Max stared at her bruised hands. She tilted her chin up, looking at Fang. He stood over her like a knight, a guard, a savior, his black hair wisping in the breeze majestically. She rubbed the blood on her torn jeans, getting up and looking him in the eye. If there was one thing she wanted, it wasn't this.
"Max," he whispered.
Max kneeled on the ground, the tears coming from her eyes like the waves that were crashing against her ankles, like the emotion that flooded through her. She took the shell in her hand and threw it into the ocean. "I can't keep putting you in danger. The whole Flock in danger."
The shell was washed away by the water as she spoke.
It only caused one question: if she didn't know about Itex, about her chip, about everything...what would she live for? What's there to live for, when you were created to save the world and you don't know it? If Jeb hadn't rescued them. Or betrayed them. What would they be doing now?
Max leaned on Fang's shoulder and started to weep. What would he do if he looked around to see her, but she was gone? "I just wish the world was perfect. I wish we were normal people, with no purpose in the world...just living happily."
Fang tensed, wrapping his suntanned arms around Max firmly, keeping her in his arms like the existence of the world depended on it. And it did. "That would change everything."
Only God knew what he meant by 'everything.'
Max lifted her head up and kissed him softly. He tried to kiss back, but she broke apart and flew away, her beautiful wings sweeping the air with power. The rest of the Flock followed her loyally. Fang stood there for a while, waiting until they were all gone to start crying. Because that was something Fang would never, ever do.