"Okay! This is the way to the prison chambers!" Aerrow announced proudly as he, Melanie, Piper, and Radarr started running down the hall. Melanie felt her guilt fading away, due to the fact that they may finally be able to save Stork! She tilted her head, seeing fewer guards than they had expected. Aerrow held a finger to his lips and ushered the girls into the tight and shaded area behind them. They waited patiently…
"Don't make a sound…when I say 'go,' we go…" He whispered to them. They nodded in unison and Radarr bore his teeth with a silent growl.
Piper watched Aerrow's fingers, clenching her fists, ready to follow his lead. Three….two….one….
"GO!" Aerrow shouted and leaped forwards. Melanie and Piper had no choice but to react the same way. As they did, their bodies came in contact with a smaller group of guards. Fists and kicks where everywhere! Soon, a heap of guards were sprawled out on the floor with Aerrow looking down at them with a grin on his face, twirling a bundle of keys.
"Way to go, girls." He praised, glancing over his shoulder. Melanie and Piper were smiling. "That was too easy." Piper chuckled looking at their work. Melanie's smile faded. "Okay, now. Let's go get him." She said and walked forwards. Piper blinked at her reaction. "Okay…" She agreed and followed, as did Aerrow.
Radarr watched the pile, then gave one of the Cyclonians a final kick before joining his friends.
"This is going to be a pain. Why don't they have windows or something on these doors?" Piper complained, looking at the heavy doors that lined the hall.
"It shouldn't be too bad. There are only four on each wall here. Now, it would be a real big pain if they had more of these areas." He said, walking towards one door. He tested the door to see if it was unlocked. As it wasn't, he just peered inside. "Nope." He closed it and went on to the next. He got the same reaction. On their fifth door, Aerrow repeated the procedure, this time allowing the girls to look in as well.
"Nothing!" Piper exclaimed, crossing their arms. "Man, are the Talons loosing their touch with prisoners?" Melanie blinked as Aerrow began to close the door once more.
"Wait…" She said, sticking her hand in it to prevent it closing. Aerrow tilted his head. "What is it?" He asked, but Melanie didn't answer. She entered the room and walked over to a small object on the dusty floor. Picking it up in her fingers, she asked, "Does this mean anything to you?" She questioned and turned, revealing the strange key Stork had used earlier.
Aerrow's eyes widened and he walked over to observe. "Good eye…" He complimented, taking the key by its skull tip.
Piper gasped, seeing it. "That's Stork's Skeleton Key! I saw him forging it before we came to Cyclonia!" She told. "I thought that he was just being over-paranoid again, but it looks like it helped." She looked at the chains that once held their friend.
Aerrow smiled. "Well, then that means he's probably wandering out there right now!" He paused, his face turning into that of one that looked thoughtful. "Scared to death, no doubt." He concluded, with Piper and Radarr nodding in agreement.Melanie had a huge smile on her face. "Then let's go find him!" She exclaimed and jogged out of the room.
Finn and Junko sat outside still, looking proud of themselves and munching down apples. "Way to go, partner!" Finn congratulated Junko, and Junko did the same in return. "You know, I wonder how Aerrow and the others are doing." The larger boy speculated through a mouthful of apple. Finn nodded. "I'm sure they're fine. Oh, what about Stork?" He suggested, leaning forwards. "Ah-hah…" Junko said, holding up a finger. "But you know what I b really /b wonder?" He continued. Finn widened his eyes, shifting his position to laying. "What?"
Junko eyed the fruit. "Where did we get these apples?" Finn blinked. "You know what? I don't know!"
Venom had his head down with his hands on top. He was dozing slightly when the door behind him opened. It was Dark Ace. "We have those bloody Storm Hawks to take care of again. Move." He commanded, turning around. "Plus: we have a new partner getting ready." Venom tilted his head shortly after he straightened up. Shifting his shoulders, he let them crack. He stood up, still wondering of the moon medallion.
In another room, Stork was preparing himself, dressed in completely different clothes than he originally wore. He had no silver X on his chest, but instead the scarlet mark of the Talons. Grinning cruelly, he wrapped a black bandage around his knuckles. Afterwards, he flexed his fingers, pleased with the tightness. It would make for a sharp, hard, and painful punch. He didn't seem to notice the door open behind him as Dark Ace and Venom entered. He turned, his smirk perpetual. Dark Ace motioned him to follow, and that he did. As they walked down the hall, Stork asked, "Dark Ace, may I have a request granted..?"
