I've not updated because of two things that I hate almost as much as Dylan. 1) Writer's block and 2) busy life. I apologize, but this is the first time that I've touched my laptop in the longest time. Please forgive the lateness, even though I really don't deserve it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. There I said it. Don't make me say it again.
Chapter 12: How to Escape from the Freak Fest Amusement Park
Max followed Iggy, all signs of her previous struggle with Dylan obsolete. She eyed Iggy with a strange new curiosity that Fang had never seen on her before; not even when he had arrived into her life.
On the outside, no one would have had even the slightest inclination that Fang cared about the way Max was infatuated with this new bird boy Iggy. However, on the inside, Fang was burning with a scorching heat that could rival hellfire.
He was furious with the Max and how she'd yelled at him when he'd solved the 'Dylan problem'. He was especially enraged with what she'd said to him. She'd never know it, but what she'd said had hurt him far worse than any other injury that he'd ever sustained from all of his years as a mutant fighter and his few weeks at Freak Fest. The way that Max was intently staring at the new bird boy who spoke both their language and the language of humans really threw gasoline into the fire.
Fang was smoldering with malevolence as he silently stalked behind Max as she unabashedly followed Iggy with an uncharacteristic interest and occasionally asked her a question. Fang was too angry to comprehend what Iggy and Max were saying, but Iggy said something and Max's musical laugh trilled and Fang's vision was tinged with red.
He was almost as angry as he was when he shamelessly gave Dylan what he deserved. It was like a starving, bloodthirsty lion was trapped in Fang's chest and was trying to rip and claw its way out to ravage anyone in its way. However, Fang remained as emotionless as ever, following ten paces behind Max and Iggy.
Iggy said something incomprehensible to Max and she giggled. Fang almost lost it. He was the only one who was supposed to make Max laugh like that. He'd saved her from a terrible fate and this is what he got for doing it, she was hamming it up with some random blind winged guy who they'd never met before and they were following him, believing every word that he said. What if he was lying? So what if he was like them. Dylan was like them and just look at how well that turned out.
Iggy ran into the Examination Room with Max hot on his heels. Fang followed them like an angry shadow, silent, but radiating with contempt.
Then, Iggy opened the door and Max exclaimed in wonder. He didn't get shocked or electrocuted. Only humans could pass through the door's threshold without getting electrocuted into unconsciousness.
Fang distrusted Iggy even more now. Iggy could not only talk like humans and speak in his and Max's tongue, but he could also pass through forbidden places with no consequences? Something was definitely wrong with that blind boy. Fang didn't trust him. Iggy was probably going to lead them to their deaths.
Then, Fang heard a high pitched voice jabbering away in the language of the humans. On pure instinct, he turned around and had the strange speaker by the throat before she could utter another sound.
Fang looked at the girl that he had in his grasp. She had shoulder length curly hair and a skin tone far darker that his, Max's or that intruder Iggy's. Her eyes were darker brown than Max's, but weren't nearly as dark or as cold as his. She was also shorter than any of them. She only came up to his elbow.
She wasn't dressed like a whitecoat, but she was dressed like a human. Iggy frantically told her something in rapid fire human and the girl slouched her shoulder's forward. He tightened his grip, ready for some sort of trick. Her breathing became shallower and she gasped for air, but Fang immediately slackened his grip after he saw what she'd done. She'd partially opened up her tawny brown wings.
How many of us are there. Fang thought warily.
"Put her down! She can't breathe!" snapped Iggy. Fang glared at the blind boy and silently wondered how he'd known that Fang was choking the little bird girl. He still didn't let her go. Just because she was a mutant didn't mean that she was harmless. It could mean quite the opposite.
"Fang, put her down!" Max said impatiently. She rolled her brown eyes. "I always knew that you were low but now you're killing little winged girls like us too? I don't know why I'm surprised. What do you expect from a cold blooded murderer." Max spat.
Fang's gaze was murderous as he dropped the winged girl who fell to her knees, gasping for air and gently massaging around her neck where bruises were sure to form.
Iggy hurried to the new bird girl's side and sad a few things to her in English.
"They only speak in Avian. Nudge, I know it was a long time ago, but remember how to speak it." Iggy said to the girl in English. Max stared at them in amazement and Fang glared at Max.
"But I don't…" Nudge began quietly, as she regained her breath and stood up.
"What did you do that for?" Iggy said coldly to Fang. Nudge watched Iggy curiously, her mouth slightly agape. "She didn't do anything to you!"
"She could've been a threat." Fang said simply. Iggy shook his head reproachfully.
"Did you nderstand what we said?" Iggy asked Nudge in English. Nudge was still staring at Fang, partially in fear ant partially in amazement. She nodded quickly.
"Can you do it?" Iggy asked quickly.
Nudge cleared her throat.
"So… I'm Nudge, and… I'm with Iggy. We're her to rescue you. We'll get you away from her. You'll be part of our family, if you want. We don't really have a home, but…" Nudge started, but she'd said it perfectly in Avian. Fang and Max understood every word. Iggy nodded in approval.
"That'll work. Are you sure that you'll be alright?" Iggy asked Nudge. Nudge smirked.
"Of course I'll be fine, we need to get out of here before we get thrown into the next show!" Nudge said in Avian. Max looked at them even more curiously and Fang had half a mind to turn around and stay in the Aviatory. He was safe there, as long as he did what he was told. They fed him and it was nothing like the mutant fighting arena. He had no idea if these strange bird kids were trustworthy.
They probably didn't know what they were doing and were leading themselves to death. He'd fought for life too long and too hard to lose it that easily. There still was Max to think about. She was going and this place would be nothing without her. Then, who knows what would happen to her if he stayed. Things worse than Dylan could await her.
Deep down in his soul, which was still smoldering, but now flickering with a new emotion that was growing in strength, he knew that he had to be with Max. He'd protect her, even if it meant the difference between his life and death. He'd taken too many innocent lives. It was time to pay back what he owed. He wanted to prove that he wasn't heartless or cold blooded. He didn't want to be a murderer.
Iggy and Nudge ran down the hall. Max and Fang followed. Nudge pulled Iggy to a halt.
There, blocking the hallway was Ari and two of his goons. One good had a girl with curly blond hair that had to be about six years old and dressed in human clothes. The other thug had a boy who appeared to be eight and had many of the same features as te girl, like blond hair and blue eyes. His legs were swinging wildly, but the guard chuckled as he held the boy a good few feet off the ground and viciously twisted the boy's arm back until he cried out in pain.
"Gazzy!" Nudge said.
"Let him go!" The little girl spat. The other thug laughed and with a jerk, yanked the girl's arm until a sickening pop echoed through the hallway. She squeaked shrilly in pain.
"Angel! Don't fight. Stay calm." Iggy said. His sightless eyes staring unfocused and lying fixed straight ahead.
"It looks like the little kiddies have gotten lost. I'll be more than happy to escort you back to your cages." Ari sneered in unholy glee. "There's no one to stop me from having too much fun now."
Ari stepped aside slightly to reveal a body lying sprawled out on the ground, with blood trickling out of the side of their mouth. Max snarled in rage. The person on the floor was Dr. Martinez; and she looked so very, very dead.
I hate to stop here, with more bad news. I won't be able to update tomorrow, so maybe Tuesday or Wednesday, okay? If you guys review, that'd be fantastic. And I'm sorry that I didn't reply to some of your reviews. I'm truly sorry for that.
