I still don't know how it happened but we all ended up in the massive white mansion, drinking lemonade and sitting on white couches in a big white room. Man, these vampires loved the colour white, eh? The Cullen's weren't as bad as I had thought they were. Sure, they were vampires but they acted normal. Well, besides moving at, nearly, the speed of light, having impossible physical strength and other super natural powers, they were pretty cool.
That didn't mean I put my guard down half a millimetre though.
All the time when we were here I had that nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that was telling me to get my backside outta here. I couldn't, though. I had to be here because I had to save the world. I'm Maximum Ride. It's my job. Well, nearly, seeming how nobody payed me. Although, the Maximum Ride bankcard is enough to last a lifetime. Or two. Hmm. Being a mutant freak with wings, saving the world and training with vampires pays off if you get a bankcard like mine. Note the sarcasm, people.
"So you want to train with us?" Emmett asked. "That's so awesome."
"It depends," I snapped at him. I would not use the word awesome. I'd go with something more along the lines of, say, worst nightmare.
"On what?" Esme asked.
"On wether or not I trust you enough," I said bluntly. They all looked at me.
"Why can't you trust, Max?" Esme asked.
"Because your freaking vampires. There are five people who I trust and that sure as hell aint you," I said.
"Your 'Flock'," Rosalie said. I already decided I hated her guts. Too uptight and pretty-girl-ish. Bitchy.
"Darn right. When you've been through what I've been through, I'll let you judge wether or not you think I'm 'untrusting'," I snapped at her. These people had no idea what I'd gone through. Living in dog crates, being injected with all types of substances that left you as weak and sick as a puppy for months afterwards, being held captive in an isolation tank, fighting Omega, the betrayal I've gone through with Jeb, dumpster diving for dinner, sleeping in state parks, being half dead and still having to fight for your life against Erasers and Fly-Boys, the pain from my brain attacks. They had no idea.
"Stop. Please," Edward begged. "If she knew . . ." he murmured.
"Knew what, Edward? I might know if these kids," she spat the word, "told us their story."
"Get out of my head," I snarled at Edward.
"I can't control it. I have no choice, I'm not like Angel – I can't stop hearing. I'm sorry," he added. "For all that's happened to you, as well."
Well. Guess what? I didn't need his sympathy. I snorted.
Tell them, Maximum. Sooner is better than later, the Voice said.
"Never is better," I said.
Max, you'll be training with them for months, maybe more. They need to know who you are.
"All they need to know is that I'm the Maximum Ride," I said.
"What?" Carlisle said.
"She's talking to the Voice in her head," Iggy explained cheerfully. I'd kick him for that later. Wait. Oh. I was talking out loud. My bad. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.
They need to know the person behind the name. They need to know who makes you Maximum Ride, the Voice said.
Right, I thought. So I'm going to tell another group of mythical creatures our secrets again. This happened yesterday, Voice. Getting old now.
Both the vampires and the werewolves have a role to play in your journey to save the world. They both need to know your story to help you. You need the vampires' skills and the wolves' secrets, Max. You can't do it without them, the Voice said.
"Right. The Voice has spoken. You get to know," I said. I sighed again and began our tale for the second time in two days. This was getting sad. And dangerous. The more people – werewolves, vampires, whatever – knew about us the more they could use it against us. We didn't need that.
"Don't try to play down your fight with Omega," Nudge said when I tried – unsuccessfully – to skim over that part. "It was amazing." I tried to skim over it again so she snapped, "I'll tell them," and told it again. The way she told the story made me sound like Wonder-Woman. She started getting the story confused so I had to take over again. The rest of the Flock had wandered off to go see the house with Renesme – Nessie – and Jacob. I was the only one sitting there in the lounge room with the vampires when I finished our story.
"I'd love to get an X-Ray of your body and wings, Max. Especially where your wings join your shoulder blades. I wonder if you blood cells have-" Carlisle said but I had already cut him off with a sharp, "No way. No. No. No." His face fell and I felt bad for snapping at him. Weird, huh? Well, I couldn't help what I felt so I said, "You just heard what happened to us. I can't allow it. I'd say I'm sorry but I'm not. I have to keep the Flock safe."
"I understand. I shouldn't have asked it of you. Sometimes the doctor in me gets the better of me," he said apologetically.
"Right. Well, out with it," I said.
