Haywire Ranger

Chapter 10: Flying High

Sky took a deep breath as he entered the clearing in the woods later that evening. The sound of rustling leaves, the waterfall, and the chirping of birds filled the air. His heart raced as he called out to his friend.

"Haywire! Hey, big fella, are you there?" he yelled.

Nothing.

I wonder where he is right now, he thought as he stood there with his thumbs in his pockets and the rest of his hand hanging out of it, as usual, while admiring the view of the lake, the waterfall, and the ebony-coloured cliff. I never asked him to stay here for me, but... It's kind of heartwarming that he does.

A rustling behind some bushes caught his attention, but the noise soon faded away.

A moment later, the palm of his right hand was wet. He flinched and shrieked due to the surprise.

"Damn, Haywire!" he exclaimed after he turned and spotted a lubricant-wet nose and beak he knew too well.

Haywire appeared before him with playful eyes and chirped. The metallic wings of the phoenix shone in the orangey light of twilight. Sky couldn't help but smile as he saw his friend.

"You scared me again!" he exclaimed as he came closer to him and shook his wet hand, trying to get rid of the excess of that gooey lubricant fluid, but he wasn't mad. "You like catching me by surprise, huh?"

Haywire let out a soft chirp and nuzzled Sky's hand with his beak. Sky scratched him behind the ears and all the way down to his neck.

"Oh, I see you managed to take off the splint I made for your tail. Let me check if it's okay." Sky squatted beside Haywire's tail and examined it. "You can heal pretty fast! It's in pristine condition."

A proud series of chirps followed, making Sky chuckle.

"Thank God I found you. I need someone to talk to, but..." Sky said, heartbroken as he petted Haywire on his back. "I've got no one but you. And Aunt Naomi... but I can't share with her what I know about you now."

Haywire replied with a soft whine and a deep stare.

"I've had a rough day today," Sky whispered, his eyes hooded and tired. "And I had a rough night before that. I need a break. From everything and everyone."

Haywire watched him intently, leaning his head to one side with curiosity.

"The swarm had suddenly increased in number," he began to explain to his winged friend. "Led by a new Sonic Echo Ranger that's not you, Haywire. They attacked the Hovering Hive with a fierceness never seen before. A Thunderbreaker startled us and wanted to kill my unit. I managed to defeat it, but–"

He stopped. What now? I killed it. A phoenix. Like Haywire. I did it, so it's my responsibility. I wonder whether he will understand the pressure I'm under. Will he become upset with me?

"I had to kill it, Haywire," he admitted with a breaking voice. "Otherwise, it would've killed a classmate... and me, too."

The cybernetic beast nuzzled against Sky's chest while his hands grazed the skin beneath his metal feathers quite absent-mindedly.

I'm more upset about it than he is.

"That new Sonic Echo Ranger has people talking. It seems more powerful than you, some said. It escaped last night, unharmed. I also overheard they stopped looking for you since the tracking signal no longer appears on the radar. You'll be safe—for now. At least, that's something."

He sighed.

"I slept very little last night, after the fight. I couldn't stop obsessing about... about a message." He stopped and huffed. "Maybe you know something, but how can I communicate with you effectively?"