Colourless

Chapter Thirty

I had never really been a fan of flying. Especially when the plane I was on went through turbulence. I mean, I'm not much of a pessimist, but the imminent death looming if this camouflaged helicopter were to crash was once again turning me to the dark side. Charles' constant ramblings beside me weren't exactly helping either as he read over my speech notes.

"Please don't let us fall, please don't let me die," he repeats like a mantra, his hands shaking so violently that the torn lined paper in his hands almost ripped in half. Lucille leapt into action before I could, snatching away the paper and reading over it herself.

"I think you're overreacting," Jonty chuckles slightly, making Charles look over at him with a piercing glare. "I... you know, the odds of dying in a plane crash is one in a elven million, whereas one in five thousand people die in car crashes."

My eyes meet Charles', before he slowly turns his head and smiles sarcastically at Jonty. "Thank you so much," he spits, "You have filled me with reassurance." Jonty laughed awkwardly, offering a stiff, apologetic smile.

I inhale deeply and redirect my attention to peering out of the windows, watching as the brief lights and faint buildings faded quickly into dark woodlands once more. If I squinted my eyes, I could vaguely make out the lining of the tall and slender trees. And, occasionally, I could even make out a small dance of a wildfire flames and my mind traveled to the damage that a single burning ember could cause.

Destruction was quite imminent in the world we lived in.

My mind drifted to my family, Aria and my real home. I pondered what they would be doing at this time of morning. Were they sleeping? Were they still awake, worried sick?

I wasn't exactly sure — I mean, my younger sister was never good at staying up late — and I didn't want to dwell on it now. The last thing I wanted was to get shot because of my obliviousness before I could even get in to the city or see my family again.

Feeling a hand tug at my right arm before looping through it, I smile whilst Malik rests his chin on my shoulder. "You okay?" he enquires knowingly, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I get worried when you, of all people, go quiet."

I shrug, flashing him a smile and tracing the prominent bones of his cheeks. "Just lost in thought."

"Family?" I hum and he replies with the same gesture, pulling me closer into his warm side — sending tingles across my skin. "It'll be okay. You'll see them very soon."

"How's Nubia?" I ask, shifting to stare down at Malik's emerald eyes.

"I expect her to be feeling amazing right now," he chuckles, "She always gets excited when she gets a new mission... especially when it's really important. She kinda has this whole... power-thing." Laughing quietly, we both fell silent with a grimace when Ellie and Rosa stirred in their sleep.

"It'll be awhile till we land," our pilot, Angel, calls from the front of the helicopter, "Might as well get some sleep." Folding my legs beneath me, I chuckled as Charles rested his head on my lap; laying sideways and clutching my shin as he stared, wide-eyed, into the distant.

"Should I feel threatened?" Malik whispers, blinking down at the scared blond, "Or is that sexist? 'Cause it's assuming women can't have male friends—"

"Malik, I love that you're so caring, but I have a suspicion that Charles would be more into... y'know, you." Malik blinks confusedly, before his eyes widened in realization and he nods understandingly. "But don't worry," I grin, "You'll always be my top bitch."

***

"Ok, about 6 kilometers north is the tree line that will bring you into the bad part of the city. You have your GPS', and they should automatically turn on once they pick up a reception."

"I contacted our cousin," Regie informs, clutching her sister close, "He knows the sewer systems like the back of his hand. He'll get us as close as possible to the city and then we're on our own."

After answering any questions asked, we gather our things and get ready to make our way through the woods.

"Keep up the pace, it may be almost light soon but it's still night. Keep close and keep your flashlights on," Angel instructs before pulling open the door to the helicopter, "My co-pilot and I will be remaining here just incase. Good luck."

With a smile from her and a farewell from each of us, we each clambered out of the helicopter — jumping the small distance onto the leaf covered forest floor. The ground crunched beneath us as we all begin to walk through the forest, scanning the area cautiously as Laria's henchmen — whose name's I still didn't really know — lead the pack and wielded flashlights.

Although the forest was assured to be a safe passage and was said to be free of any other people, there were still wild animals out here that made me keep Malik and Ellie close.

"OH MY GOD, snake!" Charles screams, ear piercingly loud, as he wildly flails his arms around, before launching himself onto Jonty's back.

***

After a false alarm with Charles mistaking a stick for a snake, it grew freezing cold as the morning went on. My insulated jumpsuit — and Malik's protective arm — provided enough warmth to survive and I relished in the warmth whenever the early morning breeze would briefly stop. Thankfully, no real animals had attacked us during the late evening, and as I looked up I could see the dawn's rosy hue light; the slowly appearing sun a beacon of safety and light.

"Seventeen bottles of beer on the wall, seventeen bottles of beer. Take one down, get drunk, seventeen bottles of beer! Sixteen bottles of beer on the wall—"

"Shut up," We all exclaim in unison, prompting Charles to finish the song beneath his breath. What had originally started as a fun campfire sing-a-long, had morphed into an angry spitting war as the blond began counting down from five hundred.

Finishing the song, Charles snarls. "Jeez... just trying to bring light to you depressing people."

Finally hearing the sound of cars, we paused to sift through the duffel bag one of the men had draped over his shoulder. Pulling a heavy black coat over my jumpsuit, I smiled as the bald-headed man grinned and handed me my scarf — something either Laria or Malik must have slipped inside. Nodding thankfully, I tie it around my neck as Malik slips his arm through mine; dark sunglasses hiding his eyes and a familiar, unzipped jacket hanging loosely on his frame.

"Okay," he inhales, squeezing my arm reassuringly, "Let's move out. Stay quiet and subtle, Charles. Pearl and I will lead."