Chapter 25: Escape!
(Intro)
Terra Zartacla, home of an escape-proof Cyclonian stronghold known as Zartacla Prison. The alarms were set off as a prisoner had just escaped. Just then, Skyla burst out of the ground, having used her earth powers to dig a tunnel out of the prison. "We're free! Let's move!" Skyla called. Skyler, Sky, Radarr, Mimi, who were both in human form, Aria and Aerrow followed her out of the tunnel. "They're onto us already?" Aerrow asked in surprise. "Guess they have great security after all." Aria said. "What do we do now?" Sky asked. "We head into the woods, towards the sunrise." Aerrow said. "Now that's a good idea." Radarr said. The group ran towards the forest.
Meanwhile, inside the prison, the prisoners looked on with worry as the warden, Warden Moss, walked towards the Storm Hawks' cell. As he unlocked, he glared at the giant hole on the wall.
The Storm Hawks continued running into the forest, not even stopping for a little second.
"Well, well, well, boys. Looks like we got us a gaggle of runners." Warden Moss said with a sinister smile.
Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks continued trekking through the forest. "You know, I'm beginning to think using my power to tunnel out of the prison was the easy part." Skyla said. "It was. But we need to keep going." Aerrow said. Just then, Radarr and Mimi started getting freaked out by a few passing creatures, including a medium-sized snake and a local spider. Suddenly, another snake slithered down to their faces and hissed at them. "AERROW!" "ARIA!" They screamed, leaping into Aerrow and Aria's arms. Everyone was surprised by this. "Hehe. Sorry about that. Let's just get back onto the trail." Radarr said as he got down from Aerrow's arms and started down the path. "I'm with him." Mimi said as she got down from Aria's arms and started following Radarr. "Sorry, you 2, but we can't go on the trail. The guards will be hot on our tail." Aria said. "She's right. The forest towards the sunrise. That's our only hope." Aerrow said as they continued towards the sunrise.
Meanwhile, Warden Moss was whipping his Energy Whip while walking down the hallway. "Ain't nobody ever escaped from Zartacla Prison. Now I know a few folks has disappeared trying. But not today, sons. No. Today, I'm looking forward to bringing in some live ones. Today, I want me a chase!" He announced as they exited the building. The Talons liked the sound of that. "Hamish!" Warden Moss exclaimed. "Sir, Mr. Moss, sir!" The right-hand, Hamish, exclaimed, standing at attention. "Don't feed the Trackbeasts this morning. We need them good and hungry." Warden Moss said. Hamish grew worried as he already put a barrel of food in front of the cage. One of the Trackbeasts walked up to the barrel. Hamish reached for the barrel, but the Trackbeast roared its stinky breath in his face, knocking him down. "Nice beasty-beasty." He said with a whimper. The Trackbeast snarled at him, making him gulp in fear. "And we're gonna need some keen eyes in the sky. So, it's time to let loose the Occucrows." Warden Moss said. The Occucrows squawked from their cage above the prison entrance. Hamish opened the cage and sent the Occucrows flying into the sky. The Trackbeast howled into the air.
Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks heard the howling with Aerrow hearing everything else with his advanced hearing. "Did you guys hear that?" Mimi asked. "They just unleashed the Occucrows. And they're getting the Trackbeasts ready." Aerrow said. "We better hide." Radarr said as he tried to climb a tree. "That's not good enough. Those Trackbeasts have a very strong sense of smell." Sky said. "Whew! And they'll definitely have no trouble smelling you out, Radarr." Aria said, holding her nose from the smell of Radarr's sweaty armpits. "What? I didn't have time to shower before we decided to do this mission." Radarr said. Just then, Aerrow started thinking of an idea. "Hey, Radarr, give me your uniform. We'll use your smell to throw them off." He said. "What?! No way!" Radarr exclaimed. "Trust me, buddy. It'll keep them busy." Aerrow said. "It's the best chance we've got." Aria said. "Oh, fine." Radarr said. He took off his uniform shirt, unveiling his upper body. Skyla blushed at the sight of his upper body. 'I didn't know Radarr worked out.' She thought.
Meanwhile, back at the prison, Warden Moss and his men were exiting through the gates with the Trackbeasts. Just then, Warden Moss spotted one of the Storm Hawks' prisoner caps on the ground, picked it up and sniffed it. "I want y'all on high alert today! Tikhon Forest is chalk full of treachery." He explained.
Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks finished setting up their trap. "This'll keep them off our trail." Aerrow said. "Are you sure?" Mimi asked as she and Radarr stared at the dummy they made with Radarr's uniform. "Phew! They'll buy the smell, but I don't think they'll buy the look." Radarr said, holding his nose. 'No kidding. Radarr's way more handsome than that.' Skyla thought, still blushing from Radarr being shirtless. Suddenly, they heard the crowing of the Occucrows before they saw them coming. "Occucrows! We gotta move!" Aria exclaimed as she and Aerrow leapt down from the tree they were on. The Storm Hawks ran deep into the forest.
Meanwhile, Warden Moss and his men followed the Occucrows towards their prey. "If they made it into the forest proper, we'll corner them at Widow's Peak." He said, sinisterly.
As the Occucrows flew overhead, the trap started to activate, making the Radarr dummy move into sight. The Occucrows saw the dummy and started circling over its position. "Mr. Moss, the Occucrows! They got something." Hamish said, pointing to the Occucrows. "Already? Ha! Shoot. I guess I got dressed up for nothing. Go on. Get 'em." Warden Moss said. The Trackbeasts snarled. "But be sure to bring 'em back…whole." Warden Moss said. The Trackbeasts were set loose and raced towards the dummy. As the dummy disappeared into the bushes, one of the Trackbeasts leapt into the bushes, snatched the dummy in its mouth and walked back to Warden Moss with its partner. The Storm Hawks watched this from their hiding in the forest, smirking before taking off. The Trackbeast placed the dummy at Warden Moss' feet, who chuckled as he picked it up. "These kids think they're smart ones." He said. He took out Aerrow's cap, sniffed it and presented it to the Trackbeast, who snatched it and ate it. He chuckled as the Trackbeast howled into the air.
The Storm Hawks heard the howl. "Sounds like they picked up our scent again." Aria said. The Talon guards were slowly approaching as the Trackbeasts followed the scent. "Sorry, Radarr, but we're gonna mask your scent with this." Aerrow said, holding up a blob of mud. "Oh no! I'm not giving myself a mud bath just to save my skin! Forget it!" Radarr exclaimed. Just then, the Trackbeasts howled again from afar. "Radarr, there's no other way!" Aerrow exclaimed. "Actually, there is another way." Skyla said. She used her powers to make flowers bloom around them and covered them with their sweet smell. "There. Now they won't be able to smell our scent." She said. "Okay. Clever thinking, Skyla." Aria said.
Meanwhile, as the Occucrows flew ahead, Warden Moss' team approached the Storm Hawk's location. The Trackbeasts caught the scent of their flower scent, but instead of going all wild, they actually liked the sweet smell and simmered down. "Howdy, prisoners! You see, there ain't much direction you can go out here! You kids are on Terra Zartacla, where the whole terra is the prison! Technically speaking, you ain't even escapees yet. So, why don't y'all come on back and save yourselves the unpleasant trouble of having my pets bring you back instead?" Warden Moss explained as they searched for their prisoners. The Storm Hawks quietly hid and moved through the foliage. "Y'all can go on and feel a bit of pride. Ain't nobody ever made it this far from the prison proper." "They got us cornered, team. The best thing we can do right now is split up." Aerrow whispered. "Agreed." Everyone whispered. "But who goes where and with who?" Radarr asked. "Radarr, Mimi, Skyla and Sky keep them busy in the forest. Aria, Skyler and I will try and drag them to the river. We'll meet at the far side of the terra." Aerrow explained. "Good luck, everyone." Aria said. The Storm Hawks fist-bumped before splitting up. The Trackbeasts snarled as they spotted Radarr, Mimi, Skyla and Sky. "You're gonna have to come and get us yourself, Warden, cause we're not coming back on our own accord!" Aerrow called, getting Warden Moss' attention as he, Aria and Skyler ran. "Forget those 4. Let's get the 3." Warden Moss said. The Talons cheered like hillbillies.
