So there's a flashback scene in this chapter, and just to avoid confusion, it's in italics and in Fang's POV, so the actual Max is referred to as Fake-Max, and the Fake-Max is Max, because that's how Fang sees it…I hope that helped lol

*new update. Whenever the story focus' on Fang [for now], the real Max is always Fake-Max in his mind. It's confusing, I know, but the way he sees it is Ethan has brainwashed him into thinking that the real Max is Fake and the fake Max is real…get it? lol So yes, the Max that's all beat up is the real Max. The one that comes and goes as she pleases is the Fake one….hopefully that cleared things up . sorryyy for those of you I confused

She'd looked at him. Fake-Max had looked at him with happiness, confusion, and hurt. Why had all those emotions passed through her brown eyes? She'd had to have known that once Ethan took Fang he'd figure out her charade. Quite the little actress she was. So…then why was it bothering him so much?

Fang worked on the punching bag Ethan had given him. Fake-Max was still unconscious—would be for some time—and the flock was being detained. They still didn't realize that that Max wasn't the real Max.

Fang paused, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. When he'd hit Fake-Max in the head with the metal rod Ethan had given him, she'd gone down hard. He was surprised when the first swing didn't knock her out, though. She was stronger than he'd thought. When she turned over, the first thing he'd seen was happiness. At seeing him? He didn't know. But that happiness slowly dimmed and confusion took its place. Then hurt, pain. He wasn't sure if it was really from the blow to her head or not. It seemed to run deeper than the physical pain. Why?

He snarled as a flash of white pain ran through his head, and he instinctively raised his hands to his skull. Fang had been getting those types of headaches a lot lately. It sought his bad mood and made it worse. With a powerful "Heh!" Fang spun and kicked the punching bag so hard that it swung and broke off its chain, going crashing into the wall and dropping. Fang huffed, breathing heavily, then turned and abruptly left his gym.

Winding down the hallways, Fang pushed up the sleeves of his black shirt and moved the long piece of hair out of his dark eyes. He wasn't sure where he was going, or why, he just felt like he needed to be walking.

Fang rounded a corner and realized where he was—in the holding room, where the fake Max was being apprehended. He paused mid step, looking around. The rest of the flock was kept away from this Max, and away from him. He remembered the clearing, after Fake-Max had been knocked out

&

"Fang! What are you doing?!" Nudge screamed. Fang looked at her, his eyes lightless.

"She is a traitor," Fang said, standing over Fake-Max's body. She was breathing very softly, every breath a labor—he'd hurt her bad.

"No she's not!" Angel cried, confused. "Look around us! Come on, Fang! Help us fight!" An Eraser tightened its hold on Angel's shoulder, and she yelled out. Fang tensed and took a step towards the Eraser.

"Enough!" Ethan cried, pointing at the Eraser. "Loosen your hold immediately!" The Eraser did, and Fang turned to glare at Ethan.

"Why not just let them go?" Fang asked Ethan coldly. He motioned to the flock, who were staring at the fake Max with mirroring looks of horror. Gazzy looked up at him, tears in his eyes, and he began struggling against his Eraser.

"How could you?" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Gazzy tried to get at Fang, but the Eraser held strong. Fang was slightly confused.

"No, you don't understand," he tried to explain, just as Max walked up. She put her arm through his. "See, this is Max. That one is an imposter."
"W-what? Come on, man, what're you doing. Open your eyes." Iggy pleaded, looking in Fang's general direction.

"You guys, I'm Max. This Max here, she's a fraud. She always has been. Fang is helping you." Max cooed, looking from the flock to Fang.

"That's Max!" Nudge screamed, pointing to the nearly lifeless body lying on the ground. She looked to Fang, "The one you just pummeled! The one you supposedly love?" She was enraged. Fang felt a small sting to his heart, and didn't understand it, so he just shook his head slowly.

"You don't understand," he repeated. Angel was watching him with wide, sad blue eyes, but she was keeping quiet. What did she see in his head? Fang looked to Ethan.

"Well, it seems we won't reach an understanding tonight," Ethan said reasonably.

"We sure as hell won't!" the Gasman yelled. He kept looking from Fake-Max to Fang to Max to Ethan and then starting all over.

"We will eventually," Ethan said with a phony smile. Fake-Max began to lead Fang away as the Erasers moved in to take hold of the fake Max's limp body. They put chains around her hands and her ankles, and then they injected something into her wings. Angel screamed at them, but they didn't listen.

Fang turned, letting Max take him away.

"TRAITOR!"

It was Gazzy, who was bawling so hard that the Eraser had to hold him up because he was drooping. Iggy stopped by him and whispered something in the Gasman's ear. With dignity, Gazzy stood up straight beside Iggy. Fang left the clearing then, but not before catching the look of pain and confusion in Gazzy's eyes.

&

He didn't understand how the flock couldn't see that he had been right. Clearly that Max had been fake. They just didn't see it; or didn't want to see it. He hadn't before, but now he could see plainly. He was just confused at the moment—the look in Fake-Max's eyes, Gazzy calling him a traitor…it really bothered him.

He snorted at the ridiculousness of the situation and continued down the hallway. Soon he was at her holding cell. She was behind bullet-proof glass, with one little slot to put food into and a nearly-invisible door. He looked in at the girl who was chained to the wall, her arms held up and behind her head. Her feet were just an inch above the ground, so she was hanging there; Fang was sure that if she stretched she would be able to balance on her tip-toes.

Fang watched as she breathed—in, out, in, out—slow, deliberate breaths that seemed to be getting more difficult every time she tried. Her eyes were closed, but her eyebrows were pulled together, and her mouth was turned down. Her blonde hair, now dirty, was hanging over her shoulders, a lock or two sliding over her forehead dangling in front of her eye. The wound on her head had closed, but she still had dried blood caked to her hair, on her shirt, and smudged across her cheek.

Fang stepped closer to the glass, bringing a hand up to it. He watched as she very quietly whimpered, fidgeting with her chains for a moment, then dropped again. His heart sped up as she moved restlessly, and he watched intently, but her eyes never opened—didn't even flicker. Then she just hung there, limp, her head lolling over. Fang stayed there for a few more moments before leaving.

As he walked down the hall, he thought about Fake-Max, and why she'd seemed confused. As his mind again replayed the scene in the clearing, another blindingly painful headache grabbed hold of him, and as it ebbed he stood up straighter.

It didn't matter that she was confused. When she woke up, they would fight, he would destroy her, and his flock would finally have peace.

Ta da! lol There's Chapter 9! Thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter, I always appreciate getting reviews! So, you know, review this one too please and thank you!!

Falling Rose Petals