I Must Go On

I DO NOT OWN STORM HAWKS!

The Storm Hawks were fighting in battle, and Aerrow and Starling were taking the lead.

Aerrow yelled to Piper, "Head the talons off in the other direction with Finn."

"Finn? Why Finn? Anyone but Finn!"

"Piper…"

She rolled her eyes, "Alright, alright. Let's go Finn! Shoot as many as you can! Cover me!"

Finn groaned, "See Aerrow? She's giving me orders. I don't like it."

"Finn, she knows what she's doing. She's second in command. Follow orders."

Finn headed off with Piper while Junko and Stork shot the talons from the Condor.

Aerrow and Starling went into the midst of talons. The Dark Ace was at the head of the fleet. Chasing them to and fro. Starling was trying to wipe out the talons while Aerrow distracted the Dark Ace.

Dark Ace taunted, "Why run, Aerrow, when you can face danger right now?"

"I'm not falling for your little game Dark Ace. I'm not going to stop."

Their skimmers came alongside each other and were at a standstill.

Starling didn't realize this, and went deeper into the midst of talons.

Aerrow brought his daggers up to face the Dark Ace's sword.

You could see the sparks fly.

Both the Dark Ace and Aerrow kept grim faces on. Both of them wanted to push the other off of their skimmer and to their demise awaiting in the wastelands.

Dark Ace had the upper hand and forced Aerrow back down on his skimmer.

Aerrow swiped Dark Ace's feet from under him.

Dark Ace brought his sword up again, and forced Aerrow to the edge of the wing of his skimmer.

Aerrow used all his might to force Dark Ace back but he had so many things on his mind.

He suddenly heard a scream. Starling's scream.

He turned around with a horrified look on his face.

"Starling!"

Dark Ace caught Aerrow off guard and kicked him in the stomach. Aerrow fell down to the wastelands.

Dark Ace said, "And just to be sure you never come back up…"

He shot Aerrow's skimmer down to the wastelands.

"Now to finish off the rest of them."

**Wastelands**

Aerrow fell down, down to the wastelands.

He landed on his right arm. A few rocks may have punctured his arm because he just felt like a huge weight had crushed it.

He wiped away the dust and rocks and found blood on his hand.

"Damn."

He saw a figure a few feet away.

He was still a bit hazy with the details from the battle with the Dark Ace.

He blamed it on the fall. He MAY have hit his head also.

He groggily walked over the body on the ground.

Just before he reached it, something made a resounding noise and landed in the wastelands between him and the body.

He was worried that the piece of metal landed on the body.

He staggered over, going around the object.

His vision was blurred but he could faintly make out violet hair and an Interceptor uniform. It was Starling.

He rubbed his eyes, and his vision got clearer.

He realized that the metal was from skimmer. He looked up to the skies and scowled. The Dark Ace destroyed his skimmer. Wonderful.

Starling stirred on the floor. The skimmer metal was a few inches from her hand. Aerrow sighed in relief. Thank Atmos the scrap hadn't landed on her hand or she would have lost a lot of blood.

Starling got up and rubbed her head. She looked at her hand and there was quite a bit of blood.

She wiped the blood on her uniform and saw Aerrow looking down at her.

"You okay Starling?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Aerrow walked a few metres away and he started to lose his balance.

Starling quickly got up and stopped him.

"Aerrow…are YOU okay? You don't look so good."

He stuttered, "W…what do…you mean?"

"For one, you can't talk properly and you can't walk either because you've injured your arm."

"I must go on. The team needs the both of us."

"Aerrow, Piper told me that when you were in bed for five days, they took on the Cyclonians without you. I'm sure they are able to handle this."

"This is different."

Starling scoffed, "Different as in you lost your skimmer?"

"No. This battle is different. There are too many talons. The Storm Hawks are down two bodies."

"Two bodies that they will be able to fill Aerrow. When one falls, three more will take their place."

"Yeah? So where will they find SIX bodies to fill our shoes?"

"In strength, Aerrow. Your team has the strength to carry on when most people run. They're brave. They'll find a way."

"No. I have to go help them."

"Aerrow-"

She stopped. What in the world was he trying to do?

He had an injured arm and he was trying to scale the massive rocks to the top of the terra?

"Aerrow, you're going to fall."

"No…I…won't. The team needs me and I won't-Woah!"

His weak arm didn't hold him long enough to grab a foothold and he fell.

Starling ran and caught him.

She smiled, "I told you, you would fall."

Aerrow slumped to the ground and leaned his back against the rocks.

"There has to be some way out of here."

"Aerrow, the team will find us. Piper will know how to find us."

"I won't let the team die under the Dark Ace's power or I swear I'll-"

Starling clamped a hand over his mouth and said, "No need for that kind of language. Especially from a Sky Knight. Also, you may want to tone it down before we attract ourselves to animals who think that we're dinner."

"Right."

"Aerrow, your team won't die. I promise."

"A promise has to be kept Starling."

"And I will keep this promise."

"How do you know for sure? My dad always promised he would come home after a battle with Cyclonians but one day he didn't. When I was old enough, I realized he was always making a promise that he couldn't guarantee. That day, I swore I would never let my friends die at the mercy of my enemies."

