"Deal

"Deal."

"Okay then Maximum, report here tomorrow at 8:00."

Um I don't think so. "I can't just come whenever you ring for me; we have to work it out so they won't be suspicious."

"Well we will send you a message every so often."

NO! There was no way I would give up the flock's location. But come to think of it, since it was temporary I guess I could. "Okay. Fine."

When I turned around and took off, I could hear the white coats whispering in excitement behind me. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. Whoever said that was right on track. This was a desperate time and giving myself willingly to the school made desperate measures a HUGE understatement. But if I could pull it off it would be worth it.

Okay, here is what's going on. The flock all are starting to get their expiration tattoos on the back of their necks. They are faint but they are coming in. I know I am playing into their hands, but I have to try and help. I'm the only one without a tattoo. The school said there isn't a way to take the tattoos off unless they are transferred to someone else. With an opportunity to save my flock, how could I pass it up? Even if I had to take every one of their expiration dates to keep them safe. I could die if I knew they were safe safe, because I couldn't live if any one of them expired. Now this little rendezvous was set up by me and in exchange for the transfer, all I have to do is be a lab rat. Again. I am going to have to think of something that will make up for my being gone. I guess I'll just tell them I am working on a project. I am, but it's a surprise so I it makes an excuse not to tell them.

"Max."

"Agh- geeze Fang, you just scared the crap outta me!"

"Where did you go?" He was dark and impassive but there was concern and anger in his eyes.

Well, no time like the present to test out my story. If the guy who read me like a book couldn't tell if I was lying, then no one short of a mind reader could. And yes, I did have to worry about that kind of thing.

"I went to work on the surprise project." I said. "Why do you have to be all concerned? It's not the first time I've gone away for a little."

He didn't look convinced. "Usually you aren't gone that long."

"Well actualy I joined this midnight yoga class and ya know sometimes we loose track of time..." I said sarcastically. "'night fang." I called over my shoulder.

As I walked away I felt a little queasy, I needed to hide this better so it would work. I also am going to have to make sure he doesn't follow me. This was going to be harder than I thought.

Max looked kind of flustered when she came home, Fang thought. He knew she had some project, but this was something else. When she talked to him, she had seemed to make her face so carefully blank that Fang was impressed. But the blank face was so out of character, he knew she must be hiding something big behind that calm mask. Hmmm, he wondered, if this is how Max feels when she talks to me I can understand that she thinks I can be annoying. Fang decided that he was going to find out what the heck was going on. He went back to the guy room at the hotel.

The next morning I thought of the perfect excuse for my guilty look last night. It also was part of my master plan.

"Guys," I said "I think we should go to a school." It was a dangerous topic but if I was going to die for them, I wanted them to have a chance to make their way in the world. Of course I wasn't thinking that right now because if I had Angel would have picked up on it.

Iggy started to gag, "School? Please tell me you're kidding?"

I shook my head."Now that all the world saving stuff is out of the way why not? I mean I hate thinking of the future, but seriously, we can't be on the run forever." I also added "and eventually we should be able to get jobs that don't have to be related to secret government operations."

Haha. You are probably laughing right now but trust me, we aren't joking about the secret government thing. You'd be surprised at how popular we are among that crowd. A dream come true. NOT.

"I think we should do it" Fang said.

I was shocked but glad that I had his support on this.

Nudge was all over it "Oooooh yeah. Now we can go, and have friends, and learn all that stuff, and I can become a marine biologist and Angel can run for president and…"

"Okay then,' I said cutting the Nudge Channel off. " I guess we should just start when school starts up in a month. We can have my mom set it up for us."

And on that note, we all separated to do our own thing for a while.

"So, what was that all about?" Fang asked as he sat down beside me.

I couldn't tell him the real reason so I hedged. "What was what all about?"

"Come on Max," he said "the sudden push for school, what's going on?" If I didn't know better, I would be afraid that those eyes of his could see right into my thoughts.

"I just want them to have as close to a normal life as possible." I replied, a little defensively, "I want to give them a chance to achieve their dreams of being a marine biologist or," I continued after a sarcastic laugh "a president."

I didn't want to look at him; he was probably thinking that I was being a sap. I kind of was but whatever. I didn't really need his approval, even though I wanted it –

"I think it's a good idea."

I looked quickly at him "Really?" I said trying to tell if he was kidding or not.

"Yeah." He said and then was silent.

Man this was going to be an interesting summer.

I decided to refine the school plan like this (not school as in learning, school as in psycoville). I would go work on my project, fly to the school and then come back. I had to make sure that they didn't know were my project was. If we were going to live there then I didn't want them to know where it was. Then I would do all their crazy tests, sometimes be gone for days then go work on the house some more and go home.

Oh yeah. I never really did tell you about the house. Well we haven't really had a house other than the one in the mountains, so I was using my maxride credit card and was redecorating a new one. I was almost done and was adding the finishing touches. Each room was designed for each person, with a new wardrobe in the closet and everything. I was also setting up pictures that we had taken in frames and in photo albums. But anyway, back to the present.

