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

Chapter 10

"I... I'm sorry," Dr. Luchas started, staring down at his hand, which still lingered. He forced it to his side.

Repton was watching Nakoto's features very closely, after seeing small changes in her appearance. When she shook hands with the doctor, her nostrils flared and the spines on her head twitched. Her eyes had widened a little, and they were more alert. Subtle changes, and any human would've overlooked it. But, being a Raptor himself, Repton knew some body languages, even though Nakoto's body was alien to him. Something was up.

Nakoto didn't say anything for a second, simply staring at Dr. Luchas. Then her gaze adverted, as if realizing a rude habit. "Uh, don't worry about it. A lot of strangers... they don't see it coming." Her eyes kept adverting for a second, like she couldn't decide her thoughts. She licked her lips and looked up at him again. "Where did you say you were from?"

Dr. Luchas hesitated. "I didn't say."

"Oh, right, right. Well, where is it you're from?"

"I'm from Terra Gale. I was raised and lived there for a while until Cyclonia took control. Luckily, a few of us managed to get away."

Repton could tell gears were turning in Nakoto's mind. Her spines twitched again.

"Why are you here?"

"To offer my skills. I want to help as many people as possible."

"What are you going to deal with? Chronic disorders? Bacterial and infectious illnesses? Tumours?"

At the corner of Athene's Eye, Derik shot Nakoto a confused look.

Dr. Luchas responded, "I've dabbed in many of them, but I don't specialize. I'm more of a researcher."

"Will you be playing around with my blood then?" she asked. She must have received a blank look. "You could possibly come up with a vaccine if you understood the properties of my blood. You know this, right?"

"Ye— well, I'm not completely sure I understand... but maybe I'll learn more about you. And not just by observing your blood, of course."

Repton could hear that the last part of that sentence was just thrown in as to not appear suspicious, but more friendly. Nakoto could hear it too, apparently. Her body refused to relax. She pursed her lips and nodded curtly.

"Right," she breathed to herself. She then swung her legs over the edge of her seat and stood up abruptly. She threw the bloodied cotton into the waste bin. "I just remembered that there's somewhere I must be," she said. "So if you excuse me—"

"Nakoto?" Derik inquired. She appeared not to have heard him and quickly passed the two of them. When she passed Dr. Luchas, she reached up for her snout, shielding it for a brief second before passing it off as an innocent swipe. The doctor with the piercings, who was coming back with a roll of tape, approached her from another side. She avoided him too, clearly on her path. He looked after her, and called:

"Nakoto, you haven't kept pressure on your vein long enough. You know the procedure..."

"I know the procedure," Nakoto repeated irritably over her shoulder. "But don't you think a Raptor can handle something like this? Come on. I'll be fine."

With that, Nakoto left through the door without loss of momentum.

"Did... do you think I said something wrong?" Dr. Luchas asked cluelessly. Derik shook his head, both to answer Dr. Luchas' question and to bring himself out of his own confusion.

"No... No, I don't think so... I dunno what got into her." He straightened his lab coat. "Well, I guess we should just continue your tour. Come on."

Derik and Dr. Luchas stepped out of the blood-collection room, seen off by the bewildered pierced doctor. Nakoto was no where in sight, not even in the same hallway. She went off fast.

"I wonder what's eating her," Cyclonis sighed, though Repton knew by the tone of her voice that she had an idea. Repton's eyes wondered away from the Eye and focused on the ground.

Nakoto knows.

In all honesty, I didn't know where it was I was "supposed to be", but I just wanted to get myself out of there.

Was Dr. Luchas what I thought he was? His scent... I could smell it like fire and cinders on scorched clothes. The machines and weapons they used left an imprint on them, which made it easy for me to recognize them. The faint smell wasn't exactly bad, but the memory of it burned my nostrils. That was a smell I didn't want to remember. The memory of Cyclonia made my blood rush, my muscles tense. I worked too hard in burying the past. Now this doctor had to come forth and threaten the life I built for myself.

Now you're probably wondering why I had no fear for the Talons who tried to capture me. I'll have you know that I was a little concerned for my welfare at the time, but I understand your question. Frankly, the Talons aren't that bright, and they rely on force. Who I fear most are the intelligent Talons and Cyclonians, those with considerable power. These could include the Dark Ace and Ravess to an extent, but the doctors and professors at Cyclonis' side... those were my worst nightmares.

The main thing you need to know for now is that a part of my past involved the Cyclonians. The main problem here was that there was a Cyclonian in Atmosia, and no one except I knew of it.

