Angel's Falling

7

Tony woke up his birds, "we got some flying to do. Let's go." He snapped. Since yesterday, hes been in a slightly foul mood. Coal caught him up late looking at his phone, a picture of a sleeping male.

"Yeah, boss," they nod and get ready. Tony looked at the photo again before chasing them to the canteen.

They eat, finish packing, and send a message out to the base they were landing at.

"Flight in 5," he states as they rejoin him on the pad from using the bathroom.

"Copy," they put in their radios, secure their packs, and double check everything. The available crew came out to wave the birds off, and they stretch their wings and fly.

----

Jimmy bit his nail as he paced, mumbling softly. Ducky had taken over watching the younger.

He understands the feeling of being left by someone. Tony hadnt only left Jimmy. Ducky soothed him as best he could as he himself worried.

It's been over a month since the last mission. Tony trains his birds hard, he wants them at their best. He should be flying now, Tony said he was going to call again when they land at the friendly base.

Ducky quietly moved around, doing tasks he would normally assign to Jimmy while Jimmy sat and did school work. Ducky made sure he was ok periodically, looking over work now and then.

Abby came down and sat next to him, quietly trying to get the normally talkative male talking.

"Abs," Ducky nodded to the side when he realized Jimmy hadnt eaten anything. "He hasnt eaten. Can you try?"

"Yeah, Duck," she nodded and went to the vending machine. She picked a relatively healthy snack and water before returning. "Hey, Jimmy? You should eat," she urged.

"Hm? Oh, yeah," he nodded and closed his book. He picked up the snack and ate in equal silence. Abby felt her heartbreak for him.

Normally, Jimmy would spout fact after fact, much like Ducky's storytelling, and be all happy like a puppy.

Now hes sad, quiet, withdrawn.

A phone ringing breaks their quiet. Jimmy pulled his out, "Palmer."

"Hey, Gremlin!" Tony.

××××××××

Silence greeted his words, "Jimmy? You ok?"

"Me? I'm not the one flying into a hot zone," Jimmy said back.

"I'm sorry. Look. We've landed. We're resting before going to where we plan on scoping for our men," Tony explained. "I'm going to come home to you."

"I dont want you on one of those tables, Tony. Promise me,"

"I promise you, James Palmer, that I will not come back and be on one of those tables," Tony replied, "I'll promise you everyday, even if you cant hear it."

"Good. Cant have that," Jimmy sniffled and cleared his throat. "I'll let you rest."

"I love you, Jimmy."

"I love you too, Tony," the other replied and hung up. Tony took a breath and stashed his phone. He went to find his birds and they review the plan.

"We leave at first light. Wr don't come back without our men," he ordered. The winged people nodded and they go to rest.

--

Tony took off, the rest following. It's a short flight, barely 5 minutes.

The sun crowned over the land, and Tony spots it.

"Shadows," he points at them. The team nodded. "We spend 5 hours watching. We need to figure out their pattern."

It seemed only 5 men, and using thermal sights, 4 more guarding 3 in a back room. They switch out from time to time. Tony, Jeffery, and Luci worked around back to scope it out.

"What are we doing?" Coal asked as the three return.

"Take pistols. They've got 9, plus the 3 captives. Quiet and careful," Tony nodded. "And cover your wings. We arent flying." Everyone slipped on their tags and slowly crept up.

"Ey!" Gunshots soon follow and 5 bodies drop outside.

"Steady," Tong whispered as they enter the building. More shots, and the 4 inside drop. The 3 captives were dirty, hurt, and passed out. Hooper and Harper run back to get the stretchers. Tony pulled out his knife and cut each down. Hooper was the medical on the team, and he checked over them before they cleared them out.

"Di,"

"Hey, hey. Quiet, Demi. We got you now," Tony soothed his old friend. "We'll get you out of here," he grabbed his radio and called to base. "We got them. We need medbay space."

The cracked reply came back, "cleared already, Captain. How long?"

"20 unless we managed to remember our harnesses," Tony looked over the men in front of him.

He took the last stretcher with Coal on the back end, so everyone was in front of him.

"I thought we would need them. They're at our camp!" Harper called from the front.

"Make it 10," Tony said into the radio.

"Copy. See you then," he was told. The trek back continued in silence.

"I'm taking Demi. Luci, I want you on Johnathan. Hooper, take Marshal," Tony said as they gently lower the stretchers. They pull on the harnesses and with the help of Jeffery, Coal, and Harper, strap the injuries to them. "You guys fly under us. In case of a faulty harness," it's happened once before, while in a dummy drill. Coal dropped his, and they were lucky it was only a dummy and not a person.

They take off after all gear was packed and loaded. The flight was seamless. The three without injuries landed first, and helped ease the landing of the injuried. They landed outside the med area, and decided to two-man carry them inside inside of pulling the stretchers out. They set them on beds and Tony stayed there, next to Demi.

She is really his oldest friend, since he was a boy. They were neighbors.

He grabbed out his sat phone and made one call.

"We got them, baby. We're coming home," he said when Jimmy answered.

"I dont know what to say," Tony could hear the smile, and the tears.

"I should let you rest. It's late there. See you when I get home,"

"I love you."

"I love you too," Tony said before hanging up. He watched over the three injured all night, pacing the floor quietly.

"You'll work a hole in the floor, Di," Demi groaned softly.

"Hey, Demi," Tony went to her side. "Know where you are? What happened?"

"Bethesda...? Some hospital," she groaned. "I was captured by rebels. They wanted information... on the birds. You."

"What'd you tell them?" Tony urged.

"Nothing. I would never," she whined before eventually passing out again.