Who do you think you are? A Superhero? ACT I The One About Trash

Chapter 6 - "The One About Setting Up"

D-day: 2 hours before the actual rescue mission
"The Searing Hawk" Aircraft
As the aircraft flew towards the east undetected, the ship's engines hummed softly, creating a soothing background noise that echoed throughout the inside. Everyone was firmly buckled in, their faces expressionless. The tension inside the ship was so thick that a knife could cut through it. But who could blame them? The mission was dangerous, and even though no one said anything - they all knew that they could die, and today might very well be their last day.
Clarissa nervously glanced around, her eyes drawn to the back of the captain's head. The seating arrangement was in a V-formation, with the captain at the very front, followed by Dominic and Sigrid, Maui and Izzy, and then her. She twiddled her hands as she tried to calm her nerves, her heart racing with adrenaline. Today was her first mission. HER VERY FIRST MISSION. "Ahhhhk!" She screamed inwardly, wishing she could bang her head against something. She had barely slept last night, and now her belly was somersaulting. It felt like a whole zoo was running around. Taking a deep breath, Clarissa placed a hand on her heart, trying her best to calm her nerves. She needed to be calm - since it was the only way she would be able to show her skills to the rest of the crew. Unlike her fellow K9 members, Clarissa's strengths did lie in physical agility and raw strength, however her "ability" also involved the usage of technology, where she could manipulate codes and data to her advantage.
"Attention members of the K9 aboard, " The voice of one of the pilots floated through the hidden speakers, drawing their attention. "The Searing Hawk is about to open the hatch. Please refrain from standing up or unbuckling your seatbelt. I repeat, please refrain from standing up or unbuckling your seatbelts. "
"Hatch?" Maui muttered sinking into his seat. "I hope I don't vomit after this." He groaned.
"Grab the bag under your seat. I don't want your barf flying everywhere." Izzy responded, wrinkling her nose as she thought about it.
"Barf bath, that will be fun." Dominic joked, causing Izzy's face to twist in disgust. "Grounded peas and carrot, good for the skin." He said in an exaggerated voice, like he was in an advertisement.
"You're crazy," Izzy mumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Guys I'm really feeling sick." Maui sniffled, rubbing his belly.
Sigrid said nothing, his face still expressionless. He had been like that since the confrontation with the captain two days ago; and although no one said anything, they could still feel the tension between them.
The pilot's voice floated through the speaker once again, cutting short any further conversations. "The hatch will open in Five. Four. Three. Two. One." As soon as the countdown was completed, the sound of the engine changed. Gone was the soft hum, and in place was a buzz that was deafening, as the air invaded.
"Everyone hang on," Massimo said, his voice cutting through the noise.
"This is crazy!" Izzy grinned, enjoying the thrill of the moment.
"I'm a super hero now... I can't be scared" Clarissa mumbled, kissing the pendant around her neck for protection.
The pilots adjusted the vibration levels of the craft, blocking out any outside sound, causing the engines to respond with a low rumble. And then- It was game on.
The ship thrust forward, the sensation of acceleration pressing them into their seats. Izzy's hair fluttered behind her, her laughter mixing with the sound of the engines roaring to life. "This is super fun! I love it!" She yelled.
"I forgot how much you love thrills like this" Dominic yelled back.
"It's what makes life fun," Izzy responded. At the same time, Maui grabbed the bag, vomiting what he had eaten that morning.
"Are you alright Maui?" Massimo asked, twisting his head to check his face.
"I- am." Before Maui could complete his sentence, he puked again.
"Eew, that's just nasty, you better hold on to that tightly." Izzy shrieked.
Finally, the aircraft was flying over in the east of the stranded zone, slowing down as it got to their drop-off point. "Destination reached." The pilot announced.
Massimo released the buckle of his seatbelt, the change in altitude making it deflate. As soon as he stood up, he turned to look at the rest of the crew. This was the time to give them a short speech, but Massimo was a man of a few words. His eyes scanned their expression one after the other, and then he said in a voice that sent fire burning in their hearts. "Survive."
"Yes, captain!" The crew responded, releasing their buckles all at once. They all wore their parachute, their faces changing into battle mode. Clarissa grabbed the equipment she would need, pulling it from the overhead stowage. As she strapped the bag to her parachute, she could see a pair of footsteps in front of her. When she looked up, she saw it was the captain.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"Yes, captain." Clarissa nodded, her eyes burning with determination.
"Good," Massimo said, turning away. "Stick to me." He said.
*Ping. Ping. Ping.*
The door to the craft slowly opened, and almost immediately decompression began to take place in the craft. The cabin temperature quickly plummeted to frostbite-inducing levels, but the crew were ready.
"I'll be going first!" Dominic did a mock salute, as he flew off the craft. Sigrid was next, jumping off the craft without a word.
"Uhm, perhaps I will go - LASTTTTTT!" Before Maui could complete his words, Izzy kicked him from behind, causing him to fly out.
"Oops." She grinned, not apologetic at all. "I'll be going next." She nodded, twirling in the air as she jumped out.
Clarissa's eyes widened as she saw them all become floating specks in the distance. She had mentally prepared herself for this and had even gone through various flight training in the academy, but still, she couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Remember Clarissa, stick to me," Massimo said, flying out of the craft.
