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

Chapter 27

"Don't overestimate yourself and think you can exceed your abilities," Corvid had whispered to me. "I'm assuming you burn just as well as the others, huh?"

The amount of rage that washed over me then... The Enforcer walked away as if he had said nothing to me, shrugging his shoulders off. Did he want me to destroy him? That's what I felt like doing. The essence of destruction clawed at my interior, demanding me to be unleashed, but I wouldn't allow it. There was a tempest within me, an accumulated storm of anger and hatred that had built up during my darkest days. I had sealed that away, and it had been quiet for a long time. But whenever I got angry, loss of control seemed only a breath away. I felt it when I confronted Luchas at his interrogation, the urge to rip out his throat. I felt it whenever my thoughts turned to Oasium, to the Dead Queen. And I felt it then, as Corvid strolled his way back the way he came. I wanted to turn around and claw through his armour, feel his flesh puncture in my jaws...

Shut up, I told the typhoon. You have no power. Shut up, shut up, shut up...

"Sorry for the intrusion. Don't hesitate to call me again, when things actually heat up."

The tempest bucked back against me, telling me that it didhave power. It tried negotiating with me...

Just one bite, just one rake of the claws... a little blood will make you feel better. Honest. A little blood couldn't hurt. You should try it!

Shut up.

"Nakoto?"

Shut up, shut up, shut up. Give me a minute.

"Is something wrong?"

"Give me a minute!" My voice, though weak, came out like a snarl. It was Seth speaking, wasn't it? My clenched fist rose up and pressed against my left eye socket, and I focussed on the ground with my right. "Give me a minute..."

Seth had walked over to me regardless. I wish he hadn't, because every ounce of my body wanted to lash out at the nearest living thing, friend or foe. It made it so much harder to control. He touched my arm and tried steering my eyes to him, but I wouldn't look. I shut my eyes and mouth tight, my face rigid as I tried dispelling every dismal thought in my mind.

"What did he say?" he asked gently. "Tell me what he said, and we'll make sure he pays for it."

I didn't even know how to explain it. Was it a threat? Yes. Was it an insult? Yes. Did it tread, no, stomp on my past like it was common, filthy ground? Hell yes. It brought my family's and my village's lives and deaths dishonour.

"Nothing," I hissed. Seth didn't buy it and continued to persist.

"Nakoto, please, you can't torture yourself like this."

"Who goes out and attacks someone like that?" Mrs. Gertry fussed. I heard Brett speaking with some people, probably other doctors investigating the situation. Maybe some patients ventured out to look as well. By the sound of things, Corvid had completely left our party. Mrs. Gertry continued; "He was here once before... This is the first time I've seen him do something like this, though."

"It's because he had no one supervising him. He likes to masquerade," Seth stated. "I've seen him around." He turned back to me. "Nakoto—"

"I'm fine." I took in a deep breath, straightened up and opened my eyes. I had managed to free my mind a little, and all that was left was a headache, an imprint. My mood was foul, but it was better than it would've been if I didn't dominate myself. I wiped my brow. "I'm... fine."

"This isn't healthy," Seth told me. He looked through his glasses at me in concern. "You can't do this all the time."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"When you're angry, let it out!" I tried slipping out of Seth's grip, but he held firm. "You're going to drive yourself sick if you keep this up."

"I don't want to!" I responded pointedly. "Have you any idea what happens when a Raptor gets angry?"

"Your temper can't be as bad as —I don't know— Repton's," he said. "You're Nakoto. Not once have you gotten so mad."

"That's because I don't like to show it. I don't like to feel it at all." I managed to finally get out of Seth's hands. "I shrug everything off. Why waste the energy? This time, I let Corvid get to me, and that was because I was too tired to defend my feelings. It won't happen again. Now stop it; I don't want to talk more about this, or about anything that happened today. That includes Farida's visit. Understand?"

I didn't mean for my voice to come out so harsh, but it did. Seth stared at me for a good few moments, his mouth slightly open. He closed it and adjusted his glasses, breaking eye-contact with me. "Very well," he said softly.

I wish I had apologized, but I was still trying to gather my senses, so much that the notion slipped my mind. I looked past Seth to Luchas, who stood there looking transfixed. I nodded to him and came to his side.

"Alright," I said. "Time to go to work. Who knows how late you are now."

