Chapter -:ONE:-

Can't We Just Be Left Alone For, Like, Two seconds? Oh God I'm Starting To Sound Like Nudge!

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I swooped. I spun. Whirling like a bullet through the air, wings aloft. Bet you never thought you would hear someone say that about themselves did you? It's true though. I had wings. Real wings, with a span of thirteen feet. I could fly, too. Me, along with my band of six merry mutants that is. There was me, Max, the leader. I, along with Fang and Iggy, who is blind by the way, are all fourteen. Nudge is eleven and then the Gasman, or Gazzy as we usually call him, is eight, while is biological sister Angel is six. We were an odd bunch to look at. I was tall and, well quiet frankly beautiful, with dirty blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. Then their was Fang, the silent, emotionless type. He was the rock of the group, never wearing any other color but black, with his hair falling messily in his eyes. Then their was Iggy. He was tall, and I mean even taller then usual, since we all had above average height for our ages. He had strawberry blond hair and clear blue, unseeing eyes. Of course next was Nudge, with her dark skin and wild mane of curly hair. Not to mention the mouth on the girl! She talked non stop! Gazzy and Angel both had blond hair and blue eyes. Gazzy. . . let's just there was a reason he had the name the Gasman. Angel, ah, Angel was my baby. I had raised her like a child and I loved her so much. I loved everything about my flock.

"They're gaining on us Max!" Another figure came out of no where to fly beside me.

"I know, I know." I muttered in frustration.

"What are we going to do?" As the person that said this spoke these words his face held no emotion. Well, that was Fang for you.

"Fly until I say otherwise." I ordered. Yeah, I was such a great leader wasn't I?

"Of course." he murmured and disappeared once again, although I could still feel his presence. Don't ask me how, but I could.

Fang's invisibility had become more powerful. Instead of just disappearing when he sat still for a long time and didn't move or speak, he could now will himself into becoming invisible, I guess. He had tried numerous times to sneak up and scare me. . . but somehow I always knew when he was there. I just felt him somehow. When he was in the room I automatically knew. It was slightly confusing to me, but an altogether relief also. He hadn't caught me unprepared once yet. I took pride in that.

"Max!" I voice a few feet behind me whined.

"What Nudge?" I sighed, although I already knew what she was going to say.

"I'm hungry." Of course she was.

"Now isn't the best time sweetie." I replied.

"But I'm so starving and we, like, haven't eaten since early this morning and that wasn't even a big breakfast. I only had, like, a little bit of the scrambled eggs that Iggy made, which were really good by the way, and a granola bar, so I'm super hungry right now! Plus we've been flying for ever and I'm really tired, so don't you just think we can stop, for like two seconds maybe? Well I guess we can't because of the flyboys, but still, it would make everything so much easier and we could-" I shut her out. No doubt she would blab on and on until someone finally screamed at her to shut up.

"Oh will you SHUT UP NUDGE!" Iggy cried out in exasperation. See, I told you.

"What?" She sounded surprised. Yeah, like she didn't know how much she talked.

"HEY!" I heard the Gasman yell and then there was the sound of crunching metal. I skidded to a halt (is that even possible while flying?) and spun around quickly, hoping desperately that that sound of crunching metal had all been in my head and Gazzy had just got his leg caught in a branch or something.

No such luck.

The scene behind me was absolute chaos. Gazzy was punching some flyboy in the head as hard as he could while another was making it's way over towards them. Iggy was throwing bombs into the midst of the flyboys like there was no tomorrow. Bits and pieces of metal were flying everywhere and I could hardly see through the chemical residue the bombs were producing. Nudge was holding her own against two flyboys at the same time. Impressive, I would have to congratulate her on that when we got out of this mess. If we did. Which we would. . . Of course. Fang was no where to be seen, but flyboys were going down from some unseen force in every odd direction. Good. Angel was hovering off to the side. Smiling angelically, yet in the most creepy, terrifying way you could have ever imagined. I don't think a flyboy came within ten feet of her small frame before it smashed headlong to the ground. They were robots yes, but somehow my little mind reader was controlling them. Invading into something, since they obviously didn't have brains and influencing them to do crazy, suicidal things. That's my Angel. She was a mind reader and she could influence others brains if you couldn't already tell. It was pretty intimidating sometimes. Not that she'd ever try that kind of crap with me. No, she would be in so much trouble if she did.

That's why I don't Max. . . and look out, she planted this thought in my head.

I swung around just in time to meet the fist of a flyboy. Oh hell no! I pulled back my leg and spun around quickly, planting a round house kick right in his gut. . . or where his gut would have been if he wasn't a robot. . . . . I punched him in the face just as he had done to me and then snapped his neck. I watched for a few seconds as he floated to the ground and then I thrust myself into the fight.

Here we go.

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"That was awesome!" Iggy yelled and slapped high fives with Gazzy.

"It was kind of fun." Angel piped up.

"It was tiring is what it was." We all heard Fang's voice but we didn't see him. God that was getting annoying.

It was a couple of hours after the fight and we had all come out unscathed. I couldn't say the same for most of those flyboys, but hey, I'm not complaining. We had just landed in a clearing and I was chewing on the idea of staying here or moving farther away. Ah the joys of being the leader of a flock.

"I'm hungry." Nudge whined. Of course.

"Ok guys, let's just stay here tonight and then continue on in the morning." I ordered them and they all nodded in consent. Except for Fang of course, because he hadn't shown himself yet, but I knew he wouldn't care.

