MJ: Chapter three...Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: Don't own Storm Hawks...

Chapter Three: A Secret Worth Keeping

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Boy, were the Storm Hawks glad when they landed from their fall. Never again did they want to see that creepy girl and her bear, and they had good reasons for this, too.

"Okay, that child has problems..." Finn muttered, standing up. The others mumbled some form of agreement as they, too, stood from their places on the ground. They found themselves in front of another house, smaller, and it looked like somebody had actually lived in it recently. They heard voices from inside - one sounded like the young Aerrow's from the memories.

"Let's check it out." Piper stated as they all moved closer. Peering through the windows, they all gasped - it was Aerrow and his aunt, which meant it was after his parents' deaths, but what they saw was...horrific: Aerrow was bruised and bleeding, and his aunt was punching him, claiming it was his fault her life was the way it was. The young red-head had tears streaming down his face, pleading for the woman to stop it.

"Aerrow was...abused?" Finn asked softly, cerulean eyes wide as Aerrow was hit in the jaw by his aunt's hand.

"Surprising, isn't it?" a voice said from behind them. Turning, they saw Sarah standing there, her face set in a grim expression.

"You knew of this?" Junko asked, managing to turn his gaze from the scene inside the house.

"I reside in this world - I know everything that goes on each second...You are seeing something of your captain's past he does not want others to know..." Sarah replied, blue eyes glancing through the window.

"Why is his aunt hitting him like that?!" Piper asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

"She thinks his mother is the reason she lives like this, all because his mother married her brother - his father...And now that they're both dead, his aunt feels it's his mother's fault again, which means it's his fault as well...She doesn't care that he doesn't know why she hits him like this, all that matters to her is how she feels she's "avenging" her brother's death." Sarah answered.

"Aerrow's aunt sees his mom in him, and so she hates him for it..." Finn whispered, the scene inside getting worse, as was evident from the screams and cries coming from Aerrow.

"Exactly - Aerrow is part of both parents, but his aunt doesn't see that...She only sees his mother in him." Sarah stated, before sighing. "It gets worse later on..." Sarah said, moving her hand a bit. The scene moved on a few years ahead - Aerrow was sitting at the table, staring at his food, his aunt on the other side of the table from him...

"Why aren't you eating, boy?" his aunt asked, glaring at him.

"Not hungry..." Aerrow replied, not looking up at the woman.

"Feh, you can eat the crap they serve at the Sky Knight Academy, but you can't eat your aunt's cooking?" she questioned.

"At least the food there I can trust won't possibly contain poison..." Aerrow muttered, picking up his fork and toying with some of it.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, ma'am..." Aerrow said, putting his fork down again. He still refused to look at the woman.

"No, you said something. Tell me what it was." Aerrow's aunt demanded.

"I don't have to tell you anything." Aerrow said, green eyes showing his anger.

"That does it - I knew sending you to that place wouldn't do you any good. I'm taking you out of there."

"No you aren't!!" Aerrow shouted, standing up suddenly, his chair falling back.

"You'll learn some respect, boy." his aunt growled, moving over to him with her fist ready to punch him. Without even thinking, Aerrow grabbed his knife and plunged it into her chest.

Everyone froze as the knife went into the woman - Aerrow had killed his own aunt.

"He was ten when that happened - four years ago." Sarah stated, watching the Storm Hawks carefully. She'd told them it was something he didn't want others to know...

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MJ: Aerrow's killed somebody before?! OMG!!! Please review and tell me what you think!!