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

Chapter 12

The Dark Ace was given the privilege of leading the Talons in their search for Nakoto. Repton was pretty much pushed into the shadows. He could have joined in the forces, but he couldn't bring himself to follow that human twit's orders. So he decided to keep an eye out for Nakoto on his own, with no affiliations with the Talons. If he got to Nakoto first, there was no telling what rewards he would reap!

But Nakoto was nowhere to be found. There was a reason why no one had seen her before... as it turned out, Repton was the first to see her and find out her name. It was a wonder how she could remain so undetected in the sky, the way she looked. And what business did she have, anyway? Did she just... fly around? Did she not have some occupation?

She couldn't be a Sky Knight. No Raptor could be... But then again, she wasn't the typical Raptor. She had an innocence to her, like Leugey, but it was a sophisticated one. She was cunning, reflective, with a weapon she could control. She could have been one if she wanted to.

The mention of the Oasium Project made him impatient, anxious, for the information. He wasn't able to access any information on it in the Cyclonian archives, so he could only assume that Cyclonis removed them. Whether she thought it was too confidential, or she wanted it for 'light' reading, he didn't know. Whatever the reason, his curiosity was left unquenched. What happened? How could something like a living crystal escape Repton's ears?

As if things weren't stressful enough without Cyclonis pressuring him with this Nakoto business. A famine was starting to spread over Bogaton, and his people were getting unruly. He noticed it; the strongest stuck together, smartening up and plotting. He had a feeling there would be a rebellion, and he had to be ready for that. Even though he had no direct relation to the problem, the people will still blame it on him. Perhaps, if he caught Nakoto and handed her to Cyclonis, he would be able to fix it. Bring in food to last them a lifetime, courtesy of Cyclonia.

For many days, Repton had to sort out his thoughts. So, why did he want to get to Nakoto first? To turn her in himself, and satisfy his Terra? Or to get to the bottom of everything, for his own selfish thirst?

Then, there was the desire to simply see Nakoto again. But what was that supposed to benefit him with? That's what he wondered about most.

It was time to visit Terra Saharr. Repton brought Hoerk with him, while his other two brothers stayed on Bogaton. The two of them weren't that capable of looking after things, but at least Spitz would manage. Repton needed Hoerk with him for his strength. Lugging food and spare parts around took muscle, more than Repton already had.

Coming to Saharr was the only choice that seemed less troublesome. Typically, rogues simply raided ships, like marauders or pirates. But with meddlesome Sky Knights ruling the skies, even thieves belittle themselves to buying things. What, were they to starve?

They descended on the barren Terra, in a spacious area within the bazaar. Few people paid them any heed. They left their Bonewings in the shade of a nearby tent, where many other vehicles were standing. A few of them were solitary while others had their owners tinkering with their mechanics. Repton dismounted and curtly told his brother that they were going to get the parts first. The food would come afterward, because they would have to be transported out of the heat quickly.

The Raptor King lead the way to where people dealt with their vehicles. The sun was scorching-hot, and it warmed Repton's blood considerably well. He often weaved into the shade when it grew too much for his cold blood. Even so, it was a dry heat that rode on the air, so he felt a little compressed.

He and his brother arrived at a vendor they often purchased from; a shady old human. He grinned at them, brandishing a gold-plated tooth.

"Been a while, Repton," he said knowingly. "How's Cyclonis these days?"

Repton ignored the question. He went straight into describing the parts he needed, and he threatened the old man if he wasn't quick about it. The old man didn't seem surprised, and to the Raptor's displeasure, he looked like he was amused. The diabolical gnome of a man had no fear as it were. Perhaps he knew that he could flip a card and call for help if he wanted to.

When the man left, Repton turned around and observed his surroundings as he waited. Across the path, meters away, was another shop, with some rough-looking humans. He identified them as members of the Third Degree Burners, a squadron that was more known for their races than their deeds for the common good. But it wasn't them that caught his attention.

An Aquanosian was talking to them. She was like a fish out of water, literally... it was strange to see one so far away from their home Terra, let alone in one of the hottest places. She was talking to one of the Third Degree Burner members.

That cursed bag.

Repton lurched forward, but stopped himself, regaining his composure. Hoerk looked at him strangely, startled, then looked in the same direction. He didn't catch the hint yet. Repton lurked closer to the entrance of his dealer's tent, but he kept out of clear view. He noted the clothing the female Aquanosian wore, and the collar she wore around her neck. She was wearing dark track-pants and a teal tube top. She was even wearing those stupid sleeves of hers, the ones that heavily garbed her wrists and hands. She had a different form, but it was her, for sure. Maia was in plain sight! It was destiny!

