A/N This is my first story, a lot of O/C POV and possibly a fair amount of fighting later. If the major O/C talks like an idiot, please say, I need to develop his character more and any input is good. If the story ends up rambling I honestly just based this whole story off a single idea. If anyone flames me for any reason, please don't, I have better things to do with my life. Oh and the story is post-Fang, Angel doesn't happen and the recombinants weren't exterminated.

Disclaimer - I don't own Maximum Ride. If I did then I wouldn't be writing Fanfics, I only own the O/Cs

Rogue Mantis

Chapter one

Experiment 234's POV:

My team was ready; we had the mistakes within striking distance. Our instructions rang clearly through my head "kill the flock, no excuses or exceptions". We had trained from the day we were born to kill them, today Maximum Ride would die and the world would be saved all because of me and my team. I shook the predictions of pride from my head and focused on the mistakes again. There they were, relaxing on the beach. We would soon teach them the price of their relaxation. I tensed as Experiment 286 gave the signal to move in, I unsheathed my blades and jumped off the cliff I was watching them from and plummeted towards the happy little group. Today, the world would be safe because Maximum Ride was going to die.

Max's POV:

We were just chilling on the beach; Angel was busy making some new fish friends, Gazzy was skipping stones with Iggy, Nudge was talking non-stop about clothes or something whilst Dylan, my "perfect other half" was just sitting there watching me. Creep. It had been a few weeks since Fang had left and I still missed him, but I'd settled into a nice routine when oh so typically our peace was interrupted by dive-bombing weirdos. They just threw themselves off the cliff like a bunch of lemmings, heavily armed lemmings with parachutes. The flock were up and tensed for a fight before the parachutists had hit the ground. One sliced his parachute off and stalked forwards towards me, yes sliced. He was covered in knives and generally sharp things. He stood poker straight and addressed me "Maximum Ride, I am Experiment 234, by the orders of Itex you are hereby sentenced to death do you accept and comply?" This guy had to be joking with me, comply what kind of idiot complies with their execution. "Maximum Ride, do you comply? My team and I are more than capable of subduing and executing you and your compatriots." Now I knew this guy was joking.

"Do I comply? You seriously think I want to get killed? No freaking way, and you think you guys can beat me and the flock? What are you 50% pen knife?"

"Your rhetorical questions are meaningless, in response to your final question I am not 50% pen knife and I have been enhanced with 2% mantis DNA does that answer your question? Do you comply?" Knife dude responded, great, bug squishing time.

"Yes it answers my question and no, I don't freaking comply. Why haven't you guys even attacked us yet?"

"Unsatisfactory answer, prepare to be subdued and executed." Oh goody, just as I was getting settled and we attacked by a knife wielding psycho from the School. And typically I noticed his team arranged in a neat line behind him, five plus knife dude, one for each of us.

Experiment 234's POV

The stubborn girl did not comply, as expected. A flick of my wrist gave the signal to attack, and the team moved in with immaculate timing.

Max's POV

Knife guy flicked his wrist and his team leaped forward, the flock meeting them in a clash of fists and weapons. Knife dude went straight for me, typical idiots, always go for the member of the group who's most likely to bust your face. After that I just went on instinct, unlike most fights we'd been in, this was one-on-one, but was hardly even. Things started to go wrong from the first punch thrown. I launched a spinning back kick at knife guy but he wasn't there, he'd moved so ridiculously fast he'd seemed to teleport, which he might have done. He countered by spinning and cutting through the air like a demented top, a demented top that I couldn't hit without getting ripped to shreds. Something I hadn't put on my "to-do list". I glanced around to see the flock in a variety of conditions, Nudge had taken to the air and was kicking at the face of one guy, but her foot just passed through his head as he floated up and landed a very solid punch in her gut.

I was distracted by knife dude slashing at my face which I didn't dodge fast enough, pain seared through my face as one of his knives cut across my cheek. But I smashed at his face with my elbow, a decision I regretted immediately since I hit the flat of another of his knives, how many of those things does this guy have? Iggy and the Gasman were throwing every bomb they had, but the pair they were facing just dodged, one diving aside the other spinning into the air with freakish precision and clubbed Iggy with a cane, what kind of person carries a freaking cane. I couldn't see Angel but "perfect" Dylan was the only one who was holding his own against two of knifey's team, a super skinny girl who was tall enough to be a birdkid and a woman who was spewing God-knows-what at him. Knife dude then grabbed me by the hair, baring my throat to one of his knives, whispering into my ear "End of your flight Maximum, you can't run anymore, the mantis has cornered you." When a solid "thunk" sounded behind me and knife guy let go of me.

Experiment 234's POV

I had the mistake in my grip, I was about to slit her throat when a blow smashed into the back of my head. It was the youngest, the one 241 was assigned to catch. What was she doing here? I was dazed from the blow and when my grip slackened Maximum Ride slipped out of my grip yelling for the flock to go airborne so they all wriggled away from my team and took to the air. I tried to follow with my wings but I was dizzy and collapsed. The last thought in my mind was how I had failed, how I had let Maximum Ride escape me as she yelled mockingly "Guess I can run a bit longer then, can't I?" as I slipped into unconsciousness.

I'll probably post the next chapter after I've fixed the continuity and other bits. Please remember to review, I need them to fuel my tiny ego.
Koth.