Radioactive

Disclaimer! - I do not own Maximum Ride, James Patterson does! I don't own any of the characters or places.

A/N: This fic takes place at the end of Nevermore, but before (spoiler alert!) the end of the world. So, this starts off on the island. Oh, and one more thing... (spoiler again!) Angel is NOT the Voice. I just never understood that concept.

Summary: The Max finds out that while she spent time back at the School, the Whitecoats put new chips in each member of the flock. Max forces the Flock to get x-rays from her mother. The Voice warns Max not too, but she does. As a result, the Flock goes through a body swap! Hahaha! Meanwhile, Max still needs to save the world, and do something about Dylan. (Sorry if this summary sucks). Rated - T ('cause I'm scared). May include Fax later on!

I sat on the beach outside of my tree house with the waves rolling up and licking at my toes. This was the first peaceful moment I'd had since this morning when Ig and Gaz set part of the cliffs on fire. I swear, if this island goes up in flames, it will be because of them.

I felt the familiar pin pricks of the hairs standing up on the back of my neck and closed my eyes, gently smiling as I heard the sand whisper under silent feet.

"I think I'm finally getting used to that." I said jokingly, leaning back on my hands and tilting my head. I opened my eyes to see Fang next to me. He snorted a smirk, which was almost as good as getting a laugh from him.

"You? Used to me?" He asked innocently. "I'll find ways to scare you, keep you on your toes."

I shook my head. "Nope. Nothing you do now is surprising." I laid back with my hands behind my head, closing my eyes again. "You can't sneak up on me anymore. You can't be totally invisible and spook me either. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada."

"Is that a challenge?" I heard right in front of my face. My breath caught and my eyes snapped open. Fang's face was inches from mine, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. I blinked rapidly in surprise at his closeness. "'Cuz I can think of a few things that still surprise you."

After a second, my heart started beating again as he leaned away from me. He chuckled softly and pulled me into his lap. I frowned at him and sighed, pretending to rest my arms unwillingly around his neck. "You're so full of yourself." I shook my head in mock disappointment.

"Am I?" He asked raising his eyebrows until they disappeared beneath his dark hair. His arms wrapped around my waist, and I felt my annoying automatic-blush reaction. He gently kissed my cheek, and I went to turn my mouth to his, but like the last few times of any alone time with Fang, something really annoying happened.

Maximum, this is not part of the plan. The Voice butted in.

I jumped, and growled with disgust. "Uhg! Why won't you just leave me alone!" I said aloud, my annoyance making me forget to keep the conversation in my head.

Fang's arms loosened and his lips pulled away from my cheek. Shock was swimming in his eyes.

"Sorry." I muttered. "Not you. It's the Voice again."

Fang's face softened. "What'd it say?" He asked, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Nothing." I replied. "I'm ignoring it." I constricted my arms tighter around his neck pulling his face close to mine again.

No, Maximum. The Voice said sternly. This cannot happen. No more of this. This is not whom you are to be with. Dylan. Find him.

I practically shook with anger. I couldn't help myself from standing up, stomping a few steps away, and shrieking with rage. I grabbed fistfuls of hair between my fingers and pulled hard. The Voice had been talking about Dylan ever since he left, and wouldn't leave me alone with Fang. It was really annoying the hell out of me.

"Just shut up," I whispered. "Not going to happen. Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Fang's hand rested on my shoulder. "What's it saying?" He asked, this time demanding a real answer.

"Doesn't matter." I hissed. "I'm not doing what it says."

Tell him, Max. Dylan's back in America.

"Max." Fang insisted.

Max.

"No!" I seethed.

I'm going to have to punish you. The Voice warned. It'd be very unfortunate if you were to have to deal with a 'brain attack' now. I've been saving up.

My eyes widened in horror. "You wouldn't." I breathed in a scared whisper. "You can't do that!" I whirled to face Fang, and gripped his shoulders.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice suddenly lower, which equaled concern in his language.

Sorry, Max.

