A/N: *takes deep breath* I...cannot tell you...how hard it was to write this chapter. Between planning, storyline ideas and actually writing. It felt impossible. I've actually written more for this chapter, but...I figured I've made you guys wait long enough. That stuff will be in the next chapter. So here is chapter
Rocky's POV: *Fade in* *Fade out* Why me? 7 Billion other animals on the planet, and the world is against me...well, not the world, just an island. But that island is my home, I've been there since I was 12…. I'm such an idiot. I could've run. I'm pretty fast, not Chase fast...but fast. But I had to "Stand up for myself". And now look, I'm in a plane flying over the sea to god knows where. My ear hurts like hell. And I have a bounty on me for god knows how much...life sucks.
"Oh shut up." Who said that? "Boy, for a guy who professes to be smart, you sure are dumb." Who are you?! "It's me dummy, your conscience." "I was the one telling you to get outta there the night you killed that guy. But do you listen to me? Noooo." What do you want? I don't need your shit right now. "Correction Jen-Seong, you do! Probably more than ever! (That didn't sound right…) But you're doing nothing but complaining when you should be counting your blessings." Blessings?! Are you kidding me right now?! What blessings?! Did you not just hear anything I said about killing a guy, getting a death sentence, having a bounty and my ear being split in two?!
"I did hear you...I've been hearing you for 17 years. Now hear me…. Sure, you killed a guy. Though it wasn't right, it was an accident, and it means that you got to live. Sure, you had a death sentence, but your team pulled you out of the hole. Like they always have done, especially that Shepard. He must really love you as a friend, because he has risked everything to save you." … "Yeah…you didn't think about how much he's sacrificed, have you? Think about it, he's risked his home, his job, even his life. The fact that he aided in the escape of a "Criminal" automatically strips his badge away and warrants arrest. But the fact that he assaulted multiple officers and then killed one. That means death." I-I, didn't think… "Right. You didn't think. When he took on that officer, the bullet grazed his right shoulder, what if it would have been about a few inches over to the left? It would've hit him in the right lung, possibly killing him, or putting him in critical condition." But nevermind Chase, what he's done for you is obvious. What about Tundra? The woman you profess to love and the one who has been beside you through all of this. But you just put her in grave danger. By dragging her along with you, she just became an accessory to murder, and is now considered a fugitive too. Also, your complaining about an ear, but what about her? The poor girl has bandages all over her face and arms, why? Because psycho cop shot into the car, aiming for you. How about if a bullet would've caught her? Huh? You can't even bear to think about it. So be grateful...be grateful that you didn't lose your friend, you didn't lose your girl, and you didn't lose your life."
Regular POV: "Okay, we'll be approaching Florida in about an hour." Skye stated quietly. The four of them sat in silence, aside from the occasional groan from one of them complaining about their wounds. Chase sat in silence. Worry stained his face as he looked out of the window of the plane. His heart raced as his mind filled with dark thoughts.
Chase POV: What have I done?! What the hell did I do back there?! God...I hope he's alive, please don't let him be dead...please. Let him wake up... "You just had to? Didn't you?" What? "You couldn't have just knocked him out like before, No...not you. Every time you get into a fight you let your emotions get the better of you. Your one stupid kid, you know that right?" I know…I'm sorry… "What do you mean you're sorry? I don't matter, I'm in your head. But how about your friends? How the hell do you plan on helping Rocky when you yourself are a criminal now?" I didn't mean to hurt him… "Bull! Yes you did! You always do! So you had a screwed up childhood, fine. But you can't always take that out on everyone! That kid was a little jerk, but how about if he ends up dead? You're now a murderer, and you have no leg to stand on. That means you can't get Rocky to the courts for a fair trial. Did you think about that?!" I-I've made a terrible mistake… "Damn right kid. And how about your friends? They're looking at you every 5 minutes, why? Because they're nervous. Nervous, because they now know the monster you are. They're probably also gonna tell the rest of the team what a monster you are. What about when Evy finds out?" No, not that...I don't want her to leave me, I can't handle that… "Oh, but she will Chase. Don't you understand? Once she finds out who you really are, she'll leave you in a heartbeat." But I haven't told them anything about my past- "Doesn't matter, she'll find out eventually. Even if it's not this day, this month, this year or even this decade. All of them will find out one day about everything you've done, and who you really are. It's inevitable." no..No...NO...NOO!!!
