35 Heiress (3)

August 10, 12040

Unlike before, when they arrived at the airport, their coterie boarded the jet on a private airstrip. After placing their luggage in the overhead compartments, they each chose a seat while Tora moved toward the front of the plane.

"Hello, everyone." They all gasped when they heard the voice of a person, but there was no one else present on the plane. Suddenly, the screens over their heads blinked to life as a female voice came on, much like Hestia, but there was no flame. It was just a line that moved whenever the voice spoke.

"Forgive me if I startled you. My name is Aida; I'm a virtual assistant. Lady Alesia has assigned me to be your personal assistant during your stay at the athletics lab. You will find food and drinks at the back of the plane. We will arrive at the airport in approximately 90 minutes. We will then take an Aercar to the house," she said. "Please enjoy your flight. Call my name if you have any questions."

Not long after Aida introduced herself, Tora began monitoring local ground frequencies as she went through a systems check. The plane's batteries were fully charged and the fuel tank was full. She pulled out her cell phone, running through some of her notes to find her before take-off checklist.

Tora had the checklist that commercial pilots use before take-off, but she had never used it. Since she was in the Air Force Academy, her father taught all his students about the controls of a commercial aircraft.

[As pilots of the US Air Force, we also have a responsibility to everyday people. Say you were on a flight and the pilot and co-pilot were incapacitated, you should be able to take control of the plane. You're not fighter pilots. You're pilots. You're eagles who rule the skies. The wings you have on shouldn't make a difference.]

Tora went through everything on the list from flight controls and radios to seat belts and brakes.

Tora inhaled deeply before taxiing the jet. Although she did not fly often, she renewed her pilots' license every 24 months. She made sure to get a license so she could fly with passengers. She needed to be able to fly whenever she wanted to. And as her father taught her, she needed to be ready at any time to take control of a plane.

"Denver Tower. This is November-Five-Niner-Three-Sierra-Foxtrot. Holding short on Runway 02."

"November-593-Sierra-Foxtrot, cleared for take-off," replied the woman on the radio.

"Cleared for take-off, N593SF," Tora repeated. The engines revved as Tora taxied on the empty runway. With her eyes straight ahead, she paid no attention to her surroundings as the wheels lifted off the ground.

With the coordinates set, Tora placed the jet on autopilot. She remained in the cockpit, watching the clouds pass by with her sunglasses on. She turned her head when she heard the door to the cockpit open. Darren walked beside her and sat in the co-pilot chair.

"Hey," he said.

Although Darren came to talk about their past, he sat, frozen, as he could form no words. How was he supposed to apologize for taking away a part of his best friend's heritage? Darren sighed as he sat in the chair next to Tora, neither of them speaking a word to the other.

Why am I always like this? Darren thought. Since he was young, he still had trouble expressing himself. He was diagnosed with anxiety, stemming from his low self-esteem and fear of abandonment. Tora had her anger while he was anxious. They both got help for their conditions. Both of them went to therapy, while Tora also had her martial arts training.

The therapy worked for him. He was able to complete college all while getting help for his anxiety. He also got his graduate degree and got a good job. He also had Sasha, an emotional support dog, to help him deal in his day-to-day life. Although some days were more difficult than others, he was better. His anxiety almost seemed to have gone away as it no longer heavily influenced his life.

But, his accident changed all that. He wanted to save Abby, so he sacrificed himself for her. At the moment when time slowed down, his life flashed before his eyes. His life had been uneventful, and he never truly accomplished anything. He was going to die without achieving any of his goals. He didn't want to die there.

He woke up after what seemed like a short time, but it was six months. He wasted six more months of his life sleeping and doing nothing but make his loved ones worry about him. He was such a burden. He was a voiceless waste of space. He also had the powers he always wanted, but they were not his. He stole them from Tora, his best friend, of all people. He took a part of her from her without her knowing. How was he supposed to reconcile that?

His breathing became erratic again, and his heart thumped. What if Tora hated him? What if she left him as his father did? As his mind was going on a tangent of self-deprivation, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned to face Tora, following her arm up to her face. He looked into her eyes before she showed him her usual brilliant smile. That smile was like cold water, cooling his blood, and calming his heart.

"It's okay. You can talk to me," Tora said.

"T-t-t Tor, I'm so sorry. I-I I... I didn't know," Darren said, turning into a stuttering mess. "You tried to help me, and I took something precious from you. I took away your connection to your family. It's okay if you hate me." He rambled.

"I don't hate you," Tora replied. "I could never hate you. And, I don't mind you having my powers because I know you'll put them to good use. Plus, it was my decision to use my powers to protect you. My lack of control could have hurt you and even kill you. I'm glad it didn't. The powers are yours. I just ask that you use them with integrity." She got up. "Come on. Let's get a drink. Sparkling water, of course." She and Darren laughed as they left the cockpit of the jet together.