#airport '79

[cantsayidont]

Except by critics. Last and silliest of the AIRPORT movies, THE CONCORDE … AIRPORT '79 (1979) adds some preposterous aerial action and amusingly cheesy model work to the usual airplane disaster movie recipe of big stars, contrived peril, and schmaltzy melodrama, as a treacherous aerospace tycoon (Robert Wagner) makes a whole series of attempts to down a Concorde airliner carrying an intrepid reporter (Susan Blakely) who has just gotten a bag of incriminating documents about him. However, he hasn't figured on the cool competence of the Concorde's new captain (Alain Delon) and his stalwart copilot (George Kennedy, who I think was the only star to appear in all four AIRPORT movies). A movie with a little bit of everything except plausibility, logic, taste, or brains — it veers so often into dopey self-parody that AIRPLANE! (1980) starts to seem like a very easy shot — but hard to dislike unless you make the mistake of taking it seriously. After all, where else will you find Cicely Tyson, Sylvia Kristel, Jimmie Walker, and Charo in the same movie?

[hellyeahgeorgekennedy]

Alain Delon, Sybil Danning, and George Kennedy on the set of Airport '79 (1979)

[pygartheangel]

[nelson-riddle-me-this]

soundtrack album covers from the Airport film series

[hibiscuswolverine]

Pov: You chose to fly out of the scariest airport in Japan.

—-

Ngl this was abit hard because some these characters were hard to put into like a single category (cause some could do either or like mahiru for example could be a flight attendant or a desk attendant) or their personality just didn’t fit so I tried to go with what they might do if I wasn’t too sure (and yes alters are separate people or well just twins).

Also jin would be an airport owner but he wasn’t listed in the tier list🤧

[internetkatze]

wonder if i should apologize to my Letterboxd followers for my increasingly unhinged viewing choices

[pinksmonkey]

Posting my Ultimate Byler Evidence/Analysis List here directly because it probably makes it more convenient and I should have done this a while ago. XD

There is so much proof for Byler being endgame in S5 of Stranger Things. They are so cute together, and so much in the show has been building up to their relationship. I just wanted to share some of my favourite Byler analyses, because they are so cool, detailed, and in-depth. I love reading about all the hints, symbolism, and subtext for Byler, it's amazing how much thought must have been put into all these things. Why go through all the effort of adding these details if they aren't actually going anywhere with them? Mike is so queercoded, and they are truly in love with each other.

🫥 Just gonna leave some good Byler analyses here 🤐

Most of the links go to written Tumblr posts, and a couple of them are Reddit posts. So it's a lot of reading. If you prefer watching videos over reading, I highlighted my Byler YouTube playlist in green so it's easy to find.

And apologies for any of the links that aren't working, I know some of the posts have been deleted now sadly, but there's no way I'm re-numbering all these so I'm just leaving them in. My fellow Bylers, please stop deleting your amazing posts. ;-;

So anyway, here is the list of some of my favourite Byler evidence/analyses of all time (not in any particular order):

1. Mike's Season 4 Monologue To El

2. Camera Roll Byler Proof Part 3

3. Mike's Monologue and Milkvan

4. Mostly Byler Post Index

5. Dawson's Creek Parallel

6. "My Experience With Stranger Things"

7. What Ollie Learned From Film School

8. Byler Music Analysis

9. Why Don't The Duffers Discuss This?

10. ST Theories Masterpost

11. If Byler Isn't Endgame Then Someone Screwed Up

12. Byler Crumbs From The Cast and Crew

13. Favourite Combination of Endgame Byler Proof

14. I Doubt Byler Then I Remember This

15. The Fact That We Have This Interview

16. You Know Your Ship is Endgame When

17. Mostly Byler Post Index 2

18. Losing Hope Of Byler Endgame?

19. Why I Think Byler is Endgame

20. So Many Thoughts on This

21. Mike's Wall Art

22. Painting Miscommunication Leading to Mike's Monologue Coded

23. Yes, That Scene Did Foreshadow Mike's Monologue as Disingenuous

24. Mike's Monologue Didn't Sit Right With Me

25. Blue And Yellow Pen

26. That Tweet Is So Sweet

27. Heart Eyes, Literally

28. "My Process of Realizing Byler is Real"

