MAX 2: THE SEARCH FOR HIM!

3. Tony

It's 7:30 pm and we pulled into a hotel for the night. While Jeb is checking in I'm sitting down on the couch thinking about whether or not that was the real Fang, a clone or my imagination. Either way it hurt to see him fly off.

The couch dips as new weight is added. I look up to find a nice looking guy sitting there looking at me. Oh and by nice looking I mean a step down from Fang.

"Hello." The guy said. He seem to be around my age. Looked like Sam from Virginia.

"Yo." I said back wiping the new tears in my eyes from the memory of Virginia.

"Are you okay?"

"What? Oh yeah. Just remembering something."

"What were you remembering. If you don't mind my asking."

"A friend. I kind of don-"

"Here you go Max." Jeb said walking over interrupting me and giving me my room key. For once I'm glad Jeb came over and interrupted. Jeb looked to the guy next to me, "Hello Tony."

"Yo Jebster." I laughed at that. Laughing for the first time since he left.

"I see you met Maximum."

"Yup."

"Wait you know him Jeb?" I asked.

"Yes Max. He is actually one of the people who were going to get. There are about 2 or 3 others."

"So you're the famous Maximum Ride. I'm Anthony. Anthony Brown." He said smiling at me.

"I assume you like being called Tony though right?"

"I go by both. Choose one and I'll go with it. I heard about your little guy-friend who left." I started tearing up at that. He was more than a "guy-friend", " Don't worry Maximum you'll find him. I'm gonna help you."

I nodded. "Thanks." I looked him strait in the eye, "FYI I have some rules people have to follow while around me. Even Jebie here has to follow them and he's my dad" I put some venom in my voice when I said the last word.

"Okay then. I'll be happy to follow them and hear what they are."

"First off my name is Max not Maximum. Second, I don't take orders from ANYONE! Third, I'm the leader you listen to me. Fourth," I turned to Jeb and took his key switching it with the one he gave me, "I always get the double." I stood up and went to the room Jeb was going to be in. It was a double sweet with blue bedding and walls. The carpet was... Black. Yippie.

I went into the shower and washed up before heading back out into the room already in my pajamas. Guess who was there. Tony.

"Hey." I sat down on the bed and flopped back.

"Hey." He walked over and sat next to me. I tensed.

"Um. How'd you get in here?"

"Jeb had an extra key to the rooms. He let me in. I wanted to talk to you." Oh boy! That's practically what Fang said before he kissed me one time.

"About?"

"This guy. Who was he? What was his name? Why did he run away? Is he like you? What were your feelings to him? What was your relationship to him?" He just keep rattling off questions to me before I could say anything.

"Um. He was my best friend. We grew up together. His name is Fang. He said he was leaving to protect me and the others. He said not to follow him but again if you remember rule number two you know how I dealt with that. If you mean like me with the genetic stuff then yes he is genetically enhanced as well. If you mean like me personality wise, then no! He's very quite, he never shows much emotion. I loved him more than anything. We were an item." I looked down at the ring on my right hand. The ring that Fang gave me.

"He gave you that?" Tony's gaze followed mine.

"Yes. For our 15th birthday."

"You said 'he said he was leaving to protect you and the others.' Who are the 'others'?

"Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, Angel and Total, he's a married dog. They are the other ones in my flock. They're back at home." The was no way I was mentioning Dylan.

"Why aren't they here with you."

"This is something I need to do alone as in with out them. I left a note and Angel told me good luck."

" They saw you before you left?"

"No. Angel can read minds. But she can also put her own thoughts in other's minds."

" Oh. Are there other powers among you guys? Sorry for asking so many questions."

"Don't be sorry. I'll be asking the questions soon. And yeah there are other powers among us. Angel, she hit the jackpot. She can read minds and put thoughts in them like I said. She can also talk to fish, control minds and breath under water. Angel, Fang and I we're the only ones who can breath under water. She can also shape-shift"

"Wow."

"Yeah. Almost everyone of us has more than one power. Iggy is blind so he has some cool gifts I think and ironically enough he's the best cook among the 6 of us. Anyway, he can feel colors, tell us apart from touching our skin. He can also see if you stand in front of something white. He and Gazzy make bombs a lot. Nudge, she can move metal, she really only has that gift. She talks a lot. Gazzy, he um can kinda make a stink cloud hence the name Gazzy short for and can mimic any sound voice or noise. Fang he can turn invisible. That the only gift I can think of for him other than the ability to breath under water. Total's our dog who can fly and talk. We saved him in New York City."

"Wow. The fact that you can remember all that and who the gifts belong to surprises me. What are your gifts?"

"I can fly at the speed of light almost. Also I can breath under water. I also have a voice in my head."

"Cool. I guess I let you go to sleep." Tony started to stand up but I pulled him back down.

"Yeah, no. You got to question me now it's my turn."

" Um okay?"

"Where are you from? Are you genetically enhanced? How old are you?"

"I'm from California. My mom works for the School so yeah I'm genetically enhanced. I'm about 16."

"How are you genetically enhanced?"

"I'm about 96% human, 2% leopard, 2% hawk. You? I never asked."

"98% Human, 2% avain."

"Cool we're kind of a like."

"Yeah." Tony was leaning in. I knew there was something more. Crap I was laying down on the bed I can't lean away!

"Max?" Tony pulled away when Jeb walked in.

"Yeah Jeb?" I said trying to stay calm.

"Um my cell phone rung. It's for you."

" 'Kay" I held my hand out for the cell. Jeb placed it in my hand walked out with Tony. "Hello?"

"Yo Max. What's up?"