A/N: So I got a little bored of keeping the language P/C so I just upped the rating to 'M'. Also sorry if there's a lot of dialogue in this chapter, I know I'm not personally a big fan of stories that are all talk and not action. That's about it for this Author Note. Uhh, I just started reading Angel and I love it, I also don't own any of the characters from the Maximum Ride series. Enjoy!

Fate is a strange thing. It has a way of being so sporadic that no one ever really knows what to expect. Sometimes things work out more perfectly then you could ever imagine, and other times fate just likes to bitch-slap you. And it was apparent, whoever liked to control my fate, really loved going from hot to cold at the drop of a hat.

First off, I realized I'd actually have to explain my plan to Penny, since she couldn't hear it whilst I explained it to Fang. Already logistics somewhere in the back of my mind screamed only to tell her what she absolutely needs to know.

"Penny?" I broached cautiously; she looked at me wide-eyed.

"Is that you again Max?" she sounded scared.

I nodded and she looked more nervous, "Umm, before when you asked me to tell you if he did anything icky? Well… he… uhhh… looked down your… uhh… your shirt." She looked embarrassed like it was her shirt he was looking down.

I brushed off this information I already knew casually, "Yeah, I'll yell at him later for that, thanks," I smiled briefly-it's best if you escape team isn't scared shitless of you, just saying—"Penny I have a way to get us out of here but you have to trust me and listen and do exactly as I say when I say so, got it?"

Her face lit up with fear and excitement. I could tell she was uneasy about having to ask how high when I said jump and how I got my plan but was desperate to get out—and it as that desperation that won over. It was soon followed by determination and she nodded.

"Okay, I'm gonna quickly scout for a weapon or two from around here and then we leave. What I need you to do is to follow me quietly and do exactly what I say, got it?"

She nodded again, confident this time and I grinned to myself. This was gonna be easy—or so I had thought.

Well that was what I thought but as most of us have figured out by now, thought and reality are often two very different things.

"First things first Penny, I need you to untie me," I said as I began maneuvering myself so she have access to my hands. Although her were also bound, our hands were only tied enough to restrict the mobility of our arms, not the dexterity of our hands.

Once both of us were free I scanned the room with my hands on my hips. Sighing I grabbed the bowl and rolled it over in my hands for a minute and then passed it to Penny.

"If someone grabs you whack 'em over the head with that, it won't do a lot of damage, especially if you don't put a lot of power behind it, but I should stun 'em enough for you to get away." Hopefully, I added silently in my head.

At this Penny had a second of indecision as she tentatively reached for the bowl, conflicting emotions flitted across her face for a millisecond, but she pushed them away.

Then I scanned again for something for me. It took a moment to find it but once I did a small smile crept onto my face. A rip, there was a rip in the mattress pad: the perfect opening for me to get a mattress spring, a rather deadly makeshift weapon.

I set to work quickly to get my spring. Time was against us. Fang would be here in less then three hours, not to mention that our mysterious captures could show up at any minute. But at last I had three springs, one I tucked in my waistband, one I tucked into my bra, and one concealed in my palm for easy access.

Now it was time to start our escape. It would be arduous, physically and mentally taxing—to a four-year-old. Our escape wouldn't actually be all that difficult. There was a heating vent on the far side of the room; it was broken so you could pull the grate off. Then all we had to do, theoretically, was crawl to the end where it let out into another broken grate in the building next door. After that we would walk out and meet Fang. As far as I could tell there were no booby traps that would set off a giant conflagration or worrisome leaks that'd make you wish you'd studied stoichiometry.

So it was now or never, quietly, I motioned for Penny to follow me and not make a sound. Single file we crawled through the vent systems trying not to make a single solitary sound—which isn't an easy feat in such an old building. It took a little while to reach the end because of the snail pace we were traveling at to help minimize noise, but at last we made it to the end. I had taken point so I reached the grate first, and when I peered out to make sure the coast was clear, things started to take a turn for the worst. The sight that greeted me was one Fang will definitely not be happy: a shirtless dude, peeing—how classy? Yes, apparently the room I had chosen for our escape was the captors chosen bathroom and one had to relieve himself—badly. In a plastic bottle, isn't that cute? Not! And if it could get any worse, he was pissing right in front of the grate we were stuck in—totally not cool. Part of me secretly wanted the guy to fall forward and get stuck in the water bottle as a form of karma, but fate would not grant me that, which may have actually been a good thing because if the aforementioned 'manhood' had gotten caught, I most definitely would not have been able to contain my laughter and that would have screwed us all over. Pardon the pun.

We needed a diversion, and fast.

Max? Fang's voice chimed into my head at the perfect moment. Max, you there? I'm where you told me to meet you but I don't see you.

Fang, I need a diversion. Can you help, without getting arrested? I had to ad the last part because lord knows the boy could cause trouble—lot's of it. I could almost see him snickering in my head.

But of course. You do remember who you're talking to right? Was his snarky reply.

Oh yes, all to well. All to well. Was my only reply.