Luchas took one more moment to respond, nodding and uttering an affirmative sound. He turned around and started leading the way. I glanced back at Seth, Brett, and Gertry, who were still idly standing and watching me go. I couldn't hold their gazes for long, so I shortly left with Luchas.

They didn't understand. And I would've liked it if they didn't have to. I was pretty good at managing my anger. The least people could see was the exterior of my composure, my body language. Agitation, annoyance, simple dislike. But I kept everything serious, like rage and loathing, inside. Being alone for a long time, I got into this mentality that only I could deal with my problems. Only I could help myself. It was my duty to control those urges I inherited from hatching. My mother could do it, so why couldn't I?

Though, I wish I could've used some of the anger I contained against Farida. Why couldn't I speak against her like I had with Corvid? Instead I just stood there, feeling the venom of her hateful words. I didn't know what it was, but with her, I couldn't hate her. In a deep part of myself, I felt guilt... a part of me knew that the reason she hated me was my fault. They said the main reason why was because the Dead Queen taught her to hate me, but I wasn't sure...

My head throbbed. The headache was going to stay for a while... I hoped nothing else would happen. This day was eventful enough.

Repton stayed attentive for the next hour or so, keeping alert of what happened at the other side of the Eye. One thing led to the next so quickly that he thought he'd miss something else if he just blinked. But no; it seemed that things had quieted down, and would remain so for the rest of the day.

It was definitely slow in the beginning. Nakoto had accompanied Luchas to Sector C. He walked into a room there, where other researchers resided. Many of them shifted away, as if he had some contagious disease. He went straight to work by assembling everything he needed, and Nakoto stood by.

She looked exhausted, and solemn. Her right arm looked useless and delicate, just hanging there in the sling. Her shoulders weren't straight, her posture lagging. Her eyes looked distant. She had leaned against the wall for the majority of the time, watching Luchas as he worked. Since the doctor wasn't facing her, the corner of the Eye was what allowed Repton to see her. And since what Luchas was doing wasn't of much interest to Repton, he retreated and collected the last of the Oasium Project he hadn't touched... Farida's. Alpha's. Phase II.A of Oasium Project: Inculcation.

This file was relatively short. There were only a few sheets, most of them summaries of the first three years of Farida's life. There were photographs of her as a child. Sometimes they were simple portraits, frontal view. Other times, she was in the company of the former Cyclonis, whose features weren't often captured. Next to the ominous shadow of the Queen, Farida was a small, delicate thing. Her own features were surprisingly innocent, with big clear eyes. No hatred or anger had touched it; it was sort of shocking to see her like that. Unlike human children, Raptor hatchlings developed much more quickly, and Repton assumed she could already think and speak for herself.

She was treated like she was Cyclonian-born. She was well-fed, indulged with most pleasures, allowed to accompany the Dead Queen wherever she went. She was taught from an early age about the Empire, war tactics, power and ambition, which was pretty much what this part of the Project entailed. When she could finally walk on two feet, she was already beginning her lessons in fighting. The Cyclonians were trying to mold her from scratch into a perfect soldier, perhaps both strong and cunning. The scientist of this file noted mostly success in this aspect. Mostly.

There were many side-notes in this document, personal comments written by the observer. There was one thing that they couldn't quite control or erase, and that was Farida's interest in her sister, Nakoto. The Dead Queen had told her that they were sisters, but used that to try and poison Farida's mind. She said that, despite their sharing blood, Nakoto didn't care for Farida. But Farida persisted at first, kept requesting to see Nakoto. One quote read; May I play with her today? ...When can I play with her? Can I talk to her? There were times when they had seen each other, when Nakoto was brought before the Dead Queen's presence, but nothing more was recorded on the matter. Then, there was a time when Farida was caught actually trying to open the door to Nakoto's prison, and she was punished for it. She stopped trying after that, halfway through her life on Cyclonia. The rest of the file was straightforward, talking about the progress of Farida's growth... Of course, the file ended abruptly. This probably marked the time when both sisters were taken from Cyclonia's grasp.

Repton looked up thoughtfully from the folder, closing it and setting it on the desk. Obviously, a lot had happened since they escaped. Farida's apparent outlook on Nakoto changed completely. As to why, that was a mystery. He wondered if Nakoto knew that Farida wanted to see her, maybe even help her, back when they were kids.

He scratched his head. "...damnit," he muttered. "Damnit."

