[b][center][h2]Paige Kennedy & [color=f26522]Milo Ventri[/color][/h2][/center][/b]



The next thing she knew was Milo’s shirt covering her face and crashing hard back down to the floor. The wind was nearly knocked out of her, but the deafening shock that followed nearly stopped her heart. Reverberating through the floor and followed by a perfect lack of sound. Her ears rang painfully and it felt like time passed while she stood still, separated from it like a passenger in her own body. The definite feeling of weight on top of her was the first thing she could even process. Arms were holding on to her. [i]Did I just die?[/i]. She thought. A memory crashed back into her conscious like a train derailment. A grenade, then Milo. Her head was swimming. [i]No[/i]. Blurred images swirled across her eyes. [i]God… No, this isn’t right… Milo![/i] It felt like her arms were moving again, but she couldn’t see them. She coughed and a strong chemical scent filled her senses. Images bending in the lense of her eye were a hazy static and then were suddenly exploded back together and she was thrust fully back into reality.  

‘[color=f26522]Paige![/color]” Milo’s voice shouted in her face. “[i][color=f26522]PAIGE! Goddamnit![/color][/i]” His grip firmly shook her shoulders. The room was full of smoke and her ears continued to ring. Still disoriented, she touched his face for a moment seeing his expression towards her lighten. However as the ringing subsided and her equilibrium returned another unmistakable sound became all to present: a jet engine. 

“Oh Shit…” She said looking back towards Milo. Her eyes then darted past him at Sammy, slumped over and unmoving. 

“[color=f26522]He’s gone.[/color]” Milo said grimly looking back over his shoulder. “[color=f26522]We gotta go.[/color]” The sound of the engines became more focused [i]and moving[/i]. 

From the corner of her eye, Paige could see blood spatter along the small hallway as they bolted through the corridor where one of Milo’s rounds had apparently connected with their attacker. The hangar beyond was dark with only a sliver of light from a partially open doorway on the far end. The contrast of light from the office made the whole area nearly pitch-black. Even being as cautious as she could in her haste, she bounced off something solid and tripped over something else on the floor nearly toppling over her own feet before catching herself against a pane of glass on what felt like a small airplane. Milo cursed behind her tripping over the same obstacle and kicking it with force sending it clamoring through the darkness. Her eyes strained to refocus themselves for the absence of light, concentrating on the small glimmer of outside air that peeked through the gap. She steadied herself on a wing strut trying to regain her balance again. Her side ached from the impact. The engine sound was farther away and she knew they’d soon be making their turn into the takeoff roll. She moved again, gaining only a few quick strides before another object caught her knee. She yelped in pain, but Milo grabbed her up, nearly like a football plowing his way ahead until the door was within arm’s reach. 

They burst through, thankful for soft grass and dirt, the outside light showered back into focus with tall pines, broken clouds and in the distance, Paige could see the wings and tail surfaces twitch in the pilot’s final checks at the far end of the field. There was nothing they could do as the engines throttled up, but stand and watch as the nose rotated for the sky and the gear folded up sleekly beneath the polished airframe.