Chapter 2: Age of Heroes Pt. 2
(Intro)
'The Aurora Stone is gone! And now, the Atmos' most powerful crystal is in the hands of Cyclonia!' Upon returning to Terra Cyclonia, the Dark Ace brought the Aurora Stone straight to Master Cyclonis. "Master Cyclonis." He said, holding out the crystal. "You'll want to hold on to that for a few more moments. I'm expecting guests." Master Cyclonis said.
By then, an entire army of Sky Knight squadrons from all over the Atmos had arrived. Dark Ace took position on top of the Cyclonian tower, held up the Aurora Stone and knocked off its ring. 'Sky Knights and their squadrons from all over Atmos have combined forces for a frontal assault.' Dark Ace attached the Aurora Stone, powering up his Blade. The Sky Knights all prepared for battle. Dark Ace readied his weapon and delivered an energy wave so powerful, it blew him back into the wall. And one by one, the wave decimated the Sky Knights. Dark Ace stared at the Aurora Stone in awe at its immense power. 'They were brave, but they failed.' The Sky Knights popped their chutes as they fell in defeat.
Dark Ace returned to Master Cyclonis. "And our guests?" Master Cyclonis asked. "I've never seen such power." Dark Ace said, holding up the crystal. "That, Dark Ace, was nothing. We're about to see the full power of the Aurora Stone unleashed!" Master Cyclonis said. She then turned back to her machine and activated it. It looked like an engine. Dark Ace had never seen anything like it. A hatch on it opened. Dark Ace held out the crystal. Master Cyclonis took it and held it out to the machine, unveiling her feathered hood. A machine hand took the crystal and placed it in the machine. "It's called a Storm Engine. Imagine a thousand terras wiped clean with a single blow. It's about to happen." Master Cyclonis said as the machine began charging up. "In a few hours, this will the only safe place on Atmos."
Back on the Condor, the Storm Hawks gathered at their table. "Just got word. All the squadrons that went to Cyclonia…they were all defeated." Piper said. The Storm Hawks were all shocked by this news. "But how?" Junko asked. "The Dark Ace. He used the Aurora Stone." Piper said. "With all that power, Cyclonia could tear the entire Atmos apart with a single strike." Riggorix said. "So, what's our move, Aerrow?" Sky asked. But Aerrow wasn't there. And neither was Skyler.
Aerrow and Skyler walked into the hull of the Condor. "So, where exactly did you put the Heart of Atmos?" Skyler asked. "A secret compartment. Aria and I had it made to keep our most important possessions in." Aerrow explained. He walked over to a bookcase, pressed one of the big books and the shelves opened to reveal the secret compartment. Inside it, other than a small box containing the Heart of Atmos, there was a picture of Lightning Strike, a headband bearing the Storm Hawks insignia, a picture of Aerrow, Aria and the Stormhearts as kids and a couple of rings with blue crystals. Aerrow reached out, took out the box and opened it, revealing the Heart of Atmos.
Aerrow and Skyler rejoined the rest of the team. Aria noticed the box and realized what her brother was thinking. "Aerrow, are you sure?" She asked. Aerrow took the Heart out of the box and stared at it. "If we're going to face against Master Cyclonis and get back the Aurora Stone, we'll need what power we can get. And besides, I feel like something's entered my memory about this necklace. Something…familiar." He said, staring into the crystal. The team felt unsure, but shrugged it off. Aerrow put the necklace around his neck and the Heart started to glow. "Skylight Unite!" He called out, almost on instinct. Just then, a bright light wrapped around the Storm Hawks. And when the light cleared, the team, to their surprise, were dressed in special armors. Aerrow looked at himself in the mirror and to his surprise, he saw that he had aged. He now closely resembled his own father, Lightning Strike. He looked at the others. Aria, Piper, Finn, Junko, Skyler, Skyla and Sky had aged too. Riggorix and Stork, however, stayed the same age, but to their surprise, they became humans. Everyone was admiring their new looks. Finn actually grew a nice little goatee beard. "Wow! I have a beard!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Uh, what's happening?" Aria asked, suddenly feeling herself levitating. She looked at the ground and saw that she was levitating. "I CAN FLY!" She cried. "Guys? Check out these guns!" Sky exclaimed, gesturing to his new muscles. Skyla poked her brother's bicep, shocked at how hard it was. "I can't believe it! I'm a human!" Riggorix exclaimed. "This is definitely not ideal for me!" Stork exclaimed, freaking out at himself.