"So can we eat now, pretty please. . . with apple pie on top. I love apple pie and besides I don't like cherries that much. Isn't that what people usually say? With cherries on top? Mhm, I don't know but I still think apple pie is better. Oh, I remember this one time, when-"

"Iggy will you please make dinner?. . . Preferably before my ear drums explode." I asked. Now you may be wondering 'Why let the blind guy cook?'. Well it's simple really. He's the only one who's any good at it. You'd know if you've ever tasted his food before.

"Why do you always say stuff like that? I can't bust your ear drums from just talking and besides, it's not like I talk that much. I mean really. I don't think I talk that much at all. You guys are just really mean and stuff when you say I do. Hey, have you ever noticed how you're the only people who think I talk to much? Yeah, that's what I thought, so that proves that I don't! I don't have any reason to believe I talk-"

"NUDGE!" Everyone yelled in unison and she turned a bright shade of red and slumped her shoulders muttering "Fine then."

I sighed heavily and sank to the ground. At least I meant too.

"HEY!" I jumped up in surprise and Fang magically appeared in front of me, right where I had been meaning to sit. Oh my god I almost sat right down in Fang's lap! Oh the horror

"Got you!" He laughed at my stricken expression which immediately set me scowling.

"You think that's funny now do you?" I raised my eyebrows and he almost cracked a smile.

"Well we'll just see about that."

I lunged at him before he had even registered what I was doing. I tackled him to the ground and he wiggled uselessly beneath my weight.

"You were saying?" I smiled down at him.

Everyone behind us was laughing at the site and then I heard Angel saying something, but it was in my mind, so only I could hear it. He's thinking about how cute you look from that position. . . What is that supposed to mean? She informed me.

"You sexist pig!" I spit at him and jumped quickly up. He looked confused for a second and then it dawned on him.

"ANGEL!" He yelled and she just smiled angelically back.

"Dinner's ready!" Iggy called out and soon all other previous worries were forgotten.

Now I'm not one to complain and Fang isn't either. Sometimes Iggy might, but hey, he's blind for goodness sake! You have to cut him a break sometimes! The younger kids, however, usually speak up when they need something. No matter how hard Gazzy tries to be my little trooper he gets tired sometimes and Angel is six after all. She can't hold out as long us other, much older, bird kids can. Nudge's biggest fault is her bottomless pit of a stomach. I mean we all eat a lot. Around three thousand calories a day, but it seems like she's always whining that she's hungry. I usually keep my thoughts to myself on these matters, but I couldn't help but feel a little thankful that Nudge had said something. I was the leader. The all mighty and powerful Maximum Ride. I couldn't break down because I was hungry, because let's face it, I was ravenous right now. So in a way I was happy that Nudge always asked to stop, because honestly, I usually wanted to, too.

After dinner I climbed up into a tree and told everybody that I would take first watch. There were mumbled 'ok's' and some nodding of the heads and the rest of my flock was out like a light. We had already done our ritual fist tapping quite unceremonialy if I do say so myself.

Iggy had slumped down automatically and Nudge had also. The Gasman crashed to the ground beside Angel who was holding her teddy bear Celeste in the crook of her arm. I smiled at that sight. Gazzy and Angel were just too cute when they were by each other! Like twin angels only Gazzy was actually older, but whatever.

"What are you so happy about?" A voice said beside me, but I didn't jump like most people were probably expecting. Yeah, you did, didn't you? I knew it.

"Nothing." I answered and did a quick three sixty of the area and found nothing alarming.

"Why were you smiling then?" He actually appeared beside me, which was really surprising. He just always walked around invisible now a days. And if I was being honest with myself, I kind of missed seeing his face. Not that I actually liked him like that. No that was just crazy.

"Because unlike some people I know," I said pointedly, "I actually smile more than once in a blue moon."

"Haha, very funny."

"I know right? I'm a freaking comedy genius, just admit it." I knew he had been being sarcastic, I mean I'm not a complete and utter moron who was totally oblivious to the most obvious things.

"Yeah right." He almost, key word here is almost, cracked a smile.

"Excuse me?" I growled menacingly, but he wasn't buying it.

"Whatever, Max." He laughed and then disappeared.

"Fang!" I hissed.

The branch that I was sitting on swayed a little and then moved up a little as some of the weight that it was bearing was taken off, and leaves rustled towards the base of the trees.

"Good night Max. Wake me up when it's my watch." Fang whispered from somewhere on the ground.

"I really can't do that unless you're visible you moron." I scowled down in the general direction his voice had come from.

"Oh you'll be able to find me," he replied mysteriously. What the [insert swear word of your choice here] was that supposed to mean? The last thing I heard from him was a whisper of creepy laughter that had the hair on the back of my neck and arms rising. The weird thing about it was I couldn't pinpoint exactly what direction it was coming from, because. . . well. . . it was everywhere. Coming at me from all directions, like the wind whistling through the trees.

One thing was for sure. This was going to be a long watch.

Authors Note: What did you think, what did you think????? Please, please review and tell me what your views on the chapter is. I know it's kind of slow and probably not that entertaining, but the story is just beginning, so don't give up hope on me now! Anyways review. . . like I said before. . . Come on people I said review. . . So go on. . . click that little button right under here that says Review this story/chapter with that little speech bubble beside it. . . You know you want to. . . DO IT NOW!!!!