Chapter Three – He's Back, And He's Still Mean
Dusty and Sky didn't end up talking for a whole week. Sky could hold a grudge with the best of them, and every time she even looked at Dusty she had a furious glare in her eyes. Dusty wanted to talk, but seeing her angry made him angry too. Blade hated seeing them argue. Emotionally distracted firefighters had a higher risk of screwing up and getting themselves hurt. Then again, the last thing he wanted was to hear a shouting match between Dusty and Sky. So he would have to let them sort it out themselves for now. If this went on for too long, then he could pull the Chief Card and intervene.
"Attention, Sky!" Patch called over the intercom. "You got a call from a Harley Hudson and Katherine Achebe. Come on up to the tower to answer!"
Sky perked up from her spot on a large rock, where she read a book. She hopped off the rock and jogged up to the tower. Patch left for her lunch break so Sky could talk privately.
"Sky Riley answering." Sky said into the radio. "What's up, guys?"
"Hey Sky!" Harley's voice came over the radio.
"Long time, no chat!" Katherine chimed in.
"Where are you guys?" Sky asked. "This transmission is coming from England."
"Well Finn and I were finishing up a mission in a place I cannot disclose." Harley said. "We decided to spend some time in London. We ran into Katherine, and she invited us to her house near Devon."
"Sounds fun." Sky said. "Anything else exciting happening?"
"I found my Soul Connect Partner." Katherine announced. "It's Leland!"
"No way! That's so cool!" Sky remembered the ghostly spy car Nick befriended at APS. It only seemed fitting that Katherine, who could see ghosts, would have a ghost for a Soul Connect Partner.
"I'm still wheelchair-bound, but I now share some of those ghostly powers like going through walls and turning invisible." Katherine said.
"How are things on your end?" Harley asked.
Sky shrugged. "Oh, same old, same old."
A pause on the line. "Something wrong?" Harley asked.
"Just some stress." Sky said.
"With work? Firefighting or racing?" Katherine guessed.
"Racing, I guess." Sky said. She explained her argument with Dusty, including their biggest one just a week ago.
"There's nothing wrong with him being concerned for you, Sky." Harley said. "I worry about you sometimes when you go into races. Working as McQueen's crew chief has shown me just how dangerous the sport of racing can be. Racers get injured and sometimes never go back to a normal life."
"You sound like my dad." Sky sighed, albeit in frustration. "Look, I understand how dangerous this sport is. Really, I do. But the more Dusty worries about me getting hurt, the higher the risk becomes of getting an injury. Ironically enough, I will probably get hurt by him worried I'm going to get hurt."
"Did you tell Dusty that?" Katherine asked.
"Like he'd listen to me." Sky scoffed. "He's so focused on his own paranoia I doubt he'd listen."
"You won't know unless you ask, Sky." Harley said. "Come on, you and Dusty are such good friends. I don't want you to lose that friendship over a fight."
Sky chuckled softly. "Dusty and I have had our spats before. We never lost a friendship over it. Don't worry. Everything will work out."
"As long as you're sure….." Katherine said.
"It's fine." Sky said. "Though I do wish I could worry about more normal stuff like boys or something."
"Oh?" Harley said. Sky could practically see her smirk. "Does somebody have a boyfriend that we don't know about?"
"Oh please." Sky rolled her eyes. "So not interested in boys right now. Never found a guy that looks past the racer side of me. What about you two?"
"Well, Finn keeps asking me about looking for a boyfriend." Harley laughed. "But the last time I tried to start a relationship, it didn't end well."
"I'm perfectly happy staying single." Katherine admitted. "I was declared infertile years ago, anyway. Not many guys find that very attractive. But I do plan to adopt a child one of these days."
"Dusty and Ishani are trying to start a family themselves." Sky mused. "Can't wait to be an auntie."
"Should be fun." Harley said.
"Oh, we aren't taking you away from firefighting, are we?" Katherine asked worriedly.
"No, no!" Sky laughed. "If the alarm goes off, you'll hear it. Not much I need to do in between fires. Except chores now and then. And psych-man power practice."
"How's that going?" Harley asked. "Finn and I have been working on techniques we can use in the field."
"Blade, Skipper, and I are doing what we can. But I'm dying to know more about my powers." Sky said.