Every time I went back to the school they did brutal tests dealing with strength, speed, immunity, and other painful topics. One time they injected me with a chemical that made me sick for two days. After throwing up and washing my face, i looked in the mirror and discovered three tattoos on the back of my neck that looked like this:

G -8-2-08

A -8-2-08

N-8-2-08

When I got back to the motel looked I looked around. Nudge, Gazzy and Angels tattoes had faded, as if they had never been there in the first place. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that my plan was working. When I got back to my own room that night, Fang was waiting.

"Max you have to tell me what's wrong." He said, dark eyes penetrating mine. He grabbed me by the shoulders, held me at arms length and shook me a little. "You go away to work on this 'project' and then you come back looking half dead."

"I do not." I objected "I am just trying to finish before the summer is over, therefore I have to work hard, which involves staying up late, and apparently looking half dead." I was a little ticked, I had a plan, and if Fang found anything out he would try to stop me.

"Max you and I both know that that isn't true. Why can't you just talk to me?" I could barely resist his gaze. It seemed to try and pull the truth right out of me, but all it did was succeed at pulling my lips toward his. I kissed Fang. Right on the LIPS! After a very long minute I pulled back. Fang just looked stunned.

"I am fine Fang, its all under control, don't worry about it. I'll try not to work as hard if you are really that worried."And after that I walked into my room. Feeling aweful for lying to him and feeling so happy from kissing him.

Fang was watching Max. There was something that she wasn't telling him. She was closed off. He had asked Angel to read her thoughts, but she couldn't get much. Every time she tried she would see a flash then be shut out.

Max came into the room wearing pants, and a long sleeved t-shirt plus her hair was down. Sure itt doesn't seem that strange, except for the fact that it was 97 degrees outside. He knew she was hiding something. This wasn't the first time she had decided that she was in need of some serious insulation. She would do this for at least two days after she got back, but kept her hair down no matter what. He walked over and grabbed her arm. She winced.

"Umm, Fang, why did you just grab my arm?" Max asked. Did he imagine the wince? She seemed fine now.

"I- you – nevermind." He said defeated. Did he also imagine the sigh of relief that came when he left? This was so weird.

I was watching T.V. when Gazzy came in. I reached over and rumpled his hair. "Whatcha doin?" I asked. I didn't realize that my sleeve had come up slightly as I reached.

Gazzy sucked in a breath eyes wide in shock. "Max what is wrong with your arm!" I cursed silently. Oh crap I thought he might tell someone.

"Gazzy relax, I tripped and fell when I was working. I can't tell you what scratched me because then it would give away the surprise. I am fine." I said this in a soothing voice, hiding my anxiety of being discovered. In reality the scratches might have had something to do with the white coats great decision to have me fight 'cat man'. And if you can't tell I was totaly sarcastic about the might.

"Okaaaay." He didn't look so sure but dropped it. Then he looked at the screen. "what are you watching?"

"Nothing, you pick."

"Okay" he said and everything went back to normal.

I got another message from the school. I was shocked. It was so soon after the latest test that I knew it couldn't be good. By this time I had all 5 tattoos on my neck - Total didn't have an expiration date. We were all eating Chinese take out when I stood.

"Gotta go guys, I'll be right back." And I took off. Little did I know about the discussion that came after I left.

Fang took charge. "Okay everyone, something is wrong with Max and we are going to find out what it is."

"Do you guys realize that she has been moving slower lately, ya know like instead of air she was walking through syrup?" Nudge commented, concern in her eyes.

"Her thoughts have been confused, all muddled. I get flashes of weird, random stuff all the time." Angel said and after a moment of thought added, "when she isn't keeping me out."

Iggy was next "Her breathing is heavier and she drags her feet a lot"

Total chimed in "Have you seen what she has been wearing? It's the middle of August not January! She has to be hiding something."

"I think I know what it is." Everyone looked down at Gasman who looked very young and very scared. "Yesterday, she reached over and her sleeve pulled up a little, and there were all these cuts..." He trailed off looking guilty, like he had told a secret.

Fang started "Is she- ?"

"No I don't think she is doing it to herself because I saw other marks on her legs." He looked like he was going to cry. "She said she got them from working on the project."

"Well", Fang said looking determined, "We are going to get an explination when she gets back."

Max walked to the school, she could barely move, she was tired and just wanted to go to sleep.

"You only have to do one last thing for us Maximum" said a white coat. "We need you to take out this man."

My jaw dropped and I stared back incredulously.

"Whoa there, a little crazy are we, I am not taking people out for you! That wasn't in the deal." I was a little ticked. This crazy stunt sparked my sarcastic self back into action.

"It is now" the white coat said.

"Uh huh. Hate to burst your bubble lady, but you aren't that threatening. Seriously, if there was a list of threatening things, you would be at the bottom after puppies and bunnies."

"Well I guess we are just going to have to take the flock as hostage then. Torture them until you do as your told." She said. For a grandma she was really evil.

