Spy Games

Chapter 10

"So…you were talking about me behind my back to your mother."

It didn't come out as a question, but I took it as one.

"No, Fang," I told him, frowning slightly. "She just told me some stuff. You know, about your parents or whatever."

"Or whatever."

"Yeah."

"And you learned…?"

I looked over at the Gasman, who was sleeping in his part of the hut. Fang and I were staying in his and Iggy's hut, watching over him for the rest of the day. After all, everyone else was still at that stupid soccer tournament anyways.

Once I was sure that he was honestly asleep and couldn't hear us, I said, "Your mom was kind of, you know, crazy."

Fang shrugged before looking off. "What else?"

"Nothing, really. Just that you were supposed to be a, uh, test dummy for me."

"What?"

"Yeah. You know, they were going to try things out on you and then-"

"What else?"

"Nothing." I looked at the ground then. "Iggy was making a big deal out of nothing."

"He does that a lot."

"Yeah."

Fang glanced up at me then. "Gas is going to be ticked about his sister getting to take his spot on the team."

"You think we should go check on her?"

"Nah," Fang said, shaking his head. "She'll be fine."

"That guy was a freaking prick," I told him then, staring at him. "Yelling at them. It's guys like him that make me wish I could throw people off the island."

"You could."

"I could," I agreed. "And when I finally have to, he's first on the list."

"It's inevitable," Fang told me in full honesty. "I mean, your mother only made her decisions on who got to be on the island based off of the fact they had wings. We really don't know much about their history other than they were abused as children. And that doesn't bode well for them."

I stared hard at Fang for a moment. "Sometimes you sound really smart."

"Thanks."

"The rest of the time? Not so much."

It was his turn to stare at me. "You really get to me sometimes."

"It's one of my best qualities."

"Well your boobs sure aren't."

Frowning at him, I quickly crossed my arms over my chest before looking off. Fang just went back to flipping one of his pocketknives open and close. Part of me hoped the he cut himself, but the other part of me thought that was a pretty low down thing to wish for.

"Everything's okay between us now though, huh?" I looked at Fang after awhile. "Don't you think?"

"As oppose to what, babe?"

"I just mean, everything's fine again," I said. "About the cheating stuff and spying junk."

"Of course." Fang pushed up then before walking over to me. Taking a seat so close to me that our legs were touching, he said, "Everything's perfect between us. It always has been."

"Has it though?"

"Duh."

Smiling softly, I moved to lean against him. "Duh."

"I think I hate that word."

"Duh?"

"Yeah. It's rude."

I made a face at Fang. "You used it first."

"I'm allowed to be rude. You're not."

"In what way does that work?"

"In the way that I'm the guy and you're the girl."

"So?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about."

"I think you know that you're just joking and trying to get me worked out. Well guess what, it won't work."

"It won't?"

"Nope. I'm not going to get upset with you today."

"Is that so?"

"That is so."

"No matter what I do?"

"Within reason."

"Ah-ah, Max. You said that you wouldn't get mad at me today no matter what."

"I don't remember saying no matter what."

"I remember it."

"You-"

"So basically I can do anything I want. Anything." Fang gave me a kiss on the head before jumping up. "Carpe diem, Max. The rest of the day is mine. And you can say a thing about it."

I just glared at his back as he left the hut. Well that went differently than I had planned.

"Fang sure is nicer to you than he is the rest of us."

Glancing over at the little boy, I said, "You were supposed to be sleeping, Gazzy."

"You guys woke me up with your talking," he told me as he sat up. "Besides, I'm not a baby."

"I know, Gazzy," I sighed.

He was quiet for a moment before saying, "Next time you and Fang flirt, can you do it away from me? Please?"

"Shut up, Gasman. We were not flirting."

"You were too. You totally were."

"What do you know about flirting anyways?" I raised an eyebrow at him, but he just laid back down on his pallet.

"I know that it's nasty."

"Is that what you know?"

"Yes."

"So you're telling me that you and this…Christina have never-"

"Ew, Max!"

I just smiled at him. "It's okay to have a little crush on-"

"I don't."

"I think that she-"

"Shut up, Max. I don't."

"Alright, alright." I held up my hands, faking surrender. "Shockingly enough, Gasman, I don't really care whether or not you have a crush on your little soccer friend."

"I don't."

"I believe you."

"Good. 'cause I don't like her."

"So anyways," I sighed, looking around. It was very rare that the Gasman and I got a chance to be alone. I never was too sure what to talk about with him. "How does your leg feel?"

"Better. I think tomorrow I can play soccer again."