Aerrow, Aria and Skyler ran through the river. Suddenly, Aerrow slipped on a rock, but quickly grabbed onto a tree branch. "Aerrow!" Aria cried as she and Skyler stopped. Aerrow dropped back down as Warden Moss and his men walked towards them. "You better slow down, kids." Warden Moss said. "Fat chance, Warden!" Aria exclaimed before she, Aerrow and Skyler continued running. But they suddenly stopped after nearly going over a waterfall. "Now, kids, there's no way out of Widow's Peak. It's time to go home. If you're all nice from here on, maybe I even let up on your escape punishment…just a bit." Warden Moss said. Aerrow, Aria and Skyler saw that they were surrounded. Talons and Trackbeasts on the land, Occucrows in the air, and Warden Moss grinning evilly at them. "Sorry, Warden. Not today." Aerrow said. They jumped off the edge and dove into the water. Radarr, Mimi, Skyla and Sky silently gasped in shock at what they saw.
Later, Warden Moss and Hamish climbed down to the river to search for Aerrow, Aria and Skyler. Hamish found a ripped sleeve in the river. "Well, I'll be. Mr. Moss, look here. I'm thinking we might be done searching." He said as he presented the sleeve to Warden Moss. But when Warden Moss took the sleeve and sniffed it, he just smacked Hamish with his hat. "We're gonna need more than a sleeve to call off this hunt. Give it to the Trackbeasts so they can get a scent." He ordered, giving the sleeve back to Hamish, who nodded and took off. Warden Moss looked around, feeling that he was being watched. But he shrugged it off and walked away with a grin. Unknown to him, Aerrow, Aria and Skyler were watching him from a nearby tree.
Meanwhile, Radarr, Mimi, Skyla and Sky treaded deeper into the forest. "I'm worried about the others. You think they'll be okay?" Mimi asked. "I'm sure they're fine. But we need to keep moving." Sky said. Just then, Skyla looked up and spotted an Occucrow coming towards them. "Look out!" She exclaimed. As the Occucrow prepared to attack, she summoned a vine from a nearby tree and grabbed it. The Occucrow struggled as the vine brought it to Skyla. "It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you. You don't have to be one of the Warden's slave birds anymore. Do you want to be part of our family?" Skyla asked. The Occucrow grew curious and decided, nodding yes. Skyla released the Occucrow and let it perch on her shoulder. "Well, nice to see that we have a new pet on our side now." Radarr said. "Yeah. But we still need a way off this terra." Sky said. Just then, the Occucrow starts squawking. "What's he saying?" Skyla asked. "I think he knows how we can get off this terra." Mimi said. The Occucrow flies off with the group following him. He leads them to an old abandoned warehouse. They opened the doors and saw many broken-down skimmers. "Skimmers. Old ones too." Sky said. "We can fix these up, find the others and fly off this terra." Radarr said. "Then let's get to work." Skyla said.
Meanwhile, Warden Moss picked up the Storm Hawks' footprints. "Looks like our jumpers are on the move." He said as the Trackbeasts sniffed the footprints. Meanwhile, Aerrow, Aria and Skyler were getting ready for their enemies. Aerrow tore off his uniform shirt and tied it around his head like a headband. Aria tore off her midsection and tied it around her nose and mouth like a mask. Skyler tore off his sleeves and wrapped them around his wrists and knuckles. They each painted their faces with mud, like war paints before continuing into the forest. As Warden Moss and his men follow the footprints, Aerrow, Aria and Skyler start setting traps. Aerrow broke open a boulder and unveiled golden crystals. Aria pulled down a thorny vine and picked off the thorns. Skyler covered a pitfall trap with a thick covering of grass. When they finished setting the traps, they quickly hid behind a tree and waited for the magic to happen.
As Warden Moss' men got closer, Aerrow activated the crystals and shot them up at the Occucrows, hitting them with a gas cloud and knocking them out.
Meanwhile, as they fixed up the skimmers, Radarr, Mimi, Skyla and Sky saw the cloud from close by. "Looks like Aerrow, Aria and Skyler have put on a little show for themselves." Skyla said. "Right. Let's finish up these rides and head out to help them." Radarr said.
Meanwhile, Warden Moss approached his Occucrows as they dropped out of the sky. "No one messes with my birds." He said venomously. "We wouldn't worry about your pets, Warden." Skyler's voice echoed from the forest. "Yeah. We'd worry about your buddies." Aria's voice echoed, making the Talons grow nervous. "Find those voices." Warden Moss ordered. Aerrow, Aria and Skyler hid in the tall grass, using horns to make their voices louder. "Careful now. This forest is chock full of treachery." Aerrow said, mocking Warden Moss and making him frustrated. Just then, one of the Trackbeasts found a sleeve on the grass covering the pitfall. But as it stepped on the covering, it fell into the pitfall. Meanwhile, as a Talon and the second Trackbeast attempted to climb over a tree limb, the Talon's foot snagged on a tripwire, and the limb snapped them into the air.