Maia handed a letter to the Saharrian Sky Knight, exchanging a few more words, then departing. She entered the sunlight distracted, looking down into her mailbag to see what else she had inside. She hadn't noticed him watching her. If he wanted to, he could have jumped out and wrung her neck. But, unfortunately, she moved before he could take that chance. Finished with her inspection, she swiftly made her way down the path, easily merging with the crowd.

"So I didn't have exactly what you wanted, but I'm sure this will work just as fine."

Repton got distracted and turned to the old man, who just appeared out of nowhere from storage. When Repton turned back to the crowds, he lost sight of Maia. It looked like she disintegrated, slipped from his grasp, like every other time. He bore his teeth, and swore to himself that today would be different.

He paid the old man without much thought, and the human retreated to add his pay to his collection.

"Maia is here, Hoerk," Repton hissed. "Forget the food for now. We'll take these back to the bikes, then we're going after her."

A look of surprise took Hoerk's face for a moment, then he smiled nastily.

"We'll smash her then, Boss?"

Smash her, slice her, stab her, tear her apart. It was all the same.

The sun was especially sharp that day, and frankly, I wouldn't have had it any other way. I nearly froze to death on Terra Nord earlier, and luckily I only had a letter or two for that one. This was pretty much why this Terra was my favourite. Sometimes I would go out into the wilderness and just appreciate the rough terrain. It was here that I dominated with Cloud Nine.

I made it back to my bike when I finished my last delivery, but I didn't plan on leaving yet. I opened up the baggage and dumped my empty bag inside. I turned to the radio installed in the dashboard, but I grimaced at it. It sort of high-circuited on one of my travels, and it was being iffy about contacting back to Atmosia. It was in the most inconvenient time, since the more time passed, the worse Adam's condition got. I hadn't called back that day yet, so I was hoping to do that in the resting tent, where they sold drinks to the tired rider. I know it's a bad habit, but I drink like it's a religion. Only one glass will do, though, since I'll be flying shortly afterward. The radio there will suffice for my call.

As I made my way for the resting area, I witnessed some Cyclonians coming to land. Their presence had me on edge. Why were they so much more frequent in the skies? I switched my disguises more on this trip than I ever had in my lifetime. I had to take every single alternate route in my mind's eye, and the Cyclonians were still in places they weren't usually. Sometimes I had to use the Cloaking crystal that was hidden in Cloud Nine, to fly invisible. It was tricky business, because they always had a sonar radar on board their carriers, so I hardly used the crystal. On this trip, however, it was like a necessity.

I walked into the shadows, and walking casually, I reached up and pinched my Cloaking crystal. A person would blink and find, in an Aquanosian's place, a rough-looking human female, looking a little like a Third-Degree Burner. I made sure to change my voice on my collar too; if I'd forgotten, an Aquanosian voice would spout from a human's throat, and that would be all wrong. When the settings were fixed, I continued through the bazaar.

Leaving the Cyclonians behind me, I discovered a new group of people. Seeing them, however, made me very happy, and I forgot about my previous precaution. I pinched my Cloaking crystal again, and reverted to another human, with auburn hair and crimson eyes. I stepped out of the shadows and shouted to them as someone they would recognize.

"Hey!"

Piper was the first to greet me back, as she jumped up and down, waving and beaming at me. I ran up to the group, and all of them gave me their fair share of greetings. There was Finn, Junko, and Aerrow, with Radarr on his shoulder. Stork was most likely with the Condor. Finn and Junko looked relieved to see me, and there was a smile on Aerrow's face that I hadn't seen before. This one was more trusting. Maybe I proved myself when I lead Repton away, but who knows.

"It's great to see you, Maia!" Piper cried. She jumped up and hugged me, and I hugged her back. Since she already knew what I was, I wasn't worried about how my touch felt to her, like I usually am with others. Piper continued: "We were a little worried!"

"More than a little," Junko put in. Piper jumped off and I considered the Wallop. "Repton looked pretty furious!"

"Oh, I'm used to that lizard's temper. The thing is, he doesn't think clearly when he's angry. I knew that the more you make him angry, the easier he is to control." I smiled at them and winked. "Slipping away from Repton is one of my specialties, so you shouldn't have worried."

"But still, that was pretty impressive," Aerrow put in. Needless to say, I felt flattered. "The whole plan, including having Finn and Radaar execute the rest... You have the makings of a good Sky Knight. There should be more out there with brains like you."

