Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride. What's a fan fiction writer to do?

Note: I have finished reading MR3, so I might be making some MR3 references, but nothing major, since my story takes place after they beat Re-Evolution. For example, I may mention Marian Janssen or the events in Germany and other events in passing.

Here is what won't be present for sure: Flyboys, Max's real parents, the other mutants, and ter Borcht's accent, because I can't write it. Jeb and Anne Walker are still my villains in this story.

Okay, just wanted to let you know that. Here's chapter 16.

I woke up the next morning feeling really refreshed. I could really get used to this bed.

I got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower. Afterwards, I came back to the room to get dressed. Nudge and Angel were still in bed.

I went upstairs to find Asch in the kitchen. His shirt was off and he was holding his right arm up. Calypso was with him. She was taking off Asch's bandage.

Asch looked up at me, "Hey, good morning," he said.

"Uhh, good morning," I sputtered out. Yikes. I couldn't believe I was thinking it but Asch was hot with no shirt. He wasn't ripped or anything but he was built. I quickly put the thought away.

Calypso bent down and examined Asch's wound. It was a large, pink scar now. Not as bad as when I gave it to him.

"I don't think you'll need the bandage anymore," said Calypso, "but I think you should still be careful so you don't open it up again."

"Thank you Dr. House," said Asch.

Calypso stood back up and grabbed something that was on the counter, "Here, put your shirt on," she said, throwing it to him. He put on a large, dark blue, short-sleeve t-shirt.

"Are we the only ones who are up?" I asked.

"Yeah," said Asch, "it's still a little early. It's only 8:30. But we went to bed the earliest."

"So, what's on the agenda today? Fighting some more gang members? Breaking into more buildings?"

"Well, I need to go grocery shopping today. But, we could turn that into some sort of adventure if you want."

"No thanks. I only go on adventure when I absolutely have to."

"Then what was yesterday?"

"Routine."

Asch let out a laugh. "Yeah, that really wasn't much compared to the things we've done."

"What kind of things have you done?"

"Well, we managed to destroy an Itex facility in Texas. We thought that was the base, but that wasn't the case. We did infiltrate one of their weapons research facilities in Seattle. We got some info there on new things they were developing. We've seen numerous other things, reject houses, training facilities, you name it."

"So, how'd you end up settling here in San Francisco? You sound like you've been busy beavers."

"We found this place about a month after we escaped from the Eraser attack at the ShawCorp facility. We decided to make it our base, our home. We started out with just a couple of things we found, an old couch, some blankets. We kept finding other things that we could use and then we found an Itex facility in Nevada. That's where we found the card and it… really helped."

"You guys are so lucky," I said, "you didn't have Erasers constantly chasing you, so you got to be able to stay somewhere. We always had to be on the move."

"Don't give me survivor's guilt Maxie."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to, it's just that I'm so jealous. You have this great place, and the only thing I found luxurious was a branch in a park."

"Well, you know you guys can stay as long as you want. And even longer."

"Thanks Asch."

"Hey, you're one of us. It's the least we could do."

Asch was right. I was one of them. It was so weird. It was like I had two families. I cared for both of them a lot, and now they were all together.

"Hey, I got an idea," said Asch, "let's take a look at those files you snuck out of Itex."

"Don't you want to wait until the others are up?"

"Nah, no need. Besides, we can just tell everyone else later. So, let's take a look at what we got."

I went over to the table where I left the files and picked them up. I brought them back to the kitchen and laid them out on the counter. There was a lot of good information. It looked they were going through with the same plan. Except this time a lot of countries dropped out of the picture. England was still in on it, so were France, Germany, the Netherlands and a couple of other countries. China dropped out, which was a huge surprise. I guess they didn't think we'd make good weapons anymore. I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult.

It also looked like they were operating from some sort of secret base called the Facility. Of course, there was no information on where it was. That would be easy.

It also looked like they were implying some new strategy, now that a lot of countries dropped out, but it wasn't very clear as to what that was

But there was something that was very strange. There was something in there about a device called a Subatomic Energy Core. It had something to do with the new strategy. But that was all.

