Chapter Two
Catalyst
Steam crept out from the crack under the bathroom door, coalescing into fantastic shapes before fading. Cliff listened to the faint hiss of the steam for a while before his head inclined towards Benji. "Er, your sister wouldn't be too mad if I went for a walk, would she?" he asked quietly, ignoring the impatient clicks of Roman's beak. Benji tousled his mahogany hair and took on a perplexed look.
"Well, she'd get pissed even if you did ask her, so sure. Go for it. Just don't be too long," the boy replied after a moment. Cliff shot him a relieved smile and rocketed off the hotel bed and slipped out the door quietly. Roman fluttered over to the window and tapped it with his beak before fixing a single amber eye on the remaining human. Benji blinked, but rose up anyways and strode over to the window, flipping the latch that locked it and with a grunt, pushed it up high enough for the eagle to leap from the ledge and into the air. A faint squawk of thanks, and the bird was gone.
Benji returned to his bed, leaving the window open, and flopped onto the comforter with a sigh.
The water in the bathroom cut off abruptly. Benji's heart stuttered, but he remained calm and collected even as the bathroom door opened with a creak. Kalian stepped out, torso wrapped in a fluffy white cotton towel, and using another to dry her curling wet hair. She cast a cursory glance around before striding over to her brother, whose eyes were closed. Holding her wet towel up, she twisted it multiple times before whipping it at Benji's head. It landed with a whap! and a cry of pain.
"Oww, Kalian, what was that for!" her twin yelped, eyes streaming, as he leapt back out of her reach. Fury simmered quietly in her hazel eyes. "Where... the... hell... is... CLIFF!" she shrieked.
Benji scrambled over the bed as she approached from the side, wrapping up her towel again. "He uh, he uh... w-went for a walk okay!" the boy admitted, cowering against the wall.
The shifter girl's eye twitched. "Oh did he now?"
Cliff ignored the elevator and opted for the less used stairs instead, taking them three at a time as he descended three levels to the ground floor. As he reached the last floor, he rocketed into the door frame with a mumbled curse before correcting himself. The exit door swung open and brought with it a blast of cool morning air.
A patient squawk greeted him. "Took you long enough," Roman remarked, hovering by the door. Cliff snorted and let his wings fan out a bit, the tips just brushing each side of the alley walls where he stood.
"I'd like to see you run down three sets of stairs, blind, and make better time," the boy retorted. Roman chuckled hoarsely and took off, leaving the flaps of his wings to guide his friend. Cliff followed at a light jog, casting his ears and other senses outwards, checking if anyone else was out around this time in the morning. "Left!" came the golden eagle's voice from ahead. The boy continued on until he reached the area his eagle's voice had come from and obediently turned left.
This continued for a while until Cliff stood on a hill overlooking the sea. Fresh, salty air whipped his sandy hair away from his face, tickling the soft down in his outstretched wings. Roman banked from over the waves and made a series of trilling squawks. It was safe for now.
Cliff eagerly ran forwards and jumped off the hill, momentarily free-falling into space. The sensation sent surges of adrenaline racing through his veins, which he savoured before gravity took hold and attempted to drag his body's mass back to earth. He let the air whistle through his wings as he dove towards an outcropping of pointy rocks lashed by the frothy blue waves before forcing them down, leveling out in his dive. The sea fell away as he beat his wings and rose up, up, and up as far as any bird could go.
A whooping yell of triumph escaped his throat as he somersaulted in the air and hung, suspended, hundreds of feet over a blanket of shimmering blue. Streaming sunlight, rising over the horizon, enveloped him in a jacket of warm rays. Cliff inhaled, a wide grin spread across his youthful, freckled face.
The sky was his home. It didn't judge him, nor disapprove of anything he did. It was just there, especially when he needed an escape. Roman shrieked a few times and blew past the boy, inviting him into a race. Cliff followed without hesitation; he was always confident in his flying abilities.
