Authors Note: Hi everyone! Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them! I apologize for any severe grammar or spelling errors if I have any, my computer's hard drive is failing. As a result, I have had many computer issues recently, one of them being my words become scrambled or changed easily. In a few weeks I will be buying a new laptop to fix this. Thanks for being patient with me! Disclaimer: I do not own, and probably never will *sob*

Broken Fragments

Chapter 3: Close Encounter

Iggy PoV

I need to land, and soon. My wings throb with every beat and my eyes drooped with exhaustion. The cool night air blows through my thin feathers, causing me to shiver. It's cold at night, and I hate to fly when there's snow on the ground, but I have no choice.

I glance down, trying to use my new power to find some trees. There had to be some around here. I thought I was in Indiana, or Michigan, or one of the states around there. And I thought they had lots of trees too, but I guess I was wrong.

I decide to land in an open clearing with tall grass and a circle of tight trees. It seems like a nice place, safer then most and I didn't smell any fire, or hear voices, or anything else posing a threat.

I slip my wings out of my shirt, and shake the dirt from them. The muscles feel tender and the feathers feel hot and sweaty from my flight. The night air starts to feel good on them.

I pull out my matches and strike them, after using my switchblade to cut away a circle of grass and place high stones around it. I was hesitant to start a fire; I was worried that people would investigate flames from a grassy area, or that the fire could be seen from the sky and the flock would find me.

My worries fade when the warmth heated my bones and the comforting pop told me my fire was successful. I stretch out and close my eyes, resting. I couldn't fall asleep yet; after my fire died I would climb a tree to sleep there.

The grass rustled. I instantly lock my muscles, spring into a fighting stance, and glare at the trees. I stay silent, but my wings slowly stretch out, preparing me to be able to fly away if necessary.

The rustling creeps closer. A small voice whispers, "Iggy?"

I hesitate. Every instinct tells me to fly away before it gets complicated. I could find a new place; build another fire, and rest there. But curiosity holds me back.

A small girl stumbles in front of me, hitting my leg. I know it has light red curls, smoky grey eyes, and numerous freckles. It is scared, trembling violently. I slowly touch it, and pull it off my leg.

"Eraser?" it asks again. I frown; I don't know what to answer to that. Was this child a mutant, an Eraser, or a human?

"Eraser," the child confirms. The girl launches herself at me, biting and scratching, yelling very loudly. Someone could hear.

I grab her and slam her to the dirt, slapping her face. She stops yelling, relaxing and sitting up. "No Eraser. Bird," she giggles.

I shrug, and stand up. I almost launch myself into the air, but the child grabs my leg. "Me come with," she demands eagerly.

I shake my head. No way am I going to be responsible for a child, especially one who knows Erasers and isn't afraid of mutant bird kids.

"My name Blade. I named that since me bite things bad. Eraser say, you Blade. You no bite," the girl whimpers.

I shrug again; I couldn't be responsible for a child.

Blade pauses. "You Iggy. You bird-person. You fly from other birds. You hunted by Eraser. Eraser get mad, Max get mad. You no Eraser friend. You Blade's friend."

I swallow. This kid was really starting to scare me.

"I die tomorrow. I have word. You watch me then? You be with Blade until she die? That what Blade do for friend."

I turn the child around; her neck is dated for tomorrow. I groan. Well, might as well take care of it until tomorrow, then I can continue.

I grab Blade, and hoist her into my arms. She grins and snuggles close to me. I take off, and Blade falls asleep. She is a strange girl; and obviously mutated. She can't even talk correctly. I guess her to be about two, she seems about that size.

"I two and half. I mutated from things. Human, Eraser, snake. I freak. I don't be full wolf, I don't be full snake, I not human. I look weird. I do got red wolf tail, snake tongue, human body, human words. I no eat human food, I no eat wolf food. I am eat snake food. I knew about Iggy, I know about Ari, a Ari told me," Blade mumbles sleepily.

I lick my dried lips. Blade knew about Ari. She was very strange, and I wish I had more time to learn about her; she seems to have helpful information.

A few hours later, and the sun started to creep into the sky. I was fully rested, and had energy for the whole day. I shook Blade awake. "I wake. I talking. It dawn. I die now," she whispers.

I stroke the child's soft hair. She sighs, and squirms to look at my face. "Iggy, I know you not crazy. But flock says you are. Eraser say so, too. But without you, flock die. You good. I feel it right here," Blade murmurs, touching my heart.

I nod, and land. "Blade, I'll treat you to something special on your day. We can go to McDonalds."

Blade leaped from my arms, and she lands on the sidewalk perfectly. "I love Iggy, he best bird," she brags with joy.

I smiled, and Blade grabs my hand, pulling me towards the golden arches. I order, Blade orders, and we eat; Blade gobbling down her food very fast.

