This all started with a totally random thought while I was talking to my friend. What if Max and her flock were sent to an asylum? I hope you enjoy it.

Set after Max.

Location: Flock safehouse

Point of View: Max

I jolt awake. What was that noise?

The sound of glass breaking travel to me yet again. I slowly, quietly stand. I silently creep to the door of my room. Ever so quietly, I open it, hoping, praying the creaking doesn't alarm the intruders.

I make my way down the hall, hiding behind the corner. Right as I'm about to peer around the wall, the back of my neck tingles. I whirl around, fists ready, to have Fang put his hand over my mouth to keep me from saying anything. With his other hand, he puts a finger to his lips, then points around the corner.

I nod, and he releases me. I peer around the edge of the corner to see...

Nothing. No one's there. Nothing looks like it was moved. I relax and am about to turn around to tell Fang all is fine when I see the broken window.

I hear Fang yell my name right before everything goes black.

I wake to a white-walled room. I'm laying down on a bed, but I'm not strapped down.

I stand, and the rooms spins for a few seconds. I fight the dizziness and make my way to the door. Before I can think it through, I lay my hand on the handle and twist. Then I pull on the handle. The door doesn't open. I wrestle with the infuriating door for a few seconds before my brain has started working enough to tell me that the door is locked.

I start breathing heavily. I'm back in the School, I know it. I pound on the door, just for it to swing open.

Oh. I guess my befuddled brain didn't think of pushing the door... *cough cough, nervous laughter*

Now I feel stupid.

A lady in what looks like a nurses outfit walks down the hall.

"Oh, hello." She greets cheerily. "You must be one of the new residents. What's your name, young madam?"

Wait. Why is she being so friendly? New residents? What the mess is that supposed to mean? She's asking for my name? And madam? Where did that come from?

I so stunned I answer, "Maximum."

"OH! You're Maximum Ride! Welcome, welcome! I think that two other new residents were asking for you."

"Which ones?!" I ask hurriedly.

"A cute little blonde girl. I think she said her name was Angel. She has the most adorable blue eyes. And then a tall dark boy. He wouldn't tell us his name."

Angel and Fang?! They're here?! Where is here, exactly?

"Wait, where are they?"

"Oh, the little girl is in room 705. The boy is in room 708." The nurse lady strolls away. I look across from my room and see 708. Hm. I look back at my door, close it. There it is. 709. My room is 709.

Is it just Fang and Angel that are here? Or are the others here, too? I'm about to open Fang's door when another lady walks up. "Are you," She looks down at her clip board. "Maximum?" I nod. "Please return to your room. There are some clean clothes for you in the drawers. You may choose whatever you like to wear. Meet in the Board Room in thirty minutes. That's down the hall to the elevator, then go to the 10th floor. Everything is labeled from there. Be sure toge your ID card, from the top of the dresser, it's the only way you'll be able to use the elevator or open doors from the outside."

I nod, then go back into my room. When I turn around to close the door, I see her using a card to open Fang's door. Back inside my room, I go sit on my bed. There is a clock that projects the time on the ceiling. I look at it. 11:03 AM. I sit there, numb, trying to figure out where we are for a good ten minutes. I come up with nothing.

Growling in annoyance, I stand and walk to the dresser. On top is a card in a lanyard. The card is small, smaller than most. It's width is the length of my thumb. It's a small screen, really. On the card is:

__
|MAXIMUM RIDE; ROOM 709 |
|ITL: 3_ |
|ACCESS: 50%_ |
|ID: 6294686 _ |

I leave the card on the dresser and open the drawers, rummaging through them until I find what I want. A white shirt with black stripes (or maybe it's black with white stripes?), some skinny jeans, a red jacket that stops halfway down my torso. I find some black high-top converse in the bottom drawer with shoes in it.

I get dressed, then look at the time again. 11:24. I guess it's now or never. After grabbing the card, I open my door and start walking to the elevator. The door behind me opens. I look behind me to see Fang step out of his room.

"Fang!" I say, getting his attention. "Do you have any clue where we are?" I ask.

Fang shrugs, looking a little uneasy. "Any clue about the meeting?"

