[Whatsyourface]

Kal returned soon. In a few minutes dro It walked over to Jet and looked at him. Something was different. He seemed hurt. Posture against of the leg seemed to indicate the wound was somewhere around there. Kal walked over and looked it over. It seemed treated. Kal then looked to Jet as he sat slumped against the wall.

[Kalli]

Jet perked up almost as soon as that pale figure landed, and though he couldn’t stand up just yet, he was trying. As Kal’s neck bent his large head down to examine the wound in Jet’s leg, the boy placed a hand on his head. It shook a bit, partly because he was holding back the urge to embrace that head in lieu of the body his arms wouldn’t fit around. It was a rather strange impulse, but Jet wasn’t a completely hardened streetrat, either.

“You made it back.” he said quietly, relief plain in his voice. The boy had exhaled a long breath he didn’t know he was holding, and he sat back, but his hand remained near Kal’s cheek…or what passed for a cheek, anyway. “You alright? How is the girl? Did she make it to the clinic ok?” Kal likely would not have understood this level of concern, or the vulnerable look in Jet’s blue eyes as they scanned him intently, but Jet couldn’t help it. The stress of the day was getting to him, and the thought of death hung heavy in teh air.

[Whatsyourface]

With all these questions and Kal still unable to speak as Jet put it’s hand om the side of it’s face, all it did was nod at Jet. It was the simplest thing it could do.

(I fell asleep. Must have been expecting something longer. Sorry!)

[Kalli]

(Nah, it’s ok! Get some rest lol)

Jet accepted the nod as an answer; he seemed to just need some assurance that there would be no more death and destruction.

“Will your throat heal on its own?” he asked after a pause, in which his hand fell back into his lap, and he leaned back to look into Kal’s eyes. It seemed ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers would have to do for now, but so long as Kal was alive and with him Jet was fine with that. he just wished he could do more for his friend.

[Whatsyourface]

(Wish I could. Sleep clock messed up)

Kal turned aside and spouted out some fragments from it’s throat. It looked like a hack? But it more of a dry noise. Then it turned back to Jet and nodded. It however looked around and listened. People may come up and investigate. And it kept track of what they were doing. Which would be easier with all the activity they were doing.

[Kalli]

Jet couldn’t help starting up at this, more concerned than ever as those fragments of Kal’s throat pinged off the roof. At least he would heal, but Jet was still worried. He was about to suggest that they get somewhere less conspicuous and rest when the sounds of people from downstairs got considerably louder. Jet scrambled to a kneeling position, wincing at the pain in his leg, and looked down over the bent railing of the roof. He could see movement through the dirty windows on the storey below where the apartments had caved in.

“You’d better get to safety before they find you.” he said, turning back to Kal. “Wherever you can find it, just so no one can hurt you. I’m going to try and salvage what I can from my apartment, but….I think it’s pretty much gone to hell. No point living there now.”

With a sudden push, and a hiss that escaped through his teeth, Jet forced himself to stand. His footing was unsteady, but he’d dealt with worse injuries than this one. Now wasn’t the time for weakness, or mourning the loss of his shitty apartment. In some way, he did mourn because it had been a sort of safe haven. What little he owned he’d scraped together with much hard work. Now…

No use crying over spilled milk; just man up and move on. “Sorry you got hurt because I was stupid…” he said, looking at Kal. “But thanks for taking that girl to the clinic…and for everything. If you manage to get to the woods, I’ll try to find you.”

Kal may not have understood Jet’s reasoning for any of what he said, but in the boy’s mind he truly expected Kal to leave him behind for greener pastures. That was what always happened with everyone else- when Jet was proved to be a walking disaster area, people just left him behind…or they died.

[Whatsyourface]

Kal simply looks at Jet as he apologizes, it’s head tilting to the side a bit. As Jet said he will find Kal, it nodded once then took off as soon as someone began to walk in. Gone from general sight. Surprisingly quickly for something that seemed so large. Gone in moments.

(Already have a place in mind depending on how things go.)

