ok, first of all - SOOOO SORRY GUYS! I have a tonne of tests coming up, so only just squeezed this in.

something I need to remember more - I , unfortunetly, don't own Storm Hawks. If I did, the yummy Dark Ace would be mine...

listen to the song Rewind by Paolo Nutini while Heala and Finn are talking. I'll probably use this song and another by dear Paolo for two chapter in the sequels. Don't blame me, he's good, and from Scotland.

so on with the show.

"Yep. It's her." Stork lowered the binoculars and sighed mournfully. "Fifteen minutes late, and on my lovely skimmer, now all scratched and worn." Sure enough, they could now see a skimmer with two figures on it, heading directly for The Condor.

It stopped as it got to the village, where they could clearly hear some of the village boys shouting some rude insults. The figure in front raised its head, and out flowed some of the filthiest language known to man. Most of it wasn't, actually. The whole squadron winced and covered their ears. After a few minutes of screeching all the variations of 'screw you', the figure revved up and sped to The Condor, stopping at the bridge.

"Hello hello hello!" Heala removed her helmet, the visor on which had been raised to cover her eyes. She seemed completely unconcerned with her foul mouth. "Sorry we're late, was visiting a few old friends. Meet my sister, Raven."

The second girl unsteadily got off the bike and pushing aside a thick curtain of long black hair, revealed herself to be a slim girl, maybe a year younger than her sister, wearing a rough white cotton dress with a leather bodice, both too big for her and probably intended for Heala. Her face was thin and finely shaped, but there was a hollowness around her eyes, eyes as purple as elderberries on the vine, as empty as the windows of a haunted house. She regarded Aerrow intently, apparently unaware of the intensity of the returned gaze. "Hiya!" Junko said enthusiastically, trying to break the ice. "Your sis' has been with us for a bit! She's a really good sharpshooter, like Finn!"

A ghost of a smile appeared on the girl's lips, and so faintly they wondered if they heard it at all, she replied "hi."

"You can stay in my room," Heala said, getting straight down to business. "There's room for two." She dragged the unresisting Raven through the door.

All were silent for a few moments, until Piper voiced the words going through everyone's head. "Now I know what she meant by traumatized."

XxXxX

Later that night, as Aerrow was returning to his room from a delicious dinner (a la Piper et Heala), he snagged his sleeve on the table edge, causing a large rip in the fabric. Cursing, he turned to see the resident bounty hunter sneaking out of the kitchen. "Heala!" he called, making her jump and look round wildly for a few seconds. "What you up to?"

The gangster looked shiftily around. "I was…just… um…going up to the roof…" she answered fugitively.

"Right," he answered glancing at the half unwrapped wine bottles. "Hey, can you fix this?" he asked, indicating his ripped sleeve. "Junko and Finn refused to learn, and Piper says it bores her."

"NEVER!" Heala declared shrilly, Aerrow detecting a powerful whiff of alcohol, although the bottles were still full. "The days where woman sat at home and sewed are over! However, my sister may do it," she added carelessly, before heading for the roof. "She's good at that kinda' thing."

He thanked her and headed off down the corridor, after going to his room and changing into a t-shirt. Arriving at the two sister's door he knocked and entered.

Despite Heala's messy bed, with the pillows and duvet all over the place (barely concealing a book by the name of Alice on Terra Wondera. Apparently even bounty hunter's have a soft side.), there was nothing else there, even on Raven's bed (the opposite of her sister's). It's almost like they were ready to leave at short notice, he thought, remembering Piper mentioning this once when the bounty hunter first came on.

"Hello?" a voice asked. Realising the room was occupied, he finally noticed Raven sitting next to the window.

"Um…hi. I ripped my shirt sleeve, and Heala said you were good at sewing, so…" he trailed off awkwardly, as she examined the shirt. After a few uncomfortable moments, she nodded. "Thanks," he ventured, getting a smile in return.

"No problem," she whispered, making him feel slightly victorious afterwards for getting her approval, as he walked back down to his room.

XxXxX

Finn, meanwhile, was doing the same. That was, until he heard laughter coming from the hatch (the lock of which had still not been fixed). Curious, he jumped up, months of battles making it easy.

