I bear down on the group, smirking when they scatter as we tear through, half of them nearly getting thrown aside like bowling pins. Bash circles, sending the other half running for cover. I flip my lid up, shaking Casper and Toren out of their surprised stupor.

"Get on!" They run for the pair of us; Toren’s still in the cuffs. His arms raise over my head, lock in around my waist, and then we’re flying to the main gate.

"Looks like we've got an escort out of town," Bash warns. My eyes switch on the helmet rearview camera, and it pulls up a small, brief image of armored cars careening after us.

"Suggestions?" I reply.

"They want you two. So, I would suggest we don't let that happen." He says.

"Wow, that's so helpful."

I get another image from the camera. The vehicles are gaining on us. They’re followed by guards pouring out buildings like angry bees from a hive.

“Angry plants, twelve o’clock!” Casper yells from Bash’s bike. And then a vine rips him out of his seat. They truss him up and begin to drag him back towards security.

“Cas!” Toren spins around, his handcuffed wrists almost toppling us over. I keep the bike upright, but his arms give me a death grip.

“Toren, stop!” He flails and finds the handlebars, setting our ride shaking again.

“We have to go back; we can’t leave him!”  Around us, the road begins to rumble.

        “We won’t.” I click on my comm. “Bash, I need a distraction. Can you keep them busy for about thirty seconds? Then come get Casper.”

“On it.”

He pulls a sharp U-Turn and races his bike towards the trucks. Horns blare, and security members are shouting.  Bash ignores it all and does a wheelie, charging forward.  I see one of his hands raise. A zap of electricity shoots out from one of the streetlamps and sends men running.

Distraction handled; I raise my elbows. “Take the wheel!” I yell back to Toren. He grabs the handlebars, keeping us steady while I hurl a fireball at Casper’s plant captor. The vine dodges, but not quickly enough. My flames char the upper portion of it. There’s a shriek from the man wielding it. Casper’s body squirms, and the fire becomes a blue heat. I’m throwing hotter than I should, maybe.

 “There’s more of them!” Toren warns. “Coming up on our side.”

I can’t be careful; I throw fire in quick succession en route to Cas, who’s lying in a pile of dead foliage. The flames form a protective circle, wide enough to let Bash in. He helps the boy and gives me a thumbs-up when they’re both back on the bike.

 With the security scrambling to regroup and their vehicles only just finding space enough to turn around, we zip past and ride for the gates in the distance. We’re nearly home free-

“That’s enough, Miss Rueben.” Roma’s voice, from a bullhorn by the fountain in the main square. “You’ve given us quite a lot of trouble tonight, but it’s over.” Surrounding the fountain and blocking the gates are forty men, forming a tight circle.

 “Go down the road on the left!” I tell Bash.

“No good. She’s got guys there too. And on the right.”

 “You’re completely blocked in, Miss Rueben,” Roma calls out. Her voice over the bullhorn creaks. “You will turn yourselves in at once.”

 The security trucks are behind us. The security teams are ahead of us.  And there’s only one way this can go.

 “Head on?” Bash asks.

“Head on.”

Behind Bash, I rev the engine again, picking up speed and counting under my breath. Toren clutches at my waist; his body is shaking against mine.

"Hang on," I warn him. I feel him nod against my shoulder.

Bash heads directly for the fountain stairs with the truck still hot on our trail. I’d run up to them this morning to play in the waters, laughing for joy before we met Toren and Casper. It seems so long ago.

Roma has no choice but to dive out of the way or be run down. I count the paces, watching Bash hit the stairs at full speed, flying up them, jolting over the rise, sailing through the air, and landing past the water on the other side. I follow his example, gritting my teeth as we're bounced and jostled and then holding my breath when we become airborne.

My stomach moves up into my throat, my body falling with the bike as we smack into the ground, and it rises to meet us. There's no time to readjust; we hurtle out of the Clan, past the crashed truck ahead.

As I had figured, there was no making such a jump for them. The guards, to their credit, had tried. But the truck was too heavy. Instead of going over as we had, it had gotten over the top stairs and promptly tipped over, front shields now partially submerged, glass broken, and its hind end sticking up into the air. I spared a breath of relief when both driver and passenger climbed out, shouting at us and one of them shaking their fists.

 Heart still pounding, I ride with the gas pedal nearly down to keep even with Bash. The wind whips past and tears at my clothes angrily for a long stretch before we finally leave Bond Clan behind us.