"I'm not sure. I'm kind of nervous."

"I know the feeling. I can't help but think that it's just a trap, and all of this niceness is just to lower our guard."

And everyone says I'm paranoid.

"I wonder if the rest of the flock is here. I know Angel is here, at least." I'm about to answer the question in fang's eyes when the door behind me opens. 205.

Angel peeks out, then runs to hug me. "Max!" She says, then stops. She looks like she's concentrating on something. She sighs. "I though that I could read minds again. But only a few. No one in the rooms. While I was in the room, I couldn't hear anyone's thoughts at all." She elaborates.

"Oh." I say, not even bothering to ask if she knows if the flock is here.

"Well, there's only one way to find out, right?" She answers, then pulls open the door in between mine and hers. Nudge is inside, sitting on her bed. When she sees us, she jumps up.

"ZOMG! You are here! I thought I was all alone! I'm so happy that you are here! Wait, where's Iggy and Gazzy? Are they here too? Maybe they're just in the other rooms or something? Where are we, anyway?"

Yep. That's Nudge. Before she can start talking again, I say, "I'll check the other rooms."

It turns out that Gazzy was across from Angel, and Iggy was across from Nudge. The four us go to the elevator. The doors slide open silently.

"Please state desired floor." An automated voice says.

"Uh... tenth floor?" I say tentatively. The doors slide closed.

"Identification of all six passengers, please." A scanner pops out of the wall to the right of the doors. I hold my card up to it, then it blinks green. Everyone else follows suit.

"Access granted to all passengers."

The elevator quickly rises to the 10th floor, and it's all I can do to keep my panic from rising too. Stupid claustrophobia. The elevator comes to a halt and the doors slide open.

We all pile out, stumbling in our haste to exit the Moving Box of Death.

~`You know, Fang is real paranoid, but I'm pretty sure you could easily be a worthy rival...`~ Angel says in my head.

~You're referring to the Moving Box of Death thing, right?~

~`Duh.`~

I walk down the hall, which has red carpet and beige walls. It looks like a nice office building now. The end of the hall is shaped like a T, with two hallways branching off of it. There is a metal sign on the wall that has arrows pointing down the two hallways. My eyes scan the list of places until they come across BOARD ROOM. I turn down the right hall and walk down until I see the door to the Board Room. Slowly, I swing the door open and step inside. The floor is really thick glass, with fish swimming in clear water underneath. A door at the back opens.

"Welcome!" The happy voice comes from a man in a suit. "Come, sit." he notices us looking at the fish. "Oh, do you like it? The aquarium is right beneath us, so we just had the thick diamond, then crystal, then glass. It's clear, but strong enough so that it doesn't break. Anyway, welcome to Ridley's Insane Asylum!" The man claps his hands.

"Ridley's what?!" I demand.

"Ridely's Insane Asylum."

"Why the mess are we in an insane asylum?" I ask.

"Oh, Max. Calm down and sit. I'll explain everything!"

"But we aren't insane!"

"Then why do you hear a voice?" The man counters. Ooh, he's good.

I'm left gaping.

"Now, sit!" he demands.

I slide down into a chair.

"Personally, I'm convinced that the Voice is just her conscience. I mean, she has to have one."

In response to Fang's comment, I elbow him in the ribs.

The man looks at us sympathetically. "But all of you are insane. I mean, you all think you have wings!"

I stand back up. "That's because we do, idiot!"

"That's expected to think when you're insane, sweetie."

"Sweetie?! And we really do have wings!" To prove it to him, I extend my wings.

The man laughs. "Oh, I know you have wings. I just wanted to see them and figured you'd never show them to me if I had simply asked. Anyway, no more lies from here on." he takes his eyes off of my wings and looks me in the eyes, smiling. His smile reaches his eyes. A good trait.

But I still don't believe him. If he lied one, he can lie again.

"He's telling the truth Max." Angel says.

I look at her, then slide back down into my seat. "Okay, fine. Explain why we're here."

The end. I have this as a one-shot, but if you guys like it, tell me and I'll turn it into a story. Thanks for reading!

May you keep a strong heart and a steady mind,

-KaiAmazonKnightley