Yolo! Did you know that that actually stands for something? I thought I was really smart when I made that up cause you know...Yo and Hello mashed together is Yolo... But apparently it already has a meaning :( *says moo while kel sighs at her* Anyways here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Maximum Ride and its characters belong to James Patterson because he was the one to get the ingenious idea to glue wings to children.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid..." I muttered.

Great. I just had to be that kid whose best friend gets tackled by barbaric cables.

I shifted in my cramped cage and realized that what should have been a painful throbbing in my ribs was only a dull ache. I lifted the hem of my t-shirt slightly. There was a pale blue bruise smudged across my side.

What the..? Crud, I must've been here for at least two days. Even us mutants can't heal that fast.

"Doctor, it's awake!"

There was some rustling and then a set of sharp green eyes gazed at me through the bars.

"Amazing..." The voice and eyes belonged to a pleasant looking woman. She had a round face and chocolate hair swept back into a ponytail. The lady smiled a dazzling smile. If she wasn't at the heart of the most soulless researching lab in the whole world she would have seemed like one of those moms that brought Kool-aid to her kid's soccer game.

It unnerved me truthfully. She looked so open and friendly. So not knowing how to react I pasted on my default expression: a scowl.

The lady continued to oggle at me. "It should not already be recovered."

That really plucked a string, "It has a name you know."

"Of course," she replied sweetly, aiming another smile at me. "I'm sorry about the cage, Max, but you have a history of aggressiveness you see."

"I do see. That you're another freaking door knob." I sneered back and refused to be brought down by such a warm, loving, caring, motherly smile.

Dang it.

She chose to ignore that, instead replying calmly, "We're going to run a few tests on you and it would be easier on both you and me if you would cooperate."

I gaped at her. "Are you kidding me?"

Cooperate my butt.

"Please Maximum, be reasonable."

I was about to spit something nasty when I was cut short by a familiar voice.

"Hi sweetie."

Sad brown eyes replaced the woman's. Jeb.

My voice dangerously low, I ground out, "Don't ever call me that again. Ever."

His wire-framed eyes seemed to deepen in regret. Memories danced across my mind, a word trailing behind each one.

Jeb holding me down as someone injected me with liquid fire. Whitecoat.

Jeb donning a lab coat, looking neat and unharmed in front of me. When I had thought he was dead. Traitor.

Jeb scooping me up into his arms. Hugging me tight. Daddy.

Even after everything that's happened, I still feel tears pricking the backs of my eyes.

"I'm sorry Max," he murmured softly.

"Sorry doesn't change anything! We thought you were dead, Jeb!" I shrieked. Taking a shuddering breath I added, "Now I wish you were."

Jeb glanced away from me. "I know it doesn't but I am. I'm doing this for you, for all of you."

"If you really love me then let me go." I whispered.

Shifting back to my pleading gaze he replied just as weakly, "I can't." He sighed lightly. "Do as they say Max." And with that he just walked away. Again.

The lady's face appeared once more at the bars. She surveyed my reaction. I just hoped I wasn't showing anything. She seemed to calculate something then, satisfied, she disappeared and all I heard was, "Take her to room A59."

Fang was attempting to burn a hole through the ground. His brain was a storm. Being tugged out of the sky, the Eraser attack, and Max being towed away from him. He pulled at his hair, growling.

He'd just let her go.

Looking up from the couch he met four pairs of anxious faces. Abruptly he stood up and began to pace.

"Fang?" A voice squeaked after this continued for a full five minutes.

He froze and reluctantly met Nudge's gaze. Immediately he felt another pulse of fury course through him. Her face was still dirty and she had a split lip, a swelling eye, and multiple scratches dotting her skin. Fang decided to try for a weak smile but due to his bruised face and the bloody claw mark above his eyebrow he most likely got out a grimace at best. He started to pace again.

"What should we do, Fang?" Angel whispered from her corner of the couch.

"We need to get Max back," he replied calmly.

Iggy shifted on his perch atop of the recliner's armrest. "How?"

Fang stopped moving and closed his eyes briefly. He had never understood exactly how Max had been able to come up with a plan on the spot. "First, we have to go to the School."