Project Songbird

Chapter 10

"Hey, E! I have finally returned. Andy said I couldn't until a couple of weeks, which I don't understand why." Angie seems much happier as she makes her way into the room.
"It's good to see you again." I smile, the pain that has been pulsing through my body is easy to ignore now.
"Oh my-!" She hurries as fast as her body can move to me. From the terror on her face I can only assume that I look absolutely horrific.
"...E-ethan..." Her voice trembles.
"I'm okay, don't worry about it." I close my eyes briefly.
"Ethan, don't close your eyes!" I can make out her hands against my face.
"I'm just resting them." I feel so faint.
"Hang on, Ethan!"
Angie sounds a bit muffled and once again I can only be greeted by losing consciousness.

"Angie, what happened?" There's a voice I don't recognize speaking.
"...Andy has been beating the Songbird while you were gone." I recognize Angie's voice next to me, "Are? Are we doing the right thing? This seems a little much don't you think??"
"Actually I've been wanting to talk to you about that." The second voice makes their way closer. "From my few weeks spent with the others, I haven't seen any of that rage that Andy is always talking about. They seem pretty peaceful and there's a whole basement full of healthy and happy children."
"Wait, really??" Angie asks the same question I was thinking.
"Yeah." The voice confirms.
"Maybe we should tell them that Ethan is here? Maybe Andy is wrong??" Angie questions.
"How long has he been unconscious?" The second voice asks.
"It's been a day since you returned Trixie. He's been out since then, the other doctors say that he lost a lot of blood and they can't heal his scars."
"If we tell the others, it'll definitely start a fight." Trixie groans, annoyed, "His friends are very protective of their groups. And he seems to have some kind of relationship, or the start of one, with the stone giant."
The room falls silent briefly.
"Can we force him awake?" Trixie asks.
"Why would we do that?"
"I'm not sure, I just have a strange feeling that everything is about to get a lot more complicated." Trixie shifts and I can hear her pace the room, "I think you should join them down in the basement. You don't need to be on the upper floors if a fight breaks out."
"So it's time to expose him." Angie sounds upset, almost heartbroken.
"It is. I can pose as Songbird until he is delivered back to Felix." Trixie states.
"How are we to get him out? Andy knows everything." Angie asks.
"Andy may be our leader but it doesn't mean that he is liked by everyone." Trixie replies, "Prepare him to be moved. I'll be back with help."
"Okay." Angie sounds a little happier.
I felt something begin to shift around on my body. I groan and try to open my eyes; briefly catching a glimpse of Angie unhooking machines.
"Don't worry E, we'll get you out of here safely." Angie mutters softly.
I wasn't worried.
I just wish I could wake up more to be involved.

"Is that Ethan?"
I recognize Felix's voice.
"Yeah, Andy had captured him and had my twin pretend to be him to keep you off the trail." Angie admits.
"You what!" Felix growls.
"How did you even get past Andy?" Jack's voice swings in.
"My sister is putting her life on the line. She's taking his place in the bed while Joshua here helped me carry him to you." Angie explains.
"We need to get him to Amy and May immediately." I can feel Mark's touch as he probably moves to get me to the medical ward.
"I ought to tear you limb from limb!" I hear Felix shout.
I shake my head, forcing my eyes to open, "D-don't hurt her..."
"E, you're awake!" I hear Angie as she makes her way to me.
"... don't hurt her..." I repeat.
It was hard to think clearly and the hallway lights were burning my eyes.
Her warm touch makes my head clear and I let out a breath, "We have other things that are more important. Mark, it was Andy."
"What was Andy?" He asks as the group begins to head back to the medical ward.
"The reason for the slaughter." I answer.
Mark stops completely in his tracks staring straight at me. I couldn't read his expression. "...what?"
"He sort of admitted it to me while I was captured. He explained that he was once a scientist and helped make the experimental testing on everyone." I try to explain what's fresh in my mind.
"Andrew was responsible for telling them about our escape? The slaughter was not my fault?" Mark's voice comes out in a hushed breath.
Jack makes his way to Mark but doesn't get close enough before his own body transforms. The tail snakes from his back side as horns grow from his skull.
The inhuman screech that comes from him sounds like a crying wail.
Felix shoved the rest of us behind him, "Stay back!"
Mark hadn't moved.
Tears begin to stream down his face.
Clearly he was suffering but why was Jack affected?
Jack wails again and then raced off in the direction we had just come from.
"Jack-!" Felix called but it was too late.
Mark turns around and goes to follow his partner, his body morphing into that of his demon form.
"That's not good." Felix grumbles and then turns back to us, "We need to get back to everyone else and make sure we evacuate as many as we can!"
"What happened??" I ask.
"You may have told them the truth but it only broke them further." Felix replies, beginning to pick up his speed. He groans softly as some of his body was beginning to change as well.
"What's happening to you?" Angie asks him.
"I may be the second Songbird, but Mark was built differently. He broke the most out of all of us, his sadness and rage will affect us." Felix tries to explain, "It's why Jack originally broke. Sure the slaughter hurt him but to see his own partner shattered..." He stumbles slightly, before shifting to smash himself into a wall. The pain shifting his mood, to slow down his change.
"I don't know how much help I will be. If I completely change, I will lose my senses. Get to Tyler, he knows exactly what to do in this situation. Warn everyone, it's going to be a bloodbath." He slows his run to stop behind us.
"If I follow you I will only be a danger to everyone." He grits his teeth, his eyes beginning to change as another wail from Jack echoes down the hallway; sending chills down everyone.