Max woke up the next morning to a small jackhammer digging into her brain; or at least that's what it felt like. Every movement hurt. She couldn't even remember anything past when she chugged the vodka. A thought shot through her: What if she drank the entire bottle?

No way, Max thought. I'm not usually that stupid.

She attempted to sit up and groaned at the effort. Life was hard.

"Need assistance, Maximum?" A voice came from the heavens.

"God?" Max asked, her voice thin.

"It is JARVIS," JARVIS replied.

"Oh, yeah, weird robot thing," Max said.

"I'd prefer it if you called me by my name, Maximum," JARVIS countered.

Max finally sat up and swung her legs off of the side of her bed. "And I'd prefer not to feel like death decided it was a sixteen year old mutant girl, but we can't always have what we want."

"Ms Potts and Mr Stark are in the kitchen," JARVIS said.

"Thanks, J," MAx said with a wave of her hand. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. "You're a babe."

She didn't hear a reply, so she assumed he went off to help someone else in the tower. It was strange to have an omniscient voice watching over you at all times to say the least, but he was damn helpful whenever he needed to be.

Max pulled on a t-shirt and brushed her hair. She decided to leave the teeth brushing until after breakfast, sure that any taste right now would make her hurl. As she approached the kitchen she hear Tony and Pepper discussing something in hushed tones and paused to listen.

"She said it was a shark," Tony said. "We need to get her to explain it to Fury. They handed that case off to the FBI, but what if it actually is under SHIELD's jurisdiction?"

"Since when have you cared about helping them?" Pepper asked. "Something was obviously going on with her last night. Something other than all of the adults she knows and trusts getting her ridiculously drunk. I should tell Fury to draw you up on child endangerment charges."

"She only trusts you, Pep," Tony said. "She even called you mom."

Pepper paused. "Yeah, well, that was different. She thought I was someone else." Max could hear the clink of coffee mugs. "Natasha said she looked at the security camera footage from the attack and there was nothing. He was just a normal lunatic as opposed to a mutant one."

"I think Max was onto something!" Tony pressed the issue.

"You think everyone is onto something!" Pepper said. "If she thought she saw this guy, this shark, around town and at the diner, it could mean something worse."

The room grew silent.

"What kind of worse are you thinking of?" Tony asked. "PTSD?"

"Or hallucinations," Pepper said. "I think she needs to go in for a psych eval."

"Don't do that to her, Pepper," Tony said. "You were the one who said to treat her with warm fuzzies. Don't force the girl into a cold room with a doctor."

"Fine," Pepper said. "What do you suggest?"

"Have Cap talk to her," Tony said. "He's got a soft spot for her. They seem to get on well."

Pepper snorted. "He's at least seventy years her senior."

"So you have nothing to worry about." Tony put some dishes in the sink.

Max sunk down to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. Did she really reveal all of that last night? Did she even call Pepper mom? This was worse than the hangover. The people she lived with thought she was crazy, and not even the good kind. Max only hoped that they were wrong, but she had a sneaking suspicion: it really could all be in her head.

"So how's life, Max?"

Steve was clad in a nicely pressed wool coat, a scarf wrapped around his neck three times. She doubted he got cold anymore after the super soldier serum experiment; anything would pale in comparison to being frozen in ice for decades on end. The weather in New York wasn't the greatest, but when was it ever? Dark clouds hung over the city, the trees bare of leaves.

She turned to him, hands in her pockets. "Just peachy keen. Woke up with my first ever hangover courtesy of fucking superheroes, thank you very much."

Steve laughed. "I haven't gotten one of those in a while. How do you feel?"

"I hate that question," Max muttered.

"Sorry?" Steve cupped his hand over his ear.

"I mean, I'm great," Max flashed a quick smile. "Like I said. Peachy."

Wind whipped through her hair, plastering a section of it across her eyes. She battled with it for a few moments before Steve reached over and tucked it behind her ear.

"Thanks," Max grumbled. She stamped her feet against the ground. "Can we not be outside right now?"

"Why not?" He was so joyful, like a Boy Scout or something. "Fresh air is great."

