Maximum Ride Fan Fiction / Maximum Ride Fan Fiction ❯ If I Asked You To, Would You Kill Me? ❯ Blind Connection ( Chapter 10 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Irene Sharda
Iggy and Derringer become closer as they spend time together, and Iggy soon learns of a new power...

Non Anime: Maximum Ride Fan Fiction / Maximum Ride Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Sci-fi / Romance / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 05.23.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 178 | Status: Work In Progress

Chapter 10
Iggy tiredly woke up, surprised to find that it was dawn already. Max didn't wake me up for watch duty? What's she thinking!
He jumped up silently, as not to awaken the others, and got ready to show that girl a piece of his mind. That's when he looked over to the tree. He could hear Max's steady, rhythmic heartbeat, as well as the soft sound of her steady breathing. Was she—asleep?
Walking over, he felt along the tree face, instantly coming in contact with her sleeping form. So if she's asleep, who's on watch?
That's when he realized what was different today, than it was yesterday. There was an addition to their little flock…an addition, who was missing.
A feeling of alarm hit Iggy! Where was Derringer? Had he left during the night? Had he been a spy, only pretending to be their friend? How would Max take it?
The questions kept rolling through his head, when he suddenly heard footsteps near the east of him!
Running silently towards the sound, he had a hard time avoiding the trees and bushes. Stupid woods!
However, it became bearably, as he began to pass not so many trees and came to a clearing, but that meant he was no longer under their protective cover. He could sense nobody around though, so he should be—
“Salut, mon frére. Are you here to join me?”
Iggy jumped, startled by Derrin's voice and his sudden appearance. How did he sneak-up on me like that? I should have heard him coming towards me. On the other hand, how did he leave the camp without me hearing him? I've never met anyone that silent before!
Quickly gaining back his composure, he spun around to face the man. “Don't sneak up on me like that! Where were you? I thought that—”
Derringer laughed, cutting off his tirade. “You thought I had abandoned you? Or worse, that I had sold you out to your enemies? Non, non, mon frére, that's not my style. Sorry to worry you, though. I was doing some laps while on guard duty. “
Ig looked at him strangely, “Max asked you, to do guard duty?”
He shook his head, “Didn't have to. She needs to rest up for today, and I don't mind.”
Folding his arms, the younger boy looked reprimandingly at him, “And why didn't you call me? You need to get as much rest as any of us.”
He shrugged his shoulders, “Not really, I just saw no reason to wake you.”
Iggy crossed his arms, not buying it. “Is that right?”
Derringer looked over the young teen and couldn't help but smile. He reminded him so much of when he was younger, and had first gained his freedom. Iggy was a young man with many talents, some which had as of yet, not been brought into fruition. However, something was blocking the boy from seeing the huge potential he had.
Derrin smiled knowingly, “You gotta little bit of a chip on your shoulder.”
Ig snorted at that, “What gave you that idea?”
Derrin simply shrugged, assumingly dropping the subject, and stepped away. “It's about 5 in the morning. We need to get breakfast before the others wake up starved. What do you guys like you?”
Iggy hunched his shoulders and put his hands in his pocket. “Anything edible, really. But when we're not on the run, I can make a mean French toast and scrambled eggs.”
If the fact that a blind guy could cook surprised Derringer, it didn't show. He simply nodded admiringly, “Then French toast and eggs it will be. Though, I think I can save you the trouble of making them, since we don't have the resources.”
“So where are we going to get them?”
Derrin retrieved his jacket that lay on the ground and slipped it on. “That's a trade secret, frére. You've got to earn that.”
Iggy looked at him incredulously. What was he talking about? They had trusted him, with basically all they were. Yet, he wasn't even willing to trust him with the place he got his food?
“Hold on a minute—”
The other man quickly interrupted, “Now since I can't fly, and you can't keep up with me on the ground, we'll have to separate and then meet up. Since you don't know the way, you'll have to follow me from the air.”
Ig stared in his direction as if he was mental! He may be a fine flyer and could keep up with the best of them, but he need directions, a sound to follow, someone to fly with him…anything to give him guidance. Without it, he was flying—well—blind.
“Look, Derringer, I can't—” He put his hand out to feel for him.
Derrin smiled covertly, as he took his hand in his own, pressing his palm firmly against the other teenager's. He held it there, while saying audaciously, “I'll wait for you. Don't take too long, cause I don't like to wait.”
With that he let go and raced off through the forest, leaving a bewildered but determined bird-child in his wake.
Resolute, for some odd reason, to prove himself to this guy, Iggy unfurled his wings and took to the skies. But once he was up there, he couldn't tell directions anymore. Doubt began to cloud his mind as he hovered above the treetops.
How in the heck was he supposed to follow this guy? He hearing wasn't that powerful. He couldn't even hear the guy's footsteps when he was on the ground, much less when he was flying!
He balled up his fist in anger…not at Derringer, but at himself. He should be able to do this! It wasn't fair to the flock to have to carry his weight for him, constantly. Guiding him, holding his hand, staying by his side so that he could recognize their footsteps—it was pathetic!