Cyclonis was back in her chamber, chuckling. She followed the markings on the Mind Stealer with the tip of her long fingernail. She tapped it, before returning her eyes to the machine in front of her. "Things are about to get rather…interesting…"
Aerrow turned his head, a fairly annoyed and puzzled look on his face. "Where is he…?" He muttered, continuing on. Melanie began to worry. She wondered the same as Aerrow, but, in her case, she was completely distressed and worried. Piper twisted a blue/black strand of hair nervously as she began to sense trouble approaching. Radarr, too, looked nervous, predicting danger. He clung to Aerrow tightly. "Easy, buddy…" Aerrow coaxed, putting his hand on the furry creature's head.
Melanie's voice broke the silence shortly. "What if they got him again..?" She suggested, biting her lip. Piper leaned over. "Don't worry. Stork may be over-paranoid, but he isn't dim." She convinced, but, was unsure of herself. They rounded a corner and noticed someone at the end.
Aerrow squinted. "Is that a Cyclonian..?" He muttered, grabbing his weapons. Piper stopped and straightened. "Looks like it. But the way he stands: it's familiar." She said and proceeded cautiously. Coming within a meter of the person, she smiled. "Stork!" She cried happily and wrapped her arms around him.
Stork turned, his lips tight and his eyes cold. "Hm…this saves a lot of trouble." He said simply, then grinned. Shoving Piper away, he stalked towards Aerrow, Radarr, and Melanie. Piper scoffed lightly as she looked at him. "What's with him…Ah!" She gasped, realizing he had the same marks as Venom did. "Aerrow! Watch it!" She shrieked, running towards them.
"I…am SO bored!" Finn whined, leaning over his bike handlebars. Junko sighed, closing his eyes. "Same here!" He said as whiney as Finn had. They rolled over, Finn falling off his bike. "Ow." Was his lazy reply. Junko sat up. "Oh, where are Aerrow and Piper? They're taking a really long time!" He moaned, dropping his chin into his hands. Finn exhaled and stood. "I know. I know…" He stopped, his eyes widening as a crash was heard behind them.
He turned, seeing Piper lying on the grass painfully a few feet away. "Oh, there's Piper!" He said, smiling. He grin faded. "But she doesn't look too good…"
As Piper stood, Melanie came flying from the direction she had and the two collided with a loud noise. They shot off, sprawling and landing hard, groaning. Finn and Junko ran to their aid. "Nice to see you! Now where's Aerrow?" Finn asked, but the sounds of punching caught his attention.
"There he is! But…is that Stork he's fighting?" Junko announced, squinting. "It is…" Said Piper wearily. She was to her feet and helping Melanie up. "It's the same case as Whidow." The second girl whimpered, being supported.
Aerrow jumped away from Stork, but was unsuccessful as the Merb twisted the second he tossed over and kicked him in the stomach. Aerrow gritted his teeth. Before his shoulder cracked into the ground, he threw his arms out and caught himself, back flipping to his feet.
The redhead maneuvered his wiry body through the various punches and kicks that his opponent delivered, but couldn't bring himself to distribute his own. He had a painful look on his face as he dodged and turned. "Stork, come on! You know who you are!" He tried to get through, but couldn't. The grin on the man's face was so different than his usual paranoid expression.
Coming up on bikes, Venom and Dark Ace observed the scene. "Well, looks like he kept up with his request. Are you sure you don't want to destroy their leader yourself?" Venom suggested with a blank look.
Dark Ace had his face in a furious scowl. "Don't worry about it. They're all going over the cliff. If they're not dead when I do throw them over, they will be when the wastelands meet up their bodies." He hissed, revving his bike. Venom had no response to this as he eyed Melanie suspiciously. Thunder growled in a threatening manner, far out in the clouds.
Radarr ran around Stork's heels, resisting the urge to bite him. What he was merely aiming for was for him to lose his balance as Aerrow directed. Stork glared down as he stumbled. "You annoying little rat." He growled, reaching down and grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and lifting him to look eye-to-eye. Radarr winced, folding his ears back.
This sparked Aerrow's anger. "Let go of him!" He ordered, kicking Stork's wrist. Radarr went flying, but managed to catch himself gracefully. He rubbed his neck, but gave a thankful smile towards his friend.
