Raven's Will

45. Going For A Picnic

The second he pulled himself up onto the tiled floor, Jett's nose itched and he sneezed. A cloud of fine dust billowed about, making his nose itch even more.

A light beam passed through the dust, and briefly blinded Jett as it shone over his face. He blocked it with a hand and hurriedly rose.

"Will you stop doing that?" He hissed, then added, "Mr Black."

Raven's chuckle filled the kitchen. "Just making sure you didn't get stuck in the trap door."

Jett scoffed. "If you didn't get stuck, why would I get stuck? You're a lot bigger than me."

"You never know what could happen."

"He's got a point you know, little Jettsy. You're kind of clumsy." Moxie came around and shoved the trapdoor shut with her foot. Another cloud of dust rose, making Jett sneeze yet again.

"Don't call me that," he glared at her.

She just smirked and bent to grab the basket that Jett had set down. Settling it on the crook of her arm, she tromped past him in her heavy boots.

"We'll have to do a bit of climbing once we get outside," Raven told them. "Jett, please watch the rear. Help Andrew if he needs it."

Jett immediately grew serious. In other words, he needed to make sure Andrew didn't try anything dumb like running away.

"Got it."

"Excellent. Ladies, please follow me." With that, Raven took them out into the streets of the ruined Shann Tei.

After navigating around some abandoned stores, they came across two of Raven's scouts. They were concealed in layers, with even their faces and hair covered. Only their eyes showed, which reminded Jett of Seb's odd fashion choices.

"We all set?" Raven asked.

One of the scouts nodded. They made a 'follow me' gesture, and strode off, the other scout right behind them.

"Perfect." Raven followed, his long coat swinging around his legs.

Jett noticed Andrew timidly peering around, squinting against the daylight. The little man's gaze lingered a little too long at a narrow alley. Jett quickly moved forward and dropped a hand onto the man's shoulder. He squeezed lightly and leaned in.

"Be careful," he said softly. "There's lots of nasty things hiding in the ruins."

There was a sharp intake of breath, and Jett could feel the muscles tense under his hand. He felt bad for scaring the guy, but there wasn't much he could do about it. He let go, and followed close behind.

Andrew didn't try to look around after that. He just hurried forward, as if trying to outrun the wolf snapping at his heels. It made Jett feel a little strange.

He wasn't that scary, was he? It's the suit, he thought. People were afraid of the suit. One day, though, he hoped to show people that someone in a suit could help rather than harm.

The scouts didn't take them far. They arrived at a long, single story building that had once been a little shopping mall. The scouts had erected a ladder, and now one held it steady. Raven didn't hesitate. He immediately grasped a rung and began to climb. The long roll of paper was still tucked under one of his arms.

Ava was quick to follow, then Moxie. After that, Jett had to nudge Andrew up the ladder, because the man seemed very reluctant. He kept looking at the ground and trembling like he was afraid to leave it.

Eventually, he pulled himself up onto the roof, sweat trickling down his face. He scurried away from the edge, almost as pale as Jett's suit. Looking at him, no one would ever guess he was the son of a great military leader.