Chiron Academy

Chapter 8: Action

Wyatt sat on one of the plastic chairs they'd set down outside the busses and opened the bottle he'd grabbed from one of the coolers they'd set out. Despite the chill still in the air, he was so thirsty. The desert air seemed to pull the water out of him. The whole week since he'd arrived his skin had felt dry and itchy.

How do people live like this?  he wondered to himself.

Wyatt looked around him. The small town they had pulled into looked like it came out of a zombie movie. Everything appeared abandoned. Weeds were poking out of cracks in the asphalt. Someone had said that the town had started to wither when it had been skipped over when the freeway was put in. It wasn't until then the factory that supported the town had gone belly up in the '80s that everyone had moved away. On the plus side, it'd left this space for them to be in a real environment, which Wyatt was glad for.

What was the point of practicing in conditions that weren't what you'd really find? The chances of you fighting someone standing on a wrestling mat were pretty slim. They were much better off doing things in the city. In a real fight, there was always a wall you could duck behind, an alleyway you would have work in. The city was just as much part of a fight as your opponent was.

He glanced at one of the tv screens they'd rigged up to show everyone the match as it proceeded. The first match had already started, one of the kids was running with the bright pink ball under his arm. He blitzed past two kids that came at him and ran into an alley between two businesses.

All of a sudden, a black blur swung across the alley and rammed into the kid with the ball. The tv shifted to another camera outside the alley, and Wyatt was able to get a better view of the kid in black.

Wyatt almost immediately recognized the familiar black and yellow domino mask and the black and grey cape with its repeating 'v' pattern that simulated feathers.

It was Crow, Raven's sidekick.

Still midswing, he grabbed the ball and started running it back the other way.

It was a joy for Wyatt to see him work. It was obvious the effortless skill that the Crow displayed as he moved. He ran powerfully and yet he was so fluid at the same time.

Another runner from one of the other teams appeared around a corner, holding his thick arm out for a clothesline. Wyatt wondered what the Crow would do.

Wyatt heard some gasps from a crowd of kids to his left at another tv as the Crow shifted his weight and pushed off the ground powerfully with his right leg, kicked off the wall with his left, launching him in the air. In the same second, he came down hard onto the large guy in front of him, his legs planting onto the guy's torso, forcing him to the ground. The guy crumpled and the Crow continued his running down road unhindered.

Seeing him like this confirmed what everyone said. He really was the best of the best.

Wyatt gripped the half-drunk water bottle in his hand. That's what he had to get into. This was his opportunity to prove himself. He might not have trained with the Raven, but he'd been around. This was his chance to prove himself. He half-heartedly wondered if the Raven was watching these games today. Maybe the Raven would see Wyatt compete and be impressed.

He squashed the thought before his daydreams went any further. Now was not the time that. He had to focus.

Turning his attention back to the TV, Wyatt was not particularly surprised when the Crow's squad won the game. The other squad looked decent enough, but it was clear they were outclassed.

Well, Riley did say he was practically part of the Fighting Force already, Wyatt thought. He certainly looks good enough.

An air horn tore through the air as the Crow brought the ball across his squad's finish line. Wyatt heard the distant strains of them cheering from inside the game area.