But just as I take Fang's hand, I feel the world go dark and my body shakes with a rush of adrenaline.
"Simulation terminated." A mechanical voice booms.
I snap as upright as I can to find myself on a cold metal slab, arms and legs strapped down in restraints. A girl, a whitecoat, looks at me with subdued surprise, seemingly expectant to my reaction.
"Welcome back." She drones.
I can feel my bones, my heart, my brain, my blood- everything is seething with a rage I can't begin to explain. I was in a laboratory again. But how?
"Where am I?!" I snap at her, just as I hear a groan from beside me. I look to my left to see... Fang. Strapped down, like me. Fang, when I had just been holding his hand in a new world just a second ago.
I can almost hear the blood rushing through my body and I'm aware of everything around me; the gathering white coats, the door opening, a figure coming in.
For the third time that day I know my life is in peril. and I'm unsure of what will come next.
"Maximum."
I don't even have to look over, but I do. His face stings at my heart like it always does. Jeb Batchelder.
"You!" I seethe, baring my teeth.
"I thought I kicked your ribs in, you piece of trash!"
He keeps himself expressionless, but I see his jaw tighten almost imperceptibly and that makes me feel a little better. Still got it.
But back to my main troubles...
"Where am I? What's going on?" I hiss, pulling at the restraints. Maybe if I can just slip one hand loose...
"It's futile, Maximum. You're going under anyway in a few minutes." He says quietly, eyeing my strained arms and legs. For once I don't have a snappy comeback. I'm just confused and ... Afraid of what that could mean.
"What do you mean I'm "going under"?" I mumble, but I'm worried I already know the answer.
"The first time didn't go as well as we planned, and we have to try another scenario instead. We need to have you well prepared to save the world, after all." He explains, then motions to the girl to continue her work. She picks up a needle and begins to fill it as my mind begins racing a million miles an hour.
Scenario? First time?
"But the world is gone, it's burned to a crisp and under water..."
Jeb gives me a sickening smile and a lazy shrug.
"None of it was real, Max. None of it. You've been in School."
My breath catches and I hear Fang, who's finally stirring awake, gasp.
"No.."
It rolls off my tongue automatically, but inside my brain is anything but calm, cool, and collected.
No, no, no, no, NO!
I want to scream my head off, kick, scream, fight to the death to know he's lying. But that certainty in his eyes... That mechanical tone in his voice..
The heartbreak is out weighing the urge to break free and escape. Because deep down, even if I try to deny this fact, this situation, I know that it is completely plausible in the messed up thing called my life. And that's what haunts me most.
My life just seems to be an endless game of cat and mouse and I'm the mouse-bird kid who keeps running in circles white the cat-white coats get ready for a tasty treat.
"We've been tricking your mind into different end-of-the-world scenarios to prepare you for the real world and when it finally comes to an end. So you'll be ready to save it, no matter how it ends. You're made to save the world, Maximum Ride."
It's not true, it's not true. He's lying. This is just a test. Another test to see how my brain responds.
I feel my eyes sting with tears, but I keep them at bay, choosing anger over fear any day.
"This is another test!" I shriek, my hysteria heightening. The girl white coat jumps and drops the needle filled with who-knows-what.
But Jeb only sighs in response, walking over and sitting at my bed side. I pull at the restraints, trying to reach him and rip his throat out.
"It's not true!" I scream, but Jeb just stares. They all do; all the white coats in the room have stopped and stared, charts in hand, needles hovering.
"It can't be. It's not..."
I whip my head to lean past Jeb and see Fang, who's also in a state of shock. He's staring at the ceiling, eyes dazed. It's too much, it's all too much.
"I'm sorry sweetie, but it's true. It had to be done." Jeb reassures, patting my arm. I twist away from his hand with a growl and he sighs again. What an uncooperative lab rat I am. How disappointing, right?
"Where's the rest of the flock?" I ask, a deadly calm seeping into my blood. Jeb stands from the bed side and begins looking over my charts.
"Safe." He replies absently.
I take a breath and close my eyes, laying back down.
Calm yourself, Max.
This time it's my voice. Not Angels, not Jebs.
The restraints loosen the slightest as I place my arms and legs at my sides, lessening the tension.
"Jeb, I asked you a question." I say as I open my eyes, starting at the thick cement ceiling.
"Where is the flock?"
I hear feet shuffling, pens on paper monitoring my movements, security cameras glinting with excitement over head.
"Safe." Jeb says a little more firmly.
"Wrong answer." I reply and clench my teeth, bolting upward. With as much force as I can muster I pull at the restraints, thrusting my body away from the table. The white coats stumble back and Jeb begins barking orders fast.
With white hot fury encasing me I rip the restraints with a satisfying snap and my 14 feet long wings spread across the room. I launch into the air and flap so hard to get up that papers are blown everywhere, and even a few white coats lay stunned on the floor.
I tower above the huddled crowd of people and newly gathered security guards with guns.
I feel like the angel of death.
Because I am.
I swoop down and slam into a guards chest with both feet, snapping his ribs with an audible crack and sending him tumbling into the others. The domino effect brings 3 down, but there's more to go.
I spin around and slam my fist into ones stomach and he doubles over. I slide over his back and kick two more down, grabbing a gun in the process. Instead of it's intended use, I swing it around like a maniac, clocking heads left and right. I may be out for blood, but gun shots are too noisy and I already have enough guards to fight on my own here.
Above me alarms are blaring like crazy, red lights flashing, making the room even eerier than a laboratory experimenting on kids can be.
I take down another 5 guards before I realize, the star of the show is missing. Where was Jeb?
"Max!" A strangled voice shouts and I know it's Fang instantly.
I'm holding one man in a choke hold when I turn to run to Fang. But I hesitate.
Jeb is standing over Fang, needle in hand with Fang still strapped to the table.
I drop the guard in my arms and sigh exasperatedly.
"Okay Jeb, this is low even for you."
"Stop right now, Maximum! Or I'll kill him!" He yells, his eyes wild. I study his body language: twitching, nervously contorted. Is it a bluff?
Probably.
I take a step towards them and his face twists with a hatred I've never seen from him before.
"Not another step! You'll ruin everything!"
I roll my eyes. Like I have time for this?
"You know what, Jeb?" I say, reaching down to my feet.
"Why don't you just shove it!"
My shoe successfully clocks him square in the face and he staggers back, just in time for me to shoot over and land a knock-out punch.
"Did you seriously just save me using your shoe?" Fang drawls from the table as I undo his restraints. I give him a grin and help him off, undoing the leather belts.
When he stands he hugs me tight and I let him, feather twitching under his touch. When he pulls away we are both on the same page. We have to find the flock before it's too late.