Maximum Ride

Fang Special

To: Loryn Benbow

1

Fang coasted above the Golden Gate Bridge. The rest of the flock were hanging out on the bridge wires or playing in the large river below it. It was dusky out and they needed to find shelter. But, Max said to let the younger kids play. Iggy was sitting beside Unique on the edge of the bridge, Max was close by, and Nudge, Gazzy, Justin, and Angel were playing in the river. Fang flipped and landed on one of the bridge wires. He held out his wings to steady himself. Nudge then began talking.

"Is it hard to fly with a 43 foot wingspan?" she asked him.

"Not really. Why?"

"Just wondering. Oh! Can you come down and play with us!?" Nudge called.

"No." Fang said.

"Why not?"

"I just don't. What's so bad with that?" Fang was beginning to get annoyed.

"But WHY?" Nudge begged.

"Because!" Fang jumped off the wire and flew up into the sky. The sun was setting quickly now. When were they going to find a place to stay? Fang flew into town and landed by a junk yard. Maybe there were some things here that they could use.

Fang began to rummage threw all the tin cans, soggy paper, and crushed card board. There were a few items that could be used again. Some old back packs, a coil of wire, rusty cans, some pennies.

"Who would throw away perfectly good pennies?" Fang asked himself. He stuffed them in his pockets and kept looking. He ended up taking the old back packs, the coil of wire, the rusty cans, the pennies, and an old pack of dynamite for Iggy. He jumped into the air and flew off toward the flock.

It was now dark out, but Fang could see perfectly. He landed on the bridge. Where was the flock? Great.

"They ditched me!" Fang muttered. "Were would they go?" he had no idea. So he decided to stay on the bridge until the daylight. Underneath him, cars drove by, their headlights casting a light glow over the river. He fell asleep to the sound of honking horns.

When Fang woke up the next day, it was raining. He stayed under one of the bridge towers to keep dry. Only he didn't quit fit. His wings were too large to fit perfectly under the tower. The sky was cloudy and bolts of lightning shot threw it.

"Where are the others?" Fang asked out loud. He would have to wait out the storm. So he did. It didn't stop till three days later. He first needed to get some food, and then he would find the flock. So he did. Only, he couldn't find the flock. Then he heard Angel's thoughts.

WHERE ARE YOU? She thought.

WHERE ARE YOU!? Fang thought back.

WE'RE IN AN ABANDONED HOUSE IN TOWN. SO WHERE ARE YOU?"

ON THE BRIDGE. YOU GUYS DITCHED ME FOR THREE DAYS! Fang almost yelled.

WELL SORRY! JUST COME TO THE OLD ABANDONED HOUSE NEAR THE BURGER KING. Angel left. So they were at an abandoned house in town. Great. Fang jumped out into the air and spread his massive wings. So they were at an old abandoned house near, what was it? A Burger King. Figures Max would bring the flock to where there was food. Fang soared above the city and looked for a Burger King. There were several in the city but none had an old house near it. Fang tried to contact Angel but she never did answer.

"Ah crap!" Fang muttered.

"Fang!" someone shouted. Fang looked around. No one was there. He looked down. Duh! There was a Burge King beneath him with an old building beside it! Angel stood on the roof waving her arms up at him. He landed beside her.

"First question. Why did you ditch me!? Second question. What are we doing here!?" Fang demanded.

"Finally! I thought I was the only one freaked that THERES A WHITECOATS SCHOOL ACROSS THE STREET!!" Iggy yelled. Fang looked over. Iggy was right, but why weren't any Erasers attacking? It was a trap!

"We all have to go this instant!" He jumped into the air and flew toward the bridge. The others fallowed. Suddenly gun shots went off as the Erasers made their attack. Thousands of bullets raced past them inches away from wings and heads. One grazed across Fang's shoulder. He winced and dived out of the cloud of bullets. Suddenly a scream split the air. Fang looked up to see Ari holding a choke hold on Angel! He shot up planting an upper-cut to Ari's jaw sending him flying backwards. He roared and lunged for Fang, who rolled and kicked Ari upward. He shot up and then began to fall back down. Fang flew out of the way and watched Ari fall into the streets below. Ari landed hard on the asphalt and was hit seconds later by a buss. Ari was flung into another car and the car crashed into a building. Ari lay motionless on the cars hood. Fang couldn't help bursting into laughter. That HAD to hurt! He looked over Angel to make sure she was alright. She was and laughing too about Ari's crash. They made their way toward the coast. They had a long flight from there to India.

