Meeting the crew.
The sky was clear, and the sun shone brightly as Lark rode his bike to the aviation center. He was excited to finish the final remaining tests to earn his Pilotwings in the Pilot Class. It took him many hours, days, and even months of practice, with crashes here and there, to move beyond the Beginner Class. Lark still remembered earning a bronze badge on his first aviation test.
As he rode on his bike, the cool breeze touched his face, the memory of first test came back. He was flying over Holiday Island, and the weather was rainy and overcast. Lark almost chickened out as he stood at the edge of the castle top, afraid of the height. However, with the encouragement of his friends and a "not-so-gentle" push from his instructor, the boy took off. While the weather wasn't great, Lark was fortunate there were plenty of air currents to keep his altitude up. He did his best as he flew through the rings in the sky and safely landed on the landing pad.
From that moment forward, Lark was hooked on aviation, and nothing would get in his way to enjoy it. As his confidence grew, many people noticed his change in attitude. He was no longer a quiet, timid boy, and now had ambition and drive like never before. His parents were happy to see the difference and continued funding his hobby. That was, however, based on the condition he kept his school grades up. And keep his grades up, he did and then some.
While his school grades went up overall, math and science were the most notable improvements. That was mostly based on his ambition to use said knowledge to enhance his flying skills. His parents didn't complain and his attendance to the Aviation Club continued. As Lark sped up his bike's acceleration, he noticed a short-cut across the field, which lead to the Aviation Club. He turned towards the field and increased his speed as he rode down a hilly slope. Using the gained momentum, he easily shot over a bump, and made a good jump.
Rasing his fist and shouting, "YAHOO!", Lark landed perfectly on the ground, continuing towards the club. Unexpectedly, a familiar person flew right over him, catching Lark completely by surprise.
"GOOD ONE!"
And the boy knew who it was, based off of the Little States themed Hang Glider. It was his mentor, and pseudo big brother, Goose. If there was one person Lark could always trust and look up to, it was him. The young man had taught Lark tons of tips and tricks and had always been encouraging him to push his limits. And Goose knew what he was talking about, as he had earned his Pilotwings in the Pilot Class with scores to back it up.
When Lark asked why he helped him so much, the man shrugged his shoulders and said, "I wish I had help when I started, so why not?"
Lark wasn't going to complain and took all the help he could get. It didn't take Goose very long to reach an air current as he quickly arose in altitude and picked up speed. Although Lark was fit for a young boy, he would not be able to catch up to Goose. A bike could not beat a hang glider and the boy knew it. Every now and then, Lark and Goose would have friendly races. While Goose won the majority of them, Lark would surprise the young man every now and then with an upset victory.
"Cool! My mentor showed early to get some practice in. I wonder if the others are already there?"
As Goose made a holding pattern in the sky, Lark cleared the field and entered the Club's parking lot. Surprisingly, not a lot of members showed up today but the ones that did, Lark recognized their cars. Goose's car was very easy to spot, with his Little State's bumper stickers and paint job made it obvious. The young man was a patriot and was never ashamed to show it, even if he sometimes went overboard.
Anka's signature metallic green sedan was also not too far away.
"She must already be inside, no doubt going over the score boards."
Anka was a generally pleasant person, especially for one being from the Desert Lands. She was, however, a very competitive person. Anytime someone made a record, she tried to beat it. And sometimes, she did just that, though, her failures were rather spectacular. She was the very example of tunnel vision and lack of situational awareness. This was something the Aviation Club always stressed a pilot should maintain at all times. Because of her overzealous attempts to one-up a person, she lagged behind Lark in the class system, remaining in the A Class.
Lark turned towards the bike rack and came to a stop. As he locked his bike, Goose came in for a landing. When Lark turned around, he witnessed Goose making a perfect landing. The young man landed directly on the target's bullseye on the nearby landing pad. If it were a test, he'd no doubt get bonus points. Walking over to his mentor, Lark greeted Goose and said, "Hey, nice landing, bro! What brought you out here so early?"