"Maybe," I said slowly. "Or maybe you should let yourself rest some more."

"I'm not that hurt."

"I think you are."

"You just don't want me to have any fun."

"No," I said slowly. "I just don't want you getting hurt."

"And I won't," he told me in that confident way he always seemed to have. "You worry too much, Max."

"Probably," I agreed. "I can't help it though."

"You treat me like a baby."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"I'm practically a man now," he told me, nodding his head.

"Are you now?" I asked, bemused.

"Yeah, Max. Of course I am. What else would you be?"

Standing, I went over to him and gave him a kiss on the head, much to the annoyance of the little boy. "I don't know, Gazzy. I really don't know."

"Don't you gotta go find Fang?" Gazzy asked as I sat down closer to him.

"No," I told him, knowing he only wanted me gone so he could be alone.

"Why not? Isn't he going to go do whatever he wants?"

"That's what he said, yes."

"And you aren't, you know, scared or whatever about what he's gonna do?"

"No," I told him. "Why? Do you think I should be?"

"Well, yeah. Weren't you the one spying on him before because you thought that he was cheating on you?"

I just smiled at him. "I trust Fang."

"Since when?"

"Since I knew that it gets under your skin that I'm around babying you."

He gave me a look. "I don't want you to be here, Max. I want to be alone. I wanna sleep."

"You can sleep with me here." I smiled at him. "I just want someone to be with you, Gasman, in case you need something."

"I won't need nothing."

"You might."

"No. Go be with Fang."

"I want to be with you, Gasman. Trust me, it's a good thing."

He just crossed his arms, glaring at me. When I wouldn't budge though, he finally laid down and went back to sleep.

The things I have to put up with.

"So what did you do today after you left?"

"Besides have tons of unprotected sex with a bunch of different chicks?"

"Besides that."

"I took some more pain pills," Fang said with a shrug as he sat down on the ground next to me. "I guess that's going to be my life now."

"Unprotected sex with random chicks?"

"The pill thing."

"Good."

Smiling, Fang rubbed his arm against mine. "So where is everybody?"

"I dunno. I thought that we were going to have dinner tonight. I made a freaking fire and everything."

"I brought some fruit," he told me before slipping his backpack off his shoulders. "No meat though."

"That's alright," I told him as I used the stick in my hand to poke at the fire. "I'm sure one of the others did. Whenever they decide to get here."

"Hope they never do."

"Fang."

"How was Gazzy today after I left?"

"Alright," I said slowly. "How were you?"

"I thought that was already asked."

"Fang-"

"I just went and got my pain pills, Max. And then I had tons of unprotected sex. Why is that so hard to understand?"

That's all I got out of him before Ella showed up with Iggy and the limping Gasman. He seemed in about the same sour mood he had been in when I left him before. Ella was talking about something though, all perky and peppy. It gave me a headache, honestly.

"Hi, Max. Hi, Fang." She was almost bouncing. Iggy was smiling as well, but seemed kind of distant as she led him into our circle, Gasman taking a seat on the other side of our blind friend. "How are the two of you today?"

I glanced at Fang, but found that he was void again, just staring at the fire.

"You saw us, what? A few hours ago at the game? Nothing's happened since then," I told her.

"You sound tense," she said as Fang handed off the fruit and a knife to Iggy so he could chop them up.

"Annoyed. When I say we're eating at a certain time, I mean it."

"Sorry, Max."

We all looked up as we were joined in the clearing by Dylan.

"I meant to get here on time," he told me, no doubt having thought I was speaking about him only moments before. "I just got caught up catching these fish and I-"

"It's fine, Dylan," I told him while Fang shifted closer to me, though I wasn't sure if that was consciously or not. "Thank you for getting the fish."

"Of course," he said, smiling at me then from being praised. Fang elbowed me gently, but I just ignored him. Like, God, am I not allowed to tell someone they did a good job sometimes? Sheesh.

"Max, look who I brought to dinner," I heard Nudge calling out then, her voice ringing through the clearing before I even saw her.

Fang tensed next to me as she came upon our circle, her stupid boyfriend with her. I just sat there though, staring at the guy. He looked really nervous considering I had no say in what Nudge did. If I had any, he obviously wouldn't be with us at the moment.

"Hi," Dylan greeted, always ready to meet new people. "I'm Dylan."

"Who is it?" Iggy asked his girlfriend.

"Nudge's friend. Peter," she said slowly before nodding at him. "Hi. I'm Ella and this is-"

"I can freaking introduce myself," her boyfriend complained. "I'm Iggy."

