Sorry for the hiatus again! I had a lot of schoolwork, and was more than a little behind. Coming towards Thanksgiving vacation I have a little more leeway to do what I want.

I'm also partially inspired by the premiere season of Jessica Jones, and like Daredevil, its sort of going to bleed into Falcon's story. If you don't know what Jessica Jones is about (I didn't until I watched the show), she used to be a former superhero turned private eye, and I actually really like that idea, and I'm thinking I might take a similar route for Amelia's character.

(Of course, Jessica becomes a superhero again after a while in the comics, but that's not the point).

I'm thinking maybe Amy might quit being a superhero, at least a public one wearing a mask. When it's all said and done, she'll always be willing to help people, but in a less violent and typical way. I don't know, I'm still thinking about it. Tell me what you think of this idea :)

Anyways, hope you like this chapter! I had this idea ever since I first started writing, and the 'Snowmageddon' that NYC experienced in the early winter of 2015 was a perfect setting. You can find excellent coverage of it on the Daily Show ;)

Chapter Thirty

Hora Fugit

February hit New York like a semi carrying four million pounds of snow.

A hurricane hit the southeast coast of the United State about a week ago, and while the cold of the Northern Hemisphere helped weaken its strength, it did nothing to stop the massive amount of snow we got here in Manhattan and New Jersey.

Half the streets were blocked. Bridges were closed after 10 o' clock. Power was knocked out in several neighborhoods. People were freaking the hell out, believing that this was it, this was the end, and supermarkets were raided. You couldn't find a can of soup on any shelf no matter how hard you looked.

Despite the rampant chaos, there were a few good things to come out of this.

For one thing: no class. I had to walk to school because no buses could reach my street, only for school to be called out for the rest of the week (or until most of the roads could be plowed, which was still an ongoing effort). Snow days didn't happen a lot here, but I wasn't going to complain, even if I had to slog my way back to a warm, fluffy bed and all the hot chocolate I could ask for.

Another thing: no crime. Surprisingly, one of the best ways to dissuade a criminal from committing heinous acts was to make it really inconvenient, like freezing your nose off in the bitter wind. Peter was taking it easy - not just because he had a cold (surprisingly weak immune system, that one), but now he didn't have to worry about some jerkwad trying to ruin everyone's day by unleashing a massive army of bee assassins or something.

Things rarely, if ever, could ever shut down New York City, but this had to be one of them.

As I was making my way down midtown, I played a game of counting all the moving cars I saw. So far, I still had my whole right hand free, and the only types of cars I had seen were police cars. Captain Stacy had issued a temporary mandate of essential vehicles only on the road, which limited traffic to just about zilch. New York's denizens took advantage of its massive subway system to get where they needed, and also stay conveniently warm.

Then a lonely, piercing wail pierced my ears. I glanced behind me as an ambulance came screeching down the long avenue, lights flashing. I watched as it sped past, envious of its speed (but not its cargo), wondering what poor sucker got hurt in weather like this.

Of course, I didn't think it could get worse for those inside the vehicle when it suddenly crashed.

I almost couldn't believe my eyes, even as it happened. First the ambulance swerved left, like it was about to make a turn - but there was no road there, just apartments. Then it banked right, but the road was covered in snow and ice, and the tires had no traction. They squealed and screeched as the brakes proved useless, and I watched helplessly as the whole vehicle veered too far on its side, before overturning and slamming into the pavement.

It slid a good thirty feet before finally coming to a stop, plowing a long black trail of road behind it. By then, I was already running.

I nearly slipped and ate shit myself, but I managed to stay upright as I finally caught up with the vehicle. I wasn't out of breath, though - it had been several weeks since my run-in with Stick and his weird militant beliefs, and my healing finally caught up with the rest of my body. The ache in my shoulder was now only an echo of what it used to be, and I was finally getting back to my old self.

I hadn't done any heroing yet, though, but I figured now might as well be as good a time as any.

Climbing on top of the vehicle, I got over to the door now facing the sky and wrapped my gloved around the broken window (being careful to avoid the shards of broken glass sticking out), and ripped the whole thing off.

The metal bent and gave easily under my strength, and I tossed it aside, peering into the dark confines of the ambulance. I could see movement inside. "Oh my god - are you okay? I saw the crash!"

A hand reached out and I grabbed it, pulling out the paramedic, a woman with dark skin and curly hair. There was blood dripping from her temple, but for the most part she seemed all right. "T-thank you! We didn't see the black ice - Freddy tried to keep us steady but it-it didn't work -"

The woman was trembling all over, but it didn't seem to be from the cold. I saw the driver at the bottom of cabin, still buckled into his seat. "Well, at least you strapped in first. Hold on."

I dropped in and crouched over the unconscious redheaded man, who was beginning to stir. It was even more cramped inside the vehicle than it would be if it was upright. I tapped his cheek, saying, "Hey, dude, wakey, wakey. We gotta get you out of here. I'm gonna pull you out, okay? Your buddy's all right."

