Disclaimer: I do not own Storm Hawks or any of its characters. I do, however, own my own character and plots.

Chapter 6

If I was afraid, I made sure not to show it.

For the love of... I played right into Repton's view. Why had I been so careless? Cloud Nine just had to blow up in my face and blast the hood out into the open! Even if the hood didn't go spiralling out of the cave, Repton would still have heard the noise and seen the plumes of smoke, following and drifting. Either way, I sort of screwed myself over. We've never met like this, but so what? Regardless if I abandoned my "Maia" disguise, there was a chance he would suspect something...

Now, I wasn't sure if I was afraid. I was certainly tense, looking up at him from under the piece of metal I pressed against my crown. By the look of things, our positions looked similarly to a peasant looking up to their king, who sat on his throne on the mountain. Repton was the ruler of Bogaton, but he was no king, let alone mine. It also looked like a scenario of predator and prey. Although I was nothing to be preyed on, I was certainly transfixed.

It turned out he, too, was transfixed. He didn't do anything for what seemed like the longest time, just staring down at me. My edginess grew as the minute passed, and it made me want to bolt back into the cave, back to Cloud Nine. It seemed like the safest place, but he would definitely suspect something from that. Why would any Raptor run away from their kind? If anything, he wouldn't leave me alone if I did that. But seeing how things were going... he wouldn't leave me alone no matter what I did.

He finally did something. His Bonewing roared to life and he propelled himself off of his mountain, not even bothering to deploy his wings. He landed further down from the base and he headed right toward me. I forced myself to stand my ground. I swung the hood down to my side, then behind me. I didn't want him to see my Dragon Claw. Standing where I was, my back was to my cave.

He swerved his ride to a stop about two or three meters from me— a respectable distance. As the engine continued to rumble quietly, he looked at me with a mixture of suspicion and confusion. He inclined his head, eyes narrowed.

"What is a Raptoress such as yourself doing down here?"

I waited for a while before responding. My eyes looked past him, to watch a spurt of lava burst from a sea of flame, then I returned my eyes back to him. I saw his reptilian eyes wander to my bandaged arm, but he quickly returned my gaze. "Well?" he ordered. My nostrils flared.

"I don't believe in indulging strangers with my business," I said curtly. To my annoyance, Repton found that funny. He chuckled, and he leaned forward on his ride, so that he looked up at me with a taunting look.

"I have a feeling you already know who I am," he said. He smiled dastardly. "Care to hazard a guess?"

As it turned out, I wasn't exactly able to completely control my composure. The spines on my head often reflected my emotions, and luckily I was able to keep them flared. My muscles on the other hand were still tense and stiff, and my stance apparently tipped him off that I would run if need be. He took it as fear. Because of that, he assumed I knew who he was. There was no point in denying that fact, but I was going to prove that I wasn't afraid. I wasn't a pushover. I lifted my chin up, to consider him with hooded eyes.

"And what does knowing who you are benefit me with?"

His grin faltered at my question, and it actually made me feel better. I smiled crookedly at him in return.

"You're right, Repton, ruler of Bogaton. I do know who you are. But..." I swore to myself that this was a stupid thing to say, but I felt bold. "...I don't have time for you. So I suggest you leave me to my business."

It was reckless. Stupid. To add to that carelessness, I had turned my back on him to ascend the mount and return to Cloud Nine.

"Now, for whatever reason you're down here for, you won't find anything, or anyone, here."

I shouldn't have said that; I just crossed the line of stupidity. I still made sure to hide my Dragon Claw from him as I climbed, by keeping the hood in front of me and relying on my left hand to climb. I was well off from the base of the mountain before I heard the familiar sound of crystal activation in a weapon; his boomerang.

"Then you've seen someone, haven't you? A girl?" I looked over my shoulder to see that he dismounted his Bonewing to stand aggressively below me. His boomerang shone intensely despite the already-provided golden haze of volcanic activity. My tongue slipped passed my lips, appearing slothful. I thought that pissed him a little bit more. "Tell me where she is!" he bellowed.

"She's somewhere. Look for her, or she'll leave the place entirely. No one wants to stay here for too long."

When I reached about half-way up my climb, I heard something humming through the air, and I retreated my left hand and leaned aside quickly. I was wise to do so, for Repton's boomerang slammed into the rock with a spark-shower and a loud screech. I watched it pulse for a moment, then I looked down at Repton.

"Your disrespect will get you in trouble," he warned me savagely. A dark smile crossed his features. "I've noticed you're wounded. You wouldn't want that to open. Sky Sharks and Vulca-Bats can smell that blood from all around..."

