🎭 Closed RP Starter 🎭
Continuation of this RP with @finnster-agilaz
Blinded Ace!AU. Takes place around a week after the latest response.
It had been a bit over a week since the Far Side charter team had run into the Storm Hawks, initiated the sky knight squadron's marksman as one of their own, and set off in search of a way back to Cyclonia. They'd been moving a lot in that time, not staying in one place for longer than a day until now, when it turned out fuel supplies were running low.
Luckily, it seemed they'd found a mining town where the people spoke a similar language to Atmosian Common. Dark Ace and a few other Talons had flown over to negotiate trading for some crystals that they could fuel their rides with, and to give them the chance to mingle with the locals. The hope was that they'd find some directions in their search for a new way home. If nothing else, there were a few shops and market stalls where travellers were peddling goods. Other Talons had asked to come along if only so they could browse the stalls. Dark Ace had obliged.
He'd brought Finn along for the trip too. As much as Dark Ace appreciated the company of the rest of the team, there was still a noticeable distance between him and the majority of the group; the kind that always came about between soldiers and their commanding officer. Finn had bridged that gap and Dark Ace held a certain amount of trust for him that he didn't quite have for anyone else.
At the moment he was browsing the markets while they waited for the mine's foreman to be available to barter with. It was a little difficult considering he was still blind, but he was getting by for the most part.
"What do you think of these?" he asked Finn, holding up a fruit for inspection. They felt like very lumpy pears, but smelled like oranges. He was fairly certain one of the other scouts had found a wild variety of them a few days ago, and those had been very sour when eaten raw.
He looked over at what Dark Ace suggested. Spotting a type of fruit. Taking it curiously as he looked him over. "Oh these ones! Yeah they are kind of sour but I saw the locals eating it with a bit of this." He said grabbing some type of granulated thing. "At least raw, here let me ask." He said. Taking the fruit from Dark Ace before approaching someone else.
He was surprisingly good at miming things and had been learning their language quickly. It seemed to work cause the woman he was speaking to nodded before gesturing at a few things. Saying words he knew that caused him to nod along as she explained it. Satisfied with her, he nodded to her before returning to Dark Ace. "Yeah get them. I'm pretty sure I understood what she meant when she was describing how to cook them." He explained.
Smiling before growing curious as he saw a metallic badge. Not so much for the badge but the insignia on it. The symbol... familiar. Something he thought he saw before. Long ago. Before he could ask about it though another familiar site came into view.
A gasp escaping him as he reached out grabbing Dark Aces arm and pulling him under cover. "The Hawks are here." He explained. He had saw Radarr for a brief moment, but enough to recognize his friend.
"Alright, I guess we'll- Hm?"
Right as Dark Ace was about to try haggling for the fruits was when Finn grabbed him and pulled him down. His height made the crouch awkward but he froze all the same when Finn mentioned the Storm Hawks.
"Any sign of Aerrow?" he whispered. Not for the first time since getting here, he wished he had some form of civilian clothing. It was so much easier to blend into crowds if he wasn't wearing his uniform.
"No." He said quietly. Nervous and admittedly a bit scared. Scared now more then he was before. He was able to just fall into the training and orders. Giving himself a sense of normality and the space to forget about them. But here they were again.
Peeking out he recognized Junko as with Radarr. "Its Junko and Radarr. But I doubt the others are far. We never seperate long." He said that with a bit of heartache.
Of course. Dark Ace pulled a face. The wallop and the lemur thing were probably the least threatening of the squadron but if they were orbiting the rest of the Storm Hawks then that complicated things.
"Keep an eye out for them," he said, reaching out to rest a hand on Finn's shoulder in reassurance. "It's busy enough here that we can probably avoid them. I'll comm the others to let them know to stay out of sight. That appointment with the foreman isn't too far out."
Slowly, he stood up. Paying attention to every shift and movement around him. No one in the immediate area resembled the wallop but he stayed on guard nonetheless.
Finn was staring at them though. With no Aerrow and no Piper. He wanted to approach them. The hand on his shoulder giving him some comfort. "I want to talk to them." He admitted. "I just don't want to be interrupted by Aerrow and Piper."
