disclaimer: no need for one, on account of the fact that i do actually, own maximum ride.

Bang Bang: Days with the Flock

Chapter One: Who Stole the Cookies

by stripedpolkadots

"Please?"

"No."

"Awww... please?"

"Absolutley not."

"But Maxxxx...."

I placed a hand to my forehead and rubbed it, attempting to tune out the wheedling sounds of my flock. Trust me, it wasn't working. I took a deep breath and blew out, watching my dirty blond hair float away from my face. Angel tugged on my hand, and I made the mistake of looking down.

"Please Max? Just this once?"

Although nine years old now, Angel's Bambi eyes still had an unholy effect on me. I cringed and looked away, meeting Fang's eyes. He smirked. Jerk.

"Think about it Max, who will it really hurt if we take a few?"

"Think about it Nudge, who will it really hurt when we wind up in jail?"

"Oh come on! Stealing a cookie's not the worst thing we've ever done!"

"Shut up Iggy."

"Yeah, like the time we stole the car!"

I looked around, making sure nobody was close. "Shut. Up. Gazzy."

"Or the time we broke into the-"

"We are not stealing the cookies and that is final! Now come on, Iggy needs new underwear!"

Iggy's face went bright red, and a snort escaped Nudge's lips. Gazzy grinned and elbowed Ig in the ribs. "New underwear, huh?"

I frowned. "It's not like you don't need more either, you little pig. Now let's go!"

Angel tugged on my arm again, and motioned for me to come down to her level. When I was looking her straight in the eye, she lowered her voice and spoke to me in a conspiratorial tone.

"Listen Max, I've been practicing. I could wipe the saleslady's mind, no problem!"

Yes, you heard right. The mind reading has extended to memory wipes. And yes, it has led to way more trouble than it's worth.

I took a deep breath. "Okay. Angel. What have I said about using brain wipes?"

She frowned, and tugged on one of her curly locks of hair.

"But it'd only be a little one..."

"What did I say Angel?"

Pouting, she looked up at me. "No brain wipes unless absolutley nessacary. Or unless you tell me too. Or if someone sees you doing some stupid and/or-"

I slapped my hand across Angel's mouth and shot a glance at the rest of the flock. Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy were over by the cart drooling, but Fang was standing right there with a smirk in his eye. And yes, you can have a smirk in an eye. Trust me.

I released Angel's face and giggled nervously. "Okay then Angel, I get the picture. Now get the rest of the flock so we can get out of this place."

I turned my face away before she could flash me the Bambi eyes again, and I felt her stamp her way over to the others. I heard the groans that meant Angel had delivered my message. Turning around, I saw Nudge in the lead, stamping her way towards me.

"Okay dictator Max, where to? Where must you drag us to next, Lady Cookie-hater! What fun activity do you have planned, She-of-the-Cookie-Hating-War-Tribe! Just what-"

She was silenced by Iggy's hand slapping across her mouth, but before I could thank the blind bird-boy, he turned his nose up at my general direction. "Oh no Nudge, we don't talk to her anymore."

I frowned. "What?"

Gazzy came up behind them. "Shun the cookie hater. Shun."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay Gazzy, that's the last time I let you on Youtube. Now come on guy-"

"SHUUNNNNN! !"

"Grow up guys. Come on-"

"SHHHUUUNNNNNNNN."

I turned to Angel with a glint in my eye. "Don't you dare start."

"Hmph!"

I threw my hands in the air. "Fine! Whatever! Don't get underwear, see if I care! Let's go! Because the only way you are getting those cookies is over my. Dead. BODY!"

Iggy and Gazzy grabbed Nudge's arm before she could reach me, and turning, I led the traitorous flock to the exit. I could hear Nudge and Gazzy begging Iggy to come up with a plan, and I could feel Angel struggling to get out of my grasp. I only tugged faster.

Max, you can't let them distract you. Let them have the cookies.

They are not having cookies!

Now you're just being difficult. You know how simple it would be for Angel to get the cookies.

Whose side are you on anyways? What's so special about these cookies anyways!

I heard the voice sigh, as if I was being the unreasonable one.

What did I tell you in New York Max?

There's a pot of gold under every rainbow?

The other thing.

I shrugged. You can't possibly expect me to remember something that happened almost five years ago.

Have fun Maximum. Sometimes you just have to have fun.

"AARRGGHH!! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!?"