But I couldn't prove that he was yet. I wasn't even sure if I was right, or if I was being paranoid. He told me he was from Terra Gale, which is still under Cyclonian rule. Maybe he stopped by his home there before coming to Atmosia? Perhaps the scent had latched on him. And if that wasn't the case, so what? Who would believe me if I only had my nose to support me? "Oh, he smells funny, so he must be a Cyclonian!" That would just make me look ridiculous.

I was walking briskly down Sector C, one floor below the blood-collecting room. I was massaging my deformed hand's palm, as it was starting to ache from the stress. I was having a panic attack and I was struggling to deal with it. I wasn't looking where I was going, so I couldn't maneuver around a doctor who got in my way. I stopped awkwardly, and then I realized who it was.

"I'm sorry, Seth," I said mindlessly. He looked up at me from his clipboard, but I couldn't meet his gaze. I was too absorbed in my dilemma. He saw this, and when I tried to pass him, he grabbed my forearm. Being considerably stronger than him, he sort of lurched before I stopped again.

"Hi, Nakoto," he greeted. He smiled ruefully. "You seem troubled. What's the matter?"

"It's nothing."

"I don't think so. Look at you. Your muscles are all tense, your spines are fully erected, and your—"

"Quit it. I'm not going through a physical. I'm fine—"

"—and you've got this startled look on your face. What's up with that?"

I pressed my lips tightly together, unable to decide whether to tell Seth. It was something I needed to figure out for myself. No one needed to freak out just yet, especially if there was a chance I was completely wrong.

"It's nothing." I looked down at my left hand and realized it was clutching my Dragon Claw very tightly. I forced it to loosen. Seth let go of me as well, seemingly given up. My eyes shifted, and I formed my words as carefully as I could. I couldn't bite down my curiosity.

"But since I have you, have you met our new... addition?"

"Oh, Dr. Luchas? Yes, I have, but only briefly."

Seth didn't connect any dots yet.

"Do you know where he's from?"

"I hear his home was on Terra Gale."

"Do you know what he practices with?"

"He's a researcher of sorts, I think. Much to do with crystal solutions."

My stomach dropped, triggering the shadow of a memory. I felt sick.

"Why are you asking me?" Seth asked. "You must have met him already, so why didn't you ask him?"

"I, too, only met him briefly," I forced out. I must've looked sickly, because he peered up into my face, pushing his glasses up completely. He immediately pressed a hand against my good shoulder.

"You don't look so well."

"I just gave blood, so I guess I'm a little dizzy." I looked up at the ceiling and let out a breath of air. "But I think I'll go up to the Chancellor and get back to work, what with Cloud Nine fixed and all."

The dark-skinned doctor gawked at me. "You're what—?"

The nausea got worse. I stumbled to the one wall, leaned on it and rested my hands on my knees. I breathed out deeply, trying to fight against the churning in my stomach. I didn't know whether the nausea was caused by my stress, the recent transfusion of blood, or both. The memory was trying to make itself known. Seth moved as if he was ready to catch me, but he stood idly in front of me as I rested, the clipboard in one hand and nothing in the other.

"You're in no condition to go back to work," Seth told me firmly. I knew he meant well, but a desperation took hold of me.

"I need to get away from here. Just for a little while. Work will help me do that. I can't stay cooped up for so long."

Another wave of sickness passed while I spoke. I pressed my forearm against my stomach and dipped my head lower. I could feel memories trying to surface, but I forced them back. My body was the only thing that I couldn't fight against, and it responded aggressively. It was like a blind animal, mindless, freaking out but not knowing why.

Seth put his hand back on my shoulder. "Why are you really on edge, Nakoto?"

I lifted a hand up to my mouth, and when I was sure the bile in my mouth wouldn't invite anything out of my stomach, I straightened a little. I'd gotten this far, so I hissed:

"What do you think... Do you think Dr. Luchas came here... with the best intentions?"

Seth looked at me blankly.

"I want to know what you think, Seth."

"You know how careful we are, Nakoto. We couldn't... we wouldn't. We would never let in someone like that."

"I can't find it in myself to trust him," I said, my voice cracking. I pushed off of the wall, and once sure the nausea was driven off for a time, I squared my shoulders off. I omitted my suspicions about Dr. Luchas being a Cyclonian, but I had to express some of my thoughts. "I just... don't want to have anything to do with him. He can test on my blood, sure. But I don't want him anywhere near me."

