2

Illusions

You. Make. Pain. Go. NOW, I said to my absurd Voice, who was in some serious trouble!

And just like that it was gone. My hand sunk to the ground as the pain went away. But, wait a second! Did my pain just go away because my voice commanded it to!? Could that possibly be the reason!?

No. The real reason the pain went away was because I fainted. Yes, me, The Great Max, fainted. Oh, brother…

I opened my eyes to darkness. Huh, that's weird. I could've sworn it was daytime when I fainted…How long have I been knocked out!?

My eyebrows crumpled when I felt a strange…sensation. My head…it just…wanted to turn to the right.

Without me knowing, I jumped to my feet and did a quick 360. Um…It kinda seems like I'm not making the decisions here…

All of a sudden, that weird feeling was just…erased from my mind; for some reason, I had to focus on the matter at hand. This darkness seemed a little…eerie.

"Hey, Fang! Where are you guys!?" I shouted, as my eyes scanned the area. It looked like I was in…a misty forest?

"Fang!!" I shouted, getting a little worried. "Come out!!" Silence. Oh, God, did something happen to them while I fainted for mysterious reasons!? Answer me, God!!

Well, I'm not God, but maybe I could help you, replied my always-tardy Voice.

"Damn you, Voice! Why didn't you show up sooner!? You mind telling me how long I've been knocked out!?" I shouted in a tense fighting position.

I was about to fly and get the heck out of there, but something…kept me on the ground. My feet just…wouldn't move. I tried itching them off the ground to no avail. Damn it!

Actually Max, you haven't been knocked out that long. Only a few minutes.

"What the flock!! What do you mean I've only been knocked out for a few minutes!? It's nighttime!!" I shouted angrily.

Ugh, I feel so…stiff. And I had another one of those odd sensations…This time in my shoulders…I wanted to look down, but I…couldn't? My eyes were fixed on the dark forest…

"…Voice…" I hissed out quietly. And now it was getting hard to speak!? "Tell me…what's going… on…now…"

My eyes were twitching and my shoulders were starting to hurt now. DAMN IT!! WHY CAN'T I MOVE!? I CAN'T EVEN MOVE MY FLOCKING EYES!!!

I heard the voice sigh. Max…stop shouting. Instead of talking to me, you should be chasing after a certain bird kid...

My left eye twitched. That was about all the movement I could manage.

What…do you mean? I said, just as someone with dark hair ran past me…as if Ihe didn't see me here. I tried to say something to stop him, but I couldn't do anything!!

I watched helplessly as Fang extended his wings and started to fly away. But he didn't get far; I heard a gun being fired. Several times…

You have no idea how horrible it was for me--to watch my Fang falling out of the sky…to watch the blood pool around his lifeless body…to watch the hundreds of M-Geeks slowly surround him…

"NO!!!!" I screamed, as I finally broke free from the utter stillness. I felt hot tears pour down, as I ran towards the M-Geeks with bloodlust in my eyes.

One of the M-Geeks---the leader, I presume, because he was taller than the others---saw me charging.

And so, he bared out a set of silver wings, threw Fang over his back, and flew off at an incredible speed.

"I CAN DO THAT, TOO!!" I shouted, as I nearly took off to chase the mechanical dork down. I nearly took off.

But it would be too easy to catch a mechanically advanced piece of crap, right!? Someone had to make me immobile, right!? That way it would be so fair!!

Aw, there goes another one of those weird feelings---the feeling that I can't freaking move! And of course, this allowed someone to mess with my functions and make my right foot snap up on its' own accord, and then snap back down.

As always, the thought was quickly erased from my mind. So…what was I doing just now?

Max! Hurry, they're getting away! shouted my ever-so helpful Voice.

I quickly looked at the sky to find the M-Geek that carried Fang was nearly out of sight.

"Oh, no, you DON'T!!" I shouted, as I sprouted my wings--fourteen feet wide--and chased after him with a bloodlust.

