Okay, this is my first Maximum Ride fan fiction. I have read the books over and over like a thousand times each, ((I mean, they are just so good:3)) and really wanted to write a story about it.

So, this story picks up right where SoF left off.

I couldn't believe it. We were safe- all of us. The Erasers were dead, never to bother us again. It was so weird, the way it happened. We were locked in hand to hand combat in midair when they all just plummeted to the ground. That reminded me of the scene in New York when I was fighting that Eraser and he just collapsed all of a sudden.

"Report!" I said, my voice raspy from not enough sleep and malnutrition.

"Here" replied Angel and Total at the same time. Angel had Total close to her chest to make sure he wasn't going to fall again. He was terrified of heights now. That poor mutant dog.

"My rib, but I'll be fine" mumbled Nudge with one hand clutched at her side. "I don't think it's broken. Just hurts like a mother-"

"Nudge!" I glared at her before smiling, happy she was alright. I would have to remember to keep the cursing to a minimum from now on.

"Here" reported Gazzy and Iggy in unison. They were like two peas in a pod. Couldn't live without each other and could barely live with each other. When they were old enough, they wanted to be firefighters. That or pyromaniacs.

"Here" said Fang softly. He was holding one of his hands up to his cheek in order to stop the gash in his cheek from bleeding.

"What was that all about?" I asked, turning to look down at the forest below us. If I focused hard enough on the trees, I could see an Eraser stabbed through and through a branch or something. Eraser shish kabob. Doesn't that sound appetizing?

"I don't know, but it was really weird" murmured Iggy and I could tell that he was exhausted.

"Why don't we find a place to land and figure out what just happened-"

"Max, behind you!" Nudge screamed and pointed to just above my left shoulder.

I didn't even have time to turn around before a huge hairy arm had me by the throat.

I elbowed my attacker in the stomach, but that only made the arm squeeze my neck tighter. I gasped for air and clawed at the arm that was blocking my windpipe, doing no good. 'I'll just go with the flow then…' I thought and concentrated on keeping air running through my system.

"Ari" I heard Fang growl and he clenched his fists.

"Down bird brain" Ari said in a murderous tone. "You thought that I would die like the others right? Well, remember this: I am only half Eraser. I'm not as weak as them."

Fang was right, Eraser breath was not the most pleasant smell in the world. I would have gagged if it wasn't for the fact that I could barely breathe.

I felt Ari's other arm come around and something sharp against my throat. His switchblade.

Angel made this little noise that sounded like a gasp and started towards Ari.

"Ah ah ah. . One move from any of you and I slit her throat"

'Okay guys. Don't move' I thought and shut my eyes. My breath was coming in short, raspy wheezes and I didn't know how much longer I could take.

"Ari, what do you want?" Gazzy said quietly, his voice not much more than a whispery shake.

"Didn't I tell you not to move? Oh well, your loss. I am going to enjoy this" said Ari as he dragged the blade slowly across my throat.

I immediately felt blood gush from my neck. I couldn't breathe anymore, the arm released me and I plummeted to the ground. I didn't even remember that I had wings, that I was a mutant bird kid. All that I knew was that I never experienced pain this bad.

Someone grabbed me and lifted me back up into the sky. My eyes fluttered open and I saw that it was Fang. His face was set to kill, and he was staring down at me. That's when I noticed the tears. Rolling down his cheeks were these big tears.

I had never seen Fang cry before.

"You're going to be okay Max. Just hang in there, we are going to get you to a hospital. Just hold on." He said, and his tears dripped off his face onto my chest, right above my heart.

I heard Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, Angel, and Total flying towards us, screaming something at me. I tried to tell them something. That I loved them all, but I think it just came out in big gasps.

They were all crying as we flew towards the ground. I knew then that I wasn't going to make it. Fang was still telling me to hang on that I was going to be alright.

I used my remaining strength to lift my hand to his cheek. He looked down at me and got what I was trying to say.

We touched the ground and he whispered, "Goodbye Maximum Ride. You will…will…" he choked and buried my head into his chest.

I vaguely heard the rest of the flock land before I shut my eyes and drifted off into an endless sleep.

My eyes shot open and I grabbed my throat, gasping for breath. I stared at my hand to see that there was no crimson blood on it.

I tried to sit up but I couldn't. Where am I? I thought and looked around. Oh, that's right, we were sleeping in a small cave for the night.

Everything came rushing back to me. The tank, Max II, the Institute, everything. I remembered that Fang and I had stayed up for the longest time laughing last night. I'd never heard him laugh like that. Ever.

I remembered my dream and I realized that I'd never seen him cry either. All the other flock members I had seen, but not Fang. Huh.

That's when I realized why I couldn't get up. Fang and I had fallen asleep together. And his arm was over my shoulder, hugging me into him. Oh my God, I'm never going to live this one down. I thought and gently moved his arm off me. He mumbled in his sleep. Something about black pajama's that he wanted.

"Max, you awake?" Nudge's big eyes looked up at me.

"Uhuh. What do you need sweetie?"

"I'm hungry."

Nudge's typical first words in the morning.

XD I think this chapter was pretty good. I know it didn't really move the story far, but I wanted to write something really sad XP. The next chapter will have a lot more butt-kicking and action than this one