A/N: Hey everyone. I'm kind of new at this, since this is my very first fan fiction ever. Come to think of it, this is really the first real story I've ever written…so I warn you, the results could be absolutely disastrous. I won't give a plot summary, because I want this to have some semblance of suspense. Well, here goes:

P.S. Just so that you know, this first chapter might seem really slow, since the plot doesn't really start until the second chapter, but I hope you'll stick around to see the other chappies, which will hopefully be more exciting! And although I will be mentioning the Voice, I refuse to include the Voice's actual thoughts in this story, since I would get bored with it, so, anything that's italicized are Max's own thoughts, not the interruptions of her Voice.

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.

Prologue: Losing Memories

I cracked open one eye, looked blearily around, and instantly regretted it. I mean, who in their right mind would want to wake up, would ever want to wake up, if all they had to wake up to was yet another fabulous day of being on the run, another hour of being pestered by a freaking Voice in their head, another measly second of remembering that they are only 98 percent human? Yeah, that's right Max, you're a mutant, an avian recombinant freak. Appealing, isn't it?

No seriously. Anyone out there want wings? I'll give them to you for free, and since I like you so much, I'll even throw in an added bonus: Erasers that want to rip yo…

I didn't get to finish my little mental rant, because I heard a slight growl (or was it a snarl?) next to me, and I jackknifed to my feet, fists at the ready. And hissed in surprise as something warm splashed onto my feet. I looked down, and noticed a giant coke stain spreading on the bottoms of my ragged jeans. So this is what it all comes down to, isn't it Max? You're a perfect, scientifically engineered birdkid with superfast reflexes, and the first thing you do is knock over a freaking coke can. Well, there's science for you. Stupid coke can. Why was it even there? Oh yeah, me and Fang had it for 'breakfast'…

I heard another growl, and whirled around to look for the Eraser. But all I saw was Fang. What? I crept quietly over, and looked, with concern, at his clenched teeth, and hunched shoulders. A nightmare? Something worse? He growled again softly, and I was just reaching out to shake his shoulder, when he muttered, "No, no, not the pink…" Grinning, I decided to let him suffer a little longer. Fang couldn't stand pink. But hey, a girl's gotta have some fun, right?

Time to check up on the flock. It was still pitch-black in the clearing where we had stopped to rest, so I guessed that this was why Iggy hadn't woken me up for my watch yet. Glancing at him, I noticed him grinning in my direction, his sightless eyes closed. Hmph. Probably noticed my little coke incident…I was about to retort, when I remembered that Iggy was our resident cook. Hmm. Wouldn't want to upset the only birdkid in the flock who can cook something actually edible, now would we? I had to make do with glaring as fiercely as I could at him. Which, of course, had absolutely no effect whatsoever.

Near where Iggy was sitting, I saw the Gasman, Nudge, and Angel all lumped together, sleeping soundly. Man, they look exhausted. Nudge isn't even sleeptalking. I sighed, and bent over to lie back down on a comfortable spot on the ground (yeah right). Right before I drifted off again I whispered to Iggy, "Wake me up for my watch." I knew he would hear me.

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I was dreaming. I don't know how I knew this. Maybe it was the fact that I was floating. Or maybe because I was standing outside my, my flock's, old home. The one is the mountains. I had just gotten over the shock, when suddenly, the scene in front of me melted, and when I could see again, I found that I had moved into the house somehow. As I looked around the disaster, no, more like World War III, of a family room, I felt my throat close up, and I couldn't remember how to breathe. Looking around quickly, I tried to commit the room to memory. Who knew when I would see it again, if ever? And that's when I noticed.

The pictures were gone.

All of them. Just the plain wooden frames, on the walls and on the tables, were left. The blank whiteness sent an unexplainable chill of apprehension down my spine and I was suddenly cold. Very cold. We used to have pictures all around the house, from when Nudge went on a photograph craze and snapped pictures of anything and everything. And for some reason they had all decided to disappear in this strange dream of mine. It was a dream, right?

Slowly, I walked – well, more like floated – over to the coffee table, where I knew my favorite picture had been, last I'd seen it, months before. The one with the whole flock in it, from back when I was just a carefree birdkid of 10. Well, as carefree as a birdkid can get. I could see it clearly in my mind: me grinning toothily, with my arms thrown around Fang and Iggy's necks. Fang, I remembered, had looked slightly pained – big surprise – and Iggy had been smiling in the direction of the camera, eyes unfocused. The younger kids stood with us, laughing and flushed from flying. Suddenly, I needed to see that picture, needed to see it, so I wouldn't forget what had been the happiest days of my life. And that's saying something.

I turned the frame over. The picture was gone. And there were just 6 words in its place.

Please forgive me, my Maximum Ride.

And that's when the world ripped apart.

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A/N: Hope it was ok. Thanks for reading! And it would be really really great if someone could please R&R! I love constructive criticism, so don't worry about telling me if someone is completely out of character. I won't mind xD