Chapter Three

Captured By Your Demons

Peace…that was what Maximum was feeling at that very moment utter peace for the first time in her life.

No running away from Erasers. No second guessing if someone they met could be an enemy. No more being afraid to breath without the School know about it.

She was free; her Flock was free.

As always Iggy made a wonderful breakfast, even though he was blind; Angel and Gasman helped clean the house, Nudge got the mail, Dylan was fixing the air conditioner and Fang was out getting some pizza for lunch. Now Maximum sat on the porch with her wings snuggled under her like a pillow of feathers. For a second Max tensed, but then went back to the peace. Her days as a mutant kid on the run and fighting every ten minutes were finally over. Now she was a mother with a beautiful daughter and her family was together. If someone would have asked her what was one thing that she wanted she'd say nothing because she already had it and then some.

You're free Max, you never have to be trapped again,She thought to herself.

"Hello Maximum, man your old!" Maximum's eyes snapped open and she was on high alert. She looked up and there flying about ten feet above her with her short curls and the red streak in her hair looking like Max when she was fourteen was Maya, her clone!

A clone that had died in Fang's arms 18 years ago.

"Maya, how can this-? You're dead!" Max's body was tense and started to shiver in anticipation. "You died 18 years ago!" The young Max smiled and pushed her hair behind her ear. Did Max really look like that at fourteen? Now she knew why Fang was almost content of being with Maya when they were separated. Good thing he chose her – then again that was after Maya died.

'Focus Maximum!'Max jumped. It has been a long time since she had heard the Voice, looks like she was going to be having another one of those damn missions. Angel is that you?

As if reading her mind Maya2 shook her head. "No Max this isn't about you anymore. You already served your purpose. I'm really here for that little brat. What was her name again? Letsos? Man when it comes to giving names you are number one!" Was she really that cocky at that age? Mentally Max apologized to all who had to deal with that.

"My daughter isn't here! So you came here for nothing!" Max was calculating if she could throw something at her.

Maya2 shrugged. "Oh that's a bummer…well I have orders to capture the Flock also. And I about figured she wouldn't be here, I sent one of my boys out to get her." Max almost passed out. They already had someone after her daughter? Her baby?! Memories of when Angel was captured passed into her brain. One time they didn't think they would make it in time and then the second time they thought she was dead, but she was being tortured by the School and lost her sight just like Iggy lost his, but that turned out to be temporary thing. But the memories of what they did to her would never be erased…Then it clicked.

"You're from the School…" It was barely a whisper. As if she dared say the words then the nightmare would come true.

"BINGO! Maximum Ride has hit the Jack-pot! Come on folks; let's show what the former hero has won!" Maya2 snapped her fingers and then a shadow came from the side of the house. Max looked and saw her Flock captured in a net being held by human-dog like creatures with wings; Erasers.

Nudge, Angel, and the Gasman were all passed out with scratches on their faces. Iggy and Dylan tried to whip the net apart, but Max could see that they were already worn out. Someone else was in that net. With Maximum's raptor vision she could see that the form also had wings and they were dark. Fang!

"FANG! EVERYONE!" Max jumped and flew toured the net ready to beat the Erasers heads in. But she had turned her back on the one person that she should have never turned her back on. Maya2. A shock of pain pulsed through Maximum's body and a scream escaped her lips. She froze in the sky shocked and then started to drop back to earth like a bag of rocks.

This is it…this is how I'm going to meet my maker, huh?Maximum thought. And I didn't even get to say good-bye…

She continued to fall to her death. With the last thing of her seeing was her dear Flock trapped in a net yelling her name. So much for being a damn hero...