Having narrowly escaped the Erasers in New York City, the flock heads to Washington, D.C., to try to find out more about themselves. After they are approached and offered sanctuary by the FBI, they try going to school and living normal lives, but the Erasers catch up with them and send them on the run again.

When Dr. Martinez and her colleagues established the coalition to stop the madness, spreading environmental awareness through the flock's public air shows, Max knew it could be dangerous. Never in her wildest dreams, though, did she imagine that a criminal mastermind would abduct her mother! Now the flock has to team up with the U. S. Navy to rescue Dr. Martinez...and of course, the world!

"Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of her 'flock'-- Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel -- are just like ordinary kids, except they have wings and can fly! It may seem like a dream come true to some, but for the flock it's more like a living nightmare when the mysterious lab known as the 'School' turns up and kidnaps their youngest member. Now it's up to Max to organize a rescue,...

Escaping ITEX in Florida, the Flock head west, with Max more burdened than ever by the knowledge that she's meant to save the world. But while their leader is keen to stay on the path leading to her destiny, Fang and the others are more interested in settling down and letting the chips fall where they may.