Author's Note: Well, here's a brand new adventure for all of my fans out there. Based on a show I used to watch when I was in my very early teen years, a dear friend of mine reminded me of it and reignited my passion for writing and this is the result.
I hope you all enjoy. :)
"Reckless! Absolutely reckless!" she scolded the children, her British accent very distinct and proper, the five of them sitting around the table in the helm room in the Condor.
"But, Flame—" Aerrow started, being cut off immediately when she turned around, her icy-blue eyes looking straight at him.
"But what, Aerrow? You are the last descendant of the Storm Hawks. The five..." she said, looking at Aerrow's pet, Radarr, "six of you, have done an excellent job in restoring the Storm Hawks and the Condor. But this is a battle for more experienced Sky Knights."
"But he is a Sky Knight, Flame!" Piper spoke up, "The council just won't accept us because we're—"
"Too young. That's why." she spoke, turning her back to them again, her right-shouldered black cape that reached up to her knees twirling with her.
"The other Sky Knights went in and got destroyed!" Finn explained, "We had no other choice!"
She looked at them once more, "I am well aware of that, Finn. I have to commend you all on your teamwork in regaining the Aurora Stone, despite breaking it to pieces in the process," she said, an eyebrow raising as to why they felt it was the only way to retrieve it, "But the Dark Ace, Aerrow?! How could you possibly think you could take him down?!"
"He beat him up pretty good, though." Junko laughed, silencing himself when she looked at him.
"I know you've finally found your special skill, Aerrow, but there's only one person that has ever come so close to beating the Dark Ace and it always ends in a draw because neither of them accepts defeat. You brought down his switchblade only for him to return and almost kill you."
"I will defeat him one day!" Aerrow said, raising his clenched hand to prove his point of how passionate he was about eliminating the Cyclonian Commander.
Flame leaned in closer, her hair decorated with a blue and purple streak tickling Radarr in the process. "Hmm."
"What?" Aerrow asked.
"Nothing. I am proud of you guys, truly, You've temporarily crippled Cyclonis and that buys everyone more time," she spoke, raising her hand to her heart for a moment, "But I need you to not be irrational and always try to be the hero whenever danger calls. Why didn't you even tell me? Me of all people?"
"Because you're not a Storm Hawk and it was our job to retrieve the Aurora Stone!"
"Or...they just want to die." Stork said simply.
"You need to hone your skills more. All of you." she said, "You have a purpose and it involves not dying before your time for the true victory arrives. We're in a time of war and this war needs to end and you need to be a part of that. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Flame." they all said, looking at her.
She stepped up to Aerrow, ruffling his hair, "It's time to grow up, Aerrow. This isn't the treehouse anymore. You're a Sky Knight now, but still a child."
"I know it isn't..." he said, not feeling that great despite the amazing teamwork they'd done to retrieve the precious crystal.
"You'll be fine." she smiled, "All of you will be."
She turned to walk out of the room, but was halted by Aerrow, "Who's the only person that has come close to defeating the Dark Ace before I did?" he asked.
She couldn't help but smile at the question, turning to them with a victorious smirk across her lips, "Me."
"You?!" Finn asked.
Aerrow looked at his friend and then back to her, "But how?"
"I'm his equal," she stated simply, "He has great power and some maneuverability, but I have stealth and extraordinary speed to accompany my power."
They looked at each other, unsure of how she knew him so well, "How do we defeat him?" Aerrow asked, "What's his weakness?"
Flame laughed at this, walking back to the hangar without answering their question. They'd find out soon enough...
A Few Months Before...
Their weapons clashed harshly, a bright burst of light illuminating their bodies.
He used the incredible strength in his upper body to push his blade further into her scythes, "You will never overpower me, Flame!" he growled, "Your equality with me ends today!"
She looked into his red eyes with her icy-blue ones, a smirk forming across her lips, "Do you say that because you think yourself so powerful despite our battles always ending in a draw, Dark Ace? Or is there something else that's on your mind today?" she asked, her words flowing from her mouth smoothly with a hint of entertainment behind them.
She pushed herself back and away from him, her feet sliding against the dusty desert ground, unlatching her scythes from each other. They carried slits in them for a more secure grip when she crossed them together, something that had come in handy many times in her battles.
The two of them spent several moments staring at each other, weapons in hand. They'd been fighting every time they saw each other for about a year now. No matter what he was doing, if he saw her, there was going to be a battle between the two.
There was a sense of confusion in his eyes. The way he was looking at her this time was different from all the others. It was something she would wouldn't easily forget. What was he thinking?
