Author's Note: This is the last real chapter to this story…I'm kind of sad, I've been posting them up faster than anyone can review, so I have no people to mention…

Anyway, read, enjoy, and review!

I do not own the Storm Hawks.

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Piper knew that Cyclonis was coming for her. She sat at her desk, examining the broken Icer Crystal of the air conditioning unit, waiting for her best-friend-worst-enemy to turn up.

She didn't know what would be worse: rushing out there to see her teammates be defeated, or sit in here and listen to the thumps. She felt so guilty, so cowardly when she realized she had chosen the latter. Her family was probably dead by now. What right did she have to stay living? Especially since she had not even tried to help?

She waited at her desk for fear incarnate to come get her.

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Cyclonis was not kind-hearted, or merciful. The reason that the bodies of the Storm Hawks were living and breathing at that moment was because Cyclonis had never killed in cold blood before.

She wanted her first victim to be someone special, her greatest rival, the best of all the Storm Hawks. She wanted her first victim to be the stupid girl who had scorned her offer to join Cyclonia, and with it, her offer of friendship. Just thinking of Piper made her angry, made her want to have her hands stained by Piper's blood, dark red splotches that would never wash off.

She didn't even take the care or caution to remain silent as she approached Piper's rooms. Piper at least had the right to hear her death coming.

Piper was doomed, and they both knew it. Her trusty staff was in the hanger bay, neatly stowed by the side of her Heliscooter. There were crystals all around her, but she couldn't match Cyclonis in a battle of crystal mastery; she doubted that anyone could. She didn't even resist when Cyclonis's blast of power lifted her up and threw her against the wall. She had already lost in her head, so there was no use fighting.

Cyclonis was very careful as she batted Piper around the room. Yes, she took joy in crushing her enemy, but she wanted her to be completely conscious for the final blow. At last, Cyclonis lowered Piper onto her bed, pointing the crystal straight at her chest.

"Why, Lark?" Piper gasped.

Cyclonis trembled. "I HATE YOU!" she screamed.

Piper was crying. "It doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to be alone. You can let someone in."

Cyclonis shook even harder. "Shut up, bitch," she ordered.

"I forgive you." She closed her eyes.

Nothing happened. Cyclonis was lowering her weapon, tears pooling in her own eyes. Try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to kill the helpless girl in front of her. "I'm sorry," she whispered, then she whirled her staff around, knocking Piper out like the rest of the squadron. Wiping her eyes, Cyclonis hurried back to the hanger bay.

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