Stork looked at his hand, cracking his knuckles. "So…that lights a fire in your belly, eh?" He snickered and slowly backed up. As he did, he turned sharply and kicked Finn in the jaw. The blonde yelped at the unexpected attack as he tumbled.
Aerrow clenched his teeth. "Knock it off!" He pleaded. Stork cocked his head to the side. "Why should I? i You're /i not going to do anything." He snickered and kicked Junko in the stomach, while yanking Finn by the hair and throwing him to the side.
Aerrow winced. "Stop!" He roared, but his voice fell on deaf ears as Stork continued to torture the others. Aerrow felt so helpless. He couldn't let harm come to his friends, but, Stork was his friend, too…closing his eyes, he knew he couldn't avoid combat with him any longer. He sprinted forwards, jumped, and closed his eyes as he came at the challenger with a kick.
Stork turned, just before he was about to strike Piper. As he did, Aerrow's foot caught him in the shoulder. "Ugh…" He twisted, then glared back at Aerrow. He paused, then grinned, looking behind him. "Finally, they've arrived." He snickered.
"They? …Ah, man…" Aerrow muttered, turning and seeing Dark Ace and Venom. Piper clenched her fists. "Oh…this is going to be messy…"
Venom seemed bored of the Storm Hawks as he and Dark Ace sped towards them on bikes. He sighed, scanning the group. "Eh…that girl…" He mumbled, noticing Melanie. Interest once again returned to his eyes. "Hm…"
Finn felt somewhat useless as he watched Aerrow and Stork proceed with combat. "Ugh…this is so stupid!" He said aloud. "I wonder…" He rose his weapon up to peer through the sniper. "Ah…here we are!" He grinned and prepared to fire. He was aiming at Dark Ace's tires. His finger was itchy, and the target was perfect. He just needed a little time. "One…two…" The strangely-shaped arrow shot off across the land, aiming for Dark Ace's bike.
The dark-haired man blinked and moved up slightly to see what was coming at him. He clenched his teeth and almost didn't have time to swerve out of the way. "Brat…" He growled, jerking his bike upwards and watched the arrow explode beneath him. This caused Venom to swerve to the side, but he caught his balanced and continued on towards them. He revved and pulled himself further and further away from Dark Ace.
"What are you doing?" Demanded the other man, but he was ignored. Venom continued on, coming at the group.
Aerrow dropped his jaw as Venom twisted his bike to the side and avoided them all. In a swift motion, he reached out and grabbed Melanie by the wrist. He made another motion and tossed her to the side, taking her away from the others.
"Mel!" Aerrow, Piper, Junko, and Finn cried in unison. Piper gritted her teeth and prepared herself to attack Venom. But, a look from Melanie froze her in place. It was almost like Mel wanted this to happen…
Venom stepped off his bike and walked up to Melanie slowly. "You…" He said in an almost menacing tone. Melanie stood, cringing her shoulders in case she needed to defend herself. But that wasn't exactly necessary as Venom's expression grew calm and somewhat confused. "I…need to ask you something…" He leaned over and grabbed her arm, forcing her upwards. He pointed to the small moon thing on her chest. "What is that?" He asked, tilting an eyebrow. Melanie blinked. "What…" Before she could touch the shape, Venom gave an annoyed groan and grabbed it, jerked, and pulled it off. "What is this thing?" He demanded once more, holding it up.
Melanie stared at it, blinking slowly. Her expressionless face slowly turned into a warm smile. "Let me…" She took the moon. "…show you…" She twisted around and reached into a small pouch on her belt. Turning back, she held up two pieces. But, unlike her own pendant, this other one was yellow, and had spikes like the sun. She moved the two together, forming one shape. This brought a low gasp from Venom.
Melanie cast her eyes to the ground. "We…were at Terra Tranqua, about six years ago, visiting. We found a strange little ornament when we went wandering around the town there…this one…" She told in a low voice, her hands shaking slightly.
"We both thought it was so pretty, so we decided to share it. But, then, something happened, and it broke in half…I cried, but you promised me it would be okay, since we both had a piece…that made us, our own sun and moon…" She chewed at her lip as a look of remembrance filled Venom's eyes.
He reached out, touching the sun shape lightly. "It's…it's…" He muttered, but could not finish his sentence as a hideous electric stream shot through his head. A yell exploded from his throat.
