PART TWO

Max's POV

"Follow me." We all took off. The single remaining gangster gazed at us. The rest of the gang had gotten scared a while back. We came to a house.

"Wait where's…" Loud shrieks filled the air. Brook's mom, and siblings hurried out.

"Max what's happening?" I gave here a scared look. Then I flew rapidly to the screaming brook, and six big hairy Erasers.

Omnipresent narrirator

Fang floated there a minute, Iggy close behind. The two twins, Started screaming with joy. Then Daniel jumped up and down happily. Emma was on a sleepover and missed the whole thing though. Fang took an air step forward then followed Max. Iggy who is still blind, Stayed there. Then he decided to land. He went inside with the family, to reassure them. Minutes went by and they returned with a bloodied Brook. The night came, and Brook was bandaged up.

"What am I going to do? I have the championship game tomorrow, and my team is depending on me."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you. You're injured, from a bear attack it looks like." "Something like that." (Max doesn't go to school, with brook, she just hangs out for soccer, street games of soccer, and mealtime, other than that she lives in the sky. She also sleeps in their oak tree.)

Max's POV

"Well, there is one thing I have to offer," said the coach.

"What is that?"

"Well, someone could sub for you." They both looked at me.

"What?"

"Would you sub in? I've seen you out there playing in the street games."

"Me? Play soccer! That would…" Then brook gave me the puppy-dog eyes.

"That would look absolutely ridiculous, but I'll do it."

Minutes later I was subbed in. I saw Brook limp her way to Fang and sit down. He started to say something then said something else. This time he was surprised though. He turned and looked at me. I looked forward and kicked the ball. Goal! I passed it to a girl named Abby. Back to me. Goal! Shoot! I was good.

Thirty or more minutes later I had won the game sixteen to zero.

"Whoo! Hoo!" I got high fives all over the place. Then I was hoisted up on the teams' shoulders.

"WHOO! HOO! LIFE IS SWEET!" Brook would've jumped for joy, but she had to keep her ankle hoisted. Fang yelled out. Then I was put back on my feet while everyone went to get they're congrats, from the coach.

"Max! Look who I found!" Iggy was holding someone on his hip. It was Nudge. "Max! Max! Hi! Max!" Now, I won't bore you with her hour of talking, but I will skip to my next uh… scare.

I was on my way back from helping Brook to her car. Nudge told me to meet her behind the school. For a while she had found a temporary family, who had always wanted a pet bird.

"Well, this is as close as she's getten," Nudge had said. While she lived there she had been treated to school. There she had been bullied and worked hard. I was now going to meet her teacher.

I turned into the doorway.

"I'm guessing the teacher is dismissed," I said, slowly raising my arms to surrender to the guns held to my face.

Fang's POV

"Nudge, I'm here. Whoa…"I started

"Come with us without a fight or your flock gets it."

"What are you doing Buzz?"

"After you turned into a freak, we searched the area where we had left you. Sure enough we found this." He waved a slip of paper in front of my face.

"How'd you get that?" Max was trying to speak clearly through some masking tape, and then a new thug ripped it off her mouth. She gaped at the floor, in a daze of the shock, and pain of MASKING TAPE. Duh, duh, duuuuuh… anyway.

" I… I was trying to say, Fang? What does that paper say?"

"Uh, I thought the Erasers, had killed you so I got revenge by wrecking their lab. I saved only the most important looking papers. This was one of them." Her mouth was retaped shortly after my explanation. She grunted and called the thug some words through the tape, that your parents would not want me sharing with you.

"Yes and because you wrecked their lab, I now have the papers, that I have called the number on, they have answered, and given us simple commands."

"What are your directions and what is your prize?" I asked as calmly and darkly as I could.

"Well, ex- leader, they have given me the gift of mind. I now have the controlled ability to cause pain inside your brain, causing the most functional parts of your body to fail."

"And your commands?"

"Bring you to them."

"Huh, I thought Max was the most sought over. What happened to her being special?" She grunted from under the tape.

"Max that was a joke."

"Mow man mou moke mat ma mime mike mis?"

"Well, who gave you these directions?" Buzz looked at his papers.

"It says here I spoke to a man named Jeb Batchelder." Max stopped testing her bonds. Her body went limp and she stared at the floor with a sad face. : (

"I am to hold you here, and wait for some animal things called Erasers. Then I am to take a ride in a chopper to meet my master."

