Ok, so this is my first story! Please review so I can try and make my writing better. Really, please review!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride, or any of the other characters that James Patterson owns.

"In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils of the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethern." -II Corinthians ch. 11, v. 26, The Bible (Authorised Version 1611)

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Chapter 1

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We had been flying for about half an hour before the Voice saw fit to tell us where to go.

Max- you're going the wrong way.

Well that was just plain irritating.

Where should we go then, oh mighty Wonder-Voice??

Although the Voice never showed any emotion I could have sworn I heard it give me an exasperated sigh.

Head towards Arizona. I'll give you more directions then.

Oh are we going to visit mom and Ella?

No answer. Well that's new.

"OK, guys" I called to the flock. They all turned to look at me. "The Voice just told me we're going the wrong way. We're gonna head towards Arizona."

"Are we gonna visit you're mom? That'd be so cool! It's ages since we've seen her and Ella! And we could bake cookies! And you're mom's cooking is sooo nice! We can have lots of yummy Mexican food too, it'll be great!! They'll be back from Virginia by the time we get there, right? What if their not and-"

"Nudge!" Iggy shouted over her.

"Sorry." Nudge said quietly. She looked as if she wanted to say more, but, mercifully, didn't.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Fang edging closer to me. I looked over, confused. He was obviously straining under Akila's unholy weight.

"Want me to take her for a while?" I asked, nodding towards the dog in his arms.

"Ok." I rolled my eyes at his typically short statement, and reached out to take Akila from him. With our huge wingspans though, it was hard for us to get very near each other, so in the end Fang had to toss her across the five-foot gap (we had managed to get fairly close). The thing was though, Akila was an eighty-pound malamute- not particularly aero-dynamic. The second Fang let go of her, she started to fall.

I threw myself into a steep dive, trying to catch Akila. I could just about hear Total's screams of anguish over the sound of the wind rushing in my ears.

When I was about 100 feet in the air I managed to grab her. Her weight then pulled me down another 10 feet or so but, miraculously, I held my own.

I'm gonna kill Total for falling for such a heavy dog.

Once I had caught back up with the others I glared at Total.

"What'd I do?" He asked innocently from the baby-carrier-thing that Iggy had on.

I rolled my eyes at him in frustration, but just about managed to refrain from saying anything to him.

"Don't worry Akila, I won't let them kill you." It was now my turn to scowl at Total, something which I did wholeheartedly.

"Why'd you have to fall in love with such a damned heavy dog?" I asked shifting Akila's weight from one arm to the other.

Total scowled at me, and started on a rant about how we were mistreating the 'love of his life' which lasted for atleast half a hour. And when he did stop, it was only to come out with:

"Can we stop for a potty break now?"

Simply fantastic.

This was going to be one long journey.

I'll update as soon as I can! I have exams at the moment, so there mightn't be another chapter for a couple of days.

Please review... you know you want to!!