IT IS HERE!!!!!!

Finally! I finished my exams (yesyesyesyes) and got my notebooks back (yesyesyesyes) and typed it up!

1) Funiest thing (not) before I typed, I was using the internet. I typed. After typing - I went back on to post this, lo and behold: my internet's not working! I had a screaming tanturm (almost) and was running around the house like a lunatic yelling at everyone (mum, dad, sister, cat etc) to FIX IT!!!!! It fixed on it's own.

2) This contains an Ari POV, which I've never done before, so I hope it works, I think I got his character down.

3) Looking at the stats for this story, there is triple the amount of hits on the first chapter as the next, I can only assume that people don't read further, because they don't like that style - although I did change it, it was originally a oneshot, thus the dark depressingness. Readers: how can I fix this and draw more people in, although you original faith-keepers will always have a special place in my heart.

4) TITLE! Okay, I am so sick of this, the stupid vibes are creeping in, I really don't care how stupid your suggestions sound. The Prize has been upped again: it will now be A CHAPPIE DEDICATION and a... LOOK INTO MY TWISTED MIND (ie, a spoiler - you get to know where this is heading in the long run)

5) ONE PERSON IS SOOOOOOOOOOO CLOSE!!!!! You guys need to get this! Check the reveiws! (THAT WAS A SUBLE HINT! ) :)

So, here it finally is.

Enjoy:


Chapter Nine – A rant, a rave and release

I took me one heartbeat to realise he was right. I took off silently, rising to fly next to Max. I new this was basically the same situation as Angel. I couldn't force this; she had to come to me. But then something in the back of my brain reminded me that this was Maximum Ride. She wasn't going to come to me, even if she was injured. And it looked as if she might be. She was flying tighter than usual, favoring her right side. She probably got hurt in the fight and won't tell. Why does she have to be so stubborn? Because that's who she is, said that same something at the back of my brain. Too bad.

"Max, come on. You can't fly like that."

"Why not?" she snapped, moving away. A confession.

"'Cos I won't let you." I returned fiercely, and swooping over to her, I grabbed her wrists, giving a hard yank down.

"Hey!"

I didn't even bother responding, I just pushed harder towards the ground, she gave in, knowing I was stronger and not willing to let it go. I never am. When we landed I pulled her over to the fire and sat her down right next to it.

"Where are you hurt Max?"

"How did you – eugh, no the almighty Fang always knows, doesn't he?"

I scowled "This is serious Max."

"I'm fine."

"Liar."

"I am n-" I cut her off by pressing my lips to hers. I stayed for a second, and then used all my self-restraint to pull away. Her eyes were still shut, and she was leaning forward slightly. "Ribs…" she said breathlessly. I smirked; I still know just how to get to her.

"Fine, lay back" she obliged, leaning until her back was resting against the log. She reluctantly pulled her top up to just under her bra, and I almost audibly gasped. Almost. The area surrounding her third rib on the left was enormously swollen and her normally milky skin was an abnormal red colour. That wasn't all; her stomach and lower ribs were black and blue, a depressing canvas of colour. How could she even breathe, let alone fly? Carry Angel? It occurred to me then, I would have to keep an eye on her, if she was going to do this to herself. To us.

"Max, why didn't you tell me?" I was really working to keep my anger in check, not to let it show – but this was Max. What was I thinking?

"Fang, I'm sorry, but the Flock comes first. If I break down who can they turn to? Yes, I know Iggy would to talk to you and maybe Gazzy," she choked, then continued, like she didn't want to say it. "But Nudge? Angel? They wouldn't, and I hate that they don't see you that way. I wish they could. Sometimes I want to have someone to run to, to be yelled at, someone to tell me what to do. I don't, and when I need someone, it's only me. Sick, twisted, messed-up Maximum Ride!" her voice had risen over the last sentence and she was almost yelling now.

How can she possibly think that about herself?

"Max, be serious - you are not sick, twisted, or messed up."

