"How is he?" Vector asked as Wayan walked into the lighthouse lab room.
Mahad and Lena looked up as well, waiting for an answer.
"I got all the details i could...but..I've never seen him like this. Its like he's lost any desire to fight...he barely responded when cheng and Christophe went to see him. Even his own brother couldn't get him to snap out of it. The doctors told me he's not eating either..."
"Poor Cortes.." Lena whispered, "he couldn't stop them from taking the person he cared for the most, that must hurt a lot.."
"Its not his fault, those jerks had a evil guy with them!" Mahad added.
"You know what Cortes is like" the Vector said in response to Mahad "plus, given his DNA alterations, if the male bird looses its mate, it will distance itself, almost like a period of mourning. His mind is responding to the loss in this way..."
"Then maybe we can help him somehow.." Mahad offered "make him feel better, we'll find that ship again, its not over!"
"Yeah!" Lena nodded "lets go see him.."
Vector smiled, those kids were wonders when it came to being understanding.
When they got to the hospital, they were met by a nurse who told them Cortes had managed to fly the coop so to speak. He'd escaped outside, they were looking for him right now..
"He hasn't had any food in nearly three days, he's in no condition to be running around on his own. If you kids find him, try get him to eat, or return here at least..."
Lena blinked as she seen the room had a fair few feathers scattered on the floor.
"He's moulting?" she asked. Mahad laughed "with any luck it'll lead us right to him! lets go!"
They set off to find the rebel captain, searching high and low...
Cortes sat on the very edge of the block, hidden from normal view by a outcropping of grassy rocks. He sighed, staring out across the sky. He was so tired, he missed the warm hold of his beloved. --Why couldn't I stop them?! Damnit, I'm pathetic, he always protected me, yet i failed to save him...--
His stomach cramped up and he groaned, he had been unable to eat, his mind consumed by grief and guilt...
"Sounds like you could use some food!" a cheerful voice said from behind him. He jumped up, staggering a few steps backwards. Mahad and Lena were perched atop the rocks. Lena was carrying a picnic basket from which drifted a number of tantalising smells.
"Gah! What're you kids doing?!" he grumbled, but his stomach growled again as he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. Hungry...
Lena hopped down from the rock, pulling him down to sit beside her and Mahad. She dumped the basket between the three of them.
"Lets eat!" she smiled "you cant keep going without food, your wings will be feather-less in no time.."
"But.." he started, but was cut off by an even louder growl from his gut.
"Less talkie, more eaty!" Mahad stated, and reluctantly the rebel leader had to admit he was peckish...
Once his snarling stomach had been satisfied, Lena smiled.
"Better? You looked like you needed that!"
Cortes sighed "guess ye got a point there.." he sighed "hnh, thanks you two.."
Mahad smiled "the doctors are looking for you! You're like a winged Houdini the way you're going!"
Cortes sighed "i don't need to stay cooped up in there, I'm fine now..." he looked out at the clouds, feeling the aching pain return.
"What good will it do to stay in a dumb hospital, that's not gonna help me get him back!!" his hands clenched tightly, harsh enough to cut into the palms of his hands, drops of blood appearing..
Lena reached over at patted his hand to get him to relax them. "calm down...we'll find him, but pushing yourself like this wont help anyone, especially not yourself!"
Cortes blinked at her, then looked down at the locket tucked into his top pocket. She was right...he sighed softly, forcing himself to relax a little.
"C'mon...go get some rest, we'll work on tracking him down. You need some sleep!"
Cortes hesitated a moment, his expression flickering, then he actually nodded. "Yeah i guess so..."
And thus he returned to the hospital, the kids reassuring him everything would be OK. But he had a different plan in mind...
Barely had the sun rose the next day then he was awake. He snuck out the window, running along the rooftops silently as he could. He entered the empty docking bay, the chilly morning air tugging at his hair as he crept along to where the mosquitoes were parked. He cast a glance back at the silent rebel base, then jumped into the craft. He was about to take off when something landed in front of him. It was the bird he'd sent as a warning when the attacks stated.
"Oh all right, come on!" he opened the hatch to let the bird in, then hit the engines and tore off. He felt bad about going solo, but something told him it was the best idea..
"Exactly what are you planning to do? The Sphere fell a long time ago, what good will bringing them back do?"
"It'll put ME in control. I'm sick of people thinking they can just throw life away like it means nothing, like some people don't deserve a chance to get what they want." Anubis glared at his twin, who was locked in a high-security cell. Sirus glared at him.
"So basically you're just pissed you didn't all the attention? How childish!"
Anubis laughed "say what you like, you're not going anywhere. Once we build the energy cannon, your precious hideaway, including that sideshow freak that you love so much, will be decimated!"
"That's what YOU think!" Sirus snapped, but inside he was worried sick. Was his poor Aran OK? What about the base?
"Cortes?" Wayan knocked on the hospital room door. "I need to get your opinion on something...sir?" he nudged the door open. And groaned internally. The window had been lock picked AGAIN, it was flung wide open, curtains billowing in the breeze.
"What's he up to?" Wayan fumed, running out the door..
He ran to fetch the Vector, wondering if this was another bird trait, Cortes normally never acted so rashly.
Vector sighed "i was afraid of this. It appears the traits are getting stronger. Don't tell anyone else but i caught him trying to take a nap up a tree!"
