A/N- I know my title is crap, if you have any ideas please tell me I would appreciate it.

Prologue

They left me.

My flock, my family, they all abandoned me. It was hard to admit but it was the truth and I can't live in denial forever, I had been tossed aside by the people I loved because of reasons I'm still not even sure of. I had tought at first they had been tricked or brainwashed by the school agents but eventually I had to ditch that idea, no matter how much I wanted to believe it, because when I last saw them I was the one in the hands of the erasers and they were flying away; free as a bird.

Why you ask, would they betray me?

Based on what Total's told me it was because of him.

That son of a bitch turned them against me. I loved him-ish, he was the only boy I've ever loved, or as close to love as I've ever gotten, but more importantly I've saved his life like a million times.

Even my baby, my Angel, left me.

In my mind I could see her angelic face smiling at me with those clear blue eyes thst just oozed innocence, the mental image caused a massive throbbing pain to begin in the centre of my chest. I shook my head hoping the image would fall out but sadly the human brain doesn't work that way and the pain stayed were it was.

I was alone now, the rational side of my brain knew that wasnt true, I had Total. Total had become very loyal since the incident and didn't like to be too far away from me, it's less out of actual loyalty and more out of consern for my mental stability, or maybe he thinks I'll leave too, my moneys on the first option though.

Oh and Jeb. Can't forget him. No matter how much I try.

(flash back)

"Max." I heard Fang call me from across the little camp site we had set up. I had been watching the rabbit cook on the open fire and looked up to see the whole flock looking at me.

They were all gathered together on the other side of the fire, their position was odd normally, Angel was by my side and the others would be scattered about doing their own thing. What worried me more than their "us and you" position was their facial expressions. There was a steel I hadn't seen before, almost like they were going into battle.

"We've been talking." Nudge spoke this time, I looked into her eyes and she quickly shifted her gaze to the floor.

"About what?" I asked slowly, I was nervous. This sort of thing had never happened before, we didn't keep secrets, at least not big ones.

All of these awful scenarios's flashed through my head, I instantly discarded them as nonsense. It seems stupid and naive now but I trusted the flock with my life, I was sure they would never leave me.

"Well, you've been our leader since the begining and we feel...how do I put this...you're pulling us down." Fang was talking again, my eyes scutinized him looking for signs that he was joking. Realising he wasn't I started to panic, a million thoughts rushed through my mind; Pulling them down? What did that even mean? Why were they talking behind my back? Why does Nudge look guilty?

"I don't get it. Is this a joke or something?" My breathing was heavly and I know I sounded needed, I was ashamed of my behaviour but it was like I had lost control over my body.

"No, Max. I...we want a new leader."

I stayed silent, what was I supposed to say? I had finaly caught on, probably not as quickly as I should have. I could feel the tears in my eyes threatening to fall, luckly I had enough pride and control left not to let them and not to beg. I was Maximum Ride. Maximum Ride does not beg. Period.

"I have taken the liberty of contacting someone to...help you"

"Help me?" He sounded so cruel, I had never heard him use that voice before, and I hate to admit it did scare me.

A few seconds later the erasers turned up, just as ugly as ever. There were so many of them, they were coming from everywhere. I was caged in.

I don't like thinking of the fight. At the end of it I was more bruised and bloody than ever before. I realised early on that I couldn't win so I resorted to running away, when I jumped into the air and flung my wings out pain shot through my right wing, later I found out three bones in my wing had been broken. I don't know how far I flew that night but it took me hours of swirving and evasive maneuvers to loose them. Eventually I passed out in the middle of some forest. I woke up to Total. Not pleasant by the way. At first I thought that meant it was all a dream, but when I moved pain shot through me. Turns out he didn't know Fang had called the school. How did he even contact them? Anyway Total didn't think it was right, he told me Fang had been turning them aganst me for months. How had I not seen? Well, I knew the answer to that; I trusted them. I thought we were a family.

(End flashback)

For three weeks after that Total and I were homeless, pennyless and starving. I didn't want to get my mom mixed up in all of this so we had no choice but to track down Jeb.

My life sucks.