Maximum Ride Fan Fiction ❯ Keep Breathing ❯ The Day Goes on ( Chapter 1 )

-I have to say, fate has never been kind to us. Yet we have no choice but to move forward, like a unit of soldiers, cowering on the banks of Omahu Beach being told to run at the people firing directly at us. Despite the invisible bullets and exploding mines, the cries of our friends and brothers beside us and the layers of dead, we rush forward with out a choice. Against our better instinct, we keep going forward, because there is no going back now. With nothing but water behind us, we keep moving forward, because that is the only option presented to us.- George Lloyd.

 

“Who are you? What is your purpose?” In the chilly air of the room, the questions went unanswered.

“Everything must have a purpose. To live is to have a purpose. You can not live if you have no purpose. Why were you made?” There was no answer once more, just pressing silence.

With no forewarning the man disappeared, the only testament to his being there was a pile of bloodied clothes in a pile on the floor. The air seemed to warm then and noise resumed. Workers returned to their stations to work, people filed about, all with a purpose. One man in the similar attire to the rest of the people there picked up the pile of clothes and moved on.

The day had never been interrupted.

 

­

Max's POV-

 

Why is it that adults feel the need to pile us up into a conference room? Are they really so blind to our twitchyness? I mean, come on! I would need more than two hands to count the number of times I've had bad experiences in conference rooms, not including the fact that it is a closed off space with very few exits filled with adults.

I mean really.

You'd think they'd take that into consideration.

Apparently not…

The seven of us sat around a table, Total looking as if he'd rather be elsewhere.

Peering closely at all the faces in the room, I judged how likely it was that the news was bad.

My mom's face was uneasy but filled with a sort of excitement. Angel was frowning, the scowl completely out of place on her small face.

Looks of confusion were being passed from one to the next.

Did anyone know why we were here?

If not, I'd be the first to dismiss us…

“Ok, so. No one knows why this meeting has been called for a reason. It…” My mom hesitated on that word, her eyes flashing to mine

“…has only been confirmed within the hour. Thanks to the awareness raised by Max and the Flock, the government has been able to find and shut down some of the labs. Bare in mind that not all have been found, but some is better than none. We had a strong suspicion that you guys” She looked pointedly at each of the Flock, her stare unwavering as it settled on me. “were not the first attempts at avian-human hybrids. We were right.” She pulled out a small plastic oval, holding it in her hand and pointing it at the large flat screen t.v hanging on the wall.

“This is a lab in the Olympic Peninsula.” It was just a large white wood house with trees on all sides, dense greenery that grew on everything. The entire outside of the picture was just soggy looking with green EVERYWHERE.

“Inside, the police were shocked to find nothing like the corporation of Itex. It was merely a house that was overly sterile. They did not find any recombinant DNA children.” She clicked the large red button on the remote several times as she spoke. Pictures of a house furnished with a living room, kitchen, bathroom and a dorm room. There were several metal bunk beds pressed against the walls with stiff looking white sheets and blankets. The table and chairs in the kitchen, along with the counters, fridge, stove, sink and cabinet were all that shiny metal as well. The sofa in the living room was stark white as well, the floor a white wood. The low sitting table was metal as well.

Total scoffed “Somebody needs to hire an interior designer. White may go with everything, but that is blinding.” Mom rolled her eyes with a smile on her face.

“What they did find interesting was this…” The picture shifted to a video of police officers confronted by men and women in white uniforms. The outfits almost looked like those bio-hazard suits, only white and with only a hood covering their hair.

“For your own safety, you can not go in there. This room is a sterile room. You can not go in without washing and the proper clothes. You will only contaminate Sam.” The officer did not look amused.

One made to push through the door.

“Move aside, depending on what is behind this door, you all could be charged for a criminal offense…”

The man who had spoke first threw his arms up on either side, blocking the door.

“You'll have to kill me before I'll let you hurt her.” Her. Was he taking about the Uber-Director?

`Keep watching Max. Don't assume…' The Voice commanded.

My eyes returned to the screen to see just in time the police break down the door. The camera showed nothing at first, just a large white room. When I say large, I mean tall. There was a large glass dome being suspended from the ceiling with metal bridges everywhere, accented with metal stairs connecting the levels.

There were sections filled with metal desks and chairs, people in white, computers, monitors, and fans with full sheets of paper blowing softly behind the open blade. Other than the whir of the blade, there was a steady sound. It took me a few seconds to place it as a constant hum, like who ever was making the noise was constantly in thought. Every now and again there would be a small slosh of water. Finally, an undercurrent to all of that, my falcon hearing picked up on a high pitched siren emanating from the room. After a few seconds of concentrating on that noise, it became too much. Clamping my hands over my ears, I glanced at the Flock to see similar looks of pain upon their faces.

“Max? Nudge? Are you guys ok? What's the matter?” My mom made to move towards us.

“What is that noise!? And what do I have to do to get it to stop!?” My teeth were clenched so tight my jaw hurt.