29. Looking at Will, Not El

30. High School Musical Parallel

31. Said It Before and I'll Say It Again

32. Delusional Milkdud?

33. ST Writers Twitter Analysis 1

34. ST Writers Twitter Analysis 2

35. For When You Are Doubting Byler

36. Is Mike Bi or Gay?

37. Fully Convinced

38. The Ultimate Byler Playlist (my Byler YouTube playlist)

39. 100% Confident

40. Mike in S4 and S2

41. Mike Is Angry With Himself

42. It's Been A Year, Mike

43. Rink-O-Mania Remodel

44. The Development Of Will And Mike's Relationship

45. Mike's Lies

46. El Was Holding So Much In

47. Flickergate + Lettergate

48. Did Mike Ever Like El Romantically?

49. Mike Is Stupid

50. Byler Won't Write Itself

51. What's The Alternative Explanation?

52. Comparing Mileven and Byler

53. It Was Always About Them

54. Mike Is Not Ok

55. He Has A Love Interest

56. Will's Happy Ending

57. Trying To Be Normal

58. It's Not That Milevens Are Homophobic

59. Byler Is Reality

60. A Proper Look At El's Shrine To Mike

61. Mileven Through The Seasons

62. Suspicious

63. I Can't Doubt Byler

64. D&D Soulmates

65. Let's Talk Phones

66. Not Delusional

67. What Do They Want?

68. The Main Character

69. Mike's Mental Health

70. So Close

71. This Look Confirms Byler Isn't One Sided

72. Mileven Is Bones

73. They Don't Care About Mileven?

74. The Airport Hug Will Always Be Famous

75. The Monologue Mystery, Why Did They Lose?

76. The Cabin Scene

77. Why Couldn't Mike Say It For 2 Seasons?

78. He Was Trying To Find Will

79. Mike The Surfer Boy

80. Mike Definitely Shows Attraction To Girls

81. The Cast Knows

82. Mileven Loses On All Fronts

83. The Bouquet

84. 53 Minutes And 5 Seconds

85. Pink Panther

86. El And Choice

87. Will's Spotify Playlist

88. He'll Come Crawling Back To You, Begging For Forgiveness

89. Mike's Character Arc Prediction

90. It's The Same Look

91. Will's Truly Happy Ending

92. That's The Same Look, Right?

93. You're The Heart

94. Mike And El's Relationship In S4 Was Really Weird

95. Fireworks Parallel

96. Mileven Has Been Built Up For 4 Seasons

97. Not Stupid: The Fate of Mileven and Byler

98. This Suddenly Makes So Much Sense

99. Metaphors In Filmmaking

And unfortunately Tumblr will only let me add 100 links per post, so when I've posted part 2 of this list, I'll link it here: Part 2

[dailyoverview]

Haneda Airport is one of two international airports serving Greater Tokyo, Japan. Officially known as Tokyo International Airport, it opened in 1931 and has gradually expanded on reclaimed land to encompass three passenger terminals and four runways. Haneda handled nearly 79 million passengers in 2023, making it the second-busiest airport in Asia and the fifth-busiest in the world.

35.553333°, 139.781111°

Source imagery: Maxar

[mrchiipchrome]

prompt 79. When I saw you last night and got that old feeling.

I accidentally deleted the request, so sorry to the person who requested this. If you want to request, there's a prompt list linked in my masterlist

--------------------------

Dating in your teens is either a blessing or a curse. You either remember them as the first love who loved you for what you had or the first love who shattered your heart beyond recognition.

For you it was different though. The love you had for each other exceeded what was normal, you were young and dumb, and yet you loved each other more than words could say.

You loved each other so much that when you were apart it felt like your hearts would burst.

So when she took the offer to go to the States on a football scholarship, you could already feel your heart breaking. The thought of you and your love being miles apart tearing a hole in your heart nothing could fill.

But in your heart was also that immense feeling of pride, your love had a scholarship to one of the greatest football schools in the entirety of the U.S. and it just made your heart swell.

After a whole lot of tears in the airport and one last kiss, she was shipped off to college leaving you to take up your studies at home. At first the phone calls were regular, every day of the week she’d call you and tell you about her day while you were trying your hardest to not fall asleep to the calming sound of her voice.

Like with any long distance relationship, the communication between you slowly dwindled until there was nothing but a thought of calling each other left. And just like that, the whirlwind of teen romance was gone, leaving an English RB sized hole in your heart.