"Out with what, dear?" Esme asked.
"Your story."
"No way are we telling them! Carlisle, we are sworn to secrecy, surely you know that and they could tell anyone and then the Volturri –" Rosalie said.
"We know, Rose," Edward snapped. "You think they'd tell the Volturri? Imagine what the Volturri would do if they found out about them? You think they'd do that?"
"Edward, the risk-'' Rosalie began again.
"Minimal. I've seen their minds, Rosalie. I know their personalities. They're not like that. They wouldn't expose us or involve themselves with the Volturri," Edward said.
Rosalie started to get worked up but I cut her off, asking, "Volturri?"
"The rulers of our world," Carlisle began. "Those who keep us in line, make the rules, carry out punishments."
"Right. Now, I'm sure they'd be somewhere in your story. Spill," I said sweetly. I looked at Rosalie and narrowed my eyes dangerously. "Fairs fair. You know ours, we know yours," I said looking at Carlisle. He sighed.
"Carlisle, the risk. Do you want to get us all killed because of these kids?" Rosalie demanded.
"That's enough, Rose. Max's right. Fairs fair. And besides, if we are to train them for their mission, they need to know our stories. Need to know to trust us," Carlisle said. "Max. I'll tell you but you must never mention this to an outsider or that we exist to any human or immortal. If they found out we told you, the Volturri wouldn't blink before killing us all."
Rosalie stood up and stormed out. "Don't you dare mention my history. That's mine to give and it's personal."
"Flock," I called out. They appeared with Jacob and Nessie. "It's story time."
So now I knew the vampires story. I already knew some of it from the wolves but now I had the full story. All apart from Rosalie's story. Angel said she'd find out for us though.
And wholly cow. These guys were almost on our scale for a trauma filled life. Almost being the operative word.
The Flock and I were now back at the hotel. The vampires had offered to let us stay with them but I had refused. No way in hell I would stay in a house filled of vampires. Seriously, I slept badly – never to deeply in case something unknown decided to pop in and give us an unwanted surprise – but sleeping in a house full of vampires guaranteed no sleep at all. Not a wink.
Fang, I could say, was backing me all the way with this decision to stay at the hotel. The others were too. Angel was the only one who didn't want to, saying she wanted to stay with the vampire mind reader. Well, they share one ability and howdy dowdy, their best friends. They just put aside the fact that he was a creature whose nature said he would easily eat her for breakfast. Or, more accurately, drink her for breakfast. Majorly gross.
"I would have shot you if you'd agreed to that," a cool voice whispered in my ear. I jumped three feet in the air. Heck, Fang could move silently. That was the only clue I got when he pulled his sneak-up-on-Max-when-I'm-invisible-and-scare-her-to-death prank.
"Fang would you stop doing that!" I snapped at him quietly. I knew that he knew that I wasn't really mad at him. I just needed a minute to calm down. Why did he always do this to me? Make me get jitters whenever he was near me? Or looked at me for that matter?
He smirked, popping, literally, out of thin air in front of the hotel couch that I was sitting on. "Why not? It's fun," he whispered. It was nearly midnight and everyone else was asleep.
"For you maybe," I whispered to him as he sat down on the couch and pulled me against him. I didn't try to stop him. "I bet you think it's highly amusing."
"Yes. Very funny." He whispered. We were silent for a moment then he asked, "What thoughts are keeping you awake this time?"
I sighed. He knew me so well. "What we learnt today. These Volturri people just seem like trouble. I'm wondering what the Voice's motives are for us going to train with the vampires. Why learn their fighting style?" I whispered and leant back with my head against his muscled chest. I couldn't ever have said that to anyone else in the Flock. Fang was my right wing man.
"I don't know Max. I've been thinking too. Maybe it's because we need to learn how vampires fight so we can learn how to defeat them. Maybe these Italian vampires are who we need to take down next. Maybe that's how we will save the world."
"But that doesn't make sense. They're meant to be the law keepers. Keep the strays in line. It's because of them we don't have a good old human bloodbath every day from vampires," I whispered back, frowning. I could see his point but it didn't add up.
He shrugged. "I don't know, Max. They seemed pretty out of line when it came to Nessie."
"That's because of the other vampire babies," I sighed.
He looked at my face and blinked. "Are you defending vampires?" he asked.
