Chapter Seven:
Friends

Disclaimer:I do not own the cartoonStorm Hawks. It and all its respectable characters are © to Asaph "Ace" Fipke and Nerd Corps. Lupin and all plot contents within are © to me. All shows/ books/ video games/ songs that are mentioned in this chapter are all © to their respective owners, I don't own them.

Note: I was away at a military course for over two weeks just recently, so during the little downtime I had, I was, ah, occupied with story ideas. I tweaked things here and there for some, including this story, and I'm hoping to execute those ideas later on, although some may come sooner than most. I almost had no idea how things were going to play out for the upcoming scenes, until that downtime came and I wasn't distracted by shiny Internet stuff.

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"You value our friendship more than your ethical responsibilities?"
"Our friendship is an ethical responsibility."
-House and Wilson, "House M.D."

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There was a quiet air of smugness surrounding the werewolf, a quality of superiority and finality that, for the moment, suited her quite nicely. She leafed through bills in her hands, her exterior showing little interest, but inside she was still feeling the thrum of the engine reverberate through her. Ghostly tendrils of power, of control, still coursed through her veins. She could taste the carbon in the air, the metal scent from the engine and the scorch of burnt rubber smoke. It reminded her of better days, with less cares and responsibilities, without worry of anything beyond the next race. The nostalgia lingered for a moment longer, before she had to regretfully pull away from it. Those whimsical days were long gone. She couldn't afford to live in that past, and it wouldn't do to pine away for it. She had to work on her next scheme, her next angle to get the ball rolling. She had a bunch of wannabe thugs to catch.

She leafed through the bills again, counting to make sure all the money was there and that she hadn't been shortchanged, then slipped out the money Malik and the others had spotted her. Upon seeing her do so, however, Mal waved her away. She stared, arm halfway stretched toward him. He gave her a bland stare and she returned it all the same, although her lips were puckered into a thinner line. He waved her away a second time.

"Trust me. You need it more than we do."

"Mal—"

"London Marie Ferus, I forbid you to flash that wad of cash my way again and if you do, we will kidnap you and tie you up until we find your little perps and take care of them ourselves. Do you understand me?"

Her mouth popped open, a fiery retort already gracing her tongue, but she hurriedly clamped it shut just as quickly and swallowed down the insult. Reluctantly and with a tinge of bitterness welling up in the back of her throat at his declaration, Lupin slowly retracted her arm, carefully pocketing the entire wad together. She saw, from the corner of her eye, Finn was watching it disappear into her pocket with wide, envious eyes. She ignored him for the time being, still remaining mostly locked on Mal's face. However, she did hear the blond whisper hoarsely to Aerrow and Finn, "Jeez, she made more cash than we did put together in one week! What gives!"

"Because car races are more popular than bikes," she retorted waspishly to the sharpshooter, who twitched at the sound of her voice. She heard a squeak of protest come from him, as though he had a reply already dancing on his lips not unlike hers moments before. Yet, he too seemed to garner the idea to not spew it out and remained tight-lipped and quiet instead. Mal side-eyed Finn for a moment, distracted, before he sighed, shaking his head.

"So. You got the money. Now what?"

"Time to go hunting. Pass the word. Anyone who can pin a location on these lio coh jweh ji neong hur ho deh yung duh buhn jah j'wohn will be rewarded with my winnings for tonight. Chump change in some eyes, but honestly, the desperate needing a new start will take anything they can get their grubby paws on."

Mal was nodding, although some behind him didn't look approving or completely onboard with the idea.

"Mal?" Leo called, stirring the man's attention. He inhaled slowly before nodding once again.

"Right. Okay. We'll get the word spread. You still got good relations with some of these people through us, so they'll be more willing to help. So long as they don't send us on a fucking wild goose chase for favours of their own."

"What, like that time with Toaster Incident? Remember that? With the cows and trailers and—," Leo chimed in, his grin growing wide when the other man threw his face into his hands. Lupin rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Jesus, god no. Please, just…just no. That never happened." Mal grunted out, and the others behind him wilted at the mention. Even Lupin shuddered. It elicited confused stares from the three Storm Hawks, who looked to Lupin for a cue.

"What's the Toaster Incident?"

"It never happened, that's what." Lupin snapped, crossing her arms over her chest, casting a hard look to the three. "Never."

They quietly heeded the silent stare that cued for them to quit pressing. The interlude was brief, allowing the tense air to dissipate before Piper cleared her throat, drawing attention onto her.

