Where am I? My head hurts, and my back is hunched over. I try to sit up, but hit my head on the top of what seems to be a cage. This makes my head hurt worse. There's also a sharp pain in my side, like something is digging into it. I pull out the wand. I hadn't realize I still had this thing. I look around trying to figure out where I am. There are other cages, and it's very dark. I suck in a deep breath as I realize where I am. I start to hyperventilate.
"No. No. No. No. No. No. This isn't happening. I can't deal with small spaces like this. I can't deal with this!"
"At least they gave you a big crate." A small voice says next to me. "I'm in a medium." I swallow.
"A-Angel?"
"Yes?" My heart drops. I'm very glad she's alive, but I also feel so guilty for seeing her like this.
"Is the rest of the flock-?" I ask, to scare to hear the answer.
"Iggy and Gazzy got away, but Fang and Nudge didn't." Angel tells me remorsefully.
"I-I'm sorry. I failed you." She reaches out her hand to me, through the bars. I reach mine out too, but we are still a few inches from touching.
"You didn't fail me. At least you tried to help." I don't think running into a pole was very helpful.
"I guess. But the real Max would have saved you."
"I-" Her voice is cut off by the door opening, raining light inside.
"Max, there's something I need to tell you."
"Wait a second. I think someone's coming."
"No, Max-" The person comes into view, and bends down in front of my cage.
"Maximum Ride," says Jeb Batchelder. "Oh, I've missed you so much." I stare at him for a second.
"Wait. Aren't you dead?" I ask, a little confused. He blinks as if this wasn't the reaction he was hoping for.
"Well. No. I know you're surprised."
"Yep. Not everyday someone comes back from the dead. Unless I somehow ended up in The Walking Dead."
"Come on. I need to talk to you." He unlatches the crate and waits for me to get out.
"I am not coming out of this thing." I say, standing my ground (more like sitting my ground though, cause that cage is really tiny).
"Why not?"
"I've seen what you've made us do. I am not getting experimented on anytime soon."
"I'm not going to dissect you, don't worry."
"Okay, yeah, like I'm gonna trust the man who disappeared for years without a word and suddenly shows up in my worst nightmare? Don't kid yourself."
"Max, we need to do this. You can either come out easily, or by force. I would really hate to do that to you." I grumble a little, but finally get out. Jeb leads me to a small, lablike room, furnished with couches, a table and chairs, a sink, and a microwave.
"Sit down, Max, please." I check the chair for any hidden restraints, or anything. Once I see its safe I sit down. He comes over with a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. Now I know Max wouldn't drink it in order to be rebellious, but I'm not that strong. I take a long sip and the warm thick chocolate slides down my throat.
"Aaaahhh." That hits the spot. Jeb is going on about something or other, but I'm really absorbed in my hot chocolate.
"Max, I have to tell you- I'm so proud of you." Blah, blah, blah…Are these marshmallows homemade? Because they are delicious.
"You must have so many questions."
"Yeah. Can I have some more marshmallows?" He laughs and gives me some more. He continues talking about how everything is a test, blah, blah, blah, hot chocolate. You were born for a purpose, who cares, who cares, who cares. You are supposed to save the world, boring, boring, borin- Wait, what?! I spit the hot chocolate out all over the table and start coughing.
"I'm sorry did I hear you correctly?"
"You are supposed to save the world."
"…HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA! Please. Next you're going to tell me I'm special, that I was created for a purpose. Oh oh, let me guess. I'm the chosen one too. Sheesh. How many times has this been done before?"
"I wish you would take this a little bit more seriously." He sounds disappointed.
"I'm sorry I can't take crazy scientists telling me I'm supposed to save the world seriously."
"It's okay. I can barely imagine what you must be feeling or thinking. It's okay. I just wanted to tell you myself. Later, others will come to talk to you. After you've had a chance to think about this, to realize what it could mean for you and the others. But for now, don't say anything to the rest of the flock. It's our secret, Maximum. Soon the whole world will know. But not just yet." He takes me laughing, back to my cage. I wipe a tear from my eye and sit back inside.
"You okay?" Angel asks anxiously.
"Yeah. Guess what? I'm supposed to save the world. Lolz. Haha. Funny." Nudge and Angel nod, looking concerned and Fang kept staring at me.
"Okay. I guess it isn't as funny as I thought it was…" We all sit in silence. It feels as if hours go by. I start feeling tense again. Just as I feel as if I'm about to explode, light falls into the room as someone opens the door. My heart jumps into my throat. No. It can't be-.
"Christine! We are so glad we found you. It is such a strange world we have been transported into." The Phantom and Raoul say. "Why are you in a cage?"
"Long story. How did you get here?!"
"I'm very good at stalking." The Phantom says. I stare at him, very concerned.
"I'm going to ignore that comment for now. Can you get us out?" Raoul answers me by holding up some keys.
"I swiped them off some guards." The Phantom says.
"Max? Who are they? Why are they calling you Christine?" Nudge asks, very confused.
"Well…They are, how do I put it? Old friends. Now open the cage, old friends."
