Piper took the record off its player.

"Hey, I was listening to that!" Finn complained. "Why d'you always have to kill my buzz?"

"Buzz?" said Piper, eyeing record with disgust. "Is that what that noise was? I honestly couldn't tell with how loud and obnoxious it sounded."

"There is nothing loud and obnoxious about it," Finn said as he walked over and yanked the record from her hands. "You're just jealous of how epic it is because you have bad taste in music. Your stuff's so boring! It doesn't even have any guitar solos!"

"You guys, shush!" Junko whispered loudly. "You're gonna wake up Aerrow!"

The bickering pair froze and looked over at the couch around the strategy table.

"Sorry," they whispered.

"Found anything yet, Stork?" Junko asked.

"I'm trying," Stork replied, twisting and turning the bottle and examining every possible side. "I swear, you'd need a microscope to read this writing. Are these painkillers for ants?"

"If they were, that would probably explain why he still feels the need to take so many at once," Piper suggested.

"This is kinda disappointing," said Finn, leaning on the couch and looking down at their leader's snoozing face. "I'd hoped he'd get all weird again and start saying stuff about frogs, but this time he just dropped off! You comfy there, Stork?"

Stork briefly broke his concentration on the bottle and looked down at the peaceful teenager.

"His head is heavier than it looks," he commented. "If he stays there any longer he'll cut off the circulation in my legs."

"Let him sleep," said Junko. "I think we should just be glad he's not screaming again."

The rest of the Storm Hawks nodded in agreement.

Radarr jumped up onto the table and took the bottle out of Stork's hands, and after around half a minute of looking it over, he pointed out something in small print and in such a pale shade of grey it almost blended into the white plastic.

Stork squinted at it.

"Side effects may include headaches, nausea, dizziness and drowsiness," he read. "That settles it. No more of these, we're switching brands."

"Speaking of switching," said Piper, "Finn, you can have your music next week. This week, it's my turn."

"You know what?" Finn snatched the record out of her hand. "How about I just don't bother?"

He tossed the vinyl disc to one side.

But there wasn't the crash he expected.

"I had really thought you'd grown out of that by now, Finn," said a familiar, accented voice. "Is it so hard simply to compromise?"

The entire squadron looked to the newcomer in shock, but none were more alarmed than Piper.

"Starling!" she exclaimed, and immediately struggled to look casual. "What... uh... wh-what're you doing here?"

"There's something I need to ask you all," the Interceptor explained as she approached, holding the record in one hand and a folded newspaper in the other, "and it's vital that you tell me the truth."

"What is it?" asked Junko nervously.

Starling tossed the newspaper onto the table. From her position she had yet to catch sight of Aerrow.

"I need to know if this is true," she said, "and if so, why nobody was informed."

Radarr picked up the paper and read the headline. He sighed and rolled his eyes before holding it up for all to see:

AERROW DEAD?

Finn took it from the blue creature's paws.

"'Over three months have passed since the famous and simultaneously infamous Storm Hawks made any actions of note to the world of Atmos'," he read aloud, "'and rumours have begun to circulate of tragedy within the squadron.' Oh man, I can't read this."

He buried his face in his hand and passed the paper to Piper.

"'The legendary Condor has made multiple reported appearances and is still known to exist and function'," she read, "'as has the rest of the squadron in various locations and terras, but the charismatic and fiery leader has not been seen by anybody outside the carrier for close to thirteen weeks'."

She gave the paper to Stork. Judging by her face, she didn't seem to know how to feel. Finn, meanwhile, was sniggering into his hands, causing Starling to raise an eyebrow in suspicion.

"'It has been speculated by many that Aerrow, the renowned teenage warrior already loved and respected throughout Atmos for foiling multiple Cyclonian conquests and being the first Sky Knight ever to defeat the infamous Dark Ace in single combat, may have met with an untimely end which has caused the squadron to withdraw from the public eye'," he continued, and held it out for Junko to take. "Using the word 'infamous' twice within three paragraphs; that's not a good sign."

Junko pulled out his glasses and put them on before he continued the impromptu group reading session.

"'The current whereabouts of the Storm Hawks are as yet unknown'," he read, "'and so the spunky squadron has been unavailable for comment, furthering rumours of a prolonged state of mourning for their lost leader'. Are we 'spunky'? I don't feel spunky, is that bad?"

"This is the latest edition of the Atmos Access, as printed yesterday evening," Starling explained. "I have noticed a strange absence of activity from you all lately, which is why I came here to ask you if what that paper says is true."

The group all looked to each other, wondering what they should do.

"Well?" Starling said, folding her arms impatiently. "I'm waiting."

On the one hand, if anyone in Cyclonia believed that Aerrow was dead, they'd see it as a window of opportunity and no doubt launch an attack on some place or another. But if word got out that he was alive though handicapped, the same thing would happen; only the Storm Hawks would be a huge target and Aerrow's life would hang in the balance.

But then, this was Starling, an honorary Storm Hawk herself. Surely they could trust her, right?

Suddenly the object of discussion thrust his finger into the air.

"Let me just make one thing perfectly clear."

He grabbed the back of the couch and sat up to smile winningly at his purple-haired ally. He wavered slightly, but didn't fall down again.

"I'm not dead," he said, eyes sparkling despite the shadows surrounding them. "There is a reason I haven't been around much, but it's not because I'm dead! What gave people that idea?"

Starling, who had been more than a little surprised by his sudden appearance, quickly calmed herself into a smile.

"Well then," she said, "would you be so kind as to provide me with an explanation?"

Finn abruptly stopped laughing.

"I don't think that would be such a good idea," he said.

"And besides, it is a shockingly long story," said Stork. "Honestly, if we were to sit here and tell all of it, we'd be here for days and probably die of thirst."

