Inspiration: 'Ready Set Go' by Tokio Hotel

Chapter six

Well Fang was pissed. And I almost couldn't blame him. This was going to drag things back awhile. I said almost. It's not my fault that I thought they were dead and didn't move much. Jeez. The old Max would probably want to tell him not to get his boxers in a twist. I just flinched and apologized a lot. Yeah, it's pathetic, isn't it?

The first day I opened my wings was amazing. They were a full eighteen feet across. But boy were they sore. I guess that's what I get for not moving for a couple of years. Now I could kick myself for it, which would not help the pain.

Slowly I felt Maximum Ride returning. She was still separated from me, and I could truly empathize with somebody with Split-Personality Disorder now. Uber-creepy is correct.

After about a week or two I remembered basic flying and figured the rest would come back to me.

As for fighting… well that's a whole different story.

Sparring matches were interesting. I started off fighting Nudge. And I sucked. At least Nudge was happy that she got to beat me. A lot.

After a few days I finally beat Nudge. And then I had to fight Iggy. Normally people would think that fighting a blind guy would be easy and cruel. Oh no… quite the opposite actually. He had me pinned in five seconds—and I was trying my best.

Fighting different people I learned a lot of new tricks and how to change my fighting style depending on who I was fighting.

And even though everyone agreed it would be a good learning experience for me, I could not fight Angel. They said it would be hard with her being able to read minds and that I should try to fight her mind control. But I couldn't bear to fight my baby. What if she got hurt? I couldn't look at her like a target.

It was the fighting matches with Fang that I dreaded. Max cursed at me to not screw this up. I shouldn't look like an idiot to Fang. I wanted to know what it mattered; he had watched my other matches, which were quite embarrassing. Yet for some unknown reason it mattered to her. So I tried to care.

He did this retarded Keanu-Reeves-Matrix thing when he beckoned me forward with one hand. I tried not to laugh because Max was yelling at me to concentrate. I ran toward him and as he went to strike me, I opened my wings enough to jump over him. Then he grabbed me leg and pulled me back down, and I fell to the ground with a resounding thud.

"You have much to learn grasshopper" he said, walking away. I used that moment to swing my leg and I hit him behind his knees. He fell to the ground. I jumped on top of him, pinning him down.

"You were saying?" I grinned at him.

"I was saying…" he paused and looked around, then beckoned me closer. I leaned forward. He put his mouth beside my ear "that you shouldn't let your guard down."

I was suddenly flying through the air. He had managed to kick me off of him when my balance was off-centered from leaning forward. Damn he was good at this.

Come on Max, help me out. Got any hints? I asked.

Yeah, one idea—let me fight. She responded.

How?

Merge or something, I dunno. Just give me some control here.

I'm not a puppet. I said

And I am? Maximum replied.

Fine, Fine I told her. I looked for some way to do so. I counted to three and totally relaxed, at the same time that Maximum pushed against the invisible force restraining her. My hand moved. I didn't do it, but I could feel it. I tried to move my hand and it did so easily. I smiled.

Okay Maximum, Go ahead. Kick his ass.

Happy to.

Fang had thrown us back at least twenty feet. We landed gracefully, thanks to Maximum's skills. She jumped up and spread her wings to send her quickly toward Fang. We dropped down and threw a punch at him with perfect accuracy. He dodged it and moved so he was in range for our roundhouse kick. It sent him spiraling to the ground ten feet back. He got up confused, but ran at us all the same. I used a trick I had learned from Nudge a few days back. As he ran at me I jumped and pushed his head down, jumping over him. As he went below me I kicked him in the butt, throwing him off-balance and causing him to fall. As he did so he spun around and kicked me down too.

Maximum pushed back with her hand to leap back up to standing position. She didn't notice that Fang was throwing a punch at us and I pulled us out of the way. Maximum threw a punch back at him, which he deflected. Every kick and punch was evenly matched and blocked. But Maximum had a plan in the back of our head that she would never use. But I would.

I overextended a punch and Fang grabbed my arm in a split second and had me pinned against the tree.

What're you doing?! Maximum demanded.

I'm taking a chance. I'm doing something you where too afraid to.

NO!

I ignored her and proceeded with her plan.

"Got you" Fang said, smiling.

"Na ah. I got you." He looked at me questioningly. Maximum was fighting against what I was about to do. Oh well.

I pressed my lips against his and kissed him with Maximum's old passion. He loosened his grip for a second and I switched our positions—so he was pinned against the wall. I let Maximum have complete control. She began to let go of Fang but stopped. Fang looked at her.

When they were younger she would always run from him. What about now? Fang was one of the few things she had left to hold onto. Would she run from that?

Maximum Ride smiled back at Fang and leaned back toward Fang. He picked up the hint and leaned forward pressing his lips against hers.

I felt myself fading.

Goodbye Maximum Ride.

What? You're leaving?

There's no reason to stay. You don't need me anymore. I was just a wall of protection. So you could block out some of the pain, so you could block out reality. You have Fang to hold onto now. He can protect you.

Thank you.

I smiled a faint echo of a smile—all that I was capable of.

Anytime.