"Whidow!" Melanie shrieked and ran up to him. Venom could hardly support himself, so Melanie wrapped her arms around him. "Whidow, please remember!" She pleaded, leaning her head on his chest.
The other Storm Hawks stood, gaping. Even Dark Ace had skidded to a stop to watch. Stork tilted his head slightly, his crooked grin had vanished, and he held the same look of awe.
The black marks on Venom's face began to glow golden, and retreat away. Slowly, Melanie lowered him to his knees, and knelt with him. "Whidow…?" She said softly. The boy rose his head up. His eyes began to literally flicker between the colours of scarlet and aqua blue. Finally, they came to a stop on the blue. He gave a light sigh, dropping his head. "Ah, Melanie…what in Atmos just happened…?" He slurred, putting his hand on her shoulder and lifting himself up to be eye-to-eye with her.
Melanie let an expression cross her face that was so unlike the expressions that the Storm Hawks usually saw her with. Tears running down her face, a smile so big and true, she practically glowed. Slowly, she closed her eyes and hugged her beloved. She put her chin on his head, sighing, "So much has happened. So, so much…."
"What is this..?" Cyclonis stared at the Mind Stealer, tilting a dark eyebrow. The Mind Stealer began to pulse, shimmering in a fast and unbalanced cadence. Finally, the gem grew to an extremely hot temperature, causing Cyclonis to drop it and shake her hand. She stepped away from it, in fear that it may explode. It, however, did not. Its tempo went back to a gentle pace. She approached it cautiously and knelt down. Carefully, she tapped it with the tip of her finger. Feeling it at the original temperature, she picked it up and looked at it. "Huh…" What she did not notice that a small crack had formed on the top of the gem. The Talons in the room exchanged glances with one another in curiosity.
Finn grinned at Junko before glancing back at the couple. Piper had a smile on her face as her shoulders eased up. Aerrow grinned, nodding slightly. Melanie gave a gentle sigh and helped Whidow to his feet. "I missed you…" She said. Stork's eye twitched with annoyance. Unfortunately, what happened to the Mind Stealer had no effect on him. He stalked up to Whidow's abandoned bike. He squeezed the handles slightly, then brought himself to sit on it. "Hey, Sky Knight!" He snapped at Aerrow, striking his wrist on a section on the bike to protrude and extra blade, which resembled Dark Ace's. "If you're done with this oh-so i heartwarming /i reunion, we have something to finish here." He slowly tilted his head until it jerked with a snap. "Only…on Skimmers…" He revved his bike, enjoying the great rumble it gave.
Dark Ace clenched his teeth together. There was no way he was going to allow Stork to take down the commanding officer of the Storm Hawks…his grimace slowly turned into a iniquitous grin as a thought came into his mind…
Aerrow felt like he was being pulled in two directions by raving-mad bulls. If this were Dark Ace he was dealing with, he would have been instantly in the air, ready to do what he needed, but, this was Stork… He sighed, thinking of what would happen. Whidow got his memories back…that meant Stork had that much of a chance to as well. He blinked as he got an idea. Slowly, he walked to his bike and started it up.
Stork let a hissing chuckle escape. With a jerk, his bike took off over the edge of the Terra. He shot up into the sky and circled, waiting for his prey.
Soon, Aerrow followed him. Radarr gave him a look of disbelief, and squawked as if to ask "What are you thinking?!"
Aerrow seemed to have read his mind, because he smiled lightly. "Stork hates riding Skimmers, because they're unlike his Stork-Mobile. They don't have the same safety features." He explained, as the lemur-like creature to his right rose a brow. "So…" Aerrow continued, holding up a finger. "I think that because Whidow saw something relating to his past, he remembered himself again. I'm going to try refreshing his memory." Radarr's eyes widened, seeing what Aerrow meant. He grinned, nodding.
"What crap are you talking, Sky Knight?" Stork snapped, growing impatient. He wrinkled his nose and bore his teeth. "You'd better not bore me…" His sword was now glowing red.
Aerrow shook his head, a cocky grin on his face. "Nah, I'm not obliged to be boring. In fact, let's make this interesting, huh?" He reached behind his back and pulled off a small pack. "No parachutes, no wings, nothing." Radarr shrieked at this.
