Chapter 9

A/N: I don't own this.

If you hate Dylan, sign this petition: .com/petitions/savemaximumride It'll save you time trying to kill him off. So…. Go there and sign it if you are a DYLAN hater…and/or Maya hater.

MAX/Phoe POV

I watched my big flock. We sort of were like a big family together. Past and Present in one. A few days ago, I would have detested this. But then again, that was me as Max. Of course, everyone accepts me as Phoe. With my red (growl) hair and blue streak with green eyes. As Maximum Ride, no one accepts me, except for the scientists who just want to hurt me.

The thoughts just make me want to scoff out loud. Looking around, I realize I haven't said one word since takeoff. Everyone was talking and chatting, glancing at me nervously. What was there to be nervous about? Gosh. It's not like I'm just going to fall at any moment!

All of a sudden, I realize that I've flown directly into a soggy cloud. Shit. Do you know you can't even see your own hands through a cloud? Shocked, I lost altitude. Not only was I surprised, but my wings were wet.

If anyone dares you to fly with wet wings, a hint, don't. You cannot fly with wet wings. So….Hopefully I can try to get a wind gust to bring me up.

Of course. It doesn't work. You would think it does, like in TV shows! I let out a tiny squeak. When you fall, you don't fall ever so slowly with wet wings. No. You fall much quicker and basically drop like crazy.

I saw a familiar shadow come towards me. Oh, did I forget to mention I fell out of the cloud a few paragraphs ago? No. Oh well, now you know. I fell into something hard. It's probably Fang. I looked up to see his worried face a lot closer than I thought it would be.

"What the hell were you thinking M-PHOE?" Fang says. I know he was about to say Max, and the thought just makes me almost tear up. I know I'm acting like Max even though I'm Phoenix, but, seriously? What is Phoenix's personality? And that's just it. Phoenix doesn't even exist.

How are you supposed to act in the form of a character who doesn't even exist? Can you even answer that? I blinked back up at Fang, as if I didn't get what he meant, which I don't.

"What did you say?" I said, seriously wanting to know, though.

"When you flew into the cloud, Phoenix." He said, patiently.

"NO, I meant, before that. Right before you said my name. You went, M-Phoe. M-Phoe, if you haven't noticed, isn't my name." I said, trailing off on him.

"I was about to say…M….an. Yeah, that's it, Man." Fang stated.

"I mean it Fang, seriously."

"Seriously what?" Insert smirk here.

"Fang…"

"Fine, dammit! I was saying Max." That went easier than I thought. Perhaps he lost his touch…Oh SHIZ! The little girls!(A/N:I had to add girls to the dictionary. Word wanted to replace it with gills!)

"Watch your language."

Fang just glared at me and stated, "Don't you get it?"

I blinked at him.

"No, well then fine. At least tell me what YOU were doing flying through a freaking cloud?"

"I was focused on getting there as soon as we could. Now, could you let go of me?"

"Not in this condition. We should land for now and wait until your wings dry out."

"No, I'm serious. Let go of me. I probably will fall, but for less than five seconds, trust me." I said, gazing into his obsidian eyes.

Fang did as I said and I heated my cool wings up with fire and cleared the sky. Not completely. Just so that, underneath us it would be cloudy and above us, no clouds to crash into.

I soared back into the sky, disgusted with myself for beginning to fall in love with Fang all over again. I mean, he kicked me out of the flock! What would he do if he found out that it's actually me, Max. I know what, he would kick me out of my own flock again.

You know, there's only so many flocks you can be kicked out of before your name is tarnished. Even if it's not me, how do other people know? It's obviously my so called lover, 'Dylan'. You know what? I don't even remember seeing him when I was kicked out of my flock. But, it might as well be Ari II as well. Yes, they made another Eraser who fits Ari's personality. It's just they only use him for moments when I'm emotionally weak.

"Phoe, you okay?" I look up to see Angel's concerned eyes. I double check my mind blocks again, just to make sure that that's not how she found out.

"Yeah. I just think we should land for now. You all are probably tired, right?" I asked, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Phoe, I'm hungry." I almost smile, glad to see Nudge's habits still stayed and apparently, that's Stelton's idea of fun too.

"Okay, let's land. We've been flying for a solid seven or eight hours." I said, pretty sure we're in Kansas now.