Minn: WOOT! 100 REVIEWS! (Granted, for EFTFS and not for Relentless...) But still! 100 REVIEWS! Made my day. :D Thanks, angel for being the 100th! And everyone else who reviewed as well!
Alrighty. First of all, let me say sorry for the delay, but I have a good excuse! Soon after posting chapter one I went on a shopping spree and got myself two computer games which were AMAZING. Needless to say, they rather succeeded in distracting me. (For the record, Portal 2 is sheer brilliance). Also, I spent much of my time re-watching the complete SH series along with making another video for YouTube, advertizing this fic. You can find the trailer here:
h t t p : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = u S h 3 Q N Z N q K 0 & f e a t u r e = f e e d l i k
So ya... I didn't ignore this fic for nothing. XP
Anywho, I would like to add that this chapter represents weeks of pain for both me and Wolf. (Whose profile is here: h t t p : / / w w w . f a n f i c t i o n . n e t / u / 1 6 0 5 1 3 5 / W h i s p e r t h e W o l f) We went through a hell of a time trying to figure out exactly how we were going to write the Ducks into the story, so please take a moment to appreciate that they even made an appearance. lol! It took us forever to work out the infamous 'Duck Problem' or DP as we called it. XP
Anywho, I hope you enjoy and please remember to review! It speeds up updates and motivates me IMMENSLY.
Chapter 2: Friends
Four skimmers guiding the Condor descended onto Terra Gale. However, one would not recognize it as Gale if they had only seen it while in its midst of oppression from Cyclonia, as the Storm Hawks had. Cyclonis had obviously taken a pre-emptive move to display her commitment to the treaty, for even though the smelters on Gale had not yet been torn down, the large plumes of smoke ceased to emerge from the huge stacks. Already many of the Gale citizens who no longer felt the ever-present threat of Cyclonian invasion were walking amongst their streets, erecting new buildings and repairing those which had been raided. Aerrow gazed down at the ground below them in surprise, amazed at the vast difference in the prosperity of the terra in only a handful of days... and it was all a foretelling of the advantages that were promised in the treaty.
The leader of the Storm Hawks looked up at Piper, who was flying beside him and equally taken aback at the difference that laid before them. Aerrow could read the uneasy expression on her face, and he shared her concerns.
"You think..." Piper muttered, but didn't know how to voice her thoughts.
"Don't worry," Aerrow reassured both his navigator and himself. "Harrier said they're on our side."
Piper smiled, but she didn't seem completely sure. Aerrow couldn't blame her.
However, their premature concerns turned out to be groundless, for upon landing on the outcropping occupied by both Wren and his granddaughter, Dove ran out to greet their allies.
"Storm Hawks," she greeted her friends with much enthusiasm. "We were very pleasantly surprised when we heard you call."
Aerrow and Piper passed a meaningful glance between one another, remembering that Harrier had said he had talked with the Ducks.
"You were?" Aerrow asked.
"Of course," Dove assured with a smile, thinking Aerrow had questioned her pleasure rather than her surprise. "Both grandpapa and I have been worried... it must be hard for you."
"Sure seems easy for you, though," Junko stated rather naively as he walked forward from his skimmer to join the rest of the group. "Gale looks fantastic." He beamed down a smile at Dove, but Aerrow and Piper shuffled slightly where they stood, uncomfortable in the given circumstances.
"Ah, yes..." Dove agreed, her face falling slightly at the realization of her friends' discomfort, yet not losing the spark of pride in it that came with her natural strong patriotism. "Of course, Cyclonis has not signed the treaty, so technically we have no right to tear down the smelters, but her pre-emptive release of Alliance prisoners and the knowledge that she would not invade here again has been more than enough to motivate everyone. The Ducks have led the efforts to restore our terra to the glory it once held and-"
"I'll say," Finn said, interrupting Dove's explanation. "Forget Latebra! I say we stay here. It's way nicer now than the run-down rock it used to be."
"Finn!" Piper cried, greatly annoyed and hoping to silence her companion before he could do any more harm. "Think before you open your mouth!"
Finn stammered from having been cut off so harshly, but let his statement fall away as he looked across at Dove's face. Her expression had turned downcast, and she looked at the ground uncomfortably. Though still on edge, Aerrow placed a hand on Dove's shoulder, reassuring her. "It's okay Dove," he said to her gently while casting a scolding glance at Finn. "We know not to ask much from Gale."
