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Post by Orca on Jun 8, 2008 23:03:54 GMT -5
"What's the problem?" Zelda inquired, dropping into the vacant space on Todd's right, far too close. "Can't you handle a little formation flying?"
Raid laughed, moving to remark before the Cessna could answer, but found himself swiftly interrupted by a burst of frantic static.
"Good Ford in the morning!" Luke's frazzled exclaimation blared in his ears. "What's HIS problem?"
Raid looked up in time to see the twins' ungainly silhouette bank sharply to one side, and the blur of pitch black that went nosediving by them. The Mustang scowled, now focused upon tracking the fighter as he pulled away from Todd's side. Zelda was already doing likewise.
Great. A buzzkiller, come to wreck their game.
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 8, 2008 23:15:17 GMT -5
Now that he had their attention, Malcolm banked and rolled out of his dive and corkscrewed upwards around them. Now, kiddies, this is how a pro does it. You wanna play Ace? I'll play! He accentuated his move with a snort that rose over the pitch of his engine, a sound like thick canvas ripping. Among planefolk, that snort was an invitation to a brawl. The Spitfire's vision made the full leap to black and grey as his senses adjusted for detail at distance, and the patterns of air pressure, wind and electromagnetism became more evident. Having rattled the twins, he then snap-rolled onto a knife-edge and buzzed the D-variant Mustang, now that it had broken away from the Cessna.
OK buddy, let's have some fun.
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Post by rizahawkeye on Jun 8, 2008 23:16:14 GMT -5
Todd looked between them and at the other plane. "What have I gotten myself into now...?" He wondered silently to himself, still pressing on to escape.
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Post by Orca on Jun 8, 2008 23:27:10 GMT -5
A Spitfire?
Belatedly, Raid recognized the intruder's make. His memory automatically supplied the data, the similarities between their builds. Something pricked at his more intellectual thoughts, that lingering scent almost familiar...
Whatever; he was never one to refuse an invite to duel.
Abandoning his earlier game, the Mustang revved his engine in kind, and barrelled after the challenging party.
Zelda held her station, momentarily uncertain. Should she continue to chaperone the Cessna, or join the pursuit?
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 8, 2008 23:27:47 GMT -5
Malcolm rolled an eye towards the Cessna as he slowed, allowing the Mustang to bypass, then locked onto the other's six. Here's your chance. Get to Indian country now! "Indian country" was anything under 4000 AGL, so named because it was generally the haunt of general aviation types with model-names like "Cherokee", "Seminole", "Comanche" and so on. He hoped that Mr. Cessna would get the hint.
Then, he turned his attention back to the Mustang, and the scent tickling his nose also spoke of familiarity, and triggered a memory of air races and some of the competitors that his girlfriend, Jenna Jaeger, regularly faced off with. There was one Mustang he hadn't seen around in a while...
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Post by rizahawkeye on Jun 8, 2008 23:39:22 GMT -5
Todd, seeing as the attention was drawn off him, continued to speed off in the other direction. ((Going to bed. see you all tommorrow.))
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Post by Orca on Jun 8, 2008 23:40:07 GMT -5
Raid could not help the exclaimation of surprise as he overshot the Spitfire. He flared his flaps to slow himself. His conscience grumbled at such a mistake. Stupid - he's smaller and slower; that means he can still outfly you!
Zelda, pulling away from the Cessna in favor of this new form of entertainment, proclaimed as much for all the world to hear. "Raid, you dolt! Don't let him show you up."
((See you, Riza.))
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 8, 2008 23:50:02 GMT -5
Malcolm couldn't help a smirk as he overheard the FW. "Word to your mother, kiddos." he finally answered in kind as he maneuvered to keep both her and the Mustang in sight, alternating fast/slow in a seemingly, maddeningly random fashion. "Playing kit-and-mouse games with Gen-ave types tends to make you very unpopular with the FAA and the NTSB. And, with me."
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Post by Orca on Jun 8, 2008 23:58:14 GMT -5
Zelda, foolishly, veered around, huffing in frustration at the Spitfire's unpredictable accelerate-slow tactic. She wanted a good look at this vigilante peacekeeper. "That's no new news to us, pal. Whatever the FAA or anyone else thinks isn't high on our list of concerns."
On the other hand, a quieted Raid flew straight and level: odd, given his earlier aerobatics. He was caught in a bout of suspended thinking, stuck between offering a retort and figuring out exactly where he had heard that voice before.
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 9, 2008 13:14:51 GMT -5
As the scent became stronger, Malcolm's memory finally pushed beyond the tip of his tongue. "Ari, is that you? Jenna was wondering where her closest competition had up and gone. What the hell are you doing with these no-accounts?" He was still keeping an eye on Zelda, zigging when she zagged and keeping up his random patterns.
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Post by Orca on Jun 9, 2008 13:35:55 GMT -5
Malcolm.
Finally supplied with a name, stunned by the realization, the Mustang's prop abruptly wound down, slowing almost to a complete stall. It was no minor case of amnesia, but he suddenly remembered all of the occasions he had seen the black Spitfire shadowing Jaeger.
Blinking sharply, Zelda, alarmed by her wingmate's sudden drop in speed, quickly gave up the tag-teaming. She circled around to the Mustang's three o'clock, hissing over their comm link, "Raid, you know this guy?"
The Alliston twins could be seen dropping out of the cloud cover, holding course at a safe distance. No doubt they were wondering what had become of their companions, keen to watch, if not intervene.
Raid coughed, finding his voice at last. "Whatever my reasons are, they're none of your business, Everidge." The snappy tone was still there, albeit considerably less confident. And it seemed all that he was willing to offer, abruptly spooling up again and plunging onward.
Zelda nearly flared into a dead stop as she saw him begin to run - yes, run - away. Almost flusteredly, she sped after him.
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 9, 2008 14:03:53 GMT -5
Malcolm was tempted to pursue, because he at leasted wanted some answers and "MYOB" wasn't good enough. However, he still had to stay aware of the twins, and gave them a hard eye as they showed up on his eight o' clock. And why are you two hanging out with "The Not-Legend of Zelda"?
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Post by Orca on Jun 9, 2008 14:20:22 GMT -5
Bearing the sterner features of the two, Logan returned Malcolm's stare with an angry glower. But neither twin deviated from their current course, or made an effort to distract the Spitfire from their compatriots. It was as though watching was reassurance enough Raid and Zel were unharmed.
Luke - never one to keep his thoughts bottled up - was more skeptical. He peered over his brother's nose with unguarded interest, if not apprehension. "You think he's gonna try anything more?"
"If he had intercepted just for that Cessna's sake he would have left by now." Logan kept his gaze locked on the ebony-colored fighter. He and his counterpart were exceptional scouts, not flyers. "All we can do is keep tabs on him."
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Post by Evangeline on Jun 9, 2008 14:40:45 GMT -5
"You worried the hell out of a lot of people when you dropped off the radar." Malcolm continued to speak to the Mustang over the comm link. "Your sister, for one. She's been beside herself trying to find you. You don't think you at least owe her an explanation?
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Post by Orca on Jun 9, 2008 14:52:17 GMT -5
Though a fair distance ahead of the Spitfire, Zelda could see Raid was listening to what he had to say. The Fw 109 veered close, frowning as she saw the words strike a cord. There was an undercurrent of quiet dispair, as if it were only just occuring to him.
"You don't owe any of them anything, Raid," she snapped, throwing a proverbial, possessive wing over the Mustang's 'shoulders,' like she had done so many times in the last eight months. "Your motives were your own. They don't - "
"Anita? Have you been in contact with her?" Ari hesitantly asked, deafened to Zel's argument.
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