GNxDDD Does Bootcamp!

Round Two: Maximum Intensity (Maximum Ride)

The forest was dead silent. Not even the sound of loose leaves falling to the mossy undergrowth could be heard as the six kids, who had spent the night sleeping in a tree, roused. They were careful not to add noise to the forest paying meticulous attention to their footing. One small twig snapping would end it all; the game would be up and what would happen next would certainly mirror some form of hell for the sake of research.

Moments before, the Flock had been sound asleep. A worried Angel had woken Max, claiming she had heard something in the near distance. Seconds later, the voice had further asserted that the group needed to get out of the area - and fast. Reluctantly, Max had listened to the voice, clenching her teeth with every word it drilled into her skull. With a finger to her lips to emphasize the need for silence, Max had awoken the rest of the Flock.

On Max's signal, the six human hybrids spread their wings and shot up, past the tree branches and into the violet morning sky. With a quick scan, Max counted everyone and let out a sigh of relief that they had made it out of the forest without hassle. The best place for the Flock to be was the sky; the chances of someone catching them when they were flying at 30000 feet were slim.

The Flock were tired. Max knew that if something was after them, their chances of winning would be slim. Nudge looked exhausted; the resident chatterbox was quiet as she flapped her wings fast to keep up. Angel was a foot ahead of Nudge, her blue eyes blazed into Max's brown ones full of sheer worry. Iggy and The Gasman were at the rear of the formation, probably divulging some explosive plan. Beside Max was Fang, with his black clothing and dark wings he could have been mistaken for Max's shadow; he waited patiently for his leader's next decision.

Out of the corner of her eye, Max caught sight of something flying in the distance; bulky and clumsy. There were five of them; all gaining on the Flock. With their grotesquely lopsided wings and wolfish appearances, they could only be one type of creature; Erasers.

On Max's signal, the Flock dove, skimming the tree tops. Five hundred metres ahead of them, Max spotted a series of caves and with a tilt of her head, the six kids flew down to the rocky shelters. With Nudge right beside her, Max ran to the nearest cave, trusting that the other four were neighbouring her.

Nudge shivered in fear as they waited for the dangerous creatures to pass. Max held a hand to Nudge's mouth, scared her convulsive exhaling could be heard. There was a thud outside; something had landed. Nudge trembled. As Max stared at the entrance, she was hit with surprise as her eyes met with a terrible wolfish grin that made her too shudder.

Ari was back.