Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Storm Hawks or anything to that fact.

Free Falling

Aerrow knew something wasn't right when he went into the bunker. Piper halted behind him with Radarr in one of her arms cradled like a baby and in the other her staff. Aerrow looked around and then he felt a big presence behind him. Aerrow and Piper turned around at the same time and they saw Snipe and a few Talons behind them.

Aerrow frowned. Couldn't these guys ever leave him and his team alone? Especially him. He backed up. He felt wary and weak. This was not his best moments so he felt that he couldn't last much longer. Snipe saw his expression and smiled unpleasantly.

"Why don't you just give up?" Snipe questioned. "It would save you the pain and misery when Master Cyclonis finally gets you under control."

He pondered on the big man's statement and was surprised that he actually sounded smart, but Aerrow wasn't going to give in. He had to help Piper and if he abandoned her he wouldn't know if she made it to the Condor alive.

Aerrow remained silent and continued to back up. Piper followed his example. Aerrow had an idea forming in his head, but some how it was still blurry. He wanted to get Piper's heli-scooter so how was he going to get over there and get it? Then it hit him.
He was close to Piper so he turned to her. "You go get your heli-scooter," he ordered in a whisper. "I'll distract Snipe."

She nodded and walked off in that direction. Snipe noticed.

"Hey! Where are you going?" he shouted after Piper and he was about ready to, but Aerrow stood in his way, his energy blades glowing a bright blue. Snipe swung his mace at the teen's head, but Aerrow was paying attention and he ducked. The massive brother of Ravess growled because of frustration and rage.

Aerrow flinched at the sudden outburst, but he wasn't quite afraid, yet. That mace was powerful, heavy, and packs a powerful punch. "Hold still so I can smack you," Snipe demanded.

"Why?" Aerrow said. "If I hold still you'll knock me out."

"But that's what I want!" Snipe whined. "If I don't then Master Cyclonis will have my head."

"Well, I don't want her to have my head either," Aerrow replied. While they had this conversation they were still swinging at each other and dodging. Aerrow noted that Piper had gotten her heli-scooter and was by the huge bunker doors.

Aerrow retreated and still Snipe kept on advancing. The Talons stood their like dummies and watched what was unfolding. Aerrow backed up to where Piper, Radarr, and the scooter were. With one blade tucked back into his belt and one in hand he hit the button. The doors roared open.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Piper had obeyed Aerrow and had gotten her heli-scooter. She had placed Radarr in a sack that she had place on her scooter. She didn't want him to fall off from her scooter and then she had to deal with guilt and grief. Aerrow was still fighting with Snipe when she finally got to the bunker doors. He had glanced over to her briefly and then he had made his way over to her.

She wished Snipe would leave him alone. Piper didn't want anything to happen to the person who she had had feelings for. Even though she couldn't quite believe the feelings she had, she couldn't ignore them. For some reason they were too strong. Her mind and thoughts kept on lingering towards him and she fought it, but eventually it would win. She mentally hit herself.

Aerrow was soon by the bunker doors and he had opened the doors. She covered her ears for the noise was deafening- for she was very close to the squeaking and grinding doors. They almost seemed rustic.

Snipe was instantly upon him and attacked him with the overpowering mace. Piper felt like she was duty bound to help Aerrow and pulled out her staff. She energized it and one big blast of energy was shot at Snipe. She smiled as the tough Cyclonian soldier fell to the ground with a groan. He was knocked unconscious.

Piper was surprised that she actually had knocked him out. With doing so the other Talons advanced. Aerrow shot her a warning glance and the battle was revived again. Blasts from the Talons staffs were sent in their direction. Piper blocked the many bolts that were sent towards her and Aerrow was fending just fine for himself.

"Get on your heli-scooter and fly off," Aerrow told Piper while he was fighting with a random Talon. "I'll jump on."

