Sky Falcon was the flickering shadow of his mother's scorching glory—and nothing he could do would ever change that.

Her heroic deeds were brighter than the sun; his paled in comparison, like the moon's fragile, quivering reflection on the surface of a lake. She killed phoenixes and saved the city; he tinkered with gadgets which held no interest to anybody. He was a failure—or so he had been told over and over again. A seventeen-year-old who would never pass as anything more than a weird geek and a weakling.

That was why self-doubt settled in him like a thick fog, clouding his goals in life and his determination to even try.

But on the night of May 16th, 2309, things changed.

Sparks of fire bloomed with rage in the dark sky, followed by thunders of destruction—the symphony of death. Ear-splitting roars from foul phoenixes echoed in the city, the Hovering Hive, shaking and shattering every wall, door, and window. Half-eagle, half-robot, those huge cybernetic beasts threatened the city often. But every time that dreadful melody tainted the air, brave soldiers came out to face the challenge.

Like Halle Falcon, Head of the Elite.

Hovering Hive's hero. The best of the best.

Her movements were swift as she sliced a phoenix's claw in half with her blue laser sword. It shone with a metallic sparkle which got reflected on the nearby car chassis, windows, and bits of broken glass on the pavement. Like a splash of running watercolour on a black canvas, the fire raged on behind her stunning, athletic physique as she brought it down with a loud crash and sank her sword into the beast's belly.

Next, she chopped its head off. Blood splashed on her face.

Despite the cheering of her subordinates, she didn't smile. She never did. Her hard countenance never wavered.

Sky stood at the other end of the street, witnessing the scene with both resignation and a kind of admiration that bordered envy. The long fringe of his straight, blond hair kept falling before his eyes, so he combed it to see better. The tips were dyed a neon green that stood out against the darker brown of his close-cropped lower half.

Mother and son locked their gazes for a couple of seconds while more phoenixes preyed on the city.

The acrid smell of smoke and dust filled the air, making it hard to breathe—but that wasn't the reason why Sky's chest tightened. He swallowed hard, falling prey to his mother's glare.

"Come on, now," Aunt Naomi told him as she pulled him by his arm, startling him. She was a strikingly beautiful woman with mature grace. "We're late!"

Halle narrowed her eyes and frowned at him until she lost sight of him.

"Just... let me go," he grumbled as he pulled his arm from Naomi's grasp. He wore a green jacket, the bright colour matching the highlights in his hair. A simple, white T-shirt, paired with light blue ripped jeans that had seen better days, completed his ensemble. "I can walk on my own."

"We need to hurry! We're needed at the Forge." Naomi's voice was second to no other sound, even with those evil phoenixes wreaking havoc.

Naomi Hardy's green eyes, just like her nephew's, shone with determination although her left one didn't work well. She had a nasty scar over it. 

Large golden hoop earrings dangled in her ears as she walked as if no attack was going on. Her confident stride showed that she was not one to be trifled with. Her military attitude matched her black jeans and military boots, giving her a tough and resilient look. She also wore a black jacket over a blood-red shirt, which paired well with her wavy, fiery-red hair that reached just above her shoulders.

She hurried down the street, Sky following her closely. As they walked on, fires blazed in the streets, casting flickering shadows on the shattered windows and twisted metal of the buildings.

Amidst the chaos, some people of the Hovering Hive scrambled to escape the carnage. Some fled in flying cars, their engines roaring as they soared into the night sky. Others ran through the streets, their faces twisted with fear as they tried to find safety.

When they got to their destination, customers were already lining up. Naomi opened the front door of the Forge with the digital key inserted in a small chip in the palm of her hand.

"Entry authorised," an agreeable, metallic female voice said as the door swooshed open. "Welcome, Naomi Hardy."

"Okay, people!" she yelled merrily as she entered. "We're open for business!"

The Forge was the go-to armoury and an extension of the Elite Academy's research and development labs and training grounds, and it only allowed Elite soldiers and students as customers.

The moment Sky walked through its doors, he was enveloped in the scent of dust and polished metal.

The Forge was a true emporium of weaponry and armour, with crammed shelves and stacked crates lining the walls and aisles, reaching up to the ceiling, lost in darkness. Every inch of space was utilized, with metal swords, guns, and shields hanging from hooks, and shelves packed with ammunition, grenades, and other lethal items.

Its primary light source came from old-fashioned gas lamps that flickered and danced with an eerie golden light. The sound of clanging metal and hissing steam filled the air, as some workers toiled away, crafting and repairing weapons at the far back of the store, their faces hidden behind masks and goggles.

The Forge was a place of contrasts, with the gleaming steel of newly-forged weapons juxtaposed against the dusty, grime-covered walls. History and innovation met there, a place where ancient techniques and cutting-edge technology merged to create the tools of war.

"I want more out of life than working as a help desk assistant here during emergencies," said Sky with apathy while the customers lined up in front of the counter.

"I understand, kid. I was quite ambitious too when I was seventeen." Naomi winked at him as she went behind the front desk. She threw her jacket on a nearby chair.