He admired her and he was sure she admired him as well by the way she looked at him as of late. She was his equal, the only person he was never able to defeat but refused to settle for anything less than a draw, on both of their parts. Besides her, every battle he'd ever been in was another victory for him, but he just couldn't defeat her, nor she him.
"Tell me, Dark Ace, what draws you to Cyclonia so much?" she asked, lowering her weapons and seeming rather calm despite the fact that they were in the middle of an intense battle—or perhaps the draw just hadn't been announced yet. A hand on her hip, she saw the look of thought in his eyes, but he didn't speak and the answer she got from his eyes alone weren't telling her what she wanted to know, either. It seemed as if his mind wasn't really there.
"What doesn't draw you to it?" he asked in return, but she dismissed that question.
She knew that the evil Cyclonis wanted to unleash upon Atmos was a fate that nobody should ever have to endure. Not again; not after his betrayal. The new, young Cyclonis was simply following in her late grandmother's footsteps, the woman who granted the Dark Ace his commanding position over the Cyclonian Talon Squadron in return for his treachery.
She was looking in him for an answer that he himself didn't truly have. Still, she continued asking her questions, "Are you aware of what Cyclonis' true intentions are? Do you really think it only means control? Do you think she truly understands the chaos she will bring not only just to us, but more to herself and her subjects? That includes you, Dark Ace. She is a child, unsure of anything but the wrath she wishes to bestow upon everyone who disagrees with her. It is rather irrational and immature. Then again, it is in her blood, isn't it?"
"Don't you dare speak of Master Cyclonis in such a manner!" he yelled, readying his weapon to attack, but was surprised that she continued to just stand there and not be bothered at all.
"Tell me," she began, "Why did you betray the Storm Hawks?"
"Why not? What could they have possibly offered me? A fake paradise? Cyclonia holds the true power and future for Atmos!"
"You joined Cyclonia because you felt like you weren't being admired the what you should have been, didn't you? You were simply Lightning Strike's co-pilot and nothing more. You wanted more recognition. Did you betray the Sky Knights because the Empress had offered you a deal, or had you made that deal with her after you murdered your own friends and took Strike's weapon as your own?" she asked, seeing a hint of guilt in his eyes, or perhaps it was just the memory of that fateful day, "What did you think she could have possibly offered you to make you turn your back on those who fight to protect innocent people? People who just want to live their lives in peace without this chaos."
"My past decisions are none of your concern, Flame!"
"Of course it concerns me, Ace! Don't act as if you don't remember all that time we'd spent together! All the hours we'd spent working on the rides and you helping me study! Did you really think I would forget any of it?! Did you think I would forget that you killed my uncle?! It is the only thing that drove me; the only thing that kept me going, Ace. I will never forget what you did and neither will you!"
"He never cared about any of us! He cared about the fame and glory he got while we stood in his shadow! The only person that had a chance of benefiting from it all was you!"
"You killed him out of jealousy?! You murdered a man who only wanted to protect innocent people! He trusted you! I trusted you!"
"That is in the past, Flame. It doesn't matter anymore. We can't change anything now. I serve Cyclonia and there is nothing that could make me turn my back on Cyclonis."
"You watched her grow up for the past nine years while doing her grandmother's bidding. Do you have feelings for her now that she's the Empress, Dark Ace? Is that why you're so loyal to her? Do you still feel the need to protect her because she's just a mere, reckless child?" she asked.
That was the tipping point she was looking for. He yelled, lunging to attack her, but was caught off guard by her quick disappearance before suddenly appearing between him and his own blade, her scythes pressed against his neck, her body pressed against his.
"Don't you tire of these battles?" she asked him, looking into his eyes and unable to hide her smile as she saw the surrender in his expression. But the more she looked into his eyes, the more she saw that there was something else. Something she longed for and it was now clear that those feelings were undoubtedly reciprocated.
"How do you still know me so well after all these years?" he asked her, but she said nothing. She saw the softer side of him, knew what lied beneath the hardened shell he built around himself and above all else, she had been battling him for so many months, observing his every move that it became more of an advantage to her than anything else with her significant speed.
He dropped his blade, the sound of the metal hitting dirt and the crystal energy being cut off. She too lowered her scythes from his neck, the weapons falling at her side as the same sound from his weapon emanated from hers.
"Is this what I've caused, Flame?" he asked her. There was so much confusion in his eyes, "Did I cause you to become this way?"
"You've always had a very strong influence on my life, Dark Ace." she answered simply.
He slowly wrapped his arms around her before quickly pulling her into a deep and passionate kiss, her arms wrapping around him in return. Their tongues battled for dominance as well as their bodies, as she used her force and unusual speed to swiftly push him against a large rock, their lips parting from the impact.
