Fang shivered in the silence that followed. It looked like Max's wall was completely ripped out. He watched the Erasers fly away with her, and he did nothing. He went to fly out, but was stopped by-guess who? Angel.
"You can't save her. She's already gone Fang." She said.
Her words jumbled up in his head. He thought he knew what she meant, but his brain just completely shut down. Max was…gone? Really gone? But he had just gotten her back.
Suddenly the world seemed completely empty. He could feel a chill in him that went completely down to the bone. His heart felt heavy, and he struggled to take a breath. Angel was never wrong, she wasn't even wrong about him being the first to die. Fang looked out the shattered wall, out into the trees, and saw nothing. He could only see Max emerging from them. She walked closer to him, until she was one foot from him. She reached out and placed her unnaturally cold palm to his cheek, took a step back, waved, and she vanished, as if she evaporated into the air.
Fang was suddenly aware of the flock all around him in Max's room, all of them crying, while Dr. M just crumbled against the wall. Fang knew he had to be tough, and that Max would want him to reach out to her mother, so Fang stepped over the rubble and went to Dr. Martinez and put a hand on her shoulder. She met his gaze and gripped his other hand.
"Bring her back." She whispered. Her brown eyes were almost swallowed up by the pupils, and the gaze made Fang shiver again. "You need to get her back."
Fang swallowed and shook his head. "I don't know if I can."
"I don't care what you do to get her back. Find her body and bring it back. I will not let what is left of my daughter be experimented upon and chopped up like a pepper in a quesadilla." Valencia said, not breaking her stare.
Fang sighed, shut his eyes, and swallowed the lump in his throat. What Ms. Martinez was saying, it was impossible. How could Fang possibly know where those monsters had taken Max?
And just like that, the answer literally appeared in front of him. Max appeared in front of him, right next to her mother, who had started to cry again. Max touched her mother's other shoulder, and looked at Fang.
"Don't let this happen to her Fang." She said, her voice echoing, sounding airy.
Fang looked around, but nobody else had noticed Max, although Angel was looking at him with wide eyes.
"You are the only one that can see me." She said.
I don't know where you are.
Max laughed. "You'll figure it out. You always do. But if you get to me in time, you can still save my life, like I saved yours." She said, getting serious.
Fang shook his head. How? How do you save your life?
Max just shook her head too. "You will find all the answers you need. But I have to go. I don't have much time."
Can't I have a clue?
"Consider that as your clue." She said, and then disappeared again like the first time Fang had seen her.
Fang turned and saw that the flock was looking at him, because he looked like he was staring at a wall, when he was really staring at his lost love. "Okay, this is what we need to do."
The Erasers carried Max's body through the lab and up to Mr. Chu's office. When they entered, he was standing with his back to them, drinking from a small cup of tea. "I hope you brought what I needed."
The leader nodded, and then thought up a sentence to say. "Well, we did, but…"
"I told you to bring me Maximum Ride, without any ifs, ands, or buts." He said.
"We did bring it, but it's not exactly what you wanted."
Mr. Chu spun around, and saw the limp form of the world's savior. His eyes grew wide, and he whispered, "What have you done?"
"We didn't mean to kill it." The leader said, still holding Max in his arms.
One of Chu's assistants handed him a small weapon, and Chu threw it at the leader, where it embedded itself in it's fur, and he dropped to the floor, Max falling with him. "Clean this up." Chu said. "And take it to one of the available labs, where we will make it comfortable." He commanded to the remaining Erasers.
"But sir," one of the assistants said, "it's dead."
"Fetch Jeb Batchelder on the way, and his experiment." Mr. Chu turned back to the window. "Maximum Ride will not be dead for long."
He stood like that for a long time, and finally Jeb came into the office, with his pet dog behind him.
"Mr. Chu, you wished to see me." Jeb said, trying to hide his apprehension. He knew that no good could come out of this visit.
"How is your experiment doing, doctor?" Chu asked, walking closer to the young child.
"Ari? He, uh, it has taken a while for him to gain strength, but there is no sign of mental distress." Jeb said, not daring to look at his son.
"So this experimentation is finished?" Chu pressed.
"Yes, sir, I believe Ari is ready for fighting again." Ari grinned proudly and stood up straighter to make his seven-year-old chest look bigger.
"Well," Chu said, "I believe I have another experiment ready for you." He backed away, and started to pace in the open floor. "What you have done with this boy is extraordinary. You brought him back to life, and you do have your daughter to thank for that. But unfortunately, her discoveries have to be used on her now." Chu said, looking at Jeb with sad eyes.
"Robert, if I am correct, you are saying that Max is dead." Jeb said, barely able to make the sentence come out. Ari whimpered quietly.
"Yes, Jeb, the invincible Maximum Ride is dead. It was a minor mistake my minions made while capturing her, and I need her alive to complete this plan." Chu said.
Jeb gulped. "You don't even know if it'll work."
"I do know Jeb. I have total faith in you. You will bring the girl back to life, and that will be just in time for the world to be saved." Chu said, looking out the window thoughtfully. "I have tested her, tried to push her to her limits. But through that I found out that your daughter has no limits. She will do anything for anyone she loves, dare I say she would do anything for you." Chu said. "Yes, I have faith in Maximum Ride. She will save the world."
So, pretty interesting stuff this chapter. Is Fang going insane with grief, and what side is Chu on anyway? REVIEW! ...Please.