"Thanks, Aerrow."

"Where you headed?" Finn asked me. I pointed in the general direction.

"To the rest tent. I thought I'd get myself a drink and use the radio there. Would you like to come?"

"Aw man, sweet! Can we go, Aerrow?"

"I don't see why not. Do you think Stork would want to come?"

"I'm sure he's comfortable on the Condor. Besides, he isn't much of a drinker."

"Plus, he's driving! We can't have him intoxicated."

"How old are all of you, by the way?" I piped in. They seemed very excited about the matter of drinking. They turned toward me, and a couple of them blushed. Finn twiddled his thumbs.

"We're... fourteen, fifteen... give or take."

"Stork is the only one who's technically "of age" to drink." Piper finished. I started laughing, not to discourage them, but I just honestly found it funny. I knew the Storm Hawks were young, but so impossibly young... and how did they expect to get any if they weren't old enough to buy them?

"I guess that means you'll need someone to get you the drinks. Come on, it's on me."

They beamed at me, and their happy expression really reminded me of the children back on Atmosia. It was a pity that, upon realizing that fact, I was reminded of Adam, and it sort of dampened my spirits. Together, the Storm Hawks and I made our way to the tent.

"You didn't want me to call you Nakoto in public, right?" Piper whispered to me. She walked alongside me and our pace slowed a little, to let the others distance themselves a little. She was bringing up the letter I left her.

"If you would be so kind," I emphasized. "While I'm in this disguise, or any other "Maia" disguise, I'd like to be called my persona name. Likewise, I don't want to be mistakenly called Maia while in my real form."

"Got'chya. I have to say, it's a little hard to remember that most of the time."

"It definitely takes time." I grinned. "For the time being, you could just scream "Hey, you!" and I'll know you're talking to me."

Piper laughed. I asked, "Do the others know?"

"No. And they haven't found the letter. It's somewhere secret and safe."

"That's good. Hold on! I have something that belongs to you." I rummaged into my back pocket and pulled out the Time Pulse. "It's been very useful to me. Thanks a bunch."

"You know what? Keep it." She reached out and took a hold of my right hand. Without being able to see them, she curled the fingers of my Dragon Claw around the Time Pulse. She grinned. "A little gift from the Storm Hawks. A symbol of our friendship, if you want!"

I smiled in return. "Thank you."

We reached the tent at last, and it was nice to enter the cool space of shade. Many people were already gathered inside, all from different Terras. There was a large, wooden pole that supported the tent, like the mast of a ship. A very important component. The bar was set up at the far end, while there were many tables stationed here and there. The Storm Hawks squadron took one of the large tables, and since it was short one chair, Finn offered his seat to me and went to get another. They sat down and got comfortable while I memorized what each of them wanted.

I returned with their drinks —it took me two trips, since I couldn't use my tail, but that's okay—, and I sat down as well. The boys took a swig and let out a refreshed sigh while Piper simply took a sip.

"So how are things with you?" Aerrow asked me. Radaar ventured closer to me, watching me warily. Whatever convinced Aerrow of my loyalty didn't sit with him. I offered my left hand across the table and kept it there while considering the Sky Knight's question.

"Good. Letters are coming and going, getting to their receivers. But the sky is... awfully crowded these days."

"You mean the Cyclonians," he said. He nodded grimly as he gripped his glass. "They're looking for something."

Or someone. "Do you know what, though?"

"Not a clue. We can probably set Snipe up, get him to say something. We usually do that. I mean, he's not exactly that smart."

"What if he doesn't know?"

"You think Cyclonis only told the Dark Ace?" Piper inquired. "He's Cyclonis' right-hand man."

"Whatever they're looking for must be important," I muttered. I got a chill reverberating down my spine. "I need to know."

"We'll find out, one way or another," Finn promised. "Nothing's gonna stop us."

I smiled at his enthusiasm. Radaar finally ventured to my hand, and he sniffed it suspiciously. I reached up and scratched him behind the ear, and immediately he eased. I got all fuzzy inside, now being accepted by the little thing.

"We'll send you a letter when we do," Piper said. She jumped, which made the rest of us jump, and then she reached into her spoils bag. "Speaking of letters, I have one here."

"To who?" Her team mates and I voiced in unison. She took it out, then handed it to me across the table. I took it, and I flipped it over to see to whom it was directed. When I saw it, I couldn't help but smile. Since I didn't have my bag with me, I had to tuck it into one of my track-pants pockets.