"I'm freezing my ass off here, Steve, and while my pounding headache has pretty much resolved itself, it could rear its ugly head any moment now." Max pointed to a nearby cafe. "Let's go there."

"You buying?" Steve asked. They headed towards the cafe.

"Ha, yeah, sure." Max opened the door for him. "With all of the money I get from my indentured servitude."

"You could negotiate some pay with Fury, but then your training wouldn't exactly be free anymore," Steve pointed out. They approached the counter. "Two hot chocolates please."

"Hey! I should get a coffee," Max said.

"No, you're not allowed to get coffee," Steve said. "You'll bounce off the walls."

Max rolled her eyes and shoved her hands deeper into her pockets. "I guess."

"What was that?" Steve asked.

Max sighed. "I said I guess."

"There you go." Steve handed the cashier money and they chose a table to sit at close to the window so Steve could still look at his beloved nature.

"Ugh, I hate the cold," she said, warming her hands over the top of the radiator. "It's like God is punishing us for owning too much thin clothing."

"Or telling you to appreciate the summer," Steve said. He blew on the steam coming off of the hot chocolate.

"So," Max took a sip of her drink. "What's the occasion?"

"No occasion," Steve said. "Can't we talk like normal people?"

Max shook her head. "We are both the complete opposite of normal."

"You looked like you needed some time away from the tower," he replied.

She snorted. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Don't act like Tony and Pepper didn't ask you to do this."

"They didn't-" Steve paused.

"You think I'm crazy," she said.

"No, I don't," Steve said.

"Don't fuck with me, Red White and Blue." Max put her hands flat on the table. "I'm not putting up with this bullshit."

Steve sighed. He rubbed his temples. "They're worried about you. Last night you were rambling on about so much and none of it made sense. Max, what happened in that diner? Darcy didn't see anything. She's your best friend; please, if you won't tell me, tell her."

Max bit her lip and leaned back in her chair. "He wasn't human, alright? He was like me, but different. Not part bird. Shark."

Steve's back went ramrod straight. "Are you sure that's what you saw?"

"No, I was hopped up on LSD and seeing rainbows where they shouldn't be," Max said sarcastically, vitriol seeping into her voice. "Yes, of course it's what I saw. I wouldn't want to make myself seem any more loony than I already am on purpose."

"Max, that's not what was on the surveillance tapes," Steve said. "This is serious. I'm going to have to tell Fury."

"No you won't," Max said. "Show me those tapes."

"Max-"

"Don't treat me like a child, Steve. Your name is literally Mr Fucking Rogers." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"What? That makes no- Never mind." Steve held his hand out. "If you want to see them, I can arrange that, but you should talk to someone afterwards."

"It's just a tape," Max said. "Not a life-altering surgery. I've already had one of those."

"Alright," Steve said. He raised his eyebrows for a split second, but the reaction still registered with Max and he could tell. "Let's go to HQ."

"Are you sure you want to see this?" Steve asked. He looked at Max with a doubtful expression. "You don't have to."

Max held fast. Her voice sounded small to her. "You all think I'm crazy. Play the tape."

Steve put his hand on her shoulder and leaned in towards her. "Max, we don't think-"

"I said-" Max took Steve's hand off of her shoulder. She didn't look at him. "-play the tape."

Steve clenched his jaw, but nodded at the technician anyway. The big screen flickered to life and the diner, moments before the explosion came into view.

Boom.

Max flinched. She grabbed Steve's hand out of instinct. The diner attack was the first big scare she'd had since fleeing Itex's last facility months ago and it had all happened when she'd begun to think that things had become normal. She could never go back to that safe space again; another betrayal by the universe would send her spiralling. She would have to live out the rest of her life forever on her toes. The thought terrified her. Steve squeezed her hand reassuringly.

The man stepped into view and, just like Steve had said, his face was normal. When he opened his mouth to look at Max on camera, his teeth were perfectly fine. No gaping shark maw like she had seen before.

"No," Max muttered. "No, no, no, that can't be right."

"Max," Steve began.