He mumbled something incoherent, which I took for a 'yes'. Ripping his seatbelt out of the buckle, I tossed it aside and gently pulled his arm out. I didn't know if there was any internal damage, so I decided to play it safe.

Taking him out the top was going to be harder than I preferred, so instead I kicked against the windshield, which took a few tries before it finally broke. Clearing the glass from all the edges, I went back to the driver, picking him up.

Pulling him upright so his back was against my chest and my arms under his, I carefully bent down and carried him out, his feet dragging in the snow as we finally made it out into the freezing air. I set him down gently, taking a second as he finally opened his eyes and looked around. "...the hell happened?"

"You crashed," I said curtly. "I pulled you out. You're welcome, by the way."

I looked around, but didn't see the female paramedic, but I could hear her voice, speaking on her radio. Then there was a clanking sound as she opened the rear doors of the ambulance, and I stiffened, forgetting entirely why this ambulance was out here in the first place.

And yet when I ran around, I was stunned to see that the back of the ambulance was completely empty. The gurney was tossed about and broken, but no patient where they should have been. I glanced at the woman, confused, as she peered inside, before taking something out of the mess of fallen supplies. A red crate with a white cross on it.

"Great, now we'll never get this to Detroit." the woman muttered, falling against the bumper of the ambulance, looking exhausted.

"What do you mean?" I asked, pulling at the scarf around my face. I made sure to keep my face and hair covered, so they couldn't identify me. So far, they hadn't questioned anything, although whether it was from the cold or the shock, I didn't know. "What is that?"

"It's donor organs." the male paramedic replied as he came around the truck, rubbing the back of his head. "We were supposed to get it to Saint Agatha's as fast as possible. Well, actually, a helicopter outside of Albany, which would then fly it over...but obviously that's not gonna happen."

The female paramedic opening the lid and glancing inside. She let out a sigh of relief. "Good thing we kept this secured - nothing damaged. But that's not gonna mean much if this doesn't get to the people who need it. This was going to patients who finally got to the top of the list, and we were the only ones with the right supplies...Metro-General was going to send a helicopter, but what with the storm and all, it was too dangerous to fly. I guess it was too dangerous to drive, too. This was the only ambulance the hospital could spare. We're screwed."

There was a look of utter despair on that woman's face, and she cast her gaze about, forlorn. "Now those patients are going to die."

I stared at the box, the gears starting to turn in my head. I could already hear the Doc's voice, telling me this was a bad idea, but before I could stop myself, I said, "Maybe I can do it."

The woman uttered a bewildered snort. The man gave me a funny look. Both said, "What?"

"Come on, you saw what I did." I said, pointing to the door now tossed half a block away. The woman glanced over her shoulder, while the man did a double-take. "I can fly to Detroit. I can take that to the hospital. Which one did you say it was?"

"Saint Agatha's, downtown," the male paramedic said, looking seriously doubtful. "Who the hell are you? You're just some kid."

That's when I dropped my backpack and pulled off my coat, revealing the bright red crest underneath. I watched with a small smile as the paramedics eyes widened in shock and recognition. "Not just any kid."

I had been working on my new suit ever since I burned the old one, and now I was pleased to finally get to show it off. Actually, today had been my dress rehearsal, testing the movement and comfort of the thing before deciding it was battle-ready. I still wasn't sure about the last part, but the suit fit me like a glove. And thanks to the new enhancements I made compared to the old one, it was perfectly up to the task of handling some high-flying, below-freezing adventures.

"Holy shit," the male paramedic said, looking like he was about to pass out again. "I thought you died - we all did. But you were here, the whole time?"

"Kinda," I said, shrugging as I bent down and pulled my helmet from my backpack. I still carried it around, for safekeeping. And, well, for emergencies like this. "I got hurt a while back, took some time off. I'm thinking of getting back into the game. If you let me, of course."

The two paramedics glanced at each other, sharing some unspoken words. The woman just raised her eyebrows and made a face, like why not. Then she said, "It's not like the package is going to get there now anyway. We might as well give it a shot."

The driver nodded once, then looked back at me, rubbing his chin. "You promise to get it there on time? It needs to get there in less than four hours."

"Have you even been to Detroit?" the woman asked.

"No, but I heard its a nice place."*** I said with a wry smile. "I can get there in the half the time it'll take you. You got something for me to carry that in, because I don't think my schoolbag is gonna cut it."

"Uh, sure," the guy said as he climbed into the back of the ambulance, searching for something, while the woman continued to give me a critical look.

"Schoolbag? You still in high school?" she asked, frowning. "I got kids older than you, missy. What kind of fool girl goes around in a suit and making all the wrong people angry?"

"The kind of fool girl with powers, obviously," I said, fitting on my helmet (hat still on, because why not). I pulled off my scarf and the rest of my civvies, plopping them into my schoolbag and zipping it shut, then kicking it away. I wouldn't be taking it with me. Pointing at it, I said, "If you have any respect for me and what I do, don't go looking inside and trying to figure out who I am. I'll come back and pick it up at Metro-General when I'm done."

