We should get him inside, though with these mutations I wouldn't take him to a hospital. Don't want to start another panic about mutants being created."
"Good idea," Max said, speaking for the first time. "And we should restrain him before he wakes up. If ter Borcht had a hand in his creation, then he'll probably attack us when he wakes up."
"Always the cynical paranoid one, Max," Angel said. "I think he's kind of cute."
"I'd stay away from him, Ang," Fang said. "He's bad news."
They continued to argue while Max pulled her mom's truck up to the beach access ramp.
"Could you all shut your mouths and help me get him on the truck. He still needs medical attention. I know Dr. Martinez, I mean my mom, I still can't get used to that, will be willing to fix him up."
"Alright, alright," Fang said. Angel gave her a look, like what the heck.
"Iggy, how much longer til he comes around?" Max asked.
"Not sure, could be a few hours, could be a few minutes. Why? You want some duct tape?"
"Actually, yes, that's not a bad idea," she said, ripping the duct tape off the roll and strapping Yuri to the bed of the truck. "Fang, could you and Ig sit back here and make sure he doesn't do anything?"
"Sure, but he's practically a corpse. I doubt he'll do anything to worrisome."
"Better safe than sorry."
The flock drove towards town. They were all on vacation together for the first time in forever, a little bonding time just to catch up. No reliving old times, obviously. When they pulled up to the rental villa, Max's mom ran out to greet them.
"I made cookie…" She stopped when she saw their expressions. "Is everything ok?"
"Come see for yourself." Max led her to the back of the truck. "He flopped down in front of us when we were sitting on the beach. He passed out as soon as he hit the ground."
"Bring him inside. And Max, why is he duct taped?"
"I'll explain when we get inside. I don't want random information leaking."
"You're being awfully paranoid."
"And for good reason."
They carried Yuri into the villa and set him on a lounger. Dr. Martinez ran and grabbed her medical bag. After examining him, she said, "All he needs is rest and a good meal. Now you need to explain why he was duct taped."
Max thought for a second. "We suspect that he was experimented on by Dr. Rolland ter Borcht. The handiwork is recent, but it's his style, with a few upgrades or embellishments. We were afraid he would wake up and go berserk on us, seeing as he doesn't know us and is probably still suffering mental trauma."
"Ok. Valid reason."

Chapter 4: Guardian "Angel"