"Look, uh…Mal, was it? We really appreciate your help, and we—"

"This isn't for you," Mal cut in sharply, and Piper choked on her last words, surprised. Aerrow stirred at her side, feeling a knot of tension working its way between his shoulder blades, a coiling in his muscles. Mal, however, remained quiet and still, appearing deceptively relaxed for a moment longer, pinning each of the Storm Hawks with an unnerving gaze. It was the same gaze Lupin often pinned them with, one that often ignored the personable feelings of the ones they addressed, if only to get their point across and their word out. It was a wolfish stare aimed to turn even bigger foes into dawdling sheep, a gaze that refused to back down, no matter the consequences. It didn't take too long or too much for the three to realize just where Lupin had gained the intimidation tactic.

"This, this right here, what we're doing right now? This isn't for you and your little gang. This is for her. Okay? We know her. We don't know you. You're not family. She is. We're only helping you right now because she's involved and as much as we love her, she's a fucking idiot for staying involved. Shut up. You are. And you know you are. That's what makes this worse."

Lupin's mouth promptly clacked shut and she shot Mal a heated glare. Mal continued, unheeding to the gaze that was trying to burn holes in the side of his head. And, after the strange powers Lupin had displayed the other day, Aerrow had no doubt she really could do so if she wanted to.

"You're lucky she's even helping you out because otherwise, we wouldn't look back or give two shits about you if it was just the three of you involved." Slowly, Mal pushed himself to his feet, having been reclining against his Skyline up until this point. His usually slumped posture straightened, showing that he was taller than originally thought and his bowed in shoulders flared out, making them broader, more intimidating. Aerrow felt a little apprehension, although it was brief. Mal, he would admit, was a daunting fellow. But he was no Snipe; he just didn't have that kind of build. And he most certainly was no Dark Ace. He had presence, but it was not the sinister one cloaked in a vile aura like that of Master Cyclonis' right-hand man. Whatever makes you feel better…

The three remained silent, as did Lupin, who wore a rather bemused, if slightly peeved look on her face as she regarded Mal critically with her mismatched eyes. One glance told Aerrow she was feeling the same. She wasn't intimidated or upset. Just annoyed, if only mildly.

"One last thing…if anything happens to her…if I find out that anything has happened to her, whether it's a lost limb or even a fucking hangnail, you're going to regret you met her, let alone having heard of her. You got me?"

This last, he addressed Aerrow directly, pinning the redhead with a gaze that, if it were a weapon, would probably have melted a hole through his forehead. He was eternally grateful the phrase 'if looks could kill' was only just a phrase. Otherwise, he was sure he'd have been killed a hundred times over by just about everyone around him at one point or another.

A palpable silence ensued between them all, twisted and thick, ready to spring at the slightest provocation if disturbed too suddenly.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Mal, enough with the dramatics. They get it. Besides, I'm not sure there'll be anything left for you to beat if it comes to that, not with me standing first in line." Lupin broke that silence, crushing the distance that had suddenly grown into a chasm between them all, forcing them back down to earth. She had made a half-assed attempt at inserting humour into the situation, but it fell pitifully short. Her delivery had been more caustic than teasing. Mal shot the woman a mild glare, his jaw set in a stubborn clench. "I'm not a fucking child, Malik, so shut it. I can take care of myself. Stop being so goddamned overdramatic. We've got shit to do, so stop fucking around."

"Dammit, London—"

"Don't call me by that fucking name, Mal," Lupin hissed in warning. Mal took no heed of the werewolf threatening tone.

"The fuck I won't—it's your fucking name, London. Jesus, just what the hell happened to you? What happened? Christ, if your brother knew—,"

"Jared doesn't give a flying fuck about me anymore and you damn well know it. Just drop the gorram issue. I told you, I don't need to be treated like a child, I can handle everything else on my own."

"Ya know, I'd say I'd believe you, London, I really would…but Danny-boy and the scar on your face says otherwise. Oh, and let's not forget the scars on your wrists, and both of your shoulders too. And I'm guessing you got even more, don't you? That's right, you do, like the one all over your back from the night you nearly got torn in half by a goddamned—"

He felt her fist strike the side of his face, although he didn't see her move to strike him. One moment she was by her car, fuming on the spot and feeling that knot of white-hot rage twisting and twining itself even tighter in the center of her chest. He went spinning to the ground, landing hard on his side, his lip split open and bleeding freely, his nose looking crooked and bleeding even more profusely. The werewolf let out a heavy breath, her arm held out rigidly by her side, her hand curled into a tight fist. Her knuckles were bone-white, but blood spattered them here and there. She glared at Mal, both her eyes flashing molten gold while she bared her teeth slightly, showing off the pointed fangs where her canines were. They were too big, too noticeably inhuman in that moment; a predator in the midst of sheep. The others backed away, but the Storm Hawks remained still, frozen in astonishment at the sudden backlash presented by the diminutive woman.

