My first ever short Iggy FF. R&R and be kind for the blind pyro's sake, please? :D Fang spoilers; don't like, don't read. Post-Fang.

I'm the weak link in the flock.

I mean, Max is tough as hell. She's a kick-ass fighter, she's strong, she's a great leader—most of the time, but hey, it's hard—a good mom to the younger ones, sarcastic, witty, funny, and when I could see in Antarctica and from the images Angel's sent me, she's pretty. Fang? He was perfect for her. Almost equally tough, strong, silent, dark, handsome—the type of stuff girls swoon over. But, luckily for him, he's got Max, and luckily for Max, out of all the girls in the world, he was crushing—big time—on her.

Nudge can be a chatterbox, but she's a pretty good fighter. She has her awesome metal-drawing skills, she's amazing with computers, preppy—if we were 'normal' people, she'd definitely be up there in the 'popular' crowd.

Angel's...special. I mean, she's powerful with her mind-controlling, breathing underwater, changing her appearance, talking to fish, etc, and all that genetic-jackpot crap, but she's still...a little girl. Sure, she may think she can take over the world, starting with the flock, but I don't need eyes that work to see that she's evidently not ready. Her gifts are both a blessing and a curse. She has 'em, can use 'em...but she's too young to be bestowed with such powers. She doesn't understand. Yet.

And then we get to Gazzy, my best bud in the flock, apart from Fang, who's lately too busy cuddled up with Max to—ahem, moving on. See, before Gazzy got to the age where he began being an actual part of the flock, I was the blind pyro. I built bombs, blew them up, and got damn good at it. And got pretty good at cooking after Max refused to, hell, look at the kitchen after that one...incident...yeah. But then, Gazzy began growing up. He became interested in making bombs, and now, he was as good as me, maybe even better 'cuz, ya know, he can actually see. Plus, he has that awesome skill of mimicry, which can be annoying, but cool. So what's left for me? My irony and my cooking. That's it.

And now, Fang's gone. Was that partly my fault? Yes. And I'm calling him an ass. I was the one being a jerk, when we all knew that eventually, Max and Fang...chemistry just can't be stopped, ya know. I should know. I work with chemicals. Anyways, recall several instances recently when I just...totally...acted so rude and mean to Max and Fang both, i.e. booting Max out of the flock--when we know we need her, not letting them get any privacy (aka smooching) time when they deserve a break, etc. And now, we've paid. We've all paid. And Max is still hurting, and I can't heal her. She's always put on a facade of bravery and toughness for the flock--and sometimes, even I'm convinced. But now she's shattered, from the inside out. And it makes me, and the flock, concerned, when Max cries, and her shields break, but usually, Fang is there to mend them back up again. But no one else can. But we have to forgive her for almost, I'm ashamed to say, proving Angel's 'Max-can't-be-the-leader' point, but that's partly because we have to forgive ourselves. For what we did to her, to Fang, to us.

I'm not even going to mention Mr. Perfection, because now Dylan's Max's beta. Not me.

Maybe it's just as well. I mean, a blind kid? Second-in-command? Max needs Fang. That's partly why he was so...right for her. I admit it—I once, when I was maybe eleven, had a crush on her. But then...I realized that Fang was it for her. Max needs someone she can depend on, because she can't do it all alone. And Fang, being a butt, just had to go and leave her alone with Mr. Perfect. Was he planning to have Dylan and Max fall for each other? I hope not. Because I'm doing my best to keep them apart, although when I do see Fang again, I will take him apart, piece by piece, and feed him to the wolves, for what he did my flock, and my kinda-sister.

Plus, Fang was my eyes.

And I can't see the world without him.

:( R&R, please! It'll make my day after this depressing...episode. Poor Ig.