i am a horrible person.

the reason i haven't been updating as much is that i started a new story! yayy! it's a Gallagher Girls fic called Not Goode, Not Bad. check it out.

i really don't like where this story is going. i feel like it's taking this new direction because i keep rattling off chapters instead of taking the time to write it out and edit it all the way through.

but, like i've said before, i don't have time for that. so i'm really sorry, guys. i WILL finish this to the end, though, for those of you who are still out there. i'm gonna try making this a little happier, in a sense.

so here it is. love it, feed it, never leave it.

oh, and some one asked if anybody actually guessed my correct age (that was a looong time ago. sorry!). and the answer is... no! you didn't! :D it shall yet remain a mystery....

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I glared menacingly at the woman, unable to speak.

She laughed bitterly. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment, little birdie. No idea." Birdie?!

I struggled against my metal bonds, but I was still in after-state shock and everything felt like I was moving underwater.

The woman sneered at me. "I almost expected more from you, Maximum. You put up surprisingly little fight for such a ruthless heroine." Oh. Sure. Use my own words against me.

I just watched her, ice filling my stare.

She leaned down, the dim lights casting long, eerie shadows over thin, sunken face. Umm, can we say anorexic? "You're not as good as you think you are," she hissed, her voice laced with venom. "I swear, I will take you down no matter what. It's gone too far now."

She stood back up, her spine going rimrod straight. Signaling to an Eraser, and typing something on her control board, she gave me one last deadly look, almost rivaling mine in the freeze-out glare category. The Eraser looked expectantly at her, pausing momentarily. She nodded, then stepped back.

The Eraser pulled out a needle, and I automatically cringed. All my worst fears in one day? What's next, a unicorn name Bob?

…Forget you heard anything. I am not scared of unicorns named Bob.

But, let's just say I hypothetically was, it hypothetically was probably the result watching too many hypothetical Dragon Tales reruns when we were hypothetically living with Jeb. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

The Eraser injected some black fluid into a vein in my arm, then stepped back as well. I looked down at the small puncture wound, biting my lip hard. I could see the black solution flowing in my bloodstream through my skin, and I shuddered.

"Freeze Serum," the woman said stiffly, and I looked back up at her. "Freezes your everything but your upper organs."

Ah. So I could talk now. I tried speaking, but my voice was too scratchy. I cleared my throat and attempted speech again. "What the heck do you people want?"

The woman smirked. "We want you, Maximum Ride."

Umm…creepy much? "Join the club," I rolled my eyes. "I think they even have badges now."

The woman's expression grew fiercer. "I'm not interested in your wisecracks or lame attempts at humor."

"Who said I was kidding?"

I could tell I was getting under her skin. Her pale complexion was reddening and a vein bulged out of her neck. She tried another approach. "We are not a part of the corporation you call Itex. We are a different company entirely."

"Fascinating," I said, yawning in boredom. But inside I was praying she would continue about this other outfit.

She raised her eyebrows and her lip curled. "You have no idea who I am or how much power I have, do you?"

I gasped and brought my hand to my mouth in mock-horror. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm afraid we were never formally introduced!" I stuck out my hand and pasted a maniacally cheery smile on my face. "I'm Miss Piggy. What's your name?"

Her eyes narrowed even more, and the vein was practically popping out of her neck. "You think you're so smart, Maximum."

"That's your name?!"

She looked about ready to explode, and once again switched tactics. "My name is Jane Stiarney. I am the president of this company."

I rejoiced mentally. Now I just had to keep her talking. I forced an interested look. "Oh, really? And which company would that be?"

She looked slightly pleased. "Keykachov Incorporations."

"Ah." I nodded wisely.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but never got the chance. A flash of black whirled around her, quickly punching and kicking, and within seconds, her body lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. Fang.

He leaned back up and made his way to me. He uncuffed me from the table, then went to Nudge.

I stretched and wiggled my fingers. "Is she dead?"

Fang didn't look up from Nudge's bindings. "Nope. But she's going to have a major headache when she wakes up."

I rolled my eyes and surveyed the dim room carefully. The Erasers lay on the floor as well, and no one else was standing but Fang, Nudge, and I. "Where's the rest of the flock?"

Fang expression remained serious, but a flicker of a smile flitted across his face. "Let me show you."