Terror in the Skies: Air Force One's Flight of Despair

Chapter 2: Heads or Tails

xxx

Location: Skies above Kentucky

Time: 5:10

Date: May 14th, 2021

"So let me get this straight. One of you is bleeding because he was dumb enough to get himself shot, and you want us to give you medicine?" Hilda asked, quirking a brow as she looked around the conference room.

"Of course!" Rachel said firmly, holding back a sigh. "Look, Lady Hilda, I don't know why it is that you are doing this. But you must at least have some value for human lives. You kept all of us alive for a reason, as sick as that is. It would be a good show of charity if you at least let us save our friend here."

"I agree with Miss Mackenna. I'm certain this is all being broadcast live to the nation, perhaps by showing us kindness, we can do something for you in return." Michael added. Hilda shook her head, her hair bouncing slightly as she did.

"I don't know what kind of game you think I am running here, but I am not a charitable person. Besides, why should I be charitable towards you? After all because you denied our pleas for help, Themyscira fell into ruin. I mean… had you sent military aid when we requested it, our people wouldn't have been slaughtered. Had you sent financial aid, our country wouldn't have fallen to poverty and famine wouldn't have killed our remaining citizens."

"It wasn't our fault," Melanie said softly, not looking up from the desk. "We had so many things to take care of, so many things that we weren't able to stay on top of. I apologize if we weren't able to help Themyscira. It wasn't our intention to ignore your pleas for help."

"Hmm.." the princess hummed, eyes narrowed as her eyes fell upon the President. "Cease the waterworks woman, among your many talents, speeches are your forte. You are the former Supreme Student Body President, it is clear to me that you are trying to manipulate my emotions."

"But… but I'm not-"

"Yes, you are!" Hilda shouted, slamming her gun onto the table. The resounding bang caused the group to jump. They were all wary, wondering what the princess was going to do next. She giggled, her eyes filled with mirth. "Ah… there's an emotion I recognize far too well… fear! What's wrong, never seen a gun before?"

"I'm quite aware of what a gun is and I've held one before, Lady Hilda. Just tell us if you agree to our petition. Our friend is losing a lot of blood, he'll be dead soon if we don't dress his wound." Kayla said, as politely as she could. Hilda's mouth split into a grin, as she turned to face the woman.

"Oh, I just got a better idea! Kayla Fitzpatrick, Head of the Department of Energy you my friend have quite the track record. As I recall, you wished to open up nuclear power plants in the United States despite there being a heavy blowback to the idea. You also wished to close down the Hoover Dam after the Killing Game that was held there, cutting off power to most if not all of California, Arizona, and Nevada. You also were behind the shutdown of a power plant in Vermont that left half of the state without power during the winter, resulting in the deaths of 1.4 million Americans."

"How do you know about that?" the woman snapped. Hilda smiled, leaning down to face the woman.

"I know everything. I have dirty secrets from each and every one of you, and I know you've particularly done some evil shit. Like, say… cutting the power to a hydro-electric plant supplying millions with clean water, thus leading them to get sick and dying?"

"I had suspected something of this magnitude had happened. That is why I did what I did to keep it well hidden. I suppose it doesn't matter now, does it?" Richard said firmly, sighing. "What is it that you intend to do girl? You are treating us like playthings and I do not like that."

"Well, since you are all adamant about saving your friend, I am giving you an option. Rather, I'm giving Kayla the option." Hilda said. She pulled the magazine out of her gun, pulling a bullet from it. She flicked it through the air, before placing it in the chamber of the gun, cocking it. She took a step forward, placing the gun on the ground before the woman. She reached into her boot for her spare, pointing it at her. "Here we have a bit of a challenge. It's a simple one really. There's one bullet in this gun, you can either kill yourself or kill the wounded man."

"What? You can't be serious!" Kayla cried, glaring at the firearm before her. She looked up at the girl, only to see the barrel of her spare gun pointing at her face.

"You don't have to, but in that case, I make the choice for you," she said, giggling. "Besides, he could be the traitor, you ever think of that?"

"Why would a member of the Secret Service be the traitor?" Tracey asked curiously. The princess rolled her eyes, shrugging her shoulders.

"You tell me, why did you feel the need to lie to your President about her daughter being in Kuma-Kuma Land?"

"Lady Hilda, whatever it is you want you aren't going to get. You might seek the satisfaction of bringing down our entire cabinet. However, the moment the plane went into the air and this game started, our contingency plan started. Even if we all die, our nation will continue strong. So do not force Fitzpatrick to kill a man for no reason." Aiden said firmly. He sized up the young girl, who just gave him a grin.

"Ah… you are talking about the Designated Survivor right?" the princess asked, nodding to herself. "Right… well, I've brushed up on US History, the survivor is a cabinet member who is sent to a secret location should the rest of the cabinet die. That way, they alone can restart the government, however, to my knowledge, all of the cabinet members are present here."

"Actually… not all of us are-" Tracy was cut off by the girl who snapped her fingers.

"That's it! I forgot the Head of the Department of Restoration! The one who manages FEMA if the nation falls into despair! How did I not see this before? Oh, wait… yes, I did. Nebraska isn't a really secure place for a person, you know that?"

