Holander held Mia in his arms. The little girl’s arms were wrapped around his neck, her cheek pressed against his shoulder armor.
Her body heat ca through the Supersuit, warm and real.
Holander suddenly realized sothing. He seed to have no way to save everyone on this plane.
Even if he flew as fast as he could, there was no ti to ferry them all out one by one.
No matter how strong he was, he could not support a passenger plane with no proper point of leverage. He could not fix the plane.
He was clearly the most powerful Supe in the world, yet here he was, holding the little girl who had sared ice cream on his pants yesterday, unable to do anything.
Holander’s breathing grew heavier. He began gasping for air, his chest feeling as if sothing were pressing down on it.
...
Mia shifted in his arms and softly called, "Mr. Holander," but he did not respond.
His blue eyes were unfocused.
Maeve stood by the cockpit door, watching Holander hold Mia while gasping for breath. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say sothing, but nothing ca out.
She had almost never seen him unable to breathe like this.
...
His phone rang.
It was Holander’s private number. He pulled the phone from the lining of his Supersuit, and one contact flashed on the screen.
Father.
He gently placed Mia back in her seat, stood up, walked to the rear of the cabin, and answered.
"How’s the mission going?"
Benjamin’s voice ca through.
Holander gripped the phone. He opened his mouth, desperately wanting to say, I’m fine. Mission accomplished. Everything went smoothly.
But he couldn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to face his father.
"The plane... the plane’s malfunctioning."
His voice was not loud, but everyone in the cabin heard it.
After a brief silence, fear exploded through the cabin like a bomb.
n shouted, won cried, and pale-faced flight attendants tried to maintain order, but no one listened. Soone curled up in their seat, clutching their head and screaming, "I knew it."
...
Benjamin’s voice was not disturbed by the noise. It remained steady, though his words ca a little faster.
"Oh, fuck... Listen, Holander. I already prepared for this. It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s that I thought a body as powerful as yours inside a fragile plane was very likely to cause trouble, and sure enough."
"There’s still ti. Keep yourself together.
"When you and Maeve set out, I had already spoken with Deep. Deep has sent a group of dolphins to wait along the plane’s flight path. No matter how fast the plane is moving, there are damn dolphins waiting ahead."
"You start taking the passengers down imdiately, one by one. You can take two at a ti. It’ll be faster. You don’t need to bring them all the way to shore. Just bring them down to the surface of the water. Those damn dolphins will take them to shore. Did you hear ?"
Holander held the phone and said nothing.
His breathing had not fully cald, but the panic in his eyes slowly began to recede.
"Deep? That waste of space?"
Maeve sounded curious from the side. She had heard what was said over the phone.
"Did you hear ?" Benjamin asked again.
"I heard you."
Holander said.
Then he hung up, turned, and faced the cabin full of panicked passengers. He tucked the phone back into the lining of his Supersuit and took a deep breath.
"Everyone."
His voice beca clear.
"There’s been a small accident. The plane was indeed damaged by those criminals, but don’t worry. I’m Holander. Every single one of you will be safely brought down to the surface of the ocean. Deep has already sent a large number of dolphins to wait there. The dolphins will take you to shore. Do you understand?"
"What about our luggage?"
"Damn it, you idiot. Fuck, you’re still thinking about luggage now?"
A middle-aged man shouted back at the person who had asked.
"We’re lucky if we get out alive. Fuck!"
Holander turned to Maeve.
"You stay on the plane and keep order. I’ll take people down. Open and close the cabin door each ti. Don’t let the airflow suck anyone else out."
Maeve nodded once.
She looked at this strangely unfamiliar Holander.
If it had been the old Holander, he absolutely would have chosen to abandon the plane.
There would have been no further discussion.
She walked to the cabin door and gripped the handle.
Holander went to Mia and her mother, bent down, lifted Mia with one arm, and wrapped his other arm around her mother’s shoulders.
"Close your eyes."
He spoke gently.
Mother and daughter closed their eyes at the sa ti.
Maeve pulled open the cabin door. Air howled in, and Holander shot upward, his red cape drawing a straight line through the sky.
He slowed above the ocean, the sea wind carrying salty mist against his face.
Looking down, he saw a long line of gray dorsal fins across the water. At least dozens of dolphins floated quietly in formation, lined up like soldiers waiting for inspection.
Sitting on the back of the lead dolphin was a man.
The Deep.
He was wearing his blue-green Supersuit, and behind him sat a second-tier speedster Supe. He was not as fast as A-Train or Shockwave, but for this rescue mission, he was more than enough.
Otherwise, Deep’s own speed would never have been sufficient. Besides, by the ti Holander and Maeve had arrived, Deep had already alerted a large number of dolphins nearby.
"Not bad, Deep."
Holander landed on the surface of the water, his combat boots steady on it as if he were standing on concrete.
"You do have a brain after all."
"Mr. Holander, this is what I should do."
Deep said ingratiatingly.
Holander gently placed the mother and daughter onto the back of the lead dolphin.
Mia opened her eyes and looked down at the smooth gray skin beneath her, then at the pair of small eyes blinking at her. Her mouth opened into a delighted "O".
"Mom! It’s a dolphin! A real dolphin!"
"Yes, baby. Superhero Deep ca to save us too."
"When we get back, I want to buy a Deep figure!"
"We will. We’ll buy the most expensive one, baby. Thank God..."
"Mom, no. It was superhero Holander, superhero Deep, Soldier Boy, and Maeve who saved us!"
...
Holander glanced at Mia.
Then he continued,
"After the rescue succeeds, I’ll suggest to Soldier Boy that you return to The Seven."
After saying that to Deep, Holander wasted no more words and shot into the sky.
One trip.
Two trips.
Three trips.
Holander moved like a red teor, darting back and forth between thirty-eight thousand feet in the air and the rolling surface of the Atlantic.
He took two people each ti, completing each entry and exit within three seconds of Maeve opening the door.
Maeve stood by the cabin door, counting heads. Open the door, close the door. Open the door, close the door. One passenger after another was delivered to the ocean’s surface, where the pod of dolphins caught them. Then Deep quickly guided the dolphin formation over the waves toward the coast.
By the sixtieth trip, everyone had been taken off the plane.
He picked up the final passenger and Maeve, then flew out of the plane just as it was about to crash.
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