I'll Protect You (Re-Edit #2, 2016)

Introducing Flynn Darkwood, the boy who ran away

dedicated to fireblossomthedragon for the banner she made concerning your favorite word in the entire universe!

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"Where do we go now?" Zen asked as we gathered in front of a Starbucks in the Dublin International airport. We were waiting for Minnie, who was glaring daggers at a business man dawdling in front of her. Though she found room to squeeze past him, she remained irked when she joined us, a frown etched on her lips as a lone traveler brushed roughly against her. 

Zen repeated his question again, but this time, Sophia gave a response as she asked, "Don't we wait for Flynn Darkwood?" She looked to all of us, confused. "He's picking us up, why should we go anywhere?"

Minnie snorted as Zen gave a heavy sigh. "If only Flynn were that nice," he said. 

Alec Darkwood may be a sarcastic, traitorous twerp but at least he knew when to use his manners. Flynn? I don't think the words "manners" and "being nice" existed in his universe. 

Sophia looked extremely alarmed. "Where would we go? It's raining!"

No matter how much I wished that wasn't true--it was. I'd been hoping for a sunshiny weekend, filled with clear skies and a radiant sun because who wants to go seek revenge and destroy their enemies in crappy weather?  Definitely not me. 

Alas, the clouds were dark, drenching the city in rain. And would you look at that? Lightning and thunder. This trip was going to be fantastic. 

People swarmed around us as we congregated to the side, accidentally bumping against our backpacks, their attention focused on either leaving or entering the terminals. There were tour and student groups passing by, their leaders holding up signs and barking instructions to stick close together. Families shoved on by, the kids groaning about jet lag, and couples on their honeymoon giggled as they waltzed past, hand in hand. 

"Are you guys messing with me?" Sophia asked. The rain was leaving thick streaks across the airport windows. 

"I wish we were," I answered. "If that boy found it funny enough, he would make us walk through this weather."

"Who can be that mean?" 

"Flynn," the rest of us answered in unison, and I recalled the very first time Minnie had met Flynn and he had shoved her into a body of water without a warning in order to make sure that her kidnappers didn't see her with us.

I took another look at the storm raging on and voiced my opinion to take a seat and wait until Flynn arrived. Punctuality was never a problem among the Dragons, and Flynn, though a total jerk, was never a second early nor late. He would show up exactly at the time he promised he would. 

However, after we bought ourselves some coffee and relaxed by the windows, I checked the time on Zen's watch while he was arguing with Minnie and saw that it had been twenty minutes since our flight had landed. Flynn was twenty minutes late. 

I didn't want to worry my friends, especially Sophia, who was completely new to this field. Occasionally, I would glance at my phone, my fingers itching to text my concern to Archer or Flynn. Then I would remember that Archer had warned me against turning on my phone, because then anyone could track us easily. Though there could be eyes on us right now on the airport, the moment we turned on our phones, it would be as though a beacon was flaring with our every move.  We couldn't communicate with the B team through public means either. Darkwood knew Archer and Elijah's numbers as well--if he could tap into our conversation, then we were in deep trouble.  

Four hours and four  coffees later, Flynn still hadn't shown. Now Zen and I were on our fifth batch, while Minnie doodled on her empty cup, and Sophia tried not to nod off. The rain was still coming down heavy, the drops splattering loudly on the windows, and my fingers curled around the sparrow necklace I wore.