Unknown

"I must be brave. Come, come what may. Can I be saved? Is there a way? At the opera tonight..."- Repo! The gentic Opera

Damp, stagnant air was inhaled and exhaled. No pattern. It was drawn in as if each time was the last.

Never cared much for patterns really. Waste of time, they are. Why make a pattern if you can just make things up as you go along?

No light resided here, no sound penetrated the air. The room was a thing of nothingness. Of emptiness.

Home sweet home. Heh... if home is hell. That's my life. Hell. All it has been, all it will be. The scenery may change, but it will still be hell. Hell with a different face... I always thought the devil might've been one of my kind. Never know with him, do you? Hell with a different face... huh. Wonder if it'd smell any better than this. My nose freakin hurts... more so than ever before. It's probably because everyone upstairs is so restless. They're sweatin' more than usual, the little rats.

...

A small noise, then. As if something twitched.

Restless rats. Why? They're never restless. They never do anything, they just sit there wasting away. Much like me. Only, their cells get cleaned more than once a month. Why is today different? Why? Hm. If they think they're getting out, then they're all stupider than I thought. If that's possible. Don't think much of 'em now, anyway.

Another twitch. Followed by the sound of movement. Two flourescent spheres appeared in the darkness. Eyes.

A visitor?

Blinding white light flooded the room then, and the eyes immediately closed. Footsteps sounded and the figure that had been hunched over in a corner was forcefully lifted from the floor. The figure was dragged from the room and literally thrown out the door. This was necessary, for the figure's limbs were shackled together with heavy chains. The now-empty room consisted only of four metal walls, caked in grime and the remnants of uneaten meals, and one heavy metal door, equally coated. That door was slammed shut. The lights were turned off, and the cell was once again bathed in black darkness.

Footsteps and the sound of clanking metal grew fainter and fainter.

...

I think something interesting will happen today.

The Grand Council Hall

"Hold your breath and count to four. Pinky swears don't work no more."- Billy Talent

Starling and the Storm Hawks were greeted by a sight they hoped they'd never have to see again. Every single Sky Knight squadron they'd ever known or known of was gathered in that hall. And in case you didn't know, that's a lot of squadrons. The members of the Sky Council were each seated in their respective seats atop the large podium that gave them the counncil their intimidating air. It made one feel so small and insignificant.

"Ah, the Storm Hawks. Welcome. Please have a seat."

A young man appeared before them, a young man with that sounded very familiar. He looked to be at least eighteen, maybe older. He had blue hair, lighter than Piper's but darker than the sky on a clear day. Three curved scars went horizontally across his left cheek. But that wasn't what caught their attention. What did catch their attention, were the man's eyes. They were pearly white. They were the eyes of a blind man, yet it seemed as if he could see them all quite clearly.

"Is there something wrong?"

Aerrow frowned, and looked the man up and down. He noticed the crystal saber that hung at the man's belt, and something clicked in his head. His face grew neutral and he offered the young man his hand.

"You must be Vaan. I'm-"

"Aerrow, yes. I've heard much about you and your squadron."

Vaan gripped his hand and shook it, his grip firm. Then his gaze moved to Starling, and his smile faltered.

"Pardon me, but you are?"

Starling smiled and gave a small mock salute.

"Starling of the Interceptors, at your service."

Vaan's eyes widened and he immediately gave a small bow.

"Oh no, it is I who is at your service."

Suck up. Starling nodded and motioned at the commotion that was occuring behind Vaan.

"We haven't missed anything, have we?"

Vaan looked over his shoulder and straightened back up. He turned back to the group and shook his head. Finn watched him from his spot at the back of the pack, frowning. He didn't like this man, no matter how nice he seemed. Something about him was off, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Gee, you think it's his eyes, smart guy? In fact, when said man came up to him and offered his hand, Finn stuck his nose in the air and walked right past him. Portable stands had been placed before the Sky Council's podium, so the blonde found an empty row and sat down.

"Oh, don't mind him, he's probably just jealous because Starling likes you."

"Shut up, Piper."

