Maximum Ride Fan Fiction / Maximum Ride Fan Fiction ❯ If I Asked You To, Would You Kill Me? ❯ Trial by Fire ( Chapter 5 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Irene Sharda
The Flock travels to the Florida Itex plant, but find more surprises then they bargined for.

Non Anime: Maximum Ride Fan Fiction / Maximum Ride Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Sci-fi / Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 05.22.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.7K | Visits: 199 | Status: Work In Progress

Chapter 5
“Dead ahead guys, let's approach cautiously. Who knows what kind of traps they got around this place.”
Max briefed her flock, as they hovered over the Itex Company branch in Florida. They had reached the location in record time. She and Iggy had pushed themselves to the limit, as had all the younger ones, but it had paid off. Just you wait, Fang. I'm gonna get you out of there, if it kills me.
She began to issue orders, “When we get him out of there, we don't know what shape Fang's going to be in. We're going to need a fast getaway. I leave that to you Nudge, to find us some transportation.”
The girl smiled, “You got it, Max!” She said before flyingoff to complete her assignment.
Max turned to Iggy and Gasman, “You two, I just want you to do your thing. Cover our escape, and cover it completely. You get to work on that Gazzy, while I talk to Iggy.”
The boy nodded and rushed of, thinking of what kind of new explosive he'd make this time.
Turning to Iggy, Max whispered. “There's a possibility that Fang's not even here. I wouldn't put it past the creeps. I'm putting you in charge out here. If something happens to me, I want you to get the kids out of here and keep searching. Be careful, and if necessary, take some risks. But whatever happens, if Angel and I aren't out in twenty minutes—blow this joint. I don't what it standing any longer than it has to.”
He nodded to her solemnly, “What about the people inside? You sure you want to cross the line into being cold-blooded? If you are, I'm willing.”
She watched his facial movements, but they didn't move an inch. They stayed emotionless—just like his sightless eyes.
He was dead serious…
She crossed her arms and sighed, “No, I don't think I'm ready for that yet. What happened with Ari, was an accident. I'll make sure to sound the fire alarm, and give the people a chance to get out.”
“I'll wait five minutes after the alarm, but I won't be waiting for them.”
She smiled affectionately at her brother's loyalty. “Thanks Ig, I really appreciate that.”
He nodded in affirmation then flew away, going to join up with Gasman.
Max then turned to Angel, “Alright, you're with me Ange. I'm going to need you to be my eyes, in a way. We'll be going in through the air vents, and I'll be carrying you on my back. Both you and Total will try to sense out people. Angel, I want you to use that telepathic mind of yours, to sense out Fang's thoughts; concentrate fully on that.”
She then looked down at the dog in the little girl's arms. “Total, I need you to be my alarm. If you smell anyone closer than they should be, I need you to quietly growl. This way, Angel can concentrate on Fang, and I can still move quickly. You both got it?”
The two both saluted smartly.
“Aye, Aye Captain!” Angel said dutifully.
“Got it, darlin'” Total answered with a soft wag of his tail.
Angel hugged onto Max's back, crossing her legs around her sister's waist, and her arms gently around her neck. “I'm not hurting you, am I Max?”
Shifting the girl around slightly, Max found she could fly just as easily as if she were alone! “No, I'm fine.”
“I'm fine up here too, just in case somebody even bothers to ask.”
Angel, patted the little dog's head (which was on top of her own). “I didn't forget about you, Total. It's just that, I know you'll be fine up there, as smart as you are.”
The dog settled down happily, his ego appeased.
Rechecking everything in her mind, Max finally put herself into “Go” mode. Ok, this is it. Fang, I'm coming for you. If not here, then everywhere…
Flying at an angle, she took off toward the building, doing a combination of bobbing and weaving that would shake anyone who had thought they'd seen a couple of flying children.
Finding an air vent was easy, and the thing about them that made them so useful, was that they went everywhere. I mean, everyone needs air, even if it's recycled.
Choosing one on the southern end, Max wedged off the grate with her hands, and quickly flew in. Though she was soon surrounded by darkness, she could see just as well as in daylight.
The ventilation shafts of the facility were huge; she remembered that from the last time she was here. It was easy for her to just soar through them. She took any and every direction she could think of; Fang could be in any one of the many rooms of this labyrinth-like building.
After about five minutes with not a word from either Total or Angel, Max wondered if they had nodded off!
“Hey, you guys? Are you awake up there?”
Angel's head appeared by her own, her voice not cheery like usual, but more serious and alert. “Something's wrong, Max.”
The teen immediately slowed to a stop and landed. It wasn't tall enough within the shaft for her to stand, so she knelled instead and unloaded her two passengers.
Angel kneeled on one knee beside her, while Total jumped to the ground, standing on all fours.
Max looked at the watch on her wrist. She had a little less than nineteen minutes before Iggy proceeded in blowing this place to kingdom come. Looking straight at Angel, she asked quickly, “What is it? What's wrong, Ange?”
