Fang Returns
Maximum Charging Off Danger Magnet Batchelder Martinez Ride Clearwater's POV
So, my name is Maximum Charging Off Danger Magnet Batchelder Martinez Clearwater, or just Max Clearwater. Total won't let me forget that my middle name is "Charging Off Danger Magnet Batchelder Martinez." I recently got married to the coolest guy on the planet, Seth Clearwater Most of you guys probably know me as Maximum Ride. Anyway, nowadays, ever since I had the flock move in with my mom, Dr. Martinez, who's still in Arizona, I've been hanging out at La Push with Seth and his friends. The flock was all grown up and had gotten married a while back—Nudge and Iggy are married and Gazzy and Angel each married someone who's pretty nice, but they wouldn't let anyone hurt each other. Ella also got married to José, of all people. But none of the people my friends and sister are married to can compete with Seth. Of course, Seth's usually guarding the tribe from the cold ones. And whenever he's on patrol, so am I. I'd gotten a weird e-mail from Fang, and Seth knows about it, a while back. It said, "I'll get you back, Max, if it's the last thing I do."
Of course, Fang doesn't know that I'm married and have two kids. My oldest, my son, Ari, is six, almost seven, and soon it will be time for him to learn of the hero who first held that name—my half-brother. His sister, Angel, I named her after the first Angel, is five and also can read minds. Ari can sense if there are mythical creatures nearby, werewolves, or shape-shifters, as the Quileute werewolf protectors are, vampires, the Cullens, and half-human/half-vampires, like Renesmee, or Nessie as we all call her. Both of them have wings identical to mine—a lighter brown than my hair, but not as tawny as Nudge's. Our primary feathers, the big ones along the edges, are streaked with black and white. The secondaries are streaked white and brown. On the undersides of our wings, the covert feathers are a soft ivory color. And over the tops and down the backs of our wings, we have shiny, strong brown feathers fading perfectly into the primaries. Our wings kick butt. I taught both Ari and Angel how to fight when they both turned four and taught them how to fight against an enemy that might try to kidnap them. Basically, I taught them the useful art of street fighting, just as Jeb, clearly an agent of the devil taught me and the flock. I drilled it into them that during fights they must expect pain. Expect to get hurt. And if they're surprised by the pain, they just lost.
Of course, Seth knows everything about me and Fang, the School, Itex, Chu Corporation, the Institute, Ari's death, and it was his idea to name our first son after my half-brother. I thought about it, but then decided that it was a good idea. Of course, neither of us expected our kids to have wings. I agreed to name our son after my brother, if he was willing to wait until Ari was seven to tell him about the hero he was named after. Angel, however, we'll tell when she's six. I'm proud of my two kids, and apparently Seth thinks that there's a chance that they both have the phase. Of course, there's no way to know, and if they did, Seth wants to be ready. So, he's still using his wolf mode, and I fly around with the kids. They already have the fever, but since I'm 2% part bird, I think it might be because of that. Anyway in my family, there are three of different percentages in regards to be human—me—2% bird and 98% human—Seth—50% Quileute and 50% human—and Ari and Angel—2% bird, 50% Quileute, and 48% human.
Of course, my family is stronger than most people. I was stronger than most grown men, until I became a vampire, which is almost two years ago, and then I was stronger than all of the Cullens including Emmett and I'm still stronger than Emmett; Seth's stronger than most of the Cullens, except Bella, for one year, three years, and Emmett and me, and Ari and Angel are stronger than all of the Cullens, including Bella when she was a newborn vampire, and Emmett and me. Of course, usually, my family and I are visiting Sam and Emily, Claire and Quil, Jared and Kim, Paul and Rebecca, Jacob and Nessie, or the Cullens, or having them over at our house to hang out. All of our kids, of course, are best friends, but sooner or later the Cullens will move, and my family and I will leave with them, along with Jacob Black. Seth knows that I want to keep Fang on his toes, so that he doesn't know where I'm living, currently, so that way, my family and I will always be one step ahead of him. Very recently my kids, when they were cliff-diving with some of their friends, discovered that they could both breathe under water, like me and Fang and the original Angel.
