Maximum Ride: The New Breed

Reed-

I was out alone collecting apples from the orchard. I would have invited someone, except that right now I needed to think. What could Lexy be hiding? What would be so dangerous that she would kill someone if they found out? There were millions of answers floating around in my head and none of them seemed to fit, except for one. I shook it off, it couldn't be that. But it kept nagging at the back of my mind all the way back to the cave.

(Lexy)

Damn him! I couldn't believe thats what he wanted... I had to do it, some how. I couldn't let them kill my flock, I didn't know Lynx or Chaos and I didn't want to. I had to be careful about everything. I stayed at the beach, if I left my flock would they still kill the flock? I didn't care what it took. I had to save the flock if it meant I had to die.

(Lexy)

I started to head back but I just couldn't think, so I headed another way walking, flying, running. That's when I realized that no matter what I did, they were always going to find me. I walking into someone, thinking it was an enemy I punched it.

"Aw! What the hell."

I sqinted.... "Reed?"

"Yeah?"

"It's Lexy." I said trying to wipe the tears from my face. It was bad enough crying but it would be worse taking comfort from someone in the flock.

"I know who it is.... why did you punch me?" Reed asked rubbing his jaw.

"I thought you were something else." I said still wiping the underside of my eyes, I felt one of my leg muscles give out, almost making me collapse again... damnit! Always bad timing.

Reed-

I sighed, "Do you need me to carry you back to camp?"

She shook her head and tried to stand, but she collapsed again.

"Here." I said handing her an apple. She took it gratefully and began chewing on it.

Before she could object I picked her up and flew toward camp. She struggled a bit yelling cuss words into the sky. But after a while seeing that she wouldn't escape relaxed. Then I thought of something that might make her crack open her secret. Just before we landed I said something, so nobody except Lexy could hear.

"Tough isn't it, having a secret." I said tenderly. She tensed up again, "Don't worry" I added, softly implying that I knew something, "you don't have to tell me anything."

Then we landed.

****CRAP! Geez…just one measly weekend and the Drama is upped like by a gazillion percent. GAA!****

[Stella]

Crying. It’s what I wanted to do, but what I couldn’t. I wasn’t acting like myself. Blades death had hit me harder than I thought. All of that blood…

I shook the thought out of my head and watched Reed land with Lexy in his arms. Worry shot through me. Despite our disagreement, she was one of the flock.

“Reed! Is Lexy okay?” Before he could answer, she shot a glare in my direction. She was fine.

“I’m right here, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I shook my head in exasperation and went over to Chaos. As soon as they’d arrived, I’d noticed that their structure was different than ours. Having X-ray vision can come in handy. But the best thing was that I didn’t see an electrical device on either of them.

“You guys are different.” I said bluntly. He looked surprised, and then grinned.

“You noticed?”

“X-ray vision.” He cocked an eyebrow. “No, I’m not a pervert.” I smiled at him.

“How does it work?” This surprised me, no one had asked.

“Well…I can pick apart compounds and junk.”

“Sweet.”

“Your turn.” I prodded. Chaos grinned at me.

“You people really are inquisitive, aren’t you?”

I laughed softly, “Yeah, I guess we kinda are. Maze asked you?”

“In different wording, yes.” It was enough for me and I diverted my gaze to Lexy. Our eyes met. I sighed and tried to remember what had caused all of this.

“Hey, thanks for the…uh…talk.” I walked over to Lexy without waiting for his reaction. I wasn’t trying to be snobby or anything, but this was more important than small talk.

“Lexy…” she glared at me. “Don’t…” I hesitated, I’d assumed something but didn’t know if I was correct. “Don’t blame yourself for Blade’s death.”

She looked a bit surprised and I continued. “We couldn’t do anything to save her. There was—“I choked on my words, “She was dead before…before…Well, if anyone should be blamed, it should be me.” Before I knew they were coming, the tears fell. “I’m…I’m so sorry.”

(Lexy)

I looked at Stella and I couldn't help but want to blame myself. Reed came over to ask me if I was alright.

"I'm fine. Stella, I'll talk to you in a minute.... ok?"

She nodded and walked away. I stared at Reed.

"I know you don't trust me." I said. "I don't expect you to. But, you won't have to.... because I'm leaving the flock. My secret will kill all of you. I can't handle if anything happend to you people. I'm not that type of person." I said.

"Your not leaving." He glared.

"I have to. You out of all people should know that secrets eventually get out. And this one will cost me more than I can bear." I whispered.

"You don't have to tell me the damn secret. But you don't want it hanging over your head. Trust me I know what I'm talking about." Reed said avoiding my eyes.

"I have to go. I will be back, I promise. Just don't say anything about it." I didn't know how I was going to leave, but I had to. I started to walk away when he caught my arm.

"I do trust you." He said.

I looked at the floor then at him, "That would be the biggest mistake of your life." I said and then walked away to talk to Stella.