She rushed the tech booth and slammed her hands on the screen, shouting. "That can't be right!"

Steve approached her cautiously and pulled her away from the screens. She struggled and managed to jerk one of her arms free.

"Max, Max," Steve said. He attempted to contain her thrashing. "Max, calm down. You can't sort anything out if you don't calm down."

"But that's not what I saw!" Max struck his shoulders.

"And why is seeing something different so important?" Steve asked.

"Because if I was wrong, they're going to lock me up again." Max's voice was forceful but not quiet

. She paused and realized that fighting against Steve was useless; he was stronger than she was. "There's something wrong with me, isn't there?"

"We're going to figure this out-" Steve tried to stay comforting.

"I asked you a question," Max interrupted him. She stared at him point-blank.

"Nothing that can't be fixed," Steve said.

Max shook him off. He didn't resist this time. "I'm tired of people trying to fix me. I've been broken for a pretty long time; long before SHIELD managed to capture me."

Steve opened his mouth to reply, but an agent opened the door to the viewing room.

"Maximum Ride?" they asked.

She turned to face them. "Yes?"

"You're needed in Containment Area Three," the agent said.

"What?" She asked.

"That's where they keep injured mutants," Steve said, confused.

Max walked towards the door, grabbing Steve's arm as she went. "Let's go."

They reached the room in minutes. Director Fury was pacing next to the door. He perked up when Max approached.

"What's the deal, Fury?" she asked.

"We have a mutant on our hands," Fury said. "Injured. Unknown species."

"And?" she waited for an explanation.

"They seem to know who you are," he replied. "When medical personnel was checking them over all they said was your name."

A spark ignited in Max's brain. Maybe one of the Flock managed to escape that fire, despite the damning evidence her own eyes had given her. But if the past few weeks were any indication, her own eyes weren't that reliable in the first place.

"Let me through." She pushed past Fury to the door. He shouted after her, but she was already inside.

The room was stark white, the only thing in it a hospital bed that matched the colour scheme of the room. Equipment beeped softly. On the bed was a mutant with skin blue like the ocean. Small spikes covered their head like a sea urchin. Max could see scales dusting their arms. She recognized the species of mutant from when she was last in New York City and the Flock set the mutants from the Itex facility free.

She almost cried in disappointment.

"You..." the mutant said. Their voice was thin and strained from pain. Max walked closer. "You're really alive."

She nodded and gulped. "Yep, in the flesh."

"And the others?" They asked.

Max looked down at the floor. "Gone. All of them."

"Oh." The mutant sighed and glanced at the ceiling. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah." Max approached their bedside. "Me too. How did you get here?"

The mutant was silent. "Got caught again. Escaped. The usual."

She snorted. "I feel that."

The mutant laughed with her, but it evolved into coughing. Blood spurted up from their lips and they tried to cover it, but it coated their hands.

"I need to tell you something."

"I'm listening," Max said.

Without warning the mutant pulled Max in with bloodstained hands. Her hair became streaked with red instantly and despite her better judgement, she shuddered. The hot breath on her ear was uncomfortable, but it seemed as if they were trying to say something.

"It's starting again."

Immediately, the mutant dropped their grasp on Max and began retching, blood pooling underneath them and coating their blue skin until it was tinged a sickly purple.

"What do you mean?" Max asked. She attempted to keep her voice level.

The mutant began convulsing; foamed flecks bubbling from the corners of their mouth. They turned their wide eyes towards Max in a plea for death or possible salvation, Max guessed the former was what was coming sooner, but she didn't want to dwell on it. She wanted out of that room.

"It's starting again!" The mutant shouted with all of their might.

Max was pushed to the side as medical personnel rushed in to tend to the mutant's wounds, but it was too late. They were dying and there was nothing any medical miracle, even one like Max, could do to save them.

"They're back!" they shrieked. Their body convulsed one more time before finally calming. Max could practically see the life go out in their eyes. Before the mutant's heart stopped beating, they used their last breath to whisper a message.

"They're back."

The usual review challenge applies and the sneak peek for next chapter is definitely a good one. I hope you have a great day!