His curiosity got the better of him, and this is where it landed him. Wondering about things that shouldn't have mattered to him. Dwelling on the fact that a portion of his species was obliterated. Empathizing with the last of that breed, sympathizing over their hardships. He should've just remained disinterested, distant. That's how he always dealt with things, and that got him along just fine. He took a moment, and he shrugged off the information he just read. It was easy to unlatch himself from Farida's life.

But Nakoto was the problem. If Farida was teetering on the edge of his boundary, Nakoto was far into what he considered the danger zone. He was never so interested in someone, especially in what they did, said, thought, felt... He felt like he was obsessed. He wanted to see her without the aid of the Eye. He wanted to see her, hear her, sense her... touch her? What?

He tried shaking his head free of the thought, and it took him much longer to dismiss it. Something was wrong with him. He was sick. Yes, sick. His mind wasn't up to par. He was sick, perhaps catching a cold, a fever in wait. He was sick.

He looked into the Eye again. Nakoto hadn't moved from her spot. She had the thumb of her free hand tucked into her pocket, watching Luchas with a neutral expression. Suddenly, she shut her eyes tight painfully, then turned her head and opened them, casting them away. Somehow, Repton knew it wasn't anything physical that caused her to do that, no. An unpleasant thought or memory, invoking the guilt or frustration that touched her features. She reached into her pocket and retrieved something, and it was then that her expression loosened and grew more relaxed. It was the Aquanosian water.

_._._._sick.

He closed his mind to the possible word that could've fit in that space.

Due to how things started, the day seemed longer than it should've.

I stayed by Luchas the entire length of the day. Most of it was in Sector C, as you would have already guessed. I watched him work with discreet care, slowly and steadily measuring. He consulted his notes constantly, keen on getting the same results. One of the variables for his concoction was a sample of my blood, which worked as a catalyst. I said nothing for a long time, wary about breaking his concentration. Once in a while, he would look up from his work and glance at me. He would try to smile, but it came out nervous and he would immediately advert his eyes back to his hands. Our behaviours around each other were pretty 'on-and-off', and it was difficult to permanently fall into a relaxed demeanour. I had a feeling it would be a while before that happened. And would it even be a good thing to do so? To completely throw away our guards?

Yes, our guards, not just mine. I had to look out for his possible betrayal. He had to look out for my possible temper.

After some time, something else came up. And for once, you'd say it was a good thing. I would've liked it better if I was in a lighter mood when the Chancellor came by, but I did appreciate his concern. Then again, I felt much better because of his visit. Seth had led him to me, then left shortly after. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, though weakly. I stepped out right outside the door of where Luchas worked, so that I could still see what he was doing.

"What happened, Nakoto?" Tatu asked me. Just as I told Seth, I didn't want to talk about it. But the Chancellor was even more stubborn than Seth, so if I tried to close the matter Tatu would force it back open, like placing a foot to stop someone from shutting a door. So, I told him about what happened with Farida. There was no evidence of my meeting with Corvid —the Paralyzer left very unnoticeable holes in my neck—, so I skipped that explanation. Plus, I didn't see him as a problem; since he was close to the government, he would have to watch what he did, which included anything worth killing him for... At the end of my summary, Tatu looked down at my cradled arm in sorrowful concern.

"Does it hurt you?" He reached forward and stroked the bandages softly. I smiled tiredly at his touch.

"Not so much anymore. It was my fault it got this bad, anyway. I just pushed myself a little too far."

He stepped a little closer and adjusted the sling for me, even though one might say it was fine as it was. When it was up to his approval, he stepped back again and looked inside the room we stood outside. I looked too, and found Luchas immediately casting his eyes down in what looked like embarrassment.

"So, he's doing his job for the time being, is he?" the Chancellor spoke in an undertone. I nodded. "Do you know what he's doing?"

"He's recreating a serum, so that the other doctors can treat those infected with the disease the young Aquanosian had." It still hurt a little to remember Adam's still face. Instead, I looked for a picture where he was alive and smiling. It was such a nice picture, despite how exhausted he looked most of the time.

"You must be very careful. It could be possible that he's working on something completely different, with darker intentions. Perhaps a virus, a poison..."

I pointed to the papers on the table Luchas worked on. "I've seen many of his notes in his home. That one in particular has the disease described on it, so I'm assuming it's the right one. I'm going to trust that, and also put my trust in him." Tatu gave me an anxious look, and I laughed a little. "It would be stupid of him to try and trick us so early in the game. If he's planning to betray us, then we wait for that time. The important thing is to not forget about it."

