~Max POV~

This isn't good. I'm not doing so good. I shouldn't be getting this injured.
I am the stronger, upgrades or not. I should be able to crush them, defeat them and stop them. But they keep hurting me- I'm outnumbered. One woman war. One broken woman maybe. The wave is closing in around me, and there is a net hidden in the shimmering water that is ready to wrap around me and never let me go. But it is okay, because I won't let it trap me and then it won't be able to keep me. I have to believe in the hero- in Maximum Ride- in myself.

I want to go back- back to the way it was. I want the Flock to live with me- in a cave or a borrowed home, I don't care. I would even be willing to do what Fang suggested and buy us a house. We could pretend that they had no parents, I could pretend that I had never found them at all. We could stay together and be happy in our non-conforming, unusual way. And it would still be perfect. Our own special kind of perfect. But I can't go back, I can't say the things that I never bothered to say and I can't undo what I have done. I made my decisions and took my own choices. Now, they are after me again- and they have the upper hand, but I won't back down or try to run. I'm not going back to the School, no way.

I'm starting to think that I am in trouble, there are so many of them. My head spins and all the injuries they manage to send my way through blind luck in sheer numbers starts to take its toll. My body is weary and my head is woozy. The Flock are safe so far, and I managed to warn Fang. An obscure warning, but a warning nonetheless. That was all that mattered- Fang would know now that he had to be careful. He would look after our Flock for me. My little Angel, my brave little soldier, my excitable chatterbox and my wonderful blind chef. And, of course, my… Fang. I still didn't know how to refer to him- there were so many descriptions and none felt strong enough. He was my Second-in-Command, my Right-Hand-Man, my Rock and my Best Friend. He is what I crave, what I need. But maybe it's just the loneliness talking, or the many blows to the head I had taken in the last few days.

Hell, what's the point in lying anymore? I'm not even lying to anybody except myself. It isn't the tiredness, or the blows to the head, or the loneliness… I just need him. But I can't have him now. I can just miss him, and be happy that he has moved on and is happy. I can miss him and fight a war for his safety- along with the others'. There was this song I heard once by some girl called Regina Spektor. It was called 'Hero'. There were two lines that I used to play over and over in my head all the time.

I'm the hero of the story

Don't need to be saved

And there it was- easy to understand. I am the hero, and no one needs to save me. I do the saving. Except for when it comes to Fang- he wants to be the hero too. No, that's not true- he just wants to be my hero. I think some part of him always thought that he would be able to fulfil that role. He wants to protect me and care for me… well, he wanted to. Now he has a family to protect and love. Because I left and made it easy for him, I left and let him be happy.

Like the same stupid song said- he never ever saw it coming at all.

The Flock have been warned and there's no more I can do if I want to keep them safe. Fang is in charge now, he will understand, he will do the right thing.

It's alright,
It's alright
No one's got it all
It's alright

I warned them. I can't do any more. I love them too much to get them involved in this. They won't be a part of this fight- battles between good and evil only exist on the television for them now, and that's the way it should be. They know- they know that I love them and that's enough.

I took down fourteen single-handed today... But I didn't get away unscathed. Yet another shirt destroyed beyond repair… and a few bones. But that doesn't matter, because I know I can do this. I will win this fight. I need to rest before tomorrow. Tomorrow there will be more.

Tomorrow I will be ready.