Just then, Aerrow had a thought in his head. He held out his hand and to everyone's surprise, formed a small orb of air. Everyone else held out their own hands. Skyler formed a small fire ball, Skyla formed a ball of earth, Sky formed a ball of water, Aria's hand glowed a pretty pink, Piper formed 3 tiny crystals, Riggorix formed a ball of metal, Junko formed a ball of plasma, Finn formed a ball of light and Stork's hand sizzled with electricity, to his shock. (No pun intended) "We have powers of the elements." Aria said, admiring her glowing hand. "And I think with these new powers, we can succeed with taking back the Aurora Stone. And I have just the plan to do so." Aerrow said.
With their newfound powers, The Storm Hawks planned out their infiltration strategy. 'The Storm Hawks are all that's left. But we're not going to make the same mistakes. We're doing this our way. And that means the most dangerous stealth mission that Atmos has ever seen. And with our new powers, we'll be able to pull it off without getting a single scratch. This is gonna be fun.' Stork steered the Condor through the skies. Piper looked over a map and gave a thumbs-up to Aerrow, Aria and the Stormhearts, who were flying outside without their skimmers. Radarr was clinging onto Aerrow's back. Stork dived the Condor into the Wastelands, avoiding a Lava Eel in the process. Aerrow, Aria and the Stormhearts arrived in Cyclonia territory. Aerrow used his new air powers to create a fog cloud to cover their entry.
Meanwhile, the Cyclonians received a cargo container of donuts. The doors of the cargo container burst open, revealing Junko sitting on top of boxes of donuts. Junko gave a large burp, having eaten pretty much the whole supply. "Never thought I'd say this, you guys, but I never want to see another donut again." He said with regret as Finn and Riggorix popped out from the pile of empty boxes. "Well, you didn't need to eat half of them." Finn said. "Well, we needed the room!" Junko complained. "That's no excuse to get a tummy-ache." Riggorix said. The 3 peaked out from behind the container. "So, this is Cyclonia." Finn said as they watched the Talons at work on their machines. "Kinda evil-y." Junko stated. "Yeah. I think that's what they're going for." Riggorix said. They jolted back when a Talon appeared. "Hey! Who are you?!" The Talon asked, aiming his staff at them.
Meanwhile, Stork and Piper continued to travel through the Wastelands. Stork steered around as he avoided a Lava Eel. "Find Cyclonia is bad enough, Piper, but do we have to get through the…Wastelands?" He asked, steering around some lava geysers. "It's the only way, Stork. All we need to worry about is that Finn, Junko and Riggorix pull off their part of the mission." Piper said.
Meanwhile, Finn, Junko and Riggorix subdued the Talon guard by tying him up and gagging him with donuts. Now they were sneaking around. "What are we looking for again?" Junko asked. "A grate in the floor. We climb down it and the Condor should be waiting." Finn whispered. As they snuck past a door, Finn jolted back to see what was through there. "No way." He whispered, having found the Storm Engine and the Aurora Stone. "Dude, that's it! The Aurora Stone is inside that big thingy! Let's just grab it and split!" He whispered as he entered the room. "I don't know, Finn. That's not part of Piper's plan." Junko said. "Yeah. You remember what happened last time you didn't follow one of her plans? She really gave you an earful." Riggorix said. "She's always making things too complicated." Finn said. "Just think of all the time and danger we'll skip." Junko thought about it for a second. "Let's do it!" He whispered gleefully. Riggorix groaned at this. "What? You actually like running into time consuming danger, Rigg?" Finn asked. Riggorix shrugged.
Finn got on Junko's shoulders and tried to reach for the Aurora Stone while Riggorix examined the Storm Engine. "I've never seen such a machine." He touched it, closed his eye and absorbed the metal into his hand. "Solid combination of magnesium and zinc. No one has ever made a form of metal like this." He said with suspicion. But then, Finn started to lose his balance as he tried to get the Aurora Stone. "Come on, Finn, grab it!" Junko said. Finn did his best, but he couldn't get within reach. "You might wanna rethink that." Master Cyclonis' voice said. Finn, Junko and Riggorix turned to see her and 2 Talons at the door. "And you are?" Master Cyclonis asked. "Busted." Finn said as he and Junko smiled sheepishly. Riggorix growled.
Meanwhile, the Condor continued through the Wastelands until they finally reached Terra Cyclonia. "Cyclonia. Looks just as ugly below." Piper said, looking at the pipelines at the bottom through the scope. "It does have a certain…dark charm. I wonder how they decorate the dungeon." Stork said as he steered the Condor into one of the pipes.
