Remember by filmmakersdream

AN- Alright, guys, here's my baby (or, at least, one of them, haha)! I'm soo pleased with how this has started out, but as I've continued the story, we're getting information WAY too early, so it might take awhile to get more than the first two/three chapters up, and school's starting on Tuesday. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME! ...AND READ AND REVIEW! -grins-

Disclaimer: James Patterson owns Maximum Ride and it's characters. The only thing I own is this plot, the MR books 1&2 in hardcover, and several gazillion notebooks. -sulks- Not fair...

Oh, crap. I think as I stand back-to-back against Fang, with Iggy and Gazzy to one side of us and Nudge, Angel, and Total on the other, staring at the huge- no, massive swarm of Erasers surrounding and pressing in on us. Feeling my second in command's- and, secret-crush's- hand gripping my own, my other hand clamped on my baby's shoulder, I search the sea of faces for one in particular.

"Well, hello again, Max. Looking for me?" A familiar growl rises above the din, and the Erasers fall silent as the wolf-boy the voice belonged to materializes in front of me. Oh, crap.

"Like he-eck I was." I snarl at Ari, ignoring Fang's gentle tug on my hand. Angel. Get them out of here- NOW! I feel Angel's barely intelligible nod. Fang suddenly tenses, and I can almost sense him batting away Angel's thoughts as he squeezes my hand.

'He won't do it, Max.' I scowl mentally, wishing that for once he could work with me.

Would you mind, Ang?

'Nope!' A few seconds later, I'm in Fang's mind.

What the he-eck do you think you're doing? GET OUT OF HERE! He tries to push my thoughts away, but I stand strong.

'No, Max. I'm not going to leave you to fight these guys alone.'

Fang-

'No!' I growl slightly under my breath, then squeeze Angel's shoulder as Fang taps the back of Iggy's hand twice.

Three- two- The younger members of the Flock leap straight up into the air, Total in Nudge's arms, and whip out their wings, speeding up and away. Both of Fang's hands wrap tightly around mine as the wolfies around us pull out guns, shooting into the sky. It's useless, of course- my flock's long gone my now. Well, except for Fang. Why can't he just go?

'I'm not going anywhere, Max, so stop trying to get me to.'

Uh…Fang?

'Yeah. Guess Angel forgot to cut the connection. All the better for us, really.'

I guess...

'Trust me.'

Yeah, right… I sense him roll his eyes.

"So, birdies, the rest of your little flock got away, but we've got the alpha male and female. Though, you don't use those terms, do you? Ha, we have the mother hen and father hawk." Ari snorts, and the rest of the Erasers chortle. "What ever will the little flock do without their parents?" I sneer at him.

"Stay the heck away from you, that's for sure."

"Do you really think that you're the only on we chipped, Maximum? We can follow them, no problem." I knew it!

'Max, come on. Let's get this over with. Back flip first.'

I set my jaw, glaring at Ari. "Not if I can help it. Come and get me, Daddy's little experiment." He growls, striking out at me. Here we go. With quick precision, I lean back against Fang and kick out my legs, catching Ari in the face and- well, below the belt, if you know what I mean. He goes down hard with a strangled cry, and I push off again, this time following through and bonking two Erasers on the head as I flip over Fang.

"Good job." He mutters as we return to our back-to-back position.

"Oh, thanks so much." Muttering back, I hook my arms through his and jump in-sync with him to take out another handful of Erasers. I can sense him smirking as I snap a punch at an Eraser as it tries to come between us. Alright, Fang- to split or not to split, that is the question.

'I don't know.' He pauses to lash out at a few wolf-men as they advance. 'As long as we don't get too far apart, we should be fine.'

Right. 3-

'2-'

We push off of each other, immediately getting into individual fights. I can feel Fang moving further away, and throw a glance over my shoulder to see a sea of bodies between the black haired boy and myself. Fang, we- "Eep." I squeak as my arms are yanked behind my back and a gun is pressed to my head.

"Don't move." The Eraser growls in my ear. Yeah, like I have a choice. 'Max? Ma- oooh, shoot. Ouch.' Fang is suddenly in front of me as the Erasers move back into a circle around us, two of them holding his arms. I give him a weak smile, starting to feel slightly dizzy as the guy behind me pulls my arms back further.

Maximum, you and Fang have to get out of there. Ari has something planned. Well, what do you know? The Voice is back. Joy. Thank you, Maximum. Nice to know I'm appreciated. Now get out of here.

I would, but my arms are kinda being pulled out of the sockets right now, so… I catch Fang staring at me, and by the surprise look on his face, the Voice was in his head, too. Poor Fang.

'Do you know what he's planning?' Fang asks, and the Voice is silent for a moment.

I thought it was a little crowded in here. Hello, Fang, it's nice to finally meet you.

Cut the crap, Voice. Do you know what's going on? I snap, and I can feel Fang's amusement. Of course, I don't expect much of an answer, but-

I don't know, Maximum, Fang. I wish I did, but I don't, so stay alert. And Fang- I'd suggest telling her what you've been wanting to for the past year, because this may be the la-

I blink, meeting Fang's eyes to see them widen about a tenth of an inch. Fang, what's the- oh god. I start, then freeze, my mind going blank, as something sharp and pointy is pressed against my neck.

"Say goodbye, Maximum." Ari growls in my ear, and then the needle punctures my skin. The last thing I remember is Fang breaking away from his Erasers and tearing toward me, his dark eyes filled with a fear like I've never seen, and hearing his voice in my mind- 'I love you, Maximum Ride. Don't give up.'

Then the world goes black.

AN- So, what'd you think? Tell me in a review, s'il vous plaît! (That's French for "please". If you didn't know already.) R'N'R! (-glows- I'm so proud of this story...)

AN- -is still sniffling- I'm in shock over how much you all like this. I mean, I'm having a blast writing it, but the fact that you all like it too- it's incredible, and otherwise indescribable. Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers, and please R'N'R! Oh, btw- Fang is vaugely OOC in this chapter. -blushes- I have a bad habit with that...

Disclaimer- James Patterson owns Maximum Ride and it's characters. The only thing I own is this plot, the MR books 1&2 in hardcover, and several gazillion notebooks. -sulks- Not fair...

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And Fang- I'd suggest telling her what you've been wanting to for the past year, because this may be the la- The Voice is suddenly cut off, and I glance over at Max to see Ari behind her, a long needle in his hand. Max meets my eyes.

'Fang, what's the- oh god.' Her voice is strangled as Ari puts the point to her neck, her eyes widening with fear. He growls something in her ear, then pushes the needle into her skin. I break away from the Erasers holding me and sprint toward her, a crushing fear rising in my chest, and holler at her in our minds- I love you, Maximum Ride. Don't give up. Sensing her black out, I launch myself at Ari with an unearthly shriek, punching him full in the face. He lets her go to attack me back, and she falls to the ground awkwardly. Fury anew floods my mind, and I pour all of my strength into the fight.

