Fate decides who comes into your life; your heart decides who stays.
"𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟. 𝐼𝑛 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑠, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑢𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑑."
[X-Men: First Class - X-Men Apo...
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Ria hates flying. She much prefers walking on solid land or swimming through the ocean to flying in a metal death trap thousands of miles above the ground. It feels as if she is asking to be smited, thrown from sacred air.
Her leg bounces wildly. Unable to control it, Ria keeps her gaze focused on the ground and tries to ignore her shoulder brushing against Erik who sits beside her. It's a comfort to know he is there, but her terrible fear of flight fights against that warmth. She wishes she could bask in it, to fully allow Erik's presence to calm her, but she knows better than to go into battle with one eye closed.
As Charles begins speaking, Ria glances up to see his fingers pressed to his temple. "The crew of the Aral Sea are all dead. Shaw's been there," he says.
"He's still here," Erik replies. "Somewhere."
"He's set the ship on course for the embargo line," Charles says, glancing around at everyone.
Moira, who sits by Hank in the cockpit, calls back, "If that ship crosses the line, our boys are gonna blow it up, and the war begins."
Ria's grip on the seat belts securing her tightens to the point of tingling pain spreading through her pale knuckles. "Unless they're not our boys," she mutters, though it seems her voice carries over the bashing winds echoing in the barrel of the plane.
When the plane jerks to the side, Ria yelps and shuts her eyes tightly, pressing the back of her head against the seat. For today's battle, she had chosen to braid her hair into a crown. Every ridge in the braid presses against the seat painfully, though it grounds her at the moment as ironic as the concept of grounding can be thousands of miles in the air.
"A little warning next time, professor," Hank yells back.
"That was inspired, Charles." Moira turns back with a girlish grin on her face.
Ria simply peels her eyes back open and adjusts her grip on the seat. Her finger taps against the belt quicker than her leg can bounce. Thoughts of doom spread through her mind as she looks around at each of the mutants around her, eventually landing on the one right beside her.
Erik is already looking at her.
Pursing her lips, Ria says, "We have to locate Shaw before he can do more damage. Is there anything on your tech?"
"No," Moira replies. "Nothing."
"Well, then he must be underwater," Hank says. "And, obviously, we don't have sonar."
Ria glances at Sean as his eyes light up, saying, "Yes, we do!"
Charles is already clambering out of his seat with the biggest smile on his face as he and Sean move to the back of the plane. Erik follows them, though Sean motions for him to stay back. Ria can barely hear them even without the added opening of the doors on the belly of the plane open. She just lets out a whimper as she grips the seat tighter.
