Assassination Of Memories
Chapter I – Orphan Family

I do not, whatsoever own Maximum Ride or Pretender, I own everything you don't see in the MR books or the Pretender episodes. Thanks to my faithful Dygen Entreri for keeping up with me

Warning: This fanfic deals with vampires, werewolves and demons but does not at all deal with Twilight or Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Shadows' POV

I bolted up right in bed panting, trying to instantly calm my racing heart. Damn not Rinslet again, I could see her smile so clearly and her…body. Damn Copies, damn Organization. Sweat dripped down my neck off my clammy face the sheets clinging to any of my bare skin. I sighed breathing deeply wondering when Rinslet would leave me alone. The curtains of my canopy bed blocked out all light but the clock that was on the headboard shelf read 4:25 and from the sound of even breathing a knew everyone was asleep. That would be different if Father hadn't taught me to keep my mouth shut after a bad dream.

Father, just the thought of him made me sick. I pushed the thick curtain aside wincing at the bright light. Living in the mountains during summer meant it being really bright even at four in the morning. I swung my legs over the edge of my bed standing up. I did my morning stretch the Bronze said reminded him of a cat waking up from a cat nap. I went into the bathroom splashing my face with cold water to walk me up and rid me of the nightmare I had. I looked at myself in the mirror giving a sigh. A girl stared back at me, as white as the top of the mountains in winter, her eyes a shocking electric blue. Her dark hair was short, jagged and spiky going along with her personality. She was wearing a pair of gray sweats and an overlarge red plaid shirt that made her look slightly shorter. If I ever wore baggy clothing people could easily mistake me for a guy, wearing all of Bronze's and some of Ethan's clothes helped with that. It was Jared's goal in life to make me look like a girl, so he bought me girly things. I hated all of them and 'convinced' Bronze to lend me the stuff that didn't fit him.

Most of this household is made out of children with only one adult (two if I consider Ethan an adult) running us. Jared is a Pretender, a guy who can read on how to do heart surgery in the morning and do a successful, safe operation in the afternoon. To make it short Jared's a genius who can become anyone he wants to be, though the people that brought him up want him back, like how the Organization wants Tranq and me back. The Centre though didn't have Copies like the Organization and they don't do research on recombining DNA or super humans. The Centre was like a mini me of the Organization, less dangerous than the Organization too. Ever so often Jared would run off so the Centre wouldn't find him with us, to keep us safe. And usually he'd bring someone back with him. I went back to my room looking around.

The house was the most countryish I have ever seen (the only thing I've really seen), my round bed was against one wall with a medium sized window by the roof. The door to the bathroom was on the wall to the left of my bed if you were sitting on it with your back against the headboard, on the same wall was two French doors that opened up to a balcony that had a view of the Barn and the stables. Just by the doors was a book shelf filled with books about the world and some fiction books. Across from my bed on the other wall was my desk with my computer and my dresser beside that. Another door led to the hallway and there was a closet on the same was as the door with an easel in the corner by my bed. I went to my closet, not even thinking of going in the dresser full of girl's clothes. In the really small stand-in closet was a smaller dresser and a bunch of random junk I had picked up when we first left the Organization. I knelt down by the dresser picking out my clothes for today. I put on a pair of jeans and a white short sleeved shirt that had different coloured paint splatters and stains on it. I grabbed my aviator glasses and black leather biker jacket putting both on. No one except my pieced together orphan family have seen my eyes since I left the Organization, those who had always stared at me. Pushing back the curtains so my bed was open I crawled over it to the shelf head board and grabbed Zephyr which was still attached to the belt in the gun holster. I put the belt on, my jacket covering Zephyr completely.

I opened my door silently came out, closing the door soundlessly behind me. The house had three levels, all bedrooms on the second floor with our special rooms above andthe regular house bellow. My door was right by the stairs with a half wall stopping me from falling down the stairs when I was still tired. I used my arm to support me as I went over the wall, landing on the stairs without even making them creak unlike everyone else in the house. I went down the stair where it dropped me off right by the door, the living room to the right, the kitchen and dinning room to my left. I entered into the large kitchen/eating area rubbing the last of sleep out of my eyes by moving my glasses slightly. We had a stove and oven, a lot of counter space, two large fridges, a island, two microwaves and so many cupboards I was surprised the walls was still standing. There were bar-stools aroundone side of the island, the sink on the island also. A large wooden table was at the end of the kitchen by the window with so many chairs there was at least five empty seats when we all ate there.

I grabbed a bowl and some cocoa Rice Krispies, using the last of the milk for my breakfast. I would have to get more since one bowl of cereal isn't enough for me; I have at least eight bowls. I sat at one of the bar-stoolseating slowly. It was about five minutes before anything happened, until I could hear the sound of someone trying to keep their breathing quiet and the smell of a human behind me.

"Don't even try it Tale." I hissed dangerously as the girl had opened her mouth right behind me. "Darn it, why can't I ever get you any more!?" Tale whined plopping down–or up in her case–in the bar-stool beside me. Tale was an eleven-year-old bundle of mischief with short chin length red hair that spiked at the bottom. She was the average height of an eleven-year-old with tanned skin and two differently coloured eyes, her left eye a light hazel and her right a faded green. She had been the second child Jared brought back with him just after he took Tranq and me in. Tale was wearing an orange tank top, her short jean overalls and in contrast to me she was wearing socks. I rolled my eyes, "You keep forgetting that my sense of smell and hearing is far better than yours Tale. That and you've done it to me so many times I know what your going to do." I said putting a spoon of cereal in my mouth. Tale pouted sticking her lower lip out hunching her shoulders. All of us in this house had something 'special' about us. Tale's special was quite annoying to say the least. I could almost see the light bulb go off above head when she smiled, jumping off the barstooland skipping off past Bronze who walked in wearing no top and a pair of light shorts since he was still in his pjs.