Ten minutes later, I'm left on the ground in a pool of blood- both my own and Ari's- defeated. Now, Max is who-knows-where with the psycho-scientists, or with Ari- maybe he decided to put his "steal Max mission" into plan (yeah, she told me about it). Now I know how Max must felt after Jeb left, and after Angel was taken- and I can't help but love and admire her even more. Love. Jeez, I still can't-

Suddenly, there's a rustling sound from my right, followed by voices, sounding both close and farther away.

"Max? Fang?" …Gazzy?

"Max? Max, where are you?" Nudge?

"Come on, Fnick, answer us if you're still here." Iggy!

Oh, finally. The Flock. "Guys? Someone?" I call out weakly, and the quiet shuffling stops for a moment.

"Fang? Is that you?" Angel's wide blues eyes peer out from the darkening woods, then she bursts out, tears streaming down her face. She falls to her knees beside me, going pale as she notices all of the blood. "Oh Fang. Guys! Guys, I found Fang! He's hurt really, really bad." She turns back to me, fear in her eyes and voice. "Where's Max?" The rest Flock crashes into the clearing, jerking to a stop at the sight- and for Iggy, I guess the smell- of me, laying crumpled, broken, and bloody in the dirt. They all start asking questions at the same time.

"What happened?"

"Max isn't here?"

"Where is she?"

"We saw the Erasers fly off-"

"-Ari wasn't with them-"

"-so we thought he was-"

"-still with you and Max-"

"-but he's not ,and-"

"-Max is gone, but-"

"-you're still here, so-"

Owe… couldn't they just SHUT UP?

"Hey, guys, quiet down. Fang's in a lot of pain, and you're not helping!" Angel cries softly, and the others fall silent. "Iggy, check him for broken bones, okay? And Nudge- help me rip up some shirts for bandages. Gazzy, scope around and see if the Erasers or Ari and Max are near by." She instructs, sounding eerily like Max. Max. My heart tightens, and I clench my jaw, struggling to push myself up into an up-right position.

"Don't try to sit up, Fang- lay back down. The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we'll find Max." Iggy whispers, running his hands over me carefully. He hesitates over my right arm, then presses down lightly. A searing pain screams through my shoulder, and I take a sharp breath. "It's dislocated. Don't move." He hisses as I try to shift away from his hand.

"It hurts." I growl back, gasping slightly as he grips my arm and the slope of my shoulder, popping the joint back into place. That pain fades slowly, only to be replaced by the steady throb of bruises and cuts over my entire body.

"Suck it up, shadow boy. And hold still, I'm not done yet." Iggy mutters, and I glare at him, a sharp reply on the tip of my tongue.

Iggy's right, Fang- you can't let the pain block out Maximum, but you have to be in top condition if you want to save her. Holy shiz. What the heck?

Um... Voice?

Hello again, Fang. It's so nice to be able to talk with you, but where's Maximum? I can't get a hold of her, and I can't track her thoughts.

Ari took her. Drugged her with something. Didn't go with the other Erasers. You can't talk with her?

No. The Voice is silent for a moment. Ari took her?

Yeah.

And you said he drugged her. Do you know what it was?

Uh, no. How could I even tell?

How long did it take for her to black out?

A minute or so. Didn't take long, but I managed to tell her- you know, before she did black out.

Hm… I think I know what it was. And what you told her will definitely help bring her back. Now, about finding her…

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AN- Uh-oh. Ah, by the way, a little note to Northern Star, one of my loverly anonymous reviewers– what, are you a mind reader like Angel? Shh, your not supposed to know that highly classified information yet! Pshaw… PLEASE REVIEW!

Oo, oo, little side note- when I was up in Mackinaw with my family a few weeks ago, I saw shirt that read- "I am a bomb technician. If you see me running- TRY AND KEEP UP!" Remind you of anyone? LOL…

AN- Okay, people, I was debating posting this… but, obviously, I decided to anyway. –grins- And it's short. Really, really short. But the next one should be a bit longer- or a lot longer. Kind of. -grins again- Thanks again to all of my readers and reviewers, and please R'N'R!

Disclaimer- James Patterson owns Maximum Ride and it's characters. The only thing I own is this plot, the MR books 1&2 in hardcover, and several gazillion notebooks. -sulks- Not fair...

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Ugh… I groan, prying my eyes open, just to clamp them back shut at the brightness surrounding me. Where am I? …who am I? What's going on? What-

"You're awake." My eyes snap open to stare at the intruder, my heart pounding. "Welcome back, M- Sarah." The 5-foot-6, hairy, almost wolf-looking man smirks. I study him wearily, pressing back against the wall behind me. Wait, what? Glancing around, I find that I'm in a small, windowless bedroom, with a single chair, the bed I was laying on, and two doors, one of which was currently blocked by the Eraser. …Eraser? Where did I get that? Oh well…

"Who the heck are you?" My voice sounds odd to my own ears, and the man's smirk widens.

"You don't remember me? My dear, I'm hurt. I'm A- Nick, your, ah- boyfriend." Nick? Why does that sound familiar…? "How are you feeling?"

"Um, alright, I guess. My shoulders are a little sore, but…" 'Nick' suddenly looks thoughtful, then his eyes light.

"Do you think you can sit up?" I shrug slightly, carefully pushing myself up onto my elbows. 'Nick' is at my side in an instant, helping me all the way up, then settling behind me. He rub my shoulders, and I blink, startled. Well, he did say he was my boyfriend, but… Lissa.

"What about- Lissa?" His hands freeze for a moment, but then continue massaging my shoulders and moving slowly downward.

"Er, what about her?"

"Weren't you dating her?"

"Um-uh, no. You're my first and only girlfriend, and I'm your first and only boyfriend. Who's Lissa, by the way?" I grimace, rubbing my head as it starts to throb. Who is Lissa? And… Max-Nick-Jeff-Krystal-Zephyr-Ariel-Sam-Lissa-Jess-Maximum-Fang-Iggy-Nudge-Gazzy-Angel-family-School-Erasers-Voice-Jeb-Anne-NYC-Wasington-Florida-parents-Ari-mutants-wings-fly-soar-laugh-cry-chip-pain-owe… I wince as images and words flash through my mind; four of them stick out (Voice?) and three linger- the images of 'Nick', 'Fang', and 'Ari', the former two of which looked nearly identical.

"Sarah? What's the matter?" I shake my head, more to clear it than anything else. The headache fades along with the images, but the three that had stood out are burned into my mind's eye.

"Nothing, ah- Nick. Just a headache." He tenses, then relaxes.