Warden Moss was shocked by what was happening to his own men. "Looks like your boys found someplace they'd rather be." Aria called mockingly. Warden Moss grew even more frustrated before Hamish ran up. "I think I got them spotted." He reported. They found what appeared to be the Storm Hawks' hair sticking out from the bushes. Hamish shushed Warden Moss before attempting to sneak up on them. But then, Warden Moss hit him with his hat again. "That's the oldest trick in the book. Watch me close." He said. He walked around the bushes, revealing them to be dummies, and pulled off the Aerrow dummy's head, causing a thorny vine to drop down, startling Hamish. "See? Now look at what I just saved you from." He said. But as he pulled on the vine, a rope trap caught Hamish by the ankle and pulled him up. "Whoopsie." Warden Moss said. Aerrow, Aria and Skyler chuckled. "Say, Warden, it's starting to get lonely out here!" Aria called, mockingly. "That does it! I want every guard from the prison out here searching! RIGHT NOW!" Warden Moss ordered, angrily. "HAMISH!" "Sir! Mr. Moss, sir!" Hamish cried. "Go warm up Bessy! Looks like I'm gonna have to get her dirty." Warden Moss said, venomously.
Meanwhile, Radarr, Mimi, Skyla and Sky worked hard on fixing up the skimmers, bolting on the parts and making sure everything was tight. "Alright, team, let's see what these rust buckets can do." Radarr said. "Hopefully, Aerrow, Aria and Skyler are still okay." Sky said with worry.
Meanwhile, Warden Moss fired up his heliscooter, nicknamed Bessy, and took off back into the forest before flying over it. "Fun is over, kids. I'mma coming to get you." He said. He flew back into the forest and started whipping his Energy Whip, firing buzz saws made of energy from it and cutting down the surrounding trees. "Oh, Skyla's not gonna like this." Skyler whispered. "No doubt. This guy means business." Aria whispered. "We got you now, kids!" One of the Talons exclaimed. "No place to hide now, prisoners!" Another Talon exclaimed. Just then, Warden Moss fired another buzz saw, cutting down the last tree. Aerrow, Aria and Skyler tried to run for it, but Warden Moss flew down and landed in front of them. "We got you now, kids!" Warden Moss exclaimed. Aerrow, Aria and Skyler turned to see the Talons surrounding them. "We got them surrounded, boss!" Hamish cheered. "That's what I just said." Warden Moss said, threateningly. Hamish smiled sheepishly. Warden Moss cracked his Energy Whip as Aerrow, Aria and Skyler slowly backed up. "Can't jump here, kids." Warden Moss said.
Aerrow, Aria and Skyler continued to slowly back up as Warden Moss and his Talon guards approached them. "Now, kids, you come quietly and in 10 years or so, after you get out of solitary, I might let you rejoin the political prisoners." Warden Moss said. "Maybe they can clean the Occucrow cages." Hamish suggested. "That's right. You 3 owe my birds an apology." Warden Moss said. "And they can feed the Trackbeasts too." Hamish added. Just then, Warden Moss hit him with his hat again. "Shut up, son. You're about to give away the only reason I keep you around." He said. Hamish decided to shut up. "So, you coming quiet-like or are you gonna make us worse than yourselves?" Warden Moss asked. "Worse? I don't think anything could make you look worse than us. Other than that accent of yours. I mean, who talks like that? You sound like a cowboy far out from his century, boy." Skyler said, mockingly. Warden Moss gritted his teeth in anger. "You mockin' me, boy?! You're gonna pay for that!" He exclaimed, cracking his whip. But Skyler grabbed it in his hand with a smirk. "Huh?" Warden Moss said in confusion. Skyler used his fire powers, traveling up the whip toward Warden Moss, burning his hand. "YEOUCH!" Warden Moss screamed, shaking his burned hand. Skyler winked to Aerrow, giving him the signal. Aerrow unleashed a powerful gust of wind and blew Warden Moss, Hamish and the Talons away.
