Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. The characters I made up are all mine. MINE! *takes a fork in one hand, with a paint-brush in the other* Don't you dare go near them! Anyways… I've been home sick all day and I'm going crazy from the boredom.

Max

They moved us all into separate room. Which is all well and good because if I saw Lissa and Fang acting all cozy for one more hour, I will rip her wings out feather by feather and laugh maliciously while I am doing so.

Of course, now I had no communication to the Flock except through Angel. Angel was going through traumatic stress because she, not only having to experience her own Torture, had to experience each of ours as well. She was so young, too young to have to experience this. I'd fought in the War, faced demons before, but she's too young to have ever known that.

I'll say one thing, though. In Hell, you learn to toughen up fast. Every day, we've taken to the Torture Chambers. It exploits our fears, our weaknesses, and even our hopes and faiths. It's cruel in here. The first day was fear. Then, they had me do non-stop physical labor until I fell and still had me do more. Our dreams were turned against us, and in Hell, you feel truly hopeless. You almost wish you never had any emotions. One day, I had been brought to the Chamber and the demon Jeb was there alongside Ari. Ari pinned me down, despite me kicking and screaming as Jeb tried to force poison after poison down my throat. I'd choked and retched up most of it.

Then I went crazy. There was a red haze in front of my eyes. Something roared deep in my chest. I broke free from Ari and attacked the closest thing to me, which happened to be an obsidian tray of potions and poisons and tinctures. The tray burned my hand and the mixtures left ugly welts everywhere. It stung but all I could think about was that fury in me. The walls turned out to be obsidian. Everything in the Chamber was fatal to me.

They don't mend your wounds afterwards.

Every cut, every scar, and every bruise they leave to fester and infect. Every day, they re-open every wound of yours and make new ones. I was hurt, inside and out.

I was dying.

Angel wasn't doing much better. From what I gather, she felt everyone's pain along as her own. She hasn't spoken in who-knows-how-long. I tried not to think about what I've been going through, but it's hard since the pain has become my everything.

Worse, I haven't heard from Fang either.

Fang

"Fang?" Lissa whimpers, curled up next to me.

"Yeah," I respond. She's been left alone lately, her own scars healing nicely. I guess the Flock is the "Finishing School's" new play-toys. I couldn't move, not after what they did to me today.

"Are you okay?" she asks. I look at her in disbelief. Did I look okay? I was crumpled on the floor, unable to move from where they let me. Left me to die! I think about the Flock. Besides Max, they were all children, Earthborns! They aren't as strong as we are, or demons. How are they doing?

I try to convince myself this isn't as bad as the War, but it is. During the War, it was mostly blind devotion that kept me going. Now, I have people to protect, people I care about, which I'm unable to do. And then there's the disturbing story Lissa told me about the whole angel-snatching fiasco. Of course, there's also Max.

She'd fought by my side during the War. It's worse now because I couldn't see her. During the War, she was right there, always in my line of sight. She'd help me when I was hurt and I'd help her. But now, I don't have a clue how she's doing or if she's still alive!

This is my fault. If I hadn't distracted her when Ari ordered that attack, we would be in Rome right now. Speaking of Rome, I wonder if Dylan was still taking care of Andrea and her emperor. He better be. Shouldn't he notice that we were gone by now? If we were back in Rome, the flock would be healthy, and Max would still be right there. "Max," I murmur. The last thing I see before I fall asleep is Lissa's narrowed green eyes, cold and frightening.

Max

I shake out my wings and wince. A sharp pain stabs into my shoulders. I am the indestructible Maximum Ride, I think. I can do better than this.

Indestructible, perhaps, but not infallible. I collapse in shock. The Voice hasn't appeared since I was captured. I thought it was gone!

Start thinking about the Flock, Maximum, the Voice goes on, You've been lying here, wallowing in self-pity when those children are suffering. You are stronger than Hell, but they aren't.

I groan as I sit up. The Voice is right. Angel? I try to reach her. Angel, sweetheart, are you okay?

Max? Angel seemed so weak. What have they done to my baby? My hands clench into fists, Max. I knew if I could see her right now, she'd be crying. Fury rips through me, fueling my blood with adrenaline. I stand and give the cell gates one harsh kick. The material burns my foot even though I know it isn't obsidian. My foot must be hurt. I kick it again and it clatters to the floor. I shake out my stinging foot.

Limping a bit, I wandered around the cells. Angel, I'm coming to find you.

"Max!" came a faint reply. I started off following it. "Max! Max! Max!"

My feet and legs were like jelly. I felt too weak to do anything. Finally, I reach Angel's cell.

"Max?" she lifts her head. I recoil in shock, she looks so old and tired, it scares me. "Max, we need to get out of here."

I nod, "We'll find the Flock and we'll leave, I swear," I huff as I try to kick down her door. It shudders as I make contact.

"Angel." I get her attention. "You have to kick down the door yourself. It opens from the inside."

With sudden energy, Angel jumps up and prepares to kick, until she gasps at something behind me.

I turn too late and wind up pinned to the wall, with Cearbh's red eyes burning holes into mine. "Max," he grins.

A/N- Love, hate? Reviews, please? Pretty please with rainbow sprinkles and oodles of noodles and kittens and mittens and cherries and berries and ribbons and lace and fairies with grace and puppies and ducklings… etc. Dankon (Esperanto)