"Anything for you Christine." They say, as they fight over who gets the privilege of opening my cage. Finally they let me out and then the rest of the flock.
"Alright. Now that we are out of the cages, let's get out of here."
"Wait, Max, who are these people?" Angel asks.
"How do we know we can trust them?" Fang says.
"Christine, why are we standing here? If these peasants don't want to come with us, let's just go." Raoul says.
"Hey we are NOT peasants." Nudge says, offended.
"Clearly you have not seen your clothes lately." Raoul says. Nudge gasps and her face turns red. Note to self, do not dis Nudge's clothing.
"Have you looked in a mirror lately? Because I don't think you should be dissing other people clothes. You look like you stepped out of a Jane Austen book."
"I understood that reference." The Phantom says, proud of himself. "Christine, can we leave now?"
"Max, why do they keep calling you Christine?"
"Christine, why do they keep calling you Max? And is this the Nemo you were talking about?" The Phantom asks, pointing to Fang.
"Hey, I don't know who this 'Nemo' is, but if you don't get your finger out of my face, we're going to have a problem."
"You dare threaten me?" The Phantom says. It looks like they're about to get into a nasty brawl.
"ENOUUUGHHH already!" I yell, very frustrated. If Nemo were here I'm sure he would know some nifty trick to get me out of this situation, but he's not, so it looks like it's up to me.
"Shut up. Everyone just shut up." Encouraging, I know. "Look, I can't really explain what's going on right now, so you'll just have to trust me. That's what I'm asking for. Trust. I need to trust you to listen to me and follow my directions, and you need to trust me to get us all out of here. Cause that's what we all want, to get out of here. Unless we all shut up, work together, and trust each other none of us will be getting out of here. Not alive anyway. Alright?" I gaze at them, and one by one they all start to nod their heads.
"Perfect. So now we need a plan. Phantom? Raoul? Did you guys see any exits on your way in here?" They shake their heads.
"Not particularly." Raoul says.
"Unless…unless we use the sewers." The Phantom says.
"Ewwww." Nudge says, looking disgusted.
"Why am I not surprised? Alright. Sewers it is. Phantom led the way, I'll cover the back."
"But Christine! You could get hurt!" Raoul says, alarmed.
"Yes. But I can look out for myself and if I do get hurt, it will be my fault and I want you guys to keep going. Got it?"
"If that's what you want."
"Great. Let's move out." So the Phantom leads the way, and we crawl down into the sewers. It's very narrow, so we have to go single file. It's also very dark. The Max's bird sense help a lot, but even so I feel uneasy. We're all very silent. Water drips down from the ceiling every now and then and makes a plopping sound on the moist ground. My breathing is very loud. Something is wrong here. I stop walking. Everyone else continues onward, but I can't fight the urge to take a peek back. I turn around slowly. There's nothing.
Then I see movement in the darkness. A shape starts to emerge. It towers over me and comes into view.
"Little Max piglet trying to run away?" Ari's voice laughs in the darkness. Suddenly I remember the wand.
"Laugh at this wolf-face!" I point it at him. Nothing happens. He roars with laughter.
"Oh, shit. I forgot. Wooorrrk!" I yell at the wand. A little wisp of snow comes out, and then slivers to the ground pitifully. This makes Ari laugh even more.
"Stupid magic must've run out. I don't understand this useless wand!" I'm about to throw it to the ground in frustration, when I get a better idea.
"You think this is funny? Then you'll find this hysterical." I roll forward as Ari lunges to grab me, and I dodge under his arms. Then I take the wand and thrust it as hard as I can up his nose. Déjà vu. It's my turn to roar with laughter, as he scrambles to pull it out of his nostril.
"HAHHA. You should see your face! I wish I had a video camera." I wipe a tear from my eye.
"I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to run. Good luck with that!" I run to rejoin everyone else, still laughing to myself. That was totally worth it. As I rejoin the others, we reach the end of the tunnel. We climb into the light. I pause for a moment as my eyes adjust to the bright sunlight. We appear to be just outside the School boundaries.
"What now Max?" Angel asks. I gaze around. The sky is wide and clear.
"Looks like we can fly from here." That's when the dark shadows of the Erasers loom over us.
"Haha." One of them laughs in that despicable, makes-me-want-to-punch-them-in-the-face kind of way they have. "You think we're going to let you just walk out of here?" One of them sneers.
"Who said anything about walking?" I open my wings, and try to look intimidating.
"Oh. Looks like the freaks are going to try to fight back. I'm so scared." Another pipes in. I raise an eyebrow and look threateningly at him.
"Don't make me stick a wand up your nose too." Phantom, Raoul, and the flock look confused, but I can tell the Eraser flinches a little.
"Enough. You and you're accomplices aren't going anywhere."
"My accomplices? You mean the Phantom and Raoul?" I start to laugh, then I realize that they've all readied themselves for a fight. Not good. Just as I start to panic, a large shadow appears in the sky.
"What's that in the sky?" Raoul asks.
"It's a bird!" An Eraser says.
"No, it's a plane." Another says squinting into the sky.
"No, it's Superman!" I joke. No one laughs. "You know, like Superman? Clark Kent? No?"
