yeah!!!! i updated!!!! woot woot! i am alive, contrary to popular belief. Schools been tough, ive been overloaded with projects and i do have other stories that i am indeed working on. Now im on spring break, which normally would have been an excellent week to sit around and read and write...but unfortunately *sigh* ive been stuck babysitting! so...yeah...
But I've been workin on this for a while, and i had it done at one point, but i spent a lot of time editing and revising because id rather u read something good and grammatically correct than have u read something that is a piece of crap so...ya. i do care about the fans, thank you very much.
DISCLAIMER: I kno i said in the beginning that i dont own Maximum Ride but i also have to add that i dont own chef boyardee or this suffering by billy talent or the state of missouri or the bausch and lomb company and their warehouse (where it rele is, idk, but for my story its in midwest MO). Oh, and the flashback in here is straight from the (2nd, i think) bk, and i dont own that either. I rele dont wanna b sued, lolz.
Ummm...oh ya, and please read the ending authors note because it will contain info concerning future chapters, thank you!
So...without further ado, i present, When Worlds Collide, Chappie 2!
MAX POV
I jolted from my memories as a flurry of loud footsteps banged though the house. Apparently, Fang and Iggy were back. With a sigh, I got up from my comfortable position on the large bed and walked out of the room.
As I made my way down the hallway, I could hear giggles coming from Angel and Nudge's room and mischievous laughing coming from Gazzy's, whose sleep seemed to not have lasted very long. I chuckled at their playfulness, their innocence, and continued to the kitchen. Fang and Iggy were in there, talking and putting away the last of the food. They quieted as I entered…suspicious.
"Dinner?" I questioned, wanting to know what their plans were for the night.
"I'll go ahead." With that, Iggy turned and began grabbing things from the cabinet he had just finished filling with food. As he did that, Fang stuffed a few more things in the refrigerator and threw away all of the plastic bags.
Moments later, the kids were in the room, seated at the table, waiting for food. Iggy warmed up cans of Chef Boyardee—two cans per flock member, because of our large appetites—while Fang got everyone situated.
"And we still have a strawberry cake to make, Max! You promised!" Angel said.
I laughed and said, "Talk to Ig about that…"
"Since Max burns water…" Fang muttered. Everyone was quiet, waiting for me to chastise Fang. But he hadn't even looked up…much less said anything…
"Gazzy, no more voice tricks. Eat!" Everyone laughed, finally grasping the situation. Then, it quieted, except for the occasional slurping and burping. I took a chance to look around at the flock.
Iggy's sightless blue eyes moved around, never focusing on anything. He continued to bring his ravioli-covered fork to his mouth, never allowing the sauce to drip. His hair, which had once been spiked and black tipped, was hanging over his ears and was now a dirty blonde. His ear, which he had pierced in New York—without my permission—was now bare, the hole closed up.
Gazzy's blue eyes were wide as he devoured his beefaroni. His blonde hair, still in its usual cowlick, was dirtier and majorly due for a wash. It was obvious that, despite being hyped up over having our house back, he was tired from all of the recent butt-kicking we had done. He was also sitting up straight, constantly glancing at Angel. He was very protective of his little sister.
As usual, Nudge was plowing through her food. I was glad though; because the only time she stopped talking was when she ate. But I could tell by her bounciness that she had a million topics running though her mind. Her dark brown, almost black, hair was falling out of its braided style. I would probably be asked to redo that later on…
Angel, despite the fact that she was eating, had a huge grin on her face. Her eyes, the same bright blue as her brothers, sparkled. Her blonde pigtails were frizzy. Some of her bangs were blood-matted because of our most recent run-in with the erasers. Oh, excuse me, the flyboys. But then, she frowned and scowled.
"STOP!" She yelled across the table, directing it at Fang. The dark-haired birdboy just scoffed and left the room.
I followed his departing figure and then turned back to Angel. "What was that?"
She shivered. "He was thinking about…about the school…"
I got up and embraced her. "It's alright." I condoled. "Just forget about it. I'll talk to him."
She nodded and everyone continued eating…except Fang.
Because of the fact that we had just found our long lost home, I didn't set an exact bedtime or make everyone take baths. But, surprisingly, everyone took showers without me telling them to. Then Nudge and Angel fell asleep around 9, Gazzy following half an hour later. I noticed Iggy heading into his room, getting ready for bed himself. Hearing me approach, he stuck out his fist.
