B20C7 - BB Gun

<Gun? What gun?> Rachel yelled.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Something stung my bare belly. <He's got a BBgun!>

<He could put someone's eye out with that!> Rachel cried in outrage.

<Yeah, mine!> I said. I closed one talon over the cube. It was too big! I used both talons. I could hold the cube, but I could barely stand. I flapped like a madman and managed to fall off the desk, still holding the cube.

Pop! Pop!

<Okay, now he's ticked me off!> Rachel said.

<Don't hurt him!> I said. <He's just an innocent bystander.>

<Innocent, my ->

Pop! Pop! Pop!

I flapped hard and scooted along the carpet toward the door. Rachel did a little better, but once in the hallway her wings hit the walls with each stroke.

"Oh no, you don't!" David yelled. "Give me back that blue box!"

Off we went: two dragging, scuffling, staggering, BB-stung birds, one hauling a blue box. Followed by an outraged boy yelling and firing a very lifelike gun.

Down the hall!

<Ow!>

<Look out!>

"Give me back my box!"

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Through the empty family room where the TV was on, showing Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

<Whoa, I forgot to set the VCR!> I said. <We're missing Buffy.>

Pop! Pop! Pop!

<Owww! Oh man, I am so going to find a way to hurt this kid tomorrow at school,> Rachel threatened. <I'm going for the sliding glass door. Distract him while I get it open.>

<Distract him? By doing what? You figure I should do my Lord of the Dance impersonation?>

Rachel grabbed the sliding glass door handle with her beak and yanked. David ran straight for me. Straight for the box.

I could either jump up and rake his eyeballs, or give up the box. But David was not a Controller. He was not an enemy. And even I don't think you can just go around tearing into innocent bystanders.

I jumped back from the box. The door slid open. And Rachel and I flapped across the back lawn, over the pool, above the fence, and out of there.

"Yeah! And don't come back, either!" David yelled as he fired off a final BB.

<I am so not looking forward to explaining this to Jake,> Rachel said.

<We got our butts kicked by a kid with a BB gun. That's just pathetic.> A hawk rose up to join us.