`Watch Max, watch.' I flashed a look to Fang who was trying to compose his face, like that worked.

He nodded perceptively, eyeing the clips playing upon the screen.

“Guys, if you want to go wait in the hall, we'll come get you when this is over…” As if waiting for the excuse to go, Total jumped from his seat and sprung out the door with Angel hot on his heels. Gazzy followed a bit reluctantly with Nudge. Iggy stayed.

Wasn't it hurting him more? His hearing was so much more sensitive then ours.

“Ig?” There was a forlorn look on his face. His eyes closed and it looked as if he was concentrating.

The movie continued.

The police rapidly were moving up the staircases, always pursued by people in white. Before long they stood in front of the large dome of greenish blue glass.

Oh, it was filled with water.

`Liquid.' The Voice corrected me. Liquid, water, what was the difference?

`There's a big difference to her. She would be dead if it was just colored water.'

My brain pulled a total 180 at the Voice's words.

“What the hell…?”

Apparently, the police were as shocked as we were. I swear my heart stopped in my chest as my breathing clogged my throat.

A bird-kid. A mutant just like us, who had survived.

The instinct to protect flared in me so suddenly I gasped.

Pushing away from the table and standing in an instance, I slammed my hands down hard on the wood of the table.

“What are they doing to her?! Why hasn't anything been done to help her!?” I'm sure if I looked in a mirror, my expression wouldn't show just how bewildered and thrown off I was.

`Listen Max, don't assume.' The adults in the room were all staring at me now and I felt a bit foolish for my sudden anger, but hey, I've definitely have had worse situations. Like the time I was on valium, and confessed my undying love for Fang…yeah…

Mom glanced cautiously at me.

“This footage was from this morning at about four a.m. We only received it an hour go.” It was nearly noon.

“A party of scientist and biologist are leaving in the morning to fly there so that they can properly retrieve it…her…” Once more, my rash words made be embarrassed as I blurted out that we were going whether they liked it or not. Clearly she was going to offer before I spat that out.

I really needed to work on that…

Looking to Fang, he was staring at me with an amused look in his eyes. Damn him! I looked to Iggy before I became flustered and upset. Wait, I was Maximum Ride, I didn't get flustered or upset when Fang looked at me like that.

`You didn't realize you were in love then…' Was that the voice or Angel?

`Angel?' I heard her soft giggle and groaned. Life was never going to get easier with her was it?

`Don't answer that!' I mentally shouted at her.

“She's so sad.” For once, it wasn't me who blurted out words and for once it wasn't me all the eyes reverted too. It was Iggy who still had his blind eyes closed. I'd forgotten to tell him what was going on in the scene. Damn, I was a bad Max. I wasn't fulfilling my job description anymore.

“Can't you hear her? She's crying.” I shot a confused look at Fang who shrugged.

“Iggy, I hate to break it to you, but I'm supposed to be the one with the voices in my head, not you.” He glared at a space an inch above my eyes. Hey, he was good, but not that good.

“Nevermind.” He glared at the table. Again, Fang and I looked to each other for understanding. Don't tell me Ig was going to start acting weird now, I didn't think I could take another Angel. It was hard enough for me to keep track of her where about's.

 

 

Did I ever mention how much I hate small places filled with scientists? Nothing against what ever field they studied, but they were still scientist and they all had the curiosity that normally made us feel like science fair projects.

Not a good feeling, I'm sure you can imagine.

We arrived in a city called Seattle and had to take a car to where ever this house was. It at first had seemed pointless for us to drive, and I had argued this with my mom and Jeb on our flight over here. I was arguing that the Flock could just fly there, and meet them, but they had said that it wouldn't be a good idea, not supplying any reasons.

I had been contemplating ignoring them wholly, but then we arrived in Seattle and I was struck by lightening.

Not literally of course.

I may be a lot of things, but electrocution proof is not one and even if it was, I was not going to find out.

There was so much rain. It didn't stop raining. Ever. It poured buckets, cats and dogs, sheets. Whatever term you want to use, it poured it.

 

So now we were on our way to meet this mutant-bird freak like yours truly and I was absolutely frightened. Sure we had helped those other mutant kids get out, but none had been bird kids. How would this girl act? Had she been chased her whole life too, only to get caught and stuck in a bowl of liquid? I dimly remembered my isolation tank and shivered.

Was that what it was? Did she have no idea where she was or what was happening, or even how long she had been in there?

Jumpy was an understatement. I nearly shoved through the door when Fang put his arm over my shoulder.

It took all my self control not to break out in rapid breathing, what with the butterflies on a rampage in my stomach and my heart thundering.

Right…

I could do this.

I could definitely help save another bird kid like me…

And deal with the Flock,

And Fang,

And save the world,

And the o-zone layer….

And not kill Jeb…

And fight off the Mgeeks peeking out of the woods as the car turned off road.

Boy did I have a lot to do in so little time…

`Keep breathing Max, keep breathing.' Oh gee, thanks Voice.