Soccer in the Middle of a Death Match
I woke up stretched my wings and felt for Nudge and Angel. And felt around some more. My eyes snapped open.
"Nudge?! Angel?!"
I raised my hand to shield my face from the very bright light and noticed a strange object on my wrist. It was smooth and cylindrical and very high tech. A slot opened and some weird colored glasses rose out of a compartment. I put them on, data scrolled across the screen as the technology in the glasses synced up with this wrist thing. Speaking of the wrist thing, there was an opening right above my hand and the top of it was full of glowing buttons and a glowing screen. Suddenly letter started scrolling across the screen.
Maximum Ride, You are now a part of the team energy match. Your fellow flock members are on your team, the others are against you. Depending on how you perform your team could get supplies that mean life or death in the arena. Good luck Maximum Ride, the games begins in 3, 2, 1..
Bwaaaaaaaaaaamp a horn sounded. I covered my ears to block out the deafening sound. I must have closed my eyes too because when I opened them three guys sprinted past me. They had the funny thing on their wrists and the glasses too and they were passing around a glowing, sparking, sphere. I jumped to my feet.
"Hey! Yo, what are you doing?"
"Playing the game, we're winning the supplies!" A boy with blond hair yelled and they sped off. I was starting to realize what was going on here. The flock and I were supposed to be going up against these people in this game, and we were supposed to win. I ducked my head and charged after them like only a mutant bird kid can, that is to say: faster than them. A map quickly flashed across my vision. Three red dots were moving steadily ahead of my pulsing dot. They were moving toward what looked like a canyon. Perfect. I unfurled my wings and took a flying leap launching myself into the air. Several strong pumps and I gained some altitude. Just as they reached the canyon I folded my wings and dived toward them. Words scrolled across my vision.
Press the green button and tap your wristquip to theirs, this will release the ball giving you possession.
Why couldn't we just play something easy? Like soccer, everybody loves soccer. Right? Right? Am I right? As I swooped in one of the boys started flashing red. I'm pretty sure that means he has possession, I mean why not? I pressed the green button and hit the wristy thing of the blond dude. The electric ball shot out of his wrist thing.
Press the blue button.
More words scrolled across my glasses. I jammed down on the blue button and the energy ball was sucked into my wristy thing, so far so good. I pumped my wings rising into the air.
"Get back here!" the blond dude screamed. "We'll find you mutant freak!"
I looked down and saw three very angry faces staring up at me. Oops. I swooped away with their death threats fading with the distance. Take that. More directions scrolled across the lenses of my new eyewear.
Take the ball to the three goals, if you score a shot you'll get a point.
A map appeared three dots glowed green a little to the left of my pulsing dot. I changed directions and pumped my wings faster.
A flicker of movement caught my eye as I moved closer to the goals. Angel was flitting through the woods any speed she gained from flying lost in dense trees. A slightly chubby boy was running after her and they seemed to be fighting over something.
"I'm okay Max," her voice floated up to me. "I just want us to win so bad."
Me too Angel, I thought knowing she'd hear me, me too. Now use your mind reading techniques to predict that other guys movements, 'kay?
"You got it Max," she screamed.
That's my girl. I continued my flight toward the goals. Suddenly an object whizzed past my ear. I froze, hovering in mid-air, which is as much as you can freeze without facing certain death. What looked like a giant boulder was flying towards me.
"Don't worry, Max!"
"Gazzy?" I asked. "Is that you?"
The rocks course was miraculously diverted and the Gasman flew at me. He knocked me backwards when he pounded me with a big hug.
"I love this game!" he announced. "It's my job to make sure those big things don't hit anyone. Am I doing a good job?"
"Well I'm not flat as a pancake," I joked.
Down below Angel shrieked and something crashed into a tree.
"Got to go, good luck Max," the Gasman said zipping off.
I pumped my wings closing the gap between me and the goal. I tried not to think about how hungry I was because I'd only had a rabbit in the last 24 hours. Seriously though, I think I was getting stomach cramps, but oh yeah, I'm not thinking about that. Maybe I can just think about how my wings are cramping up…nah, that can't be healthy.
"Maximum Ride," a smooth voice purred. Oh gosh, Ari isn't he dead yet? Why isn't he dead yet? And how was it that he was up here in the air?
I looked over my shoulder to see at least ten Erasers hang-gliding behind me. Well drat, just when stuff is going fine, not great of course, but it's not blowing up in our faces, this happens. I hoped Angel was picking up on this and had the sense to get out of here with the Gasman.
"What do you want?" I asked angrily.
"Nothing much it's just that, Maximum, there are some things you can't know about. Not yet anyway, so let those with knowledge take care of you." Wow, Ari must have fallen out of the sky and hit his head the first time he tried to get in the air on that hang glider.
"Not a chance of that happening, Ari. Not with you anyway," I spun around and pumped my wings speeding away. If Ari was intent on getting me the least I could do was lead him away from Gasman and Angel.
"Come and get me you lunk!" I yelled over my shoulder.
"Maximum," Ari growled.
"Please, call me, Max," I taunted.
I looked back just in time to see Ari's face twisted in a very unflattering (who am I kidding you just can't get a flattering expression from those guys) expression.
"Get her!" he snarled.
I ducked my head and flapped harder pushing through the air at one of my top speeds. Unfortunately the Erasers had hang gliders equipped with engines. They were catching up, I could feel the suction from the intake valves on my ankle. I looked down at the thick trees flying past below me: a perfect place for losing Erasers. I folded my wings tightly to my back and dived towards the trees. Wind buffeted by face and my hair whipped out behind me. Branches stung my face; I closed my eyes and tried to unfurl my wings. Branched nearly tore my wings out of socket, I guess I hadn't calculated for lack of space to spread my wings. I could imagine the look on Ari's face as he watched me tumble through the treetops. I finished my great fall with a long drop and a hard landing on the ground. I curled in a bruised ball wrapping my wings around me. I groaned, my body was throbbing, I felt like I was Max the giant bruise and not Max the mutant. I really hoped that Gazzy and Angel were somewhere Ari wouldn't find them if he didn't continue to pursue me. I slowly crawled through the dry leaves and pulled myself under a bush. The effort brought tears to my eyes and I knew I'd broken something. I sucked in air through my teeth as I rested my body on a sore spot. That Ari! I was on the ground in pain and he hadn't lifted a paw. I wanted to howl in frustration at the unfairness of it all. That even here Ari was still getting to me. I pounded my hand on the ground hot tears slipping out of my eyes. This was ridiculous. I felt like screaming. Calm down Max-what….was that noise? I pulled my knees up to my chest and scooted farther under the bush pulling my wings close to me.
"Where do you think that…..shank went?" a familiar voice said, now how was it familiar? Oh yeah it belonged to that blond dude I'd agitated. "Is is a shank? I think it was a girl."
"Nah, whatever," someone replied."As long as we find her, what's the dif?"
I tensed ready to punch the first person that tried to drag me out from under this bush. I was starting to feel dizzy and faint and before anyone could find me, I blacked out. This is lovely.