His advice was useful to say the least, but I didn't want to acknowledge it as such. Raptor's blood smelled strongly metallic, so both Sky Sharks and Vulca-Bats swarmed in when they caught the scent. Additionally, the crystal in my blood made it even stronger. But my shoulder was healing over well and the bandage gauze was suppressing the smell, so I had nothing to worry about that.

"I'm more concerned with a certain Raptor who won't leave me alone," I hissed down at him. "I have to fix my ride and get out of this place. If I don't, I'm screwed. So if you'll excuse me..."

I finally hopped into my cave, disappearing from his view. I don't know why I hoped he would leave, though. I knew he wouldn't take crap from any stranger. I had managed to connect the hood of Cloud Nine back to where it belonged, but then a shadow blocked my light. My shoulders loosened and I sighed. Soon enough, Repton's blade was posed at my jaw. I straightened up slowly, as much as he allowed me. The light of his weapon had me squinting.

His head tilted as he bared his teeth at me in a open-mouth scowl. "I have never seen you before, but your attitude is wearing my patience thin. Now tell me where Maia has gone!"

I could tell that he was considering the idea of dominating me with physical violence. Personally, I deeply opposed fighting unnecessarily, the reason being something I'll explain later. If it was completely necessary to fight, then I would, but Repton was not the opponent I had in mind. I sighed again.

"Maia, the mail carrier, right? It's true, I've seen her, but she's long gone. She headed west, I think."

Repton's eyes narrowed again, and I knew he saw through something. "Really..."

"I think so. She didn't look the type to help me, and she looked like she was in a hurry, so I didn't pay any attention to her. I mean, with Raptors like you running around, I don't blame humans for staying away."

His head tilted the other way, his eyes still narrowed. He seemed to be contemplating whether or not I was lying. He gazed down at Cloud Nine, and his nose wrinkled.

"What a sorry-looking piece of junk," he voiced, off-topic. Not only was the comment irrelevant to his search of Maia, it strangely hurt, and I felt protective over my ride. It also made my mood go sour, and it made me wonder if he just wanted to make me as angry as he was. I rolled my eyes and I lifted my right hand to move his boomerang aside.

"That's why I'm here trying to repair her—"

Before I could say more, he suddenly pounced on me. He seemed jolted or agitated. His advance had me retreating, far enough for me to get pinned against the cave wall. My teeth bared in my current position, and my spines extended to their full extent. "What's your deal?" I asked in frustration.

"Drop your weapon," he demanded deeply. His voice rumbled threateningly in his throat. "I'll decapitate you if you don't. You're mine until I'm done with you."

Those words made my blood boil. "Yours?"

"Drop your weapon!"

"I can't drop it—"

He looked like he was going to pierce my neck so I lifted my hand up again, but this time I had the fingers spread wide and beside my head rather than near his weapon. It was sort of like showing a child that the object I held before disappeared with magic. Repton's eyes moved on to my Dragon Claw, and his expression of indignation turned to a baffled look. He stepped away from me, then aimed his boomerang's blade toward my hand, as if it was a separate enemy.

"That's a hand?" he asked in bewilderment. He looked confused in trying to connect me to my Dragon Claw. I stroked the part of my neck that his weapon grazed with my normal hand.

"A defect. Does it disturb you?"

Repton said nothing. His gaze was different from the scientists' or Piper's. I supposed he looked more disgusted than anything. I didn't expect anything less of him. He was so used to Raptor anatomy —what with growing up in a colony— that he found faults in anatomy displeasing. The ideal Raptor had his type of body, well-built and lithe. He solemnly looked at my Dragon Claw, which I had curled into the fist and opened again.

"Defect?"

I shook my head. I wasn't going to explain something personal with him. I sighed and moved closer to Cloud Nine. "I really need to fix my ride. Please leave."

He continued to say nothing, and frankly, I didn't want him to say anything more. I grabbed a wrench and went to investigate what I had done wrong. The crystal-engine was just fine; full of energy and ready to go. It was something else. For a long while, I just stared at the wires and screws. I tightened a few of them here and there.

"You crashed down here."

I looked up from the engine crystals and threw him a tired glance as the spines on my head wilted back a little. Repton was still there, standing where I left him. He didn't sound like he was asking any questions, but just stating facts and waiting for me to verify them. I thought it looked pretty obvious that "I" crashed down here, so I just sighed again.