The pair were like this until the sun was fully above the horizon in the distance, at which point humans would start flocking to the beaches nearby. Cliff stretched his sneakered feet out as the ground came up close and landed with a light thud. Roman rested on his shoulder, breathing hard and fast. "That was a great flight," Cliff remarked, a light sheen of sweat plastered on his face, and ran a hand through his wind-swept hair. Roman merely clicked his beak in response, still too out of breath to articulate a response. The boy laughed a wheezy chuckle and began to walk forwards.
Only to walk into something very solid.
Fear bloomed in him. If this was a stranger, what would they think? Were they going to call the cops on the weird teenager with bird wings who was talking to a dangerous raptor on his shoulder? A gravelly cough followed the tense few seconds of silence. "We've been looking for you for some time, Cliff Grant," a deep, masculine voice addressed him. "You'll have to come with me. Quietly."
Cliff's hand clenched into fists at his sides. He was never much of a fighter, having a distaste for the whole sport of it, but he'd fight tooth and nail to get away. Roman had gone deathly quiet, his whole body tensed up. Then his talons dug into Cliff's shoulder before the eagle launched himself forwards with a shriek. The man in the black suit roared as Roman raked his face with his sharp, curving talons, and stumbled back. Blood ran down in rivulets, staining the ground, and his suit, with irregular scarlet shapes. "Go Cliff, I'll hold him off!" Roman trilled, panic and worry clear in his voice as he buffeted the man with his broad wings.
Despite the deeply ingrained fear of not knowing where he was going, the boy took off, running, just getting away from the problem. His wings quivered against his back as the sloping hill gradully shifted into the familiar feel of concrete. Back to where he'd come from earlier.
But Roman had been there to guide him. Now he was completely alone, and scared out of his mind that something bad had happened to his eagle. Cliff closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to stave off the mind-numbing fear that was beginning to paralyze him.
"There you are, you stupid kid! I already flayed Benji alive, and when we get back, you're next!" a familiar female voice accosted him angrily. Cliff's head snapped up and turned in the direction of Kalian, who was striding forwards towards him. Even if she was furious with him, he'd never been happier to have a familiar presence nearby. His hands clamped down on her shoulders suddenly, eliciting a startled yelp from the auburn haired girl. "Oh God, Kalian, it's terrible," he said shakily, face pale.
Kalian stared at Cliff, his cloudy aquamarine eyes looking so full of fear and anxiety that her anger with him seemed to melt away for the moment. "What happened, Cliff?" she asked in a low tone. His head jerked to the side for a moment before he stared at her face again. It was unnerving how good his senses let him be sometimes. "Roman and I... we were coming back from a quick flight, and this man in a black suit found us. He knew exactly who I was! Roman started attacking him and told me to run, but I don't have any idea where I am, and now he could be hurt or worse..." the boy's words came out in a babbling rush and then faded out. A quick flight... her lips formed the words and she rolled her eyes but became serious quickly.
She gently pushed his hands off her shoulders and put her own on his chest, forcing him back several steps until he backed into a wall. "Wait here and do not move. I'll go get Roman," Kalian assured him, patting his chest once before spinning on her heel and stalking out of the alley.
It didn't even take her that long; she was a fox before she hit the grass of the hill.
Her nose couldn't pick out Roman's scent, given he had flown the whole way there, but the stench of blood, and Cliff, was enough of a marker to go on. She crested the hill and froze. There was stains of blood everywhere. A black mass lay not far from her. Roman was collapsed in a heap beside the bulk, sides rising and falling rapidly.
Kalian trotted over quickly, delicately picking her way around the bloody patches of grass and ground. Using her muzzle, she gently nudged the fallen eagle, who squawked in reply and whirled to his feet. His amber eyes were wide and luminous, beak spattered with blood. "Kalian?" Roman asked. The girl was so startled for a moment she forgot to say something. Of course, in her fox form, she'd be able to understand him.
It was still awkward to speak with a fox's mouth. "Y-yeah it's me," she replied haltingly, not at all used to talking this way. "Cliff's having a mild breakdown in the alley back there, thinking you could have been hurt," she said slowly. The eagle frowned and glanced at the black suited man. "He tripped over a rock trying to grab me and knocked himself out. He's going to wake up soon. Let's get a move on," the raptor replied after a moment, flapping his golden-brown wings to take to the air. Kalian watched him, stared at the man quickly, then turned around and followed the eagle with an easy, loping gait.