Piper just laughed and went to sit on Finn's right side, ignoring his exclamation of protest. Starling rolled her eyes and followed, sitting down next to Piper. Stork mumbled something about a waste of time and walked to the stand to sit down. Junko decided it would feel pretty awkward standing there alone with Aerrow and the strange man, so he went along with Stork. That left the Sky Knight and the Head Guard alone together, and they both cast each other a glance. The kind of glance that said they were respecting each other's authority, and that was it.

"Well, you should go find your seat. The council will be starting their anouncement soon."

Oh, and we wouldn't want to miss that now, would we?

Aerrow nodded and started to move, but as he passed by, he heard Vaan mumble something nearly inaudible under his breath. His eyes grew wide and he turned to question the man, buit Vaan was already walking away. The Sky Knight frowned, but shook his head and went to sit next to Starling.

"Alright everybody, settle down, settle down."

The Head of the council stood up and clapped his hands, in an attempt to get everyone's attention. That failed however, obviously you idiot, and the old man frowned. He gave Vaan, who was now standing at the foot of the podium, an annoyed look. Vaan nodded, pulled out his sword, andswitched it on. It shone with a green light, which suggested it was being powered by a wind stone, and gave it a ligt swing. A green wave of strong wind was sent out over the stands, and everyone immediately quieted down.

The head of the council nodded, and Vaan put away his sword as everyone got themselves situated. The old man nodded and cleared his throat, ready to begin his tale.

"Now, everyone here knows who Xavier the Great was, correct?"

A series of nodds and positive responces filled the room.

"Well, for those of you that may not, he was the very first Sky Knight. A Rex Guardian. He was the one who wrote The Code, freed us from Cyclonian control, and started a new age. He was a great man, who deserves the place of honor we hold him in."

Piper frowned from her seat. Everyone knew who Xavier the Great was, so why was the Sky Council wasting time talking about him? This was a potentially life-changing announcement, not a history lesson. Ah, but those who don't know the past are doomed to repeat it, right?

"Now, what does this have to do with the reason we called you all here? Well, most of you don't know this, but before Xavier the Great passed, he had a great building constructed in his name. It was-"

"Yes yes, it was the Sky Knight Academy. Is there anything you have to say that we don't already know?"

Piper had had enough. Her and her team rushed to Atmosia expecting a threat on their freedom or something just as major. She didn't expect nor did she want a history lesson on things she already knew. She didn't care if the entire council was glaring at her as if she had just spoiled a surprise party.

The head of the council cleared his throat and fixed his bow-tie, even though there was nothing really wrong with it. Well, you know. When you're in an awkward spot, you gotta do something that makes you look like you aren't flustered by it. Even if it is something stupid like fixing a tie...

"No, I'm afraid that's not what we are talking about. What we were talking about, was Xavier's Prison."

A chorus of confusion filtered out across the room, and Piper raised a brow. Now there was something she'd never heard of.

"You see, before he died, he feared that the current prisons and stockades weren't adequate enough to hold some of the nastier prisoners they housed. So, to fix this problem, he constructed his own prison. It was a grand place, impossible to escape. Twenty-four hour watch, impenetrable containment centers, and an emergency self-destruct procedure. There was no way anyone could ever escape it."

Starling raised her hand, a completely no-nonsense expression on her face. The head of the council motioned for her to speak. She nodded and stood up.

"Sir, what does this have to do with today's world? Surely a prison bulit that long ago wouldn't be in use now."

The old man's face grew grim.

"Right, this is where the bad news comes. You see, this prison is still being used today. In fact, it's nearly half-full. Almost all of our worst enemies and criminals are being kept there, for we voted that each was too dangerous to be kept in the average stockade. We even thought of sending Carver there, but decided against it."

At that, Aerrow raised his head from his hand, where it had been resting, and his eyes widened. Something Vaan had said to him earlier came back to him.

"Don't forget yourself. No matter what these geezers say."

