When I opened my eyes, all I could see was the ocean. I sat bolt upright, spraying sand in all directions as I did so. A small crab, upset by my failing body, scurried away to hide under a rock. I was hyperventilating as I tried to figure out where I was. Then yesterday's memories came back to me. Fang. Gosh, I hoped that he was okay. Seeing him so broken up had really hurt. And what about the rest of the Flock? How would they take the news?

I tried my voice out. A soft wheezing noise came from my throat. I almost jumped for joy. I could whisper again! I frowned and sat back down in the wet sand. My voice wouldn't fully return for a few days and the Flock, thinking that I was dead, would have moved on by then. Somehow, I had to let them know that I was okay, but in Eraser form.

I stood up in the gravelly sand of the beach. A bit of seaweed clung to my fur, and I pulled it off. I looked down at my body, examining it. My clothes had ripped when I changed, and they clung to me in tatters. Patches of greasy, cocoa brown fur peaked through the holes in my clothing, but thankfully, everything important was covered.

I bent down and washed my face in the sea water, feeling the salt sting the cuts on my face. Now, what to eat? I couldn't go very far in Eraser form; someone was bound to call the cops. I looked at the boats moored to the dock. They were worth a shot.

Creeping quietly, I sneaked up to the biggest boat I could find. It was a white pleasure boat, about one hundred feet long with small cabin. I listened for any signs of life on board, but could hear none so I stepped onto the deck, which bobbed alarmingly under my weight. Steady, Max . . . I walked up to the front door and, looking around, used my claw to pick the lock. I smiled. At least those darn things were good for something.

The interior of the cabin was plush; benches with overstuffed covers, a small side table and book shelf, and, thankfully, a small fridge. I opened the door and looked inside. Whoever owned this rig kept it well-stocked. There were a few sodas, carrot sticks, tuna sandwiches, and even half of a Devil's Food cake. I grabbed the cake, two sodas, three sandwiches, and a whole bag of carrot sticks. Glancing around I saw a box filled with bags of potato chips and water bottles, so I grabbed a few of each of those as well.

After leaving the boat, I returned to my area underneath the dock and downed my loot. The cake was a bit stale, but delicious none the less. After finishing my meal, I lay contentedly in the sand and thought about my next move. Convincing the Flock that I was an Eraser was going to be a tricky move, especially since I had no voice. I wasn't eager to have my hairy butt kicked by Fang again. Perhaps if I "attacked" the Flock, Angel would read my mind and find out who I was. It was worth a try. I chuckled as I took off. At this rate, I could apply for a position as a spy with the CIA. Agent Maximum Ride. It had a nice ring to it.

Luckily, my transformation had not removed my wings, so I could still fly. I had a hard time staying aloft, and I soon understood why the Erasers resembled giant fridges in the air. It took me a while to reach the hotel where the Flock was staying, but I made it without falling out of the sky like a brick.

I landed on the roof of the hotel with a thump. Oh gosh, please don't send anyone up to investigate! Below me, I head a sliding glass door slide open and voices whispering quietly. The Flock. Then I realized how much trouble I was in. What if Angel didn't read my mind?! I would be pulverized into hairy mush by my own family. But it was too late to turn back now.

I heard someone drop off of the balcony before snapping their wings open. My breath was coming in ragged gulps. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins. I saw a glimpse of a dark wing over the edge of the roof. Fang. I stood statue-still on the rooftop, waiting for Fang to appear. He finally did, sailing smoothly into my sight like some dark angel of death. His eyes narrowed when he saw me.

"You!" Fang hissed through his teeth. I saw him twitch his index finger and middle finger. Jeb had taught that motion to us. It meant 'Break Your Stay.' I could hear the hissing of air as the rest of the Flock when airborne over the side of the balcony below. Soon all five of them were lined up on the edge of the roof, facing me. Total was in Angel's arms, growling.

I saw Iggy throw something. I hit the roof hard, hoping to avoid the explosion. Pure, white light burst from the explosive, blinding me. The Flock attacked.

Everything was a whirl of color. Iggy, Angel, Nudge, and the Gasman were taking it out on me. Total was chewing on my boot. Fang stood at a distance, watching as I went down under the Flock's punches. Finally, they all backed off to leaving me lying, crumpled, on the roof. Fang walked forward purposefully and knelt down at my side. It had started to drizzle and his black hair was plastered against his head.

"You are a worthless, hairy beast." he mocked. "You killed our friend and now you are going to pay for coming back!" Fang kicked me in the side. The rest of the Flock came over and started to shove and kick me towards the edge. No. NO! I struggled to get up, but every time I got my legs under me, someone's foot would press me back to the ground. I was bleeding all over the place. Angel, help!

