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

Chapter 9

It was no more than a week later that Repton was called back to Cyclonia.

The Raptor came alone. His brothers weren't necessary for whatever Cyclonis was planning. Repton himself wasn't in the actual task, but rather an "observer" as Cyclonis described it. He wanted to know what she meant by that, but he knew he was going to find out soon.

He dismounted his Bonewing at one of Cyclonia's special harbours, where her elite Talons left their rides and battleships. Some lower-class Talons were heaving crates to and from the harbour when Repton arrived, and they avoided him whenever they could. The evident fear they had for him made him smirk a little, pleased at the empowerment. He was about to leave the harbour when a voice called him back, and it threatened to spoil Repton's mood.

"Repton! Alone? Where are your buffoon brothers?"

"I don't have business with you, Dark Ace," Repton called over his shoulder. He turned around to face the Dark Ace's approaching figure, and lizard glared at his smirking face. He stopped in front of the Raptor and gave him a smug look.

"I heard about your little fiasco with the Storm Hawks," he said. "I'm surprised you're still here."

"After all of your failures, I'm surprised you're still here too," Repton returned. His tongue flickered in a dismissive manner, trying to control his temper. "Cyclonis actually has a new task for me."

"Probably some paperwork." Dark Ace's grin grew wider. "You know, whatever your new job must be is probably just her way of pushing you aside."

Repton inclined his head in a skeptical manner. He didn't have time for this. He didn't regularly decide to take Dark Ace's snide remarks so calmly, but today his mind was distant on other things. His anger was easier to control, which proved beneficial in a battle of wits and tongues.

The Dark Ace's attempt in insulting him hinted him something.

"Are you jealous of the extra attention she's giving me?"

At that, the Dark Ace's smile faltered, and Repton's own smile took hold.

"I thought so. Why, it's actually really satisfying, to be favoured more than the infamous Dark Ace."

The Dark Ace reached back for the sword on his back, but quicker than lightning, the blade of Repton's boomerang posed at the other's throat, already activated. Some of the Talons loading and unloading crates stopped to watch, many of them deathly silent. The Dark Ace was frozen in place, and his eyes shifted between the weapon and Repton's face.

"You know fully well that I can rip you apart, even without a weapon," the lizard chuckled. "So I suggest you mind your own business now, and I mine. I can't go fighting everyone right now, when Cyclonis is waiting patiently for me."

The Dark Ace glared at Repton, but reluctantly he followed the Raptor's advice. His hand swung down, he stepped back, and then he stormed away, back into the crowd of Talons. He barked at some of them and they immediately went to work. The movement and sound returned to the mob. Repton bore his teeth maliciously, triumphantly, then put away his boomerang. He turned around and pushed the door out of the harbour open.

As he strode down the hall that he previously went through a few days prior, the Dark Ace's comment started to fester. Whatever he was given to do was to put him out of the way, was it? Set aside like a useless chess piece? Preposterous. How demeaning, humiliating. And the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Cyclonis was the type of person to do that, especially to him. But at the same time, it seemed like a tedious thing to do, and if she really had no use for him, she could easily have banished him. To add things up, she was just too excited about Nakoto. She seemed absolutely serious with whatever it was she had planned.

The guards let Repton in, but he saw that no one was in the room. No sentries stood at the intervals, and certainly no Evil Empress stood at her strange crystal machine. For once, it was dead. He reached the foot of the steps and considered his surroundings a little more thoroughly. His hearing picked up some movement in the room behind the machine, which he had never visited before. He was wary on the idea of climbing the steps, and he found himself standing there for a while, hesitating, before he took the first step. One at a time, he finally reached the top and walked around the machine. Lingering at the archway of the next room, he licked his lips. He wasn't looking into the room yet.

"You called for me, Master Cyclonis?"

"In here."

That was the invitation. He stepped inside and found himself in what looked like an office, or study. There were plenty of books and scrolls on one end of the room, and a desk with a luxurious chair nestled by it on the other. Then, in the middle, Cyclonis was standing at another table, and upon it was a large, bluish-silvery crystal, rounded at the edges as if eroded by rain. Cyclonis was running her palm over it, wiping away dust. She looked over to Repton, and he took her glance as a signal to move closer, so that he did. He arrived at her side, and she straightened.

"Would you like to guess what this is?" she asked him. Repton wasn't one for crystals, and he only knew a few when they benefited him. He eventually shook his head, and Cyclonis didn't seem disappointed. She just smiled to herself.

"It's something I call Athene's Eye. I'm not surprised you don't know what it is, because I've been holding it back for a long time."

"What is it used for?"

"Spying."

