Nate forced himself his open his eyes. He stood up letting his eyes adjust to the morning light streaking in from the opening in the roof of the barn. The barn was secluded, private, and abandoned, which made it a perfect place for the "rejects" to hide. He laughed quietly to himself at the oh too fitting name for the group that Jason had come up with. "Speaking of Jason," Nate thought, looking up to the rafters, " looks like he's managed to find the darkest corner in the barn." Jason was now at the very right corner of the old barn. He was slung across two rafters, face down tongue hanging out the full three feet and his large green tail swishing from side to side. Nate smiled and made his way toward the small mattress that the group had managed to procure in one of their more successful dumpster diving escapades. Underneath a tangle of used quilts, Nate could just barely make out the small form of Lilly. He gently removed the covers from her head and untangled her golden brown monarch wings. He gently kissed her forehead, then moved down the stairs to the barn floor. As he did he noticed Meg, curled up on a pile of hay, a protective arm resting over the small furry ball that was Sammy. This was his family, Nate sighed...well all accept Tina. He sighed as he walked out of the barn, then shielding his eyes from the sunlight he looked at the roof of the barn. Perched at the very top sat, Tina, the sunlight reflecting the crimson specks in her light blue wings making her look bloodstained.
"Tina." Nate called.
Tina slowly stood up, stretched her wings out to their full span, and then, with a grace all her own, she swooped down, landing two feet in front of Nate.
"What's up Doc?"
"I'm about to head into town to get a couple things," Nate(one of the few of the Rejects who could blend in comfortably with normal people) had mastered the art of credit card fraud, "Watch the others while I'm gone will ya?"
"No I'm just gonna let Jason run things,"said Tina sarcastically, "Yeah Nate you know I'll take care of 'em."
Jason smiled then mounted one of the (stolen) motorbikes.

Tina walked into the barn. Meg was up now and stretched out her back looking similar to a dog in the morning. Sam was just beginning to stir and Jason was already climbing down from the rafters. Tina walked up the stairs and made her way over to the bed where Lily was getting tangled up in the sheets. Tina gently touched Lily's shoulder. Lily slowly opened her eyes.
."Morning Tina." she said sleepily "Good morning sweetie. Have any good dreams?"
"Yep," she smiled," way better than last night."
"Good," said Tina as she picked up a brush and stared combing out the tangles and snares in Lily's hair.
"Do we have anything to eat for breakfast?" asked Jason coming down off of the walls Suddenly, Sammy came bounding up the stairs chasing after a barn rat that had snuck in during the night.
"I think Sammy has already found his." said Tina
"I think I'll pass on crembule a la barnyard rat." Jason said with a disgusted face one eye going everywhere. The thought about food was now bugging Tina's fast absorbing metabolism. Luckily Meg came to the rescue providing left over granola bars.
"Honestly ," said Meg sitting next to Tina , "I don't know what you guys would do without me."
Sam then came up beside Meg now unwinding a ball of yarn. Sam's keen and sharp senses often made up for his inability to speak, but they often made him easily distracted. Meg was always there for Sam though, even if it was just to untangle him from yarn. Tina felt the same way for Lilly and had promised to always be there for her, but when she thought about it, she would do that for just about anyone in this small little family. Then, Jason had to go and ruin the Kodak photo moment with a loud, "BURRRP!"
"Eew gross." laughed Lilly "You're just jealous," he joked
"Dude, not even Ice Breaker breath mints and mouth wash can fix that lizard breath." said Meg.
Tina smiled. Just another day she was grateful to have her family,...even if they did have bad breath.

Before heading to the store, Nate stopped by the town's cyber cafe. Unknown to Tina and the younger two, Nate had been in contact lately with another young mutant named Fang. Fang was one of the "successful experiments" he and his family group had escaped their imprisonment just like Nate and their family, but now his "flock" as he called it had gone very public making it continually difficult for the remaining mutants trying to stay in hiding. Nate only checked the younger mutant's blog because weather Nate liked it or not, Fang knew a lot about the scientists. Now as Nate logged onto his account for Fang's blog he looked at the new posts, but was startled when he saw Fang had sent him a message. Nate opened it and his heart nearly stopped as he read the four short sentences Fang had messaged Nate.

