A/N: This is a story idea that I hadn't seen before and it seemed like a fun one. Enjoy, please.

Chapter 1

Max POV

"Land here, we're close to the river." We were over a pretty dense forest, and it was getting denser, I didn't want it to get to the point where we couldn't fly out if we needed to.

We were able to find a clear patch of about ten feet where Iggy could work his magic. We would sleep in the trees, again.

While everyone got settled Iggy came over to me, somehow managing to stop right before he would have rammed into me.

"Gasman and I are going to go get firewood, we'll be back in a bit," he said, basically translating into: We're going to go blow up half the forest and get firewood on our way back if it hasn't burned already.

"Sure, make sure no one sees you. You'll have to tell me the results later," I said, and he nodded.

Iggy and the Gasman left, I could see Fang lounging in his newly claimed tree branch, while Nudge was chattering off someone's ear, probably Angel. Glancing over proved my theory correct. There sat Angel, looking thoroughly…upset? What was Nudge talking about?

"…And then I was like, oh, my God. I mean, how many times do you get some really cute guy come up to you and start talking to you, for no reason. Especially since we're on the run an all. Do you ever wonder if Max, Fang or Iggy want that? I mean, we all no how Iggy is about girls, but Fang's so quiet you can never really figure out what he wants. And Max is always so focused. Ooh, but you're a mind reader so you probably know!" This seemed like a good time to intervene.

"Hey Nudge! Iggy and Gazzy went to get firewood, why don't you see if they need anything," I said, giving her a look that said go or I'll throw you out with them. She humphed, but went.

I scooted over to sit next to Angel. "What's wrong?" She pouted, making her look like an even more like a cute little six-year old.

"I can't make sense of it. It's too complicated. Everyone's is," she said, the pout coming out in her voice.

"What do you mean?"

"You're thoughts! Everybody's thoughts are so confusing. It's like I'm in a crowd, but I can only hear you guys. You are the crowd. But it's like there's more than one of you," she wailed, turning and burying into me.

I put an arm around her, cooing softly, like a bird, how ironic. "Shh, it's okay. Most people do think more than one thought at a time. And we're 2 percent bird, so no surprise there."

"It's never happened before," she said quietly. "But that's not the worst part. The worst part is I can hear my own thoughts echoing back to me. And some of those thoughts, were thoughts I never thought." Okay, setting off major red lights, red flags, red alarms.

"Maybe there are some other campers out there. People do camp for fun. People who aren't on the run. I'm sure it's confusing when you think it's just us. Don't worry about it, just let us know if any Erasers show up." I nudged her head to look up. She still looked so confused. I smiled reassuringly, and she returned it weakly.

I took my arm back and she sat up taking a deep breath, muttering a thanks. I patted her head as I stood up. Fang was still on the branch. I took a running jump, snapped out my wings, and landed neatly by his head.

He opened his eyes and looked up seeing from my expression that we needed to talk. He sat up and repositioned himself so his back was against the trunk. I sat down across from him smirking.

"Day-dreaming, Fang?"

Fang rolled his eyes, "What's up?"

"Angel says she's hearing more than one of us. Still us, but like there's a crowd of us."

He nodded smoothly. "I heard. Do you think it's clones?"

I grimaced. "I don't think so. They'd think different then us, right?"

"You got any better ideas?" He asked scowling.

"Did I say it wasn't?" I snapped back so we were having an all out scowling contest, which I, of course, won.

We sat in silence for a while, enjoying the company of someone who doesn't want you dead. You could hear the river in the distance, and I wondered if our clones were out there, or if they really were just other campers.

"Do you ever feel like we're missing something? Something important, but you just can't figure out what it is?" Fang asked suddenly.

"Like a normal life? Or, like, a girl type of important?" I teased.

