Chapter Five

I sat at the table, my leg bouncing in an antsy manner. I saw that Stork was still freaking out. Shaking. Clacking his teeth.

"Stork." I said, patting his shoulder blade. "You okay there, buddy?"

"Like a vast terrible mouth…" He said, rubbing his arms.

"Classic signs of Post-Traumatic Sky Shock!" Piper said it like it was a good thing! "I read about it."

Finn rolled his eyes at that part as his head rested in his hand.

"The first stage is disorientation."

I sighed and gave her a slightly stern look. "Let's avoid any unpleasant reminders of what happened." I whispered to her.

"It's still there." Stork said before nearly laughing hysterically.

Junko cheered upon the arrival of his food, picking up a cloud krill up. He put one small drop of the sauce on it before popping it in his mouth. Upon his reaction, Finn flinched back. Junko burped and the cloud flew right at Piper. Our waitress kinda glared as Finn picked up the bottle.

"Sky Side Shanty Signature Extra-Potent…" He paused in his reading to make sure he read right before turning to Junko as he finished what he was saying. "Quadruple Molt Vinegar?"

Junko ran his tongue over his teeth. "Kinda sour. But I like it."

"What a shock." Finn said sarcastically with a smile.

Junko dumped some of the sauce and continued eating. How could he be hungry or happy at a time like this?

"Just hurry it up, Junko!" I told him. "We got a ship to find!"

"Lost yer ship, eh?" The woman asked.

"And our buddies." Finn said. "Got eaten by a terra."

For once, this stern and angry waitress looked terrified. "That wasn't no terra. That was the Leviathan."

Everyone in the room froze at that.

"Leviathan?" Piper asked. "But…that's just a story to scare little kids!" She pressed.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I remembered hearing the story that if I didn't eat my vegetables or brush my teeth before bed, the Leviathan would eat me on my next skimmer ride.

Junko and Finn were trembling and chattering their teeth visibly.

"Aye! He's real!" The random old man sitting at the table beside us said. "Wrecked me ship!"

Another drunker at the bar pounded his fist against the counter. "Took me crew!"

Another old man (who looked almost exact to the first that sat by us) started. "Ate his best hat." He said, pointing the hatless man beside him who started crying at the loss of it.

Weird.

The waitress shook her head. "The beast has terrified these parts for nigh on a century."

"But…" I started, trying not to loose it. "Hasn't anyone tried to stop it?"

"I have." A deep voice said. I looked over to see a blue fish man at the bar. No way! Was that-

"That's Triton!" Piper informed. "Of the Neck Deeps! He's…"

"A legend…" I finished.

"A legend." He then laughed heartily. "No. Not I." He said, turning his gaze to us. "But if it's a legend ye want, I'll tell you one." He positioned himself comfortably with that same smirk on his face. "Me squad and I; we set to ridden the skies of that menace once and fer all. We built a ship for just that purpose. The Skyquod. We searched fer weeks. Nothing.

"And then we came upon a swarm of cloud krill; It's favorite food. And that's when ye know…it's near."

I could almost hear a monster's cry as Triton told us what happened. Unbelievable. Nothing like a good bed time story to- What am I thinking? Alice is probably freaking out! Radaar's more than likely not doing any better.

Triton then continued his story.

"The Leviathan struck us in the mist. It was over in minutes!" He slammed down his mug at that. "The beast battered with it's huge, long tendrils and it's crushing jaws. And what was left went to the Sky Sharks that feast on it's scraps. The Skyquod was torn asunder. And my throaty men fell into the skies on that black and terribly day."

The man looked said. Nevertheless, I stood and approached him firmly. "It took our ship and our friends!" I said before he could take another drink. He glanced at me. "We're going after it."

The old man smiled. "I admire yer loyalty, laddie." He said, holding up his drink as if toasting to me. "And yer gumption. Ye have me respect." He said sincerely.

I frowned at this. "Thanks, but what we really need is your help."

Triton winced at that. Uh-oh. "Nay," He said, holding up a hand then placed it on his chest. "I must decline."

What the? What was he-

He's backing out through the back door? What the hell?

"Me squad's been called back t-to Terra Aquinos to, uh-" His nervous stutter ceased as he paused in thought. His hand rested on the door as he did so. He then smiled and finished what he said. "-repel a vicious mud eel migration."

I heard Piper behind me give a thoughtful and questioning sound lowly. Why does something tell me he's a coward?

"But good huntin' to ya!" He said before leaving.

"Huh." So much for that. I turned to my squad. As soon as Junko finished eating, we paid and left to find the Leviathan.