Mal reached up tentatively, his fingers barely pricking at the corner of his split lip, his bent nose. He winced at the sting and shuddered at the sight of blood tipping his fingers. Then his gaze drifted to the woman standing over him, regarding her in a new light. She was so small, so slight and wiry of frame, even if it was packed with lean muscle, but the way he stared at her, she might as well have been a towering giant. Slowly, carefully, Mal picked himself up, swallowing hard, looking as though he was still trying to find the right words to say.

"That..." he swallowed again, wiping at the blood at his lips and nose. His voice was soft, withdrawn. "I…that was…I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

He looked somewhat abashed, although not completely. He didn't look entirely apologetic, but there was some regret that coloured his face. For what, however, none of them save for Mal could really say.

"Lupin," he said, finally abiding to address her by her moniker. His gaze flitted toward the three Storm Hawks, as though registering them for the first time tonight. He winced again, and Aerrow had a feeling it wasn't due to the pain in his face, either. "We'll just…start getting the word out about this. When this is over, you…you'll still have a place to stay with us. If you still want."

The rigidity that wired Lupin's frame eased somewhat at this quiet admission, most of her anger draining away. It was slowly guttering out, everyone could see and one by one, slowly but surely, the others seemed to relax. One or two had looked ready to pounce Lupin. Leo looked nervous, and kept brushing back his curly hair away from his face, coffee-brown eyes darting back and forth between Mal and Lupin. He looked hesitant to approach Mal, as though afraid of setting off the volatile werewolf in the process. But upon seeing her easing up, he slowly slid forward now, giving Mal a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"You okay, man?"

"Yeah, yeah, just…got out of hand there for a minute. Like I said…some of what I said was uncalled for." He side eyed Lupin briefly in between feeling around his nose, wincing at every probe his fingers made. He paused, however, just long enough to nod to her. "I meant what I said about them being responsible if anything happened to you, though."

A flash of anger streaked past her eyes, but just as she opened her mouth to retort his claim, Aerrow stepped forward, drawing attention to himself. She stared, swallowing back down her words in a momentary lapse of surprise.

"Mal, you have my word when I say this: we won't let anything happen to her. She's gone out of her way to help us out when she honestly didn't have to lift a finger. Her home was burned down because of that, and we aim to get back at the people who did this. We'll watch each other's backs, and we'll watch hers as if she was one of our own. I promise you that."

Mal stared at Aerrow for a long while, his eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the redhead. Already, Aerrow could tell he was being sized up as more than just the kid Lupin had dragged along, the young man who had caused a stupid amount of trouble for someone Mal cared for. He didn't waver under that gaze. It was something he was used to by this point in his life: from the Council of Atmosia, to other Sky Knight squadrons, to the tribes and clans that littered the Far Side. He was used to the questioning, often doubting stares that sized him and the others up, and the glint of disappointment that often presided afterwards.

But here, Mal was considerate. He kept his gaze locked on Aerrow's, as though trying to weed out weakness or hesitation from the young Sky Knight. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Mal extended his hand out to Aerrow. The redhead grappled the other man's hand into his own. Mal squeezed his hand, hard, not quite keen on letting go and met Aerrow's gaze more sharply this time.

"I'm holding you to that." Mal said, a dark promise tinging his words. Aerrow's lips thinned out into a hard line and he only nodded in understanding. Words were no longer needed at this point. Only actions would prove justifiable and worth any value in the end. The racing crew leader and Sky Knight held one another's gaze for a few spare moments longer before Mal finally broke his grip and retracted his hand. Aerrow did the same, understanding the quiet message.

"All right, then," Mal announced, more to his crew than to Lupin and the Storm Hawks trio. He twirled a finger in the air, not unlike the hand signal 'assemble' Lupin had come to learn in the military. "Round up, move out. We got word to spread and people to find. Mind if we take these sketches, make some copies, pass them along?"

"Do it," Lupin affirmed. "And do it fast. I don't want their trail to go cold."

"You got it." Mal nodded, but hesitated as the others slowly filtered away toward their vehicles. The crowd around them was thinning as well, although the late-night stragglers remained, still showing off and dazzling those who lingered. Leo delayed the longest, and only when Mal waved him off to go did he leave. He cast Lupin a wary look, as though expecting her to pounce again, and it was clear he was loathe letting that happen and stand idly by again. But he left at last, leaving Mal alone with the four. His lean frame was casually pressed against his Skyline once more, arms crossed over his chest, that assessing look mingling with concern and wariness. Lupin, upon realizing he wasn't going to quickly skedaddle like the rest, delayed in her own departure. Lupin glanced at the three Storm Hawks, before gathering the message: Mal wanted to talk alone. She waved them toward her vehicle, parked a little further away from them.