 ****

We leave the beaten path behind for one of the many side roads that lead up to Bond Clan. Roughly half an hour past the last time we saw another traveler, Bash slowed up and pulled to the roadside. I park beside him, allowing my hands to shake as I turn the bike off and finally remember to breathe again.

"That was amazing!" Casper rips his helmet off, spinning me around and giving Bash a hearty handshake. He smells like smoke and dead leaves. Toren stumbles off the bike, nearly losing his balance, and pushes Bash aside to rush over to a tree, clinging to it.

“Zee?” Bash approaches me, running his hands over my arms and scanning my face. “They didn’t tag you, did they? Those vines were nasty-”

"I've never felt so alive! You guys are, like- ultra mag! The golden ultimate! We're alive!  We got away from those guys!" Casper punches the air and claps Toren on the back while his friend pukes in the bushes.

"Easy birdman. Steady on. We're okay." He gives him another pat on the back, finally beginning to come off his high when Toren's response is to throw up some more.

“I’m okay- Is he okay? Toren?" I come over, waving at Bash to bring a water bottle. Toren groans.

"He's going to need a minute." Casper accepts the offered water bottle, helping Toren rinse his mouth while I rub his back. Meanwhile, Bash gives the pets each a dish of water.

"I- we... so fast." Toren pants out, breathing, hitching again.

"I know. I'm sorry." Casper helps him sit, ensuring his jacket is close around his shoulders and offering him more water.  If anyone were unsure who deserved to be the next Chancellor in the Brooks Family, I wish they could see him now.

 “So, what do we do now?” I ask no one in particular.

“We can’t stay here,” Bash says, looking down the road as he talks. “There’s no way they’ll stop looking for you two.”

“I, for one, fully intend on pressing charges,” Toren says from his seat by the bushes. “I can't believe they thought they could put us through medical Treatment and experimenting without consent! And then when we use the facilities-" His anger, while understandable, strays into a gray area, and I tell him so.

"The cabinet was locked, in a restricted area not open to the general public -" Toren's rant is cut off, confusion written all over his face.

"But they're in the wrong. We'll return to Apparatus, and we can send over one of the committees from Medicia-"

"Think again, Toucan." Bash sneers. "It happened in Bond Clan, which means Clan law covers the theft. And  scientist lady knows you. What do you think will happen when they find out the Finch heir was the one who decided to break into their protected files?"

Toren looks at Casper, trying to shrug Bash's words aside, but he's at a loss.

" What about Tula?" Bash asks suddenly.

"What's a Tula? Can I have one?" Casper's excitement returns, already interested in the prospect of something new and "exotic."

"Tula is my grandmother, you big dork.” I shove him playfully, and Toren snickers. “Her name is Malena. But everybody calls her Tula.”

“Well, we can’t stay here. Tula could help us, couldn’t she?” Bash asks, dumping the water out when Kova’s done. I hold my bag out for her to hop into.

"I've never given her a problem she couldn't solve. If we can contact her, she can give us some ideas at least." The bike ready, I hand Bash my helmet to look over. He passes his into my hands.

"Do you think they'll be watching for a call home?" He asks me. I look to Toren, who sighs.

"Technological advancements being what they are? I wouldn't put it past them. We should’t use any numbers we registered with. But I wonder if we couldn't find a phone somewhere to borrow. Maybe in a public shop." He suggests, getting onto the back of my bike. The helmets were checked over, and Bash and I switched back and did the same.

"It's possible. And when we find one?" Casper asks, settling in and squirming to get comfortable.

"We call my Tula.”

Our plan was agreed upon; we set out with the animals comfortable and our bike partners hanging on tight.

In the early hours of the following day, we come upon a small settlement. Here, we find a novelty shop specializing in kites and whistles.

"Anybody here?" It looks empty, though it's clean and smells of citrus.  A hollow screen is in one corner, running daily news stories. The bells jingle over my head as Bash closes the door behind us.

“These are pretty. Look at this kite; it's exquisite! I think they hand-painted it." Casper is flittering here and there, a kid in a candy store. Despite him rolling his eyes, I see Toren follow his friend around, lightly fingering the golden tassels on a red kite. Its bright red background proudly boasts an intricate black dragon swirling and flying high among the clouds. I've never seen its equal.

"Hello? Oh dear, I didn't hear you come in. Sorry." With sparkling blue eyes, an older gentleman hobbles out, leaning heavily on what looks like a handcrafted wooden cane.

