Thanks again to all my reviewers and here is the next chapter.

Maximum Ride 6 That Forsaken Day

(Flashback 10 years, Angel Pov)

We leapt into fight mode as the door was busted down and 20 M-Geeks stormed in. "Find the main power source," Max shouted as she kicked the legs out from under two M-Geeks at the same time. Iggy grabbed my hand and we fought our way through the room and out into the hallway. Once there we ran and ran. Iggy used his hearing to trace the sound of the machines working while I kept the scientists at bay by controlling their thoughts.

After what felt like hours of running down plain white halls which were bathed in red lights from flaring sirens we came to a control room which was thankfully unlocked. Once inside Iggy installed one of his bigger bombs and we high tailed it out. When we were almost back to where we'd left the Flock there was a loud BOOM! Iggy threw himself over me as the floor began to shake and ceiling tiles rained down on us.

A metallic screeching filled the air hurting my ears. Iggy was hunched over in pain but he pulled me to my feet and we stumbled back towards the Flock. When we arrived at the room I saw that most of the M-Geeks had been destroyed and those who hadn't were frozen and sparking where they stood. It had worked! I had the briefest moment to bask in how well the plan was working before I took in the rest of the scene.

Gazzy was clutching his arm which looked to have been broken and he was covered in scrapes and bruises. Nudge was bent double and coughing, clutching her stomach like her ribs were hurting. Fang was throwing debris aside with frantic eyes and that's when I realized why. Where was Max?

Then I heard a shout and turned to see Max hauling herself out from under about five M-Geeks. Two of which were frozen and the others who were missing several limbs. "Max," Fang shouted, running to her side and helping her up. I noticed that his leg was bleeding but he seemed not to notice. He was too relieved to see she was okay.

"Is everyone okay," Max shouted as she came upright? Everyone mumbled a yes and she let out a shaky breath. Her right arm hung uselessly at her side and she had blood dripping down her face and legs. Other than her arm she looked fine. "Okay let's find Chu and get the heck out of here before those mutants show up," Max said, turning to me. I gulped reading her mind. Angel, can you hear his thoughts? "Give me a sec.," I told her. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples.

In the next second my eyes shot open and I turned towards the door in surprise. A moment later several lizard and bear like things rushed into the room surrounding us in a tight circle. Max shoved me behind her beside Nudge while Fang did the same to Gazzy. Iggy stood beside Max and Fang as they made a protective triangle around us younger kids. Max was facing the door and I looked back towards it as she let out a low snarl and tensed.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the red sirens, was Mr. Chu, the Director Marian Janessan, ter Borchet and Brigid. I could hear the Flock's thoughts of shock and anger as they realized what was going on. Brigid had betrayed us. She told Chu we were coming. And now Chu had the Director and Borchet working with him. That would explain the new mutants.

"So what do we owe the pleasure Maximum Ride," Chu sneered? He laughed at his non-joke. The Director sneered and ter Borchet grinned evilly. Brigid smiled coldly. "Got my invitation this time Chuey," Max snarled back. She looked pretty scary and I realized I'd never seen her so mad. But on the inside her mind was calculating. She was trying to find a way out of this. A way that all of us would make it out.

I looked behind me through Fang and Iggy's arms and saw the mutants glaring at us with mouths open wide and drool dripping down. Their eyes were bright red and their brows were furrowed in anticipation. I shied away from their thoughts which were full of blood lust. They wanted to kill us. They really wanted to kill us. They were just waiting for the order.

"You ignorant girl," Mr. Chu spat! "You have sealed not only your own fate but the fate of your Flock as well by crossing me! You've cost me everything with your work on global warming and that scum at the CSM. What fools you all are to think you could stop what years upon years of science has done! You never had a chance!"

"There's always a chance," Max shouted back and her voice was full of venom.

"Listen you freak," Janessan said, coming forward and standing almost nose to nose with Max only Max was much taller. Max stood straighter and glared down at the Director who looked almost like an older version of Max. A hateful, witch with a capital B who had absolutely no morals older version of Max that is.

"It is over for you! There's nothing more! You are going to die in this room and there's nothing you can do. We are going to kill you and your family. In fact," she said with a sardonic grin. "We'll kill your family first and make you watch." I half expected Max to toss her through the wall and was surprised when her eyes lit up suddenly. I tried to read her mind but was surprised to find I couldn't.

"Anybody who touches my family dies," she said calmly. Janessan's eyes widened and she laughed. She stepped back still laughing and ter Borchet raised his hand dismissively. "I ave' no patience vith' dem. Kill them all vnow."