The woman just scoffed and shook her head. "I sure hope you know what you're doing. Being Falcon ain't no way to live your life."

I just heaved a sigh, rolling my eyes. Why did adults always think they knew better than me? Why did they give me advice I didn't ask for? I just held out my hand and said, "Just give me the stupid package before anyone dies, okay?"

The man pulled out what looked like some army surplus backpack looking thing, with a hard casing all around and five different straps. Although green, it had a bright white caduceus on the back of it. "Well, didn't think we'd ever get to use this old thing. Make sure not to do any of that crazy crime fighting stuff while you've got the package, okay? We can't afford to have the organs damaged in any way. At least the weather will keep it cold and fresh. And there's a tracker in the bag. Not really for you, just so the Albany pilots can track you."

The woman slipped the red crate into the backpack, already stuffed with blankets and plastic wrap to keep it from moving around too much. Then they handed it to me, and as I slid it over my shoulders, I checked my gauntlets, making sure that the ice hadn't frozen the metal together.

"You got this?" the man asked like he still wasn't sure about this.

"This isn't my first time saving a life," I said, then backtracked and added, "Well, here at least. But I've always wanted to travel. Besides, it's not like anything bad's gonna happen. It's gonna take a lot more than a storm to stop me."

"Well, I hope you're right," the woman said, heaving a final sigh. "We'll radio the plane in Albany - they'll escort you to Detroit. It'll take too long for you to deliver the package and for them to take off. They'll make sure everyone knows you're with us."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," I said, thinking it was a little unnecessary. Who would think I would show up to cause trouble? Unsheathing my wings, I asked, "Got any other helpful advice before I go?"

"Um," the male paramedic thought about for a moment. "Don't die, please."

"Wonderful, thank you."

And with that, I was off. One mighty flap, and I was in the air, soaring up and over the buildings.

I gasped despite myself, completely forgetting what it was like to fly. For a second, I felt extreme vertigo as the buildings narrowed beneath me, and the people and cars turned to ants - the paramedics watched me as I continued to go up, waving and hollering something I couldn't hear, before finally disappearing into the thick concrete jungle below.

Suddenly the roads and bridges didn't matter anymore as Manhattan turned into a toyset beneath me. I was startled by the weightlessness I felt, the sensation of being at the whim of the winds, the slight shake and shudder as the wings moved and adjusted to the currents rushing by.

In that moment, as I flew over the slate gray Hudson river, the city unusually soft and quiet, I felt intense fear. What if I forgot how to fly? What if I couldn't make it to Detroit? I had never flown that long or far before? What if I couldn't do it? What if I wasn't strong enough yet? What if those people died because I overestimated myself?

No, don't think like that. I told myself, refusing to cave in and turn back. It was too late now. I was well into New Jersey. I couldn't disappoint those paramedics. You can do this. All you have to do is fly. Flying was always the easy part. There aren't any bad guys to stop you this time. You're free.

That last word resonated in my head, and I dwelled on it, marveled at its sweet strangeness. Free. For the first time in months, I was free. I had forgotten what it felt like, what it meant to be untethered from the world, to no longer be a part of it, but something else; something smaller, something bigger, something that wasn't anything at all.

I could be myself again. And no one could tell me different.

I rose higher and higher, quickly calculating how far I had to go with how much time I had left. Three hours? Well, I didn't have the speed of a typical airliner, but I could make do. How far was Michigan, anyways?

Higher and higher I went - higher than I had ever been before. Well, no, that's not true. There was that one time with Dr. Grace that had been rather unpleasant. I reminded myself not to do that again - I wouldn't last very long in the thin air of the upper atmosphere. Even though it was slower going at human-safe heights, I'd rather not, you know, suffocate.

That'd be a hell of a way to go.

The winds were manageable at least. Although the storm was still pushing through the northeast, I had yet to come across the worst of it, and so far I hadn't come into any trouble. I coasted through turbulence and icy clouds, my insulated suit taking the worst of it. The exercise of working the wings kept my bloodrate up, and my body warm.

I had no idea where Albany was, though, and I was making my best guess as to wear it was going to be. The world was white and gray below me, an indeterminable mix of snow, buildings, and trees. I could follow the roads, at least, but even those seem largely abandoned.

It had only been an hour, though. How far had I gone since then?

Then I saw it, far below. A small plane, maybe ten passengers, cruising several hundred feet below. I saw the red cross marking its wings and smiled.

Oh, good, that was a lot easier than I thought.

Then I heard a long, low whistling sound.

I almost didn't notice it at first. But since I was so used to hearing only the wind, I picked up on it pretty quick. But where was it coming from? It wasn't from the plane below - it wouldn't make a sound like that, what with its big propellor engines and all.

Then what the hell…?

That's when I looked over my shoulder and saw two large drone ships appearing out of the clouds, like silver ghosts. My stomach did a backflip at the sight.

Oh, great. I had just caught the attention of the US Airforce.

*** Inside joke for Americans. For those who don't live in the US, Detroit is not a very nice place.