I was dying.
I knew it from the blood that blossomed all around me, the blurry sight in front of me and the fast-fading sense of fear.
I, Maximum Ride, was dying. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.
The fight had been long and bloody; M-Geeks and more advanced prototypes as far as the eye could see. Of course there was also a big evil boss type character. Because you know that no final fight is final without one.
Guess who took that big baddy on? That's right, me, Super Max.
But the fight was too much. Fang was distracted with the dumb-bots and couldn't help. That's when the boss-thing stabbed me. Little did I know that poison was now dripping not-so-slowly into my veins. From there everything went downhill pretty fast.
I had flipped over his fist, then planted my hands on the ground for a power-filled kick. My feet connected with his side, the metal making a loud clang sound and sending a shock wave up my body. Suddenly my foot was grabbed and my body swung around, fast.
I collided with a nearby wall, making a large dent. The air left my lungs and in the same second he was over me, aiming his super-sized fist. Barely managing to roll out of the way, I jumped high into the air. My wings extended painfully and lifted me a few feet above ground. The big hunk of metal I was currently fighting growled, bearing his oversized teeth. I smirked at him, trying not to pay attention to the pain coursing through my body.
I did a quick survey of the area-Fang was the only other one here, and he was keeping his own. I breathed a quick sigh of relief just before a bullet whizzed past my ear. Seems that the boss had gotten himself a gun. I dove into his head, kicking it as I swooped. His neck snapped forward, making a horrible cracking noise. Smirking, I decided to try again. That was when the poison decided to take effect.
My whole body suddenly contracted with a burst of pain so terrifying it made me scream out. I plummeted back to the ground, hitting it at an odd angle.
Max! Get yourself together! Move! MOVE!
I screamed in my head, begging my body to listen. This had never happened before. Before it was a matter of the mind. This was different, in a horrible I-can't-move-so-I'll-be-beaten-bloody way.
The rest of this was pathetic, me getting the snot beaten out of me, plus some blood and teeth.
Max… Said the Voice, a little emotion seeping through. I was too beat up to care. This is your destiny, Max. You have to remove this hazard, now.
Shut up, Voice. I'm trying if you've noticed. I commented, grimacing. Another punch crashed into my face.
This is important Max. This battle decides all. The Voice added, suddenly deciding to tell me a little important tidbit now, as I was being beaten to a pulp.
I told myself to focus. Maybe I suddenly had a new skill that would heal me in like, five seconds. No? Well, I was pretty much screwed then.
His fist came down hard again, knocking more wind out of my already bruised lungs.
Stop and think Max! When is an enemy most vulnerable! The Voice practically screamed into my head. This was getting bad if the Voice was panicked. Then it occurred to me.
When this…thing….was standing, it always had its arm pressed up to its side. When it was attacking me, its arm shifted just enough to reveal a peak of orange wire…
That's right, Max the detective, at your service.
But really, it was worth a shot. I wigged my fingers, pleased that I could move even a little. Then my feet. Finally, as I finished checking my arms and legs, he rose his big arms up again. I knew my ribs were all broken. I knew my right leg and left arm were useless now. But I had to try. It was my destiny. Or so the Voice said.
His arms swung down and my arms lifted my body up, swinging my legs into his-gross- armpit. Immediately two cracks were heard, one from him and…
Well, there were only two people in this fight.
The big robot swayed, his eyes glassing over. With a tremendous thud he crashed to the ground, thankfully away from where I lay. Like an echo, the other M-Geeks hit the ground in a sort of robot-dying chorus.
Good job Max… Said the Voice. You've fulfilled your destiny…
Some destiny that was. You call that saving the world? I snapped back. Urg…my head hurts….
You can rest now, Max. You've done well… The Voice seemed to fade away as the world got dizzier.
Then the Fang came, and that's basically how I ended up here.
The sharp bursts of pain still came but seemed softer now, I should have been scared but I wasn't. I was fine, better than I've ever been. Was I? I was lost right now. My mind was fuzzy. I wanted to sleep, to rest. Just for a bit…
"Max…!" He screamed near my ear, and irritably I willed my eyes open. A dark figure was huddled over me, hands hovering above my useless body. "Max!" He repeated, seeming for the first time, completely uncomposed.
"F…Fang..." I managed to sputter out before I felt the blood spill out the side of my mouth.
"Shhhhh…!" He said, his voice cracking. I smiled.
"Don't…" I coughed for a while, making him freeze. "Ah…Don't... act like this… is my…" I couldn't finish my thought. Because it was my last moment. We both knew it. My eyes, with effort, dragged up to Fangs.
I shouldn't have looked at all.
"Max…" He sounded horrible. He looked worse. Eyes tight with withheld tears, face flushed with rage and expression with pain and hurt and confusion and this was the end, wasn't it?
I let tears slip out of my eyes and he wiped them away, carefully and delicately. For a while I just looked at him as he sat near me, stroking my hand in a pitiful way. I felt reality slipping away like a stream, gentle and inevitable.
"I…Fang…Damn it! Fang…I know…I can't last…" I croaked out. God, I hated this. This uselessness, this horrible, awful, inability to cope or say or do something that would fix this. Fang was going to watch me die, I couldn't fix it!
"Shut up! I mean, no…! Don't talk…don't…don't leave me, Damn it!" Fang whispered angrily. I guess he had figured out the same thing I had. Something occurred to my mind. I wasn't in pain. I couldn't move. It was coming soon.
"Fang… Tell the flock I love them. Remember to set limits for Angel. Don't let Gazzy eat Burritos…" My voice gave out. I was using all of my last energy, now that I was no longer in pain it was much easier to talk.
"Nudge is special, try to talk to her at least a bit, or she'll…" My eyes closed and for a few minutes I strained to open the again. My body was numb now, but when I opened my eyes Fang was holding me, eyes squeezed tight. "She'll explode…"
"Iggy…be…patient with him…he…needs it…" I finished, smiling peacefully. Only one more thing to say, one more totally clichéd saying that would let me die with no regrets.
"Fang, I…" Suddenly my throat clogged with blood. I chocked, praying that time would allow me one last sentence. Three more words. The most important ones.
Please! I freakin saved the world! Give me this…please…!
I coughed more and more, until Fangs black shirt was thick with blood. Trying to talk, begging to speak. No breath filled my lungs. No more coughing. No more life. I opened my mouth one last time, throwing away the remaining five or so minutes I would've had.
"Fang, I love you…!" I screeched as loud as I could manage.
He murmured something, and I strained to hear the words that were choked out.
I closed my eyes, he had said I love you, I just knew it.
I breathed in. I breathed out.
And then, finally, the end came.
…
..
.