Survivors and Fly(Two oneshots)
Title: Survivors
Fandom: Maximum Ride
Rating: T for swearing, violence, and mild citrusy stuff
Word Count:2166 words
Summary: Not all the Erasers were killed when the School executed them...Eraser!fic
Ecstasy had known that something was wrong for a while now. The warning signs had been there, she had seen them. They all had.
But they were Erasers, and Erasers did not question their orders. Erasers mindlessly accepted what they were told. They weren’t allowed to decide what was right or wrong, and most of them couldn’t. It had been bred out of them.
Ecstasy and her sisters were different, though. Itex named them among their greatest successes: They were of the same caliber as Experiment 11, the fabled mind-reading Angel, Mars the first flying Eraser, the glorious Maximum Ride and her clone, even Generation Omega. They were all brilliantly intelligent, testing off-the-charts on practically every test in existence. Ecstasy had memorized the statistics of every attack plan, every mission, every experiment the School had produced, making her she a tactical genius. In terms of sheer intelligence, she was smarter than most of the scientists. Ember was the most cunning fighter alive, she was a one-Eraser army, even without weapons or morphing. She could kill 20 men with her bare hands and not muss her hair. Eros was the best markswoman any of them had ever seen, and to boot, a weapons expert.
Together, the three of them were the undisputed alpha females of the Erasers. Even the mighty Max 2, with all her pride, admitted her inferiority to them.
Then, Ember had made the three of them even more of a success. She had produced a viable Eraser child, a little female named Artemis with her beloved Apollo, without aid or the interference of the scientists. Her child was the future of the Erasers and of Itex; she was the beginning of the next generation. Eros was pregnant by her mate, Lee, due within a month.
They were indispensable, irreplaceable. No matter what happened to the other Erasers, they would not be touched.
But for the last few months, strange things had been happening. And now this, the final confirmation of what she had been dreading for a long time.
First, there had been the recall of all teams out in the field, including Ecstasy’s, which had been sent to recover the Flock. Ecstasy always cringed when she thought of the disgusting bird-children, who thought them brutes without minds or souls. So hunting them had been an enjoyable experience, especially after the School’s precious Maximum had killed Ecstasy’s only surviving brother, Einar. The knowledge that with every blow the Flock received, every cut, every bruise, her brother and the other Erasers they had killed were avenged a little bit more kept Ecstasy strong, made her what she was.
That hadn’t disturbed her too much, though in retrospect, it should have.
Then came the disappearance of Ari. Their leader-Both on the battlefield and off duty-had mysteriously vanished one day without a trace, shortly after Max 2 had been defeated by her predecessor and shipped off to Germany. There had been many rumors as to where Ari had gone: Some thought that he had joined Max 2 as a prisoner, others thought that the conglomeration of failures that was Ari had finally expired. One popular theory was that he had finally managed to capture Max. Though Max 2 and Ari had been furtive lovers, they didn’t get along outside of the bedroom, and it was well-known amongst the Erasers that Ari wanted to kidnap the real Max, make her love him. To Ecstasy, that had always seemed foolish; Why settle for an inferior life form-Though she had to admit, Maximum was very beautiful, and fierce like an Eraser-when he had half of the females throwing themselves at his feet? Then again, Ari did think differently than the others of their kind.
Ecstasy’s brain had begun to put together the pieces at this point. All the Erasers decommissioned, the only one the scientists gave a fuck about disappeared, and about two weeks ago, the first successful robot-Erasers had been produced. Those wretched machines threatened to replace the real Erasers, and Ecstasy knew that they were all nervous about it. But the School hadn’t said anything to them about it, and the Erasers knew that the ones who asked questions were the ones who were assigned to kamikaze missions. So they had been quiet, silently waiting for fate to dish out what it had in store for them. Sitting there, waiting, not knowing what was going to happen or having a thing to do would have driven a lesser Eraser to madness.
But the fear and sheer monotony hatched in Ecstasy’s brain a plan, a plan to find out what was going to happen to them.
The plan had involved selecting one of the weaker scientists that still had some importance and would know what was happening to them. That hadn’t taken long, and within a week, she had selected her target.
Seducing him had been the next step, which had been almost laughably easy. Some of the scientists maintained their dignity around the female Erasers, but most didn’t. The lure of gorgeous super-humans was too much for them to resist. After all, these men had been the comic book geeks of their time, and what geek doesn’t have the fantasy of making love with a non-human?
All she’d had to do was knick some more suggestive clothing from a younger female, then follow the scientist into an empty corridor, slam him against the wall, and purr a choice phrase into his ear.
“You’d be surprised what an Eraser tongue can do.”
Which was how she’d ended up back in his rooms, doing what an Eraser did best, besides kill. The combination of her wolf-like tongue and teeth had made him putty in her paws, and when she had asked him what the School was planning to do to the Erasers, he had only hesitated for a moment before telling her everything.
They were going to kill all the Erasers. Every last one of them, save Ari, who was nearing his expiration date and being hidden from the rest of them.
The fool had told her what building they were going to be locked it, what day, what time, even what gas they were going to use to kill them. Carbon dioxide, he had said, and lots of it.
And the irony of it all was that according to that lunatic, he’d created a serum that froze the breaking-down process in anyone, Erasers and humans alike. He had bragged to her that not only had he cheated death, he had ensured immortality for their descendants, as well. Only ten doses of it were in existence, though, all of which were hidden in his rooms.
Afterward, she’d slipped the whitecoat a drug she’d stolen earlier that would knock him out for a few hours, and when he woke up, he’d have a bad headache but wouldn’t remember anything.
Ecstasy’s sense of smell wasn’t as sharp as it had been as a pup, but within an hour, she’d managed to sniff out where he kept the serums, and brought them with her to the Eraser quarters.
The next few days had passed by in a blur as she had tried to prepare herself for their escape. She’d packed bags full of evaporated food, medical kits, weapons, clothes, everything they would need, but managed to keep them light, natural-looking. Erasers usually carried things around with them, and it wouldn’t be at all unusual for her and a few others to be wearing backpacks. She had prepared as best she could, then all she could do was wait.
And now, the night she had been dreading, but knew was coming, had finally arrived.
It had happened right after dinner. They’d all been in the Eraser wing of the building, talking and playing, relaxing. Then the various scientists in charge of their teams, along with the squadrons of human guards employed by the School, telling them that they had ten minutes to report to Building 7A.