My bird-kid intuition should be telling me that this is a trap. And yes, even if all my functions were messing up and flying everywhere, my intuition was still working.

Even though I felt a trap was coming, why was I still flying?

Oh, right. Because I wasn't in control of any of my movements or decisions.

Oh, ho, whoever was doing this to me soooo needs an ass-kicking, I thought to myself, as I continued to fly into my trap, designed especially for me!!

Fang's POV

Damn it, what just happened to Max? I thought to myself, as I sat down next to an unconscious version of Max. She was in so much pain, too…

I just sat there, trying to ignore the Flocks' anxious stares. It had been only a few minutes ago that she had fainted…and now she had opened her eyes.

My eyes widened a bit when I noticed that she wasn't in pain anymore. But she did look worried…

I placed my hand on her cheek and turned her to face me. "Max…you're not in pain anymore, right?" I asked softly.

Strangely, she didn't answer me. Her eyebrows just crumpled; her eyes weren't even looking at me.

"Max?" I asked.

All of a sudden, she jumped to her feet and did her usual 360. Wait, what was going on? Max…?

I heard someone intruding in my mind. Um…Fang…?

What is it, Angel? I said as I slowly got to my feet. Max looked…tense?

"Hey, Fang! Where are you guys!?" Max shouted as she kept looking around and around.

I'm reading Max's mind right now…I think she's under an illusion or something---

WHAT!? I shouted, as I quickly looked at Max to Angel. If she's under an illusion, then snap her OUT OF IT!!

I can't, Fang! Someone blocked me! I can't--I can't read Max anymore!! Angel shouted as she looked at me with desperate eyes.

"Fang!!" Max shouted again. "Come out!!"

"Max, we're right here!!" I shouted as I stood in front of her. "Max, someone's got you under a spell!! CAN YOU HEAR ME!?" I screamed.

"Damn you, Voice! Why didn't you show up sooner!? You mind telling me how long I've been knocked out…What the flock!! What do you mean I've only been knocked out for a few minutes!? It's nighttime!!" Max started shouting to no one.

I started shaking her shoulders. "MAX!? YOU'RE IN A FREAKING ILLUSION!! WAKE UP!!!!!!" I started screaming.

"…Voice…Tell me…what's going…on…now…" I heard Max hiss out. Her eyes started twitching and she looked so scared…

"MAX! LISTEN TO ME!!" I hollered, as she grew unnaturally still.

"NO!!!!" she screamed, as she ran ahead with tears and bloodlust in her eyes…But who was she running to in the first place?

Max looked anxiously up at the sky and shouted, "I CAN DO THAT, TOO!!"

I had a feeling she was gonna fly off again…I put my hand on her shoulder and spun her to face me.

"Sorry, Max. But this is for your own good," I said as I raised my hand, ready to knock her unconscious.

All of a sudden, Max's Right Foot of Death flew up and hit me in the spot-that-shall-not-be-named! No wonder it's called the Right Foot of Death!! I shouted. I coughed and wheezed as I fell to my knees.

"Oh, no, you DON'T!" I heard Max shout, as she extended her wings and flew into the sky.

"Chase after her!!" I shouted to the Flock, with a cough.

"Come on!" I heard Iggy shout, as he jumped into the sky with 3 other bird-kids. Strangely, I heard them come to a sudden stop.

Oh, perfect! Now, what!? I shouted, as I bravely got up. I swear, the color drained from my face for a solid minute.

Iggy and the others had come to a stop because a storm was coming…A storm full of thousands…and thousands…and thousands…of M-Geeks. Max had already disappeared among them.

Damn it…I thought to myself, as I extended my dark wings.

"We're getting through them, one way or the other!!" I shouted, as I flew towards the unbeatable army.

Just hang on, Max…I hope we're not too late.

A/N: Ha, ha! Fang got hit in the crotch by Max's Right Foot of Death! XD

I'm not really all that great at updating so if I forget to update, remind me please!

R & R people. R & R.