Two weeks later:
Yuri awoke to find Angel sitting beside him. She was now around six feet tall, with long blonde hair. Naturally, Yuri fell in love at first sight.
"Are you an angel?" he asked.
"Yes and no. My name is Angel. I have wings. But I'm not an angel. Glad to see you finally woke up."
He sat up. "Where am I?"
"Somewhere on the east coast of the United States."
"So I made it. I didn't think I would."
"Did you try to fly all the way here?"
"In a plane part of the way. The rest I flew with these." He shook out his wings.
"First time?" she asked.
"Yeah. Though you say that like you've done it before."
Angel shook out her wings. "All six of have them. The flock I mean."
"They're beautiful."
"Max's are prettier."
"I don't see how."
"And you won't," Fang said, standing in the doorway.
Angel jumped back. "How long have you been standing there? I didn't even hear your thoughts."
"Long enough. Now kid, what's your name?"
"Corporal Ivan Vladlen Yuri of the United States Marine Corps."
"Interesting. And how did you come about having DNA other than human DNA?"
"Some doctor experimented on me."
Fang perked up. "Who?"
"I don't know his name. He was a very fat man, and he sounded German."
"That would be Dr. ter Borcht."
"You know him?"
"Yeah, you could say that."
"Are you friends with him?" Yuri asked worriedly.
Fang laughed coldly. "Absofreakinglutely not. He's partially responsible for us being mutants."
"Oh. Good. Because I clocked him pretty good."
"I can imagine. That arm looks dangerous."
"Yeah. I think he gave it to me. My platoon was attacked by a troupe of terrorists. Everyone was killed, well except for me. What's the date?"
"November 12th."
Yuri started. "My platoon was attacked in August."
"Then you've been out for a while. I'm going to call everyone else in here. You'll have to re-explain everything."
"That's fine. I'm used to that kind of thing."
Fang yelled out the door. "Hey everyone. Get your butts down here. Our house guest is awake."
The rest of the flock came in quickly. Max watched Yuri warily. Once everyone was in, Yuri retold his story. At the end, Angel asked, "So do you want to be called Ivan or Yuri?"
"Yuri. It's what I've been called for the last 3 years."
Angel stroked his hair. The rest of the flock stood by awkwardly.
"Angel, could you go get some food for Yuri?" Max asked.
"Sure." Angel ran out of the room, shooting a glance at Max and Fang. Over the years, the flock had grown immune to her mind reading abilities.
Fang got right down in Yuri's face. "You had better stay away from her. I don't care that you used to be in the Marine Corps. You are a mutant, and frankly, I don't trust you one bit. Max and Iggy don't either," he spat venomously. "I'll be watching you."
Angel came back in. Everyone looked exactly how they had before she left, except that Yuri had a pained expression on his face. Angel knew immediately what had happened. She handed the food to Yuri and turned on Fang.
"He just woke up and you're already threatening him. I'm the one who can read minds here, not you. There is no reason to not like him. He's a really nice guy."
"Whatever you say, Ang. Just stay away from him."
"Ugh. You disgust me sometimes." She stormed up to her room. Total looked through the door.
"Did I miss something?"
"You might say that," Max said.
If the wings surprised Yuri, the talking dog shocked him into stuttering.
"Wha…Wha…Did that dog just talk?"
Total whirled on him. "That dog? THAT DOG? I am not just a dog. And as a matter of fact, yes I am talking, and better than you I might add."
The flock were struggling to hold back their grins. While Total's indignation could be annoying when directed on them, it was quite funny when directed at others.

When the flock had left, Yuri thought in the general direction that Angel had gone. Please come down here. I'm lonely.
She was down the stairs and in his room in seconds.
"I'm sorry about Fang. He's so uptight about dating."
"I can tell. It doesn't matter. He isn't here now." He scooted over. You wanna sit with me?"
"How about we sit on the couch? That way we can get to know each other before we get too close."
"Understandable."
They talked about their childhoods, both of which had sucked big time. The flock had slowly come in. Fang was the last to come in. Yuri was boasting of his close quarters combat skills.
"You wanna go out back and test them?" Fang asked.
"Come on Fang. He hasn't even recovered yet."
"But, he's nearly a foot taller than me, and has very strong muscles. And skills don't fade away completely. If he was as good as he says he was, he shouldn't have a problem. Tell you what Yuri, if you can beat me in a one on one match, you can date Angel. You even get a broom. Until you beat me, the answer, even if she says yes, is no. Deal?"
"Deal."
They filed outside. Fang tossed Yuri a wooden broomstick.
"That work for you?" Fang asked.
Yuri nodded. Max stood in between them. "Good luck, and let the better mutant win."
They squared off. Yuri was the first to make a move. He swung the broomstick in an upward ark. Fang easily grabbed it, pulled Yuri close, and smashed him in the face with his fist. The metal plate on the back of Fang's glove cut Yuri's face, drawing blood. Yuri shook Fang off.
"Just rusty."
"Yeah. Right." Fang said, swinging his body in a roundhouse kick that sent Yuri off his feet and into the wall of the brick storage building. Yuri slumped. "Rusty. That was me when I haven't had a fight in six months."
"Ok. You win. But I'll beat you eventually."
Angel ran over to him and cleaned his face, shooting Fang a dirty look. Fang shrugged and walked away.