That was how they had ended up in here, the building none of them had ever been allowed in before, with blank white walls and a white floor. Ecstasy glanced around, making sure her fellows escapees were near.
Deciding who was going to come had been a tough choice. Eros and Ember were in obviously, as were their mates and Artemis. Their mother, Ursula, would be able to keep up with them, so she was coming too. Their father and brothers had perished long ago, leaving three more antidotes.
Apollo’s younger brother, Hercules, she had decided, was in. Apollo’s twin, cruel, arrogant Mars, was out.
Then she had remembered Lyris, Lee’s sister, and her mate, Demetri. They were both good Erasers, and she liked them more than any of the other Erasers. In addition, Lyris was another one of the School’s greatest accomplishments: She had been trained as a knife-thrower, and had had a surgery performed on her that implanted four blades in each of her hands to be used as miniature metal claws, making her an amazing fighter.
When she had gathered them in her room and told them what was happening, they hadn’t been incredibly surprised. All the Erasers knew something bad was coming, but she had been the only one to act on it.
So now, they were all gathered near her, nervous but managing to act calm. Ember was carrying Artemis and had a bag filled with baby supplies slung over her shoulder, while both Hercules and Apollo had sacks full of clothing. A heavily pregnant Eros carried the lightest load out of all of them, and Lee had been assigned to help her and Ursula. Demetri and Lyris carried most of the food-Though Lyris had her knife-laden belt tucked under her jacket-and Ecstasy had their weapons.
Looking around, Ecstasy began to plan their escape, trying to find a weakness in the building. She had to admit, this structure was built to keep people in; the windows were small and high up, near the ceiling, eliminating them as an escape possibility. There were only two doors, one on each side of the building, surrounded by armed guards. One door led to the open desert, the other, the main School complex.
About twenty minutes later, their entire little group had worked its way forward so they stood nearest the door. Ecstasy was wondering how she was going to get them out quietly when suddenly the room went dark, and the massive screen on the opposite wall flickered to life. An attractive blonde woman appeared on the screen, looking calm as she said, “Greetings, Erasers. I trust that by now you know what is going to happen, that you have become outdated and useless. Your replacements, the robots, are an astounding success, and without further ado…”
She continued to talk, but Ecstasy ignored her, instead, putting the final phase of her plan into order.
Most of the guards had dispersed throughout the crowd to keep the Erasers under control, and now, only one nervous-looking recruit stood between them and freedom.
Ecstasy felt her insides quiver slightly as she thought about breaking the rules and escaping forever, but squelched the nervousness instantly.
Fear is only in your head. This is real. This is life or death. She told herself firmly. Taking a step forward, she wrapped her arms around the guard’s skinny waist and pulled him in for a kiss. He didn’t seem to know how to react, frozen in her embrace. Slowly, deliberately, she traced a hand up his back and rested it on his neck. He sighed softly, seemingly unaware of what she was about to do.
Ecstasy’s slim fingers found a certain nerve and pinched it tightly between her fingers, squeezing it with a deadly grip. Her victim attempted to let out a shout of alarm, but her mouth muffled it, and everyone remained oblivious to the fact that he was being killed in front of all them.
Ecstasy’s perfect brow furrowed in frustration. Why wouldn’t the stupid little human die? She twisted her hand sharply to the left, which seemed to work. His hands clawed at her back desperately, but to no avail. She held tight, and a moment later, he stopped struggling. She released his neck, pressing her fingers to where his pulse should have been.
Nothing.
Smiling, Ecstasy propped the man against the wall, and pulled the ring of keys from his belt. The others were standing right behind her as she unlocked the door, and then the ten of them were outside, standing out in the cool evening air.
And then the screaming began. Erasers were howling, wailing, pleading with a nonexistent savior.
But there was nothing they could do, but run.
Running through the desert, Ecstasy only slowed once she was sure they were out of range. The screams of the trapped Erasers still reverberated in her ears, but she forced herself not to look back.
They were the future, and the future could not change the past.
And the second oneshot...
Title: Fly
Fandom: Maximum Ride
Rating: R for character death, mild citrus, and suicide
Word Count: 3018
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." -- Leonardo Da Vinci
He found her sitting there, at her spot beneath the tree, a sleeping Aldora curled up in her lap. She was staring, staring up at the circling hawks, swooping and soaring above the earth. He sighed; this is where she spent most of her free time, watching the hawks fly.
“Max.” She didn’t respond, but he knew that she could hear him. She just chose not to.
With a sigh, he plopped down next to her in the thick, luxurious green grass, following her gaze.
A moment passed, neither of them spoke. Resting his head on her shoulder, he whispered, “Max, darling, come back to the house. It’s getting late, Aldora needs to go to bed.” Then as a playful afterthought, he added, “It’s time for us to go to bed, too. Don’t you want to?”
She ignored his words, instead saying, “I’ve named my hawks. The one that calls to the others a lot, with the speckled plumage-” Max raised a finger, pointing towards a hawk looping in wide, lazy circles-“, her name is Nudge. Then there’s the biggest one, the one that’s blind in one eye. I named him Iggy.” This hawk flew nearest to the one she called Nudge, who let out a series of piercing cries, signaling for him to follow her. “They’re mates, I think. Then there’s the siblings, the two littler ones. A boy and a girl, I named them Gazzy and Angel. Angel’s the one with the white wing-tips, you see?”
Ari opened his mouth to say something, but Max cut him off, sounding excited, “And that one there, my favorite, the big dark one, Fang. He’s the oldest, I think, and he hunts the most. Look, he’s seen something!”
And sure enough, the great black hawk that had captured Max’s attention suddenly pulled into a steep dive, slicing through the air like a black arrow. For a minute, he vanished from their field of vision as he plummeted below the edge of the cliff.
Several heart-pounding moments later, he shot up again, clutching a snake in his beak. Max’s face split into a huge grin, and she clapped her hands. “He got it, love, he got it!” In her joy, she forgot that their sleeping daughter was in her lap, and hugged him tightly. Aldora fell from her lap onto the grass. Startled from her nap, she let out a shocked wail.
Max immediately scooped the three-year-old up, pulling her into her arms, squeezing her tightly as she murmured words of comfort in her ear. The child quieted slightly, but still sniffled. After a minute, she said in her sweet voice, “Daddy?” She turned to look at him, opening her arms wide as her lower lip trembled. Ari pulled Aldora into his arms, and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the warm autumn evening. When he opened his eyes, he smiled, expecting to see Max watching him and Aldora. Instead, she was staring towards the hawks. One of them-Ari would guess that it was the one called Nudge-had caught a rat, and was sharing it in mid-air with her mate.