"Nebraska? As if we would ever send someone that important to Nebraska of all places." Michael said, looking away from the pinkette. "You are going to have to try better than that."

"Offutt Air Force Base, located in Sarpy County south of Bellevue, Nebraska. It is the base that was decided upon by the cabinet of the United States to keep the designated survivor. It's one of the smaller bases, but it is well off. It just so happens that I managed to take it over." she said, gesturing for Benji to walk into the room. He typed something on the computer, spinning around for the others to see.

They all remained silent as a live feed from the Air Force base was being displayed. Cadets could be seen, firing their guns at an unknown weapon. The alarms were blaring, and people were shouting orders. People were struggling to get planes into the air as a massive wave of despair soldiers stormed the base. The point of view shifted to one of the members of despair, who had stormed the base, killing soldiers with reckless abandon. They grabbed a hold of a keycard and moved towards the end of the hall, swiping it against the reader. The door slowly opened, and the man walked in. It only took seconds for the person to take down the soldiers within, quickly grabbing a man who was hiding under a desk.

"Former FBI Agent, Frederick Hyles?" the man called out. The cabinet member, Frederick, said nothing as he was pulled out from his cover. He tried to stand, only for him to be pinned down by the soldier, who placed his boot right to his chest. "Alright Lady Hilda, give the order and I'll blow this man's brains out."

"Hmm… interesting isn't it? Here I thought the United States had the biggest balls in the world, but they weren't even prepared for a full scale take over. Your nation's infrastructure is garbage, you've been mismanaging resources since the nation first fell to despair. What say you? Melanie Hyles, this is your husband isn't it?"

The woman remained firm, a steeled look on her face. She continued looking at the computer screen, focusing on the expression her husband had on her face. He was a handsome man, 45 years of age and quite well built. He had dark black hair, slicked back with gel, and a chiseled face, with hardened green eyes. He was wearing a navy blue suit, with a matching red and black striped tie, his lapel bore a pin in the shape of the American flag. He was the father of her children, and the thought of losing him made her nervous. However, if she showed that nervousness, then her enemies would win, she wasn't going to let that happen. She shifted her gaze towards the princess, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"You think you can threaten me with the life of my husband?"

"Not just the life of your husband… your daughter Marnie put up a good fight, but we've captured her too. You've lost your son and your little girl is most likely dead. Marnie and Freddy here are the only ones left. What will you do? Will you trade the life of your family for your nation, or will you have your friend here make a choice that could save all 3? You have five minutes to decide." Hilda said, glancing back at Kayla. "Tick-tock."

"I'm not going to do it," Kayla said.

"You have to do it." Jackson, the Secret Service agent said. "You must make a choice, your life, my life, or the lives of your nation and the President's family. You have but one life to give for your country, you have the choice."

"You want me to give up my life? For them? Are you serious? I've got my own family, a husband, a daughter! There is no way in hell I am throwing my life away for people I don't give a shit about! But I have my morals, I am not going to kill anyone!"

"So you would let the President's family die? Just like you left those people in Vermont freeze to death?" Carlos cried, glaring at the woman. "It was because of you that the Seabrooke Power Plant in New Hampshire threatened to go Nuclear. It was because of you that the Hoover Dam had to be shutdown. And it was because of you that Beaver Dam State Park was completely destroyed! That breach took 500,000 innocents. At least do something to atone for your sins!"

"2 minutes," Hilda said, picking at her nails. "My friends are locked and loaded, just say the word and I'll kill the President's family."

"Kayla, you need to grab that gun and do something with it!" Pierce snapped angrily. "You swore to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America alongside our President. So you will uphold that promise and make a choice for the good of the nation."

"You can't strong-arm me into making a choice!"

"Not making a choice is making a choice you dumb bitch! Fucking hell, the life of a teenager is on the line here. You've lived your life, either shoot yourself or shoot Jackson. Either way, he's going to die!" Marilyn cried out.

"For the love of God." Francine snapped grabbing a hold of her head. "Can we not talk like we're making a choice on the cut of meat we're about to dine on?"

"60 seconds left… would you like a countdown?"

Kayla let out a scream as she grabbed the gun, turning it to Hilda. Her vision blurred for a bit as tears started running down her cheeks. Hilda let out a giggle, pointing her own gun back at the woman. "You don't want to do this."

"Yes, I do… because if I kill you, then I won't have to kill anyone! I'll be free… I'll be free! I won't have to worry about the deaths of millions. I won't have to worry about anything! I'll be hailed a hero for ending the second tragedy before it even begins."

"Look around you lady. You are surrounded, Benji has his gun on you, and my goons have guns on the people that matter. Even if I were to die, which let's face it, it won't happen… I still win. Valentine will crash this plane into the ground and you'll all go out in a fiery blaze of glory. So go ahead and make that choice, you got 30 seconds." the girl said, wrapping her finger around the trigger. There was a fire in her eyes, a fire of excitement as if she wanted for something to happen.

"Kayla, I am only going to say this once," Melanie said, grabbing the woman's attention. "I understand that you've done some really messed up things in our nation. However, you don't have to feel guilty about them. Sometimes, things happen for a reason, a reason that is beyond our control. However, you have a choice to make. I understand that it's a tough one… but you must make one for the good of your nation."