"No problem. We were looking to borrow a phone?” Bash pipes up, looking at another spring-themed kite with flowers budding over the cream surface.

"Sure, it’s over on the wall there." He jerks his chin at the phone on the wall nearest the cash register. Bash looks at me.

"We'll hang out here a little while you call her?" I nod and smile my thanks at the older gentleman.

"Did you make all these yourself? How do you do it?" Casper is still touching and toying with different kites, but his eyes have drifted to the small pinwheels twirling in the soft breeze from a fan near the windows.

"It takes an awful lot of time, but if you let each kite speak to you and listen to the wind while you're making it, you'll be able to learn." He strokes a salt and pepper beard, eyeing him curiously. "You looking to apprentice under someone, boy?"

 “Can I?!”

While Toren explained to Casper why he could not drop the chancellorship for something like making kites, I dialed my home number and waited. It already feels like it's been years since I last saw Tula and Papa. "Hello?"

That simple word makes my stomach flop, and my knees sag in relief. I hadn't realized how much I missed them until this exact moment.

"Hello? If this is a prank-"

"Tula, it's me! It's Zara." I hurry to throw the words out before she gives me some scathing remark to think about before slamming down the phone.

"Zara? Youngling, is it truly you? How are you? You haven't been in touch, and we didn't know how things went since you arrived at Bond Clan-" She sounds excited, even more than that time she managed to get an entire tray of Macarons from Karia's bakery before anyone was the wiser.

"I'm sorry, Tula. I wanted to call. I miss you so much!" My eyes are filling without permission.

"We miss you too. I'll get Koldof-"

"No!"

There's a pregnant pause, and I can picture her face, one eyebrow cocked, chin tipping in towards her neck, and arms folding one over the other.

"I'm sorry. I called for a specific reason, and I don't know how much time I have left on this call-" Stupid tears. Bash looks over my way, and I jam a fist in one eye, trying to push it away.

"Youngling. Start at the beginning. What do you need?" Her voice is calm and firm. Nudging at me through the phone line, helping me straight back up.

So, I tell her.

My words spit themselves out, tumbling one after the other. A brief synopsis of the odd experiment, then I talk about Roma herself and our trip to the library. She interrupted only one time when I mentioned what Casper found.

"What do you know of the rejoining?!" The question chokes my following words, her voice something hissed low.

"We- there's only the information we've found so far-"

"Show it to no one and say nothing about it. Bring me the book and the files."

"Tula, I don't-"

"Do what I say, Zara." I don't know her, not like this. Her voice has given comfort, has demanded more of me, and has made me smile so often. Now, it grates and brooks no argument. It's a promised threat.

"Yes, ma'am. To Riverbend?"

Another pause. Her voice softens.

"Do you remember your first playhouse?" It's an odd memory to recall at a time like this, but Tula is never one to waste a breath.

"I remember begging to have a camp out there, and you and Papa telling me no." She chuckles at my reply; I hear a knife scratching at the wood in the background.

She carves while she speaks, "I remember you as a little girl and barely able to reach the kitchen table without help. You and the Havocs boy, always disappearing into that little house for hours on end. We took picnics there on special occasions. Do you remember Little Bird? She sighs. "If I could go back to that playhouse just to watch you again, I think I would."

There's the slightest emphasis on the word, and my memory gets a jump start. 

"It's one of the reasons you got your nickname. Always ready to leave the nest behind and fly off on your own. Always in those darn trees, we couldn't keep you inside. You'd spend five or six hours out there, it seemed…" She sighs again. "No, it was six, at least, I'm sure." Six hours, okay.

"But it's not like when I was little anymore, Tula, everything is so different-”

"I know it is little bird. But that's part of growing up. You'll get through this, and when you do, Papa and I will be there waiting for you on the other side of things. Do you believe me?" Her tone is gentle, but the question hangs. Did I understand her message?

"I do, Tula. I miss you. And Papa, too." Code aside, to hear her voice gives me a homecoming of sorts, no matter how short it is.

"I'll give him your love, Youngling. Now you go on and continue your Gin Hai. Best of luck, and you take care of yourself. Tell the boy he'd better bring you home safe." I nod against the receiver, forgetting she isn't standing before me.

"I'll tell him. I love you both.” 

“We love you too. Now get moving, young miss.” She hangs up, and that's that. I try not to feel the loss too keenly and instead focus on our next destination.