Ari frowned, standing up, expecting Max to follow suit. She didn’t, gazing out at the horizon.
“Come on, let’s go to the house.”
Max ignored him. Sighing, he tried another tactic.
“Look, Aldora’s shivering. Do you want her to be cold?”
That confused him; normally, Max had enough maternal instincts for a dozen women and would have been sprinting back to the house to warm Aldora up. And yet she still ignored him.
Maybe she hadn’t heard him. Perhaps that was why she seemed oblivious to him and Aldora.
“Max?”
Frustrated, he bent down, touching her lightly on the shoulder. Max gave a start, as if he had awakened her from a trance.
“Come on, Max, Aldora and I are going up to the house.”
Slowly, she rose, her eyes not leaving the hawks, who were settling down in various crevices.
Ari took several steps forward, but Max didn’t follow. Instead, she watched Iggy and Nudge tuck their wings in and land neatly on a ledge that overlooked a dizzying drop.
“Max!” He grabbed her hand, and began to pull her behind him, towing her away from the hawks. She stumbled behind him, reluctantly following, her head still turned toward the cliffs.
Icarus flew too close to the sun.
--Greek Mythology
About a half-hour later, Ari had Aldora tucked into bed, and was kneeling in front of her small white bookshelf. “Now, what book do you want to read tonight?”
Max’s voice came from the doorway, “Actually, I was going to read something to her tonight, if that’s okay.” Ari noticed that she held a thick green book he had never seen before, but her arm covered the title.
Ari shrugged. “Sure, I was going to take a shower.”
Max shot him a grateful smile, then laid down next to Aldora. Ari walked down the hallway to their bathroom, grateful for the opportunity to bathe. Aldora had taken over their lives, and neither had a lot of time for personal hygiene.
When, about twenty minutes later, Ari returned, Max was saying, “And Icarus flew too close to the sun, even though his father warned him not too. The wax holding his feathers together melted, and Icarus fell down into the ocean and drowned. And Daedalus was sad, because even though he warned his son, Icarus did not obey, and for that, he paid the price.” She shut the book, then smiled warmly at their daughter. “Did you like it?”
Aldora shrugged, and Ari was struck by how similar she looked to Max. Their faces were virtually identical, though Max’s face was a bit leaner. “It was okay, Mama. But people can’t fly, so why did Da…Da…”
Max gently prompted, “Daedalus?”
Aldora nodded, sending her dark curls bouncing around her head. “Why did he even try?”
“But people can fly, Aldora. I used to.”
The little girl perked up, a smile lighting up her small face. “Really?”
“Yes. And daddy still can now.”
“Tell me! Tell me!”
She smiled. “Not tonight, love, it’s too late. But if you go to sleep now, I’ll tell you all about it in the morning. Night night, honey. I love you.” She leaned in, pressing a kiss to Aldora’s forehead.
“Love you, Mommy. And you too, Daddy.” She yawned, obviously fighting the urge to drift off.
Max stood up, turning off the light as she left the room, walking back to their bedroom in silence. Ari followed her, sitting down on the bed, and watching as Max peeled off her blue shirt. He could see the scars where, after cutting after her wings ten years ago, he had cauterized the wounds, leaving two silver-dollar sized burn marks.
She sat down on the bed in front of him, and asked, “Ari, my back’s been really tight lately, would you mind rubbing it?”
Ari obeyed, saying, “Why did you read that story to Aldora? She doesn’t need to be hearing about little kids drowning in the ocean because their wings melted. She’ll be scared to fly, once she’s old enough.” Aldora had wings, but they were small and so far undeveloped, and they hadn’t told her what they were for yet. They knew she would figure it out in due time, and they would teach her when that time came.
Max didn’t response for a few minutes, and Ari didn’t question her silence. She spoke when she wanted to, and until then, he wouldn’t be able to pry a word from her. “I just…I wanted to tell her that story. And it worked, she’s asleep now.” She turned suddenly, a suggestive grin on her face. “Now, do you want to work on my front?” Her hands grabbed Ari’s shoulders, and she pulled him down onto her.
Higher, ever higher.
--Georges Chavez
Ari moaned, pulling Max close as she dug her nails into his sweaty, slick back. She pressed her face to his shoulder, murmuring incoherent praises into his shoulder.
A moment later, her nails pierced his skin, finishing him. She pulled them both back down onto the bed, and stopped rocking.
He frowned, “You didn’t -“
“Not tonight. I’m tired.
Ari said softly, “What’s wrong?”
“I want to fly.”
He smiled, kissing her shoulder. “I’ll take you out tomorrow, when Aldora takes her nap. We can fly with the hawks, if you want.”
She shook her head, fingers stroking the bases of his wings. “No, Ari, I want to fly. On my own, with my wings.”
Ari hissed as Max’s fingers played with his smaller feathers close to his back. “You know you can’t do that, Max. I’m sorry, but…your wings are gone. You can’t get them back. Your days of flying on your own…those are over.”
She sighed, turning her head away from him. Ari realized what he had said, and nuzzled her neck in an attempt to console her. He continued, “But you’re happy now, even without the Flock or your wings. You have me, and I love you so much. And you love me too, so we’re happy. You’ve got a beautiful home away from the rest of the world, where we can live together in peace. You’ve got Aldora, your beautiful daughter who adores you, and more babies in the future. Our lives are perfect, Max, and if you just let go of the Flock and your old life, you’ll be happy forever.”
Max said slowly, “I guess…I guess you’re right.” With a sigh, she shut her eyes, and murmured, “’Night.”
Ari whispered, “Love you.” Then he reached over and turned off the light, and drifted off to sleep.
My soul is in the sky.
- William Shakespeare, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' Act V. Scene I.
Ari smiled faintly in his sleep. Aldora’s third birthday had come and gone, and her little wings were growing. Soon, it would be time for her to fly. And once she was able to fly, it would be time for them to start trying for another child. He couldn’t wait to have another baby, another one to love and protect.
A noise startles him from sleep. A man’s voice, talking faintly about something Ari couldn’t make out. He sat up, listening for a moment before he realized what it was.
The TV. Max was doing it again.