"They know where you are. They are coming for you. They will kill you if they find you. Get Out Now!"

"
The sun set on the farm and Meg smiled as she watched Sam chase fireflies when they poked their themselves up from the tall grass. Tina and Lilly were playing tag their way, up in the air of course. Which left Meg and Jason walking on the pavement that went around the perimeter of the field. Meg loved her Sammy dearly. She had found him when he was little, he hadn't been mute at first, but some unknown accident had made him so. Those sort of "accidents" were not uncommon at the "schools". Meg shuddered at the thought of the hell hole where she had been grafted with lupine d.n. had been created as the only known successful female Eraser. The school was a place of torture and torment , in fact only 4 good things came out of that place...ok 5 if you counted Jason. Which she decided she should, after all behind Jason's ability to annoy, he was a pretty decent guy. Not to mention, he , like Meg herself, had also been human and then grafted with other D.N.A. it was one of the few things they had in common.
"Do you ever think about life before...you know?" Meg asked Jason He took a moment, his lazy eye dully hanging,
" Not really," he shrugged, "not much to think about when your an orphan."
Meg was about to comment when she noticed Sammy. Sam had held a small firefly in his hands then his left ear twitched a sign that he heard something. Releasing the firefly he tilted his head toward left and listened intently. Then Meg's attention was drawn toward dirt road as the sound of Nate's motorbike pulling in drowned out any other noise. meg and Jason made their way over to him as Nate raced toward them. they met at about halfway through the barnyard.
"What's going...?" Jason started to ask "No time to talk." said Nate with a dead serious tone which they both knew to listen to immediately," :Fang sent me a warning, we gotta get out of here NOW!"
Neither Jason nor Meg argued. They were almost back to the others when they heard a terrified scream they knew all too well.
"lilly." said Jason faintly as Meg and Nate tripled their speed. They reached the scene just in time to see Tina sent sprawling to the ground. The group recognized the forms they knew too well. Erasers.

Jason felt a sudden rush of anger flare up inside him. After all the time that they had managed to stay hidden, stay together now it was all ruined by the grizzly security enforcers of the school. but this time, they weren't gonna take him so easily. Jason concentrated and turned himself into "camouflage mode" seeming to disappear before the Eraser's eyes. He saw Meg deliver a roundhouse to an Eraser that held Lilly by her wings. The male Eraser let go of Lilly as a reflex trying to claw at took off to Tina's side (who was now up) as Meg easily dogged the, obviously inexperienced Easer. One of the bigger Easers came to her,
"Now why you gotta be like that cutie."
"Please," spat Meg her arms now turning into the lupine claws," Don't flatter yourself."
"How can you turn against your own kind," Jason heard one of the erasers say, " you're one of us."
"We may look alike," said Meg, "but I will never be one of you. I'll die first, thanks though."
"Ok then." said The leader Eraser swiping her across the face with one his claws.
Jason saw her fall back blood coming from her face. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Sam jumped on the Easer sinking his claws deep into the brute's back. One of the other Erasers tried to stop him, but Jason, master of the sneak attack, came up from behind and grabbed him in a choke hold. things stayed like that for a few minuets with Nate and Tina joining the fray at some point and then Jason heard a yelp and a sickening thud in the distance and Meg screaming, "SAMMY!"
Jason loosened his grip for half a second allowing the Eraser to take control and throw Jason in a judo fashion. As he hit the ground jason felt his head spin. Then he felt an extreme amount of pressure and then he heard a dull crack. Jason bit down on his lip, drawing blood, as he felt the pain of his now broken tail. He could hear the Easer laughter gloating over his success. The Eraser placed a large foot on Jason's windpipe stepping on it.
"This is it," thought Jason hopelessly as the air left his lungs, "...but I...don't want...want to..." Jason couldn't even finish the thought as he passed out...