Piper nodded in agreement. She thought it was a good idea that they leave this ship. She looked down before she started her engine and saw that they were at a terra. Suddenly it dawned on her. Cyclonia!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Aerrow?" Piper asked, slightly shouting so he could hear her. "Um, we are above Cyclonia now."

"Well, we'll have to get towards our ship faster than I had thought," he answered her back. "Start the engine. I can't hold this up any longer."

He noticed that Piper had started the engine and she had started to fly off the ship. Aerrow jumped towards the heli-scooter and got on. He watched the Talons become smaller, but then he saw that they were going to their switch blade elites.

"Piper," he said. "Don't look back, but there are some Talons behind us."

"Bring em' on!" was all she said. She ducked and weaved with her heli-scooter as blasts of energy zoomed past them.

Aerrow wondered how Piper had gotten this good on her heli-scooter. Then all of a sudden there was an explosion, a powerful jerk (it would have caused whip-lash), and a lack of engine power. The heli-scooter did a nosedive towards the dark purplish terra. Aerrow didn't want to land on this horrible terra, but if they had to then he was going to fin the fastest way off of it.

The terra came closer and closer. The heli-scooter crashed into the ground and Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr were thrown from the contraption. Aerrow landed on the hard ground and pain surged through his body. He grimaced as he tried to sit up. At once he started to glance around to see where Piper or Radarr were. He saw Radarr in a bush unconscious as ever and he saw Piper was on the ground her arm twisted.

He struggled to his feet and went over to her. When he got there her eyes were fluttering open. She moaned and then she gasped. She was in pain and he guessed that it was her arm. He touched her arm and she pulled it back with a hiss.

"Piper, I am going to have to snap it back in place," he said. He wasn't to happy with what he would have to do. She nodded and then she tightly shut her eyes. He grabbed onto her arm and he saw her grit her teeth. He snapped it and Piper uttered such a blood curdling scream.

He laid back a limp Piper and then ripped some cloth that he could find and made a sling. Aerrow guessed that the pain had made Piper pass out. He sat down next to the now unconscious girl. He had known her for about five years now and he remembered the Piper he had met.

Flashback:

A ten-year-old Aerrow sat up on a low tree branch and was watching the Sand Pipers playing in a pond. Those little birds were cute and were fascinating to watch. Suddenly he was pulled off of the branch. He landed hard on the ground and looked up to see two familiar faces. He wasn't quite glad to see them either.

They were his cousins that were visiting for the summer. Aunt Anne had made him invite his cousins over and he wasn't too pleased. Tom and Forester weren't the nicest teens on the terra.

"What you want?" Aerrow said sternly, but on the inside he was shaking. Hopefully not visibly.

"Auntie Anne said that as a host you are to entertain us," Forester said. "Entertain us then!"

"I am bored," Tom said. "Hey, let's throw him in the pond. He might even drown."

They dragged the boy towards the water. Aerrow caught a glimpse of a shadow in the trees. His knees got skinned and bloodied for he scraped up against a rock. He didn't dare cry out for they might find something more torturous for them to do to him.

"What are you doing to him?!" A girl Aerrow's age demanded. She was standing in front of Aerrow's older cousins. "Let go of him!"

"What you going to do about it girl?" Forester sneered.

"This," she said and she pulled out her energy staff. It was glowing a light purple and she fired a blast by their feet. They dropped Aerrow and then they ran away. The girl came over to his side.

"Thanks," Aerrow said. "Not everybody has the courage to stand up to older people."

"You're welcome," she answered. "What's your name?"

"Aerrow," he replied. "What's yours?"

"Piper," she said. They both shook hands as a formal greeting. "Who were they?"

"My older cousins," Aerrow said looking in the direction they had gone.

They went over to the bank of the pond and watched the Sand Pipers. The girl expressed her feelings towards nature and crystals.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After being friends for two years Aerrow had to tell her something. Something important. He didn't know how he would tell her for they had become great friends.

"Piper?" he asked. She was sitting besides him on a bench and they were looking out on the pond where they had first met.

"Yes?" she answered and looked over at him.

