A Bird for a Bird

By: Edna Baudelaire

Chapter One

Iggy's POV

The house was unusually quiet. I mean, Fang being gone doesn't make that much of a difference. When he was here, he barely spoke a word, barely made a sound. When he was here, it was like he wasn't even here anyways. All I ever heard from him was a few mumbled words and the familiar almost silent footsteps he emitted as he shuffled across the carpet.

But Fang's absence has completely changed the members of the flock. Without Fang, everyone has been silent. Max barely comes out of her room, and I only see her occasionally.

Haha, see...

Blind humor, get it?

Without Fang, I can actually hear the outdoors, the wind playing across the window pane. I can hear the sun; the sound it emits as it hits the side of the house. I can hear everything.

And I have to admit, it feels extremely nice to not always be on the other end of one of Nudge's rants. She has kept her mouth shut and walks around the house like one of the living dead.

Even Gazzy has kept his...power...to himself.

Normally, I would embrace the silence. It's the only time I can actually think. I'm not distracted by random sounds.

But, it's too much quiet.

Too much silence.

The dead ringing singes my eardrums. With so much silence, I can't tell where I am. I normally use a member of the flock as a checkpoint, like a radar. But with no checkpoints, I'm lost.

I'm lost, in my own freakin' house.

I uttered a loud sigh of discontent as I had to resort to holding my hands out and actually feeling my surroundings, something I haven't had to do in a long while.

Don't get me wrong, I miss Fang just as much as the others, but everything has changed so much, that I'm more worried about where I'm walking rather than the ache in my heart. When he left, I felt like my heart was torn to shreds. Fang was my brother. Not "like" a brother. He was my Goddamn brother. He was my best buddy, my partner in crime. He was always there for me in every single battle, watching my back.

And now he's gone.

And where am I now?

Muttering angrily as my delicate white fingers flutter over the carpet floor and hopefully in the direction of my room.

Man, it really sucks being blind. Scratch that. It sucks knowing that someone can silently come up behind me, and I would never know until its too late. What sucks more than that is knowing that I have a vulnerability.

Just the fact that I have one is enough to set my heart aflame. Sometimes, it seems like I'm the only one. Everyone else is fine, they can see and hear and can always be on constant alert. They can do whatever they want.

And what can I do?

Cook.

That's about it.

That's all I'm good for.

Lasagna and crèmebrulee.

At least the flock will never go hungry.

It's the least I can do for having them lug me around all the time, for having to watch me and point me in the right direction.

They always tell me that I'm not just a dead weight, that I am an important member of the flock. But I can hear it in their voice; the hesitation, the uncertainty.

I'm a liability.

Just admit it.

My hand enclosed about the doorknob to my room. It was surprisingly cold, sending chills up my spine. I walked inside, the familiarity of my surroundings guiding me perfectly, and threw myself down on my bed. My feet hung off the edge and I growled, forcing them back up, curling into a small ball. I rubbed my temples slowly, already feeling an uncomfortable headache creeping up.

So much quiet.

The ringing in my ears increased. Without sound, I was stuck with this unbearable noise.

I shoved the pillow over my face, praying the ringing would quiet, but it only made it louder. I shut my eyes, seeing the same darkness I did when they were open.

I couldn't take this anymore, this insane ringing, the pain, the quiet.

Goddammit, it was time to find Fang and get things back to normal.

Now.

...

"Everyone! Up and at 'em! Meet in the living room! Flock meeting! Now!" I yelled as I slowly walked around the house, my hands trailing along the hallway walls, occasionally knocking obnoxiously once I found a door. I heard one open to my left and recognized Max's footsteps.

"What's going on, Iggy?" she mumbled sleepily.

I turned towards her. "I'm calling a flock meeting in the living room."

She scratched her head. "Ig, it's late."

"How late?"

"Like, 1 am late."

Oh.

Oops.

"It doesn't matter. Can you just round everyone up and get them to the living room. Please?"

She gave an irritated sigh before her footsteps traveled down the hall, entering Nudge and Angel's room, muttering quietly. I felt my way back to the living room and sat in a chair.

Fang's chair.

I listened silently as they all shuffled in, talking in hushed, confused whispers. Once everyone was seated, Max tapped my hand. I stood up, taking a deep breath.

"It's time to find Fang," I announced. I heard Max flinch in her seat and suck in a small breath. The kids fell silent.

"What do you mean?" Gazzy asked, sleep thickening his voice.

"Look at you all," I exclaimed. "You've been walking around like zombies since he left. We have done absolutely nothing. We've fallen apart, and it's painful to watch."

"But Iggy, you're blind," Nudge added.

"Thank you for reminding me," I said, my throat dry. "I know you all have noticed the change. It's time to pick ourselves up again. And the only way to do that, is to find Fang."

"But," Max started. "He said in 20 years-"

"Yes, yes I know. But since when do you actually listen to what Fang says? You're Max. You're the leader. You're in charge of the well-being of this flock."

She stood up, and I could feel her step in front of me. I may have towered over her physically, but metaphorically, the anger and rage emanating from her made me feel 2 feet tall.

"Fang doesn't want to be found," she spat. "If he left me," she stopped. "Us, for a reason, the least we could do is abide by his favors. He did it for a reason. Why should we screw everything up?"

I opened my mouth to throw back a vehement remark when I heard the familiar electronic buzz of the computer in the corner booting up. That's strange. I didn't hear anyone get up to turn it on...

"What the-" Max muttered, walking forward.

"Good evening, Flock. How are you all today?" A familiar voice asked in a pleased and cocky voice. The flock uttered small gasps of surprise before jumping to their feet.

"What's going on?" I asked quietly.

Max's hand enclosed around my wrist. "It's Dr. Hans Gunther-Hagen," she said. "And he has Fang."

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