"I'll be sure to get it to her."

Piper shared a knowing smile with me while the rest of them watched us in confusion. I stood up from the table with my drink in hand, and I looked toward the radio station at the end of the bar, which was vacant. "I'll be right back; I'm just going to make a call," I told them. "You all enjoy your drinks now!"

They nodded, and I left. I sat down on a stool at the radio, making sure my tail was over and not under my glutes. I went into setting the radio up and dialing it to the right frequency. Static met my ears, and I worried that I wouldn't be able to reach Atmosia at this distance. That worry was soon eliminated when my call was reached.

"State your number and affair."

"Maia, Number Two-One-Four. I would like to speak with the Chancellor."

"One moment please. I'll connect you with him shortly, Number Two-One-Four."

While I waited, my mind wandered, sometimes to places that I didn't want it to go. There was a steel door in my consciousness that I personally erected, and I was passing by it more often than I liked. The arrival of Luchas influenced this, and I cursed him. The things that I experienced as a kid... I didn't want to remember those times. Luchas —just by being at the facility— threatened to bring it all out again.

Not only did he have to be a Cyclonian, but he was awfully familiar. Too familiar. Years and years had passed, so age both clouded my mind and lined the faces I once knew. And ever since he said those words... I know I've heard them, in almost the exact same tone, too. And why, oh why did I flinch when he reached toward me? I tried to be brave about this suspicion of mine, but I can't help but feel like my kid self. Frightened, alone, vulnerable.

I pinched the bridge of my snout between my eyes. The possibility of Dr. Luchas being who I thought he was really tiring me out. My simple life was coming to an end, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

"I have you, Maia," the Chancellor said, breaking my thoughts.

"Good afternoon, sir. How are things?"

"As they always have been. How are things with you?"

I reached down into my other pocket. "As they always have been. My bag's empty and I'll be returning soon."

"Where are you? "

"Terra Saharr. I'm using the pub's radio. The radio on Cloud Nine's acting up again and I don't feel like dealing with that."

" I see. Well,... did you find out anything on our doctor? "

I considered the dirty tarp of the tent above me. I wasn't aware of my surroundings too much. I circled the object in my pocket for a while, feeling the cold touch of the glass.

"I asked around on Terra Gale. Their resistance group—an odd group, but at least enthusiastic—have never heard of anyone named William Luchas. I asked them to find out more thoroughly, but nothing came up. I asked the Terras nearby; same thing. "

"So Luchas lied about his origin. Most peculiar."

" It might just be me, but I say that proves that he's a Cyclonian," I muttered pointedly. He must have heard me, because he sighed.

"Perhaps. If that's the case, we were very careless. It's good that we had him under surveillance, although he hasn't done anything out of the ordinary. If he truly is a Cyclonian, we still don't know his purpose. We'll confront him soon enough. "

I looked down at the receiver. "So... he hasn't done any funny business then?"

"No. He's done his duties as a doctor, which makes this whole fiasco unbelievable. In fact, I heard he's been monitoring that Aquanosian boy very closely lately. Derik told me he stops by, makes notes, checks up on the boy to make sure his vitals are stable, and does many other doctor-things I wouldn't understand..."

I felt numb from the news. Slowly, I pulled out the object in my hand and held it in front of me, on the bar's counter. I held a stout bottle, probably around the size of my normal palm, filled with water. This wasn't normal, drinking water though. It was salt water, from the shores of Aquanos. Adam's father gave it to me, to bring to Adam when I returned. Maybe the scent of his home would help with his recovery.

Was Luchas trying to help Adam because I threatened him, or because...?

"...Well, just make sure he doesn't do anything, I guess. I'll be back soon. "

"Alright. Just come back safe, alright? We don't wa— "

I felt a shadowy presence behind me, and my scales might as well have shuddered. I froze when an arm reached out from behind me and flicked the switch of the radio off. The Chancellor's voice was cut off. Holding the Aquanos bottle in one hand and the radio receiver in the other, I craned my head and looked up.

Repton looked down at me. Tauntingly, he drawled: "Well, what have we here...?"

End of Chapter

A/N: Well! Exams have been finished and Semester 2 has started! I thought I'd celebrate with a little writing. :)

OHSHIAT Repton found Maia :'D Can't wait to see how this one plays out! And let's not forget, there's another surprise/plot device waiting next chapter...

Hope to get to that soon! In the meantime, thanks for reading! Please review and lemme know what you guys think! :3

Vixen