Hey everyone. First multi-chapter fanfic. Let's see how this goes. I do not own Maximum Ride. I was disappointed by Patterson's FANG, but it was better than THE FINAL WARNING and so so much better than MAX. So here's the deal I have the muse ot write. I don't know for how long this muse will stay with me so I'm going to be chucking out chapters fast, that way I don't lose the desire to write this and it ends up yet another abandoned ficcy. So please pardon all typos and other oddities.

THIS STORY IS POST-"FANG" ==== SPOILER ALERT!

Italicized words are the words spoken telepathically here.

*Fang POV*

The sun was setting in the west painting the fields in twisted long shadows that danced over the ground. The blood red harvest moon rose up in the sun's dying light in the slightly cloudy sky. Another day had passed. Without Max. I cringed away from the thought.

I could hear the guys bickering over the 'campfire'. I sighed with barely concealed mirth, "You guys are SO useless when it comes to fires. I'll get it, don't worry. Can you set up the shelters?"

They nodded and scuttled off. We were a good band. I had rescued them from an older School-like building. They were as old as the building itself. From what I knew they were something like the prototypes of the prototypes of all the recombinant mutants. Maybe. I wasn't sure and they didn't care.

I watched the small tongues of flame leap up to greedily lick at the kindling I gently added in. As the fire grew and the smoke drifted lazily into the sky I couldn't help but wonder what they were all up to. Especially her. I thought that in two weeks it would be Total's and Akila's six year anniversary. I would only be able to remember another anniversary.

I suddenly was hit with a splitting headache. I gripped my skull with both hands and nearly crushed my own head flat to hold it all together. It was like an axe had been stuck into the back of my head. I checked, don't worry, no axe. The pain gradually subsided and I started to hear a faint voice that grew stronger. It was panicked, high pitch, and oh so teasingly familiar.

"fang… fang.. fang…fANG… FANG… FANG! OH GOD, FANG, CAN YOU HEAR ME? PLEASE PLEASE… FANG!"

"Angel?" I felt my stomach churn sickeningly as fear started to claw at my heart. At my response I thought I heard a choked sob. This was so bad. This was worse than bad. If Angel had made contact after six long years of zilch this was end-of-the-world bad. Maybe worse.

"Fang? It's really bad. Like worse than end-of-the-world bad…"

Had she pulled that thought from my head?

"Fang we really need you back. NOW. We all need you. ASAP. I can give you our location, please don't refuse…"

The word "please" was marred by her voice breaking. "What's wrong?" Please don't tell me. I don't want to know. I blocked the images of mangled bodies of my family, of oil spills, horrendous fires, of mad scientist experiments gone oh-so wrong, and worse…

"Max is missing. She's been taken by someone. We're near the old Colorado house. Get here as fast as you can. We really need you now. Don't abandon us again."

The hurt of her last comment was lost like a raindrop in a tumultuous river of agony knowing that Max, my Max, was in serious horrible trouble. My heart skipped more beats than would be advisable for any human. I couldn't seem to breathe. I dropped like a fool onto my knees. Directly into my newly built fire. It was just barely enough to wake me from the horrible fact that Max was gone. Barely. I wouldn't be any help like this. I carefully boxed up the painful emotions into the area of my brain that was reserved for all other Maxness. Which was like, 80% of my brain. "GUYS! We're headed for the 'States! Let's Go now! Speed is imperative. We're needed ASAP!"