Author's Note: Sorry for those who liked my other story better, but I've thought about it, and I'm gonna write this one instead.
Once Again
By Magus732
After a few weeks of training in the Condor's systems and how to maintain and use them, Max was officially signed on as a member of the Storm Hawks. Short-lived as the celebration was, having been interrupted by a brief struggle with Murk Raiders, the others were thankful to have him. Piper liked him for his tactical skills; Aerrow, his melee combat mastery. Finn was jealous because Max was a better shot-on-the-run than he was, with a steadier hand while flying, but he liked having another sharpshooter on the team; he just wouldn't admit it. Junko marveled at his level of mechanical skill; he routinely fixed his own Skimmer, without any help or advice from anyone, and it ran perfectly every time. Radarr respected him, but made no mystery about his feelings. He felt awkward around Max; unlike Junko, Max had a looming presence, one that you felt in your bones. Radarr didn't like being reminded he was small, and that's how he felt around Max. At first, Stork had hated the idea of having his "big brother" on the same team, but he gradually warmed to the idea. They shared a common dislike of Finn, his music, and his jokes.
The other Storm Hawks had also noticed the Onyxian had made a few changes to the Condor, and to his routine, since he became a member of the team: he refused to shower anywhere except in his own room (the others, even Stork, showered together in a communal facility); he almost always had his back to a wall; he made and washed all of his own clothes; he bought food for himself and prepared his own meals, refusing to eat anything that anyone else made; he let no one into his room after he changed the locks; and every night, he armed a custom-built trap, a series of pressure plates hiding pairs of eruption crystals, randomly dispersed throughout his room, and said "If anyone needs me, knock first."
He'd been even more secretive about his daily routine than Stork had been when he first came on board. No one really knew what he did behind his always closed door. It worried them all at first, but when Aerrow asked him about it, Max merely glared and said "It's my privacy. I'll use it however I please. I'll involve you if I deem it necessary." He hated being told how to do his job, but genuinely respected Aerrow's authority as a leader.
He and Starling had decided to keep their relationship strictly professional, after briefly exploring a romance that ended with a one-night stand. They worked extremely well together in the field, but, ironically enough, they were always at odds about where their Skimmers sat in the hangar bay. Max preferred having his on the left side of the bay, near the door; his custom-designed vehicle was much tougher than the others', and he wanted to be able to deploy quickly if he was needed. Starling preferred the same location because it was where she had her Skimmer when she was with the Interceptors. To Aerrow and the others, this wasn't worth fighting over, and he and Piper saw their romantic feelings for each other shine through when they fought. They also seemed to enjoy fighting, a feeling none of the rest of them really understood.
One day, Aerrow decided he'd try again to break the ice. He walked over to Max, who was busy working on his Skimmer. He seemed to be humming softly to himself, a song Aerrow didn't recognize.
"Hey, Max..." The tall Onyxian spun around, hands at his waist before Aerrow could even react. Thankfully, he realized it was only Aerrow, and he quietly mumbled something to himself before responding.
"Oh... Aerrow... I thought you were... never mind." He returned to his skimmer, trying to ignore the redhead. Aerrow, however, had questions he wanted answered.
"What kind of Skimmer is that? I've never seen anything like it before..." Max looked over his shoulder at Aerrow, then returned to his work, tightening a bolt on the rear wheel. A wrench that had clamored to the floor when Max was startled suddenly seemed to reappear in his hand.
"It's an Air Skimmer III Ultimate... only sold on Terra Onyx. Solid Zaractian steel frame and body, onboard shield generator, rapid deployment wings, a levitation crystal providing power to a pair of hovering thrusters, 4 blasters, 1 in each wing root, full-span elevons on each wing's trailing edge, and, of course, 360 degree tracking radar." As he continued to rattle off the specs of his vehicle, Aerrow wondered how much something like that would cost. He had inherited his Skimmer, and the others had purchased used ones and modified them to their liking.
"You're wondering how I can afford a Skimmer like this, aren't you?" Max gave the redhead a devilish grin, one that bore an eerie resemblance to Stork's. He had noticed that Max and Stork shared many physical traits. The most notable was their hair; long and black, somewhat greasy in appearance and with bangs that hung down over one eye. Max also shared Stork's black fingernails, something the others never truly enjoyed seeing. It was a constant reminder that Max and Stork were far from human on the outside (and, for the most part, on the inside). Max interrupted Aerrow's thoughts with a snap of his long fingers. The Sky Knight jumped slightly in surprise.
"Am I... boring you?" His left eye twitched ever so slightly; it was barely noticeable, but definitely there if you looked hard enough.
"No, no, it's not that... it's just, I was thinking about how much you and Stork are alike..." He smiled nervously as Max stood to his full height, trying to diffuse the natural awkwardness that came with confronting someone that much taller than him.
"I see... well, you probably forgot about our love of sandcakes..." He smiled slightly, and began pulling his Skimmer over to its spot.
Aerrow thought for a second, then, remembering Stork's appetite for Piper's sandcakes, guessed it must be a common thing on both their terras. Little did Aerrow know, their newly expanded squadron would be tested like never before.