"I've been doing as much research as I can." Harley said. "But most of what I'm doing relates to my healing abilities. Those are my strongest powers."
"I've been helping her with her research, but sometimes our powers are strongest with certain aspects like healing." Katherine said. "If you find anything more, let us know!"
"You got it." Sky said. "Well, I better sign off. I have firewood duty with the Smokejumpers, and I know that'll take the entire afternoon depending on how much the Jumpers mess around."
"Talk soon, okay?" Katherine requested.
"You got it." Sky agreed. "See ya, guys!"
"Bye!" Harley said before signing off.
Sky stood and stretched. She could use a little exercise. As she half-walked, half-bounced down the ramp to the ground, she spied something red and white. She thought it Blade at first, but got a better look and saw Dusty instead. The two racers locked eyes and just stared at each other for a long moment. They both wanted to say something, but it didn't seem like the right time. So Dusty turned and headed back to his hanger. Sky joined the Smokejumpers to head into the forest.
They would find another time to talk. It's not like anything worse can happen.
"Cad is back."
The team sat around a bonfire eating dinner when Blade and Maru gave the news. Half of the firefighters spewed their drinks. Drip started choking on his food and Blackout had to give him the Heimlich.
"What in the name of Dodge is Cad doing back here?" Dynamite demanded.
"Relax. He's a low-level employee." Maru said. "He works cleanup or the gift shop or something."
"But that means we're going to be running into him." Drip groaned.
"BAD!" Avalanche snapped.
"I'm giving you all fair warning so you can avoid him." Blade said. "We have to remain as professional as possible, understand?"
"So no pranks?" Blackout asked.
Blade thought about it. "I will not be a witness." The male Smokejumpers exchanged devious smirks, and then bolted for their hanger.
"Well this should be interesting." Sky sighed.
"Working with Cad around or whatever prank those boys have in mind?" Dipper asked.
"Both." Sky shrugged.
"We better keep an eye on them." Dynamite said. She and Pinecone followed the boys. As the night went on, the rest of the team began trickling off to their rooms until only Sky and Nick remained. Sky had since finished her dinner and simply poked at the dying fire. Nick stared at the stars. Quiet swirled around them except the chirping of the crickets and the occasional howl of a wolf.
"You know, I'm really glad you decided to show yourself to everyone here." Sky piped up. "It's nice to be able to talk to you anytime I like instead of trying to find a moment to sneak into the forest."
"It's much better than staying hidden, that's for sure." Nick said. "And the firefighters all seem to like me."
"I agree." Sky nodded. "You're a good member of this team."
Nick rolled his eyes with a grin. "Well, I don't do much. Just keep the morale going."
"That is just as important as any other job on this base." Sky assured.
"Thanks, Sky. You're a good kid." Nick had to remind himself that Sky wasn't exactly a child anymore. She was in her mid-twenties, after all. Sky had blossomed into a lovely young woman, and Nick couldn't help but stare sometimes.
"Nick?" Sky piped up quizzically.
Crud, he was staring now!
"Uh, sorry. Lost in thought." Nick chuckled. Sky laughed and shook her head a little. She went back to prodding the embers of the fire. Nick glanced to the package he hid behind him. "Hey, when's your birthday?"
"June." Sky answered.
"Then I guess we can call this a belated birthday present." Nick lifted a bandana in his teeth and floated over to drop the parcel in Sky's hands.
"What is it?" Sky asked, rather surprised.
"Open it and find out." Nick encouraged.
Sky obeyed, untying the bandana to discover what was inside. She gasped in awe. "Nick, it's beautiful!" She pulled out a gold chain with a gold pendant on it. The circular amulet was studded with a variety of different-colored stones. "Where did you get this?"
"Well, I found it, actually." Nick explained. "It was in the ashes of a bonfire we had a few weeks ago. Maru thinks it was stuck in a tree, and the tree was chopped into firewood which we used for the bonfire. I'm surprised it isn't any more damaged."
"I love it!" Sky clipped the amulet around her neck. "Thank you, Nick."
Nick felt his face grow hot. "It's nothing, really."
Sky still smiled, and she stood to hug the ghostly helicopter. "It's beautiful, Nick. Thank you." She yawned. "On that happy note, I think I'll be heading to bed."
"Sleep well, Cuervo." Nick said.