And suddenly my legs crumpled. My neck lolled back and my vision was covered in flashing images – not the usual kind though - of Dylan, where he was at, places he had already been. Somewhere in the confusion I felt Fang catch me, and that's when the pain hit. He was shouting to me but my ears were ringing. I felt my self being picked up and everything thing that touched me was needle sharp. I lost consciousness at that point.

I didn't wake up to that blurry face repeating your name over and over. Nope. It wasn't that easy for me. It was more of 'Oh-God-what's-that-smell-and-somebody-knock-me-out-so-I-don't-have-to-deal-with-this-headache' kind of deal. "Uhn-uhg." I moaned. And to top it all off, a wet slimy tongue was licking my cheek. "Get off me, Total!" I said, shoving him to the floor.

"Mayday! Mayday! The enemy is awake! We have a mutant down!" He cried running out the door limping. "My leg! It may be broken!"

I rolled my eyes. He was so melodramatic. I took the alone moment to ask the stupid Voice what it did to me.

I already told you.

Yah, I thought, thanks. How the hell are you still in my head? I got that chip out forever ago.

A head peeped in my doorway, and I held up a finger for them to wait. Of course, that head belonged to Fang… so he didn't. I tapped my temple, letting him know what I was doing. He frowned, nodded, and then sat down beside me.

Remember when you and the Flock were captured by the school again? And they told you everything you had experienced for months was a dream? It asked patiently.

So? I countered.

Remember how your hand worked again? And there was no scar?

So? I asked again, still not understanding.

The Voice seemed to sigh. They're scientists with trillions of dollars. They can clean up a scar, Max. They gave you a new chip. A better one in fact, and now I can knock you out.

My blood ran cold. Fang saw me tense up and he did also, itching to beat the crap out of something that he couldn't.

"This is agonizing, Max." He said lowly. "Tell me what's going on."

When I sat frozen for another moment, he started to talk again. I held up my hand for him be quiet.

What about the others? I asked. Did they mess with them, too? Put a chip in them?

Silence.

That answered my question.

I shot up and gripped Fang's forearm. "Get the Flock. I'll explain at Mom's office." I jumped out the window and started for tallest tree without a glance back. It was probably stupid to fly with a voice that could knock me out whenever, but this was serious. Those Whitecoats could be listening to every one of my Flock's thoughts.

I landed and stumbled in through the tree's entrance. My mother glanced up from watering the floor, since the tree itself was the thing that needed watering. "Max?"

"Get an x-ray set up for the Flock. Now." I demanded. She nodded and led me away without question.

By the time she had everything set up, the rest of the flock had arrived, and I was near hyperventilation when Fang pulled me out the room to talk in private. He sent me a look that made me want to cower in a corner.

"I still have the chip." I whimpered. "I-"

"You're not getting it out." Fang said sternly, immediately knowing what I planned on doing.

"But they could be tracking us. Mom and Ella are here. Other kids like us." I protested.

"No." He said again.

I glared at him. "What did you just tell me?"

He glared back. "I said no. We're always being tracked, and we're not going to end up amputating your arm this time."

"Well it's my arm and I'll do what I want. And I want this – no, I need this voice out my head." I argued.

Fang's eyes narrowed as he shook his head. His arms crossed over his chest.

"Well every time I try to kiss you, it starts screaming about Dylan." I answered. This shocked him, and while he was stunned, I shoved passed him. "Mom," I said, walking back into the room, "I want the whole Flock to get x-rays of their arms."

My mother knew better than to ask me why about anything. She nodded and got Angel set up.

Max, stop this! The voice practically shouted out of nowhere. This is a very bad idea. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into.

Well, La-di-da! Wouldn't be the first time for either. I thought sourly. Now, get out of my freaking head!

The beep of the first x-ray was sent up, and Angel was removed from the table. Gazzy was pulled up next.

Max, your chip is connected to your powers. The Voice explained.

I exhaled sharply. I'm not listening. La-la-la-la-la!

