"Well lets start with the youngest of the group shall we?" Alice asked and I nodded. The flock sat around me carefully gazing intently at Alice.
"Now the youngest is just a little bit older than you. His name is Sam and he is 16 years old. He has the ability to wall crawl basically. He can also walk straight through them." Alice began and the younger kids eyes began to widen.
"Wow you mean like Night crawler from the second X-Men movie?" Angel gasped. Alice nodded.
"That's a pretty creepy gift. How are we supposed to creep up on him if he can walk on the ceiling and through walls?" Nudge exclaimed.
"I'm sure you will think of something." Alice smiled.
"Now secondly we have Oliver. He's 17 and stands about 5.11. Shouldn't be a problem for Dylan." Alice laughed noting Dylan's height.
"Height isn't everything." Dylan said smiling at me.
"Well Oliver is probably the most interesting next to Chase, but we will come along to him in a minute. Oliver is a bit of an.. what should I say. He likes black." Alice said and my thought immediately turned to Fang. Great I'm going to be fighting someone that remind me of Fang.
"You mean like Fang?" Angel said again being careful not to look over towards me. Alice nodded again.
"He has short black spiky hair and a fairly long fringe. Perhaps someone who isn't afraid to hit someone that could possibly look like Fang should go up against him." Alice said looking at me. Guess that doesn't mean me then.
"What's his gift?" Dylan asked intrigued.
"He has the ability to sense or recognise superhuman powers. Also he can track anyone who has these gifts." She told him.
"Wow.." Nudge gasped. Iggy and Gazzy sat in the corner quietly trying to take everything in at once.
"Now Chase is quite the looker, but don't let that distract you. While his Australian charm is nothing but lovely, he is still one of them. He can shape-shift into another person. It isn't quite clear on the extent of his power but it is possible that he could easily transform into someone you love. Your mum for example Max." She said and my eye brows raised. "Chase likes to play with peoples minds." Alice finished.
"That could be interesting." I noted sarcastically.
"Finally, there's the leader. He's 6.1 with a fairly athletic build. He loves his red leather jacket and his red cap and I suppose if you really want to get to him you could always threaten to rip his coat or something." Alice chuckled making it seem like we were going up against a bunch of monkeys.
"Whats his power?" Iggy spoke up from the corner.
"He has super strength, much like you all do. He's also very good at getting out of 'tight spots'. He is definitely one to watch if you've got him cornered." Alice said.
"Whats his name?" Dylan asked and Alice paused. She was quiet for a few seconds then raised her head and looked at him.
"Buck." She said playing with her fingernails. Buck sounded familiar to me but I couldn't remember where from.
"Buck? You mean... that same Buck who used to date Sandy?" He exclaimed. I realised this could be a problem.
"Yes I'm afraid so." Alice replied. "When you took Sandy away from him he pretty much didn't have anything else. His mother was always drunk and his father left her for another woman and he didn't see him at all. He wanted to be someone special and different and now he is." Alice explained. Dylan shook his head and sat down.
"Its all because of me that they were made." He said blaming himself.
"You don't know that." I said rubbing his back and he turned to me and smiled.
It wasn't half an hour later that we threw ourselves into a bus towards the next town. It was sufficiently less windier than Yakutsk was so we were only just able to fly. We headed towards the underground base of the four inhuman thugs checking our wings occasionally to see if they had frostbite.
"Max what if we can't defeat them?" Mr negative Iggy asked.
"We will don't worry. There is only four of them and 6 of us. They might be able to look like other people or hang from the ceiling like chimps but we are all very strong and we have more experience at this than they do." I said sounding very confident in myself. There was no more doubts after I had said that but deep down I had a feeling something wasn't right. Call it my women's intuition if you like.
"Max, do you really think we can do this?" Angels voice squeaked in my head.
"I'm not sure sweetie. But lets keep our fingers crossed. We haven't lost a battle yet." I tried to reassure her. She gave me a half smile and said no more.
"Down there, I think I see something." Dylan shouted over the roaring of the wind. We all looked down and flew towards what looked like a small square cabin. When we touched down on the ground the door was slightly open. I pushed it open further and inside was some steps leading down into the ground.
"Well done Dylan you found it." I smiled and headed down the dark stairs first.