Chapter 5: Rematch

A month later, at the flock's house in the Rocky Mountains:
Yuri landed on the roof of the flock's house and tapped on the skylight overlooking the couch. Fang looked up and scowled.
"Rematch?" he called.
"Whatever," Fang said, standing up. "Yuri's back. Who wants to watch the rematch?" he asked, sounding bored.
The rest of the flock came outside.
Yuri and Fang squared off. Both were unarmed. When Max stepped back, Yuri immediately launched himself towards Fang. Fang only half blocked the flurry of punches that Yuri delivered. Several smacked him in the side of the head. He brought up his foot and smashed Yuri in the stomach, right in the solar plexus. Yuri wheezed out, backpedaling. Then he sprang up in the air and spread his wings, nearly 20 feet across to make up for his insane height. Fang shot upward, punching Yuri in the jaw, while Yuri delivered several nerve jabs. Fang wrapped his legs around Yuri's neck and yanked, throwing him out of balance and downwards. Yuri closed his wings before he hit the ground to avoid damaging them. Fang dropped on top of him like a stone, his elbow protruding like a spearhead, breaking several of Yuri's ribs. Yuri kicked out, snapping Fang's head backwards. Fang gasped. He brought a hand down on Yuri's broken ribs, making Yuri split out blood. He kicked him in the side. Yuri grabbed his shirt and pulled him down, punching him in the face several times. Fang's nose gushed blood. Fang kicked him again. Yuri sucked in his breath, then delivered a chop to Fang's shoulder, causing Fang to sink to his knees. Yuri was immediately on top of him, driving his knee into Fang's back.
"Give in?"
"It seems I have no choice," Fang said, spitting out blood. "Fine. You can date her."
Yuri came up triumphantly. Angel ran up to him and hugged him. "Finally."
So Angel had finally found someone who like her, even with all her weirdness. And Yuri, he was happy with his new life.

Description
Chapter 1 Ambush

The black ops team trudged through the sands of Iraq, looking for the last little bit of resistance from Al-Qaida. The year was 2024, and the war on terrorism was approaching an end. Only a few select groups of troops were still deployed, cleaning up the terrorists. This particular group had just been clued in to possible enemy presence in the area.
"Jedi, move up and take point," said their leader, a massive black dude with scars all over his face.
"Yes sir," Jedi, otherwise known as Corporal Ivan Vladlen Yuri, said.
He slowly advanced towards the bend in the road and snuck a look around. He quickly looked back at the Captain. "Sir, you're going to want to see this."
The Captain walked to where Yuri stood and peered around the sand dune. Several bodies lay on the ground, and the area around them was bloodstained.
"Quickly, everyone fan out and search for hostiles. These are British troops, and the bodies are fresh. This happened no more than an hour ago. Most likely their bodies are being used as bate to lure more troops in," the Captain instructed. "Yuri, park yourself right there and watch our backs."
The troops flattened themselves out and crawled around the flanks. Corporal Charlie Daytona was about to give the OK sign when he started coughing up blood. A hole from a 50 caliber rifle showed in his back. Right then, all hell broke loose. Several mines were remotely triggered, killing half the force. The Captain fought his way up a sand dune, grabbed one of the terrorists, and wrung his neck. He held the body outward in challenge to the rest of the terrorits. As they opened fire, he threw down the body and rolled down the hill. Yuri was about to come out when the Captain yelled, "DON'T YOU DARE JEDI! RUN BACK AND GET HELP!"
He dove in front of Yuri, blocking the machine gun fire. He sank to his knees. "Go! Don't let our deaths be in vain." He fell the rest of the way to the ground.
Yuri started to run back. He heard a whistling sound and looked up just in time to see an RPG hit to the right of him, blowing him off his feet. As his blood poured out of the place where his arm used to be, he whispered, "I am sorry sir. I failed." And he went under.