With a sigh, he slid out of bed, walking down the hallway to their living room. Not surprisingly, Max was sitting in front of the television, wide awake. He sat down next to her, and watched the TV for a moment. It was a documentary on flight throughout the ages.
Ari pulled Max close, said affectionately, “Come on, Max, what are you doing up this late? It’s three in the morning, you should be in bed right now.”
She shook her head slowly, eyes not moving from the screen. “I wanted to watch this.”
“Do you want me to record it for you, so you can watch it in the morning?”
“No, I want to watch it now.”
They were both quiet for a minute, when suddenly, Max let out a strangled sob, dropping her face into her hands. Alarmed, Ari tried to reach out to her, but she recoiled, pulling away. “I miss it, Ari!”
“Miss what?”
She looked at him with an expression of pure disgust on her face, the tears only highlighting it. “Flying, Ari, I miss flying! Not being carried around like a doll, but actually flying! With my own two wings! I want to fly, I need to, I have to! I’m supposed to fly, my soul, my soul is in the sky! I thought I could be happy here on the ground with you and Aldora, but I’m not! I want to fly! I want to fly!” She went limp, collapsing on the couch.
Hesitantly, he reached out, pulling her into his arms. Pressing his face against the top of her head, he murmured, “It’s alright, Max, it’s going to be okay. We’re going to be fine, Max.” She shook her head, tears dampening the worn fabric of the couch as she mumbled unintelligible things into his chest. At some point, she fell asleep, but Ari remained awake, holding his wife, wondering was becoming of her.
What's the hurry? Are you afraid I won't come back?
- Manfred von Richthofen
The next morning, Ari was making their breakfast when Max and Aldora came into the kitchen, both dressed. After Aldora chirped a hello to Ari and began to play with their cat, Max came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing his cheek.
“Hey.” She sounded happy, calm, perfectly normal. Like last night had never happened.
“Hi.”
Max rested her head on his shoulder, staring at something out the window in front of him. A moment later, she said cheerily, “So, watcha making?”
“Chocolate-chip pancakes.”
She smiled, “Can I have a bit of the batter?”
He shrugged. “Help yourself.” He knew he was being a bit short with her, but her behavior the night before had shaken him to the core.
She stuck a finger into it, scooping some of the creamy mix onto her finger, along with a chocolate chip, then popped it into her mouth. “Delicious.” Stepping back from him, he heard her shoes click on the floor. She called to Aldora, and then her voice came from the door. “Aldora and I are going to go out for a walk by the cliffs, call us when it’s ready, okay?”
“Have fun.” His voice was distracted, and he hadn’t really processed what she said.
She gave a short laugh. “Oh, we will.”
Suddenly, it sank in.
“We’re going to the cliffs.”
“Have fun.”
“Oh, we will.”
He felt frozen for a moment, then spun around, and shouted, “Max!”
She was halfway out the door, Aldora already outside, and turned slowly to look at him. “What, Ari?”
It took Ari a moment to come up with something to say. “Just…be careful out there. Don’t do anything crazy.”
Max shot him a smile. “Are you afraid I won’t come back?” Not waiting for an answer she said, “Well, your concern is valid. Because some day, who knows? I might not.” With that, she turned around and walked away.
Do you hear the rain? Do you hear the rain?
- Jessica Dubrof
Lying in their bed that night, Max dragged her fingertips across Ari’s chest, and purred in his ear, “Do you hear it? Do you hear the rain? I love the rain. I love flying in it. And soon, I’m going to fly in it again.” She laughed, rocking atop him, tracing circles on his chest. And then she leaned down, capturing Ari’s mouth with a kiss, and murmured against his lips. “I’m going to fly in the rain.”
The most beautiful dream that has haunted the heart of man since Icarus is today reality.
- Louis Bleriot
When Ari woke up, he reached over to Max’s side of the bed, expecting to feel her warm body there, as always.
Aside from him, the bed was empty.
Ari was out of the bed and running down the hallway, looking into the rooms he passed. The TV was off, the kitchen empty.
His heart pounding furiously, he ducked into Aldora’s room. His last hope.
Aldora was peacefully sleeping. Alone.
And then something hit him. A cool breeze washed across his face, lifting his scraggly hair, sliding it in caressing strokes along his cheeks. The door was open.
It felt like his heart stopped beating in his chest. Oh, no.
Max was standing on the very edge of the cliff, her toes curled around the rim. She smiled down at the steep drop. There was a strange beauty to this, the sheer cliff face that would bring her to her end. The canyon was about fifty feet deep, more than enough to kill her on impact. More importantly, this was right by the hawks’ nests, her favorite place in the world.
The sound of running feet met her ears, but Max didn’t turn around. Instead, she said, “Hello, love.”
Ari was breathing hard, “Max…Max, please don’t do this. Don’t do it!” His wet hair stuck to his face and neck, giving him a doglike appearance.
She ignored him, and her tone became more gentle. “Don’t try to jump after me. You won’t be able to pull up in time, and Aldora needs a father.” The frigid rain was falling hard and fast now, and had plastered her clothes to her body.
“No. I’m going to save you, no matter what it takes.”
Her voice changed, becoming hard and cruel. “Why won’t you just shut up and let me die, Ari? You know I’ll be happier gone.”
“Please…Max…what will I tell Aldora? That her mother was too weak to live without flying, that her mother abandoned her just because she missed flying?”
She turned back towards the cliff, looking at the drop that awaited her. “Tell Aldora I love her. I wanted to be happy with you and her, really, I did. And I do love you, Ari, but it’s not…it’s not enough.”
“If you loved us, you won’t do this.”
Max shook her head. “I have made my choice. Now it’s time for you to make yours.” She gave him a sad smile, and said softly, “I love you, Ari, and I’ll be waiting for you. But for now, it just wasn’t meant to be.”
She took a single step forward, and was gone.
Ari lunged forward, wings snapping out as he dove off the cliff after her, but in his heart, he knew it was too late. His legs buckled on impact-She had been right, the canyon was too shallow for him to be able to pull up, even if he had caught her-, and he knelt next to her body.
Max had clearly died on impact, which comforted him slightly; at least she hadn’t suffered. Her eyes were still open, brown and lifeless as they stared up at the night sky. Blonde hair was streaked with blood that seemed to form a halo around her head, and her arms were outspread.
On her lips was the frozen remnant of her final smile.
Ari collapsed onto the rocks, tears mingling with the rain as he cried.
And when an Eraser weeps, the world has lost something truly irreplaceable.
