Skyborn The Divine

20: Legacy

Alice walked into ORIGIN's hangar bay, a large metal tunnel where technicians and mechanics kept and maintained the Black Swan. The huge, black jet whined and occasionally roared as it prepared for takeoff.

Alice was walking confidently in her new body glove. The brown, leathery material felt like a second skin, and the jacket felt perfectly warm. She pulled at her sensor-packed gloves and adjusted the goggles on her head above her eyes. Her heavy boots clicked rhythmically on the concrete floor. Before boarding, she gave a final tug on the bomber jacket around her shoulders.

Athena, who was waiting silently by the open cargo door to the Swan, furrowed her eyebrows. "You do realize that brown leather hasn't been a part of military uniforms since early last century."

"I know," Alice said with a smile, "but this has special meaning for me. It looks like something I own."

Athena, her interest piqued, asked, "family heirloom?"

"My grandfather's," she answered. "He was a bomber pilot in World War II."

Athena nodded appreciatively. "There were other models with more armor."

Alice shrugged. She felt right wearing it.

Athena, apparently approving of Alice's choice in outfitting, led her and the rest of the crew aboard. Ethan scrambled on last, now wearing a black, tactical jacket over the t-shirt she saw earlier.

"I'm still working on my own costume," he whispered conspiratorially.

Alice grinned.

"I'm sure it'll be glorious," she said.

As the Black Swan rocketed towards the airspace where Alice would intercept the passenger jet, Clawson and Athena re-briefed everyone aboard on the specifics of their mission. Once the Swan was just outside the jet's radar range, Alice would depart carrying Ethan. The two of them would wait for the airliner's pilot, who was still secretly in communication with outside help, to open the landing gear just enough for Alice and Ethan to get inside. Clawson showed them diagrams and blueprints, explaining how to access the cabin from a series of mechanical access hatches. Their orders were to get as close to the hijackers as possible without them knowing they were there.

"I don't need to remind you what might happen if these guys realize two operatives had just boarded their aircraft," he warned.

Alice's imagination was good enough to imagine what might happen, though she wished it wasn't.

Clawson also briefed their complement of RaTS, including the remaining members of Meta Team, that would meet the jet once it had landed. They would secure the hostages, take the hijackers into custody if they were still alive, and administer medical aid to any injured.

He dismissed the crew to continue their preparations for the rest of the flight, and the RaTS set themselves to the task of outfitting themselves with weaponry, clothing, and equipment.

"Hey, Alice," called Ethan above the drone of the Swan's engines. "Check this out!"

Alice watched Ethan grin as he took a black oxygen mask from a rack on the bulkhead. The mask, Alice knew, was designed for jumping out of planes at high altitudes, but Ethan seemed to have found a far more amusing use for it. He slapped it on his face, and though the mask concealed his grin, it did nothing to hide the mischief in his smiling eyes.

"Clawson," Ethan gasped between heavy, exaggerated breaths, "Clawson!"

Clawson, who'd been speaking in hushed voices with Athena and Joshua, gave Ethan an exasperated look.

"Clawson!" continued Ethan, apparently not intimidated by the ORIGIN director's glare. "I am your father!"

Clawson's eyes went wide, and his body appeared to tremble with rage. "Take that stupid mask your face and stop acting like a child!"