Meanwhile, Finn drew his Energy Crossbow, empowered the loaded arrow with his new light power and fired it at Cyclonis. But she stopped it and disintegrated it to create a giant red orb, making Finn gasp. Riggorix roared, drew his Energy Scythes and ran in to attack. But then Cyclonis blew the orb into energy waves, knocking Riggorix, Finn and Junko down. The Talons ran over and pointed their staffs at them, preventing them from getting up. "This is so not good." Finn said. "You may look like adults at the moment, but you'll be nothing but a bunch of kids." Cyclonis said, clapping her hands. Just then, a huge pipe lowered down, sucked the 3 up and dropped them into the glass case on the Storm Engine. Junko activated his Knuckle Busters and tried to punch their way out. But all he did was hurt his hand. "They'll get to be the first to see how it works. Too bad it will be the last thing they see. I'm guessing they're not the only ones paying us a visit." Cyclonis said.
As Aerrow, Aria and the Stormhearts flew further into Cyclonia, Aerrow saw Snipe with 2 Talons in their heliscooters. Snipe gestured them to surround the 6 Storm Hawks. "Somehow I don't think he's here to welcome us to Cyclonia." Aerrow said. "You'd win that bet, bro." Aria said. The 6 looked as both Talons prepared to make their move. "Split up!" Aerrow called. The Stormhearts broke off as Aerrow and Aria flew towards the one Talon with the other chasing them. The Talon in front started firing on the 2 siblings, but they flew off, causing the blast to head towards the other Talon. He bailed out and popped his chute before his heliscooter got hit. Aerrow then drew one of his Blades and slashed off the first Talon's propeller, causing the heliscooter to fall. The Talon popped his chute. "2 down, one to go." Aerrow said. "Sky Knights! I don't know who you are, but Snipe's gonna smash you like a bug!" Snipe yelled. As both sides flew towards each other, Snipe tossed his mace at them. Aerrow and Aria dodged the mace and flew off. They then turned around and drew their weapons. Both sides smirked at each other.
The Stormhearts watched from afar. "You guys think Aerrow and Aria can handle this guy with their new powers?" Sky asked. "I don't know. We've never really tested our limits yet." Skyler said. "I think we should go help them." Skyla said. "Probably for the best." Sky said. "Right." Skyler said. But before they could fly down to help, an Energy Chain Leaf Blade nearly slashed them. They looked up as the blade was retracted, revealing Isis standing on her own skimmer. "This is gonna be fun." Isis said. "Lady Isis?! Since when does she work for Cyclonia?!" Skyla asked in shock. "Oh, it's not just me. You know my sister, Lilias?" Isis said as Lilias rode up on her own heliscooter, twirling her Energy Club in her hand. "Aw. Handsome men and lovely lady dare to get back the Aurora Stone?" She asked mockingly. "This just got a bit more complicated." Skyler said as he and his siblings drew their weapons.
Meanwhile, Piper and Stork continued to navigate the Condor through the pipes. "This place is really giving me the creeps." Piper said, embracing herself. "I think it's kinda homey." Stork said, actually liking the scenery. But suddenly, as they continued, something hit them from behind. Piper grabbed the scope and looked behind them. "It's the Raptors!" She said, seeing Repton and his Raptors speeding after them. "Stork, we gotta outrun them!" "Any faster and the Condor will most definitely get scratched." Stork said. "Any slower and we'll get blasted." Piper said. "I'm just saying." Stork said, increasing the Condor's speed.
Meanwhile, Aerrow and Aria continued to duel against Snipe. "Wow! He's really strong." Aria said. "But we're faster." Aerrow said. Aria smirked, knowing what her brother was planning. They flew past Snipe, spinning him around. And then they flew back again and again. Snipe swung at them madly and blindly as they passed, until he accidently broke his heliscooter's propeller. "Uh-oh." He muttered before he fell, popping his chute. Aerrow and Aria gave each other a high-five before continuing on.
Meanwhile, the Stormhearts dueled against Isis and Lilias. Skyla and Sky dueled against Isis while Skyler took on Lilias. Isis threw one of her Leaf Blades, but Skyla batted it back with her Energy Rod. "You surprise us by being here, Isis. You were never one to be the team-building type." Skyla said. "Yeah. What made you decide to join the Cyclonia?" Sky asked. "I was always one who respects nothing but great power. And Master Cyclonis made me a very generous offer of great power. And as if I need to explain the rest." Isis explained. "Wow. There's a hunk of humor." Skyler said as he clashed against Lilias' club with his Energy Glaive. "Keep laughing, jester! It's gonna get you into a lot of trouble!" Lilias exclaimed, shoving Skyler back and preparing her next big swing.
