"What's going on?" Angel shouted to a nearby scientist. She didn't even glance her way, just shrugging in answer as she gazed down into a microscope. Her long braid of black hair reached her waist and she shook her head as she straightened up. Those damn alarms had been blaring for over an hour, Angel thought, how annoying. They were just three consecutive beeps.
The woman turned and looked at her, raising her eyebrows. Angel heard her thoughts, something obscene about children and not shutting up. The rest Angel decided not to say, might as well keep her innocence while still young.
A man burst into the room, fuming. "Dammit Samantha, Ana isn't answering. Where the hell is she?" He ran a hand through his black hair, and Angel could feel the anger radiating from him. An exact Fang replica, gone bad. Angel shook her head slightly, rolling her eyes mentally.
"I have no idea, Dr. Maxis. Have you sent somebody to investigate?"
"Of course I-didn't. Why Samantha, why didn't you tell me earlier?" With that, he left the room. Also when the alarms stopped blaring. Angel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Whoever thought that adults were mature, was immature. Jeez, Angel thought, how idiotic.
Samantha blushed and looked down, back into her microscope. Angel asked a question, now intrigued by Dr. Maxis. "Samantha, who is Ana?"
She didn't even look up. "None of your business. Go away, I'm working." Now Angel rolled her eyes. In mock exasperation, she threw up her hands and left the room.
Reading her mind, Angel got her information. Ana was a newbie scientist. She had only been here about a week, so Maxis had taken an interest in her from the beginning. Interesting, Angel thought.
Anyway, she was going to go and investigate. She wanted to know what happened to Ana. Her curiosity perked up. Angel had always loved a good challenge.
"See, Dylan, this is what I get from listening to you!" Maddy hissed at him. He simply raised his eyebrows and motioned for her to continue, forgetting about his earlier dispute between Iggy. "You!" Maddy pointed at Iggy, and he held his hands up in a 'What did I do?' pose. "Your fault! Because you kissed me, and then Dylan walked in. He got pissed, you both made a lot of noise. Now we're screwed!" Dylan held back laughter. Maddy usually didn't curse, except when she was extremely pissed.
"Nope. I kissed you, and you kissed me back. I bet we could've continued to you-know-where if What's-His-Face didn't show up and ruin the mood." Iggy pouted. "Go away, you dumbass."
"Me? A dumbass?" Dylan spun around. "Listen, you bastard. Don't think I haven't forgotten about why I was angry in the first place. When we get out-"
"If we get out-" Maddy interuppted, flicking his forhead with her hand. These guys seriously needed to stop. She was tired of it. As for the moment, she just wanted to curl up with a cup of coffee and a good book. But oh no, Jeb just had to make her do all of his dirty work. She seriously had to do something about that, but for now, she had to face the matters on her hands.
Dylan glanced at her. "That damn alarm has been ringing forever. Let's go shut it off." He reached for the doorknob, but she stopped him. Then the alarms shut off. Dylan sighed at the irony. So much for leaving.
"Wait," Maddy said, glaring at Iggy. "I'm not done questioning him yet."
"Aw, so you do want to stay with me!" Iggy said, in mock happiness. He really wanted Dylan to leave. An annoying cocky guy, and that wasn't Iggy's type of friend. Who did he think he was anyway?
"No." Maddy ignored his attitude. Just ask the questions and ditch him. She won't have to ever see him again. Good. "Okay, do you know Maximum Ride?"
"Yes."
"...And...?"
"What about her?"
"Who is she?"
"A woman."
"Are you related?"
"Kinda."
"What?"
"Well, we grew up together, and were born in tubes at the same time!" Funny. False enthusiasm.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Where did that happen?"
"The School. We had a "dad" named Jeb. Backstabbing jerk."
"Did you say Jeb?"
"Yeah. So?"
Maddy grinned. "He's our boss!" She was making it sound like she was working for him, when she really wasn't. She didn't even get paid to risk her life for all the missions Jeb sent her on. Now that Maddy looked at the sad thing she called her life, it wasn't very exciting. An education, training, and that was mostly it. She had no life, she realized. How depressing.
"...Your boss?"
"Yup. Now, how old is Maximum Ride?"
"Dude, just call her Max. She's...eighteen, I think? That's how old I am, anyway."
Dylan cut in. "Is she single?"
Maddy slapped his arm while Iggy answered. "Hmm, I'd say kinda. Not really. I wouldn't even try, if I were you. Just don't."