Now, his gaze moved around the room, drifting across the faces filled with confusion, until they rested on the young man that stood rigid as a statue by the Sky Council podium. Aeerow's keen green eyes earched through Vaan's pearly white ones, but they betrayed nothing. No emotion whatsoever. Aerrow leaned back and sighed. He was a tad jealous, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to get his face looking that neutral. Still, Vaan's words unsettled him. The young man was the council's guardian, why would he speak of them in such a poor manor?

'Maybe Finn's right. Maybe we shouldn't trust him...'

The Sky Knight fixed his gaze back on the head of the council, and let out the question that had been bugging him for the last ten minutes.

"So, sir, what exactly are we here for? Are we to guard this prison, escort someone there... or are we supposed to play executioner?"

The old man's eyes fixated on his, and eyebrows knitted together, as if he was surprised the Sky Knight would suggest such a thing. Yeah, there are no executioners here. We either kill ourselves or kill each other.

"No, Sky Knight, we don't want you to kill anyone."

"So then, 'fer the hundredth time, what is it you need us to do there, chief?"

Every head in the room turned to the doorway. There stood the Absolute Zeros, the only squadron that wasn't seated in the stands. Suzy-Lu and Billy-Rex were at the front, with the other four standing behind them. They appeared to be, well... not quite flustered, but definitely uncomfortable. Piper was the first to notice why. Blizzarians are used to the cold of the icy landscapes and vast snowbanks of Blizzaris, or Terra Nord. They weren't equipped to deal with the heat of other Terras. During the Geat Race held on Terra Saharr, they'd go through nearly a hundred gallons of ice water a day in order to stay cool. Now that's a big bill...

Right now though, they were panting like dogs, save for Suzy-Lu who was chewing her ever-present bubblegum. And their usual winter-wear had been replaced with skin-tight shirts and pants, the fabric ranging through different shades of blue. And they looked pissed.

"If you hoasers don't tell us what we need to do in five seconds, me and the boys are walking out. We had some serious back-country training planned for today, but we had to rush on over here. And you're not even tellin' us what you need us 'fer."

The male population of the Absolute Zeros all glowered at the council with crossed arms, though the fact that their tongues were all hanging out of their mouths didn't make the glares quite as intimidating as they could've been. The girls rolled their eyes at the sight. A couple giggles came from the stands, and the head of the council sighed and put a hand to his forehead.

"Ah, the Absolute Zeros. Finally decided to join us?"

The Council members weren't fond of the Absolute Zeros, they were too wild and unpredictable for their liking. Then old men liked things organized and mapped out. The Zeros made things up as they went along. Still, the Council tolerated them because they were one of the best Squadrons out there. In fact, they had single-handedly freed Terra Blizzaris from Cyclonian control a few months earlier. Terra Nord was glad to be rid of them. They were fun for a while, but if you weren't exactly a party person, they'd get on your nerves sooner or later.

"Yea, and we're regrettin' it already, eh."

The Head of the Council fixed the blizzarians with a glare, with Suzy-Lu glaring right back. Neither faltered, until Suzy-Lu decided she was bored. She popped her gum and turned to face her team. The boys nodded, albeit a bit forcefully, and moved past her to find seats in the stand, the girls following without protest. Fortunately, the only empty seats were behind the Storm Hawks, so they were happy to have some decent people to sit by. Suzy-Lu and Billy-Rex sat right behind Piper and Starling, flashing them toothy grins as they got themselves situated.

"Now, if our furry friends are done, we will tell you what it is you need to do. Vaan?"

Theyoung man in question disappeared for a second, and returned with a large roll of parchment. This parchment he set up on the Counil's podium, like the way a world map is set up on the wall of a classroom, and let it unfurl. It was a map, that much was obvious, but the SKy Knights weren't quite sure what of. Piper guessed it was a map of the Terra the prison was located on, and asked if it was.

"Yes my dear, this is a map of Terra Anoyo. The terra on which Xavier's Prison is located. Each squadron will recieve a smaller version of this map when the meeting is ajourned. We do indeed need you to guard this prison, for it is in danger of having a massive break-out. If this break-out succeeds, then I fear for us all."

A chorus of gasps and curses swept across the stands. A shiver went up Stork's spine as he imagined the world filled with escapees. His eye twitched and he whimpered when he pictured his beloved Condor being torn to pieces by vengeful criminals.