*don't worry I'm not leaving the storybook*

[Chaos]

These people have so many problems, Chaos mused, slightly entertained by the thought. He knew it was all serious of course, but he'd never really been involved in personality conflicts. Lynx tended to be a little more quiet.

He sat down on a log and watched everyone, intrigued. The way ZT watched Mayze protectively, the way Lexy eyed them with nervous suspicions, and the way they all were recovering from some sort of loss. Blade, was it?

They really are a flock! part of him chimed, and he knew from the million-year-old-instinct feeling that it was the bird side. Even if they didn't always trust each other, they stuck together and they cared. He felt like singing, but of course that was the type of thing that people found weird about him.

He sighed, relaxing his wings slightly. When he caught sight of the dirt in the feathers...! He knew they would think it was weird, but he started preening. With his fingernails, not a beak.

He smiled to himself, getting lost in his "work'.

(ZT)

I glanced at Chaos, sitting and cleaning his wings. I had never done that, but I noticed that my wings always stayed clean. It was weird, but I had been told that I had extraordinary wings. They were silver, and glinted in the light--especially moonlight. And somehow they stayed clean, too.

I had to wonder what they were thinking. Both Chaos and Lynx. By now I felt like I knew most of the flock... but it would be cool to have Angel's power. The mind-reading one.

Mayze was still gone with Lynx, and I wondered where they were now. She was taking longer to talk to Lynx than Chaos. I had a quick urge to find out where they were, but it vanished immediately.

Apparently Reed had found Lexy, and she hadn't sent him to Cuba. I decided that since I wasn't on guard and nearly everyone was here, so I wouldn't have to be worried of Chaos, I would sleep. So I did. For the first time in ages...

*Ahh! I've been gone for a few days and suddenly like three pages more or something. It's hard trying to keep up

(Rose)

Rose couldn't believe what she was overhearing as she sat with her knees hugged to her chest. She sat near Lexy and Stella on the floor. Lexy couldn't leave

Rose wondered if she should argue with Lexy but at the moment she wasn't really talking to her much. Rose slunk over anyway and sat down quietly. Lexy glanced at her and carried on speaking to Stella. Rose sighed and butted in the conversation anyway.
"You can't leave Lexy! I won't let you.

Lexy looked round suprised and raised her eyebrows.
"Rose...you can't stop me. I have to."
Rose glared at her. Lexy stretched her arm out offering a hug but Rose shuffled away and leant back aganist the wall.

Stella sighed and carried on talking to Lexy. Rose glanced round at everyone else to see what they were doing though she wasn't that interested. For a moment she looked for Blade to talk to.

It seemed more empty without her and Chaos and Lynx arriving didn't help. It felt like they were taking her place in the flock which made Rose stay away from them more.

Reed-

I handed out the apples I had collected earlier. They excepted the food, but most of them were to deep in thought to even notice what I'd given them. For the first time since they had escaped they actually had time to think.

Rose was eying Chaos and Lynx nervously and Lexy was getting ready to leave. The only person that wasn't awake was ZT, but he really had needed it, no one else could have slept through the tension.

* Thanks for the last paragraph... helped my char not to look like a wimp. lol!*

[Chaos]

Chaos paused his preening to take the apple from Reed, smiling. He was hungry, he hadn't thought about food in a while. Glancing around at the flock, he took a nervous bite. Then nearly swallowed the whole thing.

**this is really short, sorry, but uhh do you guys want to time-skip to the next day to move things along?**

*I don't mind

(Rose)

Rose bit into her apple and stopped scowling at chaos. The apple tasted really good and she hadn't eaten anything since those berries. she finished it quickly.

Reed had managed to get quite a few. She caught his eye and he reached back to get another. He tossed it across to her and she stowed it in her pocket for later.

((Mayze))

I came back with Lynx and got her side of the story, she said the same thing that Chaos did. I didn't expect her to say anything different, I wanted to know how she would react to me. She almost seemed scared. I brushed it off as weariness.

We landed at the cave as Reed set a pile of apples in the middle of the cave for everyone to get. I sat down next to ZT, who was sleeping. I smiled down at him as I tucked my wings behind me, he looked peaceful. He hadn't slept in a while either. I was glad I could be the one to keep watch for once.

I held my hand up and Reed threw and apple to me. I pointed to ZT and Reed nodded, throwing me another. I set the apple down next to my sleeping friend and leaned down further. I devoured the apple quickly and settled down for the night.

"If anyone needs someone to keep watch, ask me." I whispered.

"'K." came the response from Rose.

I smiled and let my mind wander until I fell asleep.

**TIME SKIP**
[Chaos]

Chaos blinked, sitting up. He didn't remember falling asleep but it was morning now. He shielded his eyes from the sun and yawned, looking around. The others were waking up around him. He let his wings out slightly, reminding himself not to sleep on them like that again.

He felt glares on the back of his neck, but ignored them. We need to find a safer place to crash next time, he thought, looking up into the sky above him. They were visible here, and a group of dirty winged kids tend to stand out that way.

He stood up, stretching, and waited for the rest of the flock.