"I'm warped. Night." He said as I stuck out my fist and we stacked and tapped, a routine we had gone without recently, as we were always too busy figuring out how to hide from the erasers—flyboys—and what cave to sleep in and who's taking which watch....
Stress does horrible things to people, but I'd never realized how much it affected me until I stopped, relaxed, and looked back on things. The all-mighty, world-saving Maximum Ride, overcome by stress…
…
Nah! That'd never happen!
…
Could it? Would it?
I sighed, and forced the doubts from my mind. We were safe—for now, at least—and there was no reason to be freaking out over stress. Because that would cause more stress…And I really don't need another reason to freak out.
"Hehe…" I chuckled, breathlessly. Looking around, I realized that Iggy had walked off while I had been lost in thought. Ig was slumbering…Gaz was out…the girls were sleeping too…The only ones left were me…and Fang…
What do I do now? Should I go talk to Fang? I guess I should…but I don't want to…thing's are still awkward between us. I mean, I like him and he's the one who kissed me…so he must like me back…or not…maybe that kiss was just spur of the moment…
I made up my mind to go talk to him. I padded silently down the hall to his room, marked by the black door, and knocked. When he didn't answer I twisted the knob and let myself in. His room was shadowy…and it fit him well. His walls were all black, his bed sheets silver, and his floor a grayish color in-between. Fang's floor was carpeted, and very soft on my bare feet. Even though he was the quietest of the 6 of us, he had soundproofed his room the moment we had moved in—something about privacy. So not even Iggy could hear him when he was in here. I was instantaneously glad for this, so the kids could not hear the argument that I'm sure was going to happen.
Fang had yet to notice me. He was in the far corner, sitting at his (silver metal) desk, with his (black) electric guitar on his lap. He looked peaceful, his eyes closed as he strummed away. He sang along softly and I picked up the song immediately. It was This Suffering by Billy Talent. Quietly, for reasons I did not know, I sang along as the song came to an end.
Why don't we end this lie?
I can't pretend this time
I need a friend to find,
My broken mind, before it falls to pieces...
Every time,
You tried to leave me blind
You'll never close my eyes,
You'll never close my eyes
And watch me die!
He looked up at me and nodded in acknowledgement. I sat on the edge of his bed and, as he set his guitar down and closed a few things on his desk, I looked him over.
Fang's black hair was longer now, hanging over his dark eyes. His olive skin was covered in scabs and bruises that he had refused to let me tend to. Fang never accepted any help. He was wearing—whaddya know? —jeans and a tee. The shirt was slit in the back, his wings hanging out. They were loose, relaxed. I loved the dark purple color that shone as they reflected the light.
The only light source in his room was a small standing lamp that broke off into 5 'heads' that were pointed in multiple directions. Only three of them were lit but I could see that the light bulbs were the normal white but the plastic cups around them were pink, blue, green, red, and purple. The pink and green ones were the ones not lit.
Fang turned back around, cocking his head to move the hair from in front of his face, and gazed at me curiously.
"We need to talk." I whispered simply.
He nodded. "What about?" Fang said this so calmly that I became annoyed.
"About what?!?!" I shouted, the pressure and tension that had been building up for days—weeks!—pouring out in a tidal wave of emotion. "What else? I've still got to save the world! I can't do that while we're fighting! You're my best friend, my right-hand man, and I need you to help me. Things are really weird between us right now and we need to work things out. We found a house, we can stop and slow down for a while but its not over! Jeb keeps saying that something is going to happen. 'Your destiny has changed Max,' he says. 'Prepare the flock,' he says. 'We need friendship and teamwork and cooperation to make it work,' he says. He won't stop lecturing me about this 'save the world' crap! And he said it all starts with you!" I was standing up now, my arms waving frantically. Everything that had happened recently—the flock splitting, Germany, the flock reuniting, flying back to the states, all the flyboys we have run into on the way… It all came crashing down on me.
Fang jumped up and brought his hands to my face, wiping away the tears that had escaped. I cried harder and he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. I wanted to fight, to pull away, but it was too comforting and it felt just right. So I brought my arms around his neck and sobbed onto his shoulder.
Moments later, after I had gotten it all out, I stepped back a bit, keeping my arms around him. He loosened his hold and brought one hand up to wipe my face. Then his hand cupped my neck gently.