Regular POV: "NOO!" Chase screamed out loud, he quickly straightened up when he realised he accidentally yelled. "Is Everything okay back there?!" Skye asked, "Oh, yeah...just a...um, bad dream?" Chase answered. Rocky looked at him, placing his hand on his shoulder, "Chase, I...we just wanted to say thank you so much for how much you've done for us, for me." Rocky and Tundra both smiled at him softly, knowing the guilt he felt. "Of course, you're my friends, my family. I'd do anything for you guys. Without hesitation." Chase said, as he perked up a bit. "Umm, Chase. Question." Skye said as she asked him up to the cockpit. Chase walked up and leaned on her shoulder, "What's up?" "You told me to take off so suddenly last night that you never told me where I'm going to land at in New York." She whispered to him with concern, "The airports could be expecting us." Chase stood with this thought for a few moments, "This is a seaplane, right?" "Yes…" Skye answered hesitantly, "Well, then we might have to do a Sully." Chase smirked. "Uh, no." Skye shook her head, defiantly. "I thought you were a 5 star pilot, unafraid of everything." Chase teased. Skye snapped back, "I am! But, we'll have the harbor patrol on us instantly, and I'm not losing my plane!" Chase thought for a moment, then he spoke. "Okay, I see. Let me make some calls, and I'll be back." "Well don't take too long. Because we'll be entering New York airspace soon enough." Skye said.
A few minutes later, Chase came back to the cockpit, "Okay, so here's the plan. When we enter New York, land at City Island. I've got a guy who's gonna meet us at the river with a trailer, he'll have the plane loaded in and we'll be outta there before the cops show. And the best part is, our trailer will look like a delivery trailer. So that even if the cops arrive earlier than expected, City Island imports so much seafood, they'll never look at us twice." Skye took her eyes off of the controls and looked at him straight. "Chase, you're our leader. You have been our leader for almost 10 years. We've always listened to your directions...but this time, I'm having doubts." Chase looked at her questioningly, "About?" She answered him back, "I'm having doubts about how this is all going to play out. You...you're a criminal too, in fact I think even I'm guilty by association. How are we going to get a fair trial, and who's going to represent us?" Chase answered frustratedly, "I-I don't know... I'm piecing this out as I go along. And now is not when I need you guys questioning my leadership! I don't have all the answers all the time. I ain't Jesus, okay!?" Skye looked at him with her shoulders slumped and then looked back at the controls of the plane. Chase had never yelled at her before, through the 10 years they had been a team. Chase felt bad, but he didn't feel like fixing it or apologizing at the moment, so he walked out of the cockpit and sat back in his seat watching the land run under him like a treadmill.
1 hour later, they entered New York. It was a scenic view, buildings all lined up next to each other, each one in a war, contending to be higher than the next. Millions of small dots zipping through the streets. The Statue of Liberty waving them into the city as they flew over the Hudson to Manhattan. The neon lights of Town Square shined brightly even through the now daylit sky. It brought Chase memories back to his early life here. A few good moments, but almost instantly overpowered by the sadness and anger of his childhood. It choked him and strangled him like a python, drowning his thoughts in his dark memories.
"This is Air Traffic Control, you are flying in an unauthorized flight pattern. Please acknowledge." This snapped Chase out of his thoughts as he went to the cockpit. "What do I do?" Skye asked him, "Don't acknowledge, just get to the Bronx." Chase answered. "Unidentified vehicle, please acknowledge or you will be forced to land." "Chase, they're gonna get jets on us if we don't acknowledge them." Skye said nervously, "Stella. Do. Not. Answer them." Chase said sternly. Skye knew he was serious, he rarely used her actual first name, but she also knew the Air Force was serious. "You're not listening! They will have military jets on our asses in a few seconds if I don't say anything!" Skye said defiantly. Chase gritted his teeth in frustration, "If you're so nervous, I'll fly."
"What?! No! You don't know how to fly...let alone do a "Sully" like your planning to." Rocky, who had been quiet this whole time, stepped up to the front. "Is everything okay up here?" "No! Cause Mister "I can take on the world" over here refuses to respond to Air Traffic Control. I've been trying to explain to him that we need to acknowledge them, otherwise they're gonna shoot us out of the sky!" Skye yelled, more directly at Chase. "No they won't! We are over a city, they wouldn't shoot us down because that would have us crash into buildings below. Thus recreating 9/11!"