"I'm… almost dead." Jackson said softly, as he continued clutching his wound. "Just… end me."

"No… I am not going to kill. Sinners get sent to hell when they kill!"

"Didn't stop you from killing millions in Vermont did it?" Benji said, tightening his grip on his MP5. "10 seconds, make it quick or the President's family is finished."

Kayla let out a scream, pulling the trigger of her gun. The hammer clicked softly, but the firearm didn't discharge. She looked at it, pulling the slide back, only for the bullet to get jammed. She fiddled around with it, trying and failing to dislodge the bullet.

"3...2...1. Well that's it... it seems your inaction was an action after all… tsk tsk. I had high hopes from you." Hilda said. She cocked her head to the side as the firearm flew past her, slamming into the wall behind her.

"FUCK YOU!"

"Now you see, that was uncalled for. I guess the choice goes to you, Madam President." the princess of Themyscira said, reaching into her skirt pocket for a Quarter. "Well isn't this ironic, a Virginia Quarter. Looks exactly like the one in your house… the one that your son had in his collection, you remember him?"

"Don't you dare talk about my son you little whore."

"Wow, rude much? Jeez… you don't have to act like that, me and your son were friends after all… he wrote my theme song after all." Hilda said happily. The woman remained still, confusion on her face. "Oh, you weren't aware of that? Yes… the Princess of Themyscira is also a national icon, I happen to be a singer back in my home. Jonathan Hyles was one of the many people I interacted with when I was in high school. I had the chance to meet him when I transferred into HHPA."

"T-transferred? Hope Hills Prep doesn't do transfer students, they're applicants who must submit audition tapes to even be considered!" Sophia cried. Hilda rolled her eyes.

"Which I did… since I am a princess, I had diplomatic immunity, and I had earned the right to walk through the halls of your prestigious academy. It didn't offer me much. Then again I was a naive 16-year-old at the time, while your son was already in his 20s. There was a girl that he liked too… what was her name again?"

"Let's move on from this. You want to do something with that quarter, don't you? Unless you are gonna slide it into your slit, decide what you will now then leave. Do not test my patience."

"Ah… there's the feisty side that I love seeing! You think you have the advantage here, but you don't. Anyway, since Retard McGee didn't shoot Sir Bleeds-A-Lot over there, you have to choose. Just so you know, it's a normal quarter, no trickery here." the girl said, showing the coin to the woman. "Call it in the air."

"Why don't you?" the President said, earning a giggle from the princess.

"You want me to make the choice? That's bold of you… what's your reasoning?"

"My reasoning is simple. No matter my choice, you are still going with your plan, if I choose heads, or if I choose tails, if you are going to kill, you will kill. So that's why I am imposing my own challenge. Heads is life, tails is death. Best 2 out of 3 wins."

"Madam President, are you serious? You can't make a bet like that with this heathen! She killed Daniel, and she killed Jeffery as well. Not just that, she took down an entire Air Force base. How can you make a deal with her?" Tracey cried out.

"Does it look like she has a choice?" Donnel said, crossing his arms. "In fact, this might be the best choice at the moment."

"Si, I agree was well," added Gregorio. He grabbed a hold of the coin that Hilda had in her palm. "Just do I am sure there is no cheating, I shall be be flipping it. Call it in the air."

He flicked the coin into the air, everyone watching it spin. Hilda waited for a moment, before snapping her fingers. "Tails."

The coin struck the table, spinning around for a second. When it finally stopped, the tails side was facing up. She gave a little victory cry, a grin on her face. "Yes! Best 2 outta three Madam Prez."

"Indeed, flip it again Gregorio."

"Esta Bien." the man said, grabbing the coin. He flipped it into the air again, this time a little higher than he had intended. He opened his mouth to speak, but Hilda beat him to the punch.

"Tails!"

The coin landed on the table, spinning around for a moment before the face of George Washington greeted them. Everyone in the cabinet cheered loudly, clapping their hands. Hilda gave a little pout but wasn't at all bothered. Melanie held her hand up, causing them all to be quiet.

"This is the final flip. Whether you win, or not, at least give me your word that you'll uphold this bet."

"Fine, princess's honor. If you get heads, I won't kill your family. Hell, I'll even let your daughter go, she doesn't mean jack to me anyway. But if I win, then both of them will die, so prepare yourself." the pinkette said firmly. Melanie gave Gregorio a nod, and he flipped it through the air.

Time in the room seemed to slow as the coin flipped through the air. No one moved for a second or two, not wanting to make a single sound. A moment passed, with Hilda cheerfully crying "Tails" as the coin hit the table. It flipped around for a second, spinning for an eternity before it slowly came to a stop, George Washington's face was once again proudly facing them. They all sighed in relief, while Hilda kept her poker face.

"Well, the Supreme Lucky Student I am not. As promised, I'll release your darling daughter Marnie into the wilds of America. Maybe she'll get lucky and be shoved into a killing game, like those suckers from the Maze not that long ago." she said, snapping her fingers. Benji quickly gave the order, the image on the screen shifting slightly as Frederick was taken elsewhere. "Well, this was fun, but sadly I'm not going to provide you with any medical supplies."

