by P. S. Power
After a second of stunned silence everyone laughed.
Karen turned to him and nodded, “it's a real point though. The second Tobin uses his power he really will be noticed. Same with Jay. Really, the only one of use that can do anything useful to a crowd without being noticed is you Denis.”
Everyone turned to look at him then, and Marcia grinned.
“True enough. That's why, when we can, I want to use Mercy here... Unless you have a better name? I think Gabriel was on the table too and you know, I don't think it's really a girl's name at all. Gabrielle is like Tobin said, but not Gabe. So, pick one, or give us something better.”
It stuck in his head, making him go still. He'd always had problems with names like that. Itch had kind of been stuck onto him for being so much of a pain. He'd embraced it, because he didn't want to seem weak. The name itself annoyed though, even him. Just hearing himself referred to that way always made him want to scratch a little.
“Crap. I've got nothing at all. Gabriel then. I blame you for this Tobin. If people mock me it's all your fault.”
The green and black skinned man smiled beatifically and agreed.
“Yep, all me.” The small man's eyes narrowed a little, “teach you to throw pain around next time won't it?”
Heh. Maybe it would. Gabriel. Well, that could be worse. At least he didn't sound like something that needed an ointment anymore. Denis nodded and turned all the way around to look at the small man.
“Yeah. Schooled. Again, I'm really sorry and I won't let it happen again. I just wish I knew why it happened in the first place.”
Tobin grinned at him a big thing that didn't show teeth, but still nearly split his face in two. Nodding he shrugged.
“Well, it wasn't pleasant, but I can forgive you. After only a few more months of needling I mean.”
A bit of rustling came from the front about then. At first no one even looked, since that's where the pilot sat and he probably had drinks or a sandwich with him. A fifth of Jim Beam or whatever small plane pilot's used to pass the time. The flight wasn't a long one but a lot of people really liked their coffee, right? Then the man stood up, wearing a back-pack.
“Sorry, just need to check the door folks. I keep hearing a high pitched sound. Probably nothing. Let's see here...” Walking to the hatch the man in his nice jacket, popped the door and promptly jumped out, not even hesitating for a second.
Fucking hell, Denis thought. It figured though, didn't it?
Stupid commuter planes.
4
“I don't suppose anyone knows how to fly a plane, do they?” Argos said from across the way, his voice a little high pitched and fast. A good question though.
“I can't.” Karen said almost instantly. Her voice sounding worried but not panicked yet.
In about ten seconds it seemed like everyone had admitted they couldn't fly a plane but Denis. He smiled warmly and moved to the pilot's seat. Oh, he couldn't fly a plane at all, but he'd seen a movie where the pilot had died of a heart attack and the airport tower talked the passenger into a safe and secure landing. The secret power of television to the rescue!
Apparently the pilot had seen that movie too however, because the radio was gone. Not just broken, but totally removed, the guy had taken it with him.
What a dick move, Denis thought, trying to go into a meditative state and for once not failing at all. Everything inside of him cleared for a second, then ten. At twenty he remembered to take action and looked around.
“Well, fuck.” He said conversationally, looking at the now empty space. “No radio either. Pretty good plan it looks like. Well...” He had nothing at all to add. Really he hadn't been sure he could figure out the radio in time anyway. They weren't crashing yet or anything at least, thanks to a board that had been put under the steering column.
Crappity crap.
There was a single parachute at least, off to the right. Or, Denis thought it might be one. He'd never even seen one close up before, but it had a likely looking shape, didn't it? That dickhead of a pilot had probably left it to get them to fight with each other over who got it or something.
Prick.
That wasn't a real question at all though, was it? It couldn't be. Not with this crew.
“Marcia! You've jumped out of planes with a chute, right?” He called back, making his voice happy sounding.
“Yeah. Without too... why?”
