by T Hearts
One of the Preternaturals closer to the front shifted uneasily from foot to foot. “But…he’s…” They muttered in a low voice. Griffin looked them over. Narrow orange cat’s-eyes and auburn hair, she knew which origin they came from.
“Do you deserve to be shot for being TIANYI?” She asked pointedly, staring them down with unblinking yellow eyes until the nictitating membrane flicked across. “Your origins go berserk in combat situations and the amount of injuries your origin causes with friendly fire is astronomical. Do you all need to be executed for that.”
“N-no.”
“No! And neither does he! If you do this then what excuse is there for others to put you down for the flaws of your others!”
“That doesn’t excuse the fact that-”
“That he repeatedly refused to fight back? That he actually took the time to give me CPR and stitches?” Offered her a chance to escape and disappear?
The major continued to laugh, utterly astounded by the claims that Griffin was making. “Can you validate that fantasy?”
“Yes.” Mykonos’s bark echoed across the ranch.
Griffin beamed, dizzy and delighted as she looked over the heads of the crowd towards her lieutenant.
Lip drawn back across his fangs, his dark fur was bristling with anger as he stormed towards them with a tablet in one hand and still leading the horse by the reins with the other. Turtle rushed as fast as he could up to the crowd, along with Peyton, who were struggling to keep up with the Canid’s huge strides, both looking excitedly triumphant.
Nico’s face became ashen as he realised the extent of the trouble he was in, the moment Mykonos turned a fanged snarl upon him.
“Contrary to what you may have read, sir,” Mykonos declared, “Nico submitted a false report and was never present at the encounter. And what Griffin claims to have happened is true, even down to the CETUS saving her life even after her attempts to arrest him.”
A bewildered murmur went up amongst the elites. They all knew Mykonos was one of the most reliable commanding officers who had never given them any reason to doubt him.
The major began to speak, but was silenced with a low growl from the Canid as he gave Pegasus’ reins to Peyton and brought forth his tablet to show them all the evidence for themselves. Silence fell upon them all as they heard Xavier speaking, refusing to fight her, talking to himself in panicked tones over Griffin’s breathing and of the amount of blood that was everywhere, then swearing to himself about Nitro and the stupidity of ARCDA making synths risk their lives for stupid reasons as he began to apply first aid. None of the elites present could say that they would have done the same in Xavier’s shoes.
It hadn’t been Griffins intention to redeem the Preternatural, however, the whispered discussions that she heard made it very clear that they were inspired by the selflessness and absolute contradiction that he was to what they had been told. She hoped that Xavier could hear everything from his stall box cell in the barn.
The major turned a jaundiced shade and swallowed as all of the eyes of the Synths turned onto her with growing anger.
It took all of Griffin’s self-control not to laugh victoriously and flip the Major off, to the point it began to make her feel nauseous, so instead she settled for a coy smile designed to majorly aggravate the Major. The Sirocco sisters on the rooftops above however, were less restrained and not above being petty and so immediately began cackling and jeering girlishly at the Major and Nico.
Mykonos stood proudly next to Griffin, hackles raised and defiant. “I have already forwarded this footage to the commander and to Guy Daniels himself. The preternatural will be subject to an investigation and a trial,” the lieutenant declared fiercely, “as will anyone who refuses to comply with the law.”
Nico swallowed and shrunk down, his wings pulling tightly against his body, knowing that this was directed at him. Even the Major knew that she was in trouble. There was nothing she could say or do that could change the fact that now everyone knew what she wanted to do was wrong both ethically and lawfully.
“Griffin.” The Major eventually said with a strained voice. “A word, please.”
-x-
“I hope you’re proud of yourself.”
“I am. Immensely so.” Griffin declared, rubbing her aching chest. The boosters were making her hungry, but her body was aching less now. She still felt dizzy, but the chaos had helped her become more alert, if not a little bit giddy and almost drunk.
The Major however was less happy and was trembling, trying to remain composed and professional. Like Griffin, she was aware that just around the corner of the barn and on the rooftop above, there was a small army of angry Synths listening in. It may have only been that awareness which was the one thing that was keeping the Major from shooting her, but Griffin wasn’t going to push it. Not too much at least.
“With this behaviour, there is no way that I will be allowing you to be reinstated as a Diamond.”
“If it means I have to blindly follow your orders, lie and twist the facts just to please you, then don’t make me a Diamond ever again. I’ll remain an Amethyst and do my damn job.”
“Your job does not involve-”
“My job involves protecting and investigating.” Griffin stated. “You will not argue with me on this. I will be protecting those girls as their handler, and I will be holding that Preter here until a thorough and impartial investigation has been run. Properly.”
The ghost of her wings flared behind her as she smiled giddily. A euphoric shudder ran down her spine as she fantasized the feathers blossoming from her back. They felt so big and bright, stretching out to the sky.
