"Hi, Skyla. Finn?!" Finn's lanky body squeezed through the deck doors, his body hunched over in defeat. Junko followed cautiously behind. Skyla's smile brightened and she turned to Finn.
"You afraid of me?"
"Naw, Skyla, I'm afraid of Aerrow." He sent a half-smile across the deck to Aerrow but Aerrow didn't return it. He pointed to the ground beside him and Finn reluctantly followed Aerrow's silent order. Aerrow grabbed Finn by the shoulder and led him away from Skyla, who stood with a smirk on her face before turning to Junko and engaging him in conversation. Junko's face lit up and smiled at the petite red head. Her dazzling white teeth shone brightly in his eyes and he grimaced. She shut her mouth and they continued to talk. "What's up?"
"Finn, how can you trust this girl? We don't even know her."
"I do!" Finn hissed in an angry whisper. "This is the girl who saved my life."
"That's right, Blondie. Don't you forget it." Aerrow's and Finn's head shot up to find Skyla with her hands on her hips, Junko looking really tiny behind her.
"Why? What happened?"Aerrow asked.
"Don't you know?" Junko asked standing up fully.
"Um, no! As you remember, I was at some stupid dance saving our friend and best planner." Aerrow motioned to his clothes and both Finn and Junko flinched under pressure of his words.
"Hey now. Just cause Finn and Junko slipped up by accident doesn't mean you can be cruel to them." Skyla walked over to Finn and hid him behind her. Finn's face was sympathetic as he joined Junko.
"Because of their slip-up," Aerrow said clenching his teeth tightly together and the pain shot up from them. He ignored the pain and continued. "We lost our friend to my arch-enemy...AGAIN!"
"Why? Who's your arch-enemy?" Skyla asked bringing her arms down. Finn and Junko stood fully up, their confidence coming back in little bursts.
"Dark Ace." Aerrow said, defeat clear in his voice. Her face lit up with glee but only for a split second. Aerrow looked curiously at her. Skyla's face became an unreadable wall of joy. It seemed to cheer up Junko and Finn for their smiles were twins to hers. The deck door whooshed open.
"Hi-ya, green!" Skyla exclaimed without turning around. It wouldn't have been hard to guess for the rest of the crew was on the deck.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Stork asked heading toward Aerrow. "My name's Stork." He stopped dead at Aerrow's side and shot Skyla a dirty glance. Skyla playfully returned it and walked toward the elevator, Junko and Finn shortly behind her in a flurry of whispers.
"What's up, Stork?" Aerrow asked turning to the Merbian helmsman.
"Just thought I'd warn you about the..." Stork was at a loss of words. "Girl who saved Finn's life but I guess you've already met her."
"Yeah..." Aerrow said staring at the spot where the three disappeared. "Do you know what happened? To Finn, of course."
"Yeah, we were patrolling around Terra Neon when a distress signal came through, Skyla's, I think. Anyways, Finn heard her voice and literally threw me off the Condor controls. I reminded him about you but he said that it wouldn't take long. We high-tailed it out here but there was nothing. I pushed him away and started back toward Terra Neon when Sky Sirens started attacking us on all sides. I panicked and Finn started shooting them down one by one while Junko threw things at them. There were too many of them then out of the corner of my eye, i seen a red flash. I think Finn and Junko seen it to cause they stopped. Suddenly, the red flash passed three times and the sirens were gone. We heard someone land on our deck and we headed up there. That's when I met Skyla. Finn and Junko trusted her completely and showed her their room. She was heading up to the deck to put her gloves away when you landed. That's basically the story." Stork gasped for air and Aerrow shook himself out of drowsiness.
"So you just let her land on the deck?"
"Finn wouldn't allow me to question her. As soon as he laid his eyes on her, he trusted her. He won't budge from his decision. I've tried several times." Stork said, smiling. Aerrow smiled back and the elevator doors opened.
"So, I see you like archery?" Finn asked timidly pointing at her bow and arrows sitting on the back of her skimmer. She picked them up and Aerrow spotted the intricate design etched into the bow.
"Yeah," Skyla said,eyeing Finn with curiosity. He blushed. "I'm the sharp-shooter of the Night Riders." Aerrow tilted his head and his monster growled confusingly.
"Really? Well, around here, I've got the best shot." Finn said, proud of his accomplishments.
"Wow... That's...nice?!" Skyla said and Aerrow chuckled. Finn was obviously flirting with Skyla but he wouldn't admit it.
"Do you like to compete?" Finn asked, picking up his crossbow which lied across a pile of crates. Skyla smiled smugly.
"I love to kick butt."
"Oh, I know a challenge when I hear one."
"Bring it on, Blondie." Skyla replied, strumming on her bow string.
"Don't call me Blondie." Finn said. He added quietly. "It makes me feel like a chick."