"Jeb's your master? What did he tell you?"

"Well, it wasn't just Jeb, he had a friend. He had this really weird accent. It as like: Git Vang, vring hem to us. Do with the others as you weesh."

He pointed his gun at Max.

"And this is what I want to do."

"Wait! Don't kill her! She's Jeb's daughter!"

"Oh, she is eh?"

"Well then we bring her. And the others. Waho…" He doubled over. Behind him was a mischievous looking Angel, Gazzy behind her.

"No, I will not be controlled by a little girl!" He thrust her back with his newfound brainpower. She yelped tiredly. Gazzy went to her aid. She was seized and tied up with Nudge. Gazzy looked at me wondering what to do.

"Run." I whispered. He took off.

"My next step is gagging them. Do we have any rope?"

"No, but we got licorice."

"Ah, that will work."

Minutes later Max and the flock's hands and feet were tied up on some boards. They looked like sloths.

"What is this? Like How to be a good Indian Camp!" Max was outraged.

"What idiot used licorice for a gag?" asked Buzz, obviously wanting someone else to take the heat.

"You, dodo!" Max replied.

"Hey, Max! Surprise, surprise!"

"Really Ari? This is getting old. How long are they going to keep bringing you alive?" "Oh, I'm not alive. Dad designed a machine to talk to passed on souls."

"Wow, that's um new." Max said. I got really irritated at him, for even coming back to say "Hi Max." I punched the machine showing his image. Instantly guns were held up to Max and the flock.

As we walked to the chopper, I told the only talking person she should be quiet. Max quieted, and mumbled to herself. We loaded on the chopper and it was really cramped. Perfect.

Max's POV

I can't believe Jeb would do this. Mom trusted him. I had trust in her. Then we were both let down. Unless mom is in on it! No. I hate Jeb. You see this is why we can't be friends. What a Sikko.

"Fang what were those papers?"

"They said things about our weak points. I thought I keep those, so I could strengthen those weaknesses. Angel!" She looked at him, reading his mind. She nodded and turned her head to face me. Hey Max. Fang wants me to tell you your biggest weak point. He said if you could strengthen yours you could use it on Jeb!

Okay. I thought to her.

Some of your weaknesses are the spot between your wings, your ears, and your ankles. "Um, Okay. Obviously."

"Sir, we have an enemy aircraft behind us," reported Pete, one of the thugs. I looked back. Uh- oh.

"Gazzy get out of the way!" Too late.

Shots were fired at him and he fell. I winced. Then I prayed, he'd land somewhere… not hard. I looked at Fang. He was looking at the ground. I looked at Angel. She was crying. Nudge looked sad, but it looked as if she hadn't processed it. Iggy had understood everything. Though he is blind he still has ears. HE looked almost as sad as Angel. After Pete went back up I said, "Hey guys, I don't think Gazzy is dead."

"You don't?" asked Angel softly.

"I don't. I mean, think of some of the times I have been gone, or disappeared. Then I always find my way back,"

"But Max you're older and stronger." I tried to think of something quick.

"Yeah, but… He's a boy." Well, that was an insult to girls and bird girls everywhere.

I tried to comfort them. But it didn't seem possible. They were just too sad. About an hour later we landed in the much-feared school. And yes, Anxiety returns. Good for us! I was lifted out and placed outside. This time I wasn't in bonds. I was free to go. But, if I did something terrible could happen to the flock. While I was waiting for the rest of the flock, I heard some leaves crumple. Fang and I looked that way, half-expecting an Eraser to pop out. Instead nothing came.

"Max!" said a voice. I just glared. It was coming from Jeb. At the time I couldn't come up with anything good so I said, "I hate you soooooo much!"

"Yes, Max I know." I started to ask if mom knew….

"And no Max. Mom does not know."

"I am so going to bust you." Ugh. I sounded like Candice in Phineas and Ferb. That was a show Emma liked to watch.

"We need to bring you and Fang in for some questioning." When we walked in there were two people, one with a bad accent, and one who I hated with almost all of my heart.