"I don't know, that's the thing. I just know it's not ther-"

"Max! Max! Ma-ax! Iggy says he wants water! He needs it to boil that chicken that we got from that nice lady! You know, the one he kissed while we were stealing her-"

"Yes, Nudge, I know the one," I said, trying not to get too irritated. "I'll go get the water." I lowered my voice and turned back to Fang. "You're in charge, don't let Nudge kill Angel. There's a river I saw right by here, so I shouldn't be too long. If I'm not back in thirty minutes, look for me. If you can't find me, get the flock and go."

I had grabbed our bucket and was back in the sky before I could see him nod.

Five minutes later I had landed and was casually walking to the river. Me? A flying mutant bird kid who could bash your skull in for looking at me in a way I don't like? Pssh, no way.

Surprisingly, there was already someone there. A girl. A very pretty girl, with dirty blond hair and nicely athletic body. She had her back to me, but I could see the muscles on her, not in a bad way, more in a way that would make anyone think twice about attacking her. She was also covered in dirt and wearing what looked like an extremely beat up old T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

I guess Angel was just hearing other campers after all. So, briefly thinking of what Nudge had said earlier and, being a guy, I did what comes naturally, talk to her and hope she doesn't run off.

"Hey, did you need any help?" I asked trying to be polite.

She dropped her bucket and jerked up so fast I had to double check and make sure there weren't wires attached to her back like a puppet. Her face was strong and confident, and her eyes had a hard edge to them that was hard to describe. It looked like something I'd see in my eyes.

She glanced me over and stood a bit taller. Definitely a good thing.

"No, I fine, thanks," she said briskly. Ouch, talk about harsh.

"Are you sure? We wouldn't want you to get hurt out here at night. That's when all the monsters come," I said.

"Oh, please, I'm what monsters have nightmares about," she said, picking up her bucket and bending down again. I wondered what she'd do if she met an Eraser or a Flyboy.

Something in the back of my head told me not to let her go. That she was important to my survival. That I needed her. No, it wasn't the Voice, just a voice. I had to make her see that. Was this what Fang had been talking about?

"Really? You think you could fight off the big bad wolf? He's ten times scarier in real-life," I said bending down next to her, and filling my bucket up as well.

She snorted, "The big bad wolf couldn't even think to walk though the door of a brick house. Besides," she said standing up and taking her filled bucket with her. "I've met him, he's not so horrid."

I stood up too. "Hm…maybe he was too busy looking at how beautiful you are to really want to fight you. Or he was having a bad day," I said watching to see how she'd react to flirting. Either she didn't even notice, or she hid it very well.

"He was having a bad day by the time I was done with him." She started wading into the river, walking on the moss-covered rocks.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" I'd have flown, obviously, but with her here that wasn't exactly an option. "You'll fall and I'll have to save your pretty drowning neck!"

"You know, as shocking as it may seem, I can actually take care of myself." She was halfway across now and hopping dangerously from rock to slippery rock. "So you can stop worry your pretty little head." Did she just call my head pretty and little? Just who does she think she is?

I set down my bucket; it could wait, and began following her over the river. "The name's Max, what's yours?"

She glanced back, a move that had me on my toes ready to jump in after her if she fell. "If I tell you, will you tell me why you're stalking me?" Well, that didn't mean I wasn't allowed to 'stalk her' as she put it.

"Sure."

"Max."

"What?"

"My name."

"What about it?"

"That is my name you idiot."

"You have got to be joking. It's a guy's name. It's short for something, right? Like, Maxine," I said. Maxine just didn't suit her, though, and surprisingly Max did. It fit her tom-boyishness well.

She was to the other side of the river by now and was scowling at me as if I was her new target practice and I wouldn't stay still. Good, it's annoying when people just brush off insults. It's no fun.

"Ha, ha-no," she said, sarcastically. "It's just Max. Now stop following me."

"Ah, ah, ah," I said jumping onto the wet sand where she was standing. "You said I had to tell you why I was following you, not that I had to stop," Cornering her with her own words, I am brilliant.

"Really? Because I distinctly remember saying that you did." Dang, this girl could lie. And well too, I had to double-check my memory just in case.

