Chapter 10
"Okay, Piper, now what?" Junko asked, stepping over a now-unconscious guard.
"Uh, I don't know. Let's just try to find Finn and Aerrow." She replied.
"You mean to say, you dragged us in here and you don't even have a plan?" Stork groaned.
Piper shrugged, her expression was guilty. "Well, I was mostly concentrating on trying to get into Cyclonia and I didn't have to time to plan what we'd do inside."
Stork shook his head, sighing, and rubbed his temples, "So what do we do now?"
Piper shrugged again.
"When you lack a plan… improvise!" she said somewhat gleefully.
The last of the free Storm Hawks stalked cautiously through the corridors of Cyclonia, senses on high alert, weapons held at the ready. Slinking through the various and disturbingly empty passages of Cyclonis' palace they eventually came upon the dungeons. One of the doors stood open, swinging back and forth slightly on its hinges. Piper peered into the vacant room; she noticed a small pink crystal.
"Uh…Piper? I found the Sky Knights." Stork said, peeking through the bars of the adjacent cell.
"Junko." She said, not moving.
"I'm on it!" He agreed, activating his knuckle busters.
Piper walked into the cell, accompanied by Radarr. She glanced around quickly and cautiously picked up the Message Crystal. She heard the lock being smashed by Junko, the muted cheers of the Sky Knights. This was all background noise, her total concentration centered on the tiny pictures she was being shown.
"Aerrow…" she whispered sadly.
Piper pulled herself together, dropped the crystal back onto the cell floor and walked back to the small group gathered around in hall. She quickly noted the scraggly and famished appearances of the Sky Knights and ordered,
"Stork, take the Sky Knights back to the Condor and get out of here. If we need to make a quick getaway we'll take our rides."
Stork looked grateful and started back up the passage but the others weren't so ready to leave.
"Who are you to make decisions for us, girl?"
"Piper," Starling said, "we…can help. We can still…fight."
Piper shook her head, "Thanks Starling but you can barely talk! All of you look like your going to fall over any second; you need to get out of here. We can handle it, right Junko, Radarr?"
They nodded. The Knights looked doubtful and only agreed to leave when Starling actually fainted. Of all of them she had the most physical damage from her battle with the Talon Aerrow and now it seemed her injuries were taking their toll. Suzi-Lu carried her, walking after Stork.
* * * *
It didn't take long to reach Cyclonis' throne room. In fact, it was a surprisingly short time. But logic-time and feelings-time are two very different measurements. To Piper it seemed to take forever. The silence, the darkness, and her own fears pressing down on her, suffocating her like an endless battle in her mind. At the door, finally, Piper cautiously glanced around the corner into the room. The she took a step forward and leaned farther in, the room seemed empty. Piper turned back to Junko and Radarr and was about to say something when she noticed their expressions and froze. Standing, blocking the corridor behind Junko was Snipe and because Junko was looking behind her and he wore her identical expression, she guessed that Ravess or at least the Dark Ace was behind her. Perfectly synchronized Piper and Junko and Radarr turned to look behind themselves.
"Well, isn't this a nice surprise!" Ravess said sarcastically, raising her bow.
"Too bad we don't getta smush 'um!" Snipe complained.
Ravess just sighed and raised her bow higher, at eye level with Piper, before ordering them to get into the throne room. They entered cautiously, glancing around trying to see everywhere at once, searching for Cyclonis and for anyone who might suddenly attack. Like the Dark Ace…or Aerrow. Piper glanced up, following along the lines of the catwalk halfway up the walls. Then they were pushed to the centre of the room, into the circle of the Cyclonian emblem. Chains shot up, wrapping around their wrists and necks, preventing almost all movement. Cyclonis stepped out of the shadow of her machine, a small smile dancing on her lips. She twirled her staff in her hands, an odd orange crystal resting at one end.
"Hello Piper, it's so nice to see you, though the circumstances could be better. I'd like to introduce you to…some new friends of mine."
As she was speaking Piper was still looking around the room and along the catwalk. She noticed a deeper shadow about halfway along and stared harder, try to see who it was. She gave up and turned back to Cyclonis. She'd mentioned something about new friends?
Piper had a good guess on one of them, but she decided to play dumb and asked any way.
"So who are they?" she asked sweetly, innocently.
Cyclonis rolled her eyes and motioned to someone behind her. Piper glanced over at Junko. He was staring down at the chains, testing them, seeing if he could break free and fight if they got past the talking. Radarr growled quietly and Piper turned back to Cyclonis. Aerrow was with her. Actually, Piper wasn't sure if it even was Aerrow. He had the same hairstyle and the same height, but that was about it. His hair was more black than red, his eyes looked black against the pale skin of his face, and the 'scar' was gone. But she thought, the Sky Knight who'd told her that he now had a scar had been only half-conscious at the time…
"Aerrow?" she asked anyway.
Cyclonis shook her head, "Not any more. I'd like to introduce to you" she paused and placed and hand on Aerrow's back, pushing him forward slightly, "Blood Raven!"
Piper's face twisted with confusion, but then turned incredulous. The Storm Hawks shared a look, and burst out laughing. Cyclonis' face turned red in anger,
"What are you laughing at?!?"
Behind her Piper could see the Dark Ace, trying to hold in his own laughter and not quite succeeding. Aerrow's frown deepened and he balled his hands into fists but didn't move or say anything. She could hear Snipe giggling stupidly too.
"Blood Raven?" Piper asked skeptically, one eyebrow rose.
At this point Dark Ace actually choked. Recovering he said, face barely composed,
"I think it" he coughed, "fits him."
Cyclonis growled, as did Aerrow.
"Enough all ready!" Cyclonis snapped, silencing any remaining giggles. She took a deep breath, looking as if she was trying not to kill them all then and there, before she continued,
"I bet you're wondering why I've been collecting the Sky Knights."
"Death wish?" Piper mumbled.
Cyclonis ignored her, "I've decided it would be more fun if the sworn protectors of Atmos helped me to destroy it. Now that I can change them permanently to my side of this war, I can make them do it."
"Like you did Aerr-?" Junko asked.
Piper interrupted, "You said 'friends' earlier. Where's Finn?"
"What makes you so sure I was talking about him? I could have killed him already."
"No!" Junko exclaimed, Radarr howled, but Piper wasn't fooled.
"You wouldn't pass up having another Storm Hawk following you. He's still here."
Suddenly a crystal-infused arrow shot in front of her. Piper took this as an answer when she recognized it. Though the crystal was a Firebolt the crossbolt had the same eyes Finn always drew on his. Quickly she looked up at the catwalk, Finn stood there, face half in shadow.
'Everyone's so…dramatic here' Piper thought.
Sorry Flame Soldier for kinda mocking your suggested name.
And thanks to anyone who came up with a name for me!
It really helped...but I just couldn't do it!
It'd be too...wierd...calling Aerrow something different, although Cyclonis will keep trying to enforce it.
(I'm pathetic like that...*sigh*)