((Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride, or any of the characters in this book. They all still belong to James Patterson, well, they still did when I last checked. Enjoy!
But I do own the plots, so PLEASE respect this story and the author and don't steal the plot(s).))
Chapter 23: Don't Say Anything!
"Maximum, I only want you and Angel. Is that really so hard darling?" he careless Max's face with his hand. Max slapped him, harder then she did me. I was glad.
I kicked at the Easer holding the knife. And was rewarded with a slash to the leg. The same one with the drainage hole in it. I collapsed to the ground, unable to stand. Shit, this wasn't going the way I had hoped.
"Fang!" Max ran to my side, only to be grabbed by Jeb.
"Thank you." he turned to leave. I swung my leg around with all my energy, knocking Jeb on the floor. I heard his arm break. The Easer that was holding me up, pushed me up, off the floor.
Then he dropped me, picking me back up again. Angel screamed at him. The short one held the knife to my throat, laughing again.
"I'm so sorry to rain on your little party, but Maximum and I have our own to get to. Now, we're leaving." Jeb turned and walked towards the door, which was open with 2 Easers guarding it. They were leaning against the doorframe, watching. A black, muddy Humvee was parked outside.
Which was what Jeb and Max were heading for. I had to stop them. I wasn't going to let Jeb walk away with Max, as if the world wouldn't crash around me when she was gone. Well guess what? It would.
"You're not going anywhere." Jeb turned, seeming startled.
"Excuse me?" Jeb blinked, taking the other end of a now scowling Max's handcuffs. Max squirmed in his cold grip.
"You're not going anywhere. Max stays." Jeb saw the fire in my eyes. He knew I was for real. And I was. Max wasn't going out that door unless I, and the rest of the flock, were with her. She smiled at me, pleased I was standing up for her. I think she had lost energy to fight. I certainly haven't.
"That's where your wrong. You see, Maximum is coming with me, back to the School. You are going to be exterminated. Maximum is going to get some nice upgrades. So if you do escape, she'll hunt you down. And kill you."
I grimaced. That wouldn't happen if I was around. And seeing as I was around, Jeb didn't have a chance in h-e-double-toothbrushes of getting his hands on her. She was mine. And I was
going to make sure he knew it.
I lunged at Jeb, the flock following my lead. In seconds we were all fighting. Max was killing Easers by the second. She had more energy then she let us think. Maybe that was her idea? I saw her grin at me, and smiled back. I hit an Easer over the head for her.
"Thank you kind sir."
"Not a problem ma'ma." I winked at her and she blushed a deep red.
"Fang! Help! Agh!" I turned to see Jeb hit Iggy over the head with a heavy chair leg. I came up behind Jeb and returned the favour.
With the rest of the chair.
Nudge's voice filled the air, over the fight. "Whoo! Go Angel!" Max and I turned to see Angel kicking the rubbish out of a pair of short Easers. Max came up behind one and clapped her cupped palms over it's ears.
Gazzy caught my attention. "Hey, guys! Watch this!" He used his unfortunate gift on a group of Easers.
"Wow! That smells awesome Gazzy! Did it knock them out?" Iggy spun round to face Gazzy.
"You bet it did!" Gazzy looked at the pile of 4 or 5 Easers on the floor.
"Oh man. You have some serious issues to work through." I said, reaching around her to hit an Easer coming up behind Max.
"Tell me about! You didn't have to change his nappy." I winced, feeling sorry for Max. She did have to look after the flock when they were kids.
"That wouldn't be fun at all." Max shook her head, throwing something over my head at an Easer.
"Speaking of fun." Max spun around and planted a road-house kick on another Easer's chest, flinging it into another. "This is right up here on my list. Like, number one. You enjoying it as much as me? I know they are." Max nodded to the flock, kicking arse.
I grinned. "Hell yeah! I mean, forget birthdays, Christmas and prom, I want to do this every year." Max nodded.
"Max, what's prom?" Nudge came up next to us.
"A dance for the end of the school year." Max said, looking at me.
"How did Fang know?" Max shrugged.
"Yeah, how did you know?" she raised an eyebrow.
"I heard Lisa talking about it when we went to school. She was going to invite me." I made a face, openly showing my disgust. "I was going to go with you, but thank God we got out of there before that could happen." I saw Max blush again. She hit an Easer then yelled over to me, over the noise of the fight. We were wining so far.
"Oh really? You didn't tell me that. Sam invited me, but I wasn't going anyway."
"Wow, he got in early. 6 weeks!"
"I think he knew they was something going on, you know…between us?"
I nodded. I knew what she meant. Then Lisa had to come along…
I changed the subject.
"Um, Easer to your left, hard." I yelled out to Iggy, who swung hard and fast, knocking an Easer flat. Three cheers for the blind guy.
"Hey Fang? Why don't we go up? Like, through the roof? We'd get away, at least." I looked at Nudge, who was peering at the ceiling with interest. I looked at Max, who had a fire in her eyes.
"Ok then. Maybe?" Max thinking, talking out loud. I hit an Easer with a table leg as he snuck up behind her.
"Come on Max, hurry up." I was getting impatient. Couldn't you tell?
"I am! We could-oh no. Ugg…Maybe?" This was getting too much. I glanced at Jeb who was lying on the floor, out cold.
I walked over with the table leg.