"What… why? After all of this, you still refuse to help us? To accept this one plea?" Rachel cried out. Hilda grabbed a hold of her gun, taking aim at Kayla's head.

"Nah."

The gunshot was deafening. Francine let out a scream as blood sprayed the back wall and the side of her leg. Kayla's dead body slowly slid to its side, leaving a smear of vibrant pink blood and brain matter painted on the wall. "I'll be back at Seven, see ya then losers. Feel free to fuck her body if you want, that would make my night."

With that, the princess left, leaving behind a stunned Cabinet. Melanie bowed her head, not bringing herself to look at Kayla's body. Francine was still crying, using a handkerchief to wipe the blood off her leg.

"Things are going to get worse before they get better. Madam President, I think we should start considering our options." Pierce said, causing the woman to sigh.

"What options? We're trapped here, we can't exactly do anything, can we? Even if we call for assistance, I'm sure she has a plan."

"Then we should focus on finding the traitor. She claims its one of us, so it must be true, I'm sure our dearly departed Head of Energy would appreciate it. Perhaps even she was the traitor?" Tracey asked.

"Maybe… or maybe it was you? Who really knows?" Richard sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I just want this damn nightmare to end."

"You and me both," Sophia added, as she put her suit over Kayla's corpse.

Time: 6:25 PM

Date: May 14th, 2021

"What was the point of the whole game, if you were going to kill her anyway?" Benji asked curiously, as he continued typing on his computer. He heard the sound of silverware scraping china and looked up. The princess was munching away on her filet mignon, a look of pure bliss on her face. "Hilda?"

"Hmm? Oh… I don't know." she said with a shrug, shoveling more food into her mouth. "Ah, the White House staff sure knows how to cook. Anyway, I just wanted to feel a bit more excitement, that's all. When Kayla pointed her gun to my face, I saw my life flash before my eyes! It was so exhilarating!"

"I see… well, I hope you enjoyed that excitement because when I show you this you aren't going to be excited anymore," he said. He continued clicking away at the keys, before finally turning the laptop towards the princess.

"Breaking News, Ladies and Gentlemen, and citizens of the United States of America. A few hours ago, Air Force One took off from Sarasota, Florida heading towards the Air Force base located in Virginia. Since then, a broadcast has been ongoing, coming directly from inside the plane. It seems Ultimate Despair has once again entered our nation and has taken our President and her cabinet hostage. Already, 3 people, two members of the cabinet and the Supreme Negotiator are confirmed deceased. This all comes after someone aboard Air Force One sent detailed messages to law enforcement. Lieutenant General, Harold Esquire has declared a State of Martial Law. All services and laws shall be suspended and placed in the hands of the US Military. He has also called for a fleet of Fighter Jets to accompany the plane. TSA has also been shut down, all commercial aircraft have been ordered to land. We will report more as the news develops."

Hilda remained silent, not exactly knowing how to react. She glanced down at her plate, seeing she had most of her meal still on it. A piece of meat was still skewered onto her fork. She gingerly picked it up, placing it in her mouth. The explosion of flavor would have normally elicited a moan of delight from her, but now her meal had been ruined. She let out a scream, throwing the plate into the wall, breaking it into pieces. She grabbed a hold of the nearest Despair, glaring into the eyes of the mask.

"Was it you? Were you the one who sent that message?"

"N-No Ma'am." the man said, voice muffled.

"Wasn't this the plan all along? For the nation to know that this wasn't a hoax?" the Supreme IT asked, spinning in his chair to face the princess. "I think we've achieved our goal, at least."

"Yes… I wanted them to see each death, but them thinking it was a hoax was helping us. Now we're going to be flanked by fighter jets that could terminate this game before it even begins."

"No offense to you Hil, but I doubt they'll do that. The President is still onboard, as long as she remains alive, they will not bring this jet down. But there is something else that we must worry about, and that is fuel. This jet will eventually need to refuel, meaning we must end this game prematurely if we wish to get away with our lives." Benji said firmly. Hilda spun around, her hair whipping about as she did. She let out a giggle, which morphed into a full-blown laugh as she lifted her arms above her head.

"Oh...silly silly Benji! I thought you were prepared for that outcome!"

"Well… of course I am. However, I do not wish to die if I don't have to." the man said firmly. She rolled her eyes.

"There are parachutes in the cargo hold for emergencies. When we're about to lose fuel or start losing height, we'll just jump out of the plane. It's also why I didn't want the Air Force to be tracking us. Because now, they'll see if people are jumping out of the plane or not."

"It wasn't going to last long." the voice of Valentine said, as he entered the first class wing. He yawned, stretching his limbs. "We should have spoken with Aiko before we started this, another pilot would have been useful."

"Are you getting tired Val? That isn't like you… I remember you had monster stamina." the pink-haired princess said, giving him a wink. "That girl in Vegas told me as much."

"That was a long time ago. I've been neglecting my daily routine… besides, we all know that girl from Vegas is most likely dead." he said clearing his throat. "Speaking of, we just entered Ohio Air Space. What exactly are we going to do? I need to set a course for somewhere."

