[Kalli]

“No.” Jet said quickly, a little too quickly. He cleared his throat. “No thanks. I’ll just take it easy.” Having crutches out there in the city would be like walking around with a bullseye on his back. Street thugs lived to use anyone weaker than themselves for target practice, and if it got out that Jet was incapacitated in any way… Well, doctors weren’t meant to understand. They still managed to survive on the stipends the fractured government gave them to run clinics for the homeless.

Jet continued to limp on stubbornly, his mind shifting back to the girl on the gurney. He wondered what she’d told the doctors and nurses about Kal, and if they believed her. He was banking on them thinking she was insane or hallucinating, since any drug tests would probably come out negative. She certainly hadn’t been on anything when she snuck into his apartment. He was still upset by that, and by the fact that he now had nowhere to live again. To his credit, however, Jet didn’t wish for any retribution, just to get out of there and to Kal. He hoped his friend wold be alright…

[Kalli]

Jet tried to act casual, like he didn’t know her, though his eyes followed the gurney as it passed down the hall. The fact that she was awake and sitting up put him a little more at ease, but he was still concerned. However, he had his mask on and didn’t intend to give away anything.

The nurse who had been leading him out of the clinic watched Jet, having seen the girl’s reaction to him. “Do you know that girl?” she asked, her eyes scanning his face.

Jet looked at the nurse blankly. “No…should I?”

“She seemed to know *you*.”

“The kid also looks like she got hit on the head.” Jet shrugged and started to limp away. “I probably look like someone she knows or something.”

[Kalli]

Jet’s lips pressed together in a thin line. Being this close to any medical personnel, even one who was being nice, didn’t make him any less apprehensive. Jet had his usual mask on, giving nothing away, and saying as little as possible to hide his concerns. He thought of Kal, worried that his friend might get caught, and hoping he would be ok. If only there was some way for doctors to heal Kal’s throat, but he wouldn’t let them near his friend anyway. They’d cart him off to the feuding government factions and he’d be forced to be a weapon. That thought made Jet shiver, which didn’t help his uneven walk. His leg was weaker than ever, and hurt like hell. Probably better to get this over with.

As Jet followed the nurse with great reluctance, he remembered the girl that Kal had brought here yesterday. Jet opened his mouth to ask about her, but remembered it would be bad if he was linked to her in any way. Who knew what she’d told them, if she was awake… Jet made a silent promise to at least check in on her while he was there, if he could do so without giving himself away.

The nurse led him to a small clinic room and had him lie down on the examination table. Jet was not at all pleased when a doctor came in and they began to cut his pants-leg open. It wasn’t like he had another pair, after all. Yet he kept his face and speech neutral, giving away nothing. The doctor’s questions as they treated his injury were probing, but Jet could lie quiet well and by the end had them convinced he’d just tripped and impaled himself on a rough piece of wood. Also that he was eighteen, which he almost was.

Since their records were incomplete because of the war, and he lived on the streets, they more or less had to take his word for it. The doctors and nurses in the area had become less adamant about locating legal guardians because it was just too large a job for such a small number of trained personnel. Too many kids roaming the streets with no one to care for them, and uncertain deliveries of medical supplies, not to mention spotty electrical and water issues. The city had devolved into third-world country conditions in a matter of a few years. They had enough to worry about just trying to keep the people in the city alive without tracking down the legal guardians of every injured kid who walked through their doors. Though thin and not entirely healthy, he looked like he could be eighteen. It was the age he put on the paperwork they’d given him, which he left mostly blank. As he refused to give any more information, and one stubborn young man was not worth calling the police over, the doctor and nurse basically gave up and finished treating him in silence.

Jet was glad of this; he’d been afraid that they would probe into who he was and why he was alone, and maybe try and call Social Services on him. Or Juvie. He’d had sense to hide his weapons in the alleyway, and hoped they would still be there when he came back. That would have been more than enough reason for them to call the overworked cops on him. Even the front doors of the clinic had guards, since people off teh streets loved trying to get to their old but sellable equipment and medications.

He’d had to leave his bundle with the guards, who were probably still checking through its contents, but there wasn’t much to interest. Jet had nothing of value besides his weapons, and what was in the bundle counted as junk unless you knew how to fix it and make it viable again. Hopefully the guards would see it that way and give his stuff back, but he wasn’t so sure. They would probably keep the canned food he’d salvaged, which meant nothing to eat until he could get something else, but he wasn’t about to make a fuss.

The doctor and nurse finished their job, somewhat surprised by his ability to deal with their touching teh wound to clean and mend it without so much as a peep. Jet had a high tolerance for pain, and a desire not to look weak in front of anyone, least of all strangers.