She was back on two feet as she approached the still frightened looking Cliff. Roman quietly brushed the boy's head with a single wing. Cliff glanced up, relief plain on his face. "Thanks Kalian," was all he said before he followed Roman faithfully back towards the hotel.
She watched him for a moment before walking along behind the pair, letting them have some private time.
Benji's eyes widened as the two of them finished the tale. "Well crap, we're going to have to get out of here," he said the second they stopped talking. Kalian nodded, pinching the bridge of her nose. "We're going to need some transportation though. We can't walk around with birdboy in back alleys and going the long way around places forever."
Her twin brightened instantly. "Leave that to me! You two just pack up our things and check out. I'll meet you outside the hotel. Just bring Cliff out the alley again," Benji said cheerfully, darting out of the room before either Cliff or Kalian could say a word.
The shifter stifled a yawning sigh and began to amble around the room, picking up tidbits of clothing. Cliff look confused as he listened to the girl move around. "Er... anything I can do?" he asked hesitantly. "Stay out of the way," Kalian replied with a smirk. Things were quiet for a few moments as Kalian packed up strewn clothes and personal possessions until a question seized Cliff. "Where are we going exactly?" the boy inquired politely.
Kalian was silent for a second, then replied in a thoughtful tone. "To our father's boat. Benj and I need to grab some things, and I'm sure we can sneak you on for some niceties." Snapping a final suitcase shut, Kalian handed it to Cliff and plucked up two more bags before opening the door.
"Guide him for me, Roman?" Kalian asked the eagle, who chirped softly in response. She could hear some weird noises from the bird as she stealthily glided down the hallway and entered the stairwell, holding the door open to let Cliff pass by.
The walk to the bottom floor was a quiet and uneventful one, and soon enough they were tasting fresh air once more. Kalian blinked as she saw Benji waving wildly from a car window at the end of the alley. A rueful sigh escaped her lips as she prodded Cliff and hurried forwards. "Benji, what the hell?" Kalian hissed under her breath as she opened the trunk and piled in the luggage. Her twin had clambered out to help her out, grabbing the sole bag Cliff was carrying before stowing it in with the rest. "I'll explain in the car, so hurry up," he replied, closing the trunk and slipping back into the driver's seat.
Letting Cliff climb into the back with Roman, the shifter slid into the passenger seat and quickly buckled her belt before turning an accusatory glare on her twin. "Explain, now," she demanded. Benji put the car in gear and rolled out smoothly into traffic. "You know how Dad tried putting us in regular school at one point?" her brother began, eyebrows knitting together.
Cliff reclined into the backseat with a smile, wondering just what little tale was about to be spun out. "Yes," Kalian replied curtly. "Well, this snobby kid thought it would be fun to bully me. I ignored him, never let him get what he wanted, and it was fine for a bit." The car stopped lightly as they reached a red light. "He tried to get physical one day after school and I went and hid in a car parked not far from the school. And while I waited for him to go, I startled fiddling with some wires and next thing I knew, the engine started!" The floor beneath their feet rumbled as Benji pressed the accelerator and continued driving.
"So I sat up in the seat, grabbed the wheel, looked out the window at the bully and smiled before I hit the gas. I almost crashed the car, but I got away from him. After that, I'd sneak away after school and see if I could hot wire cars, and lo and behold, I could. I never stole any, but at least it's helped us now, eh?" Benji finished with a good-natured chuckle.
His mirth was replaced swiftly by pain as Kalian punched him brutally on the shoulder. He yelped and shrank away from her reach as fury turned her face an ugly pinkish red. "I hope you didn't steal this from someone," she began in a subdued tone that belied her anger at her brother.