"It'll be okay Max. We can get though this…together. If you really have to go against the school or Itex again, then all right. We will. And we'll be ready and able to defeat them for good. And I'll be right by your side Max. Don't forget that."
Whoa, he hasn't spoken so emotionally since…I was instantly reminded of the time we had spent alone in the cave, when we had gone to find a house.
~~FLASHBACK~~
I moved away from the fire and sat down with my back against the cave wall. Fang wiped his hangs on his jeans and came to sit next to me. Outside, it was nighttime, the stars blotted out by thick, rolling clouds. This place probably got only a few inches of rain a year, and it looked like it was about to get some. I hoped the rest of the flock was curled up safe and warm where we had left them.
"What are we doing here, Fang?
"The kids want us to find a place to settle down."
"What about the School and saving the world?" I asked with scalpel-like delicacy.
"We have to quit playing their game," Fang said softly, watching the fire. "We have to remove
ourselves from the equation."
"I can't," I admitted in frustration. "I—just have to do this."
"Max, you can change your mind." His voice was like autumn leaves dropping lightly onto the ground.
"I don't know how."
Then my throat felt tight, and I rubbed my fists against my eyes. I dropped my face onto my arms, crossed over my knees. This sucked! I wanted to be back with the oth—
Fang's hand gently smoothed my hair off my neck. My breath froze in my chest, and every sense seemed hyper alert. His hand stroked my hair again, so softly, and then trailed across my neck and shoulder and down my back, making me shiver.
I looked up. "What the heck are you doing?"
"Helping you change your mind," he whispered, and then he leaned over, tilted my chin up, and kissed me.
At that moment, I had no mind to change, or not to change, or throw against the nearest wall. My mind had shorted out as soon as Fang's lips touched mine. His mouth was warm and firm, his hand gentle on my neck.
I'd kissed him once before, when I thought he was dying on a beach. But that had lasted a second. This was…going on and on.
I realized I was getting dizzy, and then realized it was because I hadn't taken a breath yet. It seemed like an hour before we broke apart. We were both breathing raggedly and I stared into his eyes as if I would find the answers there.
~~FLASHBACK END~~
I was staring into his eyes again. No, not just staring. They were pulling me in, deeper and deeper. And Fang and I were leaning towards each other now. I had an idea of what was going to happen. Please don't let anyone burst in here and ruin the moment!
They didn't. His lips pressed onto mine and I kissed him back. It was short and gentle. When we pulled apart, a flash of guilt spread over his face, as if he was waiting for me to leave like I did last time. I had no intentions of leaving though. So I brought my lips to his yet again.
But this kiss was more passionate, more desperate. We were releasing all of our feelings at once, everything we had bottled up for so long. My hands tangled themselves in his hair. His hand that was on my neck drifted back down to my hips where it wrapped around tightly, pulling me even closer, if at all possible. We were molded together now, fitting together perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. As he nipped at my lower lip, I trembled and moaned.
Even being superhuman didn't stop the fact that we needed to breath. So we pulled apart, our foreheads touching, breathing heavily.
"Wow…" I heard Fang mutter. I giggled. That's right, I, Maximum Ride, Avian American savior of our world, giggled.
He stepped backward and lowered us until we were lying side by side on his bed. He shifted me so he held me from behind, his arms around my waist, and my back to his chest.
"Goodnight Maximum" he murmured in my ear before kissing the back of my neck once. He began to hum. Before I could place the song, I was out like a light.
I woke up in pain. Not just, like, paper cut pain, but blinding white-hot iron pain. My head felt as if it would burst open, my eyes practically burning in their closed sockets. My hands clasped my head tightly, as if holding it together. I could feel arms around me; Fang was asking if I was okay. I tried to open my mouth to say something, anything, but before I could speak, I was seeing pictures, flashes.
A ghost……
A green cat……
A large building……
Metal cages……
Fangs bared……
A wand brandished and lit……
A naked mole rat……
But most of all, I felt the pain. It flared through my veins, making me scream in agony. The scenes went by faster, and then I passed out. The last (and most repetitive) thing I saw was a girl, about 19 or 20, with red hair and green eyes. Who is she?
"Max?!?!"
