"You coming, Angel? I think we both have to work some things out with Max."
"No, I need some time alone. But I'll check on you with my mind. Best of luck Dylan! Try not to get pounded by Fang!" She chirped in her little girl voice.
"Thanks for the tip!" I rolled my eyes sarcastically and dashed towards the end of a ledge, my white converse tapping the ground with every step until I took off. I flapped gently but strongly, creating little puffs of wind as I lifted up even higher. I glided, feeling the breeze and droplets of the rain blow through my sandy-colored hair. Using my raptor vision I spotted a little pot-hole cover that I assumed was the entrance to where Max and Fang were currently staying.
Dylan, don't go in now. Angel warned through my mind.
Why not, Ang? I landed by the entrance.
Max and Fang are kissing!
I felt sicker and had more passion to go inside- but still, like a polite Avian-American I knocked, then slammed through the entrance.
Fang was laying on a hammock inside the hole, but besides that it was just a little dirty room.
"Dylan…" Fang growled, holding a scared looking Max in his arms.
Wait. Scared?
What had happened to her?
"Get out of here, we need alone time." Fang commanded, making a 'shoo' motion.
"I need to talk to Max." I addressed him in a cold tone.
"Well, I need to kiss Max some more. She chose me, remember?" Fang grinned, a little gleam appearing in his eyes.
"Fang!" Max gasped with warning. "Don't be immature."
Fang blinked, leaned down and kissed her.
I watched in horror as Max kissed back, feeling my heart shatter for the fifteenth time in my short time of living.
I'm sorry, Dylan. Said a heartbroken voice in my head I assumed was Angel.
Me too.
"Max, we need to talk." I said more urgently. It was enough that she didn't accomplish saving the world, but to not even lead the few she had saved? Max was not being Max, and I hated it.
She got up and walked out. "Dylan, I already told you-"
"Please, don't be immature. You're getting pretty cocky, huh? To think that I'm still hopelessly in love with you, even after you chose that dope over me?" I lied, grabbing her wrists, then letting go. I wouldn't let her have the satisfaction.
"You don't love me?" She looked confused, and a sad expression crossed her face.
Keep going, she's thinking resentfully of Fang! I wasn't sure if it was Angel or I that thought.
I quickly changed the topic. "Angel and the Flock think that you don't care anymore. I recommend you talk to them, especially Angel."
"I didn't know that." She defended.
"As the leader, you should know that." I pointed out. "Actually Max, I think it's time you start becoming a leader again. It's great you and Fang are connecting again, but really, as your perfect other half, you need to man up."
"You are not my perfect other half!" She demanded with a swift kick to my stomach.
I fell back as her sneakered foot smashed my chest more hard than I hoped it intended to.
"Who says I want to be anymore?" I lied again, feeling tears brim in my eyes.
She stopped, and did what she was best at. Taking off and flying away from her problems.
Fang climbed out of the pothole and looked at me. "Lay off of her."
I decided to have some fun, sticking out my tongue and making a 'Pfffft' sound.
Fang spit at me, but I saw it coming- Mutant skills do come in handy sometimes!- And I dodged it by what seemed like a centimeter.
"Max needs to be a leader again." I pointed out at him. "You need to grow more mature and let her become one instead of keeping her to yourself. She has a purpose other than being your girlfriend, you know."
Fang scowled "Like breeding with you?"
"No, to lead the kids left in this messed up world. But the breeding would be nice too."
Now I was just trying to make him mad.
Fang opened his raven-like wings and flapped away as Max had done earlier today.
So much for that.
At least you tried… Oh, here comes Max! I felt Angel think excitedly.
LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES! I yelled in my head, making sure Angel would hear the thought.
Okay, Dylan!
I stood around for a few moments, pondering just what to do. Finally, I came up with a solution.
Soon enough, I found myself outside the door in the underground cabin of Ella and Valencia Martinez, Max's Mom.
"Dr. Martinez?" I knocked, spying through the little peephole into the dark room.
"Hi, Dylan." Ella opened the door. "I was just going to visit Iggy. My Mom's in the back."
"Thanks!" I strolled past her, flashing her a grin. I tapped Dr. Martinez's shoulder, which was hunched over by the computer.
"Hello. What can I help you with, Dylan?" She turned around in her spinney chair- Which I was actually really jealous of. How come they didn't give me one of those in my cabins?
