Minn: What can I say? Midterms. But they're done now so yay! I have free time again! Sorry to those who I told that this was going to be out earlier... I'm cursed when it comes to predicting updates.
Anywho we're back to Piper, Junko and Stork. The fic is really picking up now, people! There's a good action scene in this chapter, and somewhat soon a little special something is on the way... What could it be? Only the scene that inspired this entire story! (It's going to be so brilliantly epic! XD ) So remember, read, enjoy, and most importantly REVIEW! I don't know if this is any good unless you tell me so. I need to know what you guys think of the plot elements so I can add/subtract foreshadowing accordingly. ;)
Chapter 6: How Could This Happen?
What was left? Their options had run out. Rinjiin had betrayed them. The Ducks had betrayed them... there was nowhere to turn to.
Piper sat on the bridge with Stork and Junko, once again debating feebly on what to do next. Although, no one said very much. Spirits were low and became all the lower when Piper thought about the other half of their team. At least she, Junko and Stork had the Condor. What did the others have? A skimmer? Who knows what may have happened to them...
Piper shook her head slightly and clenched her fist in irritation at herself. No! She couldn't think like that.
Stork seemed to be lost in thought as well. He was always quiet and solemn around the ship, but lately he had become noticeably more so. Junko appeared to be the only one who was still trying. There was something about his gentle naïve manner around the two others that gave them the smallest glimmer of hope. Though on the inside, Junko knew just as well as Piper and Stork that their situation was bleak, at least (as he constantly reminded his friends) they had each other. Piper smiled softly as she looked across the table at the Wallop. She was grateful... the team would be a lot worse if it wasn't for Junko's optimism.
However, all the optimism in the world wasn't going to allow the team to avoid the fact that they were still left with nowhere to go... and their supplies weren't going to last forever.
Piper kept reviewing the options they had come up with before Sky's End. Would it be best to hide out on an abandoned terra? Piper didn't want to consider it. It would feel too much like giving up. She couldn't let go of that one last small piece of control she still retained. Also... there was Starling...
Piper knew there was no way to contact her, for the team had tried her radio once again to no avail. If Starling wanted to vanish... she knew how to do so. The question was, why? What did she have to fear? Did Starling not trust the radio frequencies? Or was it... something else?
Regardless, it looked like the team had no choice. Piper glimpsed at her two comrades on the bridge and sighed. Well... this was it. Remote terra it was... If only Starling...
Piper paused. Her sudden stiffness and alert face attracted Stork's and Junko's attention. They looked at her questioningly, but Piper merely peered off into the distance with wide eyes.
"Oh..." Piper quietly gasped.
Junko and Stork exchanged puzzled glances with one another, but then nearly jumped out of their skins when Piper almost toppled the table with a sudden outburst of energy.
"Guys! That's it!" Piper cheered excitedly, standing up and slamming her hands on the table with a little too much force.
Stork looked a little resentful about the much unexpected disturbance, but Junko quickly felt the vibes of optimism coming off of Piper.
"What's it?" the Wallop asked eagerly.
"The solution to our problem," Piper replied, pulling out a chart and laying it flat on the table. "I know where to go!"
"And where, pray tell, is this wonderful place?" Stork asked, always the skeptic yet not fully able to conceal his excitement as well.
"Mesa!" Piper grinned, pointing at the terra on the map as she called out its name. "It's perfect! No one visits that terra so we'll be safe, but it was also the old home of the Interceptors."
Piper smiled, but Junko and Stork didn't seem to completely follow her train of thought. "I know it's a long shot..." Piper trailed off, her spirits dying down a bit. "But what if Starling still visits it on occasion? I'm sure she must. We could hide out there until she makes an appearance. I'm sure she'll be willing to help, if not able to figure a way out of this mess."
Stork and Junko considered Piper's plan. True, the navigator often had an idealistic view of exactly what Starling was capable of... but this seemed reasonable enough. Junko smiled at Stork, and the Merb grinned tentatively back.
"We're in," Junko agreed.
The team reached Mesa in record time. Luckily, it happened to be very close by. The Condor was parked near the edge of the rocky earth, for closer to the center of the terra were located several dilapidated buildings of great size.
