It was the next morning of December 26, 2015 as Athena continued to again, the Ones did not train her in her sleep. The traffic was horrible in New York and by this time, they were only in the middle of Pennsylvania. Rae, Kanan, and Athena all took turns driving as Athena constantly had to get out of the car to fight whatever demon came out to fight her.
This as one of those times.
"Ok, how many things are there going to come after us?!" Ezra questioned as he gripped his seat with Athena taking evasive action with the car.
"A lot!" Athena shouted. "Someone better take the wheel!"
"I got it!" Rae told as she unbuckled and came forward to the driver's seat. Athena soon opened the car door and stood on the edge of the inside as she looked to the sky.
The road they were on was fairly rural and was surrounded by dormant trees and green pine-trees. The sky was grey and there was a slight breeze in the wind. Temperature was barely fluctuating above freezing as the December temperature began to take toll.
Athena locked her eyes on a winged creature as it zoomed across the sky. Its silhouette looking as if it were a large bat. Athena activated her saberstaff and held it in her left hand as she climbed onto the roof of the car.
"Ok, Rae, I have a plan! I'm going to grab onto the thing and it's going to fly with me on it into the air. I want you to hit the gas as hard as you can to go in front of it. I'm going to kill it in midair and it's going to drop. When it drops, I want you to stop right under it so I can land on the car! Got it?!"
"Wait! You'll kill yourself if you drop from too high!" Onthant pointed out.
"That's why I want you guys to catch me! Kanan! Ezra! Use the Force to slow my fall!" Athena shouted over the wind. "Ready?!"
"Wait! This really isn't safe!" Kanan warned. "Can't you just use the Force to drag it to the ground?!"
"No! It's moving too fast! I couldn't catch it with the Force!" Athena called.
"Are you sure about this plan, kid?!" Onthant questioned with worry in his voice.
"Don't worry, I've survived worse!" Athena assured.
Athena eyed the bat-like demon as it started to circle around the car as if it were prey. Athena deactivated her lightsaber and got ready to grab on. With each circle, the demon got lower and lower.
Soon, the creature swooped down at Athena with incredible speed. It made her tumble off of the moving car's roof and over top of the road. She quickly gripped onto the winged creature and it let out a screech that could deafen a person.
The creature was about the size of a small child. It's wingspan was only three or four feet as it had the wings of a bat. The color of it's fur ranged from rusty brown to coal black as it was sparsely patched onto the thing. It had the head of what seemed to be a hog or maybe a pig and it's eyes were pitch black. It's legs were that of what also seemed to be a pig with talons instead of hooves. It's teeth were razor sharp and could easily kill a man, let alone a teenage girl.
Athena gripped with all her might onto the feet of the creature as it flew higher into the air, still over the road as planned.
Shaking his head, Onthant sighed, "She sure has her mother's crazy…"
"Alright, I'm going to go under them. Onthant, no offense, but you'd dent the roof if you stood on it. Just stand on the edge of the door, we'll catch her that way," told Rae.
"Don't worry, I'm a 6'4" guy. Of course I'd dent this car if I stood on it .The car isn't exactly iron."
Rae stepped on the gas and the car accelerated down the road. Rae kept her eyes locked on the creature and Athena to line the car up so it was right underneath so Onthant could catch her. She was in the middle of the road as there were no cars to be seen and it was safe...for the most part. Onthant opened his door and hung onto the roof of the car.
Kanan and Ezra sat in the back and they prepared to use the Force to slow her fall. Athena was about fifteen meters off the ground as she continued to hang on. They saw her take out her lightsaber and turn on the two iridescent blades, soon turning to an orange color.
"Aright, she's about to fall. Get ready," Kanan told his Padawan.
Ezra nodded and turned back to Athena. He soon saw her stab the winged demon and it disappear in a cloud of black dust. As if a cloud of coal dust just exploded. He soon reached his hand out with Kanan and used the Force to slow down the acceleration of her fall.
Being on Earth, Rae,Ezra, and Kanan could tell they couldn't use the Force as willfully as they usually do. It was much more difficult to slow Athena's fall as the planet seemed to blur the Force itself.
Athena turned off her lightsaber and soon did a flip in mid-air as she fell and soon was grabbed by the scruff of her hoodie. Rae slowed the car down to a stop and Onthant let Athena's feet touch the ground and let her hoodie go.
Athena rubbed her neck and looked at him, she complained, "Really, couldn't grab my arm?"
Rolling his eyes, Onthant stated, "You rather me not catch you at all?"
"Now you sound like your son over there," Athena gestured to Kanan as he sat in the back seat.
"And you sound like your mother. Get in the car," Onthant stated.
"Alright, I'll drive," Athena told as she began to walk in the direction of the driver's side.
"No, how about you sit out for a bit. You might have to fight another one of those things again," offered Onthant.
"Dear Force...you sound just like your son!" Athena rolled her eyes and opened the door to the passenger seats in the back. She soon sat in between Kanan and Ezra and Onthant sat back where he was before.