"Goodnight. Thanks again." Sky walked off to her and Blade's hanger with a skip in her step. Nick watched her leave with a smile on his lips and his face still hot from blushing.
Man, Maru was right. I really am in love with Sky. Nick stared at the dying fire. I don't know what it is about her, but I just feel so comfortable when she's around. And I miss her when she's gone. He sighed blissfully. I love this. I love being in love with her.
Thankfully for the firefighters, none of them really ran into Cad as they went about their days. The team tended to stay on the base, and Cad never went up to see them for any reason. Sky and Blade's luck ran out one morning when Jammer asked them to come down and lend a hand with a problem the superintendent ran into. When they arrived, Jammer led them to a tree that had fallen over right onto the lodge itself. Luckily, the strong structure of the lodge prevented the tree from causing too much damage besides some broken shingles. Jammer often called Windlifter and Blade down to help with removing these kinds of obstacles.
"What do you think, Blade?" Jammer asked as he, Blade, and Sky evaluated the damage. "Think we should call Windlifter?"
"I think I can manage this myself." Blade assured. "Just need to hook it correctly. Raven, it'll be easier and I'll get a better grip if you hook it for me. You a good climber?"
"Heck yeah." Sky nodded. "I'll head up there."
"Be careful." Jammer warned. "Those shingles can be a bit slippery."
Sky nodded and jogged inside the lodge. She got a room key and took the elevator to the room just below the damage. Once she exited the elevator, an unpleasant sight greeted her.
"Ah! The demon child!" Cad whimpered.
"Oh great. The village idiot." Sky rolled her eyes.
"What are you still doing here?" Cad demanded.
"I'm a firefighter at Piston Peak, you moron." Sky droned. She walked down the hall.
Cad scrambled to keep up. "Then what are you doing down here?"
"Damage caused by a fallen tree." Sky said. "Helping Blade take care of it."
"Oh no you don't!" Cad snapped. "If you're going to do any kind of work here in the lodge, then you need to be supervised by an actual lodge employee. Like me."
"Oh please." Sky scoffed. "First off, I wouldn't need your help even if you were actually helpful. Second, you're only a low-level employee. You run the gift shop and pick up trash. You have no experience with the kind of work Blade and I do."
"You're firefighters." Cad rolled his eyes. "You drop wet stuff on hot stuff and that's it. Really, you can't be doing it so well if you almost got killed last time."
Sky clenched her fists, her nostrils flaring. She struggled to control her temper. She took great pride in her work as a firefighter, and she felt honored to be in the rankings with her team at Piston Peak. They all did so much for the park. They were heroes. What did Cad know about their work?
"If you insist on coming, then you do what Blade and Jammer say." Sky decided.
"Fine. Whatever." Cad said dismissively.
Oh I might just kill him before the day is done. Sky put on a smile and knocked on the door of a lodge room. She heard no answer, and when she opened the door, she saw the room vacant. The room had a balcony, where Sky could see the tree still leaning against the lodge.
Sky pushed open the doors to the balcony and saw Blade hovering above her. "Hey Blade!"
"How's it look, Raven? Can you climb that?" Blade asked.
"No problem." Sky said. "It's just that—"
"What's the holdup?" Cad demanded as he joined Sky on the balcony.
"What in the hell are you doing here?" Blade demanded.
"Company policy that a lodge employee must standby to offer expertise when outside sources are contacted for jobs in the lodge." Cad said smugly.
Blade glanced down to Jammer, who rolled his eyes. Clearly Cad was full of sludge, as usual. "All right, then you do as we say!" Blade ordered. "Help Skylar climb up to the roof."
"How?" Cad demanded.
"Hold still so I can climb on you and then climb on the roof." Sky snapped.
"Oh, no!" Cad scoffed. "You and your dirty sneakers aren't getting anywhere near this pristine paintjob."
"Cad." Blade growled warningly.
Cad rolled his eyes and reluctantly let Sky crawl onto his hood, and then his roof. He grimaced in disgust. Sky cheekily rubbed some dirt off her shoe and onto Cad's roof, and then hopped up onto the roof of the lodge. She slipped a little bit on the shingles, but managed to crawl down to the tree. Blade lowered his hoist down, and Sky wrapped the hook and cable around the part of the tree that leaned against the gutter. Here, the trunk was thick enough to not snap when Blade pulled on it, and Blade would have the proper leverage to pull the tree away from the lodge without causing more damage.