They gave him medicine and a stack of clean bandages, and a warning to keep the area clean as it would easily be infected. The doctor admonished him to return if the wound became worse, or for a checkup in a week. Jet just nodded, not ready to do either in any case. Every moment spent here made him more and more anxious. The smell of antiseptic was choking him, and he felt naked under the glaring lights. He was glad when they let him go, and he hobbled out under his own power defiantly, ready to get out of there as fast as he could. There was only one reason he would have stayed a bit longer, and that was to check on the girl, but he didn’t dare give away a connection by asking about her.

It was fortuitous, then, that he got the opportunity to at least see her. As he was led out by the nurse, another couple of medical workers happened to be wheeling a gurney toward them, heading down the hall for the x-ray room.

(Letting you describe if she’s awake or asleep, and sees him, or doesn’t.)

[Kalli]

Jet still didn’t know what to make of any of this, but apparently Kal had found better digs for them. That was fine by him. “Wherever you’re going, I just have to trust you.” he said. Honestly? It wasn’t hard to trust Kal. After all the times the creature had saved him…

Rather than ask questions Kal couldn’t answer, Jet watched him move, the way his body worked (as far as he could see, anyway), how fast he went. The boy couldn’t help being amazed at Kal, though that was pretty much a given. He was surprised to see how Kal’s hands seemed to stick to things.

“Maybe I should have named him Spider-man….or Peter Parker.” he thought, smiling to himself. That smile faded as he had to focus on keeping his position on Kal’s back. It was a bumpy ride, but honestly Jet preferred riding this way at the moment. Having something relatively solid underneath him was easier to handle.

The boy was paying so much attention to what Kal was doing that he forgot his pain for a little while. He didn’t even figure out where they were going until they got nearer to the clinic, and the creature landed in that blind alley. When Kal placed him on the ground, Jet had to lean against one wall. Even so, the thought of going to the clinic made his blood run cold, and sweat break out on his pale skin.

“Wait…I can’t…I can’t go in there!” he started to hiss, not wanting anyone to hear him, but Kal was gone so fast and so silently that Jet changed his mind and considered calling him ‘Batman’.

“Just like Bats to do that kind of shit.” he grumbled. Jet had read a lot of comic books when he was younger.

Rubbing his face almost violently, the boy decided he didn’t have much of a choice. Someone was bound to see him walking out of the alley and notice his blood-soaked pants. He couldn’t go the other way, nor was there a door or window he could climb into. Anyway, kal had taken all the trouble to bring him here, and jet felt guilty enough about bothering him. Did Kal feel enough human emotion to want Jet healed? or was it a bit of programming? Jet couldn’t always be sure, but that didn’t exactly matter. Kal might have been right in this. Maybe some painkillers wouldn’t hurt….and some extra gauze to wrap his leg. He didn’t need a doctor, though. No doctors, no nurses.

He gulped. Just the thought of them sent his heart racing. Even from here the smell of antiseptic and latex made him feel sick. He wasn’t going to show it, though. Nor would he let them see that he couldn’t walk straight, or that he was in pain. The boy pushed away from the wall, steadied himself, grabbed his bag and walked as straight as he could into the clinic. (He wasn’t going to leave his belongings in the alley for anyone to find.)

Inside the door was a waiting room that had seen better days, and a harassed-looking clerk. Jet was glad when she didn’t ask too many questions, and hoped she wouldn’t make a fuss over his bloody clothing. He had a lot on his other jacket, which was stuffed in the bag over his shoulders. Most of what was left stained his pants, but below the knee. At that point she couldn’t see it.

(Not sure if you want to play the doc or the nurse)

[Kalli]

Jet let out a surprised noise as he was lifted up, and clung to Kal’s back as the creature swept him away.

“Where are we going?” he asked, unnerved by this sudden movement. Looking back, he could see the cave, and his bag, disappearing from view very swiftly. “Hey….what’s going on? All my stuff is back there!”

Honestly, he didn’t think Kal was taking him to the clinic because he hadn’t thought of it himself. Jet avoided doctors and hospitals and such like the plague. Had he any idea where Kal was taking him, he would have begged not to go. Sure, they could take care of a 13 year old girl, but Jet had a not-unreasonable fear of the kinds of drugs they’d pump into him.

[Kalli]

As Kal made his way out into the sparkling sunlight, Jet decided he would attempt to get to his feet. He could already tell it wasn’t going to be easy; his leg, even without any weight on it, seemed shaky, and was very painful. But he couldn’t afford to be weak, not in this world, not even with Kal. Jet couldn’t bear to have his friend carry him around all the time.

With a few puffs of cold air, the boy stretched, then pressed his hands against the floor and forced himself to his feet. All at once, the world started to spin and pulse, and he felt like he’d throw up. Pain stabbed upward through his leg, into his hip and spine, making him grit his teeth lest he cry out. It took a moment for him to get a handle on the pain, and for the world around him to settle down. Once that happened, his jaw loosened a bit, and he opened his eyes again.

