Storm Hawks Dark Side

Chapter 1: The Hive

Piper opened her eyes trying to remember what had just happened however her memories were a dark blur. Looking around the small white room and quickly realized that the room was a prision cell. Bolting upright Piper slid off the cot that she was on and immediately collapsed with a serious pain in her left leg and in her right side. Clutching her side Piper felt that her side was wet. Looking down she discovered to her horror that her side was caked in blood from a nasty gash in her side. With every bit of strength she could muster Piper managed to limp over to the window in the cell door. The hallway outside the door was just as bland and empty as the cell she was in.

"Hello? Is anyone there?!" Piper tried to yell but instead came out almost as a whiper, "Please somebody help!"

Just then the sound of footsteps approched and Piper was shocked by what she saw. It was the Dark Ace still alive however something wasn't quite right. His eyes glowed and dispite getting a good look at her Dark Ace didn't even react in the slightest. Just as he turned to face her like a robot a loud sharp sound rang out and Dark Ace went flying like a rag doll down the hall that Piper couldn't see.

"Quick down here!" a voice shouted and then a small group emerged.

"Who are you people?" Piper asked proping herself up against the wall next to the door.

"I'm Serenity. The big guy here is Steel. We can get to the proper introductions later! Steel tear down the door would you?!" the Wallop about the size of Junko replied moving to the side.

"Move back." the more massive Steel said as he grabbed the door bending the metal where he grabbed the door and with a massive grunt ripped the door right out of the frame sending shards of the wall flying.

"Steel could you carry her we need to make a quick exit before sleeping beauty over there wakes up and alerts the rest of the Hive that we are here!" Serenity almost yelled as Dark Ace began to stir.

"Yes Serenity! Come on girl lets go!" Steel said as he picked Piper up and took off in a sprint at the head of the group.

"Alright, Resistance time to cut and run!" Serenity yelled bringing up the rear as bolts of crystal energy whized by the groups heads missing by such a small margin that Piper swore that one of the bolts grazed her cheek.

"Quick down here!" a Blizzarian yelled as he kicked down a door revealing a long rocky tunnel, "Come on everyone through here right now!"

Piper looked back over Steel's shoulder to see everyone make it through the openning.

"Cover your ears!" Serenity yelled just before a massive explosion sealed the tunnel behind them.

"The others!" Piper yelled as her memories started to slowly become clear.

"Don't worry they are why we knew where you were being taken." Steel answered calmly.

Almost threee hours of dark twisting tunnels later.

"About time we are finally back!" Serenity muttered with relief in her voice, "Now we can get you looked at girl."

"Shhh. She's finally alseep. First we will bandage her up then we can tuck her in. At least everyone is asleep." Steel whispered as he entered the cavern.

"Hey there guys how did the mission go? Is that this Piper we have been hearing about from the rest of her crew?" a man with two massive five foot blades asked as he walked up.

"Hey Ranger what are you doing up?" Serenity asked curious and concerned for the second in command.

"I just wanted to see that she made it here alright." Ranger replied as he slowly walked up, "Wow that is a nasty gash right there. Lets get that taken care of in the medical wing shall we?"

"Uhg what who are you?" Piper asked sitrring from her sleep, "Where are Aerrow and the others?"

"They are asleep right now but your whole crew is very worried about you. By the way my name is Ranger." Ranger answered quietly, "Now lets get that gash banadaged and cleaned up. Can't have you getting an infection now can we?"

Just then a familar chirp caught Piper's attention and with a blur of blue fur Radarr was on her shoulder very happy to see her.

"Radarr hey there!" Piper said overjoyed to see the bluish fur ball.

"Little guy hasn't had this much energy ever since he got so I would say that is a good sign." Ranger commented as he turned around, "Didn't realize he was still awake though. Still hopefully that is a good sign."

In the infirmary.

"Oh hey guys, how did the mission go?" a blizzarian asked.

"Hey Sub-Zero. It went well, we got there just before it was to late." Steel commented as set Piper down and left the room.

"Okay then lets take a look at what has you hurting." Sub-Zero commented as he came over with a medical kit, "Well it looks worse then it really is. Does anything else hurt?"

"My left leg." Piper replied, "Hey is Ranger the guy in charge around here?"

"Huh oh, no he could lead but it isn't his style. He is second in command. Falcon is the commander here." Sub-Zero replied as he carefully checked Piper's leg, "Honestly Ranger is a little oblivious. He never notices just how Falcon acts around him. It is obvious that she likes him but he never sees the subtle clues. Although you can't fault him for it, this war has taken a very serious toll on all of us."

"Why take shelter underground?" Piper asked curious and diverting her attetion from the slight pain as Sub-Zero wrapped her side.

"Only place that the Hive won't go because we know these tunnels like the back of our hands. And there we go your all patched up. Don't worrry about your leg it was just a bruise. Although I have to suggest being careful okay." Sub-Zero told her as he put his medical gear away, "One other thing the leader of your group has been worried sick about you."

"Thanks Sub-Zero." Piper answered before laying down.

"Hey no problem." Sub-Zero answered just before he exited the room, "Now get yourself some sleep your going to need it."

"Alright." Piper commented closing her eyes and drifting to sleep.

It felt like it had only been minutes before Piper woke up to find her crew around her.

