Tyrone was flabbergasted with how the meeting had gone with the Texas couple. He hadn't really accomplished anything. Not because he hadn't tried. The ladies had been at each other the whole time, interrupting the conversation and making things difficult. Even when he and Mr. Marlen had been able to get into a conversation, he seemed to be more interested in the vigilante rumors than in discussing business.

Tyrone was beginning think that maybe these Texas people were on a different speed than. They didn't seem to be in any hurry. There was no sense of urgency. This was strange, considering the nature of business they were interested in doing.

Needless to say, things were still pretty much up in the air by the time they all decided to wrap it up and meet again the next day. He was in a dark mood as he escorted Natasha to the car. 

She was taunting him. Flashing him bits of flesh and making suggestive remarks. He was a man. He had the boss' blessing. What was holding him back? Why am I being a bitch about dis situation? He asked himself as he gave the beautiful, dark-haired vixen a once over. He was helping her into the car, appreciating her ever-long legs as her dress scooted higher up her thigh as she entered the vehicle.

He got in the driver's seat and looked at her. "Where to, lady? Back to de bungalow?"

"You aren't going to take me back to your place and ravish me?" She pouted at him.

"I don't tink dat would be... eh... wise. No. I will drop you off." He started the engine, his decision final, albeit still a mystery to him. Tyrone usually had no issues about bedding whatever Barbie-doll beauty that landed within reach of his charms. What was different about this one? Was it that she was his boss' favorite girl? Was it her lack of morality? It had to be something.

He glanced over at her as he pulled the car out of the lot. She looked like she was fuming. You be on her shit-list now, bro! The thought made him chuckle. One thing he did know was that the woman was not used to rejection. She seemed to want him badly enough. His resistance seemed like it was going to eat her alive.

"Hey, lady," he began, smiling at her. "I hope you don tink I am... not willing because you are lacking. You are very beautiful... I am just, you know, a cautious man."

"You are an idiot. That's what you are, Tyrone!" she spat at him, causing him to swerve the car a little. "You have no idea who you are toying with. You hesitate because you are afraid of that worthless filth, Harley. You'll soon learn who you should be loyal to."

Tyrone was completely thrown off guard by her words and remained silent for the rest of the short trip to the bungalow. He was a gentleman and escorted her to the door, but when he started to say something to her (an apology? anything to smooth things over) she stepped inside and slammed the door in his face, leaving him standing there with his mouth open.

He shook his head and turned back toward his car. "Women! Dey make a man be wantin to shoot heemself!"

.....

"He is with her." The Oracle had her eyes closed. She was sitting on a small cushion, surrounded by five people. The Falcon and four others. They were his "team", so he liked to call them. His only friends.

"You say she is a 'super' and she doesn't know yet?" the leader of the small band of heroes asked her. He was a tall, powerful man. He had white hair that contrasted with his perfectly smooth, youthful skin. He had the ability to manipulate energy. Although that sounded vague it really wasn't. It took him many years to develop and learn to use his power. He would be the first to admit that he was still learning.

"She has some kind of control over ravens. I have privately been referring to her as 'The Raven'. I do not know exactly what she can do with them. It is most likely your average ability to call and control a specific animal." Her eyes opened and she looked around her at each of the people surrounding her. "We must retrieve my brother before she discovers she has this special ability. Once she knows, she will become far more difficult to deal with."

Jerome studied her, deep in thought, his brows furrowed. Finally he spoke and voiced his concerns. "You say her power has something to do with the raven... a bird. How can you be so specific?"

She turned and looked at him, smiling gently. "To be honest, I do not know for sure if it is only the raven. The raven has continuously appeared with her in my visions and she seems connected to it. I can't explain how I know these things about her, but I can tell you that I am almost never wrong. My information may be, as of yet, incomplete, but what is there is always correct."

"That is... not reassuring, Tya." His look was grim. "Imagine if she is capable of manipulating and controlling any bird? What do you think she might do with me?"

The beautiful eyes studied his face for a moment. "I don't believe you would fall under her domain, Jerome. You underestimate what you are. You most closely relate yourself to a bird but you are more than that. Far more. Perhaps not even of this world. Do not trouble yourself with these things until the time comes to be worried. We shall deal with that problem if and when it arises."

He nodded his head in compliance but the frown didn't quite leave his brow. "You are very likely correct." He turned his attention to the white haired leader. "Anthony, what is your opinion of our lovely Oracle? Do you believe we might benefit from the power she possesses? And that we might be able to help her in return?"

Anthony nodded his head without hesitation. "I do. I believe she could be our missing link. What about the rest of you?"

The others, two women and one other man, all agreed unanimously. They had all been amazed by the ability the Oracle possessed. She would prove quite useful. Extracting Tyrone shouldn't be difficult. He just needed convincing and then he would need protection. Jerome looked back at the beautiful Jamaican woman. With a sister such as she, the convincing part couldn't possibly be too hard to accomplish.

Everyone stood to their feet and bid each other farewell before departing via the different methods in which they had arrived (swinging out the window on a rope for example).

