PLOT: What if Jeb took Ari with him and not Fang? What if the bigger test was not Max saving the world but her compassion to help others? See what happens when her enemy knocks at her front door and is in need of help.

"Max," Jeb pulled me aside, away from the rest of the flock. Angel was sleeping, Gazzy watching television sitting next to Iggy who was listening, Nudge was in the corner playing a game of chess with Ari. I stared up at him. He was a tall, good man who was I wished was my father. "I need you to promise me something." I nodded my head, I was the oldest, I was in charge. "Protect everyone, no matter what, without question."

"All right," I said with a smile. "Is that all?" Jeb looked grim and old, sometimes, I forget he's a grown-up or a whitecoat. I just want to believe he is one of us, that he was a flock member too but he wasn't- that was the reality of it. Was I mature for a twelve-year-old or what?

"No, I couldn't save everyone. I had to make a choice and I couldn't leave my son." I knew that, the dark silent boy whose cage was normally next to mine did not come with us. That was because the scientists were working on him when Jeb came to save us. He managed to grab Ari just in time before the alarms were sounded. I felt horrible, leaving him behind, but we had no choice. Out of all of us, though, I took the hardest of the hit. I let him down, whoever he may be.

"I remember," I replied. I learned never to get smart with Jeb- he didn't take crap like I didn't. He taught me so much. He saved my life. He deserved my upmost respect. I could care less if he was a whitecoat once. Now, he was just the guy that in my dreams I pretended was my father.

"Just remember, we've all got good in us Maximum," he watched as I rolled my eyes. Like I would ever believe that. Jeb chuckled, "All right, maybe not all of us but if you ever see one of your own again from the school, give them a chance. You can't always hate your enemy Max, otherwise, it leads to tragic ends." Jeb's glasses caught a glare and his eyes disappeared like a magic trick. I nodded my head. He placed his hands on my shoulder and stared at me, bending his head down so that we were eye to eye, "I'm going."

Bam, there it was. Another shot to the gut like the fist of an Eraser hungry for the hunt. Leaving, as in not staying with us, goodbye forever, I could care less about a bunch of mutant kids and my son farewell. Instead of saying anything, I chose to use my actions. I lifted my hand and I slapped him easily across the face. I scowled, hoping not to gain the attention of my flock.

Jeb held his face for a second with his fingertips just as if he was remembering the hit instead of trying to aid the pain. I narrowed my eyes, hoping he was in some form of pain. If he left and my enemies attacked, what exactly what I was supposed to do- I was twelve years old for god's sake! He smiled, "You'll be fine Maximum. You're meant for great things. You're strong. You're the leader. You're the Maximum Ride." I scowled even more- how many times will my name be used as a pun? I mean- geez- I didn't want to be some great noun that I would shout into the air while saving the world, which I would never do.

Could you imagine it, "I am the Maximum Ride!" while cuing in the theatric music and sending in the easy, stupid robbers who always think they can beat me but they can't. Instead, my mind was pulled out of its silly fantasies as Jeb moved and walked away towards the front door away from the sight of the living room so that the flock (and his biological son) could not see. I would not beg to have him stay. I was at least stronger than that. When the door shut I thought, Good riddance. Can you tell I handle my anger well? I don't hold grudges- that was a lie. I hold grudges for a very long time.

I sighed and stared at the flock as Nudge started complaining that she was hungry. "Okay guys," I said stepping into the living room where all the eyes rested on me. I rubbed my palms together as I thought. Angel woke up and started crying. I went and picked her up. "Here's the plan..."

2 years later…

"Max," I turned around to see Gazzy rubbing his eyes. The obvious and adorable cowlick on his blonde hair just swaying a bit as he shook his head free of the hang-over sleep effect. I warned him not to sleep in. He was always too tired oddly enough when he woke up. "What's for breakfast?" Well, besides the moldy can of uneaten ravioli (none of us liked it) in my hand, there seemed like nothing worthy of my cooking skills to make.

"Wrong, I believe the questions is 'Iggy, what's for breakfast'?" Suddenly, stepping around the island counter, Iggy made his way to the refrigerator. "I'll make eggs, Gaz, don't you worry. Max will be safe and sound…away from the food that is." Huh, early in the morning and I was getting kicked out of the kitchen? How sweet of them.

"I see how it is," I grumbled as Iggy and Gazzy exchanged a laugh. I went upstairs to go get the girls. I passed Ari who was alone as always watching the television, which wouldn't last long as one of the other kids would kick him out. It's not Ari's fault he was normal but somehow, I felt like the only one who got that. I let him be, knowing he would come to me when he needed comfort. Poor kid, he was only seven after all.

I went to the pinkest, most likely to make me barf room in the entire house. I started with Nudge (as I've learned, you start with the hardest so the rest looks easy). "Rise and shine pumpkin pie," I said with a grin. I watched as in her very sleep, Nudge pulled the covers over her head and scrunched up into the fetal position. "Nudge, there is a Justin Timberlake documentary on right now and if you to watch it, I suggest you get there before the Gasman does, who by the way is eating eggs and we all know how that is." Her head shot out from under the covers.