I realized how desperate I sounded. Was I truly that frightened? Was I that much of a coward? I wanted to run away from the problem, even when Dr. Luchas didn't pose it directly. It was like I didn't even want to deal with it, and I was letting it fester until I faced it another day. I knew that it wasn't the right thing to do, but I couldn't build up the resolve to stay and face it.

Seth swung the hand that held the clipboard to his side, while the other hand settled in his lab pocket. His face was solemn, and he was silent for a time before he said comfortingly: "He won't be treating you. I promise. ...no one's ever going to experiment on you. Not again."

Nakoto didn't make it far before Dr. Luchas saw her again.

He and Derik had descended to Sector C, and as Derik was explaining one of the rooms, he ran into another doctor and got distracted. Dr. Luchas pretended to be apart of the conversation, but he directed Athene's Eye down the hall, to wear the Raptoress was. He had twisted his small crystal, and somehow it managed to magnify the image, bringing Nakoto closer. She was slumped against the wall, looking sickly. The Eye captured sound from that distance, but their voices were hard to make out in comparison to Derik's own conversation.

"You — careful we are — we wouldn't. We would never — let in someone like —"

Repton could see that Nakoto was agitated. Her tail twitched, and she expressed a lot with her hands as she talked. Then she crumpled a little and the doctor reached out to her as a precaution. She waved him away, and straightened again. Dr. Luchas wasn't close enough to get what she was saying, but Repton didn't need anymore hints to figure out that she was talking about Dr. Luchas.

"I — trust him. I just... don't want — to do with him. He can — blood — I don't want — anywhere near me."

She had to suspect something. But why was she not doing anything about it? When a Raptor was threatened, they always sought to eliminate the source. Nakoto was doing nothing but acting edgy and cowering. What was she so afraid of?

Surely, it was beneficial to Cyclonis that Nakoto wasn't willing to do anything, but it still bothered Repton.

Derik bid farewell to the doctor he spoke with and addressed Dr. Luchas. "Sorry about that. Where was I?"

"Oh. Uh, you were saying... what this Sector was for. I think for sample tests?"

"Yes! That's right. Well..." Derik started walking down the hall, without knowing that he was bringing Dr. Luchas and himself closer to Nakoto. Derik continued, oblivious. "This side of the Sector is for testing, yes, and storage. We keep many of the serums and vaccines in refrigeration. The other rooms are laboratories, all of which have sufficient tools and equipment. You don't need a rundown on how they work, do you?"

"No, no. I'm sure I'm familiar with them," Dr. Luchas replied. Before Derik could say anything to spoil the silence, he heard the dark-skinned doctor say to Nakoto:

"He won't be treating you. I promise. ...no one's ever going to experiment on you. Not again."

Then high-pitched voices, laughing, entered the space. Repton's lips curled, and he momentarily forgot what he heard.

"Hey! That's not how the story goes!"

"Yeah it does! Nakoto had to use a Vulca-Bat to get out of the Badlands!"

"You're silly! The stranger had to push her out!"

"Don't be dumb, eh!"

Suddenly, Athene's Eye jumbled in confusion as Dr. Luchas stumbled, pushed past and aside by children. When the doctor gained his balance again, the four children from before—the human, the two Blizzarians, and the Wallop— looked at him strangely. It looked like they finally acknowledged the person who they loved to push down so much, but they were confused as to why he was there in the first place. Nakoto had straightened up completely by now, and with the amount of noise, Repton knew she realized Dr. Luchas had been nearby for a while. He didn't know whether she was shocked or angry, because she immediately switched her attention to the children.

"You kids need to be more careful!" Derik laughed. He clapped Dr. Luchas on the back, which made the Eye jump, accompanied with Dr. Luchas' "oof". Seth watched the scene with a gentle smile on his lips.

"I see you guys are still up to your regular mischief," Nakoto noted. She smiled down at them, and although she looked ill, the effort made her look alluring. "But you know, you shouldn't trample everyone in sight."

"Sorry!" they all said in unison. It was undetermined, whether they were apologizing to Nakoto or Dr. Luchas.

"Nakoto, how did you get out of the Badlands?" the human boy asked. The rest of the children's voices died down to let him act as their mouthpiece, but they still tittered excitedly. "Did you use a Vulca-Bat to get out, or did you—"

"My stories are getting into your heads again! If you're going to act like that, I don't know whether I should continue telling you stories anymore..."

"No! Aww, we're sorry Nakoto!" they all cried out in protest. They formed a line and held up their hands in prayer-like gestures.

"Please don't stop telling us stories!" the Blizzarian girl sniffled.

They looked up at her with huge child eyes, filled with an innocent light, asking for forgiveness. Her smile grew wider, and she winked at them.

