Okay, you should stop trusting me. D8

I said the chapter would be the rated M one, but not yet, apparently. At least there's some excitement.

THIS IS FOR MY BELOVED REVIEWERS. I adore you guys.

Disclaimers apply.

"KAZUNO!"

The searing pain registered all too clearly. Kazuno clasped his arm to numb the feeling, but let that go quickly when he saw another missile coming directly toward them. He slung his unmarred arm over Xiu Mei's head, forcing her down as another blast impacted the armored side of the helicopter.

The cold air stung his face when the door was dented open. Kazuno could vaguely hear shouts, the guards shooting at their attackers, the helicopter itself releasing its arsenal into the cloudy skies, but he couldn't focus on anything in particular but Xiu Mei's shallow breaths.

"What's happening?" she cried. "Stay low!" was all Kazuno could offer in reply, noting Tyler and the other students of H.I.V.E. grasping their bolted down seats and warily watching for more exploding projectiles.

Kazuno got up, working his way to the pilot. He found the man bleeding, slumped over the controls. Nero kept them from falling out of the sky at that point, but the large, gaping wound on his thigh did not escape Kazuno's notice.

"Headmaster!" he called. Nero didn't turn to look at him, but even with his focus on the controls, he responded, "Kazuno! Stay with the others! It's not safe—"

Another explosion ripped through the air above them.

"Tell them to jump! We're low enough for a dive. Don't take the parachutes; they'll catch too much attention!" Nero ordered.

Kazuno nodded, struggling back to the other students. He relayed to them the orders. "Hurry! We don't have much time! Be as inconspicuous as you can."

"There's an island close by." Tyler said. "We can swim there if we jump now."

"Good idea." Kazuno said, pushing Xiu Mei to him. "Everyone, go!"

Kazuno turned to one of the few guards with them. "Do you have any way of contacting H.I.V.E. or G.L.O.V.E.?" he asked urgently. The guard nodded. "Stay with them." Kazuno instructed, gesturing to the others.

They jumped, holding on to each other as they did, dropping into the water while the attackers were distracted by the helicopter's built in missiles.

Kazuno returned to Nero's side. "They're all right. They should be safe." he breathed. Nero didn't turn to him, but not because he was focused on their enemies. As of that moment, the older man was unconscious, obviously struggling to breathe as he leant against the wall.

Kazuno cautiously shifted the man's position, letting him lean on the younger. The slump of Nero's head signaled full unconsciousness, and Kazuno knew he had little time as the helicopter flew farther and farther away from the island the other students were swimming to.

The other guard on board with them was dead, riddled with bullet holes Kazuno couldn't bring himself to count. They were still shooting, so he stayed low. He was losing the opportunity to jump, losing time.

Immediately, he grabbed a parachute from where he was and positioned it one side of the copter. He waited.

And when the time came, he pulled it.

As soon as the chute opened through the wide hole, Kazuno jumped off the other side, with the focus on the erupted chute for the next two seconds. He was falling fast, holding tightly to his headmaster, plunging into the cold ocean.

He was tired before he could even surface, but he couldn't afford to fall now. He had to-

he had to—

No. He couldn't see the island. Nononono-

Kazuno convulsed, the shivers rattling him. He forced himself to stay calm. If he just—

There. Land.

Kazuno used the three life vests he had grabbed and swam, supporting Nero's weight with both himself and the floating material. He heard something, moving before he could even register why.

He dove, pulling down when the chopper exploded above them.

I'm trying for shorter chapters, but more updates.