Disclaimer: I do not own Storm Hawks or any of its characters. I do, however, own my own characters and plots.
Chapter 41
"This is a bit of a setback, but that's okay," I said, putting the girl down in the little alcove we found. I smiled. "What's a lil excitement, eh?"
As expected, when Ravess inquired to Snipe about hosting a Bring-Your-Kids-To-Work Day, he knew nothing of the sort. I didn't bother trying to plant the memory, knowing that the brother was stubborn and quite disagreeable. Even if a thing like that were true, he would never admit that he'd forgotten. The moment my lie fell apart I hopped off the edge of the catwalk, gripping the railing with my left hand and Sylvia's rump with my right. I kept hold of the railing to direct our momentum inward again, to steer away from sailing straight off the Terra, and I let go once we could free-fall toward the larger catwalk below. I switched hands, and while I held Sylvia in place with my left, I reached out to the wall we closed in on and dragged my Claws across it all the way down our descent. It slowed us down a considerable amount, but I still landed heavily. If the shouts of the commanders above weren't enough to alert the Talons on my level, the shudder of my landing did.
Lucky for me, there were only a few, disoriented by the turn of events. By the time they activated their staves to apprehend me I fell upon those in my path. Not intending any casualties, I merely struck their weapons out of their hands and shoved them aside. Some of them moved out of my way anyway, startled by the intensity of my presence. I didn't waste time emphasizing that presence and escaped the vicinity, narrowly evading Ravess' arrows that plummeted in my wake. It was some time before Sylvia and I managed to slip out of sight, and given the attention that scene brought, search efforts were going to be even more vigilant.
I had found a little alley to hide in, setting Sylvia down and crouching beside her. Her eyes were wide and attentive, and I could hear her little heart flutter in her chest. I slightly grimaced at the fact I had to put her through that kind of ordeal. Was today truly the best day to do this? I reminded myself that after today there would be no chance, not after the ruckus I made earlier. I tried to quickly assess our location and its relativity to the storage house... we were just a level higher and about a quarter of the circumference of the Capital's peak away. So close...
It had been hours now, since my run-in with Repton... could he still be waiting down there in the tunnels? I was truly running out of options here. Talons were everywhere looking for a woman and a child, together. Regardless of my disguises, Sylvia was now attached to suspicious activity and would make an easy prerequisite. On top of that, I didn't know how long I would last with my blistered feet and sleep-deprived disposition.
I sat down entirely and commenced removing the boots, fed up with the damage they were causing me. Sylvia's uncle did his best in bandaging, but he had done so in a way that still forced my toes together to fit the footwear. I went forth to undo them and readjust them accordingly.
"What are we going to do?" Sylvia asked me. I was a bit cumbersome with my right hand, careful not to cause myself more harm. Luckily the bandages were applied from the heels first, so I only had to undo the portion at the toes. "Where are we going, anyway?"
"I would like us to get to the sewers, where I have a ride ready for us," I hummed. "I have an idea for what to do."
Lying to her was better than telling her I was lost. I didn't want to scare the child any further. She watched me as I finished modifications to one foot and started on the other. I stretched my toes out with a sigh through my nose, finding a bit of relief in it. Sifting through the choices in my mind, it always came back to Repton. Out of all the possible confrontations, it was his that I preferred, although not to be confused as a positive. He was the only enemy I had a familiarity with, so I was sort of confident I could outwit him. Strength-wise, I wasn't sure I could overcome him currently, but there had to be some way...
It was Sylvia that I was concerned about. It was still not a good idea to bring her with me to face Repton; she could get hurt, she could get captured as a hostage... anything could happen. Leaving her here was the best alternative... it was a bit much to put so much faith in a child to understand, and it was such a heavy burden to stay put in a place she knew nothing about.
She bit her bottom lip, looking to the entrance of the alley. Shouts from down the way sounded and she drew herself further into the shadows. I reached out and caressed the top of her head reassuringly. She didn't flinch from me, reassuring me as well.
"I need to ask you a favour, sweetie," I started. I smiled weakly at her, apologetic for my irresponsibility. "If we want to get out of here safely, I need to go on ahead and make sure it's safe for us."
"You're leaving me?"
Her inquiry nearly cracked my composure. "Not for long. I promise I'll come back for you real soon; I'm not leaving without you."