"You hurt yourself," he continued, collecting the basic ideas, "and you're now trying to fix your vehicle."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and I looked down to my work. I didn't even bother wondering why he was stating these things until he spoke again.

"There is another ride down here, so you know. Why don't you use that to escape?"

Count to think of it, Repton had to have used another Skimmer to get here, so now that he had his own ride, the other one had no pilot. Anyone could take it. I don't know how I hadn't heard it crash when Repton abandoned it, but its presence was now known to me.

I was a little surprised that he waited for my response, or that he even mentioned it. I think he looked over to me, but I wasn't sure since I wasn't looking at him. I shook my head. "I'm not leaving without Cloud Nine. She's really all I have left as a memento."

"Memento of what?"

At that moment, I thought I had something going, finally. Wires connected and parts reassembled, I went to Cloud Nine's control, and I tried to bring her to life... only to bring more coughing. I snarled quietly in exasperation, and I leaned on the seat with both hands, slumping so much that my shoulders pointed upwards on stiff arms. My mind wandered back to Repton's question, and although it was just as personal as my Dragon Claw, I felt it needed to be said outloud.

"...she was a gift from someone special."

Repton put his boomerang away. It didn't perplex me at all when it should have. I mean, he threatened me only moments before, but then he put it away, leaving himself somewhat vulnerable. Perhaps he got the idea that I had no intention to fight. The only thing I had my mind on was Cloud Nine's condition. I had no idea on how to save her.

I groaned softly, and I don't know why, but I wandered off to the opening of the cave, to overlook the Wastelands. It was as if I wanted so much to forget my visitor's presence that I eventually managed to forget him. My Dragon Claw opened and closed in concerned thought as I looked into the fires. How would I really get out of there, if Cloud Nine didn't work? Steal Repton's ride again? That would completely blow my separate-persona advantage, and Maia and Nakoto would be considered the same person. And even if I did steal his ride, I wanted Cloud Nine back, and I know for a fact that no mechanic would want to work in the Wastelands. Even carriers whom I'd ask to carry her out of there wouldn't agree to it. Finally, I didn't think I'd bring myself to accept Repton's suggestion to take the ride he used. I felt like it was some sort of trap he concocted.

After a long moment of just thinking, I returned back inside. Repton looked like he stood where he was the whole time. I threw him a wary glance, and he gazed back at me, indifferent. Why was he still there? Just watching? I turned back to Cloud Nine's open hatch and reached for a wrench.

"Why don't you try turning it on again? Maybe you weren't trying hard enough."

I looked back at him pointedly, and he looked at me as if what he said was just a side note. I wasn't about to take his tip —why would he give me sound advice?— but if it entertained him a little, I could care less. I dropped my tool in its designated box and went back to the dashboard. Careless, I swung a leg over the seat and attempted to start the engine.

To my surprise, Cloud Nine sputtered only for a second before responding with her traditional purr. I couldn't believe it. Did I not try long enough, and I actually fixed her up on my own? ... I couldn't believe that, either. I didn't have that much confidence in myself. I looked up at Repton and saw that he had directed his eyes out to the Wastelands, in momentary pondering. I saw the fingers of his one hand rub together calmly, as if trying to dispel some filth left over. Crude oil.

I was curious.

"Well... now you have my attention."

Repton turned back to me as I dismounted Cloud Nine, her engine still running. I went to the hood, closed it, and then I sat on it, turning my attention to the lizard with me once more. He had that same frown on his face, unamused.

"You don't help others often, do you?" I asked. I folded my arms. "Do you still need information, or are you this courteous with women?"

The ruler of Bogaton didn't like my teasing, even though I meant no disrespect. His tongue had slipped out in agitation and he approached me. Upon reaching me, he rested a hand on the hood of Cloud Nine, which made him really close to me. He probably did so to intimidate me, but I managed to keep my cool.

"Tell me where the girl went," he said lowly. His tongue flickered out again for a second, and then his nostrils flared. "...I can smell her on you."

I made a mental note to make sure I distinguished my and Maia's scents in the future. On the exterior, I actually laughed softly. "Well, that's a puzzler, isn't it? Does that mean that the human smells like a Raptoress, or that I smell like a human?"

Laughing, I didn't notice Repton watching me the way he did at first. He was watching my face very closely. I stopped laughing, returning his gaze, and we held eye-contact, even, unfaltering. I couldn't read his expression this time, and it was now that my heart acted strangely. I didn't think I was uncomfortable or scared. My heart thundered softly, and my cheeks started to burn slightly, but you could never tell when a Raptor was really blushing. As close as Repton was to me, I could smell him too, and he certainly took care of himself, because he had an appealing scent. Not to mention... I hadn't given it much thought before, but Repton was a pretty impressive model of our species, as much as I didn't want to admit it. I found it strange that I thought about this, of all times. It was probably because I hadn't really interacted with Raptors since my childhood.

