I thought of this small story when I was working outside.
Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. I wish I did but I don't.
"Great, just great." I thought as about 30 Erasers cocked their shotguns. An Eraser walked through them; they parted to let him by. He stopped right in front of me. I was unsurprising to see who stood there. The one, the only, Ari! He smiled at the flock and I, and made a hand motion. Some Erasers walked over and pulled us away from each other to form small groups. I was by myself I a group. Fang was by himself in another group and Gazzy, Angel, Nudge, and Iggy stood together in the last group.
"All right," Ari said his voice filled with glee and excitement. "We'll let you go after you choose an option."
"He'll probably make the choices Max comes with me or you all die" I thought bitterly.
"The choices are," he continued, "Fang dies or the others die. Max you will be choosing. You can't worm your way out of this. I'll give you 10 minutes to choose." Ari once finished walked over to another Eraser and said some orders to him then started to lean against a tree.
I was horrified. How could I choose, I loved everyone in the flock, but I also couldn't bear to lose Fang. If I lost Fang, I would end my life. I couldn't live without him. But I couldn't live with myself if I killed the flock. Fang would hate me if I killed everyone, but the others would hate me if I killed Fang. My thoughts were a jumble of feeling and memories. I looked over at Ari who was laughing to himself.
"Max!" Iggy yelled.
I looked over his face was more white than normal. He was afraid. He continued, "If you kill me for Fang I will hate you so much in the last seconds that I live that it will send me to the lowest level of hell!"
I looked at everyone's faces, Nudge's was filled with tears, Gaze's was white as a ghost, Iggy's was as I said before more white than normal, and lastly Angel's face. Her face was afraid. I have very rarely seen my Angel afraid. I felt words being spoken in my head.
Max its ok; I won't hate you if you kill us. I know you love Fang I'm just sorry we had to be part of this test of your love.
The guilt that girl could give me...it was amazingly horrible. I looked to see Fang. He was, what looked like the verge of tears. I wanted to see him cry but not like this. His lips started to move. I could barely hear him stammer, "M-Max, s-save the flock. Kill me..." As Fang said this, tears ran down his eyes.
This crushed me I couldn't decide. I looked at Ari; he gave me an evil grin.
"All right times up!" he said with excitement, "So Max who do you choose?"
"I choose myself!" I barely managed to say. Ari rolled his eyes.
"You cannot choose yourself as I would just kill the Flock, the you." He said with his voice edging on a tone that sounded overly excited.
I sat there shaking knowing my next move. I heard Angel burst into tears. I managed to stammer, "I choose..." My voice faded on the last several words, but Ari heard me.
"All right" he said as his gun lifted. All the Erasers guns lifted. "Fire" he yelled. Shots rang through the night accompanied with 4 screams...