He grabbed his head in frustration, feeling the emotional dam breaking down in his mind. He needed to be his own man! He wished…he wished he could be like his brother, Fang—independent and free. And this Derringer…he was the very paragon of freedom.
Angry tears of irritation began to run down his sightless eyes, and an almost nonexistent tingling sensation began to filter through his whole body. The feeling slowly began to crescendo, and come to a point in his right hand.
Glancing at it, Iggy felt his hand almost seem to “pull” him straight forward. It wasn't anything physical, but rather like a mental tug, saying: He went this way, let's go.
He'd never experienced this feeling before, but it was strong, and seemed to be calling him. He decided he might as well follow it—he had nothing else to do, anyway.
Cautiously, he flew forward, feeling his hand tingle more as he went on…
He had gone only 2 meters, when his hand “pulled” him to the left, as if telling him: This way, now. Shrugging his shoulders, he obeyed and flew left.
He kept going, his hand/mind guiding him. He zigzagged, went straight, right, or left. Sometimes it would tell him to back up and then head some other direction. He didn't know what was happening to him, but he actually, kind of enjoyed it.
Suddenly, the tingling stopped and the `pull' went completely slack, like a cord being cut...
Well, he had nothing else to do, nowhere else to go. To retrace his steps would be suicide. So his only real choice was to land, and hopefully it wouldn't be in a populated area—or water for that matter.
Lowering himself slowly, he felt the slight touch of grass under his feet. Not hearing any sign of people, he stepped down firmly and folded his wings under, breathing a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, a lone pair of hands applauded him from somewhere behind him. Spinning around at the sound, the silence that made him think he was alone, suddenly erupted with the noise of ultra-light footsteps, an ultra-fast heartbeat, and a voice that was just plain ultra. “Very good, I knew you'd come along eventually. I've only been waiting a few minutes too.”
Iggy could only stare sightlessly at the direction of the voice. Derringer? He'd—he'd followed him? But how? He'd never heard anything, just—
He ran his fingers over his right hand. How in all the saints of heaven, did you lead me to him?
Derrin observed the boy knowingly, and then hutched a large blue bag over to him. Iggy caught it expertly, smelling cinnamon and hot bread wafting up from the bag's opening. “French Toast? Where did you get it? Are we near a shop?”
Derrin hitched another blue bag over his shoulder, this one holding containers of scrambled eggs. “There's a little town about five miles from here. I visit there from time to time and there's this young woman there who runs a shelter. I rescued her from some thugs once, and we became friends. I give her a donation towards her shelter when I can. And she gives me leftover food as a favor.”
“There's this much left over?”
“Hurricane season hasn't come in yet. It's a rural city, it has little business. She's glad to give me the extra.”
“How far away are we from the campsite?”
“We're about fifteen miles southwest of there.”
“It's only been seven minutes. You're telling me you can run twenty-five miles in only seven minutes?”
Derringer smiled back at him while he walked, “Actually it was five minutes. I waited two minutes for you. And you're very good with time estimation, especially on your first time contact-flying.”
Iggy stopped in his tracks, “Wait a minute, I flew twenty-five miles…blind. No pun intended. How?”
He stepped in front of Derrin, stopping the man in his tracks. “You know, don't you? You did this to me. You said something about `flying on contact', what's that?”
The other man slung the bag more securely on his back. “I'll talk, you fly low. I'll try to slow down so I can keep up with you. We can't forget about our mes amis back at the campsite.”
Ig nodded, and unfurled his wings once more. He took off, but took great care not to get too far from the ground. He soon heard the rushing wind of Derrin as he ran. This time there was a slight tingle in his hand, but not enough to tell him what direction to go. He would have to rely on sound this time.
After a few seconds, Derringer asked a question. “How long have you been bitter about your blindness?”
The question was out of the blue, but he didn't mind answering. “Ten years, Ever since those bastards tried to play Frankenstein, and give me night vision. Oops, slip of the knife; `Oh well, better luck next time.'.”
“The flock's been helping you?”
“Yeah, we look out for each other. I don't think I would have made it without their help.”
Derrin's voice came in strong, “Wrong! Yes, they were right to help you, but they also handicapped you.”
Iggy looked at him strangely. “What do you mean?”
“You have a special power, Iggy. Not may people in the world do. Left alone, it would probably have come into full fruition by now, but it's been suppressed. You're more dependant on others, then on what been inside you all along. It's been trying to come out bit by bit; your hearing and sensing ability, your ability to cook, it's all a part of that. That's why I left you alone. Your own frustration and damaged emotions broke through the suppressing restraints. It was the only way of unlocking it. ”
He couldn't believe his ears. What was this guy saying? “A special power?”
Derrin kept going, “Yes, I noticed it when I first saw you. The way you can sense when other people are around, and what direction they're in. How you walk and can avoid obstacle without feeling for them. I was surprised that none of the flock, or even you yourself, noticed it. You have an ability known as, Sightless Touch.”
“Sightless Touch?”
