Destiny No More

Chapter 23

Sneaking out of Beacon had become an oddly common occurrence for Pyrrha, although the last time hadn't been in quite so comfortable a manner.

"We'll be at the landing zone in about five minutes!" The pilot called from the front of the aircraft, her voice barely audible over the sound of the engines. "Closest I'm legally allowed to get you within the city's air space. They don't take too kindly to rouge aircraft flying over people's homes!"

"Huh, I wonder why?" Coco said with a roll of her eyes, her signature sunglasses having been left behind due to the fact the sun had set nearly three hours ago. Fashion had its place, but even Coco had her limits.

"That being said, if you run into anything too dangerous, Qrow asked me to uh..." The pilot's voice phased out for a moment. "Lets just say bend a few rules."

Pyrrha considered it. If the Paladins were there, the extra firepower would be more than helpful. WHile Beacons Bullheads might not be on the same level as Atlas', each one was outfitted to support Huntsmen on the ground. "We'll keep in touch!" At the very least it would be a good idea to let their pilot know when they planned to return.

"Wouldn't that be a little... risky?" Velvet asked. "And illegal?"

"Yeah, but if it's to fight terrorists I'm sure the council could find it in their hearts to forgive me!" The pilot explained. "Besides, I owe Branwen for pulling me out from the burning wreck that was my last Bullhead!"

Pyrrha's eyes widened slightly, turning to look at team CFVY who each shared a similar look of concern. "Qrow didn't mention that... how he knew you, I mean."

The pilot simply chuckled. "Training one of the new guys, had a malfunction and there was a spark in the fuel tank! We were on fire before we even hit the ground!" Despite how terrifying it sounded, she sounded amused. "That's actually how I got my callsign! Fireball!"

Team CFVY's face's continued to grow paler, but Pyrrha remained calm. Despite the rather... worrisome story, Beacon only employed the best. She was pretty sure she even recognized the pilot from her last life, meaning that she was unlikely to get in an accident simply by flying from the school to the city. Right?

Pyrrha shook her head, forcing her attention back to the present. It wouldn't be long before they landed, and she needed to be alert for the long walk ahead. They would need to reach the building on foot, not just to avoid breaking any laws, but to ensure they didn't alert the White Fang before they arrived.

Qrow had said he was certain the building was actually a White Fang base and she was inclined to believe him. The Headmaster had placed his faith in Qrow for a reason. Pyrrha had no reason to doubt either of them. Not when it came to this, at least.

The Bullhead learched slightly as they started their descent, Pyrrha smiling as the sudden movement reminded her of how her partner would react to flying. Despite his hatred of it, there was rarely another option. More than once she had been forced to pat his back as he heaved his lunch into whatever bag he could get a hold of. She had always been worried at the time, but looking back she couldn't help but smile.

"Alright, this is where I'm dropping you, good luck kids!" Fireball called back towards them, the engines finally quieting down somewhat as they started to stand. "If you need me, just call!"

Pyrrha nodded her head and stepped off the Bullhead, waiting for team CFVY to do the same. Coco took the lead, setting off in the direction they would need to go.

"How far to the totally secret base?" Fox asked, Coco smirking as she looked back over her shoulder at her team. She didn't stop as she explained however. It wasn't the first time they had gone over the details, but doing so again would be a good idea.