All right, so things were not going precisely according to plan. That was okay. Or, it would be, so long as the plane continued to have wings and an engine. It was absolutely true what Peggy had said -- Howard was the "best civilian pilot around," but, unlike non-civilian pilots, his training hadn't been particularly thorough in the area of "dodging other planes' bullets." But they were still in the air! For now. So that was good.

"Is he clear?" he called back to Peggy, grunting softly as he turned the plane up to avoid an incoming missile. "Because if he is I highly recommend closing that damn door and strapping in. It's gonna be a little choppy for a while."