But this comment didn't have the effect Aerrow desired. It was clear from the torn look on Dove's face that she wished more than anything she could assist the Storm Hawks completely. Yet at the same time, one couldn't ignore the massive benefits that the treaty had given Gale. Out of all the other terras, they had one of the largest motivations to see the treaty signed. It would be noticed and begrudged from many on Gale if evident aid was given to the Storm Hawks.
For the moment, though, it seemed Dove decided not to dwell on it too much. She pushed the matter to the back of her mind and grinned back at Aerrow, though the sky knight was unable to determine what conclusion she had come to through the somewhat forced smile she presented.
It was at this time that Aerrow also noted that the sky knight of the Rebel Ducks seemed to be absent. Aerrow supposed he must simply be with the others, aiding the efforts to rebuild Gale, yet at the same time Aerrow couldn't help but feel that it boded something ill. However, there was nothing to give evidence to Aerrow's suspicions, so for the moment he remained silent. Besides, it didn't feel right to be suspicious of his friends... even though he knew it was wiser to be cautious.
"We can be of some help, though," Dove insisted, bringing Aerrow out of his thoughts. "You are going to Latebra, yes?"
Aerrow frowned slightly at this. So she picked up on Finn's slip... they weren't supposed to let anyone know where they were going. However, Dove had turned to the others so she missed Aerrow's reaction.
"...Yes," Piper hesitated, knowing it was pointless to try to hide it now.
"Do not worry," Dove reassured her. "Your secret is safe with us. No one will know where you are going."
It was the third person view in which Dove spoke on these matters which reassured Aerrow. It was as if she would never consider that she or the Ducks were under suspicion. Yet... was it sincere? Could someone be that blind in faith, or could it be an act?
"We appreciate the effort, Dove," Aerrow said, stepping forward and deciding that there was no point to further speculation just yet.
Dove beamed at Aerrow's acceptance. "We'll be able to provide you with supplies – crystals and otherwise – to keep you going for a while," Dove informed. "I know it's not much, but-"
"It's fine," Aerrow assured her. "Thanks for doing this for us, Dove."
Dove smiled, yet once again that sad torn gleam echoed behind her eyes. "I wish I could do more."
It didn't take long to load Gale's surplus onto the Condor, there not being much in the first place. Yet as Dove promised, it was enough to last the Storm Hawks for a time. This was a large advantage, for it meant that they would not have to stop in at Wayside or some similar terra for quite a while. Dove bade them an optimistic farewell, though no one else (not even Wren) had appeared to see the Storm Hawks off. Too busy rebuilding Gale... or... something...
"Aerrow?"
The knight started as Piper called him back to the present. (In fact, he had become easy to startle as of late). Piper gazed at Aerrow, concerned, but there was some sort of subtle feature about her look which told Aerrow she had put her worries of their situation behind her... now she was simply wondering about the depth of Aerrow's thoughts. However, he smiled back at her, telling her all was well for the moment. He needn't worry the team with his half-suspicions...
The group was gathered together haphazardly on the bridge. It was a far distance to Latebra, yet no one seemed to want to stay apart from the others for long. There was a feeling of mutual tension and hesitant uneasiness in the air – like a surreal jetlag marked with cautious anticipation. For the most part, the irregular feeling kept most of the Storm Hawks quiet. The only sounds which filled the bridge were the gentle plucking of chords off Finn's guitar, accompanied by the soft snores of Junko, who despite being just as aware as the others on the nature of their trip, couldn't avoid settling down for a quick nap. Stork, of course, was busy piloting the Condor, giving Aerrow, Piper and Radarr not much to do.
Piper had picked up a book half-heartedly, but threw it back onto the table minutes later. She was lounging on the same couch as Aerrow and Radarr, ninety degrees apart from the other where Junko continued to snooze. Unable to focus on any one thing for a time, Piper found her eyes straying from place to place on the bridge. First she turned to Stork's back, followed by Junko, quickly turning to Finn as he played off a particularly awful chord, straying off to Radarr, (who followed Junko's lead and was beginning to doze off as well), finally coming to rest on Aerrow. He was off in thought. Piper could tell because the knight's eyes remained fixed on some distant point, and he seemed to be unaware that Piper was studying him.
