Birds of a Feather (Apocalypse AU)

Chapter 11 - On the Tarmac (Ace)

TW: injury, gore, blood, guns

Ace gasped for air as they hurled headlong towards the plane, their shoes thudding harshly on the pavement. Despite the smooth ground, it was a deceptively long distance to the burning wreckage, its outline obscuring any sense of size on the flat horizon. They gagged a little as they got closer, choking on the acrid fumes of burning metal and melting plastics. Slowing to a jog, Ace pulled the front of their jacket over their nose and mouth to help dampen the smell curling up into the air.

Slowing down, Ace gagged as they stared, eyes wide, at the smoking body lying on the tarmac. Their clothing ripped and burned, Ace could tell that half of their face was covered in red and black skin, wrinkled and oozing, and that most of their shoulders were smoking where their jacket and shirt had been mostly burned away. Their dark brown hair was seared off of part of their scalp, and the remaining roots were smoking, releasing a bitter scent that coated their mouth. Ace's mouth became dry, leeching the color from their face, as they took a step forward.

The rest of their clothes hadn't fared much better, and their legs were covered in small scratches and deep lacerations, cutting their tan pants and smearing the rips with a tint of red. Almost everything was torn or destroyed in one way or another, and Ace took a step back in order to get a breath of semi-fresh air, or at least air that wasn't laced with the cloying scent of burning clothes, flesh, and hair.

Kole and Rae soon approached, both grimacing at the smell and trying their best to avoid breathing too deeply. Rae covered their mouth and looked away as Ace came over to rub her back. Kole's mouth was set in a grim line as she looked at the figure, eyes softening at the angry crimson of the person's burns. Pain seemed to be a universal experience that never changes, regardless of the situation.

Rae bit their cheek as Ace tried to comfort them. They had never seen a body that was so gravely injured, and in such a grotesque and painful way. The soft murmuring that everything would be okay did nothing to help. Rae shut their eyes in any attempt to take them far away from the tarmac, as far away as possible, back to their cats and home, anywhere but here.

Ace rubbed Rae's back awkwardly. He had no idea what to do in this type of situation. He looked up as another student rushed by, slightly out of breath as they dropped to their knees right next to the figure. Kieran was another artist who, like Rae, didn't particularly like the attention that he often commanded. Wearing his trademark black mask and light jacket, he rushed over to the body, wrinkling his forehead and gently pushing the individual over slowly so they were laying on their back.

Though he was supporting their side, he winced as the person flopped heavily onto their back, inciting a groan of pain. Kieran flinched in surprise, quickly proceeding to check their breathing and pulse, both of which seemed slow but reasonably so given the amount of trauma the person had gone through. He grimaced at the smoking holes dotted throughout their shirt and torso, realizing that this spread of injuries would need more than just first aid to fix. Mulling over the possibilities, Kieran began to try and cover the scratches and deep cuts on their legs with pieces of fabric.

Ace left Kole to comfort Rae as they looked back to Kieran and the figure. They were surprised that the figure was alive, given how motionless they seemed and the extent of their injuries. Seeing how focused Kieran looked, Ace decided to focus on the two bags that the individual had dragged with them out of the burning wreckage.

Kneeling down, Ace carefully zipped open the dark green duffel bag, its fabric surprisingly unscathed given the damage the plane had gone through. Looking inside, Ace pulled out the deconstructed parts of an air rifle, whistling at their form and lightness while running their hand along the smooth surfaces. Putting them to the side, Ace rummaged through the rest of the bag, finding a little ammunition and crumpled clothing. Carefully fitting the rifle parts back into the bag and zipping it up, Ace moved onto the second backpack, which was more charred and seemed to be more empty than full. Perusing through its contents, Ace found drawing supplies, a phone and laptop, some snacks and a metal water bottle, and, most relevant to their current situation, a small first aid pack wedged in between a textbook and a pair of headphones.

Ace pulled it out triumphantly, turning to Kieran. "Kieran! Guess what I found?"

Kieran barely had time to look up before they caught the first aid pack in their bloody hands. Taking a deep breath, they glanced up to Ace. "Thank you," he said, his eyes conveying his sincerity as he began leafing through the kit, red smearing all over the white bandages and tape. Right now, the priority was trying to help this person on the tarmac. Everything else could come later.

Ace kneeled down to help Kieran, grabbing a soaked piece of fabric and laying it gently over the burned parts of the individual's face. They groaned in pain, shifting and ripping several of the burns and cuts back open, spilling crimson and a browned amber into the grooves in the pavement. Ace cursed as Kieran frantically tried to wipe up the seeping wounds.

Rae and Kole sat in silence at a distance as they both let the implications of the crash wash over them in waves. Worry, pain, terror, numbness. Again and again and again.

Looking up, they saw the group of students departing from the plane waving their hands frantically at something coming from the terminal.

Getting up, Rae leaned a little to one side to get a better view. They watched as a small group of people ran towards their plane from the terminal, some limping and others leading the way.

"There's more people..." Rae murmured as Kole stood beside him. Kole nodded silently, eyes narrowing as they approached their plane and started gesturing frantically. Something isn't right.

Kole took a few steps to the left, looking around the carriage of the plane and stopped, shocked, at the size of the crowd. They didn't seem as frantic as the other group, meandering slowly towards the plane. Most of them were limping in some way, shape or form and somehow made the environment feel cold. Kole shivered; the second crowd was leeched of color, draining what little color was in the gray clouds and dark ground.

Rae opened their mouth to ask as everyone began running away from the terminal, towards the wreck of the plane. Confused, she turned to Ace and Kieran, who were both working their hardest to try and save the individual on the ground.

Kole nudged Rae. "We should get going..."

"Why?" Rae asked, confused and still watching Kieran and Ace.

Rae turned around as Kole began jogging towards their bags that they had dropped earlier. "Because that does not look like a group of people who want to say hi."

Everyone by the plane had broken out into a sprint away from the second crowd, some screaming and others trying their best to help the injured. Kole ran back, shoving Rae's bag into his arm and tapping rushing over to warn Ace and Kieran.

Rae backed away and walked to his friends. Nothing was going well.