Chapter 6: Shock
Max's POV
I reached backwards to touch my back, terrified of what I would feel or not feel. I twisted my body to allow my fingers to reach further and…
I felt my wings still behind me, and almost broke down again in relief. Then I cried out in pain as my fingers brushed torn flesh. "They didn't finish," I realized. I didn't know whether to feel relieved or crushed by this news. My wings were nearly all the way severed from my back so they were useless to fly with. "There is a slim chance over them healing, and the chance I'll be able to fly again is even less likely," I thought despairingly.
I heard footsteps approaching and tensed, waiting for them to come get me. "I'm not holding back now. I'm breaking out today because if I wait much longer, I'm not getting out of this place alive," I decided. I prepared myself to fight my approaching captors, but could only freeze in shock as the person I despised rounded the corner.
Jeb walked toward me slowly, giving me a small hopeful smile that disappeared when I spat at him. "Have you come to torture me?" I snarled. He opened him mouth to reply, but I interrupted him," Are you here to finish removing my wings so I can't escape you?" His eyes widened and he managed to choke out," They began to what?" I turned slightly to show him my mangled wings, too repulsed by him to answer. He said," I am so sorry Maximum. I never wanted them to harm you my child." I twisted back around and faced him. "I hate you Jeb, and I will never forgive you for betraying my trust time and time again. I am not your daughter, and I never will be." Jeb stood up and left, throwing me one last pleading glance. I returned it with a glare that could freeze an ocean.
Later on, I heard new footsteps heading toward me and identified them as erasers because they were heavy and clumsy. When the erasers got to my cage, I played weak and scooted away whimpering. They let out a few short barks of laughter and roughly grabbed my arms. They pulled me out, making me gasp in pain as my wings bumped the sides of the cage door. I stumbled forward as they pushed and pulled me along the winding hallways. They led me outside, to my surprise, to an open area where more erasers stood waiting. They began to morph in anticipation. I realized they scientists could test my fighting skills outside now that I couldn't fly away. I kept up the weak act, even letting a few tears escape my eyes. "Keep up the pathetic act, barely fight back, and wait for the right moment," I reminded myself. The erasers advanced, thinking it would be an easy victory; they were in for a shock.
Fang's POV
"We are coming for you Max," I promised.
We flew low over the school, looking for windows or doors. The plan was that Iggy, Angel, and Nudge would sneak in through a window or door and go to the security room to look through cameras at all the rooms. Gazzy and I planned to break in as far away as possible and create a distraction. We would fight in hand to hand combat for awhile, but we planned to release the secret weapon when it was needed. Gazzy had been fed fifteen bean and beef burritos…Gazzy and I had gas masks, but the erasers wouldn't know what hit them. The plan should have worked, but plans never work right.
As we flew above the school, I heard a scream that almost made me fall out of the sky. "Max!" I thought. The others heard it too and were scanning below us. To my surprise I spotted Max, already outside, but surrounded by erasers. I let out a quick yell," There!" The flock followed me as we made a swift descent into the clearing where Max was. My legs were burning as I sprinted toward her, but I hardly noticed.
The erasers were enjoying themselves and didn't even notice me until I came up behind two and bashed their heads together. Max was throwing weak punches and her aim was way off so the erasers were received an unpleasant surprise when I began raining hard, well placed punches left and right. Max whipped around with a steely glare. I almost laughed as her face changed from shocked to relieved to annoyed to determined. I heard the others land behind me and saw Max smile when she saw them safe. I saw the erasers returning, now mad that they actually had a challenge. I turned to Max and said," Go back by Iggy to have him treat your wounds." "Heck no!" she spat out. "I was playing weak to escape so now it's payback time." I inwardly smiled as my heart swelled at her determined and fierce look. "Let's go kick some furry butt!" Max shouted with a fist pump, and we all swung around toward the advancing erasers.