Chapter Text
Cabin supervisor to flight deck.
That's what Rio and everyone else on board heard mid-flight through the cabin. It was unexpected, it was potentially scary. She left the beverage cart with her colleague in the middle of the aisle and hurriedly made her way through business class to the cockpit. She entered the passcode, the door unlocked. She went in, closing it carefully behind her, and a few seconds that felt like hours passed before she broke the silence.
- Everything okay? Rio asked.
- ATC just notified us of a bomb threat at Charles de Gaulle airport. We need to divert, Agatha calmly responded.
- Shit. Where to?
- We don't know yet, it's the busiest time of the year, and every surrounding airport in a hundred-mile radius has no parking spots.
Rio sighed, unlocked the spare jumpseat, and sat down, already thinking about how many complaints she would have to take from unhapppy passengers. She could already picture herself, with a fake smile on her face, apologizing on behalf of the airline for something that was completely and utterly out of her control.
- So now what? Rio asked.
- We wait, the co-pilot replied. We wait for an available airport.
- We're supposed to land in an hour, aren't they going to solve this bomb threat by then?
- Well that's a possibility, Agatha said. But not likely. Coffee?
- Gladly, Rio sighed.
Agatha liked the irony about offering coffee Rio herself made, to her. It wasn't their first flight together, far from it actually. But Agatha always made Rio uncomfortable for some reason, she avoided the cockpit whenever they were set to work together. Agatha Harkness, or Captain Harkness, knew the chokehold she had on her younger coworker, and she loved it. Never had Rio allowed herself to mix professional and personal relationships, and she wasn't going to start after fifteen years working in the airline. Or so she thought.
"Delta Alpha Lima two six two, November eight two nine Mike Hotel. You're going to Brussels International. Redirect aircraft" was heard in the cockpit. Synchronized sighs from all three pilots came next and Agatha grabbed her headphones and repeated everything back to the control tower, word by word. She touched a few buttons and reclined her seat, readjusting her glasses on her head.
- I'll go brief my crew, Rio finally said. Can you make a PA so I don't kill myself on my way out?
- Sure, Agatha laughed.
She got up, stowed the seat back and left the cockpit. Her number two was already back in the front galley, patiently awaiting instructions. The beverage cart was back in its stowage position, the cabin lights had been changed to bright, and everything was ready for an unexpected emergency. Rio grabbed the interphone, pressed the EMER and then ALL GLLY buttons, and waited for someone in each galley to pick up.
- Mid one.
- Mid two.
- Aft.
- This is forward. Everyone ready for an emergency briefing?
- Yes, they all said in unison.
- Bomb threat in Paris airport, we are diverting to Brussels. Captain is gonna do a PA in a minute to clarify. We keep going as normal. Empty all opened bottles, seal the trolleys, collect trash and secure everything, you know the drill. Understood? Repeat.
They all repeated everything one by one, as part of the airline procedure. When Rio made sure everyone understood, she hung up and started making more coffee, she knew she was going to need it.
- Hey Jen, do me a favor.
- Sure.
- Get me the customs form in the A trolley. And a pen.
Jen, as her number two, did as she was told. Rio grabbed a paper cup, poured boiling hot coffee and took a seat on her jumpseat, wondering when the captain was going to finally break the news to the passengers. She started filling out the paperwork she was required to for every flight, but couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was watching her. Not a passenger, she was hiding in the galley. Not Jen, she went to collect trash in the cabin. Then it clicked. It was the camera. She pointed her middle finger at it and heard a fainted "HEY!" coming from the cockpit. Of course it was Agatha.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We were recently informed of a problem at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport which is making every flight divert to different airports. We're heading to um Brussels, we're still waiting on instructions as to whether we will be allowed to take off again to take you to Paris, or if transportation is gonna have to be by land. In that case, you will be taken free of charge in a designed bus, but we will let you know on the course of action. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and if you have any questions, please feel free to talk to our lovely cabin crew members"
Rio couldn't believe it. Well actually she could, of course Agatha would mess with her and send people to complain to her. Of fucking course. She took another look at the camera above her head and mimed "fuck you".
About an hour and a hundred complaints later, the aircraft landed safely at Brussels airport, after a smooth and almost too perfect touchdown. They were going to have to go to Paris by land, as the Paris airport was still quarantined due to the bomb threat. The captain had let the crew know the passengers were to be transported by bus, while they would go by train. Thank God, Rio thought. At least she wouldn't have to spend hours hearing more whines from angry passengers, as if she could do anything about it anyway.
After everyone disembarked and security checks were completed, all the crew was taken straight to immigration in a bus, which gave them the chance to debrief on their day, which, again, was part of airline procedure.
- Alright, Agatha broke the silence. So I managed to speak with Crew Scheduling, we've got a crew van waiting outside terminal 2B to take us to Brussels central station, our train leaves at 13:45. They'll be sending us tickets via email, so please check that before we get there so we don't waste any more time. About today, thank you for the way you all handled the situation, I know it's been a long day, and it's not even close to being over but if we ever make it to the hotel, drinks are on me. Anything to share from your side?
- Nope, Rio said. Girls?