"Piper! You had us worried!" Aerrow exclaimed as he hugged her.

"Looks like your feeling better." Sub-Zero stated as he entered the room.

"Yeah thanks." Piper answered wincing slightly and getting a feeling Finn was about to say some very stupid.

"So are you the medic?" Finn asked.

"No I'm a doctor." Sub-Zero stated slightly annoyed.

"What is the difference?" Finn commented.

"A doctor makes you better, a medic just makes you feel better before you die." Sub-Zero stated turing around to hide his smile at Finn's horrifed reaction.

"Remind me to not get shot again." Finn whispered to Junko.

"Deal." Juko answered a look of horror on his face as well.

"What are you two going on about this time?" Ranger stated behind the two startling them, "I don't need another pair like Sand-Trap and Steel."

"Don't tell me there is another stunningly handsome sniper around here." Finn stated and then a loud splat sounded.

"SAND-TRAP!" Steel yelled chasing a raptor that was laughing his butt off while Steel was covered in pie with a look of murder in his eyes. (Apple pie if your curious)

"Damn it come on Sub-Zero we need to keep Steel from killing Sand-Trap. Why does he always do this?" Ranger stated breaking into a run after the two with a dry irriation very clear in his voice.

"Alright." Sub-Zero answered as he also took off in a run. A few minutes later Sand-Trap came walking back in with a large bruise.

"Can't the miner ever take a joke?" Sand-Trap said dryly.

"Do not make me seperate you two. And seriously cut the crap." Ranger just about yelled obviously angry, "Seriously why do you pick on the Wallop that could tear you in half?"

"Uhm because it is funny." Sand-Trap stated drawing a mencing look from Ranger.

"Out now!" Ranger ordered.

"Alright tightwad." Sand-Trap said and quickly came to regret.

"WHY YOU!" Ranger shouted as he was now chasing Sand-Trap.

"He will never learn." Falcon stated as she walked in, "Hi my name is Falcon nice to finally meet you."

Just then Sand-Trap went ragdolling across the room with a large blast of wind.

"I hope you learned your lesson!" Ranger yelled as he put away a wind stone.

"I probably have not!" Sand-Trap yelled back before turning tail and running.

"Dang lizard. We don't have time for this kind of foolishness." Ranger muttered as walked over to the group, "Sorry about that I try not to lose my cool like that. Oh Falcon I see you already introduced yourself."

Just then a large wall off air blew threw the cavern.

"Damn it Mech. Do you always have to use explosives when you need more room. I mean why not just ask Steel for help." Ranger muttered under his breath loudly as he went to leave the room.

"Hold up. You said you would show us around once we were all here." Aerrow pointed out.

"True that. Well then come on let me show you where and what is left of the Condor." Ranger stated directing the last part of the statement towards Stork, "Also you may not like what you see."

"What?" Stork asked with a bad feeling.

"Come on it can't be that bad." Finn stated drawing Ranger's gaze.

"Alright believe what you want but to put it lightly we only have a few operational airships left." Ranger muttered.

Just then a girl no older then 18 walked into the cavern with a annoyed look on her face. The purple hair and eyes told Ranger who it was instantly and why she was here.

"Yes I heard what Mech just did okay. I'm going to go get this straightened out hopefully for good but that seems unlikely okay Raven?" Ranger commented cutting her off before she could even talk.

"Yes but still could you please get her love for explosives under control a little more before we end up getting bit by her instead of the Hive." Raven stated sourly.

After about 15 minutes they reached the massive underground cavity that reached up until it disappeared into a inky darkness. At the other end a large pile of rubble.

"Damn it Mech seriously dial it back with the explosives!" Ranger yelled loudly as a merb skipped up to him.

"You know it is always better when it is bigger." Mech replied smiling and taking a good look at Stork, "Well who is the good looking one here?"

"His name is Stork." Ranger answered seeing Stork freeze in horror as she ran a finger across the front of his uniform leaving a streak of dirty oil, "Back out the way we came in to the left fourth door on the right."

"Where you going there cutie?" Mech said as she was about to run after Stork but was stopped as Ranger shot a glance that said that they were not done yet, "Yeah what is it boss man?"

"Where is the wreakage from their airship?" Ranger asked putting the issue of the explosives on the down low for now, "And don't think this is over yet!"

The Storm Hawks were quite horrified to see what little remained of the Condor. Neither engine was in one piece and more then half of the bridge was a twisted and contorted mess. Directly next to the Condor was a massive black cruiser with six engines and more then twice the Condor's size with a large mounted gun hanging below the main structure between the six massive engines.

"Whose is that?" Finn asked quite in awe of the staggering size.

"That one is the Black Dawn. I designed it. Mostly for retreiving anyone shot down against one of the massive Hive Crusiers. It is also the one that can go toe to toe with the main gun we installed." Ranger answered smiling as he thought back to when he was designing it.

"And thanks to some of the crystals he has made he also did a lot of the heavy lifting." Falcon commented surprising the group with how stealthy she could be but not Ranger.

"Falcon when did you get here?" Ranger asked amused at the slight shock the Storm Hawks showed.

"Well when Stork ran down the hall screaming this and that well, that is when one wonders what happened here." Falcon answered walking in further.

"Just one guess." Ranger mumbled as he looked at the massive scorch mark on the wall.