I Am A Flyer

II: Flight

PART TWO

 

The wind whistled throughout the compound, carrying an iron chill with it. It was enough to cause even the toughest of men to shiver. The small figure waiting outside, however, didn't even seem to notice the cold.

Jett was busy marveling over his new outfit. According to Raven, it was made out of the same material as flyer suits. Maybe that was why he didn't feel the cold chill in the air. His new clothing consisted of black snug-fitting pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Fitted on top were light armor pieces, covering his knees, elbows, and vital organs. These were an interesting shade of blue-gray. On his feet were a pair of rugged boots with thick soles – they went up to just under his knees, and seemed to be lined with some stiff material that wasn't very pliable. Extra support and protection, he guessed.

"Jett!"

"Huh?" Jett turned to see Suil coming toward him. "Suil!" He gave a bright smile, happy to see his friend. He noticed that Suil's once-broken arm seemed to be completely healed.

"Jett," Suil came to a stop before the raven-haired boy. He peered intently into Jett's face. "Are – are you all right?"

"Wha-?" Jett blinked. "What do you mean? I'm fine."

Suil grabbed Jett's shoulders. "Jett! A few days ago you were willing to throw yourself into a canyon just to escape from being a flyer! Now you want to train under that horrible man? What happened to you, Jett?!"

The dark-eyed boy smiled. "It's all right, Suil. I've. . .realized a few things."

Suil let go, and took a step back. This wasn't like the Jett he'd known. That smile was somewhat. . .sad, yet determined at the same time. That fierce determination was familiar, but that sadness – that was new. "Jett?"

"I want to help people, Suil," Jett murmured. "I can't just stand back and live in my own little world. Not when there's people out there suffering. If I have to become a flyer to help them, I will."

"Jett. . ." Suil could only stare. And wonder – just what had Raven done to create this drastic change?

Out of nowhere, a flying black object hurtled straight towards Jett's head. Suil saw it coming, since he was facing the right direction, but Jett didn't seem to notice. Before Suil could shout out a warning, it slammed into the back of Jett's head, sending the boy face-first to the ground.

"Now that was pitiful," came an amused voice. Raven stepped out of the open doorway in which he was currently standing, and went to the twitching mess on the ground that was Jett. "You were supposed to dodge."

"Ah. . .owww," Jett groaned, and struggled to stand. He rubbed the back of his head, and gave Raven a glare. Somehow. . .the man didn't seem so intimidating anymore. Maybe that was because he realized that the flyer was only trying to help him get stronger.

"I see. . ." Raven began, and then his eyes started to gleam wickedly. A dark shadow seemed to form on his face as his expression became something worse than evil. ". . .That you are going to need some extensive training."

Jett gulped, backing away from that terrifying image. What was he thinking? This flyer was a horrifying monster!! Did he really make the right choice to become a flyer? He swallowed, and tried to calm himself down. At this rate, he'd make a really pathetic flyer if he got scared every time Raven said something.

"Put on the helmet, kid."

"Huh?" It took a moment for Jett to realize that the flyer was referring to the object that had struck him to the ground. He looked around, and spotted a round, black thing laying innocently on the packed dirt. Jett picked it up. It was roundish, solid black, and big enough to fit easily over his head. It was amost. . .too big. However, as far as he could see, there was no transparent space for him to look through. He looked dubiously at Suil, who shrugged. His gaze went to Raven.