"It's not Superman, its Iggy and Gazzy!" Angel says.
"Oh. I knew that…" Sure enough, Iggy and the Gasman are flying high overhead. There's something with them though. Wait, no, a somethings. Its eagles! They start dive-bombing at the Erasers. This seems like a good time to make a run for it.
"Let's go!" I'm about to take off, as something claws my foot. I'm yanked to the ground. I glance back as I see Ari's claws dragging me into the sewer. My nails dig into the ground as I hear his laughter echoing through the sewer. I kick and wiggle but it does nothing. The rest of the flock seems to have taken off already.
"A little help?!" I yell in desperation. I'm out of ideas. I thought that wand would have delayed him a little longer. Feet appear in front of my face. A wolf hand reaches down and grabs my throat and hoists me up. "You called?"
"Ca-an't. B-b-breeeaa-the." I clutch the Eraser's hands. Ari climbs up from the sewer. Not good. I guess I'll just have to fight my way out of this. My feet dangle in the air. I swing them up and kick the Eraser holding my throat in the face. He loosens his grip. I use his face as a stepstool to backwards somersault into Ari, kicking him back into the sewer.
"Thanks for the help!" I take to the sky before any more trouble happens. My throat is throbbing. That was a close one. I rejoin the gang in the sky.
"Christine!" The Phantom and Raoul are being carried by Fang and Nudge respectively (although they don't look too happy).
"Max! We were so worried!" Gazzy says.
"It's fine. I'm fine. Thanks for the backup, Gazzy, Iggy. Good job."
"Thanks Max." Gazzy looks ecstatic that I complemented him.
"So…What now?" Nudge asks. Everyone looks toward me. Gosh, the responsibility of being a leader.
"Well. Umm. Jeb knows where our house is, can't go there." I think for a moment. Suddenly I get a brilliant idea. "Let's go to New York."
"What?" Everyone says in shocked unison.
"Let's go to New York City. The Big Apple. NYC. The city that never sleeps. The-"
"We get it." Iggy says.
"But why?"
"Why not? We'll fit in perfectly with all the other crazy people there." Plus I figure that I might be able to drop the Phantom and Raoul off at The Phantom of the Opera. I think they'll be happy there. "What're you all staring at? Let's go!"
We fly for several hours. We each take turns trading off carrying the Phantom and Raoul, although the younger kids can't quite carry them. I'm glad to not be in the school anymore. I'm sure everyone else is too. It occurs to me that now that we have Angel back, and we're out of the School, and the plot is resolved, can I jump to the next story? But something doesn't seem right. I have a feeling that something's going to happen. Don't ask how I know, I just have a feeling. A bad feeling. Maybe it's because I haven't seen an Editor in a long while, or because I can't find Nemo. My throat locks up. I'm still really worried about Nemo, and I haven't come up with anymore ideas to contact him. Mayb-
A blinding, stunning pain explodes behind my eyes.
"Max?" Nudge screams. "Christine?" The Phantom and Raoul scream. I can't think, can't speak, can't do a thing. My wings fold like paper, and I start to drop like a hailstone. Something is incredibly wrong. My hand clutch my head to keep the pain from splitting my skull wide open.
Then Fang's arms, ropy and hard, scoop me up, and I feel myself rising.
"Assppiirin?" I moan.
"Yeah. Just relax." Before I can stop myself I pass out. I didn't even hit a pole this time. Sometime later (not sure how long), I open my eyes a slit.
"Man, you weigh a freaking ton." Fang tells me. "What've you been eating, rocks?"
"Hey, just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I need to watch my weight. I try to eat a very healthy diet." He laughs.
"Wow. Are you sure you're okay?" He jokes. I'm shocked. Fang. Being funny.
"Stop flirting with her!" The Phantom yells, while being carried by Iggy.
"Um. We weren't flirting…" Fang says. Wow. This just got really awkward.
"You know, we're all really tired, my brain just exploded, how about we land and try to find some aspirin and food?" A while later, we've made camp and are cooking random foods over a fire. I've been feeling a little better. I'm still concerned about whether or not this headache is part of the story, or if it's me, or if I've finally gone crazy, if this is a onetime occurrence, or if I should be concerned. I try not to think about it.
Instead, I think about how well the Phantom and Raoul have adapted into the flock. Raoul and Nudge are talking fashion right now. The Phantom is showing Gazzy and Iggy a few tricks with explosives. Hmm. I'll keep an eye on that. I notice that Angel seems bother by something.
"What's up Angel?" Her large blue eyes look solemnly into mine.
"I've got a secret. From when I was at the School. It's about us. Where we came from?"
"What?" I ask.
"I heard stuff."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Stuff about me, about the flock."
"Okay…" I brace myself for a shocking plot twist.
"I found out another place has information about us-like where we came from, well where the flock, and Max came from."
"What?" Iggy butts in. He must have been listening to our conversation.
"They have files on us. Like the main files. In New York City. At a place called the Institute."
"I knew going to New York was a good idea."
"Does this mean we're going to get the files?" Nudge asks, her eyes large and watery.
"Hell yeah. Big Apple, here we come."