"Why?" Maddy asked. She had to know.
Iggy lowered his voice, as if he was sharing a secret. "She was...raped. Twice. First was Fang, her best friend." His voice cracked. He continued on, oblivious to the other's expressions. Maddy glanced the the door. They really should be going. Why wasn't anybody coming after them? What was going on? Iggy started up again, after rearranging this thoughts. "The second was her half-brother, Ari. She's pregnant with his monster now."
Maddy gasped. Ew! Her...brother? That's disgusting.
Iggy continued. "Ari is Jeb's son."
Dylan slapped his thigh. "Damn! This is better than any soap operas I've ever seen! Keep going. What else? Who's Fang?" Maddy wanted to know too.
"Fang is my...I guess you can call him my brother. We grew up together in our little flock, consisting of six mutant bird kids. Me, Max, Fang, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel." Iggy stopped. And abruptly changed the subject. "They're coming. Get ready."
"How do you know?" Even with her precise hearing, Maddy couldn't hear a thing.
"I'll explain later. Let's go find Max and Fang now."
(Fang POV)
"Let me get to her. I'll be good, I promise. I won't do anything bad, I won't try to get away. I jut need to feel her in my arms again. Ever since her...incident...I haven't been able to touch her at all. I need her, I long for her. Every second of every day. Just let me go. Let me stay with her, comfort her, touch her, let me. You can watch us, I don't care. I need her, she needs me. We need each other. Just let me go. Let me go."
"Can't do that. You will stay and watch. We need to see if your reactions are reasonable. The tests from now on are going to be intersting, I can tell you now."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Don't ask me questions."
"Why?"
"Because I told you not to. Now watch."
I wrenched my head away from my hands, and looked forward. Max was in there, only a few feet away from me. She couldn't see me, but she couldn't see anything in the first place. They had blindfolded her. Tortured her without her even knowing it.
She sat there, facing the ground. Her hands clenching and unclenching in the armrests. Her breathing ragged, her hair soaked with her sweat and blood. I couldn't do it. I couldn't watch any more.
A scientist walked up to her, pushing a cart. On the cart was an odd contraption, shiny like metal, cold as steel. I tore my eyes away toward ground again, but a pair of hands from behind me forced my head up. I shut my eyes closed, and waited for the cruel punishment for disobeyment.
An electical shock hit me, and I grit my teeth in frustration. Here I was, being tested like a guinea pig, waiting for death. I had to fight it, I couldn't give in. Do it for Max, a small part of me urged.
A scream, Max's scream, echoed in the room before me. What were they doing to her? I snapped my head up, just to see Max crying out in pain and crumpling into her seat. They had a helmet on her, one that looked dangerous and...deadly. I didn't like it. Not at all. I had to do something, anything.
"No! Please...stop!" Max cried out. She grimaced when the scientist slapped her hard across the face. At that instant, I tore myself around in the chair. Screaming, I tried to gain some control of myself. That wasn't easy. "No! Stop it, hurt me! Test on me! Just...don't hurt her anymore. Let me take the pain."
Immediatly the scientist stepped away from Max, listening to some unknown command into her earpiece. Snapping off Max's helmet, she glanced back at me and shot me a wicked, sick grin. I cringed in my seat, almost wanting to take back what I said. But I meant it. Really.
"Really?"
I twisted around in my seat, wanting to glare at the damn person who tortured Max. I couldn't twist around enough though. "Yes, I'm serious. Do the damn tests on me."
"As you wish. We will move Maximum and you around so she will be watching you. You won't know what we're doing to her either." To somebody else, he said: "Move him out!"
Pain. Darkness and pain. Raidating from her back, her whole body convulsing in waves of distress and torment. It griped with anger at herself for allowing this to happen. The agony of the aches made her want to die. That she never had a suicidal thought in her life, the thought before actually scared her. She'd never imagine dying, much less killing herself.
The operation. That's why she was in so much pain. They grafted wings onto her...and didn't even realize that she wasn't Iggy! Couldn't they have taken to time to gaze at her unconsious face before starting?
Of course not. It was Dr. Richoten. He doesn't give a damn about anything as long as he gets his money. He wouldn't care, not at all. So here she was, with her...Wings.
Ana opened her eyes and gazed up at the ceiling thoughtfully. She could teach herself how to fly. That'd be a miracle. Ana imagined herself soaring up high, without another thought in her world. She smiled grimly. At least this came out with one good thing.