The gunfire stopped. One of the terrorists turned to the leader and said in Arabic, "All hostiles eliminated si…" He was cut off by a bullet in the head. The leader looked up to find almost all of his troops dead. A tall, skinny creature covered in scales the color of sand looked at him through red eyes. It held up an outdated Beretta silenced pistol and fired three times. The creature hissed into a radio. A few minutes later, an APC drove up. Two men in white lab coats jumped out.
"Good job," The first one said. He was German, and he was a well-known scientist. His name was Doctor ter Borcht. His partner was another scientist, not nearly as well known. The only name he gave was Die Neo-Fuhrer. The two scientists went to each of the troops and checked for a pulse. They stopped when they came to Corporal Yuri.
"I don't know how, but this young man is still alive. If he can withstand injuries like this, experimentation won't do anything to him. He could be a very powerful fighter for us," Fuhrer said.
"Agreed. Call ze APC. We haf a stretcher on board."
They loaded the nearly dead Yuri on the stretcher and put him in the APC. They both got in and drove off. The mutants slithered back under the sand and followed.

Chapter 2: Captured

Three months later:
When Yuri woke up, he was staring into bright white florescent lights. His limbs were strapped down, and everything was fuzzy. He tried to scream, to call out, to get someone to come free him. But the only thing he could manage was a hoarse croak. Fortunately for him, that was all that was needed.
"Ah, you are awake," ter Borcht said. "We were starting to get worried. You had not woken up in so long, we thought maybe the experimentation had put you in a coma." Borcht's accent was heavily German, and in Yuri's condition, he only caught every two or three words.
"Wha…Where am I?" he asked, ending in a bought of coughing.
"Don't over exert yourself. You are in an abandoned US Air Force base somewhere in Iraq. I cannot give you any more information."
"But, you are German," Yuri said, quickly regaining strength. "What are you doing in Iraq."
"Dat is none of your concern."
"The hell it is."
"No, eet is not," ter Borcht said, unfastening Yuri's restraints.
Yuri noticed for the first time that his right arm was not his own. It was an extremely well made prosthesis. He looked questioningly at ter Borcht.
"Ah, dat. Dat was necessary. You lost your arm ven de explosiff vent off."
"Same with my eye?"
"Ja."
"Great. But I still feel different." He looked over his shoulder. He nearly choked when he saw fiery red wings growing out of his back. That was when he realized that he was much taller, and he had claws.
"Ve added some uzzer DNA to you. You looked like you could uze eet."
"So I'm a mutant?"
"Ja. And a good vun at dat."
That was when Yuri clocked him in the head with his new arm.
"Not dis again," he muttered before falling into unconsciousness.
He jumped out of the hospital bed and picked up an empty syringe. A jab to an artery and a few milliliters of air would put just about anyone out of commission. He was unsteady on his feet, but his new tail helped dramatically. He slid out the door and walked down the deserted hallway. At the end, he found a supply room. After searching it thoroughly, he found some combat clothes that fit him. He had to slit holes in the back to make room for his wings. Several combat knives were in the supply room, and he strapped them all on different parts of his body. He was about to leave the room when he heard voices outside. They were heading towards the hospital room. If they got in there, they would raise the alarm for sure. When they passed the room, he silently opened the door and walked up behind them. He thunked them both on the back of the head, backtracked, and pulled the two scientists into the supply room. Then he ran, looking for an exit, along with an AK-47. He picked up. He dared anyone to challenge him on his way out now. He kicked the door open. It led out into an old hangar. The power had not been turned on, but the two or three planes in the hangar were still in good working order. He hotwired the power box and about half the lights flickered on. He found the starter chip for the jet in the middle, an F117 Nighthawk, and some flight gear. He grabbed the flight gear and walked up to the plane to open up the cockpit. It took him a minute to find a ladder, but once he had, he was ready to go.
The jet engines fired up quietly. After all, it was a stealth craft. He turned the guns to the hangar door supports and fired. Luckily, there was some ammunition left. The doors came down. Alarms blared. He thought to check the fuel, a little too late. Fortunately for him, he was on a nearly full tank. Mutants ran out the doors, but it was too late. Yuri pushed forward the accelerator and moved out the hangar, onto the runway. He powered the throttle all the way up and took off. The mutants didn't even have time to let off more than a few rounds of ammunition.