"Max I'm scared." Nudge cried in the total darkness.
"Owww! I just fell down some steps!" Angel called out from behind us. It was completely black with no hand rail to help us down the stairs and no signs of life or light at the end of the staircase.
"Are we there yet? This place stinks. I can't see anything!" Gazzy complained.
"Welcome to my old world buddy." Iggy laughed feeling his way along the wall and down the stairs like he knew where he was going.
"I'm getting dizzy." Angel cried again. The stairwell was going down in a curve and even I felt slightly dizzy.
"Guys be quiet. Lets listen out for anyone or anything that might be down here." I said getting irritated.
"Anything...?" Nudge whimpered behind me.
"I think I'll take that someone to the something any day!" Gazzy said with a hint of laughter in his voice. I rolled my eyes.
"Guys can you keep your heartbeats down, I'm trying to listen out for people!" Iggy said irritated like we couldn't help but get a little bit nervy coming down a flight of stairs God knows how long in the complete darkness, unaware of what lurks at the bottom.
"I think this is it." I said feeling a door on my right. I opened it and light poured in making everyone hold there eyes.
A narrow corridor presented itself and we slowly walked along it, trying carefully not to make our footsteps on the hard marble floor detectable. There was dozens of doors on either side on the corridor and it seemed to go on for miles.
"So which door anyway?" Dylan asked and I looked at him.
"You tell me. If something is going to happen, no doubt at least one of them will appear from one of these doors. Who better to see it coming than you." I grinned. Dylan looked down the corridor and focused. We all stared at Dylan waiting for him to show us the way.
"None." He said quickly.
"What do you mean none. Please tell me we're in the right place?" I said putting my hands on my hips.
"Yes we are in the right place. But no one is going to come out of these doors because they are all offices. And locked. If we continue further down there, there will be a steel door saying no entry. If we open that and go down a small amount of stairs, we will come to the big main lab where all 4 of them are, including 3 or 4 scientists. I think we can take them." Dylan said shocking us all.
"How did you no all that!" Nudge asked amazed. Even I was taken aback by the amount of detail.
"Dylan that was pretty impressive." I congratulated. He smirked shyly and I pulled on his hand. "Lets go."
I led the flock with Dylan close behind down the long, narrow corridor until the steel door Dylan had mentioned came into view.
"Who wants to knock?" Gazzy laughed with a hint of shyness in his voice.
"I most definitely do not!" Nudge beamed. Angel shook her head and Iggy shrugged his shoulders.
"I guess its up to you and me then." Dylan smiled.
"Do you think they will be expecting us?" Angel asked.
"I don't think so Ange. We have the element of surprise on our hands." I remarked confidently like I knew exactly what I was doing and how I was going to do it. Of course I had no flippin' clue.
"Okay so I think we should seriously think about this for a moment..." Nudge said nervously. "I mean we don't actually have a plan do we?" She asked.
"No we don't. But your right. We do need to think of something." I said just as Dylan put his arm on mine.
"Someones coming. A scientist. Lets hide." He said quickly and we hit in one of the locked offices which Dylan broke into.
We all watched from a crack in the door as an old man in a white coat walked straight passed us with a clip board. Dylan opened the door more just enough to squeeze through and crept up behind him. What was he doing!
He silently tiptoed up behind the scientist and knocked him over the head with a nearby fire extinguisher, leaving him flat out on the floor.
"Oh my God Dyl was that really necessary?" I whispered as loud as I could to sound angry. He smiled and nodded.
"Quick, lets drag him in here and tie him up before someone sees." Gazzy announced as Dylan and Iggy both picked him up and brought him in.
"Check his clipboard, it might have useful info on it!" Angel demanded. I picked up his clip board and began searching through the notes.
"I don't understand anything on here!" I sighed. Dylan took the clip board and began looking through it.
"I recognise this handwriting on here." He began and everyone became alert.
"On this letter, this handwriting. It belongs to Dr. Hans." He said pointing to the writing and signature.
"Oh what a coinkidink!" I said trying to sound surprised.
"What does it say?" Nudge said peering over the clip board.
"I don't know but I'll shove it ion my pocket for now. We've got more company. Back into the office!" He shoved and we all got back into the dark office trying carefully not to tread on the scientist. Would be a darn shame if we scuffed up his shiny shoes and clean clothes.
