Maximum Ride: The New Breed

(Rose)

Rose broke away from the flock. Instead she dropped from the few metres she had been hovering and tore over to where Lexy was standing.

Her arm was twisted strangly and the injury to her ribs looked worse then ever. Rose sucked in her breath and bit her lip.
"That's looks really bad!" Rose said

Lexy held her arm to support her shoulder and shook her head.
"It hurts alot," She sighed.

Rose felt sorry for Lexy. She was the most injured of the flock but she was holding her strength well. Rose knew that if she was that hurt she would never be able to stay that strong.

((Ok! I'm here for a few so I'll post. If I screw up, sorry. Tell me what I did wrong and I'll fix it.))

((Mayze))

Reed looked torn between telling us the truth and not telling us. I gave a groan, "Whenever you're ready. For now, I need everyone who's injured."

I looked my flock. My flock? I questioned myself.

Reed looked at me, a bit of grief touched his face, but then he looked away.

I shook my head and took a roll call, Blade had a cut on her cheek where she had been punched, Stella was punched in the ribs but she was ok, Lexy was my biggest problem. Her side was bleeding and her shoulder looked like it was broken.

"Blade, Stella, are you two alright?"

They nodded, "We'll be fine." Blade answered.

"Where's Colt?" I knelt beside Lexy. I saw Rose move her around a bit so she was straight. I looked from Lexy's side to Rose's eyes. She gave me a pleading look.

Colt came next to me, "Do you need something?"

"Yeah," I nodded, a new life. "I need another herb. It's called horsetail. It looks like a big spiky fern."

"I think I saw something like that back a bit."

"And I need marigold and goldenrod. You know what they look like?"

He nodded.

"Hurry." I urged. Colt took off through the ferns. I hoped that I had remembered the plants right. I turned to Rose, "Keep an eye on her." I told her and looked at ZT. I motioned him towards me, he came.

"Come help me get water." He nodded. We searched around for a while, looking for a stream. Thank the lord, we stumbled onto an old camping site. A moldy looking tent and some pots were sitting next to a tree. I picked up the pots and examined them. They were usable. We continued on, I caught ZT watching me look. I smiled at him and he grinned back. We finally found a stream and filled our pots up with water.

When we returned to the camp Colt still hadn't returned. Everyone was worried.

"Where's Colt?" Nate approached me.

I shrugged, worried, "I sent him out to get me some herbs."

Nate narrowed his eyes slightly, "How come you know so much about herbs?"

I was a bit shocked, he was suspecting me. I felt my face turn hard, "Alright! Everyone come here and listen to me!"

The flock all looked up nervously. Slowly they all came to where I was setting the pots down next to poor unconscious Lexy. I straightened up and wiped my hands on my pants.

"I need everyone to stop accusing everyone of everything. So what I know a lot about plants? I read hundreds of books on them while I was locked up in that Hell Hole. So what Reed didn't escape with us? His cell is at the far end of the building. I trust him and I have no reason to believe he is here to do us any harm." I paused to take in everyones expression. I had to hold back a snicker when my eyes hit ZT's face. He looked a bit shocked. I continued, "We're a flock now. We need to start trusting one another."

Colt saved the day by landing next to Nate. His arms were full of horsetail, marigold and goldenrod. I grinned, "Now, who likes fire?"

_________________________________________________

I stood and examined my work. After the water had boiled I had been able to make a rough lotion out of the marigold, horsetail and goldenrod. I applied it to the rib wound again and stopped the bleeding. Lexy wouldn't be in pain anymore either, all three plants were supposed to ease pain.

I felt faint myself. Most of the flock were up in the trees, dangling their legs and wings. I pulled out my own wings and examined them. A few scrapes dotting my white wings with crimson. Nothing too big.

"I never noticed, you have a few brown feathers."

I was startled by the voice behind me. ZT stood smiling, looking at my wings. I craned my neck backwards to see a single brown feather on each of my wings. I laughed quietly, "Me either."

I closed my wings and ZT came to stand beside me, hands in his pockets, "So how's Lexy doin'?"

I sighed, "She should be ok."

He looked at me disapprovingly, "You need to rest."

I shook my head, "But if someone gets hurt..."

He put a finger to my lips, "You will sleep. You've done enough."

I let my shoulders droop. I realized for the first time how tired I was. I gave in and went to a random tree. I flopped down on the ground, ZT followed. He gestured to his leg to indicated he was my pillow. I put my head on his thigh, "Thank you."