"Not on my watch Snickuhs bar," Max snarled. She whipped out her wings, startling the mutants who had started forward momentarily, and whirled around towards Iggy. I thought she was going to leap towards the window but instead she grabbed something hanging around Iggy's waist and threw it towards Chu, Janessan and Borchet who were watching in shock. Brigid had backed towards the door.

BOOM! I grabbed my ears as a bomb went off flinging me backwards and making the whole building shake. I opened my eyes but couldn't see there was so much dust in the air. I coughed but rough hands grabbed me and pulled me up. I looked up into Iggy's blind eyes as he coughed and turned to help Nudge up though Gazzy beat him to it. A dark shadow appeared from off the ground and then Fang was coughing beside us.

I looked around for Max and saw that she'd been blown all the way across the room. She was lying under the window but as I watched she struggled to her feet. "Come on," she yelled, pointing to a gap in the wall with her good arm. We all hobbled towards it but as I looked out into the night sky I heard shouts from behind us. I turned to see Brigid emerging from the dust cloud. She was clutching her leg which was bleeding but her eyes were on fire as she glared at us.

Then something in her eyes changed as she raised a shiny silver gun and pointed it straight at us. She smiled and in her mind I could tell she didn't care which one of us she shot so long as she did. Suddenly her gun shifted and I found myself in its sights. My breath caught in my throat. I couldn't move, couldn't speak. Everything froze at that instant as I watched her finger move towards the trigger.

The gun went off with a bang and I flinched, waiting for the burning, teeth gnashing pain of the bullet breaking through my body. But it never came. I opened my eyes, which I realized had been closed, and saw Max standing in front of me. She was clutching her stomach and a moan escaped her lips. I cried out in shock and so did everyone else except Fang who seemed frozen.

I caught movement and looked up to see Brigid's pale face staring impassively at Max. She raised the gun again and pointed it at Gazzy. Gazzy let out a cry of fright but as the gun went off a second time Max shoved Gazzy away and cried out as another bullet pierced her body. Shock froze me in place as blood started pouring from Max's leg. She staggered but didn't fall down.

Instead she dove for Nudge and Iggy knocking both of them to the ground as two bullets were shot in rapid fire straight at them. More blood gushed from Max as the two bullets pierced her back. Max cried out in pain and hunched over but still she wouldn't go down. I watched in shock as she raised her head and glared at Brigid who was watching her with disbelieving eyes.

Brigid raised the gun again, her arm shaking from shock and the fact that the building was quaking so hard like it was about to collapse, and aimed it straight at Fang. Fang's eyes didn't even register this though. They were glued instead to Max whose blood now coated the dusty white floor tiles.

Brigid chuckled maniacally and her finger moved toward the trigger. In slow motion I watched Max turn and dive toward Fang. I watched as Brigid's finger made it to the trigger and pulled it. I listened to the bang of the gun going off. I watched as Max slammed into Fang at the same instant. I listened as they fell to the ground. I watched as they rolled sideways and Fang held Max close. I listened to Brigid's high pitched laughing and watched as she turned to run. I watched as a support beam fell and caught her on the head. I watched as she fell to the ground and didn't move anymore.

"Angel U and A!" I turned and saw Gazzy running at me. He grabbed my hand and I found I could move once again. We launched ourselves out the gap that had been blown into the wall. I felt myself falling and falling downward. I flung my wings out and jerked upwards painfully. Gazzy did the same and still holding my hand we flew away from the building.

As I looked down I saw thousands of M-Geeks littering the desert. Many were sparking while others had exploded. As I watched one of them exploded setting off a chain reaction. One by one all the M-Geeks blew up in metallic bursts of flame. It looked like giant popcorn going off.

"Here come the others," Gazzy shouted and I turned to see Nudge, Iggy and Fang flying after us. Max was latched in Fang's arms. Behind them the building began crumbling to the ground. Dust billowed like a mushroom cloud in the air until I couldn't see the HQ, or what was left of it, anymore. I turned back around quickly not trusting myself to keep flying if I continued to look at Max who was laying limply in Fang's arms.

"Land now," Iggy shouted but I could hear his voice wavering. I angled downward and skidded to a stop among several blown up M-Geeks. Their bodies were twitching and sparking. Small fires dotted the ground and pieces of melted metal littered the sand.

I regained my balance and turned to see the others landing. Gazzy ran up to me and crushed me in a deep hug. I hugged him back and sobbed into his shoulder. He patted my hair but pulled away as Nudge landed followed quickly by Iggy and then Fang. As soon as Fang's feet touched the ground he sank to his knees and laid Max gently on the ground. I rushed over with Nudge and Gazzy on my heels. Iggy was already crouched beside her.

