cascade | kotlc

28. The Infiltration, Part 1

this was a very fun chapter to write. June and Faye are officially simps now

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"Well, here we are," June announced as their helicopter slowly approached the Empire State Building.

It was massive, absolutely massive, stretching so high it covered the evening sun. The shadow it cast seeped over the neighborhood, draping the skyscrapers in a sheet of darkness. People hurried around the streets, pulling their hoodies over their heads, lost in their airpods and under the extensive shadow.

"Alright!" Faye exclaimed, dumping all the gadgets Dex had prepared for them near the bay door and searching through them. Biana had indeed created an extremely complicated plan, filled with time crunches and extremely precise movements. From what she knew about herself, something would certainly go wrong; indeed, Dex had included an 'ad-lib' set mostly filled with weapons and self-defense mechanisms. The rappel setup looked particularly enticing, its threads built from durable tungsten.

"Lockpick," Faye muttered, tossing her an iPhone-based automatic lock unscrambler. "Security camera attachment. Lockout keys. Tranquilizer set, darts, gun, serum, gum. Harness. Night vision goggles. Welder. Speed wing."

The speed wing was one of Dex's custom designs, wildly differing from human speed wings. While traditional speed wings had smaller wing surface areas and higher aspect ratios compared to regular paragliders, Dex's design was a somehow aerodynamic triangle.

"The science is perfect," he had assured her back in Havenfield. "Trust the Dizznees -- we're the best."

Now from atop the helicopter, the small backpack containing the inflatable speed wing didn't look as safe. Or as maneuverable, or as agile, or as comfortable. Surely those thick yet threadbare hemp ropes would chafe her waist; in fact, she wouldn't be surprised if Dex had stolen those from a human sailboat.

"Location watch. Oh, here's your tracker," Faye continued, handing her a pair of specially edited sunglasses with thin ultraviolet emitters on the invisible rims. She tapped a custom vial of shadowvapor to the light before she poured the misty darkness into a thin needle, which she loaded into a specialized gun and handed to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled, wondering if it was too late to back out of the mission. Their plan was looking much more complicated and much less airtight than it had before.

"And, of course, your rappel, pulley, and release device," Faye finished, presenting her the bundle of elastic rope, titanium carabiners, carbon fiber pulleys and anchors, and an inconel automatic wire cutter. "Good luck," she added into her ear before she briskly stepped away to converse with Fitz.

"Of course I'm the one doing this stunt," she grumbled, staring out the helicopter bay and sliding the door open. If this was a movie, she thought, epic choral music would be playing right now as the Empire State Building's shadow loomed over hers.

"We've got to get going," Fitz called over their comms. June gulped and Faye patted her shoulder as she unbundled their descent wires and fastened them to the helicopter's handlebars.

"You'll do great," Faye promised, buckling her carabiners together and preparing for their drop with several deep breaths.

They hovered above the iconic spire. Light glinted off the glass windows below and shone into her eyes, making her scowl and attempt to swat the light away.

"Go!" Faye shouted, dragging her out of the helicopter.

The fall was as thrilling as always. June enjoyed it, though the fall reminded her of their upcoming plan and the dangerous part she would play in it. They'd rehearsed it hundreds of times back in Havenfield, she knew, but none of them were from this height, or with human assassins ready to blast the brains out of her with every shot.