"She did what?!" the merb shrieked with a horrified look on his green face, investigating the disfiguring burn.
"It's really nothing" Piper said with a small laugh.
Stork's eyes were as big as like teacups, yellow with animalistic irises; she saw no humor within them.
"This isn't 'nothing'! Piper, this is over!" Aerrow shouted as he entered the Condor's station center. Junko, Finn and Radarr followed closely behind him with frightened expressions on their faces. They knew not to remain in the vicinity of their leader in times of peak anger.
Aerrow was wearing a scowl, his tousled mop of bright red hair like flames born from his rage.
"Hi, Aerrow," Piper said with a nervous casualness. This was a conversation she desired to avoid.
"Why didn't you tell me she burned you!?" Aerrow yelled, ignoring Piper's greeting.
"Because I knew that you would get mad. Kind of like you are right now," Piper said apologetically.
Aerrow growled and began to explode. "I'm not ma-" he paused and looked towards the bandage that surrounded Piper's arm. Though obscured, he could make out the long, trailing burn that traveled down Piper's arm. His green eyes widened with panic as he saw the extent of the mark that Cyclonis had placed upon his dear friend. Aerrow closed his eyes and spoke. "This is over." Turning on his heels, Aerrow begin to walk out of the room.
"Wait!" Piper yelled, almost chasing after Aerrow. The squadron leader stopped in the doorway.
"Aerrow, stop. What do you mean 'This is over'?" she inquired in a low and concerned voice.
The male Sky Knight turned to face her, his brow lowering before began to speak, "I told you after the first week that this wasn't going to work. And now, now, you come back here wearing scar hand crafted by Cyclonis herself. Piper, it's over."
"Just give up on her?" Piper responded, "Aerrow, she's talking now!"
"And casting magic as well," the redhead shot back.
Piper's lips pursed together, and nostrils flared. She decided to ignore Aerrow's cynical retort.
Piper sighed, calming herself, and continued to speak. "Did you not agree that she didn't deserve to be locked away in the dark to rot? Wasn't it you who told me that no matter what she had done, that she was just a girl? Aerrow, you said she deserved a second chance. You said it, and you asked me to help. That's not something you can take back. I'm here to help, I'm here to give her that second chance she never had."
It was bad enough that Piper had been against the idea of helping Cyclonis in the beginning. She had the reason to doubt Cyclonis most of everyone and the least reason to trust her. Piper had told Aerrow that there was no hope for Cyclonian master and that the safest option would be to banish her forever. But Aerrow had insisted that maybe, just maybe, there was still hope for Cyclonis.
Aerrow looked into Piper's bright, amber eyes. They were full of determination. "We gave her a second chance, and she does that," Aerrow said, nodding towards the burn on Piper's forearm. "She took that shot at redemption and threw it in our faces."
Piper took a deep breath. "Do you remember what you said to us when the Council wouldn't let us be an official squadron? That we might not be official but that we were still friends and that we had each other, we just needed to prove ourselves. Cyclonis has never had anyone… but please, Aerrow, let her prove that she can be better."
Aerrow looked at Piper and closed his eyes. "You're right, Piper. Everyone thought I was incompetent to lead a team - I probably would have believed the older Sky Knights if it wasn't for Starling pushing me to continue. But I'm not Cyclonis and she is not me. If she's willing to burn you after all this time, then I don't think any amount of talk will make her improve her ways."
Aerrow prepared to exit the room again but paused at the sound of his navigator's voice. "Aerrow, I'm asking you this not as a fellow Sky Knight, but as your friend. Please, let me help her. I can't just abandon her, not now. She needs this."
The squadron leader slowly released his breath. "Do what you want, Piper, but if this happens again, it's over." With those words, Aerrow exited the room.
As Aerrow exited, the other Storm Hawks, save for Radarr who follow Aerrow, poked in. Finn looked concerned, seeming very fixated on the burn.
"Man, that sucks."
"It shouldn't scar, but I'll need to change the bandages a few more times. Until then, I'll just suck it up," Piper informed.
"Piper…" Finn mumbled with concern in his voice, "...We're, uh, worried about you. Like, I really think that you should listen to Aerrow on this one and leave Cyclonis alone. But, something tells me that'd you'd keep trying anyway. So, like, the only thing I can say is be careful, because if she hurts you again," he raised his fingers like they were pistols, "I'll be the one visiting her cell."
Piper laughed while Junko softly padded Piper on the shoulder, causing the girl to almost fall over. "You know, Aerrow's only saying those things because he cares about you.2
She smiled up at the wallop. Junko was right, though since the fall of Cyclonia, Piper had suspected that Aerrow's feeling for her were more than just of the friendly caring nature.
"I know, guys. Don't worry. I'll be ok."