Don't read if you hate character death! James Patterson Owns Maximum Ride! Ready? Set? Go!
(Normal is present, italics is flashback, bold is the flashback within the flashback)
Fang's POV all the way.
(20 Years Old)
Four Years. Four painful years of having a void where my heart should be. I still remember the day when she died. That happy day turned upside down. I can hear her last word and her sickening scream ringing in my head every night.
The morning in the clearing was a warn and sunny one. Everyone was running around –Max, Iggy, Nudge, Gaz, and Angel- freely and happily. I was just sitting there, watching them as they skittered around in the large clearing.
Then, they came.
Flyboys. Hundreds. Iggy heard too. Everyone stopped, fighting stances immediately took place. We were in a circle, Total in the middle. The sun glared at us in all its mighty glory. When the flyboys came, we immediately broke into a parallel line, Max, Iggy, and I taking the left line and the others taking the right. Max was to my right, and Iggy was to my left. Angel had Gaz to her right, and Nudge to her left. Total just stood there, creating an h pattern instead of the parallel pattern we were making.
Fifteen minutes, the flyboys kept at it .We were all busy; I was too busy. I couldn't realize the one with the gun. I didn't see him. I heard a scream. I heard the worst scream.
"FAAAAANNG!!"
It was Max. Max! I turned to her; the flyboys were off of me. She was looking at a flyboy.
It was as if it was in slow motion.
The sound of a gun shooting was heard.
Max screamed one last time. She screamed for me one last time. Screamed my name. She had fear, shock, every emotion stuck in her face. When the bloody rose bloomed on her forehead, I knew it was the end.
My heart broke into a million unmendable (I know it probably isn't a word, but oh well) pieces a million times over, until there as nothing but a gaping hole in my chest. I felt like I was ripped in two. Half dead. Anything along those lines.
"I can't hear her." Angel whispered, staring into space.
The flyboys retreated; the clouds formed and gave way. That part happened unnaturally fast. The rain was freezing. It didn't matter; I was numb all over. It was still in slow motion; Max was falling. She was falling backwards. When the thud from her body hitting the cold ground reached my ears, I ran to her. I kept running. Why did it look like a hundred miles instead of a couple meters? I ran though. I reached her, and looked at her. I fell onto my knees and checked for anything. Everything. A heartbeat. A Pulse. A Breath.
Northing.
I couldn't help it. Unemotional Fang? Yeah right.
I screamed her name. I grabbed fistfuls of her torn shirt and shook her violently.
"MAX! Wake up!" I screamed at her a thousand painful times, each word coming out pained and scared. "Wake up." I whispered one last time, finally giving up the verbal assault. Tears pricked my eyes. I looked back, and the Flock was just standing there, shocked. They wouldn't cry; they couldn't. They were trying to be strong, as Max taught them. Me? I didn't care anymore. I never got a chance to tell her the three words I needed to tell her.
I stared at her face. She looked peaceful, despite the bloodrose on her forehead. She looked calm. She did, all right. But she left us to gain that. She was forced to leave us. Me.
I whispered her name one more time. She didn't twitch, move , or anything. I broke right then and there. I laid her down and dropped my head onto her chest, crying my eyes out. I mumbled things like "come back to me" or "don't go just yet". The Flock tried to come to me. I didn't know what came over me right then and there.
When I noticed, I snapped. "Go away!" I screamed to them. "Go away!" I screamed two more times. They sidetracked a couple meters (ten) and stood there, watching me break down when I was supposed to be strong. I went back to crying like there was no tomorrow.
--- -
Four months later, her funeral day came. Random people came, the flock came, Jeb even came. Ella and Max's Mom came. Everyone wore black. I wore the opposite. I was wearing Max's favorite color, white. My gloves and shoes were black, but everything else was pure white. I had a black rose on my shirt pocket.
Two hours of talking later, I was last to speak. I got up to the podium and cleared my throat.
"I know everyone loves Max. The flock, her parents. Heck, the world should love her. She helped save you guys. Save the earth. But you guys don't understand my love for her. At least you guys have a special someone, right? You have someone to say I love you to. You have someone to say that with all your heart. My special someone was killed in a fight." I looked at Max's body to my left. "She was killed. I could've moved her; I could've taken it instead of her. She could've lived. I have nobody to say I love you to anymore. Nobody. Not with all my heart. She was the only one I'd say it to, but I was too late. I never got to tell her I loved her more than anything in the world; more than life itself. I'd die for her. But now she's gone. I feel empty; dead." I couldn't take it anymore. I started crying. I sank back behind the podium and pulled out the black rose, crying into it. I could hear everyone else sobbing, but they were nothing to me. I finished my crying short, saving the rest for the burial, where I could give her my tears to keep with her. Standing up slowly, I carefully placed the black rose in her hands; my tears making it sparkle in the dimmed lighting. I pulled out my favorite picture from my back pocket. It was a picture of Max and I having the time of our lives.