I snapped myself out of such thoughts. Our meeting seemed like the introduction to some cheesy, erotic love story. There were plenty of things that were wrong with that; there was no love, and he only wanted information. He wasn't watching me because he was fascinated or anything. He wanted to see if I was lying, or stalling. Besides, why would he want to associate with me, with a ghastly-looking weapon for a hand?

That's what I kept telling myself anyway.

"She's gone. I'm sorry," I said to him. "Since you fixed my ride, I would have gladly told you if I knew. But I don't know."

He regarded me for a long time afterward, until he snorted and retreated from me. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said indifferently. "Don't be stupid enough to give me that kind of credit; I have a reputation to uphold."

I had an idea of his character, so that response was understandable. I just found it weird that he bothered helping me so indirectly in the first place. I shrugged my shoulders, smiling a small smile. He caught it.

"What are you smiling at?"

"At the fact I'll get out of this place. It's warm, for sure, but I wouldn't stand it much longer. I better be going now." I stood up from the hood of Cloud Nine and collected the toolbox. I turned my back to Repton. "You'd better get going too. The one you're looking for must still be around here, somewhere. I wish you luck."

I knew he was considering his choices, not that he had many. He could either continue looking for my persona, return back to the Condor, or stay here. Firstly, searching for Maia was pointless if we parted paths. Secondly, chances were that the plan I left with Finn and Radarr was exercised already, so even if Repton chose to return to the Storm Hawks' carrier, he had nothing to return to. After what he did for me, I felt a little sorry, but I had to remind myself that he worked for Cyclonis, and he would survive another of her thrashings. Lastly, he had no purpose to stay any further, so why would he?

I set the toolbox into the trunk that Cloud Nine was equipped with, and I felt very sneaky, having opened it with all of Maia's things in it. I made sure to work quickly but casually, and soon the trunk was closed and latched. I closed my eyes, breathed deeply for a moment, then went to look to any last preparations before flight.

"What are you known as?"

I said nothing for a long moment. "Sorry?"

"What is your name?" Repton asked impatiently, lingering in the cave's mouth. He fixed me in his glare, reminding me much of our very first confrontation a little while ago, where I felt like a peasant. It was demanding, ordering me to answer him. I reviewed my option of lying, but I found little harm in telling him. It never really left Atmosia anyway.

I nodded my head modestly. "Nakoto."

If he was judging my name, I couldn't tell. He just looked at me for a little longer, than turned away and stepped down, leaving me in the cave. I watched the place he used to be for a minute, trying to decide whether I made the right choice. It was a nagging feeling, similar to guilt but not as sickening. I didn't feel dread at the thought that he knew my name.

It kinda felt nice that he even asked at all.

Repton reached his Bonewing, but before he mounted it, he found himself looking back up into the cave he left. He didn't know why he could imagine the newcomer standing at the mouth of it, looking down at him.

She was incredibly difficult to understand, and she was resistant to reveal too much, even if he threatened her. He could've sworn that she smelled a little like Maia, but how could that be? Perhaps he thought so much about killing her that he permanently imagined her scent everywhere.

He was short on time, so he couldn't interrogate the Raptoress further. Even if he did, he doubted she'd be easy to dominate. She looked strong, and that defect of hers didn't look like anything he could deal with lightly. How could she have possibly been born with that... thing for a hand? It was the first time he ever saw that kind of outcome from hatching. And her personality... she was a real pain when she wanted to be, and very cryptic. What irked him most was her overall harmlessness. Who's ever heard of a peaceful Raptor or Raptoress? It sickened him a little to think that someone of his own kind could be so. It was weak. Even females on Bogaton were the scariest things you could encounter. It didn't matter that she had a weapon for a hand, if she wasn't intending to use it.

She wasn't special. Just different, and not in a good way. That's what Repton kept telling himself when he was in the cave with her. But why in the world had he went as far as to fix her ride? He had wandered to the hood when she retreated in defeat, and he noticed that she missed something, a crucial problem that only one with careful hands could fix. Something further down than the engine crystals... She couldn't possibly have done it on her own, with her defect too clumsy for a small job like that. No matter what she did, she'd be stuck in the Wastelands. A small feeling of pity had caused him to act, and that, too, sickened him.