2

"Oh, Iggy, I nabbed this for you." Fang toosed him the old pack of dynamite.

"Awesome!" Iggy looked it all over. "Now I can make the MEGA-BOMB!" Iggy yelled.

"What MEGA-BOMB?" Fang asked.

"I've been planning it for years, but I never have enough explosives to actually make it." Iggy explained. Unique stared at the package.

"I get to help make it right?"

"Yeah. But I get to do most of it!" Iggy zipped in front.

"No fair!" Unique raced after him.

I shouldn't have given him that!" Fang said. He looked down at the ocean. A dolphin leaped out of the water. Several more joined it. Angel smiled at the marine mammals thoughts. They had traveled 123 miles so far. At least 496 more to go.

Several hours later the younger kids started to complain. But there was no were to land. So they kept going until they found a small island. Fang circled is while the others landed. He hovered above the center and studied the ground. He saw movement just behind the others in the denser part of the island!

"Every one look out!" he yelled and plunged straight toward the movement. They all turned around to see Fang throwing his whole body weight at 120 miles an hour, on the back of a jaguar. Fang wrapped his arm around its neck trying to suffocate it. It growled and thrashed around. It sank its three inch long canines into one of Fangs hands. He held on harder and the cat began to slow down. It rolled onto its back pinning Fang under its huge weight. He gasped and tried to push it off him. It was no use. The cat had already suffocated and was limp on top of Fang. Max and Unique rushed in and pulled it off him. His hand was covered in blood. The cat's fangs had pierced huge holes in Fangs hand and he was bleeding badly. He wrapped it in his shirt and squeezed it trying to stop the bleeding. His shirt now was covered in his blood. Unique took his hand and used her powers to heal it.

"Thanks." Fang muttered and walked to the cat's body.

"So what's for dinner?" Gassy asked.

"Jaguar meat." Fang said and dragged the cat to the open part of the island. He dropped it there and began collecting stones and wood. Soon later he had a fire going and they cooked the whole cat.

"We're only staying here for tonight. In the morning we need to move on." Fang said and cut a sliver of meat from the cats leg.

"Why can't we stay here? We're alone, and the Erasers don't know we're here. Plus there's tons of food and water!" Nudge chattered.

"Like what?" Fang asked.

"That cat, um… oh, the sea water…" Nudge began.

"No. Sea water is full of salt and drinking it can kill you." Fang corrected.

"Fine. We can eat the fruits here and…"

"Can't. A lot of plants and fruit here are highly poisonous." Fang said.

"Oh never mind." Nudge grabbed a piece of the tail. Fang smiled for a second and then dug into the piece of meat he was holding. They had to leave this island as soon as possible. Fang could sense that something was wrong here, but he couldn't tell what it was. Every time he turned his back on the denser part of the island, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Angel didn't seem to think there was anything wrong and neither did Unique. Fang decided to keep watch that night. Who knew what would come lurking in the shadows of night.

Nothing came in the night, but Fang didn't want to stick around to find out what would come. He nabbed breakfast and then they bolted. They ate bananas on the flight toward India.

"Do we have to go to India? Why not go to the Rocky Mountains? That near here too you know!" Gassy said.

"Gassy, the Rocky Mountains are back in the United States. That's behind us." Fang said.

"Oh. But I don't want to go to India. Why not a mountain place of some source? How about the Fuji Mountains here in China!?" He said.

"Fine, fine. What ever." Fang changed course. Half an hour later they landed in the Fuji Mountains. Gassy looked around wide-eyed.

"Happy now?" Fang asked.

"Heck ya! Look over the side! It's a sheer drop!" Gassy started to unfold his wings.

"What are you doing?"

"BONZY!!!!" Gassy nearly screamed and dived over the edge.

"Gassy!!" Fang yelled. Too late. Gassy yelled and spread his wings. He soared above the pine trees and campers. Suddenly one of the Gasman's wings tipped to far down and clipped a tree and Gassy spun out of control. He crashed through branches and soon came to a halt in a crumpled ball. Some of the camper people ran over to help, but were terrified at his wings folded against his back. The flock raced to Gassy's side. Unique looked him over.

"He seems fine but he nearly broke both his wings. If he didn't tuck them in like that, they would have been literally snapped off!" Unique said her face pale.

"Ouch." Gassy muttered.