Denis pointed to the right. “I think this is a chute up here, but it needs to be checked. I don't want anyone to step out and have a bugs bunny thing happen, fucking pots and pans flying out all over the place.” He tried to keep his voice light, but everyone heard him and went still. Right, six people, one parachute. They seemed to get the idea quickly enough too. Five people really, a little fall wouldn't even tickle Marcia.
It took a bit for her to make it to the front, as the plane did start to fly funny as the weight shifted. Making him adjust twice to get it to go straight again. So at least that part might not have been bullshit on the pilot's part. It took her a full minute and she didn't speak loudly when she was done, just a whisper, her voice hoarse.
“It's real and packed well. A ram air chute, so it's an airfoil. A bit delicate to use, but not too bad. It's what I jumped with mainly. An old circle would be easier for you though.” She sounded dark when she said it, sad.
Denis shrugged.
“Yep that sounds right. Get with Karen, she's wearing it out.” He pitched his voice loud enough to be heard in the back. If he just told people what to do, maybe they wouldn't kill each other over the stupid piece of fabric in a sack. “Got that everyone? It's not up for discussion, Karen gets the chute, Lady Glory has to land safely. Marcia is doing it the old fashioned way. Um... Jay?” Denis made the transition calmly, as if he hadn't just proclaimed Lady Glory the most important person on the flight.
It was the truth though and he knew it. They all did. Except possibly her. At the end of this, whoever died, it had better not be Karen. Or Argos for that matter. They were both too famous and popular, it would be too big a feather in the bad guys caps. They could fucking kill him, but he'd steal what he could back from them. So Karen got the chute...
The voice came back fast and hard sounding, as if revving up for a fight or maybe just to die. Fuck that. They really needed him alive too.
“So, you're easily fast enough to swim in the air, right? At least to slow yourself down enough to stick a roll onto the end? Just hop up fine and dandy? Plus you're tough, right? Not armored, but you run at hundreds of miles per hour, so...” Denis made his voice confident, hoping the humble guy wouldn't panic. Or go all noble on them. His first mode didn't make him braver than anyone else, Argos just really thought they were better than he was. Worth more. Everyone. It helped a lot when it was time to decide who had to take out the trash probably, not so much in a situation like this. The guy had to fight now. To live.
“Right, right, right! I can do that. Carl made me do it in fact. Off a tower, but I even practically hovered for a bit. It's hard, but I can do it. Go, go, go!” This whole things came out so fast Denis had to have him repeat himself twice in order to get it.
“Good. Three down, three to go. So Tobin, what can you do here?”
The mumbled reply was soft, so quiet that no one heard him even in the back. It turned out to be a moot point, because Clark asked Tobin what he weighed. The little man whispered his answer but Clark took a deep, highly nervous, breath.
“It'll be freaky close, but I can kind of levitate and carry about half my weight besides. It's a bit of a mental block I guess, but it's all I can do. I'd love to be able to fly, I just can't, but Tobin, he's not big... If I carry him...”
“Fuck that, tie them together Marcia. You can do this no problem Clark, don't do any pussy hedging now so you look all heroic later. Good. Marcia, Karen... call out a good place, as open as possible and I'll circle, while everyone gets clear. I may need a round or two to practice first. So, everyone ready?”
It made sense in a way.
Argos might not make it, and the Clark-Tobin team was a freaking long shot for sure. Marcia would get up no matter what, but Karen might freak a bit when her friend plummeted past her. Marcia apparently got the idea though and hustled Karen to the door, calling instructions at her the whole time, already strapped in. Then they had to wait to find an open spot, a cleared farm field ended up being their best bet. Taking a deep breath and focusing on nothing but the task at hand kind of helped, though Denis badly needed to pee suddenly. Of course.
Freaking sissy bladder!
