"I just didn't see it, okay, I--"

Someone shouted Hawk's name then, and he looked to see Numair a short distance away, practically bent double and breathing hard.

"Oh shit! Mari!!" Hawk went over to him immediately. "Are you okay?!"

Numair waved him off, panting, "Just...out of...breath..."

"Jeez, are ya sure?" Hawk said, a bit anxiously, hovering. Numair gently pushed his hands away.

"Yes!" he insisted. "Are you all right?? I saw--it looked like you would hit the ground--"

"Oh," Hawk said. "I did."

"Eh?!"

Behind Hawk, Yoshi straightened up in shock, which Vlad noticed. She started to say, "Your--!" but Vlad clapped a hand firmly over her mouth, hushing her. Numair made eye contact with them both past the edge of Hawk's wing, looking startled himself. Yoshi looked back in confusion, while Vlad put a hand on his hip and waved a hand at Numair impatiently.

"Well yeah, but it--I dunno," Hawk was saying. "I guess it just knocked the wind out of me for a sec." He looked down at Numair, whose expression had suddenly become very uncomfortable. "...What?"

Numair began to mumble something, but a sudden noise, followed by a loud voice, caused all four of them to look around.

"What the hell are you doing here?"