A.N.: So I've made some changes. Instead of continuing with Skimmer Troubles, I'll put other ideas here instead. (Apologies to anyone who wanted a continuation). These are scenes I've thought up, but didn't have the energy/will to create entire stories for. Everything from drabbles, to poems, to songs (well, maybe), to I-have-know-idea-what's-going-on-but-I'll-post-it-anyways! If they don't make sense, that's O.K! They don't make sense for me either! Onward!

A.N.2.0.: Seems like once again, I'm in the minority. Finn is awesomeness in a bottle, and the odds of him ever really being the hero of the day seem the be hopelessly stacked against him. That's kind of what this tale is about.

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Roll the Dice

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My fists had been clenching and un-clenching steadily for the past few hours now. Watching the rest of the squad's panicky attempts of escape result only in failure, did nothing to improve my mood, but it was the ensuing hopelessness I could see in their eyes that pissed me off. How quickly the brave halter before seemingly hopeless endeavors!

Stork was long past panicking, and was now almost unresponsive, leaning against the wall, staring sightlessly at us, his greasy hair falling over his darkened eyes, his face pale and sweaty. Junko's eyes were still red from the tears he had shed, but he was now standing in front of the cell door, both hands tightly gripping the reinforced bars, as though he could somehow pull them apart, though they all knew he could not.

Piper and Aerrow sat close to each other, almost pressed together, their hands entwined. His hair was matted with blood, his face covered in bruises. Her clothes were torn in several places, revealing parts of her skin never intended to be seen. Besides occasionally squeezing each others hand in comfort, there was very little movement between the two.

Radarr was the only one still moving about, the almost rhythmic sound of his claws clicking against the stone floor the only sound. I followed his movements with my eyes. Capture had drained much of my strength, and thus far, I had not moved far from the bench I had claimed when we were first throw in this cage.

But, now that everyone else had stopped moving, it was time for me to get us out of here. Standing with a grunt, I successfully attracted attention of everyone but Piper, who kept her eyes on her lap, fiddling with one of the new holes there.

"Radarr." I patted my shoulder, offering the creature a perch. Within point two seconds he had darted over to me, and had scrambled up my arm. Wrapping his tail around my neck to keep his balance, he clung to me tightly, his small paws clinging to my battered shoulder pads, claws digging into cloth. Reaching up with my free hand to gently rub his neck, I turned my sharp eyes to my leader, who was watching me with filmy eyes, not quite seeing me.

"Don't tell me you've given up already?" I asked, my voice carefully tempered to keep the quaver out of it. Aerrow only blinked at me slowly, no sign of life in his green eyes.

"Finn, there's no way to get out of here. What can we do?" That was Piper, her eyes still fixed on her lap. Her voice was soft and filled with sorrow.

It was an effort not to snarl in anger. But, it seemed I was not alone in my anger. Radarr growled, deep and low in his throat, the sound shockingly loud in our small cell.

That caught everyone's attention, and sounds were made by all my fellow Storm Hawk as they looked up at me and the sky monkey.

It was Aerrow who spoke next, "What can we do? There's no way out of this cell, there are well trained guards everywhere, and the only ones not wounded are you and Radarr."

"We're the Storm Hawks! We should be able to turn this place on it's ass, then walk out of here with everything intact! What's wrong with you guys?!" Now I snarled, bending forward to shove myself in Aerrow's face, finally making his expression shift from hopelessness to something else. I couldn't tell what it was, but I knew anything was better than the blank expression he had been wearing only moments before.

"B-but how?" whispered Junko, his pained voice voicing everyone's thoughts.

Straightening, I turned towards the Wallops, meeting his fearful eyes with my own. I whispered in a voice just as low as his, "We roll the dice, and take the chance no one else will."

Something came alive once more in Junko's eyes, and my own hope leaped joyfully in the air. Then Stork said, "We don't stand a chance against the odds. Luck has turned from us."

Whirling around to shove my finger in the merb's face, making Radarr grip my shoulder, I laughed in delight, "Who says we've lost our luck? We're all alive. We're together." Turning my head to catch the expressions of Aerrow and Piper, I continued, "We are better than anything they can throw at us!"

"Wh-what?" Whispered Piper, whose face was finally starting to come alive again. "How can you be so sure?"

Taking on a prideful stance, I spread my hands wide, indicating my team. "So we've be caught! So we're trapped in a cell! We're together! We still have hope!"

"Finn!" Aerrow nearly yelped as he suddenly jumped to his feet, pulling Piper up with him. "Finn, you crazy Loggerhead! You've just given me the greatest idea!"

"Oh yea?" I said, a sly smile appearing on my face. "What if it doesn't work?"

Aerrow laughed, waving away the concern. "It can't not work!" His voice changed, as he once more slipped into the role of the Leader, his eyes alive again. "Storm Hawks! We're getting out of here!"

With a happy screech, Radarr scrambled down from my shoulder and returned to his usual place on Aerrow's shoulder, his ears perked with anticipation. I took a half step back, returning to my role of the Wingman, listening with growing excitement as Aerrow described his plan.

I slipped a hand into my pocket and finger the single red dice I kept inside it. I meant what I said. 'Roll those dice. Oh yea baby, I'm that good. Perhaps I wasn't the leader with the great plans, or the strongman with the powerful will, or even the pilot with the amazing ability to survive anything. I was Finn, and when it came down to it, I knew that was all I needed to be to still be a True Storm Hawk.

/

A.N.: So, yeah. This comes from the place in my head that says Finn could be a leader if he really needed to. I could see Finn as the one with the little die in his hand, a lifeline if you will, taking on the world with a mad grin on his face as he threw caution to the wind and took a chance. Go Finn.

p.s.: A review or two would be nice.