"Is it better now?" I nod. "Good. Do you need anything?" I hesitate, then shake my head slowly. "Alright. If you need me, knock on that door-" He points to the door he entered through, then to the other door. "And that's the bathroom. Get some sleep. Breakfast will be in an hour or so." He kisses my forehead, then heads out the door. I frown at the door, feeling like something was terribly wrong.

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AN- Woo. Yay, minor-kinda-not-really-conflict! –snickers- The more you all review, the sooner I'll update. –grins- I'll give you- -pauses, then blinks at the empty cookie plate- um, I'll give you… a surprise. OO-OO! I'll give you a sample of the next chapter, and possibly a hint at how the whole thing turns out, depending on how nice of a review you give me. -big grin- …I'm kidding about the whole "nice review" thing. Hahaha… PLEASE R'N'R!

AN- Okay, so, yeah… I've decided, obviously, that I'm going to go on with what I have, because as I may or may have not said (and jeez, I seriously don't remember to who/when I said this), I wasn't happy with how it was turning out, but I've figured out what I want to do… and trust me, you will NOT believe the twist I throw in later. –grins- If anyone can guess what I'm gonna do, I'll give them a sneak peek to the chapter with the twist! –bribes- (Haha, I love bribes…) Anywho, pleaz R'N'R!!

PS/ In case you forgot from last chapter-

"And… Max-Nick-Jeff-Krystal-Zephyr-Ariel-Sam-Lissa-Jess-Maximum-Fang-Iggy-Nudge-Gazzy-Angel-family-School-Erasers-Voice-Jeb-Anne-NYC-Wasington-Florida-parents-Ari-mutants-wings-fly-soar-laugh-cry-chip-pain-owe… I wince as images and words flash through my mind; four of them stick out (Voice?) and three linger- the images of 'Nick', 'Fang', and 'Ari', the former two of which looked nearly identical."

Yeah, that's kinda-sorta mentioned in this chapter, and the next, so I figured I'd remind you. Yeh. MOVING ON-

Disclaimer- James Patterson owns Maximum Ride and it's characters. The only thing I own is this plot, the MR books 1&2 in hardcover, and several gazillion notebooks. -sulks- Not fair...

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'Max? Max, can you hear me?' I jolt awake, staring around the- my bedroom, bathed in afternoon light.

"Who's there?" I whisper, cowering under the covers.

'Oh, thank god Max. Where are you? What's Ari doing to you? …Max?'

"Who are you?" I snap, keeping my voice down. Voice…the Voice?

'Fang. Max, what's the matter? Don't you remember- know me?' 'Fang's image pops into my mind, but I shove it away.

"No. I don't know any Fang, or Ari, and I'm not Max. My name's Sarah. Why are you in my head?"

'Max, what the heck are you talking about? You're the Maximum Ride, the incredible, indescribable Maximum Ride the great.' I shake my head, shivering. …Max, please. You have to remember. I lo-' The door to my room opens, and Nick strides in, a tray of food in his hands.

"Good afternoon, Sarah m'dear. How about- what's wrong?" He asks, concerned, as I glance up at him, pale and shaken. 'Ari! Max, what is going on?'

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

'No! Max, I won't abandon you.'

"Sarah?"

"It's- it's nothing. I'm fine, Nick." I insist as he gives me a doubtful look. He sighs, then places the tray beside me.

"Have some lunch." He says before simply walking out of the room. I frown after him, picking at one of the sandwiches.

'MAX, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? It might be poisoned- don't eat it.'

Who are you to tell me what to do, Voice? There's silence for a moment, and then a feeling of sadness and disappointment not quite my own sweeps over me.

'…Your friend. I thought your best friend, but apparently not. At least trust me for now, okay, Ma- Sarah? Please?' I sigh, nibbling on a piece of cheese, and I can almost feel the- voice, or whatever it is, holding it's self back from hollering at me again.

Okay. I'll trust you. Relief floods my brain briefly, and the voice sighs.

'Thank you. I've got to go, but I'm here if you need me. I love you, more than you could possible know right now. Don't give up.' I sense it cut off the connection, and clench my eyes shut as clips of sound and sight that are oddly familiar block everything else.

-A six-year-old girl with white-blonde hair, big blue eyes, and white wings swoops around in the air, giggling joyously as the small, black, Scottish-looking dog in her arms licks her cheek.-

-An eight-year-old boy also with white-blonde hair, mischievous blue eyes, and whitish-gray wings dive-bombs into a good-sized pond, then emerges, cackling as the angelic-looking girl from before scolds him, then laughs also.-

-An eleven-year-old girl with dark brown hair and eyes, dark skin, and tawny russet wings tucked loosely against her back chats excitedly to a gawky fourteen-year-old boy with strawberry blonde hair, milky, sky blue eyes, and golden-russet wings, who's basically ignoring her, and is instead staring blindly into the distance, a small, black package in his hands.-

-A lanky fourteen-year-old boy with longish black hair, dark, emotionless eyes, and purplish-black wings extended slightly is sitting, bare-chested, on the ledge of a small cave, scanning the horizon silently like a hawk. He turns as a tall, fifteen-year-old girl with blonde-streaked hair, sharp brown eyes, light tan, white-and-brown-speckled wings, and a confident step emerges from the cave quietly, and half-smiles at her, his eyes lit with love and respect.-

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AN- Heh, so much fun. -grins- Hopefully, you all know who I'm talking about in those little 'clips'. And, quick question for you guys- do you think that the "Voice" in this chapter was actually Fang or not? Honestly, I haven't completely decided yet, so… you never know- your opinion may change the story! (…sorry. My mind is rather cluttered with "Everything's Groovy!", which is the play we're doing in Show Choir, so everything is coming out cheesy. Bleck. –crosses eyes- BUT- I'M ALICE, AND I DON'T HAVE TO "LIKE"/FLIRT WITH ALEC (TRAVIS), AND TARAH (MURIEL) DOES!! HAHAHA!! XD) Please, press the pretty little button next to the "review" bar? –bribes with… PLAIN WHITE T'S!- (I am so kidding. I'm just obsessed with them right now. Hee. -cute little smiley that DOESN'T WORK ON FFN!!- -glowers- ...) Anyway… -bribes with…Doritos, because I can- Thanx!!

