" Francis Jane! Ozymandias Jr! both of you inside now, its time for dinner!" Max called from the Porch of the cabin at the lakehouse. She looked so grown up now for someone so young. Her long blond hair blew around her shoulders and tickled the exposed skin on her back. She wore a simple grey tank top and jeans. Her wings were tucked tightly against her sides.
Francis Jane looked down from a branch she was perched on. Her head tipped like a bird and she looked as if she was watching something intently. Her and her brother were both about 5 years old, but they appeared to be closer to 9 or 10.
On a branch below her, her twin brother Oz Jr. was looking around for his sister. His pupils were enlarging and shrinking as his raptor vision searched for his sister. They played this game a lot. It was like a modified version of hide and seek. Only whomever was found first got their ass kicked. His sister always seemed to find him, and she was always more than ready to kick his butt. He had heard their mother call, but he wasn't ready to give away his position away to Francis just yet.
" Francis Jane! Jr. ! You get out here right n-" As max was finishing her sentence, the two children crashed to the ground. Francis held Oz in an arm lock. She was grinning until she looked up and saw the look on their mother's face. Max was giving her the motherly ' let go of your brother or else' look.
Francis released her brother and stood up. She shook her feathers to get the dust and dirt off. " Sorry momma, I wasn't trying to hurt him. I was just playin with him."
Francis' blonde hair could have been her halo, but that little brat could be a devil like her mother. She moved to her mother and wrapped her arms around her and hugged her. Max couldn't help but hug her little girl back.
Francis and Oz Jr. were all that she had left of her first and only love. He was her mate, her mate for life. Ozymandias was killed trying to defend her. Without realizing it, Max's eyes had started to leak tears down on her cheeks.
" Momma, we miss him too. Don't be sad. We love you mom." Francis said looking up at her. Max brushed the girl's dark hair out of her hair and looked her in the eyes. The eyes were so much like Ozymandias'.
" Thanks kiddo. I love you two, too." She patted Francis on the back and then sucked in a breath. " Lets get inside and eat before Frannie comes looking for us."
The children each took one of her hands and walked into the house with her.
" Can I?"
" No."
" Pleaaaaase?"
" I said no. and don't try using yur ability to change my mind Angel." Max said. We had been flying for quite a long time now. My little angel girl wanted to stop at a mall. The last time we had stopped at a mall, my little 'angel' had used her mind to make an old lady buy her celest. Her bear. And yes I said used her mind. The little girl had a scary habit of using her mind to get what she wanted. She could also hear what people were thinking.
All of us were both with gifts. We were genetic experiments. We had avian DNA grafted into our human DNA, giving us wings. Along with our wings we have been developing… quirks. Angel can use her mind to 'pursuade' people to do things and she can also breathe under the water. Her brother Gazzy or 'the gasman'…. do I really need to explain that one? Izzy lost his sight when the school tried to make his night vision better. Yet he was the best cook out of all of us and had better senses almost too. He could see color. Nudge's ability is her motor mouth and her insane sense of fashion. Fang, le sigh. Fang can blend into his surroundings If he holds still. The littlest member of our group, total. He is a normal dog…. That can fly… and talk. Last but not least there is me. I am Maximum Ride and leader of this merry little band. What's my power? Oh I just have a voice in my head.
As for right now we were doing the same thing we had been doing for most of our lives. We were running from the school and its erasers. The School is the lab that created us and the erasers are it's attack 'dogs' it sends after us. They are humans with wolf DNA grafted into them.
" FINE. I don't want to go to a stupid mall anyways!" Angel yelled and went into a dive. I had no choice but to dive after her. Angel was a smart tough kid, but she was still a kid. I really didn't have time for this tantrum but it couldn't be helped.
" Angel cut this out and get back in formation! I don't have time for this! Toughen up soldier!" I tried to yell over the wind but it was like words were getting swallowed as they left my lips. Angel was divebombing for a forest we had been flying over for a while. I could see what her target was now. She was going for the lake.
" Angel don't you dare even think about it! You will get Celest all wet!" I tried to change her mind.
Angel flew along the beach. I could see her drop her backpack and her bear lightly on the sand. She tucked in her wings when she was over the lake and did a canonball into the water. Had I not been so furious with her, I would have been amazed at the splash. This kid could compete in the cannonball division in the Olympics if there was one.
I landed on the beach with my arms crossed. Izzy, gazzy, Fang, and Nudge joined me one by one. Total landed on the ground near Fang to join his beloved husky girlfriend.
" smell that fresh air my darling." He said almost cooing over her.
I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore it. I turned back to the lake where Angel had disappeared into. I searched the water for her little blond head to pop up.
" We are stopping to rest!? Suweet I want to go swimming!" Gazzy said as he pulled off his shirt and started to kick off his shoes.
I spun around to face him. " We are not stopping. We don't have time for this!"
Fang gave me a silent but cool look. " Lets stop for a while Max. The smaller ones need a break… and we could all use some food."
I wanted to argue but my growling stomach was betraying my case. " Alright, we will stop for a break."
I went to the backpacks while the victorious whooping and hollering took place. I took out some dried fruit, some cans, and a can opener and started putting things together. Fang and I laid out our jackets to make a makeshift picnic blanket.
For the next few hours we swam, ate, and relaxed on the little beach. There was no one around for miles but I still couldn't let myself relax. At any moment I could see one of the erasers walking out of the woods that skirted the lake, or a helecopter landing out of no where and taking us away.
" Earth to Max, come in max." I heard fang say next to me. When I turned to look at him I could feel the color flood my cheeks. I quickly looked away.
" Awww c'mon max I thought you looooooved me." He said with a grin.
" Oh shut up and kiss a dog you Neanderthal." I said as I punched his shoulder. Total gave me a glare and I rolled my eyes.
I was about to give fang a piece of my mind when I saw a figure on the beach. We weren't alone. On the end of the beach stood what looked like a young girl. She was staring at us with wide eyes.
I was cursing silently as gazzy flew over my head and dropped into a cannonball into the lake. The girl had seen the whole thing. She turned and started running away from us down the beach.
" Crap, things just got bad again." I said jumping to my feet and racing after the girl. I made a running take off and flew after the girl. I could see her eyes widen when she looked over her shoulder at me.
" Momma momma help!" She yelled as she got closer to a house by the lake.
I tucked my wings in slightly and started for my landing on the beach. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of feathers before I was body slammed from the left. Whatever it was hit me hard and knocked us both to the ground. I coughed for air when we landed. I could definitely feel a broken rib somewhere. I rolled over onto my back and brought my legs up to kick whatever was attacking me.
My arms where instantly pinned to my sides by two small but strong arms, and my legs were pinned down. I looked up at…. ME. It was me looking back at me. The other me was younger, but it was still me.
The other me screetched like an eagle. I could see FEATHERS and what looked like wings conecting her arms and to her sides. Her eyes were blazing angrily. " Just what do you think you are doing? Who do you think you are? WHO SENT YOU?"