A/N: As promised, here's Max and the gang.
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Maximum
Flying was the most exhilarating, breathtaking, liberating experience in the entire world. The sun beating down on your back, gliding along a warm thermal air current, the strong muscles in your wings beating so powerfully that it feels like nothing could ever stop you... Yes, I said wings. And no, I hadn't meant on an airplane or one of those hang-glider things. I meant fourteen foot, feathery, brown and white Bird of Prey wings attached to my back.
Let me introduce myself: my name is Maximum Ride, and I'm just your average teenage recombinant life form. My life story is long, riveting, and down right terrifying at times, so I'm not gonna go into much detail. Trust me, if I did, it would take an entire book series. Basically, I grew up in a dog crate and was tested on by crazy scientists called whitecoats; a man named Jeb - who turned out to be my dad - rescued me and five other bird-kids. Jeb eventually went AWOL - assumed dead - but it turned out he was just a traitor, and then we figured out that he was a spy working against the whitecoats. Makes your head hurt, don't it? It sure did mine.
Anyway, then a Voice in my head tasked me with saving the world. Sounds like a heavy load for a fifteen-year-old to bare, right? The flock and I had just been going around saving the planet one step at a time. First, we helped to take down Itex, the evil corporation that created mutants like us; then, we went to Antarctica to help with all the global warming problems; and recently we just put a stop to a big company that had been dumping toxic waste into the oceans surrounding Hawaii.
Now, it had been three months since we rescued my mom from the clutches of Mr. Chu. After the whole kidnapping situation with my mom, the flock and I decided to lay low for a while for some well needed R&R time. So, one week later, my mother decided to enroll us all in the Lerner's School for the Gifted in Virginia, a school that the government made specifically for 'gifted' kids like us. Nudge had been ecstatic at the news. The rest of us? Not so much. But, we decided to suck it up and attend - on one condition: we wanted to live in the same house as Mom. Needless to say, everyone was pretty happy with this deal, even if we bird-kids had to be forced into uncomfortable school uniforms.
So that brings us back to the present. Me, my flock, and the clear blue sky. It was Friday evening. After a whole week's worth of some hard-core learning and waking up at an ungodly hour, we were all trying to blow off some steam. And what better way to blow off steam than flying over the Atlantic where all there was, was miles and miles of uninterrupted sea?
Around me, the flock flew in a loose formation. Fang was at my side, forever my right-wing man. His large black wings brushed up against mine every once in awhile, sending chills up my spine that had nothing to do with the brisk wind. A little behind us were Angel and Nudge, the latter talking avidly about the latest school gossip and fashion trend. Angel, for her part, nodded every once in awhile, but wasn't too interested. She was probably missing her dog, a winged, talking Scottie named Total who was away on his honeymoon with his newlywed, Akila the Malamute. Why a dog needed a honeymoon - or a wedding for that matter - I didn't know, but don't tell Total I said that. Iggy and the Gasman took up the rear of our little group, occasionally going into steep dives to see who could get the closest to the water without getting wet.
The six of us glided on the warm ocean currents for a couple more minutes before Fang turned to face me. "You see that?"
"See what?" I traced the horizon with my raptor vision. Sure enough, my eyes could just make out a small strip of green among the blue. "An island?"
"Looks like."
A smile slowly drifted to my face as I yelled to the others. "Race ya."
The words had just barely left my mouth before I turned on my supernatural speed, shooting forward like a bullet. I heard a few yelped "Hey's!" before I was out of earshot, gone with the wind.
Flying was awesome and all, but flying at warp speed? It was otherworldly. Imagine the fastest roller coaster you've ever been on; then take away the seat belts, cars, and the track; and you'll get a better picture of what it was like. Tears were running down my face and my cheeks were burning, but in that moment I'd never felt more alive.
I made it to the island way too quickly for my liking, but I angled my wings to slow my descent, coming to a running stop on the sandy beach. I was still smiling, sitting in a sunny spot on the sand, when the others finally arrived.
"Ooh, this beach is so pretty, Max. Thanks! Who knew there was an island out here?" Nudge gushed as soon as her toes touched the ground. Typical.
