Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. Sorry. That means I can't give it away to anyone either.
"You evil dogs! Mutts, I say! Stay away you foul smelling sons of test tubes!"
"Ehm, Total."
"Sorry, I got a bit carried away. But I taught them a lesson, at least."
"You weren't even the one fighting! How can you say that?"
"Because I am a full canine mutt and still I can turn my nose up in the air and look down on them. That lesson, Max. That they are incredibly despicable to both animal classifications they are part of."
"Total, the Flock is the same way. You too are a hybrid."
"Yeah, but I'm cute and cuddly. And Angel likes me, so there."
"I like you too."
"Sure, sure."
"I do… sometimes."
Total glanced at me. "Hey, Max, I guess I sometimes like you too."
"Gee, thanks."
"No, really. Like when you were just saving my hide back there with those mangy mutts."
A silent pause as we shared the Kodak moment.
"OK, now what. The plan of before? What was it?"
"Er, no plan."
"Max, Max, what am I supposed to do with you?"
"Hey! Watch out, mister! I'm the one lugging your shaggy behind around!"
"All those times. You lied."
"Only sort of."
"Uh-huh."
"I managed to come up with plans, didn't I?"
"Fine. You pulled it off well enough."
"Thank you."
"Why did you tell me now, Max?"
"Because I'm not sure if I'll live through this. We might both die. We got close to death before. And now we have no new tricks, no nothing, except me and my healing and you and your fur. And the white coats know about those because they gave us them. So the white coats are ready for us, and the Flock is probably in isolation tanks. Weak when they get out. Explain how we are going to live through that."
"Gosh, pessimistic much? We did it before."
"That's just it, Total! They know what we can do!"
"Hold it. They gave you healing power stuff when they last caught you, then let you go and kept the rest. What's the reason behind that? Either they want you to come back, and it's a test. No worry about failing there, then. Or they don't want you back and don't expect you back, the power was a bribe to get you out and away for a long time."
"I can see missing pieces in your logic."
"Well, Max, it's the last thing we've got."
"Well, Total, I guess we'll have to see if we can make it through."
Again with the silly cliffies. Oops.
