Um...sorry? Patterson owns Maximum Ride and Meyer owns Twilight. Got it?

I flew. My wing was still a little sore, but I had handled a lot worse.

What happened to all the Erasers being gone? I asked myself—or the Voice. I wasn't really sure anymore. If I was asking the Voice, I didn't really expect an answer. I don't think.

It really is pathetic that I have to clarify that, isn't it?

Maximum, they aren't Erasers, the Voice informed me patiently. If they were, would I stop you from attacking them?

I don't know! I growled. It was entirely their fault.

Don't act like a child, Max, the Voice chided. It really was weird to argue with myself. Even if it was, weren't you wanting something to fight before?

I hated when the Voice talked to me. And I really hated it when it was right.

I flew in ever shrinking circles, stopping only when my wing felt like it was about to fold. I landed clumsily in a tree, far away from where I had started out.

The hairs on the back of my neck were prickling. Every muscle in my body was tensed. Something about being here didn't seem right. In most cases that would be my cue to leave.

There was something I was supposed to be doing...what was that again? Right. I was supposed to go back and meet Bella. Meh. Whatever.

I lounged in the tree for a few minutes. Bad idea.

Someone shoved me out of the tree. Before I realized how bad of an idea what I was about to do was, I whipped out my wings. I heard someone gasp behind me.

I turned to face someone sitting on a branch. A woman, with flaming red hair. I hate red heads. A cynical smirk was fixed on her pale face.

"Hello, Maximum," she chirped. Her voice was annoyingly high. I snarled at her. "Very convincing snarl."

She lunged at me. She was fast. Really fast. I dodged and whacked my elbow off a tree trunk. Ow.

Are you going to forbid me from getting into this fight, too? I asked the Voice. I didn't wait for an answer, instead devoting myself to blocking her lightning attacks.

Normally, I had the upper hand in just about any fight. Now I didn't. I had just flown a couple miles evading Erasers, I was distracted by a really sore wing, and I hadn't gotten in a real fight since I had landed in Forks.

I launched a roundhouse kick. The woman didn't react fast enough. For just about any other person that one kick would have been enough to end the fight. Unfortunately, it was me who came off the worse. Her body was like rock.

Ow! It came together at that moment. I thought about what Bella had once told me. Unnaturally pale. Very fast, very strong. Cold as ice, and as hard as stone, if you excuse my touch of the dramatic. Vampire.

I couldn't win. I wasn't talking about the fight. The jury was still out on that one. But I should have been back at Bella's more than an hour ago. I'm guessing she would be mildly curious about that. And, if I went back, I had a feeling she would be asking a few questions, and I doubt she would be thrilled about the vampire thing.

So, element of surprise it was. I whipped out my wings and flapped once, before flipping over her and kicking her in the back of the head. She stumbled forward. I smiled with satisfaction. Never underestimate the power of the wings.

I turned and started to fly. Within seconds I was out of reach. From high above her, I could see the vampire's mane of red hair framing the bone white face that was turned up to stare at me.

I flew. Something strange was nagging at me, but I couldn't begin to think what. I pondered that for a few minutes. Then it hit me.

How did some random vampire know my name?