Rocky looked uncomfortable, "You guys have been yelling about doing a "Sully" for the past hour, so I have questions. "What's a Sully, should I be concerned, and should I have a parachute with me?" he asked nervously. Chase sighed, "No, Just sit down, everything's gonna be fine. And what's a Sully, you ask? You and Tundra should find something to hang onto, cuz you're gonna find out soon enough."
"This is Air Traffic Control to unidentified aircraft, you are in unauthorized air traffic. Respond now or you will be considered a hostile, and will be taken down by force. I repeat, respond or you will be taken down." Skye gritted her teeth, she nervously continued to look at the radio, tempted to answer. "What are you doing?! You're going to overshoot the river!" Chase said, gesturing to the body of water under them. Skye quickly realised this and slowed the plane down, pitching the plane's nose down towards the water. They dived quickly downwards. Chase jumped into his seat, buckling himself. "Hang On!" Skye shouted, as they angled down towards the water. Over the radio they could hear the man shouting into the radio, but it wasn't audible over the sound of the engine cutting through the air.
They dived farther and farther down, but suddenly, the plane jerked up and flew straight. "What...what are you doing?!" Chase asked, "I can't cut the angle! I've gotta circle back around." Suddenly, Chase' phone rang, "Yeah? No...I've gotta pilot. Yes, she's a good pilot...just couldn't make the angle. We're circling around-...yeah, I know. But what do you want us to do? Crash? We gotta go around, simple as that. Yeah, I'll see you on the ground, just get your truck ready. Make sure the cops don't see you." Chase hung up his phone.
Skye steered the plane to the right, and then made a hard left in an attempt to circle the seaplane. The engine whined and strained as it attempted to circle its heavy body around. (Note that this is a seaplane, so it's not exactly...aerodynamic.) The plane's alarm sounded as the gauge indicated, "Engine Failure" The engine sputtered as Skye fought with the plane to make the full turn. It felt like an eternity, but she did manage to change its direction as they once more plummeted the plane downwards. This time, at a much safer angle, they dived towards the water at reduced speed. Angling the plane up, she brought the back of it down as they hit the water. The plane tipped forward as the floats hit the water and balanced it out.
"Great job Skye. Now can you put the plane over there?" Chase asked as he pointed to the dock. Skye nodded as she throttled it forward and deployed the rudders. The plane slowly floated over to the cargo ramp at the harbor. A semi was parked with an oversized trailer, its doors open. Three guys were standing at the trailer, one was a bulldog and he had a winch attachment in his hand. Skye ramped the plane and folded in the wings as the bulldog attached the winch to the undercarriage of the plane. One of the guys pulled a lever as the winch pulled the plane into the oversized trailer. The doors were shut and the truck drove off down the road.
"Chase…" Skye frowned, "We didn't just get kidnapped, did we? Cause this looks a whole lot like a kidnapping." Chase chuckled, "No, I've known these guys since I was a kid, were safe." "Do you know where we're going?" Asked Rocky, "Yes, now please sit down and let me have quiet while I think of what to do." Chase said. "Uh, I've been quiet this whole damn time." Rocky snipped as he walked back to his seat.
They all sat in the silent darkness of the plane inside the trailer. Only feeling the shifts of the truck turning. Suddenly they heard the muffled sound of sirens rushing towards them. They internally panicked as the sirens became louder and louder. "How did they know?! We just landed!" Rocky asked nervously. "Damn it Chase! I told you to let me answer!!!" Skye yelled at Chase. "Hey! Everybody calm the hell down...listen." The sirens got to their loudest point as everyone thought the cops had caught up with them, but the sirens whisked right by them as they headed in the direction of which they just came from. "Any other doubts about my plan that we should acknowledge now?" Chase asked, clearly vexed with Skye's constant questioning. And though it was dark, they could all tell he was staring at Skye frustratedly.