"Guys, it's fine," said Aerrow, and he lifted his left arm onto the table. "It's Starling, remember? We can trust her, but..."

His smile faded as he looked back to her.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" he asked.

Starling replied, "I'm all ears."


She sat at the table, elbows resting on its surface with one hand cupping her jaw and the other tapping out a slow, steady rhythm.

Aerrow watched her, waiting for a reaction and hoping he could pull down his left sleeve and put his glove on soon.

"The Philosopher's Stone..." she muttered as though trying to piece it all together, "a possible parallel world... alchemy... you were right, this is rather a lot to process."

"How do you think we feel?" asked Finn, and he was quickly elbowed in the gut by Piper.

"This Edward person," said Starling, "is he really as powerful as you say?"

"Well," said Finn, "I think we could say that people like him are in short supply."

The Storm Hawks tried not to laugh.

"I don't really know about that," Junko chimed in, "'coz there are definitely people who think little of him."

"And I don't quite think he could measure up to..." Stork started, but he was laughing too hard to finish. Even Piper was quietly giggling to herself.

"Am I correct in assuming that this boy was, shall we say, vertically challenged?" asked Starling.

"He was a year older than me and he didn't even come up to my shoulder," Aerrow stated.

"I think it might have been because his automail was weighing him down," Piper suggested.

"And he was only eleven when he got it," Aerrow mentioned. "Poor guy. While we're on the subject, can I put my glove back on?"

"Sure," said Starling, and the redhead gratefully covered up his artificial arm.

"Hard to believe it's been this long already," said Piper. "Sometimes it feels like it was only three days ago."

"Yeah, and sometimes it's more like three years," Finn complained, and to Aerrow he said, "Dude, haven't you got the hang of that thing yet?"

"I can move the fingers," Aerrow said, and gave them a demonstrating flex. "Sorted that out a few days ago and my shoulder's been killing me ever since."

He looked to Starling.

"Sorry," he said, "but I'm probably gonna be out of action for a while longer."

The elder Sky Knight's brows furrowed. She was deep in thought.

"And you're absolutely sure that this boy and his people don't pose any threat to Atmos?" she asked. "We already have our hands full with Cyclonia; we don't need another superpower trying to invade. With this 'alchemy' of theirs, they could overwhelm this entire world in less than a week."

"I don't think anybody else where Ed comes from knows Atmos even exists," Aerrow pointed out. "For them it would be like trying to invade Fairyland."

"Besides, he said they don't even have crystals in Amestris," Piper recalled.

"Yeah, they rely on fossil fuels," said Junko. "He told me about this time he went to a town where all they did was mine coal. Literally, it was the whole reason the town was there!"

"No doubt he caught at least three different lung diseases from that experience," said Stork. "Can't believe I let him on my ship without disinfecting him."

"I'm betting he spilled the beans to someone but they didn't believe him," Finn added. "Shrimp like that couldn't keep his mouth shut if it was bolted."

"You're not gonna tell anyone about this, are you?" Aerrow asked Starling.

The female Sky Knight was deep in thought.

"I located the Storm Hawks on their carrier at Terra Amazonia," she said, "and upon investigation discovered their leader was 100% alive and experimenting with a new fighting technique. He has been in training for several weeks and does not know when it is going to be perfected, but plans to unleash hell in his next battle. How does that sound?"

The squadron looked to each other.

"Sounds pretty awesome to me," said Aerrow, and his companions nodded in agreement.

Starling smiled.

"Very well," she said as she got up. "I'll be able to see myself out. Aerrow, would you mind speaking with me in private?"

"Huh? Uh, sure," Aerrow said nervously, and he followed her off the bridge.

Piper almost collapsed with relief.

"Please tell me I wasn't too weird," she said. "Did I seem weird?"

"Piper, that's Starling," Finn pointed out. "We're all totally weird and she knows it."

"What do you think she's talking to Aerrow about?" asked Junko.

"I'm willing to bet it's something dangerous," said Stork.

"Dude," said Finn, "you think everything is something dangerous."

"And exactly how many times have I turned out to be right?"

Finn scowled in disapproval.

"Fine," he huffed.


"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Aerrow asked.

"Forgive me for bringing this up again," said Starling, "but you said that going through the Gate of Truth was like having the whole universe inserted into your mind. Is that correct?"

"That's what it felt like," said Aerrow. "It was a pretty big shock to lose my arm so suddenly, but considering what happened, I'm kinda glad it was my arm and nothing else."

"You also informed me that after going through the same experience, this Edward boy could perform alchemy simply by clapping his hands," Starling recalled as they entered the hangar bay.

Aerrow raised his eyebrow suspiciously.

"Where are you going with this?" he asked.

Starling mounted her ride.

"How do you know you don't now have the same capabilities?" she asked. "Did the possibility ever occur to you?"

Aerrow was taken aback.

He looked down at his hands - one metal, one flesh - and the implication of her words finally began to sink in.

"You think..." he said, "...you think I could... be an alchemist?"

"It could be likely," Starling replied. "How strange it is that in circumstance, you and Edward seem almost perfectly matched."

The redhead looked up from his hands.

"At least this should keep you busy while you're recovering," said the Interceptor. "Good luck."

With that, she departed.

Aerrow stared after her, his mind racing with what she had suggested. So deep in thought was he that he didn't even notice Piper entering.

"So she's gone?" he heard her say behind him. "What did she want to talk to you about?"

He looked back down at his hands.

"Aerrow," said Piper. "You okay?"

He was more than okay.

The redhead clenched his fists, determination written all over his face.

"Piper," he said, "I'm gonna need to borrow some of your books."

It was ten past twelve noon.

Three months after the departure of Edward Elric.