...........

Tya had been introduced to all of them when she'd arrived. She had already been aware of the power and ability each of them possessed. She had been watching all of them, not just Jerome. She wasn't the type to invade on anyone's privacy, but she learned what it was necessary to learn about them in order to be certain that they were safe and trustworthy.

Once the rest of them had taken their leave, she turned to Jerome, smiling. "Thank you. Thank you for trusting in me and allowing me this audience with the people you love."

He bowed and then met her gaze with a curious look in his eyes. "Do you live far from here?"

"I live about 15 minutes from here. I can get a cab. I do not like to drive, so I don't own a vehicle."

"Neither do I." The humor briefly intensified the glow in his golden eyes and they both laughed. "Please. I would be honored if you would allow me to fly you home. It is a warm night. You would be safe, I promise you."

She took a step back, unsure of herself. Something she was not used to. "I-I couldn't, I..."

"Of course, it is your right to say no, but... I believe you might enjoy it and I would love to do you the service. It would assure me of your safety, actually, so you would be doing me a favor as well."

She thought about it for a moment before finally looking up at him. She was trying to be brave. "Okay, Jerome. I will accept, but... if you drop me I shall throw the most evil of curses upon you that I can muster up as I fall to the Earth!"

His laugh, an unusual and beautiful sound, echoed off of the ancient stone walls of the upper level of the museum. With a thrust, he unfolded his powerful wings. The breeze they stirred ruffled the little curls that framed her face and her breath caught in her throat. She prayed she would not regret this. He looked down at her and held his arms out to her as though he were asking her to dance a waltz. "You will be safer with me than if you used any other transportation, my lady. Shall we?"

She took a deep breath and threw her shoulders back. She thrust her chin up before closing the space between them with one step. He folded her in his arms and with a single, mighty pump of his wings, they lifted off and flew out through the wide, open window.

...........

As he flew, The Falcon held the pretty female close to him, one arm around her upper body and the other under her knees. She clung to him with both arms wrapped around his neck, her eyes screwed shut as she did her best not to scream and alert people on the ground to their presence.

He chuckled as he looked at her terrified face. He leaned in to put his mouth close to her ear. "You must open your eyes, Tya. You need to tell me where to go."

She slowly opened one eye and then the other. She was probably better off facing him rather than looking toward the ground. She quickly gave him her address and then shut her eyes again. The wind ruffled her hair and her dress as they flew.

"You don't want to turn around and see the sight?" he asked her. She shook her head quickly, but she did open her eyes and look up at him, smiling. She seemed to trust him. He would never allow her to fall. He felt her body begin to relax.

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

The fright of being swooped up into the night sky began to dissipate as Tya gazed up at the angelic man who held her so tightly. The sensation of flying truly set in and it felt amazing. So long as she wasn't looking down. She kept her eyes on his face instead.

In reply to his question, she said, "Maybe next time. I think my view is just perfect for my first flight."

...........

Jerome brought his eyes down to her face for a moment.

He saw the flush on her cheeks and the amazement in her eyes. No one had ever looked at him like that before (not that he could recall, anyways, as there was a lot of his past that was unknown to him and his memories only came in small bursts).

His heart did a flip-flop and he tore his eyes away, returning to watching where he was going. All too soon they arrived in her neighborhood. He swooped down after assuring himself that the coast was clear and landed lightly on the balcony of the apartment she'd given him the address to.

"Do you have a key to this door?" he asked, glancing around. He hoped he didn't need to fly her around to her front door. The neighborhood wasn't as quiet as he had hoped.

"I do." There was laughter in her voice and her eyes were shining brighter than the moon. "That was wonderful, Jerome. Thank you so much."

"Would you like to do it again, sometime?" He averted his eyes as he spoke, but then he met her gaze once more and his eyes bored straight into her soul.

"That would be the most wonderful thing I could imagine looking forward to!" She stepped closer to him and rose to her tip-toes. As she moved closer, he folded his wings to enclose them both. His breath caught in his throat. He'd never been this close to a woman before.

She kept her eyes locked onto his as she reached up and met him as he leaned toward her. She softly brushed her lips against the corner of his mouth, then quickly backed away and turned toward her back door.

When she heard the swoosh of his wings unfolding, she turned to look back at him. "Thank you." Her eyes gave away the emotion she struggled to contain.

He gave her a brief bow before raising off of her balcony into the night sky.

...........

Tya watched him disappear with her arms folded around her upper body. When he was almost completely out of sight, she heard the distant cry of a falcon. She knew it was uttered from the lungs of a magnificent man. A creature of whose origin was a mystery. What did his existence mean? Were there others like him, or was he just a phenomenon of nature? A human born with deformations so drastic that it enabled him the gift of flight?

Her heart finally began to slow its pace as she unlocked her door and stepped inside. She turned one last time to scan the night sky, but all evidence of him was gone. All evidence except what he had left burning inside her heart.

(A/N: Please don't forget to vote. Also, comment and let me know what you think so far.)