Summer Birdie

O

Pitch black.

It had become the norm for Hawks to be blindfolded during his training, he could feel the vibrations around him through his feathers picking up the smallest bit of movement, any changes in the air pressure around the hall. Two men on the left and one on the right. Tucking his wings in, he jabs at the men on the left first, hitting one square in the jaw and the other in the stomach before puffing out his wings to scatter his feathers and pinning the other to the ground.

"You've improved greatly." His mentor says, ringing the bell to declare that the session was over. Hawks bows to his mentor before taking off his blindfold and reaching over for his towel, sweat trickling down his face. Seeing Jay relaxing comfortably in the corner of the room reading a book, Hawks looks over curious in what they were reading, the book didn't have a title and looked rather old and dusty, a dirty leather bound book that looked no bigger than eight inches.

"What are you reading?" Hawks asks, helping himself to some water before packing his things away ready to go see his Summer.

"Nothing in particular." Jay says, looking up from the book and smiling. They clap the book closed and tosses it lazily into their open bag slumped against the wall. Crossing their legs, they lean forward towards Hawks. "In a rush to go somewhere?"

Hawks glares at them from over his shoulder. "Nowhere in particular, just want to go relax."

"Let's go to the arcade then, you and me." Jay shouts grabbing their bag and slinging it over their shoulder, strutting over to Hawks.

"Why so buddy-buddy all of a sudden?" Hawks asks, a sly smirk pulls across their face as Hawks pulls his shirt on, arms first, then head, followed by his wings. "I know the commission sent you to keep an eye on me during school, but schools over, you're free to do whatever you want, you don't have to babysit me anymore."

"True, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends." Jay says, shoving their hands into their pockets and slowly penguin waddles towards him. "Besides, think of all the fun we could have outside of work! We can be each other's alibis."

"Odd way to call fun an alibi- usually means we're doing something we shouldn't be..."

"Guilty!" Jay says, raising their hands. "So what do you say? Arcade?"

"I think I'll just go home." Hawks says through a yawn, "Training's worn me out..."

"They know about Chihiro." Jay blurts out, stopping Hawks in his tracks. He turns to them his pupils narrowing in on him. Jay stares back, fumbling with the cuff of his shirt sleeve. "If you keep sneaking out, they'll hurt them, you know they will."

"How do you know this?"

Jay looks down and rubs their hands together. They jump at the sound of the rain beginning to slash against the windows outside. They rub the back of their neck and look back to face Hawks. 

"You're bugged."

"I never have my phone on me."

"Not just the phone, you are completely wired onto their network!" Jay hisses guesturing to all around him. "Your clothes, your bag, anything designer shit they give you- bet! It's bugged."

"How do you know this?"

"Because they did that to me in England."

Hawks smirks and pulls his bag across his shoulder. "Do you mean to tell me that they were trying to keep you away from Summer?"

"The opposite..."

Hawks' smirk drops as he sees the pain in Jay's eyes as they squat down to the floor. He'd never seen him so emotional. The two of them had been training together for the past year, granted it was mostly on the weekend or during breaks but he knew Jay enough. They weren't the type to show emotion so easily. "What are you saying?"