"This is for Max." I hit him once. "This is for the flock." I hit him a second time, his body moving with the impact. "This is for leaving us to die." I hit him again. "This is for hurting them." And again. "This is for being a bastard." I hit his shoulder and he groaned, moving slightly. "And this is for everything-" I hit him again. "-You did to-" And again. "-us." I whacked him over the head. And looked up to see the flock staring at me.
"Go Fang! Bird kids rule!" Gazzy smiled, jumping on an Easer's body.
I punched the air. "Let's roll! U and A!" I saw Max's face. She laughed, then frowned, opening her mouth. Gazzy and Angel were already in the air, as more Easer's poured in. I grabbed Max by the waist and tapped Iggy twice. He unfurled his wings.
I shot up, smashing through the roof. Max was showered in crap from the roof. Boy was I was going to get it later.
"Wahoo!" Gazzy yelled, twisting in flight. There were a bunch of angry Easers and Whitecoats yelling and cursing. We had escaped them….again!
"Hey Fang, what gave you that idea? To do that?" Iggy turned towards the sound of my wings.
"Wait, where's Max? Did they get her?" Panic rose in Iggy's voice.
"I gave him the idea! It was me! All Nudge! Whoo! And Fang's carrying Max, bride style. Whatever, I saved the day! Yay Nudge. Go me!" We all laughed and Max moved closer into my stomach, getting out of the wind, which was starting to pick up.
Iggy raised his eyebrows at me.
"Not a word." I said, sternly. Everyone laughed again.
We landed about 3 or 4 hours later, in shade by a lake. I had stopped carrying Max once my shoulder had become too sore.
"Are you sure your ok? Or will I have to carry you?" Max threw me a flirty grin. I blushed, looking away.
"No, I'm fine. You however, you need to lay off the Beenie Weenies." She laughed and pulled out a can of ravioli. She threw it to me over my shoulder and I caught it in one hand.
"Smartarse" Gazzy muttered to me, grinning cheekily.
"Don't let Max hear you say that!" I looked up to see Max glaring over me. I busied myself by opening my ravioli.
"Nice is it? Please, eat 'round the arsenic." I chuckled at her, being rewarded with a smack over the head. I stretched out my sore leg's and wings, letting the sun warm them. The cuts had already heals, leaving pink scars. And rips on my jeans.
"So, now what? I mean, we've had our fun-" I put my hand over Nudge's mouth. Angel laughed, watching Nudge's face.
"Hey! I-" I tighten my grip and then relaxed when she fell silent. She jokingly
glared at me over her 'plate' of Twinkies.
"Well, well. Look who's tired." Max nodded over to Gazzy, who had fallen asleep sitting up, his plate of food still in his hands. I laughed, reached over and took a cookie off his plate.
"Fang! Bad!" Max slapped my hand and held up a finger. Gazzy didn't stir. Iggy took his chance and with perfect aim, scooped up the second cookie.
"What's the time? We should buy a watch. And a calendar." Nudge looked around. Then I remembered I'd bought those things. I pulled my backpack closer and pulled out the watch.
"It's 6 o'clock." I held up the watch so Max could see.
"I'll wear it. You're a bit too accident prone."
"And you're not!"
Max laughed. "Not as much as you!" I frowned at her. She laughed again.
"It's…um…Tuesday….the…9th….of…..October. Hey, it's almost your birthday Iggy." Iggy smiled.
"Oh, what are you going to get me? Wait let me guess! Oh, I know! My very own Easer!
"That's it, isn't it!" Max laughed at Iggy, clapping her hands.
"Damn, you got it!" Iggy laughed.
"Max? Can we go to sleep? I'm so tired." Max nodded at Nudge and stretched out next out me, her head only a few inches from mine. She smiled at me, then yawned.
"I'll take first watch ok?" She shook her head, pulling her shirt down more.
"I'm not-" she yawned again. "-tired. I swear!"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, and mine name is Mary Poppens." Nudge sat up right as Max laughed.
"Who's that?"
"No one. Go to sleep." Nudge lay back down and Max rolled her eyes.
We all woke in the morning to find Iggy cooking eggs over a small fire. I looked around then scratched my stomach. Something had been tickling my stomach all night…
I scratched something that wasn't my stomach. Or anything of mine. I looked down, startled. I found Max staring up at me, frowning.
"Agh!" I jumped backwards, kicking her in the head. Oops. I had scratched her forehead.
"Oh, sorry. You gave me a fright!" I laughed at her face. She smiled back at me.
Then I recovered. "What the heck were you doing?"
"I was lying on a rock all night. Then I realized that I could use you….so I did." She smiled at me cheekily as I saw Iggy smile behind her. Max's pretty brown hair, sticking out, framed her face.
She frowned. "What?" I didn't realize I'd been staring at her, smiling slightly.
"Nothing," I mumbled, looking away quickly. Max frowned again.
"What! Something's up!"
"Nothing! Ok? Your brekkies ready." Max turned as I breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Fang, yours is too." Iggy was chuckling as he said it, I wonder why? Nudge stirred and Gazzy sat up, almost still asleep.
"Have a good sleep Gazzy?" I asked, raising my eyebrow. He frowned, confused.
"Yeah, why?" He frowned at Max, who smiled.
I looked at him. "You feel asleep sitting up. Was it comfortable?" Gazzy frowned, trying to remember.
"No, my back aches." We all laughed, waking Nudge and Angel.