Chapter 14

The next morning, my first priority was to find Angel and offer an apology.

Most of the flock was already up and at it by the time Fang and I were up. The arena was pretty occupied. Most of them were practicing, but Angel was slouching in a corner.

I approached her. "Hey, tiny," I said cautiously.

"Hi, Max," she said coldly.

"Angel, I'm sorry," I said. "You know I didn't mean it."

"Yeah, I know."

"We don't just 'keep you around' for your powers. I love you very much, Angel."

"Uh-huh."

"I just can't… tolerate that kind of meanness. From anybody. If Max II was badmouthing you, I'd yell at her too."

"Uh-huh."

"So, yeah, I'm really, really sorry."

"Yeah."

I glared at her. "You know, Angel, I'm getting the vibe that my apology isn't accepted."

"No, no," she said. "It's all cool."

"Angel, something is still eating at you. What's wrong?"

She looked at me gently. "Max, I do accept your apology. I know you mean it. But… I can tell that you and I won't really be at peace until I am at peace with… the 'thing' over there." She glared at Max II, who wilted, her self-esteem clearly shot. "And that's never gonna happen. She's never going to be part of my family."

"Why the hell not?" I bellowed.

"Listen, Max," she said. "Three or four years ago, when Max II was infiltrating us, trying to pretend to be you—"

"Not her fault," I interrupted. "She was under orders. She didn't know what else to do with her life. You can't blame her for that."

"No, but I can blame her for what was going through her head that day," Angel sneered. "She despises us, Max."

"Jealousy," I countered. "Like it or not, she's our kin now."

"It's what she thought of me!" Angel snarled furiously. "She thinks I'm a creep!"

"Angel, everybody thinks you're a creep."

"Yeah, with an undertone of humor. She doesn't see any charm or lightness in me whatsoever. All she thinks is that I'm creepy."

I considered that. "Okay, I see what's going on," I said. "You're a petty bitch."

Angel's eyes narrowed. "Say that again," she growled.

"It's true," I said. "You're judging her because she didn't think much of you, waaaaay back when she thought we were her enemy. Highly bitchy, highly petty."

"I swear I'll throttle you," Angel growled.

I threw up my hands. "Okay, Angel, I get it! Get over it! She's one of us now. And I want you to be one of us as well, so start gettin' friendly or else."

I stalked away, leaving the petty bitch to slouch in the corner.

Gazzy had been sparring with Total, but they had evidently noticed my shouting match with his sister. "Don't worry," I muttered to him. "She's stubborn… but we all are. I think love will win out."

"I do hope so," Total muttered. "Dearest Angel…"

"Yeah," Gazzy said. "Be a shame to lose such a valuable member of our team."

I spun on him. "What?" I demanded. "Valuable member of…? That's your sister you're talking about!"

"Right," he said. "Of course."

Total bared his teeth. "Back to practice?" he offered.

"Of course," Gazzy said, smiling.

It was a most un-Gazzy-ish smile. Despite the many deaths he'd caused, he'd always maintained an air of innocence, as recently as yesterday.

His grin right now was positively evil. And it was the evil grin that pervaded my thoughts while he drove a well-crafted sword through Total's spine.

Gazzy's cackle echoed through the arena. We were all frozen in shock—not something that happens often.

I was the first to regain a measure of sense. "Gazzy," I choked out. "Gazzy, you… you murdered Total…"

Fang and Iggy, thankfully, were a bit quicker on their feet at that moment. They whipped out guns and shot at Gazzy—at the imposter of Gazzy.

Gazzy whirled around, leaping and dodging the bullets way beyond his capabilities. As soon as they were forced to reload, Gazzy held still, then… changed. He rocketed up to a great height. His hair became long and black, going down to his waist.

Her waist. The shape-changing murderer was a woman. A woman almost as tall as me, her olive-colored skin covered in blue speckles and stripes.

Her eyes were red. Red like fresh blood.

"Hello, Max," she said. Her voice was shrill, grating. "Your mother sends her regards."

"My mother?" I said. My eyes moved automatically to Dr. Martinez.

"Not her," the woman said. "Your real mother, your… spiritual mother."

Fang and Iggy took a few more shots. She was across the room instantly—it was as if she transcended the physical world itself.

"Janssen," I hissed. "Alive and still doing the Hitler schtick, eh?"

"Alive," she said. "And working for the betterment of the human race."

"That's what Hitler said."

"No. Your mother is a highly elite member of the Survivors."

"Damn them," Fang muttered. "They should be the 'International Conglomerate of Bad Guys'. How surprised would you be if we found out the UD was one of them?"

The strange woman shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I'm brand new! You may call me Kellie."

"Oh, may we?" I sneered.

Kellie was in front of my face and poked me in the eye, then was at the other end of the room before I could retaliate.

"How's that possible?" Jeb breathed.

In an instant, Kellie was at Jeb's side. "You lose, cricket," she sneered.

She left the room. If not for the door swinging open and shut, you'd think she had just vanished.

"Come on," Fang said. "There's no way she can run as fast as we can fly. Let's get her!"

"Hold up!" I yelled. I blocked Fang's path, but my eyes were on Angel.

"You knew," I said. "You knew that wasn't the real Gazzy. You knew she was going to kill Total."

"Yes, I did," Angel said calmly.

"And you didn't say anything," I continued.

"Hmm? I thought you didn't want my input anymore."

I made fists, shaking in pure rage. "Angel… you just let Total—a member of our family—die, just to prove a point?"

"Did it work?" she said innocently.

I advanced on her. "Did I call you a petty bitch?" I mused. "Wow, I'm surprised at my own tact. I meant psycho freak."

"You're about to cross some lines, Maximum Ride," Angel warned.

"Oh? You're fired from the flock."

"Fired?" Angel replied. "You can't do that."

"I'm the undisputed leader," I said. "I can fire you all I want. If you'd like to dispute my leadership position, we do just so happen to be in an arena."

Angel glared. I felt a burning-hot, painful sensation in the center of my brain, but I fought past Angel's intrusions.

"We're good," she said. "Go ahead. Fire me. See how many locks you can open with five keys."

"Hey," I said. "Last time I checked, there are, in fact, six artificially created people here." I wrapped an arm around Max II. "Who needs you?"

Angel bared her teeth. "Fine. Fine, fine, fine. I'll save the world my way. See you later."

She went out the door, slightly less dramatically than Kellie did.

"Max," Nudge said shakily. "Max, what's happened?"

Fang rubbed my shoulders. "Take your time, babe," I said. "Any time, my love."

"We hold a funeral for Total," I finally said. "We find the real Gazzy. Then we spend every waking moment on the Survivors. I've had enough."