The young man took his helmet off, letting his signature blonde hair flow loose. He replied, "I'm due for my hang-gliding proficiency test. It's one of the draw backs to earning your Pilotwings in the Pilot Class, but whatever. It's an easy test, you only need to just complete it safely. I figured I'd get a run in before our Instructor, now certified Evaluator gets here."
Lark completely forgot the drawback of the Pilot Class requirements. Beginner Class merely required you do it correctly and only once. Class A required an annual test, while class B required it twice a year. Pilot Class required it every 4 months for each test. The purpose of this was to ensure competency was retained for each aviator in their respective class systems. On the surface, it made sense, but to Lark, it was an annoyance.
"Dang... Well, if that's what you gotta do, then you gotta do it. I guess...," said Lark.
Goose shrugged and said, "Eh, it's no big deal to me. C'mon, Anka is inside, and the others will show up soon."
Lark helped Goose set his hang glider away and both made their way in once the glider was locked up. It was interesting to the young boy, as the building was mostly empty. Usually, it was packed with other aviators, but not today for some reason. In any event, Lark shrugged it off and the two made their way to the break room. It was full of vending machines, snacks, and had a few tables and TVs with some showing the news. In addition, there were a few comfortable couches and chairs one would find in a hotel lobby.
And on a nearby wall, were the scores and results of the latest tests during the past week. And as Lark predicted, Anka was looking at the board. He could tell she was taking notes on note pad, no doubt setting goals of who to beat. Lark's curiosity got the better of him and walk over to the board too. The young woman hadn't noticed the boy but did the moment Lark said, "Surprise!"
Anka let out a quick "Yelp!" in surprise, but then realized it was just Lark. The woman playfully slapped Lark's arm and said, "Oh, you! I'll remember that when I beat your score."
The boy smirked and rolled his eyes jokingly, "Yeah right, sister. I'll believe it when I see it."
Anka playfully stuck her tongue at Lark out before noticing Goose. She regained her composure and warmly greeted the experienced pilot with a smile and a wave.
"Hey Goose! You here for a test too?"
The man nodded and said, "I sure am. I'm gonna do a simple hang glider test. How about you? Got an idea what you're gonna do?"
The eastern woman blushed and twisted some of her hair before replying, "Oh, I'm I think gonna do the Rocket Belt. I need to earn a bronze badge before I can progress to B Class. But I think I can do better, so I'm aiming for silver."
Lark rolled his eyes at Anka's antics and thought, "Oh brother, she's got a crush on him. And of course, she's trying to go for silver. Best I ever got on that test was bronze."
Goose, ever oblivious, simply just gave her a thumbs up and said, "Well, go get it, girl! It's yours for the taking."
As Anka blushed some more, Lark walked over to the snack bar. As he pulled out coins for the moneybox, Lark playfully added, "Be sure to not to get burned over a flaming smokestack!"
This broke the young woman from her crush induced blush and made her pout. With her arms crossed, her nose stuck up in the air, and a finger pointing to the ceiling, she replied, "ONE TIME! I've only ever done that once and it's never going to happen again!"
Lark chuckled before giving her the "Okay" hand gesture. Goose intervened and said, "Simmer down, Lark. Don't be so harsh, we all remember your first time. You were practically screaming when Hawk pushed you over the ledge."
Before Lark could put some coins in the box, he turned around and was quick to defend himself.
"I did not scream!" said Lark as he raised a finger in the air, "It was a spirited war cry."
Anka laughed while Goose turned away, doing his best to prevent Lark from seeing his grinning. The young woman replied, "Cope harder, little Lark."
Lark sighed before saying, "Whatever." The young boy put a few coins in the box, he took a chocolate bar and an apple juice drink. While Anka and Goose were chatting about mundane things, Lark took his sugary snacks and sat on the couch. He watched the weather channel on the TV and paid attention to the local forecast. He was bummed as the weather report was showing a forecasted rainy and overcast week. As he finished his snack, Hawk and Kiwi entered the room.
Hawk was a kind man, but he was also one you did not want to cross. He knew when it was appropriate to assert authority and Lark had made the mistake of justifying it and once was enough. Hawk was also his instructor and the one who had pushed him over the ledge back on Holiday Island for his initial hang-gliding test. The push certainly scared Lark but it also gave him the needed speed for his take off. If it wasn't for the push, he was certain he'd have crashed.