Meanwhile, the Raptors continued to chase the Condor. But with the immense speed, the Condor was getting scratched by the pipe's walls. As Stork turned the Condor through a corner, they managed to exit the pipe. Repton sneered. As he and his Raptors followed, they transformed their skimmers and flew after the Condor into another pipe. As the chased continued, Repton drew his Energy Boomerang and tossed it at the Condor. "I hate tailgaters." Stork grumbled, putting the Condor in reverse and causing the Raptors to crash into it. The Raptors slid off one of the turbines and the Condor continued on, leaving the Raptors dogpiled on Repton. Piper sighed with relief. "Good flying, Stork." She said. "Yeah. Well…" Stork said.
As Aerrow and Aria flew through the air, they suddenly heard music in the air. They looked ahead and saw a squadron of Talons, one of which was playing the violin. Again. And then, an arrow was shot right past the siblings. They looked behind them and saw Ravess and Ratharr coming towards them. They appeared to have been trapped from both sides.
Ravess fired another of her arrows. But Aerrow and Aria quickly dodged it and flew up. The Talons, Ravess and Ratharr followed. "They're catching up! What do we do now?" Aria asked. Radarr whimpered. "It's okay, guys. Saw this in a cartoon once." Aerrow said. "Oh no." Aria said, knowing what her brother was about to do. So, she took Radarr just as Aerrow drew his blades. Then Aerrow dived down towards Ravess, Ratharr and the Talons. He then slashed off the wings of each of their skimmers. "No!" Ravess cried as her skimmer's wings fell off. "Impossible!" Ratharr shouted. Aerrow then pulled himself up as Aria and Radarr rejoined him. "Did you see that?! It worked!" He cheered. "Nice move, bro!" Aria cheered. Radarr nodded. As they flew away, Ravess and Ratharr glared after them. The Talon with the violin tried to lighten the mood with music, but Ravess just tossed her Energy Bow at him out of frustration. "This was even worse than being defeated by my own brother." Ratharr grumbled.
Back inside the castle, a Talon just informed Cyclonis of Ravess, Snipe and Ratharr's defeats. "We must be dealing with Sky Knights." Cyclonis deduced. "That's our man. And woman." Finn said. But then, Dark Ace appeared out of the shadows. "Leave these ones to me." He said before leaving. Cyclonis then turned to her prisoners. "If you're hoping for a rescue, prepare to be disappointed. In just a few moments, all of my Talons will be home to roost and your atoms will scattered across the Atmos." She explained. Finn, Junko and Riggorix were shocked by this. "Take your time." Junko said. "We're cool." Finn said. "Why do I even bother with them?" Riggorix sighed.
Meanwhile, Skyler was still dueling Lilias. But then, Lilias nearly knocked Skyler off balance with a strong swing of her Club. "I'm so insane!" She shouted as she cackled insanely. Skyler saw how tough she was. So, he had to try something different. Then he thought of something. His new fire power. He closed his eyes and his Glaive's blade became engulfed in fire. Lilias slowly stopped cackling and looked on in shock. Skyler then slashed a fire wave at Lilias, slashing through her heliscooter. Lilias quickly leapt off her heliscooter and popped her chute, descending with a pouty face.
Isis saw what had happened while she continued dueling Skyla and Sky. "Lily!" She cried. Skyla and Sky had also noticed what their older brother did to Lilias. "I don't believe it! Skyler beat Lilias with his new fire powers!" Sky cheered. "Hey, that gives me an idea!" Skyla exclaimed. "Just follow my lead!" As Isis sped her skimmer towards the 2, Skyla closed her eyes and spun her Energy Rod around and around, creating a typhoon of dust and blinding Isis' sight. "Argh! What's going on here?!" Isis asked in anger as she rubbed her eyes. Then Sky closed his eyes and slowly spun his Energy Scythe, creating a big ring of water. And then, he jolted his eyes open and fired a huge water jet from the ring. Skyla stopped her dust storm, giving Isis her sight back just in time for her to see Sky's water jet splash her off her skimmer. She popped her chute and spat out a bit of water. "I hate them." She grumbled.