"Is she alright? She has to be all right! The voice better not be hurting her or else, if we ever find him, I will hurt him. I will kick him…no, I'll punch him…I'll poke his eyes out…"
"Nudge, stop! Her heartbeat just sputtered. She's waking up…"
I groaned and attempted sitting up. A hand on my shoulder tried to hold me down but I forced myself up. I opened my eyes and blinked to clear the spots. After my eyes adjusted, I noticed the flock hovering over me, their faces scared and concerned.
"Max!" My Angel yelled, Fang being the only thing holding her back from pouncing on me.
"Wha—what happened?" I questioned.
"Max attack" Gazzy told me. "You okay?"
I laughed and ruffled his hair. "Yeah, I'm cool." I said, attempting to get up from my spot on the floor, where I had fallen out of Fang's bed. The thought of last night made me blush and Angel giggled.
What happened last night Max? She asked me in my head.
Stay out, I told her. Nothing happened…
She giggled again but the Fang noticed my uneasiness.
"Alright everyone. Let's give her some room." He ushered everyone out of the room. Then his door shut with a click and he walked back to me, holding out an arm to pull me up.
I grabbed it and stood, wobbling for a second. Then we sat on his bed.
"What was that about?" He inquired.
"It was a brain attack. I saw…I don't really know. Just a whole bunch of flashes, different pictures. Like, werewolves and a rat and this group of people. I think it's a warning of some kind…I just don't know what kind."
He nodded and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to him.
"So, is there anything else we need to talk about?"
I thought about it, and was about to say something about last night's…occurrence…when you-know-who popped into my head.
Hello Maximum
What in the hell did all those pictures mean?!?!
You have to save the world Max. But you are no longer alone.
What does that mean?
Itex has new allies, which means Itex has new enemies, which means you have new allies. The Voice said, acting very Confucius-like and by the enunciation, I could tell that it expected me to understand.
Riiight…let's pretend I just understood everything you just said.
Itex isn't alone. They have partnered with some other people because they have realized that they need help if they are going to implement the By-Half Plan.
They're still trying that?!?! Ugh!!! Can't you just do something about it? Get inside one of their minds and tell them it's not worth it instead of badgering me with all of it!!! I growled at the Voice.
I'm sorry Max. That I can't do. It's a little beyond my power. Besides, nothing anyone can say will change their minds.
Then why bother telling me this if they can't be convinced otherwise?
Because you're the only one who can save us now...without you…life as we know it is no more…
I could have sworn I heard sadness in the Voice's voice (weird!)…
So…no more mushy junk. Tell me what's going on!
Itex has bonded with a few other organizations, and you need to join with those people's enemies. They are your only chance of saving the world.
So what are you proposing I do? Where are you sending me now?
Missouri
WHAT?!?!
You need to meet them in the old abandoned Bausch and Lomb warehouse. It's been empty for a while and Itex doesn't know about it.
How will I know when I've found the right place? The right people? How will they know I'm there?
There is someone, a girl, the one you saw, who is bringing you all together. She is against Itex too.
Who is she?
I can't tell you that, Maximum. But I can tell you that you will make plenty of allies there.
Riiight…and how do I know I can trust you?
Haven't we gone over this before Max, who else can you trust? I'm the only link you've got. Take advantage of it.
I don't even know where this warehouse is.
Go to Missouri and I'll lead you there. The Voice repeated.
If this is a trap or something, I swear I will hunt you down and kill you personally. It'll be fun…
You wouldn't Max. You just can't do that; you're not a killer. But please trust me.
I sighed. Alright, I'll pack up the flock and we'll head off to Missouri first thing tomorrow, okay?
Thank you, Max…For once you realize that listening to me is what is best for you.
Once I had realized that the conversation was over, I turned to Fang and explained everything. He was wary but I was able to convince him that checking out Missouri would be a good idea. There were also a few fun sights to see there, like the Arch and the Zoo. So if the warehouse thing turned sour, we could have a little fun. I looked over at Fang, who had quieted from his small rant, and was instantly drawn into his eyes…again. And our lips met…again.
It was brief, but it seemed to communicate that last night was not just a fluke or mistake. I was about to kiss him again when I smelt it.
"Bacon!" I yelled, launching myself from his room, down the hallway, and into the kitchen where I grabbed a handful that Iggy had set out. Everyone laughed as I stuffed a piece in my mouth.