Chapter 3: Learning to Fly the Hard Way

Yuri had been flying for several hours when he realized he had forgotten one very important thing: food. He had picked up a Snickers bar that ter Borcht had laid on the table at the door of the room he had been imprisoned in, but that didn't last him long.

Five hours later, Yuri was approaching the east coast of the US. The F117 was very close to being out of fuel. The engines would occasionally sputter, making it all too obvious. The mainland was still about 60 miles away when the engines went out. They coughed twice, then shut down. The F117 was pitched into a steep dive. Yuri ejected, but he didn't have a parachute. He opened his wings, trying desperately to fly. As he fell, he watched the F117 smash into the ocean and explode, the remaining ammunition in it breaking under the impact. He flapped his wings, but he could not straighten out. The surface was rushing towards him rapidly. He fought even harder. He was about three hundred feet from splatting on the surface of the ocean when he finally got the rhythm and was able to pull up and fly towards the mainland. Luckily for him, the winds were with him, carrying him with little effort towards the shore. When he finally set down on the ground, he passed out, right in front of a startled flock.
"Huh?" they all asked at once.
Iggy immediately checked him for injuries. He had recently regained his eyesight thanks to new medical technology that allowed doctors to reconnect his retinas to his nerves, but his hands were still as sensitive as ever.
"Nothing broken, though his shoulders are swollen from over exertion. It's probable that this was his first time flying. It looks like his wings were just recently added. Though, by the handy work, I would think our old friend Borchy is back is business."
"Who, Mistuh Snickuh's Bahs?" Gazzy asked.
"That would be him," Angel said. "Mr. I whacked him in the head last time I saw him."
"I do have to say though, that this prosthetic arm and eye are very high tech. From the scar tissue around his arm, I would say he got hit by an explosion a few months ago. We should get him inside, though with these mutations I wouldn't take him to a hospital. Don't want to start another panic about mutants being created."
"Good idea," Max said, speaking for the first time. "And we should restrain him before he wakes up. If ter Borcht had a hand in his creation, then he'll probably attack us when he wakes up."
"Always the cynical paranoid one, Max," Angel said. "I think he's kind of cute."
"I'd stay away from him, Ang," Fang said. "He's bad news."
They continued to argue while Max pulled her mom's truck up to the beach access ramp.
"Could you all shut your mouths and help me get him on the truck. He still needs medical attention. I know Dr. Martinez, I mean my mom, I still can't get used to that, will be willing to fix him up."
"Alright, alright," Fang said. Angel gave her a look, like what the heck.
"Iggy, how much longer til he comes around?" Max asked.
"Not sure, could be a few hours, could be a few minutes. Why? You want some duct tape?"
"Actually, yes, that's not a bad idea," she said, ripping the duct tape off the roll and strapping Yuri to the bed of the truck. "Fang, could you and Ig sit back here and make sure he doesn't do anything?"
"Sure, but he's practically a corpse. I doubt he'll do anything to worrisome."
"Better safe than sorry."
The flock drove towards town. They were all on vacation together for the first time in forever, a little bonding time just to catch up. No reliving old times, obviously. When they pulled up to the rental villa, Max's mom ran out to greet them.
"I made cookie…" She stopped when she saw their expressions. "Is everything ok?"
"Come see for yourself." Max led her to the back of the truck. "He flopped down in front of us when we were sitting on the beach. He passed out as soon as he hit the ground."
"Bring him inside. And Max, why is he duct taped?"
"I'll explain when we get inside. I don't want random information leaking."
"You're being awfully paranoid."
"And for good reason."
They carried Yuri into the villa and set him on a lounger. Dr. Martinez ran and grabbed her medical bag. After examining him, she said, "All he needs is rest and a good meal. Now you need to explain why he was duct taped."
Max thought for a second. "We suspect that he was experimented on by Dr. Rolland ter Borcht. The handiwork is recent, but it's his style, with a few upgrades or embellishments. We were afraid he would wake up and go berserk on us, seeing as he doesn't know us and is probably still suffering mental trauma."
"Ok. Valid reason."

