Chapter 12
Eventually, evil scientists do come across the notion that hey...I need food. As you all know, I require a large diet to keep up my normal, healthy stength. And guess what? This time, someone finally delivered. I wasn't drugged this time but a few M-Geeks with their guns led me out of the cell. All the mutants, not just me, were forced down a hallway to a silver door. When they opened it, we saw a cafeteria like setting like the school that the flock and I attended. I found it quite amusing. I smirked as they pushed us into a single line to get food.
Shoulder to shoulder with New York bird girl I was trying not to stare. Her blonde hair was long and matted. Her green eyes were staring at the food options, taking one or two of everything. I was doing the same. "Maximum Ride," she murmured under her breath. Her head was bent down so no one could hear her. "Surprised to see you here. You're the only experiment gone right in Itex. You escape everything."
I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. I let my long hair fall infront of my face. The M-Geeks were a few feet away so they couldn't really pick up on our voices. I concentrated on placing whatever was in front of me on the tray as we moved slowly. "Desperate times," I responded back. I tried not to be obvious as I searched for Ari. I found my little brother a few people ahead of me in line. His eyes looked up at me, The flock found Max II.
I smiled knowing that everything was working. The plan was in motion. "What's your name?" I asked New York bird girl. We reached the end of the food line and went to sit down. I sat a few seats down from her on the oppsite side of the table. Ari sat directly across from me. On my tray there were maybe seven or eight piles of things that did not look like food...just like school lunches.
"Mela," she told me through a whisper. I noticed how everyone was wearing the same things including me now. We were all in these annoying itchy white shirts and pants. It's like Antarctica all over again with the white blinding me. I would say on a scale of 1-10 on the disgusting looks of these outfits I would give them an 8 but only because of the khaki pants the flock wore when with the Navy. "Where's the rest of them? Your flock." I took a bite of a green, pudding like substance that I was pretty sure only Gazzy would appreaciate. My eyes casually glanced around the room.
M-Geeks surrounded the entire perimeter with their guns pointing straight out at everyone. I saw that there was maybe twenty of us in all just sitting there eating the disgusting goop. "Free of this place," I replied back. My stomach protested the new substances I was eating but I had no choice. A bird kid needs calories and if this was how I was going to get them than I had to eat it. Ari's large ears were sticking out from his head. He was busy eating a few things as well. "Are you the only New Yorker that I helped that's here?"
Mela nodded her head. "Yeah, everyone else got out in time before anyone else could be captured." I noticed back when we saved her and all the other mutants that she was like me the most. She had gone separate ways from the flock and I in order to protect everyone that she knew. I would've done the same. I was glad that she had done a good job at protecting them. She was probably here for the same reasons as me...well, not exactly like me of course but you get what I'm saying.
"M-Geeks give you much trouble," I whispered. I watched as she covered her mouth to cover her laugh. A robot noticed her movement and shifted his gun on her. Mela shot her eyes to the tray and tried not to do anything. My breathing was still and patient as I waited for the M-Geek to lower it's weapong down a bit. It's green eyes shifted to another kid in a different corner. "Never mind, I see how it works."
Mela shot me a look, "You don't know anything until after today." I was ready to ask her what she meant until the doors slid open. Brigid walked in with her red hair pulled into a ponytail. Her white coat was so perfect I was tempted to through the green food at her but the M-Geeks stopped me. I heard Mela mutter a word under her breath that I'm pretty sure wasn't a compliment towards Brigid. I stared at the younger girl who was maybe twelve or thriteen. She gave me a smirk and I responded back with a smile.
"Eyes forward Max," Brigid paced herself over to stand in front of me. It took a lot of Maximum Ride control not to slug her in the face just once. My hands formed into fists as I glared up at her. "You're a guest here and you will follow by my rules." I laughed at her. Her eyes went wide with rage and her mouth formed into a firm line. "I expect better from you or else the next time you see your flock they won't be flying about so much." She raised an eyebrow. Let's say I understood the tone in her voice.
Out of pure anger, I stood up only to feel two sets of hands pulling me back down. A part of me knew that I was doing myself no good by fighting like this so I didn't pull against the grips on my arms. When I turned around I saw Ari and Mela just staring at me, they were the ones that had held me back. They were both scared for me now. "Seems like you want to go through training first today Max." Brigid told me. I stared back at her but her eyes were on the two behind me. "Unless you want your friend and your brother to suffer first."
I stood up and held my arms in front of me feeling so defeated. I wanted to hurt her for all the pain she had caused. I couldn't believe I had somewhat partially trsuted her. "There's no need to hurt them." An M-Geek slapped handcuffs on my hands and scrapped the skin. "I'm the one you want to hurt anyways Brigid."
"You're right about that Max," Brigid said with a smirk. I couldn't understand her motives though...what did Brigid have against me?
Everything Max, ever since the begining. If not you than someone else. There are people with good intentions that go about doing things badly. Brigid is one of them. Her idea of saving the world is a lot different than yours. I shut my eyes and listened to Ari's voice as I was pushed forward. Brigid's hand grabbed my arm and dragged me along. Be careful, Max. It's worse here than at the School. My eyes went open in shock and fear erupted through me. Worse than the School? I was in for the nightmare of my life.