The flock stopped in their tracks, Gazzy's hand on the door. Immediatly, they looked contrite.

"We just wanted a cookie... we haven't had one since the last time we were at Dr. M's house."

"And that was ages ago! We didn't even get to stay that long because the stupid tinmen attacked, remember! And then Ella's party was almost ruined but then you went all-"

This time, when Iggy muffled Nudge, he didn't shoot me a dirty look. If anything, he looked a bit sorry. "Yeah Max, we were just playin' around."

Behind his hand, Nudge nodded, eyes wide.

Now I was the bad guy again? Typical. I squeezed my eyes shut and pinched my nose. "No guys, I was talking to the Voice. Can we just go?"

I felt a reassuring squeeze on my hand, and I gave Angel a little smile. Thanks.

No problem.

I opened my eyes and led the flock through the doors. We were almost at the back alley when Fang chose that exact moment to stop short. We automatically went into defensive mode, but he just shook his head. "I need to use the bathroom."

I looked at him over the top of Angel's head. "Seriously?"

He raised a brow. "I forgot before."

"Can't you hold it?"

He shrugged. I contemplated forcing him to wait until we got back to the campsite where he could go in a shrub or something, but I decided against it.

"Yeah, go, but hurry up okay? I don't want to spend to much time in one place."

He nodded and took off at a quick walk, Iggy shouting at his back.

"Yeah Fnick! Go on your potty break!"

I punched him in the arm, then leaned against the wall, Angel's hand still encased in my own. I tried not to think about the time, but Iggy and Gazzy obviously didn't do the same. When Fang came back almost ten minutes later, the two pyromaniacs were full of jokes.

"What'd you do, fall in?"

"Was it the Mexican food last night?"

"And here we all thought Gazzy was the one with the messed up digestive track."

"I hope you washed your hands."

"I hope you took a picture to send to Ripley's Believe it or Not."

"You fall in or something?"

"Iggy already used that one Gazzy."

"Shut up Nudge!"

"Don't tell me to shut up!"

"Shut up shut up shut up shut- AIIGGGGHHH get her offa meeee!"

"Nudge let go of Gazzy!"

"AIIGGHHHHH!!!"

"Let go of him!"

"Don't tell Nudge what to do Iggy!"

"How can you be on her side? Gazzy's your brother!"

"AIIGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!"

Placing my hands over my face, I slid down the brick wall, letting go of Angel's hand. The good leader in me was demanding that I jump between Gazzy and Nudge before he ended up dead, but the teenage girl in me just wanted to sit there and scream.

I just barely managed to keep from screaming.

"Mercy! Mercy!"

"You can't call Mercy Gaz! Take it like a man!"

"MEERRRRRRCCCCYYYYY!!!"

"Hey."

The one word from Fang shut them up. I tried not to be jealous over the fact that I probably would have had to punch someone to get that effect. "Up and Away guys."

Silently, the Flock complied, and I, once again, tried not to be jealous over how easy Fang made it look.

Once we were in the air, Angel flew next to me, but I was to busy arguing with the Voice to really care. By the time we reached the campsite, I was ready to bite someone's head off.

As soon as we landed, a small figure came dashing out towards us, teeth bared. Once it got a good look at us however, it screeched to a halt.

"Hey, I thought you said you'd be gone for a few hours."

I ran my hand through my hair. "Yeah, well, we ran into a little problem. That being the fact that apparently I've raised a den of theives. Any troubles here Total?"

The dog shook his head, jumping into Angel's arms. "A couple campers got pretty close, but I managed to lead them away. Right now they think there's a talking squirrel in the Chattahoochie National Forest."

I sighed, then turned to the Flock. "Guess this means we're moving out guys. Be ready to leave in ten."

Slowly, they moved to pack up, and I made my way to my own branch. I was throwing my clothes into my bag when something fell out of my extra sweater. I grabbed it just before it fell to the ground, then frowned when I felt that it was warm. I put it up to the little remaining light and... a cookie?

Now, I'd like to say that I didn't eat a strange pastry that mysteriously appeared in my clothing, and that instead I threw it as far as I could and grabbed the flock and flew in the other direction and never looked back but...

Well, I really would like to say that, seeing as I think that paints me in a better light.

However, what did happen was much less glamourous.

Eat the cookie Maximum.

But I don't even know where it came from...

Eat it.