"Our plans for finishing this in Canada are moot now. I believe we must remain within the United States, at least for there to be a more lasting impact. Swing back around and set a course through Indiana. That should give us enough time to pick the next person to kill off."

"Alright Ben, I'll do that. What about you Princess, any idea what we're gonna do now?" he asked. Before the girl could even reply, the phone beside her started ringing loudly. She sighed, grabbing it off the hook and placing it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"You do not know who you are messing with girl. Do you think killing the Cabinet members is going to do anything? We've got plans to deal with people like you."

"Well howdy there General. I wasn't expecting a call from you!" the princess said happily. "No need to be so rough, come on… loosen up a bit!"

"We have dispatched a fleet of Fighter Jets to your location, and they will be following you every step of the way. We are making arrangements for rescue as well… we are prepared to offer you a sizable amount for the return of our cabinet." the General said, earning a sigh from Hilda.

"Ya see? This is what annoys me… the first thing people do when someone is kidnapped is beg and ask for money. I don't want your filthy money! I know that money comes from drugs and money laundering. The only thing I want is for despair to reign Supreme!"

"We will not allow you to bathe our nation in Despair. We hardly made it through the last time, the second civil war took far too many American lives. Under the leadership of Melanie Hyles, we became one nation. For the second time in history, and we are not about to let us become separate states once more."

"Heh… well unless you start offering me gold bars from the Federal Reserve, I'm not landing this fucking jet. Paper money has no meaning for me, and gold is a precious metal back in Themyscira. Who knows? Maybe if we melt all of it, we'll be able to restore our once fine country!" the shouted, slamming the phone into the hook. She sighed her hand shaking in anger. "Fucking retards… thinking they can sway me so easily."

"You know… it's impressive how well you wear that mask. If I didn't know you personally, I think I might start taking you seriously." Valentine said. Hilda swiveled around, facing the Supreme Police Chief.

"Get back to flying this plane, and set a course for Indiana, like Benji here suggested. The plane has been stocked with our special provisions correct?" she asked, glancing at the member of Despair beside her. He gave her a nod, trying not to lose his Monokuma mask.

"Indeed it has, your majesty. The hallucinogenic pills that Seiko Kimura made for us have been loaded into the cargo hold and are ready for deployment."

"Hallucinogenic pills?" Benji asked, tilting his head slightly as he glanced at the princess. "What are you planning on doing with those?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head. Let's just say, the people of Indianapolis are going to be seeing their greatest fears manifest before them. Despair will begin to spread and before we know it, the entire state will be in a state of chaos!"

"I get that but… why Indiana of all states?" Valentine asked, earning a shrug from the girl.

"I picked the first letter that came to my mind. Idaho is far out of our reach for us to even bomb it, so Indiana will have to do. Now chop-chop! Start setting course for Indianapolis, and make sure you keep an eye on those Fighter Jets. We have countermeasures so use them if you need them." she said, brushing the man off.

"What are you going to do, Princess?" the de facto pilot asked. Hilda giggled as she grabbed a hold of her bag, unzipping it.

"I'm going to the President's bedroom of course. I've grown so excited these last few hours that I just have to rub one out. If the two of you weren't busy, I'd invite you. It isn't every day you get to lay with a princess."

With that, she took off, the sound of her cocking her gun filling the air for a brief second. The two men shared a look, not exactly knowing what to say. Valentine spun around, making his way back toward the cockpit. "Keep me posted if anything happens, okay Ben?"

"Yeah… I'll keep you posted… say, before you go… are you completely down for this? I mean… America is our home. We didn't exactly have any contempt toward it. It feels weird bringing down this nation again."

"I've got my reasons. Just like Hilda has hers, you know how much time she's spent setting all of this up, ever since her country fell." the man said, shaking his head. "Still, going as far as putting on a mask to achieve her goals. It makes me wonder what else she's been planning this entire time.

"No one knows really. I've known her for a few years and I'm still figuring her out. Go on, I'll keep reading these files and sending them to the boss. She's got more than enough information for her own plans, so I don't know why she keeps insisting on us hacking the infrastructure." he said, feverishly typing on his computer. Valentine shrugged, heading back to the cockpit. He glanced outside of the windows, spotting two F-15 Eagles flanking him. He frowned as he took the wheel, flicking the switch to manual control. It was going to be a long flight.

Time: 6:28 PM Eastern Standard Time

Date: May 14th, 2021

She didn't know how she had managed it, but Sayaka had gone back down into the cargo hold. She kept a constant look over her shoulder. Thankfully the 'princess' hadn't made count of how many agents of despair she had brought aboard Air Force One. So she wasn't going to miss one. She slipped out of the mask she had been forced to wear, along with the black and white Monokuma one-sie she had taken.

She hadn't had the time to dress up in anything fancy. A white tank top and jeans had sufficed when she had killed the agent. She firmly tied her boots, reaching behind her back to tie her hair into a messy ponytail. She grabbed her MP5, and slinked toward the back of the plane, right around the room that held the President's escape pod. She briefly brushed the sweat from her brow with her arm, wiping it off on her shirt.