Jet had caught himself, trembling, against the wall of the cave, but wasn’t sure what would happen when he pushed off and tried to put his full weight on the leg. That wasn’t going to happen…. Not at the moment, anyway. The thought that he’d be immobilized made Jet panic, and he forced himself to push forward, almost falling forward into Kal. Only at the last minute did he grasp a part of the wall that jutted outward, holding himself up. Jet tried very much to seem like he wasn’t hurt that badly. He didn’t understand why a simple puncture wound should be so painful or keep him off his feet.

“So…the world looks a lot better after rain, doesn’t it?” he said, forcing himself to stand up straight. Jet had dealt with injuries before; he’d just have to get used to this one, too.

[Kalli]

Jet looked troubled at this, his mouth twisted in a frown. “Sorry you had to do that…. If there’s anything you need to do, go ahead. You shouldn’t have to watch me all the time.” Kal’s protectiveness still filled his chest with warmth, but Jet didn’t think it was fair to expect him to hang around.

“How’s your throat?” he asked, feeling like he wanted to check on it himself but not sure if he could stand. He’d have to, but that meant building up to it. Jet was not just going to sit around all day and make Kal do things for him.

[Kalli]

(Heads. That’s probably best. We’ll have the attack happen another night, I think. Poor Jet and Kal have been through enough for the moment. But they won’t escape trouble for long!)

Jet had fallen asleep without exactly meaning to, but his injury and the day’s trials had exhausted him. Even on the hard ground, being cold as he was, the boy had passed out cold almost the moment he was horizontal. But even in the depths of unconsciousness he didn’t sleep particularly well. The air was cold and damp, and his blanket and the cave itself offered little protection. It was certainly better than nothing, especially given the state of his apartment, but Jet spent the night shivering and mumbling in his sleep.

Uneasy as it was, Jet didn’t fully wake until early in the morning, as the sun broke through leftover clouds. Shivering and coughing just a bit, he sat up and pulled the blanket close, blinking like an owl. The cold, open air reminded him of nights he’d slept in the street. Those weren’t pleasant memories. This time, though, he wasn’t alone.

“Kal?” he ventured, surprised at how thin his voice sounded. “Hey….did you stay there all night?” Maybe he was thinking too ‘human’, and Kal had said he didn’t need sleep, but that thought bothered him anyway. His new friend had done so much for him, and so far Jet had been nothing but bad luck in return.

[Kalli]

(LOL, that’s what I get for writing something so late at night. But yeah, Jet can still wonder if Kal feels pain.)

At least Kal wasn’t hurting- that was good. Jet lapsed into silence, watching the creature’s back for a long while, sometimes allowing his eyes to wander toward the dark woods outside the cave. Soon, everything was cast into deep shadow, with only the vague orange light from the overcast sky outside. The city skyline cut a black silhouette against the sky, fading to the darker shades of the trees that were closer to them. Not much could be seen, even in the faint spark of lightning far off. Only a few pairs of eyes that blinked in their direction, then vanished.

Drawing the blanket closer to himself, Jet lay down, shivering just a bit. He’d never had to spend the night in the woods before, as everyone avoided them. Apart from the growing patter of rain outside, it was a lot quieter than he was used to. The lack of ambient noise struck him as eerie, especially when soft noises of things shifting could be heard from down the hill. Once more, the boy looked at his friend, whose eyes were fixed intently outward. Kal didn’t seem afraid, which was hardly surprising, just watchful. Jet had the thought that Kal was being watchful for his sake, and couldn’t help feeling a little warmer for it.

The rain grew heavier, and anything that had been prowling around outside disappeared into holes or under rocks. Even the larger predators weren’t keen on hunting in a storm. Only those impervious to the weather would still be lurking out there, searching the woods.

(Do you want them to be attacked? Or have a peaceful night? I’m fine either way. I have a creature or two in mind that could attack them, but I’ll let you decide.)

[Kalli]

(I seem to remember Kal making noises of pain when he fought with the blue thing, but I could be wrong. If so, pretend Jet never mentioned that.)

[Kalli]

A cave would do, especially when there was a storm coming, and his leg hurt too much to want to put weight on it. No painkillers, so he’d rough it like usual. Jet sank against the wall of the cave and let himself breathe for awhile, trying to think past the throbbing in his calf.

“Hey, Kal…” he said hoarsely after a moment, opening one eye to look at the creature’s back. “Thanks for coming to get me. You didn’t have to…but you did. I appreciate that.”

The bag strapped to his back was starting to dig into it, and the straps had rubbed his arms and shoulders raw, so he slid that off and rummaged through it. The air had already started to get very cold, and his ratty blanket was definitely needed. Jet wrapped that around himself, then held the bag against his chest for extra warmth.

“How’s your throat, Kal? Does it hurt? I mean…yeah, it would. You felt pain underground when that thing attacked you. How many days will it take to heal?” Jet felt like he was rambling, but he wanted Kal to know someone cared about what happened to him. Even if Jet couldn’t do anything to help that he knew of…

[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…

[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.

[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?

[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.