A/N: Hey hey hey, last chapter for 2012 This month also marks my one year anniversary on fan fiction. All my readers mean the world to me and I am so thankful to all of you who take time to read my stories. Thank you guys! Happy Holidays and 2013! This is going to be a fairly long chapter. Enjoy!

If two, 300 pound erasers wouldn't have been holding me down, I probably would've- correction: I so would've squeezed the guts out of Dylan. Lucky for him, two, 300-pound erasers were holding me down.

I couldn't believe this guy. After months and months of worry, anger, and making us think he was dead, he had the audacity to show his face again.

"What do you want Dylan?" I asked, without making eye contact-at least not to him. I stared desperately at Fang. He knew the drill. "Why are you here?" I continued at Dylan, stalling.

"I'm here for the same reason and for the same thing for which I was created." He said with a smirk, the same smirk that had made me feel so secure, what felt like ages ago. "You." He finished. One nod at the Erasers and they released me, but not before they threw me forcefully towards the ground. I felt my nose hit the earth with a stomach-churning thud. It was broken, but what else was new. I spit and discreetly looked around me, searching for Fang. Of course, he wouldn't just leave, he was lurking in the shadows-I could sense it. Any day now, Fang, I thought.

Dylan gripped my wrist and yanked me up to face him. "Long time no see, Maxy." He said with a snarl. I still refused to make eye contact. But, being the stubborn person he was, Dylan just wouldn't go for that. He harshly grabbed my cheeks with his free hand and obligated my face to align with is. I finally looked into his eyes. The ones that had looked at me with such love months ago, now looked down at me with great hatred. "I missed you, Max." Dylan said so softly, that it almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost.

"Can't say I feel the same." I spat.

In that moment, a little bit later than I had hoped, Fang appeared out of the shadows and violently swung at Dylan. Unfortunately, Dylan was always faster than Fang in battle. And from what it looked like, Dylan had been practicing. He thrust me to the ground…again. Geez. Thankfully, I landed on my butt this time.

Fang and Dylan were in battle. Actually, it was more like a war. It was as if all their anger and hatred towards the other was being poured out into the open, all into this battle, and I had a bad feeling on how it would end. But, I had to worry about the rest of my flock. Iggy, Angel, and Nudge were all tied to trees individually. Nudge was unconscious and had a deep and bleeding gash on her forehead. Iggy was attempting to escape and Angel just watched the figure that stood beside her with disgust and fear. That's right, my baby boy, Angel's own brother, had turned on us. Gazzy had betrayed his family.

Gazzy was keeping watch on the flock. He paced back and forth in front of them, not letting, a single one out of his sight. But, I still had to try to save my family. What was left of them, anyway.

I took off in the opposite direction, towards the woods behind our house, hoping the erasers would be smart enough to follow.

"She's getting away!" One doofus yelled. I heard loud, fast footsteps follow the cry.

"All of you go after her, I'll handle him." I heard Dylan command. I quickly looked back to see Fang clutching his arm on the ground, and Dylan inching towards him. I had to hurry.

As soon as I was out of sight of my pursuers, I spread out my wings and flew up into a nearby pine tree overlooking a small clearing. I perched on a branch in the center of the tree. It took about two minutes for all the erasers to gather in the clearing below me.

"Which way did she go?" One asked.

"She went this way." Another pointed straight ahead.

"No! She went this way." A third pointed to the right.

"Split up. Meet back at the house if you find the girl." The largest of the pack demanded. I assumed he was the leader.

All the Erasers took of in different directions. When I was positive that all of them were out of earshot, I descended from the tree and made my way back to the house, determined to save my family, and ready to knock the living daylights out of anybody who got in my way.

When I arrived back at the house, I hid behind the front porch, so that Dylan couldn't spot me. I was close enough to the trees were Angel, Nudge, and Iggy were tied, that I could reach them without making a sound…hopefully. I tiptoed towards them and after what seemed like years, but in reality was seconds, I reached Angel. Her eyes lit up at the sight of me, but I motioned for her to keep quiet. I crouched down and untied her, but she stayed in the exact same position, not wanting to make anything too obvious.

I was starting to feel a bit of hope, and was about to move on to untying Iggy, when a pair of ice-cold hands gripped my neck and started choking me. I don't think my career as a ninja is going to work out.

"Max!" Angel screamed reaching toward me, but Gazzy held her back.

"What do you think you're doing?" Dylan asked coldly. I couldn't think of a smart remark before he yanked me to my feet and pulled me away from my family.

He let my neck go and I fell to the ground, gasping for air. It seemed like I was ending up on the ground a lot recently.

"The almighty Maximum Ride" Dylan scoffed. "Look at you now. And that 'right-hand man' of yours, he needs a lot of work." He yelled in my face, getting too close for comfort. "Look around, Max." He said, yanking my hair back, forcing me to face my hurting family. Fang was covered in blood, mostly his own, and sat gripping his side on the ground. He looked more angered with himself than anything.

It's going to be all right. I'll handle this. I mind-messaged him.

The rest were still tied to the tree. Gazzy had retied Angel before she could do anything. It was a sight I couldn't bear to see. "Look at all the damage you caused, Max. Do you really want this for your family? Do you really want them to suffer because of you?" Each of Dylan's words pierced through me like bullets. "They can be spared, if you agree to my terms." I met Fang's eyes at that moment. They were yelling at me to stop. But I couldn't bear to see him, the boy I loved, get hurt because of me, not under my watch.

"I'm listening." I wheezed, still catching my breath.

"Very good." Dylan replied, obviously satisfied with him self. "You come with me to solitary confinement. Just us. No one else to bother us, to distract us, to interrupt us." I gagged in my mind. Oh gosh. "We create a whole new generation of mutants, raise them to be the strongest of them all and wipe out the inferior, human race. What do you say?" He said, stretching out a hand.

"No Max!" I heard Iggy yell from the trees. I took one more look around and contemplated my options. Either stay with my family, with Fang, my soul mate and best friend, and live a life on the run, risking my Flock's lives, or live with Dylan and guarantee my Family's safety.

"Do you promise my Family's immortality?" I asked him, staring into his eyes.

"They will not be harmed." Dylan said evenly.

"Do you promise?" I repeated. He hesitated.

"Yes. I promise." He replied. I merely nodded. Dylan smiled and helped me up. That last thing I remember whispering to my family was two simple words, as I was torn away from them forever:

I'm sorry.

Whaddya think? Hope you guys like it. Updating might be slow because of midterms coming up soon, but I'll try. Happy New Years guys :P

P.S. Changed my Pen Name to PrettyLittleKiller99. First to comment where I got the inspiration for the pen name from will get a shout out next chapter :D

xoxo - Gabi