"What?" But it ended up coming out as a gurgle of sound. Fang entered then and scared me for a minute as he launched himself forward. Then he stood straight, holding a chunk of meat that had fallen from my mouth.
"Here." He said, before he burst out laughing too.
Swallowing, I faked a laugh and grabbed some more bacon.
"Jeez Max!" Iggy yelled. "Save some for the rest of us!"
"Em Um" I managed, which sent them all back into giggles. And then Gazzy snorted, which made everyone laugh harder.
I swallowed again and repeated, "I'm done!"
Everyone settled down and Iggy began whipping up some pancake mix and I was still in shock of how he could do that. I wouldn't ask him though; he doesn't like being treated like he needs help with everything just because he's blind. And it would be a blow to his ego…which was waaaay to big to begin with.
Everything was surprisingly quiet. You could have heard a bug crawling on the floor…oh! Look! A spider!
Then…
"Cricket, cricket" Fang whispered, causing laughter to erupt yet again. Only this time, it was quelled by the warm pancakes, smothered in gooey syrup.
I waited until everyone was finished eating, as to avoid any projectiles, to inform everyone of our new plans.
"What?" Iggy yelled. "We just got here!"
"I know, and I'm sorry. But the quicker we get this done and over with, the quicker we can come back here and finally relax."
"How do you know that?" Gazzy wondered. "Then someone else will want to take over the world. Then we'll have to save it again! I'm tired of this! It sucks!"
I sighed and ruffled the Gasman's cowlick. "I know, buddy. But I promise, I swear to you all, that I will officially resign from all hero work after this."
The determination in my tone and the seriousness in my eyes seemed to reassure them.
"So, Missouri, huh? Like the Arch? Oh, that would be so fun to, like, dive off the Arch, because it's so high! But that would reveal us and we don't want that, do we, Max? Oh, we can go to the Zoo! I really wanna see all of the animals. The flamingos and the tigers and the lizards and the-" She stopped there and her face brightened.
"Finally!" She yelled, glancing at my hand. I did too…and found it entwined with Fang's. He had grabbed my hand to comfort me as I told the flock the news.
Angel jumped up and down with Nudge and Gazzy looked shocked, but happy. Iggy was annoyed though—asking Gazzy what was going on. He whispered in Iggy's ear and then Iggy's grin widened.
"Well, I guess we all know why Max was in his room last night then." He said, the statement full of innuendo. I pulled my hand from Fang's and raised it to slap him but Fang beat me to it.
"So you guys are together now? Really?" Angel wanted to know.
I blushed and nodded, knowing there was no way out of it. The girls squealed again.
"Okay, okay. Come on, let's focus now." Fang grabbed my hand once more and I continued.
"I think that we should go shopping, get some more medical supplies. We need new backpacks, stronger ones. Then we need to pack up and be ready to leave by tomorrow. Sound good?" Everyone nodded, looking sullen.
"Guys, come on! Look, I have an idea. Let's stop by Dr—by my mom's place first. We can say hello and then head off. And we should probably pick up Total. Ella's probably itching to get rid of him by now." When we had left Dr. Martinez's house last time, we had left Total there. We had not been sure of where we were heading and Ella wanted a dog. So we…leant…her Total. Of course, I had been excited to get rid of him. But having him back would raise Angel's spirits.
And it did, because she got up and hugged me, screaming 'thank you'.
I questioned the flock again and everyone was ready. So we changed our clothes and head to the nearest town to do a bit of shopping.
Thank you, thank you! REVIEW! I really hope you enjoyed this...REVIEW!...and illl try to get another update up soon!
Oh, and btw, fans of "You're Out, I Win!", i will be putting the 2nd chapter up very soon, so keep an eye out for that. For those of you who havent read it, its awesome. basically, there are 6 birdkids and 6 guns. Madness ensues, of course. 2-shot. Maximum Ride. Some Faxness, for all my fellow faxness lovers out there.
And for this story, i do have a poll on my site, for which published work/story line will come next in the story. I was planning on doing two to three chapters each and then, when all the characters have met and are together, the chappies will just be combined. If you have any ideas or opinions, either let me know in a review, a PM, or vote on the poll on my profile page. Thanks!
Ummm...i guess thats all for now. Please REVIEW or feel free to give me constructive criticism, because it truly does help. Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this and stay tuned for the next chapter!
~AMSRULE