"Aerrow?"
The redhead startled out of his thoughts and, after a brief pause, smiled casually at Piper.
But she didn't smile back. Piper's restless mind put her on edge, and she was not only curious as to what Aerrow was thinking about, but how it could hold his attention. She sighed in small fatigue, causing the grin to vanish softly from Aerrow's face.
"What are you thinking about?" the navigator asked casually with some small suspicion.
Aerrow looked down at the floor before facing Piper. He shrugged in an offhand manner and sat up, changing his gaze towards Finn. "Nothing much."
Piper sighed again, leaning back and turning to Radarr lying between them, patting his head softly. He squawked in sleepy appreciation. "How can you stay so calm?" Piper asked Aerrow. "I can barely sit still. Shouldn't we make some kind of plan? Where do we go from here?"
Aerrow knew what Piper meant – and he didn't like it any more than her. Because they both knew... though Latebra was a lucky chance and a smart move, it still felt like running away. "Let's just wait until we get to the terra," Aerrow replied. "We'll probably be more focused then."
Following Aerrow's gaze, Piper turned to Finn, who hadn't looked up from his guitar to listen to his friends' hushed conversation. Though the wingman's face was blank, his playing had gotten steadily more agitated. He was making more mistakes than normal and the chords came out sounding forced, stale and metallic. All rhythm was gone to be replaced with random notes. Chaotic. Angry.
"It wasn't his mistake," Piper whispered softly to Aerrow, Junko waking up beside them being roused from Finn's playing. "We're not used to having to... conceal things."
"True enough," Aerrow conceded. "But we have to be careful."
Piper sighed and turned her attention back to Radarr, petting him softly. However, Aerrow continued to study Finn, deep in thought while the sharpshooter played.
"Well... it's certainly isolated."
Stork spoke with a heavy dark sarcasm as the team exited the Condor to study Latebra. For the most part it was a very wild terra – heavily overgrown with a mixture of broad leafed plants and tall oppressing trees. It reminded Aerrow vaguely of Amazonia, though the terra had its share of wide open fields as well. It was one of these exposed areas where the Condor had been placed.
"Isn't that kind of the point?" Finn remarked matter-of-factly, not being one to appreciate subtleties. Stork merely rolled his eyes as Aerrow walked up beside him with Radarr on his shoulder.
"It could be worse, Stork," the leader said, his companion starting to sniff the air excitedly. "We're lucky to even know about this place ...Radarr, don't go too far." For indeed, the small blue creature had jumped down from his perch and had started to wander off before being called back. Aerrow could see Radarr was eager for some stimulation and excitement, so he turned to Finn, a question on his face. "Up for some recon?"
"Uh, sure," Finn replied, surprised Aerrow would ask him.
"Piper," Aerrow said, now turning to his second in command. "Finn and I will take our skimmers. Mind setting up base here?"
"Alright," Piper agreed, though a little subdued. There really wasn't much to do.
"We'll be back soon enough," Aerrow reassured her. "Just a quick lap of the terra."
Piper watched as the three of them drove off, feeling a little left behind (though she knew not intentionally). She turned towards her remaining two teammates who were looking at her expectantly. Sometimes it was tiresome to be left in charge...
Piper sighed and gave the two of them a small smile. "We should go over the maps," she said, getting straight down to business. "Find out what terras are nearest to us. Junko, when was the last time you did an engines check?"
"After leaving Gale." the wallop replied. "I could do another no sweat."
"Good. Then I will – "
"Umm... does anyone hear that?"
Piper and Junko paused in small surprise at Stork's sudden interruption. They became quite, straining their ears to hear what Stork's heightened sense had already picked up on. For a moment... nothing. But then, a faint drumming seemed to come from no particular direction.
"That's... not the Condor?" Junko asked, not sure what he was hearing.
"Nu uh," Stork said, beginning to show his tell-tale signs of nervousness. "All the engines are shut down."
"Then what – " But Junko was cut off by the sudden look of mixed surprise and fear on Piper's face. Wordlessly, she pointed up to the sky. Both Stork and Junko followed her cue, looking up to where she indicated.
A group of skimmers were descending towards the terra.
"What?" Junko cried in confusion. "Who are they? It couldn't be the Ducks, could it? Maybe they forgot something..."