AN- So, here's chappie number FIVE!! Woo-hoo, I'm soo proud of myself! This has got to be one of my longest projects I've managed to keep going. (Besides a Newsies -an OOOLD musical, haha- story that is SOO OOC- and Mary-Sue- riddled that there's no way I'll ever post it.) Besides this one, I've got... -counts- TWO more chapters written, and I have a vague idea of what I'm going to do in the next chapter after those two, so… yesh, I am a very happy little author. –grins- PLEASE R'N'R

PS/ JUST in case you forgot from last chapter-

"-A six-year-old girl with white-blonde hair, big blue eyes, and white wings swoops around in the air, giggling joyously as the small, black, Scottish-looking dog in her arms licks her cheek.-

-An eight-year-old boy also with white-blonde hair, mischievous blue eyes, and whitish-gray wings dive-bombs into a good-sized pond, then emerges, cackling as the angelic-looking girl from before scolds him, then laughs also.-

-An eleven-year-old girl with dark brown hair and eyes, dark skin, and tawny russet wings tucked loosely against her back chats excitedly to a gawky fourteen-year-old boy with strawberry blonde hair, milky, sky blue eyes, and golden-russet wings, who's basically ignoring her, and is instead staring blindly into the distance, a small, black package in his hands.-

-A lanky fourteen-year-old boy with longish black hair, dark, emotionless eyes, and purplish-black wings extended slightly is sitting, bare-chested, on the ledge of a small cave, scanning the horizon silently like a hawk. He turns as a tall, fifteen-year-old girl with blonde-streaked hair, sharp brown eyes, light tan, white-and-brown-speckled wings, and a confident step emerges from the cave quietly, and half-smiles at her, his eyes lit with love and respect.-"

So, yehya, this is talked about in this chapter, and I thought that it would be easier to be able to look here instead of searching it out in the last chapter. Yeeeh. Moving on-

Disclaimer- James Patterson owns Maximum Ride and it's characters. The only thing I own is this plot, the MR books 1&2 in hardcover, and several gazillion notebooks. -sulks- Not fair...

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I open my eyes after a few hours of visions and blacking out, and start crying softly as I remember the look in the shadowy teen's eyes, feeling lost and confused. Voice? Er…Fang? I ask hesitantly.

'Mmph…yeah, Ma-Sarah? D'ya need something?' I rub my eyes, sniffling. 'What's the matter?'

I- I had a dream. There was this little blonde girl and boy with big blue eyes, and a dark pre-teen girl, and a strawberry blond boy who looked like he might've been blind, and- and a teen aged boy with black hair and dark eyes, and a girl with blonde-streaked hair... and they all had wings. The voice is silent for a moment, and I can feel his shock.

'That- that's us. That's the Flock. Max…' I shiver, furrowing my brows slightly as I run through the dream again, lingering on the last boy. 'Max, you still with me?'

I-I think so. The boy- the black haired boy- was that you? I hesitantly draw the image of 'Fang' up, and the boy from my dream.

'Yes, that's me. Could you- could you show me the others?' I pause, then pull them up, also throwing in some of the other images from my first day awake. 'Angel, Total… Gazzy… Nudge, Iggy… you, that girl with me is you, Max… Jeb, Anne… Sam… Lissa…'

You know who Lissa is?

'Yeah. I- dated her, when we were at school at Anne's. And you were dating- Sam.' I frown slightly at his bitter tone, thinking back to when Nick had said that we were each other's firsts.

But- I thought Nick was my only boyfriend.

'What? We- we've never dated.'

I wasn't talking about you. I said Nick, not Fang.

'But- when we were at the school, I was going by Nick.'

Nuh-uh. Nick is my boyfriend. And he's the one taking care of me right now.

'…oh, my god. You're not talking about Ari, are you?' A picture of Nick- Ari?- pops into my head, and I shut my eyes, examining the image.

…that's Ari? But… Feeling confused again, I sit up, rubbing my forehead. That's not possible…

'Max, I need you to do something for me. Would you mind?' There's a sense of urgency in his voice, and I blink.

Um, alright. What- what do you need?

'I need you to promise me not to let Ari know you know what's going on. Because if he knows- he may not be so nice.'

I- I don't know what's going on though. I'm so confused, I don't even know who I am…

'You're Maximum Ride, the leader and mother of the Flock. You're invincible; no one can touch you. You- you are the most incredible person I've ever met, and I- I admire you.' I can sense his slight fear and worry.

Fang? What's wrong?

'I have to go now. You may not be able to get a hold of me for an hour or two, but I'm here otherwise, and I'll be able to hear you, but won't respond. Don't give up, and I'll talk to you later, Max.' He cuts the connection off, and I sigh, laying back down.

This is so confusing…

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AN- Tee hee. You'll have to wait 'till I get the next chapter up before you find out what's going on with Fang and the crew. I'm so evil… BUT, Iggy gets a new power two chapters from now, sooo… yeah. I'm excited. AND I FEEL ORIGINAL!! Oo, oo, and I have another story I'll be putting up called Untitled (Truth) that is a series of vaguely related stories that center around Fang, and probably Iggy, too. They're SO much fun. I love them. I've only got 1 ½-2 chapters done so far, though, but I know where I'm going. I suppose that it's almost reminiscent to my other story Always, sorta. Okay, not really, but… it's there. The similarities, I mean. Slightly. So, anyway, please R'N'R!! Thankies! –big grin- -offers homemade cookies- You know you want them…

AN- Here is chapter number six- and this is officially my longest posted story EVER, and also the one with the most reviews. Which reminds me- AS I TYPE, I NEED THREE-ONLY THREE- REVIEWS TO MAKE 50!! (…and seven hits to make 1400. Hm.) Huge stepping stone for me here, people, so please, PLEASE review and let me know what you think of this. I have a general idea of where this is going, but any suggestions are welcome!! And I don't think you need to be reminded of what happened last chapter, because this IS last chapter from Fang's POV, so… yesh. PLEASE R'N'R!

Disclaimer- James Patterson owns Maximum Ride and it's characters. The only thing I own is this plot, the MR books 1&2 in hardcover, and several gazillion notebooks. -sulks- Not fair... I WANNA OWN IGGY!! –sobs-

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'Voice? Er…Fang?' Max's hesitant voice wakes me up, and I blink the sleep from my eyes, rolling to my stomach and resting my chin on my folded arms.

"Mmph…yeah, Ma-Sarah? D'ya need something?" I sense her rub her eyes, sniffling, and frown. "What's the matter?"

'I- I had a dream.' Oh, jeez. Still good old Max. 'There was this little blonde girl and boy with big blue eyes, and a dark pre-teen girl, and a strawberry blond boy who looked like he might've been blind, and- and a teenaged boy with black hair and dark eyes, and a girl with blonde-streaked hair... and they all had wings.' No. Freaking. Way.

"That- that's us. That's the Flock. Max…" She shivers, frowning as she runs through the dream again, and she pauses slightly on the clip of myself. I remember that… It suddenly hits me that Max hasn't said anything for a while. "Max, you still with me?"

'I-I think so. The boy- the black haired boy- was that you?' Hesitantly, she pulls up two images of me, one from the dream, the other from the last time I'd seen her. That's incredible- how can she show me that?

"Yes that's me. Could you- could you show me the others?" She hesitates again, then draws up images of the Flock and a few other people. "Angel, Total… Gazzy… Nudge, Iggy… you, that girl with me is you, Max… Jeb, Anne… Sam… I scowl slightly, and it deepens at the next one. "Lissa…"

'You know who Lissa is?' I blink, shocked that she remembered who she was.