I could see the alarm on her face, and she was right to be alarmed. I wouldn't have been surprised if she persisted against it. She was an unpredictable kid, though, for after a long moment she replied with a curt nod. She still looked unsure of herself, but she exhibited courage I'd never seen in one so young. I gave her shoulder a soft squeeze and stood up, picking up the boots and throwing them down the crevice out of sight, with a little more vigour than necessary. It felt so much better to be barefoot, honestly, and my balance was on-point now.
"Wait here for me, quietly." I curved my tail in front of me and grabbed hold of it before bending down and offering it to the girl. Puzzled, she let me take her little hand and place the tip of my tail in her palm. I mustered a small grin and winked. "I vow upon my long tail I'll come back."
She held onto it, unable to see it due to my Cloaking crystal. She reached up with her other hand and felt the scales, and after a moment she giggled, music to my ears. I slowly inched to the edge of the alley, and she let my tail slip from her fingers. I looked back and saw her tuck her body into hiding, and I nodded in approval. As I peered around the edge for any animated bodies, I slipped the Cloaking crystal out to adjust my disguise for the third time this visit. Hopefully the continuous fumbling wouldn't result in another malfunction like Terra Saharr. I didn't have a great variety of human disguises so I had to resort to my traditional Maia look. Repton would recognize it immediately, but he'd recognize the others anyway. It was just meant to trip-up the rest of the Cyclonians. After that was taken care of, I left.
The docks were still bustling; Cyclonis doubtlessly refused to let this intrusion slow her productions. I was tense passing by Talons on the hunt, but they didn't pay me any heed, not at all cluing in yet that the intruder possessed a Cloaking crystal. A few of them eyed me for my lack of shoes, but they didn't linger. I passed them without consequence and absently tuned in on their communications. When I reached the harbour and looked to the lower level, I saw the shipments were still underway. I noticed one of such shipments were the enhanced Parasites. A few cargo fleets were stationed at the edge while loaders in mustard-yellow uniform either carried or pushed trolleys in. I watched with scorn, reminded of how Cyclonis came to know how to counteract Atmosia's research. I wished I was in a position to stop their project, and it took a bit of convincing myself to make sure I didn't do anything stupid, like arson... I kept walking.
Much like before, I spotted the supply house from above, and I found the corresponding area empty. Not too much activity was going on there to begin with, but it was too odd a sight. Quirking a brow I searched the surroundings and found it suspiciously vacant. Out of all the places Cyclonians would want to stick around, it was my escape route. It looked so easy, it must have been a trap... and so it was, as I spotted Repton stationed nearby, watching the depository. Seeing him again filled me with a bitter, gut-wrenching rage.
He truly was patient, I gave him that.
Repton was on strict alert when he left the tunnels, firmly shutting the entrance grates, just waiting for Nakoto to near it at any moment. However, as the time stretched on, she didn't appear. At some point he even went back to check if Cloud Nine was still there -it was-, suspicious she had found another way down there. Hours had passed... had she found a haven somewhere in the Capital? He could only think of the living sector full of such places to hide out for that long. He ordered the Talons in this area to make their way there to speed things up. He was fairly confident that she could escape the soldiers, and if things played out as he wanted, he would be the only one to catch and interrogate her. She would have nowhere else to go, not with squadrons watchful everywhere else. Perhaps the inactive dock would even entice her to throw caution to the wind and fall into his hands.
He had propped himself against the wall nearby, outside but in shade. No one had come to seek him out like he expected, but that worked out for him in this case. If Cyclonis had summoned him to appear before her now, Nakoto would surely reach her exit without complication. The task was for him alone. No, no one came for him, ensuring his privacy in this matter. Those few hours of waiting wore down his attention a little bit, tugging his shoulders down and seducing his eyes to wandering anywhere but one spot.
Movement on the dock called him back to reality, and his patience was rewarded. She appeared in Maia's most common visage, or the visage that he was most familiar with. Had she given up hiding from him? She didn't seem to have noticed him, having not cast her eyes in his direction. He stayed very still, willing his limbs to freeze, and he watched as she slowly approached her safehouse. She had discarded her Cyclonian boots now, her feet tightly wound with gauze... he could only assume that the entire ensemble irritated her. She got to the door and passed through the opening she made. She didn't close it properly behind her.