She picked up a small mallet and gouge-looking tool, reached toward the crystal with both in hand, and then chipped a small piece from the large crystal. She dropped her tools on the table, picked up the chip, and held it up, twirling it in her fingers. "The crystal can be broken down into little Eyes, and once activated..."

A small spark flared up in the core of the small crystal, and in response, Athene's Eye misted over. Gradually, shapes started to form on the surface, and soon everything was clear. Repton saw himself at a different angle, looking at something. The inside of Cyclonis' study showed up in the orb itself, and the fingers that held it blocked the sides of the larger Eye. The Empress shook the crystal shard, and the images on the screen shook, blurred.

"Impressive piece of work, isn't it?" An echo followed, and it appeared that Athene's Eye also projected sound. Cyclonis sounded proud. "One of my family's heirlooms. My grandmother actually used this leading up to the fall of the old Storm Hawks."

Perhaps that was one of the ways the Dark Ace betrayed his team. Cyclonis pushed the shard back into the destined crevice, and with a small ray of light, it moulded back in and looked brand new. Repton stared at the contents of Athene's Eye, which started to fade to a transparency again.

"How will you use it, then?"

Cyclonis beckoned Repton closer, and warily he came forth. She pointed her finger to a specific spot, and he realized that there was another split in the crystal. This time, it was a more intricate shape. He had seen something similar before, but he couldn't tell for sure quite yet.

"I have already sent in our spy, and he carries a piece of the Eye with him," Cyclonis said smugly. "They won't ever suspect that his pin is actually a device of this stature. They would just think it's a crystal in the shape of the Aurora Stone, as a decoration. Nothing more."

Repton's guess was straight-on, like hitting a nail on the head. The mention of the spy roused questions in his mind. "This spy of yours," he began. "How can you be sure he can get the job done? That he won't be found out?"

"He is not just anybody, dear Repton. I hand-picked him from our own store of Cyclonian scientists; Dr. Luchas. His knowledge in diseases and illnesses will buy him a spot in their little facility. If anything, he's probably more intelligent than the ones they have there already—"

While Cyclonis was speaking, Athene's Eye started to cloud over again. Both she and Repton paid close attention to it as the inside of it swirled.

"I had expected it to take some time before Atmosia let him in," she whispered. "But he passed their test with flying colours. He informed me his orientation was today, and it seems you came in just in time for it."

Repton watched closely, with his arms behind his back. He made out the shapes before him, and he realized that it showed the inside of an elevator, a closed space facing a closed door with buttons on the side. There was another person in the small space, a middle-aged man who wore a more professional suit. The image in the Eye swayed from side to side subtly, and it moved to the man's breathing. From the way things were situated, both of them were facing the elevator's door, and the other man was slightly turned to him.

"We really appreciate you working here in the facility," he was saying, but he did sound a little unenthused. Despite how far Atmosia was from Cyclonia, the sound was decent. Cyclonis' instrument was appearing more impressive. "They have the finest tools and scientists on staff, but there are many things they still lack here on Atmosia. Perhaps you will help to change that."

"I will try," Dr. Luchas replied. A small chuckle made the Eye's content bounce slightly. "From what you've told me, I'll have a lot of things to do here, and you have more than human patients."

"Yes. We have many residents of Blizzaris, Aquanos, and other Terras sent here from time to time."

"Any... Raptors?"

There was an obvious pause on the other man's part. He turned his head to regard Dr. Luchas.

"Does the thought unnerve you?"

Dr. Luchas paused too. "I can't deny that it does."

"You'll see her from time to time. You might even meet her today. Mind you, she's a very important specimen, and since you're not specialized with Raptors, you won't be directly dealing with her well-being. The closest you'll get with treating is with the transfusions she provides."

"So there's only one?"

"Only one here. The other is elsewhere, and we should count our blessings for that. The end of her program is about two years or so from now, so you won't see her. That one is extremely ruthless, so I suggest you stay away from her when she returns, if you manage to stay with us for that long. The one we have here is... strange, to say the least. I'd never thought a Raptor could be so kind."

Just with that description, Repton verified that Nakoto was the one that remained in the facility.

The elevator's door opened slowly, and it opened forth to a long hall, with many people in pale clothing carrying trays and pushing carts. When they were close enough, Repton could see that some of them had face-masks on. There was already two men waiting at the elevator's door, with their masks pulled down, smiling. One was light-skinned while the other was dark-skinned, but they both had black hair and dark eyes. The dark one had glasses perched at the end of his nose. Both were young, somewhere in their twenties.

They nodded their heads in greeting. Dr. Luchas turned to the man in the elevator and shook his hand. The other had a small, forced smile on his face.

"Thank you for your briefing, Mr. Ion."

"Not at all. Just remember; nothing you see in the branch will leave these walls. We've agreed to this, yes?"

