Soo here's the next chapter. It's been a while, I know. So to anyone who has actually stuck with this story, I sincerely apologise. I was hoping that this story would be finished before the last Maximum Ride book came out but unless I somehow finish writing this fanfic in the next week, it doesn't look like that's going to happen :( I know, it's very depressing... Anyway, on with the story!
A large abandoned building loomed up ahead of us. It was a fairly boring building with its bland grey cement walls and the occasional bit of faded graffiti. A warm, yellow glow could be seen spilling out of the entrance way, illuminating the figure of a person standing beside the door. Ratchet and I walked up to the entrance and was greeted by the figure, who up close I could see was a very pretty young lady who looked to be in her early twenties. Her eyes were glassy and slightly unfocused and she had freaky smile plastered on her face. The tell-tale signs of someone who's been brainwashed.
"Welcome!" she smiled at us. Her voice was smooth and melodious. "The One Light thanks you for joining us this evening. Please, take this brochure," she said handing us a colourful brochure entitled 'The cleansing of the planet', "I hope this answers any questions or concerns you may have." she concluded and then gestured with her that we should go through .
"Uh, thanks." I mumbled before walking on.
As soon as we were out of ear shot of the woman Ratchet walked up behind me. "What does it say?" he asked, peering over my shoulder.
I cleared my throat before reading the pamphlet out loud.
"Join us in our noble quest to cleanse the world of its impurities. Thanks to the One Light, we can be free of our afflictions and live together in a better world, in peace.
"Look around us. The polar ice caps are melting, the sea levels are rising and climate change is becoming more and more evident. The earth is dying and who's to blame? Humanity of course. We've become so obsessed with gaining wealth and power that we are blinded to the consequences of our actions.
"The One Light has come up with a solution to this problem. The One Light has created a plan involving a race of new humans, flawless and superior. This plan includes the eradication of those who have destroyed this planet allowing the earth's beauty and radiance to be restored to its former glory.
"Only those that are of the new generation of humans will be granted this generous opportunity so join us now and you too can be saved and perfected. Help us take back what is rightfully ours and cleanse the earth of all of its impurities."
Ratchet and I stared at the paper in shock. "Soo that's basically a fancy way of saving 'Join us or die', right?" Ratchet asked, leading me over to a seat near the back of the building. I nodded mutely, still absorbing all of this new information.
"How do you think they're going to do it?" Ratchet asked curiously.
"What do you mean?"
"How are they going to 'eradicate' all of the humans. There's like seven billion people living on earth. What could they possibly do that could wipe every single one of them out?" I mulled this over in my brain. A rather unlikely scene played out in my head where millions of hi-tech air crafts flew around shooting laser beams at everyone in sight leacing nothing but piles of ash behind. Nope, that's probably not how they're going to do it...
"No idea. But I'm willing to bet it's not going to be pleasant..." I murmured.
A figure walked out of a side door and a sudden hush fell over the crowd. The figure was cloaked in long black robe complete with a hood which completely obscured the figure's face from sight making me feel like I was in some sort of horror movie. I half expected him to lift his hood, revealing his hockey mask and then come charging at us whilst wielding a chainsaw in his hand.
My thoughts were interrupeted when the figure started to address the room. "Welcome!" the figure said in a deep, booming voice which I clearly identified as male. "There's a reason that we've gathered you together today, and that reason is to warn you. The end is nigh. The apocalypse is coming." A few audible gasps could be heard from the large crowd. I simply rolled my eyes. This shouldn't be a shock to anyone seeing as everyone that was here knew exactly what the convention was for. I suppose it was just for dramatic effect...
"The humans who currently rule this planet are destroying our beloved mother earth and for this they must be punished." the hooded figure said. BeI was unable to hear what he had to say next as a piece of fabric was suddenly forcefully shoved into my mouth, gagging me. I looked frantically over to Ratchet and saw that he too had been gagged. The next thing I knew I was being roughly pulled off of my chair and dragged through a set of doors and down a flight of stairs.
The room I was led into was pitch black so I couldn't see who the culprit was. I was violently shoved onto a chair and someone grabbed my hands and tied them together behind my back so tightly that I instantly knew that if they stayed like that for longer than ten minutes I would loose all circulation in my hands.
I kicked and screamed as hard as I could but to no avail. My screams turned out muffled and did nothing but give me a hoarse throught. My kicking, however, did manage to help in some way. My foot colided with something solid and I heard someone utter a string of profanities under their breath. I smirked in triumph. Well, tried to smirk. It's kind of hard to do when you have a mouth full of fabric.
Someone -I'm guessing the owner of the foul mouth- obviously got fed up with my kicking and bound both of my ankles to the chair legs putting an end to my leg workout.
"Well, well, well. So nice of you to join us Maxie." a voice drawled lazily. I instantly froze up. I knew that voice. I would recognise it anywhere. But it can't be. It's completely impossible.
I sensed the person move nearer to me, so close that I could feel their hot breath fan against the side of my neck. "Long time, no see hey sis?" Ari growled menacingly into my ear.