*Sighs* It is a sad thing when the first chapter is longer than the second… But I had a serious case of writer's block when I wrote this. In fact, the first paragraph is annoyingly repetitive. Sorry about that. Next chapters will be better! Pinky promise! (Grabs random kids Pinky finger) Most of this is in Emerald's point of view, but I will give requested points of view. Or rather, try to. Don't know how well it will work out… Without further ado, the disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride, which upsets me greatly.

Claimer: I do own my own characters and the plot, which I am happy about.

A cage. Always a cage. No matter what happens during the day in this prison/hellhole where I live. No matter how much mental and physical torture I've been through, at night it's always a cage. Always.

The Eraser threw me into the cage, not caring if I whacked my hurt arm against the side. Which I did. I yelped and tried not to swear in front of five year old Jake, whose cage was beside mine.

"Shut up!" the Eraser snarled, and shoved me so I fell forward onto my hurt arm. Duh. 'Cos God forbid I land on something that didn't hurt, like my other arm. Sheesh, you can't even yell without someone beating the living crap out of you in the school.

"Watch it, Idiot!" I yelled and spat in dog-boy's face. I was rewarded by getting cuffed in the face-hard.

"Leave her alone!" Chase yelled from his cage. The Eraser ignored him.

"You watch it, mutant." Wolf boy bent towards me, and lowered his voice, "I don't want to have to wreak that pretty face." Then he brought a hairy paw up. I thought he was going to slap me again and closed my eyes. But then I felt something soft and warm sliding down my cheek. Wolf-Boy was stroking my cheek! Like I was a cat or dog or something! It was Dreamer who had the frickin' cat DNA, not me! I snapped my eyes open.

"Get your hands-paws off me!" I snarled, trying not to shudder, "Do that to me again and I'll rip your head off your shoulders!"

The Erasers smirk turned to a scowl. Then a Whitecoat who had just walked in said, "Colin, leave her for now. You're needed in room three oh seven." "Colin" leered at me, before leaving the room. The Whitecoat stared at the six of us, at me, who was cradling my hurt arm in my good one, at Chase, who was pressed against the bars of his cage, at Poppy, whose face was white and whose eyes were massive, at Dreamer, who was whimpering, holding Harry's hand through the bars of her cage, and then at Jake, who had terror on his face, before following Dog-Boy, but not before turning all the lights off, plunging us into total darkness.

See what I mean? Basically a filler chapter. Not that good. The other chapters are way, way longer. I can't think of a title. The one I've got at the minute is just me waiting for a review so someone could give me a better name (cough, hint, cough) Well that's me

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