They all nodded to say no.
- Great. The aircraft will be flown to Paris by another crew when everything is resolved there, we're going back on Thursday evening as planned. Just need everyone to fill out a diversion report as per company procedure, please do it today, be as brief as you can.
- I'll forward you a copy, Rio replied.
- Thanks.
Around an hour and a half later, they were all on board the train to Paris. The train was packed due to holiday Week and they all got assigned to different cars. All except Rio and Christopher, one of the co-pilots, but that was before Agatha asked, or demanded, to switch seats with him. Rio was setting her laptop on her tray table when Agatha came to sit next to her with an annoying smile on her face.
- What, did you threaten his kids? Rio said, half joking.
- Moi? Agatha responded, faking shock.
Rio rolled her eyes and moved her handbag from the seat next to her to let Agatha sit, to her great displeasure. She knew that meant at least an hour and a half of pure annoyance, and she was getting way too tired for that. After a few minutes, Agatha stood up and went to the bar, where she ordered two glasses of red wine, and took them back to where she and Rio were seated.
- Milady.
- Are you serious? We can't drink in uniform, Rio reminded her.
- Who cares?
She sat down, left the glasses on her colleague's tray table and pulled a spare coat out of her suitcase.
- Just put this on and drink up.
- Jesus Christ.
But Rio did. It only hid the upper part of her uniform, but enough to not be recognizable.
- Cheers.
- How the fuck are you even Captain?
- I'm a great captain; I'm good at what I do. I think I deserve a little drink after the shit show that was today.
- We all had a shit day, you're the only one drinking it away before the shift even ended.
Agatha just shrugged and Rio finally picked up her glass, downing about half of it in mere seconds.
- Well, who's drinking it away now?
- Shut up.
Agatha raised her hands in defeat and spent the entire ride looking at her colleague through the reflection of the window. After what felt like three days later, everyone had made it to the hotel and had checked into their rooms. The entire crew but Rio and Jen had already gone out for drinks at a bar down the street. Rio just wanted to sleep it off, she had no desire to socialize with the people she had just spent the past thirteen hours with. And she already knew Paris by heart, the airline sent her here basically every month for being one of the few cabin supervisors that speak French. She took a long, cold shower, washing her long dark hair thinking about how she had less than forty-eight hours before having to go through another flight with the most annoying captain the airline had known. Well, not the most annoying, she thought. Most male pilots were worse. But definitely the most annoying and unhinged female pilot. Agatha was great at her job, Rio knew that, but God she was exhausting to work with. Constantly shamelessly flirting, messing with the crew out of… boredom? Yeah, she was for sure something. Not the type of personality you would expect from someone in this line of work.
Rio's phone ring woke her up from her nap. It was now almost eight at night, and all she wanted to do was to keep sleeping through the night. The ring stopped after a few seconds, which was quickly followed by someone knocking on her door. She growled and slipped into a robe, heading to the door. Of course it was fucking Agatha.
- I was fucking sleeping.
- And I'm fucking wasted, get ready we're going out.
- Absolutely not.
Rio walked back to the bed, and apparently Agatha had taken it as an invitation to come in.
- Who said you could come in?
- Me?
The older woman let out a drunk laugh and made her way to the bed, where she sat and starred at her colleague for what felt like forever.
- Please, let me sleep. It's been a long ass day and I'm jetlagged. Not in the mood for socializing.
- You never are. C'mon.
Agatha stood up and went to take the mini vodkas from the minibar, handing one to the younger woman who was only half awake.
- C'mon, Rio.
Rio's eyes opened wide, it was the first time Agatha called her by her first name. She blamed the alcohol.
- Go drink yourself to death in your own room and let me sleep in peace.
- But where's the fun in that?
Rio sighed, got up again and dragged Agatha out by the arm, pretty surprised when the older woman opposed no resistance. Again, she blamed the alcohol.
- The "do not disturb" sign on the door is for you too. Goodnight captain.
She slapped the door, leaving Agatha looking dumb on the other side with two mini vodkas in hand. "Do you think I'm hot?" Rio heard through the door. She froze, and quickly opened the door again.
- What?
- I- I'm getting a divorce. My wife cheated on me with a twenty-three-year-old. Has my youth really faded away? Am I not hot anymore, Is that it?
- Oh my God.
Agatha chugged a vodka in one sitting, throwing the empty bottle away behind her.
- First of all, stop drinking. Second, I'm very sorry about your divorce. Yes, you're still very hot. Third, stop fucking drinking.
- You said that already.
- Yes, and I mean it. Go sleep it off before you start saying shit you'll regret tomorrow, Rio sighed. Where's your room?
Agatha pointed at a room a few doors away and Rio grabbed her key card, helping the drunk woman through the hallway. She made her way to the room, put Agatha to bed and gave her a glass of water.
- You're really not gonna remember shit tomorrow huh? Rio laughed.
- Probably not.
- Great. Then tell me why you're always annoying me at work.
- I thought it was obvious.
- Do tell.
- I'm hitting on you, Agatha whispered.
Rio couldn't believe her eyes. She finally got Agatha to admit she's been shamelessly flirting with her for months.