Here I would just like to point out that this was no ordinary cookie. It was at least a foot across, and it was still warm, and soft, and fresh, and it reminded me of Mom and Ella and it looked just like the cookies at the mall and I split it in half and the chocolate chips were gooey and I had it shoved halfway in my mouth when Gazzy found me.

"Hey Max, do you know where my AARRGGHHHISTHATACOOKIEE?!?!"

I shoved another bite in my mouth, while at the same time leaping on the Gasman and attempting to gag him with the other half of the chocolate cookie that I still had in my hand. But it was too late. The damage was done.

"TRAITOR! TRAITOR TO THE BLOOD!!!"

"Nuh, peaze, I cah exshpaee!"

Spraying the girl with a mouthful of chocolaty deliciousnes didn't really help my case. She tackled me and attempted to pry the cookie from my clawed hand, hitting Gazzy's face several times during the process.

"What's going on here?"

"Max has cookies!"

"Max has cookies?"

"Wait, who has cookies?"

Nudge stopped clawing at my face long enough to answer Iggy and Angel. "Max has cookies! There the exact same cookies as the ones in the mall!"

Iggy swam into the brawl, following the scent of the cookies to the one in my hand. "Give it here Max and no one gets hurt."

Somehow, the animalistic part of my being took over, and I began to protect the cookie as if it were my child.

"Hold her down Iggy!"

"Grab her legs Angel!"

"Hold her still!"

"Got her!"

When Fang came into the clearing, Gazzy and Angel were each holding down a leg, Iggy had my arms, and Nudge was on my stomach. Somehow I still had a handful of cookie in my hand, which I was frantically waving around in an effort to keep out of Iggy's mouth.

Strangely enough, Fang didn't look too surprised.

He walked over to my head and crouched down.

"Feeling better?"

I had two birdkids yanking on my legs, one bouncing on my stomach, and another trying to eat my hand. I grinned.

"Never better."

He did that stupid little one-side smile that makes me smile, and got up, dusting his pants off. He was only a few steps away when I got the idea, the cruel, mean, horribly ingenious idea.

"Hey Fang?"

He turned, raising a brow.

"Catch!"

Instinctivly, his hands curled around around the chunk of cookie I had just lobbed at him, and he gave me a confused look. The rest of the Flock however, wasn't quite as dense.

Pointing accusingly at Fang, Nudge shrieked his death sentence. "Fang has the coookkkiieeee!! Get him!!!"

In a flash, I was free, and Fang was buried under a pile of hungry bird-kids. I had just stopped laughing when Total came up, a piece of something in his mouth.

Wiping my eyes, I looked closer. It was a piece of cookie.

"Where'd you get the cookie Total?"

He swallowed, and smirked at me. "Fang. I saw him trying to sneak you the cookie, and I managed to blackmail him into giving me half."

I blinked. "Fang? Sneak me... wait, what?"

The dog gave me a patronizing look. (Reread that sentence). "Oh what do you take me for, a fool? I don't know how long you two have had this dessert smuggling business going on, but now that I'm aware, I want a cut."

I shrugged, trying not to show my confusion. "Max, help us take him out!"

Laughing, I made my way over to the doggypile. "Watch out... I'm comin' in!" I threw myself in the pile, listening to the flocks shrieks of laughter. I could even hear the faint chuckles that were Fang. I grinned. "Hey Total! Come on!"

Barking excitedly (something he only did when the dog in him overpowered the mutant), the Scottie joined us in the mound.

Hours later, we were in the air, heading away from Georgia and the Chattahoochie National Forest. The Flock's mouths were currently full, and I was feeling slightly guilty.

"Hey Max? Thanks for letting us rob the bakery."

"Yeah, that was pretty cool of you."

"Uh huh! Ah jush luhh duhhfuhh cooehhs!"

"You're the best Max!"

But only slightly.

-end:)

no, i have not abandoned strangers. i just had prolly the worst two monthes ever, so i had to put that on hold. but i felt bad, so this is my offering/sacrifice. and if you havent heard of strangers, now you have. read it. its pretty crunk, if i may say so myself.

ps. i no longer have a computer with word. sad story. so this was typed sans spellcheck. i used an online spell check, but then i got lazy. sorry. i don't think its that atrocious. except for the fact that i cant spell nessacary or absolutley. because those are the devil's words, so yeah.[:

R&R guys!

-stripedpolkadots