While his landing wasn't great, he still safely reached the landing pad, even if barely on the target. Despite this, Lark had made enough points to earn a bronze badge. It was one of the scariest but most satisfying days of his life. Even though he went on to earn silver and gold badges in other tests, Lark still kept his very first bronze badge as a lucky token. It was special to him and always would be as he pulled it out of his pocket, admiring it. It would always be a reminder of why he wanted to fly and what made him truly happy. Everyone had congratulated him that day, cheering his success, especially Kiwi.
She was only a year younger than him, but she too had the same passion for aviation. She was also a nice person like her dad, but also could be annoying sometimes. One thing that stood out, was her insistence upon being around him. Lark didn't think she wasn't bad per se, but it was annoying when he wanted to be alone, and she'd tag along. Whenever Lark wanted to hang glide, Kiwi would do the same. If he wanted to sky dive, she would again do the exact same thing. The only exception would be if Hawk told her do a different test or activity that she was due for.
Lark would have tried his best to hide from her but there was no possible escape route. Resigning to his fate, Lark found Kiwi spotting him and immediately walked over to him. With very happy smile on her face, Kiwi sat next to Lark, almost bouncing on the couch's cushion, "Hi Lark! What 'cha doing?"
"Ugh? What is it with people asking what you're doing when they can perfectly see with their own eyes!?"
Doing his best his to avoid being rude, Lark answered, "Nothing much. Just having a snack and watching the forecast. More gray skies and stuff."
Kiwi looked at the television and said, "Bummer. Too much to ask for some good weather I guess."
"And for some space." thought Lark.
Kiwi then turned her attention back to Lark and asked, "So, there's a fair on Holiday Island this weekend. Wanna go with me?"
And it was now that Lark realized he was in the danger zone with Kiwi. Not only did she invade his personal space, a little closer than usual he noted, but made it clear she wanted his weekend time. Lark knew if he said no, he could risk causing a fuss, and make her sad. She wasn't a bad girl, just strangely needy of his spare time, which was reserved for a special project. Lark had planned on testing a new rocket model for the gyrocopters.
Ever since the attack from the robot on the Little States, the cities were left a bit unnerved. The military was, unfortunately, caught by surprise by the giant robot, and took too long to scramble. It was only due to the Aviation Club's gyrocopters, armed with rockets, that the robot was defeated. It took five rockets to take him down and unfortunately, had only knocked the metal menace out. Once the military arrived on the scene, it was nowhere to be found.
No one knew where it came from or why the robot was attacking the Little States. The fact it resembled Hawk caused the authorities to investigate him, but he was quickly cleared on any wrongdoing. It was probably the only time Lark had scene Hawk's normally nice and calm demeanor break, even if for small moment. Lark could only guess Hawk had made an enemy in the past. It was not only a sick way of trying to ruin his life but to hurt others.
"That stupid metal bucket almost hurt Kiwi too! It's a good thing my last rocket got him before it hit her gyrocopter."
It was that moment onward that Kiwi had followed him much closer than before. That might have been a reason he was much nicer to Lark in their flight lessons. The young boy knew, that if that robot were to ever show it's face again, they needed to be better prepared. His science project not only would be valuable to the club but could save lives as well.
"And I can blow up the spinning targets better too! Doesn't Kiwi realize I got important things to do? I gotta think of something!"
Lark looked at Kiwi's innocent smile as she awaited his answer. He quickly came up with a non-committal answer and said, "Well...maybe. You see, I got a project going on and before you ask, it's top secret."
The girl's eyes lit up in amazement and said, "Ooohh! Can I have a hint?"
Lark put a finger to his chin, pretending to ponder her request. "Hmmm." said Lark, "It goes fast and makes a noise."
Kiwi put her hands on her hips and pouted, "That's it? What a lame hint! That can be anything."
The young boy rolled his eyes and said, "Well, that's all you're getting. Anyway, if that goes well, I might be able to meet up with you, but I can't make any promises."
The young girl looked down at the ground and moved her legs back and forth like one would sitting on a fence. She clearly wasn't happy at Lark's answer, but nodded her head and replied, "Okay, just...please try to make it. I know you'll have a lot of fun."