Just then, Radarr, Mimi, Skyla and Sky turned up on their fixed skimmers. "Great timing, gang!" Aerrow cheered as they pulled up. "Looks like you're going to have to clean your own bird cages, Warden. We're out of here." Aria said. Aerrow, Aria and Skyler got on Radarr, Mimi and Skyla's skimmers, and they rode off into the forest. Warden Moss recovered and saw them take off. "Kids, you're messing with the wrong warden!" He exclaimed as he mounted Bessy and took off after them.
Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks continued riding through the forest. "Where did you guys find these things?" Aerrow asked. "Long story short, in an abandoned warehouse thanks to our newest family member." Skyla said, gesturing to the Occucrow on her shoulder. "You guys sure had a day." Aria said. Just then, Sky heard an engine coming from behind. He turned and saw Warden Moss chasing them. "The warden's on our tails!" He exclaimed. "Then let's give him a big splash." Aria said. Sky fired a jet of water from his hand. Warden Moss dodged it, but bumped Bessy into a tree, leaving a scratch. "You better hope I get you soon. I'm beginning to lose my humor." He said venomously. He cracked his whip and fired another buzz saw. But Skyla summoned a rock wall and blocked it. "Where did those kids get such powers?" Warden Moss asked, getting more frustrated.
Suddenly, as the chase continued, the Storm Hawks' front tires started to blow out. "Aerrow, our tires are blowing out!" Mimi exclaimed with worry. "We need to get in the air now!" Aerrow exclaimed. They activated the skimmers' wings and took off into the air. But Warden Moss activated his propeller followed them into the air. The Storm Hawks flipped over him and came up behind. "Hey, Warden! Looking for us?" Aerrow called. "Better not get cocky, son! You and your friends don't want to taste the anger of Bessy!" Warden Moss exclaimed. "And you're about to taste the anger of the wind!" Aerrow exclaimed. He motioned his arms and summoned a powerful whirlwind, causing Warden Moss to lose control of his Bessy. "Oh, you're really gonna be sorry when I get my hands on you, kids!" Warden Moss exclaimed. "Sorry, Warden, but it's time to end this chase." Aria said. She formed a mana disk in her hand and tossed it at Warden Moss' heliscooter, slicing off the propeller. "Now that ain't right." Warden Moss said before he fell. Just then, the Storm Hawks heard a familiar horn blare. They looked up and saw the Condor, lowering its loading claw. Since their skimmers finally started falling apart, they leapt off them and grabbed onto the claw. Warden Moss screamed as he kept on falling. "See you around, Warden!" Aerrow called. "THOSE DARN KIDS ARE GONNA PAY FOR THIS!" Warden Moss exclaimed before he crashed back into the forest. "OUCH!"
Meanwhile, as the Condor was leaving Terra Zartacla, Aerrow, in his Storm Hawks uniform, and Piper were walking together on their way to the bridge, holding each other close. "Aerrow, I'm so relieved that you're okay. I actually feared the worst." Piper said. "It's okay, Piper. It was nothing we couldn't handle. But how'd your half of the mission go?" Aerrow asked. "We would've made you proud, babe." Piper said as they entered the bridge and witnessed a wonderful sight. "Nice work, sweetheart. You got everyone?" Aerrow asked. "Every last one." Piper said. While Aerrow, Aria, Radarr, Mimi and the Stormheart Triplets were distracting Warden Moss and his Talons, the rest of the Storm Hawks snuck inside the prison and freed the other prisoners. Everyone was celebrating their freedom. They even picked up Warden Moss' Trackbeasts, having developed a love for Skyla's flowers.
Meanwhile, an injured Warden Moss returned to the prison, he saw that all of the cells were empty. "NOOOOOOOO!" He screamed in anger before Hamish ran in. "Where'd all the prisoners go, Mr. Moss?" He asked. Warden Moss just started hitting him with his hat again.
Wow! Wasn't that intense? Aerrow, Aria, Skyler, Skyla, Sky, Radarr and Mimi infiltrated the prison on Terra Zartacla and distracted Warden Moss and his men into a chase while the rest of the Storm Hawks rescue the other prisoners, along with an Occucrow and the Warden's Trackbeasts. What other adventures will the Storm Hawks get into now? Will what have happened at Terra Zartacla effect Master Cyclonis' plans? Leave a review if you'd like.