"All right, Blade!" Sky called. "You're clear!"
"Roger that!" Blade began his haul, slowly lifting the tree from the lodge roof. Pine needles fell from the tree, and Sky could see a couple shingles stuck to the tree branches.
"How's the damage look?" Jammer called from the ground.
"Not too bad!" Sky called back. "I think it just needs some nails, new tiles, and it'll be good!"
"All right, I'll send up our resident handyman to take a look!" Jammer called. "Come on down. And be careful!"
"I'm always careful!" Sky barely finished before her foot slipped and she tumbled right off the roof. Her fingers caught the edge of the roof, but she slipped quickly.
"Cad! Catch her!" Blade shouted. He couldn't drop the tree and help Sky.
"Huh?" Cad looked up and reversed as Sky fell towards him. She landed on her side and her teeth clenched in pain. She growled in her agony, holding her hip.
Blade fumed now. He promptly dropped the tree off to one side and flew back as close as he could get to the balcony without scraping his rotors. "What in the hell is wrong with you?!" Blade shouted at Cad. "Why did you do that?"
"She would've put a dent in me!" Cad complained.
"She could've been seriously hurt thanks to you!" Blade corrected. Again.
"Blade, relax!" Sky slowly rose to her feet. "I studied jujitsu when I became a Jolly Wrench. I know how to fall right."
Blade's murderous glare changed to a stare of concern when he looked to Sky. "You sure you're all right?"
"I'm fine." Sky assured. "I'm bruised, but I'm fine."
"Spinner, get back to your post in the shop." Jammer ordered. "Blade, you and Sky are dismissed."
Blade nodded and lowered his hoist to pull Sky up. Then he headed back towards the base. "Raven, be honest with me." Blade said. "Are you hurt?"
"Like I said, just bruised." Sky answered honestly. "I've taken worse beatings, and I didn't fall very far." She heard Blade mutter something. "Blade, I can still hear you."
"You know how protective I get of you, Raven." Blade said. "And the fact that Cad's first impulse was to get out of the way just makes me angrier at his stupidity."
"The more you dwell on it, the angrier you'll get." Sky said. "I'll live."
Blade still grumbled as he landed on the base and went to Maru to refuel. "I see you limping, Raven."
"Shut up." Sky droned. She did limp a little bit from the lingering pain. But if she could walk, it meant nothing was broken. So she would be fine.
"Hey Sky!" Dusty called as he approached her. "I wanted to talk to—" He noticed her unnatural gait. "Why are you limping?"
"Problem with Cad. Don't worry about it." Sky winced. "Sorry, that was too harsh."
"No, no. Don't worry about it." Dusty assured. He and Sky started talking again, even though they avoided their little spat following the race in Arizona.
"Did you say you wanted to talk to someone?" Sky asked.
"Yeah, you." Dusty said. "I think we should talk about what I said some time ago about…..uh….about you…being….."
"About you calling me fragile?" Sky asked bitterly.
"Yes!" Dusty cleared his throat. No amount of rehearsal in a mirror could prepare him for this talk. "I just…..well….."
"Dusty, I need to go ice down my hip so it doesn't swell." Sky said. "Can this wait?"
"No." Dusty said hurriedly. "No, it really can't wait."
"Then start talking." Sky urged. "Like I said, I have to ice my hip."
"Right." Dusty exhaled sharply. "Sky—"
"All aircraft. We got a report of a wildfire."
"Oh are you kidding me?!" Dusty complained.
"Champ, Raven, let's load and go!" Blade urged.
Sky nodded and headed for the garage to get her gear. "Sky!" Dusty called, causing her to pause. "We need to talk. After the fire. Please."
After a moment, Sky nodded. "We'll talk after the fire. Promise."
"Promise." Dusty agreed. He and Sky split off to gear up for the firefight. We can talk after the fire. No worries. Dusty assured himself. We're going to figure this out.
"Dipper, go to the north end of the fire and start making a line. Dusty, pick up where she leaves off and finish it."
"Copy that!"
"Yes, Chief!"
"Windlifter, create a line up on the ridge to keep the fire from cresting it."
"Windlifter copies."