"Junko he's... hes my best friend. I have to explain myself to him." He explained. Ears perking as Aerrow and Piper were spotted. Far enough away. Distracted.
"I'm going in. This might be my only chance." He explained. Not asking for permission. Just doing it whether Dark Ace agreed or not.
For a split second, Dark Ace's grip on Fin's shoulder tightened.
"The second Aerrow or Piper come too close, get away from them and find one of us," he said firmly. There was little to no room for argument in his voice. "I won't risk anyone's safety if they're in the mood to cause a scene like last time. Understood?"
His back still hurt from when Aerrow had gouged him across the back. The wound was still raw and the blisters had only just started to heal properly. He had not forgotten how that blow had been intended for Finn.
Deep down he knew that if he'd been in the former Storm Hawk's position and had a chance to speak to his old team again, he probably would've taken it. But that didn't erase the fact that two members of that team were now considered very dangerous and potentially unstable.
He could hear the lemur chattering from where he was standing, probably attempting to communicate with Junko over whatever they were browsing. Reluctantly, Dark Ace let go of Finn's shoulder.
He nodded, "I'll run." He promised. He didn't want to fight them anyway. They still scared him. His emotions all over the place that he knew he wouldn't be able to cope if they tried to hurt him again. It was already bad enough the first time.
Taking a risk he reached out before hugging Dark Ace. Being careful of his wounds. A quick motion and then he was already slipping away.
It was Radarr who saw him first, the Lemurs ears perked up. As Finn slowed, nervously stopping just a little away from them. "Hey." He said softly. Once Radarr had alerted Junko.
"Okay. Stay safe."
The hug was unexpected, and Finn was gone before Dark Ace could think to return it. He stood in place, more than a little surprised, before the fruit vendor they'd been talking to got his attention to ask if he still wanted the fruit.
He had fallen into this way deeper than he'd anticipated. And that fact made him extremely nervous.
<>🦏<>
Junko jumped a little when Radarr alerted him to someone behind them. He couldn't quite believe his eyes when he turned around to see Finn. Dressed in Talon armour, but it was Finn nonetheless. His eyes went wide and he immediately went to pick Finn up in a hug. Radarr almost fell off his shoulder.
"You're okay!" he cried out, "Oh my stars, I didn't think we'd ever see you again!"
He wasn't sure what to expect but Junko just picking him up and hugging him had him laugh. Nuzzling into the affection. Adjusting in a way so his friend wasn't gonna crush him. He still felt quite crushed though. Junko had gotten better at it over the years though.
"I have been compared to a cockroach before. Hard to get rid of me. No matter how hard people try." He said. Grinning before looking at Radarr. He wasn't sure what to expect but to his relief. The Lemur leaped down before nuzzling into him.
Both of them still accepting him caused his eyes to water. As he nuzzled back into Junko. Making sure to pull Radarr close as well. "I missed you guys so much." He said softly.
"We missed you too," Junko said. Glancing around nervously before putting Finn back down. "You had us so worried after you vanished again, and when we found that Talon camp... you were long gone."
Giving the crowd a second glance, Junko's eyes widened slightly when he caught sight of another Talon uniform in the crowd.
"Are you... here with the Talons?" he asked, suddenly fearful for his friend. He hadn't been able to believe Aerrow and Piper's convictions that Finn had betrayed them, still hoping that he was under duress from the Dark Ace somehow or under mind control like Stork had theorised.
Finn shifted uncomfortably before nodding. "Yeah I am." He said. Looking away before back at where he assumed Junko was. "And i know, I know how it seems. Just- when I first got trapped here. They helped me out and Dark Ace said that we could make things better." He said.
"For both sides. Cyclonia and The Atmos. Even if you find Cyclonis it doesn't matter. She betrayed her people." He said. Rambling but he was trying to explain himself.
Junko frowned and his ears drooped. He knew Finn wouldn't lie to him, but the idea of Talons just... helping him after the history between both sides felt hard to believe.
