Hope you enjoy this and can spare a review!

I do not own Maximum Ride.

* Adaline *

I didn't even wince at the brambles clawing at my face as Thorn and I landed. I didn't mind that some of my feathers were torn at the gab of the prickers.

We were free.

And needed to get a move on.

"We're not safe yet." I told the band of mutants who were cowering under the trees. "If we don't keep going, we're going to get caught. Anyone else up with getting another good lashing and going back to Ring Master?"

No one replied.

"Good." I nodded. "Um...the first thing we should do is...um..."

Boy, this leader stuff was hard.

"I've escaped once." Falle finally spoke up, breaking the silence. "The first thing we should do is get into a big city. We're not to far away from one-I can hear a highway." Her ears twisted slightly. Jini mimicked her, tasting the air.

"It's that way." Jini pointed east.

"Okay. What do we do from there?"

"If its a major city, we can stay there for a bit. Too many people. We'll blend in. Another thing we need to do is change our appearances. Nothing major-we just need to get out of these paper rags. Get clothes. We'll be a bit harder to recognize. We're by New York, I believe. Finding a Goodwill won't be too hard."

"Okay. Us with wings will take to the sky and keep a lookout from there once we get to the highway. The rest of you will have to travel on foot."

The mutants nodded.

"Lead the way, Falle. Jini."

We pushed our way through the thicket, heading rather quickly for one band of twenty or so. We had just made it to the highway when Shade cried out.

"Storm!"

We clustered around where Storm lay on the ground, Shade kneeling by his side, holding his neck to support his head.

"Storm? Buddy?"

"Shade?" Storm's eyes flinched open, his pupils so tiny they had almost disappeared into his irises.

"Storm? What happened."

Storm opened his mouth to reply, but all that came out was a hacking cough that turned into him vomiting blood. I stepped back in horror, Ghost covering Jini's eyes.

"Storm?" Shade pleaded. "Stay with me."

"Ring Master..." Storm managed.

"Yes? Yes?"

Storm coughed up a fountain of blood, his chest heaving and breath hoarse.

"Poison..." Was all Storm could utter before his eyes glazed over and his chest lay still.

"Shade..." I trailed off, shocked by the scene.

"Storm? He's fine." Shade laughed, his voice high. "Just...sleeping. Taking a nap."

"Yeah..." Violet grumbled. "A dirt nap."

"Shade..." I tried, setting a hand on his shoulder. Shade's laughter was engulfed in a hysteric wail.

"He was my brother!" Shade cried. "He was my brother!"

"Yup." Violet commented. "And now he's pushin' up daisies."

I let out an angry hiss through my clenched teeth.

"Storm!" Shade wailed, burying his face into his brother's chest. "Storm..."

Brother...that was a punch in the face. Storm had been Shade's brother. His possession.

No performance...

No possession.

* Lacey *

I stood on the blacktop of the highway with the rest of the mutants, my toes curling on the pavement. The road felt weird on my toes-like a mixture of smoothness, yet rough at the same time.

My ears twitched slightly as I closed my eyes. I let my senses take control, and I picked up faint chatter of the distant city. Cars rumbled and groaned, wheels squealing at every red light. I sniffed the air, and the faint scents and sounds forming a complete picture of the city in my mind. I blocked out the thoughts of the mutants around me, taking the whole view in.

"Okay. We're about thirty miles away from New York." Adaline spoke up, dragging me away from my mental picture. "Us with wings, we should take to the sky. Other's, you're walking. We'll keep a watch for cars."

"Excuse me." I piped up softly, my voice trembling slightly. I felt my stomach drop as I continued, fighting the urge to be silent. "I-I have super senses. T-There's a bus coming...it sounds like it's about ten miles away."

Adaline nodded as I cocked my head slightly. "Maybe...fifteen."

"Okay. Let's go."

There was the swishing of feathers and an awkward rise from us less experienced(me), and the others on the ground followed us below. Before I knew it, the distant blur of lights had come into focus, forming a city. I think I was one of the first to see.

"Car!" Adaline shouted to the group below. They scattered into bushes, and we flew higher. Once the car had passed I told her, "That will probably be the last one."

Adaline nodded, and we flew lower, trailing the group now. Before I knew it, we had reached the city. Lights paraded everywhere down below as skyscrapers challenged each other to see who could be the tallest and reach the tips of the sky first, and who could have the most windows. Cars flooded the roads as people crowded the streets and sidewalks. Fancy stores and restaurants flaunted colors and lights as the murmur of speech echoed everywhere. Not a star could be seen in the sky, which, of course, made me feel empty inside. As I ooohed and awed over the sight, as someone tugged on my sleeve.

It was a boy with jet black hair and blurred, blue eyes. His hair fell in cropped sections to his shoulders and his wings were black with white primaries. He beat them, our wings touching slightly. He looked about my age.

"I'm Tyler. You can call me Ty."

"Um...Hello." I waved.

"Tell me what's below us."

"Can't you-"

"I'm blind." He uttered sorrowfully.

"Oh..." I exhaled.

* Adaline *

"Welcome to 'U 'Do: Tomorrow's Styles Today!'!" A woman with black hair, brown eyes, and a lip piercing beamed. I'm Skya and this is Star, my brother." She gestured to a man with blonde hair and light blue eyes. Two dark blue stars were tattooed by his eyes.