"Yeah. I- dated her, when we were at school at Anne's. And you were dating- Sam." I can't keep the bitterness out of my voice, and she frowns.

'But- I thought Nick was my only boyfriend.' I inadvertently feel my face flush.

"What? We- we've never dated." As much as I've wanted to…

'I wasn't talking about you. I said Nick, not Fang.' Oh, jeez.

"But- when we were at the school, I was going by Nick."

'Nuh-uh. Nick is my boyfriend. And he's the one taking care of me right now.' I blink, and then it clicks; I feel the color drain from my face.

"…oh, my god. You're not talking about Ari, are you?" Oh, god. Please, no. It can't be- he wouldn't do that. Would he? I carefully push a picture of Ari into her mind.

'…that's Ari? But…' She sits up, rubbing her forehead. Her confusion over takes my mind for a moment before I push it away. 'That's not possible…' There's suddenly a crash from outside, and Angel bursts in, her eyes wide and fearful.

"Fang, there's a group of Erasers outside." Shoot.

"Alright, I'll be there in a second. Wake everyone up." She nods, darting out of the room, and I tune my mind back to Max.

"Max, I need you to do something for me. Would you mind?" She blinks, possibly noticing my urgency.

'Um, alright. What- what do you need'? I drag myself out of bed, tugging clothes on as I make my way to the window.

"I need you to promise me not to let Ari know you know what's going on. Because if he knows- he may not be so nice." Shoot-shoot-shoot. I think, shocked at the sight of fifteen Erasers and several white-coats.

'I- I don't know what's going on though. I'm so confused- I don't even know who I am…' I sigh, rubbing my forehead and heading toward the door. Come on, Max. I need you to remember, I need you.

"You're Maximum Ride, the leader and mother of the Flock. You're invincible; no one can touch you. You- you are the most incredible person I've ever met, and I- I admire you." My window shatters, and I dive out of the way as a bullet is fired in my direction.

'Fang? What's wrong?' Jeez, how is she picking up on these things so well now?

I have to go now. You may not be able to get a hold of me for an hour or two, but I'm here otherwise, and I'll be able to hear you, but won't respond. Don't give up, and I'll talk to you later, Max. I think to her, then cut off the connection as I whip out my wings and swoop out of the room, speeding down the hallway and grabbing up Gazzy in one arm and Angel in the other, calling out so Iggy can follow me with Nudge on his heels.

"Get down!" Iggy yell, and I drop to the floor, covering my ears as there's a massive explosion. "Clear!"

"Alright, let's move! Gazzy, Angel- go-go-go. Iggy, Nudge, come on. Picture window." I holler, making sure the four of them are up and moving before I take off, maneuvering through the hall haphazardly. Why now? God damn it, why now? As we swing around the last corner, the window in sight, a bright, white light suddenly flashes behind my eyes, and then I black out.

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AN- Oo, scary. What's going on? –runs around like a chicken with it's head cut off- WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S HAPPENING TO FANG, WHAT- -pauses- Oh, right. Heh. I'm the author. And I KNOW what's going on. Mwahahaha! New power in the process, people, so… yay! I'm excited, are YOU excited?! (oh, and a quick note to ffgirlmoonie- ignore my review reply from last chapter. I am SO out of it right now. Sorry. -sheepish grin-) PLEASE REVIEW!! THREE MORE!!

AN- OMG!! I officially, as of 9:17 PM on Wednesday, May 9, 2007, have FINISHED THIS STORY!! –sobs- I'm so proud of myself, and of this story. –sniffles- And, currently there are 63 reviews, 2234 hits, is on 10 favorite lists, and 18 alert lists. …wow. That's incredible. And crazy. And just- wow. –giggles- Blow my mind even more, and PLEASE R'N'R!!!

Disclaimer- James Patterson owns Maximum Ride and it's characters. The only thing I own is this plot, the MR books 1&2 in hardcover, and several gazillion notebooks. -sulks- Not fair...

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Owe… what the hell? I think to myself, rubbing my head- that, I would assume by the way it's throbbing and by the fact that there's a major lump forming, got knocked against some extremely hard surface. My eyes blink open- and I stare around in utter surprise and confusion. "Woah…" I mutter, sitting up hesitantly. Around me, the flock is sprawled out on a grassy surface. By the looks of it, we're in a clearing in the middle of a forest, in the middle of god-only-knows-where. At night. And who knows how long we've been out?

"I believe you are in a forest, just northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico. And you've only been out for an hour or two." I'm startled at the voice in my head for half a second before remembering that, somehow or another, Max's Voice had stuck with me after the "Incident".

Max… My heart aches as I think about her, and I do a quick mental scan to see what she was up to. Nothing unusual- sleeping, dreaming about us again. I just hope that she'll remember everything…

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, Fang. She'll be fine, with your help."

But how can I help her if I don't even know where she is?

"…The rest of the Flock is waking up. I'd ask Iggy what happened." Is the Voice's only response, and I sigh, now realizing why Max hated the thing so much.

"Ugh…" Nudge. "Wha' happened?' She mumbles, her eyelids fluttering. Angel stirs beside her, a slight frown creasing her features as she regains consciousness, glancing around in bewilderment.

"Where are we?"

"I think I just got a new power…" Iggy murmurs, his blind eyes darting around excitedly.

"Really? Sweet!" The Gasman crows, slapping the slightly shell-shocked boy a high five.

"Was that you?" I ask Iggy quietly, and he turns toward me, a grin spreading across his face.

"I guess. What happened?" I pause, trying to find words to describe it, but Nudge cuts in before I can open my mouth to response.

"I don't know! One second, we were running down the hall, and then I blacked out, and then I woke up here, with you guys, but I don't remember how we got here, or what really happened, and-" Iggy holds up his hand, looking a cross between amused and annoyed.

"Thank you, Nudge. That doesn't help me any, though. I don't know how I did it, or why I…" He trails off, a thoughtful look on his face as he cocks his head to the side, listening. I listen, too, but don't hear anything- yet.

"What is it, Ig?" I ask him under my breath, just barely loud enough for myself to hear, let alone him, but he holds up a finger in a 'wait' motion, his brows furrowing.

"I think I can hear Ari, but it doesn't sound like he's looking for us. It sounds like…" He hesitates for a second, and I do a quick check on Max to hear- "It sounds like he's talking to- Max…?"