Repton straightened up from the wall and made haste to the building to catch her before she dived to the depths. He slipped through the open crack and peered in the sudden dimness of the space. He hadn't turned off the light when he left-
The hum still rung in his ears after Maia landed a devastating punch in his cheek. He stepped unsteadily sideways, lifting his arm to brace himself at the wall. He hadn't prepared for this, nor expected such a violent encounter so quickly, but then she disappeared, further puzzling him. She retreated behind the shelves, glints of violet light reflecting off objects from an unseeable source. The taste of blood entered his mouth and his pupils shrunk, the cheap shot snapping his temper. He felt his jaw and found that she hadn't dislocated it at least. He reached behind him to draw his weapon, but his hand grasped an empty sheath.
Maia got the grating open with a horrendous screech, and by the time he'd gotten around the corner she had jumped into the opening. His boomerang was gritted between her teeth, and she brought down the grating doors with her as she fell. They swung down with a horridly-loud clang, and the amount of weight and force had them concave where they met. He rushed to it but her fingers slipped away, and he watched through the holes as she dropped. Her right hand raked the wall quickly and slowed her fall as she dragged her Claws down the side. The scars in the wall glowed with the heat of the friction. She landed at the bottom and sped through the gate. Repton uttered an infuriated roar and pulled at the grated doors. It needed extended effort to pry free again, causing the muscle on his arms to taut.
He crashed down to the bottom just as Maia was twisting a slab of metal in a knot, binding the rusted gate shut. Steam was shooting out from the side somewhere, the site from which she found her makeshift obstruction. She was stressing with the last few inches, her arms angled parallel, her face contorted at the exertion. He leapt forward to catch her through the bars and she jumped back, escaping him. He seethed, a hiss sending spittle from his maw, and he could only watch as Maia straightened with a triumphant look on her face. He saw his boomerang rise up to her side, as if by magic, but no. She retrieved the weapon from her tail.
"You'll do me little good with this... I'm just gonna have to hold on to it for a while," she said. She bent a little closer, a contemptuous smile creasing her visage. "Brings back memories, eh? Harmless "borrowing" and whatnot."
"Nakoto, you-!" He was at a loss for words. The emotions that exploded in the study returned, repeating a maelstrom. This time, he was displaced, reason reminding him of more pressing matters. He was conflicted with what was occurring. Was he to punish her or help her?
"Don't say my name," she said lowly. She pushed the goggles from her eyes and he suffered the full brunt of cold hatred. Hatred. Such a negative emotion didn't suit Maia's bubbly personality. Not only was that unnerving, but Nakoto... hated him.
She hated him.
"If you know what's best for you, turn back and leave me be," she continued. "I've spent all my mercy, my sympathy; I'm sick and tired of traitors."
"What do you plan to do? You can't possibly hope to escape them!"
"That's none of your damn concern."
"Nakoto, open this gate-"
She started laughing. The sound was harsh, mocking, and she cast her eyes heavenward as she rocked her head one way, then another. He found the action obnoxious and he growled.
"-open the gate, damn you!" he persisted. "The tunnels are unsafe-"
"And you'll make them safer? Do you think I can honestly trust you now?" She shook her head and turned her back on him. "I'm not going to entertain you any longer, Repton. I'm done. This is the last you'll see of me."
Despite the anger, there was a pang of anxiety at those words. He didn't settle to decipher them properly, but the essence of finality in her voice was understood. She started walking away and she was about to turn the corner, and he couldn't think up anything that could make her turn back.
He would never see her again.
"Nakoto, I'm begging you!"
She vanished, but her footsteps stopped. His mind hadn't approved that outburst, he realized. His heart beseeched, frustrated and afraid.
"Listen to me, please," he proceeded. "I would never mean to hurt you. You... you heard me on Bogaton. Maia heard it."
"Repton, the Rogue,the Raptor King, is quite cunning," he heard her muse with distaste. He shook his head as if she could see him.
"I meant what I said. I would not betray you."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
He was silenced for a few seconds, swallowing. A remnant of his blood's taste remained, his cut mouth had stopped bleeding. Like the bloodflow, his anger had run dry.
"I... didn't have the heart."
"No, you didn't. You don't have a heart to begin with. You work for the Empire and they have no use for such things." Maia appeared again, her right hand on the edge of the space, his boomerang in her left. Her eyes pierced him through the gate. "Do you have some other, more appropriate excuse?"