The young girl suddenly seemed cold and wrapped her arms around herself. “I kept searching for Fang's thoughts like you told me to, and I haven't been able to find any trace of them. But…the thing is…I haven't been able to sense any thoughts, none whatsoever. Max—I don't think there's anyone here!”
Total spoke up near her feet, “I have to agree with Angie here. I've only been able to pick up faint smells, and they all smell old. The only living things here I think, are spiders and—what's wrong, Ange?”
Max looked up at her baby sister, to find her standing stock still, her eyes aimed at one direction in the tunnel.
Following the girl's gaze, she saw what had turned her into a human statue.
On the wall of the shaft, a few feet in front of her, a small box strapped around two green-colored bricks, was stuck to the wall. The front of the box, which was made of some kind of metal, had a small digital readout on it. It was a series of bright red numbers, descending downward in numerical order, 01:00:07…1:00:06…01:00:05…and so on.
She didn't take her having two explosive experts as brothers, for her to know that the object in front of her was a bomb…
Looks like someone got here before us. But even if this place is abandoned, the whitecoats would have probably left their failed experiments to rot. One which might be Fang… She put out her arm and pushed Angel and Total behind her. “Get back further in, I'm going to go see if I can diffuse the thing.”
The two did as they were bid, seriously scared by the newest upset.
Approaching cautiously, Max silently wished she had Iggy or Gasman by her side, or had at least thought to bring a walkie-talkie. Bombs weren't exactly her field, and this would be the first time she had ever attempted to disarm one…
She slowly detached it from the wall, trying to stop from looking at the diminishing numbers and instead, try to remember what she had seen her brothers do in their free time.
Detaching the metal igniter from the blocks of C-4, she turned it over and saw a small panel, like that of battery compartment.
Sliding it open carefully, she wiped the sweat from her eyes. Okay, now I have to handle the wires…
CLICK…
Looking down in fear, she saw to her horror, that a small copper wire had been cut as she slid open the panel. “Crap…”
Thinking back, she quickly realized that this must have been a “red escape”, a false trail that the bomber put on his device, to divert anyone from tampering with it. However, most red escapes backfired.
Looking back at the front, she saw instantly that the numbers were descending double time!
Her eyes went round as full moons when she saw the new readout: 00:00:04…00:00:03…
“Crappity crap, Crap, CRAP! Angel! Get out—”
Before she could even finish her message, the metal box exploded! The volatile force knocked her out cold; the shock wave hit Angel and Total hard, knocking them flat on their backs!
However, the explosion wasn't as bad as it could have been. If Max hadn't removed the igniter from the C-4, the entire structure of the air shaft would have fallen apart, and everyone in it would have been blown apart. However, because she had removed it, the explosion was minimal, as were the effects caused by it.
Angel sat up groggily, her body feeling the aches and pains of several small cuts and bruises caused by flying debris and shrapnel.
Total licked her hand, “You okay, doll?”
She put her hand to her head, thinking she might have a concussion or something. “Just some scrapes and a huge headache. I don't think its—Max!”
She suddenly remembered her big sister, who had been holding the bomb!
Crawling rapidly forward, she could see Max's body lying prone—no movement at all…
Her eyes welled with tears as she neared her. “Max? Max can you here me?”
She struggled to flip the other girl over, but was rewarded when she saw that Max's chest still rose and fell. She was breathing, which meant…she was alive! Looking over her big sister's body, she could see that she had a big cut on her face, blood running down from it. Her hands were badly burned, as were her wrists and lower arms. Her clothes were bloody and burned, indicating other injuries hidden from the sight. But she didn't care…as long as she was alive…
But then her mind came up with a different dilemma. She didn't know how to get out of here!
She'd been concentrating so hard on mind-searching, that she didn't know which paths they'd taken! And even if she did, she couldn't carry Max all by herself! She couldn't send Total, because of course he couldn't fly, and she didn't dare leave Max's side. What was she going to do?
She began to weep again, frustrated with herself! What's the use of having all of these different mutant powers, if you couldn't use them when you need them?
A sudden new voice spoke from behind her, causing her to whirl around with a gasp. Total turned too, growling low and baring his canines.
“Aww, Don't cry petite; I'm here.”
Those words, heavily laden with a strange accent, came from a young man, who sat crouched in the shaft on all fours. It was hard to tell details in the dark, but she could make out the man's basic outline.
He was between the ages of 17 and 19, wearing a simple cotton t-shirt, jeans, leather jacket, and thin-soled tennis shoes. He had a lithe, muscular build, and he was taller than any of her brothers and sisters. He had finely chiseled features and very long hair which he wore in a ponytail; he almost reminded her of one of those handsome princes on some Disney movies she watched. All except…
“Why are you wearing sunglasses? It's really dark in here. Are you blind, like my brother?”
The man laughed a little, “No petite, I'm not blind. It's just a habit I have.”
“Why are you here? What do you want?” another voice joined in.
