Chapter Text
Stratt fluttered her wings as she stepped outside, no longer clipped and patchy. After three long months of letting them heal, they were finally mostly recovered. Despite having all her flight feathers again, she was reluctant to do more than glide small distances. She'd built the strength back up enough to fly if she tried. She wasn't worried about her ability to fly again. No, her hesitance stemmed from knowing her handlers would be back to clip her wings again soon. They requested a meeting today.
Grace had taken to letting word spread about her wings having been clipped and bound, with her express permission of course, and by now it was effectively common knowledge. It created quite the buzz around the Vat, and a regrettable bit of hostility with the handful of wingless people on the project.
The need to be off the ground pressed against her anxiety. She missed the sky. Eva picked up her pace when she saw there weren't many others around, spreading her wings to catch the wind.
She let the wind pick her up and glided a few metres at a time, not flapping her wings yet. She could feel how out of practice she was, and she wasn't risking enough height to actually fall. It was easy to just jump and glide, even if it felt childish.
Eva shook her head. It might be her last chance to do this. She dropped her coat where she'd remember to grab it after, shook the doubts out of her head, and picked up her speed into a run. She launched herself with a powerful flap of her wings, taking off like a shot.
She pulled higher, turning sharply into the wind to control her speed. Her heart pounded as she followed memory to corkscrew down and swoop over the ground, close enough to touch the fake grass on the deck but without crashing. She pulled up over the railing, diving down to fly over the open sea.
She pivoted sharply a few hundred meters off the ship, turning back and rocketing back to land like a bolt of lightning. She landed a little harder than she intended to, but besides that? Not bad for her first time flying in two years.
"Pretty damn impressive." Grace chirped as he approached, making her jump.
"I didn't realize I had an audience." Stratt cleared her throat, but couldn't resist smiling.
"I didn't mean to intrude." He chuckled sheepishly. "You are insanely good at flying, though. I've never seen someone corkscrew so close to the ground without touching down at all."
Stratt grinned a little wider, pleased by the compliments. "I learned it in middle school, its a good way to pick up momentum fast."
"Really? A professional stunt trick is just a way to pick up speed for you?" Grace said with disbelief. "No way."
"Do American children not get flight lessons?" Stratt tilted her head. "I learned many so called stunt tricks."
"No, actually. It's an optionally high school program." Grace sighed ruefully. He didn't miss the way she bristled at that.
"Seriously??" Stratt shook her head. "No wonder theres so many flight related incidents in your country.."
"Right? It's almost negligence." He agreed firmly. Then he tilted his head curiously. "Could you teach me how to corkscrew like that?"
"I don't see why not- well, not until later." She picked up her coat and folded her wings in. "I have another meeting."
"Who with?" Grace asked.
"Execs. They have questions about budgets again. And why I've not had my wings bound, I assume." Stratt tried not to let her nerves show. Still, her wings were pulled tightly against her back.
The statement hung in the air for a moment before Grace spoke again.
"I'll join you. And maybe we should call Yao and Ilyukhina to join as well." He said pointedly.
Relief flooded Eva's entire being. Both of the astronauts had reason to be there, and were both avians ready to defend their boss's freedom of flight. A grey heron and a calliope hummingbird respectively. Both would back her up.
"Yes. That would be very much appreciated." Stratt nodded. She forced her wings to relax a little. She trusted them, more than she expected to.
Grace smiled, turning away to call Yao and Ilyukhina to join the meeting.
Stratt felt her usual confidence hold fast in front of her handlers with three very protective avians standing behind her. Grace had his wings fluffed up in barely contained rage, Yao had his arms crossed and Ilyukhina's wings vibrated restlessly with anticipation.
She discussed the project's budget with an emotionless, monotone voice. She kept her wings tucked and her posture straight. She pretended not to notice the tension in the room, ignored her handlers looking over her shoulders.
"Now, I must bring up your wings." One of her handlers began firmly. "We can't have you completely off any kind of leash. Not with your security clearance."
Stratt stiffened. She felt the tension reach a boiling point. Thankfully, Yao spoke first.
"I certainly hope you're not planning on committing assault and psychological torture again? You wouldn't even suggest the idea of clipping her wings?" He said pointedly as he stepped forward, positioning himself at her shoulder.
"Er- of course not." The handler backtracked hastily, flushed in embarrassment.
"Or binding them with locked bracers?" Grace added, coming to stand on her other side. "Last I checked that's a form of hobbling, which is not legal when its not medically necessary."
"It was a matter of security-!" The handler snapped.
