Drake had always been fearless. To know fear for her was the equivalent of a human growing gills and breathing underwater. It was impossible.
At least she believed it was until a terrorist changed the world, and blew up BigBen.
A movement had been started a few years prior by a group known as BlackHole Conglomerate to destroy all clocks across the world, which Drake thought to be ridiculous. Until more and more unbelievable events occurred across the globe. An before she knew it, she herself destroyed her own watch, wondering if she too could help magic apparently return to the world as she knew it.
As a lover of all things anime, Dungeons and Dragons, and world of warcraft, she’d always wanted to use magic and become the hero of her own life. Yet as she grew toward her seventeenth year of life, all of those dreams subtly died.
A few years prior she put up her video game consoles. Packed up her collection of manga, comic books and magic the gathering cards, beginning to study to become a doctor with every bit of herself.
When she thought back she knew that her love of those things died not because of her own waining belief of magic and all things supernatural, but instead had more to do with the loss of her mother.
Her mother’s death by the evil known as cancer was what truly sparked her decision to become a doctor. However she still practiced parkour and continued to be an avid fan of live action roleplaying, commonly known as Larping. Which she pursued in her free time over the weekends.
She managed to become quite decent at playing with fake swords. Skilled enough to defeat more than three opponents at a time on countless occasions, and become seen as an absolute terror on the fantasy battlefield.
She eventually was admitted to Harvard Medical at the tender age of seventeen. All after a couple years of furious studying and being admitted to premed by the age of 15, getting on a flight to Massachusetts felt like nothing in comparison to what she’d already achieved. A large smile on her face while she looked back on her short life just that morning.
The very same morning that she’d broken her watch after watching a young man with eyes seemingly filled with stars, step from the very top of BigBen’s clock tower, and somehow had not immediately fallen to his death.
“And with this returns the laws of magic that have been stolen from you all my mortal brethren,” said the now infamous terrorist. Walking through the air as easily as Jesus was said to have walked upon the surface of the sea of Galilee. A mere second before the entire clock tower exploded from top to bottom.
She’d ridden her bike from her best friends house home that very same morning, and watched men and woman smashing clocks of all shapes and sizes throughout her hometown.
Both her and her father were further amazed by the sight as it continued, growing in fervor as he’d taken her to the airport.
She felt ashamed to admit to her father that she’d broken her watch after he’d seen its face shattered during the car ride, but knew his smile was genuine as he’d told her it was okay, and that he knew how much she just wanted to be a wizard.
If she’d known that her decisions would put her entire life at risk, she’d never have asked the man to destroy the grandfather clock she knew stood beside the entrance to their homes library. Now she felt as if she could hear the glass of the clock being shattered by her father’s elated golf club swings across the vast distance, knowing how much he hated the chime that occurred on the hour, every hour. A sensation ringing in her mind’s depths like an alarm as a subtle descent could be felt in the plane’s altitude.
Then a red box suddenly popped into her vision, foreshadowing what she could innately sense to be the equivalent to living through that of the sky itself falling all around her. The box hanging there in thin air, like a omen of what was to come, as many around her seemed to be having seizures. Many foamed at the mouth and many more bled from their eyes, Drake feeling warmth drip down the length of her cheeks; an odd pain accompanying the blood she knew was leaking from her eyes.
The words the box held at first were foreign, until the characters shifted into English, becoming readable in a matter of seconds.
*Notification* - System integration has begun. Time until completion: Unknown…
A beautiful woman’s voice accompanied the written words, speaking in her mind in the instance she focused on the box. She looked around to see many wearing strange faces, leaving her to briefly wonder if she was the only person to hear the woman that spoke within her head.
What in the fuck is going on…
Then the voice of the stewardess came over the intercom and Drake felt her heart drop at the words spoken aloud to all the passengers.
“Passengers of flight 317, both of our pilots have begun to seize and are no longer able to fly the plane, we must begin emergency procedures immediately, please remain seated as my coworkers and I come and show you where the emergency parachutes are located.”
Son of a bitch!
Passengers screams could be heard even before the stewardess stopped speaking. Panic ensued as the plane hit a patch of turbulence that rattled the entire ship’s frame, and Drake heard many start to unbuckle their seats.