"Just give me a few minutes."

"You're not gonna attack him again?" Finn queried, looking half-worried, half-expectant. Lupin gave him a rather flat look. He threw his shoulders into an exaggerated shrug, especially at the mirrored expression on Piper's face. "What? She punched him! Aren't you worried she's gonna scare off our only help?"

"C'mon Finn, let's just give them some privacy," Piper cajoled, herding the blond sharpshooter away. She cast Lupin a quick glance with a faint smile. Lupin nodded, grateful. She watched the trio trundle off and pile into her Camaro before turning on her heel back to Mal. The taller man, in the meantime, eyed the three with a guarded expression until they were well out of earshot, before pinning Lupin with his gaze. His face was still a mess, but he didn't seem to care much.

"I meant what I said, Lupin. And I still stand by it. Whatever those yuppie little kids are in, whatever people they fell out with, you shouldn't get involved. Yeah, I get that the pricks they pissed off burned your home down. But you…are you really willing to risk what little else you got left to kill 'em?"

There was a brief flash of uncertainty in his eyes, a quiet plead for her to not go through. But then it was gone and hidden behind his usual guardedness. Lupin regarded him in much the same manner.

"Just do me this favour, Mal. Don't ask any more questions. And next time you feel like divulging my personal business in front of the crew or a bunch of fucking kids like that, I will break your jaw next time. You're lucky I held back this time."

"That was really uncalled for," Mal frowned, and he reached for his nose and lip rather gingerly, giving a faint smile at her. "Did you have to punch my face? This is my moneymaker right here!"

Lupin felt the tension briefly lift, and allowed a small smile to broach her face. "Don't be an ass next time."

He sighed, dropping his hand. "Does Charlie know about all this?"

That threw her off and she ducked her gaze from his. Mal exhaled again. "Oh, baby girl, you really are in a world of trouble. If you were hurting so badly before all this, why didn't you just…come back to us?" He hesitated, and she felt it like a slap in the face. "It's…it's because of Danny, innit? What happened last year—"

"Don't. Mal…please, just don't. Don't talk about him."

"Wallace and the others don't blame you, ya know. It wasn't your fault. You've got to understand…"

"Danny is dead because of me. It is my fault."

"You didn't kill him, that monster did."

Lupin shuddered. "Don't talk about him."

Mal was silent for a few moments more, his brow creasing with worry. A part of him wanted to step forward, to pull her into an embrace, but reason told him that that might lead to a punch in the gut. Especially with how volatile Lupin was as of lately these days, he truly wondered what would trigger her and what wouldn't anymore. "I'm gonna kick Bear's ass next time I see him. He shouldn't have told any of you."

"Well, he did, and we know now. And the fact that you think hoarding yourself away in your place was the best thing to do, the best way to minimize contact with people you care about because of that fucking monster—let me be clear. It isn't. We're all gonna die one day. Personally, I'd rather it be in my car after a gnarly crash or from old age if I can really help it, and not from a giant flesh-eating monsters—but we can't all control that. I'm sorry Danny's dead. I really am. Wallace is too, and none of the old band blames you. We're just glad you managed to find out what happened and that…that you came back alive."

A hard, painful lump was forming in her throat at his words and she knew that punching him again wouldn't make him shut up. He'd only try harder to keep talking past a broken jaw, knowing Mal. He was a stubborn bastard like that.

"Mal—"

"I've had my say. Just…keep that in mind, all right? Keep it in mind when this is all over. You don't have to keep yourself hidden away. Okay?"

He reached over and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. When she didn't respond except with a troubled look on her face, he awkwardly pulled his arm back. A part of him was exasperated. He didn't know how to reach her anymore. There was a time when she used to confide in him, more so since the estrangement between her and her brother, especially after he'd left right after high school to join to the army. He'd only known Jared a little bit, and very briefly, but the strained relationship between him and Lupin must have been hard on the young woman. Especially when Mal had gotten the impression that the two had been very close as children, only to drift apart as Jared got older.

Lupin seemed to compose herself and breathed deep, looking him square in the eye, pinning him with that hardened mismatched stare.