He was as old as me at age fifteen, with bleach blond hair that went past his chin. His bright red eyes shocked most people but for albinos that's normal. He was only a couple months older than me though a head shorter than me. "Thank God I'm up, I won't get an elephant or air horn in my ear." He said sitting beside me. I smiled shaking my head just as a –get this– heavy metal concert blared for a second up stairs. I winced at the noise feeling sorry for Tale's victim. "Well Rose and Dobry are up now." Bronze said smiling. There was banging on the stairs as people ran down it, Tale burst into the room a toothy grin on her face, followed by angry snaps from Rose and Dobry.

"I was sleeping Tale and it's four in the morning. Can't you just let us sleep?!" eight year old Dobry whined. His curly brown hair was starting to turn into an Afro since we found it impossible to cut it. Dobry's brown eyes were almost the same colour as his skin though slightly lighter. Rose stood behind him, her hand on her hips like she always did when she was mad. Her beautiful green eyes glared at Tale who was rolling around ground laughing silently. Her blond hair went a quarter way down her back; she was the real blond of the house. I couldn't tell whether or not Rose's pale brown skin was fake or not, she seemed too perfect to be a human and she wasn't a Dead-one that's for sure. Now I was sure Jared was trying to make me more like Rose, the girl who couldn't leave a mall without checking all clothing stores. Thank God that this small town didn't have a huge mall, the reason why I never go to the city with Rose.

"Do you know how many hours of sleep it take to make me look like this? Ten!" Rose said flipping her hair. "The only thing is that she sleeps eight hours like the rest of us." Bronze said from the side of his mouth only so I could hear. I smirked at his comment. "I have to sleep ten hours just to make myself into a valley girl." Tale said imitating Rose's voice. That was Tale's special, she could imitate voices and sounds, thus the reason for metal concert upstairs. Usually she wakes us up with an air horn or an elephant trumpet in our ears. "I do not act like a valley girl." Rose said. She was only one year younger than Bronze and I but much less mature in my opinion. "Like whatever." Tale said as Rose. The fourteen-year-old stomped her foot running –scratch that, sort of pathetically speed walking with her hands pointed up swing at her sides.

"How can Tranq sleep through all that noise?" Neo said coming in passing Rose. He looks around six years old with black hair that is perfect, with perfect blue eyes and a perfect voice and perfect paler skin than mine. Neo was the only Dead-one among us; Jared had found him in Africa practically dying from heat stroke and the sun. In actual fact Neo was more passed a hundred years old, living when the great plague hit London. So being a Dead-one makes him a lot more mature than Jared, Ethan, Bronze and me combined and a hell lot smarter on his half. He didn't really like me, I didn't exactly get along with him either but at least I wasn't spitting out dishonourable things in Howling. More on that later.

Jared came in rubbing his eyes like a child even though he's around his mid or late twenties; I wasn't so sure since he didn't tell us his age. The man was quite tall with dark hair and soft dark eyes and a fatherly kind of smile. I liked his smell since it was something other than anesthetic which the whole Organization had reeked of, his smell on the other hand was a mixture between the leather jacket he always wore and cologne. The only really fatherly kind of person I've know is him, Father never did anything for me.

"Jared there's no more milk." Tale said looking in the fridge. Every head in the room turned to me, I looked behind me as if the were looking over there. "Shade!" Tale whined pouting at me using my nickname. "Hey I have to eat too." I said defensibly turning back to her. "But you don't have to eat that much." Tale crossed her arms. I rolled my eyes shovelling another spoonful of cereal in my mouth. "I'll get some more when I go out today." Ethan said almost falling over the still in the kitchen doorway. Ethan had been a Whitecoat assistant for the Organization but left because he was sick with having to take dead subjects to the disposal area. He was the second oldest at eighteen, with dirty blond hair that went to his ears and faded jade green eyes. All and all he was a normal guy except for his natural ability of being able to make people do what he wants whether they want to or not. Everyone, except for Tranq and I had natural abilities that others would say are physically impossible. Bronze could feel and changes others moods and Rose could manipulate radio signals and any other signals for that matter so we had satellite TV without having to pay for it. Dobry could talk to animals, in some ways that's a big one and Neo had a couple abilities since he is a Dead-one, the main thing he does is he can tell what you're thinking when he's sitting beside you, it gets really annoying.

"Well not as annoying as you." Neo muttered. I had noticed him sitting down beside me since he's sickening sweet scent is impossible to miss, but I had forgotten to put my mental block up. Thinking of a wall I was satisfied to see Neo scowl and leave to his room to get dressed. Everyone else left, leaving me by myself, I got off the bar-stool to streach my legs. I hated it that they didn't understand what I went through, sure none of them had parents but they didn't live a lie for most of their life. My empty blow flew off the table smashing into the wall shattering into pieces. Growling I stomped out of the room running to school even though it didn't start till eight o' clock.

I've tried to kill the pain
But only brought more
(So much more)
I lay dying and I'm pouring
Crimson regret and betrayal

I'm dying (dying),
Praying (praying),
Bleeding (bleeding),
And screaming
Am I too lost to be saved?
Am I too lost?

My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!

Do you remember me?
Lost for so long
Will you be on the other side
Or will you forget me?

I'm dying (dying),
Praying (praying),
Bleeding (bleeding),
And screaming
Am I too lost to be saved?
Am I too lost?

My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!

(Return to me salvation…)

(I want to die!)

My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!
My God, my tourniquet
Return to me salvation!

My wounds cry for the grave
My soul cries, for deliverance
Will I be denied?
Christ, tourniquet, my suicide

(Return to me salvation…)

Evanescence
Tourniquet