She looked out the window and could tell the Massachusetts skyline was rapidly incoming. The angle in which they flew wasn’t toward the outskirts of Cambridge where the airport was located, but directed toward the city’s center instead.
No fucking way I’m about to die in a plane crash, god please tell me I’m not about to die in a mother fucking plane crash!
Her mind raced as her heartbeat drummed hard enough that she heard it thrum even over the screams that surrounded her. Her hands squeezed the hand rests to either side of herself so tightly that a few of her nails broke. The pain incomparable to the feeling of lightning that filled her brain. The only thing that managed to snap her from her growing sense of overwhelming dread, was the breathing masks that popped from the ceiling, making her jump; the device dropping from above in the same moment the plane’s turbulence grew in intensity.
She was easily able to both put her own mask on and calm her breathing as the stewardess walked the aisles, pulling the parachutes held beneath every seat out. The woman’s training shined through when snapping off the leg rests impressively quick, before handing over the backpack sized instruments alongside a pamphlet that described the items usage.
Drake crumbled up the instructions, completely familiar with the round parachute style. Her father forcing her to take courses in their use during her tour of Europes most famous parkour parks a few summer vacations ago made her smile even as she was made to face her potential death.
The next instances moved strangely for Drake, as many who were afflicted with seizures were ignored as the stewardesses pulled passengers toward the planes doorway, making them form a line that Drake wouldn’t be anywhere near the front of.
“We have to leave them all here,” said Drake under her breath as she rose to her feet and ripped off the breathing mask to join the line, being handed a small air canister to use while she waited to exit the plane by the stewardess.
The thought broke Drakes heart in a way, even though she knew there was nothing she could possibly do about the loss before her.
The planes safety lock was popped and drake felt as if her entire life was passing before her very eyes; air whipping through the plane like a car on the Autobahn with all its windows down.
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She couldn’t help but feel as if she was in an action movie, watching men, women and even children forced to jump out of the plane.
She stared at them all soaring through the air, diving in a scattered series of directions, all aiming for various rooftops below.
The city below was quite beautiful. Its treelined streets made her excited to explore where she’d be spending the next few years of her life. Her research showed her the place was known for its historical architecture,, thriving art scene and unrivaled parks, which made her excited to experience the city for the first time by receiving a potentially vivid vantage point.
Are you scared or excited Drake, come on, make up your mind!
She felt as if she was going to have a heart attack as the line grew shorter, even though this was far from her first time skydiving. She’d even taken to jumping out of hotel windows after watching Travis Pastrana do the same in a show called nitro circus during her tour of Europe.
Why are we so nervous now then Drake, we got this, this is nothing, absolutely nothing.
She glanced around at the people she now knew were dead, their eyes blank as they stared at nothing.
Nope, be afraid if you want to, this is not the same as anything you have experienced before, and knowing that you are in an extreme circumstance may be more helpful than detrimental, thought Drake as she began to take deep breaths calming herself further.
She took a moment to wrap up her hair, putting her long blond curls in a bun; catching a glimpse of her peculiarly golden colored eyes in one of the planes windows, the light of the sun strong enough to make the surface like that of a mirror as she walked by.
Finally her turn came and Drake put on her best smile as the head stewardess nodded for her to go, and Drake gave her a thumbs up, dropping the air canister she still held though she hadn’t used it even in the peak of her panic; the canister clattering against the ground at her feet before being sucked out the plane, at incredible speeds.
She was glad to see her sneakers were tied tightly, and wished she’d thought to stretch as she’d waited in line. She rolled her neck, looking over her parachute with a series of safety checks she’d long ago memorized.
Lets do it baby, thought Drake, slapping her cheeks to mentally prepare herself.
She nearly jumped until she saw a grim faced man in the corner of her eye piloting the plane.
“Wait, I thought the pilots were both effected by seizures,: yelled Drake in question over the rush of air that threatened to yank her outside the aircraft.
“They were, Marcus used to pilot a biplane in his free time, he can’t land the plane, the landing gear isn’t operational for some reason, but he’s offered to fly this for as long as he can to help,” yelled the woman with nothing but sorrow on her face.
Drake froze momentarily, feeling herself step toward where the trembling Marcus was obviously deciding to go down with the plane to save the lives of the other passengers.