His tongue felt heavy, incapable of tuning any wit. Behind the chill her eyes contained, there was pain. Had her Cloaking crystal translated that entity to its full quantity, or was it even worse without the veil? He wasn't sure if he could withstand that.
"I'm sorry."
Maia's nose wrinkled at the meagre apology. He understood why she couldn't accept it. He didn't think it would work, but he couldn't help but say it. She broke eye contact with him and gritted her teeth, a look of pure exasperation on her features. Did she want to believe him?
His hold on the gate tightened. "Cut the gate loose. I can't stand speaking to you through bars."
She laughed humorously, turning away. "Still so demanding...Goodbye, Repton."
The sharp prod of panic struck again and he reached out fruitlessly. "Nakoto-"
"Just stop!"
At that moment they were interrupted.
The Nightcrawler descended upon Maia from the nearby ladder, landing lithely, hardly causing distress to the canal of water. Maia turned to the intrusion and uttered a yell, taken off-guard. The Nightcrawler disarmed her of Repton's weapon quickly, the main threat to him, and it landed at the base of the gate. It was still just beyond the Raptor King's reach when he bent down to recover it. He could see the shadows of Maia and her assaulter, in a dance of struggling might. Maia was not rendered entirely defenceless and she swung her Claws. The Nightcrawler evaded the swipes and took note of the damage her hand had on their surroundings, pipes sliced clean and filtering strong streams of steam.
Maia had fallen in Repton's view and the assassin mounted on top of her, clasping her right hand down. He struck her throat in an effort to disorient her, and he succeeded, but he had done more than that. The voice enhancer shattered audibly and Nakoto's voice emitted from the "human"'s lips. Maia continued to buck beneath him, giving the Nightcrawler further difficulty, still a formidable opponent. He reached back and Repton wasn't surprised when his fingers manipulated a Paralyzer. A skilled crystal-user, the dark underling activated the crystal with his bare hand, and the light enveloped Maia in an ice-blue wave. It was as if her clock had stopped momentarily before revving back slowly, very slowly. Yet again, a Paralyzer had short-term effects on the Raptoress, something the assassin may not have expected.
The Nightcrawler let go of her right hand and used his dagger-like fingers to tear open the top of Maia's uniform. The sight kindled a homicidal rage within Repton and he pushed himself harder to reach his weapon. His shoulder was too thick, his armour hindered him!
Maia's Cloaking crystal was deactivated.
"An Oasium Product!" he heard the Nightcrawler hiss with glee. Nakoto's head rolled on her neck lethargically. "So you are the one causing turmoil on the surface. The Master will be the utmost pleased!"
Nakoto's teeth bared, the Paralyzer wearing off exponentially. Not applying another charge was the Nightcrawler's most grievous mistake. Regardless, she wasn't recovering fast enough to drive her attacker off, not before he reached into his pocket to retrieve a whistle... a whistle to call all his brethren to the area. Repton forced his tail through the base of the gate in last resort, and he managed to coil around and obtain his boomerang from the waters before tossing it up to his hand. He burst it aflame and carved through the metal barring the gate shut. The Nightcrawler cast his attention to the flash of light momentarily, but flickered back when Nakoto's Claws rose sluggishly to his side to puncture through his armour. He was forced to drop the Paralyzer and immobilize her once more, forgetting about Repton. He brought the whistle to his lips.
Repton launched his weapon through the bars, given no time to actually pass through the gate himself. The weapon churned in the air like a ball of fire and struck the pipelines, sending geysers into the Nightcrawler's face. The event shocked him, both hands raised up to divert the flow of air and water. Nakoto's legs slipped out from beneath him and propelled him off, animation finally running close to living speed. The Nightcrawler stumbled on his feet, still taken aback but even more intent to call for reinforcements. Nakoto rolled onto her feet, charged and screamed, colliding with his body. Repton glimpsed her Claws drill forth and plunge into the assassin's abdomen, aimed upwards toward his heart. The sound was horrific, the snapping of ribs, the sudden rush of blood. A low and strangled gasp escaped the Nightcrawler's throat as he thudded painfully against the wall, sequentially pinned into it by the Raptoress. The whistle slipped from his rattling fingers, almost lost to the water if not for an inactive gutter catching it. He continued to breathe raspy against Nakoto's still, tense body, and she stayed there until he stopped altogether. His corpse slipped limply down the wall when she withdrew.