Meanwhile, Piper looked at a map while Stork continued through the pipes. "That's it! Fly up that shaft!" She called, pointing to an incoming shaft. "Hatch 35. We're at the rendezvous." But as Stork started to fly into the shaft, the Condor began to wedge in the tight space. Piper and Stork wobbled and fell as the Condor got stuck. "Oh. That's gonna leave a mark." Stork said, making Piper roll her eyes. It was about to get worse. Because the Raptors had caught up to them.
Meanwhile, as Aerrow and Aria continued to fly, Aria caught sight of someone near the top of the tower. "Aerrow! Near the tower!" She called. Aerrow looked to the tower. To his surprise, it was the last person they wanted to see. The Dark Ace. "Lightning Strike?! How is this possible?!" Dark Ace asked in shock.
Finally, both sides made contact and began circling each other. "I don't know how you survived, but I see you're both determined. I'll give you that. But it takes much more to be a Sky Knight. I should know. I've defeated more of them than anyone!" Dark Ace said. Aerrow and Aria glared. "So, tell me, Sky Knights, are you here to get back the Aurora Stone?" Dark Ace asked mockingly. "Let's find out." Aerrow said. Both sides prepared to fight. They drew their weapons and started clashing. Unfortunately, Dark Ace got the better of Aerrow and Aria, nearly knocking them off balance. Then Dark Ace flew up behind the siblings, powered up his move and fired the blast at them. But then, Aerrow pulled out a shield he took from his skimmer and blocked the attack. "Good job, bro." Aria said. Radarr chittered. Aerrow nodded. Then both sides circled around and prepared to attack again. "This time no mercy." Dark Ace said darkly. "You defeated us last time because we weren't ready." Aria said. "But we've actually picked up some new tricks recently." Aerrow said, holding out his hands and closing his eyes. Dark Ace looked at him with confusion. But then, the air around him started to form up around him, containing him in a tight air veil. "What's happening?! What is happening?!" He asked in anger and shock. "Our new tricks." Aerrow said. "Let's see how you like this one." Aria said as she started to glow. Then she used her power to form a spear in her hand and threw it with her Lightning Claw, striking Dark Ace's skimmer. Dark Ace fell, but then he pulled out his own glider wings. Aerrow and Aria smiled and gave a high-five as they watched Dark Ace fly away, shouting with frustration at losing his first Sky Duel ever.
Meanwhile, as Piper looked over the map, something struck the Condor. Stork looked out through the scope. "Oh yeah. They found us." He said, seeing the Raptors. "What about the shields?" Piper asked. "Knocked out by the Cyclonians in our last battle. Permanently." Stork said. "Okay. This is bad." Piper said with worry. It got worse. Repton struck the Condor again. "We need more firepower. MOVE!" He ordered.
Meanwhile, Aerrow, Aria and Radarr regrouped with the Stormhearts and flew into the Cyclonians' hanger, drawing their weapons against 3 Talons. "Intruders! Halt!" One of them ordered as they aimed their staffs at the 6 Storm Hawks. "Think we can take them?" Skyla asked sarcastically. "We just took down the Dark Ace. These guys should be a piece of cake." Aerrow assured. But then, the doors behind the 3 Talons opened to reveal…an entire army of them! "Or maybe not." Aerrow said regretfully. Just then, an Energy Grenade was tossed at the feet of the Talons. Then it exploded, stunning the Talons, leaving only one standing. The 6 Storm Hawks were confused, but kept up their stance. Then the Talon took off her mask, revealing her beautiful face. "Take it easy! I'm a Sky Knight. The name's Starling." She said, introducing herself. "You mean Starling of the Interceptors? We've read about you." Aerrow said as Starling picked up her Grenade. "No way. I'm such a big fan!" Skyla exclaimed like a fangirl. "Ease up, sis!" Sky exclaimed. "Uh, who are you guys?" Starling asked. "We're the Storm Hawks." Aerrow said. "What're you doing here? And why are you dressed like a Talon?" Aria asked. "I've been here undercover. Cyclonis is planning to unleash a storm to end Atmos." Starling said. "How?" Aerrow asked. "She's built a machine from the Aurora Stone." Starling said. That startled the 6. "Also has a Wallop and 2 men stuck inside it. One had an eyepatch and the other has a goatee. They belong to you?" Starling said. "Finn, Junko and Riggorix. Figures." Aria groaned, knowing those 3 would've wound up in a mess like this. Radarr even face palmed himself.
