118: Air Force One Down [I]

[POV: Specialist Jonah Reese, Presidential Guard]

The hum of the engines was a steady, comforting sound to Specialist Jonah Reese. For as long as he'd served in the Presidential Guard, Air Force One had always felt untouchable—an airborne fortress, the safest place on Earth. But tonight, as it streaked over the Atlantic under the cover of darkness, something felt off.

The war raging across the planet was no longer a distant horror; it was creeping into the sky, threatening to reach even here.

Jonah adjusted his grip on the MP5 submachine gun strapped across his chest, standing at the ready outside the private quarters of President Richards' family. Inside, the first lady, Katherine Richards, sat with her two daughters, Emily and Sophie, both under ten.

The girls were huddled against their mother, watching a movie on a tablet to drown out the fear. Katherine was composed, but Jonah could see the worry in her eyes.

"Ma'am," Jonah said gently, "we're maintaining a safe altitude. Fighter jets are escorting us. We'll get you all to safety."

Katherine nodded, giving him a tight smile. "Thank you, Jonah."

The first sign that something was wrong came as a subtle tremor. Jonah's body tensed, his instincts sharpening. The tremor wasn't turbulence—it was something else.

"Reese," his earpiece crackled with the voice of Captain Hughes, head of security on the plane, "radar's picking up unknown objects closing in fast. All guards to high alert."

"Copy that," Jonah replied, his voice calm but firm.

He glanced at another guard stationed down the corridor. They exchanged a knowing look and tightened their grips on their weapons.

Suddenly, a deafening crash reverberated through the fuselage, shaking the plane violently. Katherine let out a startled gasp, pulling her daughters closer.

"Stay here," Jonah ordered, moving toward the source of the sound with his weapon raised.

The lights in the hallway flickered. Jonah's heart pounded as he moved toward the rear of the plane, where a sharp screeching noise echoed.

Another crash. The entire plane jolted, and a cold dread seeped into Jonah's chest. The unthinkable was happening.

When Jonah reached the cargo bay, his stomach dropped. The reinforced hatch had been torn open, the metal warped and bent inward. Freezing wind howled through the gaping hole, carrying with it the terrifying screeches of parademons.

Three of them were already inside the plane. Their grotesque, leathery forms looked like something out of a nightmare. Glowing red eyes pierced the dim light, and their jagged teeth glinted as they sniffed the air.

"Engage!" Jonah shouted, opening fire.

The bullets tore into the first parademon, black ichor spraying from its wounds, but it only enraged the creature. It lunged at him, claws slashing through the air. Jonah barely ducked in time, rolling to the side and firing again, this time hitting it square in the head. The parademon dropped with a shriek, twitching violently before going still.

The other two roared in fury, advancing on Jonah and the other guards who had arrived to assist.

"Hold the line!" Hughes barked over the comms.

But the parademons were relentless. One of them leapt onto a guard, tearing through his armor with horrifying ease. Blood sprayed, and the man's screams were cut short as the creature bit into his neck.

"Fall back!" Jonah yelled, pulling another guard with him as they retreated toward the main cabin.

The chaos spread quickly. Jonah sprinted back to the first family's quarters, his breath ragged and his heart hammering in his chest. The sounds of gunfire and screams echoed throughout the plane, accompanied by the guttural roars of the parademons.

He burst into the room, startling Katherine and the girls.

"Ma'am, we have to move! Now!" Jonah said, his voice urgent.

"What's happening?" Katherine demanded, clutching her daughters tightly.

"The plane's under attack," Jonah said bluntly, stepping aside to let two more guards enter. "We need to get you to the escape pod."

Katherine hesitated, her eyes darting between Jonah and her terrified children. Emily, the older of the two, clung to her mother's arm.

"It's going to be okay," Jonah said, softening his tone. "We'll get you out of here."

Another violent crash shook the plane, and the sound of tearing metal grew louder.

"They're coming," one of the guards whispered, his face pale.

The lights flickered again, and then they went out entirely, plunging the room into darkness.

Jonah activated his flashlight, sweeping the beam across the corridor outside. The shadows seemed alive, shifting and writhing with the movement of the plane. The wind howled through the breached sections, carrying faint echoes of alien screeches.

Then he saw them.

Two parademons crawled along the walls like spiders, their claws digging into the metal. Their glowing eyes locked onto Jonah's group, and they let out unearthly shrieks before lunging.

"Down!" Jonah yelled, pulling Katherine and the girls to the floor.

The guards opened fire, their bullets sparking against the walls as they struck the advancing creatures. One parademon fell, its body collapsing in a heap, but the other kept coming. It slammed into a guard, knocking him to the ground and ripping into his chest with brutal efficiency.

"Fall back to the escape pod!" Jonah shouted, firing at the creature until it finally dropped.

The group hurried down the corridor, the girls sobbing as Katherine held them close. Jonah took the rear, his weapon trained on the darkness behind them.

They reached the escape pod, a small, reinforced chamber designed to jettison away from the plane in emergencies. Jonah ushered Katherine and the girls inside, his nerves on edge.

"Stay here," he said firmly. "Lock this door behind me. Don't open it for anyone but me or Captain Hughes."

"But—" Katherine started to protest.

"No time," Jonah cut her off. "I'll hold them off."

The door sealed shut with a hiss, leaving Jonah and the remaining guards outside. The corridor was eerily quiet now, save for the groaning of the plane's strained frame.

"They're regrouping," one of the guards muttered.

Jonah nodded grimly. "Then we don't let them get past us."

The parademons came in a wave. Five of them this time, their guttural growls echoing as they charged. Jonah and the guards fired relentlessly, their bullets cutting through the first two creatures.

But the others were faster, stronger. One of them barreled into Jonah, sending him crashing into the wall. His head rang, his vision swimming as the creature loomed over him, its claws raised to strike.

A burst of gunfire tore into the parademon, dropping it before it could finish him. Jonah staggered to his feet, coughing and gripping his weapon.

"Thanks," he muttered to the guard who had saved him.

"No problem," the man replied, just before a clawed hand tore through his chest from behind.

Jonah watched in horror as the guard was lifted off the ground, his lifeless body tossed aside like a ragdoll.

Just as the remaining parademons closed in, the plane jolted violently, and a deafening boom echoed outside. Jonah stumbled, catching himself on the wall as he looked out one of the small windows.

A streak of red and gold shot past, a radiant blur against the night sky. The plane stabilized slightly, and Jonah felt a surge of hope as a familiar figure appeared.

Diana. Wonder Woman.

She landed on the plane's fuselage with a resounding thud, her armor gleaming even in the darkness. The lasso of truth hung at her side, and her sword was drawn, its edge catching the faint light.

Through the shattered doorway at the rear of the plane, Jonah caught a glimpse of her as she faced the parademons, her expression fierce.

"Hold on," she called, her voice carrying over the chaos.

And then, with a battle cry that sent chills down Jonah's spine, she launched herself into the fray.

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