I wish I had stolen more.

And here was something that was very interesting. Roland ter Borcht's name was conspicuously absent from all of these files. I guess that really was him who I met in Roland City. But what was he doing if not helping Itex? It was like every answer I got there were two more questions posed.

As we looked through the files, the others were waking up and coming to see us. They all asked what we were doing and we all explained to them about the files.

Iggy came into the kitchen and asked, "Oh, you didn't try to get the jump on me on making breakfast?"

"No," said Asch, "I'm an honorable competitor. What do you feel like making?"

"You got French Toast?"

"Sure do. And today I have to go grocery shopping, you wanna come?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I'm coming. I gotta make sure you get the right stuff."

"Oh, really. I've got the list here. And somebody can come with us to be the impartial reader of it."

"Fine."

I gathered up the files and walked out of the kitchen. When those two went at it about cooking, the place became a war zone.

We had some info on what was happening with the new Re-evolution, but not as much as we wanted. If I only had more time to steal more. But what we had was better than nothing.

There was no way we'd be able to sneak back into the new Itex building. They would no doubt beef up security now that someone was able to break in, especially while Jeb was there.

If we only had some sort of clue. Voice? Any opinions or comments? I found myself thinking. But then I remembered that my Voice was gone. I was all alone inside my head. It was up to me to figure things out for myself.

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That afternoon, Jeb Batchelder was outside of the building. He still couldn't believe what had happened yesterday. He came to inspect a new building to see if it was secure and functioning, and two people break in.

After a meeting that barely decided to keep the place up, he came outside to vent. If was up to him, he would put the place down in a heartbeat for the humiliation it caused him. The swelling from the egg bump had gone down but it was still a purplish color. He had to wear a bandage to cover it up.

That kid he saw, he knew he was familiar, but he couldn't think of from where. The kid knew him somehow. And what did he mean by 'That was for Max'. He couldn't possibly have been talking about Maximum Ride, could he have? And how could have all those guns become hot for the guards? And to be able to jump in the air to knee him in the face? Could he have been a hybrid? Or could he have been…

No, he couldn't have been.

Could he have been a member of Counter-Breed?

Two people walked by Jeb talking to each other wearing red jackets. It said "Fire Rats" on both the front and the back.

"We gotta do something about those strays," said one of them, "We gotta teach 'em not to mess with us."

"Yeah," said the other, "and I'd like to kick their leader's ass from here to the east coast."

"Which one is that?"

"You know, that guy with the red hair and crazy tat around his eye."

Jeb instantly came to attention. He looked up at the two boys who were walking away from him. He went after them with a quick pace.

"Uhh, excuse me, gentlemen," he said as he ran after them.

The two Fire Rat members turned around, "Yeah, can we help you?" asked the first one rudely.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and I think I know this person you're talking about."

"Oh, really," said the other Fire Rat, "what does that got to do with us?"

"Well, he's been a thorn in my side also. What do you know about him?"

"We don't know his name," said the first, "but he's with this group of strays who live in a building in the abandoned section of the city." He pointed to it in the distance.

Jeb looked over to where the young man pointed. He could barely see it over the horizon. "He lives with strays?" he asked.

"Yeah," said the second kid, "he's with a bunch of other kids who are taking up our turf. He just got a bunch of new ones to join them too. We're gonna get rid of them, and the Tiger Sharks."

"Not before we nail that girl with the blond streaks," said the other.

Jeb couldn't believe it. That had to be Max. These two were fighting Max and someone who was possibly a member of Counter-Breed.

Jeb smiled, "Perhaps there's a way I could help you achieve that."

The two boys looked at each other and then back at Jeb, "We're listening," said one of them.

"Meet me at this building tomorrow and bring all of your friends. I think I've got something you'll like that would get rid of your… strays as you call them."

Thanks for your comments on Maschness. I'll take them into consideration. Keep those reviews coming. Thanks again.