"Just get this done. And we'll talk about my living arrangements later, when this is over," she simply said, before pivoting sharply on her heel to go back to her car. He twitched, almost tempted to pull her back, damn the consequences, but he stilled himself and watched her instead, frozen and locked. An uncomfortable, painful weight settled in his chest, wrapping iron bands around his lungs and squeezing tight. He wanted nothing more than to get back the young woman he'd once called a friend, and he knew that others, like Charlie or Bear or Wallace would agree wholeheartedly with him. She had been a troubled youth, sure, but she was more open, more approachable.

Just like with Charlie or Bear, he reflected how much she's changed, how jaded and withdrawn she was. He could only hope that she'd turn it back around before it comes crashing down around her ears…again.

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The ride back was spent in eerie silence. The radio, while it provided the static white noise of music in the background, did little to alleviate the discomfort that choked the air. No one spoke, not even Finn.

The only thought that drove Aerrow at the moment was to find Master Cyclonis and the Dark Ace, take back the crystal that had plopped them in this world, use it, and get home to Atmos. Even if it meant enduring the unpredictability of the young woman helping them out, it was proving to be more beneficial that her temper be directed on their enemy and not on them. Not to mention, the single-minded drive she was initiating in getting the job done was an added bonus.

It was a small price to pay to deal with her temperament.

Soon they came back upon the warehousing district and the drive dwindled to minutes. The bay door was open, the glow of light pouring from the gaping hole in midair onto the asphalt. Lupin ascended the ramp and up onto the ship's belly. Aerrow hopped out short of the car coming to a complete stop, already trotting to the wall to hit the close button for the ramp. It began to rise with a protesting groan, cocooning them from sight into the protective confines of the invisible cloak of the ship. He sighed, hearing the other car door swing open. The others clambered out from the back, stretching and groaning from the ride. They weren't used to being cramped in such enclosed spaces.

Lupin leaned against her car after letting Finn out, arms crossed loosely over her chest, her eyes roaming over the bay. They came to rest, he noticed, on his Skimmer. He still had yet to put the protective chassis on, let alone the wings. In light of the recent events, the distractions had piled up and diverted his attention from doing so. He was hesitant, however, with Lupin now temporary residing here, he didn't want to reveal too much. Yes, he'd divulged things here and there, but not so much as to paint her an exact picture of what his world was.

That's why he had the others place covers over their own bikes, to hide the bulky expanse of the folded up wings. There was a line they weren't willing to cross quite yet in terms of trust—even if they were after the same goal. So far, he was certain she hadn't gone sniffing around.

"We'll get a fresh start tomorrow after some rest. It's late," he finally said, looking to his squad mates. He was met with a few mutters of agreements and nods for good measure. They headed for the bay exit, and he paused, turning toward Lupin last. She had yet to budge from her spot. "I'm pretty sure they won't get anything done for the next few hours. You should probably get some rest too."

"I'm good. I might work on your bike a bit more. I think I missed something, I just want to double check."

"Oh…" That gave him pause. "I…suppose that's all right, but…are you sure? Aren't you tired at all?"

"I'm fine," she carefully enounced to him, her lips downturned into a hard frown, as though challenging him. A part of him wanted to balk at the insubordination. He had never truly dealt with it in his own squadron; they normally never openly defied him. But he couldn't exactly order her around, she wasn't one of his. She was a guest, and she seemed to recognize this and was just barely tiptoeing around this fact. Her defensive posture slowly fell away and she sighed.

"I'll just do a quick diagnostic and then I'll call it a night. Promise." Her softer tone put him somewhat at ease, but she was still tense and not quite as willing to disarm herself completely. And yet, he still didn't want to completely let his guard down.

"I…suppose that would be all right. You got ten minutes," he finally settled for. He saw the annoyance flash across her eyes, but it was stifled long enough for her to nod and expel a breath.

"All right, then. Should be enough time for me to do a quick dry run."

It was a neutral ground, and strained agreement, but he'd take it, and apparently, so would she. That was good enough for him. He pivoted toward the bay exit, and she called to him after only a few steps.

"You sure you trust me in here alone?"

"You're a big girl. I don't think you'll stick your hand where it shouldn't go for a measly ten minutes."

"And if I'm in here for longer than that?"

The vaguely teasing tone she'd adopted was more endearing than her hard glares and clipped tones. He glanced over his shoulder at her, grinning impishly.

"Then I suppose I'll just have to play the hero and rescue ya from hurting yourself."

She snorted. "Please don't. I'd rather you not. I have a reputation."

"I won't tell if you don't."

She snorted again, but said nothing else as he continued to saunter on his way out.

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Note: Lupin sometimes has a funny way of expressing herself among friends without feeling awkward. A fist to the jaw is her way of caring. Sorta. Kinda. Okay, not really. She needs a better way of showing she cares. XD