Repton fumbled with the metal he demolished, clattering in his haste to remove it. He pushed the gate open when the pieces fell away and he entered the scene. Water rushed over the Nightcrawler's limbs and submerged half his face, the lavender glow in his eyes subsiding. Nakoto lingered by the body before falling to her knees, trembling. She looked at her blood-caked hands, a look of pure distraught on her features. He watched as tears welled up in her eyes. She noticed him standing there and angled away quickly, her face crumpling.
"Nakoto..."
"Once upon a time, there was a mail-carrier named Maia."
Repton watched in confusion when Nakoto started reciting something. She turned back and kept looking at her hands. Her lips strained with misery as she fought to keep her composure.
"She kept her true name secret and buried the past with her new passion... She thought she could live her life in this silly persona, delivering letters and outwitting those who chased her." Her voice fractured and emotion forced it shrill when it fluctuated. "The thrill of my life kept me distracted, but I never wanted to kill anyone!"
"She was nothing but a weapon, that pathetic fool, Nakoto...!"
She wasn't in the tunnels anymore; her mind was somewhere else, somewhere dark. The gust from the pipes Repton destroyed was running less fiercely, filling their section of the tunnel with fine mist. It layered his skin lightly, and he distantly felt the trickle of water run down the side of his face and jawline. He could see that such droplets were collecting on Nakoto's crown and face too, but he could not mistake the droplets running down her cheeks for condensation.
He knelt down in front of her and touched her softly. He hadn't done this before, touch her as affectionately as he did now. He placed his hand on her shoulder gingerly, running his thumb across the fabric. He reached down and took hold of her right hand, heedless of dirtying his own with the blood, and he squeezed. She was not responding aggressively, as he thought she would at his touch. She choked out a sob and he moved in closer, shifting his hand from her shoulder to the side of her face, delicate. He pressed his forehead to hers, as close as he'd ever been, and he realized how right it felt. He caressed her gently as she cried, breathing deeply in hopes that her body would follow example. He said nothing, offering his silence as she searched solace.
"An Oasium Product..." she murmured. Repton slowly receded, leaving a little space but still close enough to keep hold on her. Her eyes were closed, crestfallen.
"Nakoto, look at me."
She finally heeded his command and she brought her eyes up upon him. She looked like she was ready to drop into slumber forever, that's how spent she was. None of that heated anger or loathing remained. He ran a knuckle across her cheek to banish the stray tears.
"We have to get you out of here."
"The Talons are still working hard in their search," the subordinate reported to the Dark Ace. "The intruder is proving truly evasive."
"Obviously," the general exhaled in contempt. "We're dealing with a real adversary. Are you sure it wasn't a Storm Hawk?"
"Yes, sir. And we've checked the surrounding area but there's no sign of their sky carrier. She seems unrelated."
The Dark Ace looked down at the little girl in their company, on her knees and her eyes downcast. She was hiding in darkness when Talons entered one of the alleys, and after a fuss she was brought promptly to him. Both Ravess and Snipe confirmed that she was associated with the trespasser. The siblings were with him presently, watching as he contemplated what to do with the child. They had gathered their meeting on the edge of where they were loading the Parasites.
"Have we identified the girl?" he asked.
"She won't spit it out," Snipe growled. He gripped the girl's arm, and she yelped. "I really will break your arm, you know."
In spite of the threat, the girl pressed her lips shut tight. Snipe twisted her arm and tears gathered in her eyes, but still nothing. The Dark Ace snapped his fingers and the brawny commander glanced at him before begrudgingly releasing her.
"I suppose it's irrelevant. She's clearly Cyclonian-born, so perhaps our little interloper is actually a rebel, or an escapee. If she's got any dignity I'm sure she'll return for the girl, and when she does we'll secure her."
The two commanders and the subordinate Talon nodded. The latter of the group left to report to his comrades, while the siblings lingered. Ravess sat against a nearby crate and adjusted the string of her bow, making sure it was up to perfection. Snipe wandered to the outskirts of their space, but the Dark Ace wasn't entirely interested at first. After Snipe let go of the child, her slack kneeling collapsed and she sat back flat, rubbing her arm ruefully. She sniffled, but when she noticed his attention on her she stopped, turning away. She could only be around ten-years-old... The Dark Ace couldn't fathom a kid that young to be so resistant. It didn't cross his mind that she could possibly be younger.