"No," Stork stated darkly, examining the rides with his binoculars, which he seemingly pulled out of nowhere. He gave a small squeak as he identified the riders, and lowered the peepers revealing doom written on his face as the last of the skimmers disappeared below the tree line.
"What is it, Stork?" Piper cried urgently.
"The Buff Buzzards." Stork spoke with a tone of defeat, and it didn't take Piper long to understand. The Storm Hawks were unfamiliar with that squadron, only encountering them a couple of times in the past. The squad would have no reason to speak with the Storm Hawks.
No friendly reason.
The sound of the rides' engines was now clear through the trees, and steadily growing closer. Piper glanced towards the Condor, evaluating the situation in a panicked second, when she realized their mistake in landing here. The Buzzards would know exactly where they were.
"Follow me!" Piper yelled to her friends, running into the forest. Stork and Junko knew not to hesitate, and stayed close on her heels. They had only run a few feet into the trees when they heard the skimmers halt in the very clearing they had only been standing in moments ago. The three teammates moved a greater distance into the woods then stopped quietly. Piper motioned to the other two to keep silent, as she ducked into the underbrush, Junko and Stork doing the same. They continued to make not a sound, hoping their position would not be found out. The noise from the clearing still carried to where Piper, Junko and Stork lay crouched. The Buzzards were talking amongst themselves, though no words could be clearly made out. Regardless, Piper made note of all sounds she could pick up on, and by the sound of it, three skimmers started up again and drove into the trees while the others stayed behind. Piper waited a moment to hear which direction the skimmers had driven off to, and once she was sure they weren't headed towards the team, she performed some quick thinking. If three Buzzards were searching for the Storm Hawks, how many did that leave guarding the Condor? How many were even in their squad? Was it five? No, four. Maybe just four. But... maybe they brought others... just in case.
It was too risky to make a move. Piper gave up on the Condor and knew her real priority at hand now was to contact the rest of her team and warn them. Though it was three against three, Piper didn't like the idea of Aerrow, Finn and Radarr being taken by surprise. Especially not by the Buzzards – they were known for their strength.
Piper searched her pockets but to no avail. She wasn't carrying a radio. How was she going to warn the other Storm Hawks now? But suddenly, she was tapped on the shoulder by Stork, who held out the exact device she was looking for. Piper sighed in relief as she took the radio from Stork. She was never more grateful for his obsessive paranoia. Hurriedly, she punched in the proper transmission for Aerrow's skimmer.
"Aerrow?" Piper spoke over the speaker urgently yet softly, knowing there was still a chance they might be overheard. "Aerrow, pick up."
Static.
Frustrated, Piper tossed the radio to the ground, which was shortly after picked up by Junko with a look of worry on his face. Piper took a deep breath to calm her nerves, knowing this was not the time to let the situation get the best of her. "Come on," she whispered to her teammates. "We may be able to intercept Aerrow, Finn and Radarr on their route back... if the Buzzards haven't already found them."
Treading carefully and with ears alert for the sound of any approaching vehicle, Junko and Stork followed Piper's lead. The forest had suddenly gone quiet with the tension in the air, and it only added to the nervous atmosphere. After about a minute (though it seemed much longer) Stork heard a skimmer in bike mode making its way to their location. He dove into the underbrush with a squeal as Piper and Junko crouched nearby, anticipating an ambush if it happened to be a Buzzard. Piper had her staff at the ready and the high-pitched hum of the crystals in Junko's Knuckle Busters broke the still air.
The front tire of a skimmer appeared in Piper's line of sight, and without a moment's hesitation she jumped out of her hiding place, to be met with a very high-pitched scream.
It was Finn. He had been startled by Piper and was panting heavily in surprise as she retreated in her attack.
"Finn!" Piper cried in delight, too relieved to be annoyed at having been taken off-guard at his sudden appearance. As Stork and Junko emerged from the brush, Aerrow with Radarr in his sidecar pulled up close behind the sharpshooter.
"Piper!" Aerrow said, sounding relieved. "Thank goodness you're here! The Buzzards – "
"We know," Piper interrupted, saving him the time for explanations. "Why didn't you answer your radio?"
"We ran into one of them," Aerrow answered. "He took us by surprise and his hit took out my radio. We were just able to get away."