"Bimbo..." Skyla muttered under her breath loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Oh, it's on now. Target practice?" Skyla nodded and held a slender finger up. She pulled a silky black cloth out of her pocket and tied it over her eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked as Junko placed her next to Finn. She lifted the bottom to let her gold eyes shine.
"I can beat you blindfolded, Blondie." Skyla smiled and replaced the cloth over her eyes.
"Bring it." Finn answered, his crossbow at ready position. Skyla lifted her bow and it was already strung with an arrow. Aerrow and Stork moved behind the safe line and Junko set the targets up. Finn took a deep breath and looked over at Skyla once more. She had no smile, too focused on something Aerrow couldn't see.
"Ready, Set, GO!" Junko yelled and the deck filled with noise. Plunk, plunk, plunk. Skyla's arrows had found every single target except the one Finn shot down. She removed her blindfold.
"How did you do that?"
"Sound is better than sight." She reminded him.
"Yeah, right. I let you win."
"Sure you did, Blondie." She replied patting him on the back. He grimaced lightly and headed to the elevator. Junko followed.
"Uh, Skyla?" Aerrow started after the elevator door shut.
"Yeah, Aerrow?" She asked, her golden eyes seemed that much closer to Piper's orange ones and Aerrow shook his head.
"Wait, you remember my name?"
"Of course, I'm not that stupid. I like to forget just to bug Finn. He hates Blondie so much." She smiled and her dazzling white teeth shone.
"Um, back there, you said you were the sharpshooter of the Night Riders," Aerrow explained. " Who are the Night Riders?"
"Oh, that's Talulla, Bryce and I. Small squadron but we get things done."
"Where are they?" Aerrow asked and she sighed deeply heading back toward him and Stork. Skyla pulled herself on the pile of crates and her gold eyes automatically were trained on his emerald ones.
"Well," She looked at her dark watch. " 'Bout three hours ago, My squadron left Terra Xerres with hope on making it to the exact dance you went to." She pointed a slender finger at Aerrow's clothes. "On the way there, we were attacked by Talons. We used evasive manuver number three and split up. I outran the Talons but Talulla and Bryce wouldn't pick up their radios. I was about to turn back when Stork's screaming led me to the Condor." Stork's face blushed deeply and Skyla's golden eyes glittered and sparkled. "I seen that they were attacked by Sky sirens and I shot them off faster than Finn could. Surprised he didn't hit me though, I thought for sure my skimmer would get grazed. Anyways, I was about to leave when I decided 'What the hell. Might as well meet the poor suckers whom I saved.' I landed on the deck and the first thing I saw was Junko running toward me. I lifted my bow but he stopped saying, 'Don't shoot. I'm not going to hurt you.' Finn popped up behind him and ogled me for a while." Skyla's face contorted slightly and Aerrow giggled. "They led me down to their room and asked me to stay on the Condor." Aerrow's chuckle stopped cold. "I was about to say no when Stork piped through saying that you landed. I went up to meet you and you know the rest."
"So are you leaving?" Aerrow asked, his eyes trained on the little movement she made with her right hand. It twitched and Aerrow frowned.
"I don't know. Do you want me to?"
"Not exactly." Aerrow's voice was strained and he knew that the monster didn't like what he was about to say. "You know what? Stay. You can have Piper's," He flinched. "room until she gets back. Finn isn't going to let me kick you off the Condor anyway." Skyla laughed musically and Aerrow stiffened.
"There's something strange about that laugh. I know I've heard it somewhere before but where?"
"Well," Skyla said snapping Aerrow out of trance. "I'll go see what Finn and Junko are up to. Catch ya later." With that, she disappeared into the elevator. As soon as the doors shut, Stork jumped in front of Aerrow, stopping him in his tracks.
"I know who she is." Stork said darkly.
"Who?" Aerrow asked, confusion set on his face. Stork's face lifted and his dark eyes were trained on Aerrow's emerald ones.
"She is Ravess' daughter."
"No, that can't be." Aerrow said, lightly pushing Stork aside.
"Look at the facts. Her skills with the bow, her dark clothes, her musical laughter. They all point in one direction; Ravess."
"Look, Stork, I trust Finn and Finn trusts Skyla. Finn's never going to let me question Skyla again if I tell him that. Piper's gone and we need someone to fill that gap. I'm not saying that we need a new member. Really, I was hoping I could get her back but apparently, Finn has attached himself to the first girl he sees. And besides, Skyla's lost her squadron. I can't send her away when she's all alone. You don't have to trust her but give her a chance. She doesn't seem evil and maybe the similarities are merely luck."
"But her eyes. They're gold! No one has gold eyes like those except..."
"Ravess. Yeah, I know. If you're so paranoid, then you keep an eye on her." Stork grimaced and the elevator opened. He slinked in and it swallowed him whole.
"You know, I think Stork is right." His monster grumbled lowly.
"Oh, can it." Aerrow grumbled back in a hiss. "I trust Skyla." His monster faded away slowly. "I think?" His monster, his voice faded, laughed lowly.