The door opened with a loud creak once again and this time it wasn't a scientist. Scientists ALWAYS wear shoes and I couldn't hear any footsteps. Not from a shoe anyway.
"Oh please Lord if you can hear me, I know I haven't been a very good boy this year, but please,please PLEASE don't make it the dude who can sense powers!" Gazzy pleaded.
"Oh my gosh what if it is! We're doomed!" Nudge began to panic.
"Calm down and shush! I said and everyone fell silent. I felt Dylan hold me around the waist from behind to protect me. I wondered if he knew who it was? I looked up at him and with my raptor vision I could tell he didn't have a clue this time.
I opened the door very slightly and peered out. The rest of the flock peered out looking over each other to see who was coming.
The sneaker footsteps grew louder and a shadow could be seen coming along the hall. We were all held in suspense as the footsteps grew louder and the shadow appeared bigger. Then we saw someone walk straight passed the office but then they suddenly stopped.
" gosh." I found myself saying before I realised what I was doing. The guy looked just like Fang! And that meant... we were in serious trouble.
"No...that's him isn't it. The dude who can sense powers. That's why he's stopped. Gosh he reminds me of Fang." Nudge quivered.
I gazed at.. what was his name..Oliver I think and noted the resemblance of him and Fang. He stood in the corridor with his head down and his long fringe burying his face.
"You might want to come out now." He spoke in a calm tone. He didn't sound anything like Fang at all. His voice was too soft and mellow to be considered anything like Fang's.
Dylan pushed open the door and we all stepped out wearily.
"What are you doing here?" He asked facing us. He has beautiful sea green eyes and a nice looking face. He didn't look 17.
"We're here to stop you!" I exclaimed putting my hands to my hips. He smiled. Again, nothing like Fang.
"I'd like to see you try sweetheart. Buck will break your pretty wings in two." He said with a calm tone that didn't make me take him serious. So we might have been found but at least we got found by the calmest member. All in all it could have been a lot worse.
"I'd like to see him try that. You guys think you can have all the power you want? Well I don't know what your planning or how you even plan on taking skills from others but I'm not going to let you succeed." I spoke confidently.
He stood for a few seconds registering what I had said.
"You speak to me like you want to kill me. I'm not the should be having this conversation up with him.I'm just the 'find and locate' guy." He said with an edge in his voice. Did he want to be the leader? Sounded like that was what he was hinting to me.
Suddenly the stel door opened once again and out came two more. Buck didn't seem present.
"Well well well. What have you got here then Ollie?" Asked the guy with the Australian accent. This must be shape-shifting Chase. The quiet one next to him must be Sam.
"Don't know. Didn't get an introudction." He said and Chase laughed.
"Well that's not a very nice way to start off is it ai flock?" He spoke quietly as though he didn't want anyone else to hear.
"How do you know we're the flock?" Nudge stupidly said. Chase walked slowly over to her not taking his eyes away from hers.
"Because I'm not stupid. I know that anything that has wings is our target and they belong in a flock lead by the wonderful Maximum Ride." He said just inches away from her face. Nudge trembled slightly. I don't know if it was fear or if it was the fact that she thought the guy was cute. He moved away from her then came and stood next to me.
"So you think you can stop us from taking skills?" He asked me folding his arms in the same manner as me. Nudge chuckled quietly.
"Yes I do and stop copying me!" I growled.
"Ooo she's a feisty one isn't she? Whats wrong darlin', got a twig up your backside?" He laughed and Gazzy couldn't help but let out a burst of laughter.
"Gazzy this is not funny. No I don't have a twig up my backside but your going to have my fist down your throat if you don't keep quiet!" I threatened and Chase just laughed.
"Ooo I'm so scared! What are you going to do? Feed me to your chickens?" He joked.
"We're not chickens!" Dylan corrected.
"I know! I know! You people can't take a joke." He laughed.
Just then the door opened for the last time and out came the leader. I looked over at Dylan who looked ready to attack him any second.
"Well... I never thought I'd see you again." He spoke grufly to Dylan. Dylan stood his ground and explained he wasn't the same person anymore. He was a changed man and he even apologised to him.
"Let bygons be bygons. I'm much happier now than I ever was. You two can have each other." He snapped back.