The ride was long and uncertain, as they put their trust into the hands of people they didn't know. Roughly an hour later, the truck came to a stop. They heard the driver's door open. The trailer doors were unlocked and swung open, letting dim light cast into the dark trailer. It brightened the grey and pink accented seaplane, as the 4 teammates climbed out of the trailer. Looking around, they saw that they were in an abandoned looking warehouse building. It was drafty and damp, the building seemed to be an empty loading bay for trucks, or at least it used to be. "Sorry for the long ride, but traffic was pretty rough." The four of them looked towards the voice, it was the bulldog from before. He had grey fur, dark brown eyes, and short floppy ears. He was wearing a red tank top with brown cargo pants and boots. His lower fangs protruding from his mouth and his presence strong and firm. But he looked friendly and kind.
"I know all about it...how are you doing Uncle Joe?" Chase asked, a smile on his face as he extended his hand. The bulldog pushed away his hand and bear-hugged him, "Riley! My boy!" Chase gasped for air, "Uncle Joe...I'm dying." He said weakly. The bulldog let him go, laughing. "I haven't met everyone here." He said, "Oh! This is my team...well part of my team. This is Rocky, Skye and Tundra." Chase beamed proudly. "I see…is this fine young lady a sweetheart of yours?" The bulldog asked, smirking. Skye blushed and Chase turned red, "No Uncle Joe." He said, uncomfortably. "Oh, my mistake."
Chase turned around to his team, "Gang, this is my Uncle Joe." The team smiled, but was visibly confused. Chase frowned, "Not my actual blood uncle." "Oh…" they all said simultaneously. "Come on guys, let me show you to your accommodations while you stay in our fine city." Joe said as he led them to the staircase. They walked up the stairs, climbing floor after floor. As they walked up, Tundra and Skye looked into the doors on each floor, seeing machinery, tools, boxes, crates and lockers. They finally reached the 3rd floor, and stepped inside.
It was a modernized penthouse, there was a kitchenette, a big screen TV, a sofa, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. "Welcome to our humble abode." Joe said, smiling. "...this is where we're staying?" Skye asked, "Yeah...you don't like?" Chase asked, "Oh no, that's not it at all! I just never guessed we would have been staying somewhere so luxurious. Especially considering...you know, we're on the run." She whispered. "Oh no, little Riley is my boy. His family is my family, and here in New York. We make sure our family is comfortable." Joe said, smiling with pride. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have my guys waiting downstairs. And we have business to attend to. I'll be back later to check on you guys."
Joe walked out and shut the door behind him, leaving the four to settle down.
Rocky: "So…What's the game plan?"
Chase: "What do you mean?"
Rocky: "I mean what do we do now? As nice as this place is, we can't stay here and hide in the city forever."
Chase: "I know." *sigh* "We're gonna get you to the courts...but, I just don't know how."
Tundra then spoke up. "Well, what about if instead of hiding from the police, we go to them?" Chase raised an eyebrow and stood silent for a moment, then he spoke. "You mean… turn ourselves in?" Tundra answered, "Yes. Think about it. If you turn yourselves in first, the justice system will be more inclined to hear you out because you didn't hide from them." Rocky smiled at her, "You're so smart." He then turned his attention to Chase, "You're a cop, so...would that work?" Chase thought for a moment, "I- yeah...that could work."
Chase then looked at the three of them, "Shall we go then?" Rocky looked at Chase like he had three heads, "Uh, No. We just got here, it's been a long flight, and a long dark ride in a truck. We're definitely gonna get detained, so I wanna have some fun before that." "I'm down." Said Tundra, and Skye agreed.
"Guys. This isn't a vacation. We should really-..." Chase stopped talking, realizing his team's desires. "Ok…" he sighed, "Let's go out."
A/N: I know, I know. This chapter wasn't much… but it's really all I can do right now. I can't tell you how long it will be until the next chapter is published. Probably between 1 to 2 weeks. But I can't be sure. By the way, you might have noticed that during the flight scene the dogs kept talking about doing a "Sully".
If you don't know, that was actually a reference to the events of January 15, 2009. Famously known as "The Miracle Landing On The Hudson."
A passenger plane loaded with 155 passengers and crew took off from LaGuardia Airport en route to North Carolina. They were already in the air when they collided with a flock of geese, which clogged the engines. Seeing that the plane was going down, Captain Chesly Sullenburger (nicknamed Sully) took the brave action of landing the plane on the Hudson River. Due to his actions, all 155 passengers and crew survived what could've been a deadly disaster.
Anyways, that's all. PLEEEASE review and tell me what you think of the series. Lord knows how hard it is to write it. Once again, I'll try to publish the next chapter in a week or two. Till next time…