The sky rumbled, lightning flashing and illuminating the darkness, revealing a grey military aircraft that cut through the air, slicing through the sky as it descended from above, where it had been peaceful.
In the back of the airplane, in its cargo hold, two individuals sat on opposite sides. The pilot occupied the cockpit to one side, while loaded military vehicles and parts filled the other side.
Vera sat strapped in, the turbulence rocking the plane a common occurrence for her, while on the other side, Cole, also strapped in, placed his hands on his knees, familiarizing himself with the feel of a plane experiencing heavy turbulence.
His meeting with Vera, from the minute it had been conceived in whatever office it was arranged, had been a foregone conclusion.
Stepping out of the hospital, cleaned and with a bag over his shoulder, Cole had gotten into a jeep with Vera. They drove to a deserted airfield, where a plane awaited them.
Vera had refused to answer any of his questions, ordering silence. His destination was unknown; all he knew was that a suicidal opportunity awaited.
Recovering from the excess alcohol he had poured down his throat, Cole had been content to stay quiet, but then, a few seconds ago, a red light at the back of the cargo area began blinking, a loud beep ringing out.
He stared at Vera, looking for a reaction, but the woman seemed content to sit back and rest her head, her eyes closed.
"What's happening?"
The answer didn't come immediately. When Vera opened her eyes, the beep stopped, and she immediately began releasing her seat belt.
"We've reached our drop point."
Following her actions, Cole released himself and stood. The loud sound of gearing turning reached his ears as the ramp at the back slowly began to open.
Vera waved, and he followed behind her, a hiccup escaping his mouth as his face flushed.
When they reached the back, they stopped, waiting for the ramp to fully open, feeling the airplane slow, the darkness and flashes of lightning becoming visible.
Drops of rain flew into their faces, signifying a storm was brewing, and Cole couldn't help but frown.
"It's impossible for us to make a jump in this weather. Where are the parachutes?"
The winds from outside hit Cole's face as he searched the walls of the craft, failing to find a bag.
"There aren't any parachutes."
"Then how are we going to get down?"
"We'll drop."
Vera turned to Cole as she finished talking, and his eyes widened. She grabbed him and jumped.
One second, Cole could still feel the wind from within the plane; the next, he was being hit by drops of rain and the wind from all sides.
Tucked under Vera's arm, his eyes flitted left and right as he found himself falling into the darkness below.
Within seconds, the darkness turned to blurry images of trees, the ground faintly becoming visible.
It no longer looked like he was approaching the ground, it looked as if it was coming for him.
His heart thundered as he seemed to teleport toward the ground, and just when his face was about to be smashed into it, death screaming in his face, there was a powerful stomp, and he found himself hanging a few feet above it.
Breathing heavily, Cole dangled from Vera's hold, his senses struggling to return, and she slowly let him go, making sure his feet first touched the ground as she watched him sway, disoriented.
"Sit and rest for a while."
The rain overhead was still in its infancy, just droplets falling. There was a noticeable wind, but it did nothing to interrupt Vera's message.
Cole remained on his feet, hands on his knees, and after a few seconds, he stood straight, glancing at the woman to his side, then looking up and down at the ground.
"You've gotten stronger," he breathed out.
"Thank you"
"I much expected you to throw up."
"I'm fine."
"We have a bit of a journey ahead of us. It will be miserable to run while feeling the world spinning around you."
"Let's go."
Vera simply nodded and began jogging, but within her, she felt an excited shiver. When she had come across Cole earlier, the sight she had seen had been quite worrying.
Now, an intensity she had only seen back in the academy burned in his eyes, in fact, it looked stronger than before.
All around them were trees and bushes, and in the dark, visibility was very low, yet Vera moved with confidence, and Cole asked no questions.
"We couldn't use parachutes, as it would keep us in the air for too long and risk detection."
Vera's words came suddenly in the rain, which had grown stronger. They had been moving for over ten minutes by now, and despite the wind and the sound of pattering rain, her words sliced through the air and reached their target.
"You can ask your questions, I'll answer to the best of my abilities."
Cole nodded, but silence reigned for the minutes to come. Vera said it was a "bit of a journey," but over an hour went by, and the pair were still jogging through the forest.
"He hasn't kept himself in shape, but he still has more than academy-level stamina…"
The minutes passed, and when they were out of the rain, going down a hill, Vera called for a break.
Cole silently sat, resting against a tree, while Vera stood opposite him, watching his arms and legs tremble, able to hear his breath, which he struggled to suppress.
"The typical chances for a DeathMarine are 95/5. Why is mine a death sentence?"
"As you must have figured, it's not because you have no mana, that would give you a 100% chance of death. This time, they're trying something new: still a DeathMarine, but more… and having no mana is a requirement. That is all I can say."
"0.2% success rate is almost the same as assured death. Why carry on with it?"
"Because this isn't something the Empire wants; it needs it. Someone has to do it…"
"Is it just me, or are there others?"
"The facility we are headed to with you has 100 candidates, 98% of them death row prisoners, and there are twelve such facilities spread across the Empire…"
With his soaked clothes, a wind passed, and its chill made Cole shiver.