[Kalli]

(Awesome! I wasn’t sure myself, but I was thinking of a few ideas. Yours is likely much better XD)

Jet watched him fly off, a heavy weight in his stomach as the pale figure got smaller and smaller in the sky. Even though he knew it wasn’t Kal’s style, a tiny part of him had hoped that the creature would have insisted on staying, like it couldn’t bear to leave him behind. Jet knew it was a stupid thing to either expect or want, but he was only human. Anyway, who said this goodbye was the final one? Jet would make sure it wasn’t, even if he didn’t know where Kal was going. Somehow he’d find his friend.

At the sound of the roof door being pushed open, he turned and came face to face with the landlord. Also two of his buddies. They didn’t look particularly happy to see him, or worried about his condition. It was no less than he’d expected, so no love lost there. The landlord began to lay into him for ruining his building, but jet remained calm, glad that Kal was well away form this. Annoyed as he was, Jet knew the landlord was all hot air; he loved to scream, especially when he got stressed. Which was a lot.

Jet let the man have his ranting session, not saying anything until the man had screamed himself hoarse. That was when he pointed out that he couldn’t have caused the roof or floors to collapse if they hadn’t been structurally unsound to begin with. Also, that the collapse had happened in the apartment next to his, which was always chained off. His own apartment had been destroyed, and even though he didn’t pay much in rent, it was still money the landlord would no longer be getting because Jet had decided to move. Almost getting killed because of the man’s negligence was more than enough to make him not want to stick around.

Naturally, Jet kept quiet any mention of the injured girl, or Kal, and he was glad to see his words have some effect on the portly, half-drunk old man. The landlord grudgingly agreed to allow Jet to go back down and get his things so long as he left the fridge, mattress and TV. Both were jet’s, but the boy knew he couldn’t carry them to wherever he stayed next. He’d have to travel light until he found new digs. But Jet was thinking of the truck in the junkyard, and all the stuff under it, and was able to let those things go. They were barely worth salvaging anyhow.

An hour later found Jet back on the streets again, limping, but surprisingly lighter in spirit than he expected to be at this point. Perhaps it was the constant threat of the floor collapsing, or random fires breaking out because of the bad wiring. Maybe the rats, the shootings… In any case, maybe it was time for a change. Jet had his weapons, which he’d managed to hide from the landlord before they were discovered. In his makeshift pack were his few clothes, his food, and other assorted items. He also had some smaller items from the junkyard which he was able to bring along. Those would, when fixed, pay for at least a few days in a motel until he was able to find a better place to live. Maybe it would be close to the clinic, where he could check on the girl and make sure she was healing ok. He’d try to earn a little extra to slip to the doctors for taking care of her. They were harassed enough as it was. For now, though, his main priority was finding shelter before that night’s storm came on…and finding Kal.

Jet had an idea of where his friend might be, and so headed out toward the edge of the city, where a swath of forest stood, green and silent. Jet would have to walk about ten blocks before catching a glimpse of it between the buildings. With his leg the way it was… Well, he couldn’t afford to be weak now. The injury wasn’t the worst he’d suffered, and he hadn’t lost too much blood. It just hurt like hell. Pain he could deal with, though, and did, trying not to limp too much because that would have made him a target. Any weakness did that. Shouldering his pack, Jet strode forward as steadily as he could, still with that odd mix of optimism and anxiety in his chest.

[Whatsyourface]

Kal was along the forest near the junkyard it stayed in the trees mostly, looking around. Latching to the sturdy side of the bark. Observing natural life. Nocturnal life. Though this place fascinated it, it wanted to know how it was going to meet with it’s ally once more. Perhaps he would call to it. Though it’s echolocation does not function as well. It’s hearing was still very keen. Kal had noticed a sort of familiar noise coming from it’s tail. It was a cricket. A strange creature. It moved whenever it made a noise. So this was what creature they based it’s noise from. Kal knew it’s name, but had never actually seen it.

Kal closed it’s eyes after. The noises of the cricket’s helping Kal see beyond it’s eye. Keen on trying hear anything from it’s friend. It would sit and wait for hours. Days even if it believed jet would come near here.