Fandom: Maximum Ride
Rating: T for swearing, violence, and mild citrusy stuff
Word Count:2166 words
Summary: Not all the Erasers were killed when the School executed them...Eraser!fic
Ecstasy had known that something was wrong for a while now. The warning signs had been there, she had seen them. They all had.
But they were Erasers, and Erasers did not question their orders. Erasers mindlessly accepted what they were told. They weren’t allowed to decide what was right or wrong, and most of them couldn’t. It had been bred out of them.
Ecstasy and her sisters were different, though. Itex named them among their greatest successes: They were of the same caliber as Experiment 11, the fabled mind-reading Angel, Mars the first flying Eraser, the glorious Maximum Ride and her clone, even Generation Omega. They were all brilliantly intelligent, testing off-the-charts on practically every test in existence. Ecstasy had memorized the statistics of every attack plan, every mission, every experiment the School had produced, making her she a tactical genius. In terms of sheer intelligence, she was smarter than most of the scientists. Ember was the most cunning fighter alive, she was a one-Eraser army, even without weapons or morphing. She could kill 20 men with her bare hands and not muss her hair. Eros was the best markswoman any of them had ever seen, and to boot, a weapons expert.
Together, the three of them were the undisputed alpha females of the Erasers. Even the mighty Max 2, with all her pride, admitted her inferiority to them.
Then, Ember had made the three of them even more of a success. She had produced a viable Eraser child, a little female named Artemis with her beloved Apollo, without aid or the interference of the scientists. Her child was the future of the Erasers and of Itex; she was the beginning of the next generation. Eros was pregnant by her mate, Lee, due within a month.
They were indispensable, irreplaceable. No matter what happened to the other Erasers, they would not be touched.
But for the last few months, strange things had been happening. And now this, the final confirmation of what she had been dreading for a long time.
First, there had been the recall of all teams out in the field, including Ecstasy’s, which had been sent to recover the Flock. Ecstasy always cringed when she thought of the disgusting bird-children, who thought them brutes without minds or souls. So hunting them had been an enjoyable experience, especially after the School’s precious Maximum had killed Ecstasy’s only surviving brother, Einar. The knowledge that with every blow the Flock received, every cut, every bruise, her brother and the other Erasers they had killed were avenged a little bit more kept Ecstasy strong, made her what she was.
That hadn’t disturbed her too much, though in retrospect, it should have.
Then came the disappearance of Ari. Their leader-Both on the battlefield and off duty-had mysteriously vanished one day without a trace, shortly after Max 2 had been defeated by her predecessor and shipped off to Germany. There had been many rumors as to where Ari had gone: Some thought that he had joined Max 2 as a prisoner, others thought that the conglomeration of failures that was Ari had finally expired. One popular theory was that he had finally managed to capture Max. Though Max 2 and Ari had been furtive lovers, they didn’t get along outside of the bedroom, and it was well-known amongst the Erasers that Ari wanted to kidnap the real Max, make her love him. To Ecstasy, that had always seemed foolish; Why settle for an inferior life form-Though she had to admit, Maximum was very beautiful, and fierce like an Eraser-when he had half of the females throwing themselves at his feet? Then again, Ari did think differently than the others of their kind.
Ecstasy’s brain had begun to put together the pieces at this point. All the Erasers decommissioned, the only one the scientists gave a fuck about disappeared, and about two weeks ago, the first successful robot-Erasers had been produced. Those wretched machines threatened to replace the real Erasers, and Ecstasy knew that they were all nervous about it. But the School hadn’t said anything to them about it, and the Erasers knew that the ones who asked questions were the ones who were assigned to kamikaze missions. So they had been quiet, silently waiting for fate to dish out what it had in store for them. Sitting there, waiting, not knowing what was going to happen or having a thing to do would have driven a lesser Eraser to madness.
But the fear and sheer monotony hatched in Ecstasy’s brain a plan, a plan to find out what was going to happen to them.
The plan had involved selecting one of the weaker scientists that still had some importance and would know what was happening to them. That hadn’t taken long, and within a week, she had selected her target.
Seducing him had been the next step, which had been almost laughably easy. Some of the scientists maintained their dignity around the female Erasers, but most didn’t. The lure of gorgeous super-humans was too much for them to resist. After all, these men had been the comic book geeks of their time, and what geek doesn’t have the fantasy of making love with a non-human?
All she’d had to do was knick some more suggestive clothing from a younger female, then follow the scientist into an empty corridor, slam him against the wall, and purr a choice phrase into his ear.
“You’d be surprised what an Eraser tongue can do.”
Which was how she’d ended up back in his rooms, doing what an Eraser did best, besides kill. The combination of her wolf-like tongue and teeth had made him putty in her paws, and when she had asked him what the School was planning to do to the Erasers, he had only hesitated for a moment before telling her everything.
They were going to kill all the Erasers. Every last one of them, save Ari, who was nearing his expiration date and being hidden from the rest of them.
The fool had told her what building they were going to be locked it, what day, what time, even what gas they were going to use to kill them. Carbon dioxide, he had said, and lots of it.
And the irony of it all was that according to that lunatic, he’d created a serum that froze the breaking-down process in anyone, Erasers and humans alike. He had bragged to her that not only had he cheated death, he had ensured immortality for their descendants, as well. Only ten doses of it were in existence, though, all of which were hidden in his rooms.
Afterward, she’d slipped the whitecoat a drug she’d stolen earlier that would knock him out for a few hours, and when he woke up, he’d have a bad headache but wouldn’t remember anything.
Ecstasy’s sense of smell wasn’t as sharp as it had been as a pup, but within an hour, she’d managed to sniff out where he kept the serums, and brought them with her to the Eraser quarters.
The next few days had passed by in a blur as she had tried to prepare herself for their escape. She’d packed bags full of evaporated food, medical kits, weapons, clothes, everything they would need, but managed to keep them light, natural-looking. Erasers usually carried things around with them, and it wouldn’t be at all unusual for her and a few others to be wearing backpacks. She had prepared as best she could, then all she could do was wait.
And now, the night she had been dreading, but knew was coming, had finally arrived.
It had happened right after dinner. They’d all been in the Eraser wing of the building, talking and playing, relaxing. Then the various scientists in charge of their teams, along with the squadrons of human guards employed by the School, telling them that they had ten minutes to report to Building 7A.