He heard Ravess sigh with disdain and he looked over to her. She noticed his regard and rolled her eyes, ready to explain.
"Snipe has been in an awfully flirtatious mood. Makes me sick."
The Dark Ace arched his brow and followed Ravess' previous line of vision. Now it was apparent that Snipe was speaking with a female underling whom he seemed to know. The familiarity seemed mutual, since the woman was flashing him friendly smiles. Not once had she spoken, or moved her mouth to do so. She had a medium-tan complexion and dark brown hair, and her hand was up clutching the collar of her uniform modestly. She looked passed him in the Dark Ace's direction, although he couldn't tell if she was actually looking at him. She and Snipe stood with a crate in between them, and she carried a duffle bag under her arm.
"Hold on, now," Ravess muttered, standing up. She slowly reached back for an arrow. The Dark Ace prompted her to continue.
"I know that bag. The intruder had it with her, with the child."
"The suspect you described to me had light skin and blonde hair," the Dark Ace reminded her. Ravess' nose wrinkled.
"That she did. And the Talons that arrived in the Master's study said that she had dark skin and hair, much like that girl."
The girl on the ground had tuned in to their conversation, and the Dark Ace watched as she, too, sent her gaze to the woman in question. He could not deny the change in posture he noticed.
"Snipe!"
The commander's head rolled on his shoulders at his sister's call, visibly annoyed.
"I'm busy!" he barked, turning. "Can't I have one conversation without you shoving into it-?"
At the moment his attention shifted the woman struck him across the head with the back of her right hand. It looked like it knocked him out unconscious immediately. She jumped over the crate between them in one leap, and Snipe had just hit the ground when she already drew his mace from him. The Dark Ace observed the lack of boots and the torn uniform collar, but he didn't have time to think more of it. By the time he drew his blade the trespasser sent the mace spiralling in his direction. The act took him by surprise and he underestimated the amount of force behind it; only a person with Snipe's strength could wield it that fluidly. He took too long and only managed to narrowly avoid it.
Ravess sent a flurry of arrows in the woman's direction, an attempt to deter her advances. "Did you think a Cloaking crystal was that clever?" the commander screeched. "You foolish worm!"
The woman proved extremely agile, dodging Ravess' rain of destruction. The Dark Ace watched as her right hand circulated for a few seconds before she came to a full stop, pulling that arm back. Ravess had another three arrows loaded onto her bow and when she discharged, the woman swung. A wide charge of violet energy appeared across her body and set out like a wave, obliterating Ravess' arrows and onward. He had seen that before, though he couldn't place it... It was as if she held a crystal in her hand, but it was wide and empty last he checked. Both he and Ravess dove for the ground at the unexpected turn of events.
The young girl had gotten to her feet and ran for the woman. The Dark Ace's fingers grasped at her ankle but missed. The intruder smiled and scooped up the girl in her arms before retreating forthwith. The Dark Ace rose up to his feet and went in pursuit.
"You have no escape!" he roared after them.
They aimed to cut through the Parasite loading area. There were only a few armed Talons here, the majority being mere loading crew members. The interloper ran with strange vigour for a human carrying a child. There was still a clumsiness to her, he recognized, whenever she crashed her shoulder against an edge or obstacle in her path. Regardless, she managed to pass all the good-for-nothing foot soldiers and was well on her way to leave the entire area completely. The Dark Ace couldn't hope to catch her on foot.
He reached the nearest crate of Parasites and fished one out, along with a crossbow from a corresponding box. While he loped he loaded it up and got to a higher view point, from which he scoured and locked on to his prey. She and the girl were just about to pass through a door controlled by a mechanism at the end of the arena. She dropped the girl down and urged her through while she dealt with the control. She had briefly took in her surroundings and saw some Talons charging at her, but she opened up her back to them anyway.
The Dark Ace took aim and shot the Parasite. He wasn't as great a marksman as Ravess, admittedly, but his attack met its mark. Just as she designed the door to close and destroyed the control panel, the Parasite met with her shoulder.
But it did not grip.