"Nope, you didn't. Sorry," I said, not sorry at all. This meant I could still follow her. "But, because I'm a man of my word, I'll tell you why I'm following you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, shoot, and make it fast, I'm on a dead-line."

The side of my mouth quirked and I took a step forward, smiling when she took an automatic step back. Did that mean she was afraid of me? I chuckled at the thought, and took another step. She didn't back away this time, but she did straiten up, as if she would fight me. Right.

"Don't you feel it?" I asked, my voice barely audible over the river. "Don't you feel that connection? There's something between us." I took another step closer, so our chests were about three inches apart. I was a good three and a half inches taller than her, so she had to look up. I made sure my wings were pulled in as tight as they could.

I leaned down so I had to be uncomfortably close and whispered, "And I think you feel it too." I noticed her eyes were the same shade of brown mine were.

She leaned up so her nose touched mine and I could feel her breath on my face. That was easy. "You know what?" she whispered.

"What?"

"I think that you should go to a mental hospital." And with that she turned on her heel and marched off. I sighed and rolled my eyes, I guess I set that one up for myself.

I chased after her again running in front and blocking her path.

"Wait, just wait for a second," I reasoned.

"How about…no," she said trying to step around me.

"Please," I said, grabbing the sides of her face with both hands—which was quite soft for someone so…not—holding her still, and keeping eye contact.

Who is this guy?

What?

What the heck does he think he's doing?

I need her to stay here.

I'm going to end up having to kill him if he doesn't let me go.

I can't let anything happen to her. What's going on?

Fang is going to kill me if I don't get back in time and he finds out I was held up by a guy.

Fang is going to kill her? She knows Fang, but not me?

Are those his? Get off me.

She dropped the bucket and ripped my hands off her soft skinned face. We just stood there, frozen. Our shoes getting soaked from the bucket spill. I listened, but there was nothing. Nothing but nothing. Just silence.

I tried to reach out with my mind, like I did every once in a while with Angel.

Max…? Was that you?

I waited for a reply in my head while I also watched her expression, but there was nothing from either end. I heaved a mental sigh. So is it only when I touch her? Why? Did I have a new power?

I'm going to take it you're not Angel, right?

I jumped at the sudden appearance of her voice in my head. I wonder if I'll ever get used to any of the many sentences that have to do with 'voice in my head'.

No…how do you know Angel?

I saw her eyebrows knit in confusion. She didn't say anything back, but I could see—and almost feel—the wheels in her head turning. I reached out with my mind, like I was going to say something, but stayed silent, listening.

…Angel? How can I not know Angel? She's my baby. Does he have an Angel too? A telepathic Angel? No way, that's just too coincidental. And that his name is Max, like mine, and he knows a telepathic Angel? Unless…

And I felt it click the same time she did. It was another Angel. The same Angel, yet different. That's why Angel was so confused earlier, because there was another us that she kept hearing. And thoughts from her echoed back, that she never thought.

"Holy shit!" I said.

"Language!"

"Since when do I care about language?"

"Since when am I a guy?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's disgusting!"

"I'm standing right here, you know."

"That was the point of saying it out loud."

"You're a jerk you know that?"

"That's why they love me."

"Max!"

"Max!"

Crap, we both thought, as two different dark figures took their place at a side of either one of us.

"Hey, Fang."

A/N: I know that was confusing, but don't worry, it was supposed to be. I wanted to see if you guys would pick up on the little differences. Like Iggy and the bombs, and Max was okay with it? If you can guess the others that came before I said that it was from a guys POV, I'll give you special dedications.

Obviously review, please. What writer doesn't want that? Please tell me what you think: That I should continue or if this is just a horrible story idea. Flames are welcome, whatever helps you sleep.

If you have any ideas that you have for this story, please go ahead and tell me. I may or may not use them, but I will definitely like to hear them. Thank you, whether or not you review, for reading. I hope you enjoyed.