That was how they had ended up in here, the building none of them had ever been allowed in before, with blank white walls and a white floor. Ecstasy glanced around, making sure her fellows escapees were near.
Deciding who was going to come had been a tough choice. Eros and Ember were in obviously, as were their mates and Artemis. Their mother, Ursula, would be able to keep up with them, so she was coming too. Their father and brothers had perished long ago, leaving three more antidotes.
Apollo’s younger brother, Hercules, she had decided, was in. Apollo’s twin, cruel, arrogant Mars, was out.
Then she had remembered Lyris, Lee’s sister, and her mate, Demetri. They were both good Erasers, and she liked them more than any of the other Erasers. In addition, Lyris was another one of the School’s greatest accomplishments: She had been trained as a knife-thrower, and had had a surgery performed on her that implanted four blades in each of her hands to be used as miniature metal claws, making her an amazing fighter.
When she had gathered them in her room and told them what was happening, they hadn’t been incredibly surprised. All the Erasers knew something bad was coming, but she had been the only one to act on it.
So now, they were all gathered near her, nervous but managing to act calm. Ember was carrying Artemis and had a bag filled with baby supplies slung over her shoulder, while both Hercules and Apollo had sacks full of clothing. A heavily pregnant Eros carried the lightest load out of all of them, and Lee had been assigned to help her and Ursula. Demetri and Lyris carried most of the food-Though Lyris had her knife-laden belt tucked under her jacket-and Ecstasy had their weapons.
Looking around, Ecstasy began to plan their escape, trying to find a weakness in the building. She had to admit, this structure was built to keep people in; the windows were small and high up, near the ceiling, eliminating them as an escape possibility. There were only two doors, one on each side of the building, surrounded by armed guards. One door led to the open desert, the other, the main School complex.
About twenty minutes later, their entire little group had worked its way forward so they stood nearest the door. Ecstasy was wondering how she was going to get them out quietly when suddenly the room went dark, and the massive screen on the opposite wall flickered to life. An attractive blonde woman appeared on the screen, looking calm as she said, “Greetings, Erasers. I trust that by now you know what is going to happen, that you have become outdated and useless. Your replacements, the robots, are an astounding success, and without further ado…”
She continued to talk, but Ecstasy ignored her, instead, putting the final phase of her plan into order.
Most of the guards had dispersed throughout the crowd to keep the Erasers under control, and now, only one nervous-looking recruit stood between them and freedom.
Ecstasy felt her insides quiver slightly as she thought about breaking the rules and escaping forever, but squelched the nervousness instantly.
Fear is only in your head. This is real. This is life or death. She told herself firmly. Taking a step forward, she wrapped her arms around the guard’s skinny waist and pulled him in for a kiss. He didn’t seem to know how to react, frozen in her embrace. Slowly, deliberately, she traced a hand up his back and rested it on his neck. He sighed softly, seemingly unaware of what she was about to do.
Ecstasy’s slim fingers found a certain nerve and pinched it tightly between her fingers, squeezing it with a deadly grip. Her victim attempted to let out a shout of alarm, but her mouth muffled it, and everyone remained oblivious to the fact that he was being killed in front of all them.
Ecstasy’s perfect brow furrowed in frustration. Why wouldn’t the stupid little human die? She twisted her hand sharply to the left, which seemed to work. His hands clawed at her back desperately, but to no avail. She held tight, and a moment later, he stopped struggling. She released his neck, pressing her fingers to where his pulse should have been.
Nothing.
Smiling, Ecstasy propped the man against the wall, and pulled the ring of keys from his belt. The others were standing right behind her as she unlocked the door, and then the ten of them were outside, standing out in the cool evening air.
And then the screaming began. Erasers were howling, wailing, pleading with a nonexistent savior.
But there was nothing they could do, but run.
Running through the desert, Ecstasy only slowed once she was sure they were out of range. The screams of the trapped Erasers still reverberated in her ears, but she forced herself not to look back.
They were the future, and the future could not change the past.
And the second oneshot...
Title: Fly
Fandom: Maximum Ride
Rating: R for character death, mild citrus, and suicide
Word Count: 3018
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." -- Leonardo Da Vinci
He found her sitting there, at her spot beneath the tree, a sleeping Aldora curled up in her lap. She was staring, staring up at the circling hawks, swooping and soaring above the earth. He sighed; this is where she spent most of her free time, watching the hawks fly.
“Max.” She didn’t respond, but he knew that she could hear him. She just chose not to.
With a sigh, he plopped down next to her in the thick, luxurious green grass, following her gaze.
A moment passed, neither of them spoke. Resting his head on her shoulder, he whispered, “Max, darling, come back to the house. It’s getting late, Aldora needs to go to bed.” Then as a playful afterthought, he added, “It’s time for us to go to bed, too. Don’t you want to?”
She ignored his words, instead saying, “I’ve named my hawks. The one that calls to the others a lot, with the speckled plumage-” Max raised a finger, pointing towards a hawk looping in wide, lazy circles-“, her name is Nudge. Then there’s the biggest one, the one that’s blind in one eye. I named him Iggy.” This hawk flew nearest to the one she called Nudge, who let out a series of piercing cries, signaling for him to follow her. “They’re mates, I think. Then there’s the siblings, the two littler ones. A boy and a girl, I named them Gazzy and Angel. Angel’s the one with the white wing-tips, you see?”
Ari opened his mouth to say something, but Max cut him off, sounding excited, “And that one there, my favorite, the big dark one, Fang. He’s the oldest, I think, and he hunts the most. Look, he’s seen something!”
And sure enough, the great black hawk that had captured Max’s attention suddenly pulled into a steep dive, slicing through the air like a black arrow. For a minute, he vanished from their field of vision as he plummeted below the edge of the cliff.
Several heart-pounding moments later, he shot up again, clutching a snake in his beak. Max’s face split into a huge grin, and she clapped her hands. “He got it, love, he got it!” In her joy, she forgot that their sleeping daughter was in her lap, and hugged him tightly. Aldora fell from her lap onto the grass. Startled from her nap, she let out a shocked wail.
Max immediately scooped the three-year-old up, pulling her into her arms, squeezing her tightly as she murmured words of comfort in her ear. The child quieted slightly, but still sniffled. After a minute, she said in her sweet voice, “Daddy?” She turned to look at him, opening her arms wide as her lower lip trembled. Ari pulled Aldora into his arms, and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the warm autumn evening. When he opened his eyes, he smiled, expecting to see Max watching him and Aldora. Instead, she was staring towards the hawks. One of them-Ari would guess that it was the one called Nudge-had caught a rat, and was sharing it in mid-air with her mate.