A mischievous smile formed across his lips, his hand unzipping her uniform, giving himself access to what they both desired, turning her around so she was now pressed against the rock.
She bit her lip as his hand continued, moving her black-laced thong aside, lightly grazing her clitoris. She hummed out in pleasure, eyes locked on his as he pressed his body against hers more, swiftly sliding a finger into her, causing her to moan out.
"You appear to have invincibility and wit, Flame, but it's clear that you actually do have a weakness. A very...entertaining one."
"And pray tell, what is that weakness, Dark Ace?" she asked him, relishing in his hot breath against her skin while his finger curled within her repeatedly.
He moved back to look into her eyes once again, a menacing smirk forming across his lips as he removed his finger from within her. She didn't want to take her eyes off of his lips, but she was more drawn to his eyes. In them, she felt as if there was a void in her that only he could fill and she became so caught up in them that she hadn't been paying attention nor cared about anything else despite seeing his arms moving slightly. He brought his lips closer to hers, obviously teasing her desires as he lifted her up and she naturally wrapped her arms and legs around his slim figure, being pressed up to the rock still as she felt him rubbing against her.
"Me." his tantalizing voice spoke out victoriously before thrusting himself into her harshly.
She screamed out, not expecting such immediate force behind his movement. His lips found her neck while her hands found his black hair as he kissed up to her jawline before finding her lips once more.
His hips moved back and forth, her grip on his hair tightening as his movements became even stronger; his grip on her hips so tight that she knew they were going to leave bruises as a painfully blissful reminder of this moment.
He nestled his head into her neck and she knew he was becoming more caught up in the union. She closed her eyes, savouring the pleasure of his hard member driving into her over and over again. Her desperate need to hold on to him caused her to rip the back of his uniform open, her nails digging deeply into his pale skin, feeling a thick liquid trickling down her fingertips as he he hissed.
Still, that didn't stop his advances as their sweating bodies stayed clashed together, a hand moving to caress one her her breasts under her matching black-laced bra. He kissed her passionately while never stopping his movements. She was so close, beginning to aid him when their hips met and he let out a groan; a sound that was breathtaking to her ears. He began to grind back against her, his menacing chuckle sounding out as he knew she was helpless against him.
She was still very aware that he could take this opportunity and end her life if he wanted to, but he never did, nor was it a concern for her at that point, either. All that mattered to her was the moment the two of them were sharing. A forbidden moment of passion in the middle of a deadly war.
"Flame..." he whispered out with a moan and it was her turn to relish in victory. That was all she needed to know that she was apparently his weakness as well.
"I would consider this a victory, Dark Ace..." she moaned out, losing her breath as he pushed himself into her as hard and deep as he could, this thumb now rubbing her wet clitoris. She screamed out, digging her nails into his skin once more, her other hand pulling on his hair harshly while the tingling and somewhat numbing sensation coursed through every cell in her body as she reached her tipping point, her pleasure heightening even more.
"Yes, Sky Knight...for me." he said, gripping her streaked black hair to tilt her head, kissing her neck, down to her collar bone and back up again before she gently held his face in her hands to softly kiss his lips as he kept her held up off the ground all the while with her legs wrapped around him. "I suppose it's my turn," he said with a smirk that made her bite her lip in anticipation.
He gripped her hips once more and she hissed as she felt a momentary pain. It would seem that he'd already bruised her from his powerful grip and thrusts. He once again began his forceful movements, the pace picking up this time as he was now driven to reach his own peak, her intensified bliss benefiting greatly. The tightness from her own climax certainly helped him, as it didn't take him very long before he gave one last, hard trust, holding her in place as they both caught their breaths, their sweat mingling and dripping down their bodies on the desert Terra.
"Was it necessary to cut me?" he asked her, hissing in pain once again as he moved to let her down, pulling himself out of her.
"It would seem my weakness tends to make me do that." she came back smoothly, picking up her weapons and sheathing them in their rightful place on her lower back. He did the same, but was unable to place his weapon where it belonged due to the cuts and scratches she'd given him in the process. She looked at him as he did her. She wanted to say something, anything, but it seemed there was nothing that needed to be said. She began walking over to her Switchblade when suddenly, a rope was wrapped around her wrist and she yelped and she was pulled back toward the Dark Ace with his grappling hook, finding herself in his arms once again.
"This will not be the last you see of me, Flame." he spoke in an assured tone, not needing to explain exactly what he meant by that.
"I will decide that, Ace" she answered back, a soft smile forming across her lips before he gently pressed his own against hers.
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