Stretching and sitting up, Ana winced at the throbbing pain in her back. It felt like someone had set it on fire. At least she wasn't tied down in a chair anymore. Ana looked around. Where was she? The infirmary, or in another room she didn't know about?
"Are you happy?"
Ana looked up. Who was that? Damn it, it was Dr. Maxis. He stared at her expectantly, as it he wanted a response. Well, Ana thought. You aren't getting one. You did this to me.
"Nope, all yours. Your fault. Why did you let it go?" He paused, and looked at his nails, like checking out a manicure. Ana rolled her eyes and thought insults at him. She knew she was hooked up to the MindShow, and it irritated the hell out of her. She stared him down, daring for him to look away, but it was she who chickened out. Her dignity fell a bit.
I didn't let him go. He got away, and I couldn't help it! Ana wanted to scream at him. Who did he think he was?
"You could have helped it Ana, but you let him go. He seduced you, and you allowed him. He was nothing, and still is nothing. Now you are a freak, as like all of them, and we'll do some tests on you." He spoke as if he was talking about the weather. Bastard.
"You can't do that to me," Ana said shakily. She was losing it.
"Of course I can. I own you. You work for me. Good thing this was a unanimous pick. We told you, we told your family you were in a top secret workplace, and that's true. We told you that we told them that you were to visit every two months." His words were confusing her. What was he saying? The sentences mushed together in a big blob of confusion. "We were lying. You aren't going anywhere soon. Too bad. I really liked you. Now-"
"What are you going to tell my family?"
"Ah, but being a scientist is a very dangerous job. A labratory fire, very unfortunate. Sad, indeed. Too bad you died in it." He shook his head, as if disappointed in her. And he left the room, soon to make the call that would ruin Ana's life.
Sobs wracked her small, fragile frame, and she let it all out. She had nothing to hide anymore, now that she was stuck in this hellhole for the rest of her life.
Slowly I opened my eyes. Pure black met me, and for a moment I panicked, worried that I had lost my sight. But as the lazy white spots that filtered into my vision came, my panic eased away. I rolled my eyes at myself mentally, but hey, don't blame a girl who's been through this much.
Last thing I remember...was the fact that I was in that damned chair. A woman bending over me, and then my screams of pain echoing off the cold, empty room. She had stared me in the eye, and whispered something that made me lose it.
"You're worthless. Nobody loves you."
I knew it wasn't true. I had my Flock. I had Fang. I had Rose. I didn't need more, I wouldn't ask for more. But that one statement that the woman planted in my head nigged at the back of my mind. The small pessimistic part of me that told me just to give up.
Giving up wasn't an option. Here I was, dancing with the Devil, everything at stake. Either I lost it all, or I kept what I had at the moment. No mistakes, no chance.
I couldn't lose.
"Maximum. Look up." I had been staring at the ground for quite a while now, mulling over my depressing thoughts. Who was that, anyway? Slowly I lifted my head, and hid my response when I saw Fang. Actually, it was the second one. I was going to gasp, but that would only give him the satisfaction that he surprised me. Fang, the original, would never look at me with such cold eyes. I glared at him, and he didn't respond either.
"Enjoy the show." And he left. I hadn't even said anything. What show was he talking about? What was he speaking of? What...?
In front of me, Fang sat in one of these torture chairs. His head was bent, his hair shiny with pespiration. He was breathing heavily, his whole body was wracking with pain.
My eyes widened and I thrashed in my seat. "No, what are you doing to Fang? What-" I was cut off, by something much louder.
His screams. They were long, and filled with the agony of the pain he was feeling. His body was shaking even more, his head bent low. I was frozen in shock. I couldn't move, couldn't do anything. But watch.
He lifted his head, lightning fast. His eyes, oh god, his eyes. They were wild, and filled to the brim with tears. The pupils were pitch black, but now the whites of his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like a monster. I had done this. Since when did Fang go in there? I had to stop it.
He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve any of this. Even if he did rape me, about five years ago. It didn't matter anymore. The pain he was feeling was almost palpable. I couldn't take it. It wrenched my insides. I had to stop it. They were willing to trade...right? I'd even give my life for Fang to be okay. Anything, as long as he wasn't in anymore pain. I had forgiven him, and now that my grudge was gone, I realized one thing.
I still loved him.
I'd do whatever it takes to save him.