"Well, technically it's an isle." Fang muttered, plopping himself down beside me and reaching to take my hand. I blushed, then got mad at myself for blushing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fang smirking slightly. I gave him an elbow to the rib cage, but kept my hand in his.
Iggy and Gazzy were standing near the surf, finding round seashells and seeing who could throw them the furthest. When Gazzy tried to cheat by saying that his had gone farther, Iggy shoved him into the ocean. It was early winter, so the water had to be freezing. Needless to say, I laughed. And when Gazzy resurfaced only to drag Iggy under along with him, I laughed even harder. It had been a good call changing out of our school uniforms before taking flight, or else they'd be ruined, and Mom would be majorly irritated.
Nudge sat in the sand a few feet away from Fang and I. From what it looked like, Nudge was making a sand castle. Well, trying at least. Unless her goal had been a crumbling wall of deformed sand - in which case, kudos to her! Giving up on becoming an architect, Nudge laid back and spread out her dark brown and tawny feathered wings, making sand angels. I tried to ignore the thought of how hard it was going to be getting all that sand out of her super curly hair.
Angel, unlike the others, was standing still, the small waves lapping at her toes. Her pale blonde hair blew around her head like a halo, which coupled with the serene expression on her face as she closed her eyes, made her look like her namesake. I briefly wondered what the youngest flock member was doing, until I spotted a pod of dolphins a little ways away.
Oh right, mind reader.
As the dolphins started jumping and doing tricks in the air, Angel let out a tinkling, little laugh. Upon hearing her giggles, Nudge, Gazzy, and Iggy joined her. Soon, the Gasman was giving Iggy a very animated commentary on the dolphins' antics, and Nudge was bent over from laughter.
I smiled at my flock - my family. Just a little bit ago we were on the run, fearing for our lives. Now, instead of just surviving, we were truly living. It gave me hope for the future, something that had always seemed so unclear to me - so unpredictable. Of course, our plans could change at any moment, but for right now, I was almost...settling.
"What're you thinking about?" Fang asked. I glanced in his direction before looking back at the setting sun.
"Oh, you know, just our messed up lives. And how they're not so messed up anymore," I murmured.
I unfurled my wings a bit, letting the air cool them down from the fast flight. To my side, Fang did the same, leaving our wings overlapping somewhat. Our hands were still joined together, and I briefly wondered if my hand was sweaty or not. Probably, I decided. But he hasn't let go yet.
"I'm still all for finding a private island and just kicking back. It could be like this everyday." He turned his head to me, and I caught a small flash of some emotion cross his dark eyes before it was gone.
I sighed and leaned my head back. "You know we can't." Even if it was really tempting at the moment.
"I know," he said before mimicking my actions, tilting his head up to the sunset. We sat there in a comfortable silence while we watched our little family splash around in the waves.
My lips turned up in a smile watching them have fun. Angel was still making the dolphins do flips in the air, and she somehow got the fish involved too. A soaked Nudge was chasing a laughing Gazzy, who turned around to stick his tongue at her. Nudge suddenly reached out a fist and made a pulling motion, causing the Gasman's belt to zoom into her waiting hand, the buckle being made of metal. Without the belt's support, his pants fell to his ankles. When he tried to chase after her, he tripped over his pants and face-planted into the sand. Iggy, meanwhile, was sitting in the surf. His hands were submerged under the water. I wondered what colors he saw in the sea - if it was clear, blue, or greenish.
This won't last forever, Max, the Voice interrupted my reverie. I scowled at my mental intruder.
Well, hello Voice. Long time, no annoy, I replied, trying to keep my tone aloof.
"Max, what is it?" Fang asked, his lips pulled down in a frown. I put a hand up. Not right now. He seemed to get the message.
This is serious, Maximum, the Voice chided. Your time has almost come.
My time? I asked incredulously.
Yes, your time to save the world.
I gulped. So much for relaxation.
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A/N: As a reminder, this fanfic is set four and a half months after BOO and three months after Max. However, I bumped all the flock's ages up a year to better blend with all the Percy Jackson character's ages. So, Max just turned 16, as well as Fang and Iggy, Nudge is 13, Gazzy is 10, and Angel is 8.
That's all for now!
~Wrendsor