Hi. :D I had about four shout outs for some awesome reviewers/friends/beta(s?), but since this chapter is short I didn't want to give a really long AN. It'll be in the next chapter, though. Until then, just know all your reviewers are coveted and ooh-ed and aah-ed over by me. (:

Disclaimer: I'm female.

Excerpt from last chapter: Inside was a pristine white piece of paper with the words You should've joined while you could scrawled in jagged script on it. Beneath the note was another square black box, with a timer counting down from fifteen seconds.

Goodness knows I saw it coming
Or at least I'll claim I did
But in truth I'm lost for words

-Chocolate, by Snow Patrol

Chapter 4 of 6

The Root

For a precious third of a second, it was impossible to process.

First, I froze – Fang, I'm so sorry I couldn't make it – and realized this must be it. I would die.

The all knowing "they" say that, before you die, your life passes before your eyes. And they're almost right. But it's impossible to have your life flash before your eyes. All that? Every high and low, every burning second you're alive? Squeezed into one moment?

"They" know a lot of things, but they're wrong about this.

My life didn't pass before my eyes. I had impressions of emotions, vague memories like a song almost forgotten. Brief flickers of faces across my mind's eye. Frozen moments of happier times. Angel giggling, Nudge chattering, Iggy snorting, Dylan smiling, Gazzy guffawing… Fang smirking.

Not memories. Just faces of those I loved (yes, even Dylan) and would never see again.

Regret filled me, but relief as well… Because it was finally over. Even if it wasn't the ending I would've wanted. I wouldn't be here to see the whole world die.

It took five seconds for that to happen. And then I was back in the sharp present, gazing down at the black box that would be the death of the incredible, indescribable Maximum Ride.

No.

It was a quiet little voice in the back of my head growing louder.

No. NO.

I refused to die like this and let the Flock and Fang's Gang try to save the world. They didn't deserve that on their shoulders.

Eyes blazing, I looked up and saw the door that had been behind the throne. I threw my wings out and prepared to go to hyperspeed and maybe survive –

But something made me pause. I glanced down and, with my rapture vision, saw faint – so faint I could barely see it – outlines of a trap door.

Seven seconds.

My eyes narrowed, I hurled the box as far from me as I could – pretty dang far – and was on my hands and knees feeling around the floor for the latch.

It was surprisingly easy to find.

Obviously the One Light had underestimated me – and my rapture vision – again.

A tiny bit of pressure and the trap door swung down.

Five seconds.

I jumped down the hatch, landed in a crouch and took in my surroundings in a millisecond.

White room, walls covered in computers, a screen on the wall showing the throne room, table with three chairs, a huge fridge –

"Max!" Jeb cried, startled, hands stilled on a computer keyboard. But my knife was already whizzing through the air and that was, finally, the true end of Jeb Batchelder.

He definitely wasn't a hologram.

Ella gasped, but Angel's eyes were cold.

Three seconds.

With a quick motion, I pushed the trap door up as the bomb exploded. The room shook once, computers rattled, but nothing else was affected. I stood, feet planted firmly on the ground, my blood thundering in my eyes. If I thought too much – like how Jeb (who fell out of a plane) and Angel (who was blown up by a bomb) were alive – I knew I wouldn't make it. I'd lose my concentration on what was happening. I was so close to the end of my job, I couldn't afford it.

I quickly scanned the room once more while Ella exclaimed rapturously, "Max! Are you here to join the One Light?"

My smile was sad.

"No. Sorry, Ella. Sorry, Angel."

Two more precise throws and they're both out cold, hit with the pommel of my knife and the extra one I carried in my boot. The other one was had been in the throne room still.

As I surveyed the room, the root, of the One Light cult, it slowly dawned on me.

It was over.

I know. This chapter sucks. Anticlimactic, short, stupid, terrible... But, yes, I do have a reason for using Jeb as the bad guy. The explanation is really long, so it's on my profile if you're really interested. Keep in mind that this story is six chapters long and it is hard to do a twisting, stunning story arch in a story this short. I'll probably post the next chapter on Saturday. :) While I do know the chapter sucks, can you tell me nicely? :D

Reeeeevvviiiiiiew! You know you want to. I do hope I didn't let you all down about the bad guy being who he is. Review and let me know. :)

All my non-creepy love, you awesome people you, :D

SS