Part 7 (1/2)

He looked just like a regular kid, but he had a small slit above his nose-a slit that ran around the circ.u.mference of his head, like a ring. And in that slit, I saw... many eyes. Tiny, dark orbs, angrily zipping back and forth. He wasn't blind at all. He had 360-degree vision. They were virtually impossible to sneak up on, except from above, apparently.

”And I thought we we were paranoid,” Angel said quietly. were paranoid,” Angel said quietly.

”Yeah,” I said. ”These guys are paranoia incarnate.”

Dylan was shocked and silent. I'd thought genetic mistakes were the height of horribleness. I hadn't realized that genetic ”successes” like these 'noids might be even worse.

28.

”WHO MADE YOU this way?” I whispered, horrified. ”And why?”

They were just kids. Kids like us who had been cut open and experimented on, kids who had been programmed to kill us, but still.

The 'noid we'd been looking at wriggled onto his side, his slit of eyes racing. He didn't look older than nine or ten.

”We've been created to have an advantage-over the humans who have mucked up the planet, and over you and all earlier generations of improvements. The world is going to end, and when the time comes, we'll... take over.”

I rolled my eyes. Serious brainwas.h.i.+ng here.

”Look, Spider Eyes, we know the world isn't in good shape. That's why we're trying to take steps to fix things. Which would be a whole lot easier if people like you weren't shooting at us all the freaking time.”

”I don't think you guys understand what's been done to you,” Angel cut in. ”Max is a really good leader. What she means is that if you come with us, you can help us stop the people who did this, who experiment on kids. We're going to save the world. Maybe we can work together.”

He cackled, and a s.h.i.+ver went down my spine. Why are evil evil kids way creepier than anything else? kids way creepier than anything else?

”You don't get it, do you? You're forgetting about natural selection,” he said. ”Trust me-you won't be able to do a thing, when the time comes.”

I bristled. ”Listen, kid, we can do plenty. If you don't want our help, fine. But don't tell me what I can do.” As much as I'd never wanted the whole save-the-world gig, I was irritated that this kid a.s.sumed I was totally powerless.

”You're so... Gen 54,” he sneered. ”You and your birdkid pals and your doctor pals and the Coalition to Stop the Madness are all trying to save the world.” His many little eyes darted back and forth constantly. ”But what you don't get is that maybe the world doesn't need to be saved. It can't be.”

”I think one person can make a difference,” I said. But suddenly I didn't sound so convincing.

”Yeah, and you believe in unicorns and pots of gold at the end of the rainbow,” he said. ”I'm just telling you how it really is.”

”And how do you know 'how it really really is'?” Dylan asked, stepping closer to me. is'?” Dylan asked, stepping closer to me.

”The apocalypse is coming, and no one will be spared,” the kid said with scary conviction. ”The world will be safe without humans, and every last human will die. And so will you.”

I shook with anger and resentment. Everyone-even my mom-had been pus.h.i.+ng me to come see these kids, to lead them. Well, clearly, they weren't looking for my help. I was trying to come up with a withering retort when suddenly we heard a series of pop-pop-pops pop-pop-pops and one of them yelled, ” and one of them yelled, ”Now!”

In a flash, the 'noids broke their cord ties, leaped up, and rushed us.

Without hesitation, Dylan, Angel, and I raced to the edge of the roof and threw ourselves off.

29.

”I CARE IF you save the world or not, Max,” Dylan said softly as we flew back to my mom's house. The tip of his wing brushed mine, and I felt a bolt of electricity.

”Okay, that makes about ten of us,” I said, avoiding his eyes. My gaze fell on a little dot moving erratically far below us. An injured animal?

”What's that kid doing down there?” Dylan asked. His exceptional raptor vision was starting to come in pretty handy.

”Looking for the nearest water park?” I said dryly.

”No, I don't think so,” Dylan said. He still had a hard time appreciating my sarcasm. I rolled my eyes at Angel. ”He's sunburned and staggering. Must be lost.”

I glanced around us. The kid was a good five miles from anything; the chances of his making it to help were pretty slim.

”We should probably just leave him for dead, seeing as how no one actually wants to be saved around here,” I grumbled. Okay, it had been a rainy parade back at the Deathwire School for Spider-eyed Kids, and I was feeling bitter. But when I looked up, Dylan grinned at me, and before I knew what was happening, I grinned back.

”Heck, let's go save 'im, whether he wants it or not,” Dylan said in his best s...o...b..-Doo voice, and I laughed. Angel glanced at me, her head c.o.c.ked.

”What?” I said defensively. ”I laugh sometimes.”

Long story short, we swooped down on the kid.

Okay, now, if I were staggering and lost in the desert, sunburned and parched and without a hope in the world, and suddenly, three kids with wings fluttered to a graceful landing before me, I'd be pretty sure I was hallucinating or near death or both.

This kid looked up when we landed, blinked, and said, ”You again?”

My eyes widened as I plucked recognition from the attic of my brain. ”You!” I said.

”You know him?” Dylan asked. ”We're in the middle of a desert!”

”I recognize him,” I clarified. ”We met like forever ago” (six books ago, for those of you in the know) ”in the subway tunnels in New York.”

”Where's your computer?” I asked. Last time I saw him, he'd accused us of hacking his precious Mac, which he seemed to consider his only friend on earth.

”I don't need it anymore,” the kid said, smiling dreamily.

”Oh yeah?” I said. ”Last I knew, you were practically joined at the hip.” I mean, not literally, which, sadly, is all too possible in our world. But this was more of a codependent situation.

”I'm free now. The end is near, and soon we'll all be free!” he shouted, raising a fist.

”Again with the world ending,” I muttered. The kid had always been a bit off, but it seemed like the heat was really getting to him.

Angel offered him her water bottle, but he shook his head. ”Everything's happening, just like my computer predicted.” His eyes glazed over. ”But I don't need it now. I don't need anything. It's all beautiful, man. Everything will be beautiful once we kill all the humans. You'll see. Can't you feel it?” He looked at me earnestly.