Chapter 25

MAX

Fang and I stepped off the roof with our wings tucked. We fell along the side of the airport building, only inches away from the glass windows.

The crowd screamed and cheered.

"On three!" I yelled to Fang. "One…"

We were twenty feet above the ground.

"Two…." Fang called.

Ten feet…

"Three!" I sang.

Five feet above the ground we snapped out our wings and soared into the sky. The crowd went wild, if I may say so myself, and they clapped so loud that Fang and I could hear them from our elevation of at least 100 feet in the air.

I grabbed Fangs hands in both of my hands and beat my wings at a faster rate than his, causing us to go into a vertical spiral.

"This is so weird!" I laughed as we rolled across the sky. We'd never done anything like this in an air show.

"I know, but just wait until we do this next one. Are you sure about it?" Fang asked, sounding nervous.

"Of course I am. It was my idea." I called and released his hands, sending both of us hurtling in opposite directions.

We froze our wings, causing us to stop moving, then beat our wings until we were just a foot apart again, we circled each other once more.

"Whenever you're ready." Fang said.

"I'm ready!" I yelled, putting my legs together, pointing my toes, putting my arms (which were bent at my elbow) out, tucking my wings in, and dropping like a rock.

People directly beneath me screamed bloody murder and yelled. "Get out of the way! She's going to fall right on top of us!" They made a big space around the area beneath me. I shut my eyes as the ground rushed towards me.

Fifty feet….

This is the craziest idea I've ever had.

Forty feet…

He'll catch me. I thought. Fang will catch me.

Thirty feet…

Any time now Fang.

Twenty feet…

Oh crap. I'm so going to freaking splat all over the ground!

Ten feet…

Good bye cruel world. I'm sorry I never got to save you. Good bye scientists. I'm sorry I never got to kill each and every one of you slowly and painfully-

Then two arms looped under mine and became steel vices, I felt myself rising up and away, the crowd exhaled in relief and Fang chuckled in my ear.

"Got ya." He breathed.

"Thank god." I laughed. "For a second there I thought you wouldn't catch me in time and I was gonna splat all over the ground."

"I'd never let you fall." He murmured.

"Sure, sure." I said. "Now that the crazy parts over, lets finish this off. Drop me on three."

We were one hundred feet above the buildings roof.

"One…" I counted.

150 feet above the roof.

"Two…" Fang called over the roaring wind.

175 feet…

"Three!" I sang once more.

Fang dropped me at 200 feet above the roof top, which made us about 300 feet above the screaming crowd.

I tucked my arms around my legs and started flipping downwards, Fang flew in circles around me as I flipped, wings tucked, and fell with the force of gravity.

The spinning was making me want to puke.

Not to self, no more flipping.

I snapped out my wings and angled down to the ground, Fang doing the same thing right next to me, we were perfectly in sync.

We landed softly in the middle of the flock, who were still smiling like crazy people, and the crowd erupted into applause.

"That was Max and Fang everybody! Thanks for coming out to watch us!" Ratchet yelled with a smile, then his face turned sad and solemn. "But you see. We need some plane tickets to get back home, and we haven't any money."

"Awe!" The crowd cooed.

"So if you could find it in your heart to get us back to the states and back into the arms of our… families… Then we would be eternally grateful."

The flock nodded sadly and extended our wings, flying about an inch off the ground.

The crowd exploded again. They threw whole wallets at us, and hundred dollar bills. I hardly believed that was necessary but hey! We'll take it!

"Thank you! Thank you all for your support!" Ratchet yelled.

The crowd dispersed and finally we were alone again.

We all sat down on Ratchets car while he counted the money.

"You did amazing." Fang said to me, nudging my shoulder with his elbow.

"You're making me blush!" I laughed sarcastically, putting a hand to my forehead for dramatic effect, then assuming my original position. "And you weren't so bad yourself." I shouldered him with a small grin.

"Why thank you ever so much." Fang mock-gushed, bending his back in somewhat of a sitting bow and twirling his hand flamboyantly.

I rolled my eyes and turned to my flock. "Awesome job guys!" I slapped each of them a high five. "Dylan… Maya you guys were amazing. That was a really great performance." I smiled at them.

Maya was sitting right next to Dylan, he tentatively put his arm around her and squeezed her in a one armed hug, she blushed. Fang elbowed me and raised his eyebrows, I smiled and nodded in agreement.

Dylan and Maya were getting weird.

