Written by: Micky

Disclaimer: I do not own the Maximum Ride series.

A/N: This story starts a little bit before Angel is captured in the first book and goes off into a sort of off story where the main character goes with Iggy. So there are no real spoilers in this. Also Iggy will be introduced in the second chapter and we'll get to see him more later on. The first chapter is sort of an intro but It is still important…wow this was a long note.

It was cramped, dingy, cold and a true living nightmare. The dog crate I was trapped in could barely fit me if I lay in a cramped ball. These demons in white truly didn't treat me like a human being. In truth, I guess I wasn't reallyhuman but not by my own wishes. I looked human, with clear blue-grey eyes and straight blond hair. I was pretty short and thin from being stuck in a cramped cage most of my life and I had purple streaks from when chemicals spilled in it. Only, I was far from being a normal teenage girl. I had retractable, black raven wings that could burst from my spine on command. I could heal twice as fast as any human; I was also three times as strong and three times as fast. I had a super-human memory and I had heightened senses. I was the only surviving "subject" of the ten selected for the experiment. I was the definition of a mutant freak.

I had been taken when I was only four years old, nearly ten years ago. Since then I had become the greatest success of this lab. Subject 04 of project Aviaries 2.0, that was what the people in white called me. I was nothing more than a lab rat to them. Here, lying on the cold, bare floor of the crate, I truly did feel like a trapped rat.

A sharp pain shot through my entire body. I doubled over clutching my stomach, attempting to keep back my meagre lunch. A robotic voice came over the speaker, blaring rather loudly in the empty room.

"Again, that answer was incorrect. That's enough for now."

The door clanked open and the hinges creaked loudly as a white coat pushed the door open. They came and dragged me from the room. I had been forced to answer questions; if I was incorrect I would receive a shock of electricity. It was something I was used to having to go through since I was little.

They dragged me back through the halls and placed me into my cage, locking it tight. I was drained and felt as though I was going to hurl at any moment. It was after I took a few, deep breathes that I heard it, a soft moan. I searched around taking in the sight of a new cage next to mine. Inside I saw what might have been two little boys. One had scaly skin like a fish and the other was just as scaly only it had a few too many fingers and toes, it was horribly disfigured. They looked to be around two years old. I inched towards the side where my cage met theirs and stuck a hand through the bars. They immediately moved to the other side of the cage. I felt sorry for them; their lives were practically over before they even began. I didn't want them to feel frightened so I began to sing.

"Close your eyes go to sleep. It will be a new day, close your eyes…"

As I sung, the less disfigured boy moved closer to me and took my hand in his small, scaly one. Following the first ones example the other boy came forward and let me touch his cheek. That night I spent signing as the two boys fell asleep holding my hands.

I flew around the cage one more time, my raven like wings brushing the air with powerful strokes. I had spent the last two or three hours dodging objects that had been launched at me by the white coats. I wasn't sure why they were doing this only that it felt magnificent to be in the air once more. I spun and twisted, taking care not to crash my large wings against the walls of the small enclosure.

"That's enough for today."

The voice rang from a megaphone on one of the walls. I dropped from the air immediately, landing clumsily on the packed dirt. Once I had refused to stop, shivers ran down my spine as I remembered. They had sent out men that turned into horrifying wolves. They had ripped me from the air and ripping my flesh with their sharp fangs. I still had nightmares of them leaving me bloodied on the floor…I shook off the thoughts and arched my back, letting out a choked scream as my wings shrank back into my fragile frame. I lay there panting, feeling some blood drip down my spine and into my torn coat. They came in and handed me a new coat as they dragged me back to my cage.

"Hi."

A soft voice whispered through the darkness. I peered around seeing a new girl. She couldn't be more than six or seven with curly blond hair, gentle blue eyes and pure white wings. She was crouched down talking to the two boys who looked terribly frightened. She then turned to me and repeated her greeting.

"Hello."

"Who are you?"

"Subject 04 of the Aviaries 2.0 project. Who are you?"

"Angel."

I nodded then half turned to the two boys who had come to greet me with bright, half smiles on their faces. I patted their heads and began to sing. They murmured happily then fell asleep. I then turned my gaze to the girl, Angel, who was staring at me.

"Is there something wrong?"

"You look completely human, so why are you here?"

"I'm not human. I'm like you."

"Me? Like with wings and bird DNA?"

"Yes."

"Then where are your wings."

"There hidden in my back."

Seeing a questioning look on her face I began to explain what I was and how I came to be here. In turn, she told me her stories from being in the school, as she called it. She also told me of her flock and all the fun and amazing things they did together. She told me how she missed her brother and knew that Max, the leader, would come and get her eventually. As she drifted off to sleep I couldn't help wondering what it would feel like to have friends, a family.

A/N: Ok so that wasn't the best chapter I have ever written but the first one is always hard and I haven't read the book in a while. So please R&R and I promise the second chapter will be better with a brief looked at IGGY! Yay!