A/N - i had a random idea to do a fic like this. this chapter is kinda like a prologue, setting the scene for what hapenes to Max in later chapters. please review and tell me what you think x

I looked up as the door to our cell was opened with a creak. Instinctively, we all backed up against the wall. I wrapped my arms round Angel and Gazzy, and saw Fang hold onto Nudge, turning her face away from the door, Iggy putting one hand on Fang's arm and the other on Nudge's waist. I jumped slightly as Fang snaked his free arm round my waist, and I moved closer to him, desperate for some comfort. After years of running and hiding, even settling down in Arizona with mom for a while, we had been captured. But this time, there was no way to escape. The School had got us back - and it was going to stay that way. I didn't know what they were going to do with us, but they had already had us hauled up in this grimy windowless room for weeks now, running tests on us at every moment they could. They had worn us down. The whitecoats were winning - and we all knew it. I had been trying to stay strong, for my Flock, but in these last few days, I had just about given up. Not that I told them all that - but I think they'd guessed when I stopped telling them to stay strong.

"Max" Angel whimpered, I could feel her shaking, and I gently stroked her hair, trying to calm her. I was about to respond to her, when I saw who was stood in the doorway.

"Hello, how nice to see you all again" Jeb Batchelder spoke.

"What the hell are you doing here, Dad" I spat.

"Now, now, Maximum, be nice. I have a job for you to do" he sneered, looking completely fine with what he was doing to us.

"What do you want?" I managed to retort. No sarcastic comments came to the surface - I was too broken.

"Why, Maximum, I want you. You and only you" I didn't like that way he said that.

"Yeah, well, I'm kinda a package deal" I gestured to my flock. Fang as rubbing soothing circles on my hip.

"Not for much longer" Jeb smiled, and he waved some more whitecoats in, "Take them" and they marched towards my Flock, stopping in front of us. There was five of them, one for each Flock member, excluding me.

The younger kids grabbed onto me fearfully, I felt Fang tighten his hold on my waist and lean down to my ear.

"I love you, Max. we're not gunna get out of this, but I just want you to know. I'm in love with you - I always have been and always will be. I just wish I'd told you sooner - we could have had more time together" I looked at him, there were tears in his eyes. I choked back a sob, "Promise me you'll keep going. Promise me you'll stay alive, live a happy life - for me"

"Why are you talking like that?" I gasped, "You're not going to die!" I looked to Jeb for confirmation - he may be cruel, but he wasn't that cruel.

"I'm sorry, Maximum, it's the only way. They aren't needed anymore" he waved his hand, and whitecoats came towards the Flock.

"No!" I cried, "Please!" tears escaped and I looked at my family.

"Promise me - Max!" fang insisted.

"I-I promise!" I choked out, he kissed my forehead and pulled me close to him.

"We love you, Max" Angel, Gazzy and Nudge told me, tears streaming down their faces.

"I…I love you, too. You as well, Iggy" I placed a kiss on his cheek, and hugged my family closer to me. I kissed them all, vowing to myself that this was not goodbye, but I knew it was. There was no way out.

Then, the whitecoats grabbed them and began to pull them away from me.

"MAX!" Angel screamed terrified, reaching out to me. I tried to grab her, but was held back, I turned to Fang.

"Fang, I love you, too. I always will" I leant up and kissed him passionately, but the kiss ended when he was pulled from me.

"Look…look after them!" I cried to him, trying to reach him as Nudge was pried from me.

"I will," he said quietly "until the end" we both knew what he meant.

I fought to reach them, but the whitecoat held me back as they were dragged, screaming, to the door.

"NO! PLEASE!" I screamed.

"MAX! NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO!" Gazzy yelled, I desperately tried to reach him, but was pinned to the wall.

"NO! MAX!" Nudge was crying.

"LET ME GO!" Iggy was yelling. I saw Fang struggling, and the they were gone, and the door was slammed shut. Jeb was still there, watching me. The whitecoat who had holding me had left.

I flattened myself against the wall as Jeb pulled out a syringe.

"You bastard!" I spat. He ignored me, and stuck the sedative into my arm. I was barely aware that I was being moved. I was strapped in a wheelchair and taken to a room that looked like a CCTV room. TV's lined the walls. I was sat looking at them all.

"Watch" Jeb instructed, "Watch this, and then move on with your life. You don't need those brats holding you back. I need you to do great thing for me"

He flicked a switch, and the lights dimmed, and the TV's came on. I saw my Flock, gathered together on the floor in some large chamber. Fang was holding Angel and Iggy holding Nudge, Gazzy was hugging Angel, too. What was going to happen?

Then, a cloud of gas began to make its way down from the ceiling. I saw them look up. Immediately, they began to move. Fang started pounding on a metal door, I could hear him screaming to let them out. Oh God, I realised, they were being gassed. I could hear the screams of terror. The screens went black, but I could still hear the screams - then their was silence.

They were gone.