Chapter 4: Guardian "Angel"

Two weeks later:
Yuri awoke to find Angel sitting beside him. She was now around six feet tall, with long blonde hair. Naturally, Yuri fell in love at first sight.
"Are you an angel?" he asked.
"Yes and no. My name is Angel. I have wings. But I'm not an angel. Glad to see you finally woke up."
He sat up. "Where am I?"
"Somewhere on the east coast of the United States."
"So I made it. I didn't think I would."
"Did you try to fly all the way here?"
"In a plane part of the way. The rest I flew with these." He shook out his wings.
"First time?" she asked.
"Yeah. Though you say that like you've done it before."
Angel shook out her wings. "All six of have them. The flock I mean."
"They're beautiful."
"Max's are prettier."
"I don't see how."
"And you won't," Fang said, standing in the doorway.
Angel jumped back. "How long have you been standing there? I didn't even hear your thoughts."
"Long enough. Now kid, what's your name?"
"Corporal Ivan Vladlen Yuri of the United States Marine Corps."
"Interesting. And how did you come about having DNA other than human DNA?"
"Some doctor experimented on me."
Fang perked up. "Who?"
"I don't know his name. He was a very fat man, and he sounded German."
"That would be Dr. ter Borcht."
"You know him?"
"Yeah, you could say that."
"Are you friends with him?" Yuri asked worriedly.
Fang laughed coldly. "Absofreakinglutely not. He's partially responsible for us being mutants."
"Oh. Good. Because I clocked him pretty good."
"I can imagine. That arm looks dangerous."
"Yeah. I think he gave it to me. My platoon was attacked by a troupe of terrorists. Everyone was killed, well except for me. What's the date?"
"November 12th."
Yuri started. "My platoon was attacked in August."
"Then you've been out for a while. I'm going to call everyone else in here. You'll have to re-explain everything."
"That's fine. I'm used to that kind of thing."
Fang yelled out the door. "Hey everyone. Get your butts down here. Our house guest is awake."
The rest of the flock came in quickly. Max watched Yuri warily. Once everyone was in, Yuri retold his story. At the end, Angel asked, "So do you want to be called Ivan or Yuri?"
"Yuri. It's what I've been called for the last 3 years."
Angel stroked his hair. The rest of the flock stood by awkwardly.
"Angel, could you go get some food for Yuri?" Max asked.
"Sure." Angel ran out of the room, shooting a glance at Max and Fang. Over the years, the flock had grown immune to her mind reading abilities.
Fang got right down in Yuri's face. "You had better stay away from her. I don't care that you used to be in the Marine Corps. You are a mutant, and frankly, I don't trust you one bit. Max and Iggy don't either," he spat venomously. "I'll be watching you."
Angel came back in. Everyone looked exactly how they had before she left, except that Yuri had a pained expression on his face. Angel knew immediately what had happened. She handed the food to Yuri and turned on Fang.
"He just woke up and you're already threatening him. I'm the one who can read minds here, not you. There is no reason to not like him. He's a really nice guy."
"Whatever you say, Ang. Just stay away from him."
"Ugh. You disgust me sometimes." She stormed up to her room. Total looked through the door.
"Did I miss something?"
"You might say that," Max said.
If the wings surprised Yuri, the talking dog shocked him into stuttering.
"Wha…Wha…Did that dog just talk?"
Total whirled on him. "That dog? THAT DOG? I am not just a dog. And as a matter of fact, yes I am talking, and better than you I might add."
The flock were struggling to hold back their grins. While Total's indignation could be annoying when directed on them, it was quite funny when directed at others.