"Dynamite, how's it going down there?"
"Almost done clearing the brush."
Things are looking good. Sky thought, scanning the firefight from her vantage point with Blade. She nodded to Nick, who also surveyed the scene. Nick nodded back to ensure everything looked okay.
The firefighters found the wildfire near Augerin Canyon, creeping closer and closer to the opening of the tunnel leading to the bridge. If the fire reached the bridge, it would be another reconstruction project and a loss of a major roadway in the park. It would be extremely dangerous if the bridge was taken out again. The firefighters would have to work fast to contain the fire and keep it from spreading.
Blade circled the fire a few more times, his sharp gaze taking in every detail. As an actor, his attention to detail helped him pick up flaws in the script or ideal additions to the show. As a firefighter chief, that same attention to microscopic and seemingly unimportant details allowed him to tackle small problems before they became bigger ones.
That same attention to detail saw a flash of white that looked like a paintjob on a car.
"Dynamite, come in." Blade ordered.
"What's up, Chief?" Dynamite responded.
"Do a scan of the fire. Call out into it. I think we got someone trapped inside." Blade said.
Dynamite turned to the flames, fear bubbling up in her gut. This was always a worst fear for wildland firefighters: the possibility that someone was inside the fire they fought. Animals could escape easier than people. Dynamite hollered as loud as she could. "Hello! Is there somebody in there? Give us some sort of sign! Shout! Honk your horn! Do something!"
Seconds later, Dynamite heard the frantic honks of a car horn. "Is that close to you?" Blade asked over the radio.
"Negative." Dynamite reported. "I'd say about a hundred yards into the fire, northeast of our position."
"Copy that." Blade flew in that direction. "Raven, take a look. I need a second pair of eyes."
"Yes sir!" Sky nodded and leaned out of the hoist hatch. She scanned the gaps in the trees and flames in hopes of spotting their lost civilian. She spied a flash of white that quickly disappeared. "Blade, it looks like they're on the run."
"They're all over the place." Blade murmured. Another bad thing about civilians caught in a wildfire. They tended to run wild, trying to find a way out.
"There!" Sky pointed to the flash of white, and this time Blade could follow.
"Hey!" Blade shouted. "Stop running!"
The car finally skidded to a help and stared up at the firefighters. "Get me out of here!"
Sky and Blade froze and simultaneously groaned.
"What?" Dusty asked. "What is it?"
"Cad." Sky and Blade sighed.
"WHAT?!" The other firefighters all shouted at once, even Windlifter.
"What the heck is Cad doing out there?" Maru shouted over the radio.
"Maybe he finally cracked." Nick shrugged, half-jokingly.
"Sky, you know what to do." Blade didn't sound very happy about it either.
"Roger that." Sky sighed. Blade often sent her into fires to help guide civilians or maybe the Smokejumpers to safety. It may sound horrible, but she really didn't want to have to help Cad after how mean he was to her and her team. Still, she was a firefighter, and she saved people. Even Cad.
Blade dropped a bit of retardant onto the trees to give Sky a clear shot. Sky took hold of Blade's hoist and used it to get down to the forest floor. The second her sneakers touched the ground, she was surrounded by the flames. She already began sweating. Regardless, she put on her oxygen mask, took her fire extinguisher and cleared a path to Cad.
"Cad!" Sky shouted.
The white Cadillac spun around to her. His eyes were wild, and ash and dirt splotched his previously pristine paintjob. "Well don't just stand there!" Cad shouted. "Get me out of here!"
"Nice to see you too!" Sky snapped in a sarcastic tone. She jumped when a flaming tree branch fell beside her. "Blade, Nick, somebody. I need options."
"Windlifter, create a line through the fire for them to get through." Blade ordered.
"Windlifter copies."
In less than a minute, a snowfall of retardant fell over Sky and Cad as Windlifter doused out the flames in a perfect line leading out of the fire.
"Ugh! Gross!" Cad growled as the red retardant splattered over him.
"Just come on!" Sky urged, pulling on his fender to guide him down the path.
Cad reversed a few feet, almost jerking Sky off her feet. "I'm not going through there! I wasn't made for off-road!"
"That's what this is for!" Sky pulled out her pulaski axe from its holster on her hip. "I'll cut a path for us!"
"No way!" Cad said. "I'll get even dirtier!"