It was Cliff who stepped in. "No matter how you look at it, taking this car would be stealing from anyone. What if it was just parked carelessly nearby and looked like no one wanted it?" he said thoughtfully. Kalian deflated slightly, but still sounded resentful as she muttered something about 'meddling birdboys'. Benji sounded relieved as he thanked Cliff, turning the car onto a freeway to begin the long journey to home. "What kind of car did you steal anyways?" Kalian said suddenly, drawing a finger down one heavily tinted window.
"Uh, I think this is some crappy Plymouth. I didn't really look, but it had tinted windows and still worked, so that was all I needed to grab it. We're gonna need to stop for gas at some point, though. No luck with a full tank of gas," Benji replied with a long suffering sigh, drawing a chuckle from Cliff.
He reclined his head against the soft, velvety headrest and was asleep in seconds.
Something poked him in the shoulder, disturbing his dreams of swimming in a bowl of what looked like cereal. "Huh?" he mumbled sleepily, rubbing at his eyes. "Wakey wakey," said Kalian's voice from afar. "Eggs and bakey," chimed in Benji, snorting in laughter until the sound of a fist connecting against flesh stopped him.
As Cliff stumbled from the car, the smell of the ocean assaulted him, stronger than the last place the trio had been. Seagulls cried as they circled the streets and bay looking for a free meal, echoed by the shriller voices of the smaller birds that lurked by the sea. Waves sighed softly as they splashed against the hulls of boats and the wooden docks jutting out into the water. The chatter of beach going folks drifted over the sounds of nature, leaving the impression on the blind boy that they were in an area of great traffic.
The thought sent a momentary thrill of panic through him, quelled when he realized that the surface below his feet was rocking gently. Confused, he turned in the direction of the twins. "We drove straight onto the boat. They know we're out and about a lot since our dad disappeared," Kalian answered him, putting a hand on his shoulder and guiding him out of the little garage the luxury yacht sported.
After a few minutes he was ushered into a room and heard the door close with a click. Cliff let out a relieved sigh and sank down on the bed he'd bumped with his knee. "Ugh, I really need a shower. I can still smell some of that garbage stink when Roman made me hide in that bin," he muttered. "That's nice kid, but we have some questions to ask," came a gravelly, unfamiliar voice. Cliff froze in fear and turned his head around slowly. "Excuse me?" he said in a polite though strained voice. Silence greeted him, skyrocketing his increasing panic.
Then familiar laughter echoed out. "Ha! Totally got ya, didn't I?" Benji managed to wheeze through his laughing fit, causing Cliff to smile involuntarily and groan. "You're rotten!" he scolded Benji, barely surpressing the note of humour in his voice. Benji managed to finally quiet down, and got up quickly to open another door before returning to Cliff's side and helping the other boy to find his way to the bathroom.
"Roman can help you if you need anything. It's pretty simple, and there's a towel already in there. I'm gonna help Kalian fetch some food for ya, so don't be surprised if no one's here when you get back," the mahogany haired twin told Cliff, who nodded and motioned for his eagle companion to fly on in after him. The door closed quietly, sealing him from Benji and leaving him to his thoughts for a little while. After a relaxing shower, in which the scalding water helped ease away the last bit of tension in his body. He felt along the wall and found the towel rack, grabbing the luxuriously soft cotton towel and drying himself. Roman helped him locate his freshly washed clothes (they'd probably been yanked not long after stepping into the shower), and after a moment of struggling, managed to get his head through his shirt's neck hole and onto his lanky body.
Cliff felt his way to the door and opened it, returning into the room. He inhaled deeply, noticing there was a fresh smell of lavender and a little hint of citrus and vanilla. It was an odd mixture, but pleasing at that. Roman let out an annoyed squawk as he fluttered into the room and perched himself on one of the bedposts. The boy smiled, knowing it meant that there was someone the eagle didn't know in the vicinity. "Oh Roman, don't get your tail feathers in a knot," came Kalian's caustic voice. Cliff perched himself down on the edge of the bed and let his head turn around, sensing the presence of three other humans.
