((Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride, or any of the characters in this book. They all still belong to James Patterson, well, they still did when I last checked. Enjoy!

But I do own the plots, so PLEASE respect this story and the author and don't steal the plot(s).))

Chapter 9: Who's that?

"That means you to Fang." I looked up at her.

"Why? So you call yell at that the little man in you're head? Ok then." I faked sleep while I felt her glare boring into my head. She kicked my playfully with her shoe.

"No. So I can concentrate. The Voice is MIA." I rolled my eyes. She had told me that the Voice didn't answer to questions and just popped in when ever it wanted to say hi. I hate people like that. You know, the Easers, Whitecoats. People like that.

"Earth to Fang? Is he asleep?" Nudge poked my from underneath. I grabbed her finger and she screamed, jumping.

"Hey!" I gave her, her thumb back and turned to look at Max. I raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, he's awake. You keep going off to La-La Land. You ok?" I rolled my eyes. I was well and truly sick of the 'are you ok?' bull. Did they think I was suicidal or something? Why were they keeping such a close eye on me? Did they think I would just fall out of the sky or something? Why didn't they watch Gazzy like a hawk, no pun intended. Have I done something to offend someone?

"I'm fine." I turned back around, settling into my branch again.

"Cool." There was a pause, as if the flock were waiting for her to go on. "Hey, Fang?" There it came. The lecture. "Remember what we were talking about on the plane? Do you think we should?" The flock eyed us suspiciously. Even Iggy frowned, and he can't even see!

"So?" I glared down at Angel, who looked away. Like they were scared of me. What was wrong with them? Or was it me? What's wrong with me? Why do they keep looking at me like that.

"I'm going for a fly." I said quickly, jumping off my branch. I felt better almost right away as my black wings unfurled.

"Fang?"

"I'm cool, I just need…space." What could I tell Max? I needed to run away from the looks they were giving me, like I'd killed someone. I raked my brain for reasons for the looks but I came up empty. I went high, until my breathing became ragged. I flew steadily, in and out of clouds. It wasn't until the light turned gold did I start heading back. I watched the land as I pasted. Most of the time it was dry, but there were a few really green spots. It looked nice from above. I passed a river and a small town on my back, mapping everything into my mind. I'll tell Max I was doing a surveillance flight or something. I just wanted to get away for those looks. I landed somewhere near a small lake and yelled into the trees. Why did they treat me like that?

Why did everyone treatment like I didn't belong? Like I was a cut out of different fabric? I punched a tree near-by me, seeing red. I heard a crack and watched a branch fall with the power of my punch. I would have smiled if I wasn't in a bad mood. I kicked the branch, over and over again.

"Stupid branch. Stupid Flock. Stupid Max. Stupid Easers. Stupid Whitecaots. Stupid School. Stupid things that get in my way. Stupid things that piss me off. Stupid everything." I stopped kicked, my toe throbbing. With each word I had kicked harder. Pathetic I know. But I'm, apparently, according to Jeb, a man of violence. I kicked the branch as hard as I could. I heard a beautifully clean snapping sound. It wasn't the branch. I sat down on the same branch and took my shoe off, looking at my toe. It was red, bleeding and swollen. That snap I heard? Yeah, that was my toe. Clean in half. I would have been impressed if I wasn't yelling.

"This is screwed up! This sucks! I. Hate. This. Ahhh! Freaking heck!" Still a gentleman.

Sarcasium is the best word in the English dictionary.

"Stupid bloody Jeb! He wreaked everything! He made us like this! With freakin' wings and all that. He did it! Ahh! I'm going to kill him! And why the heck do they keep looking at me like that! Why? Am I not good enough for them! Huh? Am I!" I took a deep breath, ready for more. I knew my face was red with anger. I bet it would have scared Max. Why were they scared of me? I almost broke down, I wanted to cry. I slapped myself.

"You stupid fool! You think for one second that anyone will care? You're a stupid idiot! Ahhh!" I heard a snap that wasn't my toe, or the branch. I was kinda glad that I had broken my toe. I needed to feel the pain. Just to make sure. Yeah, call me psychotic, call me want you what. Does it look like I care?

"Max, piss off! Seriously, you're starting to wear thin! I don't care if you heard me! Really, I don't. I just want you to leave me alone for a while!" My voice quirved on 'while' and I looked towards the sound, waiting for Max and the flock to step out. No one did.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" I yelled into the bush. Then there was another snap and a whisper.

"I know you're there! You thing because I'm sitting here, breaking off my own body parts, that I'm stupid?" I stood up, favoring the opposite foot to the one with the injury on it. I'll say a branch fell on it. Then I saw a shadow between the trees. The shape stepped out in to the last of the sun light. I gasped. I felt sick, shocked and stupid, all at one moment. I breathed out slowly.

"Who the heck are you?" Standing in front of me was a boy about my age, whatever that was, looking at me with a wariness in his dark eyes. I'm not surprised at all. I would to. In fact I would possibly fly away if I meet me in the street. With is possibly why the flock look at me like that too. It's weird how strangers make you see the truth. I sighed.