For some reason, Lark felt very guilty at giving Kiwi his answer. He really wanted to work on his new rocket project. For too long he had put off making the new and improved rocket. And if it did prove successful, he could make a name for himself, make his parents proud, and get scholarships for possible colleges. He really wanted to pursue an aviation engineering degree, but that was a long-term goal for later.
Lark sighed and said, "Okay, I promise."
Kiwi squealed in excitement and bounced on the couch and said, "Awesome!"
Whether it was guilt or wanting his space again, Lark handed over some coins to Kiwi and said, "Go ahead and get yourself a snack. My treat."
If stars of happiness could be seen in her eyes, Kiwi's pupils would be shining bright. She took the coins and happily skipped over to the snack table. Happy to have his space again, even if for a few moments, Lark relaxed on the couch. That didn't last long as Robin came from around a support pillar. Lark was surprised by her presence and realized she was probably eavesdropping. The older woman smiled, "You know, when a girl invites you to a festival, it's probably a good idea to accept it."
Lark did his best to maintain his composure to the confident woman, trying to not come off as embarrassed.
"Out of everyone who had to overhear, why did it have to be Robin?"
"Well, I have a thing I gotta do. I will try to get there if I can."
The blond woman raised an eyebrow and said, "Uh-huh, sure you will, young man. You know, you can't put off the next phase of your life forever."
As much as Lark wanted to avoid it, he knew what she meant.
"Girls...they're always trouble."
He crossed his arms and said, "Maybe, but I don't have to deal with it now. I just wanna get my pilotwings. I'm only 13 you know."
The woman laughed and said, "That maybe be true, but nothing says you can just have fun at a fair with a girl. Enjoy your less complicated life Lark, because the next few years are going to go fast. And be nicer to Kiwi. You'll wish you did when you get older. Ta-ta!"
As the mature woman walked off to join the others, Lark sat on the couch dumbfounded at Robin's words. He knew what she meant, but the boy didn't want to accept it. Plus, the idea of romance for him was still new and awkward. Kiwi was a nice girl and not at all ugly, but it was still weird to him. And of course, it wasn't a scary thing for Robin, as she was a woman who was not easily fazed. No matter what it was, whether people or flying, Robin could handle it.
Even when it came to the assignment of taking photos of Missi the Monster, she could do it unfazed. That assignment made Lark really nervous as most people rarely over got close to the serpent animal. It's high-pitched screech sent shivers down his spine, even though the animal was peaceful and never bothered anyone. Lark had no idea how Robin did it, as she not only was the one who took the best picture of the serpent, but also had the highest score so far. Lark only managed to take photos at strange angles. Lark certainly wished he could one day match her confidence.
Sighing, Lark got up from the couch and stretched his arms and back. Everyone was starting to gather around Hawk, which meant the test assignments were about to be announced.
"Finally, on to the good stuff! No more talk of kissy goo-goo nonsense!"
Adjusting his red cap sideways, Lark walked over to the group. As predicted, Kiwi walked up to his side, drinking an apple juice and with a pack of gum in her other hand. She offered the boy a stick, who took it and put it in his mouth. It was a sweet and hot cinnamon flavored gum, which was Lark's favorite. Nodding a thanks to Kiwi, the girl blushed before turning her attention to her father.
Hawk stood in front of the score board, which also had a wet marker board next to it. Taking a black marker, he began writing the names of everyone in the room and underlining them. Once he was done, Hawk turned his attention back to the group and cheerfully said, "Good morning! Glad to see all of you showed up this Saturday morning. As you can see, we're the only ones here today, and that's on purpose."
The aviators looked at each other glanced confusing looks. Hawk was prepared for this and continued, "The reason for that is, I managed to get the Aviation Club's resources for all of our tests. Wuhu Island Resort Club tried to get all of our vehicles for a special event, but the Club owed me a favor and I called it in. So, what does this mean for us, you ask? That's easy; to get us all of the vehicles to ourselves and no waiting times!"
"Yahoo!" cheered Lark.
"Yeehaw!" cheered Goose.
"Alright!" cheered Anka.