Her eyes fell on the tattoo she had gotten since leaving Hora Island. It was one she had gotten in honor of a dear friend. A beautiful white rose bloom, with a vibrant green stem. Around the flower, the phrase "Every rose has its thorns" had been written in fancy script. She shook her somber feelings away, steeling herself.

"Alright, Saya… Mukuro taught you how to deal with covert situations. Sure, I didn't take it too seriously since I never considered the end of the world. But it's time to put that shit into practice… step one, bringing this plane down safely. How can I do that?" she thought to herself.

She closed her eyes for a moment. In order for something to stop, it needed to lose energy. Of course, that was the easy part. Making it lose energy was what she needed to figure out. An idea crossed her mind. If she got the plane to start dumping fuel, then it would have to land. But how would she do that? How does one get a Boeing 787 to lose fuel?

The next best thing she could think of was making it lose power. She remembered seeing the cockpit of a jet during her many concert trips across Japan. The pilots used a board that controls various things on the plane. If she got it to stop working, then the pilot would have to land. Nodding to herself, she made her way toward the back of the plane, towards the deepest part of the cargo hold.

It didn't take her long to find the electrical boxes. They were far smaller than the ones she was used to seeing. She flicked the hatch open, looking at all of the switches and blinking lights. It was all gibberish to her. She didn't know what did what, any circuit she tripped could have negatively affected the plane. The last thing she needed was for it to crash.

"Mockingbird, what's your status?"

She jumped slightly when she heard the voice in her ear. She sighed, glancing briefly over her shoulder. She was in a spot that wouldn't easily expose her. She slung her machine gun, pressing the button on her wrist communicator.

"Not good, I heard talk upstairs, it seems Hilda shot Kayla Fitzpatrick not that long ago. She also captured the Air Force base in Nebraska and took her husband hostage."

"Shit… that's not what we needed." her friend said firmly. He remained silent for a few moments before speaking again. "We just arrived in Raleigh, North Carolina. We are going to be making our way towards Philadelphia, but things on the ground are getting bad. There's an odd sense of calm about this whole situation. Some places are starting to go into panic mode, and others are just… quiet."

"It won't be long before something happens. You need to get to Philadelphia before it's too late. If the one leading this is who we think it is, then the students of Hope Hills Prep are in danger. The last thing we need is another killing game to start. We had several of them start last month, and let's not even talk about the Oasis survivors."

"Which is why you need to keep your wits about you dear. Where are you?"

"I'm in the cargo hold, Raven. I'm trying to bring this plane down without crashing it, that would be a… uh… a last resort."

"That was a poor joke Sayaka. Please refrain from making them henceforth. Now then, if you wish to bring down Air Force One, the easiest way would be to force them to land. I do not know much about jet aircrafts, however, what I do know is that they are quite sophisticated. Get rid of their Avionics and they'll have to seek help."

"Avionics?" the blue-haired woman mumbled, her eyes locking on a nearby panel. The word 'Avionics' had been etched into the metal. She flicked it open, seeing a wide array of switches. All of them were labeled with different names, each controlling something different.

"Hey, guys… what do you think would happen if I ripped out this entire box of circuits?"

"Well… Avionics controls various systems. Airflight controls, communications, fuel injection systems. If you get rid of those, I'm certain they'll have to land."

"So… rip all these switches out? Gotcha." Sayaka said, grabbing a hold of some of the switches. She pulled them clean out of the slot. She stomped on them, breaking them apart. She continued pulling some of the switches out until more than half of them were broken. She slammed the hatch door closed, ducking into the next section of the hold just in time.

"What the hell… all of these switches are broken!"

"Valentine isn't going to be happy about this." the second man said firmly. He turned to his two friends, glaring firmly at them behind his mask. "I want the two of you to go back and report to Valentine and Lady Hilda, I'll stay here and see if I can find the one responsible. Please for the love of God, don't piss them off."

"Sir!" the men cried, hastily leaving. The man started looking around, aiming his gun in various areas of the cargo hold. Sayaka steeled her nerves, flicking the safety on her machine-gun, thanking the heavens it was silenced.

"Alright Sayaka, time to become a hero."

Location: Richmond, Virginia

Time: 6:30 PM Eastern Standard Time

Date: May 14th, 2021

Gunshots filled the house as the Supreme Punk Rocker dove into her parents' room. She hadn't been expecting to be kidnapped. What started off as a normal day of vacation turned into a fight for her life. She had been grabbed from the street during a grocery run and shoved into a van. When she had seen the light again, she had realized one thing. She had been brought to her parent's house. She had been gagged and tied to a chair, forced to watch a live feed from Air Force One. Witnessing the deaths of people that she knew wasn't what she had been expecting to do during her afternoon. But then came the order. The mastermind aboard Air Force One had told the Agents of Despair to let her go, but one of them had decided to do something else with her.

Marnie Beciervic-Hyles was not going to let her purity be taken by some mask-wearing lunatic. It was then that her Fight reflex kicked in. She had somehow managed to break the chair she had been bound to, and grabbed the nearest knife, stabbing it in the neck of the nearest man. That's what caused the current firefight tearing her home apart. She sighed as she reached into her boot for a spare key. She pulled the case from under the bed and hastily opened it, reaching for the rifle that was inside.