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AN- Uh-oh. Wha' happened? …I KNOW!!! –giggle- And see? Iggy's got a power. I mean, it doesn't really go into much detail, but… there's a bit more elaboration in later chapters. Which reminds me- there are only three more chapters after this one. …-is in shock- Wow. I still can't believe I actually managed to finish my first, multi-chaptered fic. –tears- (And I'm seriously crying as I'm typing this, as pathetic as it is. I now understand what people mean when they say finishing as story is like losing a child.) SPOILER TO END OF FIC-AND, KIND OF, MR3, SORTA- WELL, YEAH, MR3 ALSO-DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE END- OR PART OF MR3!!! I just want to say, here and now, that the idea of things being "just a dream" is my own. I, in no way, shape or form, copied of off JP with that idea. I came up with this, and decided that that was where this story was going, before I read a preview of MR3 in the back of an MR2 paperback, which says something along the lines of "the past three years being a dream". Oh, and Angel is evil, as everyone I've talked to predicted. –cheers at our brilliance- Okay, I'm done. …hahaha, I wonder how many people will come back and read this after I write what I'm gonna write… and I can't believe I just spoiled the entire freaking story… boo, that's sad… END SPOILER!!! Woo, so… now that I've got that off my chest, please review!! –offers Mrs. Field's cookie slices- They're yummy!! I split one with my friend at the mall today after our State Choir Festival. It was fun. We got to ride on a charter bus. XD Fun fun fun. –dances off, singing Every Story is a Love Story- This is the story of a love that flourished in a time of hate…

AN- TWO MORE CHAPTERS!!! That's IT!! Then I'm through with this story, and can focus completely on my other ones. As much as I love this, it's taken up so much of my time, but… -is sad- This is the LONGEST CHAPTER EVER!! …at least in my story. There are 1394 words, about 2½ pages in Word. I'm so proud!! –grin- Please R'N'R!!

Disclaimer- James Patterson owns Maximum Ride and it's characters. The only thing I own is this plot, the MR books 1&2 in hardcover, and several gazillion notebooks. -sulks- Not fair...

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"Hello, Sarah." Nick/Ari says, sounding forced cheerful, as he saunters into my room, a tray of food in his hands. I glance up at him from where I'd been sketching random things, absently rubbing at the scab on the side of my neck.

"Hey." I mutter, turning back to my drawing of a boy with black hair and midnight eyes, a slight smile across his lips as he turned to look back from where he was sitting on the edge of a cliff, the wiry muscles in his bare back straining slightly as he stretches out his dark wings. Nick/Ari peeks over my shoulder, instantly freezing as he sees the paper.

"Uh, what are you drawing?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just something that- popped into my mind the other day, and I wanted to get it down. Beautiful, isn't he?" I reply nonchalantly, knowing very well that I was going against what Fang very strongly told me not to do, yet I could honestly could care less- I don't understand why, but I feel more safe right now then I have in a while. It started about an hour or two ago, just a sudden feeling of calm falling over me. It, of course, was what actually triggered the image of Fang I'm currently finishing up right now.

"Oh, alright…" He trails off, sounding bemused.

"Hey, um, where did this scab come from? I just noticed it today." I ask him, touching the mentioned scab. His eyes widen subtly, but he gives me soft smile, sitting beside me on the bed.

"You know how you can't remember much of anything up to a few days a go, right?" I'm tempted to shake my head, tell him I do know most of what happened before then, but Fang's warning flashes in my mind, and I silently nod. "Well, that's because this group of people kidnapped you, and brainwashed you. Once I sto- got you back, you were prescribed medicine to help you- recover, and it has to be injected in the neck." I raise an eyebrow.

"Oh? And who was it who- kidnapped me?" His jaw visibly clenches.

"A- a group of people. They're- they're called- the Flight." No, they're the Flock, and they're my real family. The thought hits me hard, and I find myself smiling slowly. "Sarah…?"

"My name's not Sarah." I say defiantly, and he frowns.

"Excuse me? Yes, it is."

"No it's not, and you're not Nick." Suspicion sparks in his eyes, and his frown deepens.

"Erm, Sarah, I think you're reverting back to your- brainwashed self. Must be time for another dose of- medicine." My eyes widen, and I recoil.

"No. Stay away from me."

"It's okay, Sarah. It won't hurt at all. I'll just go grab it-" I launch myself at him, knocking him off the bed and onto the floor, pinning him down and glaring furiously.

"Don't even think about it, bub." I snap, punching him- hard. He snarls, shoving me off, and throwing me back onto the bed before dashing for the door. I go after him, running, face-first, into the door as he slams it shut behind him; I bang on the wood. "Ari! Get back here! Let me out! Shoot." I mutter, pushing away from the door and, pacing, desperately trying to think of some way to get out. Hey!

Fang! Fang, are you there? There's silence, and I curse softly. Damn it, Fang, I need you.

'…Max?' Yes!

Fang, thank god! Ari knows that I know-

'How?' Oops…

Uh…

'Max, you didn't. Jeez, what did I tell you?'

Hey, shut up and let me finish, all right? Then you can yell at me later.

'…fine. What's going on?'

Well, as I said, he knows, and he just left to get some more of the- stuff that knocked me out last time. What do I do? He pauses, and I can sense him chewing on his lower lip absently, then say something to some one else.

'We're nearby. Iggy discovered he has a new power, and somehow, we got here.' …hn.

When?

'Bout an hour or so ago.' Interesting. Maybe- no, focus on that later.

Okay, so, can you guys get here?

'We're on the way as I speak. We should be there within- five minutes, give or take. You'll be fine, Max.' I sigh, rubbing my forehead.

I hope so. Hesitating, I add. Hey, Fang?

'Yeah?'

…I love you. Just though you should know that, just incase.

'…I love you, too, Max. Everything's gonna be fine.' A feeling of love and calm washes over me, and I shut my eyes briefly, welcoming it. 'See you soon.'

All right. We cut off the connection just as I hear the lock on my door turn. 'I face it, crouched down slightly, and ready to attack if needed. Ari peers in, grimacing as he sees my position.'

"If you just work with me, Max, I swear this won't hurt a bit." I snort.

"Are you kidding me? When have I ever worked with you?" He smirks.

"You were pretty cooperative the past couple days." I roll my eyes.

"Well, you know, I wasn't exactly feeling myself the 'past couple days'." I snap sarcastically, and he chuckles.

"If only you hadn't busted out of it. How did you manage to shake it off, if I may ask? I mean, your chip was shut down, so it couldn't have been the Voice. Are you really just that strong minded, Maximum? Or do you have some special power I don't know about?"

"A magician never spills her secrets." I drawl, backing away as he starts to approach me, a needle in one hand.

"Oh, but I'd so like to know, my dear. It'd be very beneficial for the experimentation of this new chemical from the School." I shudder, feeling my back hit the wall. Shoot. Where the heck are you guys? "Well, if you're not going to share, then say goodbye, Maxy." He singsongs, holding up the long needle with a snicker.

The door bursts open, revealing my precious flock, Fang at front-and-center, the others flanking him. "Say hello, Ari." Fang mocks, his dark eyes dancing with fury's flames.

"Max!" Angel cries as she catches sight of me, and Fang's gaze darts toward me for half a second. 'Hey, Max. You okay? He do anything to you?'