"U Do is having a makeover fest! It's been going on since we opened!" Star laughed.

"You guys can have total makeovers for free-as long as your stylist gets to do whatever he or she wants!"

"Now, if you head over to our team of specialists. They will 'Do ya up!'"

We were ushered over to a swarm of people dressed in strange arrays of clothing like Star and Skya.

"We can only take about five at a time." Star continued. "So the rest of you can browse through our clothing!"

The swarm took Drakkon, Snow, Violet, Race, and Falle first, ushering them into separate rooms.

"Addy-look at all the clothes! I hope I get a dress! I've always wanted to wear a dress! Not just a leotard!"

Before we knew it, the five were out and Killjoy, Tyler, Copper, Flint, and Sammy were ushered through the doors.

"How do we look?"

Drakkon was now dressed in a black, tight skinny jeans with shredded thighs and a tight black t-shirt with three white belts circling her waist. She also wore a black zip-up hoodie with a popped collar. On her feet were black converse with white laces. He hair was also trimmed and held in a long braid down her back. Over her eyes was a pair of dark sunglasses.

Snow's long hair was cropped shorter so it only fell just past her shoulders. The ends of her jet black hair were now a slate gray. She was wearing a graphic t-shirt with skinny jeans, gray all stars, and a baggy, gray beanie knit hat that hid her ears. Her tail must have been tucked somehow in her pants.

Violet was...Violet. Her hair was crimped and fell in waves. There was a violet streak in her hair. Her lip was pierced with a silver hoop. She was wearing a black tank with violet shorts, a black choker, and black, knee high boots.

Race's red hair was curled and a bit shorted than before. She was wearing a tight, dark brown shirt with cargo camo shorts. On her feet were black combat boots, and her ears were pierced with green studs.

Falle's hair was now cut short so it fell to her collar bone. She was wearing a leopard print shirt with black shorts and black shoes. On her hands were leopard print fingerless gloves. She was also wearing a black zip-up hoodie that fell to her diaphragm and sleeves came down to her elbows. In her hair was a leopard print bandanna, which hid her ears. Her tail too was missing.

The next group were back.

Killjoy's hair was cut and spiked. He was wearing a black t-shirt with black jeans and black tennis shoes. He also wore a long black coat. Rested in his hair was a pair of dark shaded sunglasses.

Tyler's hair was combed and no longer straggly. He was dressed in a t-shirt with jeans with a hole in the knee. On his feet were sneakers. He was also wearing black, fingerless gloves which exposed his knuckles and black shoes. Over his eyes, hiding his blindness, was a pair of dark aviator sunglasses.

Copper's hair was cut so it no longer fell to his shoulders, but instead to the nape of his neck. He was wearing a t-shirt with a black hoodie and jeans. On his feet were sneakers, and a sweatband covered the branding on his wrist.

Flint's gray, shaggy hair was now less shaggy. He had a pair of sunglasses over his eyes, which covered the scar on his eye from the whipping. He was wearing a gray turtleneck with a pair of gray sweatpants. He also wore the same sweatband as Copper around his wrist.

"You're next!" Skya squealed. I felt hands on the back of my neck, and as I cried out, my vision went black.

* Thorn *

My hair had been cut to fall just past my shoulders. I no longer had my curtain of hair, but I didn't mind. I was now wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. On my feet were gray converse, and over my shirt was a jean jacket. Around my wrist was a white scrunchie, which covered up my branding.

"Yeah! A dress! A dress!"

Jini had to be wearing the cutest outfit out of all of us. On her head perched a crooked black top hat which covered her ears. She wore a white dress that fell about three or four inches above her knees. Around her waist was a black bow that ties in the back. She wore black boots and was wearing charm bracelet with a few charms on them-one of a tiny wolf, one with a small silver wing, and a small crystal heart.

Ghost's ears were covered by a white hat. He also wore a white t-shirt with jeans and gray converse. Around one of his belt loops was a metal loop with a small gray wolf, a small silver wing, and a crystal heart attached around it. On one of his hands was a black, fingerless glove.

Lacey was stunning too. Her dark red hair framed her face, her long bangs parted to the right, her green eyes glowing as she examined herself in a mirror. She wore a white 80's styled t-shirt with a neon pink tank top underneath it and jean booty shorts. She also wore white, knee-high converse with neon pink laces.

"Addy!" Jini squealed. "You look amazing!"

Adaline's hair was brushed and trimmed so it was feathered at the ends. Her eyes glowed as she stuck a pose. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans with a tight, light blue t-shirt with a white zip-up hoodie over it. Like Drakkon's, it fell to only her diaphragm and sleeves came to her elbows. The collar was popped and had three blue stripes running over it. The edges of the coat were a light blue, too. On her feet were white, knee high boots with light blue buckles around the top of the boot and over the top of her foot. She also wore a necklace with a large, sparkling, silver wing on it. On either side was the same wolf and heart charm.

"Thanks." Adaline blushed slightly. "You guys ready to hit New York?"

"Let's go!" Falle grinned. "Let's beat the streets!"

Hope you can spare a review!

~White Wind