And still, you kept up with what she was doing during all your years apart. You watched as she made her senior debut for England, you even watched every City game though not being a City fan. 

All the while, you were getting your degree in photography and moving out of England, finding a job at the Frauen Bundesliga club of FC Bayern München. 

There you stayed for the next 8 years, snapping pictures of new players and old players alike, players who were going into retirement and players who were just starting out their careers. Yet, you still kept up with the life of the woman you once loved so dearly.

You could still remember that summer, the one when you got that offer from Barcelona Femení to become one of their leading photographers. After a while of thinking and a lot of encouragement from the players who’d become your best friends, you decided to take the job.

So when you 2 years later make eye contact across the room with your first ever love, you cannot help but be surprised at all those old feelings flooding back. The girl you loved when you were a teen, now an even more gorgeous woman, was standing in front of you once again.

She still had the exact same effect on you as she did all those years ago, your heart thumping painfully behind your ribcage and your knees feeling weak. 

The same could be said for her, your love, who’s eyes softened a tenfold, her hand coming up to scratch at her jaw, the secret signal you’d made as teens to tell the other that you loved them.

You see as she looks at you expectantly, you yourself bringing your hand up to scratch at the same spot on your jaw. The strong woman smiles that beaming smile at you, she understood that you still loved her the same way she loved you.

After years of loving Lucy Bronze from afar, it was time that you finally got to love her properly. 

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in July 2024

09/07 On behalf of Princess Anne, as Royal Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Sir Tim represented HRH at the Annual Awards Dinner at the Peninsula London and awarded winners with the Princess Royal Silver Medal. 🥈

~ Return to duties after injury ~

12/07 As President of the Riding for the Disabled Association, attended the National Championships at Hartpury University Equine Centre. 🐎🎖️

17/07 As Colonel-in-Chief of the Intelligence Corps, visited 4 Military Intelligence Battalion at Bulford Barracks in Salisbury. 🕵️‍♀️

Unofficial Sir Tim Attended the State Opening of Parliament. 👩‍⚖️

19/07 Opened Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust’s new Emergency Department at Worcestershire Royal Hospital. 🏥

As Patron of the Three Counties Agricultural Society, opened Kildare Hall at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern. 🚜🌾

22/07 Unofficial Departed from Heathrow Airport for France and arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport for the Paris Olympic Games. 🥇

23/07 As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the International Olympic Committee Members Election Commission, attended day one of the International Olympic Committee Session at the Palais des Congrès de Paris. 💼🇫🇷

24/07 The Princess Royal, As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the International Olympic Committee Members Election Commission, attended day two of the International Olympic Committee Session at the Palais des Congrès de Paris. 💼🇫🇷

As President of the British Olympic Association, attended a Reception in the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, to welcome Team GB to the XXXIII Paris Olympic Games. 🇬🇧🇫🇷

25/07 As President of the British Olympic Association, visited the Team GB Preparation Camp. 🇬🇧

As Member of the International Olympic Committee, attended the International Olympic Committee President’s Reception and Dinner at the Musée du Louvre, Paris. 🍽️🍾

26/07 As Patron of the Eric Liddell 100, visited the Scots Kirk Paris Presbyterian Protestant Church in Paris. ⛪️🇫🇷

With Sir Tim As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and President of the British Olympic Association, attended a screening of the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at Team GB House. 📺🇫🇷🇬🇧

27/07 With Sir Tim As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and President of the British Olympic Association, attended the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris, France. 🏉

With Sir Tim As Member, International Olympic Committee, attended a World Rugby Executive Board Celebration of Rugby Sevens Reception at Stade de France, Paris. 🍾 🏉

28/07 With Sir Tim As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and President of the British Olympic Association, visited the Team GB Performance Lodge, in Clichy, France. 🇬🇧

With Sir Tim As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and President of the British Olympic Association, attended the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris, France. 🏇🏼🏊‍♂️

29/07 With Sir Tim As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and President of the British Olympic Association, attended the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris, France. 🏇🏼

30/07 With Sir Tim As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and President of the British Olympic Association, attended the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris, France. 🏒

With Sir Tim As President of the British Olympic Association, visited the Team GB House. 🇫🇷🏠

31/07 With Sir Tim As Member of the International Olympic Committee, and President of the British Olympic Association, attended the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris, France. 🚣

With Sir Tim As President of the British Olympic Association, visited the Olympic Village, Pleyel, Bords de Seine in Saint-Denis. 🏠🇫🇷

Total official engagements for Anne in July: 18

2024 total so far: 174

Total official engagements accompanied by/represented by Tim in July: 9

2024 total so far: 79

FYI - due to certain royal family members being off ill/in recovery I won't be posting everyone's engagement counts out of respect, I am continuing to count them and release the totals at the end of the year.

