Aerrow could feel the searing heat biting at his skin as he pushed through the dense veil of steam. Sweat dripped down his face, and every breath felt like swallowing fire. The ship groaned ominously under the mounting pressure, its metallic structure on the brink of collapse.
Finally, he reached the command room. His heart pounded when he spotted Cyclonis lying unconscious on the floor, mercifully away from the worst of the steam. Her skin, though damp, was unburned—but the sight of her motionless form sent a jolt of panic through him.
Without hesitation, he knelt beside her, lightly slapping her cheek. "Hey, Cyclonis, wake up!" he called, his voice strained with urgency. "Come on, wake up!"
He repeated the gesture, persistence winning out as Cyclonis's eyelids fluttered open. Her amethyst eyes, hazy at first, sharpened when they locked onto his face.
"Aerrow?" she murmured faintly before managing a bitter smirk. "Why am I not surprised?" Her voice, though weak, carried its usual sharpness. "Here to finish me off personally?"
Aerrow let out an exasperated sigh. "Seriously? What kind of person do you think I am?" he shot back. "I came to save you."
Cyclonis blinked at him, then arched a brow skeptically. "You kissed me once, and now you think I'm some damsel in distress?" she quipped, sarcasm dripping from every word.
"We promised not to talk about that," Aerrow retorted with a grin, despite the stinging pain on his face. "And as I recall, you kissed me."
"You recalled wrong," Cyclonis barked, indignant.
Aerrow grinned wider. "At the time, I didn't hear you complaining either."
Cyclonis opened her mouth for a retort but faltered, her sharp gaze shifting to Aerrow's face and hands. Her lips quivered slightly as she noticed the red burns on his skin marks of his reckless actions to reach her through the scorching steam.
A rare pang of guilt surged through her, knotting her chest. She wanted to stand, to regain some semblance of control, but her body refused to cooperate.
Suddenly, the ship lurched violently, tilting with a stomach-turning sway. Cyclonis gasped as gravity betrayed her, sending her sliding across the floor. Aerrow acted instantly, grabbing her waist and anchoring them both against a metal railing.
The ship trembled as warning sirens blared louder. Through the fractured command room window, Aerrow saw the impossible—the massive vessel hurtling downward toward the terra below.
Cyclonis followed his gaze, her expression darkening. "See what acting without thinking gets you, hero?" she sneered, though the fear in her voice was barely masked.
The ship screamed under the strain as the terra loomed closer
Aerrow kept a firm grip on the controls, sweat dripping down his brow as the ship creaked and trembled beneath him. "Can you get out of here?" he asked Cyclonis, his voice steady despite the chaos around them.
She nodded sharply, not wasting time with unnecessary words.
"Then go. I'll steer this thing away."
Cyclonis paused for a heartbeat, studying him with an unreadable expression before summoning one of her crystals. A shimmering, translucent shield formed around her, protecting her from the scalding steam. Without looking back, she began walking toward the exit.
Aerrow's focus was solely on the levers and gauges in front of him, searching desperately for a way to veer the ship off its destructive course. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the burning pain in his hands as he yanked at controls that barely responded.
Cyclonis hesitated halfway to the door, glancing over her shoulder. She expected to see resentment, maybe even a sense of betrayal—after all, she'd felt that bitter sting when her own men abandoned her. But there was none of that. Aerrow wasn't thinking about her at all. His entire focus was on saving the terra below, his determination unwavering.
Is he genuinely such a naive idiot, she wondered bitterly, or do I just not matter to him at all?
The latter thought irritated her more than she cared to admit.
With a huff, Cyclonis spun back toward him. "Push the levers to your left," she commanded sharply. "It'll open the flaps and turn the ship. From this height, it'll be enough to change its trajectory."
Aerrow didn't question her. He shoved the levers as instructed, feeling the ship groan as the massive flaps extended, altering its descent. The nose began to tilt away from the terra, just enough to avoid catastrophe.
"Let's go," Cyclonis ordered, reinforcing her shield to cover them both.
As they sprinted through the steam-filled corridors, Aerrow muttered, "Don't expect a thank you."
"Likewise," Cyclonis shot back without missing a beat.
They reached the hangar, where skimmers were docked and ready. Aerrow turned to her, his expression unreadable. "This is goodbye, I guess."
"Don't get used to this," Cyclonis quipped, her voice dry but tinged with something unspoken.
Without another word, she climbed onto a sleek skimmer and dropped from the hangar, vanishing into the sky. Aerrow followed suit, his own skimmer soaring through the smoky air as the crippled ship loomed behind them.
Back at the terra, Finn was the first to spot him. "It's Aerrow!" he shouted, waving wildly.
Piper, Junko, and Stork all cheered as he approached. The entire terra erupted in celebration, grateful for their hero's return.
Radar scampered up to Aerrow's shoulder, nuzzling him with joy.
Piper's smile faded when she saw the burns on his face and hands. "Let's get you fixed up," she said gently, guiding him toward Stork, who was already rummaging through medical supplies.
As the celebration continued around them, Aerrow allowed himself a rare moment of relief, the weight of the mission finally lifting from his shoulders. For now, at least, they had won.