Hello hello! wise_yet_harmless here! Please feel free to R&R, it would mean A LOT. I'll try to make the next couple of chapters a tad more exciting... I SWEARS IT.

Love ya!

FANG'S POINT OF VIEW

I met with Iggy after school. My tall, fair and blind neighbor had been my best friend for as long as he's been blind. After the accident, he needed someone at school to help him around. Yours truly got assigned and we have been inseparable since. He knows a little about my issues, but never pries. He has the hots for my sister, which weirds me out. Try having to explain what your little sister looks like a thousand times. It's just wrong.

I took Iggy's hand and pressed it to my non injured arm. I've done it a million times, so Iggy knows exactly who's he's around. Iggy smiled and clasped my shoulder, shaking me slightly.

"Yo, Fang my man! What's cooking?"

"Ig, I need you to watch Ella tonight." Iggy cocked his head slightly. He knew something was off. He could probably feel me tense up, hear something in my voice. He's spooky like that. He lost his sight, but all his functioning senses were especially heightened. He could hear the slightest noise from a mile away, feel the smallest bump on an otherwise smooth surface.

"You don't have to work tonight, do you?" Iggy asked, already knowing the answer.

"Not the regular kind," I admitted. Iggy would know what I was implying. His pale face looked troubled as he shook his head slowly. His sightless blue eyes almost met mine as he frowned.

"Fang, you know going there is risky," he said, his voice low and quiet. "You can't keep going there, man. If not for yourself, then for Ella and I."

Iggy was right. It was dangerous and down right stupid. I shrugged, knowing he would feel it.

"I won't do anything I can't handle. Promise. You got Ella?" I asked, knowing the thought of my sister would distract him. He hesitated, but patted me on the back.

"Yeah man. You know I do. Just point me in the right direction."

TIME ELAPSED MAX'S POINT OF VIEW

I entered the main room, seeing a stage with a large mat in the middle of the space. There were chairs haphazardly strewn across the room. This could work. Not the best, for sure, but this could definitely work.

"You in?" the manager implored, ready to make a deal.

"Yeah. Yeah, count me in."

"Great. We open in twenty. Have an outfit and a name, 'cuz you're up first. Good luck."

TWENTY MINUTES LATER

"Ladies and Gentleman! Tonight, for the first time in much too long, we have a lady with us tonight! All the way from Florida! Please help me in welcoming Queen of the Mutants, Maya!"

I took my place up front and bowed. It was actually kind of a cool place. All the competitors were anonymous, so I could easily hide who I really was. I could come to vent, make some cash, develop a reputation to keep myself, and yeah. I admit. Fighting was just what I did best.

"Over in the other corner we have our very own competitor. If you're anyone, you know who I'm talking about! Let's see if Maya can take on our champ. Welcome back to the arena, our Knight in Shining Armour, Ari!"

Ari? What kind of cover name was Ari? Is that like, Italian or French for something? Oh well, he'll be out in a couple minutes anyway.

I got into my fighting stance: knees bent, fists out, my bandana covering half my face like a bandit while my jacket hood covered my hair.

Ari had a similar get up: leather biking gloves, black jacket, bandana covering his mouth and sunglasses. He stood still, his hands at his sides. Was he even going to fight, or..?

"READY, SET, BRAWL!" The announcer bellowed. Ari lunged at me, but I was able to catch him by his shoulders and ram his head into m knees. I clipped him on the cheek before he swept his arm under me, causing me to fall over. He rolled over, straddling me.

I grabbed his jacket and head butted him, using his momentary vulnerability to then flip him over me. He got up fast as lightning and kicked me in the sides repeatedly. I grabbed his ankle and twisted, causing him to step back. I stood up and went for a punch to his jaw. He caught my fist as well as my other one, which I tried to hit him in the stomach with.

I pulled my hands back and lunged, knocking my shoulder into his chest and abdomen. He fell backwards, moving his hands to cover his stomach. I jumped on him, straddling him this time. His eyebrows were drawn together in anger and he attempted to punch me. I caught his fist and twisted it while simultaneously leaning in close to his face.

Adrenaline coursed through me like a drug, making all mt nerves go hyperactive. I sensed my win, and I smirked down at him. I clenched my teeth and whispered to him.

"Tap. Out."

I heard him gasp. That's when I realized I could feel...wetness? I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw something. Blood. Plenty of was blossoming on his shirt, like a deadly flower. Oh no, oh my gosh he's bleeding! But I didn't hit him that hard! I couldn't have!

The boy moaned and I released his fist. He went slack, his face tense with pain. His hoodie fell off his head, and I got a glimpse of his black hair.

I gasped. Crap. Crap crap crap. This can't be, couldn't be...

I reached down slowly and took his sunglasses off his face.

"Fang?" I whispered.

This was bad.

"I'm out!" I announced, not going to keep fighting with him like this. I got off him and kneeled next to him, looking at the blood. His eyes were shut tight, his breathing labored. I knew no one would help him. This was the type of place where people were supposed to get hurt.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, too scared to speak louder. He shook his head, grimacing.