[magicalrocketships]

🐝 it’s happening again

this is part summary, part snippet, part ficlet I guess????????? anyway. (from here)

Daniel has lived this day 79 times in a row. 

It's not even a good day. He's snowed in at an airport hotel, hotel management regretfully inform guests that the Wi-Fi is out but they're expecting an engineer at some point in the next 24 hours (he never shows up), and for the past twelve days Daniel has kept a lady with a broken leg company while she teaches him to knit. He hates knitting. Every day he has to cast on all over again. He's cold. He hates everything. He knows every bit of this day backwards. 

Nothing's changed. It's all happening again, just the same as every other day. He's doomed to live forever, trapped in the same boring 24 hours, in the same snowstorm, and it's shit. 

Except: it's day 80, it's late, and Max has just stormed in. His hair's got long. He's got a beard he didn't have 80-minus-1 days ago. 

"Next time, send a fucking text before you disappear," Max says, brushing snow off his snowsuit. "Have you any idea how hard it is to find someone when they're lost in a time loop?"

Daniel carefully goes upstairs to his hotel room, locks the door, takes the same single sleeping pill he's been taking every night for 80 days, and shuts his eyes. 

When he opens them again, it's day 81, and Max is sitting at the end of his bed. 

"Well?" Max says. "What happens now?" 

Oh. 

[hellyeahgeorgekennedy]

Alain Delon, David Warner, Sybil Danning, Eddie Albert, and George Kennedy joking around on the set of Airport '79 (1979)

[bekolxeram]

Ah...... So I had a theory about which movie 8x02/8x03 will be inspired by after reading Tim's interview and seeing those planes. But the Airport 1975 set sail pretty quickly and I don't want to come off as an asshole constantly trying to "akshually" people.

Since the trailer is coming out today, I don't know how much they'll reveal, but I guess it's the last chance for me to share my original theory.

I thought it would be based on Airport, the original one, in 1970. That one involves a passenger trying to bomb the plane and commit insurance fraud, while another plane is stuck in the snow block off the runway. The flight crew and some passengers try and fail to stop the bomb from going off, so the plane has to turn back for an emergency landing, with ground mechanics trying their best to move the other plane away from the runway.

Depending on how the trailer goes, I may further develop this theory.

I also briefly thought about the Airport 1975 double pilot incapacitation scenario, but in my own theory, the prisoner (Dennis Jenkins?) will be the only one onboard with flying experience, for maximum level of drama.

Or maybe Tim decided to troll us with an Airport '79 parody, dodging missiles by flying a fucking Concorde upside down like a fighter jet. (You can ignore Airport '77, it's more of a submarine movie.)

[usafphantom2]

A Flight of Four Mustangs Celebrates WWII Fighter Pilot’s 100th Birthday

March 20, 2024 Vintage Aviation News Warbirds News 0

The formation of four Mustangs flying over Lake Lanier, north of Atlanta.

United Fuel Cells

Mission accomplished! On Tuesday, March 19, World War II pilot Paul Crawford fulfilled his dream of flying in a P-51 Mustang like the one he commanded 79 years ago in China, where he flew 29 missions until he was shot down in 1945. Now 100, Buckhead resident Crawford was delighted when the Liberty Foundation and Inspire Aviation Foundation took him up in a TF-51D on a perfect blue-sky day for flying.

TF-51 “E Pluribus Unum” piloted by owner Bob Bull with Paul Crawford in the back leads the formation over Lake Lanier. The camera ship was a Bonanza piloted by long time Liberty Foundation’s pilot Cullen Underwood.