"Cyclonis wasn't the only one who hurt us, Finn," he objected, "The Dark Ace was just as bad. Remember how often he would knock you out of the sky? And how many times he hurt Aerrow?"
He didn't understand what Finn was getting at. How could he speak with such certainty after everything that had happened?
"I mean.. I know." He said quietly. He knew how often Dark Ace had tried to kill them. How many times he had the Champions blade leveled at him. The bruises and scrapes that followed those battles. He wanted to defend him. He really did but at times that still hurt.
He understood more about things. Things that bothered him that Dark Ace was explaining. That he didn't have explanations for. "He treated us like an enemy. Cause we were." He said after a moment.
"He told me about things. About his old team. What happened. Stuff about the Sky Knight Council. Things that I always wondered and... I mean I'll ask for more proof when we get back home but..." he looked at Junko. Saddened as he met his gaze. Realizing what he was giving up and feeling sick.
"I just.. you'll always be my friend. No matter what changes." He said. Looking at Radarr. "You showed me I needed to do the right thing. I genuinely believe this is the right thing." He said to Radarr.
"So... you're staying with them?" Junko asked sadly. He really had to wonder what Dark Ace had told Finn to get him to come around like this. "Forever?"
He had hoped that he could convince Finn to come back. Things had been really, really tense ever since that encounter with Dark Ace and it felt like the only way to get things back to normal was to get the whole team back together. Together they might be able to fix... whatever was going on with Aerrow and Piper. There was no denying that something was wrong with them now.
Maybe he should've been getting mad like Aerrow, Piper and Stork would, but as Finn talked about doing the right thing, he didn't feel angry. After all, he'd done the same thing when they'd first met. He used to be a Talon cadet. It... hadn't been all that terrible. Tiring, and he was expected to fight a lot, but he'd had a few friends, hadn't he?
"I don't want to be your enemy Finn," he implored in a last-ditch effort to keep his best friend close.
"Yeah, yeah I am. I'll be going back to Cyclonia once we're done here." He admitted. He actually hadn't fully decided until that moment. But it sounded right and where he needed to go.
The forever question though hurt, "No, I've been traveling my whole life. Not about to stop that now." He said. Offering a small smile, "besides I'll have to still visit my best friends." He said.
Seeing how sad he looked though he reached out. "Somethings wrong with them. We both know this. If Dark Ace hadn't have stepped in front of me. Aerrow... he would have killed me." He said softly. "I don't know what this bonding thing is but I don't think its good. And I think both of them are too far gone to realize." He said.
"I'm gonna figure out what's wrong with them and work with Dark Ace to make the world better. For all of us. Not just Cyclonia. I think he understands that. And if he doesn't... I'll make him understand." He said boldly.
The promise of visits was a small reassurance to Junko. Maybe while they tried to figure out how to help Aerrow and Piper, they could sneak out of their respective camps and meet somewhere in secret.
"They're acting like last week never happened," he said, feeling more than a little guilty over it. It wasn't a completely accurate summary of Piper and Aerrow's behaviour. They kept getting weirdly evasive whenever Finn was brought up, and then there was Stork whose brain couldn't seem to process the idea of Finn siding with the Dark Ace. "Like you're still lost, and not..."
"How can you be sure Dark Ace will help?" he asked. He'd always been scared of the man, even when he'd been at the Talon Academy. The mere thought of a human with that much strength and ruthlessness had made him shudder and he hadn't been sure how so many of his peers could talk about the man like he was a hero when he seemed so terrifying. "I-I trust you, I really do, but... what do you see in him?"
What could Finn see that so many Talons seemed to? What was Junko missing?
He grew quiet at what he said. So they just were pretending none of what happened... happened? He supposed he couldn't blame him. He was trying his best to put it out of his mind to. "Easier to imagine me lost then what they are probably thinking." He agreed.
At his question he shrugged, "I'm not. But I got to talk with him. Actually talk. He got blinded after almost dying so I was put in charge of looking after him. Guess all the times I had to play nursemaid for Aerrow paid off." He said jokingly before getting serious again.
