Maximum Ride - Rise of the Phoenix

Chapter 16

"Back here again? But it's just the rubble..." Fang muttered, "after the whole explosion and all..."

"Yeah. But where else can we look that's got better chances than here?" Amalda looked around, then she spotted what looked like a small tool shed, "in the middle of all this junk?"

Fang and Amalda climbed over the large heap of rubble and fallen bricks until they reached the shed. They went in, and the first thing that caught their attention were the many tubes of liquid that we're all labeled with the same thing.

"They still have all this FIE Serum... I thought it was destroyed!" Amalda said as she inspected the rows upon rows of test tubes, "we have to get rid of all this..."

"I think not."

The two turned around to see a man standing at the door, blocking their only means of escaping. Not another window in sight, either.

"Oh, it's you again..." Fang muttered, "you know, no matter what we do, you just can't seem to die, an you, Jeb?"

Jeb slammed and latched the door behind him as he walked closer to the two, "I can't die. This FIE Serum has proved successful, that I only wish could be shared with Dylan before you killed him..." Jeb muttered, blood dripping from every word, "but then again, I should thank you..."

"Wait..." Amalda swallowed hard, "you said 'successful'?"

"We've tested the FIE Serum on Eraser clones, and now you see what they've become!" They could hear the amazement in his tone, "Project Fang has been a failure. But as we tested the Fang Invincibility Experiment Serum countless times on countless Erasers, we've gotten these results."

Amalda gritted her teeth in anger, then slammed her fist on the metal table, "how many people died in the process?! Those meta human Erasers could've been the Flock! All the days I went to school and complained to my parents about boys and cheerleading, you were killing innocent people and killing Erasers too! You're not even human! How could you do such a thing, you monster!"

Fang was startled by Amalda's reaction.

"Erasers or no Erasers..." Amalda looked down at the ground, "you're killing them for a dirty experiment that you call astounding. You gave us powers that we never knew we had... Imagine how many dead people and Erasers it took to get here?"

"They were useless." Jeb continued, "any specimen that couldn't resist the serum and become stronger paid the price."

"Oh, is that what we are to you now? Is that what everyone in this world is to you now? 'Specimen'?! You've gotten so low, I could burn you to a crisp right here..." Amalda peered her eyes at Jeb, anger boiling inside her.

"Actually, my dear, you both were right before. All this FIE Serum was destroyed in the explosion. However... We still had this." Jeb took out a remote and pressed a button. A drawer behind him opened, and Fang's face went pale when he saw it.

"You still have that..." Fang gasped.

"Is that...?!"

"Hm. Something you don't know yet, Amalda? One of your father's wings isn't even real." Jeb motioned to the large black-feathered wing now sitting on the table, "all these years, we've been using your wing to harvest your DNA, Fang. Only through your DNA could we create the FIE Serum. As long as we have this, we have an endless supply."

"Dad..." Amalda muttered as she stared at the wing. She never realized he's only had one real wing, "you never--"

"It didn't have to be said." Fang set his jaw, "I didn't have to tell anyone."

"The surprising thing is that when we take the DNA straight from you, Amalda, it somehow created these powers. You're the source of these powers given to the Erasers."

"Me?"

"We're calling it the Phoenix Plan. With your DNA, we can create superhumans with your new powers."

"You do realize..." Fang continued, "to create an entire army of those, you lose something..."

"It will take the girl." Jeb nodded, but his evil smile was still plastered on his face, "she will be exterminated for mankind. She will be a martyr."

"Never." Fang stated bluntly, "over my dead body..."

"Oh?" Jeb smirked, "is that so? Over your dead body? Then let's see about that."

Suddenly, before any of them could react, Jeb pulled out a gun and shot Fang in the stomach.

"Dad!" Amalda shrieked as she caught Fang from falling.

"I..." Fang coughed as he watched his daughter.

"No, stop talking..." Amalda felt tears heavy in her eyes.

"I knew you..." Fang lifted his hand to her hair, "... Could do it... Amalda..." He smiled a final time before dropping his hand and shutting his eyes.

"Dad!!"

He went unconscious right away, but not dead. So she laid him down carefully on the floor, "Dad, Dad stay with me..." Amalda repeated as she carefully lifted his shirt. There was blood everywhere, and the bullet went deeper than she thought, "stop the bleeding..." She tore up his shirt and applied pressure to the wound. She could feel her hands shaking in fear as she tried her hardest to save her dad, "Damnit, Dad! Don't leave me!!" She screamed as tears fell onto her bloody hands.

"Well then..." Jeb chuckled, "I could help you, but... I don't see what good that will do me."

Amalda coughed, then turned to glare at Jeb, "I don't need your help. You would just take the gun on my back, too."

Jeb shrugged, then stopped when they saw the door freeze. Ice covered the door, until someone suddenly kicked the steel door down, which broke into a million pieces.

"It's too late!" Angel cried.

"Fang!!" Max shouted as she ran in and joined Amalda next to him on the floor.

"Jeb!!" Gazzy yelled, "what are you--"

"I won't let you get in the way of my plans again!" Jeb shouted as he held his hands out, and there were balls of fire.

"Oh great, powers too?" Iggy rolled his eyes.

"Flock. Take care of--"

"No." Amalda cut Max off, "Mom, you guys get Dad out. We can't leave him here in the middle of a fight. It's our best chance of saving him. Get him and everyone outside."

Max stared at Amalda's back as she took command of the ship. She smiled and nodded, "Be careful."

Max and Iggy picked Fang up and quickly made their way outside, followed by everyone else.

Max took one final glance at Amalda as she flew off, please Amalda... Please be careful...