I pay with a twenty I still had, but now I was completely broke. But it was worth it to see this mutant kid, whose life sucked, enjoying her final day in freedom, eating a meal she could only dream about.

Blade finished, and stood up, her hands covered in ketchup. "I ate human food, no snake food. Maybe I not so freak after all!"

I smile, and lead her out of the restaurant. "I know something," she mumbles.

I wait for her to continue.

"I go die in ten minutes. I die at afternoon. I want die in sky, Iggy, we go flying now?"

I pull Blade close to me. "Of course," I respond, walking behind the building and taking off. Although the child was weird and a freak, I seemed to have warmed to her, because she is a sweet child.

Blade grips my arm. "Iggy, you no forget me now. You remember, someone loves and cares for you."

I nod, a small tear making me blink rapidly.

"Iggy, you need know, bury me quick. Flock come soon."

"Shush, Blade. That doesn't matter," I whisper softly.

Blade's eyes flick open in shock. Her grip on me relaxed, her body became heavy and her eyes slowly shut for the last time. Blade was dead.

I turned her over. The date on her neck, printed neatly in a dark black ink, was correct. It was dated today, the death date.

Her mouth was open in a small line. It almost looked like she was about to speak, she reminded me of Nudge, but younger. The corners of her mouth were turned in a small smile.

I closed my eyes. Blade was right; someone did love me, despite what I was doing. And the flock, they would love me too.

I heard wing beats behind me. I turn around, still holding Blade.

"Iggy? Is that you? Iggy…," Max shouted, frozen in shock.

"Iggy, don't move. Stay still," Angel murmured, inching towards me.

They notice Blade in my arms. "Iggy…," Max shook her head. "Iggy, did you murder someone? Are you really that insane?"

I quickly put my mental block up.

"I can't get through," Angel mutters, frustrated. "I can't tell if he did kill her."

Max pulls Angel's arm, whispering to her. Angel nods, her wing beats faltering for a second.

"Iggy, we miss you. Please come to us. We're you're family. We need you, please. We are tearing ourselves apart without you!"

I hesitate. The flock couldn't know anything. I didn't want to make them think I really was insane, but I had no choice. They needed to leave me alone.

"Traitors. Freaks. I don't remember you ever talking to me, you never told me anything. Did you blind me? Shut up, I don't want your excuses. You are sick," I mutter, glaring behind me, towards the empty sky.

"Iggy?" Angel asks warily. I pause, and my mental block drops for a second.

Angel grins at Max. "He's faking. He just wants us to go away; he's not that crazy yet."

Max sighs in relief. "Still, what's with that girl?"

"I don't know; he's blocking me again."

I flew close to Max, so close my wingtips stroked her side. "Here, take her. Give her a nice burial, and stuff. I'm leaving again. Her name was Blade, so yeah," I whisper into her ear. I quickly drop Blade into her arms.

"What? Iggy, wait! Why-"

Angel grabs my arm. I twist from her grasp and flap quickly, to get away from them. I already took enough chances already.

"No!" Angel cries, trying to keep up with me.

I dive bomb down, low enough to land quickly, but still high enough that humans couldn't see me.

I hear more wings coming above me. The rest of the flock must be here now.

I took a deep breath, rising up and flying away.

I could hear the voices, following me, echoing my pain. "Where's he going?"

"Lost again?"

"Did he kill someone, and he wants a burial?"

"That's not like Iggy, he's so gentle, he would never do that, look, she has a date, and she was probably going to die anyway, he might have been taking care of her. Plus, she's a mutant, like us."

"Not again! Why does he keep running away?"

But there was one voice I didn't hear. And that worried me. Fang, I knew he didn't talk. He never talked. I wasn't worried about him. He was strong, he could cope just fine. I thought they all could. Besides, I wasn't dead. Not yet.

It was Gazzy I was worried about. I didn't hear his voice, and I hope he was just being silent. But even being silent isn't natural for him. I hope he is okay, I feel terrible for what I was doing. But it had to be done. I just wish they would understand. Not even Angel, with her powers, understood.

I was alone. And if Gazzy was torturing himself because of me, I could never handle that.

I wish the whitecoats never programmed me to have to do this. I wish it was someone stronger then me, someone less weak. Someone like Max. I wish the whitecoats hadn't decided that the flock was too powerful, and that after the world was saved, we would die.

And, above all, I wish I wasn't going to die after my mission was complete. I wanted to live and see the flock survive. But in order for the flock to die, I had to make a sacrifice. That sacrifice was me. I would die. Die to save the saviors, because the saviors, the protectors, needed saving.

Thoughts? Criticism? Good, bad, terrible, excellent? Please let me know! Tell me who's PoV you want in the next chapter and it will happen, if you feel I am neglecting any character.