Gritting her teeth, Clarissa flew after him, and almost immediately, she could feel the pressure of the wind against her face. Her hair flew in all directions, temporarily blocking her sight. Panicking, she quickly pulled the strands away, her teeth clattering as she fought against the sudden declaration from the terminal velocity. The parachute they were wearing had been made from a special material that could deflect light and meld with the darkness. As soon as she reached the middle point, she pulled open the strap, the canopy billowing in the air. The sudden force made her jerk upwards, the string tightening around her shoulders.
Massimo signaled to Clarissa, his hand pointing to the direction they were headed. As soon as she steered the parachute towards the direction, he released his own chute. Together, they landed close to the tunnel, and just like it had been predicted – the water level had receded, making it safe to land. Sigrid, Izzy, Maui, and Dominic were already waiting.
"Captain you're finally here." Izzy greeted, folding her arms against her chest.
"We will- " Before Massimo could complete his words, Clarissa crashed to the ground.
"Just a minute, I will be- ugh, just--" Clarissa struggled to stand up as she became entangled with the ropes from the parachute. Her attempts to stand up only made it worse, making her look like she was drowning in clothes. Just as she reached out for support, a hand extended towards her, pulling her to safety. "I'm alright!" She breathed, her hair sticking in different directions. As she looked up, she realized it was Dominic. She was a bit surprised but grateful. "Thanks."
"No problem." He smiled, causing Izzy to scoff.
"He's at it again." She mumbled. 
Massimo placed a hand against his lip, pointing towards the entrance of the tunnel. Clarissa nodded, removing her equipment attached to the parachute. She pulled open her bag, and with nimble fingers she began to set up. For her to gain access to the main system, she needed to be in close proximity to the power source.
Sitting cross-legged on the damp floor, Clarissa turned on her laptop and began hacking into the security system of the fallen railroad. The threads of code were complicated, and one mistake could set off the alarm. Her fingers danced across the keys, her skill showing through.
"Will you be able to get in, in time?" Massimo asked.
"It doesn't matter. I'm already in," she grinned, tapping the enter key. Immediately, a switch turning green marked the start of the mission. As the screen showed multiple tunnels inside the main one, Clarissa swiftly navigated through open mics, cameras, and any enemy's devices inside the facility with complete freedom, granting a survey of the terrain and cut the amount of time needed for the mission. As Clarissa went further into the cave, she watched the live feed on her laptop. She realized that the inside of the tunnel resembled more of a natural cave rather than a man-made structure. It was dark, and there was barely any sound from the inside. "Living presence detected in three of the tunnels."
The K9 members began to run at full speed, the wind whipping against their bodies. They only had one hour. One hour to rescue the soldiers, and get out of the east undetected. Just like Clarissa's had shown, there were seven other tunnels at the middle point. And thanks to the mapping she has provided, they knew which tunnels they had to move towards.
"See you later Captain." Izzy nodded, heading towards the third tunnel with Dominic.
"We will also be moving forward!" Maui announced, running fast to catch up with Sigrid who had already gone towards the first tunnel.
The only one left was Massimo. Clarissa's work was done for now, and so, she had stayed back at the entrance of the main tunnel.
"You are in surveillance duty, let us know any of the enemies movement, and if things gets nasty, hold your ground, got it?"
"Yes captain!" Answered Clarissa with determination.
"Great, ill be back in a hour" replied as he took a deep breath, Massimo let out a bit of his powers, channeling it towards his legs. The veins on his calves bulged instantly, radiating with an aura that distorted the air current in the surroundings. He then spread his feet the same width as his shoulders, and with his most powerful leg, he set it in front of his body, digging the tip into the ground. In this position, his muscles were as tight as a spring.
One. Two - Dash
Massimo began to sprint through the tunnel, his movements a blur that wouldn't be seen with normal eyes. He didn't lose a breath, or break a sweat. And despite there being no light, he could see well in the dark - after all, he was from the predator species, and his eyes were built for such darkness. As soon as Massimo reached the main hideout of the hyenas, he cautiously approached the entrance and peered inside. He could see a hyena sitting in the corner, surrounded by a group of heavily armed hyenas. To avoid further detection, he knew he would have to be fast; fast but deadly. As soon as he stepped into the open, one of the hyenas immediately turned to face him. Before he could utter a single word, Massimo sprinted forward again, and with a sick crack, he twisted the head of the hyena. Without hesitation, he charged forward, shifting into his superpower "Lupo" with deadly precision.
"Attack him all at once!"
"Raise the alarm."
No. Massimo wasn't about to let that happen. With his senses heightened to the very peak, he sidestepped the attack coming from the right. And with his sharp claws, he delivers a swift attack, going straight for their throat.
A being without his vocal cords was a being without a sound. That was what he was aiming for. Blood spurted from the wound, splattering across Massimo's face. It was a horrific scene, but it was unavoidable. Time was ticking, and every move he made was intended to get straight to the point and not waste time. Calculating his movements, Massimo maneuvered through the chaos, his claws going through their throats like butter. As he struck down the last guard, he spotted three more hyenas coming down the other path. Before they could even register what was happening, Massimo was on the move again. His attacks were more deadly than earlier, causing blood to paint the walls of the tunnel.
Taking a deep breath, he looked at the direction he came from. "I hope she's okay." He mumbled. As soon as those words came out, he felt a bit surprised, wondering why he had thought about Clarissa. Clenching his jaw, he slowly walked towards the path the other hyenas had come from - other things could wait.