Disclaimer: Maximum ride is not my work. I disclaim it. I do. Everything!

Max POV:

Sleep. I'm sleeping.

The past image of my flock and Fang getting taken away were gruesome. At first, they were just being taken down to a strange white room, but then there was blood. It was everywhere. And the screams. I was drowning in them, which is a strange feeling.

"Max!" No! Everyone, they got hurt! Because of me! No!

"Max?" Dylan? I open my eyes and see Dylan looking back at me. He seemed to be shaping something out of a piece of wood with a knife. "Are you okay?"

"Dylan?" That's when I scramble to a sitting position. "Why are we in a cave?" I turn to him and see a weird look like embarrasement or confusion come over his face. "Well? Where's the flock?"

"I left them Max." Silence. That's what happens when I stop to think. The last thing I actually remember is hitting the floor after those crazed freaks came and attacked us. If Dylan really did what I think he did- "I'm sorry, Max." That- "I know you're upset, but I wanted to save you-'

"So you left the flock just to save me?" It sounded like I was pretty upset, but I was way beyond that. Above angry. Shot passed upset. In fact, I don't even know if there's a word for the strong emotion I'm feeling right now. "What is so special about me that you had to actually leave the flock there with those people to get kidnapped? What the hell is wrong with you?" And Iwasn't yelling. That's a good sign.

"Max. I did because I was more concerned about YOU. I wanted you to live." I stood up. Whatever that word is, it's gotten worse.

"You idiot!" Before I know it my fist connected with face. He just sat there. But I didn't wait to see his reaction. I had already snapped out my wings and jumped out of the cave. What is wrong with him? What makes me SO special that he would actually leave the flock behind? What the-ugh- that is so annoying!

Then a feeling of guilt hits me. But maybe I shouldn't have punched him. Was that too far?

About 200 miles later, the familiar flap of wings was near me. But I didn't want to talk.

"Max." He kept a far distance which is about the smartest thing he coul do right now. I may feel bad, but that doesn't mean I won't snap again.

"Max. I know you're upset, but where are you going?" I stop. Dang. Where WAS I going? Yes. I have a natural sense of direction, but really. Where WAS I going? I had no idea where the flock was and that just ruled out my sense. And Angel. No telepathic thoughts. I was nowhere. It hurts to say it, but he was actually right. Dylan reaches out to turn back in the direction of the cave, but I push his hand away.

"Don't try to get chummy with me just yet." And I leave him behind as I make my way back. Ugh! I wonder what the leader of the great bird kid heaven would do if I supposedly had Dylan mysteriously, oh I don't know, die while we were travleing somewhere. Would that stop me from getting to the great place people talk about when they die? Hmm.

"Max, are you hungry?" I try to ignore the hunger pains, but it was doing nothing for me. Why can't I get away from this guy? Can't a girl just be mad for a while? "I had found some fresh rabbit. I left the majority for you. Here. I'll get it." He jumps down, hoplefully to his doom. "See?" Of course he lives. "Here you go." Dylan drops the freashly cooked version of Bugs Bunny in front of me and smiles. "I hope that's enough." It's more than enough. I might actually get full. Wait! I 'm not going to accept food from this guy. He left the flock to cretain doom and for what! For me. You'd risk the life of a small genetically enhanced seven year girl for the life of a bossy genically enhanced fourteen year old girl. Where's the equality?

"Thanks." I just stare as the smell of rabbit permeates my senses.

Groooooowl! Or something along the lines of that sound.

My growling stomach really wasn't helping with that either.

"Max, you should eat."

"I should. But will I? No."

Max. Stop being stupid. He's trying to help you.

And now Voice decided to show up. What a coinky dink. It doesn't show up for the longest and now it comes to tell me that I'm being stupid.

Because you are. Now stop being stubborn and eat.

No.

"Max, am I going have to force feed you?" I give Dylan my best stupid face as to not say something I might actually regret. Force feed? I've never had that happen to me since everytime I was being given food I always ate it with question. Not counting that exploding pizza from way back when.

"No Dylan." He seemed to smile.

"I will if I have to." I crack a smile of my own.

"Well, I don't think you will, so don't worry." I push the rabbit away. Ohhhh. When I pull my hand back and find myself licking at the grease. Oh, food.

"Max, eat." My eyes widen.

'"Fang!" I look up. Dylan. Talking in a Fangish tone. Not cool! "F- you Dylan." He laughs, picks up a piece of rabbit leg, and gestures it toward me. "I'm not eating." I say finally.