"Cliff, er, we have someone here who has something interesting she can tell you," Benji spoke out. A rustle of fabric alerted him to whoever it was approaching. He noticed the smell of the perfume he'd noticed a little bit ago was much stronger as she stopped before him. "Cliff, was it? My name is Rosaline Emmett," the woman said in bright tones, gently brushed with an indistinguishable accent.
He nodded his head, wondering what she had to say. "I know what you're going through, with the awkward wings always leaving you ducking out of public eye. I had the same problem, but I learned a trick that doesn't affect who and what I am, but lets me live a relatively normal life without people gawking. If you want, I can teach you this technique."
A stunned silence met her words. Cliff felt his mouth actually drop open out of shock, but quickly corrected himself. Benji stared at Rosaline with a curious expression. She was a tall woman with a willowy frame, and looked to be of European origins. Her hair, the color of dark coffee, spilled down her neck from the ponytail she had put it up in. She wore a dark gray, long sleeved, form-fitting sweater matched with a silky black skirt that fell to her knees. Her eyes were a glacier gray, but held a gentle warmth despite the cool, cutting color. Right now they were filled with a gentle sympathy for the sandy-haired boy resting on the bed before her, his large pale wings resting uncomfortably against his back.
Kalian let one of her eyebrows rise as she stared at Rosaline. The woman had been hired by her father to help around when and where she could, given more free reign than most hired help for rich families. The twins had seen her around occasionally, but never suspected her origins.
With an awkward cough, Cliff gazed sightlessly in the woman's direction. "Er..." he began brilliantly, wondering how to phrase his questions. Rosaline smiled and made a quick noise to stop the onslaught of inquiries. "It won't make them go away, and you'll have to stretch them at least once every week, but it really makes life a bit simpler," she said. A sort of explosion took place in Cliff's stomach as he comprehended the possibilities this presented. "And it really works?" the boy asked in hopeful tones. The woman laughed softly. "Yes, or else I would likely have never gotten work, even with men like Sam Carmel in the world," Rosaline replied thoughtfully. "It's quite simple to learn, and I can teach it to you now before dinner is ready."
At the mention of dinner, four stomachs growled simultaneously. Benji sniggered heartily. "Dinner on our yacht is always amazing," he told Cliff, patting the other boy's shoulder in an affectionate manner. At a venomous glare from Kalian, he withdrew his hand but kept a wide grin on his face. "Once Rosa teaches you this, we can eat a real feast fit for kings! See you in a bit Cliff," Benji said, leaving the room with his twin, who refused to say anything.
Left alone with Rosaline and Roman, Cliff turned his body in the direction he could sense she was. "Let's start right away!" he blurted out enthusiastically. Rosaline laughed again, and stepped forwards to start teaching her new pupil.
Kalian seated herself at the head of the table, in the chair where her father usually sat. She looked around primly, her hair cascading over her shoulders. She'd done away with her usual ponytail in favour of a more dressy hairstyle. It wasn't often she let her hair down, speaking literally and figuratively.
She'd also switched her outfit a nicer looking white, three-quarter sleeved blouse and black dress pants. Even dressing up, she refused to taint herself irreparably with too much girlyness. Benji hadn't bothered to change, the lazy git. Kalian glared at him as he slunk to the table. Her mouth opened as she prepared to ream him when a door at the far end of the dining room opened with a creak. Distracted, Kalian looked over and let out a loud squeak of shock before slapping her hand over her mouth. Smirking at his sister, Benji swivelled in his seat at the other end of table to see what she was looking at. An identical look of surprise crossed his face before a lazy smile crossed his face. "Knew you could do it bro!" he cheered, punching the air with his fists.
Cliff stepped in, smiling. The absence of wings sprouting from his back was startling, but he looked every bit a normal teenager. His sandy brown hair was fluffy and clean, as was his typical red shirt, black short outfit. Aquamarine eyes shimmering, he strolled to the table with Roman affixed to his shoulder.
Behind them came Rosaline, looking demure and somewhat pleased. She bowed to the three of them and left the room in a swish of fabric, closing the door behind her.