"Of course."

"Good."

Cyclonis smiled nastily.

When Dr. Luchas was out, he turned to bid this Mr. Ion goodbye. The man pressed the designated button to bring him back up, and the doors closed. Before they did, Mr. Ion jerked his head in farewell, but there didn't seem to be any good will in it. He wasn't the welcoming type. The elevator's arrow at the side panel indicated up, so it meant that the facility was actually underground.

Dr. Luchas turned to the men waiting, and the light-skinned one shook his hand.

"Welcome. My name is Derik, and this is my colleague, Seth." The dark-skinned man named Seth nodded in greeting, a soft smile on his features. Derik continued, "I'll show you around."

Seth parted ways with them, most likely absorbed with his own errands to run. The inside of the facility seemed more like a hospital than a research establishment. The hall was long and narrow, and there were many rooms on either side. Repton couldn't tell the contents of the rooms — Dr. Luchas would have had to turn completely toward them— but he could imagine beds and machines all around. He could imagine the stale smell of the place, rank with medicine and equipment. The soft bustle of voices filled Repton's ears, and that gave the atmosphere a more cheery notch. Doctors and patients mingled together.

"Run, run! Run from the Vulca-Bats!"

Repton's nostrils flared. He watched as Dr. Luchas jerked around in confusion, and soon two boys pushed past him, making him double back to catch his balance. Repton saw that one child was a human, and the other Blizzarian. They were running with their arms outstretched, as if they were flying. A third child —a Wallop— chased after them, flapping his own arms.

"Fly, eh!" the Blizzarian called.

"Screee, screee!" the third screeched. They giggled to themselves, but tried to remain serious.

"Ah! We can't outfly them!" the human cried, spinning on his heel. The Wallop puffed his chest out when he reached him, flapping his "wings".

"Don't worry! I'll lead them away!"

A fourth child, a Blizzarian girl, pushed past Dr. Luchas as well, and she slapped the Wallop on his shoulder. He made a disgruntled sound, trying to keep in character, but his smile gave him away. The girl spread her arms out and swept past the rest of them, and soon the Wallop followed her instead. The other two dropped their arms and laughed, following the others.

The man named Derik laughed. "Children will be children."

"Are they patients?"

Derik nodded, but he had a rueful look on his face. "Their sicknesses haven't kicked in yet, and they're not airborne. We want them to have as much freedom before... you know."

Dr. Luchas and Derik continued on through the facility, while Repton's cheeks burned. If that re-enactment was what he thought it was... as childish as it was, Cyclonis saw it. The fact that she saw it mortified him. It was pretty evident now that Nakoto told the children. Who else did she tell? Was his name soiled, and were their fears of him chased away? He saved Nakoto to maintain his reputation, but she went off and had to run her mouth, which defeated the purpose.

Cyclonis didn't say anything, as if she completely overlooked what happened. She continued to observe what the medical facility was all about, and she paid close attention to where everything was. Perhaps she was keeping notes for when she herself would invade the establishment.

The facility was made of "sectors", and the topmost level was called Sector A. The establishment was actually underground, because there were no windows in sight for any time. The last floor, as Derik mentioned, was Sector E, so that meant there were five floors in total.

Sector A was full of patient rooms. Derik lead Dr. Luchas down a stairwell to get to Sector B, as they were going to review every floor. This hall also had patient rooms, but they seemed to be getting more advanced in terms with equipment. Derik also introduced that Blood and Plasma was also collected on this floor, from donors and patients with their consent. At the moment, the room was occupied, with the door closed, but that didn't stop Derik from knocking on the door. It took some time before another doctor reached the door. He opened it a little so that his body slightly fit the space.

"What's up, Derik?"

"I'm showing our friend here around; he's starting today. Do you think I can show him the blood collecting room?"

There was a short exchange between the blood doctor and Dr. Luchas, an introduction that was soon forgotten. The young man could be distinguished by the piercings in both ears and left eyebrow. His fingers rapped on the wood of the door in thought.

"I don't see why not. We have a couple in here today, so you can see the job getting done."

When they entered the room, it was evident this was one of the bigger, more eventful rooms. There were multiple bed-like seats for patients, and many of them were filled. Curtains separated the beds from one another, and at each bedside there were counters covered with tools and instruments. Cradle-like structures also sat at their sides, swaying bags, rocking the blood collected back and forth, back and forth. A small television was held at the top-right corner of the room, showing the news.

Derik presented all of the tools' purposes to Dr. Luchas, but it seemed like the spy already knew all of these things, or he just got distracted. Repton had been staring at the television at first, distracted as well, but then his eyes strayed and focused on something.

