Saving Iggy, a maximum ride fanfic

Saving Iggy

Iggy punched the hotel room wall, his rage, frustration and depression shutting out the searing pain. It was a fancy hotel, sure, and it was a really big room with tons for him to do. But it didn't matter.

With it's locked doors and windows barred specifically so he couldn't leave, it was Iggy's prison.

Prison gates won't open up for me,

On these hands and knees I'm crawling,

Oh, I reach for you.

He couldn't stand it. The Flock left him every day. They would leave him, go to blow up another Itex, and he would rot in New York City. He would never admit it, but he was scared. Scared that when the time came to that very hotel room - oh, and it WOULD, he was sure – he wouldn't be able to escape. And when he died, he would still be trapped in this iron – barred box.

Well I'm terrified of these four walls,

These iron bars can't hold my soul in

All I need is you.

Come please, I'm callin',

And oh, I scream for you,

Hurry, I'm fallin'.

Of all the people the accident had to happen to, it HAD to be Iggy. The one already burdened with blindness. He made the best of it, sure, but the unfairness still stung. He couldn't see how Fang looked at Max, or how a fire would light in Max's eyes when the Flyboys came. He couldn't see Nudge's laughing face, or see Gazzy's smirk. He couldn't see Angel flying. And the accident made it worse.

It had been at the New York branch of Itex. Iggy had planted a bomb inside the facility's power grid so the whole place would explode. It should've gone off without a hitch, just like so many before it. But a stray bullet from a Flyboy hit the bomb and caused it to detonate too early. The others had been far enough away, but not Iggy. The explosion had shattered the bones in his wings.

Max had gotten Dr. Martinez out to the city to examine him, and her prognosis was grim. The chances of Iggy ever flying again were slim, at best.

So now he was blind AND flightless. Broken and useless.

Useless.

Show me what it's like,
To be the last one standing.
And teach me wrong from right,
And I'll show you what I can be.
Say it for me,
Say it to me,
And I'll leave this life behind me.
Say it if it's worth saving me.

He had tried to fly once after the accident, and had nearly died. If Fang hadn't caught him, he would have. That's why the bars were on the windows, and why the door was locked every day. They didn't want him to try and fly.

Heaven's gates won't open up for me,

With these broken wings I'm falling,

And all I see is you.

The worst part was his secret. He was in love with Nudge. Head-over-heels for her. But now he was just a burden, helpful to no one. He couldn't make or detonate bombs anymore. The memory stung just too much. How could a pretty, sweet girl like Nudge ever love a useless deadweight like him?

That was why he was here, feeling suicidal. As he lay back in thought, his mind swirled. He finally sat up, sad determination ruling his thoughts. He needed to set off one last bomb.

Carefully, Iggy slunk into the Gasman's bedroom. Finding his storage safe locked, he put his ears to it to crack the combo. Finally, it sprang open. Iggy gently lifted out a bomb. It wasn't a big one, and it wouldn't do too much damage. Perfect.

His breath coming short and ragged, Iggy set the bomb, put it on one of the grated windows, and ran into the bathroom to hide. Soon enough, he head a loud boom. He left the bathroom.

The bomb had ripped a large hole through the glass. Iggy could tell by feeling the edge. It didn't matter that it cut his fingers, body and sides as he squeezed through to the ledge. It would all be over soon.

The hotel room was on the eighteenth story of the hotel. The wind whipped around him as Iggy mustered the courage to jump. He was ending his misery now.

These city walls ain't got no love for me.
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story.
And oh, I scream for you,
Come please I'm callin'.
And all I need from you,
Hurry I'm fallin',

I'm fallin'.

He shook as he tried to brace his nerve. He wished it didn't have to end like this, but he had no choice.

By now, people down below had noticed that he was up there. Screams and sirens echoed off the city walls up to his ears. Was the flock down there? They couldn't fly up to the hotel room. It was about the time they usually return. They should be on the ground.

"Good," he mumbled mutinously as he inched towards the edge.

"IGGY!!!" Whoa. He knew that voice anywhere. Nudge. Her voice was filled with panic and fear. Iggy could tell that she was afraid for him. Somehow or other, her voice had gotten to him.

"Iggy!" Her voice rang up again. His ears told him that this time, she was using a bullhorn. "Iggy, I have a microphone. Please talk to me. What are you doing!!??"

Iggy stared down where the sounds came from, which must have been the edge. He didn't say anything.

"Iggy?"

"I'M USELESS!!" He screamed suddenly. The pain that he had kept hidden for 6 long months exploded out of him. He was shaking as he continued. "Dr. Martinez says it's likely I'll never fly again. I'm already blind. What use am I to you guys? NONE. I'm ending your burden."

He took another tentative step towards the edge.

"No, no, NO!!" Nudge bellowed up. "Iggy, you are not useless! Angel can talk to you about anything! You Fang and Gazzy's best friend! You're Max's goofy sexist pig! For God's sake, Iggy, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

Love you.

The word echoed in his mind. "L-L-Love me?" he choked out. "Like, as more than a brother?"

Nudge's melodic laugh came up. "Of course I do, you idiot! Who else understands me? Who else can cheer me up when I feel like dirt? God, Max says it's screamingly obvious. I guess we both just missed it."

Iggy laughed. It felt like a huge weigh had just come off of him. His death wish was gone, replaced by the warm fuzziness of Nudge's love. "All right," he called. "I'm getting off this ledge."

A sigh went up from the crowd, but the relief was short lived. As Iggy went to turn, a sharp wind hit him. Not very hard, but hard enough for him to lose his footing –

And fall.

"NOOOOO!"

Hurry I'm fallin'…
All I need is you,
Come please I'm callin'.
And oh, I scream for you,
Hurry I'm fallin',

I'm fallin',

I'm fallin'…

It was strangely peaceful as Iggy fell into air. He was vaguely aware of the screams of the crowd, and more acutely of the screams of the Flock.

Max's horrified shout.

Fang's deep cry.

Gazzy's wail.

Angel's bloody-murder scream.

And Nudge yelling smoething he couldn't quite make out.

"Ig-ly!"

Almost could hear it.

"-gy, f-!"

So close.

"Iggy, fly!"

And he knew then that it was now or never.

He strained to open his wings, but weeks of no use had made them stiff. The old scars from the explosion burned, stung. He couldn't get them open. No, no, no…

"NNNNNUUUUUUUDDDDDDDGGGGGGGEEEEEE!!"

A roar tore forth from Iggy as he finally tore open his wings. They burned, they stung – but he was flying. He was flying again.

A cheer rose from the flock, and Iggy heard a rustle of wings as Nudge swooped up to him. She was bawling as she hugged him tight in midair.

"Whoa, Nudge, easy, I haven't flown in a while." He could feel her grin as she buried her face in his chest. "I have my Iggy back. My happy, not-depressed-slash-suicidal Iggy." Her voice was barely audible as she began to cry again.

"No, Nudge, don't cry," Iggy insisted, but that just made her sob harder. Finally, Iggy decided to shut her up by pressing his lips to hers.

They hovered over the stares of New Yorkers, their flock, and the misery left behind.

Okey-Dokey! All done! Sweet-n-sappy-n-oh so fun to write! I hope you liked it. Review plz!! Pleasy Pleasy Please!!

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