"Stop chatting already! Can't you see the city's on fire!" an anger-driven female customer roared as she slammed a hand over the front desk. "Get me a 7D-series Earblast submachine gun with a laser target. And the ammo. Quick!"

"Alright, alright. Chillax, Big Jill," Naomi replied while Sky went behind the desk to join his aunt. She took Big Jill's palm to scan her ID chip in it, which also served as a credit card, with the cashier chip scanner. The red laser light blipped, meaning that the money transaction had successfully taken place. "You'll get what you need soon enough. Geez."

Great. Sky rolled his eyes. Big Jill must've gotten her current submachine gun melted while fighting against a Steelvane. Like the last time. She should be forbidden to fight against phoenixes which spit fire and lava.

While Naomi turned and rushed to the endless shelves behind them to look for the merchandise, Sky sighed and asked, unmotivated, "Who's next?"

After attending a tediously long line of blood-thirsty customers, there was a brief moment of quiet at the Forge. All customers were out and about, killing those cyborg demons with wings.

Naomi turned to Sky with a worried expression on her face. "What's the matter with you, Sky?" she asked him while combing a loose strand of her fiery red hair behind her ear. "This lame attitude won't do. Failing a bloody test isn't the end of the world."

"There you go, Naomi," Sky replied. "You've said it yourself. I flunked the Elite Academy's admission test! And I still don't get it. I really thought I had nailed it!" He slammed a hand on the counter and bit his lower lip with annoyance. Thank God there are no customers here now to witness how pathetic I am.

"You can't bury your frustrations under self-hatred," she went on with a worried expression. "No matter what other people say about you."

"Easier said than done, Aunt Naomi," he replied with cynicism. "My friends don't even acknowledge me anymore. It's like I embarrass them or something. Stupid test!"

He frowned at his reflection in the window on his right, and then his gaze went down to the floor, an evident proof of self-doubt and sorrow.

"It'll pass, believe me," she whispered with the warmth of a mother. "You'll find your way sooner or later. You're just a late bloomer, that's all."

"How come you sound so sure?" His anger flared vividly inside him. "You used to be one of the best Elite soldiers out there. Until that Thunderbreaker hurt you. Now, you're stuck working here—like me."

She sighed.

"I don't feel like I'm stuck." Her bittersweet smile took him by surprise. "I enjoyed being Head of the Elite. It was a hard job, believe me, but I liked it. I might've partially lost my left eye to that cybernetic beast that night. It beat me up to the point I wanted to die. I spent a month in a coma and was deemed unfit for battle when I woke up. I got a teacher and Forge clerk duel job, but I still feel proud to serve my city in any way I can."

She ran a finger over the scar on her left eye, a testament to the dangers of fighting the cybernetic monsters that plagued their city. She wore stylish triangular-shaped glasses that helped her wounded eye see more clearly.

Don't lie to me, Aunt Naomi. Sky pressed his lips in a thin line with a worrisome kind of anger. Don't you miss being the Head of the Elite? Khali Evergreen and the board at Anti-Ageing Inc.'s demoted you. I wonder why she didn't try to get her old job back, but I'm scared to ask. That must've hurt. Getting pushed into the background is a bitter pill to swallow. I know.

Naomi sighed. "You need to stop obsessing over it."

"I'm a loser," he whispered in defeat. "I won't ever do anything worthwhile with my life. Mom is right."

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself!" she insisted, almost losing her patience. "Man up, Sky. It's high time you did something for yourself, to be proud of who you are, damn it!"

"But my mom..." I wanted to see my skills blossom, welcoming my mother's wintry cold heart into a new spring.

"Stop worrying about your mother." She got closer as she spoke with an authoritative voice. "Our city still needs bakers and doctors... and plumbers! That line of work is dignified. You don't need to become an Elite soldier just because both your parents were. Or because most of the inhabitants of the Hovering Hive are."

He snorted.

She glared at him only for a moment. "Your mother doesn't always value people who are different and the role they play in a balanced society. Maybe that's when you come in, with your amazing skills with technology. You could be a great engineer."

"I know but-" He shook his head just slightly and took a seat. He rested his elbows on his thighs and leaned his head on the palms of his hands.

Her words mean a lot to me, but not to my mother. Or the vast majority of people here in the Hovering Hive. Such a pity. Naomi becoming an academy trainer after getting badly hurt in battle was some sort of consolation prize in my mother's opinion, which makes my skills in gadget-making also useless in her eyes. Because anything that's not related to fighting phoenixes is worthless in our community.

"I can't bear it anymore, Aunt Naomi," he whispered with a broken voice. "Earlier today, Mom just told me that no one has stained the family's honour more than me when I flunked the admission test last month. And working here keeps reminding me of who I long to be but can't."

Naomi sighed with sadness, briefly closed her eyes and pressed her lips.

Sky's eyes averted hers as he caressed the bracelet made of steel and leather on his right wrist as if it held sentimental value. The thick leather band was intertwined with steel links, forming a tight chain around Sky's wrist. The clasp was a small steel plate with a phoenix etched onto it, a symbol of both tragedy and determination.