The man looked down at Total, “So, it can talk. Look, I don't have much time. When your sister,” he nodded toward Max, “messed with my bomb, she kinda set off a trigger that was attached to all my other ones. This Place de la Gréve is going to go in less then two minutes. I don't do murder, so I'm gonna get you and your sister outta here.”
Total growled, “How can we trust you? You—”
Angel's hand stopped him, she smiled, “No, I trust him Total. And for now, he's our only choice.”
She had already mind-read him, and couldn't find any malicious intent that he had as of immediately, even if he did say he was the bomber. If he tried anything, it wouldn't be till after they were out of harm's way, which would suit her just fine.
Total looked at her unsure, but backed away into her arms anyway.
The young man came forward and Angel could see the man was light on his feet—almost superhumanly light.
Taking off his jacket, he picked Max up quickly but gently and placed her on his back. “Mon Dieu, the chérie weighs less than a sack a potatoes! She needs to eat more.”
He quickly flipped his jacket around Max's waist, and then tied it twice in the front of his own. Motioning for Angel to come to him, she took Total in her arms and crawled forward.
He took her within his arms and held her close and tight to his chest. “Alright petite, I'm gonna hold ya tight, and I want you to hold that pet of yours. If you find you're slipping away, tell me, d'accord?”
Angel nodded, comforted by the man's steady heartbeat. It wasn't slow like all other humans; it was like her own…
Soon, she realized that they were moving—and moving very fast! She couldn't actually see the walls anymore; it was all one big blur! The wind rushed past her face, exhilarating for her, but rocky for Total; she felt him nestle himself deeper into her arms. She looked down and saw the man's feet, they were moving faster than anything she had ever seen! Or was it `didn't see'? She wasn't even sure it his feet were actually touching the ground; they were always in motion so that she could never really see them.
“What's your name, petite?”
She looked up at the man who had spoken, but he kept his eyes forward, taking a turn here and a swerve there.
“I'm Angel. The little guy in my arms is Total. And the person on your back is my sister, Maximum Ride.”
“Enchantée petite Angel. Tell me, are you afraid of heights?”
She giggled, then stretched out a little of her wing so that he could see. “Nope, never. I'm a mutant like you.”
He looked at her wings and laughed with her, “I knew there was something I liked about you. Your sister too?”
“Yeah, hers are a different color than mine, but she can go really fast with them, like you do with your feet.”
“Hold that thought, petite.”
She looked up, suddenly realizing that they were coming upon the open air vent and outdoor freedom—very rapidly…
“Hang on!”
The young man launched himself into open space, his legs leaping forward…
He seemed to hang in the sky for minutes on end; she could see clear over the treetops for miles! Then he shot down…not like in freefall, but like a beautiful ballet dancer, with his left foot for ward.
He landed lightly on the ground, with almost no feeling of impact. He let go of Angel, who in turn, let go of Total. The little dog quickly went into the trees to relieve himself.
Angel went to talk to the stranger, but just then and loud explosion roared through the air and rocked the ground like an earthquake!
Looking back at the Itex building, she sat down stunned.
The whole place was in flames, the walls falling in on each other, creating a huge cloud of smoke in the sky. The place was beyond any kind of repair.
But that wasn't what had stunned her. It was the fact that the Itex complex was at least a hundred yards away!
The young man put Max on the ground, laying her out on his jacket. He turned back to his the building, admiring his handiwork. “Look at what some circuits, mechanics, and some C-4 will get you. I bet Itex will think twice before buildin' over here again.”
She looked up at him in awe, “That was some leap, Mr…um?”
He flicked a loose lock of hair out of his vision. In the light, she could see the colors better. His hair was striking red, while both his jeans and t-shirt were teal blue, and his shoes were black. His skin was fair, but not pale, and his limbs and fingers were long and tapered, like that of a gymnast.
Removing his sunglasses, he looked down at her. She could see that his eyes weren't like that of a human. They were golden in color and elliptical, like that of a viper or a cat. She was sure that most people would be either mesmerized or struck in fear by them, but she thought they were nice and completed his personality.
He answered her with a roguish kind of smile. “I'm just talented I guess. And my name is Derringer, like the gun, but you can call me Derrin.”
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Iggy and Gasman heard the explosion from their work area in the forest.
“I didn't do it!” Gazzy quickly shouted in self-defense, but Iggy was no longer there.
The blind teen flew in the direction of Itex in fear. He'd thought he'd heard an explosion a couple minutes ago, but he'd let it go when Gasman said he didn't hear or see anything. However, this time he was sure, something was happening and his sisters were in the middle of it!
He heard and felt the wing-beats of his sister and brother joining him. “What's happening? What do you see?”
They had stopped, and were hovering above the area where Itex was.
There was hesitation in the answer, so he asked again. “What's happening? Tell me!”
He heard Nudge break out into tears to his left.
Gasman, to his right, answered, his voice choked up. “The Itex place is g-gone. Somebody bombed it before we did. It's totally on fire; nothin's left of that place.”
And as if to give him a double blow, the smoke stung his eyes as if letting him know it was real.
Max? Angel? What had happened here?