Hidden Lives ~ Winn Schott [1]

Chapter 1 - New Hero

The day everything changed Lily had been sitting at home. Enjoying a nice book on a comfy couch. She had the news running like always in case something interesting popped up. She'd glanced up absently to check the headline and tossed her book to the ground in shock.

"Flight 237 bound for Geneva, is experiencing some loss of altitude. The pilot seems to be circling the city after apparent engine failure."

Alex's flight. A wave of ice-cold dread hit her.

She cranked up the volume as the newscaster continued. "We are receiving reports that the pilot is signaling for assistance. Air traffic control is scrambling to find a safe landing place. Though if the plane can make it that far remains to be—" He stopped as someone tapped him on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear. "The plane appears to be leveling off. More with Leyna Nguyen, live at the scene."

The TV switched to a shot of Otto Binder Bridge. Where the plane appeared to have landed safely in the water. A woman stepped in front of the camera, speaking quickly.

"The passengers of Flight 237 appear to have a guardian angel. When, what many report to be a female flying form rescued them from certain death..."

The woman continued to speak but Lily had stopped listening, the knot in her chest eased slightly but she had to make sure Alex was alright. After 3 unsuccessful calls, she sent a quick succinct text.

I just saw the news. Are you ok?

The reply came a few minutes later, short and sweet.

Yes. I'll explain at work tomorrow.

It was formal, but then again all of Alex's texts seemed to be. She had never seemed to master the art of texting informally.

Lily knew that was all she was going to be out of Alex tonight. So she slipped off the couch and decided to call it an early night. She curled up in her hoodie and shorts and tried not to think about how much paperwork that flight was going to give her in the morning.

———

Morning seemed to come early the next day. Despite Alex being perfectly fine, her rattled nerves had kept her awake for another few hours. Silently cursing every bird twittering outside of her window, she rolled out of bed and fished a fresh outfit out of her closet. There was no point in anything very nice because she'd just change when she got to work.

She shuffled into the kitchen, more grateful than ever for the coffee maker her sister had insisted on giving her when she moved out.

"At least this way you won't go broke financing your coffee addiction." Kiera had said, laughing as she always did at her own jokes.

"Why would I pay for coffee when I could just use our trust fund?" Though Lily had intended the reply to be scathing, it sent them both into another fit of giggles. They never used that money if they could avoid it. It had too much dirt on it.

Lily smiled at the memory even now. Most of her family was better left in the best, but her elder sister would always be a source of joy and inspiration. She flicked the coffee maker on before retreating to the bathroom to make herself more presentable. She grabbed her purse off the counter and poured the coffee into a thermos before heading downstairs onto the bustling streets of National City.

The walk to the DEO wasn't a hike, but it wasn't short either. She enjoyed a nice breath of fresh air in the morning as she people watched so the 30 minutes walk was perfect for her. Swiping her key card at the gate she made her way to the locker room. As she pulled on the tight black garb that most agents were required to wear, she couldn't help staring at her face in the mirror. The eyes that were so like her brother's, a dark sad brown. Lily glanced away, not wanting to be pulled into memories of Lex. Even the good ones had been tainted by his madness now...