*Flashback*

Lightning Strike kissed both Aerrow and Robin goodbye.

"Save me some dinner."

Robin asked, "Lightning, when will you be back?"

He looked into her eyes. He could see the worry clouding them and the fear lining them.

"In…in time for dinner I'm sure."

A four year old Aerrow ran up to his dad and asked, "For sure you'll be back Daddy?"

Lightning Strike looked up at Robin. She shook her head. Don't tell him the truth. He's too young to understand.

He looked down at his son and into those emerald eyes.

"Yes. I'll be back son."

It seemed like Aerrow changed his mind for he grabbed onto his dad's leg and pleaded, "Please don't go Daddy! I remember! You promised you'd train with me! Can you go fight later and play with me now?"

"No son. The Cyclonians are attacking innocent terras and we need to be there to fight them back."

Aerrow's eyes started brimming with tears.

"Please be back Daddy."

He pulled Aerrow off of his leg.

"I promise."

All Aerrow knew about promises at his age was that they were kept and were NEVER EVER broken.

Lightning Strike smiled at his family and walked out the door.

Aerrow clambered to the window and saw the Condor take off.

That very same day, someone knocked on their door. Robin opened the door and the man whispered something to her.

Aerrow peered around the corner and saw the man shake his head and his mother break down into tears.

After the man closed the door, Aerrow walked up to his mom.

"Mommy, why are you crying?"

"Oh, it's nothing Aerrow."

Aerrow had never seen his mom cry before.

"Mommy what's wrong?"

"Aerrow just go and play okay?"

"But I'm waiting for Daddy. He's going to play with me."

Aerrow looked so hopeful that his dad would come home. Robin didn't want to break the truth to his son like this. He would be devastated.

"Where's daddy?"

"Aerrow, do you want to know the truth?"

He nodded his head fiercely.

"Daddy won't be coming back today."

"Then, tomorrow?"

"No Aerrow not ever."

Aerrow's lip trembled and he started bawling.

"I want my Daddy back! I want him back now! HE PROMISED HE'D BE BACK! I'M GOING TO FIND DADDY!"

Aerrow started marching towards the door but Robin pulled him by the arm and back into her arms.

She just hugged him and said, "Remember Ace? Your daddy's co pilot?"

"The man who comes here with him sometimes?"

"Yes. Him. He…he killed your father."

Aerrow just stood, horrified.

He wouldn't cry anymore. He wouldn't make his mommy cry anymore. He'd be strong for her.

Aerrow ran to his room and slammed the door behind him.

He vowed that one day, he would get the Dark Ace for what he did to his family. Tore them apart. Made his dad break a promise with no guarantee.

A single tear fell down Aerrow's cheek. He picked up the picture with his mom, dad and him in it. He slumped against the door frame and just stared at it longingly as if he wished he could pull his dad from out of the picture and everything would be okay. But he knew it wouldn't. Nothing would ever be the same.

"I love you daddy."

**End of flashback*

Starling crouched down to Aerrow's level, put a hand on his shoulder and said, "I know what it's like to lose someone Aerrow. Especially people you've known for almost your whole life."

"Sometimes I just wish I could have seen him one last time."

"And what would you do if you did?"

"I would have told him just how much I really do miss him when he goes out to battle and that I wish he would play it safe out there."

Starling sat down and smirked, "I can see where you get your wild side from."

"What. You mean why I won't play safe?"

"Exactly."

Aerrow just shook his head and a tear rolled down his cheek.

He never really got to know his dad. He became an orphan after his mom got killed when the Cyclonians attacked Terra Atmosia.

Starling wiped away the stray tear.

"Come on Aerrow. Cheer up. Your squadron is amazing. They'll find a way out of this hole in one piece. I promise."

"Starling, I've never believed in anybody's promises ever since my dad died."

"And what about the promises you make to your team. 'We'll make it out of here okay.' Do you not even believe in your own promises?"

"I play it safe Starling. I make promises I can't guarantee. I have to protect my team and not show weaknesses. Sometimes I just feel lost and feel like I'm not worthy to be a true Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks."

Starling pushed him over and hissed, "Don't you dare question your leadership Aerrow. I know. You're a true Sky Knight. No question about it. I've seen you look out for your team. I've seen you out there in battle. You have the works of a true Sky Knight."

"Well…you didn't have to push me ya know."

"That was to knock some common sense into you."

Aerrow impulsively hugged Starling.

"Thank you Starling."

She returned the hug.

"Your team will come back for us. If not now, later. But we'll make it out of here okay. I promise."

Aerrow didn't argue. He didn't pull a fuss about it all. Starling helped him trust again. Believe that promises would fulfill their destiny and take their course.

What the future had in store for the Storm Hawks and Interceptor he didn't know. All he knew was that they would both make it out of the wastelands unharmed. He would make sure every promise was fulfilled.

He would fulfill his dad's destiny of continuing the Storm Hawks legacy. He would victor over the Cyclonians. One day. One day, that would all come true.

Review! I really liked this one myself!

~Angel~