"Only one?" Piper clarified. "That's lucky – they must have spread out. I know that there are three of them in the woods right now."
"What about the Condor?" Aerrow asked.
"Besieged," Piper reported simply. "We couldn't retreat to it – not without you three. We'd be at a standstill."
"I understand," Aerrow agreed simply with a lop-sided smile, reassuring Piper that she had made the right decision. "It's alright."
"Alright?" Stork suddenly interjected with a note of disbelief in his tone. "Need I remind you all that we are now being pursued by one of the most powerful squads in Atmos without access to half our skimmers and carrier?"
"Ya," Finn agreed, a sudden thought coming to him. "And how did they even find us anyways? I thought the other squads didn't know about this place."
"We'll worry about that later," Aerrow said, Finn's words bringing deep suspicions within the knight to the surface. "Right now our top priority is – "
"Wait," Piper said, holding up a hand to silence her team. From somewhere in the distance, but steadily drawing closer, came to sound of two, maybe three, skimmers. But then from the other direction came the sound of another. The first source branched out, confusing the noise and forming it into an omnipotent hum, like an angry nest of wasps.
"Oh no," Piper whispered under her breath. "I think... I think they're forming around us."
"There's no time to waste," Aerrow whispered quickly to the rest of his team. "We'll have to split up. Finn, Radarr and I will draw them away with our skimmers while you three make a break for the Condor."
"Aerrow, I'm not sure that's the best plan," Piper said. "What if you get caught? What if something goes wrong?"
"It won't," Aerrow said, though the words seemed to fall stale with no real meaning. "It's our only chance. Once you get away, find a place that you're sure is safe. We'll find you."
"Wait," Junko said, remembering a conversation that the team had held long ago if they were ever in a situation like this. "You mean we're not going to meet at the rendezvous?"
"It's too risky," Aerrow justified. "It may work for a meeting place, but now we're on the run. The Cyclonians know about Neverlandis as do some of the squadrons. They would expect us to use it as an HQ... it's too convenient. Truthfully I would expect an ambush."
"But..." Piper stuttered, realizing the recklessness of the things Aerrow was saying. "How are you supposed to find us?"
"We will," Aerrow stated again, this time with a fiery determination. "I promise. No matter how long it takes. Just find somewhere safe."
Piper hesitated and she looked like she may have argued again, but a particularly loud roar from one of the engines nearby alerted the team to the steadily approaching danger.
"Go," Aerrow said, revving his ride, Finn following suit. "Go!"
They took off, leaving Piper, Junko and Stork once again on their own. The sound of the two skimmers driven by the Storm Hawks drew the Buzzards away from the rest of the team, and with a pained look of disbelief on her face, Piper knew there was no going back. "Come on," she whispered to her teammates, once again forced back into leadership.
The three made it back to the Condor without any obstacles, and they all breathed a sigh of relief as they saw that the Buff Buzzards were nowhere to be seen. Aerrow, Radarr and Finn must be leading them on quite a chase... Though glad at their luck, Piper couldn't help but shiver a bit at the thought. "Let's go," she motioned to the other two as they dashed across the clearing, boarding their ship. Before Stork fired up the engines, Piper dialled in the frequency for Finn's radio, hoping to receive confirmation if they were in the clear. However, no response came through. Piper knew that wasn't necessarily a bad sign, yet she was hoping for better. Knowing they had no other choice but to take a chance, Piper signalled Stork to take off.
They pulled away from Latebra quickly, and within a matter of seconds it vanished into the clouds. Junko had been monitoring the radar to make sure no Buzzards had realized their escape, and no vehicles were seen in pursuit.
They were in the clear.
It was in this quiet decline of adrenaline that Piper once again tried Finn's radio. "Finn? Finn?" No answer. Either his com gear had also been taken out (likely, since his ride was always being smashed) or they had retreated out of radio contact. Either way, there was no chance of contacting the other half of the team now. Stork fidgeted nervously at the helm while Junko looked back and forth between his remaining teammates. Piper merely sighed sadly and looked out the window to where Latebra had vanished. She would have to trust Aerrow now.
If no one else.
Minn: For the record, yes, I know that only two Buzzards are ever shown, but I think it's a safe assumption that there could be other members to their team. Anywho, remember to review!