"You are you? And who the freakin' hell were you yelling at?" He scanned the area, looking for someone else.

"No one," I whispered, looking down at my to-small shoes.

"Oh."

"Yeah." And that was it. I sat back down and he stood there, looking around. I sensed he was no danger and he did the same to me. Well, maybe to myself, but not to him. He sat down at the very end of the branch eyeing my toe. I had left my shoe off so the blood wouldn't ruin another pair of socks. Max had gone spastic at me the last time I had.

"So. Name's Jazz. Well. What's yours?"

"Fang."

"Cool" I have a feeling Max would be cracking her self if she were here, but what do I care? More weird stares was all I didn't need right now.

"So, you cool? I heard you yelling back there."

"Yeah. Uh…family issues."

"I wouldn't know."

"Me nether." He nodded, looking around again.

"So where is this family?" I pointed through the forest. It was getting dark. Jazz stood and I

noticed he had a limp. He saw me watching and waved it off.

"It's nothing. Just a little accident."

"Me to." I showed him the scars on my stomach. Red and ugly against my skin. Why did I show them to him? Why was I talking to his black-glad freak? Because I trusted him. Simply as that. He had short dark hair, really short. I wouldn't have it that short myself, but that was me. He had a black shirt on under a black jumper. He wore black jeans and black shoes. Straight out of a Goth movie. Even his belt was black, with a black buckle.

"You coming?" I asked him, watching for his reaction. He seemed to know this was coming. I frowned. How was I going to get back with out flying? It would take ages. We set of, heading in the direction I had left Max.

"So, you from here?" I asked not trying to start conversation, just curious. Max would be blabbering on, talking for miles. That annoyed me. Talking never got you anywhere.

"Na. You?" I shook my head.

"Oh? Where you from?"

"USA. Somewhere in America."

"Really? I come from Oklahoma."

"Cool. America, sweet." He nodded. Why had I not seen his guy before? How many people

where in America you idiot? Thousands. More.

"So how many people are in your family?"

"6, including me." Not that anyone did. "You?" Jeez, I'm Mr. Positively tonight, aren't I?

"1. Me. My parents…died when I was young." I heard his hesitation, but didn't say anything. Who was I to question him?

"Mine to." We walked in silence most of the way. We got there about an hour later. I was closer then I had thought. I hope they didn't here me yelling. That wouldn't go down well. I've got no idea how to explain this to Max. I guess I'll have to wait until Jazz's asleep or something. I walked into the clearing, looking around. Nudge and Angel were sitting on the ground, leaning against a log. Max was in her tree, talking to Iggy. Gazzy was playing tricks on Nudge and Angel.

"I'll go in first and explain things. You know, just in case." Jazz nodded and I turned walking into the clearing.

"About time," Gazzy muttered, making Max look up. Oh oh. She saw me and looked way angry.

"Where the h-e-double-golf clubs have you been! I've been worried sick! I thought you were, like, caught by-"

"It's cool. I just thought I should do a surveillance of the area I case anything happened." Her face softened.

"Oh. Right. Good thinking. Sorry." I nodded, looking around. Everyone had gone back to what they were don't before. I didn't want her to say the word 'Easers' out loud because of Jazz.

"Um, Max can you come with me for a sec?" She nodded, then tapped Iggy.

"Your in charge. I'll be back in a second ok?" Iggy nodded, jumping from the tree. I turned and walked back to Jazz. I heard Max's footprints behind me as I did.

"Um, Max, please don't be alarmed or anything ok? Don't kill anyone." She frowned and opened her mouth, then Jazz stepped out. Max froze, looking at him. Even though it was dark, our raptor vision allowed us to see clearly still. It was pretty cool, I must admit. I heard Max gasp.

"His he one of us?" She whispered quietly to be. Jazz was standing about 4 meters away from us. I shrugged in reply.

"Max, this is Jazz. Jazz, Max." Jazz held up a tanned hand in greeting.

"Hi." Max was uncertain, I could read it in her eyes.

"It's cool Max." She relaxed completely after I said that, trusting me fully. I hoped I was right. I have a bad habit of getting it wrong every now and them.

"So, you from here?" Max waved a hand. He shook his head, looked at me, then answered.

"Oklahoma." Max's eyes widened for a second.

"We're from America as well."

"Yeah, Fang told me that." He looked at me.

"Um, come on, you must be hungry?" Max pointed a thumb over her shoulder. Jazz nodded, looking at me again.

"It's alright." I said, turning back towards the flock. Max and Jazz followed me, both aware of each other. To be honest, I hadn't even thought about Jazz being one of us. I knew I could trust him, and that was it. I wondered if he had wings. I walked into the clearing.

"Guys, when I was….out, I meet a guy I think we can trust. He's name is Jazz. Play nice ok?" Everyone nodded as Max and Jazz walked in behind me. Nudge gasped.