"That's it. Just 'ouch'? You were nearly killed and all you can say is a tiny 'ouch'!?" Fang scolded him. "NEVER do that again!" Gassy looked down, avoiding eye contact.

"Sorry." Gassy got up. He flexed his wings. Nothing really hurt. He considered himself, lucky to be alive. They all flew back up to the top and found a place to stay for the night.

"What's for lunch?" Unique asked.

"Anything I cam catch. I'll be back in a bit." Fang flew off into the woods and landed. Now, what could be edible around here. Fang walked around. Several deer bounded away. This was why he hated China. Their stores always recycled and there was never any food scraps in their bins, and then he couldn't catch anything in the woods! He shook his head and flew back to the flock.

"We have any money left?" he asked landing.

"No. Why?" Iggy asked looking up from his new bomb he was constructing.

"Because there's nothing here to eat! Either we fly back to the United States, buy some food, or get nothing for tonight. Witch choice sounds better?" Fang asked.

"I personally like number 2, but we have no money." Angel said.

"Then I guess we go with plan C." Fang said.

"Or we can go in there and steal the food when we're invisible." Unique suggested.

"That works too." Fang said and turned invisible. Unique did the same and they left with out anyone seeing them.

3

An hour later, Fang and Unique came back with pack-fulls of stolen food. Fang took one pack and flew off to the top of a large tree to eat alone. Unique passed out the rest of the food. Once Fang was finished, he flew above the flock and dropped the pack. It ended up hitting Iggy in the head.

"Hey! Watch were your throwing things!" Iggy yelled up at him. Fang ignored him and grabbed a branch.

"You better not… OH CRAP!" Iggy jumped out of the way as Fang dropped a 45 pound branch. Iggy stood up and leaped into the air after him. Fang raced away.

"Your not getting away this time!" Iggy yelled after him. Fang looked back and dived down. He made loop-ti-loops and spun trying to get Iggy off his tail, but Iggy kept coming closer. Unique sat on the ground watching the chase. It was great entertainment. Nobody (except her of course) could out fly Iggy. Fang kept trying to lose Iggy. Iggy was now right behind him. He reached out and grabbed one of Fangs flight feathers.

"Hands off the feathers!" Fang banked and spun, throwing Iggy off. Iggy again grabbed his feathers.

"Never!" Iggy grabbed Fangs shirt. Fang spun again and again. Iggy held on with a wad of Fang's shirt in his hands. He pulled and threw Fang backward but Fang instead flew that way, dragging Iggy with him. Fang heard ripping.

"Your going to end up pulling my shirt off PUNK!" Fang spun again. Iggy smiled.

"That's the point!" Iggy pulled one last time and Fangs shirt was yanked off. He stopped and hovered. Unique looked at him wide-eyed. Tan lines. Who knew?

"Give me that!" Fang growled.

"You'll have to pry it from my cold, dead…" POW! Fang ran into him grabbing the shirt and thrust Iggy into the ground. Fang pulled his shirt back on. Iggy lay laughing on the ground, covered in dust.

"Coward! Embarrassed to have your shirt off!" Iggy cackled. Fang glared at him. Iggy stopped laughing but kept on giggling. What a day.

4

"We're going back o Dr. Martinez's place." Fang said.

"Awesome!" Gassy said. "She makes cookies!"

"I know. But we need to get to a REAL shelter, and not some tree, subway, or the ground." Fang said. He stuffed some rope he found into his pack. "Lets go." He spread his wings wide and looked around. He didn't want his wing tips to clip any trees. When none were around, he jumped up and pushed down hard. He soared into the sky and waited for the flock to fallow. He flew toward the ocean once more and prepared himself for the long flight ahead.

Every one was hungry now. They had been flying nonstop for about…oh say… 13 hours. Angel, Gazzy, Nudge, and Iggy believe it or not, were complaining. But, there was no rest stop anywhere besides the ocean floor. Unique was swimming happily under the waves. She then splashed out and nearly ran into Fang. His right wings banged into her head and made him drop 20 feet.

"Watch it!" he yelled at her. She smiled and flew up to join Iggy.

"When can we take a rest break?" Gazzy whined.

"Do you see anything that we can stand on without sinking?" Fang asked. "Cause I don't."

"Quit being all cranky. We'll stop and eat at Dr. Martinez's house." Max threatened.