“Wait wear are you going young lady!”
Drake ignored the stewardess and rushed passed the few passengers left to jump behind her. She struggled to grab one of the remaining unused parachutes from underneath one of the many dead passengers. Holding down the urge to vomit as she had to lift the legs of the dead woman out of the way.
She was easily able to snap the leg rest off the seat after watching the stewardess achieve the same thing earlier, grabbing the chute and rushing toward the front of the plane.
“Young lady!”
Drake ignored the stewardess a second time as she blew by the woman, stopping next to Marcus, doing her best to put on a smile as she sat in the co pilot seat. Thankful that the pilots body had been removed as she set the parachute beside the man left to pilot.
“Hey Marcus, how do I keep this thing straight, if we are both going to get out of here I’m going to need you to put on that parachute!”
Marcus glanced at Drake as she put her hands to the plane’s tiller, feeling the violent tremble that buffeted the plane’s every inch as she held the joystick like steering wheel.
“What are you doing kid, get out of here!”
“Yeah yeah, not a kid, I’m a stunt woman, and even if your a retired marine I still feel like I have more experience diving from planes than you, now show me how to keep this thing straight while you put on that fucking parachute!”
Having had lived with a man in the military her entire life, she could tell at a single glance that the man served simply in how he held himself. Able to discern the build of a military officer in a single look with how many years of military school she’d attended before leaving for college.
“Bullshit, you expect me to believe that…?”
Drake gave the older man a side eye, filling her gaze with just enough grit to make the man believe her lie. She was not nor had she ever been a stunt woman, even if she dreamed of being one as a child before life drove her in many other directions.
“Your fucking serious aren’t you kid?”
“Again, not a kid, and if it’s up to me we are both leaving this plane alive!”
Marcus rolled his eyes, and shook his head.
“It’s not going to work kid, you were wrong, I was in the navy, I was who got called when the marines needed help, took one in the knee in my last tour, I walk with a cane, even if I get the chute on, It will be harder for me to get to the damn door than to jump out!”
“Ha, you sound like my dad, your definitely Navy, but it doesn’t matter,, either you show me how to keep this boat floating, or we both go down old man,” screamed Drake with enough confidence that she knew any of her table top group would have been proud of her in that moment. The bluff check would have been an obvious 20 if she had to give her performance a score.
Even rolling a dice with twenty sides the odds will forever be in my favor baby!
“Come on kid, we don’t have time for this,” growled Marcus.
“What we don’t have time for is you being a stubborn old man and letting your pride get in the way!”
Marcus seemed to think for a moment, glancing at Drake who refused to let go of the tiller, and then to the space behind the cockpit, now empty of all life, sighing once he realized that even the stewardesses had jumped.
“God damnit kid, just pull back slightly, no more than an inch or two, and keep this bird steady while I put this blasted thing on!”
Drake smiled, doing as Marcus said, her eyes widening and her smirk vanishing once control of the plane was entirely relinquished to her.
Holy…
“Yeah, the engines are dead, we’d be in a complete nose dive if I hadn’t seen the pilots seize up,” yelled Marcus as he rushed to put on the parachute.
How close were we all to dying, thought Drake, unable to keep her eyes entirely on the city rushing toward them, and off the body of the pilot haphazardly tossed beside the seat she now sat in.
“The street seems pretty empty from up here, not a lot of traffic, I guess radio control got my message to clear out this area before our communication systems failed,” said Marcus as more of the city came into view through the windshield.
“Yeah, I wondered about that, is this thing going to explode on impact?”
“No, as long as it stays level during descent, it should lose the majority of its momentum slightly after impact, just make sure you keep it straight and all my hard work won’t go to waste kid!”
Drake couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
“Yeah yeah, I’m proud of you pops, now hurry up, we are running out of space between us and a crash landing!”
Marcus struggled to his feet, chuckling as he searched for his cane. Drake glanced in his direction, watching him wobble out of the cockpit.
“Thanks kid, you better not die, I refused to be haunted by an annoying brat like you,” yelled Marcus, finally making it to the open doorway.
“You wish old man, just hurry the fuck up and jump,” yelled Drake, laughing as she slowly rose to her feet.