Apparently, most of the original flock, except for me—I was turned into a vampire by Carlisle Cullen after being hit by lightning, because Seth wasn't ready to say goodbye to me just yet, and now Seth and I live with the Cullens so we can still be together, because I'm not welcome in La Push anymore—and Fang—I've heard rumors that he joined the Volturi, after Brigid died, and he's my enemy now—are dead. My mom, Dr. Valencia Martinez, and my dad, Jeb Batchelder, are taking care of the five kids who were left behind—two are Iggy and Nudge's, one is Angel's, and two more are Gazzy's—Angel's husband and Gazzy's wife were both murdered or committed suicide, when Angel and Gazzy died.
Iggy and Nudge named their kids Kim and Jeb—the two kids are twins and Jeb has his father's wings and Kim has her mother's wings. Kim takes after her mother and Jeb takes after his father. Angel named her only daughter, Niella Esme, after her favorite member of the Cullen family and one of her favorite characters in the Power Rangers: Mystic Force series, and she is referenced and mentioned to in only one episode: The Gatekeeper: Part 1. Niella Esme, or Nellie, as just about everyone who knows her, calls her, has Angel's wings. Nellie also takes after her mother. Gazzy named his two sons—Dwayne and Taylor. Both have their father's wings and they both take after their father. My two kids have my wings, but have a greater resemblance to their father—russet skin, black eyes, and black hair. Of course, now my family and I are a part of the Cullen family, but Rosalie still doesn't like us, that is Seth, Jacob, and Leah.
When Ari's seventh birthday came around, I took him aside and told him everything about the first Ari—how brave he'd been, how he'd died trying to protect me from a Flyboy, how he'd changed during the four years that I had been free, and he was a hero. The next day, we had to move. Later, after we moved, we came to a confrontation with the Volturi. I was going to come face to face with my past—Fang.
When the Volturi arrived, one of the leader guys, the main leader, the one that the other two answered to, Aro, said, "Permit me to introduce the newest member of our guard—Fang Ride. Now, we may have to eliminate your family, Carlisle." I suddenly froze and locked eyes with Fang, glaringly. I recognized his expression—it was the "I-totally-hate-these-guys-and-I-want-revenge-or-their-blood" look. Then Caius and Marcus saw this and Caius poked Aro and pointed to where Fang and I were having not a staredown, but a glaredown. Aro paused and said, "Hmm. Ah, I have a better idea. To show how powerful the newest guard is, he'll fight against your strongest—to the death. Emmett." Carlisle said, "Wrong. Aro, Caius, Marcus, meet Maximum Clearwater. Your guard grew while my family grew." "Very well then, Maximum Clearwater shall fight Fang Ride."
I launched myself upward into the air and Fang rocketed toward me. I danced out of his reach and rocketed out of there, using my ability to fly at supersonic speed. Then I looped back, taking a different route and came up behind him. I grabbed his wings and slammed together behind his back. He fell to the ground and I landed in front of him. I was going to kill him. I wanted revenge. I wanted blood—his blood. I was still mad at him for what he did to me. Abandon me for stupid, ole, good-for-nothing, treacherous, Dr. Brigid Dwyer, all because she had red hair and I didn't. He was going to be in a lot of pain, if he was still alive. Then I remembered that Aro said I could kill him and I would. Fang was going to pay the price of losing me—his life. Fang suddenly grabbed me and yanked me to the ground and I kicked him away from me. "Don't touch me, you cretin!" "Max." I hissed at him, when he said my nickname that way, the way I had once, upon a time, many lifetimes ago, loved. I slugged him and he socked me in the gut. I was going to wear him out, when suddenly he pinned underneath him. I was trapped. Seth snarled and phased and then suddenly, little Ari and Angel, exploded into two wolves. Fang was shocked and I smiled at my two kids. I kicked Fang hard and then prepared to kill him. Suddenly, he whispered, "I know everyone's weakness—that's my skill, my gift, my main gift, anyway. I still have that blending into any dark background thing too. I don't know if I still can breathe underwater and I'm not about to find out. Aro's terrified of heights, Caius is scared of werewolves, and Marcus is scared to death of the Denalis." "Why are you telling me this?" "I'm deserting them. I owe no allegiance to them. They killed Brigid and I've been wanting revenge for a while now." An idea formed in my mind and I muttered, "U and A," and said, for everyone to hear, "Move." Fang jumped, kicked me aside, and threw himself into the air, and I quickly joined him. Suddenly, the two of us swooped down from the air and snatching Aro, raced higher and higher. Aro started muttering, "Don't look down; don't look down; don't look down." Then Marcus asked, "Why, Fang? Why?" Fang glared at Marcus and said, "I want revenge. Now, Aro, how about this: surrender, let me go, or Max and I will drop you from way, way, way, up here and watch you go two-dimensional—a little something we all like to call flock splatter art."