It bounced off her body and fell to the ground. She reached for her shoulder with a visible look of pain, but she slipped under the closing door without delay. The door shut behind them, sealing them off from the loading bay.
"Are these crystals faulty-?" the Dark Ace cursed to himself. He jumped down from his vantage point and pointed to the Talons nearest to him, frozen from the rush of events. "Stop loading them, they're not ready! And get every single Talon on patrol; the woman and child need to be caught now!"
"You did what?"
I came rushing down into the sewers with Sylvia and met with Repton at the rendez-vous point we arranged. We moved Cloud Nine closer to open air and he agreed to wait by her for my return. At this point I had no choice but to trust him. He was there when I arrived, momentarily eyeing the human child, but his body tensed when he noticed how winded I was. I placed Sylvia onto Cloud Nine and rolled my shoulder, still stinging at the spot the Parasite hit me. Those men were right when they said they still held no effect on Raptors.
"I sorta made a scene," I replied stiffly. Since my voice enhancer was destroyed, my voice accompanied Maia's form. Luckily Snipe loved to talk himself to death. "I don't have time to explain. I need to leave with Sylvia now. I'm assuming you took care of the Nightcrawler?"
There was no body at the rusted gate anymore, so it went without saying, but I wanted to ask. The memory still scorched my mind. Repton didn't say anything for a moment and watched as I regained my breath. He then nodded silently, brandishing the whistle the Nightcrawler possessed.
"I've called the others away from here, to the other side of the Terra," he said. He watched as I mounted Cloud Nine, adjusting Sylvia to sit in front of me. She was watching Repton suspiciously all the while. "It should give you enough time to enter the Wastelands undetected and reach Free Atmos."
I nodded curtly. I sighed through my nose and closed my eyes, taking just another minute before forcing myself into the final round of stress. By the end of today, perhaps I'd be able to sleep in peace, too weak to give nightmares any of my attention. I was not willing to speak, waiting for Repton to leave me.
He reached for my right hand on Cloud Nine's throttle, summoning my eyes to open and look at him. He had caught me in a moment of weakness before, in a state where all I sought was comfort. Now a part of me still toiled with protest and accusation. It was a small part now, I confessed, but it still sent powerful shots in my being. He held my gaze steadily.
"Tell me this is not the last I'll see of you," he whispered to me. He pressed his hold tighter, but not tight enough to hurt. "I need to hear you say it."
My eyes fell to our hands, and despite how dead my humour was, I chuckled.
"That's a loaded statement I can't say right now, because I really don't know. We'll just have to see."
I ignited Cloud Nine and checked the dashboard through general preparation. Repton stayed for a moment longer, then drew away. I cast him a glance, perched a small smile on my lips, then engaged my ride to our exit, leaving him behind. Sylvia held me close, uttering a soft squeal at the thrill. We soon dipped down and left the sewers completely, free-falling down towards the heat. I told her to close her eyes as we entered the Wastelands, and she heeded, but I wasn't sure if she kept them shut for long. I felt that she might have tensed or winced when a beast or two entered our sights.
I had absolutely no time to sit back and think right now. No thoughts about Luchas and what was to become of Sylva. No thoughts about Cyclonis' plot with the Parasites. No thoughts about my midlife crisis.
No thoughts about Repton, even though my mind persisted he take the entirety of it.
Repton stood with the other commanders in Cyclonis' hall, summoned when night fell. The search came out fruitless, the imposter had escaped. There was little emphasis on the girl that accompanied her, even though there should have been. Repton looked at the others with him and noticed Snipe sporting richly-coloured bruises at his temple, noting Nakoto's handy-work. He didn't ask Ravess or the Dark Ace anything as they waited for the Empress to join them.
Once she did, the commanders introduced their findings, one by one. Repton listened intently. Snipe mumbled about her lisp, referencing the first time he encountered Maia at the harbour. Ravess then mentioned that she changed forms, implying she had a cloaking crystal. She also mentioned that the intruder was a crystal-user, which could help deflect the suspicion away from Nakoto. Then, the Dark Ace said that the Parasites had no affect on her... hopefully no one would come to the conclusion that she was a Raptor.
Cyclonis turned her attention to Repton, who was next in line. He was prepared to speak his turn, but she silenced him. He watched with bated breath, puzzled.