"Hey, sweetie." I reply to my baby, giving her a small, half-hearted smile before turning my attention back to Fang. Yes, I'm fine. He hasn't done anything yet, but you saw how close you guys were cutting it. What took you so long?

'Long story. I'll tell you once we're out of here.' Ari is looking back and forth between us, confusion clear on his face; after a moment, though, the look clears, and he looks surprised- and ticked.

"Well, well, looks like someone got a new power. So this is how you pulled yourself out, Maximum- shadow boy here was fiddling with your mind." He sneers, staring the mentioned darker boy down- with little success, because Fang is just eying him coolly, clearly unfazed.

"Nope. Although he helped, it was mostly me." Ari just growls in return, beginning to morph.

"Well, either way, he ruined my plan." And with that, Ari lunges toward Fang, fist first. The reaction is immediate and violently rapid- the rest of the Flock dives away and towards me, Iggy pulling me down; Fang lets out an unearthly shriek, and Ari is suddenly engulfed in flames.

"Woah." I mutter, my eyes wide. Fang joins us, calm and collected as ever, though his eyes light up in amusement at the look on my face.

"C'mon, lets blow this joint." Fang taps Iggy on the shoulder, and takes me carefully from the strawberry blond, cradling me against him. "Holy crap, I was so scared." He mutters in my ear, and I blink at him, surprised.

"…seriously?" He nods.

"I thought I was gonna lose you. Of course I was terrified. But that can wait- do your thing, Ig." Our pyro grins wickedly; the last thing I remember before a bright, white light flashes behind my eyes is Fang staring down at me, his dark eyes filled with a love like I've never seen, and hearing his voice in my mind- 'I love you, Maximum Ride. Forever'

Then the world goes black.

AN- Aw, sappy-sappy-sap. –giggles- So, I have a goal for you guys, for me. As I type this, there are 70 reviews for this story. The goal? Somewhere near 100. Just the fact that I've gotten past 50 is incredible to me, so… make my day-, no, my LIFE, and get everyone you know to review. And, if you're reading this without reviewing, please, please, PLEASE review!! I'm gonna wait until the next chapter to let go into detail about Iggy and Fang's powers, cuz there might be another chapter between the next one and the last one where Max'd be talking to the flock about- well, you'll find out next chapter- and the Voice would pitch in info about the powers. I dunno, tho- we'll see. Again, pleaaaaase review!! –offers Santa Fe cookies- …don't ask… XD –dances off, singing Fortune Favors the Brave- We seize the day, we turn the tide, we touch the stars, we mock the grave. We move into uncharted lands- Fortune favors the brave…

AN- YAY!! I'm up to 81 reviews!! I'm soo excited!! But there are only… -stares, wide eyed- There's only one more chapter after this. Wow. –sniffles- I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS- GOODBYE!! (sry, lil bit of RENT humor…) SO! Happy day! As I already mentioned, 81 reviews!! 19 more!! …PLEASE R'N'R!!!

Brief update since I last wrote this: Up to 82 reviews! YEAH!! Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, THANK YOU to all of my reviewers!! Y'all make me feel so special, and I can't believe how much you all like it. Big thanks to Anna (lil miss anon, lol) for her praises (and yes, I am a girl, hahaha. –bows- Ish, at your service!). Also, thanx to another anon reviewer, ".. reviewer. ;", for reviewing since I said review. Hahaha… Anywho, do like ".. reviewer. ;", and REVIEW!! –grin- And btw- kinda short chapter. Oh well... -snickersnicker-

Disclaimer- James Patterson owns Maximum Ride and it's characters. The only thing I own is this plot, the MR books 1&2 in hardcover, and several gazillion notebooks. -sulks- Not fair...

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I sit straight up, my t-shirt stuck to my sweat-soaked wings, and my heart pounding. Holy crap… was that just a dream? Glancing around, I see my Flock scattered around me, sleeping- and one dark figure sitting against a tree. "…Fang?" The dark figure turns toward me.

"Yeah?" In less then a second, I'm across the clearing and in his arms, relief washing through me as he automatically turns to stone. Yes! Dream, dream, dream, it was just a dream "…Max?"

"Oh, thank whatever god is out there, it was just a dream." Is my only mumbled response, and he sighs, gently prying me off.

"What happened?" I take a deep breath to try and calm my hammering pulse, before diving into the dream. As I work my way through everything, from the first fight to the last, Fang's face remains carefully blank, though I can read the emotion flashing, rapid-fire, in his eyes. "…so, do you think this is just a regular dream, or-, well, at lack of better word, prophetic?" I shrug, studying him as he drops his gaze.

"I dunno. I mean, it was so real… I guess we'll just have to wait and see." He nods thoughtfully, his eyes rising back up to meet mine after a moment.

"Is- any part of that dream true- now?" My breath catches, and my mind races a mile a minute.

"…well, Angel does have the ability to connect minds, you're stubborn, Ari's a creep, the Voice is annoying, I have brain explosions, uh-" He cuts me off, a vaguely annoyed look on his face.

"You know what I mean, Max." I pause, biting my lower lip as our eyes lock, and I see the fire in those dark eyes.

"Yes. Yes, I do believe there is. I mean, I dunno- is there?" I wince, realizing how little sense that made.

"…yeah." We both hesitate, avoiding each other's stare.

"I love you." There's a beat of frozen silence, where we blink in surprise, not sure who had actually said- it. Next thing I know, though, I'm back in his arms, being held tightly to his wiry body with his arms wrapped around my back. I bury my face into his shoulder, and I can feel his breath, warm and ragged, against my neck.

"Who cares if the stupid dream comes true?" I mutter, and he laughs quietly, breathily. "As long as I have you- as long as there's an us- we'll be fine."

"We can handle anything, you and I. We're unstoppable."

AN- Again, sappy-sappy-sap… but still, AW!! And what do you guys think of the twist? Did anyone see that coming? …I DID!! –gigglegiggle- And, as I mentioned in chapter… -checks- In chapter 7, the idea of the dream came from my own mind before I read MR3, thank you very much. …and shoot, I just revealed a bit of the mentioned-MR3… hn… Ah well! –grins- VERY IMPORTANT: COULD DETERMINE THE FATE OF THIS STORY- AND OF THE WORLD!!! Okay, I'm kidding about the whole "determining the fate of the world" thing, but… lol, anyway, you guys, I want your opinion- should I write a chapter where Max explains the dream and what happened to the Flock- and, therefore, the Voice would help explain about Iggy and Fang's powers- or do you want me to just explain it at the end of the next chapter (aka THE LAST ONE!! –sob-)? YOU decide!! (If I may quote the MR website, haha…) Please review!! –offers iCopies of MR3- (Don't I wish… actually, I don't even have MY copy right now. There's a whole list of my friends who want to borrow it… grr… I did read it, tho, and it's FAB!! So much better than the first two. AND FANG KISSED MAX!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!! …sorry for the spoiler, I just HAD to get that off my chest… tee hee…)

AN- …oh my gosh. I have 94 reviews. You all don't know how incredibly awesome that is to me. Just- wow. I'm speechless. And- no, I'll save the gushy-OMG-THIS-IS-IT stuff for the end AN. –sniffles- Thanks for everything, and please R'N'R!!!