"Hi," the guy said before looking around again.

"This is Max, of course, and then this is Fang," Nudge told him, nodding at each of us in turn. "And then Angel should be here somewhere."

"She's late, just like you," I told her simply before glancing at her boyfriend. "I wanted to thank you, Peter, for sticking up for the Gasman today."

"Max," Gazzy complained, no doubt thinking that I was embarrassing him. "Stop it."

"It's no problem," the other teen assured me.

"Do you know that guy? The one that yelled at him? Because I-"

"Max," Gazzy hissed.

"What?" I frowned over at him. "I'm just-"

"Max," Fang mumbled softly to me, laying a hand on my thigh. "Let it go."

Letting out a long breath, I turned my attention back to the fire for a moment, watching as Dylan went to work scaling the fish, preparing them to be cooked. The only one that could even begin to manage them raw was Nudge. Just the thought of raw meat makes me want to barf.

"So…Peter, uh, what's your favorite type of plant?"

My eyes went back to Ella. "What did you just ask him?"

"I was drawing a blank, okay?"

"A sunflower, I guess?" Peter said slowly as he and Nudge took their seats. Looking around at all of us, he asked, "Was that the right answer?"

Iggy sighed. "You'll learn, young one, that there is no right answer."

"I would have said poison ivy. 'cause that's a Batman character," Gasman said, nodding his head. "'less you said poison oak, because that'd be like Professor Oak and-"

"Chill," Nudge told him, frowning slightly. "God, Ella was just being dumb, Peter. There was no right answer."

"Told you," Iggy said with a nod of his head. "And when you don't get the answer right, trust me you won't nearly a hundred percent of the time, they spy on you."

"What?"

"Iggy," Nudge hissed at him.

"Spy on you?"

"He's blind, Peter," Ella told him. "He has o idea what he's talking about."

"What does not being able to see have to do with anything?" Iggy frowned at her. "Being blind doesn't make me mentally retarded, Ella."

"I didn't say that it did, Iggy."

"That's practically what you said."

"Practically, but not exactly."

"Would you two knock it off?" Nudge frowned at them, no doubt mortified that we were fighting in front of her stupid possible boyfriend. Yeah. Like if they actually got together he wouldn't see much worse fights. Okay.

"Wonder where Angel is?" I mumbled to Fang as I shifted to lean slightly against him. "With Total, you think?"

"Maybe. Did anyone invite him to dinner?"

"No," I told him with a frown. "Why would we?"

"Well he is a member of-"

"Hi, guys. Sorry I was late. The team was celebrating our victory."

I frowned as Angel came into the clearing as well, a guest with her too.

Gasman glared at her. "It's not your team, Angel."

She just sent her brother a look before saying, "Max, Christina wanted to come eat with us."

"That's fine," I told her before glancing at Nudge. How hard was it to run these things by me before hand? Huh? "I-"

"You should have been there, Gazzy." Christina quickly abandoned Angel to go take her place next to her injured teammate. "Do you think you can play tomorrow/"

"I think so," Gazzy said before glancing at me. "If Max says so I mean."

I smiled at him slightly while Angel just glared at her brother. I think her whole reason for bringing his friend to dinner was either to rub it in his face that she was better friends with her or to embarrass him. Either way, it wasn't working.

"Fang," Angel said finally, rushing over to him. "I didn't get to see you after the game."

He started at her as she wiggled her way between him and I. "It's okay."

"Did you see when I scored the goal?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Is that where you were?" I asked. "Fang? Watching her play soccer?"

He smiled over Angel's head at me, a really big one considering who he was. No one else seemed to notice though. Sometimes it's like I'm the only one who can see the things he does while everyone else is oblivious. As if I really am spying, just not consciously.

Just like that the smile was gone and Fang was shrugging his shoulders, looking back at the fire. I let Angel snuggle against me, having to smile just from the sound of her laughter, her giggles the only ones that never annoyed me.

"Uh, could we get back to the spying thing or-"

"Not now, Peter," Nudge told him, still glaring at my sister who was busy being lectured by Iggy. "Spying, stalking, actively checking up on the person you care about. Who can really say what it is we do?'

"I can. You both spy on people," Iggy interrupted. "Ella, Nudge. You too, Max."

"A few times," Ella interrupted him. "It's not, like, we plan on doing it again or anything."

"Yeah," Nudge said, looking at her guest. "It was just a joke thing, really. I mean, Ella was the one that thought Iggy was cheating on-"

"Oh, whatever! Max was the one that thought Fang was-"

"Why can't we just leave the past in the past?" I asked them, glaring. "Sheesh."

