I stood there watching as Fang walked threateningly down the dock towards me. Fang must think that I killed Max! That I am the enemy! I called out to him again.
"Fang! St . . ." I growled in my gravely Eraser voice.
"You killed Max!" he screamed, interrupting me. "You killed her! And you are going to pay!" I could just barely see the tears that were streaming down his face. Fang is crying?! He must love me more than I thought. I didn't want to fight Fang, he was my best friend, but he would kill me if I didn't defend myself. In the pouring rain, I could barely make out his figure. He was in the fighting stance that I had taught the whole Flock. I was proud and scared all at the same time. I knew from experience that a mad Fang is nothing to toy with.
Fang launched into the air and landed a foot in my stomach. I cried out a little, but my voice sounded more like a growl.
"Fang, please!" I cried, but he cut my voice off with a scissor kick to my neck, intending to snap it. But his foot landed wrong and something in my neck snapped besides my spine. I cried out in genuine pain, but no noise came out of my mouth. Did he break my voice box?!
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Fang was pleased and angry all at the same time. This monster had killed his best friend and he had seriously wounded it. He smiled sadly as he prepared for the kill. Max, this is for you.
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I was wheezing all over the place, trying to make some sort of noise, but nothing would come out of my mouth. Dang it! I felt like kicking a wall, but there was none to kick. Fang was fighting more furiously now, I knew he was coming close to finishing the fight. All I could do was block his hits as much as I could. I would not hurt him, even if he was trying to kill me. I got an idea. I pretended to stumble and he took the opportunity to put a boot in my stomach. All of the air in my lungs whooshed out and I fell over the edge of the dock into the water below.
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Fang peered over the edge of the dock into the water where his foe had disappeared. The vile beast never appeared. Good riddance. Fang sat down on the edge of the dock and looked out over the water.
"Max!" he sobbed. "Max, my beautiful Max!" Fang hit the wooden planks of the dock hard enough to snap the rotten wood in two. He hardly seemed to notice. Fang felt new tears rushing to his eyes. His best friend, leader, and reason to live had disappeared from his life forever and she was never, ever coming back. At least I avenged her death. Fang sat on the dock and cried softly, not caring about anything in the world except his dead friend.
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I clung to a barnacle-encrusted post beneath the dock. The water was cold, and I was shivering, but I had to know that Fang was okay. He sat up there and sobbed his heart out and there was nothing I could do to comfort him. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't, not with my voice box broken. Maybe Mom could fix it. But I'm in New York, and that's a long way from Arizona. I stayed there until Fang got up and flew away. I wanted to follow him home but I decided that it was best if I just stayed where I was. Crawling up onto the beach beneath the dock, I curled up and fell asleep listening to the roar of the waves.
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Fang flew back to the hotel in a trance. Max is dead. I can't believe it. Fang still had a picture of her in his mind; beautiful, strong, proud Max. The love of his life. Fang nearly ran into the balcony of the boys' hotel room, but he didn't care. Nothing matter now that Max was dead. He shuffled into the room, soaked clothing and all. His black combat boots made wet sounds and left puddles of water on the carpet.
"Fang! You're back! We were so worried about you!" The Gasman exclaimed when he spotted Fang. Then he paused, confused. "Fang, where's Max?" Fang literally collapsed on a bed and, putting his head in his hands, started sobbing again. Gazzy stared at him in horror.
"Max isn't . . . dead, is she?"
Fang solemnly nodded his head in between sobs. Gazzy started to cry. Iggy, Nudge, Total, and Angel came out of the adjoining room and stared at the two boys.
"What's wrong with them?" Nudge asked Iggy.
Iggy opened his mouth to reply by the Gasman answered first. "Max . . ." he stuttered. "Max is dead!" Tears started to well in Nudge and Angel's eyes. They hugged Iggy's lean form and cried for all they were worth. Total sat down on Iggy's shoe and whined. Iggy was trying hard to stay sane. But he soon started to sob and hugged the two girls that were clutching his middle. As Max would have put it, 'It was turning out to be a regular sob-fest.'