by Hopeflower » Sat Nov 13, 2010 10:07 pm
The exhausted blonde teen all but collapsed against a tree, her chest heaving as she gulped for air. "I...I hurt my knee," she gasped, looking down to assess the damage. Blood had stained her torn jeans and from what she could see, her knee was a mess. It throbbed every time she tried to put her weight on the leg. She winced and tried to bend it, and the injured joint protested with a stab of pain. "Ow...okay, that...hurts a lot."
"So...we meet again, Stryker." He hadn't opened his eyes when she'd found and challenged him, asking why he had come back. Had barely given any hint of a reaction. Instead he was meditating, calm as if this were nothing more than a friendly chat. "I wondered if you'd come looking for me." The raven haired woman clenched her teeth. The man was infuriating. When he finally stood and faced her, he had the nerve to come close enough to cup her chin in his hand and mockingly caress her cheek with his thumb. "My, how you've grown. How long has it been? Thirteen years since we last saw each other?" His lip quirked. "You've become a beautiful woman."
"And you haven't changed at all," she replied icily, trying and failing to jerk away from the grip he had on her jaw. His grip tightened, keeping her face prisoner. "You're still the cold, selfish, murderous b*stard you were back then." How could I have been stupid enough to think so highly of you? she thought bitterly. How could I have loved you, even for a second, knowing what you are?
Even as she thought it, his thumb passed over her cheek again, more gently this time. His glowing crimson gaze seemed to have softened a bit. "Why waste time fighting?" he murmured. He was too close. Stryker swallowed hard, willing herself not to fall under the power of his voice as she had thirteen years ago. He wouldn't weaken her with his charm, or with memories of the past. "Just give me what I want....and we can pick up where we left off."
She tensed, narrowing her golden eyes in warning. "That was a long time ago, Slade. It's too late. I stand by what I said when you left. We're too different for it to work, and besides, I stopped loving you the minute I found out your true nature. You lied about who you were, lied about everything, even your so-called 'feelings' for me." She was spitting out the words now, as if they had a foul taste. "You could never have loved me...how can someone love when they have no heart?"
He dropped his hand as if burned. For a moment he looked almost genuinely hurt. Stryker had to quickly bury her feelings of guilt. Then anger twisted his handsome face. "Fine," he said coldly, all softness in his expression replaced by a stony countenance. "If that's how you want it...then show me your flame."
"With pleasure," she returned, and the two Fire Elementals leaped forward, Slade with the intent to kill, Stryker with the intent to fight to the fullest, to give Randy, Nabonidus, and Ivy as much time as she could.
"Gotta have a little sadness once in a while so you know when the good times come."
"Talent is a pursued interest. In other words, anything that you're willing to practice, you can do." ~ Bob Ross
"The future is always uncertain and painful but it must be lived." ~ Unknown