Stork tilted his head. "Hmm…" He blinked, then smirked. "Why not?" He pulled off his own pack. "I think that we ought to dispose of them, however…" Aerrow blinked. "Why?" "Because…this is a fight to the end, Sky Knight. Only one of us is touching back down." Stork grinned wildly. "Are you up to it? Or are you a scared little child?"
Child…Aerrow resented that term. He narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Let's do this…" He glanced down. "Ah, jeeze, I hope I know what I'm doing…" With that, he turned to the side and threw his 'chute to the land. Stork copied.
One of them smacked Finn in the side of the head. "Oof…" He slumped slightly. Piper took it. "Huh…this is a parachute!" She announced and gasped. "They've got to be insane!"
"Hey, speaking of insane, where's Dark Ace?" Junko asked, glancing around. This sparked everyone's attention. "Hey, good question…" Finn responded.
Melanie and Whidow shrugged. "Haven't got a clue…" Melanie said, holding onto Whidow's hand. She felt she never wanted to let go again.
Whidow, on the other hand, was still confused of where he was and what had happened. Who were these other kids? What was going on? Who was Dark Ace? How did Melanie's hair get so short…?
Piper clasped her hands together as she dropped her staff. "Please take care, you two…" She sighed helplessly to herself. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, knowing there was nothing she could do. She had to believe in Aerrow, and pray he and Stork would both get through this alive. This, however, was rather hard to judge, since Stork had promised only one was returning onto the Terra.
The two circled around, watching each other carefully. The atmosphere around them was tense as each prepared for their battle. Finally, Stork broke the circulation, twisting to the side and charging at Aerrow. The other boy did as well, drawing his blades. "Okay…" As the two came up to one another, their blades clashed, Stork getting the upper hand as Aerrow hardly tried. The redhead swerved off to the side, then put a hand to his mouth, "Hey, Stork! Remember that time when you led us through the Black Gorge?"
Stork snorted. "Can't say I've ever been there!" He responded mockingly and shot in for another attack. The blue and red blades collided and the two were forced apart once more. "Okay, how about when Finn traded the Condor?" Aerrow suggested.
"Hey…" Finn grumbled on land as Junko snickered at him.
Stork rolled his eyes. "What the heck's a Condor?" He growled, shooting a red beam at Aerrow. This caused a sad look to come on the younger teen's face. "Ah man, this is some bad trance…he doesn't even remember the Condor…" He muttered, avoiding the beam. Radarr sighed with a little noise.
Stork shook his head. "You're boring me, Sky Knight!" He warned, clenching his blade tightly. He gave an unexpected jerk forwards, coming at Aerrow with incredible speed. The two collided, sending Aerrow spinning. "Agh!" He cried, holding on as tightly as he could. Finally gaining control of his Skimmer, he decided to call out to Stork once more. "Do you remember the time…" He paused to dodge a red beam. "…when you were forced to perform on stage at Terra Neon? You were scared out of your wits against that tentacle-monster!"
Stork stopped, thinking. "That's…somewhat familiar…" He muttered. "But, that has nothing to do with this battle!" He finished, shooting forwards once more. Aerrow bit his lip. "Augh…I don't have anything else, Radarr…" He sighed. "Listen…if we lose this fight, I want to tell you that there's an extra parachute in the compartment there. You take it, and escape with the others…" Before Radarr could take this all in, Aerrow swung around, just to see a stray beam attack not his, but Stork's skimmer. Stork gave a surprised yell, and swung around to see where it came from.
On the ground, everyone watched this. They strained to see where it had come from. Piper squinted, tilting her head. Her eyes shortly widened and were filled with anger. "Dark Ace!" She exclaimed.
She was correct. The evil man had snuck up on them and attacked. He chuckled, twirling his blade for a brief moment. "Surprised?" He ridiculed and laughed.
"Dark Ace…" Stork hissed turning. "What are you doing? You said I was to be the one to take Aerrow down!"
Dark Ace scoffed. "Well…I lied." He said simply, and continued to laugh. As he did, he shot a final beam at Stork, demobilizing his Skimmer.
Stork was wordless as his Skimmer went out from beneath him. No Skimmer and no parachute, just the horrid wastelands below. He closed his eyes as he began to plummet down, ready for his death, as he has been so many times before.
" b Stork/b " Aerrow roared, terrified. He twisted his Skimmer around and shot towards his falling comrade. Everyone on the Terra gasped, holding their breaths and waiting.