[Kalli]

Jet’s leg managed to hold out for awhile, in spite of the pain and the weight of his modified pack. But as he got closer to the edge of the city, having to expend time and energy dodging trouble here and there, he found it increasingly difficult to move. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if Kal was out there, or if he’d even wait that long. The more the boy thought about it, the less likely it seemed. People never stuck around long with him.

The sun continued to sink slowly in the sky, picking up speed as it neared the end of the day. If Jet got to the woods and Kal wasn’t there, he’d have to spend the night…and that wasn’t a good idea. Even the worst, most violent criminals didn’t spend any time in the woods, especially at night. There were things out there that preyed on humans, and not just the regular animals, like cougars. Now Jet had an idea of what those things were, given what he’d seen in the underground lab. They’d probably be the kind of things that would love the smell of blood. Though Jet had taken time to re-bandage his wound, he could feel it was soaked in patches. He didn’t fancy being dinner, but at the same time was growing more and more desperate to meet with his friend once more. At present, the woods were the only place he could think of, so he soldiered on.

By the time Jet got to the edge of the city, the sky was glowing a deep red, and clouds had gathered overhead, threatening rain. The wind was picking up, too, blowing garbage around his feet. Jet’s eyes narrowed, and he looked into the twilight past the buildings, hoping for that familiar pale blob, but so far he saw nothing. He’d come out to the North of the junkyard and the retaining wall, and the thought came to him that Kal might be just there. But that was another four blocks South and his leg was trembling.

Jet was forced to pause and lean against the broken wall of an old outlying building, though he didn’t dare sit down. His chest rose and fell from the exertion, so it was awhile before he could get enough breath to move on. Normally he could walk twice this distance in a day and not feel so tired, but his leg, and other bumps and bruises, were making things difficult. But he was used to struggling on when in pain.

As the darkness gathered around him, and thunder rumbled far away, he pushed from the wall and hunched into his tattered jacket, wincing as pain stabbed through his leg again. Jet managed to gather enough breath to give a shout, “KAL!”, and hoped his friend could hear. Would he come?

[Whatsyourface]

Kal’s closed eyes fly open as he hears a familiar voice that it waited long for some time to hear. It was a cry that implied urgency. He had gone so far past him, and it was imperative that it hurried. No need for stealth now. The propulsion device on Kal’s back burned pure hydrogen, and invisible flame shooting from it’s back as took off from the trees through the air towards the direction from which it heard it’s name shouted.

It knew the distance the place from where the shout came, and it had hoped nothing more, like any of the more predator animals it knew of had gotten there first. It did not even need it’s thermal visioned eyes if Jet hadn’t moved, and even so, it would have found him anyway. It saw him as it swooped down and landed hard wings spread wide, on the ground 20 feet away from it’s ally, it’s friend. Dust, flying up from when it landed and a brief vibration in the ground, it then stood up on two legs and fold it’s wings to walk over to him so that it may look him over with it’s eyes.

[Kalli]

Jet wasn’t in immediate danger, but night was closing fast, and the heaviness of an approaching storm grew in the West. He plodded on, hoping to find Kal, or that his friend had somehow heard him. The creature’s hearing was quite exceptional, so maybe…?

As Jet limped along the broken asphalt strip, which lay between the forest and the city, he could hear rustling fin the shadows. Little noises that might be nothing, but when put together could amount to *something*, and probably not something good. In the dim twilight he could see, or thought he could see, eyes glowing out at him. Multiple sets, too, and most too small to be Kal. Only once or twice did he see something larger, and two yellowish eyes shining out at him, but when he called out his friend’s name more softly he got no response. Something was stalking him.

“This isn’t funny, Kal…” he growled, knowing it wasn’t his friend but still trying to put on a brave face. “Come out of there and stop being stupid…” He heard something low, like a growl, and quickened his pace. The faint press of dry leaves under feet, or paws, could be heard following him. Out of the corner of his eyes, Jet could even swear he saw a faint blue glow. His heart hammered against his chest; Jet started to trot, which was hard given his injury, but he wanted to get away from there. Even the junkyard might offer some protection, though that was doubtful. How far was he?