"Stop!" My voice was hoarse. When was the last time I had water, or even food? That didn't matter now, Fang did. "Stop it!" I wondered if they could hear me over Fang's cries of pain. It didn't matter. "Stop! Trade us, let me go, into wherever he is. Please," I was begging now. "I'll stay there in place for him. I'll take the pain for him. Let him go." I remembered the pain all right. Like being electrocuted nonstop, on the insides. You couldn't stop it. You couldn't hide from it either. Strapped onto that metal chair, escape was impossible. I continued, oblivious to the fact Fang II was in front of me now. "Please, let me take his place. Just let me go there. Let him go."
"Maxis."
I was confused. "What?"
"Stop calling me 'Fang II.' It's Dr. Maxis."
I looked down. "Dr...Maxis."
"Are you sure about this? This was exactly what Fang did for you an hour ago. He chose to be in there." Maxis pointed to where Fang's eyes were still searching the walls. "You mutants are so fun to watch. Why do you all care for each other so much, if you've been hurt by them deeply, time and time again." My mind wasn't listening. My eyes were watching Fang. What was he looking for?
"He's looking for you, Maximum. As of now, we can see him. He can't see us. Are you sure about your decision?"
"Yes," No hesitation. I was positive. Do it for Fang.
"All right. Wheel her out. But...I have a different idea." He was speaking to a scientist now, but I could still overhear him. "What if we put them together? In room C476? Wouldn't those make outstanding results?"
She murmured something, and they walked out. A man behind behind me came up and latched something to my wrist. Immediately my body slumped against the chair. I couldn't move anything! What was this?
"It paralyzes your body from neck down." He said, his voice deep and smooth. His tanned skin was a contrast to my pale one. I mentally asked him his name. Just to be safe.
He read my thoughts on the monitor and picked my body up effortlessly before placing me in a wheelchair. I think he held me a bit too close for a formal meeting, but now I didn't give a damn.
"Jacob." He said, grinning for some unknown reason. I couldn't move my body, so I stared up blankly at him, still able to blink. He wheeled me away, and I closed my eyes. So for about ten minutes, he rolled me who knows where, the silence between us stretching into a comfortable one. What could I say? I was paralyzed.
So when I heard another set of wheels, I strained my eyes to see. Fang. He was in a wheelchair too, with the same wrist thing I had on. His body was slumped over, so he couldn't see me.
I was buzzing underneath. Fang! He was here, no more pain was happening to him!
At least, any physical pain.
I cringed at that thought as the two people wheeled us in. Ripping of the wrist things, they shut the door, taking the wheelchairs with them.
Fang and I were on the ground yet, and even though he could move, he didn't move a muscle. He faced the opposite diection of me, and didn't know I was there. Fang! I wanted to scream at him. I was dead tired, and after sitting for a few days, my legs wouldn't listen. So I took in the room around me.
Steel, like all the other rooms. Glass walls, but probably bullet proof. A metal couch/bench. And steel floors. That was it, I thought dully. This was also an escape proof room, as I could see.
"Stand up." Damn. I guess I didn't notice the speakers from the wall either. Dr. Maxis's voice blared out from them, shaking me up a bit.
"Fang," I said, getting to my knees and glancing over at him. He twisted around, and his eyes widened impossibly. He was about four feet away from me. Now he stood up, wobbly, and walked over to me. Offering a hand, his eyes filled with tears, as did mine.
We were both standing now, inches apart. My eyes gazed into his, as his hands gripped mine tightly. We were ignoring Maxis's voice blaring from the speakers. Time stood still. All that mattered was Fang. He felt the same about me too.
I cleared my throat. "I forgive you," And the tears from both of our eyes spilled over. I gazed at him, the slight stubble from not shaving, the tired eyes, and the full lips.
"You do?" He asked, speaking for the first time. His voice cracked.
"I'm sure." I said, and closed my eyes, trying to channel the feelings flowing through my body, my veins. He leaned his forehead against mine, and whispered softly.
"Max, you have no idea how long I've needed to hear that." And he pressed his lips gently against mine, cautious. I smiled a tiny smile, and slightly nodded. His hands framed my face, and my hands were curled under his arms. He didn't stop kissing me either. His lips were slightly chapped, but mine were too. He let out a sigh, and I felt all the stress almost literally melting away from him. This was our first kiss, since the accident when I was fourteen. Our first time together, actually together.
We pulled away at the same time, and gazed into each others eyes. They say an eye is a window to the soul. And at that moment, I believed it. I could see all the pain he's been through. I promise that he could see mine.
