Chapter 16

"Max, wake up!" I opened my eyes, staring up at a familiar ceiling. I was surrounded by the old smell of spices and flowers that always told me I was really home. Sitting up, I stretched out my arms above my head and saw Ella standing in the doorframe.

She leaned against the frame, her arms crossed and a smile on her face. I went to stretch my wings, feeling the cramps in my back but something weird happened. I peered over my shoulder, there was no arc to my wing peeking, and there were no feathers to ruffle. When my hand reached up to feel my back all I found was perfectly smooth skin.

"Time for school Max," Ella said with a sigh. I stared at her with shock… I had no wings. Okay, something I've been wondering what it felt like and here it was. I was dreaming obviously. I adjusted my legs to the side of the bed and wiggled my toes. I was still Max but there was something different all around.

My hair was cut nicely and was clean. My clothes were brand new and had no holes. They felt as if they belonged to me. I stood up, feeling the nakedness of not have my wings to keep me warm or help me fly away. "Where's Mom?" Ella rolled her eyes as if the answer was obvious.

"She's at work as usual Max. You know that." Ella then pushed herself off the door and stepped fully into my room, which was now fully decorated as if it was mine. "Bird kids are up to no good, getting in trouble as usual." Ella went to a corkboard that hung over a desk. I went over to join her.

Apparently, I had tacked newspaper articles all over the corkboard, following the movement of the flock, my flock but without me. "Ella, how long have I lived here?" My sister turned her head and laughed loud. She shook her head again and pretended to wipe away her tears.

"Max, come on, you've lived here as long as I have." None of this made sense, how could I be here, completely normal while the flock went on? My eyes watched the flying figures, only black silhouettes in the image. Ella watched my gaze, "They're going to stop by." She sighed and walked away back towards the door, "Honestly, I don't know why you bother with them, they could care less about you." Then, Ella disappeared down the hall.

I slipped into jeans and a tee shirt that talked about how sushi rolls. I don't think I would've ever worn something like this, ever but I was normal now and I suppose these were normal clothes. How was this a nightmare, isn't that what was suppose to happen?

The world felt weird when fourteen feet of wings you have disappear. I ran down the hallway seeing family photos of Dr. Martinez, Ella and I. There were pictures from when I was younger, just a kid, and I was smiling. I never smiled when I was that age back at the School.

Downstairs, by the front door, my backpack was waiting for me. It was the same that I had packed for myself before Total's wedding. I wondered if in reality, it was still by the door waiting for me or if Dr. Martinez had done something to it. I slipped on the backpack without having to worry about feathers getting in the way. Ella was outside waiting with her backpack. I suppose we were walking home now.

Suddenly, she let out a breath of frustration, "Should've figured they'd come here." I stared at Ella, confused by what she was talking about. Her eyes turned up towards the part of the sky I couldn't see from the front porch because the roof hung over it. I stepped closer to the railing and leaned over it. When I looked up I saw six flying figures, one a bit smaller and clumsier than the rest.

Angel landed first, her blonde hair pulled into a high bun that was matted from the wind. She appeared taller than I remember and her eyes felt colder. Her clothes were in good, clean condition, a pink dress with black leggings. Her white wings were outs wide as she placed her hands on her hips. "Ella," she whispered. Her angelic voice seemed harsher. Then, her eyes went to me, "Max." I had never heard her say my name like that.

Nudge and Gazzy followed behind, more timid and shy than they had ever been before. They both seemed to be shadows behind Angel with their heads down and quite. I stepped away from the railing of the porch and rushed down the stairs. "Nudge, Gazzy, what's wrong?" I reached out for them just as Angel stepped in front of me.

"Don't touch them, we're only here because Dr. Martinez said we could stop by and grab some food before we leave." She crossed her arms as Total landed poorly beside Angel. He growled at me as his dark eyes stared up at me. "We're saving the world for you so you should be happy to give us something."

I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms, "Since when were you allowed to speak like that to me?" Angel gave me this dark smile and it occurred to me just then that they didn't know me in this dream as real as it felt. When the wind blew past and blew my hair in my face, I had to remind myself this wasn't my Angel.

Iggy and Fang appeared now. Everyone seemed to have nicer clothes than they should have if they were living on their own still. Iggy was standing there with his hands in his pockets staring straight forward at nothing. "Iggy, what are you doing?" I asked, as he tilted his head a bit as if he couldn't really tell where I was. "I'm standing here," I was sympathetic, trying to get him to look over towards me but he refused. I didn't understand, Iggy may have been blind but he always knew where everything was.

"He's blind, a defect, don't be pointing that out to him Maximum," Angel huffed as she stared back at Iggy. He turned his pale blue eyes back on the ground. Since when did seven year olds act like Angel was right now? "You don't know what we've been through and I think you would never understand as much as you wish to be special, human." I was waiting for someone else to step in and stop her from talking like this. Wasn't anyone going to tell her to behave or was she the leader now?

"I know more than you think," I whispered to Angel. She laughed before adjusted her eyes back on Ella who was now just walking away from us. Her backpack swayed back and forth with each step. "And as leader, Angel, I'd expect you to be respectable to your flock. They're the only ones you have." I adjusted my eyes to Fang.

His jaw was tightened and his dark eyes cold, emotionless. I felt as if I had found the Fang from when we lived with Jeb. The Fang who never forgot the heck he had gone through and the reasons why his life would never be the same. His black hair flew across his face as he stared at me. There was none of the Fang that loved me there, which hurt just as much as the unhappy flock with the dictator Angel. "Being one of you," I kept going, "Doesn't seem as great as it could be. I thought you were a family."

I felt Angel's protest just as a shot rang past my ear. The flock turned towards where the bullet had come from. I stood in fighting mood, glad to know at least that I knew that. "Get out of the way human, you can't help us." Angel barked. All of them were glaring into the darkness, seeing the details of the hunter that I couldn't see. They were right. I couldn't help them anymore.

"I have to try," I answered back just as M-Geeks stepped into the pale light of the early morning sun. They moved forward with the guns pointing forward. "What do we do Angel? Up and away?"

The small girl laughed and shook her head. She opened her mouth to bark a different order just as the M-Geeks lifted all their arms and took aim. One after the other, bullets streamed at us, pounding into my ears as the flock and human me just stood there. Angel fell first, her body falling into my arms. I went to the ground still holding her, the front of her pink dress stained red. "Angel!" I screamed as the flock turned their head to face me.

Then, as if the M-Geeks had planned this, they shot together at the same time. My eyes watched as the rest of them went still, their eyes wide with pain, and then fall to the ground in the quickest seconds. The shooting then ended but I had gone deaf by then. "We saved you from the enemies, be thankful Max-uh-mum Martinez."

I shook my head as tears filled my eyes staring at each individual one by one. "No!" I screamed as the M-Geeks turned without listening to me, "My name is Maximum Ride! I am Maximum Ride and give them back to me." This is a dream, I told myself, but I couldn't ignore the blood that dripped on my hands that once was Angel's. There was a smell of rust that surrounded me as I felt tears hit my cheeks. I couldn't save them and there was nothing as a stupid human that I could do to save them anymore. My flock was dead.

My nightmare had just begun.