We Were Ten…
The morning was quiet at first. Angel was slowly arousing from her good night's sleep, Nudge was taking snapshots of the scenery of the 'E' house we owned. Jeb was out for the day; Max and I had to watch the kids. Iggy was making us a hearty breakfast and four year old Gazzy was trying to help. I was up already, and Max was changing.
"Let's Go Outside!" Max said after breakfast. Everyone cheered happily, punching the air. I smiled at her; she was beautiful when she was happy. I told everyone I'd meet them outside, and pulled Iggy aside.
"What's up?" He asked casually.
"I need help."
"Ooh! Since when does FANG ever need help?"
"Since now."
"Alrighty then. What do ya need? A Picture of Max?" He said sarcastically.
"Close. I need you to start a game and try to get Nudge to take a picture of her AND me."
"Make sure you smile Fang."
"Fine." I sighed. He laughed an odd laugh.
I walked out after Iggy ran out on me. He started calling everyone in for a game of tag.
"… and no wings. Alright? Let's Start! Gazzy, you're first!" Iggy said, finishing up the rules.
Naturally, Max and I ran opposite each other, hiding. The trees splattered in the clearing helped hide me from virtually anyone. I smiled a quiet smile, thinking of the plan. I looked over the tree trunk to see Iggy and Nudge chatting. I saw Nudge nodding vigorously before running in Max's direction. I smiled a full out one this time.
"Tag! You're it, Max!" I heard Gazzy call out from somewhere in the forest. I immediately climbed the tree; I'm the next target for sure. Reaching the top, footsteps soon pounded their way towards my tree. I grabbed the branches filled with leaves closest to me and shoved them under me so she couldn't see me. I sighed as quietly as I could. I heard Max's steady breathing as she searched around the tree for me.
Leaves rustled somewhere behind me.
"You're it!" Max called happily, tapping my shoulder lightly. I looked at her, my hair getting in my eyes. I smiled at her happily, and saw Nudge come up with a camera in hand. I grabbed her hand before she could start running and pointed to Nudge so she could see. Recognition flashed across her striking features and she smiled. Nudge reached us by now, flying up to us. Lightly landing on the edge of the branch I was on, she smiled and held the camera ready. Max slung her arm around her shoulder and smiled brightly, giving me bunny ears. I smiled back and stuck out my tongue, moving my hand towards the camera (Nudge was still pretty close) so it bordered a corner if it was snapped right. I made a small wink with my right eye (the one away from Max) and she snapped it.
That memory stuck to me the most. We were having fun, the sky was bright that day, and my favorite picture was shot there. I looked at it a little longer and stuck it back, readying so that I could lead them to her final resting place. The last time I could see her, too.
The people we hired picked up the light coffin, and started following me down the aisle, where everyone was watching with pain in their eyes. I finally went out into the blaring sun, regretting it. The day was too happy for me. I hated it. I wish the sun would go hide in a hole for the rest of the day.
Walking out to the local cemetery, I finally made it to Max's Tombstone.
Here Lies Max,
Our Angel, Our Avian
My Love.
1993-2009
The Flock quickly went over to the tombstone and watched as Max got lowered. I started crying again, and Angel turned to me.
"I'm sorry, Fang."
That made me cry harder. Max finally hit the bottom, and they let her sit there openly, letting her see the world one more time. I cried, tears streaking my cheeks. They trailed down, hitting her coffin in a hollow thump. The Flock was crying the hardest behind me, Valencia and Ella included. Sam and Lissa wanted to come, but I politely denied them and left them on the phone hanging. I hated them both, and didn't want them to see me like this.
They quickly buried her, and she was no longer visible.
I was back at thee cemetery, as I came every night at midnight, kneeling down her tomb and looking at the last word I carved into it.
Our Love.
My Love.
This was the day she died. The exact day. The day of the gunshot. I cried. I cried harder, remembering her scream. I cried even harder, remembering the sickening thump her body made when she fell.
"Max," I whispered, barely audible. "Max, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't save you. Come back."
I lay a black rose onto her cemetery, and stared at the tombstone, remembering the memories of when she was still alive. I stood and turned, ready to leave and return the next night.
I walked to the gate of the cemetery, and turned around, giving one last look.
But Max was there, smiling at me and opening her arms out wide.
I sprinted there with all my power; I wasn't letting this go.