Another beep went off and Nudge was pulled up next. Angel pulled on my shirt, and I looked down to her. "Yah, sweety?"

You think we have chips, too? She asked in my head. I nodded. Sheesh. Was my head not private at all? No, your head's always being hijacked. She agreed. I smiled half-heartedly at her, and then looked up. Fang was glaring at me from the other side of the room.

Beep!

Iggy's turn.

I looked back at him frowning. I decided to remind him why I needed the Voice out of my head again incase it wasn't sinking in yet. "Dylan." I mouthed, and he suddenly went into that still, silent shock mode again.

"Don't say his name, Max." Angel whispered up to me. "It hurts me just hearing the pain it put's Fang in."

Oh. Well… I felt stupid.

Beep!

"Fang your turn." Dr. Martinez motioned Fang over with her hand. He snapped out of his stillness and looked at me angrily. I gave him a nod that said, 'Yup, I give you permission to kill me later.' His answering look said, 'Yah, I'll beat you with your own severed hand.' I frowned. He was such a party pooper without even using real words.

Reluctantly, he placed his arm under the x-ray's light. My mom adjusted it until she thought it was perfect. Then she went behind her little glass wall and pushed a button.

Beep!

Mom walked back over to the table as Fang stood up. She pulled several thick plastic boards out of it and then pulled the x-rays from the plastics. She lined them up against a lit wall proportion. Every single picture came up with an identical chip in the lower part of the forearm. Tangled up to where it was impossible to remove, I might add.

Crap.

Fang turned back to me, his eyebrows raised.

"What's everyone gasping at?" Iggy asked.

"Ig," Nudge started, "We all have chips in our arms."

And that, dear world, was the shortest thing Nudge had ever said in her life. This just goes to show you how much we were all freaking out on the inside.

Fang pulled me tighter against him. "No." He said again.

"Yes." I said. "End of discussion."

"You are not getting the chip out of your arm. I don't care if you see Dylan for the rest of your life. Deal with it." His voice vibrated my back from leaning against his chest.

It was night and all the others were asleep in their own houses. We'd all only gotten the x-rays a few hours ago.

"Shut up." I whispered.

"You know Dr. Martinez won't do it again after what happened last time." He still continued.

"Then I'd just threaten to take it out myself. She'd do it then." I reasoned.

Fangs hands froze from where they were tracing patterns along my arms. "You wouldn't actually try to take it out would you?" He asked. I could physically feel the tension he was holding.

"Shut up." I sighed again.

He spun me around to face him. His wild gaze surprised me and I felt myself go limp. "Max, do not lie to me. You would never try to cut that thing out of your arm again would you?"

"N-no." I stuttered. I shook my head for emphasis.

His eyes didn't change. "Promise me."

"I promise." I said slowly.

He sighed and pulled my mouth to his. It wasn't anything over the top, but just special and relieved. He pulled away and then kissed the top of my head. "Oh, Maximum, what am I going to do with you?" He mumbled into my hair.

"You're gonna kiss up to me for arguing with me earlier today."

"Just did." He said, kissing the corner of my eye and then smirking.

"Doesn't count!" I sang. "You'll start with the laundry."

"How about no?" He asked giving my hand a squeeze.

"How about you scrub Gazzy's toilet, too, for telling me no?"

Fang grinned. "Are you trying to send me on a suicide mission?"

I laughed. "Maybe."

Fang stood up to leave. "Well, I'm afraid I'll have to decline that offer. Maybe something a little less life threatening and scarring." He stood on the edge of my window.

"We'll see." I agreed.

Fang flashed me one last grin… until I shoved him of the edge.

(A/N: Please bear with me! This is going to get really confusing, really fast)

Fang busted down my door screaming. "What's going on? Oh, God! You! Me?"

I sat up confused. I glanced at the sun rising in the sky - morning. "What?" And that's when I realized my voice sounded funny. And this wasn't my room.