“Thanks kid, your lucky I have grand children that need me or I’d have called your bluff and ridden this fucking thing to the grave, it’s been a pleasure,” said Marcus just loud enough for Drake to hear him, jumping out of the plane without another word.
If I survive this my dad is going to love hearing one of his fellow Navy men left his daughter to fly a bloody plane by herself, should have gotten the guys name, thought Drake smirking to herself.
She then looked over her shoulder quickly, making sure that everyone else had jumped before returning her focus back toward the streets below. The large plane was dropping near perfectly between a street lined with skyscrapers to either side in the middle of downtown Cambridge, Drake feeling as if the ex Navy man had flown to the best of his capabilities to ensure the plane would descend in a direction that would cause as little collateral damage as possible. Even with the fated crash landing in his future the man’s only goal had been to save lives. A goal that Drake felt proud to help him accomplish.
Drake knew her time had come however, pumping herself up for what was to come.
Here goes nothing!
She turned and ran, rushing away from the tiller at full speed, not noticing that her backpack had brushed the flight controls the slightest bit as she’d turned; the body of the dead pilot that had been on the side of the cockpit she sat on slowly drifting toward the tiller as his weight caused his body to flop toward the centralized controls of the plane.
She made it to the plane’s door and jumped without hesitation,, diving toward the closest building in sight. The very same building the plane now spiraled in a rapid nose dive toward, the tiller of the plane now forced completely downward by the body of the dead pilot.
Drake knew something was wrong by the sound of the craft that moved behind her even as she landed atop a random skyscraper. She heard the crash, even before the building she stood atop began to topple.
Are you fucking kidding me!
Her instincts took over, and rather than trying to rush toward the rooftop doorway that lead to the steps. She moved to pull in the parachute and repack the bag as fast as she could. She didn’t set the world record which she knew was a little under 46 seconds, but she had beat the record of the man who’d performed a repack mid air after realizing his Shute had malfunctioned. Her feat of a minute thirty wasn’t nearly comparable in her mind, but her next actions by far, definitely were.
Okay Drake, you got this, come on, you’ve come way to far to die now!
The building tilted, the top of the tower seemingly stretching across the street to collide with an opposing series of skyscrapers. Drake turned away from the collision and ran as fast as she could. Everything moved in slow motion for her even as the world around her seemed to speed by.
The rooftop’s edge smashed into the opposing buildings a mere breath before Drake managed to jump up the remaining distance between her and the side of the building she rushed toward. She scrambled over the rooftop’s edge, before running down the side of the building. Glass squeaked beneath her sneakers before the building seemed to erupt. An explosion of debris and metal occurred behind her, making her lungs feel temporarily incapable of drawing in air.
Don’t look down, don’t look down, screamed Drake mentally, far less afraid of heights than seeing what may be happening to the people that were potentially in the building she ran down as it crumbled.
The collision caused the second Skyscraper to cave in, bringing the second building down toward her as the structure folded in on itself like a chopped tree.
Drake could hear nothing but her heartbeat, running as the second building threatened to smash down on top of her as if she stood within the center of the page of a closing book.
She saw the shadow of the building behind her loom, and she was forced to run straight off the side of the building she ran down. Her jump taking her just far enough for her to feel comfortable pulling her parachute.
The two buildings further collided, causing a burst of air and shrapnel to tare through the air behind her, pushing her further away from the chaos, luckily not puncturing the parachute as glass rained down all around her.
She began to hoot and holler in celebration, feeling relief for the first time since the stewardess spoke in panic over the plane’s intercom.
“No fucking way, not even a fucking plane crash can bring me down baby, Eat a fat one grim reaper, not today, maybe tomorrow, but not today, not even if you had a dozen more buildings to throw at me mother fuckers!”
a few moments later she landed atop a gas station roof, pulling the chute from her shoulders, just before turning to look back at the destruction that ensued behind her, and then toward the havoc all around her.
Fires lay in every direction as people pillaged storefronts. An untold amount of civilians fought in the streets, even as many more tried to escape the violence occurring all around them.
The closer she got to the gas stations rooftop edge, the more she was able to witness. So as the speeding car that raced toward the gas pumps just below her came into view with its driver seizing behind the wheel, Drake could only sigh.
“Well fuck me sideways…”