A Click in the Dark

My wings snapped tight. Air hit my chest. I jerked my beak upward and locked eyes with the frozen bird warrior facing me, waiting for a countermove. Nothing. Absolutely motionless. I darted forward on the slick surface and drove my foot claw down onto the soft button of the black remote control resting between us. A sharp click broke the silence. My joints bent, my weight shifted, and the movement was entirely mine. I am awake.