It was Heala. Of course it was. "it's Blondie from the Storm Hawks," and started to sing tunelessly. "One way, or another, I'm gonna' getcha', gonna' getcha' getcha' getcha' getcha'…" she giggled.

He cocked an eyebrow. "You've already started on the wine?"

"Of course."

"I'm in." she dragged him down to sit next to her.

"Try the white. It's my fave," she said, slurring her words slightly. He obediently filled up a glass, and had a sip, then tried the red. "You need to improve on your sipping technique," she commented, swirling the wine in her glass around.

He laughed. "Point taken, oh drunk one. Red's nicer, though. More flavour."

She pouted. "Aww. But you notice that it's alcohol more. With white it's more like water."

"Since when did you become an expert in wines?"

She shrugged. "It lasts longer than water, and it's cheaper in some places. Trust me, when you have next to no money and an ill sister hanging on your hand, it's the best alternative."

How did you get to where you are now?" he asked, taking another swallow.

"Well, I opened the hatch, and then I jumped up. However, you appear to be talking about careers, so I should probably shut up. My older brother and sister left straight after my parents…went. I don't know where they are anymore, and I had to fend for myself. When I was younger I did some delivery runs and stuff, for the colonel and the likes. I also dressed up as an old lady and claimed benefits." She grinned wickedly. "Never laughed so hard in my life."

She jumped up, wobbling slightly, and spun around in a circle, getting faster and faster. "It wasn't what I wanted to do, though. When you're young, everyone wants to be a Sky Knight; save the world, be a hero… I discovered flying when I first started working for the underworld. No one appreciates really; to look on the world like a map, the clear blue of a morning sky, to fly through a rain cloud and smell its coming… have you ever smelled a storm before it begins? My parents were poor, and we couldn't afford all these fancy skimmers and such. I got a few sticks and was told 'go play'. So it was love at first sight when I first tried it."

She collapsed in a heap next to him, and looked up intently at the sky. "Stupid stars. They get to stay up there for eternity, till the day they die. I wish I could do that. Enough about me, anyway. Your delightful upbringing?"

He sighed. "Good upbringing, parents determined for me to be the best in everything, pushing me into violent sports so they could scream away on the sidelines; yeah, normal. They were ecstatic when they heard about us forming a squadron; wanted us to be the savers of Atmos and everything, me as numero uno. Aerrow's the good one, though."

She was silent for a while, and when she spoke, her voice was softer. "Where I came from, there was an old legend, long before the sky knight council was formed, about a hero called Finn Mac Cool and his band of Feans."

He laughed. "No way!"

"Yup. They were borne from gods and goddesses, and fought injustice everywhere, usually for beautiful maidens." She winked. "Minus the god bit, it sounds a bit like you lot. My surname's Mac Cool, you know."

"I didn't."

"It is. What's with all the bravado and ego, anyway?"

He sighed. "As I said, Aerrow's the hero. Piper's the smart one. Stork is the amazing pilot, and Junko? Well, he's strong. What am I? A sharpshooter. Nothin' big. Everyone looks at them, and when they come to me, they just say 'he's the goofball.' I have to compensate a bit."

She threw her arms around Finn's waist in a slightly tipsy hug. He stiffened, then relaxed into it, hesitantly putting his his arm around her shoulders "Well, never mind Aerrow. He can stick with his fancy moves and such, but your the sharpshooters' hero. Your my hero. But I'm getting sentimental in my old age and drunkenness, I suppose."

"Very much so, m'dear."

rubbish. I know. The Finn MacCool character is really a celtic ledgend, but I borrowed him. sorry to Junko fans, I made hime look like a complete idiot. I just can't write him. Update won't be for a while, so be prepared to wait. however, there is a surprise!

Now, I have decided that I am ransoming the update! if I don't get more than FIVE reviews, I will not publish the next chapter!

Dark Ace:but... that's...mean!

Me: (flabbergasted) you think I am mean? YAY! (glomps him)

DA: LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU INSOLENT TWERP!

Standard day in my brain.

XxXxX