Ari frowned, standing up, expecting Max to follow suit. She didn’t, gazing out at the horizon.
“Come on, let’s go to the house.”
Max ignored him. Sighing, he tried another tactic.
“Look, Aldora’s shivering. Do you want her to be cold?”
That confused him; normally, Max had enough maternal instincts for a dozen women and would have been sprinting back to the house to warm Aldora up. And yet she still ignored him.
Maybe she hadn’t heard him. Perhaps that was why she seemed oblivious to him and Aldora.
“Max?”
Frustrated, he bent down, touching her lightly on the shoulder. Max gave a start, as if he had awakened her from a trance.
“Come on, Max, Aldora and I are going up to the house.”
Slowly, she rose, her eyes not leaving the hawks, who were settling down in various crevices.
Ari took several steps forward, but Max didn’t follow. Instead, she watched Iggy and Nudge tuck their wings in and land neatly on a ledge that overlooked a dizzying drop.
“Max!” He grabbed her hand, and began to pull her behind him, towing her away from the hawks. She stumbled behind him, reluctantly following, her head still turned toward the cliffs.
Icarus flew too close to the sun.
--Greek Mythology
About a half-hour later, Ari had Aldora tucked into bed, and was kneeling in front of her small white bookshelf. “Now, what book do you want to read tonight?”
Max’s voice came from the doorway, “Actually, I was going to read something to her tonight, if that’s okay.” Ari noticed that she held a thick green book he had never seen before, but her arm covered the title.
Ari shrugged. “Sure, I was going to take a shower.”
Max shot him a grateful smile, then laid down next to Aldora. Ari walked down the hallway to their bathroom, grateful for the opportunity to bathe. Aldora had taken over their lives, and neither had a lot of time for personal hygiene.
When, about twenty minutes later, Ari returned, Max was saying, “And Icarus flew too close to the sun, even though his father warned him not too. The wax holding his feathers together melted, and Icarus fell down into the ocean and drowned. And Daedalus was sad, because even though he warned his son, Icarus did not obey, and for that, he paid the price.” She shut the book, then smiled warmly at their daughter. “Did you like it?”
Aldora shrugged, and Ari was struck by how similar she looked to Max. Their faces were virtually identical, though Max’s face was a bit leaner. “It was okay, Mama. But people can’t fly, so why did Da…Da…”
Max gently prompted, “Daedalus?”
Aldora nodded, sending her dark curls bouncing around her head. “Why did he even try?”
“But people can fly, Aldora. I used to.”
The little girl perked up, a smile lighting up her small face. “Really?”
“Yes. And daddy still can now.”
“Tell me! Tell me!”
She smiled. “Not tonight, love, it’s too late. But if you go to sleep now, I’ll tell you all about it in the morning. Night night, honey. I love you.” She leaned in, pressing a kiss to Aldora’s forehead.
“Love you, Mommy. And you too, Daddy.” She yawned, obviously fighting the urge to drift off.
Max stood up, turning off the light as she left the room, walking back to their bedroom in silence. Ari followed her, sitting down on the bed, and watching as Max peeled off her blue shirt. He could see the scars where, after cutting after her wings ten years ago, he had cauterized the wounds, leaving two silver-dollar sized burn marks.
She sat down on the bed in front of him, and asked, “Ari, my back’s been really tight lately, would you mind rubbing it?”
Ari obeyed, saying, “Why did you read that story to Aldora? She doesn’t need to be hearing about little kids drowning in the ocean because their wings melted. She’ll be scared to fly, once she’s old enough.” Aldora had wings, but they were small and so far undeveloped, and they hadn’t told her what they were for yet. They knew she would figure it out in due time, and they would teach her when that time came.
Max didn’t response for a few minutes, and Ari didn’t question her silence. She spoke when she wanted to, and until then, he wouldn’t be able to pry a word from her. “I just…I wanted to tell her that story. And it worked, she’s asleep now.” She turned suddenly, a suggestive grin on her face. “Now, do you want to work on my front?” Her hands grabbed Ari’s shoulders, and she pulled him down onto her.
Higher, ever higher.
--Georges Chavez
Ari moaned, pulling Max close as she dug her nails into his sweaty, slick back. She pressed her face to his shoulder, murmuring incoherent praises into his shoulder.
A moment later, her nails pierced his skin, finishing him. She pulled them both back down onto the bed, and stopped rocking.
He frowned, “You didn’t -“
“Not tonight. I’m tired.
Ari said softly, “What’s wrong?”
“I want to fly.”
He smiled, kissing her shoulder. “I’ll take you out tomorrow, when Aldora takes her nap. We can fly with the hawks, if you want.”
She shook her head, fingers stroking the bases of his wings. “No, Ari, I want to fly. On my own, with my wings.”
Ari hissed as Max’s fingers played with his smaller feathers close to his back. “You know you can’t do that, Max. I’m sorry, but…your wings are gone. You can’t get them back. Your days of flying on your own…those are over.”
She sighed, turning her head away from him. Ari realized what he had said, and nuzzled her neck in an attempt to console her. He continued, “But you’re happy now, even without the Flock or your wings. You have me, and I love you so much. And you love me too, so we’re happy. You’ve got a beautiful home away from the rest of the world, where we can live together in peace. You’ve got Aldora, your beautiful daughter who adores you, and more babies in the future. Our lives are perfect, Max, and if you just let go of the Flock and your old life, you’ll be happy forever.”
Max said slowly, “I guess…I guess you’re right.” With a sigh, she shut her eyes, and murmured, “’Night.”
Ari whispered, “Love you.” Then he reached over and turned off the light, and drifted off to sleep.
My soul is in the sky.
- William Shakespeare, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' Act V. Scene I.
Ari smiled faintly in his sleep. Aldora’s third birthday had come and gone, and her little wings were growing. Soon, it would be time for her to fly. And once she was able to fly, it would be time for them to start trying for another child. He couldn’t wait to have another baby, another one to love and protect.
A noise startles him from sleep. A man’s voice, talking faintly about something Ari couldn’t make out. He sat up, listening for a moment before he realized what it was.
The TV. Max was doing it again.