"I was only teasing, kids."

Instead of throwing tantrums, they let out sighs of relief. The Blizzarian girl started coughing, and she tucked her face into the inside of her arm. Nakoto waited patiently for the child to recover with a worried expression before continuing.

"Now, what were you asking?"

"Did you use a Vulca-Bat to get out of the Badlands, or did a stranger help you out?"

"How could you forget one of the main characters?" Nakoto crossed her arms. "A stranger used his Skimmer to help me out of the Wastelands, when Cloud Nine failed me. I think that earns him an honourable spot in the story, don't you?"

Repton's cheeks burned. So Nakoto really did tell their story, but she omitted his name. He didn't know why, which left him surprised.

The children whined. "We would remember him if he had a name!"

"He didn't tell me. Name him however you like."

The kids closed in to huddle. Nakoto side-glanced at Seth, sharing a smile, and she carried that smile to Derik. She didn't carry it to Dr. Luchas, nor did she even rest his gaze on him. Soon, the children reassembled themselves in a line, looking as if they just finished a special, official council meeting.

"Draco."

Both Repton's and Nakoto's brows raised.

"Draco?" They nodded in response. "Why? Draco was a fierce dragon of yore."

"Fierce, and brave," the Blizzarian girl finished, pressing a fist to the centre of her chest. She grinned with her buckteeth. "We think it fits."

"Plus it ends with "o"," the Wallop child added. "Like Nakoto."

"Dra-co, Nako-to. Draco and Nakoto!"

Nakoto stroked her chin thoughtfully. "...I actually like that," she finally said. "It certainly does fit."

The children looked pleased with themselves. Repton took a moment to himself, considering the name they dubbed him. Draco didn't sound half-bad. He was surprised the children came up with it.

"Can you tell us that story again tonight, before bed?" the human boy asked. Nakoto gave him a bewildered look, snapped out of her pensive state.

"How many times have I already told that story to you? That possibly can't be your favourite!"

"But it's just so cool!"

Both Blizzarian children high-fived each other after an exchange of whispers. "We also like your other new story! About Maia the Mail-Carrier!"

For Repton, the name was as painful and infuriating as ripping leeches from skin. It just came out of nowhere, and it hit him almost at full force. Things were getting more and more personal... Did Nakoto know her? No... maybe she just heard the story from someone else, since Maia took shippings from Atmosia? If they had been friends, then Maia would have helped Nakoto in the Wastelands, or Nakoto would have recognized her when she flew by. If only he had forced the information out of her!

But then, looking at her, her warm-hearted smile almost stopped him from thinking anymore on it.

"Maybe I'll tell that one tonight."

The children looked at one another, then they turned to her beseechingly. "Why not both?"

"Then that would be spoiling you, wouldn't it?"

"Please? Please, please, please?"

After some more begging, she threw her hands up in defeat. "You really kill me." Their eyes remained wide in excitement. "All right, I will. Now, go play somewhere else now, and stay out of trouble!"

They jumped up in the air, whooping. Voicing out their excitement, they started to leave, back the way the came. Dr. Luchas stepped out of the way this time, and they stared at him as they left. Nakoto was smiling at them, but then a troubled look jumped onto her face, and she reached for the last one in line. The Blizzarian boy turned and looked up at her, puzzled.

"Where is Adam?" she asked. Her brows were quirked, and seeing her like that seemed very out of place.

The Blizzarian child looked up at the ceiling, shuffling. "He's sleeping."

"Sleeping?"

"Yeah. Hooked up again. He said something was hurting, so he went to sleep."

The solemnity on Nakoto's face didn't leave. She thanked the Blizzarian boy for telling her, and she bid him farewell. He zoomed off, seemingly forgotten about the dire news he had to deliver, joining his friends and laughing. Nakoto straightened up and looked after them, then turned to Seth.

"Has it started up again?"

Seth sighed. "Yes. He's getting worse, but we're managing to keep him stabilized."

Nakoto shifted her eyes to stare at something for a moment, then she addressed him again. "Will you look after him while I'm gone?"

"Will do."

"Then I leave tomorrow. I've been down here too long, and I need to get some questions answered." It was here that Nakoto's eyes rested on Dr. Luchas for a moment. It was a pointed kind of stare, but she turned too fast for it to seem meaningful. "I'll keep contact. Tell me if anything's wrong, and update me on Adam's condition. Okay?"

Seth nodded, and Nakoto grasped his shoulder as he passed. She strode swiftly away down the hall, toward the elevator, which was still quite far away.