She scoffed. "Fang, are you as blind as Iggy? How can I not be all dark and twisted inside? I spent the first ten years of my life in a goddamn cage! Being tested on by dark and twisted scientists. Repeatedly tortured to within an inch of my life, and when I escaped… the only person I have ever trusted betrayed me! I had to leave the only home I've ever known, and every single day I am running for my life, dragging five other people into my hell! When I was forced to spend three days in a normal home I felt like a stranger. Sitting on a couch made me feel tense! That is so wrong. I have wings, I can fly at over two hundred miles an hour, I have a voice in my head, and I can control light!" She emphasised this by snapping her fingers, and a tiny sphere of light removed itself from the fire and shot to her hand, hovering above her palm.

"Max-"

"No! I'm fifteen and I have to take care of the Flock! We have powers! We have all this power, and it still wasn't enough to save Gazzy!" At this she clenched her fist, snuffing out the light. "Now he's gonna go through hell and I can't do anything about it! I'm so sick of this! My family is fighting to stay alive and every time I feel like we're gonna be safe for a day, just one day… we're ripped apart! I hate it! I hate it! I hat…e… i…t…" she dissolved into sobs at the end, sitting up and leaning into me. I hugged her, trying to understand how she felt. But it was so hard. Nothing can compare to what she goes through every day, how far she would go – for us.

Before this, she just seemed to be the everlasting Maximum Ride, yes, she had her weaknesses, but now I'm seeing that maybe she needed me before.

And I thought I was good at hiding my emotions.

I wasn't hugging her. More like holding her together, for a long time. Eventually she sat up and declared, "I ranted, and I raved and my ribs still hurt!"

I chuckled deeply and helped her bandage her ribs. Well, more like I did it for her, but you don't see me complaining. After that she drifted off. I guess I have first watch then.

---Ari/3rd Person POV---

Ari was thinking. Not as rare an occurrence as it may seem, but thinking he was. Actually, he'd been recalling the instructions given to him, by Jeb.

"Bring Gazzy only. None of the others, and don't injure them too severely."

Ari decided to risk something.

"Why?"

Jeb's face changed, and Ari got what he wanted. Not extra information – that was just a bonus – but a moment where Jeb spoke to him. Not Scientist-to-Eraser, but Father-to-Son.

"His taking will directly affect them all, but for different reasons, and that is important. Max loves him like a son; Angel is his only blood relation on this planet, Iggy is his best friend, Nudge has always been his other half, even if they don't know it yet and Fang…Fang loves him, but he is less forthcoming about it, though it will hurt Max so much – it will hurt him that it hurts her."

"Then why not take Max directly?"

"No, no. She must give herself up. If we take her by force she will resist, but I taught her that in a situation where all can be sacrificed for one that one must give themselves up. The leader must give themselves up."

"She won't do that, will she – you taught it to her."

"Yes, she will; I never said to her – you must. It was a kind of subliminal teaching. You must understand Ari; I never gave her 'leader lessons'. It is just the way she is as a person, very selfless and a natural leader. I just…helped the instincts along – molded them somewhat."

So Ari had obeyed. It had taken willpower, oh yes. At one point he almost gave in, when an underling eraser who had been beaten by Max staggered into the woods – giving him the signal, he had to fight hard in order to overcome the temptation – to run out and fight her, hurt her. He loved fighting her, Fang may be stronger than her, but he was just a physical fight, for Ari anyway. With Max it was so much more – it was emotional. When he used to fight her there used to be fear, now it was just anger. He had to rectify that. Ari glanced back at Gazzy. The blond mutant was slumped on the floor of his cage, thanks to some heavy-handed tossing by the Erasers.

That is why guns had been pulled out later. It was meant to be scare tactics, force Max and the Flock away, but you never knew with Maximum Ride. She had seemed to be coming at him fast, despite the guns, but then she'd flown away – very ungracefully, which was unusual for her. That puzzled him slightly, but he put it out of mind. It had just made his job a hell of a lot easier. He was not able to shoot her, but nor could he let her take Gazzy back. Quite the dilemma. Tranquilisers were out of the question – if they woke up completely fine with just Gazzy gone it would set the alarm bells ringing inside her head. But none of that mattered now.

Yes, Ari thought. He had obeyed. He had one of the Flock; and she would come.


I usually never do A/Ns at the end, I believe they ruin the story, but it is very important to read the top A/N this time.