Soon they were in Arizona and it was a half hour flight to Dr. Martinez's house from the border. They landed in the bushes beside Dr. Martinez's house. Max walked up to the door and knocked, the flock stood behind her. Ella, Max's half sister answered the door.

"Max!" she hugged her, and tried to avoid Fang from earlier experience. He rolled his eyes and walked inside the house, but the smell of freshly baked cookies just made him hungrier. Then Dr. Martinez came. She smiled at Max.

"Who are all your friends?"

"You already know Fang." Max said pointing to him. She nodded.

"This is," (Take a deep, deep breath for this part.) "Iggy, he likes to make bombs, The Gasman, he really does make bombs, Unique, she has every power known to man, Angel, can do things I can't remember all of them at this time, Nudge, who can hack computers, and Justin Bieber, the singer." She let go of her breath and sucked in another one.

"THE, JUSTIN BIEBER?" Ella asked wide-eyed. " THE, JUSTIN BIEBER WHO SINGS BABY AND ONE TIME?"

"Yup. That's me." Justin said stepping forward.

"OH MY GOD!" Ella screamed and lunged forward. Justin was knocked down onto his back from an enormous hug from Ella, who was now sitting on his chest.

"Oops. Sorry!" She helped him up. Then she hugged him hard again. Fang heard a small crack.

"Can't… breath!" Justin wheezed. Ella let go. He gasped. Ella blushed. Oh no.

"Alright. Who's hungry?" Dr. Martinez asked clasping her hands together. Everyone yelled at the same time: "ME!" Dr. Martinez looked shocked.

"We have been flying for 24 hours straight. No rest stops." Nudge said.

"Don't forget no breakfast!" Gazzy chortled. Dr. Martinez's face turned pale.

"Well then eat up!" she handed them three cookie sheets piled high with cookies. They were all gone in 5 seconds flat. Again more cookies were handed out. And again they were all gone in under 3 seconds. 100 cookie sheets later they all slowed. By the 150th they were all full. Dr. Martinez stared at them.

"How many did you eat?" Gazzy asked Iggy, flopped on the sofa. Iggy stretched.

"Uh… I think… around…1,200. You?" Iggy yawned.

"Same. What about you Nudge?"

"1,392! Ha! I beat both of you!"

"Oh ya? Anyone care to beat 2,388?" Max asked.

"Me! Justin yelled then burped. "4,500!"

"You all are pathetic wimps. 100,000 is my record." Fang said. He grabbed the remote. Dr. Martinez heard that part.

"Who ate 100,00 cookies?" she asked through the door way. Every one pointed to Fang. He shrugged and laid back on the sofa. Channel 238 blared on the T.V. Fang then got up. He stretched and headed toward the door.

"Where do you think your going?" Dr. Martinez asked, her hands on her hips.

"Any where I want." Fang said and opened the door. Dr. Martinez grabbed his arm and yanked him back in. Unique sat up. She watched wide-eyed. Dr. Martinez apparently didn't know how to act around Fang! Fang wrenched his arm free and pushed her away. She hit the stove. She obviously didn't know about our super strength either. Fang glared at her, his pupils dilated. Max shot up and got between them. And to Unique's horror, Fang grabbed Max and flung her out of the way and grabbed Dr. Martinez. He opened the door and hurled her out into the wet grass.

"Fang! Stop!" Unique ran toward him. She grabbed his shoulders and held him against the wall. He spread his wings, pushing her away with the force. He folded them again and raced out the door. He leaped over Dr. Martinez and into the air, flying above the house. Dr. Martinez looked terrified. She got up and stared at Fang, circling above. She ran into the house. Fang shot through the kitchen window and landed in front of her. He stared at her and then went into the living room. Dr. Martinez gasped.

"How do you guys put up with him?"

"We usually just avoid him all together. He acts that way when ever some one threatens him." Nudge explained.

"Oh." Dr. Martinez said. "Well, let me show you your rooms." She led the way into the hallway. Fang was already in his room. Once every one was settled, Max charged into fang's room.

"What was that all about!?" she demanded. Fang said nothing.

"You're the one who suggested going here in the first place! Then you attack her!? I mean… come on!" Max yelled at him. Fang shrugged, he arms folded.

"Are you going to even answer me?" Again Fang shrugged.

"What, do you always have to shrug now?" Max asked. Same thing. She groaned. Fang shrugged again. She then punched him in the face. Shrugging. This wasn't Fang. This was a robot to act as Fang, which meant…

5