Fang raced over and yanked my wrists around behind my back and held them there. "They're still sending out my clones?"He asked. "I mean this is like really flattering and all, but really? I've had enough of you guys. You look just like me, but your hair totally needs to be brushed. Oh, and come on! You chipped your nails! And look! Your make-up is smeared! Maybe I should just tie you up for a bit, redo your outfit, and then I'll get Max to kill you."

Hold up. Did Fang just speak a whole paragraph? And talk about my nails? And make-up? When have I ever worn make-up? And when has Fang ever cared about that?

"Wait a second." I said sharply. "This isn't my room." I said looking around. Pink and purple blankets were on the bed, and poster after poster of famous people I didn't know of lined every inch of wall space. Why was I in Nudge's bedroom?

"Well, duh! Why are you trying to replace me?" Fang squeezed my wrists together tighter. Geez! Didn't he know how strong he was? Control yourself, boy!

"This definitely isn't your room either, Fang. And how am I trying to replace you exactly?" I ripped my hands from his grasp. "Watch the grip there." I rubbed my wrists, annoyed.

Fang turned around. "Fang's here?" He turned back to face me.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked. I brought my hands up to wipe the sleep from my eyes, and froze. Since when did I have chocolate brown skin?

And then the weirdest thing happened to me in my entire life…

Fang… giggled. Like a girl.

I so wish I'd gotten it on camera. I'd use it as blackmail.

"Now you see what I mean about your chipped nail?" He asked. I glanced back down at my hand. The hand that couldn't have possibly been mine. "Seriously though, why are you here?"

I looked up dazed. "I could ask the same for you."

And then Fang… giggled… again. It was the dopiest look I'd ever seen, and I caught myself from staring more. "This is my room, of course. I don't know why I woke up in Fang's room, though. I was really mad because I need to check on my nail polish collection. And my voice sounds really weird." He stopped and made a weird sound that sounded like a pig and a rooster crowing at the same time. "I went down to your mom's and picked up some medicine for it."

"Do you think you're Nudge or something?" I might have actually been laughing if I wasn't freaking out.

Fang let out a laugh. He didn't get to answer before Angel burst in. Her head whipped between us. "No!" She exclaimed. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" I asked.

"You two morons are taking way too long to figure this out." She put her hands on her hips and glared at me. She walked over, grabbed mine and Fang's hand, and pulled us both to a mirror. Fang and Angel were standing next to me, except I was Nudge. What?

"Oh, for crying out loud! We've swapped bodies!" She poked me in the chest. "All of us! You're Max in Nudge's body. And you-" She poked Fang, "You're Nudge in Fang's body." She rubbed her temples. "Oh, my God. How does Angel deal with all of these thoughts in her head?"

I was still stuck trying to get past the thought of me… in make-up. "Wait. Who are you then?" I asked taking a step away from Angel.

Her face contorted painfully. She mumbled something I didn't catch.

"What?" I asked, leaning down to her level.

She glared at me. "Fang."

There was silence for a minute, which was then broken by my crazed laughter. "Oh, my freaking goodness!" I crooned, wiping tears from my eyes. This was hilarious!

"Someone shoot me now." He, I mean, she moaned sitting on her little rear end. She pointed at me and her eyes narrowed. "Why don't you go put on a dress? It's the only wardrobe you have."

My laugh was cut short and I glared down at Angel's body. She grinned. I turned to Nudge, who was in Fangs body (wow this is way too hard to keep up with, so I'll just keep refering to their bodies instead of who's in them) and my eyes widened in horror. "Please, I'm begging you. Do you have any less fancy clothes?"

Fang shook his head and grinned.

"This isn't funny, Nudge." I sighed. I tugged at the bright florescent tank top and jean skirt. She slept in this stuff?

"No it isn't, but what I just thought about is." He replied.

Angel gasped and lunged at Fang. "No you wouldn't!" Angel cried out.

I stepped back. Fang held out his hand and kept Angel back with one hand on her head.