“Yes, and your ability to contact-fly is a part of that.”
The teen sighed, slightly overwhelmed. “Please, start at the beginning.”
“Sightless Touch is the ability to touch someone and connect with them. This ability has many levels. One of the first is contact-traveling/flying. This is when you are able to take a lingering touch and trace it with your mind, taking you along the path that that person traveled. It was no coincidence that you met up with me. I made sure of it by running around in circles before I got to my destination, and then erased some of the “trace line”, by retracing my steps. You came exactly to the correct spot.”
Iggy was simply blown away by it all. He suddenly remembered Derringer holding his hand with a lingering strong grip…the same hand that guided him. He had a special power? Sightless Touch? It had to be! There was no other feasible explanation!
Derrin went on, “Once the power begins to evolve, you'll also have to ability to `see' an entire area with one touch of your hand. Your mind will automatically set up a clear, definite picture where you'll be able to see all shapes, whether they be inanimate or animate objects, for 270 degrees around you. You will even be able to sense their colors. It's like normal sight, only ten times better; yet, it only lasts as long as the touch lingers. Once it's gone, you will have to make contact again and renew the picture.”
Derrin slowed down even more, and Ig realized that they must be nearing the campsite. He landed slowly, and closed his wings back up again. He and Derringer walked together side by side, the sound of chirping birds overtaking them.
The Cajun stopped at the center of the campsite, and was happy that everything and everyone, was as he left it. He placed the eggs and toast over to one side, then went over to where Max still slept. Kneeling, he smiled as he admired her beautiful and strong face. She seemed so peaceful as she slept there—even though he knew her life had been anything but. He hated to have to wake her, but they couldn't stay at that spot for long…
Iggy, who had been sitting silent in deep thought, spoke to him slowly. Hunched over, his hair covering his face, it masked the strong feeling of disorientation that seemed to overcome him. “So…you mean…if I can hone this power, this Sightless Touch, of mine…I—I can become—normal?”
Derringer turned to him, “You've always been normal, Iggy. You just had to let yourself believe it...”
Iggy looked up at him, knowing on instinct where he was. For the first time since he met him, Derrin saw a look of true, genuine hope and happiness on the boy's face.
“Will you help me? In secret? I don't want the others to know about it yet. At least not until I'm ready.”
The Cajun smiled with a gaze of fraternity crossing his face…one that he missed. “You have to unlock your own secrets. But I'll give you the `touch' you need when you want. I'm glad to help, and I respect your wishes. I understand how it is, when you must deal with things alone.”
Iggy stood and walked slowly away, stretching his arms, “Thanks, Derringer. You know…”
The blind teen turned back around, and seemed to be looking straight at him, a smile on his lips. “I think I understand now…why Max trusts you.”
Derrin smirked, “And what about you? Have I gained yours as well?”
Ig grinned mischievously, “Are there three clouds in the sky above us?”
Looking up at the sky, there were indeed three marshmallowy clouds above them. “Yes, there are.”
The teen smiled again and began to walk away. “That's what I thought.”
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When Max awoke, she was surprised to see everyone already awake. She must have slept really soundly. This usually never happens, what was she going to do about break—
“Good Morning, chère. Have some breakfast.”
She looked up and saw Derringer standing over her. He had on a new black t-shirt, as well as his black leather jacket and sunglasses. He smiled enchantingly and handed her a plate heaped with warm scrambled eggs and French toast.
Her hunger overbearing her curiosity, she immediately dug in without asking him, where he'd gotten the food. He watched her eat with curiosity.
Iggy came up to them, and Max tried to swallow in order to talk to him. But too her surprise, he talked to Derringer directly. “Everyone's finished eating, well, everyone but Max. Gaz and Nudge are cleaning up the trash, while Angel and Total are erasing our tracks and traces.”
Derrin nodded in confirmation. “That's good. Chère here, she'll probably be done in few minutes. We'll try to get out of here in the next 15 minutes, and we're going to be headed north. Hope you guys like cold weather. It's March, and the winter's still got a foothold where we're going. I'm going to go help petite.”
Watching him walk away, Max continued to eat. “How long have I been asleep? What time is it?”
Iggy leaned against the tree next to her, “It's about 8:30. You've had a good, recommended 8 hours of sleep.”
“Why didn't you wake me up for watch duty?”
“I didn't wake up either, even though I expected you to wake me up for watch duty.”
“So, you're telling me, we slept all night—with no one watching the camp?”
“Not exactly…”
She watched as he nodded in Derringer's direction, slightly surprised that he knew exactly where the man was.
She shook her heard in surrender, “I might have known. And of course he would let me sleep while he took care of everything.”
Iggy shrugged, “That's his style—cavalier and chivalrous. He's an amazing guy.”
Max stopped eating, hearing the traces of admiration on his voice. “So, what happened between you two? Yesterday, you were as suspicious of him, as a NYPD cop is of his first suspect. Now, you two talk like best friends. What changed?”
Again he shrugged and began to walk away, “Nothing really…we just suddenly…connected…”