Disclaimer: i do not own Maximum ride
It was time to get to work.
I walked quickly and confidently towards my first target. No one stopped me with my ID badge pinned to my jacket. Some people even gave me a nod or a smile, which I returned. It was all part of the act. Inside I was containing the urge to kill these sick people.
I didn't have to worry about rescuing the other experiments this time. There were none. It had caused a few problems in a couple of other Schools. That was how I had gotten most of my injuries.
Once I'd positioned the first bomb in a supply closet, I set the timer. 20 minutes would give me enough time to set the rest of the bombs and get clear.
I turned around and came face to face with 5 teenagers. What the hell were they doing here? Had Itex recruited kids as Whitecoats now?
"Hi kids. What can I do for you?" I asked, playing my part again.
"Why do you have a bomb?" One of them asked. She was a girl with long dark hair, just a little shorter that me. They were all dressed in white jump suits. If I had to guess I would say they were about 16.
"Um." Words failed me as I stared at them, completely thrown. "Its not a bomb." I tried
"Disarm it." The girl commanded. I opened my mouth to say no, but apparently she wasn't talking to me. The blonde boy on her right quickly sidestepped around me, faster than I could blink and snatched the bomb from where I'd placed it. I tried to stop him, but four sets of hands suddenly grabbed my arms and legs. They were strong. Too strong. And that was when I noticed the wings. They were experiments. I was now confused. There weren't supposed to be any experiments here, and what were they doing roaming the halls?
"Listen, you're making a mistake, I can get you guys out of here." I tried to explain. The girl looked a me curiously.
"Why would we want to leave?" She asked. I stared at her in shock. What was wrong with her?
She raised her wristwatch up to her mouth "This is Unit 5 requesting back up in corridor 45. Unit 1 please respond." She said and I swore. There was no way I was going down without a fight. I didn't really like to make a habit of hurting fellow experiments, but I guess I was going to have to make an exception.
I flung my arms back, digging my elbows into the stomachs of the two kids holding my arms, and throwing them against the wall. I heard them crash into it with a satisfying thud. The two kids slid to the ground and for an instant I was paralysed as I suddenly saw Angel and Gazzy lying in the rubble. The dark haired girl threw a punch in my direction, the motion snapping me out of my flashback. I leant back slightly dodging her fist and spun around, catching her with my foot and kicking her into another wall. I grabbed the 3rd boy's wrist as he tried to punch me too and pulled his arm down hard flipping him over and letting him fall to the floor, landing on his back. A sharp pressure on the back of my leg caused me to fall to floor on one knee and I had to roll to the side quickly to avoid a foot on my throat. I heard footsteps running towards us and I jumped to my feet expecting more experiments. My heart literally skipped a beat. Standing in front of me was the flock. They were 3 years older but it was them, no doubt about it. And they were wearing those stupid jumpsuits.
"Alright lady, who are you and what do you want?" Gazzy demanded. I swallowed. They didn't recognise me.
Angel's eyes narrowed and she put a hand on her brother's arm, holding him back. "It's Max." She said. Gazzy looked at me again, recognition sparking in his eyes. Iggy was staring in Angel's direction, and Nudge was staring at me.
"You're alive." I breathed. I couldn't believe my eyes. But the voice had said… "You lied!" I screamed "You told me they were dead!"
Max the voice cut in sharply Listen to me! It commanded They're not your flock. They've been brainwashed. They work for Itex now. You can't trust them!
I wasn't particularly inclined to believe a word it said right then. "Let's go guys. It's time we trashed this joint." I made to pass them, automatically assuming my role as leader once again, so I was startled by the confused looks they gave me. Just like the others.
"Is that a bomb Max?" Gazzy asked, peering behind me.
"We can't have you blowing up the lab Max." Iggy said, taking a step towards me.
See Max The voice said and I backed up slowly. I couldn't fight them. Not them. Not after everything that had happened. I had to save them.
"Come with us Max." Nudge said. I shook my head.
"You have to come with us Max. There's someone you need to meet." Iggy said, taking another step.
"No." I said, still shaking my head. I glanced at Angel, she was staring intently at me. I shoved mind blocks up right before her mind crashed into mine.
"Angel stop." I said between gritted teeth, fighting her in my mind. But she just furrowed her brow and concentrated harder.
Iggy reached for my hand with amazing accuracy. I slapped it away. "Don't make us hurt you Max." He warned.
I was surrounded, my flock mixed with the other kids, only Angel wasn't standing in the circle that surrounded me.
"Don't touch me." I growled. Gazzy leapt for me, trying to catch my hands but I stepped to the side and kicked him into the wall, wincing as he hit it. But I didn't have time to say sorry as Iggy tripped me up sending my flying to the ground. Hastily I flipped myself upright just in time to catch a punch from the dark haired girl and block a roundhouse kick from one of the blonde boys, only to feel Nudge's fist crash into my jaw making my bite my tongue as my head was knocked to the side. I wiped the blood from my mouth, trying to ignore the pain. Everyone attacked me at once and I had to move like lightning just to block their attacks. And all the while I was still battling Angel for control of my mind.
Amidst all of this I somehow managed to hear another set of footsteps walking towards us.
"Mercury, what is so important that you called us?" A deep voice said as the person rounded the corner.
I froze. I knew that voice.
Everyone leapt at me and I was tackled to the ground. Pain exploded in my right knee and my head. I felt my arms wrench behind my back roughly and something tied around my wrists. My wings were being crushed by my own arms. I was dragged up right and came face to face with Fang.
He looked me up and down and I saw his eyebrow twitch in shock when his deep chocolate eyes met mine. I doubted anyone else had noticed it. I had been the only one who could read Fang's expressions.
"Fang?" He was taller than me and his hair was shorter that it had been the last time I had seen him, but a lock of it still flopped down and fell into his eyes. Apart from that small twitch he was completely emotionless. Please don't let him be brainwashed, please don't let him be brainwashed I begged.
"Well well, what do we have here? The great Maximum Ride." His voice was cocky as he took a step towards me.
"She was planting bombs sir." The dark haired girl, Mercury, said. Sir? Since when was Fang a sir?
His eyes narrowed. What had happened to them? I started to fight Iggy's grip on me furiously, desperate to get free, but he held me tight. I stamped hard on his foot and he let go in surprise. For an instant I was free, but I lost my balance, not expecting Iggy to let go so quickly and I fell forwards, right into Fang's arms. Great. Now I'd never get free.
"Let me go!" I screamed at him, trying to headbutt him, but I failed and he spun me around, so he could hold my wrists.
"Stop struggling Max, it's for your own good." He told me and then proceeded to march me down the corridor. Defeated I sagged in his grip and let him hold me up. I was caught. Betrayed by my flock.