Athena took off her hoodie, showing her tank-top she wore underneath. It was a spaghetti strapped top with the color of army green. She took her hair out as the car moved forward and bent forward to put it in a pulled-back ponytail.
Kanan glanced over and saw that Athena had been more starved than he originally thought. Her ribs were near bare as they showed very prominently. He soon looked to see the red triangle with the circle in the middle showing a bright red on her neck once again.
"Hey, Athena, why is the triangle back on your neck?" Kanan questioned as he placed a hand on her right shoulder. He soon noticed a dark mark about the size of one's hand on her left shoulder as half of it was covered under her shirt. It was the Imperial symbol. "What is that? Why do you have the Imperial symbol on you?"
Athena quickly sat up and put her back to the seat. She continued to put up her hair as if she had not heard her brother.
Ezra had noticed too and he looked at Athena with confusion. He asked, "Is it from being on Lola Sayu? Where the Empire took you?"
Athena looked over to Ezra, her eyes burning with hate and hurt. She warned, "I don't want to talk about it. It's nothing,"Athena turned to her brother, she told, "And I'd like if you would not talk about it."
"Athena, if they hurt you, I want to know," Kanan demanded.
"You know what? They did. Ok? Happy? This is just another scar on me that will never be talked about."
"Athena, I'm not the one that hurt you. I'm just trying to find out what they did to you," Kanan said.
"Nothing! Leave me alone!" Athena snapped.
"If it were nothing, why is there an Imperial symbol burned on you?!" Kanan rose his voice.
"Stop this right now or I will turn this car around! I will turn this car around!" Rae shouted.
"I'm fine! Let's just focus on the mission!" Athena shouted.
"You're obviously not fine or you would be telling me what's wrong!"
"Nothing!" Athena yelled.
"Shut up!" Onthant shouted. "I will ground you!"
"I'm a full grown man!" Kanan turned to Onthant then Athena. "And why can't you just say something?! Why are you being so...so...stubborn?!"
"I'm a Jarrus! That's what we do!" Athena shouted.
"Before you were captured, you weren't like this! What happened to my sister?! What happened to the kid that was part of the Ghost crew?! The kid I took care of when she got sick?! The girl that would laugh and smile and actually talk?! Huh?! What happened?!" Kanan yelled.
"The Empire happened, you idiot! I grew up! I'm not a little kid!" Athena screamed.
"THAT'S IT!" Rae shouted and slammed on the brakes. "If y'all are going to scream...DO IT OUTSIDE OF THE CAR!"
"You're not supposed to grow up!" Kanan shouted as he opened the door and stood outside on the side of the road.
Athena soon followed and stood in front of him in the brittle grass. She yelled, "I grew up anyways! I had to survive!"
"You weren't supposed to grow up! You're my little sister! I don't want you to grow up like I did! You're still a kid!" Kanan yelled.
Onthant sharply inhaled and exhaled through his nose and soon got out of the car too.
"I didn't have a choice!" Athena screamed.
"Will you two stop it?!" Onthant shouted.
The two siblings were shocked by their father's sudden input and looked over to him. Onthant palmed his forehead and sighed.
"You two shouldn't fight like this," Onthant told. "You two are acting like children."
"He started it…"
"She started it…"
The siblings simultaneously spoke.
Onthant glared at the two with a look of annoyance, he stated, "Either act like adults or walk to St. Louis."
Kanan looked at his sister, "Look, I just don't want you to grow up. I know you already had to so much in the past fourteen years here on Earth, much more than any kid ever should. But I just don't want you to grow up too soon. It hurts to see that you had to grow up past what any adult would have to and you're only so young. And...I take part of that blame for you growing up so much."
"Hey, it's not like I had a choice...I would love to be a kid again. But...Empire ruined that for me. Like everything. I had to grow up and learn to survive on a whole new level to live. It's not like I meant to. I had to."
"Hey! You guys used the word 'love' in a sentence talking to each other!" Ezra pointed out with a little bit of joy.
Onthant, Kanan and Athena glared at Ezra.
"Not the best time, Ezra. Not the best time," Kanan and Athena chorused in sync as they shook their heads.
Ezra shrunk and kept quiet.
"Look, I just don't like you acting like an adult. You're still a kid. Can you atleast try to act like the old Athena? The one I knew before Empire day? My little sister?" Kanan looked back at Athena.
Athena looked up at her brother, "I thought there was no try."
"Hey, you guys are getting along. I'm a better parent than I thought," joked Onthant. "Let's get back in the car. Caleb, how about you sit up front this time?"
"Alright. Hey, can you please call me Kanan? It's just that I'm more used to that name," Kanan requested.
"As soon as you start calling me Dad, then I will."
Kanan soon got in the passenger seat and Athena got back in the car next to Ezra and Onthant. Athena let out a sigh as the car moved forward and everyone buckled up. She slumped her shoulders and bit her lip.