"Really? You're going to argue with me now?!" Sky shouted.
"Forget it!" Cad said. "You're the worst firefighter I ever met! I'm finding my own way out!"
Sky threw her pulaski as hard as she could. The axe end impaled a tree, stopping Cad in his tracks. "Do you want to die? You have to trust me!"
"Why would I?" Cad scoffed.
"Because if you don't, we'll both burn!" Sky argued.
Suddenly they heard a loud crashing sound, and Sky shielded her face from the kicked-up ash and embers. She groaned when she saw a flaming tree fell right in the path Windlifter cleared out. Cad screamed—in a rather high-pitched tone—and spun around to drive for his life.
"Cad!" Sky growled in frustration. "You gotta be kidding me!"
"Raven, come in! What's going on down there?" Blade demanded over Sky's radio.
"What's going on is Cad is freaking out and going to get us killed!" Sky answered as she yanked her pulaski out of the tree and sprinted after Cad. The Cadillac couldn't move very well over the rough and burning terrain, so Sky caught up fairly easily and grabbed his mirror. Using her powers to control him, Sky could make him freeze in his tracks. She couldn't, however, stop his hyperventilating and blabbering.
"Sky, talk to me." Blade was getting more anxious, and Sky could tell by the tone of his voice.
"We're completely boxed in, Blade." Sky said. "The wall of Augerin Canyon is on one side of us and the burning forest is everywhere else. We need a way out and fast."
"Sky, just west of your position is the opening to the tunnel leading to the bridge!" Dusty chimed in on the radio. "You can get through there!"
Blade flew a little higher to analyze the situation. "Good eye, Champ. Set yourself up for a drop and give them a clear shot inside. Sky, you and Cad can get through there, but be careful! The fire crested the ridge and you might have some trees falling down the other side."
"Just make sure they don't set the bridge on fire, and we'll be fine." Sky assured.
"Roger that. Nick, go watch them. Wherever Sky goes, you go. Dusty, move in!" Blade commanded. "Sky, get ready to move."
Nick quickly appeared by Sky's side. "Get ready to move, Cuervo."
Sky kept her hand on Cad's mirror to keep him from moving. "Listen to me, Cad! Once Dusty has a path cleared for us, we're going to make a break for the tunnel. You stay right with me, understand?" She looked up at the sound of Dusty's engine. He was circling around them now. "Ready…" A burst of retardant showered onto the trees, clearing the flames. "Go!" Sky took off running, Nick close behind her. She leaped over charred brush and ducked under blackened tree branches. She could see the tunnel just ahead of her. But she didn't hear tires over dirt, and she skidded to a halt when she realized Cad didn't follow her. "Oh for the love of Dodge!" Sky growled. She and Nick turned back and ran into the fire. Cad hadn't moved from his spot. "Cad!" Sky screamed. "Move it!"
Cad didn't move beyond running his mouth.
"Dodge Ram it!" Sky snarled. She jumped onto Cad's roof and pressed her hand to the metal of the Cadillac. Cad seized up, and then shot forward against his will. Nick jumped and scrambled to keep up. Some years ago, Sky discovered her powers extended to the ability of controlling a vehicle's movements. Very rarely did she take control like that. It seemed too cruel to force someone to do something. But this was a desperate time. There was a slight drawback: Sky could only see through the vehicle's eyes—which the vehicle still had control over—and Cad's eyes would sometimes dart around in fear during the drive to the tunnel. Sky struggled to hold on and keep her control at the same time. The swirling colors and flashes of clear images made Sky sick to her stomach.
Blade saw Cad with Sky riding his back, and he kept his eyes on them as they moved. "Come on…..come on….." He finally relaxed when Sky, Nick, and Cad shot into the tunnel to Augerin Canyon. Several burning trees collapsed in front of the entrance. "Maru, come in." Blade said into the radio.
"I read you." Maru answered immediately.
"Sky, Nick, and Cad made it into the tunnel." Blade said as he headed up over the ridge. "Send the call down to Jammer to—" He made it over the ridge and froze, his eyes widening.
"Blade?" Maru asked. "Chief, what's wrong?"
Blade couldn't answer. He was too busy staring at the burning trees that completely blocked the exit of the tunnel.
Sky, Nick, and Cad were still inside.