Blinding rage filled me, "Over. My. Dead. Body." I spat at her, and then took off. As I was leaving I heard her shout, "It will be sooner than you think dearie."

I touched down at the motel where we were staying, and ran into the rooms; the flock was sitting and waiting for me.

"Everyone we have got to move and we have to move now." They just stared up at me. "NOW!"

They just looked at me. Fang spoke up "you have a lot of explaining to do max." his eyes looked cold as ice.

This was sooo not the time for this. "I know. I know, but I can't if we are all dead, which we will be if we stay here!"

Satisfied they would get answers, they left to grab their stuff. We took off and made it to a field before they found us. One hundred flyboys. We got into fight formation and started taking them out one by one. We had them all down in about ten minutes. As we turned to take off a flyboy not quite dead yet took his gun up and aimed it at Fang and Angel.

"No!" I screamed and jumped in front of them. I took one bullet in the shoulder and one in the gut. Fang was over in a second. I just pushed him away. "Take the flock and go, a second batch is coming. They just want me."

Fang shook his head. "No way! We aren't leaving you here to fend for yourself."

"You have to go," I said "or everything that I did was for nothing. Please! Go!"

He was taken aback by that. I was begging, which I never did, for him to go.

But he wouldn't give up that easy. "No way. We are-" I didn't hear the rest because I had knocked him out. I could hear the drone of flyboys in the distance.

I looked at Iggy "You're in charge Iggy, don't help me and don't let Fang get away. Hide and stay safe." I struggled upward and kissed all their foreheads. "Catch ya later."

I looked at Angel and mentally sent her the directions to their new home, my project, and then let them run away. I turned, squared my shoulders and went to face the next wave of flyboys, hoping my flock wouldn't be caught.

The flock watched and listened from afar. Max looked so small and insignificant in the face of 200 flyboys. They heard a groan from Fang as he came to. He tried to jump up but found he was tied to a tree.

"Untie me, now." His voice had a razor sharp edge that could have cut him out of the predicament but no one moved. They were all focused on Max. It was almost as if she moved so fast that she was everywhere at once. She punched and kicked, dove and spun at turbo speed. Taking all the flyboys down that were unlucky to be around her.

The flock was speechless. Even Nudge.

Total just said two words."Holy Crap."

Finally it was just Max standing in a field, surrounded by hundreds of dead flyboys. When she tuned to face the flock they gasped. She was gushing blood not only from her bullet wounds, but from various old wounds that had opened during the fight. Suddenly she collapsed, no ropes could restrain Fang as he sprinted from the tree. The rest of flock all ran over at once. Max was alive but only just. They decided to move her somewhere less in the open and make camp.

I woke up surrounded by my flock. "Hey." I croaked out. Everyone tightened the circle around me.

"How bad is it Ig?" I asked and when he didn't reply I said "that bad huh? Oh well."

I looked at each one of them. All were holding back tears. "I love all of you guys. You will be fine without me. Seriously, all I want is for you to go to school and have normal lives, and live happily ever after." I drew in a shaky breath, "You don't need me when you have each other. Now everyone needs to get some sleep because we will be on the run again tomorrow." I used we so that they would know that I would hold on until tomorrow for them. Soon the flock drifted to sleep. Except for Fang who was keeping watch. Only, he wasn't watching for intruders, he was watching me.

"Max," he choked out "Don't leave us."

"I don't want to. But I don't think I have a choice in the matter." I said, it was getting more and more painful to draw in each breath. I looked up and did a double take. Fang was crying! Actually crying! As they hit me, the scrapes and bruises began to heal. Slowly but surely. Fang gasped and started crying harder.

"Fang, don't waste these on me, use them for Iggy." I said

"What do you mean, you are dying and Iggy is fine." He was ready to argue.

"Fang listen, I don't really have a chance, but you have a chance to fix Iggy's sight. It would be like a gift to me to see him able to see."

"What do you mean you don't have a chance, of course you do! Don't give up on us Max! Not yet."

"Please Fang, just do it. For me."

He slid over to Iggy and let his tears drop onto his eyelids. Nothing visible happened.

"Oh well," I said, "I guess we will just have to find out if it works later."

Fang looked and felt relieved to see her talking of later, a sign that she was still fighting to stay with them.

The sun came up and Max caught her breath. It was the most beautiful sunrise she had ever seen. It lit up the sky in golds and reds. Rays of light shooting out in all directions.

Iggy woke up and looked around. He saw the flock lying on the ground around him. I must still be dreaming he thought, but when he pinched himself it hurt. He didn't like having his hopes raised like this by his dreams. It just hurt too much when he woke up. But this time he was sure he was awake. Gazzy stirred next to him. "Gazzy" he said softly "Wake up!" he looked at him as he did. His face was different from the one he usually saw when he was "looking" at him.

Gazzy came into full awareness "Iggy, can you SEE me?"

"Umm yeah." He got up and did a little dance. "I can see! Oh my god, I can see!" Everyone went over to him except Fang and Max. He looked down at her and heard her say, "That was worth the wait. Fang, I love you." And just like that she was gone.