Chapter 32: On the Wind
...................

June 3rd: three days left...

Gar woke up still not being able to speak and he knew exactly why. Before breakfast he was definitely going to "ask" for his voice back. Some punishment.

What am I going to do? He thought. He laid in the bed and stared at the ceiling. I've got to figure out what her plan is. He was determined to figure it out. He wanted to have something to hold over her head. He sighed. He still wasn't going to tell his friends though.

On his way out of his room he stopped by Raven's room and knocked. She opened the door with no greeting and flicked him in the nose, he said 'ow', realized he said something, thanked her, and then he walked away. She regretted her descision, but she didn't need curious little Dick asking about Gar's MIA voice.

It was his turn to make breakfast. He had to, although he didn't want to. They were going on a helicopter tour. They leave at eight and they'll be gone all day. Right now it's seveb. If parents think getting four kids and themselves out of the house before 8 AM is hard, try getting four other extremely opinionated adults out of the house before 8AM. There's a challenge for you.

At least he knew Raven was up, but the others wouldn't be so easy. Kori isn't as cheery when she first wakes up, Dick gets cranky, and it's not like you can just push Vic out of his bed to wake him up.

Attempt #1:
He knocked on the door. No answer. Again he knocked.

"Hey guys, you should get up. We have to leave at 8."

There was a loud bang at the door followed by a shout.

"Shut up, Gar!" That was probably Kori.

Attempt #1 FAILED

Attempt #2:
He knocked.

"Hey Vic? I–"

"Five more minutes..." he heard a groan from inside.

"Vic come on we need to get ready to go!" The last response from him was a repeat of the first one.

"Five more minutes..."

"UGH!"

Attempt #2 FAILED

Attempt #3:
*Knock knock*

"Who is it?"

"Gar." Raven opened her door, clearly displeased that he was back at her room.

"What do you want now?"

"Can you help me wake up the others? We're gonna miss the helicopter tour." She rolled her eyes.

"Fine." She said. "But only because I want to go on the tour as much as you do." She came out in her black and blue pajamas. She looked like a bruise. Rather she looked like she wanted to give a bruise.

She made a pan of cooking bacon appear on the stove and turned on the stove, opened Vic's door, and put a fan behind the stove.

The meat glutton himself bounded out of the room.

"I smell bacon!!!" He shouted. His yelling made the other two get up.

"What the hell, Vic?!" Dick said rubbing his eyes.

"I smell the loveliest of meats being cooked!!"

"...Thanks Raven..." he whispers.

"I just want to fly in a helicopter."

Attempt #3 SUCCESSFUL

She left the four of them there and headed to the porch. The curtains were closed and nobody could see her. She stared out over the ocean at a distant island.

What am I going to do after this? My life won't be the way it was for sure. That much I know. But... she looked back. The curtain was cracked just a little bit. Everyone had sat down, waiting for Gar to finish breakfast.

Maybe I could just end it after this? End everything and start over. I have the power to... Nobody would miss me. It's not like I have any family or actual friends.

She looks back at them again.

Maybe they... no. Stop that. Just because they were nice to me and I "helped them" doesn't mean they're my friends. They're a mission and only a mission.

"Rachel?" Kori opened the door. "Breakfast is ready. And Gar has made a splendid breakfast!"

It's been a while since I've not felt odd being around another woman though.

"Ok, I'm coming. Give me a sec." She nodded with a smile and headed inside.

But...Logan...Gar...I really want to hate him. Then why can't I? I can put up an act all I want to, which I plan to keep up, but my unruly emotions don't want me to.

She started to head inside.

It would be better if I just ended it here...

....................

They had managed to get out of the house in time and gotten into the helicopter.

"And that down there is Mt. Haleakalā, the biggest volcano on Maui." The tour guide stated. "Both volcanoes on Maui are dormant, so you won't be seeing any lava today everyone. You'll have to go to the Big Island for that."

There was a small amount of side glances and sighs of disappointment from the back of the chopper.

"But hey, you guys get to parachute down!" They gave a bit of a happier response to this.

The mountain is so pretty. I wonder where we're going to land?

"Um, Al?"

"Yes, little lady?" Kori blushed a little. Dick was none too pleased.

"Could you provide us some information about where we will be parachuting to?"

"It's not so much a specific place. It's just an area we mark to have people go. Another tour guide will pick you up there and you'll take a tour bus the rest of the way down."

"Oh. Alright!"

"You'll be allowed to look around when you get there though! There are lots of beautiful plants and docile animals down there!"

"Oh joy! Where is it?"

