· 。ﾟ☆: *.☽
▎𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐈𝐑 ▎
»»----- 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦: 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘵𝘩🕊️
𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚆𝙾 — 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝟹𝟾𝟿𝚝𝚑...
𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘮
𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵
𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘴
𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭...
— ᵀᵒᵇʸ ᴹᵃᶜ
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
THE LAST ENGINE WAS ON FIRE, THE OTHER THREE DILAPITADED; The crew now relied on naught but half an engine, and barely four conscious members. "Keep your nose down... Let's get this fire out!" Bucky instructed the girl who had taken charge after shoving the rookie semi-conscious pilot outta the seat, trying to get her team to survive this mission. So far, her luck had been good. Despite a couple of difficult people on her crew, she never had to face a loss. Everyone survived, even if just by fluke; but that was her job as a Major — to succeed each and every mission. And what was a mission without a crew, right? So she always prioritized safety.
Air Exec, Egan, bore the weight of loss heavily, having already witnessed the fall of several comrades, including Grayson, amid the relentless bombardment of the Germans on the fourth day of combat. While the man's passing deeply saddened y/n, she found herself compelled to focus on the welfare of the remaining team members. With the recent arrival of the 389th just a week prior, resources were stretched thin, and discipline was lacking. No one wanted to listen to a woman, and the unofficial leader of the 389th did not make things any better. So, she began working alongside Bucky instead, the only man who respected her unconditionally.
Though their collaboration saved a ton of lives, there were a few missions they had to abort halfway due to serious disagreements between the headstrong duo. This mission, however, was not one of them. If anything, it only brought them closer together due to the incompetence of the amateur soldiers. "C'mon Duck, FASTER!" Urged the raven as the y/h/c quickly fastened her seatbelt. "You're the only one who can help us now." He yelled in desperation, trying his best to get control of the rapidly collapsing fort. "The condensation from the clouds will help extinguish the fire. We can then use the remaining fuel to land back." She calculated.
"We need to hurry or we may not need a fire to kill us all!" Bucky panicked. "Oh just sit back and relax, won't ya? You know I got your back." She scoffed, her aura of unyielding confidence sending shivers down their spines, each glance a silent promise of domination, as if daring them to challenge her authority; knowing they would cower in the shadow of her power. And with that, into the swirling embrace of the clouds, they plunged; a dramatic descent into the unknown, each heartbeat echoing like thunder as they embraced the tumultuous skies. Their fate hung precariously in the balance between the heavens above and the abyss below.
"That's it- The fire is out!" Bucky informed, reassured but still not calm. "Pull! Pull up!" He yelled at the pilot who was trying her best to control the steering wheel, which seemed to be jammed due to the immense air pressure. "HARDER!" He cried as they plummeted for the ground in the enemy's territory. "I'm trying--" The girl grunted, yanking it up with all her might until finally she won, and the fort slowed down. "Okay, I'm levelling out now." She declared, recomposing herself. "We're still in Kraut territory." The Navigator briefed the crew. "Holy shit... Fighters, dead ahead." Spotted the pilot. "12 o'clock!" Specified the Exec.
Before they could even steel themselves, the enemy unleashed a relentless barrage of gunfire. "FUCK-" cursed the girl, narrowly evading the lethal rain of bullets by mere inches. "Gunmen, stand ready!" she bellowed, her voice cutting through the chaos like a clarion call amidst the deafening gunfire. "Yes, Major!" came the resolute response from her men, their voices drowned out by the cacophony of war. "We've lost the fourth flap!" cried out a bombardier, his words a stark reminder of the perilous situation they found themselves in.
As the Krauts slowly retreated, the air thick with the scent of burning metal and the acrid stench of gunpowder, it was unclear whether they withdrew for fuel or regrouping... But one thing remained certain — the battle was far from over, and the stakes had never been higher. On one hand, Egan burned with the desire to chase down their retreating foes, to plunge headlong into the inferno of battle without hesitation. But l/n, with the instincts honed through countless skirmishes, sensed a disquieting absence amidst the chaos; a silence that gnawed at her gut like a predator lurking in the shadows.
Though the urgency of the moment urged her to press on, the y/h/c Major refused to ignore the ominous void left by the usually-active Navigator's silence. She knew all too well the weight of responsibility resting upon her shoulders; every life under her command entrusted to her unwavering vigilance. Reluctantly, she made the call to postpone the pursuit, prioritizing the safety of her men above all else. The mission could wait, but their fallen companion could not. For in the crucible of war, every soul lost was a blow to the cause they fought for — a truth y/n understood all too keenly.
And so, with a heavy heart, she resolved to face the delay head-on, knowing that victory on the battlefield was only possible with warriors who stood united and whole. 'Bucky's not gonna like this one...' She sighed to herself, nevertheless she finalized her decision, and steered the fort into the blanket of clouds, their only temporary shelter. "Pilot to Navigator: We gotta head back. We need a new heading!" She ordered. No response. "Duval, need heading!" She repeated louder as they made it out of their hideout. "This is Duval... And I've been hit." Groaned the man, confirming her worst fear. "Fucking 389th rookies." Scoffed the raven that sat beside her.
"I'm coming down to you, Duval." He then rolled his eyes, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Point it due West." He quickly instructed the Pilot, before getting out of his seat. "Roger." She obeyed almost instantly. "We're losing oil pressure on engine two!" Cried the Major, practically drowning in her own sweat. "Keep it steady and I'll get a new heading." Assured Bucky as he rushed down to check up on their injured mate. By the time he reached, Duval had already lost a lot of blood. His breathing got shallower and shakier by the minute. "Breathe, man. Just breathe- Hang on!" Comforted a bombardier.
"Duval, where are you hit?!" Egan then questioned, grabbing the man's injured shoulder for support as he balanced himself on the turbulent jet. "Ah, fuck-" Grunted the Navigator, his arm immobile. "Stay with me, Duval." Bucky muttered, spotting the wound and working on patching it up. Just when things were going steady, the crew was ambushed by a few more fighters. "8 o'clock!" Cried the Pilot as the men did their job. "I'm right here..." Spoke the Exec in a reassuring tone. "I'm not gonna make it, Bucky!" Shouted the semi-conscious warrior. "Shut it, Duval; you're gonna make it. Ducky's gonna kill me if you don't-" He scoffed.
"Put your hand on the wound!" He instructed. "Here... That's good." Sighed the man, ignoring the grunting of his injured Navigator, far more concerned about the new headings than his health. "Stay with me god damnit!" The raven smacked the exhausted man to keep him from fading. "You hear me?!" He smacked the Navigator one last time, demanding undivided cooperation. "Look at me- Open your eyes; OPEN YOUR EYES." Bucky yelled. "Breathe... Breathe, breathe!" Trying his best to keep the man from passing out, to no one's surprise, they were under attack once again.
"Fighters- 12 o'clock!" Yelled y/n, as the sergeants instantly obeyed. "Got 'em!" Cried one proudly, as the girl managed to dodge the rest. "Bucky, I need that heading." She commanded, unsure how long she could rely on luck for all of their safeties. "New heading... Turn left at 248." Replied the raven about a minute later. "Roger." She once again went to the clouds for cover before making the turn once she arrived the heading. "Come on, stay with me." He turned to the Navigator who looked a lot better now. He smiled at his comrade, who only nodded vigorously, at loss for words, his pain only worsened, but his survival was guaranteed.
"Look alive, people... We're finally heading home."
(1.4k words)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