Birds of a Feather (Apocalypse AU)

Chapter 7 - Concrete Jungle (Ace)

TW: blood, injury, cursing

Ace's leg bounced up and down on the ground as they sat besides Kole in their airplane seat. Their hands itched for their tablet and stylus, which were stowed away securely in their bag in the cramped overhead compartments; annoyingly, the bright orange seatbelt sign still buzzed with authority above the seats, and they couldn't get up or else they'd be immediately told to sit back down. Leaning forward to look out of the window, there were no other planes or transit cars moving around on the tarmac, and nervous energy had begun to spread throughout the cabin. The tension hung thick like a fog over their heads, and it looked like it won't be leaving for a little while.

Kole poked Ace in the cheek as she stretched her arms, letting out her breath as she felt her neck made an extremely satisfying pop. She was getting over the flight, and had relaxed a little, moving her fingers around and stretching as much as she could in her seat. Her spine was starting to hurt from sitting straight and slouching, and her eyes burned from staying awake all night. But she was on edge, despite never being in this situation before. When they had departed from the airport before, there was a bustle of activity, almost a frantic activity as the planes departed and the workers rushed to get each plane refueled and off of the ground as soon as possible. And yet, she knew that something was wrong, especially when checking on the tense, tight-lipped smiles of the flight attendants. Something wrong is definitely going on outside the plane.

People in the cabin were getting anxious, looking at each other and talking in soft voices to their seat neighbors. Suddenly, Rae poked their head between the seats in front of Kole and Ace, surprising both of them and causing them to jump, Ace's arm jabbing Kole's back.

Rae snickered as Kole slapped Ace's hand away, glaring and muttering fucking twat. Rae was wearing their mask, not because they were sick, but because they didn't like people recognizing them when they walked around. They didn't like to think that they were famous, but it was hard to deny the plethora of prominent artists that they hung out with. Despite these precautions, the calm lavender purple and smile plastered on the front of the cloth did nothing to mask their trademark style.

Ace looked forward, glancing at Rae and grinning. They had been friends for a while, and often traded color theory advice between classes. "What's poppin' Rae?" Ace asked while Kole reached for a bottle of water in her bag, not bothering to join in the conversation.

"Nothing much... Do you two know what's going on?" Rae asked softly, trying not to bother the two students sitting next to him. He shifted uncomfortably in the hard seat, his hands fidgeting with his thin jacket. Looking anxiously out of the window, Rae's eyes flickered with worry, not only for himself, but for his friends on the plane and his family at home, who would be concerned if the plane didn't confirm its landing.

Ace pursed their lips, looking at Rae. It was no use being optimistic; they all knew that something bad was going on, there was no hiding that fact. "I don't really know. Have you talked to Mr. Davidson about it? Does he know what's going on?" Ace shrugged, eyebrows furrowing as they thought about various situations that would delay the airplane from landing and disembarking.

Kole's breathing went rigid and short in quickly, confusion and distress flared visibly on her face as she anxiously tapped Ace on the shoulder, "I... may have seen something at the airport..." she mumbled, looking down at the armrest between their seats and began to subtly scratch the leather-like plastic covering the chairs from nervousness.

Rae and Ace both leaned closer, both curious and hoping to keep their conversation private. Kole looked away, wrinkling her water bottle in her hands and thinking back to the news and announcements at the airport. "Something's going on internationally. Most European countries have locked down their borders, restricted travel, and instituted a media blackout. It's the same story with countries throughout mainland Asia."