"Is she alright?" Derik asked Seth when she was out of earshot. The one in question glanced at Dr. Luchas, then focused on his clipboard, trying to act casual.

"She's just a little woozy, I think. You know, from the blood transfusion and all."

"She never gets "woozy". You know that."

"There's a first for everything."

"What did she mean, when she said she was leaving?"

"I think she's getting impatient, and she misses the Atmos. You know how much of a wayfarer she is."

Something in Seth's tone told Repton that he was hiding something. Repton deduced that he had some loyalties tied to Nakoto. Whether Derik would be the same if he knew the situation, Repton wasn't sure. He knew one thing though: if Cyclonis' spy didn't shape up and get under their skin fast enough, he would be found out in an instant.

Nakoto made it to the elevator, and when she was inside, she pressed the button and faced them. Before the doors closed, she met with Athene's Eye, and Repton felt her gaze exceedingly well. Then she was off for the higher levels.

"But she needs rest. And her shoulder—"

"You know how stubborn she is."

Derik laughed at that. "We know a lot about her."

"Which is why we should know better than to ask silly questions," Seth returned with a smile. Dr. Luchas remained "out of the loop" of their conversation, but he didn't complain. He was just there to collect.

From then on, Dr. Luchas continued his orientation, but by then, Repton tuned out everything. He tried to collect what he had learned, but even then, he wasn't sure if he found out anything important by just observing. He just got to see Nakoto again, and perhaps learn a few things. She was definitely prized for some reason, and she—under normal circumstance—was kind, motherly, generous and selfless, which were all near-impossible traits for a Raptoress to have.

When Repton helped her out of the Wastelands, he never thought her home would be on Atmosia. He had expected her to return to her own Terra. She didn't need to stay in the facility, but she chose to, and the children loved her. Aside from recovering from the wound on her shoulder, she was there on her free will. She donated her blood freely, and apparently it would help the doctors in their cause...

This all lead to the most important point of all; why was her blood so important? Why was she to be protected?

"Interesting specimen, isn't she?" Cyclonis mused as she continued to take note of the facility. Repton had totally forgotten about her, since she was so silent throughout all of that. He didn't know why, but he wanted to steer the young woman's attention away from Nakoto, so he didn't respond honestly.

"As interesting as a Raptor can be."

"Well, I think her species does provide her some traits, but I think it has little to do with what she really is."

"What is she, then?"

The Empress knew, and he wanted the answer. She looked over to him and smiled proudly but mischievously.

"You'll find that out in good time. There's no fun in telling you earlier on in the game."

Repton had to refrain from snarling too strongly. "What do you need me for, if you don't want to tell me anything? How am I going to serve you when I'm kept in the dark?"

"You don't need every single detail in order to serve me. In fact, you'll learn as you continue your duty."

"And what would that be?"

Cyclonis gestured to Athene's Eye. "I have other things to do, so I can't always stand by. I need you to monitor everything our doctor sees, either concerning the facility itself or our targets."

Repton's jaw tightened. "So you want me to sit around all day, watching? That's..."

"That's... what?" Cyclonis turned toward him, a challenging tone mixed with amusement. The Raptor's eyes shifted to Athene's Eye, briefly listening to Derik's voice rambling on about nonsense. He chose his next word carefully, as to not insult the plan, but he still expressed his displeasure.

"Boring," he said. Cyclonis laughed.

"Well, if you do your job well, you'll get your typical job back. Your past blunders stick out rather sorely, so if you do this little errand of mine, things will look different for you." Cyclonis turned her back on him and headed toward the entranceway. She stopped at the frame, then continued over her shoulder: "You'll have tonight to watch, and depending on when our dear Nakoto leaves, you're to report everything you find."

Repton remained standing when Cyclonis left, arms and legs rigid. He growled to himself, setting loose the tension. He jerked his head in annoyance and kicked a chair, sending it flying. Cyclonis was long gone, so she hadn't heard it. Breathing heavily, he calmed himself, and he walked over to the fallen chair. He dragged it back, set it in front of Athene's eye, and slumped into it, his tail spilling over the edge lazily. He crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Just like the Dark Ace said," Repton grumbled. "I'm clearly put out of the way."

End of Chapter

A/N: Humhum, here you go.

I'm still procrastinating on my essay, so I decided that the only way I would go back to it was by updating the chapters I had in store.

I feel like I'm teasing you. In ways, I'm teasing myself. Nakoto's past is just so BIG, I want to spill it all out for you! But I can't. It needs to be healthily given out. XD

I hope you like it! And please, review me your thoughts! :)

~Vix