Disclaimer- James Patterson owns Maximum Ride and it's characters. The only thing I own is this plot, the MR books 1&2 in hardcover, and several gazillion notebooks. -sulks- Not fair...

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"'Well, crap.' I think as I stand back-to-back against Fang, with Iggy and Gazzy to one side of us and Nudge, Angel, and Total on the other, staring at the huge- no, massive swarm of Erasers surrounding and pressing in on us." Feeling my second in command's- and, now, boyfriend's- hand gripping my own, my other hand clamped on my baby's shoulder, I search the sea of faces for one in particular. Hey, I guess we have our answer now, huh?

Shut up and focus, Max. Fang's voice in my mind is annoyed, and I roll my eyes mentally, squeezing his hand. "Well, hello again, Max. Looking for me?" A familiar growl rises above the din, and the Erasers fall silent as the wolf-boy the voice belonged to materializes in front of me. Ha, going exactly as planned.

"Like he-eck I was." I snarl at Ari, ignoring Fang's muffled snicker behind me. Angel. Get them out of here- NOW I feel Angel's barely intelligible nod. Fang squeezes my hand, and I sigh slightly. Well, we know what's coming, so that's good, right?

We'll see, now, won't we?

Oo, sarcasm.

Shut up. I chuckle slightly under my breath, then squeeze Angel's shoulder as Fang taps the back of Iggy's hand twice.

Three- two- The younger members of the Flock leap straight up into the air, Total in Nudge's arms, and whip out their wings, speeding up and away. Both of Fang's hands wrap tightly around mine as the wolfies around us pull out guns, shooting into the sky. It's useless, of course- my flock's long gone my now. Well, except for Fang. Thanks for staying with me, love.

Hey, I'm just following the course of the dream.

Oh, thanks.

Oo, sarcasm I dig my nails into his palm, and his amusement washes through my mind.

"So, birdies, the rest of your little flock got away, but we've got the alpha male and female. Though, you don't use those terms, do you? Ha, we have the mother hen and father hawk." Ari snorts, and the rest of the Erasers chortle. "What ever will the little flock do without their parents?" I sneer at him.

"Stay the heck away from you, that's for sure."

"Do you really think that you're the only on we chipped, Maximum? We can follow them, no problem." This is actually vaguely amusing.

For you, at least, cuz you know the entire dream, inside and out. Well, you know what to do, yes?

Yup. I set my jaw, glaring at Ari. "Not if I can help it. Come and get me, Daddy's little experiment." He growls, striking out at me. Here we go. With quick precision, I lean back against Fang and kick out my legs, catching Ari in the face and- well, below the belt, if you know what I mean. He goes down hard with a strangled cry, and I push off again, this time following through and bonking two Erasers on the head as I flip over Fang.

"Good job." He mutters as we return to our back-to-back position.

"Oh, thanks so much." Muttering back, I hook my arms through his and jump in-sync with him to take out another handful of Erasers. I can feel him smirking as I snap a punch at an Eraser as it tries to come between us. Well, we're not gonna split, right?

I guess. He pauses to lash out at a few wolf-men as they advance. Just to see what happens, right?

Right. We stay back to back, fighting off the Erasers as the shift around us, boiling like a pot of water over a fire. Now, we're just waiting for the steaming liquid to bubble over. There's an obvious ripple of confusion shooting through the crowd, and they suddenly pull back, leaving us panting in the middle of their original circle. Ari appears out of nowhere again, clearly irritated.

"Well, maybe the two of you are smarter than we thought." He snarls, then pauses, obviously listening either to his Voice or the earpiece I could clearly see. "Fine." He mutters, seemingly to himself, before focusing his narrowed eyes back on us. "You're extremely lucky, Maximum Ride. But watch your back. I have plans, and they will happen. Move out, boys." He calls out, and they disperse, snapping at us or snarling something cruelly. Holy crap, that was… freakishly easy.

No kidding.

Well done, Maximum, Fang. You've certainly proved yourselves to be a force to be reckoned with. I sigh. Should have seen this coming.

Now, Maximum, that's not the best way to treat the person who just about saved your life, now is it?

So, what, is this thing a new power or just you

…I'm not sure yet. This last one was, at least, influenced by me. But there might be others in the future of your own accord. Fang exchanges a glance with me as the last of the Erasers disappear from sight and we take off into the mid-day sky.

That's a good thing. There's a slight question in his voice, and I shrug.

As far as I can tell, it is, Fang, but I can't be sure. Don't take the dreams lightly, of course, but examine them with a careful eye. See if anything seems out of place. And be careful, both of you. Now, since what happened in the dream didn't occur, the path of Fate has been twisted up, so… as Ari said, watch your back. I sense the Voice disappear also, and let out a long sigh, rubbing my temples.

"Hey." I shoot a glance at Fang. "We'll be okay. We're unstoppable, remember?" I crack a grin, flying closer to him and letting my wing brush against his.

"Right. Just have to wait and see, huh?" A smile lights up his face like the sun, and his midnight eyes spark with that now-familiar fire.

"You better believe it, Max. Always remember that we've got each other, and we can get through anything." He pauses, and then he smirks. "Besides- you love me this much." And he spreads his arms out wide, those eyes filled with mischief. I groan, dive bombing him.

"Shut up! I was drunk on laughing gas, okay?" He just laughs, speeding away with me close on his heels.

PLEASE READ THIS AN- Hahaha, you can thank Nightwingstar for sticking the idea of adding the "You love me this much" thing from MR3 at the end. She made a comment about it about the last chapter, so… I figured it fit. –grins- So… this is it. …-sobs- I'M GONNA MISS THIS STORY SO MUCH!! I worked so hard on it, and I still can't believe that I actually finished it. Really, it was thanks to all of you- those who reviewed, and those who just read without reviewing- that I kept going. If you guys hadn't responded to this like you had, I probably wouldn't have continued, so…thanks. I'm so proud of where this went, and how it turned out. As for their powers- I know what I'm gonna do. I haven't decided, tho, if I'm going stick the chapter at the end of this, or post it separately. (btw- thnx to Myrah, CrimsonScarz, plainyironic, Nightwingstar, and Supergirrl for their input about the power chapter!) Next are all of thank you's (which might take a while, believe me)- those'll be posted sometime within the next week or two.

THNX A'GIN, AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW YOU LIKED THE ENDING IN A REVIEW!!