"The past? You mean a few days ago?"

""The point is, Iggy, Peter, that we would never spy on you guys," Ella interrupted. "You either, Fang. It was a, uh, momentary lapse of judgment."

"I know it's hard to believe, but sometimes I have bad ideas," Nudge agreed.

"So hard to believe," Angel mumbled.

"Spying is immature," Christina told Gasman. Nudge just made a face at her while I sighed.

"Believe me, you'll get there one day," Ella told her.

"Anyways," I began then, not sure where I wanted to take the conversation, but certain I wanted it off that subject.

"How's your back, Fang?" Iggy asked then, no doubt wanting a new topic as well.

"Fine," he told him, though I knew that wasn't the truth.

"Really?"

"Yes, Iggy, I-"

"Actually, Fang, I got just the thing for you."

Fang and I both frowned when Dylan spoke. It was Fang that responded though.

"And what would that be?"

"I was talking to some of the scientists and they said that peppers help alleviate back pain." He smiled over at Fang and I, his now shaggy hair falling into his eyes. Recently, Dylan had come to remind me more of a little boy than anything else.

"Right," I said slowly, going ahead and assuming what he had said was truth. "So?"

"So, this fish is gonna be especially for you." Dylan smiled at him as he skewered one of the fish. "I'mma season it with a pepper that I traded for."

For a moment, we were all silent. Then, in a nearly hushed whisper, Iggy said, "Fang, whatever the hell you do, don't eat that shit."

"Iggy," I corrected, though I wasn't sure if it was because of his joke or because of his words. Either way, I was angry with him. "Behave. We have…guests."

"I'm not a kid, Max. You can't-"

"What is your problem with me recently? God. I didn't want to freaking spy on you, okay? It was your stupid girlfriend that wanted to. I really couldn't care less if you love her or not. Honestly."

"Max!"

I ignored Ella. "Well, Iggy? Was that what the problem was?"

"No," he snorted, not saying more.

"Then what is it? Huh? Why are you so-"

"Three weeks ago when we had that big island meeting, you thanked everyone, every freaking one, except me."

"What?"

"You did. You-"

"Are a kidding me?" I made a face at him though of course it was lost on the blind teen. "That's why you-"

"I do stuff around here, too, Max!"

"Iggy, I was thanking the people that help build the huts. Do you help build the huts?"

"Well-"

"You're blind, I know. You can't help do that stuff. It's not like a publicly shamed you. When I thank the people that help the scientists, do I thank Nudge? No. Because she doesn't help out with that kind of stuff. She…" I frowned, looking at Nudge. "What do you do?"

"Do is such a blurred lines kinda word, Max," she said slowly, clearly trying to buy time. "What do I do? What do you do? What do we all do? Do we serve a higher purpose? Do you? Who knows? Now I really think you should just get back to Iggy."

I gave her a look that made it clear this would be further discussed at a later time before looking back at Iggy. "My point, Iggy, is that when you're worth of praise, I give it. And not a second before. So don't act like a girl about stupid things, alright?"

"Whatever," he muttered.

"Okay, all better. Now come give me a hug."

"Max-"

"That's the only way you truly make up with someone."

He grumbled something under his breath and I let it go, knowing that I had won. I always win, after all.

"Here you go, Fang." Dylan handed off a skewered fish to my boyfriend, smiling like usual. "Especially for you."

Fang glanced over Angel's head at me as he took the stick, clearly not too thrilled from the thought of eating what was given to him. Angel giggled, no doubt picking up on this.

"It's okay, Fang," she assured him. "Dylan just wants you to feel better. Huh, Dylan?"

"That's right," he told Fang, nodding his head.

"Just eat it," Nudge told him, making a face. "If he poisoned it, you won't be affected. You have immunity to, like, everything, right?"

With one more glance at me, Fang shrugged his shoulders before taking a bite. After all, what else did he have to lose?

"I think I'm sick."

"Oh, Fang."

"I'm serious. The little prick is trying to off me."

It was the next morning and, though his back wasn't any better, we now knew that he hadn't been poisoned. Or at least I knew.

"Oh, shut up." I yawned, looking around before snuggling back against his chest. "Mmmm. What day is it?"

"I dunno."

"I think I have a meeting this morning."

"Bah, meetings." Fang shifted on the ground, though he kept his arms around me. "You stay here with me."

I patted his chest. "Sun's about to come up. I have to go soon."

"Not too soon."

"No, not too soon."

