Maximum Ride 4: The final fight.

Summary: Max and the Flock thought everything was ok, that the head of iTex was finished. That would be too easy, right? With the threat of the death date showing up on Max's neck and the ongoing wonder between her and Fang's relationship she'll barely have time to worry about Nudge and Iggy changing bodies! But that's not all! Jeb is in danger, held against his will, Flyboys the holders. The stunning death of one of the flock and Max deciding what to do, its gonna be one hell of a Ride.

Maximum Ride 4: The final fight.

1

There's something about Fang. The way he fly's, talks, gives me the look. I don't know what to do about it. Take right now for instance: me eating a fried chicken sandwich then he looks up at me with those dark, mysterious eyes and I can't swallow. Nudge giggled as she spied us locked in a deep passionate gaze. I just don't get him.

"What now?" Iggy asked, reaching for his drink and finding the target with perfect precision. This happened three times before, all after the fight with Omega, after we united. Everything deathly quite as the younger kids watched me and Fang, wondering what was going on then one escaped giggle and Nudge tells Iggy exactly what's going on.

"Max and Fang are at it again." Gazzy said passing Angel an apple pie. What a sweet kid, giving his younger sister the last of his food even though I know exactly why. The Maximum Ride credit card had shown up again and we weren't so keen to avoid it. I mean free food wherever, right?

I broke my gaze and looked nervously around, checking for erasers. I know all of them are supposed to be dead but habits don't die easily. "So, everybody where to now?" I asked, giving everyone the look.

"Home." Nudge said. It had been three days since we left Dr. Martinez and Ella and the flock really liked it. Not just having a place to call home but patching up their relationship with Jeb and talking with Dr. Martinez.

"Nudge, we have unfinished business." I said although I wasn't quite sure what. Now even I, even though I'll never admit it, felt stupid about blowing off Dr. Martinez's offer to live with her. She said we could get a new house, bigger then the one she had so everybody could fit.

Fang bent down and reached into his backpack. I heard Total yelp as he pinched him "accidentally" while trying to locate his laptop. I rolled my eyes, Fang and his blog. He booted it up and while waiting for it to turn on he turned to me. "Max, there's something you should know."

I thought this might be coming but kept my head down. At least have some dignity man! In front of the children was not the way to go. "I think I know what your going to say and I have an answer. No. We've gone too far to start a relationship and break up a day later and split the Flock up again."

"Um, actually I was just gonna show you this." He said, turning the laptop towards me.

Fang's inbox: 1 new message and three saved messages.

He clicked on one of the saved ones.

Dear Fang,

Your speech about us banning together to save the world was inspiring and I jumped out of bed just reading it. The thing is, you may want to read the paper more often. Something bad has happened. iTex actually killed some kids that were attacking the schools, don't worry, it means iTex is finally being looked at as evil although I'm sure they'll find a way to weasel out of this, I'll keep in touch dude,

Jason Nickles.

"Oh," I said, feeling like a total dope. "Well, that's different." I said.

"I didn't want anybody to get hurt." Fang said sounding totally un-Fangish. His dark eyes, to my horror, were wet with tears. Never in my short cruel life had I seen Fang cry.

"Fang, its ok." I said. "Come on-" I was interrupted by a shriek to my left. I looked out the gigantic glass window and saw a flyboy ripping the McDonalds sign out of the ground.

"Oh, I wasn't done!" Iggy exclaimed.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Three hours later we were circling above the beautiful city of Springfield Illinois. Instead of fighting the thousands of flyboys we ran. "Max, can we please do something fun?" Angel asked.

"Yeah, I mean we stopped iTex and we deserve a break." Nudge said, not looking at me but Fang. Ever since his embarrassing emotional breakdown four hours ago, he'd been okay enough to make fun of me (still on the "Love you thiiiiiiis much bit), and let slip to Total that he was in a baby carrier.

"And we should get something better for me." Total said. "I mean give me some dignity." His black eyes bore holes in me from Iggy's back.

"Your right." I said. "We shouldn't embarrass Iggy by having you hang on his back all the time."

"Har Har" Total said snidely. He yawned and stretched out his paws.

"Fine, we'll go to universal studios or something." I grumbled.

Back to California.

00000000000000000

Why the beach you ask? Because Iggy loves his beach bunnies, that sexist pig. He insisted we stop there one last time on our way to Universal. I personally hate the beach, don't ask why. It might be because of the time Fang almost got killed twice, or the time I tried cutting the chip out of me with a sea shell, the time we thought Angel drowned. It was heavy stuff.

But this beach was different. We were 'chillin in Malibu' as Total said, hanging around regular people. Iggy was talking to a girl with dark slightly curly hair and he was actually enjoying himself. He wasn't being the sexist pig he usually was. Nice time for change. Angel and Gazzy were with Nudge in the water and Fang was, ah, over near the life guard station, working on his blog. As for me, I was watching the younger ones swimming.

Max come back, we can be a family, the world is safe.

For everybody new on the ride that was Voice, later named Jeb, my father. I still had mixed feelings about him.

Why's that Jeb, so your buddies at the school can take me and my family apart?

Lately I've been having regular conversations with the voice, like no more mumbo jumbo he was straight out honest.

I don't know which I preferred.

We all make mistakes Max, but it was part of your test, how to cope with the fact that someone you loved turned evil, none of it was meant to hurt you.

Um, yeah, I don't think so. Maybe I'll visit my sister and mom again soon but not you, you screwed up big time Jeb.

Fang walked over to me, his laptop in the flats of his hands. "Max," he began "What you said at the restaurant, are you sure?" he asked, trying to "further our relationship."

"Fang, it wouldn't be a good idea and, well, your making it hard for me to focus when you just want to get together." I said, blushing madly.

"Max, look, everyone needs someone." He gestured over to Iggy who was now kissing the girl. I giggled, feeling happy for Iggy.

"Fang, why did I do it?" I asked him. "Why did I blow off a chance to live a completely normal life with Ella and Dr. Martinez? It wasn't fair to the kids." I said, looking down.

"You needed to do what you needed to do." Fang said.

I felt a burning on the back of my neck and groaned. Why didn't I use sunscreen, now I would burn, baby, burn.

"Uh, Max." Fangs voice was quivering.

"What?" I demanded annoyed. I was spilling my guts out to him and he wasn't even listening.

"How come it says September 13th 2007 on your neck?"