Author's Note: Hey! This one didn't take me forever and a year! Well, I'm going to do the disclaimer first, change things up a bit—guess whom I don't own? The Storm Hawks! Give the person a million dollars who said that—or wait, don't. I don't own them, I won't make any money with them (so sorry, your $1,000,000 will have to wait).
REVIEW CORNER! Because Reviews Make Me Happy!
I can't bother logging in: I just went to your deviant art account (my name is the same as on —Smartkitty314) and I am so impressed by your artistic and literary talents! Don't worry about bugging me to update, I could use some reminder! ;-) As for homework, hopefully, Christmas Break will come super soon then I will have time to write my heart out!
Dancing-with-the-devil 1995: Thanks so much! As for your opinion, that's probably what I'd do, too…
Smileyfacer: Thank you so much! You bring up interesting points, I agree with you completely, especially about the friends part. However, all her friends are basically dead…I'm just saying, she finds comfort in unorthodox places (Dark-Ace*cough*cough*)
SunflowerIce: Thank you so much! ;-)
Rita: Thanks! Sorry it took so long!
Pascy: Well, I think your Starling opinion is probably one of the wisest I've heard. However, I'm not sure how likely that is to happen (seriously, this is a S/DA romance story, if she walked away from his it would kill the romance.) As for this chapter…you'll see! As for Twilight, that's cool. I've read the story, and seriously, I think most of the stories on have superior writing to the series (Mary-Su, anyone? Besides the fact that I hate Bella's guts—she is such a brat), but it was the first romance book I've ever read, so it is near and dear to me. Actually, I tried writing the book as sort of a Storm Hawks crossover, with Cyclonis instead of Bella…its called "Twilight" (duh) if you want to check it out, under the Storm Hawks category. I'm so glad you liked the chapter, and thanks for reviewing!
Helliexx: Thanks so much! I promise I will!
CryingSilverFox: I am so touched by your words. You have no idea how much your review means to me. Thank you so much. You have totally made my day!
I burst into the small, makeshift hut that Dove and her grandfather lived in. It also happened to be the headquarters of the Rebel Ducks' operations. However, the people in the room were quite a surprise to me. I stared, gaping, at the occupants, who had similar expressions of disbelief at my own sudden appearance.
Besides the Rebel Ducks, Aerrow, Piper, Junko, Finn, Stork, and Radarr sat in the squished living room, discussing the coming battle.
I felt my cheeks flush at the critical gazes of all the Sky Knights and squad members. I remembered that Piper considered me to be some kind of role model. Well, I bet I look like one hell of a hero now. I was still wearing my torn, bloodied, dirty, grimy Talon uniform. I was in a huge state of disarray, my face covered in dirt, my hair all messed up…I didn't want to know what they were all thinking about me.
Aerrow broke the awkward silence. "Well, that's one more item we can cross off our agenda."
I stared, confused. Not exactly the response I expected, especially given the expressions on their faces. "I was on your agenda?"
Piper nodded quickly. "We were worried, the Sky Knight Council reported that you had disappeared for nearly three weeks, and there were rumors going around that you had been captured by Cyclonia. Since you don't have your own squadron"—I felt a sharp pain in my chest at those words—"we thought we'd come and rescue you. We were just discussing how we might conduct recon around Cyclonia to save you and all, but you've escaped! One less thing we have to worry about!"
That was a relief, not having to worry about explaining the uniform. I relaxed a bit, then perked up again, remembering my errand of doom. Cyclonians were coming! I had to warn them! "Dove, Cyclonians know about this location! They're coming with a battleship and—"
Finn cut me off this time. "Old news, dude. The Cyclonians discovered this location last week, after a Talon tracked them back here following one of their raids. They decided to stay on this Terra because it's defensible and they're already all set up here. The big impending battle? There's always some big impending battle. Why do you think the Storm Hawks are here?"
I sighed in relief. I didn't need to worry about fighting a losing battle. This time, my friends actually had a good chance to protect themselves. "Anyone have some extra armor and a Skimmer? 'Cause I'm ready to fight!" Actually, I was far from ready to fight, but I had a reputation to uphold. After all, I was a Sky Knight—I was paid to fight the Cyclonians.