He leaned his back against the tree. He shuffled a bit and got his wing out from behind him. He draped it over me. It felt like a warm blanket. I sighed and curled up against his leg, letting the warmth seep down to my bones.

Colt-

Colt sat in front of the fire he had built and slowly added wood to it keeping it alive, but keeping the smoke to a bare minimum, you could barely see it. Colt had made sure to use only certain types of wood to keep it from creating smoke. There had been a tension among the group when he got back, but it stopped when he showed up. Did they suspect him of something? He hoped not , because he hadn't done a thing.


****Sorry all i could think of**********

(Lexy)

I felt something cool on my side. I opened my eyes and looked down. I was done getting hurt I needed to step up my game as I started to pull off the herb a hand caught mine in mid-air.

"Not so fast." I heard Colt say. I looked up at his dark shaded eyes. He got more ready to put it on my side.

"No." I said breathless, "no more herbs. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine maybe you-" Colt still was trying to put it on.

"I said I'm fine!" I became irrated.

"Look Lex, I know your not fine your gonna die, by bleeding to death." Colt said.

"what if I'm ready to give up?" I spoke seein the hurt in his eyes as I said it.

[Stella]

I watched Mayze lay her head down on ZT and suppressed a smile. My ribs hurt, but the bruise would go away soon. She fell asleep almost immediately. I watched Colt walk over to Lexy. Rose was below me, sleeping soundly. Once again, I felt the excitement of having my eyes open to the fresh air.

I saw Reed at the edge of the campsite. Seconds later, I was out of my tree and over by Reed. His black eyes also watched the flame.

“You okay?” He didn’t answer me. I felt bad for him, but I couldn’t trust him until he told us the truth. “Why won’t you tell us? It’d make things easier for you and us!” He turned his face away and I sighed quietly.

I walked over to Colt and gasped when I heard Lexy say that she was ready to give up. Colt stiffened and I momentarily saw the pain in his eyes. Lexy had started to peel the herb off of her wound.

I couldn’t say anything, do anything. Pain was evident in Lexy’s eyes and Colt’s eyes mirrored it.

(Lexy)

"Don't get me wrong, Colt, I'm not ready to give up." I stopped, "but, maybe... Maybe it's time you left without me again. Because I'm slowing you guys down. This was fun, it was a pleasure working with all of you. But I think I work better alone."

"But you won't." Stella said.

"I might." I said. "But right now, everyones sleeping and nows not the time to make a choice. You know?" I asked.

"Yeah... we do." Colt and Stella both said at once.

****Did something happen between Colt and Lexy, sorry I haven't read everything. I probably should.*****

"Lexy, I'll carry you. It doesn't hurt me none. But when you get better you can fly just fin on your own. You just need to rest, and until then, if we move Ill carry you." He smiled reassuringly.

(Rose)

Rose woke up next to Lexy and Colt. They were whispering to each other. Lexy looked like she was about to fall asleep. Rose sat up and moved in closer to them. Colt glanced around startled when Rose crossed her legs and yawned. She was cradling her arm and wincing. Lexy looked at her with a worried stare.
"Those cuts look really bad," She whispered.

Rose drew her arm closer and shook her head.
"I'll be fine, it's not that bad." Rose tried to convince them.
Colt laughed quietly and smiled.
"You're starting to sound like Lexy," he told her.
Lexy smiled too then sucked in her breath. The herbs had gone. The injury's had stopped bleeding as much but Rose doubted that she would live.

She hated herself for not having hope in Lexy but she wondered how many more incounters with the erasers she could stand.
"It's nothing compared to you" Rose pointed out to Lexy.

Lexy sighed. She didn't seem to be in as much pain as before. All three of them stayed silent for a while, deep in their thoughts. Colt stood up to add more wood to the fire and joined them. Rose stretched her arm out slowly then flexed it. The streaked of blood made it seem like a spider's web.

"I hope we all make it through this," Lexy finally said.
Rose and Colt nodded.
"But when does this actually end?" Rose asked.
Colt shrugged and Lexy gazed into the sky with a disapointed expression.

**sorry this is so short**


[Stella]

I thought about trying to find some more food, but abandoned the idea when I sat down at the trunk of a tree. It took about five seconds for me to fall asleep.