I fell to my knees beside Max and grabbed her hand which seemed paler than usual. Nudge ran to her other side and took up her other hand. Iggy knelt beside Nudge and Gazzy knelt beside me. Fang had Max's head in his lap and was stroking her hair.

I felt hot tears rolling down my face and sobs racked my body. I squeezed Max's hand and faintly I felt her squeeze back. Her eyes were closed but slowly they opened. She glanced at all of us and I saw pain cross her face. "Are you all okay," she croaked? Her voice was hoarse and as she spoke blood slipped out of her mouth and slid down her chin. Fang wiped it away with shaking hands. His eyes were full of tears and for once emotion riddled every part of his face.

"Yeah Max, we're okay," Nudge said between gasps. I nodded vigorously sending tears cascading down several of which landed on Max. She didn't seem to notice though. She closed her eyes and heaved a heavy breath. "Good," was all she managed after a moment. I swallowed hard and looked at the others.

Gazzy's blue eyes were tinged with red and tears clouded his face. Iggy's blind eyes were full of tears and he was shaking as he clutched Max's belt loop. Nudge was shaking so much that her hand was making Max's arm vibrate where she was holding it. Fang's eyes were full of tears and he was sobbing. I'd never once seen Fang cry. Not even when Ari cut him open on the beach. But here he was crying his eyes out as his soulmate bled to death on the desert sand.

I looked back down into Max's face and saw that she was watching each of us. After a moment she sucked in a deep breath and began to speak. "I love each of you guys so much. There's never been a prouder leader, sister, mother or girlfriend," she said, glancing up at Fang. "Angel, you're my little girl. I'll always love you even though you get on my nerves sometimes and can act totally un-angel like." She squeezed my hand and gave a small cough. More tears fell down my face but I managed to say, "I love you to Max. You're the best."

"Gazzy, you've always been my little trooper. You've always held your own even though you're only eight. You've always stood tall and strong. You're my little soldier and I love you." Gazzy's tears spilled over and he nodded. "Love you Max."

Max's eyes swiveled to Iggy who was looking down at her blindly with tear filled eyes. "Iggy, you may be younger than me but you've always been like my older brother." Max coughed and I wanted to tell her to save her breath, that she probably didn't have many more. But then I realized that Max knew this. She was using her last breaths to make sure we knew she loved us.

After a moment and a throaty cough which gurgled in her throat Max continued. "I always wanted to give you your sight back Iggy. I would have done anything. I'm sorry that I didn't come through." Iggy let out a strangled cough and gently tugged her belt loop. "No worries Max," he choked. "I love you and don't worry about me. I'm fine...just fine."

Max's eyes lingered on him for a moment longer then turned to Nudge who burst into a new fit of sobs. "Nudge, you've always been my little sister. You're my little sunshine. You always know what to say to make me smile. You've always known what to say to me when I didn't know myself." Max coughed again and turned her head. Blood spilt out her mouth but she wiped it on her shoulder so the others didn't see.

"I love you Nudge," Max said and I realized in horror that her voice sounded weaker. It was barely above a whisper now. She probably only had seconds left.

Max's brown eyes turned upward and warmth flooded them. I forced my eyes to follow her gaze and saw that Fang was leaning over her. His black eyes were dripping tears and his mouth quivered. "Max... Oh God no, please no."

"Shhh...," Max said softly. A half-smile quirked her lips and something in me broke that she could smile despite the fact she was dieing.

"Fang, you are the light in the dark. I wish I could get more sappy than that but I can't. That's just me. But I want you to know one thing before I go." Everyone sucked in sharp breathes and more tears pooled down onto the desert floor mixing with the crimson red of Max's life flowing away. In the distance I could see the sun breaking over the flat horizon. The sky was a bright pink and clouds billowed in the dawn sky.

My head snapped back down as I heard fast, ragged breathing. Max's eyes were closed and her chest was heaving painfully. I tightened my grip on her hand but hers only grew weaker. Max, please don't go, I wanted to say but the words wouldn't form on my tongue.

Max continued to struggle to breathe. Her rasping breathes were the only sound around us. Max's eyes opened slowly and she looked at all of us with tired eyes. She licked her lips and I felt her squeeze my hand so faintly I almost cried out. Then she looked back up at Fang. "I love you," she whispered. Then her eyes glazed over and closed slowly. Her hand fell limp in mine and her face softened as her head tilted sideways. "I love you too Max," Fang whispered. Then his head dropped and he closed his eyes.

The next chapter is the real beginning of this story. The others were to get you up to date and introduce you to the new characters. The next chapter sets up what has been going on in the ten years after Max's death. But at the end there is a mini spoiler. If you want that chapter, 7, then I want 40 reviews. Let's do it! :)