Toughen up and don't make me sell you to clowns. He shouted at it internally, as he kicked the board, a piece of unfinished two by two, out from under the steering wheel. The steering thing wasn't actually round, having hand holds on either side, in a nice plastic or rubber stuff that gave him a good grip. The center was painted a smooth glossy white.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly he guided the whole craft toward the left, hoping that banking wouldn't just cause it to stall or something. The engine noise didn't change much, and the whole thing didn't dive suddenly, so he made the turn big and resisted fiddling with any other controls. After the second circuit he relaxed and called back.
“Ready everyone? Make sure and live, we need to find that asshole pilot and kick his butt for a few months. Stupid assassins. Always trying to kill people and shit.” He forced a jovial sound into his voice that he didn't feel.
The simple truth was, in this crowd, he was the second most unneeded person right now. The last really, Clark might actually save Tobin after all. So if there was an odd man out in the end. It had to be him. He wanted to live with a passion that was more than his normal greed, intensely, so passionately it physically hurt, but he wanted the others to live just as much and they might even make it. Fucked up?
Oh yeah.
It was also what had to happen right now. Denis was going to die and nothing they did would stop that. But he could help save the others.
Karen stood at the door, holding to the frame solidly so that Marcia couldn't push her out yet. As if that would really stop the super-strong woman from doing it when the time came.
“Um, Denis, how are you getting down? You should take the chute, I'll just-” Marcia gave her a shove and yelled at her.
“Pull the cord!” Then they waited for a bit, five seconds, maybe ten. “She's good! OK, me next I guess. See you all on the ground. Remember the rule everyone, no dying on company time. Geronimo.” All of this was said with a tense tone to her voice. She gave Denis a hard look, and nodded to him as if trying to say she got what he was doing. That made one of them then, because he hadn't really let himself process it at all. The power of Zen, not thinking.
Then without hesitation, she jumped. Freaking hardcore, jumping out without a chute like that. Sure she knew she could handle it, but still, Denis didn't know if he'd be able to do that. All he knew was that he wouldn't survive landing the plane without help. So dead?
Dead.
But on his own terms, not the assassin's and not locked in a little metal cage. Not even a little one made of fiberglass. No, he was going out the side too. Probably after wetting himself, but that was alright. He really doubted anyone would notice.
“Jay, you're up when we come around. You got this though, no problem.” He actually sounded confident about it, which amused him a little. Denis felt it though. Jay really could do this. Argos was probably the fastest man in the world. Heck, he may even be able to just jump like Marsh just had. He absorbed the impact of running like he did after all. Just the sonic booms had to take something special. The man didn't do that often, but he could. Denis had seen it on television a few times.
The string of syllables that came out were nearly a buzz and totally too fast to understand. If it was his last request it probably wasn't going to be filled. On the third pass, well away from Lady Glory's chute, the man bailed. A hum came from the air outside slowly getting softer. Clark looked out the hatch and after a half minute he cheered briefly, a real, very happy sound.
“He's doing it! I don't really see how, but he's barely falling at all!”
Goblin clapped with honest joy.
“It's good! Clark...” This came out soft and slow, meant for the stork like man alone. “You should take him. I... I have a better chance of living than Denis does if I stay. I'm light and loads stronger. Maybe I could do something like what Argos is? A little. Enough to slow me down. Denis is just regular...”
It may have been meant for old Ichabod the kiddy diddler, and had a nice low pitch that nearly hid in the hum, but Denis heard it anyway and shook his head slowly, a small smile on his face.
“Then we'd probably all die Tobin. Clark can't carry me, I'm not huge, but I weigh nearly twice what you do. Besides, I... have a plan. So out you go, I'll be down in a few minutes, don't worry about that.”
His plan? Dying.
He'd jump out and then flatten himself and hope that something could save him and if not, try to look good while he did it. Still, just in case...
“Clark? Buddy old pal? A word with you?” Not that Tobin wouldn't hear, tied to the man's chest with a seat belt like he was.
When he suggested it the stork like man guffawed. A real belly laugh. Then after about fifteen seconds he nodded. Then he shook his head.