"You're gonna stay and snuggle with me some. 'cause we love each other and shit."

"No cursing," I mumbled, shutting my eyes again. "Don't let me oversleep."

"My poor little spy worn herself out yet?"

"Mmmm."

"You mean what you said about that though, huh? About all that spying stuff being done?"

"Completely."

"That's too bad. I thought it was kinda fun, you know, spying on Nudge."

"She is never to find out about that."

"I'm pretty good at it," Fang offered up. "Spying. 'cause I can be invisible and all."

"Who else would you spy on, Fang?"

"Everyone. I would become a master at it."

"A ninja," I mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah, exactly. A ninja."

"Ninja Fang."

"Hell yeah."

"Will you still be my raven? If you're Ninja Fang?"

"I'll be Raven."

"And my eagle?"

"Hawk, eagle, all of it." He brushed his lips against my ear, smiling slightly as he spoke. "Just so long as you'll always be my dove."

"Always."

"You know what doves bring, Max?"

"Peace?"

"Think so, yeah."

"That's a nice thing to-"

"You'd a crow, really."

"Shut up."

"Don't ruin the moment, Max."

"You already did."

I laid around with Fang for some time before getting up to head out to the labs. Fang stayed behind, giving me a kiss on the head and a request of more pain pills when I got the chance. Oh and I got another I love you. I mean, you spy on a guy one time and suddenly he's in love with you. Where was this my whole life?

"Max!"

I literally cringed as not soon after I touched down on the beach, my name was called out. It was more from the fact that I recognized the voice than anything else.

"I'm very busy," I said as I turned around to face Nudge, not shocked to find my sister with her. They were both cradling fruit, no doubt planning on meeting someone for breakfast. "I-"

"We were coming to get you," Ella told me. Then she held out her fruit. "We were going to take these to you and Fang and then get rid of him."

"Why?" I asked slowly.

"I think that Peter's cheating on me," Nudge announced. "And-"

"Nope. No. Na-ah." I turned then. "It's been, what? A few hours since you were last with him? Not to mention, I am not getting involved with-"

"We have to, Max," Ella interrupted. "Nudge helped us. Now we have to help her."

"Like, yeah," Nudge said, nodding her head. "You're going to help us spy on Peter."

"I can't. I told Fang that I was done with that."

"And you think that he believed you?" Ella asked, bemused. "Nudge and I told Peter the same thing. You think we meant it? Now that I know about Iggy's little hideaway, I'm going to sneak out there all the time to check in on him."

"Fang and I have an honest relationship," I told them.

"Was it honest when you thought he was cheating on you?"

"I-"

"We're girls, Max," Nudge told me. "It's no fun if you don't lie to your boyfriend, have secrets. Why else would you be with someone if not to have fun?"

"Because you love them," I told them, crossing my arms.

"You're really full of it, aren't you?"

"Shut up, Ella." I turned again. "Besides, I have work to do. I have to go talk to-"

"I told Mom that the Gasman still wasn't feeling well and you were taking care of him."

"You what?"

She backed away when I spun around to glare at her again. "I did it out of desperation, Max. I knew you wouldn't help if you had stuff to do. This is important."

"This is diver," Nudge confirmed.

"Uh, Nudge, I think you mean dire," Ella told her.

"No, I don't."

"Yeah, you do."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, you-"

"Alright, shut up!" I shook my head at the two of them. "I shouldn't be doing this. I really shouldn't-"

"Oh, you know you are." Ella shoved some fruit in my hand. "Hurry and eat. We've got some convert operations to get to."

"I thought we were going to spy on Peter?" Nudge whined as I allowed them to lead me down the beach.

"You're really not that smart, are you?" Ella sneered, glancing over at her.

"Shut up, Ella."

"No, shut up."

"No, you."

"You."

"No, you."

"No, you."

I hung my head before shaking it. Taking a bite of my apple, I looked at the two of them.

"I'll do this, but it's the last time," I told them both. "And this time, we are not going to get caught. Agreed?"

Ella nodded. "After this, everyone's all paid back. Agreed."

Nudge gave me a devious smile that told me with one look that she was lying through her teeth as she said, "Agreed."

And you know the worst thing? I knew it wasn't the last time. Because Nudge was right. I did enjoy this for some reason. God. How do I always get myself in these situations?

And Spy Games is over. Sorry this took so long to get out. I just couldn't end it. I really wasn't feeling it anymore. This does leave me without an active Maximum Ride story though. I still have Frost and Lanterns, technically, but I've been really into oneshots recently. They're killing me.