For the occasion, four P-51 Mustangs landed at the Dekalb-Peachtree Airport and parked at Atlantic Aviation, the FBO that supported this unique event. Mr. Crawford lovingly touched the nose and wing of one of the Mustangs when he first walked up to it, reuniting after a 79-year separation. LtCol Ray Fowler, Liberty Foundation Chief Pilot, and pilot Bob Bull helped Crawford into the back seat of the TF-51 and gave him an exhilarating 30-minute ride.

The organizers envisioned the participation of only one P-51, but a quick round of calls sparked the interest of other owners who enthusiastically decided to participate in the event. Bob Bull, Steve Maher, and Rodney Allison flew their Mustangs to Atlanta bringing the total number to four:

P-51D “Old Crow” (N451MG) – Pilot Ray Fowler – Liberty Foundation P-51D “Rebel” (N3BB) – Pilot Rodney Allison P-51 “E Pluribus Unum” (N351B) – Pilot Bob Bull – P-51 “Ain’t Missbehavin” (N51K) – Pilot Steve Maher

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and Paul graduated six months later, during which time Congress passed the law to draft 18-year-olds. “I knew that I was going to be drafted so I went to Atlanta to talk with the Army Air Corps [sic] and the Navy about flying,” shared Mr. Crawford. ”The Navy said they would accept me for flight training but wanted me to go right then to their Great Lakes training center. The Air Corps told me they would accept me, but to go on back to college and they would notify me when to report.” said Crawford. Paul went back to Americus, entered Georgia Southwestern College, and shortly thereafter he received his draft notice to report to Fort McPherson in Atlanta on January 2, 1942.

Paul Crawford in his P-51 ‘Little Rebel’ ( photo by Paul Crawford Collection)

Paul had an older brother, Tim, who had gone into the Air Corps before Pearl Harbor and was flying B-26s, a medium bomber. He ended up flying combat in the B-17 Flying Fortress out of North Africa. The older brother influenced Paul’s choice, convincing him that the Air Corps had better aircraft, “I thought the water was, as they say, too deep and too wide to swim!” said Mr. Crawford.

With about 100 hours on the P-51 and 250-275 hours total, Mr. Crawford was sent off to Chengtu, China assigned to the 311th Fighter Group, 529th Fighter Squadron protecting the B-29 bases. As these B-29s transferred to the Pacific Theater, his squadron was transferred to Hsian headed for combat. At the time, Mr. Crawford was estimated to have only accumulated another 60 hours of flying time.

On his 29th mission, Mr. Crawford was shot down by ground fire while strafing a small railroad facility. After getting hit, he bailed out and was picked up by Chinese Communist guerillas. A few days earlier one of his housemates had been shot down and captured by the Japanese who cut his head off and put it up on a gate post. After a 200-mile-long walk, chased by the Japanese a couple of times, yet still evading capture, Mr. Crawford ended up at a compound owned by a wealthy family. A few miles from the compound was an airstrip where the OSS (U.S. Office of Strategic Services) brought downed airmen out. After the flight, Mr. Crawford talked about his experience: “When I recall my time in World War II, I always start by saying, I was not a hero! I was just there! That is not false modesty because it is the way I have always felt. I flew the P-51 Mustang.”

Mr. Crawford who has time in P-40, P-47, A-24, and P-51C, believes that the P-51 was the best fighter plane of its day. “There’s nothing in the world like that airplane,” Crawford said. “I loved doing the maneuvers again.” Paul Crawford was surrounded by several friends, his son-in-law, Tommy, and dozens of Liberty Foundation and Inspire Aviation Foundation members eager to have their pictures taken with him, shake his hand, and thank him for his service.

Ezoic

After serving in WWII, Paul Crawford finished college at Georgia Tech with a degree in Industrial Management. That’s also where he met his wife, Jean. They had a daughter and were married for sixty-one years when Jean passed away. Paul worked in the paper industry and for the U.S. Envelope Company until he retired in 1988. Paul currently lives in Atlanta and participates in aviation and historical WWII events.

This special event was made possible thanks to the support of Bob Bull, Ray Fowler Chief Pilot of The Liberty Foundation, Steve Maher, Atlantic Aviation FBO, Cullen Underwood with Vintage Flights, and Inspire Aviation Foundation.

Paul Crawford after the successful flight with (L to R), Cullen Underwood (Camera ship pilot), Bob Bull, Ray Fowler, and Rodney Allison.