"I wish Dad was still ali-" He didn't find the strength to finish that sentence. He clutched the bracelet and his wrist with brute force while tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

For Sky, the bracelet was a constant reminder of his father's bravery and sacrifice, and a symbol of the courage that he strived to embody in his own life. It gave him a sense of connection to his father and a source of strength to carry on in the face of adversity.

"Oh, Sky..." Naomi said as she pulled him into a hug. "I get it. Failing the Elite Academy's admittance test was the last thing you expected. But you can't let that discourage you. It's just a bump in the road. Try again next year. I'll talk with your mother. Everything will be okay."

Sky bit his lower lip until he gathered enough strength to reply, "I'm a failure. Everybody says so. Everything I do comes out wrong. I won't ever do any good, so why try again?"

That was when she softly caught his face in her hands and, staring into his eyes, she said, "Failure doesn't kill dreams. Self-doubt does."

Naomi Hardy's latest pearl of wisdom echoed in Sky Falcon's ears, leaving him speechless.

She had the power to rock his world. An idea had dawned on him as he stared at her.

However, a loud crash outside the Forge, followed by a group of five Elite soldiers who came in in a hurry demanding more weapons and ammo, interrupted their conversation.

"More ammo for my Rambo Jumbo gun," a twenty-something guy ordered when he reached the front desk.

His eager eyes were glued to Sky's. He was sweating profusely and had grease all over his arms and face. His clothes were mildly burnt, putting his muscles on display. He was ripped.

In contrast, Sky was just an average-sized teen, not particularly tall or imposing.

"Got any fire extinguishers too?" the guy asked.

"Coming right away," Sky replied with envy while Naomi served the other customers.

Fighting phoenixes like this guy is out of the question for me. He turned and looked for what that guy asked for on the shelves. Only Elite soldiers can do that—and Elite Academy students, like my friends. My former friends.

As he came back to the front desk and handed him the ammo and a fire extinguisher, he couldn't help but imagine he was on the other side of that front desk, waiting to be handed over a cool weapon, with adrenaline flushing through his veins and ready for action.

"Thanks, kiddo," the young hunk replied.

Sky gritted his teeth at that last word. He was no kid. He had even started to grow facial hair. It was a small moustache and beard that was neatly shaved but it wasn't invisible.

I am a seventeen-year-old idiot who could've been his partner in arms tonight, if I hadn't fooled myself into thinking that my gadgets would open the Elite Academy's doors for me. That's why I flunked the admission test. The examiner was as biased as my mother.

Examiner Thomson's words will be forever engraved in my brain: 'Your sonic gadget isn't what we expect here, at the Elite Academy, son. We've got engineers trained in the capital for that, don't you know that? They're experts. Besides, what you claim about Sonic Echo Rangers wouldn't work. That kind of phoenix has got a state-of-the-art sonogram. Your theory looks neat... for a primary school science project. But I wouldn't bet my life on it, kid. You wouldn't be able to interfere with their sonic waves, much less take down one of them, with a homemade sonic device like this—or with a poor physical prowess like yours. You're too thin. You lack muscle. Besides, there's a protocol for fighting, and this is not it. It's following orders, not taking the initiative with wild ideas. You're unfit for the Academy.'

I'm no kid. I'm not a failure. If only I could prove all of them wrong. He let go of a hard sigh.

Aunt Naomi just said, 'Failure doesn't kill dreams. Self-doubt does.'

Then, his eyes shone with determination.

"You know what?" he told both the ripped guy, Naomi, and every other customer there. "Fuck it."

He jumped over the counter and headed for the front door.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Aunt Naomi asked, yelling.

"I'm gonna do it!" he yelled with a smile on his face.

"Do what?" Aunt Naomi asked, yelling.

"I'm gonna kill a phoenix tonight! I'll bring down a Sonic Echo Ranger, the most dangerous phoenix there is!"

That will prove a point, I guess. He exited the Forge in a hurry, leaving his stunned audience hanging. Will I be admitted into the Academy if I do it? I should try at least, right?

What can go wrong?

Hello, my sugar cubes!

This is my brand new WattpadCreator's WIP... and also a first draft.
I hope you enjoy Sky's story so far.
Will he earn his community's love after hitting the Sonic Echo Ranger?

Stay tuned!

XOXO

Mar

*NOTE on HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON:
I hope you understand I cannot discuss with every single one of my readers why the beginning of this story reminds you of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.
Please, read the blurb and the author notes (special chapter at the beginning) for more details, but basically, the start is a homage to this beautiful book and movie, yes, with many different ingredients and twists.
Among them, you will find: different and multiple antagonists, a sci-fi setting and core of the story, an older main character, different plot points all along the book, cyborgs, sonic technology, more romantic elements than that story, unethical use of medicine/drugs, gore-ish fighting scenes by the end, swearing, tendencies a good old dog of mine used to have, and elements that might remind you of Horizon Zero Dawn.
Besides that... Did you know that "Bridget Jones's Diary" is based on "Pride and Prejudice"? So does "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", by the way. These are only two examples of works which get inspiration from others. It's not bad.
Please, refrain from calling upon this subject as a negative issue in this chapter and the next ones. Thank you.🫶