"Thanks... Max." Maya murmured, it was the first time she'd said my name without any malice what. so. ever.

I smiled at her.

"Thanks Max." Dylan beamed at me, releasing Maya.

Angel came up and sat in my lap. "Can we talk?" she asked quietly.

"Sure sweetie." I said.

"Alone?" She sounded like she was begging now.

Fang raised his eyebrows at me. "Uh. Yeah, sure Ange. Let's go up there." I said and pointed to the roof.

We extended our wings and flew to the roof. Angel and I sat on the edge, letting our feet dangle over the side.

"What is it sweetie?" I asked her looking down at her.

"I—I'm sorry." She started crying, I pulled her onto my lap.

"What?" I cried.

"I'm s-sorry for splitting you and Fang up. I was happy for you guys when you were together in Hawaii after we saved your mom, then something inside me snapped and… and…" She stammered, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"And what?" I asked.

"And I wanted to split you up. I wanted Fang and you to be like you used to be. I wanted you to be more of a leader." She wailed. "That's why I brought Fang to Doctor Gunther Hagen, so that Fang would have a drive to become a leader himself. So that Fang would leave and let you be with Dylan."

I didn't have anything to say. I was speechless as I remembered that night when I shot Fang with that adrenalin needle and saved his life, no thanks to the 'good' doctor GH, who'd nearly killed him. But I'd saved Fang... and told him that I loved him, for the first time ever.

Then he left.

And I broke.

But you already knew that.

"After Fang left, I realized that you were better when you were with Fang. You were stronger, healthier, happier, you were Max when you were with Fang." She whispered, my breathing caught a little, knowing it was true. "You refused and still refuse to love Dylan. We, meaning the doctor and I, thought it would be easy for Dylan to win your heart, because he was your perfect other half, but then I realized something." Angel looked up at me. "Dylan is great. He is strong, kind, loving, and everything that a girl could want." I raised my eyebrows. "But that's not what you want Max." Angel shook her head. "You want Fang. Because he's been with you your whole life, he knows everything about you by just looking into your eyes. He's fought on you side forever… He can read your mind just as well as I used to be able to, and that's not even his power. Fang and you have a connection that no distance could ever break."

"Soooo what are you saying?" I asked tentatively.

"I'm saying that even though Dylan was made for you, he's not your perfect other half. I—I think Fang is. In a roundabout way."

I raised my eyebrows. "Care to explain?"

Angel nodded. "The white coats made all of us. They chose us; our gender, our genetics, everything. They were constantly testing us, our abilities, our strength, even our emotions."

I nodded in agreement, but remained silent, listening intently.

She took in a fluttery breath before continuing. "They picked you, Iggy, and Fang first and at the same time, that way you were nearly the exact same age. The wacko's had to be thinking that you'd fall in love with one of them, but they weren't sure who at the time. It was your first emotional test... love." Angel took a deep breath once more. "I believe that they originally created Iggy and Fang… for you." My eyes widened. "That's why they chose the three of you. One girl, that's you, and two boys, that's Fang and Iggy. You had to choose one of them, in the white coats mind, you were gonna be stuck at the school for your whole life, eventually you had to fall for one of them. Then they got Nudge, and you definitely weren't gonna fall in love with her." We both chuckled. "And Gazzy was 6 years younger than you, so if you fell for him… that would be nasty, they figured you were smarter than that. I was just an extra gift they never expected to get. Gazzy and I's mother just sold both of us to the white coats." Angel sobbed again, I rocked her back and forth and rubbed her back.

"You really think that sweetie?" I asked.

"That Fang is your other half?" Angel responded quietly.

I nodded.

"I do." She nodded. "It makes perfect sense. Why else would the white coats take two boys and only one girl? Like I said: they were constantly testing us, your emotions had to be one of the tests. I'd bet, they sent Gunther Hagen to us just so he'd make Dylan and see if you'd fall for your 'perfect other half' over your real perfect other half, which they now found out was-"

"Fang." I finished for her, feeling a little dazed.

"Uh huh. When he left, that's why you were so broken up. It felt like a part of you was-"

I cut her off again "Gone. Because-"

Angel finished my sentence. "Fang was gone. Half of you was gone, your perfect other half was gone. Your—your fang was gone." Her face softened and more tears came down. "And it was all my fault. I'm s—so sorry! I—I didn't know! I thought that Dylan would make you happier than Fang ever would. But then I realized that that was impossible. I realized that when we met up with Fang in Paris, you guys fought a lot. Dylan and you never fought, because all he did was obey. But Fang wasn't afraid to say 'no' to you and put you in your place. That's why he was perfect for you. Just like you're not afraid to do the same thing back to him. The two of you compliment each other in ways no one else can and ever will. That's why he was like you brother, your best friend, your…" she looked at me, knowing that I knew the answer.