We left the heat dissipater behind and Stork rode with Piper. One goal was set in my mind: Find the Leviathan, get back Radaar, Alice, and the Condor. There had to be just a smidgeon of hope. It didn't matter how big it was; the Leviathan couldn't possibly swallow a ship whole. If Radaar and Alice were still on the Condor, the they should be alive at least.

After what seemed liked eternity, Piper spoke up after Junko let out a heavy sigh. "Aerrow, it's been hours. We should really be heading back-"

"We're not stopping until we find them." I said quickly. I didn't wanna quit. Not when there's still a chance.

"You open to pausing?" Finn suggested. "Like, on that small terra up ahead?"

I glared at him. "We rest after we find-" Wait. What'd Finn say?

I followed the finger in the direction Finn pointed.

"'Small terra'?"

I saw the little island sticking out of the clouds. Why does it look so familiar?

Stork seemed to panic as he pointed a finger at it. "Th-Th-That's the one." He stuttered.

"Huh," Junko said thoughtfully as he gazed at it. "Looks innocent enough."

I couldn't help but agree. It didn't look scary at all.

"You suppose Triton was having a little fun at our expense?" Piper suggested irritably.

Okay. There have been some weird things I've seen, being a Sky Knight. Geez. What if Piper was right again? That old codger better look out if that's the case!

As we circled around, a huge blue eye opened and a monster roared.

"Whoa!" Junko shouted over Finn's girl scream.

We flew as far away as safety allowed before I looked at it. It was like a whale with barbed tentacles and scales that looked just like rocks. It roared at us. Deep inside it's mouth…

"The Condor…" Stork said fearfully. The Leviathan suddenly flew away.

"After it!" I ordered to which everyone obliged. A heated chase then ensued. Hold on, guys! I told Alice and Radaar through my mind.

Piper pulled up next to me. "We need a plan!" She shouted with concern. There was no time for elaborate plans!

"Hit it with everything you've got!" I ordered. How's that for a plan? I pulled out my energy blade and revved ahead.

"But I don't think that-" Piper began but groaned in protest.

I kept after the thing. Junko threw a bomb, Finn shot an arrow, and Piper and I hit it with energy blasts. They came in contact with the Leviathan's skin. The beast was angered and swung tentacles at us.

I was spinning out of control. I tried to gain control. Through the twisted vision, I saw the Leviathan flee. Dammit!

We all soon regained control. I glared at the beast that had fled.

"We're gonna need bigger weapons." I said.

"We're gonna need bigger rides!" Finn whined.

Alice

The monster roared again, shaking the Condor. This is so not the best way to spend my Saturday mornings. I heard something outside the ship. It sounded like climbing…followed by falling?

I looked out the main deck's window.

I saw a weird blue guy that reminded me of a Zora from the Legend of Zelda videogame series approached Radaar menacingly.

I grabbed a energy blade that was like Dark Ace's and rushed out to help the little cabbit. I tackled the guy and stood in front of Radaar.

"Back off, Fish Face! He's with me!"

The guy just smiled. Uh-oh. Radaar jumped on my shoulder and pulled my ear as he growled.

Code for "Let's-Get-The-Hell-Outta-Here!"

I follow that code by heart.

"AAHHH!" I shouted as I ran from the Fish Faced Zora Man.

Stork

"My home!" I said in fear. "My sanctuary! My-" I was suddenly frozen.

"Sky Shock?" I heard Aerrow say worriedly.

"Stage Two: Jolt Stiffness."

"Poor Radaar." Junko said worriedly. "Poor Alice. Who knows how long the little guy and frail girl has left." Junko's head hit the table.

"That's it then?" Piper asked. "We're just giving up?"

I would've put my two cents in but I couldn't move my jaw. As soon as Junko said "Poor Alice", my thoughts all but ceased.

I remembered what she did.

Flashback

"STORK! RUN!" She shouted. I turned around and realized why she shouted. The terra was opening like a mouth. A barbed tentacle came flying at me. I couldn't move. My body wouldn't respond to my mind shouting at me to run like Alice said.

I hit the ground and saw that I was all right. But…how?

I looked at Alice to see her unconscious on the ground where I was.

"Alice?" I asked. No response. "Alice!" I ran to her but I was immediately smacked away by the tentacle.

I was flying off the terra. I saw the emergency rescue balloon falling beside me and latched onto it, pulled the cord. I was now floating up. I saw the terra eat the Condor.

"Alice!" I shouted. "Radaar!"

No response. The terra then vanished into the abyss.

Flashback End

"I'm thinking. Okay?" Aerrow said, looking at Piper in frustration. "What about Stork?" He said, looking at me in my…stork-like pose. "You got anything that can snap him out of it?"

Piper held up her crystal bag and inspected them. "Just a bunch of Paralyzer Stones."

