I don't own Maximum Ride. I do own all my characters.


Cat's POV:

His fist came down to land the blow. I rolled out of the way just in time.

"Cat!" Salem cried. Out of the corner of my eye I saw one of Kitten's flying leaps. Hunter was right there with her. Hunter? They were working with the kid who tried to kill me? What was going on! I tried to get out from sparring with Tarzan, but every time I saw an opening he dragged me back in the fight.

"Tarzan! Stop it!" I demanded dodging a blow. I was faster than him, but every time he landed a blow I was staggered with shock. Slowed down, it wasn't hard to pummel me. Tarzan landed a kick in my stomach. I flew backwards about three yards. I looked up to see Tarzan coming at me once more. They'd turned against me. The School had turned my own pride on each other. The pride that I had worked damn hard to piece together from hopelessness! The pride that I had taught to talk! The time we put in listening to Eric tell us all he knew about the real world! The rescues! The escapes! The discovery of our powers!

Suddenly I wasn't just sad that my pride had been ripped at the seems. I was pissed.

"That's IT!" I cried jumping to my feet. I back peddled as Tarzan grew closer. "Salem!"

"Yeah," Salem answered with Taz in her arms as she backed away from Hunter and Kitten.

"There's something wrong with them. Wake them up. I don't care how, but we're not losing them this easily," I said.

"What? How?" Salem shrieked. I didn't answer her. I crouched down on all fours relying on my animal instincts I knew were somewhere inside and bared my teeth.


Salem's POV:

Wake them up? From what? How were they being controlled? Was it Hunter? No, it couldn't be. He had the same blank stare as Kitten and Tarzan. He was being controlled too. Taz squirmed uncontrollably in my arms. He was transforming for battle. His snout jutted out of his head. Fur started to sprout from his arms. He burst from the fabric of the baby carrier that he was already too big for.

He stood by my side like a true member of the pride. Suddenly Kitten jumped at my neck. Her hands went to my throat lost in my fur. I grabbed her throat instinctively, but she seemed to have a warm collar around her neck. I threw her aside just as Hunter had tackled me from behind. Taz took this moment to jump onto Kitten and cling onto her.

Hunter and I fought hand to hand. I used the moves Cat had taught us long ago in our first house. Kicking and punching, dodging and dancing. But Hunter had learned some moves of his own since we last met. All I could think was, "What would the Flock do?"

I jumped at his collar and knocked him down. His collar was warm too, I realized. Why did they have warm collars. I caught a glimpse of a little green light on the collar. It was electric! Without thinking I touched it and gave the device an extra jolt of electricity.

A shock jolted through my system sending me flying backwards. Hunter was on the ground spasming unable to escape the electrical current. His chest rose and his legs twitched like every nerve in his body was being activated. Smoke rose from the collar and his neck as he screamed out loud. He flopped on his stomach. All I could do was stare. Then suddenly his body stopped moving. Completely. No breathing.

I walked up to him after a tense moment and lifted up his head. It was clear from the distraught look frozen on his face. Not mention the eyes. Ew! His eyes! To put it as nondisgusting as possible, they no more than fried pieces in the eye sockets of his head. There was no doubt about it.

I'd accidently killed Hunter.

I didn't have time to be horrified with myself as I definitely would later.

Taz screamed. I picked myself up from beside Hunter's body. Taz was just a puppy and Kitten was going too hard on him. It was like she actually wanted to kill him!

"Kitten! Stop!" I shouted joining the fight. I jumped on Kitten and pinned her arms down. The only advantage I had was that I was bigger than her. After all, she's only eight. Without Tarzan to help her she was stuck under me. Taz leapt aside and growled ready to fight as needed.

"Kitten!" I cried. She squirmed beneath me twisting and biting. I had to make her stop. But how? If I activated the shock collar on her neck I'd kill her too.

"I'm a tool of Itron!" she shouted like a warcry and then spit in my face. I cringed but let it sit there since I was busy holding her down.

"Kitten! Can you hear me? It's me. Salem," I said. I realized that I was crying now. I sniffed. I pushed my brain to think harder. But there was nothing my powers could do to help me now. This was my pride member. She were practically sisters! I remembered telling her stories I'd read on the internet about the Flock, sharing our fries from McDonalds, sitting in front of the TV with her...

Wait! That was it!" I started to sing.

"

Suddenly Kitten stopped. She stared back up at me with big green eyes. But she didn't say anything. I smiled and continued.

"Come and play
Everything's A-OK
Friendly neighbors there
That's where we meet
"

I was quiet. I was waiting for a reaction from her, but all she did was stare at me. I opened my mouth to finish the song, but Kitten beat me to the next her.

"Can you tell me how to get
How to get to Sesame Street
" Kitten finished. I blinked and giggled uncontrollably.

"Kitten? Are you okay?" I asked through my joyful sobs. She looked confused. Like her whole way of thinking had just been shattered and glued back together.

"Salem? You came!" She started to cry too. We reached for each other and hugged. "I knew you would," she whispered.


For those who are confused, that was the Sesame Street theme song. I also don't own Sesame Street I think I should mention. More to come in about an hour or so.

And for those who are curious this is my website sort of. The link won't come up on fanfiction so here it is in word form.

http://winged516(dot)tripod(dot)com