I Am A Flyer

II: Rescue

When he had first met Lante, Jett had been a bit dubious as to whether the Smoke flyer was a real Twelve. The baby-faced flyer was friendly and outgoing, acting more like a teenager than a professional Twelve. He was the kind of person that people automatically gravitated to, having a kind of charisma that drew one in. At least, that's what Jett had felt in the short time he'd known the flyer.

He gazed up into the sky, a small smile gracing his young features as he thought it over. A shadow fell over him.

"If you want to lie there for the rest of the day, you can. 'Cause we're done for now."

Jett pushed himself up into a sitting position, regarding Lante with faint surprise. "Already?"

The Smoke flyer smiled widely. "You've improved quite a lot, considering your handicap. So we'll give you a break, and work on your flight this evening. Hopefully you'll have improved in that as well."

A small frown crossed Jett's face. An image of Ravia and her mate soaring freely in the skies filled his mind. He remembered how they had danced elegantly together, flying so effortlessly, so beautifully. "I can land just fine," he murmured, staring down at his leg, "but I've got a long way to go before I can really fly."

Lante shrugged, dropping a hand onto Jett's head. "I'm sure you're better than you think, kid. We've all seen you darting about like a little sparrow."

The encouragement served to lighten his spirits a little, though Lante's touch made him uncomfortable. Jett shrugged the flyer's hand off, getting to his feet – er, foot, in the process. "Thanks. I guess I'll get some food, then." Without bothering to engage his helmet, Jett launched into the air, letting his boosters rocket him up before activating his wings.

Lante watched the teen go, his friendly smile fading into a cool, calculative frown. Judging by the way the kid effortlessly nipped through the air, instinctively pulling in his wings to decrease their too-large span for his small frame, he already was a skilled flyer. The kid seemed to understand how his suit worked, being well on his way to developing a unique style.

What was the kid talking about, saying he still had a long way to go?

It only proved that Syk was right. When backed into a corner, the kid did show off his true colors. Lante still had trouble believing it. It had taken a mere two days for the kid to regain his sense of balance and movement, then on the third day, he went on to blow Lante away. He'd expected the kid to maybe block a blow or two, or manage to stay on his foot without falling too often.

However, Jett had done the opposite. First focusing on his agility and using his small frame to his advantage, he used an interesting display of acrobatics to evade Lante. Then as time drew on, Jett's speed slowly increased, becoming a hint of something rather frightening.

A slow chuckle escaped from the Smoke flyer. Now he understood. Raven had been the first to recognize the kid's monstrous potential. The Talon had done an excellent job with the kid so far, but he had instilled an annoying loyalty in Jett. Lante first saw it when he'd tried to get him to talk about his training with the Talon.

No matter. First he'd focus on helping the boy grow stronger, and gain his trust. Then he'd work on diverting that loyalty towards himself and the council. They couldn't allow that kind of talent to run wild beneath Raven's questionable agenda.

oOo

Jett landed lightly on one foot, managing to hold his balance without falling or staggering. He looked at the tent before him, hesitating. He was hungry, but was he hungry enough to eat that putrid mush?

Hmmm. . . he glanced up. It wasn't quite dinner time, not that it made any difference. People came and went at all times of the day, eating whenever they got hungry. Although, since food was limited, meals were limited to twice a day, so when you ate them was up to you. However, as a trainee, Jett got to eat three times a day. Three big servings of nutritious mush.