Piper, Junko and Stork had exited the ship in order to take a look at their surroundings. The terra was rocky and flat, enhancing the size of the old, run-down structures in comparison. Piper looked around, getting her bearings, then led the other two silently to the door of one of the larger buildings. It looked like a warehouse... or maybe a factory. Piper glanced up, taking in its bulk, then brought her gaze level with the outer wall. Without saying anything, Piper reached out and placed a hand gently on the metal. Strange… the climate was warm, yet the wall still seemed so cold.
"What… is all this?" Junko asked softly.
Mesa was one of the leading industrial terras for the Atmosian Alliance before it was invaded," Piper explained, drawing her hand away and observing the dust left behind on her fingers. "That was probably the reason why it was hit so soon after the original Storm Hawks fell."
Stork and Junko looked timidly up at the run-down structure. There was something about it which demanded respect despite its deterioration.
"A once strong and united terra..." Piper mused quietly. "Now reduced to this."
Stork and Junko bowed their heads in respect, though the moment did not last long; in the silence, it was easy to pick up on any faraway sounds.
Such as the sounds of a skimmer.
Piper tensed and looked with her friends at the sky. Sure enough, there was a brown dot making its way through the clear sky towards them.
"No..." Piper moaned. "No!" This was such a perfect idea... the perfect place. Was it all going to be taken away the moment they arrived? However, all hope was not lost when the skyride came closer. It was just one solitary pilot. Surely a turned squad would bring its members. But still... he or she was too far away to see.
"Who is it?" Junko asked, voicing the question that all three were thinking.
Ever prepared, Stork pulled out his pair of binoculars. There was a brief click as one of the front lenses snapped down. Stork hummed in concentration as the lenses focused; however, once the picture came clear, a smile split its way across Stork's mouth. Piper and Junko sighed in relief. If Stork was smiling, it had to be good news.
"Who is it, Stork?" Piper repeated the question. However, rather than telling her, Stork simply handed her the binoculars. Piper peered eagerly through them, and was surprised at what she saw.
"It's... Harrier."
All three Storm Hawks were very much taken aback at the Knight's sudden appearance. (And indeed, given what they had been through, also slightly hesitant). However, Harrier made it clear that he still remained as loyal as ever to the Storm Hawks when he landed and grinned widely to see that half the squadron was there to meet him.
"Storm Hawks," Harrier greeted. "Thank goodness you're alright."
Piper was surprised to see that Harrier, normally someone who was so composed and calm, actually appeared quite flustered and concerned for the team. "Same here," Piper returned. "But Harrier... not to be rude, but what are you doing here?"
"I heard about what had happened at Latebra," Harrier answered, cutting straight to the chase. "I was greatly disappointed at the news... after all, I was the one who had recommended visiting Gale. Please, let me apologize. I never imagined that the Ducks would have turned on you in such a brutish way."
"It's fine, Harrier..." Piper reassured him, though still curious, for the Knight had still failed to explain what he was doing on Mesa.
Harrier seemed to realize this, for he continued with his narrative. "I almost feel responsible," the Guardian said, making a clear display of his remorse. "I should have made absolutely sure of Latebra's security. Regardless, once I had heard that your team had split up, I felt I couldn't relax until I knew where you all were."
"Thank you, Harrier... really," Piper responded again as Junko smiled, surprised that Harrier was so concerned over the team. He was normally so formal and distant. Piper supposed it made some sense – Harrier was the only ally they had – but there was still some part of this that was nagging her.
"How did you know we were on Mesa?" Piper asked.
"Ah, yes, of course," Harrier said. "Forgive me, I tend to be giving the facts in reverse. The simple explanation of events is that I have been attempting to track you down and have only succeeded just now. Don't worry..." Harrier suddenly interrupted, for Piper had raised a hand in protest at the methods Harrier had used. "I did so in a way that cannot be duplicated. I am the only one who knows you are here."
Junko seemed willing to accept this explanation, but Stork looked over at Piper nervously. The navigator returned the look and resumed reasoning with Harrier. "At the same time..." Piper continued, not wanting to hurt the Knight's feelings. (Did he even have feelings?) "I appreciate you being worried about us, but..." Piper hesitated, not knowing how to phrase her response without sounding ungrateful. "You shouldn't have come here. What if you were followed?"
"I can assure you, I made absolutely sure of the matter that—"
But Harrier was cut off, for at that moment, multiple skimmers could be seem on the horizon, and telling from the look on Harrier's face, they weren't the rest of the Guardians come to join them.
"Harrier!" Piper exclaimed, frustrated, but the Knight wouldn't let himself be easily phased.