Aro quickly surrendered and let Fang leave and Fang quickly decided and join the Denalis, so that way, I wouldn't be stuck with two guys fighting over me, and Aro, Marcus, Caius, and Carlisle went with him to either beg for forgiveness or help Fang get there safely. Before he left for Denali with Carlisle, he and I had a conversation about what to do about our relationship now that I was married. "Hey, Max." "Hey, Fang." "I'm going to give in and be good." "More games?" "Maybe, but I'm going to try. I'll only be your friend and I won't ask for more than that and it'll be a long-distance friendship. After all, I'm moving to Denali." "Thanks, Fang, for everything." "No problem. If you don't mind me asking, what are your kids' names?" "My son is Ari, and my daughter is Angel." "Ari and Angel hmm. Wait, you named Ari after..." "Yeah, it was Seth's idea and we named Angel after the Angel you and I both once knew." Fang nodded and then said, "After I was forced to join the Volturi, I wasn't allowed to update my blog and I've lost touch with Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel. How are they?" "Fang, everyone in our flock's dead. We're the last two. Since we're vampires, we won't get our expiration dates." Fang nodded and then saw Carlisle coming and said, "Gotta go. Tell Ari and Angel that I'll miss them."
Ari and Angel suddenly asked me if we could after them, because they wanted to say goodbye to Uncle Fang. I grinned at them and then we all left—Seth, Ari, Angel, and me. We soon caught up with Carlisle, Aro, Marcus, Caius, and Fang, and I said, " Aro and Angel wanted to say goodbye." Fang grinned at me and when we reached Denali, Marcus touched Aro's hand and I asked, "What?" He looked at me and said, "Tanya is Fang's soulmate in the vampire world just as you and Fang were soulmates back you were both human. Seth imprinting you overrode you and Fang, allowing Fang to join Tanya." I nodded weakly and then Marcus said, "And I'm outta here." I frowned at him and wisely said, "Someone once told me, 'Fear is your weakness. You must conquer all your weaknesses.'" Marcus nodded at me and said, "Okay, so I just have to stop being afraid of the Denalis, right?" "Right. I know, it's easier said than done."
Marcus nodded, slowly, carefully, processing my words, trying to make sense of what I had, of the wisdom I'd imparted to him, and then Tanya opened the door and smiled at me, Seth, Ari, Angel, and Carlisle. She frowned at first when she saw Aro, Marcus, and Caius, and then she saw Fang. He grinned at her—the grin that had once been mine—and he shrugged at me. He entered quietly, emotionlessly. Then suddenly, his eyes went wide.
Now, everyone's happy. Tanya's got Fang, Kate's got Garrett, Carmen's got Eleazar, Esme's got Carlisle, Bella's got Edward, Rosalie's got Emmett, Alice's got Jasper, Nessie's got Jacob, Emily's got Sam, Claire's got Quil, Kim's got Jared, Rebecca's got Paul, and I've got Seth, Ari, and Angel, a happy, little, family of four.
The End