"Bit redundant, don't ya think?" Finn said sarcastically.

Finn was given the usual glare that he always got from Piper. "I'm sorry, Aerrow." She said gently to him. "But without the Condor," She motioned to me. "Stork may never recover."

"Without the Condor," Finn asked. "Are we even the Storm Hawks anymore?"

Aerrow dropped his head along with everyone else. For once in his lifetime, Finn was actually right. I looked to Aerrow. I felt that sad aura that he had been fighting off for so long suddenly appear. It was hitting me too.

Poor Alice… That was the thought that kept reeling in my head again and again.

Aerrow

I couldn't help but know that Finn was right. Radaar…Alice…

I heard the creaking of the wooden doors snapped me out of my daze. I looked up and irritation coursed through me.

Triton actually had the gall to return after what he'd done. I sat up straighter and glared at him. He sat down at the bar. The bartender just gave him a mug without exchanging words. An obvious sign that he was a regular. The old salt drank from the mug.

I approached him, my team (Save Stork) following. I crossed my arms as I glared at him.

"Back from the mud eel migration, eh?" I asked bitterly.

The man looked startled as he turned to me. "A-Aye," He said with a cocky smile after it looked like he remembered something. "Aye. They put up a fierce battle, but we-"

"Mud eels are an inch long," Piper said, indicating the size with her fingers. "And they nibble moss."

I remembered when Piper made a grunt of thought earlier. Once she had down that, I knew something was up but this was pathetic!

"And what about your "Big Fish Hunt"?" I asked, putting air quotes around the title. "Or was that really just a few minnows?"

Triton opened his mouth to argue but sighed and relaxed. He knew he was caught. "Nay," He said, taking the stool. "Nay, it 'twas truth. But for one thing." He hung his head shamefully.

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for the confession. Instead, my answer was something different.

"On that fateful day, the Leviathan claimed me only brother." He said meeting my gaze before hanging his head and closing his eyes.

I couldn't help but soften my gaze. So that's it. Just like me, he'd lost his only family.

"It shames me to say," He said, turning away from us. "But I could never take up the hunt again."

As I looked at him, I suddenly felt older. Triton suddenly seemed like an afraid child and I had to be the adult. I sighed and made my point to him.

"I'm sorry about your loss, Triton," I said gently. "I truly am. But," I felt power in my own words as the voice controlling them became stronger. "A Sky Knight never gives up. And neither will the Storm Hawks!" I said gesturing to my team. They now stood proudly. Piper smiled at me. "We'll find another ship." I said, clenching my first. "We'll sell our skimmers, our possessions, the shirts off our-"

"Aye," Triton said, cutting me off. "Or you could just take the Skyquod. It's parked out back." He said that last part motioning with his head.

Finn sighed and we all just kinda had dead pan faces. I was in the middle of a speech and he said that!

I could almost hear Alice saying "Epic fail" behind me. Oh well. At least we have a ship now.

Me: Yay-e for another chapter. BTW: This story does go along with the actual show in some places. Others, I'm probably gonna throw in my own twist. These next few chapters are based on the Leviathan episode. This is the one where Stork gets his bubble pipe (If you can't remember). *Breathe* I'm so excited. I loved doing this chapter but that's probably cause I'm a Pirates of the Carribean fan and this brought out my inner sailor. ;p

Also, I got a review (and a few text messages from my friends) asking if Alice is actually Aerrow's long lost sister. I'm going to go ahead and clarify this: She is not his sister. He's just protective of her. While that would be a cool idea, it'd be a little hard for me to write because I've read a story like that already. I would probably end up accidentally posting that story with my own words and that...that would just be a hassle in which there may be my account getting blocked or frozen or whatever would happen on

Finn: That would suck.

Me: Uh...DUH.

Finn: Geez. No need for attitude.

Me: *Glomps Finn* Ya know ya love me?

Finn: Like i love Stork's Mind Worm rants.

Me: *pouty face* well fine. i guess you DON'T wanna do the disclaimer.

Finn: ...

*Staring contest; I win*

Finn: Fine, i'm sorry.

Me: Yay-e! And go!

Finn: Alanis Cross doesn't own the Storm Hawks. Storm Hawks belongs to Nerd Corps.

Me: Trust me, if i did own the Storm Hawks, i would definitely make a third season.

Dark Ace: PLEASE BUY STORM HAWKS FROM NERD CORPS! I DID NOT LIKE THE wAY SEASON TWO ENDED!

*Storm Hawks ensues laughter*

Finn: A-Anyway, she does however, own AIA story and Alice.

Me: A little treat for my readers, I would like thoughts on what will happen during the Terra Neon episode (Ep. 20: Stork singing! ROFL). I'll try and put up a poll for you. Please review!