"Don't worry!" he said, turning to the team. "I can handle this – I'll call the Guardians. Go inside and I'll hold them off until my squadron gets here and gives you the chance to slip away.
"You want us to hide in... there?" Stork said, gesturing to the, though granted large, greatly dilapidated and flimsy looking warehouse.
"Harrier, we'll be cornered!" Piper argued, but there wasn't time for protests. The unknown squad was closing in, though it could only be assumed they were hostile.
"It was my fault for coming here," Harrier excused. "Let me help you. Please, go inside."
Harrier seemed desperate, but there was still something holding Piper back. "Harrier, I—"
"Go inside!" Harrier suddenly shouted. With a flustered face, he raced off to meet the other squad in the sky.
"Maybe... we should do what he says?" Junko asked timidly, yet not without tension. The turned squad was close, and the Condor was a fair distance away.
Piper sighed. She still didn't want to follow Harrier's plan, but they could probably rely on his experience as a Sky Knight. Besides... they could depend on the Guardians to get here in time…
"Junko! Stork! Inside!" Piper called.
The hostile skimmers landed just as Piper pulled the sliding door shut. It was greatly rusty and made a large metallic clang as it rammed firmly against its frame. Piper turned to face her two friends, and they looked back at her with wary expressions. However, soon all three were distracted by their surroundings.
The building they had retreated into was indeed some sort of old factory. There were long metallic conveyor belts and towers of boxes stacked in rows haphazardly. Long lead pipes crisscrossed their way overhead and some wove out of the ground, either connecting to their brothers overhead or – having rusted through – broke in half and bent over sideways, tired and worn. Rotted wooden planks lined the ground with sand and dust, some previously belonging to the floorboards, while the larger wooden beams clearly fell from the high, vast ceiling. Holes were torn through the roof, letting in thin shafts of sunlight which reflected off the large metal machinery and the small glimmering bits of dust which hung lazily in the air. This was the only light source; the rest of the building was incredibly dark and musty.
The whole thing was so large, it temporarily left the team speechless. They couldn't even see all the way to the back, makeshift walls made out of the machinery and crates blocking their view. There were some old catwalks overhead and structural beams which suggested a second (maybe even third) floor, but it looked too unsteady to Piper to be considered as a valid place to hide... best stick to the ground floor.
"Come on," Piper said, motioning to her team. "And stay quiet. We don't know if they saw us come in here."
The three Storm Hawks navigated their way through the maze, for indeed, it was just as easy to hide as it was to become lost. However, Piper had a good sense of direction and felt she knew where she was going. Stork looked around nervously, joined by Junko. Distant clangs and snaps of wood could be heard, and at one time it sounded like there was a patter of feet somewhere off in the distance.
"Mice?" Junko speculated in a whisper, turning to Piper.
"Let's hope so," she replied. Sensing they had probably ventured far enough into the factory, Piper decided it would be a good idea to look around. "Wait here," she addressed Stork and Junko. Bringing one foot up, she stepped onto a crate that stood at the bottom of a large pile, and tested it to see if it wouldn't collapse. It felt strong, so Piper continued to climb the tower of crates to see if she couldn't get a bird's eye view of the floor plan.
It was brighter when Piper emerged on top. There was nothing to block the dusty rays of sun from above. Piper's eyes adjusted, and as they did so, she was pleased to see that she could make out the large front door of the warehouse. However, the feeling was short lived, for at that moment, it began to open. Piper ducked but didn't let the sliding door leave her sight. She had to know who it was. With any luck, the Guardians would have arrived.
But it only took one glance at the silhouettes to tell Piper that it wasn't the Guardians.
At this, Piper ducked completely into hiding. She felt like cursing, but her instincts told her to be completely silent. How? Were the Guardians still en-route? Or did they already arrive? Were they alright?
And what happened to Harrier?
No. It was too early to worry about any of that. Right now Piper had to focus on the danger at hand. Jumping down from her hiding place, she landed smoothly beside her two friends. They looked at her expectantly, seeing a look of tension on her face.
"We're not alone," Piper whispered incredibly softly, the meaning behind her words clear. "Follow me. There might be a back door somewhere."
The three weaved through the crowded building quietly, but the pursuing team were equally silent. The three Storm Hawks couldn't remember the last time their nerves were more strained. Any second it felt like one of the members of the other squad would appear around the corner and sound the alarm. Again, distant bangs and clanks could be heard, but it was impossible to pinpoint the source.