"Actually, I was just wondering how to manipulate Max just the littlest." I smiled as innocently as I could. Right now, Angel's power to control minds would have seriously helped.
She sighed. "Oh, Dylan. I'm sorry your heart is broken, but Max and Fang were just written in the stars. Max is stubborn as a bull; you know you can't change her decision now."
"Max's heart is something that seems impossible at pursuing, though that would be the most wonderful thing that could ever happen to me," I paused when a saw a small smile form on Dr. Martinez's pink lips as she probably realized that I did love her daughter, "But, what I really want from Max is to show her that she has to be a leader again. Hanging with Fang all the time isn't going to cut it for these kids. They're in the same situation as us."
"You do have a point. Maybe I can help you." She grabbed a small slip of paper by her computer, sliding into my hand.
"What do you mea-" I was cut off when I looked at what the paper gave instructions to.
Chocolate Chip Cookies.
"This is perfect! Thank you, Dr. Martinez!"
She grinned, turning her awesome spinney-chair back to face the computer.
I was just about to head to my apartment-dorm-ish place to make some cookies from Max, but Angel's frantic voice in my head interrupted.
Dylan! Max is having a major meltdown! I've tried calming her but it just won't work!
Why? I thought.
I'm not getting much of it, but I think its guilt. A lot of guilt!
This is just occurring to her now? I mean seriously, instead of wallowing in self-pity, she should try to help the people... err, mutants, who are still living. I rolled my eyes and tucked the recipe in my front jean pocket.
I think you're right. But I need help! Now!
I'll rescue you, Angel! After that, Dr. Martinez gave me an idea you and Gazzy could help me work on! I unfolded my wings and ran to the entrance of the underground caves.
I'm kind of excited now. See you, Dylan!
I flapped to the place where I met Angel before, spotting Max hanging along as well. Max was hugging an annoyed looking Angel, which almost made me laugh. I swooped down like a hawk and glared at the two, hovering a little from the ground.
"Angel," I ignored Max as she turned to look at me, "I think it's time that we take a nap."
Really? A nap? I'm not two!
Sorry, best I could come up with on the spot. I grinned at Angel apologetically.
"I think you're right. Let's go, Dylan!" She took a running start and opened her wings as I grabbed her and preceded to fling her into the sky. I watched in awe as she opened her nine-foot, white wings and flapped them gently.
"Goodbye, Max." I flipped almost upside-down, a trick I had taught myself, and waved.
Max looked flustered and a little smile was gaining on her face, but it was suddenly flattened. I shrugged and went after Angel, who was smirking mischievously.
"She thought because you looked so dorky you looked cute. Then she remembered Fang and how much she loved him compared to you." Angel murmured.
"Whatever. What was all the crying about?" I asked, the wind slapping my face as I started to speed up.
"She just saw me and started crying and apologizing. I read lots of guilt from her, and I also read that I didn't get the attention I deserved from her anymore. Anyway, I can tell she feels really bad, she just needs that little extra piece of convincing to get her fire back," Angel explained, "but in the mean time, can you teach me that upside-down trick?"
"I'm afraid there's gonna be no time for that." I smirked, "Because Dr. Martinez has helped me find the way to get her fire back."
"And what's that?" Angel asked.
"Chocolate chip cookies. Now c'mon! We need your brother to help too. You know how Max feels about the littlest ones."
Soon enough, Angel, Gazzy and I were in my kitchen holding some ingredients and letter-shaped cookie cutters. We'd already made the batter and now we had to push the thick liquid into the letters.
"This looks complicated. Can't you just sing a song for her or something?" Gazzy complained, holding the letter 'M' in his hand.
"No, now come on!" I jokingly threw a tiny-bit of cookie dough on his nose.
He licked it off in a swift motion with his tongue. "You just messed with the wrong guy. FOOD FIGHT!" He grabbed some cookie dough and chucked it at my face.
Angel scowled and rolled her eyes. "Boys!" She had already started to work on filling in the letters.
I threw a fist-full of cookies at him, and this basically went on for a long time. Me advancing and Gazzy being the victim. Eventually, I suppose he had enough, and took the bowl full of dough itself and slammed it on my head. I felt the dough drip down my forehead on my neck.
"Gaz! Now there's no more cookie dough left to make the cookies." I took it off my head quickly and frowned.
"Actually guys, I did it while you were fighting." Angel pointed out, motioning to the delicious sentence spelled out with cookie cutters and sweets.
We love you too, Max.