I scowled. "No! I'm just trying to figure this out." I sighed. "It's giving me a migraine."
He kissed my forehead. "I'll kiss it better. Has the Voice said anything else of importance lately?" I was distracted by the kisses he was placing all over my face but I finally managed to answer his question. "No, nothing. Hasn't spoken up in agers."
"Max?" he asked. "Where do you think all the M-Geeks and everything are?"
"I don't know. It's making me uneasy. Last time this happened with Erasers and then we got Flyboys. I can't help but think they're making a new and improved Flock-Hunting creature. One worse than M-Geeks."
He was silent for a couple of minutes, thinking. How very un-Fang like. Haha. "Guess we wait and find out," he said with a shrug. He started to rub circles on my back between my wings as the minutes ticked by in silence. I felt myself getting drowsy.
"You're making me sleepy," I accused him and yawned. "Night."
He chuckled softly. "Night Max. Love you," he whispered, kissed my temple and got up to go to his bed to sleep. I stayed there for a moment, stunned, before getting up and going to my own bed.
I needed a good nights sleep. We started training tomorrow. God knows this would be hard.
We went to a small café for breakfast the next morning. After eating our fill we set off for the Cullen's. Our training had begun.
"Okay, well, we'll see what you can do then work from there," Emmett said. He seemed to be the most into this training gig. I couldn't say that I was happy with that cause lets face it – he was a mountain of muscle, seriously and could crush us to a pulp in two seconds – and that'd just as an accident. I had just found out he was super strong. Stronger then the other vampires. Exactly what I needed.
"Nudge and I will go first," Angel announced happily. She glanced over at Edward who was sitting on the 'side lines' with the other vampires, Jacob and his little pack, watching, and smiled at him. He grinned back. I gritted my teeth. Ever since we had landed here this morning they had been best buds. Bella, who can protect others minds from mind abilities as well as her own, had put her shields down. Angel could now read and send thoughts to all of the vamps except Bella. Bella couldn't stop protecting her mind so Angel couldn't pick anything up from her. It made me wary – well, more wary.
"Be careful guys. Don't kill each other," I called out to them.
"Don't use your powers," Emmett said. "Just your fighting skills."
Nudge threw herself at Angel, aiming to kick her in the stomach. Angel spun and grabbed her leg. Nudge went to punch Angel and Angel blocked, letting go of her leg. Angel pounced in and swung at Nudge who ducked then swung her legs out and knocked Angel off her feet. Angel, lying on her back on the damp ground, slammed both her feet into Nudge's stomach and jumped up. Nudge took two seconds to recover then she was in again. They kept exchanging blows, punches and kicks.
I couldn't help but feel a little proud. Those were my mutant bird kid flock members. Practically family.
I looked over at the spectators. They were all watching intently. Jacob, Emmett, Edward and Jasper kept moving as if they were the ones in the fight. Seth and Leah, Jacob's pack, were both watching with wide, awed eyes. Leah sat as far away from the vampires as possible
Dang right, I thought proudly. They should be awed. Nudge and Angel moved as quick as lightning. Just watching them, I saw how skilful they were. It wasn't the first time I'd seen them fight but, usually, being under attack myself made it a wee bit difficult to watch and admire them while they fought. Being a mutant bird kid with wings was hard sometimes. I sighed.
"That's enough," Emmett called out. "Unless you have something else to show?"
"No, not without using our powers," Angel sang.
"You're very good," Emmett said as Angel and Nudge walked over to the 'side line' and plonked down on the grass. "Who's next?"
"Ig, Gazzy, it's your turn," I said and they jumped up, already grinning like the madmen they are.
"Iggy fights?" Seth asked. "Even though he can't see?"
"Of course I do," Iggy snapped. "How else do you think I've stayed alive for this long?"
Seth mumbled an apology but Iggy ignored it, already focusing on Gazzy. They fought each other for a good ten minutes before Emmett called a stop. "That was awesome, dude," Jacob said as they sat down.
"You wait till you see Max and Fang," Gazzy said. "They rock the house."
I smiled and stood up. A glance at Fang told me he thought it was funny to. His mouth moved up half a centimetre – the ultimate show of emotion from Mr. Emotionless.
"Don't break me, Max," he said as he cracked his neck. I smiled at him. "You either. I prefer my body whole," I said.
