Max

"Max! Come on! We need help!" Iggy insisted, glaring at me. His icy blue eyes seemed to be looking not just as me, but into me, evaluating every flaw and judging it.

"No we don't! I've never needed help-" I started, glaring right back at the boy who I once thought of as my best friend. He always agreed with and supported me, what was different this time?

"Because you've always had Ari! And I don't see him around! So you need help! We need help!" He snarled, his strawberry blonde hair messily sitting atop his head.

"No we don't! They'll only slow us down!" I insisted, shoving him back into a large tree. There was a quiet thud as he stumbled into it, using the gray stump to support himself before coming back at me. In the blink of an eye, I was on the ground, staring up at Iggy as he looked down at me.

"Get it through your thick skull, Max! I love Lupo enough to swallow my pride and ask for help, do you love Ari enough?" He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. I scowled in response, doing a swift round kick that knocked his feet out from under him before getting to my feet. How long had we been fighting about this? Thirty minutes? An hour?

"No! I love him more than enough! He wouldn't want us endangering however many people Tanner offered up! This isn't their battle!" I insisted as Iggy pushed himself to his feet. His stained white tee shirt moved with his chest as he breathed, in and out, in and out, his hands clenching and unclenching as he thought about what he was about to say. Or maybe he was just thinking whether or not to say it.

"This isn't my battle either! This isn't Lupo's! It's your fault we're in this mess in the first place!" Iggy exclaimed, looking just about ready to snap someone's neck.

"Well I certainly didn't ask you to come with me!" I shrieked very un-Max like. My voice cracked halfway through and I felt like the world was raining down on me. In all honestly, it was my fault. I should've gone alone, I shouldn't have let Lupo and Iggy come with me, I should've told Ari to stay at base, I should've... I should've never brought Fang along. The hopelessness, the hurt, the sadness, it all swarmed inside me as my walls began to crack and shudder. Maximum Ride was tearing away at the seams, and I didn't know how much longer she could hold on.

"You're right actually," I whispered, my legs trembling as I hugged myself. You've been in worse situations, Max. You'll get through it. My inner optimistic spoke up, soothing me as I slowly melted to my knees.

"Max?" Iggy looked to me with concern written all over his features. "I- I'm sorry, Max. I didn't mean it. I swear I didn't," An emotionless chuckle left my lips as he kneeled down next to me, brushing my hair away from my face.

"We've snapped, haven't we?" I asked, realizing what had just happened for the first time.

"Yeah, I guess we got a little crazy, huh?" Igster added, pulling me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing until I heard him cough. For a moment, I closed my eyes, pretending he was Fang, pretending we weren't in a world where our loved ones were taken from us so easily. "I'm sorry," He admitted first, and I just nodded, not wanting this secret moment to end.

"Me too," I mumbled and felt the crumbling walls begin to duct tape themselves back up as Iggy dropped a light kiss on my forehead.

"It's probably for the better if we're the only two who go," He finally agreed and I smiled weakly as I looked up at him.

"No, we need help," I finally answered. "And I know just the guy who can do that," I added.

*Line Break*

"So, you in or what?" I asked, watching Tanner carefully as he paced and ran a hand through his hair just like Fang would have if in this situation- actually no, Fang would've agreed immediately, no questions asked. Oh great, I'm thinking about him again, I thought, looking down at my shoes.

"How long is it going to take?" Tanner finally asked after a long moment of contemplating.

"Four days max. We get in, we find them, we break them out, we get out, you in?" I asked.

"Huh," He thought so more. Honestly, how much did this guy need to think about? He had two sets of clothes, no family, and a tribe that could take care of itself. "Well if I put Ron in charge, and promised to be back before Saturday, I could go." He answered.

"Wonderful, we leave in the morning." I grinned and clapped my hands together "Get packing." And with that, I grabbed Iggy's hand and pulled him out of Tanner's hut and together we walked back to ours, watching as people picked berries, brought back buckets of water from the ocean and made it drinkable, and even played. I didn't think on an island they would even have the resources to make a ball to kick around, but they must have, because they were. It was a faded green and looked to be made out leaves and vines, but I guess in this kind of world it was definitely better than nothing.

*Line Break*

Right after we walked into our hut Iggy immediately burst from his twenty minute silence. "Do you think they're experimenting on them?" He asked, and I tensed just at the thought of my brother having to go through that again. The pain and misery, the training, the testing, the injections.

"Probably," I answered, looking to my best friend.

"You don't think they'll die do you?" He asked, and I could see the sheer terror in his eyes for the girl he loved.

"Honestly? No. Ari and Lupo are fighters till the end. And I'm sure neither of them are about to give up, especially not in the School." I reassured, and noticed Iggy visibly relaxed, if just a little, at that.

A moment of silence hung in the air and I sat down on a chair, waiting for Iggy to speak. When he didn't however, I did. "Iggy, you know I love you right?" I asked and he turned to look at me, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Max, I'm taken." He said, sitting in my lap. "But you know, I guess one night where all your fantasies come true won't-"

"Ew Iggy, not like that," I mumbled, pushing him on the ground. He hit the dirt floor with a thud, and grinned goofily at me.

"I love you too, Maxie." He spoke and I grinned. I missed Ari, Lupo, and Fang so bad it hurt, but right now, with Iggy, I was glad it had been them and not him. Even if just for this moment.

I'm like the updating queen. Bow down thy peasants. But seriously, can I please get more than 5 reviews a chapter? Thank you

Soar on

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