"Oh! I didn't know they were coming today." Said Brigid. She sounded as if she still wanted to pretend we didn't know. Standing next to her was Ter Botch. Then in came another hated person. Anne. I stole a glance at Fang. He was all like What! Forget about hiding emotions! This is weird. I don't like it. I want to leave. NOW! This was one of his weirdest expressions yet.

Jeb led me past them, and into another room, it had a chair and a desk and another chair. I sat down in the one in front of the desk.

"Actually, I'm not going to ask oral questions. We're going to ask physical questions. Like: How long will you last in a fight?"

"Well that kind of depends. "

At the same time in Fangs room

"Today Fang you will be fighting, one of your own kind. A mutant that is."

"And Max, It is a fight to the death. I know you'll want to kill me but…"

"Fang you have to do it. Now lets head out…"

"Are you ready Maximum?"

"No."

"Oh well."

Jeb pushed me through the door. I took a look at my surroundings. It was like a dead plateau. The clouds covered the sun temporarily and out stepped my opponent. It took me a second to realize who it was. Then I knew.

"No, I won't do it. I'm backing out now."

"Sorry Max, you half too." On the other side of the arena I could see Fang trying to back out too. It only looked like he got the same reply. We were shoved forward. Too creatures stepped in the arena. They held tasers. I really didn't want this. Jeb urged me forward and the fight began. Well, it almost began. I whirled back to face Jeb. He mouthed, "Go on." So I went on. I started with an uppercut and smacked Jeb senseless. Bad move then I was tased back. One of the creatures smacked my face so hard I flew backwards into Fang. "Ow."

The flock was brought in to watch. Of what I could see was that they were making Angel send the images of us to Iggy. For once, I don't think Nudge even wanted a voice.

"Fang, I'm not going to fight you," I said.

"I don't want to either."

"Maybe, we can pretend we're fighting."

"I could totally agree to that, but it isn't realistic enough."

"I'll let you win."

"Max, we have to fight."

"You sound like you want to."

Fang's POV

No! I don't want to fight. But she couldn't know that. My Plan;

1. Lead her to think I want to fight.

2. Taunt her; get her angry; Make her want to fight.

3. Keep the battle going.

4. Dodge all attacks, and purposefully miss.

5. If the scientists don't do anything to stop it… Lose.

Yeah, real complicated, isn't it.

"Yeah, I guess I do want to fight." That almost got it.

"What!"

"Yeah, I need to fight!"

"I know, I understand." What! No! She was turning away from the plan. I kicked her in the shin. "Maybe I don't understand. What is with you?" Yes. Steps one and two are complete. I got in the sky and stuck my tongue out. Then I did one more little thing to push her over the edge.

"Can't catch me because you're a girl!" She jumped up in the sky with me and boy, she looked mad.

"That did it." She rushed past me throwing off my balance. Then she chopped me between the wings.

"Ow." Instinctively, I swirled, and kicked her in the stomach. Oops. The scientists down below were already getting what they wanted. The battle raged on.

Finally we had been fighting for three hours straight, with me taunting her every which way. She was really mad. The scientists were still down there taking notes. They did nothing to stop us. I guess they really meant it would be a fight to the death. Then I decided not to do anything. I stopped dodging, and attacking.

Max's POV

Suddenly, all Fang did was flap his wings. He didn't do anything to avoid me. Then I learned, that this was all part of his plan to try and keep everyone alive. Then a loud voice came about and I instantly knew it. He had a thick accent and it was obviously coming out of some speakers. It was the best imitation of Ter Botch by Gazzy I had ever heard.

"Thiisss is lasting too long! Vring thim down, Now!" We drifted back down.

"Scientists return to your work I vill take care of thim." The scientists all left including Jeb. Finally we were in the battlefield alone. Gazzy came out and released the flock and we all did a group hug.

Later that day we all flew to my mom's place and discussed all that had gone on lately. When we arrived in 2:00 in the morning none of us were tired. Then it hit me. "Hold up, Fang. You said you burnt it to the ground."

"Yeah, but we were in building 2."

"There are two buildings!"

"Yep." That night Fang Iggy and I took a midnight flight.

"Wow, this is nice weather. I just don't understand why Iggy came with us," I said assuming he was to far behind to hear.

"I heard that." I looked out at the sky. It was dark, but there was one spot that was slightly darker.

"Here comes trouble."

"Yeah, but it looks like easy trouble," Fang joked. The End.