"I guess... and don't take this the wrong way but... I can relate to him. When we actually got to talking I found out we have a lot in common. I don't want to turn out like him. Unafraid of murder, jaded, but I know I could." He admitted.
"And I think he sees himself in me too. So maybe together we could... do something. I think he wants to do something. He even called out Cyclonis's stupidity in front of everyone." Finn explained excitedly.
"I guess I can't blame him after what she did..." Junko murmured, still a little sceptical but admittedly kind of glad that Finn had an adult he could relate to. Even if the Dark Ace was far from his first choice. "So... what're you guys doing now? How come you're here?"
Were they chasing after Cyclonis too or doing something else? He'd been wondering if the Talons had been just as stuck here on the Far Side as they were; when the portal had closed behind the Storm Hawks it had taken a few hours to sink in that they had no way back. And Aerrow had been weirdly dismissive of the fact too.
"We're getting supplies." He said. "Gonna try to find a way to go home. If we figure it out I'll make sure you guys know." He promised. Smiling before flinching as he saw what appeared to Aerrow nearby. Looking for Junko.
"I- I think I have to go. It was great seeing you. Both of you." He said. Reaching out to rest his hand against Junkos before doing the same for Radarr.
Having to leave hurt but he couldn't risk a fight. Stepping away from them, he started to hurry back to where Dark Ace was. Hoping he had finished so they could move out of this area at least.
Junko noticed the flinch and his ears drooped even lower. He wished things had gone back to normal that day instead of devolving into… this.
"We'll see you around, buddy," he promised, putting on a smile for Finn's sake. "Good luck."
He watched Finn disappear into the crowd before looking towards Aerrow. The sky knight seemed none the wiser, and Junko felt awful for the incoming lies he'd have to tell. But if it meant keeping his best friend safe then he'd do it.
<Back to Dark Ace>
Dark Ace heard Finn approach and looked up from where he'd been pretending to browse. He'd alerted the rest of the team to the Storm Hawks' presence, everyone else had made themselves scarce. They had five minutes left before the meeting with the foreman.
"Did you get what you were looking for?" he asked.
"Yeah something like that." Finn said. Taking a seat next to Dark Ace. "Hows your eyes doing? You seem to be browsing a bit better. Or your very good at acting like it." He said. Offering a small smile but it was clear he was more subdued then he was before.
"I told Junko that I was staying here but that i still wanted to help my friends." He admitted. "Apparently Aerrow and Piper are just acting like what happened... didn't happen." He said. Keeping an eye out in case they came over to where they were but it seemed like Junko and Radarr were leading him away from him.
Dark Ace let out a dry chuckle, "My eyes aren't any different. I'm just very good at pretending I belong in places I have no right to be, especially in places like this. Once spent an entire day in Atmosia's central market and nobody was the wiser. Didn't even have a chroma crystal, just kept my head down and wore some bland old civvies from the back of my closet."
And there was of course the Saharr Race, one of his more elaborate disguises. But he was sure Finn remembered that one.
He frowned when Finn mentioned Aerrow and Piper.
"Acknowledging it means they have to face being wrong about what they did," he muttered. "The Binding made every choice I made feel like it was the right choice in the moment, but when the high went down it usually felt like the opposite. And those two are in deep. Very deep."
It was concerning, and he had worries for what would happen if they did manage to separate Aerrow and Piper. What would coming down from weeks of using the Binding near-constantly look like for them?
"If things came to a head between us and your friends, would Junko be willing to help us?" he asked. The Wallop's strength could mean the difference between Finn being able to help his Sky Knight and the pair escaping to spiral further.
Finn looked at Dark Ace before looking down. He honestly wasn't sure and didn't really want to put Junko in that position to make that choice. "I don't know." He admitted. "I hope he would but I guess we won't know till it happens." Finn admitted.
He knew Stork must be against him now too and that hurt just as much. Although he perhaps understood. Stork had lost the most out of all of them. Of course he wouldn't understand.
"Um how much longer do we have to be here?" He asked.
