Prologue

I always knew I was going to die. I just didn't expect death to be like this.

"Max!" I shouted as I saw the M-geek raise his hand-turned-Glock, aiming directly for Max's chest. She was wrapped up with another in the air, so much that she didn't see the one on the ground. None of them did. Except for me. I had no time to think, only to react. I worked the muscles in my wings at a capacity I'd never thought possible, bolting to save the one person I'd loved more than anyone else in my life. Just as I was inches away we all heard the gun crack, the bullet whizzing through the air. Max turned toward the sound after dispatching her combatant and gasped as the impact of my body forced her from where she was hovering, leaving me where she previously was.

The primary pain wave came in the moments after the bullet drove into my chest. My breath caught it my throat as I felt my wings flap incessantly to catch myself, but they were frantic and weak, and I was plummeting quickly. Each inhale and exhale was pained and I clutched at where my heart was, feeling the warm liquid oozing from it. This was it. I couldn't believe this was how it was going to end. I was freefalling to my demise, all because I sacrificed myself for Max. My lips involuntarily curled into a smile, knowing that she was going to live. She would take care of the flock. They would save the world without me.

But the only thing worse than the agony coming from my heart was the ache that was from the same spot, knowing that I would never be able to grow old with her. To watch her in her glory as she did what she was created to do. It was a sad outlook, but as long as she could complete that mission, dying was worth it.

"I love you, Max," I whispered moments before I hit the unforgiving earth. Then everything went black.

Yeah, I'm sure that's how you expected my death to be. Believe me, I wish it would have been that noble, to go out in a blaze of glory. To know that Max and the Flock was safe. In reality, I had no idea what their fate was. My death was so sudden, I didn't even know if it was a murder or an accident or even if it was just my expiration date kicking in. My hair did cover most of my neck since it'd been growing out from our time in New York. No one would have known.

Let me tell you what really happened.

We returned from our mission/vacation in Hawaii, waiting for the next journey to come to our attention from the Voice or CSM or just some place we traveled through. It was kind of tedious, but also invigorating to be back in the sky again. I missed the feeling of the wind passing through my secondary's, it blowing through each individual strand of hair. There was nothing like the high of flying, except maybe making out with Max.

She made the decision that it was time to take a break, mostly for the younger kids' sake. I wanted to survey the land. I told Max that I'd be back and then I disappeared into the trees. There was a river about two hundred feet into the thicket. I watched from the ground as hawks circled overhead ominously. Part of me just wanted to kick back and watch them, but another part wanted me to join in their formation. I considered both options, and after remembering the time with the hawks at the cave where Nudge and I had stayed at, I decided to give it a try. The Flock would see me anyway, so they would probably join me once they were done resting.

I prepared myself for take off, flapping my wings experimentally to work the kinks out, and then started running. Right when I was about to jump, a sharp pain exploded in between my wings. I didn't have time to cry out or call for help. It felt like someone ran a match over my back, and instead of lighting the stick it ignited my body in flames. The pain was excruciating, and before I knew it my world went black.

So there you go, folks. The Flock didn't know that I died. No one saw it coming. I bet the readers didn't see something like that coming, either. Yeah, I'd read my fair share of fanficitons that viewers would send me over my blog, occasionally ones of either Max or me dying. Usually they were like the first scenario I played out, but never like the reality. It figures that the great Fang would die the most bizarre, unorthodox death, and I don't even know what it was!

Despite my exit on life, I was sort of afraid of the unknown. I'd heard people talk of heaven and hell, but I didn't really know if they existed. I figured I was a fairly decent person. Sure, I'd killed Erasers and maniacal scientists and robots, but in my book I didn't really count any of those as people. Besides, a mutant bird kid has gotta do whatever he can to survive!

But that thought suddenly made me realize that it was over. There would be no more adventures for me, no more fun or exciting memories to create with the Flock. Who would be there to protect them? Who would be there for Max when she finds out? Max. It sent a jolt through me, whatever I was now. I didn't know what happened when you died. Even though I was dead, it didn't take away my feelings for her, the fact that I loved her. I would never be able to tell her that. That suddenly made me very pissed off. My life was over, and I was certain it would seem like that for her, too. She'd be devastated, and there was nothing I could do for her now.

Well this sucked.

I always thought that death was the end, so you can imagine how shocked I was when I woke up.

I'm basically doing this while I'm getting my inspiration and creativity working again. To everyone who read "Not so Normal", I'm not stopping with that story. I just needed a short break. I'm gonna spend the weekend writing this and the other idea I mentioned in the author's note and read MR all over again. So click the lovely button below and tell me what you think of this one! I promise it will get better when the story gets going!

--biteoutoflife--