"Fang's got so much hair on this head that I'm going to put it in a bunch of pig tails." Fang said, his grin widening. "I'm gonna take a picture and post it on his blog!"

"Nooooo!" Angel took a swipe at him with her short arms. "If I wasn't trying to attack myself right now, I would so kick you where it counts! It's too bad I might wanna have kids someday though!" She stopped struggling and crossed her hands over her chest. Suddenly, Fang's face fell and so did hers. Angel moaned.

"What?" I asked.

Fang looked over at me. "I think Fang just heard me think about having to use the restroom." His face paled. "Max! I have to pee! What am I going to do?"

My mouth dropped open, and I started laughing again.

"Max." Angel chided. "I guess your Voice won't have to worry about anything going on between us for a while."

Again, my laugh cut short. I accidentally cursed out loud. "Damn it!"

"Language!" Angel protested. "Not around little ears." She said pointing to herself, although, I could see how angry Fang was inside her body. "I can feel the others waking up." She said suddenly. "Let's go check them out."

Fang and I followed Angel out the window. We took a familiar flight pattern and ended up landing at my normal house. Oh, no. Who had my body?

Max, or what was usually my body, sprinted to my window smiling. "I guess I'm finally flock leader!" She yelled excitedly.

Angel leaned over next to me. "It's Angel guys. Angel is in Max's body."

I sighed in relief. At least it wasn't one of the boys.

"Come on Flock! I'm in charge now! U and A! Now!" Max piped jumping excitedly.

I rolled my eyes and bent down to Angel's level. I pinched her cheeks. "Fang, why don't you lead us to the other two?" Angel pushed my hands off her cheeks angrily. She ran and took off out the window. The rest of us followed.

We landed in Iggy's room, which was even more of a mess than usual.

"HELP ME! I'M BLIND!" Iggy ran right into me and I grabbed his shoulders. "I CAN'T SEE!"

"Gazzy, calm down." I sighed, since this was the only other person he could have switched with. Iggy was shaking uncontrollably.

"Why can't I see anything?" He whimpered.

I shook him gently. "We've all switched bodies." I explained.

And that's when the Gasman came running in the door. "I can see!" He shouted happily. "And Max, what are you wearing?"

Out of habit I looked down at myself, then remembered. I looked over at my body and it grinned. Angel in my body had dressed me up in pink. Pink! Did I even own any pink clothes? I gritted my teeth.

"Everyone listen up!" I yelled over the chaos. Oh course, half of them ignored me, since I wasn't really myself. "I'm Max! Now listen to me! We are all meeting up at my Mom's office in two minutes!"

Every single one of them gave me a look. "Don't make me say it twice." I hissed at them. My menace must have been apparent because all of them shot out into the air. Iggy stayed where he was at, shivering.

"Max." He whined. "I can't see." His sightless eyes were stretched as wide as they could go as if this would help.

"Come here." I grabbed his wrist.

Ok. To get this straight, Max was pacing around the room, not me. Well, it was kind of me, but not my brain… I think.

Here's the deal. I was in Nudges body, Fang was in Angel's (snicker), Nudge was in Fang's, Angel was (sadly) in mine, Gazzy in Iggy's, and Ig in Gaz's.

Talk about confusing.

"Shhhh!" Max shushed. "The Voice is talking." She said for the hundredth time.

I leaned down to Angel. "Is this what I'm always like?" I whispered. She turned her head to me and smirked (a weird face for her). She nodded. "Wow, I'm really annoying." I said exasperated. Angel nodded again. I raised a hand and hit her playfully. "You don't have to agree!"

"Hey!" She protested. "I may be Fang on the inside right now, but really you're beating up Angel. So, just chill, okay?"

"Fine!" I snapped, then turned around and whapped Fang in the back of the head.

"Ow!" Fang shrieked (Haha! I didn't know his voice could go that high.). "I can still feel that, it doesn't hurt him!"

