I Am A Flyer

Enter the Raven

Jett sat in the back of the bus, holding the cloak tightly closed. He fervently hoped that no one saw him, or even tried to talk to him. So far, he had only received a few curious looks from new passengers as they boarded the bus at various stops, and found places to sit. Thankfully, no one talked to him - not even the elderly man who took the seat next to Jett.

No, the bus ride was quiet, and Jett finally started to relax. He listened to the conversations around him, while gaping out the window nearest to him. It seemed impossible for such huge buildings to remain standing so solidly; they looked like they would sink down into the ground, because of their immensity.

"And that's why I left him," a woman primly told her traveling companion with a curt sniff. "Because he couldn't provide. He had no money to speak of, as he blew it all in the casino as soon as it came in."

"Oh, honey," cooed her companion. "You did the right thing."

Jett looked away from the two women, and tried to focus on the wonders outside of the bus. Within seconds, his eyes were nearly bulging out of his head, as he tried to make sense of all the hustle and bustle. Were cities usually so chaotic, with so much going on? It was a wonder the whole place didn't fall apart. . .

"Noo!" A young girl exclaimed in horror. "Please tell me it didn't!"

"It did," her friend tearfully replied. "It turned pink! I didn'tknow you weren't supposed to wash whites with reds - now my dress is ruined!"

Jett had no idea what they were talking about, and it didn't much interest him. Neither did the conversation of the elderly couple two seats away. He really didn't understand much about medication and 'strapping young doctors too cocky for their own good.'

But enough of that. He should be focusing on what was important, like planning his next step. It was hard to concentrate, though, with so much noise in the bus. He pulled his cloak closer yet, and tried to think.

x

Two dark figures glided over a wide, busy street, closely watching the vehicles drive up and down. A single bus had just turned onto the street, joining the line of congestion.

"That's it!" Raven exclaimed over the radio link, as he started to lose altitude. "I'll stop it, and you can get the kid, all right?"

"Yeah." Gray cut his boosters, and started circling in large loopy circles. His flight became a graceful descent that carried him straight towards the street below.

Meanwhile, Raven flew ahead of the bus, and suddenly swooped up. Roughly thirty feet above the large vehicle, he deactivated both wings and boosters. He fell like a stone, feet first.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Like a huge purple and black meteorite, he smashed into the hood of the bus. Right in front of the driver's eyes. The bus's hood caved in beneath his feet with a horrible creaking. Raven crouched, a dark, wraithlike creature, and stared straight at the driver.

The bus driver screamed, terrified out of his wits. He yanked the wheel sharply to one side, while slamming on the brakes. The whole bus fish-tailed violently, and with a horrendous shudder, came to a stop.

Gray gently landed beside the still vehicle, and walked casually to the door, almost as if he were on a morning stroll.

Traffic had come to a standstill. Not because the bus was blocking the road, but because of the flyers who had landed in their midst. People watched in a curious terror, unease and deep dislike written all over their faces.

Within seconds, a huge traffic jam had formed, with chaos reigning at the outer edges. Cars honked and revved, people shouted angrily and tried to figure out what was going on. In the center of the jam, however, everything was dead quiet. All eyes were on the bus, on the flyers.