"It's very easy to forget when you trust people," he told me. "Trusting becomes second-nature, and it's a nature of the heart, not the mind. Your rationalities won't have much say if your heart says otherwise."

That was true, but I shook my head. "I know I'm naïve, but that's just my decision. And if it turns out badly, I'll make sure that I'm the only one to suffer for it."

Tatu didn't seem enthralled with that idea at all, but that was how I would make it whether he liked it or not.

Thanks to the magnification power of the Eye, Repton could see and listen in on the conversation between Nakoto and the old man. As expected, they were talking about Luchas and the doubts that presented themselves. The Chancellor had a healthy sense of skepticism, and Nakoto did too to an extent, but her feelings were still set on putting faith in the Cyclonian. Repton called her a fool for that, and at least that moment chased the other feeling he felt away, giving him some peace. When it seemed that the Chancellor would be on his way, Nakoto stopped him and asked him a question.

"What is a Valkyrie, Tatu?"

Tatu? Why was she calling him that? It couldn't be his name, no. It was something a hatchling would call their father...

"A Valkyrie?" There was surprise in the man's voice. "Well... Valkyries are just figments of myth, really. Masters of fate, those who choose who lives and who dies in battle. That's all I really know about them. You'd have to ask a brigand about them, since they know more about verbal history than anyone."

"Hm." Nakoto's free hand came up and perched at her chin. "Maybe I will."

The Chancellor gave her a severe look, and she looked away quickly, scratching her cheek and looking oblivious. "It shocks me still that you associate yourself with that ruffian," he muttered to her. She shrugged helplessly.

"He's my uncle. And he's not as bad as you think he is."

The government official huffed through his nose disapprovingly, but at last he closed his eyes and rolled his own shoulders. "Why the sudden interest in Valkyries?"

"I didn't know what they were. Someone... mentioned them. Maybe I could make up a good story about them." The older man chuckled, and Nakoto smiled. "What? I'm serious."

"You and your love of story-telling." The Chancellor touched her wounded arm again. "When I'm in my deathbed, promise me you'll come and tell me stories by my bedside."

Nakoto's brow quirked sorely, turning her smile rueful. "I promise. But that will be many years from now. You're going to live a very long life."

"Things happen, as you know." The Chancellor sighed, and straightened his elaborate suit. "Now... about Farida... you don't want me to lock her up, do you?"

Nakoto's smile disappeared, and she looked down pensively. "No," she replied.

"You know the risks."

"I do."

"The Sky Knight Council gave me her record. Yes, she's had many cases of assault and near dismemberment with her subordinates. However, the Council let those cases slide, claiming that the cases were just instances of Farida's nature dying off. Personally, I believe they just don't want to lose her because of her unique abilities, and that's better than setting her loose, a possible opportunity for Cyclonis." He took another breath, rubbing his brow. "But I fear that if she moves on from you and attacks a citizen, I'll have no choice but to contain her. You understand this, don't you?"

Nakoto nodded slowly. "...yes."

"I would rather not wait for such a possibility to come up before acting..."

"If there's anyone that Farida wants to hurt, it's me. If she comes close to attacking someone else, I'll be there to take the shot." The Chancellor looked up at her, looking like he wanted to say something against that, but she gave him a reproachful look. "I'll be okay. I'm a Raptor. We're very strong."

"Even Raptors have their limits."

"True, but that's when we fight even harder." During the conversation, Repton felt a small suspicious tug at the back of his head, and what Nakoto did next caused that suspicion to erupt into realization. She nuzzled the old man's cheek. "Don't worry about me. Just focus on leading the Terra. They need you."

The Chancellor patted her shoulder, then her cheek, gently. "Alright. You take care of yourself."

So, Nakoto and the Chancellor... Tatu. If Cyclonis knew about this, she would have used this to her advantage. If she got her hands on the Chancellor, threatened him, Nakoto would come dancing right into her hands. The Chancellor had acted so formal the last time he spoke with Nakoto —well, he sounded angry, when he stormed into Luchas' home— that the Raptor King would never have guessed that such a relationship existed. And it made him wonder, upon their history. Why would a human, a political figure like that old man, care for a Raptor? Like a daughter?

Repton slapped his hands over his eyes. Again with the wondering!

End of Chapter