When the flock had left, Yuri thought in the general direction that Angel had gone. Please come down here. I'm lonely.
She was down the stairs and in his room in seconds.
"I'm sorry about Fang. He's so uptight about dating."
"I can tell. It doesn't matter. He isn't here now." He scooted over. You wanna sit with me?"
"How about we sit on the couch? That way we can get to know each other before we get too close."
"Understandable."
They talked about their childhoods, both of which had sucked big time. The flock had slowly come in. Fang was the last to come in. Yuri was boasting of his close quarters combat skills.
"You wanna go out back and test them?" Fang asked.
"Come on Fang. He hasn't even recovered yet."
"But, he's nearly a foot taller than me, and has very strong muscles. And skills don't fade away completely. If he was as good as he says he was, he shouldn't have a problem. Tell you what Yuri, if you can beat me in a one on one match, you can date Angel. You even get a broom. Until you beat me, the answer, even if she says yes, is no. Deal?"
"Deal."
They filed outside. Fang tossed Yuri a wooden broomstick.
"That work for you?" Fang asked.
Yuri nodded. Max stood in between them. "Good luck, and let the better mutant win."
They squared off. Yuri was the first to make a move. He swung the broomstick in an upward ark. Fang easily grabbed it, pulled Yuri close, and smashed him in the face with his fist. The metal plate on the back of Fang's glove cut Yuri's face, drawing blood. Yuri shook Fang off.
"Just rusty."
"Yeah. Right." Fang said, swinging his body in a roundhouse kick that sent Yuri off his feet and into the wall of the brick storage building. Yuri slumped. "Rusty. That was me when I haven't had a fight in six months."
"Ok. You win. But I'll beat you eventually."
Angel ran over to him and cleaned his face, shooting Fang a dirty look. Fang shrugged and walked away.

Chapter 5: Rematch

A month later, at the flock's house in the Rocky Mountains:
Yuri landed on the roof of the flock's house and tapped on the skylight overlooking the couch. Fang looked up and scowled.
"Rematch?" he called.
"Whatever," Fang said, standing up. "Yuri's back. Who wants to watch the rematch?" he asked, sounding bored.
The rest of the flock came outside.
Yuri and Fang squared off. Both were unarmed. When Max stepped back, Yuri immediately launched himself towards Fang. Fang only half blocked the flurry of punches that Yuri delivered. Several smacked him in the side of the head. He brought up his foot and smashed Yuri in the stomach, right in the solar plexus. Yuri wheezed out, backpedaling. Then he sprang up in the air and spread his wings, nearly 20 feet across to make up for his insane height. Fang shot upward, punching Yuri in the jaw, while Yuri delivered several nerve jabs. Fang wrapped his legs around Yuri's neck and yanked, throwing him out of balance and downwards. Yuri closed his wings before he hit the ground to avoid damaging them. Fang dropped on top of him like a stone, his elbow protruding like a spearhead, breaking several of Yuri's ribs. Yuri kicked out, snapping Fang's head backwards. Fang gasped. He brought a hand down on Yuri's broken ribs, making Yuri split out blood. He kicked him in the side. Yuri grabbed his shirt and pulled him down, punching him in the face several times. Fang's nose gushed blood. Fang kicked him again. Yuri sucked in his breath, then delivered a chop to Fang's shoulder, causing Fang to sink to his knees. Yuri was immediately on top of him, driving his knee into Fang's back.
"Give in?"
"It seems I have no choice," Fang said, spitting out blood. "Fine. You can date her."
Yuri came up triumphantly. Angel ran up to him and hugged him. "Finally."
So Angel had finally found someone who like her, even with all her weirdness. And Yuri, he was happy with his new life.