"Thank God dad taught me to use this thing." she thought, as she slammed the magazine into the receiver of the rifle. She shoved several more magazines into her back pockets, dashing towards the dresser, just as one of her pursuers entered the room.

"Come here you little bitch. The boss may have told us to let you go, but she didn't tell us we couldn't have fun with you first!"

Her eyes narrowed in disgust as she pulled the loading rod back. She rose the rifle to her shoulder, letting out a soft burst of gunfire. The man howled in pain, his body falling forward onto the bed. She rapidly stood up, firing one last round into his head.

"What the hell is going on-"

Marnie spun on her heel, another burst and the body dropped to the ground. She quickly left the room, opening fire on the men that were running at her. It only took a few seconds, but she was able to kill every single intruder that had brought her to her home. Her gun clicked empty, the soft clinking of shell casings hitting the wooden floor. She lowered the rifle, a tiny smile on her face.

"Didn't even waste a full magazine."

She pulled her leg back, kicking the face of a deceased man, sending his Monokuma mask flying down the hall. She kicked him again, this time shattering his nose. Had he been alive, he would have likely been screaming in pain. She sighed, turning back towards her own bedroom. She needed a hot shower.

Despite her wanting to take a long one, she knew she didn't have the time. Grabbing the first set of clothes she found, she was quick to put it on. It was a simple pink dress, which reached down to her mid-thigh. She donned her favorite pair of boots, having placed a fluffy pair of socks on her feet. As she moved toward her vanity, she heard her phone start ringing, causing her to sigh. She reached for it with her right hand, resting her rifle on her lap.

"Hello?"

"Marnie are you alright? I heard gunfire from your house earlier, I just wanted to make sure you were alright!"

"I'm fine Kyle. I've uh… been caught up in some nonsense, nothing for you to worry about." she replied, resting the phone on her shoulder. She grabbed a hold of her make up kit, quickly opening it.

She was a pretty young lady, being only 20 years old. She had fair colored skin and vibrant cerulean eyes. Her long raven locks were tied back into partial twin-tails, with most of her hair reaching down to the middle of her back. She reached for her violet eye liner and started the long process of lining her eyes.

"Nonsense? Do you call what's going on right now nonsense? Have you even watched the news?" the boy, Kyle, cried out.

"I am well aware of what is going on Kyle. Dust don't worry yourself, everything is going to be fine." Marnie replied as she continued to focus on her makeup. Once her eyes were lined in dark violet, she began the process of applying her shadow.

"Yeah well, that isn't reassuring. Look, I'm already outside your house so I'm just going to meet you inside alright?"

"Huh… no, wait!"

The call ended a second later, causing the girl to drop the phone to the ground. She sighed, looking past her bedroom door, where the body of one of her attackers lay, blood still pouring from the fresh wounds. How the hell was she going to explain this?

She heard the door open moments after, hearing her friend calling her name. She said nothing as she continued working on her makeup. She lined the upper part of her cheek bone with the shadow, making sure not to get any of it in her eye. Once she finished her right eye, she moved onto her left. A distinct male scream filled her ears a moment later, making her smile.

"Marnie… Marnie are you alright? Speak to me!"

"In the bedroom, dingus," she called back. It didn't take the young man long to reach her room. He was a rather tall young man, with very pale skin and visible freckles on his nose. Her had long fiery orange hair that reached down to the nape of his neck. His upper body was covered by a long-sleeved green shirt, along with matching black jeans and sneakers. He had a look of shock on his face.

"What the fuck happened here?"

"I got kidnapped by those despair agents. It seems like everyone that's important to mom was taken, I haven't heard from my father at all today," she said, finishing her makeup. She grabbed the tube of lip gloss, shaking it a bit. "Go to my parent's bedroom, the gun locker is open. Shove all of the magazines inside the satchel, and grab yourself a gun. Something tells me shit is gonna hit the fan soon."

"But… but Marnie, you know resorting to violence is a bad thing."

"Tell that to the bitch who kidnapped my mother. The moment that princess finds out her men are dead, she's going to come after us. Martial Law has been declared throughout the entire nation. Those that had the right to fight, have to fight. Just because the Military is controlling the nation doesn't mean our right to bear arms is taken from us." she said firmly. Grabbing the rifle on her lap, she walked towards her closet, pulling her leather jacket from its hanger. "I heard these guys talking about Hope Hills. We're still students there, and you know the Showcase is tomorrow."

"Wait… don't tell me you intend on going there. What for? The academy has been shutdown for 4 years, we didn't even graduate. Hell, this year would have been our graduation year if the tragedy hadn't broken out."

"I know that, but the students that are set to show off their talents are all there. The mastermind behind all of this might be plotting on kidnapping them. Remember what happened to those bastards in the Oil Rig? The Maze? I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of people being kidnapped for those stupid games. It's time for us to get these despair loving fucks out of our country!"