At that moment, the Storm Engine was close to finishing powering up. "Finn, Rigg, I just want you guys to know, you're my best friends." Junko said. "I know. It's been an honor fighting beside you guys." Riggorix said. "Thanks, bud. And I want you to know that it was me that broke your favorite bunny lamp." Finn confessed. That caught Junko's attention. "You said it was the WIND!" He exclaimed. "Well, it was kinda windy when I tripped over it!" Finn said.
By then, Cyclonis oversaw the preparations for Atmos' destruction. "Storms made us. Storms tore us apart. And now, storms will help us rebuild…my way." She said. But then, Starling tossed her Grenade at the Talons guarding the door, stunning them. "Or we can do it our way!" Aerrow called as he Aria, Radarr and the Stormhearts came through the door. "This is getting annoying!" Cyclonis complained as she turned to face the Storm Hawks. "Shut down the machine and give us back what you stole…Master Cyclonis?" Aerrow said as he and the others were taken aback by Cyclonis' appearance. "Let me guess. You 5 are those pesky Sky Knights. You may look like adults, but aren't you a little young?" Cyclonis asked mockingly. "We were gonna say the same thing about you." Aerrow said.
Cyclonis just smirked, looked over to her Energy Staff and force pulled it into her hands. Then, to everyone's surprise, she floated down in front of them, removing her cloak. The Storm Hawks prepared to fight. Cyclonis aimed her staff at them and prepared to fire her crystal. But then, an Energy Nunchaku was tossed at the Staff, shattering it and loosening the crystal. Then Starling flipped in with the Nunchaku. But then, to everyone's shock, Cyclonis mentally repaired the staff and reinserted the crystal. "Ooh. You're good." She said, impressed with Starling's skills. Starling stood up and took her stance. "I'll hold off the witch. Go help your friends." She said. Aerrow nodded and ran to the Storm Engine with Aria, Radarr and the Stormhearts following.
Starling and Cyclonis started firing blasts at each other while Aerrow, Aria and the Stormhearts climbed the Storm Engine to free Finn, Junko and Riggorix. Starling and Cyclonis fired, blocked and dodged blasts. But then, Starling went completely ghost. As Cyclonis looked for where she would come out, Starling prepared a sneak attack from behind. But Cyclonis sensed this, turned around and blasted Starling. Radarr, trying to free the Aurora Stone, saw what had happened. "Starling!" Aerrow cried.
Cyclonis then turned to Aerrow, Aria and the Stormhearts. As the 5 readied their weapons, the crystal in Cyclonis' staff turned blue and began building up power. Radarr scattered back up to his partners and Cyclonis fired a blast. Aerrow, Aria and the Stormhearts leapt out of the way and the blast hit the glass case, freezing it. "Now's our chance! Junko, start smashing!" Finn said. Junko pounded his fist and punched the ice, slightly cracking it. "Whoa. That's cold." He complained. "Seriously?" Riggorix asked with deadpan.
Aerrow and Aria attacked with their Lightning Claws while the Stormhearts attacked with a combination of their elements. But Cyclonis blocked all 5 attacks with an energy shield. The 5 were shocked by this, but they kept up their stance. "You can't win, Sky Knights. You'll all do your fancy moves and jump around, but the end result will be the same." Cyclonis said as Dark Ace snuck up behind the Storm Hawks. "I unleash the full fury of nature! And you…Well, actually, I don't really care what happens to you." That was when Dark Ace slashed at the Storm Hawks, knocking them out. "You always have to have the last shot." Cyclonis said. Dark Ace sheathed his weapon as he and Cyclonis walked over to her machine. Cyclonis started typing, opening up the tower walls around them just as the Storm Engine reached full power. Electricity started to build up into the sky. Junko and Riggorix bashed against the ice. "And then, it begins." Cyclonis said as she watched her plan unfold. "But you see, that's where you're wrong." Aerrow said as he, Aria and the Stormhearts stood back up and drew their weapons. "It's already over!"