"P-perfect other half." I stammered. Angel nodded and tears fell down her cheeks again. I wiped them away, letting what she'd just said sink in. "It's alright Angel, look where we are." I motioned to the ground, where Fang and the rest of my flock was looking up at us nervously. Angel sniffled. "If what you say is true, then it'll be okay. Somebody once told me that, who—who was it that said that?" I asked her, smiling slightly.

"M-me?" She sniffled again. I nodded. She sighed and nodded too. "I—I s-said th-at it would be okay. I—I said that."

"That's right. It's gonna be okay honey." I squeezed her.

She looked up at me. "Y-you're n-not m-mad at m-me-e?"

I shook my head. "Angel, I'm not mad. I'm just glad that we've got you back with us."

"Really?"

"Really." I stood up and set her on the ground, wiping the tears off of Angels cheeks.

"Thanks Max. You're a great leader." She hugged my waist and I bent down to hug her.

"Thanks sweetie." I whispered.

I was totally going crazy.

Like seriously. I need to go to a mental hospital... because I think I'm going insane.

Just kidding about the mental hospital part. Hate hospitals! Remember?

Angel thought that Fang was my perfect other half? Whaaaaaaaat?

And she'd caused him to leave. But I wasn't angry with her, I was almost glad that things had been cleared up about all of that. Here I thought that Fang had actually left me so I could be a better leader. A load of crap is what that is.

Fang is my perfect other half? I thought as I extended my wings. If he's my other half… then what does that make Dylan?

I looked down at Angel. " if Fang is my other half.. then what does that make Dylan?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "A test on your emotions from the school, or Itex, or whoever is still trying to find us and test us." she paused for a moment, then returned to talking about Dylan. "He doesn't know it though. I think he really believes that he's perfect for you." Her face turned sympathetic. "Poor Dylan."

"Poor Dylan." I whispered in agreement. Everything he'd been told was a lie. I know what that's like.

And it sucks.

A lot.

Angel nodded.

"Let's not tell Fang just yet." I said to her. "Or Dylan for that matter. I'm guessing it would cause a fight. And we do NOT need that at the moment."

She nodded. "It'll be our little secret."

"Until the time comes." I said.

Angel nodded again and smiled at me.

We flew back down and I landed next to Fang.

He looked into my eyes and held my gazed, probing my brain for answers on what had just happened, I gazed back into his deep, obsidian eyes that still took my breath away with their... never mind... in fact, forget I said anything about his eyes, except that they were holding my gaze, because that part's true.

Fang raised his eyebrows and mouthed "What happened?"

I shook my head slowly and mouthed. "Not now".

He rolled his eyes and was about to say something else but Ratchet ran up to him.

"Dude! We've got 6,000 DOLLARS!" He whisper yelled.

"Sweet!" Iggy called from his sprawled out position next to Nudge on the roof of the mustang, it looked like they were having a thumb war. Iggy was winning by a landslide. "First class baby!"

"Don't bet on it Ig." I called. "Low profile remember?" I looked at Fang, who was smirking because I used his words, and winked at him.

"Fine." Iggy huffed.

"Wait, do we get food?" Nudge and the Gasman asked together.

"Ohhhhhh yeah." I sang. "I'm thinking Big Macs for everyone and plane tickets all around."

Hello readers!

I hope you all had a lovely Easter and ate a lot of food! Ha ha.

I really really liked this chapter (if I may say so myself). I thought it had an interesting twist to it, if you hated it... then... I'm sorry! I came up with the whole perfect other half thing. Maybe JP will put that into the last book... I mean it makes sense... at least I think it does... Anyways! Send me a review with your thoughts, likes, and dislikes!

This was my longest chapter yet at 3,055 WORDS! I hope that's a good thing!

Thanks to storycat12, Percabethgirl2645, Snowswirl66, Readingcutie428, Booklover72, MaxRideLuver02, and Narwhalesandsnikahs for reviewing! You guys tooootally rock! Please keep reviewing! And if you haven't reviewed yet... PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEEEEEEASE REVIEW!

Thanks!

maximumwriter19