[winters8child]

It´s been a long, long time

Chapter 79

“I’ll go down to talk to Tony. You guys try to find the Quinjet, and if push comes to shove, go without me,” Steve instructed after we had all suited up. His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable resolve in his tone, the kind that made it clear he was prepared for whatever was coming.

Sam nodded, already focused on the task at hand. “I’ll use Redwing—it shouldn’t take long to find it,” he replied, tapping away at the small computer strapped to his arm.

Determined, I stepped forward, holstering my gun. “I’m coming with you,” I insisted, not wanting Steve to face Tony alone.

But Steve shook his head, his expression softening just slightly. “You stay with them,” he said firmly. “We’re not trying to kill these guys, and who knows what you’ll do if you think they’re trying to hurt me?"

I knew he was right, even if it stung to admit it. The reality was sinking in—Tony and his team might try to stop us with everything they had, even if it meant seriously injuring us in the process. I sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on me, and reluctantly looked at the others. “Fine,” I conceded, my voice heavy with resignation.

Steve had already turned to go, his focus ahead, but something in me couldn’t let him walk away without saying something. I quickly closed the distance between us, my steps echoing softly in the tense silence. He turned around as he heard me approach, his expression softening as our eyes met.

I hesitated for a moment, swallowing hard. There were still so many unresolved issues between us, words left unspoken, feelings left hanging in the air. But now wasn’t the time to sort through them, and yet, I couldn’t just let him go without a word. “Be careful,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I forced a weak smile, trying to mask the worry gnawing at me.

For a brief moment, Steve's eyes lingered on my lips, and I felt a flutter of anticipation as he moved just a fraction closer. I could almost believe he might kiss me, but then he halted, his gaze shifting past me.

“Always am,” he said softly, his voice carrying a hint of sadness. The fleeting warmth in his eyes was replaced by a resigned smile. With a final, lingering look, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there with a mix of fear and heartache.

I crouched next to Bucky, my breath coming in shallow bursts, as Sam remained intently focused on the screen of his arm-mounted device, guiding Redwing through the chaos. “We found it,” Sam announced, his voice cutting through the noise with a note of relief. “Their Quinjet’s in Hangar Five, north runway.”

Steve, already on the move, signaled to Clint. We sprang into action, sprinting towards our destination.

As we ran, the distant sounds of fighting reached my ears, a cacophony of shouts and impacts that tugged at my resolve. Every instinct screamed at me to turn back and help Steve, but I gritted my teeth and forced my legs to keep moving, determined to follow Sam and Bucky.

We sprinted through the empty airport, weaving past abandoned shops and cluttered stalls. Suddenly, a figure crashed through a shattered glass window, slamming into Sam and sending him sprawling sideways with a pained grunt.

Before I could react, Bucky lunged forward, aiming a powerful punch with his metal arm. But the guy in the mask, surprisingly agile, caught Bucky’s fist in mid-air. His voice, high and enthusiastic, cut through the chaos. “You have a metal arm? That is awesome, dude!”

I was momentarily stunned by the sheer absurdity of the situation and the guy’s youthful excitement. I found myself yelling out, “Are you a child?” Though his face was hidden behind the mask, the surprise in his posture was palpable.

Before I could process his reaction, Sam was back in action. He crashed into the kid, lifting him off the ground and soaring away with him in his arms, leaving me standing there, momentarily disoriented by the bizarre turn of events.

Bucky and I sprinted after them, dodging obstacles as the kid managed to push Sam off and swing effortlessly through the airport. His movements were swift and fluid, making him a difficult target. Bucky’s eyes narrowed as he picked up something that looked like a metal sign. With a quick, calculated move, he hurled it at the kid and immediately ducked behind a nearby pillar. I followed suit, crouching behind a vending machine, trying to catch my breath and reassess the situation.

But the kid was quicker than we anticipated. With a casual flick of his wrist, he caught the sign in mid-air and tossed it back with unnerving precision. “Hey buddy, I think you lost this,” he quipped. The humor in his voice was stark against the tension of the moment. The sign crashed into the pillar, shattering it into chunks of debris, and sending a cloud of dust and concrete splinters into the air.

I watched in disbelief as Bucky barely managed to roll out of the way. His expression was a mix of frustration and surprise. The kid was too fast, his agility making it nearly impossible for us to land any significant blows. Every time we thought we had him cornered, he’d twist, leap, or swing out of reach. His movements were almost a blur.