'To heck with us,' he thought, 'We all die sooner or later. I fear for the Condor's saftey!'

"Alright, you're teeling us there's a prison we've never heard of, and that it's filled with criminals we're lucky we've never met, and those criminals might just be set loose in the world? Wouldn't a prison this important have an army guarding it?"

Blister of the Third Degree Burners spoke up from his seat toward the front. He had been looking forward to today, his baby was supposed to be getting a tune-up and a new paint job, but this meeting had totally ruined it all. Now he was in a bad mood, and he wasn't afraid to let it show when he spoke. The council noticed it in his tone, and they grew a bit nervous. Having a Sky Knight pissed off at you was a bad thing, no matter who you were. What if you were their mom? That'd be an interesting fight? Heh heh.

"Yes, that's what we are saying. And, considering you all said the Sky Knight's oath, you and your squadrons are required to make sure this break-out does not come to happen. If it does, then it will be your responsibilty to round up every single escapee that was set loose, and bring them before us."

EVerything from moans to shoat of protest came from the squadrons that sat before the council, and Vaan had to flick his sword on for the second time that day. After everyone had quieted down a satisfactory amount, the head of the council stood up.

"I know you all must have had other things to do, but we need to make sure those prisoners stay in their prison. You should know that we need to do whatever we can to make sure the people under our care are kept safe. Just think of what could happen if the Cyclonians were able to convince these criminals to help them overthrow us! We are the ones who put them in prison after all! They'd be overjoyed! They must not be allowed to escape!"

"Pardo me, eh, but if these hoasers are so damn dangerous, why haven't they been executed?"

Starling and Piper both turned to look at Suzy-Lu. The blizzarian was completely serious, she wanted to know why these criminals were still alive if they were such a danger to the world. However, her question had greatly unsettled the council, and the head had actually turned his back on the Sky Knights to ask his colleagues for help with the answer. This question had succeeding in getting the rest of the Sky Knights curious, and now they too were clamoring for an answer. The council lloked to be in trouble, but then Vaan stepped forawrd and raised his hands for quiet.

"My friends, do realize what you're asking? Why have these people not been killed? Because they are still human, and they are humans who have not been given their second chance. And does not the Code, written by Xavier the Great himself, say that all people, good or bad, are still people? Do really think we are that inhumane? This upsets me. How could you even think we would consider killing these people as if they were rats?"

Now Aerrow was truly confused. Hadn't this man told him no more than twenty minutes ago not to trust the council? And now he was sticking up for them? Not only was Aerrow confused, he was suspicious. Vaan was extremely good at knowing what to say, for the clamor in the stands was slowly quieting down. Aerrow himself wasn't quite satisfied with the answer, but he did feel slightly embarrassed. He always said that people were people, no matter what they'd done in the past. There was always room for a change of heart. That's what he'd taught a number of people during his three years of being a Sky Knight.

When Vaan stepped back to allow the council to continue, he looked Aerrow straight in the eye. It was only for a split second, but it made Aerrow extremely uneasy. He didn't have long to dwell on it though, for the council members were ready to continue relaying instructions.

"So, before you leave the building, be sure to get the map, as well as a list of the inmates that reside in the prison. Even if you succeed in stopping the break-out, one or two prisoners may escape. The list contains not only the descriptions, but pictures of the prisoners themselves. When everything has calmed down, use that information to help the guards that already work there take inventory on all the inmates. If one is missing, you can use the information to help you locate the prisoner and bring he or she back home."

"Wait, so there are alread guards there?"

"Yes, but we need to take the initiative and provide any support we can, the guards will need all the help they can get."

The head looked around the room, and then motioned to Vaan. The young man nodded and headed off down a corridor. Starling watched him go and guessed he was supposed to go and get the papers. She wasn't really comfortable with the entire meeting, she felt that the Council hadn't told them everything. But she wasn't too worried. After all, every Sky Knight and their squadrons would be there, and that would probably be more than enough security to guard a couple of handfuls of criminals.

