He Said/She Said
"Honorable and Righteous"
By Nicki Knight
"Black hawks?" Knuckles glanced at Rawhide for confirmation.
"Not Exactly. We added a few extras. Gave it the good ol' BB touch." Rawhide ran a hand over the smooth body of the nearest of the three helicopters, admiring the craft. After a moment, he mumbled "Creator creates his own savior." he mused.
"Huh?"
Rawhide took a deep breath. "The engines in these critters are PT- 196's. Completely Perfect Tommy's design. They are nearly completely silent. A humming bird makes more of a racket." He circled around to the nose, Knuckles following. he tapped a tiny little dish on the very tip. "Jamming software's Tommy Boy's, but the hardware and the applications is, again, Perfect Tommy's." He turned and nodded to the chopper directly ahead of the one they stood beside. "And that gorgeous little critter has the one-and-only PT- Light Bender Holographer."
"The what?" Knuckles frowned, eyeing the chopper suspiciously.
Rawhide shook his head. "I don't have a clue, but, apparently, it goes invisible."
"The ultimate sneak." Knuckles chuckled, shaking her head. "Sometimes I really just don't get you guys."
Rawhide shrugged. "What's there to get?"
"Banzai is all honorable and Righteous. The peace adviser to world leaders everywhere. Yet, you all go around designing sneak stuff, weapon stuff." She smirked. "That's some code of honor your boy's packin'."
Rawhide nodded. "Yea, it is." he agreed. When she frowned, he continued "Equality for all. be kind to everyone. Lead by example. Feed the hungry. Cloth the poor. Shelter the homeless. Heal the sick. Never take without giving. and to be willing to stand, support, and defend those beliefs." He paused to pat the chopper. "Not to mention the ability."
"Might makes right?" Knuckles challenged.
"Right makes might." Rawhide returned. He looked hard at her. "There's nothin' free about freedom, girl. You have to pay in blood for it. Fight your knuckles raw to keep it. And, if you ever want anything remotely similar to true freedom, you have to make sure the next guy, and every single guy after that one, is free too."
"And that's America." Knuckles barked out a sarcastic laugh. "Running off to the rescue of every tiny little this and that who decides to wipe each other off the face of the planet, only to get smacked in the nose. Too busy buying freedom for everyone, and everyone else couldn't care less if dear, sweet, caring America lives or dies." She huffed. "Too busy sacrificing our own to save children from getting shot at who get shot at anyways."
Rawhide stepped close and looked down at her. "In case you hadn't noticed, you, an orphan from the war ravage streets of India, was one of those children. And we don't regret a drop of blood we paid for your freedom." With that said, he stepped passed her and started back for camp. "Come on. We're not done shopping for freedom yet."
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