Don't hold back at all, Max. Picture Fang as an Eraser, the Voice said.
No way! I'd kill him then, I thought.
Fight at your best, Max. It'll make a whole lot of difference. Impress them. Although they haven't said anything and haven't thought it because of the mind readers, the werewolves are here to gauge your skills and report back to the La Push elders. Show them something good, Max, the Voice said.
I spun and glared at Jacob, Seth and Leah. They looked back at me surprised. "Right. I'll give them something to report," I said, still staring. I didn't like being watched or tested. Seth blushed, Jacob looked stunned and Leah looked angry. "How did she know? We didn't say or think anything," I heard her mutter.
"Kay, let's go, Fang," I said and got into a fighting stance. He moved forward, quicker than any of the others and threw a punch at my face. I knew he was faking it so I was prepared when his left hand came up to punch me in the stomach. I blocked it with a kick then spun around, carrying the momentum and hit his side with my leg. I pulled my right hand up to punch him but he blocked it and snapped a kick of his own. I blocked it and punched his stomach before spinning around to kick him. He caught my leg and pushed it aside. I caught my balance quick enough to stop his next punch and kick. I wasn't quick enough, though, to stop the kick from his other leg. He hit me on my left side and I saw stars for a second. I had forgotten how strong he was.
But I wouldn't let a boy beat me.
I spun around and hit him with a good old roundhouse kick. He punched me and I punched him back. I kicked him at the same time as I punched. He knocked me off my feet, like Nudge had done to Angel. Angel had only stopped Nudge's attack for a second, though, when she kicked Nudge back. When I kicked back, it was with all my force, and heck, it was a kick that would have broken a normal man's ribs. Fang's ribs didn't break, thankfully, but he did go flying backwards. I jumped to my feet and threw a punch at him. He blocked it and threw a punch and a kick at me. I stopped the kick but received a punch to my face. Back and forth it went, for what seemed like hours.
"You guy's done?" Emmett called out to me, breaking me out of my trance of 'block, block, punch, kick, block, punch, punch, kick, block'. That trance was an automatic thing that happened to me whenever I was in a fight. I stepped back from Fang. "Yeah. You guys seen enough?"
"Yes. Definitely," Carlisle said as he walked forwards. "You are both exceptional fighters. But I bet you were holding back, some, to save from hurting each other too much. Am I correct?" he asked.
"Yeah. I didn't wantto kill him," I said. Fang shot me a rare smile, successfully turning my insides to cream cheese.
"Thanks for not breaking me, Max," he whispered in my ear. I smiled at him and pecked him on his lips.
"So, who's the best fighter here?" Jasper asked.
"Probably Max," Fang said. "She's wicked in battle. You just got a demo. A taste tester."
"Fang's as good as me," I said quickly as everyone turned to face me. I shot him the bird.
"Yeah, but Max, you haven't seen yourself fighting when you verse M-Geeks or Erasers or Flyboys," Nudge said.
"Yeah, Max. It's different from when you fight with Fang," Gazzy said. "Your more aggressive and ready to really kill someone when its one of Them."
"That's 'cause she loovveeesss Fang," Iggy crowed. "She loves him this much," he said and held out his hands in a demonstration.
I had a sudden flash back of when I was delirious, months ago, getting my chip taken out by Doctor Martinez. I had done exactly that. But only Fang, Mom, and Ella were there. So that meant . . .
I rounded on Fang. "You told them about that," I shrieked at him while Iggy, Gazzy and the girls burst out laughing. He shrugged and looked guilty. I stared at him and he winced. "Sorry Max," he muttered.
"You do know I was delirious then, right, Iggy?" I said. "So it doesn't really count."
He shrugged and stopped laughing. "So does that mean you don't looovveeee him?" he asked and I shrieked again.
"You know I do. Now, stop it. This conversation is over," I yelled and stomped off, leaving them all laughing behind me. I so didn't want to discuss that with Iggy.
"Lunch is ready," Esme called out. We all went inside for some lunch. Iggy and Gazzy were still laughing.
"Oh, come off it, guys. It wasn't that funny," I hissed at them when we were sitting at the Cullen's massive dining table.
"Oh, it was," Gazzy choked out. "We got you to admit that you loved Fang." He and Iggy started laughing even harder and they were lucky that Esme came out with Spaghetti Bowl right then because I would've happily killed them.