Dark Ace drew his Blade and slashed a blast at them. Skyla pounded her fist in the ground, creating an earth wall and blocking the attack. Aerrow then flipped over them and landed on the Storm Engine. Cyclonis retrieved her staff and fired a blast. Aerrow leapt out of the way and the blast hit the ice, shattering the case. As Aerrow landed, Dark Ace prepared to fight. But then his hand got caught. He looked and saw that it was caught by a mana whip, tossed by Aria. And then, as Cyclonis prepare to shoot again, Starling's Nunchaku was tossed at her, messing up her shot. Then Starling came in and kicked Dark Ace, sending him sliding across the floor. Aria then gave her whip a tug, making Dark Ace's hand open and let go of his Blade, losing it to the storm. As Starling landed, she looked to Aerrow, who nodded. He combined his Twin Energy Blades and prepared to do the most unexpected thing. "Aerrow, what're you doing?!" Skyler exclaimed. "What needs to be done." Aerrow said. Then he stabbed the Aurora Stone. And then the Storm Engine started to build up overloading electricity and suck in the air around the tower. Finn, Junko and Riggorix hopped out of the case and landed beside Aerrow. Dark Ace stood back up just as the wind started to tear up the tower and the Storm Engine. "Do you have any idea what you have done, Sky Knight?!" Cyclonis asked in anger. "Yeah. I just saved the Atmos from you." Aerrow said. Cyclonis just glared angrily. "And the name's Aerrow, son of Lightning Strike, leader of the new and improved Storm Hawks." Aerrow said. Cyclonis was about to fire her crystal, but then the Storm Engine gave off an energy wave, knocking her down. And then the top of the tower began to collapse on itself. Dark Ace ran over to his master and shielded her as the steel beams fell on top of them.
"Starling!" Aerrow called, grabbing her hand as the Storm Hawks ran to escape. As they ran through the hallways with the alarms blaring, debris collapsed in between 2 groups, cutting Aerrow, Aria and Starling off from the others. "Go! Keep moving! We'll get her out through the hanger." Aerrow said. "But how? Didn't you bring your skimmers?" Starling asked. "No. But it's better if we show you when we get to the hanger." Aria said.
Meanwhile, Stork tried to back the Condor out of their tight squeeze, but it wasn't working. "It won't back out. We're stuck good." He said as Piper looked through the scope. "Well, that's just great! Cause they're back with a bigger cannon!" Piper said, seeing that the Raptors had returned with a cannon.
Meanwhile, the Talons all scattered in fear as the whole place started shaking, not even bothering to try and apprehend Aerrow, Aria and Starling. And Finn, Junko, Riggorix, Radarr and the Stormhearts had reached the grate hatch. "There! 35. Just like Piper said." Finn said. "Then what are we waiting for? Rip it open!" Riggorix exclaimed. Junko activated his Knuckle Busters and ripped open the grate. "Whoa! Whaddaya know. They made it." He said, seeing the Condor at the bottom. As they started to climb down the ladder, Finn fired a grappling line at the Condor and hooked the other end to the ladder. Then he, Radarr, the Stormhearts and Riggorix slid down the line and landed in the Condor. "You better step on it! Cyclonia's about to go boom!" Finn said. "That could be a problem considering we're stuck! And Repton's getting ready to blast us from below!" Piper complained. That shocked everyone. "Wait. Repton's working with Cyclonis too?" Skyler asked. "Too? What're you talking about?" Finn asked. "Well, before we had to come rescue your sorry butts, we almost had a close call with Lady Isis and her sister Lilias!" Skyla explained.
By then, the Raptors aimed their cannon directly at the Condor, just as the whole place shook again. "It's kinda rumbly, boss." One Raptor, named Leugey, said. "QUIET! Just set this up and start BLASTING!" Repton ordered. As Junko grabbed onto the wire, the bolts holding the ladder began to loosen. "It's gonna take a miracle." Piper said. Then the ladder gave out, causing Junko to fall onto a table and knocking the Condor loose. Repton saw this and he and his Raptors scattered as the Condor landed on their cannon. Stork then fired up the engine and drove the Condor deep into the pipes, which circled around and nearly hit the Raptors.
By the time the Condor escaped through the pipes, the energy building up inside the tower finally let loose. When the Condor was finally in the clear, the Storm Hawks looked out the windows for any sign of Aerrow, Aria and Starling. "You think they made it out in time?" Sky asked. Radarr howled in mourning. "Don't worry, Radarr. They'll be okay. I just know it." Junko assured. Piper looked through the scope, until she saw Aerrow, Aria and Starling flying their way to the Condor. "It's Aerrow! And Aria too! They made it!" Piper cheered. But then, she noticed Starling holding onto Aerrow as they got closer. "Hey. Who's he got with them?" She asked with a bit of jealousy.
