Hey guys! I just wanted to say, thanks for all of the reviews for my other stories! They really make my horrid day just that much less horrid. So again, thanks.

Here's another story I wanted to put down, because it was stuck on my mind for a while, and I thought 'what the heck? I'll just write this story along with the others'!

I also wanted to add another story with the main focus as Fang, and how his name gets a whole new meaning.

Disclaimer: Ah, I'm not going to do this. If I did own the books, I wouldn't be on FanFiction…

Chapter One: Disappearances

Staring at the sky, I traced the cloud shapes, sighing in contentment. My Flock were flying above, laughing and having a good time. Every once in a while, one of them would swoop in front of a cloud I was tracing, distracting me from its fluffy texture.

I knew clouds weren't fluffy—they were wet and cold—but it was fun to imagine what it would be like to sit on top of a cloud and watch the ground below, laughing at all of the normal humans sitting in school and running their routine lives.

The pounding of feet could be heard, destroying my peace and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I jumped up, turning in a 360 to find the source of the sound. The diminutive parts of the forest were distracting me from focusing on finding the sound.

I was angry at myself. How could I, Maximum Ride, get distracted by little ants crawling on the ground when the lives of my Flock and I were in jeopardy? The answer: I've been spending too much time relaxing with my Flock.

Taking a fighting stance, I renewed my will to focus, eyes searching the forest for anything unnatural or out of place.

Above, I could hear the sounds of laughter diminish, silence becoming the new loud. One by one, my Flock dropped down to the ground before me, facing the forest.

Angel came and took my hand, her little one dominated by my bigger one. Her bright blue eyes, usually filled with mischief and laughter, glared at the entrance to the trees. I could almost hear the wheels turning in her little six-year-old head, listening to the minds of others.

"What do you hear?" I asked, my ears searching as much as my eyes. I couldn't see anything, but I could hear the pounding of heavy feet, almost dragging, getting louder the closer they got.

"They aren't human," Angel stated quietly, her big eyes closing in concentration.

"What are they?"

"I… I don't know."

I got lower in my fighting stance, letting go of Angel's hand and pushing her behind me. If she didn't know what the thing was, then that was a huge concern and danger to my Flock and I. Angel knew everything, and even if she didn't understand it, she knew what it was and how dangerous it was. If she didn't know what this was, then we were flying this blind, no pun intended.

Fang came and stood beside me, his silent self snarling under his breath. Between you and me, that sound scared me a little. Fang was always silent, and whatever came out of his mouth was either very sarcastic, or it was so serious and angry you didn't want to be anywhere near him.

And now, hearing that voice, it took me back to the days when we were the only ones made at the School. He and I were always in cages next to each other or right across from each other, even though we would be the only experiments in the twenty empty caged room.

The only time I've ever heard him sound like that was when the Whitecoats threatened to kill me if he didn't behave. He did, of course, but he would snarl under his breath at them, and glare at them so hard one of the Whitecoats peed his pants. I called it his Glare of the Universe.

He must have heard the mini conversation that Angel and I had. He took a protective stance in front of Angel and me, his hands curving into clawed fists.

Grateful for the extra amount of protection, and annoyed that he was protecting me instead of the Flock, I turned my attention back to the scene in front of me.

Gazzy was holding his own, his brave face on. He was my little trouper. His bright blue eyes glared at the trees, much like Angel, his biological sister, was doing. They were so alike in so many ways. His blond hair glinted in the receding sun, and his face began to be cast in shadow.

I sent a reassuring smile his way, even though he couldn't see it. I knew he would feel it.

Nudge was standing tall, the eleven-year-old little girl gone and a warrior taking her place, bloodlust in her eyes. My heart thudded in my chest, filled with pride for my sister. With proud eyes, I gazed her way, making eye contact. Her eyes softening, she smiled at me, and then turned back to the source of the noise, now reaching the trees, glaring with renewed force.

Glancing at Iggy, I saw him tilt his head to get a better sound wave, his sightless eyes snapping to something I couldn't see. That was all the warning I needed.

The monster/thing/mutant was here.

Bursting through the trees, a beautiful woman with bright red hair—I already hated her guts—lunged forward, her lips pulled back in a snarl. She knocked Iggy, who was in the front of the group, down and landed above him, hissing loudly.

Fang and I moved as one, pushing the others back and tackling her off of Iggy right as she knelt down, bending her head down and opening her mouth wide as if to bite him.

The three of us rolled, Fang hopping up and snapping his wings open, beating them down once to get elevated, and dropping down, his feet smacking her in the face with a loud smack!

I got up, grabbing her arm—with much difficulty—and pulled it behind her back. Fang came forward and socked her in the face, rage and determination clear on his face and in his eyes. I felt so proud of him—and I was really happy that he punched a girl, and what with her being a red-head

Dropping her arm because I could no longer hold it any longer, I kicked her back, making her stumble forward into Fang. My eyes widened involuntarily, and I gasped at what happened next.

The woman disappeared.

Taking Fang with her…

So how was that, my readers! I hoped you liked it, and I want to say that I'll be updating this tomorrow if I get at least five reviews.

I know, Cliffie…

If I don't get five reviews, then I won't update until a couple weeks, no matter how much I want to update…

So here you go, peoples! Chapter one, done. :D