Nate hurried over to Tina when the serious fighting had ensued. He helped her to her feet.
"I'm fine Jason," said Tina getting to her feet, then took in the scene. "Lily."
Lilly had gotten away and was now flying toward Tina, an Eraser following behind. Tina and Nate both rushed toward her. When they reached her they both reacted quickly, Tina protected Lilly, shielding her from harm with her own strong wings and Nate taking taking down the Eraser with his deadly snake bite.
Two more Erasers came over when they saw their comrade fall. Upon seeing them Nate looked at Tina had Shouted, "tina take Lilly and get out of her NOW you know where to meet up NOW GO!"
Without, any further hesitation, Tina took off, Lilly in her arms. Nate too down the other two Erasers with little trouble due to Nate's enduring experience. Suddenly, he heard a dull thud and a sickening cry, "SAMMY!"
Nate turned toward the sharp sound. He saw Meg running toward an unconscious Sam. He raced hard toward them. When he reached them he saw Meg run her fingers, lightly over the back of Sam's head, her fingers reached a spot and drew back blood.
"It's bad Nate," said Meg her eyes mixing two emotions of worry and hate. There were now only three Erasers left.
"Where's Jason?" Nate asked Meg No reply.
"MEG LOOK AT ME!"
Meg turned to Nate fire consuming her eyes, " I don't know I didn't see anything after I saw the guy fling Sam against the tree."
she then turner her attention back to the wounded Sam. Nate sighed realizing that Meg was no good to him like this in a fight.
"Take Sam, grab the other bike and go, meet with Tina at the rendezvous, I'll find Jason and meet you there."
Meg nodded taking sam into her arms.
It didn't take long for Nate to finish off the other tree Erasers. But when he found Jason on the ground not moving, Nate didn't know how much more he could take. After taking Jason's pulse and not finding a steady heartbeat, Nate began to try and revive him over and over again.
"C'mon Jason crack a bad joke, make fun of Tina's hair, do something...anything!"
After a few more heart-retching seconds Jason began to cough, trying to sit up.
"Easy, easy Jason." said Nate helping him, relief filling his voice.
"W-what-z-goin-on?" asked Jason his speech slurring.
"Hey don't talk," said Nate noticing Jason's broken tail and the large boot print across his throat, then placing is arm across Jason's shoulders he helped him stand, "c'mon we're meeting Tina and the others at the rendezvous, you remember where that is right?"
"That old vet clinic...passed it on our way into town...doesn't open till eight," moaned Jason as he stumbled along." I was strangled Nate, not hit in the head."
"Yeah, yeah," said Nate as he helped Jason onto the motorbike," now shut up and enjoy the ride."

By the time they reached the clinic Jason was slumped across the handle vars, half passed out. As Nate carried Jason inside across his shoulders, he felt the door was already open and a back light was on, unnoticeable by the outside, meaning that at least Tina was here.
"Tina," he called, "is Meg here?"
Tina came toward Jason from a back room and helped him carry Jason, "she's here, but Nate..."
Nate's heart ponded as they entered the room. Lilly came up to Tina, and Meg was watching intently as a strange woman in a white lab coat , was carefully examining the back of Sam's head .
"The bleeding hasn't stopped yet, as most head wounds do, however there's already sings of infection..." she paused seeing Nate
" Who the HECK are you?" Nate demanded angrily advancing toward her.
Meg stopped him halfway through, "Nate stop it!"
"It's all right," said the woman calmly , then she turned to Nate," my name is Dr. Martinez, my colleague and I run this clinic, and Fang told me you were in the area, and that you might need some help...from someone who wouldn't ask questions. And from the looks of it it's a good thing he told me."