Kyle sighed, giving her a nod. Perhaps she was right, his own sister had been a victim of one of those impromptu killing games. He didn't want anything like this to happen again. He walked out of her bedroom and back towards the other room. Even if he was nervous, he needed to at least be armed. Despair wasn't going to take his nation, not for a second time.

Location: Skies near the Indiana/Ohio state line

Time: 6:50 PM Eastern Standard Time

Date: May 14th, 2021

Hilda sighed contently as she lay on the President's bed. It was among the softest she had ever been on. She had the best time of her life, she swore her little toy was most likely busted from the fun she had with it. However, upon looking at the clock, she realized it was almost time for her to kill someone else. She had wanted to remain in bed for a little longer but knew that she needed to keep a schedule. She sat up when she heard her cell phone going off. She swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing exactly who was calling her directly. She reached for it, sliding her finger across the screen.

"Good evening ma'am. To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"

"I was just calling to check-in. You've been doing an excellent job inside Air Force One, however, we haven't felt an impact yet. The traitor among them is getting antsy, even now it seems that contact between us is getting difficult. It must be difficult to send messages when the others are all surrounding you."

"Well, it's not like I can pull them out. I decided not to figure out who it was, it would keep the game interesting for me." Hilda said, brushing some hair over her shoulders as she grabbed a hold of her panties. "Anyway boss, how are things on your end?"

"Preparations are going according to plan. Despite Martial Law being placed, it seems the nation is still going strong. The Board of Trustees at Hope Hills Preparatory Academy is going forward with their plans. The Grand Showcase is still going to happen. If everything works well on your end, then Phase 2 will go on as smooth as butter."

"Do you have the ones that interest you picked out already? Aw… I wanted to be part of the selection process. There were some wacky talents that caught my interest." the princess said, frowning.

"It matters not… just as long as they have a delusion that transcends their wildest dreams, that is enough to earn my attention. What about you… what is your delusion?"

"You already know what it is, to kill my sister and become the Queen of Themyscira. Even now she hides, cowering in her bath water. Perhaps this game is what I need to get her some hatred, she always was the better received of the two."

"Using your sister's identity as your own to achieve your goals. You never cease to amaze me… however, I'm certain there is a delusion out there that will befit you. Who knows? Maybe if you make it out alive, I'll let you join me in bringing Despair to America."

"Despair to America… wasn't I part of that bandwagon?"

"You are but one part of a greater whole. Continue doing what you are doing, and make those deaths look better. Gunshots are nice and all but come on. You have to give it some flare! Have fun with it, become a true Maverick for these people!"

"Fine, I'll make it more interesting for you boss. I've got plenty of people left to kill, so I'm certain I'll-"

"Lady Hilda!" a man cried, causing her to jump. She turned her head to face the one who had barged into the room, glaring at him.

"Jesus Christ, can you knock first? What the fuck is the issue?"

"It seems there's someone aboard the plane. Several switches were broken down in the cargo hold, Valentine has lost half of Avionics. We're already searching for the culprit but haven't been able to find anything." he said. The girl grabbed her JSK dress and stood up from the bed, breasts jiggling as she did.

"God, you lot are useless. You hear that boss, these bunch of retards let someone else onto this plane and are threatening to bring us down!"

"Then take them out, we cannot afford for this mission to fail, is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am, you got it!" Hilda said, ending the call. She finished putting on her dress, not bothering with her stockings and boots. "Now then, give me a rundown of what's going on, I need to kill a mother fucker."

"O-of course."

xxx(End of Chapter 2)xxx

Surviving Cabinet Members 18

1. Melanie Hyles [President of the United States]

2. Tracey Skechitt [Vice President of the United States]

3. Rachel Mackenna [Secretary of Department of State]

4. Marilyn Monroe [Secretary of the Department of the Treasury]

5. Pierce Washington [Secretary of the Department of Defence]

6. Anthony B. Johnson [Secretary of the Department of Justice]

7. Carlos Pena [Secretary of the Department of the Interior]

8. Francine Connor [Secretary of the Department of Agriculture]

9. Michael Donaldson [Secretary of the Department of Commerce]

10. Donnel Powers [Secretary of the Department of Labor]

11. Daniel Estrada [Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services] {Deceased}

12. Sophia Reyes [Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development]

13. Gregorio Cortez [Secretary of the Department of Transportation]

14. Kayla Fitzpatrick [Secretary of the Department of Energy] {Deceased}

15. Edward Elrick [Secretary of the Department of Education]

16. Aiden Liarson [Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs]

17. Richard Rich Jr. [Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security]

18. Jeffery Morgan [Former Supreme Negotiator] {Deceased}

19. Shane McGuinty [Senior Secret Service Agent]

20. Jackson Woodsman [Secret Service Agent]

21. Frederick Hyles [Head of the Department of Recovery/ Designated Survivor]

AN: Hey there you guys and welcome to Chapter 3 of Terror in the Skies! I'm sure all 50 of you are ready to read this. This chapter is going to be the last one I post for this story until I come back from Washington D.C. I do hope you like this chapter, things are beginning to heat up as another one bites the dust. Who's next I wonder?

Well, this is it for this short announcement. I'll be sure to keep you all posted if anything changes with this story, though I doubt anything will. See ya!