The barren wasteland lay beneath me like an ocean of dust, as the dry wind carried me across the desert. Stretched out to either side of me were my parawings - my own invention. Based on a kite, windproof fabric was attached to a lightweight frame. The essentially simple design was complicated when the steering mechanisms were added. I had decorated this model in yellow, orange and red - the colours of fire. From the ground, I was just another bird; only when I swooped low to the ground would they realise their mistake - too late. I hoped. Even if it didn't work out that way, a ferocious , fiery warrior attacking from the sky, slung beneath a large bird-shaped kite of some kind had to be intimidating - if not terrifying!

A sudden thermal jolted me out of my daydream. Riding it easily, I rose higher and higher and higher, until I could see a black smudge on the horizon. Battery City. The headquarters of BL/ind. Better Living Industries. Ha! If they were really interested in better living, they would've tried to clean up the chemicals and fix the ozone layer - or at least improve the food! The abbreviation suits them, though. Blind indeed. Sighing, I closed my eyes and let the sunlight seep through my eyelids as the warm air brushed lightly against my face.

Suddenly, I heard faint shouting comeing from below me. Opening my eyes again, wincing at the sudden brightness, I saw four - no, five - figures in a car, driving far too fast to be anything but what they were. My suspicions were confirmed when I spotted the hordes of drac bikes - even a few cars! The killjoys - for they could be nothing else - were returning fire as best they could, but there were so many dracs I was surprised they had made it this far from wherever they had come from! They were fighting bravely, I could see - but they were definitely flagging.
'Well, there's no time like the present,'{C} I thought as I began my decent. Swerving behind the pursuit, I felt the wind whipping my hair around behind me. Dark gold with bright red streaks, I knew it would look all the more impressive - but oh, those tangles! That's the problem with long hair. It tangles badly and takes ages to dry! I reached for my guns as I drew close to the rear. I smiled. They wouldn't know what hit them.

Loosing my battle cry, I dusted at least five as they turned to look. The next lot just about had time to register the threat before they, too, were ghosted. Some had drawn their weapons now, and were returning fire - I dodged easily. As I dusted the occupants of one car, I marvelled at the beauty of it all; as the front lines turned to look at me ghosting the back lines, the killjoys could take advantage of their distraction. I have yet to see a drac who can effectively fight on two fronts on a motorbike in a pursuit. The cars would be harder - but as a driver glanced back to see what all the commotion was about, the other killjoys took him out. Without a driver, the car veered off to the left - crashing into several bikers and the other car. With most of the surviving dracs without transport, they - showing a degree of intelligence I didn't think they possessed - gave up.

As I soared over them, they scattered - but I didn't open fire. Although my lasers still still had plenty of charge, I wanted to keep them guessing - hopefully they would underestimate me. I might get into a tight spot someday when I would need every advantage I had. There's no sense in making things harder for yourself. Glancing behind me, I took in the result of my trial by fire - I had passed with flying colours, I thought, laughing inside.