Timeline: Episode 7, Deuce

Location: Haneda Airport Tarmac

Pain throbbed in her ribs where the knotted blanket dug into her skin as she jerked, reaching its length. Dangling against the side of the jet, Lisa clawed in panic at the nearest knot, trying to get free. How many seconds did she have? How many seconds left until she was blown to bits? She couldn't remember.

Her hands shook— frantic— she didn't want to die like this. Wind whipped her hair into a stinging mess that threatened to blind her and left her face numb from its lashing. Let go. Let go. Let go! I'm going to die —

"Lisa!" Twelve called her name. She heard him somehow, over the pounding of her heart. Or maybe that was just the jet's engines roaring, muted by her fear and the blood rushing in her ears.

But it wasn't loosening. Her fingers ached from her scrabbling. She was going to die.

"Jump!" he called again, reaching for her, his fingers grasping the air.

With one last tug, the fabric gave. Her stomach leapt and the world melted away as the knot came free.

Weightless.

All she saw was Twelve, his arms outstretched towards her — just the two of them suspended in time— and as she fell, she saw a deep fear in his eyes.

A moment later Lisa slammed into him, knocking them back onto the metal of the transport truck. Pain flowered across her body on impact but it faded into the background as Twelve hugged her fiercely. He rolled them and in one motion he stood over her, grabbed her by the hands, and lifted her to her feet.

"Almost there" He said, loud enough she could hear him over the sound of the engines. He jumped down beside the cab door and steadied her as she followed.

As soon as Twelve had shut the door behind them, Nine cut the wheel sharply and they sped away from the jet's path. They barely had time to brace themselves.

Seconds later, the bomb exploded, ripping apart the jet liner. Debris arced into the air behind them, a blossom of fire and smoke in the darkness of the runway. Lisa tensed, a gasp escaping her lips, as she looked back and took in the sight of the explosion against the night sky.

Twelve reflexively encircled her waist with one arm, the other bracing against the dash. She relaxed a fraction against him, allowing herself a moment to feel that she was really there, really safe with them. But her calm was interrupted by a rain of debris upon the transport truck as they retreated from the burning wreckage.

A flaming bit of something thunked onto the hood and Lisa yelped. It bounced backwards to land, flickering, next to the windshield.

"It's alright. We got you" Twelve murmured near her ear and pulled her against him onto his lap. She realized then that she was trembling fiercely. He must have felt it. Lisa glanced at him, wide-eyed, and was met by his deep, open gaze. She didn't know what to do — she wasn't expecting to see such relief written so plainly on his face.

In the warm light cast by the debris, Twelve took in the sight of her.

"…Lisa —" he started.

Nine made unpleasant noise — jarring them from the moment. They both looked his way in silence to see him fiddling with the controls and scowling. After some prodding, the truck's wipers reluctantly screeed across the dry windshield, knocking the burning debris off the hood.

Adjusting his glasses, Nine turned just barely enough to meet their surprised gaze. Brow furrowed, he gave them a perturbed look, before he returned his focus to the runway.

Leaning against Twelve as she was, Lisa felt the twitch in his stomach before he snorted.

"…What?" Nine glanced at them, still agitated, which sent Twelve into a fit of laughter.

The laughter came from the whole of him — its edges raw and cracked with relief. Lisa could feel it in him, starting deep and working its way free. He rested his head on the seat back as the laughter subsided, light dancing in his eyes. Nine said nothing and only after Twelve had seemingly finished did he turn to look at him again.

"It's…ha…It's nothing." Twelve said, before Nine could inquire again. With a smile on his face, he wiped his eyes. "I'm just happy, is all"

But Lisa could feel his hand on her trembling.