As Aerrow, Aria and Starling landed inside the Condor, they were greeted by their cheering squadron. "I told you we could do it." Aerrow said. Radarr hugged Aerrow's legs, then Aria's. Then Aerrow knelt down and let Radarr on his back. He then looked at the Heart of Atmos. "Now, how do we change back?" Aerrow asked. Just then, the Heart glowed and the Storm Hawks changed back to their normal looks. "Wait. You guys were just kids?! And a Merb and a Warpath?!" Starling asked in shock. "I guess so." Aerrow said sheepishly. Starling actually just smiled with understanding. "Anyway, Piper, guys, this is-" "Starling! Oh my gosh! You're like my most favorite Sky Knight ever!" Piper squealed. Aerrow looked at her jealous and confused. "Uh, I mean second favorite." Piper said sheepishly. Starling chuckled.
Upon returning to Terra Atmosia, the Storm Hawks immediately reported to the bureaucrat's office. "Of all the brash, reckless things to do, you've destroyed the Aurora Stone?!" The bureaucrat asked in anger. The Storm Hawks were silent. "However, taking into consideration and testimony of Sky Knight Starling, this council concedes it was the proper course of action." The bureaucrat said. "Does that mean the Storm Hawks are official?" Piper asked with hope. The council members all muttered with uncertainty. "They should be." A voice bellowed through the hall. Everyone turned and saw Thunderay walking up to the podium. "Members of the council, with all do respect, I have seen forth hand what a young generation of Storm Hawks are capable of. With the help of a great power and a good friend, they have singlehandedly saved the entire Atmos from utter destruction. If that's not enough to make these Storm Hawks official, then I don't know what is." Thunderay explained, putting his heart into that speech. The council then started muttering again. "Forget about it. But thanks, Thunderay. We don't need to be official to know who we are. Wherever Atmos needs help, the Storm Hawks will be there." Aerrow said. "Let's fly." The Storm Hawks then turned to leave.
"Wait!" The bureaucrat called, stopping the Storm Hawks. He dipped his pen in the ink and held it out to Aerrow. The Storm Hawks were surprised by this. "We owe you a debt of gratitude for saving the entire Atmos today. And Thunderay is right. Despite your age, you have proven yourselves to be a true Sky Knight squadron. And I believe that it is time for the Storm Hawks to be reborn." The bureaucrat explained. "Sign here please." Aerrow walked up, took the pen and signed the registration. "Thank you, sir. We won't let you or any of Atmos down." He said before leaving with his squad. "Good luck, Sky Knights." The bureaucrat muttered. Unseen by the others, the one man from earlier watched the Storm Hawks leave with disapproval. "They'll never be real Storm Hawks." He muttered. "Never."
Later, the Storm Hawks arrived back at the Condor. "Well then, I guess this is it then." Starling said. "I suppose so." Aerrow said. "It was actually fun helping you save the Atmos. I hope we work together again someday." Starling said. "We hope so too, Starling." Aria said. "Until then." Starling said, holding out her hand. Aerrow took it. Aria placed her hand on top. "Welcome to the Sky Knights…Storm Hawks." Starling said.
Meanwhile, back at Cyclonia, Cyclonis had freed herself from the tower's debris and was now using her powers to free Dark Ace. "Master." Dark Ace slowly said as he recovered. "You win some, you lose some. Apparently now the same goes for you, Dark Ace." Cyclonis said. "Don't worry. Atmos is going to learn soon enough that I've got much more in store for it. And as for the Storm Hawks, they'll pay for what they've done!" "I will make preparations with the others at once." Dark Ace said, preparing to leave. "Wait. There is something you should know." Cyclonis said, stopping her best warrior. "And what would that be, Master?" Dark Ace asked. "Those Storm Hawks have something, an ancient artifact that holds great power. The Heart of Atmos." Cyclonis revealed. Dark Ace was shocked to hear this. "I noticed it around Aerrow's neck during our fight. It's how he and his squad were able to summon the power of the elements." Cyclonis explained. "And look like Lightning Strike when aged." Dark Ace realized. "Yes. So, here's what I want you to do. The next time you face the Storm Hawks and the Heart of Atmos…TAKE IT FROM THEM!" Cyclonis ordered with a wicked smile.
Well, how's that for something? The Storm Hawks unlock the powers of the Heart of Atmos and use them against the forces of Cyclonia with the help of the Sky Knight Starling. And despite with the Aurora Stone destroyed, the Storm Hawks are officially made a Sky Knight squadron. But what does Cyclonis want with the Heart of Atmos? What other plans does she have in store for the Atmos? Leave a review if you want.
Special thanks to FoxyKhai0209 for the Heart of Atmos and its powers.