"Here we go!" cheered Kiwi.
Robin clapped her hands and said, "Oh yeah!"
Hawk was happy to see the enthusiasm among the group and cheered, "That's what I'm talking about! EEYAGH! I'm glad you're all happy about it, because we're gonna have plenty of time to do our tests and have some free flying to boot! And if need be, do retakes if you fail. But I doubt you'll need them."
"Get ready to trail me behind, Larky boy!" said Anka, confident she'd be able to beat his score at whatever test she would have.
The young boy smirked, crossed his arms and said, "We see about that, smokestack!".
The group laughed at the back and forth while Anka huffed and said, "Ugh, one time, and that's what I'm forever known for. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up folks."
"You'll do fine, I'm sure of it. Just keep your situational awareness in check.", said Hawk in his fatherly reassuring tone. "Now that is out of the way, I'll write your assigned tests on the board, right next to your names. The tests will be based on the test types and your Class system difficulty. Standby."
The large, fit man began writing on the board and doubled checked with the paper in his free hand. Goose and Anka started talking to each other about the festival next weekend. Kiwi took the opportunity to upsell the Festival on Holiday Island to Lark. He did have to admit, it was a good pitch, and she brought up plenty of fun sounding activities. The games alone, even if they were likely rigged, sounded cool to play. Kiwi even brought up the funnel cake and other fried, delicious treats. Lark started to tune out after her she pitched the Ferris wheel.
As if his sixth sense was tingling, Lark turned around and noticed he was being looked at. Robin simply smirked and enjoyed the boy's discomfort, which Lark knew why she was smiling.
"She's just enjoying this no doubt. Ugh! When am I gonna get my test?"
Lark's thoughts were interrupted as Hawk addressed the boy and said, "Don't go daydreaming about the clouds just yet, Lark. Focus on your test, it's on the board."
The others were already close to the board, obstructing Lark's view of his assignment. Goose, as predicted, got an easy Hang-Gliding test. Satisfied, the young man walked away and went over to the snacks. Anka fist pumped in the air and cheered, "Alright! Rocket Belt! Off to beat your score, lanky Lark".
He rolled his eyes, sighed and said, "Sure, you do that."
Despite her being his rival, he wished her the best and hoped she wouldn't get burned or hurt. It was only Robin and Kiwi at the board, with both still obscuring his view. Kiwi cheered as she said, "Yes! I get the Gyrocopter! Target blasting excercise for me!"
"She gets the Gyrocopter?! Dang, I wanted that one! That's the best one!"
As Kiwi walked away, Robin still was in the way. He could hear her say to herself, "Oh yeah!" before walking off.
"Sky Diving for me! This will be a piece of cake.", said Robin, brimming with confidence.
Lark got nervous hearing about the sky diving test. He knew eventually he'd have to complete that one and it scared him beyond belief. Only Goose and Hawk in the group had completed that test and both had gold badges to back it up. Lark had neither the accolade nor the opportunity to complete that test. He dreaded it, but he knew Hawk would never let anything bad happen to him. It was an advanced test after all, and he'd soon have to face the music eventually.
Once the board was free of people, Lark walked up and saw his name. As he looked at the board, he said, "Okay, there's my name. There's my test and... no. No, that can't be right!"
"It most certainly is, you're due for it in the Pilot Class. You got the other ones so easy, and I know you'll do fine."
The young boy looked at Hawk with pleading eyes, almost rivaling that of a sad puppy. The man wasn't buying it and said, "It's not gonna change, my boy. Man up and face the test."
Lark turned back to the board and gulped in nervousness and with good reason. This is his least favorite test and quite possibly the scariest one of them all. He had completed it three times before and he screamed every time he was shot out of it. He managed to snag a gold badge out of it, but that was mostly due to not wanting to crash into the ground.
"The Cannon Ball... I-I got this! Eeyup! Totally got it!" said Lark.
Feeling the man slap his back, Lark shook as Hawk said, "Good thing my boy! You're the first one up. Go get a restroom break and another snack break, if you need it. We'll head out in twenty minutes."
As the man walked away to the hangar, Lark stood alone in front of the board. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going happen.
"I'm dead."