Kidnapped Chapter 3

Jax strolled onto the bridge casually, like there was nothing wrong and that it was completely normal to have bound Cyclonian dumped on the floor. He strolled over to the couch and sat down, kicking off his boots and resting his feet on the coffee table. Osprey and Alia looked up at him from their kneeling position beside Hamish expectantly. When he didn't make a move, Osprey spoke up.

"Jax? Aren't you going to do something?"

"What? Oh- him." Sighing, the sky knight stood up and walked over to him with a sigh. "You."

Hamish looked up at him with wide eyes.

Jax knelt beside him and placed two fingers on his cheek, tracing the cut on it. The boy shuddered, trying to squirm away."What's wrong, brat? You scared? Well let me tell you something..." He drew his energy blade and ignited it. "I don't care. In fact..." He grinned. "I think I kinda like it. Now, you're going to answer some of my questions, got it?"

Wordlessly, he nodded, fearful eyes drawn to the glowing purple blade.

"Good... Now tell me, what's Moss to you?"

"He's mah boss."

The sky knight slammed a hand on his back to stop the Cyclonian's squirming. "That's not all, is it? There's more... I know it." He brought the blade closer to his face. "Now you might want to tell me before I give you a scar to match the one of the other cheek."

Hamish looked too frightened to speak, and he began shaking uncontrollably. Feeling a stab of pity for him, Osprey spoke up. "He's your father, isn't he?"

Jax glared at him reproachfully. "Let him answer the questions himself." He applied firm pressure to the Cyclonian's back causing the air in his lungs to exit with a huff. "Speak. Now."

Hamish gulped down air to catch his breath before speaking in a shaky voice. "H-he... He ain't mah r-real pa."

The sky knight looked surprised. "What?" He eased up on the pressure on his back for a moment. "Explain."

The Cyclonian looked as if he was off in another world, but as the pressure in his back increased to a painful level, he was brought back. "I'm adopted."

"Moss... Adopted you? Why would he do that? He's too selfish to do something like that! Explain!"

"There ain't nothin' to explain!" Hamish's voice suddenly took a defiant tone... or was it a defensive one? Jax couldn't really tell either way, he decided to smack him for it.

His defiant gaze instantly vanished. "What... What're ya gonna do with me?"

"What do you think?"

"Are you gonna... gonna k-ki..." He trailed off, not wanting to finish the word.

"Hmm... You know... I'm not actually sure..."

"Maybe we could make a deal with Moss," Alia suggested. "We could trade him the boy for the release of Dolkhov."

"We could... Or we could double cross that deal." Jax smirked. "It'd serve that Moss right..." He looked down at Hamish to see the boy's eyes half glazed over, as if he were in his own little world again. He raised his hand to smack him, but let it fall to his side. "Osprey, why don't you lock the kid in a closet or something? It's things like this that make me regret not buying a ship with a brig on it."

"Alright..." Osprey picked Hamish up with a grunt and threw him over his shoulder before tottering off.

Jax watched him go before turning toward Alia, who was glaring at him. "What?"

"Must you be so cruel to him?" she demanded. "He's just a boy."

"He's the enemy, Alia, don't you forget that," he replied sternly. "He was raised by the same man who imprisoned Dolkhov."

"I know you have a grudge against Moss, but it isn't right to take it out on his kid... Is that what they taught you to do during your sky knight trials? To pick on the sons of your enemies?"

"Don't talk about the trials," Jax hissed viciously. "You know I don't want to think about those."

Alia looked startled. "Sorry... I forgot..." There was a tense silence in the air before she thought of something else to say. "Moss adopting a son... Doesn't seem very likely, does it? Think he was lying?"

The sky knight seemed to calm down as she brought up the Cyconian. "I don't see why he would. Then again, I don't see why he would get so defensive either..." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, if it's anything important, I'll wring the truth out of him before the end."


"Where're we goin' boss?" The Cyclonian on the skimmer beside him asked.

"Ta find Hamish, you twit!" Mr. Moss snapped, eyes narrowing slightly as he scanned the sky as if that would give him a clue where to look.

"Uh.... I meant where're we gonna find 'im?"

He didn't reply, scowling. He didn't have a clue who took Hamish, or even where to start looking for clues. "I'll think of somethin'," he decided after awhile. He squinted into the sky as if the answers would be written in the clouds. He squinted further as he spotted a dark splotch inn the distance. "Say... What's that?" He headed in that direction, his guards right behind him. He scowled as the Condor came into view. "Storm Hawks!" His mind flashed to Aerrow for a moment. Would that boy have something to do with this? His eyes flared up with rage. Of course they did. Those brats were always messing up something... "Boys, we got ourselves some investigatin' to do!"

Snapping his energy whip in the air, Moss flew in towards the Condor, ready to release hell's fury upon them.