Repton, fearless ruler of Bogaton, acting out in compassion for a stranger? Even if the stranger was someone of his kind, rogues had no codes to follow. It was every man for himself.

He was thinking about her too much, he realized. He realized he was standing by the Bonewing for a long moment, just staring up at the mouth of the cave. If the newcomer decided to fly right then, she'd see him looking up like an idiot. He shook his head out of it with a snarl and mounted his ride.

Nakoto.

He turned the Bonewing on, letting it roar for a moment, trying to drown out his own mind saying the name.

He clenched his teeth.

"Boss!"

He looked up in annoyance, and his pupils contracted. A deep, monstrous rage raised its ugly head inside him, waiting for an opportunity to explode with wrath. Up above him, his brothers flew down, Spitz on his own ride and Hoerk sharing one with Leugey, who rode on the back. What the hell are they doing here?

They landed down where he was, and all of them had some variation of fear on their features. Hoerk looked back at Leugey, who jumped off of the ride and approached Repton carefully. Out of all of the brothers, Repton was more patient with the good-hearted one, however frustrating he was. The brothers most likely nominated Leugey the one to be the bearer of bad news, since the leader's wrath was easier on him. Of course, Repton's reaction to Leugey's delivery of Maia's letter was ghastly, but if Hoerk or Spitz had done it, it could've been a lot worse.

"...We're sorry, Repton," Leugey whimpered. "We... messed up."

Repton just looked at him, numb. "H-How...?" he managed. His features grew deranged with anger. "What happened?"

"Everything was fine for a while when you left," Leugey started. Hoerk dismounted his ride and came up to his side.

"We were flying for Cyclonia. But then that other Storm Hawk showed up, and we had to catch him. Me and Leugey went after him while Spitz flew the ship."

"But then that rat-thing," Spitz jumped in, joining his brothers in the fall, "It came down through the vents or something, because I didn't notice it. It pulled the Parasites off of the other Storm Hawks. Before I knew it, Hoerk and Leugey were caught in a trap, and I was ambushed. We... we had to retreat."

Repton was speechless with rage, just shifting his glare from brother to brother. The fact of the matter was that they lost the Condor, right after informing Cyclonis of their victory!

"Imbeciles! Idiots!" he roared. "If I hadn't left, then this would never have happened—!"

"That's the thing, Boss," Spitz said pathetically. He waited a little under Repton's leer, then he spoke up again. "That was their plan... to lead you away from us. That mail-girl..."

Now everything made sense. The idea suddenly fit in like a missing puzzle piece, pressed in with such force that it made Repton see double. "She..."

She was a distraction!

He hit all of his brothers upside the head through one fluid motion, and they cowered. But if there was one person he wanted to hurt the most, it was himself. How could he have been so blind? His anger transitioned toward one person in particular, and he unleashed it through his voice.

"That little—!" A series of extremely rude names and curses followed. "This is the last straw! I won't take this anymore! I'll find her, and I'm going to kill her, end her for good! Never again will she think she can fool me and get away with it!"

"You didn't find her, Boss?" Hoerk asked fearfully. "That's your ride... isn't it?"

"She ditched it! And now she's gone! All she wanted to do was get me down here, and she damn-well succeeded!"

For a while, the brothers had to withstand Repton's anger. It felt like he'd never calm down, and for good reason. He was cheated of the most valuable thing he could get; the Condor, and Cyclonis' favour. Just because of one woman. One insufferable little girl. And he wasn't even rewarded with her head! He was left with nothing!

"Uh, Boss..." Spitz said slowly, afraid he'd be scorned again. He was very close to getting it, but Repton forced himself to wait and hear whatever it was he was about to say.

"This better be good."

"It's more... bad news." Spitz head lowered. "On our way here, we... sort of... passed a colony of Vulca-Bats. I dunno if we lost them, but I think they'll be here... soon."

Repton breathed in deeply, straightened, and then smacked a hand against his face.

Things were just getting better and better.

End of Chapter

A/N: Uh oh. Vulca-Bats? Not good :C

There isn't much point to writing author notes in these few chatpers, since I'm holding on to them rather than updating one at a time. I'm writing this story for NaNoWriMo so I need to keep an eye on my word count. I want to at least reach 60K words at the end of the month, since I cheated a little and just 50K wouldn't be satisfactory.

Anyway, I hope you liked that chapter. I struggled a little, because I thought Repton was being out of character with Nakoto x.x Maybe I'll edit that before I update, but who knows. Bye!

~Vixen