Purer Than A Sunrise

XI

    An hour had passed and we had crossed over the shore of Ireland, rain pouring down on the plane and the air whipping at the engines. The turbulence was great, tossing the cabin in all different directions as we neared the location set on the GPS machine. I gripped the arms of my seat with all my strength, trying not to scream and distract Rody from his flying. Though he was quite a good pilot for not having any experience, I still shook in fear of hitting a mountain or crashing into the group. Those images encased my mind, tormenting the ride. Rody turned to me for a split second, continuing to have his eyes out the window.

    "It's going to be okay, y/n. I've got this." He said, his voice smooth and soft as though this was second nature for him. My body stopped shaking and my muscles relaxed. I smiled, letting the stress disappear from me.

    "Thanks, Rody," I whispered, staring at him for comfort and peace of mind. Pino popped up, fluttering toward me and resting down on my lap. I giggled at her, letting the rest of the world disintegrate to dust and reality stepped back for a moment. I cupped her in my hands and nuzzled my nose to her beak. She squeaked and chirped with pleasure and all seemed well again.

    "You feel better?" Rody asked. I turned to him, smiling.

    "Yes. Thank you." I told him.

    "Of course, cutie~" What did he just call me? Again? My halo grew to be a bright red color, steaming in heat. I blushed hard, but Rody just laughed. The GPS beeped, signally our close location. "Almost there!" The engine speed on as a base-like structure carved into a mountain appeared within our sights. I stared out the windshield, watching the rain-droplets pound on the glass and the building in the rock begin to get closer. "That's it! The base!" Rody reported. "I'm going in for a landing, brace yourselves!"

    I immediately grasped onto the seat again, trying to protect myself from any potential severe damage. However, Deku came to our seats, saying, "No. Rody, you turn back!" Pino and I swiftly shuffled to look behind the seat, shocked at the order from the green hero.

    "What?"

    The three heroes gathered by the jumping door, Deku opening it. "Extras like you should stay out of the way!" Bakugo shouted over the roaring wind in the cabin.

    "He has a point..." Todoroki added, then they all jumped out of the plane shouting:

    "THIS IS A JOB FOR HEROES!"

    Then they were gone, just like that. The bullets from the guards below resounded throughout the mountainous landscape, creating echoes of blasts in the storm. The wind continued to whip inside the cabin, creating a deafening sound. Covering my ears with my hands, I jumped from my seat and closed the hatch. Once it was closed, I plopped down on the floor and heaved a great sigh. Looking up in the dimly lit cabin, watching the lightning streaks light up the stormy sky in the distance, I saw Rody, greatly conflicted within himself.

    "Rody?"

    "What?" He asked, trying to calm his voice as gently as he could for me.

     Getting up from the floor, I walked to him with Pino still on my shoulder. "What are we going to do? We can't just turn back! Not after everything we've been through. I know all we wanted was to go home and be safe, but now it almost feels like a duty. The right thing to do." I sat down in the co-pilot seat again.

    He sighed. "Y/n, I completely agree with you. And that's my plan. To return to them and help. I just need to find a place to land."

    "Do you know how to land this thing?" I inquired.

    "Nope!"

    "Oh no," I said, staring hopelessly at the sky, "I'm dead."

    He chuckled a moment. "Don't worry. I know how to make a safe rough landing. It won't be perfect as if I were a pilot, because I'm not, but I can at least protect us."