"Justin? Really?! I am way too excited now. Oh Max, yes! I can't wait." She jumped out of the bed, her wings fluttering with the sudden movement. When I say she jumped out of the bed I mean she leaped in the air and fluttered down gracefully. Ballerinas had nothing on us. You should see us against Erasers, you would get what I'm saying.

"Stop it Nudge, I lied. There is no documentary. But, maybe the videos are still on and one of his songs will show up." I watched as Nudge's moods died down a bit. I was such a killjoy sometimes but hey, I was a fourteen-year-old mutant who was trying to raise a bunch of others.

I went over to the small corner covered in stuff animals. This portion was covered by a bed sheet so I had to push it aside. There she sat, wide blue eyes and curls of blonde. The perfect angel as always hence her name. "Mornin' Max," she gave me a wide, white tooth grinned. I noticed that I didn't need braces or the rest of us. It must somehow be in our genes.

"Morning," I answered back with a smile. "Hey, you're already dressed." I announced. She was wearing a blue dress with white frills on the collar. I love her so much. She's my absolute favorite because she's my baby. I was her mother. You just don't even know the bond that I have with Angel, I think it's even stronger than a mother-daughter relationship because with normal people, you worry less about surviving than we bird-kids do.

Downstairs we all had eggs and fruit. You would think after two years in a house we would run out of food but we don't. We had a chicken coop to grab fresh eggs. Tons of canned food and freezed dry items downstairs in the basement. Plus, Angel and sometimes the rest of us all went picking for fruits.

"I want to go get strawberries," Angel informed us. Of course, we all agreed. Gasman, after ruining breakfast with one of his infamous occurrences, made us all go up and get ready. I went to my closet and began changing into one of my tee shirts and jeans. Back when I was ten they had been really large but now, I had grown into them. My chest had developed so I wore a strapless bra which Jeb had explained a few days before I left that I would one day need it.

I slipped on a sweater with two giant slits for my tawny wings before turning around and staring at myself straight in the mirror. I had brown eyes, kind of like dirt after you pour soda all over it surrounded me strokes of long, black lashes. My hair was catching the rays of my open window to show off the tints of blonde that was strewn across the mass of brown and revealing the frayed ends and random strands that stuck away from my head. My figure was skinny because of my super fast metabolism and my nightly flight.

"Max?" Suddenly, Ari was standing in the doorway. His blonde hair was long and slicked back, curling just at the end of his buttoned up shirt with the sleeves that went way past his hands. I went over to him and rolled them up as he spoke. "I don't want to go. Everyone always has fun but I don't. I like being alone," he informed me. He was seven years old after all. I stared him in the face, his brown eyes waiting for the answer that he wanted and not the answer that he was going to get.

"Sorry Ari, but you're as much of this flock as the rest. We're all going. I can't leave you here. What if something bad happens?" Instinctively, we both knocked on the door frame so as not to jinx it. We had been here for four years total, two without Jeb, in my opinion we were safe but I had learned to expect the unexpected.

"Come on," I ruffled his hair a bit and I saw him pout. I easily lifted him up in my arms. Even though he was normal, and didn't have bird bones like the rest of us, he was still pretty light and I easily carried him down the stairs. When we reached the front steps, everyone was waiting to go. "Let's go find some strawberries," I informed them. Then, we head out.

Fang's POV

"Falcon to Fang, do you copy?" I turned my head over to look at one of the Erasers who was tinkering with the headset. I winced when I heard a high pitched squeal in my ear. "Sorry," was the muttered response. "Get use to it." You'd think after spending all this time with Erasers you would get use to them but I just couldn't.

Instead, I ripped out the useless toy and chucked it to the ground. They just couldn't get things right around here. A door burst open and I turned my head, a woman with blonde hair and somewhat old, was staring right at me, "Bird-boy, you've got a mission." I smirked with happiness.

I was never given an order to go out and find the bird-kids but I had been pestering Jeb long enough (after he returned two years after him and the others disappeared) to let me go. I could find them, I had natural instincts and I had no problem with finding the ones who had left me here. I don't hold grudges at all. No, that's a lie. I hold grudges like there's no freakin' tomorrow, especially after I returned from an experiment and found them all missing. Some loyalty they had to me. Well, paypack, revenge, whatever you wish to call it, is sweet.

"Go on, fly out," the Director told me with a roll of her eyes and a sigh of frustration. I headed out the door from which she entered. On the other side was my freedom and the "flock" as Jeb called them, waiting for me to settle a painful score.

Just as I stepped out a hand grabbed my arm and I turned to find Jeb. He went to reach for my hand in a shake. I let him have it even though I hated him with all my internal organs (not just my guts so I really hated this guy). He slipped something into my hand and I made sure as to not make it obvious. Could you blame me for not being careful? I was suspicious of all of this. I would get my revenge on…what did Jeb call her again…Maximum Ride and then, I'll fly off into the horizon until I find a secluded island to live out my life in completely freedom.

All right, another story...what do you think? If anyone can name the importance of the uneaten ravioli, not only will that make my day but it'll also gain you a special recognition in the next chapter. If no one can, then I'm scared as to the effect of my MR love and I'll reveal the answer in chapter 2...

Please review, I like them like the stars like the moon. =)