Emotionless Mutation (Book Three)

Chapter 37: Lessons in Flight

Destiny can almost taste the freedom that flying will bring. If only it wasn't so difficult to get her stupid wings to join her in the endeavour.

"Alright, so from what I've researched about baby birds, we should start slow," Leonardo says, scrolling through notes on his t-phone. Destiny tugs her sweater closer to her body with a huff and he turns to her. "Which means we're going to do some branching."

She nods and reaches to brush her hair from her face. "And how do we do that?"

"Simple!"

He jogs off to the edge of the roof and Destiny can't help but smile a little as she trails after him. He's spent so much time fretting over Shredder that seeing him getting some fresh air is refreshing. She'd rather see him like this than surly and stressed. That's her job, after all.

"We're going to jump the gaps between buildings, but I want you to use your wings to help you get across. You'll strengthen them and you'll learn how to stick the landing," he says. She eyes the gap and his smile fades. "Des? That sound good?"

She shakes her head as if to kickstart her brain, then perks up. "Yeah, I just...uh..." She eyes her wings as she stretches them out. They're still patchy with bits of down and they ache like nothing she's ever felt before; aside from the monthly visit from Mother Nature. She bows her head and grips her wrist. "I don't trust them," she whispers.

He moves closer to her, reaching out to rest his hand on her hand. She dares a peek at his face and he immediately gives her a soft, encouraging smile. He holds up his hand as if to say "wait" and moves around to her back. Before she can ask him what he's doing, she feels his hands on the stalks of her wings and a soothing heat spreads through her feathers as he starts to massage. She feels him spread her wings and stretch them, her eyes fluttering shut as a gentle sigh leaves her lips.

"Okay, so you don't trust the wings," he says. "But...do you trust me?"

"That's a stupid question."

"Do you?"

"Of course."

"Then trust that I will catch you if the wings aren't working."

She takes a deep breath. "Okay."

He releases her wings and heads for the edge again, glancing over his shoulder with yet another charming smile on his face. "Let's go!"

He leaps off into the night, soaring effortlessly to the next rooftop, and Destiny envies him. He waves to her from the other side and starts motioning for her to join him. She backs up, taking more deep breaths, and stretches her wings to their full length.

She races to the edge of the roof and flaps hard. She shoots into the air and she lets out a scream as the wind rushes past her face, her body going weightless and her legs dangling. The wind billows beneath her wings for a second, filling her with hope, and she dares to flap again. It would have worked if it weren't for the fact that she flapped each wing at a different time, knocking her off balance and throwing her entire jump.

"Leo!" she screams as she plummets for the roof, her eyes screwing shut as she waits for impact.

It comes, but not in gravel and asphalt, but a solid and familiar body. She exhales, breathing raggedly as Leonardo steadies her back on her feet and steps back. He's laughing.

"First time flying, milady?" he teases.

"You're a jerk," she retorts with a huff, raking her claws through her curls.

His hands go up in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, no need to bite my head off." When she says nothing more, he eyes the sky. "Uh...how was it?"

Destiny stills herself. She relives the moment. She thinks of the powerful beat that sent her skyward and how even gravity couldn't hold her down as she soared through the air. Yes, her body wasn't held straight up and her wings were more of a glider than anything else, but she was there. She was closer to the moon. She was free.