"She escaped from all of your grasps three times," she said coldly. "I want to make it clear that I won't tolerate such incompetence in my domain." The other commanders tilted their heads down. "If she were an accomplished assassin I might have had a problem. Lucky for you, she left before she could do any more damage to me."
It was now that she addressed Repton directly. "Where were you after her initial presence was announced?"
"I joined in the search," he responded, having prepared an answer. "I sent Talons to the living sector in case she was hiding there, while I checked the docks and the tunnels."
"The tunnels, you say? My Nightcrawlers were patrolling there as well." Her arms folded behind her back, and her eyes filmed over in thought. "Speaking of, one of them has gone missing. They detected his signal but found nothing at the point in question. He still hasn't reported back."
Repton stayed silent, not intending to be the one to interrupt her thoughts. He disposed the Nightcrawler down through a shaft into the fiery pits below the cloud line. He had also snapped the whistle in half when Nakoto broke free of Cyclonia and disposed those pieces as well. He was as careful as he could have been, making sure no evidence was left behind.
"She caused you some difficulty," she mused further. "How so?"
Repton's tongue lapped over his teeth before speaking. "As Ravess mentioned... she was a crystal-user."
"How did you know she was an intruder? Neither you nor I suspected her of anything... or at least, not when I was present."
"She attacked me."
"You, of all people?"
Repton shrugged. "Perhaps she felt provoked. I stayed to look at the Oasium archives, but didn't get a chance to properly use them. She tried destroying the Eye and some of the documents before she escaped."
"Evidently. Doesn't account for the fact that one of the pieces has gone missing."
Fortunately Repton didn't let any emotion creep onto his face. The only one he permitted was distant surprise. "Of the Eye?"
"Yes. How could you have missed it?"
He bowed his head. "I didn't realize."
"That is unimportant. In fact, it gives us a better idea on who it could have been."
Repton clamped his teeth behind his lips.
"A lisp and a changing form... well now, I think I've heard those qualities synonymous with that of the Great Mail-Carrier of Atmos." Cyclonis unfolded her arms and paced slowly, a hand perched at her chin. "Never heard of Maia being an exceptional crystal-user though; she's normally a pacifist to begin with. I suppose she's more than meets the eye..."
"It would make sense, then," the Dark Ace interjected. "As an agent of Atmosia, she would come here under her disguises as a spy. She would have proper armour to deflect the Parasites-"
"Nothing can deflect my Parasites," Cyclonis snapped. "Luchas has been all over their research, I've countered them all! There is nothing wrong with them. No, there's only one explanation."
How could Repton have known that his stealing the piece of the Eye would cause a butterfly effect?
He braced himself for her to go on a public tirade about her suspicions, but she didn't. She brought her hand up and traced her brow delicately, looking weary. "Leave me," she ordered. "I need time with my thoughts."
And they did, one at a time. They bowed in reverence and filed out the main doors. Repton was the last of the group, remaining to plant a seed in last resort. Cyclonis had turned his back to him.
"Do you really think she stole a piece, Master Cyclonis?" he inquired. "After she had tried to destroy it?"
Knowing he was referring to Athene's Eye, she replied without turning around, "All the pieces were collected. Unless you have a better idea of where it went?"
He started his departure, loosening his shoulders up to help the authenticity of his relaxed demeanour. "I'm just not convinced I would have missed that kind of detail," he reflected. "The idea of it being Maia or anyone else seems too coincidental."
"You sound resigned."
He forced out a chuckle. "If it were Maia, you know how eager I would be in capturing her."
"And if it wasn't Maia, but an Oasium Product?"
She still hadn't turned around, thankfully. He scoffed and commented before exiting the room;
"Then Bogaton would be thriving on bountiful feasts, thanks to Your Grace."
End of Chapter
A/N: Aaaaaaand here you are!
I've been caught up in a new lifestyle in a new area so things have been sorta hectic. I decided to finish up a chapter for you though. I hope you enjoyed it.
Also if you wanna see more Scales and Bones-related stuff I have some works on my dA. Along with other stuff you might like, I dunno. Just search up EnshroudedVixen; I'm the one with the dancing Twelfth icon ;3
See ya guys arouuuuuuuuuund. Make me happy with thoughtful reviews! Some signal boosts and sharing would be lovely ;)
~Vix