Storm Hawks and Rebel Ducks alike gave me identical expressions of pity. Dove spoke. "Starling, you are worn out. Perhaps you would be a liability in battle in the state you are in. Go home, and relax for a few days before returning to your Sky Knight duties."
I stared around, shocked. They didn't want me? Piper piped up. "Plus, you have all this important information that you've collected from the Cyclonians, right? So you have to stay safe, so that Atmos gains important intel! You can't battle, in case one of the Talons takes you down or something."
"Okay, fine, fine." I was a bit disappointed about their rejection, but really, it was more of a relief. I wasn't sure what I would do if I had to face the Dark Ace. "But strategically speaking, now would not be the best time to jet out of here. The Cyclonians are probably monitoring the skies. Actually, the best time to sneak away would probably be right when the battle starts, so if you don't mind, may I stay and help you set up?"
"I am bringing in ze shipment of boulders for ze catapults from the barn to the loading area. Anyone want to help me?" Dove's heavily accented voice rang across the now-silent room. I realized I had just volunteered myself for some heavy lifting.
Dove and I made our way outside, skirting the edges of the buildings as to not be seen from above. It was rather ridiculous, as if there were Cyclonians in the sky they would be shot down by Wren and his new Windstone (which I bought him—hey, I have the duties of a full squadron, so they pay me like a full squadron, and I have nothing to do with the extra dough. It's called charity). I glanced around, and no one was listening in, so I could speak freely.
"Did you ever get over it?" I blurted out. She stared at me blankly. "After the Cyclonians took you. And you spent over two weeks in their dungeons. Did the scars ever fade?"
Suddenly, she was hugging me, even though I am several years her elder. "Oh, you poor darling," she cooed. "Don't worry, you're not alone. I know what it feels like."
"Oh, yeah," I mumbled, trying not to look suspicious. "The Dark Ace grabbed you too, didn't he?"
"And they just threw me into a cell—more like a pit—and left me there to rot! If I hadn't climbed out, I probably would have starved! And the factory, the labor—horrible! I still have scars from the whippings. And you couldn't sleep at night for all the screams all around you." She took a deep breath, staring at me with her calm grey eyes. "But don't worry, Starling, it all becomes a nightmarish blur. You start to forget."
That's where I started to disagree. I have a little problem with forgetting—it just never worked so well for me. They told me that I would move on after my squadron…well, you know; they told me that the wounds would fade in time. The pain never did.
"And Ze Dark Ace!" Her action always gets stronger when she's angry. "Zat pompous, egomaniacal bastard! He is such a jerk! I hate him with all my soul, and I would kill him! He does not have a single good bone in his body!"
Dove was what—sixteen? Seventeen? I was twenty-one. A mere five years separated us, but I had never felt more like an adult, and I had never looked at her as such a child.
She didn't understand. She didn't go through what I went through. A part of me envied the way she could just hate him, but another side knew that I could never do that. Not now, not when I knew so much about him, not when I felt sorry for him, not when I wanted to comfort him, wrap my arms around him, pull his warm body close to me and—
Not going to finish that train of thought.
I nodded, pretending to completely agree with everything she was saying, then moved to continue rolling the boulders. We worked in silence, and were done rather quickly.
I desperately needed someone to talk to, though. Not Wren—dear lord, not Wren—he barely trusted me as it was for being so young when I became a Sky Knight. There was no way that he would ever forgive me if he knew that I had been…seduced by the enemy. Actually, no Atmosian would understand my quandary.
It was just like saving the Raptor Scientists—no one wanted to help me, because no one understood. No one but the Storm Hawks.
Junko and Finn I couldn't talk to because they were too naïve and immature, respectively. Stork was so paranoid he would probably eject me off the ship for fear of being Cyclonian and going all evil on him. Piper—I was her idol. I was less of a person and more of a legend to her, and I felt weird every time I was around her.