"I am leaving to go to a 'boot camp' for Aunt Anne has arranged for me to go," he told her and he couldn't meet her eyes. "I promise I'll come back and say hello."

She smiled. "Goodbye Aerrow," she said. "You better come back."

He met her gaze and they smiled. They were going to see each other soon. He would miss her, but he knew that he would see his best friend soon (he would even make another best friend at the camp).

End of Flashback.

After attending to Piper he went over to his little blue friend. He lay limp in the grass and Aerrow leaned over the unconscious creature. Suddenly Radarr twitched and his eyes slowly opened. Radarr uttered a groggy moan and Aerrow saw him move his eyes over Aerrow's familiar face.

"Hello," Aerrow welcomed his friend. "You okay?"

Radarr muttered something and he became instantly alert. He tried to hop up into a standing position, but Aerrow held him down. "You just got knocked out," he warned. "I don't want you to get hurt anymore."

Radarr grunted. Aerrow ignored the attitude and then picked the rabbit up. Radarr was soft in his arms. Aerrow had loved this creature since he had found him and now he constantly reminded himself not to call him his pet. Otherwise that statement would make his kind friend turn into one mad thing.

He placed the rabbit on the damaged heli-scooter and told him to stay there. Aerrow had to try and get a communication line through to the Condor. He messed with the intercom until it came to life. Radio static came through.

Aerrow switched the channels continuously until he found he right one. "Hello? Hello?" Aerrow said into the tiny speaker phone. Hopefully one of those guys will hear him.

"Aerrow? Is that you?" Finn asked, slightly surprised to hear his buddy's voice.

"Yes, it's me," he said, a little annoyed at the question. "We crash landed on Cyclonia. Can you get Stork to fly over to us and get us?"

"As long as that intercom is transmitting so we can get your location," Finn answered. "How are Piper and Radarr?"

"Radarr is fine right now and Piper is, um, unconscious," Aerrow said. "Hurry or Talons will certainly find us and they won't be so kind."

"Right away," said Finn. "Good luck Aerrow."

"Good luck to you too," Aerrow said ending the conversation, but he continued to transmit. He sat down on a rock close to Piper and watched her. Aerrow's feelings began to stir again and this time he welcomed it. Right now he wasn't dealing with Cyclonis or any of the Talons. He was losing energy and he couldn't lose it. He must continue for he had to protect his crew from the reckless Cyclonis. Plus he couldn't tell them about the crystal, but he had promised Piper that he would explain. How would he be able to explain without the information of the crystal? The crystal was the reason.

He got up and went over to Piper. She was waking at that moment and she stared up at his face. She was very beautiful. She had black hair with some dark blue streaks, dark skin, and chocolate brown eyes. He had never really paid attention her frame, but now he was noticing. He hated it and he liked it.

"What?" she asked her voice horsy.

"Nothing in particular," he said. Her eyes studied him with such intensity. Aerrow smiled down at her and for some odd reason they had gotten closer.

"Then why are you staring at me?" she asked, curious.

He didn't say anything. Aerrow leaned down and kissed Piper's lips.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Piper woke up. The pain had knocked her out, snapping back your arm into place hurt like heck. She saw Aerrow coming toward her and he squatted by her side. His green eyes examined her face and he was leaning in closer. Unexpectedly his lips touched her own, but she didn't push him away.

For several long seconds the kiss lasted, but soon they had to pull away for a breath. Piper didn't want it to end, so she kissed him again and he complied. Feelings swirled in her head as they kissed; his lips were soft against hers.

It ended abruptly as they heard a rumbling noise. Was it the Condor or was it Master Cyclonis' ship? She shivered at the thought of being in the Talons' clutches again and being close to an absolute death. If they got caught again she and Radarr would be dead and Aerrow would be in the grasp of the dark, cruel Master Cyclonis.

A ship came into view, but she couldn't tell the markings- it was still too far off in the distance. Who was it?

How was this chapter for you? Well, I am curious, please review.