Maximum Ride: The New Breed

[Stella]

“Don’t worry. I will,” I smiled back at him. ZT and Mazye came back with food, “Right after I eat.” They passed out the food and I bit into the fruit. In seconds, I finished it and leaned against a tree. My eyelids felt heavy and I suddenly realized how tired I was.

Yet Reed hadn’t slept in five years. How was that humanly possible? Then again, we aren'texactly human. I drifted off to sleep.

(Lexy)

When the food came around I refused, I was thinking. I didn't know exactly what but still, I was thinking and I wasn't hungry... Or was I? I didn't know the emotion of wanting food anymore like I had blocked it out of my system. Like I had programed myself not to be hungry anymore.

"I'm fine, thanks." I said to Stella as she tired to pass out food to me.

"Are you sure?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah. I'm sure." I smiled and nodded.

"Do you not like berries or something?" Stella smiled.

"No I'm just.... Not hungry." I looked away.

"But you haven't ate in three days." Stella said.

"I can manage much more." I said fast.

"Don't starve yourself." Stella said.

I smiled, hey, at least someone cared. "I won't. Now go bug someone else." I laughed as I said it and pushed her gently on her way.

(Rose)

Fresh food wafted under Rose's nose. Rose opened her eyes quickly and shook the sleep from her head. Stella had just past her with a basket full of fruit.

"Stella," she called out.
Stella turned round and smiled. She bent down to offer Rose some food. Rose bit her lip and chose a handful of berries. The juice ran down her arm and stained her hands red and purple. Lexy laughed.

Rose turned round. She could tell Lexy hadn't eaten anything. Rose frowned.
"Why haven't you eaten anything?"
Lexy just shrugged and stared round at the clearing. Everyone was enjoying the food and eating it gratefully.

Reed-

They offered me food too, but I simply said, "Thanks, but I really don't need it.". The story that Stella had told me helped answer a few of my questions, but it raised twice as many. And on the top of that list was, why me?

(sorry it's short!)

(Lexy)

My stomach started to hurt, like all feeling came back to me. I shook my head, I was hungry but I didn't need food. I didn't really know if that made sence, but it was the way I was feeling. I looked around at the others. I couldn't help but not eat. I knew a couple of them heard my stomach growl, as they looked at me for a second.

"Are you sure you don't want any food?" Stella asked again.

"Yeah. I'm sure Stella."

"But-" Rose was about to speak when I interruped.

"And if any of you want to argue with me again, your going to wake up underwater." I joked.

Colt raised an eyebrow, "I don't doubt that for a minute."

"Good." I said and flew back up into the tree.

[Blade]

Something was up. Something between Stella and Reed. Whether it was simply information and feelings or like threats, Blade didn't know.

The best approach is the direct approach.

"What's up Stella?" Blade asked uncertainly, staring at her berry-stained hands.

"Nothing much."

"How bout this weather?" Blade mentally slapped herself for that one, so much for a direct approach.

"It's..."

"Okay, listen," Blade finally began, taking a deep breath and feeling like a moron, "did Reed tell you anything... that might be important for the flock? Or was it just... bonding?"

*okay i know its incredibly sloppy, but I'm trying to get this moving and i dont have much time*

(Rose)

Rose stared down at her stained berry hands and laughed. She stood up from her place on the ground and looked around. Everyone was busy talking or sleeping. Rose really wanted to fly.

She walked backwards out of the clearing without making a sound. A couple of feet from the flock she stretched her wings out, ruffled them and took off.

She burst threw the leaves of the trees, making small birds scatter. She felt so free to be flying without erasers tracking her down and hurting her. She tucked her bad arm in and let the wind wash over her. Nothing could upset her here

*I don't really see what I can post...*

Reed-

I circled on an air currant high above our camp. Flying had always calmed my mind down and I needed that right now. Looking to the south I saw a small town situated next to soft green hills. But despite the picturesque character of the town, something about it was dark and forbidding. Then I realized why, even though the town was in perfect condition, no living thing was in it.

[Stella]

Blade’s question stunned me for a few moments, but I smiled and said, “A little bit of ‘both, actually.”

“And…?” I could tell she was a bit anxious and blinked.

“We can trust Reed.” I said firmly. “With our lives.” Blade seemed a bit calmer.

“Thank God.” She looked at me, “But… are you sure?”

“Absolutely. He’s one of us. And if anyone says otherwise, I’ll defend him. I’ll defend any one of us. We’re all in this together.” Blade nodded. I smiled again and laughed. “I’m really glad you’re on our side, Blade. I should go wash my hands.” I started walking towards the stream and shivered when the icy water passed over my hands.

[Blade]

Blade watched Stella go, a little confused... but subdued. She trusted Stella and she found it easy to believe that Reed was trustworthy, but where was the proof? Where was the concrete foundation? Did she even need to have that to trust him?

She sighed, annoyed at herself again. She always had to think, make things harder. For now, Stella seemed very convinced. So that was good enough.

Unless Reed was lying...

Okay, Blade told herself, shut up and let's just go about our business like happy little people with no problems.

Yeah right.

(ZT)

Blade came over to me. "Stella says we can trust Reed, what do you think?" Blade asked me.

I waved at Mayze's sleeping figure, and at first Blade thought that I wanted her to shut up, but then I explained. "Mayze says we can. She uses the wind to tell feelings. So I guess I trust him too," I replied.

[Blade]

Blade sat down, frustrated now, "So there's no way we can be sure? We just have to believe blindly?"

ZT shrugged, "For now."

Blade scowled, feeling helpless. She absolutely hated not being sure, she wanted proof. But, she reminded herself, you don't always get what you want.

"So what now? We just fend for ourselves, not knowing what could be after us?" Blade didn't like the sound of that.

(Lexy)

I sat in the top of that tree trying to figure out where to go next, with the flock that is... I blinked a couple of times and then just looked down at the others some sleeping others far from sleep. I felt like the black sheep of this flock but something made me think... Reed was. I shook it off. If the others trusted him, I guess I did too, just not with my life... Or theirs. If anything happend to any of them and it was his fault... I couldn't even image what I do to him... Or to myself... For letting it happen. I just had to lay back and relax.... Riiiight like that was gonna happen. Maybe when kids fly... hey! Look at that... we do!

(Rose)

Rose flew round in large circles like a bird of prey. she stretched her arms out to the side and tried to touch the feathers on her wings furthest away from her. She couldn't hear anything below her from the flock, though she wasn't flying that far above the tree tops.

She heard something above her. She had noticed Reed shooting past her an knew he was much higher up. She heard the noises again. It sounded like too much noise for one person. She convinced herself it was just a low flying plane and continued weaving though the air.

Rose heard a crack echo across the sky. Something like a bullet slammed through her foot. She screamed and began to fall from the sky. Her wings ruffled and a couple of loose white feathers drifted away.

She crashed through the trees and dropped like a stone onto the floor of the clearing. In her jumbled thoughts like knew it couldn't have been Reed.

Her foot was sending stabbing pains through her body. She gazed up hazily at the canopy of branches then drifted unconcious, her wings sprawled behind her head.