Wild Wings

Eraser Encounter

Rowan stretched as she got up from the ground the brothers following her as they walked back to the Tortuga. "So, Asia or Australia next?" 

Chris thought for a second before giving his answer. "Asia, definitely Asia." 

Martin disagreed. "No way, we're going to Australia next." 

Rowan rolled her eyes with a smirk. "How about we go to Asia next, then visit Australia next. To be honest I always wanted to visit the Philippines."  

The two shrugged and agreed none the less. But something made Rowan stop in her tracks, it was a familiar feeling of being watched by a predator was there. Martin noticed how Rowan was acting, how she was looking around and listening. 

"Rowan, are you okay?" A growl was heard, and gold eyes were seen. 

A man came out of the dark, he had slicked hair and a suit. He was also wearing sunglasses, but he was alone. Chris went to greet him, but Rowan spread her wings keeping the Kratt brothers behind her. 

"Get to the Tortuga, I have to deal with this stray dog." The man smirked and fur started to poke out of his skin, it looked like a werewolf transformation, and it made the bros freeze. "Go now!" 

Martin and Chris made a mad dash to the turtle ship. "What about Rowan?!" 

Rowan made large bursts of electricity around her body, two of the longer bolts were held like whips in her hands. The wolf-man charged but was whipped in the chest with electricity, making a long burn mark. 

"Stupid girl!" 

"Dumb Mutt!" 

The eraser charged again but, something happened. He went back to human form and collapsed face first into the ground, that was when Rowan saw the bar code on the back of his neck. It was his expiration date. 

"Rowan!" The crew came running to the teen, Aviva gasping as she saw the dead man. "Is he-?" 

"He's gone. It was his expiration date; you can see the bar code on the back of his neck." Rowan moved the collar of his torn suit to show the code. 

Jimmy shivered as the teen flipped over the body. "So, that was an eraser?" 

The teen nodded and looked to Aviva and Koki. "Aviva, Koki, that tracking chip you two found in my arm. Do you still have it?" 

Aviva reached into her pocket and pulled out the chip, the girl snatching it from her. "I should've done this after you told me about it." 

Rowan kneeled down and took a rock in her hand, pacing the chip on another rock before smashing the tracker. She then took the broken pieces and placed them on the eraser's chest, and then walked into the Tortuga with her wings tucked close. 

"Rowan?" Chris managed to find her hiding behind the Hippo-Sub. 

"Yeah?" He sat next to her. "You, okay? You know after that?" 

She sighed and unfurled her wings from her body, so she wasn't hiding. "More will be here soon. They'll find the body, and the tracer. I just can't believe I was so careless; I should've smashed that chip after hearing about it." 

"Well, there are some men in black outside. I came in to give you this." He handed her a vile of something. "It's skunk spray, it should mask your scent." 

"I'm not pouring this on me." Chris shook his head. "You don't have to. Just open it, the stink should do its job." 

Footsteps were heard, multiple footsteps. So, Rowan opened the vile and handed it to Chris, getting ready to fight. The teen then pounced and pinned down the first shadow she saw, good thing is it was Martin. 

"Woah, Rowan! Easy, they're gone!" Rowan let him up and her wings flared. 

Koki came closer and held out her arms, as if asking if the girl needed a hug. This made Rowan tear up and dash to hug the woman, crying silently as Koki held her. 

"Sh, sh, it's okay now. You're okay." The girl shook her head. 

"Those bastards, any moment of peace we have, any quiet or wholesome moment is always ripped away by the erasers and white coats!" Everyone jumped as Rowan yelled out about her pain. 

"We're never okay! I've seen them kill for their greed and power, just to show how sadistic and strong they are! I don't know what's scarier, that they want me and the Flock to be in cages for their sick desires! Or that I just want to use my power to put them out for good!" 

Martin and Chris looked at each other before joining the hug, then Aviva and Jimmy joined in. 

"We're always hunted, always chased down. Barely any rest, no time to settle down for a moment. All of us just wish we were born normal, that we knew our families. But those wishes died years ago for me, when I found out my own parents were two of the white coats that caused us pain. It never goes away, the hurt, the aches. It sometimes is hard to breath thinking about it." 

Rowan leaned on Koki more, her legs starting to give out, and the bros noticed. "Rowan, it's okay. You can sleep now." 

The teen let herself be caught as she fell, Martin picking her up like a father would before carrying her to a hammock. Chris helping him tuck her in by placing a weighted teal blanket over her. 

"We'll keep watch, don't worry." Chris said this but Rowan in her sleepy state thanked him, calling him a different name. 

"Thanks, Fang."