I apologized lightly to him. I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said, "Nudge, we are going to dress up that body and put it in a dress and make up-"

Angel slapped me, hard. I tsked. "Now, Fang, you're only beating up Nudge's body. So… chill, okay?" She huffed and brushed a bouncy blonde curl behind her ear. I patted her head. "Good, Girl."

Fang elbowed me. I turned around and he was grinning. "After we get a few good pics of this hair in ponytails-" he pulled on a strand of his hair, "-I say we shave it off!"

"No!" Both Angel and I exclaimed at the same time.

Fang raised an eyebrow at me. "Why not?"

Angel snorted and started cracking up. She pushed a question into my head. Cuz it's hot and it gives you something to hold on to? I could hear laughter in my head. Is this what your head always sounds like?

My face brightened to a crimson red. Fang could hear every mortifying thought I'd ever had now.

It's not so bad. I like it. Angel's sweet voice answered.

Oh, I was so going to kill Fang when we were all back to ourselves. I couldn't wait.

"Angel?" I asked. Max turned to look at me. "So how'd this happen?"

Max took a deep breath. "Well, the Voice was cursing a lot at first, and it said it tried to tell you this would happen."

"When?" I protested. She sent a silent look at me and I shut up. Now I know why the Flock listens to me when I give them 'the face'. I'm down right scary when I do it.

"It said that radiation changes things, especially higher concentrations of it. Like cancer and stuff. Babies can mutate."

"But we're already mutants." Fang questioned.

"Exactly." Max replied. "And our chips are connecting us all and our powers. And, our powers are connected to our minds. The radioactivity of the x-rays messed with the chips and changed the connections between us." She stopped and was done.

"So that's it? That's all it took.?" I asked totally confused about how just an x-ray could do this.

"No. We all had to take one for it to work. And the Voice said a bunch of other science stuff that I couldn't understand. It's really complicated."

This didn't surprise me, since the voice was always complicated and confusing.

"How do we change it?" I asked.

She shrugged. "It's trying to figure that out right now." She rubbed her temple where I always felt the pain of the Voice. "Oh, and Max? How do you deal with this thing ragging on you about saving the world. And it was talking about Dylan, too. How do you get it to shut up?"

I laughed. "You don't. It's not like one of your mind reads. You can't just stop it whenever." I took a breath and asked what I thought was the million dollar question. "How long does the Voice think we'll be stuck like this?"

"It says at least a week until it finds out a way. The radioactivity may just degrade on its own and we may change back by ourselves. It says it isn't sure."

Anger flared up in the room.

"But I'm blind!"

"I'm a chick!"

"But I'm him!"

"I really, really have to pee still!"

"Shut it!" I yelled. It got quiet. "I know ya'll's problems suck, and I have to wear dresses and skirts for who knows how long, but can we please slow down?"

Angle huffed. "I'm wearing a skirt right now, too." She clicked her heels together. "It's so airy!" The complaint escaped with a whine.

"Max?" Max asked. "The Voice said we really need to focus on the world right now. It said we have to get going, that something's going to happen." She frowned. "It says we should pack soon."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Max smiled. "Back to France."

"Alright fine. Everybody pack. We'll leave tomorrow." I ushered the other's outside. Gazzy took Iggy's arm and guided him away. The others took off while Angel and I stayed behind.

"I can't wait until this is over with." I said turning to her.

She smiled angelically. "At least one good thing came out of this."

"What could possibly be good about this?" I said exasperated, waving my hands everywhere to include everything.

"This." She said. Suddenly my own hand came up and smacked me in the face. And then the other one. "Hey, Max! Quit hitting yourself!" Another slap. "Quit hitting yourself!"

"I. Will. Kill. You." I growled, and then Angel was flying away, laughing as hard as she could.

Stupid Fang in Angel's body. Stupid mind controlling powers.

Maybe I would help Nudge (in Fang's body) shave his head. I grinned evilly.

A/N: This is my first fanfic, so please tell me if it sucks! I want honest answers with no sugar coating! If ya'll like it, I'll continue it!

So please review! Pwwease? -blinks Bambi eyes-