“Kal, where are you?” he panted, feeling his legs start to shake from exhaustion.

Suddenly, something massive landed right in front of him, causing him to cry out with fear. But even as he tried to reach for his gun his leg gave out, and he fell forward, catching himself painfully with his hands. Before he could scramble away, however, Jet looked up and recognized his friend’s unmistakeable silhouette in the dim light.

“Kal?” he breathed, getting shakily to his feet. Then, Jet did something very unnatural, for him, anyway. he lurched forward and threw his arms around Kal’s waist, holding him tightly and shaking just a little.

“Gods, Kal…..don’t scare me like that!” His voice was muffled against the creature’s stomach; in that moment, Jet seemed more like the boy he actually was, rather than the man he had to be the rest of the time.

The moment passed swiftly, and he pulled back, looking embarrassed and blinking his eyes rapidly. They were just a bit moist was all. “You coulda given a person some warning, y’know?” he laughed shakily.

[Whatsyourface]

Kal looked down on Jet when he hugged it, unsure of what exactly Jet was doing and of what it should do. However, when he let go and Kal got to look at him, Jet looked a mess. He looked tired and worn out. Kal looked about suspiciously. He knew somethings were near. Just not exactly where. If it didn’t make much noise, Kal could not see it easily.

Jet let go of his embrace and Kal got on all fours as it returned it’s look to Jet. He didn’t look well or healthy. Kal reared down, like steed. As if it actually wanted Jet to ride him or allow Kal to carry him. It looked like it would be a bit hard to grip Kal as it was made to be smooth and highly aerodynamic. Though if he were to lock his hands around it’s neck, he would be able to hold on. Kal will insist non verbally, in it’s movements that it wants Jet to come with it.

[Kalli]

Jet rubbed at his face irritably. He was rather ashamed of himself for getting worked up, especially because nothing had actually happened. Tired and in pain he was, but not dying. When had he suddenly turned into such a baby? Jet was just glad Kal didn’t push him away with that display of emotional weakness. Of course, it was possible Kal had no clue what a hug was, or crying. That was probably the case- Jet remembered the night before and his nightmare, and how confused Kal had been. Best to forget it, then, and hoped Kal did, too.

Jet was surprised when the creature bent over, lowering his head toward the ground. He was surprised and momentarily confused.

“You….want me to get on your back?” Jet asked, wiping his damp fingers on his threadbare jeans. Kal didn’t move, though its yellow eyes seemed to regard him sidelong, waiting. Apparently that was a “yes”. Jet was surprised, but willing enough, as he had been taking as much weight off his leg as possible.

Taking care not to choke Kal, he half-lay across his back, wrapping both arms around his neck in as unobtrusive manner as he could manage. With Kal, there was no fear of where they were going, or what would happen. Jet actually felt safe with someone else, which was saying a lot.

“Thanks, buddy.” he said, just able to see Kal’s distinctive eye from where his head hung over one shoulder. Kal was being so…careful…. He was being protective. Jet had called and he’d come. It inspired a stronger glow than ever in his chest, something Jet hadn’t felt for so long. If only there was some way to repay his friend, the one who had saved him so many times…

[Whatsyourface]

Kal couldn’t exactly go back to the city, but it did know a place for potential shelter. So it stood up on two legs leaned forward. Kal did not seem to mind any amount of pressure that Jet placed on it’s neck as it walked forward. Looking around warily as it walked. The tail moved back and forth, and was not split into digits. It was currently ideal as a weapon.

Kal walked until they came upon a small rocky cave. Something seemed to have lived here, but did not anymore. There was some fur on the ground. The cave didn’t go very deep into the rock. Only about maybe 20 feet, and then there was dead end. Not a flat wall, mostly just the cave curving downward into the floor. It let Jet down at around the entrance so that he may rest. And then stood and looked outside at the entrance. One way in, one way out.