When Cliff paused by the table, Kalian furiously waved him over, her expression openly curious. Benji ran over from his end of the table and planted himself in the seat opposite of Cliff. "How does it feel?" they chimed at the same time. Looking amused, the boy held up his hands. "Easy now you guys. It was... different. But I feel a little more free now, y'know?" he replied lightly, reaching an arm over his shoulder to rub at one of the joints where his wings had come out of. They nodded feverishly, but their further questions were cut short by the arrival of several, mouth-watering looking dishes brought out by several men and women clad in chef clothing.
Set on the table before them, the staff bowed themselves out and left the trio to eagerly pick up cutlery and dive for the food. Cliff managed to snatch a chicken by the smell of it and began to cut it up quickly with Roman whispering muttered instructions in his ears. After eating his fill, he offered some of the meat to his companion, who squawked in thanks and fluttered down to the table to eat properly.
Benji swallowed through a large mouthful of mashed potatoes, eyes still on Cliff. "You look happier," he commented thickly, shovelling another large helping of potato into his mouth. The other boy nodded, though his expression looked slightly wistful. "I got so used to them there though, so it feels a little odd not sensing them. But at least getting on planes and walking around in public won't cause an uproar anymore," he replied, grinning. Only Kalian remained quiet as she ate, delicately ladling gravy onto her mashed potatoes before adding some meatloaf to her plate. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, all four of the group enjoying the hearty fare until all plates were relatively clean.
Leaning back, Benji muffled a belch against his hand and patted his stomach, looking content. "God I missed that cooking. It's just the best," he sighed in content. Cliff murmured his agreement, yawning widely. Roman squawked tiredly, leaning against his friend's head while his amber eyes slid halfway closed. Both boys looked over at Kalian, who was washing down her meal with a glass of water. One of her slender mahogany eyebrows rose as she noticed their staring, and she lowered her glass with a smirk. "Yes it was good. But now it's time we get to bed before we figure out what exactly our plans are," she replied after a moment, hazel eyes drifting to a door at the end of the room. Her twin groaned, but stifled a yawn against his hand. "Yeah, I can't really think anymore. I guess feeling stuffed makes you sleepy," he agreed reluctantly. Kalian let out a harsh snort as she finished the remains of her water. "You can't think at all!" she teased, rising from her chair.
The other two followed suit, Benji looking hurt. "You wound me!" the boy said in a mocking voice, dodging out of the way of the napkin ball his sister threw at him. Cliff shrugged lightly, careful not to disturb the sleepy eagle on his shoulder.
"Sleep sounds great right now," he said simply, offering no argument. He yawned widely, as if to enunciate his point. Kalian strode over to the kitchen doors and rapped on them lightly, pushing them inwards to call out to the staff that they were finished. She ushered the boys across the dining room as the staff came out and began to tidy up after them. Leaving the room, the trio walked in silence until they walked past a window, which was letting in a beam of orange-pink light from the evening sun. Benji stopped and pressed his hands against the cool glass, squinting out the window into the sunset. "The scenery... it's so nice around here. I missed this," the boy said with a wistful sigh. He yelped as Kalian socked him across the shoulder, and spun on her with a glare. "Don't be such an insensitive dork!" she hissed at him with a jab in Cliff's direction. Luckily for them, he had yawned again and missed the gist of their conversation. Eyes streaming from pain, Benji slowed down to walk beside the other boy and escape his sister.
He fell into an easy gait next to the sandy-haired youth, slipping into a more content state. "So we'll all get some good shuteye, then start working out what we do next," Benji announced, though this was quite an obvious fact. "Yupyup," came his short, tired reply. Benji chuckled and stopped at the room they'd picked out for him, opening the door and guiding the other boy in. He leaned in before closing the door. "There's some fresh pj's folded on the counter in the bathroom if you want to change," he said, backing out and shutting the door with a click.
Yawning a third time, Cliff gently picked up Roman and set him on the bed, where the eagle jerked awake and looked around sleepily. Cliff turned his head in the general direction of the bathroom, but the powerful need to sleep was overriding comfort, and the boy fell onto the bed with a sigh before sleep caught him in its gentle embrace.