"Winner!" Finn raced around the middle table like it was some achievement. Sourly Aerrow and Junko looked on.
The door opened and Lypix and Piper leapt back to stop themselves being run over.
"What the hell?" It was Piper's question but Lypix's face showed the same confusion.
"He finally managed to stay on his skimmer long enough to win a race." Aerrow replied. "But I still won!" the blonde yelled starting to jump around as well, Lypix stared in amazement at the childlike behaviour.
Stork grimaced, "But his skimmer is still going to need work."
"Lighten up Stork my man, I won!" He slowed to a halt in front of the girls, "Hey, wanna race again with the girls this time?"
Piper groaned while Lypix smiled, but before anyone could accept or decline, Stork answered for them, "No one is going out."
"What's wrong Stork?" Aerrow asked, forgetting his loss and turning his attention to more important things.
"Something wrong with the dials" He tapped the aged glass in front of him, "And we're in uncharted territory."
Piper frowned, "I thought we were heading for Atmosia?"
Aerrow and Stork exchanged a guilty look, "Well-
"Why on earth have you two gone this way?!"
They both blushed, but it was a serious Finn who answered. "We started to get tailed by some Cyclonions some miles back, we hoped we could lose them this way."
Lypix flinched, her hand curling around the blue crystal in her pocket, Cyclonis was aware of it now, and they still did not know entirely what it did.
"Why did you not tell us Aerrow, we're a team?!" Piper exclaimed. It occurred to Aerrow that Piper and Lypix in a unified front was a lot more dangerous than the two of them against each other. He glanced at Lypix's subconscious reaction, "I didn't want to worry you two."
Piper rolled her eyes, "What are we? Washerwomen?"
"No, I didn't mean it like that."
"OF COURSE YOU DID! "
"Guys." Lypix whispered, strangely breathless.
"WELL SORRY FOR BEING CONCERNED!"
"Piper." Lypix tried to reach out to the closest Storm Hawk, but Piper stepped forward.
"MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE LESS WORRY AND MORE EQUALITY! "
"Please stop fighting." But they ignored her decreasing volume and continued getting louder.
"OH YEAH? LIKE WE WALK AROUND LIFTING OUR HATS EVERY TWO SECON-"
The lights dimmed and the Condor lurched downwards slightly before righting itself.
"What was that?" Finn asked looking upwards, like the answer could be found on the ceiling.
"I'm not sure." Stork replied flipping a couple of switches, "Almost like we had a brief power shortage."
Junko glanced to see Piper's reaction when he spotted a paling Lypix shuddering on the floor. "Lypix!"
Lypix's skin had turned to a very white shade of ivory, her hair clung to her scalp in fear it would fall out. Her throat heaved every now and again like she was going to throw up.
"What's wrong Lypix?" It was a gentle voice, and came from the most inquisitive of them all, Piper.
"I-I think Stork be-better land." She retched coating the inside of a conveniently placed bin with vomit.
"Ew." Finn remarked.
"Are you travelsick?" Junko asked.
"I don't-"She threw up again, "know... but I don't feel so good."
"We got other problems!" Stork yelled, "We're going down!" The lights flickered more violently and the Condor suddenly plunged downwards, finally being subjected to the laws of physics.
Stork grabbed a small handheld radio and started to scream through its transmission, "MAYDAY! MAYDAY! THE CONDOR, STORM HAWK CRUISER IS GOING DOWN. I REPEAT, IT IS GOING DOWN. IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED!"
For a few moments it was completely silent as they fell towards the unknown land beneath them.
"This is the Poison, Cyclonion battleship. Are you sure you 'require' our assistance?"
"Oh God." Piper exclaimed, she looked at a conflicting Aerrow, could he ignore his pride enough to accept their help? He nodded at Stork who immediately replied, "Yes!"
The Storm Hawks felt the force as several grappling hooks gripped onto the Condor, however the Poison started to fall too, slackening off the cables. But it was all Stork needed to ease their landing. Just a little bit.
Crunching metal cursed through their ears and several cries of pain spread through the air. Then it stopped. The dust settled, and people started to call out to each other.