Stork felt himself jerk to a stop. He opened his eyes and blinked. He slowly looked up and saw Aerrow leaning to the side, gripping his wrist tightly. "Huh…?" He murmured, confused at all this.
"Why?" He asked, more curious than angry. "Why did you stop me from falling?"
Aerrow grinned slightly. "Because, Stork, we're friends, and that's what friends do…" He chuckled, and Radarr gave an agreeing jabber.
Stork was expressionless for a moment, as he cast his attention to the wastelands below. His eyes pinched shut suddenly and a groan escaped him. He clenched his fist as if pain were streaking through him. "Stork? Stork, what is it?" Aerrow asked in a concerned tone.
Stork didn't answer as the marks on his face became golden and vanished. His pained eyes began to flicker, black, red, black, red, black, red, black, red, black…
He sighed as his shoulders loosened. "Ugh…" He opened his eyes slowly. "Uh…wha-thuh…" His vision became clearer, and he noticed the wastelands below.
"AhAAAAAAAHHHHGG!!!!!" His scream echoed around the Terra. He thrust himself upwards and scrambled onto the Skimmer behind Aerrow. "Where am I?! What happened?! What's going on! Agh! AGH-AGHH!!! What happened!!??" He shrieked, and didn't stop, either.
In the tower, the fast tempo tore at the Mind Stealer once more. Cyclonis gave a look and sensed something major coming. "Ugh…" She brought her arm back and hucked the crystal into the air. Steam rose from it as began to heat. An explosion rang through the air as the Mind Stealer shattered. "Curse it…" Cyclonis hissed, clenching her teeth.
Aerrow grinned. "Stork…Stork…Stork?" His smile was fading. "Stork!" He flicked his arm behind him and smacked the petrified Merb across the face. This stopped the screaming. Instead, Stork clung to Aerrow's shoulders, not about to let go. His chest was heaving rapidly.
Piper blinked, trying to decipher what just happened. Her eyes widened, then she beamed. "Yes!" She cheered, throwing her fists into the air. "He's back!"
Melanie and Whidow exchanged glances, smiling. Melanie placed a hand on her chest and sighed as her guilt dispensed. But noises of beams and fighting above reminded her of the battle still going on. At this point, she was able to look up at it, and have hope that they would get through this.
Aerrow wheeled around the shots fired, and bumped to the side lightly. "Ugh…" Stork groaned and wrapped his arms around his chest. "Hey, what's up, Stork?" Aerrow asked, glancing over his shoulder.
"Ahh…I think I may have broke something when I was on the Condor earlier." The green man explained, pinching his eyes shut and lowering his head.
"Hmm…Hey, Radarr, get that pack out." Aerrow grinned. Radarr nodded and flipped open the compartment. Aerrow paused then jerked his head lightly at Stork. "You know what to do with it."
Radarr nodded and jumped behind Stork. "Eh-what's he-WHOA!" Radarr stuck the parachute on his back and let it out. With a surprised yelp, he went floating back to the Terra.
Piper smiled and Finn and Junko helped her catch him and carry him to a Skimmer so he could sit and rest. "Welcome back, buddy." Finn greeted and slapped him on the back kindly, only to receive a pained moan.
Stork sighed and glanced to the side. "Melanie…eh? Who's that now..?" He muttered, seeing Whidow. Whidow blinked slightly, smiled, and gave a slight wave. "Yo…"
In the sky, Aerrow glared at Dark Ace. "Okay, now, let's get busy." He said, his smile vanished like a puddle on a hot summer day. "You're going to pay, Dark Ace. You and the Cyclonians aren't gonna get away with kidnapping Whidow and Stork!." Radarr growled.
Dark Ace scowled. "We'll see about that, Aerrow. You'd better think twice about this battle. You don't have your wings or a parachute. One mess-up and it's the wastelands for you." He snarled.
Aerrow drew his blades. "It's gonna be worth it if I take you with me." He challenged and jumped up. Dark Ace copied his motion. Their Skimmers approached one another, and the mêlée commenced.
Aerrow ducked the scarlet blade and came around with a kick. This was blocked swiftly, and a punch countered. Not expecting this, it landed across Aerrow's jaw, causing him to flip back. He gritted his teeth and came at him again. Their blades came in contact several times before Aerrow caught Dark Ace at a bad moment and kicked him in the chest.