Wayan blinked "his minds succumbed to the virus?"
"Not totally, but evidently some of the birds traits show up at different times, under varying circumstances..."
Wayan sighed "so why'd he make a run for it?"
"Well, male birds are VERY competitive, if another bird gets in the way of him and his preferred mate, all hell can break loose. All i can guess is he stopped treating it as losing his mate, more of as someone got in the way..."
"So he's gone off to pick a fight with his lovers evil twin?" Wayan shook his head "i think the DNA ate his common sense too..."
"In a way, he cant help it, to him this is normal..."
"But we've got to find him!" Wayan sighed "who knows how far he's gotten..."
Mac frowned as the patrol he'd sent out on a scavenged ship suddenly sent an alarm signal. They'd spotted someone or something. A craft..
"Shoot it down!" he ordered without a seconds pause.
"Sir, i thinks its that guy, the one you shot with the harpoon!"
"So he survive did he?" Mac laughed "Shoot him down, i want him DEAD!"
"Roger!"
"...i keep telling you dumbass, my names not ROGER!"
The sky was clear as he sped along, he didn't know for sure if this was the right direction, but something inside told him it was somehow right...
He heard a high pitched whine, and the craft shook. he blinked. Looming out of a cloud bank up ahead was one of the pirates ships. He swore, hitting the speed and attempting to swerve around it. But it was a small craft, thus able to easily follow him. He looped over in the air, firing a volley of shots at it. But the mosquitoes weapon wasn't enough compared to this bigger ships guns. It was too dangerous, he'd have a better chance running. He needed the craft intact to find sirus, he didn't have time to waste...
These reasons and more ran through his mind as he hit the speed and tore away, ducking and weaving between the blocks. Behind him the ship kept pace easily, but oddly enough didn't fire.
It the weapons room, one of the crew loaded a heat-seeker missile.
"Fire at will!" he yelled.
"I didn't know 'is name was will.." another stupidly remarked. The pilot ignored them, and set the aiming sights on the fleeing craft. He hit the button, then hit the brakes. The missile shot off, automatically tracking the nearest heat source. Since the pirates had moved back, it went right for Cortes.
He heard it approaching too late to react, the weapon struck the back of the mosquito, hurtling it forward through the air. He struggled to steer it, aiming to somehow land it...but that was looking unlikely. Was he going to die there and then?
--NO WAY!!-- he fumed, and gave the controls one last twist, and the ship twisted around, then spiralled towards the lower portion of a large floating block. He seen a gap, a cave-like opening in the rocks, and somehow the ship soared into the minuscule gap. It struck the rocky floor of the cave, and finally came to a rest smashed into a rocky wall.
He tried to get himself out, his head ached, he could taste blood. His leg hurt badly. Looking down he saw it was bleeding, a piece of scrap metal was embedded in it..
--No. I can't lose now..-- he thought as he lost consciousness...
But all was not lost. He was about to meet someone he never imagined he'd see...
" 'es gone sir, crashed into a block!" the pirate smirked, the idiot couldn't have survived, no way.
From within the winding maze of caves, a lone figure sat in front of a camp fire, humming to himself as he cooked over the open flames. He was startled out of his daydream by the earth-shaking crash.
"What in sky land was THAT?!" he asked aloud. He grabbed his plasma gun from where it was resting against the wall, and ran into the maze of caves. He worked his way towards the smell of burning metal, and sure enough, in the entrance to his little hideaway, a small aircraft had pole-axed the far wall. Squinting he seen a figure unconscious in the pilot seat. A bird was hovering around the wreckage, squawking madly.
He ran over, shooting the lock, flinging the cockpit door open, and carefully lifting the figure out. He carried him a distance away from the wreckage and set him down on the ground. He did a double take as he focused on the man. He looked around 30, bright ginger hair, a sky pirates uniform,and a pair of WINGS.
--Who, or what are you??-- he wondered, amazed a pirate had flown all the way out here. He carefully removed the shrapnel from the figures leg, tying a tight bandage over it to stem the bleeding, then checking for other serious injuries. Aside from a concussion, and a few cuts and scrapes, this guy had gotten off lucky.
Picking him up, he brought him back to the large cavern he used as his home, placing the figure on his bed and putting a thick woolly blanket over him. Seeing the pirate uniform brought back so many memories. Of his own fights, his aircraft, his wife and kids...
He sighed, picking up a photo from the makeshift table he'd made. He looked at the woman in it, her arms around him, a smile on her pretty face --i wish i could see you again. But is it safe..?-- he looked at the sleeping Cortes --maybe he can help me..--
He head a squawk, and blinked as the bird he'd seen before came flapping in, and settled on the pillow by the man. He looked at the birds plumage, then the mans wings. Identical. What was going on here?
His head HURT, but at least the pain in his leg had faded to a bearable level. He opened his eyes slowly, where was he? He tried to sit up, to speak, but his throat was dry, and he felt too dizzy to do anything but fall back onto the bed. He heard footsteps and then a voice;
"You've been out for hours. I was worried you weren't going to wake up.."
Wheeh, sorry for the delay, got a little carried away drawing fanart an putting it on DA My name is YamanakaAngel, if ye fancy a look!
Random Fact: I got stuck out in a thunderstorm today. Flat shoes can hold so much water in them you could keep a pet goldfish in there.