Electricity flowed though me, humming at Fang's touch. He grinned, the lopsided one that I've always loved, and pulled me over to the bench. My thoughts were still on Fang, but a small part of me was listening to Maxis.
"Dammit, you two. You both will pay for that. In this chamber, there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. It will hurt, I will tell you now."
Suddenly I was shocked. No, make that electrocuted. It was exactly like last time, except it was in a room. Fang and I jumped up, and were momentarily apart. But were still feeling the painful currents running through my veins. This time it was excruciating. Like somebody was pouring alcohol on a cut, and your body was in flames. I held in my cries of pain, as did Fang.
We were standing, but were still being attacked by the electricity. "The ground!" Fang yelled. I looked down, and sure enough, there were tiny yellow bolts zooming around. I pointed up, and we both whisked out our wings. Before we could even try, his voice stopped us.
"I wouldn't do that. See those red lasers? They will slice anything that comes through." Maxis. As if to show, a brick fell out of the ceiling. As the brick fell through the lasers, it was sliced apart, in a cross-wire pattern. And it fell to the ground uselessly. I cursed. What are Fang and I going to do now?
Right when I thought that, the current stopped. I breathed out, and practically flung myself at Fang. He grinned and caught me, sitting back down on the bench. If there was going to be peace in this hellroom, we were going to use it.
Fang's eyes smoldered, they were fire. He drove his lips to mine again, and there was a new urgency to it. We hadn't been touched or touched anybody in the past four or five years, and now was our time. We clung to each other as if our lives depended on it. Each second was a precious one not wasted. Time was never enough. There wasn't time for awkwardness or for pretending we didn't love each other. Because now I knew, as corny as it sounded, I couldn't live without him.
The electricity started again, and it wasn't from us. I screamed out, because the pain was unbearable. Fang was in shock, and though he was going through it too, he was doing it silently. Suddenly I was on his lap, and the pain was gone. Everything was black. I glanced up at Fang, and his teeth ground together, trying to drown out new cries of pain, and I realized what he was doing.
He was taking the pain for me. Even though I was touching him, I couldn't feel any of it. You only felt the pain because you were touching the ground. He was taking it for me. I glanced up at him and shook my head. His wings were around me, and his arms held me tight against him. I pulled away, I was not going to allow him to take all of it.
"No! Fang!" I yelled at him. I could tell they stopped electric the flow when his face relaxed. "Don't do that for me," I said, clutching at his black shirt.
"You've been through enough pain," He said, his eyes closed. I took his head in my hands and forced him to look at me. "Fang, stop that. That is over. I'm over it. Bringing it up won't help us-"
The current started again, I could tell, because his face tensed up and he let out a small cry before quieting himself. His arms tightened even more around me, and my eyes watered. "Stop that Fang! I came here to take the pain from you, not to give you more, stop it!" I couldn't help myself.
I pressed my lips to his, and the electric current that was running through him now ran through me too. My body shook from the pain that now hummed through me. I was helping Fang, by taking some of his pain away. His eyes closed and he shook his head, pulling his mouth away. "No, Max. I can't let you do that."
"Too bad," I growled at him. I kissed him again, placing my hands in his black hair. The electricity ran through skin to skin contact, I figured out. I moved my mouth against his, and I knew he couldn't resist any longer. He moaned into me, which was a new thing for Fang, and I kissed him harder.
The electricity stopped, but I didn't. I kissed him until I felt like my lips were not my own.
I smiled as he kissed me back, his dark wings hiding us from scientist view. We had made our own dark little room, and he was all of it. He was my world.
I pulled back, and I saw a pout on Fang's lips. The same ones I had been kissing a minute earlier. "Fang, I love you, you know. I always have. I never had forgetten about you."
""I've always loved you. Every day that you were gone, I killed myself on the inside, regretting that one day."
The elecrticity came back on, and Fang yelled in suprise. I took some of his pain away by kissing him, and holding him closer to me.
Because now, his pain was my pain.
(Awww, that made my heart do a few flips the whole time I was writing that chapter. It was a long one too! I'm so happy, now that I've included a good amount of Fang and Max. Did you like the situation I put them in?)
P.S. (And while I was writing this, my iPod was on shuffle, and Aly & AJ's song: Chemicals React came on. I usually dont listen to them, but that song inspired me to make Max forgive him. Listen to it after reading this chap, or even while reading it. At least, the end of it. :D)