A/N: Hey guys! I will be uploading faster from now on (that goes for my other story too) and I am changing viewpoints. This story is now in Kira's point of view. It will remain this way until the end and I am sorry for any confusion this may cause!

Maximum ride – chapter 3

When I woke up I was confused at first by my surroundings. When my memories flooded back I gave a smile. I was free. Those Whitecoats could go to hell for all I cared, there was no way I would hunt for them. Those kids who escaped had paved my way to freedom. I wondered briefly if I could repay them, but I quickly swept that thought aside. I would never be able to find them anyways.

I got up and looked around. The terrain was rocky and uneven, trees dotting the landscape. I gave a grin. I was free. I gave a wild whoop of joy as I started to run. I didn't care where I went, I was determined to put as many miles behind me as I could.

As I ran I became aware of a pain building in my stomach. I had known hunger's fierce bite before, but now I was in control. I could eat whenever I wanted. I would never be hungry again.

Instinctively I crouched down and inhaled deeply. I picked through all the scents, sifting through the many varying odours. I was in a forest somewhere; I could smell the sharp scent of the pines. Delicate flower-scent wove through it all. I gave a feral grin as I noticed the scent of prey. I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew it was food. Living breathing food and it would be fresh meat. I was no bloodthirsty monster, but I still needed meat. The Whitecoats had fed me only plants for a while and I had gotten very sick. I could eat plants, but meat was a must.

I could smell some birds as well, but the other scent was more tantalizing, so I began to track it.

It proved a surprisingly difficult task. The scent wove through the dense foliage and sometimes it was very hard to focus on the one scent when there was a tapestry of other smells around it. I was unused to tracking things, I would have to adapt; and quickly.

When I heard a grunting noise I looked up, senses straining to locate my soon-to-be-dinner. I scrambled up a tree, claws sinking into the yielding bark, and peered down at the strange animal below me.

The beast had four legs and a round pot shaped belly. Its short tail ended in a tuft of wiry black hair. It was using it's hooves to paw at something, its snout snuffling excitedly. It began to devour a patch of mushrooms and I noted a lovely side dish for my dinner. Meat and mushrooms, it sounded like it would be the best thing would ever have and I salivated at the thought of it. I noted that the beast had some very long sharp tusks poking out of its mouth. I would have to be careful with this creature. Even though it was lean, it looked very tough and well-muscled and it could probably injure me very badly if I made a mistake.

My tail swished back and forth as I tensed. I calculated the distance between me and the beast. If it just moved to the right a bit, I could land right on top of it. After a few tense minutes it moved to the right.

I tore my claws out of the tree as I dropped down. When I landed on its back, it seemed to explode with fear and anger. It bucked and snorted, dashing this way and that. I clung on tenaciously, sinking my claws into its flesh. I made a move to sink my fangs into its neck, but I was flung to the side. My feet scrabbled against the soil as I attempted to clamber back onto it. I gave a yelp as it rolled over, but my claws remained sunken into its shoulder. Blood was running down my arms and the thick, dark liquid made the ground slippery.

Pain lanced up my spine and I gave a yowl of pain as the beast bit my tail. It pulled until I found myself ripped away from it. My fingers hurt; it felt as though my claws had nearly been ripped out of my hands. Despite the pain, I lashed out blindly. The beast gave a squeal and I saw that I had ripped a long gash down its face. I gave a scream of pain as the beast rushed me and dug one of its tusks into my leg. It ripped through my muscles as easily as if they were paper. The second tusk found its way into my leg as well. I couldn't hear much over the beast grunts and my screaming, but something must have happened because it ripped itself away from me. It gave an angry squeal and I kept my eyes clamped shut. I didn't want to see it charge me again. I didn't want to see my death. At least before I died, I had been free. I clung to this thought as I awaited my doom, hands gripping my mangled flesh in an attempt to stifle the blood flow. I was losing blood fast. I suppose it didn't really matter since I was about to die, but it felt better to be doing something other than cowering.

I heard the beast give another sharp squeal and the sound of it running. It had left? Why did it leave? Had something worse come?

I cracked open an eye cautiously to find three people staring down at me. In my daze, I managed to recognise them from the pictures the Whitecoats had shown me.

There was one girl with blond hair. Her dark brown eyes regarded me in surprise. The boy didn't look at me at all; his head was tilted towards me, but I had the feeling that he wasn't really seeing me. His strawberry coloured hair fell into his eyes. He still looked surprised, so he didn't bother me. What really concerned me was the little one. She looked like a little doll with her big blue eyes and her short blond hair. What scared me wasn't that they had wings (I had seen enough bird-mutants to get used to that), what scared me was that she seemed as if she had been expecting to find me here.

I bared my teeth and snarled as she approached.

"You're right you know. I knew you would come." The little girl said quietly.

The older girl glared at me as she pulled the child behind her. She was probably my age. There was no telling how young the little girl was. She could have been four, or maybe five. I couldn't be sure. It's hard to identify someone's age when blood is streaming out of your leg.

My eyes grew wider and I let out another snarl as the boy reached out.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed out as I made an attempt to scramble away. My movements were awkward and ungainly, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from that little girl. There was something about her that unnerved me. And what did she mean by me being right? I hadn't said anything to her! Could she tell the future? Is that how she knew I would be here?

"Get back Angel." The older girl said firmly. The younger girl obediently ran a few feet away and watched me from a safer distance.

"You need help." The boy said as he reached out again.

"I don't want your help!" I exclaimed indignantly.

"You're going to bleed to death!" The older girl shouted.

She strode towards me. She had that aura of command about her. This girl was used to getting her way. She reminded me of a Whitecoat in that sense.

"If that hand gets any closer, I swear that you'll be dragging back a bleeding stump." I growled feebly. I fought a rush of dizziness. NO! I would stay awake! There was no telling what these people might do to me.

"Shut up! We're helping you and that's final!" The older girl snapped. I made a feeble swipe in her general direction as she came closer. Why were they tormenting me? Couldn't they just leave me alone?

My claws swished through empty air and I frowned. It was hard to aim when there was two of her. I wasn't sure which one I should hit.

Before I blacked out I felt strong hands grip me…