Chapter Eleven - Aerrow
The closer Starling got to Aerrow's cell, the more she felt like turning around and running away to hide herself in a dark corner where nobody could find her.
She gulped and lifted her handcuffed hands to her forehead to wipe away the cold sweat.
Just what would she say to him? What was he going to say to her? How is he taking the news that he was only alive because she had slept with his archenemy?
She clenched her fists unconsciously to the point of almost cutting into the flesh of her palms with her nails. The all-too-familiar white-hot anger flashed through her every being when she thought about the person who was responsible for all of this.
Whenever she would think there was no other way to surprise and shock her, the Dark Ace had apparently made it a personal goal to prove her wrong. Every. Fucking. Time. It was as if he intended to best his latest vile deed with an even crueller one.
At least he wasn't accompanying her this time. He had been quite disappointed to say the least that Master Cyclonis had chosen exactly this day for an important meeting. Starling would have never thought she could ever be grateful for something the megalomaniacal girl did.
He had been quite bitchy about it, although he didn't try to show it, she was able to read him. The Dark Ace wasn't the only one who was adept at reading other people. Though Starling had to admit that she was only slowly learning to read that man by spending more and more time with him.
She unconsciously slowed her gait, when she spotted an unmistakable mop of red hair. But when she felt the pointy staff of the Talon behind her poking her back she continued towards the cell with slow steps.
His green eyes immediately locked with her lighter green ones. She almost broke the eye contact. Not because of some intense disappointment or disgust or shame - something she would have expected from him - but because she couldn't decipher the emotion in his eyes. Something that was quite unusual in Aerrow's case. He was always like an open book, every emotion laid bare for everyone to see.
Nobody said a word. She just stood in front of the iron bars and did her best not to look as nervous as she felt. And he just continued to stare at her with this unnerving and unreadable gaze of his.
"I know what you did," he said with such a quiet voice that Starling had to strain her ears to be sure about what he was saying.
She smiled grimly.
"I know. He was very happy to tell me."
Another unbearably long silence followed. When Starling was about to say something - just something - to break the silence, Aerrow stood up and walked over to the iron bars. She noticed that he was more dragging himself than doing anything that even remotely resembled the act of walking.
His pale fingers wrapped around the bars steadying him a bit. He let out a strangled sigh, trying to cover up the pain he was in.
"I…I just," he began, making her feel uneasy. She didn't like how hesitant and unsure he sounded. Such an attitude didn't suit the reckless and brave sky knight of the Storm Hawks. He sighed again and touched his dirty forehead against the bars, thus hiding his eyes from her gaze.
"If it…were just me, only me being captured," he continued, struggling for every word, "I would have told not to do it--"
"Aerrow, no…you--"
"But Piper and Finn, Stork and Junko…my friends…they're also in danger…and I don't want them to…but you're also my friend…and," he let out a harsh breath and growled in frustration. Starling nearly jumped as his hand oddly grasped one of her own despite the handcuffs. "I…I am supposed to be the one to protect them…I am the sky knight…it is my duty…but there's nothing I can do!"
His hands were trembling by now, his hand felt too warm. He appeared to be quite feverish. His head suddenly jerked up making Starling flinch at the fast unexpected movement. His large eyes once again connected with hers.
"The thought that he…he touches you and that's why we're still alive makes me sick! You're selling your body for our lives and I can do nothing but sit here and rot!" he spat, his eyes narrowing and his loose grasp on her hand and the iron bar tightening with anger. "I would love to tell you stop it right away, beg you to stop…but…but my friends…if I had any chance to…do just something…I would…I would--"
"Aerrow," she cut him off, another wry smile on her lips, "I know that Aerrow."
"I'm…I'm so sorry, Starling," he whispered, his voice tinged with shame. He looked away and released her hand and dragged himself back into a corner of the cell, the shadows partly hiding his form and face.
It broke her heart to see him like this, so broken and defeated, separated from the people he cared about most, the people he had sworn to protect but was now unable to.
"I won't lie to you, Aerrow," she said, keeping her voice low, "I hate it…I hate it to be with him but at least that gives me the possibility to protect you all. And it gives me the chance as slight as it may be to plan an escape."
"Yes but I'm supposed to be…you're not supposed to…," he stuttered not quite able to find the right words.
"I hope you haven't forgotten," Starling said with a small but genuine smile, "that I'm also partly a Storm Hawk. I am also responsible for my team-mates, as you are. Please, don't tell yourself anything else."
I'm not quite sure if I should really make a chapter for each Storm Hawk and how they are handling the news with Starling and the Dark Ace. Please tell me what you would prefer.