Title: Maximum Ride Nighingales Lament
Rating: T ( Some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes)
Genre: Fantasy/ Action/ Adventure/ Romance
Summary: Chaos consumes when Ashe finds out her world is no longer safe. An excapee from The Tower. She, her brothers, and sisters must take flight before they are taken and treated like propery once again. A startling find shows them the key to unravling a bigger plot than they have ever imagined.
Disclaimer:I don't own Maximum Ride, or anything out of the book. I do, however, own the plot, the characters, and anything else. I would also like to add Rebbeca's song is in here.
Author's note - I would like to dedicate this story to the anonomus reader who left a review for the first chapter and to Rebecca, my alpha reader! But please, leave your name so I can thank you properly. Have a great read! ;)
Flashbacks and thoughts are in italic.
Chapter 3 - Top of the World
There were a lot of truths in this world.
When it rains, it pours. It's always darkest before dawn. He who smelt it delt it. There was no limit to the little homilies, the facile, and easy words. If humanity was good at anything, it was shooting off its collective mouth. They had a saying for literally everything. Every single situation under the sun. Although there was one in particular that had always stuck with me. Choose your friends wisely. It bore repeating. Choose your friends wisely. Not that I had a choice.
That and everyone has their price. That was a good one to. Right up there.
Combine the two and that pretty much summed up my philosophy in life: Pick the right side and get paid to do it. But of course there was no right side. The scientists and werewolves were all but just and the government was the Devil's whip. Oh, and I can't forget the ever popular Avian- human hybrids were a monstrosity to the world. The funny thing about it all was the unjust can never be brought to justice and the monstrositys were always being whipped.
"Are we gonna stay in a hotel, momma?" A small, tiny voice asked from inside of my back pack shattering my deep thoughts of our cruel world.
"No hun. We need to conserve our money to the best of our abilities." I answered knowing that no matter how much I wanted to have a damn it all to hell moment, I couldn't. If we wanted to stay alive for however long were out here, we needed to learn conservation.
"I see a low covered, swampy area at ten o'clock. Do you want me to check it out?" Basch asked. He knew that I didn't like the idea of splitting up.
"Yeah and I'll go with you. Izzy do you want to come?" I asked.
"Yes!" The little brown fox took a leap of faith out of my back pack and into my arms.
"Alright then. Caleb, Rose and Blade you stay here. If trouble arises, take off farther south. Got it?" My eyes scanned the forest type land below.
"Roger." Caleb said trying to mock my uptightness. I shook my head and made the universal hand motion of 'move out'. No matter how hard I tried I felt like I'll always be wound up like little toy solider.
I looked up and started flying towards the sun. Once I felt I had enough altitude I folded my wings and spiraled down ward. The high of freefalling made me feel weightless. All my worries flew out the window for the moment and a genuine smile crawled onto my face. The tree like canopy became larger and clearer every passing second. Then I snapped out my wings. The pain only lasted for a couple seconds then faded. I hovered for five seconds and the came in for a silent landing. Basch landed next to me. His golden wing folded and he waited for me to adjust my dress.
"Show off." A annoyed voice came into my ears.
"Whateva'." I retorted rolling my neck. A snort was all the answer I got.
Combing the woods would be a piece of cake. I finished fixing myself and started to walk. Basch took the west half and I took the east.
The thick tree truncks and long vines made my mind drift. The sounds of birds chirpping invaded my ears then the sound of rushing water. The trees around the area were pushed back and made a pleasent clearing. The crystal blue water shimmered in the moon light. Wait, moonlight?
'How long have I been walking?' I asked myself. I was certain that it hadn't been for too long. Had it? I walked over to the water and set Izzy down who slowly stirred from her slumber. She looked around with a questioning look then up at me.
"Where are we momma?" She questioned while streaching. Her brown fur ruffled in the wind.
"I don't know hun. But we'll find out soon." I said trying to sooth her. I bent down and took a handful of water. Drinking it greedily and repeating the process. A twig snapped sending my head flying up to see an ocean blue eyed, blond girl staring at me. I took a three-sixty perimeter check looking for her parents. No dice.