(Lexy)

"Sometimes, Rose. You have to take chances and make choices without a second thought. I always did that. But now that I have you guys to help look after. I can't make those choices or take those chances with you guys around. I have to play by the rules, and you know that I hate doing that. And this is what happens." I lifted my shirt only to the wound and stopped.

"Why did you push her out of the way? Why couldn't she have just tooken the blow? Your more hurt than she is." Rose almost yelled.

"Rose." Colt cautioned.

"No, it's ok." I said to Colt. then, put my focus back to Rose, "I took the blow because what they didn't teach us in the school was, save another before saving yourself. It's already too late for me, but it's not too late for her... do you understand?" I looked at her shinny teary eyes.

"No." Rose said and stalked off.

[Stella]

I heard Rose yell and I nearly fell out of the tree. I looked around and saw her storm off. Instinctively, I followed her.

When I drew closer, I saw the tears streaming down her face. I took longer strides and grabbed a hold of her shoulders and whipped her around. She looked scared at first, then relaxed, sniffing.

“Rose…” My heart went out to her and I drew her into my arms.

“She—she can’t give up, she just can’t.”

“Shhh.” I couldn’t speak. I wanted to say that everything was okay, but it wasn’t.

“I want all of this to end. This fighting and running.”

I held her at arms length at this and smiled. “You know what? I would rather be here, running, or rather, flying, away and fighting for my life than be locked in that dog cage again.”

Rose nodded and wiped a tear from her cheek.

(sheez, i go to school and now theres a whole other page!)
[Blade]

Blade was leaning against the cave wall again, eyes closed, listening to everything going on around her. Lexy... Blade hardly knew her but at the thought of leaving her behind, her heart gave a painful spasm. They were a flock.

But it was Lexy's choice, really. Blade had a sudden thought about how much simpler life had been when she hadn't really cared about anyone but pushed it aside quickly. They were a flock, she told herself.

She pulled her mind away. There was something she needed to do.

She stood up and walked over to Reed, then sat down next to him, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," she managed, the words getting mangled on the way out.

"What?" he asked, looking surprised.

"Mayze is right, we're a flock. So I trust you... enough at least. We probably all have secrets. So I'm sorry for, you know, being a jerk."

"Thank you," he sounded surprised but sincere.

Blade nodded and got up to walk away again.

(lexy)

I wasn't giving up, not yet it was painful but I pulled through last time. I stared at Colt, Mayze, and Reed for the longest time I didn't even know I was actually staring. I was spacing out. I closed my eyes and then let sleep take over me.

*Goodness, the one time I leave for a day and we get two pages of posts. Now I'm confused... so the battles over?*

(ZT)

We were all back at the cave, and I was sitting in the corner, starving... but I couldn't eat anything, because I didn't know what was edible and what wasn't.

I looked around at the flock.

Apparently everyone trusted everyone now. It fit... who of us would want to go back to the whitecoats? Well, besides maybe Reed...

But we were a flock, thanks to Mayze.

My stomach rumbled again. I had to get something to eat.

So I'd have to ask someone what I could eat. Probably Mayze... at least it wouldn't embarrass me as much to have to ask Mayze... she had saved my life a couple times, and she definitely knew about nature. Lexy was having another life/death problem, but I was a bit tired for that. Besides, it seemed to be about the girls right now.

Except Mayze... she was sitting alone.

I walked over to her and said, "Hey."

"Hi," was the reply.

"You wanna go help me find some food?" My stomach accented the point.

It would also be a good way to get alone with her... away from the troubles of the flock.

I waited for her answer.

(Rose)

Rose was shivering as tears ran off her face and splashed onto her shoes. Stella watched her. Rose gulped air then gave a shuddering yawn. She was so tired she felt like she could sleep where she was standing.

Stella slowly let go of Rose's shoulders and led her back to the trees. She gave her a quick hug then flew back up to her tree. Rose unfurled her wings and shook them before sitting back next to Colt and Lexy. Tears were still following her face shape and falling. She gave both Lexy and Colt a mumbled apology then realised that Lexy was asleep

"Sorry for what Rose?" Colt asked calmly.
Rose shrugged silently and lay down close to them. sleep was washing over her and she tried to fight aganist it. It would be horrible if she woke up in the morning and Lexy was gone.

She would hate it if anyone in the flock died. Rose wished they could have just escaped from the school and live a quiet life. She knew that everyone here probably wished that too.