There was a tight smile, being here had made it easier to talk about, but he still didn't, at least not a lot, mostly because it made Navi cry, and that was something he tried to avoid at all costs. Candy had known some of the story at least.
"I was, we all were, the Flock, Max, Fang, me, Nudge, Gazzy and Angel. 98% human, 2% bird, they, the School, capital S, did something to our DNA while we were in the womb. Pasted the genes together, I guess, easiest way to explain it. We escaped from them, one of the doctors, the white-coats, turned out not to be such a bad guy, taught us how to defend ourselves, kept us hidden. Then they got him again. We always figured he was dead, then they found us, kidnapped Angel, and we found out different."
He shook his head, clearing away mental cobwebs, "It was all a test, even Jeb helping us escape. We're supposed to save the world, or Max is, anyway, but the rest of us are along for the ride. Only problem is we don't know how, or why."