Shoutouts: carly 2x, Unknown Writer O.o, Fagn3forever, Noah Star Dawnson, and lillypad22!

Chapter 2 Gone

"Oh yeah!" Gazzy yelled, leaning forward and nudging Iggy in the ribs as his eyes lit up with excitement. "Like remember the time we stole Max's pants and made that really long fuse and-." Gazzy trailed off suddenly as he realized that Angel was looking back over the seat at him while Nudge glanced at him in the rear view mirror, both wearing 'I told you so' smiles.

"Oh shut up." Angel and Nudge grinned while Fang half smiled and Iggy shrugged at Gazzy who slumped back in his seat, glaring out the window as he muttered something under his breath. I smiled, and looked ahead out the wind shield. We'd been driving for a few hours but so far all there was was desert. I was beginning to feel cooped up though (watch the bird jokes people) and decided that I'd give it another hour before ditching the car for a more, free, mode of transportation. Then we'd meet up with Dylan and Ratchet who were waiting near the Hawk Cave, or, what was left of it.

I glanced at Fang from the corners of my eyes and he smiled at me, reaching down to grasp my hand. I intertwined my fingers with his and looked up just as Nudge glanced back at me once more in the rear view mirror. Only this time, instead of her warm gaze, fear colored her eyes and her mouth dropped open.

The car swerved slightly as she twisted and almost like a whisper I could hear the sound of something headed for me from behind.

"Max look out!"

Pain, blinding, skull crushing pain burst into my head and I fell forward as darkness claimed me…. Only to feel someone's hands grip my shoulders lightly and find the pain gone as I opened my eyes a second later, seeing Fang looking at me in confusion and twisting to find Gazzy slumping in his seat as he muttered under his breath.

My eyes widened and I leaned back looking down as Fang took my hand. I glanced at him and he smiled concernedly at me. Glancing at our hands I intertwined our fingers, knowing I'd already done it.

Knowing, as Nudge lifted her chin, her eyes flashing in the rear view mirror and widening as if in slow motion, what was about to happen. And then I heard it, the sound of that thing rushing at my head again, feeling the car swerve, seeing Nudge's mouth move, my name on her lips, nearly out.

"Max look-."

I whirled in the seat, my arm raised above me and bending backwards as cold iron slapped against my palm, my fingers wrapping themselves around the crow bar as my muscles tightened, strained to push it back, my eyes taking in the astonished face, my own, astonished face, as the other me struggled to hang on to the crow bar she'd just about bashed my skull in with.

And in fact would have if not for that quick vision.

"-out!" Nudge finished but I'd already leapt forward, over the back of the seat, yanking the crowbar down with one hand as I struggled with Max, trying to hold her down as she struggled to hold me down, both of us rolling back and forth trying to get on top in the back floor board of the Tahoe.

"Max!" I heard Fang yell but I couldn't concentrate on him. Max had ripped the crowbar free of my hands and raised it over her head bringing it down in a sideways ark, attempting to drive it into my ribs. I rolled sideways, gaining my feet bent over half way for a moment before feeling the van slide beneath me as Nudge struggled to stay on the road and watch for me at the same time.

I fell sideways, crashing into the back of the van and hearing a slight crack. "Aarrgh!" I looked up just as Max came after me again, crow bar still in hand, swinging it sideways because there wasn't enough room over head as she swiped it at me.

I ducked, hearing the back glass shatter and feeling shards of it falling around me, cutting my skin and making me wince as small pockets of blood welled up. I ignored the pain though and threw my hand up catching the crow bar as she attempted to pull it back for another swing.

Yanking it back I pulled her down beside me and with my free hand drew my fist back before slamming it forward, right into her cheek. Max blinked, her eyes going wide as her head snapped sideways. But she was me. Cracking her head back with a pop and tightening her jaw she head butted me so hard a saw stars and lurched back. Max leapt for me and landed on top of me, her fingers going for my throat and squeezing down on it hard, cutting off my air supply.

I had a dim flash back of my fight with Maya, Max 2 then, and wondered if she believed that had happened. It certainly seemed like it. Well, we'd see if she remembered this move.

Bunching my legs beneath me I kicked my feet forward launching Max into the air and slamming her against the side window where the glass shattered around her as she fell to the floor and didn't move for a moment before twisting onto all fours, coughing and clutching her chest as she glared at me through the screen of her hair.

My own lungs were burning from lack of oxygen but I struggled up, leaping towards her and managing to lock my arms around her neck in a head lock just as I felt the van lurch forward, Nudge finally having gained control and slamming on the brakes, sending me rocketing forward with Max still in my arms before rebounding against the back seat and rolling out of the back of the van, the door having popped open after I'd smacked into and it and the back glass had shattered.

I hit the ground hard, my breath shooting out of me and pain erupting as my skin was slashed and torn as I slid across the rocks, the added weight of my captive making the pain double. Feeling something dig into my shoulder as I rolled away from the van.

I slid to a stop, coming up in a cloud of dust, and felt my arms slacken as I let out a groan. My head tilted sideways and I felt blood dripping from my mouth. I felt a nagging pain in my shoulder and looked over only to see a shard of glass about as big as my hand sticking out of my left shoulder.

I dropped my head back against the rocky soil but lifted it when I heard the foot steps. I looked up blinking against the harsh rays of the sun and saw Max struggling to her feet. She was wobbling back and forth, her body shaking, but she managed to up right herself.

"Hey!" Angel called, leaping out of the car with the rest of the Flock right behind her. Max looked up, her eyes widening, and she took off, stumbling at first then running as fast as she could. The Flock ran after her all but Fang who immediately ran over to me. "Are you okay?" his dark eyes borrowed into mine and I nodded, wincing as my hand cupped around the piece of glass which Fang's eyes alighted on.