Sam lunged at the kid again, determined to get a hold of him, but the kid was too quick. With a flick of his wrist, he shot out a web, sticking Sam to the railing of a glass barrier, trapping him in place. The kid looked at Sam, completely unfazed by the ongoing fight. “Those wings carbon fiber?” he asked. His tone was casual, as if this were just a friendly chat.

Sam, his expression a mix of disbelief and annoyance, struggled against the webbing. “Is this stuff coming out of you?” he asked, his voice laced with equal parts awe and disgust.

The kid barely missed a beat. “That would explain the rigidity-flexibility ratio, which, gotta say, that’s awesome, man,” he said, genuinely impressed by his handiwork.

Sam gave him a hard look. “I don’t know if you’ve been in a fight before, but there’s usually not this much talking,” he shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Alright, sorry, my bad,” the kid replied quickly, almost as if he was embarrassed. Without missing a beat, he swung forward, aiming a kick at Sam.

Before the blow could land, Bucky burst out of his hiding place, launching himself into the fray.

The force of the impact sent both Bucky and Sam hurtling down to the first floor, landing with a heavy thud. Before they could recover, the kid deftly webbed them to the ground, securing them in place. He perched on a nearby pillar, looking down at them with an air of confidence. I watched from my hiding spot, knowing he was too quick for a direct approach. I needed the right moment to catch him off guard.

"Guys, look!" the kid began. His voice was tinged with youthful enthusiasm. "I'd love to keep this up, but I’ve only got one job here today, and I gotta impress Mr. Stark, so I’m really sorry." He sounded almost apologetic, but the determination in his tone was clear.

Just as he finished, Redwing, Sam’s drone, swooped in out of nowhere, catching the kid by surprise. In a flash, the drone latched onto him, dragging him off his perch and sending him swinging wildly across the airport.

"You couldn’t have done that earlier?" Bucky asked, his voice laced with frustration as he lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

Sam, still stuck to the ground beside him, let out an exasperated sigh. "I hate you," he muttered, the words heavy with both exhaustion and irritation.

I stepped out of my hiding place, unable to suppress the grin spreading across my face as I looked down at the two of them, stuck to the ground like flies caught in a web. “Did a child just beat you two?” I asked with a playful smile tugging at my lips, my hand resting confidently on my hip.

Sam frowned at me, clearly not in the mood for jokes. “You could have helped,” he replied. His brows furrowed in annoyance.

“That’s what I’m doing now,” I said, still grinning as I pulled out my knife and started cutting them free.

They scrambled to their feet as soon as I cut them loose, and without wasting a second, we bolted for the Quinjet. The sounds of battle outside grew louder, punctuated by the occasional boom of an explosion. As we reached the airfield, we saw Cap and the others, ready to rendezvous. But just as we thought we might have a clear path, a brilliant beam of light sliced through the air, cutting us off.

“Captain Rogers. I know you believe what you’re doing is right. But for the collective good, you must surrender now." Vision’s voice rang out, firm, as he hovered above us, his presence imposing. Tony and the rest of the team stood in formation before us, the tension between us palpable, like the calm before a storm.

“What are we going to do, Steve?” I asked. My voice barely masks the fear that gripped me. The thought of having to fight our friends was almost unbearable, yet it seemed inevitable.

I caught Natasha’s eye, standing beside Tony, and offered her a sad smile. She returned it with a wry, knowing expression. “This is gonna end well,” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm, just as both sides charged forward. Friends turned enemies as the two groups collided in a fight neither side wanted.

Next Chapter

[eightyonekilograms]

re: Soviet-Afghan war opening phases: it really blows my tits clean off how the plans for Prague 68, Kabul 79, and Kyiv 22 are exactly the same plan with the serial numbers filed off. Russian Army only knows how to be bisexual, eat hot chip, and stage a multi-axis land invasion of a neighbor and erstwhile ally while seizing the capital airport and presidential palace so as to effect a coup de main before resistance can consolidate among either the political class or the army.

An amusing bit of the podcast series came when they explained that they didn't give their infantry any marksmanship training, because Soviet doctrine was to rely on overwhelming fire superiority. That might be fine in theory, but only if you give your infantry lots and lots of ammunition and have adequate lines for resupply. Unsurprisingly, they did neither of these things.