"Really? Because there are nine other falcons on the Vat and she's the only one that was grounded." Ilyukhina pointed out. Her wings were buzzing with fury, betraying her forced calm tone.
"We can't risk-"
"You will leave my wings as they are, or you will have a riot on your hands." Stratt cut the arrogant bastard off. "I have not done anything but mention in passing what was done to me, and anyone on the project with half a heart was and is ready to go to bat for me. Interesting how that happens when you gather the most brilliant minds who care about humanity together."
"Is that a threat?" The handler growled. He knew he'd lost his upper hand here.
"No, it's not." Stratt stood up, ruffling her wings. "It's simple logic. And we don't have the time for you to cause a boycott because you needed control over my flight. If you have any more questions about where money is going on the project, you can contact our funding department. This meeting has been an utter waste of all of our time, and if your nonsense causes a major delay, consider the blood to be on your hands."
She turned and walked out of the room, barely containing her anger. Ilyukhina followed while Grace and Yao stayed back to argue with her handlers.
"You did good!" She chirped, patting Stratt on the shoulder.
"I snapped at them, they'll use it against me later." She muttered.
"I wouldn't say you snapped." Ilyukhina assured. "They were, in fact, wasting everyone's time on what could have been an email."
"I suppose so." Stratt agreed, taking the nearest door to go outside.
Ilyukhina followed, watching for anyone out of place. "We won't let them hurt you, y'know?"
"…Yes. I know. Thank you for having my back." Stratt eventually sighed. "I would not have done so well on my own."
"Anytime!"
Grace caught up to Eva a short while later, finding her at the stern in her usual spot. She smiled upon seeing him approach.
"If I remember correctly, I have a promise to keep." Grace greeted. "And you agreed to teach me some tricks."
"I did, didn't I?" Eva responded in kind, pushing off the railing and stretching her wings. "I'd like to see how well you can keep up with me first."
"You want to race me?" He gasped dramatically, pretending it was some grand shock. "I'd be honoured~"
"To the bow and back." Eva nodded, doing a loop motion with her hand. "And we'll go from there."
"Bet." Grace grinned. He dropped his bag and sweater beside her belongings, already set aside.
Side by side, they took to the sky. Grace took off going upwards as he normally would, which instantly put him behind. Eva took off straight into motion, only taking two steps before launching forward like a bullet.
Grace flapped his wings hard to catch up to Eva, who was already gliding at an impressive speed. She glanced at him reaching her pace, got a gleam in her eyes, and bolted forward, swooping close to the deck and back up.
"Show off!" He whined, copying her motion. It didn't give him nearly as much speed as it gave her.
"You're just slow!" Eva responded simply, gliding along. "I'm holding back!"
"I know that!" Grace huffed.
She pulled forward still, basking in the wind and sunlight. She reached the bow in seconds and landed after turning sharply in the air, tighter than most could manage. So what if she was showing off?
Grace curved clumsily around to land next to her, already out of breath. "I have.. no idea.. how you manage that.." He muttered between breaths.
"I'm a falcon. Theres no world in which you beat me in a race." Eva said matter-of-factly. "I just need to know how much slower than me you are."
"That's mean." He pouted, giving her an exaggerated scowl. "You're mean."
"I know." Eva smirked. "Take off from a run this time, you need momentum straight off the ground to reach your best speed."
"Right. Yeah, I'll try that." Grace rolled his shoulders.
This time he copied her launch, taking off from the start of a run and gaining height from momentum. She shot forward much faster, but he caught up much easier. It gave Eva a small ego boost that he could barely keep up with what was to her a casual glide.
She angled herself to catch the wind, slowing herself down to match Grace's speed. She swooped playfully around him, giving in to his enthusiastic, contagious energy. Of all people to bring her out of her shell, of course it was him.
"Now I know you're just showing off." Grace chuckled. "No fair."
"You're right, I am." Eva nodded, whirling around him again. "What are you going to do about it?"
She flew higher, corkscrewing down a few metres before taking off like a bullet again. She glanced over her shoulder a few times, watching him take the challenge and fumble horribly, too clumsy to spin in flight like she could.
Eva landed lightly by the stern railing, and watched Grace catch up.
"You did well keeping up with me, for an owl." She smiled.
"Thanks. You.. are way too fast." Grace laughed breathlessly.
For the first time in far too long, Eva felt at ease. Even after everything, it couldn't truly dampen her mood now. She allowed herself this, just for today. She couldn't afford regretting not being selfishly happy for just one afternoon.