AHHHHHHHHHH!! I practically screamed when I checked my email and saw that I had 19 new reviews. :D (Okay it may not seem much to you other successful people out there with, what, 100 over reviews?, but it is a lot to me! :D) So thank you! Free virtual cookies for everyone! :D –throws cookies in the air– (Dare I hope for just a response just as good for this chapter?)

Anyway, you smart people have figured out that, yeah the witches are going to use Fang as sacrifice… :O –sorry to those who didn't get it– Nice theory though, Someoneyoudontknowprobably. HAHAHAHA. I decided to put it in the chapter! Thanks :D

Disclaimer; I do not own Maximum Ride or any other characters associated with the story.

Chapter 9: Rescue of the Century

Fang

"…sacrificed!" Florida cackled.

Holy. Effin. Shit.

I just stared at her.

And stared.

And stared.

"What is it, honey, are you astooounnded by my beeeauty?" she drawled flirtatiously and giggled. I felt nauseous.

"You wish," I muttered. She placed the chopper down onto the floor and caressed my cheek. I almost gagged. But, seeing that I'm tied up here, what could I do, exactly?

"Such a waste," she mused. "You aaaare helluva looker. No wonder that girl kept staring at you."

"What girl?" I said, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Oh, that ugly one you sat beside," she replied in a huff.

Max?

"If she's ugly, you're – "

"You left us to entertain those toads!" another witch interrupted as the door slammed open. The four other witches entered the room. They all looked so alike, the only way to differentiate them was by their height.

"And what was with that email thing?" another demanded. "We don't even have a computer!"

Florida stood up. The other witches, over their rage, hadn't probably thought much about her being on the floor, but then seemed to realize that I was tied up there.

"What do you have here, eh Flo?" Zachary said.

"The one," Florida replied, in such a hushed and contrasting tone that I felt my skin prickle as her companions immediately became silent.

"Are you sure?" the shortest one barked. "What if it was a mistake, like the last?"

Florida turned to me abruptly and kicked me. "Speak, boy!" she ordered.

I kept silent.

"I said speak!" she demanded.

If she wanted me to speak, I sure as hell wasn't going to. She kicked me harder.

"The silent one, I see," Zachary muttered.

"Alright, we'll trust you, Flo. Even if it doesn't work, we'll still have something to feed the cats with," the one who had been silent all the while said. My stomach churned. Me, cat food?

They went outside and I was left alone in the cottage, five cats prowling around me.

Then the screaming began.

Thankfully, I only caught a bit of it.

"…toenails…cats……toads ………sacrifice…snot…" I'll pass on the whole snot thing.

It was eerie though. Their voices were high and shrill – not like they weren't already – and it, to put it crudely, freaked me out.

After minutes of that, they reentered the cottage, shut the door with a resounding slam and drew all the curtains, so that it was almost pitch-black in the cottage. Each of them grabbed a chopper and surrounded me, malicious looks on their faces.

My heart rate increased just by a tiny bit.

Then the door slammed open and I squinted against the light.

"You are not giving Fang a sex change and making him one of you, you prunes!" Max screamed as she practically flew towards my direction. I blinked.

Iggy was on her heels and soon they were in hand-to-hand combat with the witches.

Did I ever tell you that Max can fight?

Because she damn well can.

And she looked so, so hot punching those witchbags.

But it made me worried too. Look at it this way; Max: strong, sexy, beautiful, captivating, amazing, wonderful, hot (there goes my dignity) young and feisty, versus old, pruny, witches who were strong as well (in Florida's case) and waving choppers around like madmen.

Oh, and not to forget Iggy, of course.

They were certainly no match for Max. And Iggy. But the choppers worry me.

Then, before I knew it, Iggy shouted "Duck!" and Max dived towards me and pushed me towards the doorway.

Just in time too, because the whole cottage freaking exploded just as we were out of there.

"Not even a fie," Iggy muttered to himself, a trace of annoyance in his voice. "I wish Gazzy was here."

"Pyromaniac much? How did you do that?" Max exclaimed, astonished. Iggy grinned.

"Beats me," he uttered. Then he looked at me and Max turned her attention to me.

"Are you alright?" she uttered, concerned. My heart gave a small jolt.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Are you sure? I saw them with the choppers and – " her fist clenched.

"I'm fine," I said. "I won't die anytime soon."

"I can't imagine life without you," she muttered, avoiding my gaze by looking at my chest instead. Okayyy? She was still sprawled over me, and we were in kind of the same position that we had been in the bedroom. My heart rate increased. Was this normal?

"Ditto," I said softly.

"Um, okay. Yeah. Okay. Good. Yeah. Uh. Yeah." Her face turned slightly pink.

I love it when she does that.

I stared at her lips. They were so enticing… Her face, her lips, her body, her personality, everything, made feel pure ecstasy over the fact that she was my best friend, and she couldn't live without me. And she was leaning closer to me, her eyes shut.

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her.

I know, you'll be going, not very descriptive, are you, Fang? but Max was mine and frankly speaking, I wouldn't want to let anyone else besides me experience the wonder of Max's kisses.

Don't blame me for not being able to control the possessive edge to my thoughts.

Iggy coughed.

"Go away, Iggy," Max mumbled against my lips and we continued kissing. Well that was a first.

I should get around to mixing with witches more often.

"I hate to break it to you guys, but firstly, even though I can't see I can freaking hear, so GET A ROOM! and secondly, the witches are getting away."

Max reluctantly broke away.

I liked that. She was reluctant.

"Do you want to report them or something?" she asked me.

I shrugged. They were coughing and stumbling away in the direction opposite of us, cats meowing pitifully.

"Can't be bothered to," Iggy said.

"Right then," Max replied. She shot the bird to their backs and then pulled me up. We beat the dust off ourselves.

"Seriously, Ig, how'd you get that bomb?" Max asked as we headed down the hill to the road. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. She blushed a little, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Let's just say I have my sources," he answered and cackled. Then I remembered something.

"What was that bout having a sex change?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said, her face turning red at an alarming rate.

"Ah, the minds of girls nowadays," Iggy sighed. Max whacked him.

"You were the one who told me that you overheard them saying that they were going to chop his – "

"Whoa there," I said.

"Sorry," she muttered and smiled sheepishly at me. I shot Iggy a look that said that he was so going to get it later.

Oh right, he can't see.

Damn.

"Where's everyone?" I asked.

"They're at the zoo. But Mr. Danny allowed both of us to stay to look for you, and he gave us money for a cab back, because it'd be too inconvenient to go around the zoo looking for them. He was pretty worried. Anyway, I got the key to our chalet from Brandon," Max said.

"So," Iggy started, "we have the whole chalet to ourselves until they get back." He shot me a look. Max looked at him questioningly. It was a good thing she didn't understand.

I turned away, ashamed of the thoughts that were currently going through my mind.

Hormones freaking suck, I tell you.