Technically, this isn't my first fanfiction, since I have four Harry Potter ones completed and one in progress (please read these too, if you're a HP fan), but this is my first one written for the Maximum Ride series, and I really hope this turns out original. There've probably been a few similiar, but I plan to mix things up or poor Max and her flock, so bear with me here...
I've been debating for about a week now about whether or not I should even post this, and finally I said, "What the heck?" and put it on. I may or may not continue it. It all depends on whether or not I get some reviews. If it's no good, then say good-bye story and I'll delete it. Remember, in my case, favorites do not count. If you like and would want me to continue, you must review.
Disclaimer: Max, Fang, and the rest of the gang to not belong to me. However, in later chapters, there will be a few. Anyone you recognize in not mine...sniff.
Unimaginable
By: Ashleyia Days
Prologue
My name is Maximum Ride and I'm a mutant.
No, I'm not one of those messed up teenagers with nothing else to do with their lives other than wish they were different from the rest of the world so they could stand out among the crowd. Really, being different isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Believe me, I could tell you more disadvantages than advantages. There was nothing in a mutant's, like I, life to do other than sit in a cage that was kept in the utmost care...hmm, could that be counted as a plus?
My dream from birth has always been to be a normal human to a normal human society where no white-coats could lock you up for simply having wings that they put in your DNA bloodline to enhance certain genes, and totally add other in--some of which made someone like me stand out in a human crowd.
I have wings.
They were nice wings that had a thirteen foot wingspan, which was about that of an eagles. From what I'd gathered from years of the white-coats tests on me, I knew I probably weighed about the same amount as an eagle would, because humans couldn't fly with their regular weight. I'd long since given up trying to figure out where I kept getting all this information from, but I always came up blank. Eventually, I began thanking myself for good fortune. With it, I knew more about the School, and what they plaaned to do to my flock and I that day.
"Max?" A soft, Angelic voice floated across the small distance that separated the two cages. A small hand reached between the bars, falling short a few inches. "I hear them. Their saying things about you. They want to take you today. New tests. Special ones." The little girl, Angel shivered from the next cage over and it took all my willpower to keep myself from breaking open the cage. It wouldn't work anyway. But I couldn't stand to see my Angel...my baby in pain.
"It's okay, Angel. Don't worry about me. It can't...well, it can't get any worse than last week, can it?" I gave her a smile smile through the bars, wishing I could stop all the terrible thoughts from going through my head. I couldn't lie to Angel. She knew I was frightened. "Please don't worry," I said to her as quietly as I could through the bars. It was early and the rest of the flock was asleep. I was glad--they never seemed to get enough of it. "I-we'll all get out of here soon, okay Angel? Just don't tell anyone. Between you and me?"
"Okay Max." The little girl yawned and went back to sleep.
I wished I could too, but my promise kept me awake. I'd promised to get Angel and the rest of the flock away from this horror house, but how could I do such a thing? From all my knowledge, escaping would be practically impossible. No one had ever done it, but I was sure we were alone here in this spotless building I'd learned to hate so quickly. "Oh, Angel." I probably was the only person in the world who had a sister who you couldn't lie to...just my luck.
I leaned my head against one of the bars, beyond tired, though I still was unable to sleep. My eyes stayed wide open as thoughts whirled through my head. Ideas that were soon discarded, outlines of the School, and past 'tests' I'd participated in raced through my mind like a movie would, and for the first time I realized that we had to get out of this place. If we didn't--there was a chance that they would all one day be killed during an over-excessive test of some sort.
Angel's too young to die.
My lips twitched into a small smile at the though. Fang had always told me how little self-preservation I had. I simply said back, "Why else would I be the leader?" He'd kept on his emotionless mask at the time, but deep down I knew he was amused. Fang was like a brother to me-- he couldn't hide a thing.
And if he attempted to, I'd just threaten him with little, innocent Angel.
I barely noticed as a few white-coats unlocked my cage door. I only came to my senses as I was walked out of the large metal door, seeing Angel's twisted expression and the dull, lifeless looks of my flock. I had to get them out. They wouldn't survive much longer in this place. We lived in cages--devices that were created to hold animals rather than humans beings!
I am an animal. We all are. I set my jaw, willing myself not to tremble at the truth in my thoughts. We are all half birds, half human. Obviously the white-coats only cared about duplicated the cells, rather than remember that we were humans too. "Where are we going?" I knew perfectly well the trained white-coat wouldn't speak to me--they never did. The concept that I could even speak bewildered some of the newer recruits in the field of science. I recognized this one though, and could avidly remember the last time he took me to the testing room. I couldn't suppress that shiver.
"Max." I winced slightly as a familiar voice called my name out a little too cheerily for my liking. For all I knew, I was on my way to the Death Sentence, or whatever. Why hadn't I told Angel to elaborate?
"Hey, Jeb." Out of the corner of my eyes I saw the three white-coats glance at each other nervously. They may not have been surprised that I could talk, but I guess they believed I was able to function enough to say sentences.
Jeb was probably one of the nicest people here at the School, and the only one who acted civil around us, but I was still uneasy. There was something about him that stumped me and I didn't like it. His son, Ari, was okay. In fact, there was a few times I've had to comfort the small boy. In a way, I'd came to love him much as I did my flock.
