Flighted

The Beginning of the End

AN: Okay, second chapter. You'll notice notice there are some edited paragraphs from Maximum Ride Forever. I'm not going to be annoying and highlight them out to you. Just know that they are there. This story will follow along with Maximum Ride Forever till we get to the Cullens.

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Our wings beat as we flew, dusk slowly approaching. The wind ruffled through my feathers, and I titled my head up. Up ahead I could see the cliffs that were actually skyscrapers. We were quickly approaching Sydney, Australia. As we got closer I noticed that the city was heavily flooded. Waves crashed against skyscrapers, hurtling sinking cars against them before the cars finally sank. There was no sign of anything living, dead or alive.

"Where do you think everyone went?" Nudge wondered.

"Maybe they're all at the Opera," Max said dryly.

I snorted, shaking my head.

Nudge grinned. "I told you I knew what I was talking about.

"Seriously, though, Max. Shelter..." Fang said, trailing off.

"Yea," I said, "I'm beat."

Max's eyes trailed over us, noticing our haggard appearance.

"What are you proposing?" She asked Fang.

Fang nodded his head upward. "I say we break into a penthouse suite."

Nudge squealed and clapped get hands. I laughed lightly at her excitement.

If you want to know how seriously bad weather can get, try to fly through it without a plane. The falling volcanic ash mixed with the ocean spray, forming a gritty mud that pelted us. All visible surfaces were coated in a concrete-like sludge, and the buildings looked like enormous crumbling gravestones.

We looked like gargoyles, dragging ourselves up the side of a tall skyscraper. Our wings grew heavier and heavier, coated with what soon felt like stucco, but we moved them up and down, up and down, and clung to the ledges for dear life. At the very top, Nudge's deft fingers brushed against the metal lock and then we were in.

The place was an office, but it worked. It was dry and well preserved, compared to the outside world. I was amused when Max knocked a glass framed poster off the wall. It was so typical of her to do. I was glad everyone was still feeling like themselves.

I folded my wings inside the up raised scarred slits on my back, allowing them to rest perfectly against my spine. The slits were the one reason the Cullens never guessed I was something other. A few well placed lies and avoiding torso ex-rays and I was good.

I settled on the desk chair, by Angel who'd curled up under the desk. Everything was fine for a few moments. Max, Fang, and Gazzy even went in search of food.

Then Angel shot up from under the desk in alarm. Her big, blue eyes were wide, filled with some unknown emotion. Fear, I think.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Max, Fang, and Gazzy are being attacked," she said frantically.

She took off and I followed her, in the direction Max, Fang, and Gazzy went. When we got there, they and Nudge and Akila were fighting dog-like creatures.

The things were hideous, their furless pink skin wrinkled and speckled with flaky black spots. Their flat, massive heads were too big for their bodies-which, of course, meant bigger teeth, stronger jaws.

All the better to eat you with, I thought sardonicly.

I jumped into the fray, pulling them off the younger flock while trying to avoid getting chopped on in return. Nudge then sudenly cried out Max's name, and I turned in time to see Fang stab one of the things that was clamped on to the side of her face.

Nudge stumbled into the fridge, her eyes wide and dazed. She held her hand over the left side of her face, but blood ran through her fingers and spilled down her shirt.

I tried my best to get to Nudge's attacker, seeing Max do the same, charging forward fearlessly.

But just then, the wall blew inward, collapsing in on itself as shards of plaster flew towards me. For just an instant, there was silence as we all stared at the destroyed wall in surprise.

On the other side of the gaping hole, Iggy stood in the hallway, waving dust away from his face. "Go!" he yelled, choking on smoke.

While the beasts were still stunned, Fang grabbed Akila, and Max reached for Gazzy's and Nudge's hand. I grabbed Angel's, taking off with them as we ran for our lives.

Another floor-shaking blast made a few more of the creatures fall back, but there were plenty of them still on our heels as we ran through the mazelike hallways, searching for a way out of this place.

Then straight ahead of us was a conference room lined with big glass windows. For a moment, I was taken back in memory to the Cullen's mansion, with its big, ceiling glass windows. Then there was no time.

"Abandon ship!" Max yelled.

Just as the monsters rounded the corner behind us, Max closed her eyes, tucked her head down, and crashed through a window, glass shards exploding around her.

I closed my eyes and followed with Angel, feeling my heart leapt in my chest.