A/N hey second chapter! Thanks to two people who reviewed, Aven and Paigeylou.
Piper flicked the crystal on the table in front of her making it spin. She'd been staring at the same crystal for over forty minutes. She flicked it again as it slowed. Her best friend had left her. She knew it wasn't his fault but it did not matter at that moment. She heard a chirp from the door and Radarr stood looking at her.
"Hey Radarr, you ok?" The small creature shook his head and his ears drooped as he walked over and climbed onto the table. Since Aerrow had been captured Radarr had taken to staying close to Piper, using her as a surrogate for his friend. She scratched in between Radarr's ears and he closed his eyes, enjoying the moment. "How could he leave us? What are we supposed to do with out him?" The squadron wasn't a squadron without their sky knight. Piper heard a sigh at the door and turned to see Finn lurking in the door way.
"Hey Piper, can I hang with you? Junko's eating again and I'm just not in the mood to watch." Finn slumped in without waiting for a reply and flopped onto a stool.
Piper flicked her crystal again and the three Storm Hawks watched it spin. "We got a com from the sky knight council." Finn was speaking very softly, like he wasn't happy about what he was talking about. "They sent their apologies for our loss. Then some spiel about the nobility of being killed in the line of duty. They're writing him off as dead and kinda suggested we do as well. Three weeks with no word of ransom," Finn stood and threw his stool across the room, shattering some clean glassware Piper used for experimenting. Piper said nothing; she'd had a smashing hour two weeks ago. "He's not dead, he can't be." Finn braced his arms on the table and hung his head. Radarr laid his small paw on Finn's hand, letting the Storm Hawk know he felt the same. Finn gave him a half hearted smile.
"Listen Finn, I believe the same thing. I know he's not dead, he's hidden away somewhere. Think about it, have there been any big attacks in the last three weeks, has there been any sightings of the Dark Ace? We know it was him in charge the day Aerrow was taken, maybe they're building up to something, what ever is going on I know it isn't a coincidence."
Aerrow stretched his back out. He moved slowly and gracefully as his glided from position to position following the pattern dances taught to him by his mother. To stretch and strengthen, she had taught him, its all very well packing a punch, but if you can't last in a fight your doomed. These movements also gave Aerrow a chance to think, his body following the routines it had known for twelve years left his mind free to plan. His spacious room gave him the peace he needed.
One week trapped in this room had driven him to distraction and he had pushed his still healing body through the punishment of the pattern dances he hadn't practiced in a year. It had exhausted him all through the second week but now he was feeling stronger and suppler than he had in a long time. Now at seventeen he had achieved his full height, taller than his father had been and needed work to fill out. Piper always said he was a scrawny git.
He wondered how the Storm Hawks were doing without him. His sacrifice three weeks ago had spared the Condor but were they coping without him. He missed Stork's pessimism, Junko's gentle enthusiasm, Finn's narcissistic sarcasm and Piper quick wit. And Radarr would miss him. The little creature's love for Aerrow was evident, and it was returned. Above all he missed the freedom to go out on a skimmer. There was no wind on the house; he couldn't even go outside to exercise. The doors were all locked and that strange girl followed him about.
Aerrow stopped half way through a move as he thought of her. She puzzled him greatly. No matter what he did he couldn't get her to react to him. She was polite and attentive to his needs but she wouldn't talk, or really look at him. Her pale face kept its neutral expression through all of Aerrow's efforts. The Dark Ace must have some kind of hold on her, no one was so lacking in a personality.
Aerrow shook himself and assumed the first position of his last move as he thought of the Talon Commander. The Dark Ace had been around occasionally during the last three weeks. He had on occasion spent time with Aerrow. Aerrow's face reddened as he remember the day the Dark Ace walked in on him exercising, and making a mess of it
"It's good to know you're not perfect." Aerrow picked himself from the carpet and turned towards the voice. It was half way through his second week of imprisonment and Aerrow hadn't seen the Dark ace for a few days. Aerrow just glared at the man and took a deep breath to calm him as he began the movement again. Just as he had himself centered, the deep voice intruded again.
"What is this you're wasting your time with anyway?" The Dark Ace moved further into the room.
Aerrow sighed loudly, giving up on his exercises for the moment. "It's a pattern dance of Sky Fu. My mother taught them to me. They help strengthen the body and calm the spirit." Aerrow lifted a glass of water and drained it. "Anything in particular I can do for you today?" Aerrow sat down on his bed and wiped his face and neck with the towel lying on the bed.
"I was wondering whether you would want to spar with me; since I brought you here there has been no one worthy of a bout."
"So what you're saying is that I'm as good at you, and no one comes close."
"I wouldn't go as far as saying you were as good as me, but you not bad." The two rivals smirked at each other.
That started a series of bouts in the sparring room that led to bruises on both of them but they were well matched, Aerrow's youth, speed and inventiveness held out against the stronger, older and more experienced Dark Ace. Sometimes one or other won but often it ended as a draw when Dark Ace was called away.
Aerrow was confused and wished he could find out more about the strange girl and the Dark Ace who wasn't treating him like a prisoner while imprisoning him. He had to get home somehow.
A/N Already typing up the third chapter, it's longer. Next disaster strikes the Condor leaving one Storm Hawk badly injured. When Aerrow hears he tries to escape.