I do not own Maximum Ride!

But I do own my characters! So there! Okay, I hope no one's too pissed off about the POV change. If you are, I'm sorry! Just hang in there a bit. This is kind of crucial to the story.


Salem's POV:

Hi everyone! I'm taking over for Cat because of her...um... situation? Yes, situation is a good word. She was fine for a little bit. She was walking around taking care of Taz, ignoring Tarzan, and shooting me and Eric dirty looks everytime we started fighting. (But you try not fighting with a jerk like that!)

There was one very big difference though.

"Cat?" Tarzan said. Cat blinked, but didn't look up from her cereal. "I know you're mad at me, but is that any reason to use the silent treatment on everyone?"

We were all concerned. Cat stopped talking.

See! Now you see why I have to narrate!

This was seriously killing the mood. How can I enjoy my Lucky Charms (Which I never get to have) when Cat was doing this? Tarzan put down his spoon.

"Cat?" he kept on saying. He waved his hand in front of her face. She looked at him, her face sad and solemn. We'd never seen her like this before. She always looked like she was ready to say something motherly or kick ass. But not now. She looked like she had cried every tear her body could produce and just couldn't cry anymore. She look like...

She had given up.

"Cat? If you don't say something, I'm going to take you to the doctor," Tarzan threatened wagging his finger in her face. She blinked again, not saying anything.

"That's it. Come on, Cat. I don't care if its the middle of the day. I'm dragging you to the hospital," he said standing up and pushing his chair back that squeaked noisily on the tile floor. He held out his hand. "And don't even try to argue with me..."

Cat grabbed his hand. She stood up and straightened her clothes ready to go.

Shock rippled across the table. Kitten, Eric, and I exchanged looks. Tarzan nodded.

"That's right," he said almost stuttering with shock. "Let's go to the doctor." He let go and Cat walked in front of him leading the way out the door.

"Eric. You're in charge," he said over his shoulder. And just like that the two oldest were gone. Again.

Kitten started to sob. Eric groaned and held his head with his elbows on the table.

"Here we go," he grumbled. "It's okay Kitten." Kitten, the girl who had attached to me like a little sister even before Cat had rescued us, started to cry even harder.

"It's not okay!" Kitten said. She slammed her fist down on the table with unnatural strength. Eric and I jumped, but recovered quickly. "Cat's going to die." I felt my face fall with shock.

"Don't say that!" I snapped.

"She's sick!" Kitten argued.

"No, she's not!" I said. That sentence even made Taz look at me unbelievingly. "I mean, maybe, but nothing's wrong with her." Now they were looking at my like I was crazy. No offense, Cat. But I'm not the crazy one here.

"What do you mean?" Eric asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Never mind. I'm going on the computer," I said. I left a half full bowl of Lucky Charms and milk out on the table. There was only one way I knew how to solve this problem. And that was to turn to someone who had more experience living with a bunch of mutant escapees from the School.

I went on the computer and touched the sides. Of the monitor. It blinked on as I ordered it to and I waited for it to boot. Meanwhile I heard Eric complaining about me leaving food out. Taz whined from his high chair until Eric gave the bowl to him. Eric yelled from the kitchen letting me know I was going to clean up his mess.

I didn't care. This was important.

I pulled up Internet Explorer with a single thought. My FAVORITE website came on the screen. It was, you probably guessed it...

Fang's Blog.

Immediately I pulled up an email and started to compose.

Dear Fang (and the rest of the Flock),

I am not just a fan, but a comrade. You see I'm a mutant like you from the School. Actually, Cat told me you inspired her to make us leave, so thank you. But you see, we're kind of in jam. Cat was the leader. Now she suddenly won't talk. I don't know what's going on with her. Tarzan took her to the doctor.
You think that's a bad move? I know you guys went to Dr. Martinez when you were in a jam.
Anyways, I'm the only one who actually goes on the internet so no one else really knows about what you guys do. But I do! And I think its awesome what you did to Itex. But I don't get it. How come the School is still there if you took out the whole Itex place?

Please email me back and keep flying,
Salem

There. I sent it and released a breath. Wow... I actually emailed the Flock! What if we get to meet them! What would I say to them? Would Tarzan let me steal Total?

From the kitchen I heard a familiar crash. Milk and Lucky Charms splattered all over the kitchen floor somewhere behind me.

"Uh oh," Taz said.

"Salem! That's your mess! Pick it up!" Eric said from the other side of the house. I groaned and got up from the computer chair.


"Won't the whitecoats notice that three hundred dollars were used at the mall?" Layla asked. Despite her worrying, she had a giant smile on her face. She wore new jeans and a brand new shirt. She was careful to buy easy stretch clothes for when she had her transformation in emergencies. On top of that she had a bag full of accesories in each hand.

Jason on the other hand had a brand new outfit as well. But he'd spent his money on a Nintendo DS. He dragged his pen across the screen as she and him walked through the woods following the assassin's scent.

"I'd never used the company card before. They never said specifically what I was allowed to spend it on. Even if they do get mad, I'll take the heat," Jason said waving the problem away like a fly. Layla smiled.

"Gee..." she said. "Thanks." Layla was pleasantly surprised today. Jason hadn't been such a horrible person to hang out with. And her first trip to the mall was everything she dreamed it would be, even with him there.

Jason stopped abruptly as they got to the clearing the three were staying at. Layla nearly bumped into him. She stopped just in time.

"What?" she said trying not to sound annoyed and ruin the first actual nice day she'd had in her entire life. Then she saw what had stopped him. The perfect assassin was standing up and walking around with his hands in his pockets as if for a stroll.

"You two have fun?" he asked pointing at their bags.

Layla met his eerie gaze. She shivered.

"Yup," Jason said recovering from his presence as quickly as possible. "Did you have fun?"

"Yup," the assassin said mimicking him. He walked right by him. Jason watched the shorter mutant stop and stand next to Layla. She moved closer to Jason as nonchalantly as possible. "And by the way my mission is finished. Well, its almost finished. But I'm done with you two."

Jason and Layla exchanged glances.

"So now we head back to the School?" Layla asked hopefully. The assassin shook his head.

"No. Now I take my rightful place in the pride," the assassin said. The Erasers were at once on their guard. They dropped their brand new belongings on the ground. Before either of them could sprout one strand of fur in transformation, the assassin sent out a mental blast. The shockwave into the Eraser's heads were enough to send them collapsing to ground like marionette puppets with no puppet master.

The perfect assassin's growl turned into a purr as he made his way into the woods and toward the city. Toward the pride.


Suspenseful!!! Is it not? Who do you think the perfect assassin is?