This almost threw him off his Skimmer, but he caught himself and flipped up. "Agh, I've had just about enough!" He sneered, hunching his shoulders in a threatening manner.
Piper watched the fight, her jaw dropped and her eyes expanded. "I…I don't know when this is going to end! They're virtually even!" She cried, clenching her fists. Melanie nodded. "It's amazing…" She said. Stork watched them, blinking. "Oh…I want the Condor…" He whined, curling his legs up.
This caught Whidow's attention. "You guys drive a Condor?" He asked.
Piper nodded. "Yeah, why?"
"Well, my dad used to own something like that. I helped him with some deliveries. I could go get it. Uhm…that's if you want a fifteen-year-old driving your ship…" Whidow explained.
Stork sighed, shaking his head. "Eh, I'd let you get it, but the Cyclonians got their hands on it…eh, we're all going to die, anyway…" He slumped.
At this point, Whidow had a large smirk on his face. "Nah." He brought out his mace. "I'll be fine." Melanie came up beside him. "We'll be fine." She corrected, grinning. With that, the two walked off, side by side.
Stork's eye twitched. "Those guys are doomed."
"Argh!" Aerrow landed hard on his stomach, rocking his Skimmer unevenly. He groaned and tried to lift himself. He glared at Dark Ace as he came to his feet. He inhaled, and kept that breath in his lungs as he held his blades out.
"Still getting up? You are a relentless brat, you know?" Dark Ace growled, tightening his grip on his sword. Aerrow smirked. "Yeah. I know." He jumped up and pressed his blades against Dark Ace's.
Melanie and Whidow snuck around a corner. "Hmm…that must be it…" Whidow murmured in his accented voice. Melanie nodded. "It is…what are those guys doing?" She asked, leaning forwards.
"It looks like they have paint…" "Ew…what colours?" "….Purple and green, I think." "Ew! Let's just stop them already and get the Condor back to the Storm Hawks." Whidow chuckled at his girlfriend's reaction.
Slowly, they slinked in, and Whidow came up behind one. He tapped him on the shoulder, and caught his collar as they met up. "Okay, listen you…you are i not /i going to use those putrid colours on a ship that's not yours." His voice was low and dangerous now. The Talon was shivering. "N-no sir…" He responded, unaware that Whidow was not a Talon as well, since he was still dressed in the uniform.
Whidow moved back, continuing with, "Now…you are needed in the main hall. Beat it." The scared man saluted and scampered off carrying the bucket with him. Whidow watched him leave, then grinned with an amused snort. There was really no point in chasing that guy off, but it was just funny to watch. Plus, the other guys were down a bucket of paint.
Melanie watched this, and rolled her eyes. Just one of them many reasons why she fell in love with him in the first place. She glanced at him, then, receiving a slight motion, she nodded and came up behind on half of the gang. She smirked and took a position in Sky-fu. There were several light noises of her fingers striking sensitive areas on the Talons' necks, and Whidow took care of the others in his own way... His mace was a rather large support in the situation.
Finn tapped his finger on his bike's handlebars. "Augh…Aerrow's getting his butt kicked!" He complained, worried. Piper glanced at him. "Whidow and Melanie will be here soon with the Condor." She said, putting her hands on her hips. "When they do, we'll boot it out of here." But, she didn't neglect Finn's words…
Aerrow's chest heaved with long, deep breaths. "Ugh…there's got to be a way…" He muttered, feeling defeated. He drooped his head and tried to think it through. But only one thought came to his head.
"Radarr, stand by." He told, and looked like a cat ready to pounce. Dark Ace came up, ready to fire once more, but the only thing he was able to see was Aerrow tackling him. There was a flurry of bodies, the sounds of angry yells, and blades clashing. As Aerrow swept around the other man, he dragged his blades along the engine of the red Skimmer, keeping it subtle as he gradually destroyed it.
Finally, as Dark Ace moved in for a final stab, Aerrow back-flipped over him and drove his weapons into the main part of the engine, causing black smoke to emerge. Sounds of smaller detonations throughout the airborne bike warned that it was going down!
Dark Ace looked down at his ride, confused and downright ticked off. How did he discharge it so silently and quickly? His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice and tone.