"Are there any questions, SKy Knights? No? Good. You are to head over to Terra Anoyo as soon as you are done preparing for the trip. Be sure to stock up on anything you may need for a fight, if god forbid one should occur. That is all. This meeting is ajourned."

Aerrow was the first to stand and leave the stands. His teammates looked after him with worried glances and got up to follow. Suzy-Lu and Billy-Rex looked at each other, shrugged, and decided to follow, the other Zeros trailing behind them.

Vaan had reappeared by the doorway, a stack of papers in his arms. He nodded to Aerrow and handed him the first pack of paper. Aerrow took it without so much as a glance in Vaan's direction and continued walking. Starling apologized for Aerrow's behavior and took one of the packets for herself, skimming over the front page for a second before following Aerrow.

"Aerrow, slow down. I know you're annoyed, but-"

"Annoyed? No. I'm suspicious. There's something they aren't telling us, and I want to know what it is. Let's just get over to this prison and get ourselves ready for a fight. Piper, Stork, you think you guys can get us there quickly?"

"Yeah, probably. I'm pretty sure I know which quadrant this Terra is in, and if not then I'm sure there's some record of it in the Code."

"And we should be good on fuel for a while, as far as I know."

"Good. Starling, you want to hitch a ride with us?"

"Sure thing, I parked Red near the Condor, I'll be ready to go in no time."

"Is that an extended invitation there, chief?"

"Huh?"

The Absolute Zeros looked ready to drop, even Suzy-Lu was starting to pant, and was just waiting for her gum to fall out of her mouth. Ew...

"Yeah, you guys got some nice air conditioning up there on the Condor, eh."

Two of the boys, Billy-Rex and Robby-Ray, both decided to lean on Piper for support. Billy-Rex on the left, Robby-Ray on the right. Piper scrunched up her nose, because let's just say wet Blizzarian fur does not smell good, but made no move to get them off. Billy-Rex's dark blue head-fur had gone shade darker, same for Robby-Ray's brown fur. The rest of the team looked on, small smirks on their faces.

"Um, since it looks like you guys need it, I guess we've got room. Right Stork?"

The merb rolled his eyes and muttered something inaudible, which Aerrow decided to take as a 'yes'.

"Alright. Once everyone is on the Condor, we'll head out."

The Council's Record Room

"Liar liar pants on fire, hanging from a telephone wire."- The Used

After the squadrons had filed out of the Grand Hall, Vaan came in to drop off a huge stack of papers. Most of which were the regular reports of the Terra's state of operation, population, crime rate, and such. The old men each sat at their respective place and began to go over the papers. One of these old men was feeling uneasy about the way the meeting had went. This man's name was Aelis, and he didn't feel comfortable lying to all of Atmos' SKy Knights as well as their squadmates.

"Aelis, what's wrong? Did something one of the Sky Knights say upset you?"

The old man looked up. Well, he wasn't really that old. He was fifty-two, much younger than the other members of the council. The others were all around seventy, the head was actually eighty-one. Aelis had qualities that didn't quite put him into the same category as the others when it came to the looks department. His hair wasn't neccessarily white, like the others, but a very handsome silver. It was slicked back, but a few loose strands came down over his face. His eyes were a very soft brown, and they held a certain spark that the other members of the council had lost long ago.

"Well, I don't feel quite comfortable not telling them the whole story. What if something happens?"

The head of the council snorted from his seat in the middle of the group, fixing Aelis with a look that clearly said he thought the man was an idiot. You ain't too smart yourself there, chief.

"Please, what could happen? The guards there are more than enough to deal with a couple of filthy prison rats."

"Yes, but..."

"But what?"

"Carver is the one leading the assualt isn't he? And he was one of our greatest Sky Knights. I knew we should have sent him to Xavier's after what happened the last time he was let out of prison."

The head ignored him and continued going through the papers before him, as did the others. That's why we call them 'others.' They never do anything worth mentioning.

Aelis sighed and went back to his paperwork, unaware that someone had just heard every word they'd said...

And was pointing a crystal shooter at the head of the council.