Which left Aerrow. He was little more than a boy, but I looked at him like a brother. He understood me, he trusted me, and he encountered the Dark Ace more times than anyone else in the Atmos.
With the goal of speaking to Aerrow in mind, I rolling the last boulder. Dove grinned, then said, "Battle seems like it'll start soon. I'm going to go ready the spare skimmer—it's Cyclonian, a Talon crash landed." She blushed a bit, embarrassed slightly by the overall poor state of their equipment. "Everything was intact, so we decided to fix it up, we don't have many spares, but you've helped us so much, so it's the least we can do."
With my extra-money-that-I-didn't-want, I had bought the Rebel Ducks all new skimmers. I had never guessed that they would be returning the favor.
I nodded my thanks. "Well, I'm just going to say my goodbyes, meet you out in the barn?"
She nodded. "Oui."
Inside, I saw Aerrow and Piper sitting on the couch together talking, but I thought little of it. "Hey, Aerrow, can I talk to you? In private?"
He whispered something into Piper's ear, and she giggled, then he got up. Her hand lingered on his, though, holding on until it was impossible then dropping back to her side.
"Walk with me." I tried not to make my voice stiff. None of my business if he and Piper were together. I had never looked at him romantically in any way (age difference—let me assure you, I'm not a cougar or anything), plus, it would have been weird, I had known his father, and Lightening Strike was maybe seven, eight, nine years older than me. That would have been strange.
No, Aerrow was strictly like a younger brother to me, and what I felt was mostly surprise. I had always thought of him as a little kid, but if he was dating, it was a sign that he was growing up. I wasn't sure if I liked that or not.
"Starling, what can I help you with? You still need a home? We kept your room empty—" I quickly shook my head, cutting him off.
"It's about the Dark Ace."
It was funny how much his expression changed with that one simple statement. His face, which had been open, cheerful, and optimistic, suddenly hardened into a more serious appearance. It was like he aged several years in front of my eyes.
Aerrow had way too many burdens on him already. As Dark Ace was Cyclonia's champion, he was the champion of the Atmos. Did I really want to add another weight for him to carry around on his shoulder?
I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't tell him. I wasn't sure if it was because I was trying to look out for him, or if I was just a big coward.
Aerrow stared at me, and I realized he was waiting for me to say something. "Take him down for me," I growled, trying to hide the quaver in my voice with as much ferocity and anger as I could muster. Actually, my voice shook towards the end, but it made it sound more real. He nodded gravely, then I turned.
"See you around, Aerrow," I said softly, then I turned to the barn. Dove showed me the skimmer, then left. I was alone.
Aerrow, Piper, Dove—they were all just kids. And as much as I hated it, I wasn't a kid anymore. Even if they didn't think they needed it, it was my job to protect them.
Even if that meant fighting the Dark Ace.
Somehow, though, the decision was a lot easier to make away from him, when he wasn't clouding up my mind with his…his…I don't know, whatever he used to make me so confused about everything!
Yet, at the same time, I felt separated from my—not friends, no one had really been my friend since…yeah—my peers. Dove was too patriotic, she saw things in black and white.
Aerrow and Piper were together.
I was overcome by a fit of irrational anger. How dare they? How dare they be so wrapped up in their own happy world that they couldn't see how much I was suffering?
Of course, on a rational level, I couldn't get too mad at them—they were just kids, as I was reminded again and again. Also, I didn't let anyone see how much pain I really felt, not even myself, not really.
I was like damaged goods. I was like a ticking time bomb. I had to make sure that none of the people whom I cared about were around when I exploded.
Which was why I was getting out, running away. As much as I wanted to stay and help them, I wouldn't be a help, just a hindrance. I didn't want to hurt them, and as long as I was around, there was a good possibility that I would.
I heard the boom of exploding crystals, the crash of boulders on metal, and flashes of light streamed through the crack in the barn. It was time to make my exit.
Next couple chapters are going to be a bit different. You'll see what I mean in a day or two (hopefully)! Reviews are always welcome! (That means review now, before I go all evil on you!)