Valedictorian- A Maximum Ride Fanfiction

5th Period

MAX STIFLED HER comments about the interaction she'd just witnessed. The time that they touched off the cave was the first time in a while she'd looked at Iggy - really looked- and he seemed.. depressed. Which was totally not okay. And then Ren had paused mid-flight; touched the tip of her wing with a small nod before letting the wind resistance propel him back to where Iggy was beginning to swerve off down under. They'd talked, Max heard Ren click a couple of times, and now the two were playfully bantering; a triumphant gleam in Ren's eyes. Well, the bantering wasn't exactly new, but the tell-tale furrow of Iggy's brow when he was really upset was gone, and there was a slight quirk of his lips as he administered what Max could only assume was some burning sass stew. Ren's own expression was content, not feeling the sting of Iggy's comments at all and going with the flow.

Her eyes drifted to the leather thing he was wearing. 

It looked like an over-sized fanny pack, long straps attached to a leather vest which was securely fastened around his shoulders, waist, and wings. He flew back in front of them, making a smooth decline towards a port that came into view. Max's breath stopped as the company's logo came into view. ITEX.

Fang stopped too, a shocked exhale leaving his lips as he stopped and grapped Max's wrist. Iggy didn't notice, probably following the sound of Ren's wing's now, and Max jerked to get him before Fang shook his head, strong hand holding her in place.

"..Are you sure about this?" He asked, face all seriousnes. Max frowned as the silhouettes of the two boys grew smaller and smaller. Ren, she trusted- he was just so small (aside from the fact that he was taller than her, but that wasn't important.); but the other girl, Sebastian... 

Sebastian, she didn't.

Sebastian felt dangerous, like a feral beast, a wolf in sheeps clothing. Except it wasn't sheep's clothing at all, more like brand name H&M. She was a spitfire, uncontrolled and unpredictable. Both were qualities that Max prided herself in, but coming from someone else- she didn't like it. A potential threat. Warning bells went off in her head when she was around her. 

It was only when she looked back up that she realized the two other boys had stopped, Ren dragging Iggy back by the hem of his shirt.

"What's.. this." Max said, frowning as she pointed to the dock behind them. Ren looked back- apparently not knowing what she was talking about before reading the logo. 

"It's the Itex dock." He answered, turning to face Iggy when the blond boy stiffened. "Is there a problem?"

"There's a big problem!" Max almost shouted, yanking her arm out of Fang's grip. Ren's face remained nonplussed, just as it always did. How could he not see what a big problem it was? He was a hybrid too! He should know what it means! There were so many things that Max wanted to say, wanted to ask; but she found that she couldn't say anything, oddly hurt by this turn of events. Fang stepped forward instead.

"Why this port in particular?" He asked, voice smooth and cold like a Japanese blade.

"Sebastian hates it." Ren shrugged, releasing Iggy's wrist and crossing his arms. He didn't seem too happy with stalling up in the air. Max could care less, at the moment. "She steals, you know. She hates this dock.. er, company I suppose, and she practically spends all her time sabotaging them. Throws chairs in through the windows of their shops, sets their merch on fire in stores, steals their cargo. They have a food branch, and she... I... help her." Max didn't miss the small pause, and neither did Fang.

"You... help her." He repeated, crossing his arms. Ren tilted off to the side, unweaving his arms to fiddle with the straps attached to his front.

"My wings are stronger." He said, as if that would answer everything. "Sebastian is practically an Amazon, but her wings are weak. She can't fly heavy things. I can, but unlike her, I'm not built of steel. I have to use this." His fingers fiddled with a strap. Fang cocked his head, mouth opening; but Max stepped forward instead.

"What about you, then? How do you feel about Itex?"

"They have nothing to do with me, I don't care."

Max frowned.  

"How could you not, they-"

"If we don't leave now, the workers are going to return from their lunch break and they'll open fire at us." Ren cut in, apparently sick of the conversation. He tilted backwards and sailed down himself, making a clean landing and walking a practiced course through the maze of large iron containers. Fang and Iggy stayed aloft, waiting for Max's desicion, but Max..

She didn't know what to do.

On one hand, she believed Ren. He just had that way about him, and everything he said made perfect sense with the way that he acted. There were no discrepancies. It was just..

It was ITEX.

They were practically waltzing into the mouth of the lion. Swan diving into the pool of pirahnas. If it were any company but, she would have flown down with scarcely the bat of an eye. She wanted to help, but was it really worth compromising their position..?

Iggy jerked his head to the side, and when Max followed his 'line of vision' she saw a truck full of workers, stone faced and driving towards the port. There was the gleam of black metal in one of their hands, and something in Max's mind clicked. She didn't have time to think. 

Ren was one of them now.

"We're going." She said, and dove down towards the docks at the speed of light.