Summary: Maximum Martinez has had a rough life. When she was eleven her life changed. Her dad died and she was jumped into a gang. Five years later she's the leader of that gang…but not many people know that. Max is the bad ass in one social group, and a nobody in another. What happens when her two worlds are on a collision course that is bound to end in catastrophe? And what happens when a relationship is a taboo? ALL HUMAN!

I have realized that, as I have tried to start several different Fanfiction's I tend to gravitate towards someone with alternate personalities. What does that say about me? Just curious….

Anyway! Second fanfic guys! Like my previous one, I don't make my characters go jumping into relationships. That being said….Fax has to wait for a couple of chapters. But it will come. And when it does I will introduce alternate POVs.

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride, James Patterson does.

Chapter 1

Max's POV

Remember when you're young and your parents tell you "I'll always keep you safe"? Well I do. I also have come to realize what a complete lie that is. Nobody should make that promise. Nobody should make a promise, period. They are too hard to keep.

That promise of safety from my parents died with my dad when I was eleven.

When I was twelve, I was jumped into a gang. Not just any gang. The Night Hawks. One if the most renowned teen gang in New Jersey.

Most people wouldn't think that New Jersey even had gangs, but let me tell you, it does, most any place in the country does. And now, five years after I became a member of this gang, I was its leader.

….

"Max!" Iggy, my long time best friend, whined. I'd make him my second in command except he's just too childish. If I took a leave of absence and left him in charge god knows what I'd come back to. Probably a hideout blown to bits by his many bomb making attempts. "Why are you taking so long?"

"Because I'm making a careful decision, dip wad, I don't just go charging into a fight blind. That's a bone headed male thing to do."

"Girls are so weird," he muttered as I wacked him upside the head. Yes, my name is Max, and yes I am a girl. My name is Maximum Martinez, but nobody calls me that, if they know what's good for them. I turned away from Iggy and looked back at the map of the town I had splayed on the old poker table, the naked fluorescent bulb above the table barley making it readable.

"Jared, you said they were hanging out around the old factory in Piscataway?" I asked, looking to the lanky teenager across the table from me. He was also my second in command.

"Yeah, right….here." he pointed to a spot on the map.

"And you're sure they're Shadows?" I asked incuriously.

"Positive. They were there in our last turf war. There was six of 'em hanging round the fence after hours."

I bit my lip. Shadows, I thought spitefully. The Shadows were a teen gang like the Night Hawks with just as bad a record, and with gangs, the worse the record, the more renowned the gang. They were the major competition for my gang around here. Still…

"That's just on the edge of our territory, and they know it. It's sort of no-man's-land. If we go try to clear the area they have just as much right to tag us for it." I wasn't about to get my gang into a foolish scrapple that could get someone seriously injured.

"Who cares?" Iggy exclaimed, exasperated. "They have it coming to them, besides we owe them from last time."

He means he owes them, I thought. He's the one who got his ass handed to him.

"Please Max?" Jared asked. "I live right on the boundary, you know that. Katie hangs out 'round there after school with her friends. I saw them there yesterday, they were messin' with them."

"They were messin' with Katie?" I demanded, thinking about his sweet ten year old sister. I'd only met her once, but everyone in this gang has someone on the line, someone their protecting. I know I do.

"Yeah, I pulled her away fast, I says to her, I says, 'you best not be hangin' round there, those chumps are no good!' But I can't keep her away forever."

That settled it. I nodded. "Grab your gear, we're heading out gang!" I called.

"Yes!" I heard Iggy hiss. I wacked him again.

….

Ten guys loitered around the fence of the industrial complex of Piscataway. The old streetlamps flickered, giving the cold February night an eerie feel. I could see the ink marking their arms. Their gang tattoos. All gangs have them. A brand, sometimes they acted like a police badge, telling someone your untouchable, sometimes they acted like a death warrant.

Everyone in the Night Hawks had a pair of wings tattooed on them. My tattoo was on my shoulder blade, easy to hide when I was in my alternate world (Tattoo design on profile).

Some of the guys were smoking. Oh yeah, you're so cool, I thought. Gunking up your lungs with that crap, giving yourself cancer. Honestly, it was as stupid as tanning beds.

"Now what would a couple of Shadows like yourselves be doing out on Night Hawk territory?" I asked in a haughty voice as my gang walked up to them.

There were ten of them. I'd brought ten of my gang as well.

Their eyes locked on us and the man in front scowled. "This ain't no Night Hawk territory, Maxie, this is neutral grounds. You know it, we know it." He sneered.

"And you're here just to piss me off aren't you? Well you can go back and tell your little leader that sending his illiterate high school drop outs onto my territory is a bad move, and if he wants to avoid a major issue with us, he'll keep you on a tighter leash." That Maxie part had really pissed me off.

"No dice, Missie. The Boss was clear on his orders, stay put. He really does enjoy pissin' you off."

"That was his first mistake," Iggy says, stepping up beside me. "His second was ever jumping you piss poor excuses for human beings into his gang. If he was trying to make a statement about 'A Cave Man Could do it,' then he sure got his money's worth."

I snickered. The Shadows looked furious. We wouldn't attack though, and they knew it. My gang had a rule. Well I had a rule. Several actually, but rule numero uno was to let your enemy make the first move. That way it was said that we fought fair, and we didn't get into any avoidable situations.

Of course, if you're like Iggy, and want a fight, egging them on is an alternate solution.

And an effective one.

"You son of a—" the Shadow, who I'm just gonna call Smoker, cause he sure seemed to have a pack a day addiction, lunged at Iggy.

Not smart. Iggy grabbed his outstretched hand and used the guys momentum against him, pulling his arm behind him into a wing like position.

"Bawk, bawk," Iggy chuckled and pushed Smoker to the ground.

Smoker grunted 'get them' as he lunged again.

The rest of the Shadows surged forward.

These guys were slightly smarter than Smoker but not much. They did, however, have muscle.

In teen gangs we didn't use guns or knives. Sure we could get them if we wanted them, but our status was based on how well you could handle yourselves without any weapons. It was all street fighting.

I dodged a punch from a beefy guy who looked about my age and jabbed him right above the kidneys. He made a weird whining/gasping noise and swung hap hazardously at my head. I dodged again and kicked his knees out from under him.

Someone slammed into my back and I toppled forward, catching myself before I did a face plant. I surged upwards and turned to my attacker….just in time to get punched in the nose.

I blinked the sudden surge of pain away. Pain is just a message, I thought, and right now I'm holding all calls.

I dodged another fist and round house kicked the guy in the chest. His breath left him in a 'whoosh' and he dropped to the ground.

The gangs whaled on each other for a couple more minutes until the Shadows were down for the count.

I wiped blood from my nose. Great, I thought, more injuries for me to cover up before school tomorrow.

"Come on guys," I called to my slightly ruffled gang, "We've got school tomorrow."

Here is a little fact about my writing style: I like, no, I LOVE, taking popular topics in the fanfiction category and turning the story into something that no other story has done before. That being said, if my story bares any resemblance to another story you have read, or you feel that I am, god forbid, copying something from your story, I have no intentions of doing so. I can only hope that my story will go in a completely different direction than that. I started planning this alternate story line for Maximum Ride two years ago before I even came onto fanfiction.

Please let me know how you like this story so far. I know it is a boring chapter but I am setting the scene, letting you get a feeling for the characters you've met so far.

Reviews, constructive criticism, and tips are appreciated! I haven't written a lot of chapters ahead like I did with my other fanfiction, so updates will be slower!

Peace!