"Hello." I spoke slowly empting my hand of water and standing up. She kept staring then in a blink of an eye she dissapeared into the forest. I shook my head and stared into the dark forest. "Izzy did you see that?" I asked never taking my eyes off the ground where she used to stand.
She didn't speak. Then she sprang onto all four and bolted into the forest. I broke out in a dead run after the swerving brown blur. My heart pounded in my chest like an drum picking up tempo for the final release.My breath was caught in my throat and because of the dark sky it suddenly became hard to see. Each tree suddenly became harder and harder to dodge and the limbs felt like whips every where on my body leavind fine lines of blood. Then she flew into the clearing we were just at except at the opposite side. The straight drop off of the cliff let a smooth waterfall and there was a small fire. I put on the breaks making sure not to enter.
A girl sat crossed legged next to the fire, her eyes wide scanning the area. By the looks of it she was the leader. She wore a pair of loose fitting blue jeans and a t-shirt. Chain of command. Thats how it always went. It also looked as if the tall boy with black hair and all black on seemed to have alot of power to. The rest seemed dormant. 'Nothing that I can't handle.' I though to myself but I wouldn't know how far from the truth that really was. Izzy had turned back into her human form and out of the blue lept out into the clearing. She had not the care in the world but I did. My muscles bunched up ready to uncoil and my breath held still in my throat.
Then I noticed a small girl. She had blond hair and ocean blue eye. 'What the hell?' Was the only reasonable though that entered my mind. There was that girl that we saw earlier. Then I saw movement. The eldest boy stood and took a defensive stance but relaxed notable when he saw her age but was still on gaurd.
"Hello!" Izzy chirped seeming happy to see people again.
"Who are you?" The eldest girl asked. She eyed her wairly not sure if she was friend or foe. The funny thing was that was what I was doing the same thing to her.
"I'm Izzy. What your name?" She answered. I smacked my head. Why hadn't I taught her better. I always told her to stay away from strangers. The youngest of them all stepped forth and opened her mouth to reply when the eldest guy shook his head then the eldest girl reached behind her as if to grab a gun. Gun. The words made my muscles react automatically. I lunged into the clearing and harshly grabbing her and shoving her behind myself. Sheilding her with my body I pulled my own gun aiming it toward the eldest girl.
"Hold it. Put your hands where I can see them." Did I sound like a cop or what? The eldest girl slung her hand out into my view as did everyone else except for the youngest girl.
"Max no!" She screamed making me wince. The cold determined eyes peirced my vision making me choke and I suddenly couldn't breath. Dropping the gunI clawed at my neck making sure nothing was around it.
"RUN!" I yelled at Izzy throwing her up into the air. She transformed into a bird screeching and flying in circles above us. I took the time to run myself forgetting the gun. The edge of the cliff neared and I still couldn't breath. I felt the little one's eyes bore holes into my back. I pulled at the imaginary rope around my neck and jumped off the cliff. Snapping open my wings I tried to fly but didn't get very far due to the lack of oxygen I was reciving at the moment. I turned to look to see where Izzy was and heard two deafing shot ring through the air. Then a warm sticky substance ran down my sholder. It was a crimson color and I was stumped as to what this was until I saw the eldest one holding the gun her face determined until she saw she hit her mark, me.
Her face twisted in horror at what she did. She dropped the gun and sank to the green grass. Everyone else was in shock as well. Either at the fact that we were some type of experiments or the fact that there were two gaping hole in my body caused by "Max". I felt a pain clench every muscle in my body and I became dead weight falling into oblivion.
Oh my, a cliffie. Oh what is are heroine to do? As for the new kids, who are they? Where is Basch and the rest of the gang? What happened to Izzy? Will Ashe live or die? Oh dear readers woe is me. It was unfortunatley not as long as the first one nor the second but I have been busy and needed to wrap it up and it seemed to be a good spot to end. Please read and review. Thank you Rebecca.