"We'll be coming up on it shortly, Miss. Has anyone been parachuting before?" The lady up front who's name was Allison stated.

"I have." Rachel said. Gar wasn't surprised.

"Us as well." Kori pointed to her and Dick.

"So three of you?"

"Yeah."

"What about the other two?"

"I fall like a rock. I'd probably need a really big parachute." Vic stated.

"I'd bet with all those cybernetics. Are those common back on the mainland?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"Haha. We try to keep Hawaii particularly practical. We don't have Agents as you all do. And we have the highest concentration of non-Maglev vehicles in the country."

"Why?" Dick asks.

"People here don't exactly like to call themselves 'Americans' if you catch my drift. Eventhough we are part of the States we like to think it's solely for commerce purposes. Plus we like the way things are here. We don't need fancy tech to keep us happy."

"Most of us haven't even seen real life Maglevs anyways." Al chimes in.

"We haven't seen normal cars in years." Gar states.

"Hm. I guess that's the way it is isn't it?" Allison stated. "Oh we're almost there! Let me show you how to put those parachutes on." Gar and Vic didn't know what to do even after Allison showed them.

"If it's too confusing it would be after to ride with one of the three who know what they're doing." Allison proposed.

They looked at the three of them who we're all giving them steely glares that clearly meant a firm "no".

They end up going by themselves.

"Have fun!!" Allison shouted as they all started flying down to the spot. It was marked by a flare. The plume of red and grey smoke flew up to the clouds as an indicator.

"As many times as I've flown it's never felt like this before." Raven says to herself.

"Waaaa!!!" She looked up at Gar who was flailing around. He looked ridiculous.

"Hey, Logan! If you don't want to die I suggest you stop moving!"

"Dude! I've only flown as a bird! Never as a person!!"

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." Maybe I should just make him land somewhere in the middle of the mountain.

They all safely made it down to the landing spot. Everyone seemed to have fun other than Gar, who ate dirt upon landing.

"Ugh! Gross..."

"You are what you eat, Logan. You are what you eat."

"Hey!"

"Look guys. The bus is over there." Vic pointed to the big red bus. "I'm guessing we bring our parachutes and the suits?"

"What else would we do? Leave them here?" Raven mumbled.

They dragged their stuff (Gar did so begrudgingly) to the bus. An extremely peppy looking man was waiting for them.

"Hi! Name's Matt! I'll be your tour guide!" Gar and Raven froze.

"What did you say your name was again?" Raven asked.

"Matt! Nice to meecha!" He extended his hand and Raven just stared at it. After a few awkward seconds she finally shook his hand.

"Sorry. She's not really into human contact. I'm Gar. She's Rachel, the big guy back there is Vic and the other two are Kori and Dick." He gets a side glare from Raven as he shakes Matt's hand.

Out of all the names this guy had to have. Gar thought.

Of course his name is Matt. Any divine deity that's listening right now, you did this to spite me didn't you? Thought Raven.

They all piled in. They were the only ones on the tour so they had the bus to themselves.

"It's so weird being on a bus with wheels." Dick thought out loud.

"Ya'll are from the mainland aren't cha? When was the last time you've seen a regular car?" Matt asked.

"Been a while..." Gar replied as he tried to get comfortable. "Been a long while."

"All we have in Hawaii are regular cars! Won't find any Maglevs here!"

"No kidding." Vic mumbles.

"So anyone remember what the name of the volcano is?"

"Kalakala or something like that?" Dick takes a guess.

"Oh! I remember! We're on Mt. Haleakala!"

"Correct! We're headed to the base of the mountain. On the Road to Hana!"

"Road to Hana?"

"Yes, Vic! The Road to Hana is..." Raven didn't even bother to listen to him. She knew all this stuff already from the last time she was here. It was all just muffled gibberish.

Why am I feeling like this? This shouldn't be a hard decision.

What am I talking about? Of course this is hard! What about my life has been "easy"? Nothing's ever easy. Something is easy to one person and to another it's like rocket science.

But this shouldn't be hard!!

She felt someone sit next to her.

"Rave? You alright?" He said quietly.

"Shut up, Logan." She tried to shoot him down.

"No. I'm asking."

"What is it with you? Yesterday you wanted to know what my plan is and now you're pretending to care about me. Who's side are you actually on?" He shrugs. "You're a dipshit."

"I'm tying to help you."

"You are the last person I want help from."

"Can you at least answer my question?"

"Fine. I'm not alright because you're sitting next to me." And with that she shoves him out of the seat.

"Rejected again huh, Gar?"

"Shut up, Vic."

If he keeps that up he better get used to being rejected.