There was a tail that passed by the curtain of the last bed. He knew who that belonged to. It swayed very rhythmically, very slowly. It curled at the end of each pendulum-like swing. The doctor with the piercings arrived at her side, and her tail stopped moving. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then the doctor left the curtain's cover with a bag in his gloved hands; the liquid within was dark, but it pulsed a little, unless Athene's Eye was playing tricks. The tail withdrew from everyone's sight. It seemed Dr. Luchas noticed the bed at the end as well, because he wandered away from Derik and passed the beds slowly.

When Dr. Luchas got to the edge, Nakoto was on her bed, sitting crosslegged, eyes intently watching the television. Repton's memory was refreshed; she looked exactly the same, and his memory was vividly accurate. There were only two differences with her now. One was her shoulder, which was now knitted closed with metal stitches. The other was she wore a black tube top over her chest, confusing Repton. It was completely unnecessary for her to wear it. Whatever the reason, he would have to think about later. Her posture was slack and relaxed, as her left hand pressed down on her right inner-elbow. The spines on her head were slightly flaccid, in a state of serenity. Nakoto didn't notice Dr. Luchas at first, completely absorbed in what sounded like politics. Someone was speaking about the welfare of the people, but Repton couldn't be bothered with that.

"Is this who you met in the Wastelands?" Cyclonis demanded beside Repton. "This Raptoress?"

Repton took a moment to take his eyes off of Nakoto, then he replied, with his eyes closed, "Yes."

I pressed the cotton ball to the hole where the needle entered my flesh. As usual, I was able to provide a good amount of blood without feeling weak. The doctors were a little surprised I'd be able to, since I already lost a good deal of blood days before, but I insisted. I wanted them to take as much blood as they needed, to help discover new medical methods to help others. Perhaps they could use it in some serum.

The Chancellor was speaking on the television, and I was paying close attention to his speech when I felt someone's eyes on me. I ripped my eyes from the television and turned my eyes to a newcomer, who was standing at the edge of the curtain, his face in awe. Dark-haired and fairly old, he wore clothes that the other doctors wore, but he was just someone I had no memory of. He had a small crystal decor on his chest, and I realized it was in the shape of the Aurora Stone. There was a scent on him that I couldn't place, something familiar.

My head inclined a little, confused as to why he was there. I tried to hide the confusion as fast as it arose, and I smiled slightly.

"...well, that's a new face."

Derik appeared around the corner. "

Ah, so I see you've found one of our joys," he said conversationally. "This is Nakoto."

"Pleasure," I replied kindly. I felt modest at Derik's comment.

Derik continued. "We have a new addition in our staff. I'd like you to meet Dr. Luchas."

"Welcome."

Dr. Luchas stepped a little closer, and he licked his lips before he spoke. "It's an honour meeting you. Why... from what Mr. Ion has briefed me with, you're... a special case."

The mention of Mr. Ion made a prick in my gut make itself known. I didn't know what things Mr. Ion had told the newcomer, but hopefully he was able to keep the contempt to himself. Additionally, I hoped he refrained from mentioning that I worked as a mail carrier in the world outside, or that I and the Chancellor were on familiar terms. I wanted to remain as unimportant as possible. The fact that I was "special" was unavoidable, but still.

"Such flattering words," I managed. I faked a smile. "Just make sure not to get excited and tell your friends."

Dr. Luchas extended a hand toward me, and it took me a moment to acknowledge it. Since my preferable hand was occupied with suppressing my vein, I had to shake with my right. When I lifted it up, a startled look sparked on his face and his hand twitched away. I was surprised he didn't take my hand into account in the first place, since it was settled in my lap. He stood there, hesitant and unable to think what to do next.

"It's not a disease," I said to snap him out of his thoughts. "And it's not contagious. Truly."

After a moment's silence, he reached out and allowed me to shake his hand. Much larger than his own, my fingers curled around his hand singularly, and during that time, his scent sent off an alarm in my mind. We shook once, and I let go immediately. It may have looked like I did it to spare him from being uncomfortable, but it was more than that. Something from the past broke through the surface and taunted me, jeering about its freedom.

I knew his origin now.

End of Chapter

A/N: I guess I'll throw this one out here.

Right now I am extremely busy with last projects (which is one of the reasons why I'm procrastinating on that and publishing this chapter XD) I know that I only have a few readers of this story but I wanted to give you something. For those who read my FMA story, rest assured! The next chapter's already started. I hope to finish it sometime soon, but for now, I have many other things to attend to.

Please tell me in the review if you find any spelling or grammar mistakes! I hate missing them! XD And I hope you enjoyed this one :) It's an introduction of many characters, but I hope none of them are a waste of space.

Thanks for reading!

~Vix