"Max-," I gritted my teeth and was about to say something when I heard Gazzy yell, "Got you!"

I glanced sideways and from my spot lying on the ground I saw Gazzy football tackle Max, falling to the ground with his arms around her only to be kicked off a moment later and sent sprawling in the sand. Gazzy leapt up immediately but the Flock had caught up and now surrounded Max. Nudge standing facing me in the middle of the road while Iggy had his back to me also in the middle with Angel on Max's right and Gazzy, spitting and cursing, on her left.

Max stood up slowly, her body in a fighting stance, as she faced Nudge. She turned catiously, taking in the Flock, before finally turning and seeing me lying on the ground, Fang kneeling beside me as we looked at her in surprise.

"There's no where to go! You're surrounded." Angel growled, stepping forward as Max's head snapped towards her and her eyes narrowed. Her face was cut and dirty but her eyes had a fire in them which I'd only ever seen the intensity of which reflected in my own.

"Yeah! So don't even think about flying!" Iggy snarled, flaring his wings as he glared blindly at Max who's eyes widened though not at his tone of voice which was harsh even for Iggy. No, she was staring at his wings.

"What…, but that's not possible." I read her lips, my eyes narrowing as I gripped Fang's arm and he glanced at me before pulling me to my feet. I winced, pain circulating all over my body and the glass shard in my shoulder sending blood down the front of my shirt, her, shirt.

Fang reached towards me, his eyes on the blood, but I shook my head. Grimly he wrapped his arm gently around my waist to take some of my weight and we limped toward the others. Max glanced at me as we reached them, Fang stopping beside Iggy and letting out a low grunt of protest as I pushed into the circle, stopping two feet from the other me who's eyes burned with hatred as they locked on me, brown, on brown.

"You're bleeding, Max." Angel said, her voice surprised and worried. "Why do you care?"

"I know, Angel."

Max and I looked at each other, both having spoken at the same time. Both of us were bleeding but I was the one with the glass. Max's eyes lighted upon it and I thought I saw a flicker of pain in her eyes. Then it was gone and she shifted so that she was facing me straight on, ready to fight if it came to that.

"Why don't you fly?" I asked, and I saw her eyes widen momentarily, as if my question had caught her off guard. She swallowed, glancing over shoulder at Iggy who still had his wings flared out, before looking back at me and saying, "You know why."

I frowned, and shook my head, feeling slightly dizzy from blood loss but making myself stay conscious, for as long as I could.

"No, I don't."

"Oh please, you've read everything about me. How else could you know about, well how else could this have happened? They told you everything so I would believe you and betray them. That way they'd have an excuse to destroy me. I thought the Director and I were past our differences but apparently not. There's just no pleasing that bitch."

"A test? You think we work for the School?" Nudge said, her voice sounding disgusted. Max glanced at her over her shoulder and said in a bored tone, "I know you work for them. They sent you to kidnap me so they could see if I was still good enough. They made you look like the other Directors so I'd believe you. What are you? H'm? Clones, hybrids?"

"No, we're Avians just like you." I said, and forced myself to hold her enraged glare as her eyes bored into mine, her face going red as she yelled, "You're nothing like me!"

"Ever look in the mirror?" Iggy muttered, and Max turned to glare at him, her eyes narrowing as she realized Iggy wasn't looking directly at her, but was in fact looking at her forehead. "Can't you see me?" she demanded and Iggy laughed. "Seriously? You've got to be kidding me. I'm blind, let me spell it out for you, B, as in boy you're stupid, L, as in listen to me closely so I don't repeat myself, I, as in I can't believe I have to explain this, N, as in, N, and D as in dammit will you stop waving your hand!"

Max dropped the hand she had been waving, trying to make Iggy's eyes follow it, and glared at him. "How'd you know I was doing that, huh, if you can't see?" Iggy rolled his eyes and said, "I'm fairly good at being blind."

"Enough of this," I said, stepping forward as Max looked back at me, her eyes narrowed to near slits. Through the slits in my shirt I spread my wings slowly, unfolding all 16 feet of brown and white speckled glory, and waving them in the warm breeze resisting the sting and bite of the glass in my shoulder which jostled as I moved my wings.

Max's eyes widened, her stance loosening as she stared at my wings, her eyes, softening and then hardening before she cast her gaze away, staring at the ground a few feet away and refusing to look up as I said her name. "Max," I said again and this time she looked at me, her face completely blank. "What?"

I took a deep breath and folded my wings half way in, my eyes locked with her as I asked, "Where are your wings?" Max looked at me, and for a moment, she didn't even move, and neither of us seemed to breath. Then, with a low sigh, she closed her eyes and said, "They're gone."

Okay, I know some of you are thinking? Wait, the other world's Max doesn't have her wings? So what makes her so special how can the story go on? Well don't worry, I have a plan. You just gotta give me time. Trust me, Max (either one of them) are gonna kick butt.

Questions and Comments:

Fang3forever: In the first book, when the Flock are in the church in New York, what do you think Fang was praying for?

Me: Actually there's this really awesome one-shot about that very thing and it said what I was thinking (I think because it's been a while since I read it) which was basically I think he prayed for everyone and especially Max so that she could be a good leader and not stress out so much.

The name of the Fic is: Fang's Prayer and it's by: CheyRainAwesomeness. Tell her I sent yah. ;)

carly: If you could meet one celebrity who would it be?

Me: Tough one, I'm gonna chose a guy and girl.

H'm, okay well not to sound cliche but I'm gonna choose for the guy: Taylor Lautner, (I can't resist lol)

And girl: Jennifer Aniston or Betty White. I think they are both awesome, fun, just all around great people who I'd love to sit down and talk to or just go have a blast with. ;)

Any more questions? Please remember to R&R guys!

Sincerely,

Avenging Angels