"Well, no Terra below. It's the Wastelands for you, Dark Ace." Aerrow snickered and took a step back, ready to flip onto his own Skimmer…
"Not so fast, Sky Knight!" Roared Dark Ace as he reached forwards and yanked Aerrow's shoulder and collar. "You're going down with me, whether you like it or not!" With that, he twisted around and tossed Aerrow off the Skimmer before he abandoned it himself and pulled out his parachute. .
This happening so quickly, Aerrow hardly had the voice to scream.
On the Terra, Piper clasped her hands over her mouth. "Oh no! Aerrow!" She cried out and ran to her Heliscooter. Everyone else peered over the cliff, too shocked to do anything. Stork, still holding onto his aching ribs, was too disturbed to moan his sonatas of doom. "Come on…start…" Piper pleaded as she attempted to start her machine, but it gave a stubborn grumble. She bit her lip, conquered. The group sat there in hushed sorrow.
Junko's lip trembled, and Finn gave him a light pat on the shoulder. "It's okay buddy…it's okay…" He murmured, hoping to sound as truthful as possible. But was hard to sound like something you didn't feel.
Stork bowed his head with a sad sigh. "Ah…" Suddenly, his eyes widened and his ears perked up. He tilted his head as if he were listening for something. Junko began to respond the same way. Soon, everyone strained to listen. As the sound got closer and closer, Piper tilted her head.
"It sounds like Aerrow's-" But she could hardly finish the sentence as the blue and white Skimmer shot up from the cliff and high above their heads. Piper's look of awe molded into a great smile. "Aerrow!"
Finn and Junko gave a loud cheer and threw their arms into the air. "Yes! Didn't I say it would be okay? Didn't I?" Finn laughed, pumping a fist. "WAHOO!" The two hyper boys shared a high-five.
Stork gave an airy chuckle of surprise, impressed. He inhaled, and leaned back, content.
Piper abandoned her Heliscooter and raced to the redhead. "Aerrow! I can't believe it, you got out!" She shouted gleefully, wrapping him in a big hug. "Whoa, Piper, settle down!" Aerrow grinned, patting her on the back. "We'll all have to thank Radarr. He swung in just in time." He sighed and looked over at the furry creature. He was silenced abruptly by soft lips on the side of his face. "Whoa…." His eyes widened. Piper pulled away, beaming.
Stork blinked, his mouth gaped open. He slowly glanced behind him, seeing the same expression he held on Finn and Junko's faces. Slowly, he grinned and looked back at Piper with a teasing grin forming.
"What?" Piper asked, putting a hand on her hip. The other three chuckled. "What?!"
Their laughter was silenced by the sound of the Condor's horn. The great ship emerged from the clouds, and the Storm Hawks could see Melanie and Whidow, waving to them.
A few days later, Piper and Junko helped Stork walk around the ship as his ribcage slowly healed itself. He had tight bandages wrapped around them, preventing him from twisting the wrong way and worsening his condition.
They had allowed Melanie and Whidow to stay on the Condor and drive, until the Merb could do so himself.
Aerrow smiled, glad that they were back in their home, safe and sound. But he still couldn't shake the kiss Piper had given him before they departed from Cyclonia. He glanced over his shoulder slightly and watched her as she and Junko gently lowered Stork into a seat. His attention was diverted at the call of his name.
"Yeah, what is it, Whidow?"
Whidow, at this point, was out of the Cyclonian clothes. He was dressed in baggier clothes and had several chains hanging off his belt. This image totally defied the innocence the Storm Hawks saw in the photo Melanie had given them…
He grinned at Aerrow. "Listen, man. Thanks so much for what you and your Squadron has done for me." He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "I'd give you something but I don't know what…" He began to search through his pockets, but Aerrow held up a hand. "No thanks. It's okay." He said, nodding and smirking.
Whidow gave a light chuckle. "Ah…I just wonder what Melanie and I will do now." He said, leaning back on the wall and looking at the ceiling.
Aerrow tilted his head to the side, then suggested, "Have you ever thought of forming a Squadron of your own? Atmos could use a new team to help."
Whidow closed his eyes and shook his head. "That's not my decision to make, you know."
Aerrow gave a look. "Huh, what are you talking about?"
Whidow snickered. "I'm not the Sky Knight here…" He jerked his head in Melanie's direction. "She's the boss…"
Melanie carefully tilted the controls as she drove. With that, she glanced over her shoulder and looked at the two boys, a mischievous grin on her face.
THE END!