With a sigh, he slid out of bed, walking down the hallway to their living room. Not surprisingly, Max was sitting in front of the television, wide awake. He sat down next to her, and watched the TV for a moment. It was a documentary on flight throughout the ages.
Ari pulled Max close, said affectionately, “Come on, Max, what are you doing up this late? It’s three in the morning, you should be in bed right now.”
She shook her head slowly, eyes not moving from the screen. “I wanted to watch this.”
“Do you want me to record it for you, so you can watch it in the morning?”
“No, I want to watch it now.”
They were both quiet for a minute, when suddenly, Max let out a strangled sob, dropping her face into her hands. Alarmed, Ari tried to reach out to her, but she recoiled, pulling away. “I miss it, Ari!”
“Miss what?”
She looked at him with an expression of pure disgust on her face, the tears only highlighting it. “Flying, Ari, I miss flying! Not being carried around like a doll, but actually flying! With my own two wings! I want to fly, I need to, I have to! I’m supposed to fly, my soul, my soul is in the sky! I thought I could be happy here on the ground with you and Aldora, but I’m not! I want to fly! I want to fly!” She went limp, collapsing on the couch.
Hesitantly, he reached out, pulling her into his arms. Pressing his face against the top of her head, he murmured, “It’s alright, Max, it’s going to be okay. We’re going to be fine, Max.” She shook her head, tears dampening the worn fabric of the couch as she mumbled unintelligible things into his chest. At some point, she fell asleep, but Ari remained awake, holding his wife, wondering was becoming of her.
What's the hurry? Are you afraid I won't come back?
- Manfred von Richthofen
The next morning, Ari was making their breakfast when Max and Aldora came into the kitchen, both dressed. After Aldora chirped a hello to Ari and began to play with their cat, Max came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing his cheek.
“Hey.” She sounded happy, calm, perfectly normal. Like last night had never happened.
“Hi.”
Max rested her head on his shoulder, staring at something out the window in front of him. A moment later, she said cheerily, “So, watcha making?”
“Chocolate-chip pancakes.”
She smiled, “Can I have a bit of the batter?”
He shrugged. “Help yourself.” He knew he was being a bit short with her, but her behavior the night before had shaken him to the core.
She stuck a finger into it, scooping some of the creamy mix onto her finger, along with a chocolate chip, then popped it into her mouth. “Delicious.” Stepping back from him, he heard her shoes click on the floor. She called to Aldora, and then her voice came from the door. “Aldora and I are going to go out for a walk by the cliffs, call us when it’s ready, okay?”
“Have fun.” His voice was distracted, and he hadn’t really processed what she said.
She gave a short laugh. “Oh, we will.”
Suddenly, it sank in.
“We’re going to the cliffs.”
“Have fun.”
“Oh, we will.”
He felt frozen for a moment, then spun around, and shouted, “Max!”
She was halfway out the door, Aldora already outside, and turned slowly to look at him. “What, Ari?”
It took Ari a moment to come up with something to say. “Just…be careful out there. Don’t do anything crazy.”
Max shot him a smile. “Are you afraid I won’t come back?” Not waiting for an answer she said, “Well, your concern is valid. Because some day, who knows? I might not.” With that, she turned around and walked away.
Do you hear the rain? Do you hear the rain?
- Jessica Dubrof
Lying in their bed that night, Max dragged her fingertips across Ari’s chest, and purred in his ear, “Do you hear it? Do you hear the rain? I love the rain. I love flying in it. And soon, I’m going to fly in it again.” She laughed, rocking atop him, tracing circles on his chest. And then she leaned down, capturing Ari’s mouth with a kiss, and murmured against his lips. “I’m going to fly in the rain.”
The most beautiful dream that has haunted the heart of man since Icarus is today reality.
- Louis Bleriot
When Ari woke up, he reached over to Max’s side of the bed, expecting to feel her warm body there, as always.
Aside from him, the bed was empty.
Ari was out of the bed and running down the hallway, looking into the rooms he passed. The TV was off, the kitchen empty.
His heart pounding furiously, he ducked into Aldora’s room. His last hope.
Aldora was peacefully sleeping. Alone.
And then something hit him. A cool breeze washed across his face, lifting his scraggly hair, sliding it in caressing strokes along his cheeks. The door was open.
It felt like his heart stopped beating in his chest. Oh, no.
Max was standing on the very edge of the cliff, her toes curled around the rim. She smiled down at the steep drop. There was a strange beauty to this, the sheer cliff face that would bring her to her end. The canyon was about fifty feet deep, more than enough to kill her on impact. More importantly, this was right by the hawks’ nests, her favorite place in the world.
The sound of running feet met her ears, but Max didn’t turn around. Instead, she said, “Hello, love.”
Ari was breathing hard, “Max…Max, please don’t do this. Don’t do it!” His wet hair stuck to his face and neck, giving him a doglike appearance.
She ignored him, and her tone became more gentle. “Don’t try to jump after me. You won’t be able to pull up in time, and Aldora needs a father.” The frigid rain was falling hard and fast now, and had plastered her clothes to her body.
“No. I’m going to save you, no matter what it takes.”
Her voice changed, becoming hard and cruel. “Why won’t you just shut up and let me die, Ari? You know I’ll be happier gone.”
“Please…Max…what will I tell Aldora? That her mother was too weak to live without flying, that her mother abandoned her just because she missed flying?”
She turned back towards the cliff, looking at the drop that awaited her. “Tell Aldora I love her. I wanted to be happy with you and her, really, I did. And I do love you, Ari, but it’s not…it’s not enough.”
“If you loved us, you won’t do this.”
Max shook her head. “I have made my choice. Now it’s time for you to make yours.” She gave him a sad smile, and said softly, “I love you, Ari, and I’ll be waiting for you. But for now, it just wasn’t meant to be.”
She took a single step forward, and was gone.
Ari lunged forward, wings snapping out as he dove off the cliff after her, but in his heart, he knew it was too late. His legs buckled on impact-She had been right, the canyon was too shallow for him to be able to pull up, even if he had caught her-, and he knelt next to her body.
Max had clearly died on impact, which comforted him slightly; at least she hadn’t suffered. Her eyes were still open, brown and lifeless as they stared up at the night sky. Blonde hair was streaked with blood that seemed to form a halo around her head, and her arms were outspread.
On her lips was the frozen remnant of her final smile.
Ari collapsed onto the rocks, tears mingling with the rain as he cried.
And when an Eraser weeps, the world has lost something truly irreplaceable.