Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Maximum Hearts. My first ever fanfiction. And for those of you who have read this chapter before, I didn't like how the original came out. So I rewrote it to make it much better and follow the bigger plot in mind.

Chapter 1: End of the World?

"Dammit..." I cursed as I ran through the street, holding on to my bloody arm, limping away from those...those things! Those things that instantly destroyed my entire life in mere seconds. I tried to keep looking forward. All I could see were burning buildings behind the smoke. As I slid on the hood of an abandoned car, I looked behind me to see those creatures still following me. Those black-humanoid creatures with antennas on their heads were still chasing me through the flames. "Dammit!" I repeated again.

When I woke up this morning, everything was normal, or as normal you could get for being a girl with giant wings on her back. One minute everyone was eating breakfast, then the next thing I know everything around me was up in flames. And everyone was...

From the corner of my eye, I could see people running for their lives as well, only they weren't as lucky... Those black creatures attacked their chests and ripped them open. As their blood gushed out of their bodies, something that looked like a heart floated out of their bodies. As the hearts floated to space, the bodies of the deceased started to disappear.

Everything around me was either dying or on fire. Was this the apocalypse that everyone was talking about? The one I was supposed to stop? Well, clearly that was a total failure. All I could do was run through the flames, the collapsing buildings, the people crying for help, EVERYTHING! Some hero I am! I couldn't save my family, what makes you think I can save all these people? I felt so useless!

I past a car that crashed into the wall and that was in flames and heard someone crying making my feet stop. My brain screamed at me, telling me to keep running, to get away from here. But my heart is shifted my body towards the car.

I peeked inside through the window. I could feel my heart, or what's left of it, shatter into tiny pieces. A little girl, no older than Angel, crying, face covered in blood, everything around her in flames. I looked to the front of the car and quickly looked away when I noticed the unmoving driver and his passenger. I had no time to think, so I busted the window open. Was that the smartest idea? Probably not, considering my hand is now bleeding. The little girl turned her head and stared at me with fear in her eyes. I couldn't blame her. I would be afraid too if a girl with a blood gushing out of her face, broke into the burning car just after my parents crashed into a car.

"Don't worry! I'm here to help you!" I tried to comfort her as I extended my arm. "Take my hand!"

The little girl hesitated at first, but slowly grabbed extended her arm towards mine. She wrapped her tiny hand around my hand and I pulled her through the window. I cradled her, as if she was just a baby, and started to run away.

As we continued to run, I could see a huge line of those black monsters running towards us. "Crap..." I whispered so the little girl didn't hear me, but from her stare, I could tell she knew how much trouble we were in. I looked down and tried to give her a comforting smile. "Don't worry. I got this!" Which in fact isn't a lie. I could feel my wings expand and begin to flutter. The little girl gasped when she glared at me wings. "Hold on tight!" I yelled as I took off into the air, leaving those black monsters on the ground.

We weren't in the air for long though. There was a sharp pain at the bend of my wings and I started to lose altitude. I heard the little girl whimper as she shook in my arms. I had to land and fast. Thankfully, I found an empty roof just under us.

When we landed, I put the girl down on her feet and checked her for injuries. Thankfully she wasn't seriously injured, just a few cuts and bruises. I cut off a few pieces of my shirt off, mostly the bottom part, and wrapped it around her cuts to stop the bleeding.

"There! That should do it!" I sighed as I finished wrapping the cloth around her head. The little girl didn't do anything but stare at all the destruction that surrounded us. Her eyes were getting watery and she began to sniffle. I don't know why I saved this girl. She couldn't fly. She couldn't fight. She was completely hopeless. But...that was probably why I rescued her... Maybe my motherly instincts forced me to save her and take care of her. I knelt next to her and let out a convincing grin. "So...What's your name kiddo?"

The little girl sniffled as she rubbed her nose. She stared back at me with big blue eyes. "Katherine..." She answered. "...with a K."

I couldn't help but let out a real smile when she finally talked to me. "Okay Katherine with a K, nice to meet you! I'm Max!" I extended my arm towards her and she grabbed it.

"Max..." She whispered to herself as we shook hands. She then stared behind me. "Why do you have wings on your back?"

I looked behind me and realized that I still had my wings spread out. I instantly turned back towards Katherine with flushed cheeks. "Be-Because... I need them to fly around."

"Really!" Katherine gasped as her lips curved upward. "Youre so cool Big Sis!"

I jumped backwards shocked at how fast Katherine's mood switched from being depressed little girl to Ms. Happy-go-lucky. But that smile on her face warmed my heart. Why do little kids have that ability. Plus... I like being called Big Sis.

This little heartwarming moment didn't last long either. It all ended when Katherine yelled "Big Sis" and pointed behind me.

When I turned a complete 180, I growled as the shadows coming from the taller buildings morph into those creatures. I standed in front of Katherine, shielding her. I checked my wings, but they still hurted like hell, so flying away wasn't an option. All I could do was fight and protect Katherine.

"Stay here!" I ordered her as I ran towards the black creatures. I punched one of them as I was in full momentum, so my fist went right through it's head. As the creature became black smoke, I lifted my leg and spun around in a circle, kicking everything around me, killing more monsters. One of them tried to jump in the air rip my face off with it's sharp claws, but I caught it before it could reach my face and threw it to it's little friends.

"Big Sis!" I heard Katherine yell. "Behind you!"

I turned around to see a whole group of them jump up and ganged up on me. I jumped backwards, just barely falling of the edge, but at least I dodged them. "Thanks" I yelled as I ran forward, away from the edge and grabbed on by the neck and threw him to the floor. I, once again, spun around in a circle, killing more of them. I looked up and saw that there were even more of those black creatures. I cursed just low enough that Katherine didn't hear me. Thank God she doesn't have mind reading powers like Angel...Angel... The thought of her made me furious. That I wouldn't hear her laugh anymore, wouldn't talk to her anymore, wouldn't get to see her smile. I visioned the flock in my mind. Seeing them reminded me how much I hate those monsters. That I should kill all of them...

"Big Sis!" Hearing Katherine yell got me back to my senses. I turned around to see more of those monsters going after her.

"Katherine! Run!" I yelled as I dashed towards her.

Katherine began to run to her right, away from those creatures. She headed for the door that lead downstairs, inside the building. She was cut off by the monsters morph into existence right in front of her. Once they began their attack, Katherine turned to her right again and just ran. I raced towards her, killing any monster that was in my way. Katherine stopped in her tracks when she made it to the edge of the building. She turned around so she could run in a different direction, but she was cornered.

"Katherine!" I cried out as I ran. I had to save her. I had to protect her. Or else what meaning do I have to live for anymore?

One of the creatures tackled Katherine, making both of them fall. "NO!" I shrieked with tears streaming down my eyes. I pushed the monsters out of my way and jumped off the edge. As the wind blew through my hair, I forced my body to fall faster. Katherine was screaming her poor little head off as the ground grew closer and closer.

"Katherine! Grab my hand!" I yelled as I reached out for her and Katherine did the same. Once our hands connected, I wrapped her up in my arms. I tried to extend my wings and fly away, but the pain was too much! I couldn't fly.

"Big Sis!" Katherine yelled as her grip on me became tighter. I could feel her tears make my shirt wet. I buried my face into her blond hair and tears streamed down my face, or upward if you're considering how we were falling. All I could do was hug Katherine and close my eyes as I wait for death. Before we crashed into the ground, I saw one more image of my family. Mom, Ella, Nudge, Gazzy, Iggy, Fang, Angel... I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't do anything for you...

Hey... Are you okay?

To be Continued...