[[For SamCyberCat's birthday. Have some pointless Black Raven shenanigans!]]
The Wind Beneath My Wings
"Anyone know what this is?" Crow thrust a tattered copy of the Times towards his gang.
"A newspaper," Socket answered cheekily. (Wren thumped him in the back of the head.)
There was an advertisement for a chocolate factory that caught Gus's eye. "Chocolate?"
Louis adjusted his glasses, peering at an adult movie review. "Will Fifty Shades of Silver leave you swooning or senseless –?"
"Obviously, no, and ew— no!" Crow jabbed his finger at an article titled 'The Masked Menace of Monte d'Or'. It contained a photo of said Masked Menace soaring over the city. "Look."
Scraps remained straight-faced. "So?"
"So, if some amateur can attract that much attention, imagine what the Black Raven could do..." The leader grinned, "With wings."
"Well, he's finally lost it," Roddy hissed, twirling his finger in loopy sign beside his head. "Let's change his name to Cuckoo."
Marilyn decided to give Crow the benefit of the doubt. "You mean wings just for decoration... right? Part of the costume?"
"Nope. I'm talking flying. People will see the Raven for miles around and follow him to the auction hall."
The prospect of flying didn't bother Badger so much as the 'people will see you for miles around' part. He shuddered. "Bagsy not being the Black Raven."
"You're too tall, anyway," Crow shrugged. "Same for Louis and Gus. We'll need someone small and light..."
Everyone turned to Socket, since he was the youngest. "What're you lookin' at me for? I'll be too busy buildin' these darn wings. Make Wren do it!"
"No way," Wren protested. "I don't wanna be yer crash dummy!"
"You are the smallest besides Socket," Crow pointed out, "And the most reliable." This was seconded by the others, though Roddy had differing thoughts on who was 'most reliable'. Wren bit her lip, but she hesitantly agreed.
Socket actually made something resembling an effort when it came to mechanics. By that afternoon, he'd created a pair of black wings (made from a material his friends had never heard of) to add to the Black Raven ensemble.
Quivering in her costume, Wren stood above Badger's wooden lookout post. She almost wished her mum would show up and ground them for doing something reckless.
"You okay, Wren?" Marilyn called worriedly. She and the boys looked like ants from this high up...
The ginger girl let out an unconvincing squeak, "F-fine!"
"You got nuttin' to worry about, Sis!" Socket promised. (Easy for him to say, at least he was on the ground!) "Those wigs will help you fly like a... uh, like a raven!"
Crow was buzzing with anticipation. He hollered, "You can do it!"
Meanwhile, Scraps and Roddy were taking quiet bets on whether she'd chicken out, or who would catch her if Crow's plan backfired. Gus wagered a lollipop that Wren would succeed.
Wren closed her eyes and gulped. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this... She had to— Crow and the others were counting on her. With a deep breath, she pulled the Black Raven mask over her head, praying her brother's invention wouldn't fail. But before she could jump off the wooden platform, a voice demanded:
"What in the name of Willy Wonka are you kids doing?" Aunt Taffy had been called in to sell sweets for the boys' bets. Her expression turned sour the instant she saw Wren. "Young lady, get down from there! You could fall!"
The shout made Wren gasp and stumble mid-takeoff. There were cries of distress as she grabbed the edge of the lookout post, hanging on for dear life. "H-help!"
"Wrenny!" Socket shot up the lookout post's ladder, closely followed by Badger. Aunt Taffy and the remaining Ravens rushed to the bottom of the structure, holding their arms out to catch her. Good thing, too— Wren reached for her Socket's hand, but she slipped with a scream.
For a moment, it appeared that the great Black Raven was descending from the heavens... Then, Wren landed on Gus like a trampoline. The impact left Gus groaning on the floor. As for Wren...
Socket didn't care that his homemade wings were bent at a weird angle. He stormed back down ladder and shoved past everyone in his haste to reach his sister. "Wren?! I'm so sorry! Please don't be dead, please don't be dead...!"
Wren yanked the Raven mask off her face. She was still shaking, but laughing breathlessly. "Did you see me? I... I flew! At least I did for a little bit!"
Aunt Taffy sighed with relief. "Thank goodness you're alright, sweetheart. Sorry for giving you a scare..." She handed Wren a free lollipop, and Gus. (Technically, he'd won the bet that Wren would be airborne.) Taffy folded her arms, staring sternly at the children. "Now, I hope you lot won't do anything this dangerous again. What were you thinking?"
Marilyn pushed Crow forward. "We... I mean, I—" he amended when the gang glared at him ,"–thought it'd bring in more, um, business."
"Well, it's a good thing your friend wasn't seriously hurt," Taffy chided.
"I'm okay," Gus cut in, "Just got a tummy ache..." He continued eating, nonetheless.
Crow mumbled an apology to Wren, and she beamed. "No worries, boss. But next time, how about you be the Black Raven?"
[[I've noticed I have a habit for writing fics about um, characters FLYING? Weird...]]