"Okay." With a shrug of his shoulders, he puts the rabbit down and returns to his carving. Is it me or was that a little TOO easy?

It's about five minutes later and I 'm about at my limit. That was rabbit was calling me and Dylan's smug whistling was helping. How could he find any possible enjoyment in this? But I won't give in. I can't. He left the flock and-and- and he, uh, oh forget it.

I take a leg and stuff into my mouth. I'm so sorry everyone. As the juices begin to run down my throat, Dylan waves the wooden figurine in my face.

"All done!" I stare at it for a moment.

"What is it?" I say with a mouthful.

"It's you, silly!" Full of surprise, I take another look. The mean mugging face, the hands on the hips, and the different color woods to show different hair colors. It really was me.

"Cool." is all I can say before I indulge myself in the food again. I finish in about three minutes. It was a lot of food.

"Now what, my darling?" The ending of his sentence makes me nearl choke on whatever was coming to for me to choke on. My darling? Are you kidding me? We're not married, or even dating. What is that?

Just play along, Max. He IS the one that was made for you.

Voice, it's been a long time since you ever showed up. Now shut up, or I will have you banned from my mind.

Silence.

"We go look for the flock." I stand up. "Whether we know where they are or not." Dylan points to the cave entrance.

"I don't think so." I look outside to see nothing.

'Just what-"

"There's a storm coming, Max. I don't think it's smart to go out in that." I spin around to see if he's smiling, but no. Thsi guy was really serious.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. You not only left the flock to save only me, but you are actually voting against us actually finding them. Directions or not. We're gonig to save the flock."

"And then what, Max? We go out there and say we do find the flock, what're we going to do? You saw how those girls from before took you down and those two archers and that swordsman. There's no way we can take them on our own. "

"But we can at least try!" Now I was yelling.

Think, Max. Listen to him.

"Shut up, Voice." At first, Dylan looks confused, but he gets over it.

"Max, I know you love the flock. I do too."

"Love them! You havn't even been as long as I have! You don't know them no matter how much you say you do! You know nothing of what we went through and just because you come out with the idea that you're my "perfect other half" doesn't mean squat to me! I've raised those kids for a long time and if you think that you just saying that there's a little storm coming is going to stop me from saving them, then you've got another thing coming!" And just like that, I spread my wings and jump outside.

"Just who does he think he is?" I mumble aloud. "I've raised those kids for the majority of my existence and he comes along with his "Oh, there's a storm coming attitude and thinks that's going to stop me? Hmph."

I just keep gonig straight in whatever direction I was going when I feel a drop of water. I look up and see the sky once blue sky was now a scary looking black. So that storm crap was true. But I'm not stopping.

Max. Go back.

Voice, that's it. You're banned. Don't ever come back here. Hit the road, Joe. I keep flying. The storm clods start to turn even darker when the rain beigns to fall. And not just a drizzle. It was pouring. Then, thunder, and then lightning. But I wasn't going to stop.

Boom! Or thunder sound.

That last one sounded a little too close for comfort. I press on. I'm almost there everyone. I think.

As I get further a huge streak of light comes down so close that I actually feel heat. I almost got struck by lightning! Oh man!

"Max!" I'm too busy recovering to pay much attention to Dylan as he flaps his way over. "Max!" Another clap of thunder came and lightning, but it was far out. "Max! What're you doing!" Dylan actually grabs me and holds me. "Are you trying to kill yourself!" I look at him in confusion as he holds me his arms and goes back. I almost got struck by lighning. Okay. I'm alive though. "Max, if you ever do that again, I'll, I don't know what I'd do." That look of anger on his face was new. Never before seen.

We get back to the cave, soaking wet. It turns out Dylan actually had a fire going so it was pretty warm. We sit on opposite sides of the cave, but it's obvious we're still a little chilly.

"Max, I'm sorry." He broke the silence. "For yelling at you."

"I'm sorry too. For storming off." And a lot of other things I won't say. And storming really wasn't the word I wanted.

Dylan comes over to my side and wraps his arm around me. "It's okay. We both screwed up."

"Isn't that right." He turns me so I 'm breathing into his chest and sighs.

"You're a lot to handle, Max." I hear his breathing slow and decide to close my eyes.

"Whatever." He is SO annoying.

End of chapter. I know everyone might be mad because of the MYLAN,I know you are Booklover 72, but that's only temporary. It'll be pass that moment soon. Anyway, please reveiw, and thanks for reading. Till then.