"S' pretty bad."

"We need to get you to the hospital, like now."

"No hos'pl."

I sighed. I needed to do something, now. I grabbed him under his armpits and helped him to his feet. He leaned heavily on me, clenching his teeth from the pain. While the people were filing out, I took him to the back room. I knew all about first aid; Gazzy had recently gotten into explosives. I set Fang down on a bench and ran for the first aid kit. Inside I found what I was looking for: super glue. The perfect cut closer.

"Okay, let me see." I implored. "You may need stitches." He shook his head, not wanting to show me.

"Fang, stop. Let me help."

"Who..who are you?" He chocked out.

"If I tell you, will you let me help?" He nodded. I slowly took off my bandana, and let my hoodie fall. I shook out my hair and shrugged.

"Max," he said. I nodded.

"Now let me see," I said sternly. He raised his shirt and I looked, horrified. There were deep lacerations criss-crossing his stomach. They were all seeping. It looked like someone had tried to mend them, but our fight had reopened them.

"Oh my-I'm so sorry. We-we need to stop the bleeding," I took off my hoodie and pressed it to his stomach and he gasped again. I held it there for what seemed like forever. While I waited, I talked to him to distract him as much as I could.

"What happened?"

"Accident."

"You think I believe that?" He laughed, though there was no humor in it.

"I hoped so."

"I'm not as dense as I look. What really happened?"

"You wouldn't- it's complicated."

"I don't care." Fang wouldn't look at me. I pressed harder and he tensed.

"Tell me."

"No."

"Look, I'm the only one who can help you right now, dude. I'd spill." Fang considered this, and the ran a hand through his hair, his hand shaking.

"It was a vase."

"A vase?"

"Those things you put flowers in."

"I know what they are! How did it do that?!"

"It broke...my father, he wasn't happy."

The realization dawned on me. My eyes widened. I could feel my whole body start to shake. Fang remained impassive, watching me out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh," was I could manage. I could feel my eyes watering.

Oh- oh good lord. He doesn't mean..? Oh no. And Ella! They're, they're not-

"I think I stopped bleeding. For the most part," Fang said, snapping me back to reality. I lifted the jacket off of him, seeing only dried blood and thin, red lines. I started to weld them back together with the glue, my heart filled with dread.

There was nothing but silence. Fang looked away, twitching now again. I wiped at my cheeks, trying to dry my tears before they landed on him. When I was finished, I sat back on the floor, my head against the wall. Fang turned his head, his black eyes meeting mine. We sat like that, staring at each other, for a long time.

After a while, Fang took a deep breath and attempted to sit up. I ran over, holding the back of his head to help. When He stood up, he stumbled, and I caught him, swinging his arm around my neck.

"You're gonna need me to help you," I said. He said nothing. I helped him walk out to my truck and got him into the passenger seat. Once he was settled, he leaned back, his face pale and beaded with sweat. I leaned over and felt his forehead, using my other hand to feel my own forehead. He felt warm, but not feverish.

"I-I don't know where to take you. I can't take you home, I mean not like this..." I stumbled over my words, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.

"Iggy. He lives by the school. Ella's there," he said. I put the truck into gear and left, driving towards the school. Fang gave me directions once we were close. When we got there, I shut off the engine, prepared to help him to the door. He put his hand on my arm, stopping me.

"Max," he said, making goosebumps rise on my arms when he said my name.

"Max, thanks for...for fixing me. But you can't-you can't tell anyone about this. Not the fighting, not the other stuff either. Promise?"

"Promise."

I helped him out of the car and to the front door, where Fang knocked. A tall, strawberry blonde answered with a smaller girl next to him, who I immediately recognized as Ella. She had the same dark, wavy hair and reserved facial features that turned to concern when she saw Fang.

"Oh, Fang! Fang, are you alright?" she asked, cupping his face in her hands. He smiled at her, a tender smile I had never seen him give anyone. It also had undertones of guilt in it.

"What? What's going on? Who else is here? I can smell perfume," the tall, pale boy asked. I realized his eyes weren't actually trained on me, while his hand reached out to Ella's shoulder and followed her arm to Fang's face.

Good gandhi the kid is freaking blind, I thought. I cleared my throat.

"I'm Max. I'm a..a friend on Fang's," I said lamely. I stepped back as Ella took Fang by his other arm and supported him, taking him into the house. The blind boy stepped closer to me, his face set in concentration.

"Let me touch you," he commanded.

"Excuse me?!"

"Your face, idiot! Let me make a visual of what you look like," he explained, holding out his hand. I took it and pressed his fingers to my cheek. He ran his hands along my face and shoulders, his touch feather soft.

"I'm Iggy. That back there was Fang's sister, Ella," he said, dropping his hands. "You need to leave now. We can take care of Fang."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Thanks for bringing him though."

Well, this officially the worst and most complicated day of my life.