I ignored Jeb as he continued to try to talk to me. Hey, I was the bird-human and I wasn't going to listen. I knew they wouldn't force me too-- or at least Jeb wouldn't. The worse thing they could do to me was hurt me, but they couldn't kill me. I was much too important for that. We all were. I made sure to keep my eyes blank of any emotion as the white-coats led me away from Jeb, into a room to conduct another one of their tests.
Nearly a week later my body still groaned in pain if I were to make just the wrong move. I didn't make a sound nor complaint. Even if she could read my mind, Angel still needed to be protected. The white-coats were unfair people--she's grown up knowing that-- but was it necessary for her to know everything? Every 'test' which could be classified better under the title 'torture'.
"Fang." We were both outside in a small yard-- a yard that was used specifically for the bird-humans exercise. Angel was near to where Nudge and Iggy sat on a rarely used swing set. Nearby, the white-coats watched and observed. Fang and I were a short distance away from them;just out of hearing distance. Angel was too preoccupied with the white-coats to notice. I didn't want her to know yet; she needed to be protected. "We need to get out of here--soon. We're dying, Fang all of us. Even you."
"I know Max." I gazed curious at his face. How had he learned to keep it so carefully blank? "But this is the School. We can't escape. It's not logically possible. Their scientist, cruel as they may be. They've made this building so we couldn't escape. They built the School for us. To keep us locked up."
I poked Fang hard in the side, wishing I could scream in frustration. Boys! "Maybe that's what they-" I nodded sharply to the white-coats who were busy watching Nudge and Iggy's 'interaction' as they put it. "-want us to think. There's no such thing as impossible when there's a group of bird people want to get out of their cages bad enough. And anyway," I lowered my voice to the softest of whispers. "I have a plan."
"A plan?" Fang didn't look interested, which surprised me. Actually, he looked more reserved and there was one time that he'd been the one dreaming of escape.
"Yes, Fang. A plan. And it quite unfortunately was brought up by an unexpected resource."
"Who's that."
"Jeb. I wish we could trust him."
"I say we do. You've always be the more adventurous one of us all. Even you must have thought of the possibility that we would use it. Did Jeb tell you the information we need to get out directly?"
"Yes, and he has a place somewhere that we can stay. I don't like it Fang."
"Me neither. But what other choice do we have? As you effectively brought up a minute ago, we're all nearly dead from the tests and experiments. Look what they did to Iggy's eyes. Sooner or later, they'll try something new. Probably on you, Max. Haven't you noticed their sudden interest in everything you do?"
"Yes, Fang, I'm not unaware, but at least their not all over Angel anymore. She barely more than a baby."
"Which is why we go with Jeb."
"And if we're all killed, you'll know that you were wrong and you'd feel guilty?"
"How could I not?"
"Fine," A small whisper of a smile appeared on my face. "But if we all die and you live, I'll haunt you 'til you're as insane as one of the white-coats."
"Thanks." He mutter back dryly, glaring.
I gave him a sweet smile as I answered. "No problem. Anything for you."
It's going all wrong...no, no!
I whirled around, attempting to shield the small child in my arm from the twelve attacking beasts that had by now surrounded my flock in our attempt to get away. Jeb promised it would be safe! He promised...he sold us out. Even with the child in my arms I still managed to kick a charging Eraser in the stomach, making him pause for a minute. "Little birdies need to go home...back to their itty-bitty cages." I ground my teeth together and ignored the stumbling Eraser. Fang had injured already, most likely by the surprise that he attack had given us. And we'd been so near to getting away.
Fang's arm was cut open and blood stained the dirt below his feet. His eyes were gleaming and he was somehow managing to keep one of the Eraser's from getting to him. I smiled in his bravery. At this rate, we'd all get caught. Iggy was doing well or being blind. He had amazing senses that rivaled by own and had already taken out a Eraser. He was too young to be fighting this battle. The rest of the flock was scattered, trying to fend off the Erasers.
An especially cocky one jumped from the formation and I lunged or him. Of course, I'd given Angel to Nudge, who wasn't in on the fight. Her eyes radiated fear, but she took the little four year old willingly. "Fang!" I shouted as the Eraser leapt for his back. He turned in enough time to get a set of claws raked across his face.
In anger, I round-kicked the Eraser, sending him flying. "Fly!" I told him. "It's the only way we have any chance."
Most of the flock had heard my order and obediently started to rise in the sky, away from the mangled Erasers. Nudge was having trouble with Angel, who was too heavy for the other girl. I landed, fang by my side. "Give Angel to Fang, Nudge. We-" What I was about to say was cut off as I was threw off balance by a sudden movement to my left.
Before I could process the movement, an Eraser had my neck gripped between two of his massive paws. "Fang!" I cried between gasps, "Take Angel--the flock--go. Get away. Please--don't ever come back for me. I'll manage. Promise me!" Fang was already in the air, along with Nudge. Even his cool manner was broken, Emotion radiated off his face. "Fang!"
"I promise."
"Don't break it." I gave him a small smile before the paws tightened and I fell into a lapse of darkness. It was just before that, that I realized how many injuries I must have if I were this weak.
Hehe, I think this classifies as a cliffie. Who wants more?
If you raised your hand review and that's what you'll get.
And yes, it did go a little fast for my taste, but it's only a prologue, so there'll be more in the upcoming chapters. Basically, I wanted to outline what could have gone wrong in Max's escape from the School and how it would effect the lives of the whole flock. And because of this, Max is going to descover a secret that has been kept from them for years.