He walked over to me and examined me from head to toe.
"So your Maximum Ride. I take it your here to defeat me and my boys?" He said and I nodded.
"You got that right." I boomed. He pushed me back and I lost my balance and quickly stumbled to the floor.
"Your no match for me little girl." He said and was about to step on me when Dylan stopped him.
"Don't even think about it man." He warned him and Buck looked surprised.
"What? Your telling me..." He began looking at me and Dylan. "Your telling me shes yours? Well that makes sense. Sandy wouldn't want a freak like you." He roared with laughter.
Dylan punched him square in the face knocking him back a few steps. Normally, if he did that to an ordinary human being they would have been unconscious for a week.
"Sandy likes me the way I am. She said I was stunning." Dylan shouted and Buck looked surprised.
"Well, in that case I better make you loose your girl, like you made me loose mine!" He growled grabbing me by the throat before I had a chance to act and pushed me up against the wall. Dylan tried to come after me but Chase got in his way and shapeshifted into none other than Sandy. That stopped Dylan long enough for my face to turn blue. I looked to see where the other members of my flock were but they were being dragged through walls into locked rooms. Oliver stood there, looking ready for anything.
Dylan managed to finally hit Sandy.. or Chase and Oliver stepped in as Chase held his face, shrieking in pain.
I watched as Dylan fought almost evenly against him. Although Oliver didn't land many punches, he certainly knew how to dodge them.
"What's wrong hunny, your looking a little blue?" Buck laughed tightening his grip around my throat. I thrashed about violently, trying to make Buck loose his grip on me, but to no prevail.
My vision was starting to turn hazy until Dylan finally got to Buck and pulled him backwards into Oliver. I choked and coughed for several minutes but Dylan was soon caught off guard when both Buck and Oliver jumped him. Oliver pinned him to the floor while Buck repeatedly smacked him hard in the gut with his iron fists.
"Now who's the weak one! How the tables have turned on you my friend." Buck spat angrily at Dylan.
I was still busy having a coughing fit on the floor to help Dylan when Iggy burst through one of the doors with Gazzy. He quickly knocked Sam square in the chest with a powerful kick and opened the doors to free the girls.
"Retreat!" I called and told the flock to head for the exit while I get Dylan.
I kicked Oliver off him and Dylan was then free to hit Buck back in the groin making him howl in pain. I grabbed him by the hand and got us out of their quick before they had a chance to catch up.
"Everyone alright?" I asked noting to Iggy's bruised hand and Gazzy's bruised cheek.
"Were fine." Nudge and Angel said and the boys nodded.
"So much for that plan! We couldn't take them!" I roared angrily.
"We need backup Max. We can't do this alone even with our strength. I mean how are we supposed to stop a guy that can run around on the ceiling? Sure, we can fly but what's stopping him from running straight through the ceiling? We'd need something to stop him from doing that, make him slower perhaps. Its not like he's suddenly going to gain a load of weight overnight." Dylan began and then it hit me.
"Weight!" I yelled and everyone looked at me gone out.
"Weight?" Dylan repeated. I nodded.
"If we could make him gain weight surely that would at least slow him down. As for the big guy, we could always pop a few of his bones out of place. Break his hands. That would stop him." I said excitedly.
"Where are you going with this Max I'm confused? How are we supposed to make him gain weight? It's impossible. Plus we can't even get close enough to break anything." Nudge rambled.
"Don't you get it. We do need help. And I know just the people to help us." I winked and the flock suddenly realised what was on my mind. Fang and his useful companions would be able to help us. Luckily Fang told me his crews abilities before he disappeared on me again. What's better, the injection I gave to Fang to save his life made him even stronger, evolving his power of disappearing into teleportation. Or something like that anyway.
"Just how are we going to get in contact with Fang. His like thousands of miles away." Angel wondered.
"Simple. You send him a message and our location and he will teleport over here." I told her. The flock looked at me puzzled which reminded me I forgot to inform them Fang could teleport.
"Your saying Fang can teleport! That is sooo cool!" Nudge squealed.
"Max I don't think I can send a message that far." Angel doubted. I put my hand on her shoulder and reassured her she could do it. Once we were back at Alice's we would contact Fang and he would help us. I know he will.