Chapter 8: Something; Nothing
"Come on. Why should I help you?"
Brown leaned in closer again. "Because it could save Aerrow's life."
"Get away from me," Piper was trembling, her mouth open in shock as she shook her head slowly. "You're mad."
"So you're going to risk not saving his life?" Brown half-laughed, shaking his head. "Come on Piper. Let's get real."
"How do I trust a damn thing you tell me?"
Brown paused, watching as Piper waited for an answer. He stood up, before reaching behind her to untie the ropes around her wrists.
"What are you doing?" Piper tried to look around, struggling.
"What does it look like?" Brown finally managed to release her, but swiftly closed his hand around her throat, pushing his thumb under her chin so he could look down and into her eyes. "You have to hear me out, Piper."
"Get your hands off me first." She hissed at him, her eyes narrowed. Brown glared at her before pulling back his hand, watching as she rubbed her neck, the small crystal on her neck glowing slightly.
They never took their eyes off each other.
"What do you mean she's not here?"
"I mean she's not here." Stork raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to search the Condor?"
Aerrow ran his hands through his hair, feeling utterly hopeless. He threw them back down again, groaning and looking aghast.
"Dammit," He put his hand over his eyes, sighing. "She was supposed to meet me here."
"Piper's been caught."
Aerrow, Junko and Stork spun around. Finn stood there, a furious expression on his face, Greg just a few inches behind him.
Aerrow's mouth dropped open as he digested this new piece of information, and the fact that someone who was supposed to be dead was on board the condor. His head exploded and started to feel dizzy, his mouth dropping open.
"… Uncle Greg?" Aerrow breathed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Uncle Greg?"
Finn looked over his shoulder before stepping aside to let Greg through. Aerrow approached him, still shaking his head.
"How… How are you...No. It can't be. Finn, what's going-"
"-Long story." Greg managed a smile before holding out his hand. "Someone looks a hell of a lot like his dad."
Aerrow looked at the hand, then back up again. Taking it, he felt himself pulled in for a massive bear hug, feeling an overwhelming sense of his past rush through him and was left unbelievably numb. Greg pulled away and patted Aerrow's shoulder. "I know, mate. It's a lot to take on."
Aerrow met Finn's eyes again and opened his mouth, but Greg cut in. "Not the time. Piper's been caught, remember?"
Aerrow nodded bluntly, his jaw set. "Finn, how did you find out?"
"We heard some servants talking."
Aerrow momentarily remembered the girls that had walked past him and Piper. "Who's got her?"
"We don't know."
There followed a small thud that had been caused by Aerrow's fist.
"Whether you like it or not, Aerrow is the last relation to Lightning Strike."
"What does Aerrow's dad have to do with this?"
Brown turned to look at Piper. "You know what he has to do with this. He was the most dedicated person you could find to defeat the Cyclonia Age. That means he did everything he could, and just a few months ago Master Cyclonis discovered he possessed the Compass."
Piper said nothing. But Brown knew she wouldn't.
"That compass," He continued, taking a step towards her. "Happens to point towards the direction of where Death can be summoned. It also went missing a month ago."
"Really?" Piper shrugged, pretending that a vision of the old small circular object Aerrow had held only a few weeks ago was not in her mind.
"We got it," Aerrow confirmed as they lifted it up for their comrades to see. "Let's go."
Finn eyed this item. It was a tiny, circular object: the rusty gold colour had turned dull, if one laid eyes on it they wouldn't feel any inclination to take such an ugly, simple thing. They'd leave it alone.
"I know Aerrow's dad protected this and all. But seriously. What is it?"
Piper looked at Finn before glancing at Aerrow.
"We don't know."
Brown snorted. "Don't pretend you don't know who stole it, Piper."
She merely looked at him. "Make your point."
"Cyclonis wants to summon Death-
"-Which I am already aware of-
"-But your little boyfriend has the compass."
"You still haven't explained why you've been sent here." Piper looked up at him, standing her ground.
"You're supposed to be the clever one, Piper. Figure it out. As if this dump could be used for a top secret mission."
"It was a trap," Piper said slowly, disbelief written all over her face. "You knew we'd find out about a top secret mission and you lured us here so you could capture us and...and get the compass."
He leaned in, a smirk forming on his face. "Oh well done."
Piper glared at him. "In case you'd forgotten, big guy, your plan didn't exactly work. You caught the wrong person. I don't have the compass."
"You can lead me to it."
"Dream on."
"It can save his life."
"Explain how."
"He's got the compass, Piper. It's his life that'll be the sacrifice."
"Aerrow doesn't plan to use it-
"-Cyclonis will use his life when she gets her hands on him."
"If she gets her hands on him." Piper argued with a hiss, her eyes narrowed.
"She will, Piper. Cyclonis will always find a way. You have to get me that compass."
"I can't do that." She shook her head at his suggestion. "Cyclonis will then use it to get to Death."
"I won't let her have it. Come with me. We can destroy that compass together."
"Do it yourself." Piper turned to leave, but he pulled her back, swinging her around.
"Yeah, because Aerrow and I are best buddies." Brown replied sarcastically. "He'll totally hand it over."
Piper rolled her eyes before pulling her hand from his grasp, making for the door again. "I've heard enough of this."
"Piper. Please."
Piper stopped in her tracks, turning her head. She let out a long sigh, turning to look at him.
"You have to learn to trust me." Brown looked at Piper properly, stepping closer to her. "Please."
She rubbed her arm, meeting his dark eyes.
"Do we have a deal?" Brown asked slowly, biting his lip slightly.
Piper sighed. "Alright. We have a deal."
"What do you mean he said he'd get back to me later?"
The Cyclonian looked a little terrified. He refused to meet Cyclonis's eyes, starting to stammer. "T-that's j-just t-the m-message M-master."
"Summon him."
"W-we d-don't know where h-he i-is M-master."
"Find him, then."
"O-of course, M-master."
But she had already turned around, away from him.
"Move."
"Write a letter to him or something, do you have to go and actually SEE them?"
"Yes!"
"Piper-
But Piper had had enough. She swiftly curled her foot around his ankle to pull him down onto the cold, hard marble ground, hopping over him to open the door. She did so, looking up and down the corridor before opting to turn right. Brown followed her but she was too quick for him, quickly sliding out of the glassless window.
"Piper-
"-Browwwn." Piper sung, darting out into the empty courtyard. Brown groaned before running after her.
"We can't go and tell Aerrow-
"-Exactly...We have to tell him."
He pushed down a momentarily impulse to punch her. "Did you not listen to a word I say? I'lll take you and you alone. Aerrow cannot come along."
She stopped in her tracks, turning to glare at him. "I can't just disappear off on a little adventure without telling him. And I need something from the Condor."
"What?"
She hesitated, biting her lip unconsciously as she glimpsed a tiny baby hand, curled into the fist that was waving in the air. "Something."
"What've you got there, dude?"
Aerrow, startled a little by Finn's loud voice, quickly recovered from this interruption before laying down the small thin paper box on the bed next to him, forcing a smile onto his face. He shrugged, ignoring the image in his mind of a small cot.
"Something."
A/N: Thank you for my lovely reviews. Feedback is always very much appreciated, and helps me type up chapters quicker and more certainly. Until next time!