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Angel suddenly stopped kicking the Eraser and blinked. She could hear a soft screaming noise in her mind, like someone calling for help. Was it the Eraser? Angel didn't really care if the creature got hurt, but there was something strangely familiar about the way it thought. She probed its mind a little harder and the thoughts got clearer. Angel, HELP!

"Max?" Angel asked in wonder as the Eraser disappeared over the edge.

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Fang watched with satisfaction as the Eraser plummeted over the edge of the roof. He glanced at Angel, who seemed very confused all of a sudden.

"Angel? What is it?" he asked. Angel shook her head like a wet dog, as if she was trying to clear her mind. She smiled angelically at him.

"Oh, it's nothing."

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I was falling down, down, down towards the ground. I couldn't believe that the Flock hadn't recognized me, even in Eraser form, or that Angel hadn't picked out my identity from my mind. But those were small potatoes to the problem I was facing now. I was about to become a Max pancake on the side walk if I didn't start flying, NOW.

I whipped my patchy Eraser wings out and started flapping for all I was worth. The ground was still rushing up to meet me. Come on, work! I gave my wings one last big, desperate flap and I pulled out of my freefall, only one hundred feet from the ground. I looked back at the hotel and saw the Flock staring at me angrily, so I poured on all of the speed I could and made for the hills, literally.

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Fang punched the wall of the hotel room in anger. The stupid Eraser had escaped alive! It almost reminds me of Max. Fang shook his head. Max had been nothing like the Eraser. He sighed. Being leader wasn't easy. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since Max's death and he was already having trouble dealing with the everyday issues of the Flock. Gazzy had had nightmares all night and Fang wasn't sure how to comfort the terrified eight-year-old. If only Max were here . . .

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Angel was confused. She could have sworn that the Eraser had Max's thoughts. But that wasn't possible. Maybe I should tell Fang. No, she couldn't tell Fang, he would only laugh at her. Perhaps a small nap would clear her mind.

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Fang stood on the balcony, watching the silent stars, or at least those he could see, wink at him from the night sky. The rest of the Flock was already asleep in bed. Fang sat down in one of the off-white plastic lawn chairs that sat on the porch. He had made up his mind. Even if it was the lasting thing he did, he would track down Max's murderer and kill it.

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I couldn't believe it! Fang had broken yet another promise to me!

A little tap on the door made me jump, every muscle bunched with fear. It had to be Iggy. "I'm out of the bathroom," I called, hearing my voice shake a little.

"Yeah," Fang said. "I can tell, 'cause your voice is coming from in there."

"What do you want?"

"Can I come in?"

"No!"

So of course the door opened. Fang leaned in the doorway. He saw how I looked, pale and big-eyed, and freaked. Compulsively I touched my face, looked down at my hands. Still covered with plain skin.

One of his dark eyebrows rose, and he came in and closed the door. "What's going on?" he asked.

"I don't know," I whispered. "Something's wrong with me, but I don't know what."

Fang waited for a moment, then sat down next to me on the bed and put his arm gently across my shoulders. I was all huddled up, damp in my towel, feeling miserable and more scared than I had in - days.

"You'll be okay." he said.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know everything, as I keep reminding you."

I was too miserable to smile.

"Look," he said. "Whatever this is, we'll deal with it. We always have before."

I swallowed. I was dying to tell him about Eraser Max but was too afraid and ashamed.

"Fang - if I'm changing, if I'm turning into something . . . bad - will you deal with it? To protect the others?"

Our eyes met for a long time. He knew what I was asking him. If I turned into an Eraser, it would be his job to kill me.

He looked down at his feet, then up at me. "Yes. I'll do what has to be done.

I breathed out in relief. "Thank you," I said quietly.

Fang stood up and squeezed my shoulder. "You'll be okay," he said again. He learned down and quickly kissed my forehead. "I promise."

Then he was gone, and I was more confused than ever.

I kicked a rock that was resting on the rocky dirt. It bounced and rolled away down the hill. I sat down in the dirt and absentmindedly drew pictures with my claw in it. I remembered how, so shortly after that conversation, he had said that he would always know me, no matter what form I was in. Now look at the mess I was in! He didn't recognize me like he said he would! I started to cry, which was a surprise to me, because I didn't even know if Erasers could cry. Apparently they could - even though they didn't.

I stood up defiantly. Sitting in the dirt and mopping wouldn't get me anywhere. I had made up my mind. I was going to Arizona, to see my mom, even if it killed me.