Chapter 22

"But Max we could-"Gustavo starts but I cut him off.

"There are no but's G I need to do this" I pleaded hopping he could understand.

I had rung up my street family for an emergency meeting at the old abandoned warehouse we use to hold our gang meetings in. We were only ten minutes into the meeting and already they thought everything coming out of my mouth was a bad idea. I wanted to take on Jack on his challenge. If one thing Maximum Ride is no pussy.

"All I'm saying is we could go about this differently. There really is no need for you to even take part of Jack's stupid little games. You have a fake passport, birth certification, death certification. Pretty much everything you need to start a new life. We could ship you to Mexico this minute if you let us." Gustavo replied dispare showed on his face.

"What about my family? There's no way we can get them everything they need for a new life and even if we did there is no possible way we could pull off shipping us all off to Mexico without one of us getting caught." I explain frustration taking over.

"Look this is my only choice, My families only chance." I say my eyes getting glossy at the thought of what would happen if I lost.

I redeemed control over my emotions as Gustavo sighs giving up on arguing with me. Sonya looks as if she wanted to say something, maybe argue with me more so I speak up.

"Look, I am doing this with or without you guys. You guys are everything to me and it would mean the world if you could be there for me but I understand-" I add but get cut off.

"Shut up Max, there is no way we'd ever let you face Jack alone we're a family, a fucked up one, but still a family and family sticks together" Sonya says to me and then adds under her breath so only I would hear "or so I've heard"

I look over the faces sitting in this old run down house and really see just how lucky I am for the first in maybe my whole life. I may never have a good relationship with my mom or my dad but looking at all these faces I see I've always had a family. I have Gustavo who's like a father to me, Dylan and Sam who are like my big brothers, Sonya and Cassandra who have always felt like my sisters.

I have the people who have always stuck by my side even when times got tough. I had Sonya who had also lost someone and felt she had no one but still never left me alone to face the world. I had Gustavo who no matter what always got my ass out of whatever hole I've put myself in. I had Sam and Dylan who always knew how to make you feel better even when they couldn't them selves. I had Cassandra who has been lied to her whole life but would never lie to you.

I open my mouth to speak and tell everyone how much they mean to me when the back door busts open. Everyone stands immediately. Sonya and Cassandra pull out pocket knives from their teased hair, Gustavo pulls out a 45 Colt from his waist band, Dylan goes into battle stance along with his brother Sam. A dark figure moves out from the darkness and into the dim light of the warehouse.

Fang appears beyond the door. Dylan, Sam, and Gustavo relax but Sonya and Cassandra still look on wearily until Gustavo nods at them. My eyes move back to Fang. He looks like he's fighting within himself on something.

"Fang?" I ask wanting to know what he was doing here or how he even found this place.

Fang's eyes meet mine and he seems to have come to a conclusion with himself. He walks straight to where I was standing in front of everyone. Confusion fills me but I'm the only one. Everyone else has settled back into their chairs.

I turn around to face Fang instead of everyone else. His eyes purposely ignore mine.

"Look I don't know what any of you were planning, but if playing fair was one you better rule it out. Jack and his goons will certainly not being play by any of our rules." Fang says to the group.

How did he know about Jack and his game? I only ever talked about Jack once to him and quickly. One of those long story short so how could he unless- My own thoughts were cut off by Sonya.

"What's your plan?"

"Mexico?" Fang suggests in the form of a question.

"Tried it." Gustavo answers looking at the back of me.

"Then until anyone can come up with a good plan we train her. Jack paid me a visit just a couple of minutes ago hinting this 'battle' may not actually be a fist battle. I have a feeling he may just test her on all her different lives." Fang said.

What did he mean my other lives? He doesn't know about Dreamer much less China and only the background of Tyler. Who was he? He certainly wasn't my Fang. My sisters words from last nights dream come to life in my head at that very moment.

"He faked his murder, started clean. Changed his look everything. You wouldn't recognize him if you saw him..."

"You-Your Alejandro" I studded my eyes wide with astonishment.

Fang then decides to bring his attention back to me. He looks at me as if he's almost forgotten I was standing there. When his eyes meet mine a swarm of emotions from worry to caution fill his eyes.

"I wanted to tell you. Back when you told me about Tyler I wanted to confess my whole story to you but I couldn't" Fang-er Alejandro explains taking a step towards me.

I take a step back as if I'd been slapped in the face cause it sure felt that way. Fang was the only guy I ever trusted with every single thing I've got and he had been holding pretty much his life from me. I feel like I had been betrayed on so many levels I couldn't even comprehend the pain.

"Max?" He whispers coming closer trying to reach out to me with worry and guilt written all over his face.

Even my name felt weird coming out of his mouth now that I knew he was Alejandro. The young guy I always had this crush on back in my gang days was now just another reason why I should never trust. I move back another step until I'm maybe two feet from the door. I turn and run out like I did that day he had asked me what was wrong. The only difference was I doubted he was going to follow me.

I jump into my car turning on the engine and before you know it I'm maybe a mile away from the wear house. Guess you could say I'm one heck of a street racer. I try and keep my mind off what just happened, but my heart has chewed my brain and spit it out like poison in it's mouth.

My eyes get glassy with tears threatening to spill. Without my permission tears begin to fall from my most likely red eyes. My vision blurs a little until its pretty much gone.

A loud honk comes from my left bringing me back to reality. I grab hold of the steering wheel trying to gain control but it's too late for me to try and escape it's path. I feel the weight of 600 tons slam against my left side. I hear someone scream my name before I go completely numb. Everything goes black and the last thing I see is Fang's worried face crouch before me dirt blood and all.