After what seemed like ages of stressful wandering (though truthfully, it must have only been a couple of minutes) the team came to a dead end. Well, not exactly a dead end; there was a staircase in front of them, but Piper was less than willing to ascend to the second floor when she knew there were people on her tail.
"What now?" Junko asked, seeing Piper had come to a standstill.
"Wait here," Piper told Junko and Stork. "I'll backtrack and do recon on where they are."
"Be careful," Stork warned darkly. In any other circumstances Piper would have dismissed the input casually, but right now, she felt just as paranoid as Stork.
Turning a corner, Piper looked back tentatively and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. In and out. Basic recon. No sweat.
...Yeah right.
Regardless, though, she had to know which way to lead the others. She had taken on the acting role of team leader ever since they had first split up. It was her responsibility.
Piper stepped forward cautiously. Moving slowly with darting eyes, she walked down the corridor between a row of cables and a particularly large machine. The wires were thick and tangled, reminding Piper of snakes and rotting vines. The shadows coming through the cables moved about sneakily, which startled Piper several times and raised her suspicions. She eyed them carefully, not able to see through the hanging wires all the way. Were those footsteps? Piper held her breath and leaned in closer, the light slowly creeping across her face in odd patterns like camouflage. There was someone here. She reached out carefully with one hand, meaning to move the cables aside. Her hand brushed against them while her eyes remained fixed on the room beyond.
With a harsh gasp and startled reflexes, Piper dove to the side just in time. Her attention had been captured on the wrong side of the corridor, for her keen sense had picked up footsteps from behind her. And sure enough, no sooner had she hidden from view than a dark figure had appeared on the other end of the room.
"Okay," Piper thought to herself. "Way too close. No going that way..." Truthfully, she was extremely discouraged. She didn't think the others had closed in on them so closely. Chances were likely that they had one person stationed at each route.
They were cornered.
No. Not yet. They could still ascend to the second floor and hope to find some means to climb back down after they had given the other squad the slip. It could work, only...
If the Guardians were here, they wouldn't have to run.
An uncomfortable squirm moved its way through Piper's stomach, and she tightened her resolve not to worry about their ally just yet. They had to get out of here first.
Priorities.
Keep a clear head.
Piper made her way stealthily back to her two friends, who had been waiting with baited breath. Every second felt like a minute.
"No good," the navigator informed. "We'll go up and find a way back down later."
"We're going upstairs?" Stork questioned nervously, already pushed to his limits. "Isn't that the worst thing to do when being followed?"
"It's either that or get caught," Piper barked back under her breath. Her patience grew short under tension. "Now come on."
Junko followed silently, deciding it was best to say nothing, and Stork looked away nervously, knowing not to take it personally, and feeling bad for voicing a fact that in retrospect, the team probably already knew.
However, upon reaching the second floor, Piper almost had second thoughts about heading back down and risk being found by the other squad. The room above was much less cluttered and smaller than the ground floor, but it was the actual wooden floor itself which gave Piper pause. The planks had completely rotten through in some places, revealing holes to the first floor down below, which looked like quite a nasty fall if anyone were to get too close. However, there still appeared to be somewhat solid areas of the floor where piping and cables below provided extra support. By the looks of things a main vent passed vertically underneath them – they could rely on that for stability.
Piper took a step forward tentatively. The floorboard held, but it let out a nasty creak. Piper tensed but didn't let the sound stop her. Being careful to avoid any and all signs of rot, Piper, Junko and Stork made their way slowly to the centre of the room.
"Now what?" Junko asked.
"Ah..." Piper thought, looking around for inspiration. However, Stork was the first to spot it.
"There!" he announced, pointing to the wall opposite the one Piper had been facing. There was a broken window looking out onto the Mesa landscape.
"Perfect," Piper breathed, finally relieved to get a break. "Be careful making your way over there, because we don't—"
Chaos. A bang and a roar as Piper's sight was instantly flooded with painful orange light. An unseen force pushed her to the opposite side of the room, almost making her unconscious as her head hit the concrete wall. It wasn't too powerful a blow, but it still sent sparks into her eyes.
Wait... the sparks weren't fading, and the roar continued to shout throughout the factory. Piper shook her head and looked up as her vision cleared. The sparks were coming up through a now massive hole in the floor, and that wasn't the only thing coming through... flames the size of skimmers were soaring up to the ceiling, quickly engulfing the dried-out rafters.