“I'll try. I... doubt I can, I can't catch anything moving faster than about fifty miles an hour, it's why I can't stop bullets, but...” The voice was sad.
Right. It gave Denis a tiny shot, that was all. Really he should have learned to fly a plane. It honestly had just never come up before. A huge oversight obviously.
On the next half turn they jumped. Everyone was on the ground now at least or would be soon. One way or the other. He didn't look for them on the ground, not wanting to know if his stupid ass plan had gotten them killed already. Except him. It occurred to him for the first time ever that having Prime's powers could really come in handy about now. Or really, almost anyone's. Other than his. Oh well, maybe this would work, right? If they only got LG and Argos out, along with Marcia, that would be a win. Hopefully Clark was better than he thought he was at catching moving objects. It wasn't likely though, he knew. The IPB testing in things like that was damned thorough.
Taking a deep breath he got the wheel thing straight and propped the stick under it again, then hurried to the back and jumped before he could lose his nerve. Really, his first thought as the wind hit him was that he couldn't believe he'd just done that. Denis had really expected to freeze a few times at the door first, maybe even have to circle a few more times.
Oh yeah, he was freaking hardcore now.
As he fell, lying as flat as possible to slow himself down, resisting the urge to claw at the air trying to fly, he saw them all, Argos and Karen were sitting down and Clark stood, his hand outstretched, trying to slow him. If anything was happening he didn't feel it. Fantastic. At least the guy was trying, that made him feel better about the whole thing for some reason, and Clark. Then, no one had ever said he wasn't a good and worthy teammate, just that he slept with a single twelve year old girl.
Bastard.
Fear ripped through him, and he had to fight not to scramble in the air desperately again. The ground came at him fast and hard and really, he figured that this would be a good time to take that leek, all things considered. He watched as the ground closed, huge and deadly under his falling body.
Then the world vanished.
Not black, not blank. It just wasn't anymore. Not at all. Denis kind of figured this was heaven, or maybe hell. It was nothing though. Just... Peace really. Kind of nice. So heaven then? He wanted to look around, but there wasn't anything to look at. Then suddenly he stood on the ground blinking, next to Karen who was hugging him and Marcia who pounded him on the back.
“What happened?” Denis asked, noticing as he did that Tobin seemed to be wrapping Jay's ankle with his small green shirt, torn into strips, his black and green sk
in bare and a bit mottled on the chest under the overalls.
No one spoke for a second. Marcia answered firmly, only a hint of an edge to her voice.
“Proxy did. Popped in about ten feet from the ground, not moving at all, then fell and landed in a textbook roll out. Could have added a flourish at the end, but I'd give it a solid eight out of ten.”
Karen giggled in relief and hugged him closer, “at least an eight-six. He didn't get hurt and you're fine. Thank God I-” She cried then, no one tried to stop her.
So, two times in three days, four days maybe, Brian had saved his life. He'd have to send him a card. Or give him a cake maybe. Mark could show him how to make it. It would make a good episode for the show. Denis sat down and smiled.
Not dead yet muther-fuckers! Still alive and kicking. Somehow.
Marcia stood and called them all to attention. Denis glanced at her and she looked fine, not her clothing, but she seemed like she'd just... landed. Like she'd said she would.
“alright, let's get everyone to cover over in those trees. It's not a lot, but we're a man down and don't know if an attack is coming. Normally I'd have said no, but these days it's hard to tell. Brian knows we're here, but not where here is. They should be able to track us via satellite, we all have trackers now, so we find cover and wait.” Marcia sounded confident, like it was a real plan.
Denis shrugged, who was he to claim it wasn't? He moved to help get Jay up but Clark made a noise, a small snort, and lifted the man in the air about a foot with his power and started walking. Everyone else followed, Karen still alternating between giggling fits and crying jags. Tobin looked scared, so Denis walked over and gently clapped him on the back. He jumped, but then the tiny man just looked at Denis as they kept walking.