“I know how you run things Major. You will not torture him, or allow any mishaps to come to him at all or ever. The same for the girls, if I see any of your Rubies taking pot-shots at them then they will be held accountable and will lose their hands.”
“Your threats-”
“Are deadly serious Major.”
“You’re overstepping.”
“Good. And I will continue to.” She giggled, unable to help herself. “Don’t think for a second that I’m not going to notify people about how quick you were in calling up an execution and believing a false report.”
“Well I hope you realise that with this report, every report Nico has ever written for you is now going to be questioned.”
“Question it. That’s exactly what I want.”
The Major leaned in with a malicious smile. “I will, and when it comes out that you are nothing more than an arrogant little Risio pet who’s flirted her way up the ranks, I’ll be more than glad to call Mr Ludlow and have you personally escorted back to the farm you came from.”
“Try it. I’d love to see what you find.” Griffin laughed. It was a baseless claim and the Major knew it. The Major tensed, poised and with her hand ready to slap the Avio across the face when heavy footsteps crunched across the ground from behind Griffin.
“If I could have my agent back, sir.” Mykonos growled. “Griffin, you’re needed. Your girls have let the raptors out.”
“Understood sir. Can I borrow the horse?”
“Absolutely.” He smiled to Griffin, arm out to lead her safely away from the Major, leaving her to stew angrily to herself.
“I think I may be getting demoted soon. She was hoping to be able to get rid of the two of us at the same time but now I think she’ll just settle for being rid of me.” He murmured to her as he shooed away the crowd of Elites, scowling at them until they returned to their posts and tidy the mess that the Sirocco sisters had left. Turtle and Peyton were laughing to one another, at the chaos and the moment they saw Griffin returning, gave her enthusiastic arm waves and points towards the direction they had taken off in.
Griffin looked up at her lieutenant with a smile.
“If you do sir, I’m sure you’ll make a great cowboy.”
Mykonos laughed softly and ruffled her hair gently. The gesture was small but Griffin welled up with tears at
what it meant.
He was proud of her.
Allowing Mykonos to help her up onto Pegasus’s back, she gave the Major and Nico one last venomous smile as she turned and began to ride off towards the cloud of dust that was left hanging in the air by the Raptors.
Breathing deeply, she let the tension in her back and chest release, urging the horse to run faster. Escaping the perimeter of the ranch she whooped with delight at the chaotic victory she had claimed and embraced the ghosts of her wings to pretend that she was flying across the landscape.
Pegasus gained upon them quickly, though she was certain that the girls had been hanging back and allowing her time to catch up, swooping and twisting low across the landscape with the critters.
With whistles and chirrups that echoed the Raptors, the Sirocco sisters greeted her.
The raptors darted around her, their wings half flared and beating as hard as they could as they ran. With a few adjustments made to their formation by the girls, they made room for the stallion to run alongside them, allowing Griffin to the forefront of the flock. Griffin laughed to herself as the feathered critters eyed her and trilled, comfortable with her presence. She could scarcely believe it. She was riding alongside Raptors!
Wings beat close to her back the feathers brushing ever so close to her scars. There was no chance to turn and see who it was as
San and IO hugged her tightly as they flew alongside her, almost wrenching her from the saddle. Her heart ached but she was far too happy to be envious of their artfulness and control. A few of the raptors called out to the girls, raising their heads and gathering closer together so that they could crowd beneath their wings like chicks. The girls let her go and flew low beside her.
“I told you I do stupid things when I get angry.” Griffin called out to San, giving her a grin.
“That was stupid.” San nodded, tailfeathers twisting from side to side to stabilise her flight. “I’m surprised she didn’t shoot you.”
“You did the right thing.” IO sang, swooping in to give her another tight hug that brought tears to Griffin’s eyes. “Thank you.”
One of the other sisters up above yelled something that Griffin couldn’t hear over the wind and the wings. A peal of laughter rippled throughout the flock of sisters and they began to start cheering and swooping at one another.
“What did she say?” Griffin asked IO who was rolling her eyes.
“She says, I bet your pony can’t beat us.”
“It’s a horse!”
“Oh well it definitely can’t beat us then!”
“You’re on!”
With a whistle and a cheer she urged the stallion forward as fast as he could go. A sister raced past her head, the feathers brushing across her hair, with others beating their wings as hard as they could, battling for first place amongst themselves.
All around her the Raptors trilled a chorus of whistles, honks and purrs. Galvanised by the excitement of the race Griffin howled noisily with the critters, calling out with raptorial shrieks of her own to get them to run faster with her through the sea of bluebonnets and marigolds.
Heart aching and tears streaming down her face, Griffin threw her arms out wide, letting her fingertips caress the wind and the feathers of the critters and girls around her.
Amongst the raptors and the girls beneath the bright sunshine, for a brief shining moment of glorious happiness, she had her wings once again and she was soaring.