An explosion? ...A fire.
"Stork!" Piper called, getting to her feet. "Junko!"
A burning beam from overhead crashed beside her, sending Piper running to the other side of the wall. "Junko! Stork!" Piper called again. She tried frantically to look around, but the fire was spreading incredibly quickly, and the smoke rising from the floor below made her eyes water, blurring her vision with the flames.
"Piper!"
It was Junko's voice. It was faint and Piper couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from, but at least there was a response! Piper looked around, trying to decide on which way to go. She took a step...
...and fell.
The burning floor gave out from underneath Piper, and a scream escaped her lips as she toppled to the ground.
She landed atop a stack of boxes which broke her fall. Piper looked up, amazed she was still alive, for the bottom floor was layered with concrete. That was lucky. However, the same couldn't be said for any other aspect of her situation.
It was an inferno.
Piper looked around in terrified awe of what she had fallen into. It was fire – endless fire. The flames were thick and bright, concealing hazy objects of indistinguishable origin. Thick, deep gray smoke rose from the wreckage, creating a ceiling of black overhead. The air was solid and hot. From somewhere in the distance, over the roar of the fire, Piper thought she heard a man shouting. However, shortly afterwards there was a loud crack, like the sound of splitting wood. No shouting followed.
This panicked Piper like nothing else. All she could do was stare into the flames, paralyzed in fear as her mind struggled to catch up with the situation.
She had to get out of here.
Stand up.
Go!
Piper tried pulling herself up onto her feet but almost fell over again when she felt her ankle give out from underneath her. Piper gasped in anger and pain. She looked down and tried placing weight on her foot again. It could stand it. Not too much weight... but it wasn't broken. Just sprained?
No time.
Piper limped forward, looking around herself. All that came into view was the crisp black of charred wood and the painful shine of glimmering metal. Some wires crackled as the flames consumed their plastic casing. Piper didn't lag to observe.
Keep going.
Get out.
"Junko!" Piper tried calling again, though the rational part of her mind knew she couldn't be heard over the roar of the flames. "Stork!"
It didn't matter who heard her now.
Piper continued forward, impeded by her ankle but determined. She had no idea which way she was moving, but she would find the exit. She had to.
A secondary explosion suddenly flared up nearby, the shockwave of which caused Piper to stumble and fall into a burning pillar. It gave out from her collision and sent burning splinters and cuts into Piper's side. She got back up and quickly patted out the flames of her clothing. There were burns there.
She looked to see what had caused the explosion, though it was impossible through the ever-growing smoke. It was so thick now even the brightness of the flames seemed to have dimmed.
Dimmed…
Darker…
Not real…
Piper shook her head. Stupid! Get to the ground! Piper kneeled down and crawled through the factory. Air... she had to keep a clear head. But... how was she supposed to find her way out? All she could see was the ever-present orange light and random debris obstructing her path.
Keep moving.
Just keep moving.
Hot.
Burning.
You can do it.
Just keep going.
Piper could feel the sweat evaporating off her skin the moment it formed. She was being sucked dry from the heat.
Dried…
And smoked…
Keep moving.
And what about Junko and Stork? What about the Guardians and Harrier?
Not now.
Keep going.
It was too hot…
Just... too hot…
Piper's head began to spin. Her crawl had slowed drastically. She felt like she would vomit if she thought there was still the fluid left inside of her to do so. And that smoke. That wretched smoke that burned her eyes and flooded every part of her.
What are you doing?
Keep going!
But she couldn't. She just stayed there on all fours, defeated. Her energy was spent on just keeping herself balanced where she was. All she could do was stare at the stone floor beneath her and cry, not knowing exactly the reason why.
One last look.
She owed herself that.
Slowly, painfully, Piper raised her head.
It was all black. Just... smoke. Smoke and heat and flames.
But... no.
Not all flames.
There was a light in the distance. White light – clean and fresh. It could barely be made out from behind the smoke, but Piper's instinct knew what it meant.
A way out. Safety.
With renewed hope, Piper moved her way towards her goal. She had to reach it. She just had to.
But she couldn't.
Despite all of her desire, she just didn't have the strength. Her brain didn't have the air it needed to close that gap.
As Piper saw that the distant light grew darker as she tried to reach it, she once again broke into tears.
No... it wasn't fair...
She was so close...
But the darkness closed in even closer as the world turned sideways.
No...
Why?...
In slow motion, Piper fell on her side and knew no more.