CC looked around her. Ahead of her was what seemed like an endless desert, nothing else in sight. But as harsh of a sight as that was, it was only made worse by the sound of crashing waves behind her. Some would have taken solace in the presence of that rocking ocean, but for her, it was just a reminder that she was stranded in the middle of nowhere.

“You gonna stare at these beautiful dunes all day or do you wanna get a move on?”

Not stranded alone anyway. The rough man who just spoke to her stepped forward next to her and waved his dark hand in front of her eyes. CC blinked in irritation.

“I will do as I please. With or without you.”

He set his hands behind his head and sighed. “Well that’s fine for me, I’m used to these kinds of situations. Way I see it, this is a playground I just wanna jump around in! But someone as dainty as you? You shouldn’t be taking this so lightly.”

She looked at him. He fit the look of a mercenary because that’s what he was. The Black Knights had no shortage of real warriors and Knightmare Frames to fight the empire, the infamous Crimson Lotus herself was one of the most feared and infamous warriors in this day and age, but she wasn’t the only scourge to make Britannia fear. Yet for all that, they would need every able warrior they could get.

Which is where this one came in. A mercenary set in camo fatigues and pants, he stood out compared to the other Black Knights because he was black. So dark that Viletta and Rakshata looked fair complexioned next to him. Short frizzy hair on his head, he looked as cocksure of himself as any other desperado looking to make his name. And his name was Anthony.

None of that made him special. But the Black Knights were always in need of more heads, even ones as hotheaded as this one. Most importantly, he was a survival expert, had been hired to do the empire’s dirty work all over the world on more than one occasion. All the gold sitting in their coffers and they’d still only pay him the bare minimum. When Zero’s band made him an offer twice the imperial rate, he was more than ready to sign up.

For all his expertise, it didn’t change that his work was a dirty line of business. Or that he was going up against the Britannian Empire, the greatest superpower in the world. The Black Knights were making a concerted move from one place to another behind enemy lines and to do that, they were all doing the migration in separate teams. Several smaller missions where he proved himself single-handedly in espionage and gathering intel, he was tasked to escort CC and a troop of soldiers. Manning a helicopter over the sea, things were going fine until he ran into an armada of Britannian warships.

“You did this, didn’t you?” CC had said from behind him.

“You fucking crazy?” he snapped back. “What the hell do I have to gain from getting shot down?”

CC was ready to answer with a quip, as she always was. Something about him parachuting out while they all go down. That he was going to land them on the hangar of one of the battleships and collect his reward. But that was all silenced when the first missiles were launched at them.

He proved his loyalty. Not moving from the seat, he sped past the first salvo of missiles flying at them. Making tight turns in a helicopter that even Kallen would have been impressed by. Cheering loudly to himself, his heart was beating with excitement. Looking death straight in the eye and still leaving it wanting, this was what life was all about.

For CC it was nothing new. Hundreds of years and she had lived through the worst disasters of nature, had felt the most terrible crimes of men and still came out unscathed. But the other Black Knights onboard were cheering at his expert piloting skills, a second volley came at them and he made it past each and every one. They were so afraid it was gonna be the end and now things were looking up.

Too soon. A stray missile in that second onslaught caught the tail of the helicopter just as he passed it. The aircraft was rocked from the impact and then they were spiraling down fast.

Everyone was jumping out, activating their parachutes. Only ones left were him and CC. Alone with him on a dangerous mission like this one and she was still snatched up in that long white jumpsuit with the bell bottom pants, that black collar and those black ribbons. Before she could move on her own, he scooped her up in his arms and jumped out with her.

It was part of his professional duty. Zero explicitly said in the contract that his pay would be cut in half if she wasn’t with him when they got back and he was ready to collect his pay. But he also took a personal liking to it too. Always a fan of the fairer sex, CC was one of the hottest babes he ever saw. The both of them falling down together, she had to cling to him. Even in that situation he had a big dumb grin on his face, and he only held her close, cupping her sweet ass. From a distance sometimes her white robes with the black ribbons made it look like she was wearing a straitjacket from an insane asylum, but right now the only thing he was thinking was that he’d have to be crazy not to be fondling her sweet rear like this.

In all those jumps, everybody had gotten separated. No surprise there with the winds whipping about the sea. Who knows if the others had survived or died. Far away from the main chaos, he was here on this desert island alone with CC.

As sweet and romantic as that idea was, Anthony kept his eyes on the mission. It was a miracle that he still had the communication equipment with him, undamaged through all that chaos. But as soon as he set it up to get in touch with Zero and the higher ups, all he got was static.

“Fuck me.” He looked at CC. “Sorry about all this bullshit...”

“It’s no big deal,” she said rather nonchalantly. “All we have to do is wait for a rescue team.”

“For just the two of us?” He slapped his forehead. “Can’t believe you’re being so calm about this.”

“I know that Zero. Once he has a toy he likes, he never lets go.” She looked down and narrowed her eyes in a beady little grin.

Anthony remembered the rumors he heard about this woman. That she was Zero’s mistress, that she had his ear on everything, that she was the real power in the Black Knights. One of the rumors even said that the guy in the Zero mask was just some schlub and she didn’t just go beyond holding the power, that she was Zero. Her whole confident and haughty demeanor ordering him around like he was her servant, he was starting to believe it.

Not to mention on the way down floating through an active warzone, their clothes were all dirty and tattered. The sleeves of his fatigues were torn and loosely hanging off with his shirt split open to reveal his muscular chest underneath. She had it worse though, coming so finely dressed, the bell bottoms had been torn all the way off revealing her long legs in the ghetto pants of that tight suit underneath, and her sleeves were only loosely hanging by the threads. The worst part was that there was a series of long tears around her shirt, revealing the succulent shape of her cleavage underneath and her perfect flat stomach. Out here under the bright sun on this day, he was staring at her unafraid.

Anthony wasn’t much better either. His camo fatigues were all torn up, not like he had any real attachment to them. Out here on these golden sands they already stood out enough making him a clear target for any Britannians on their tail, but making his decision even easier was the hot sun above shining down on him. Without waiting, he tore his clothes off right there on the spot.

His back was turned to CC. He might have had some misgivings about her but at the same time he couldn’t deny she was one hell of a beautiful woman. And here alone he with her, he was ready to shoot his shot. Only wearing a little pair of boxer shorts, he looked back at her and smiled real slick. “See something you like?”

CC arched an eyebrow at him. Some common mercenary was already so far from the men she liked to hang out with on the regular. Tall and black and muscular under the sun, usually she kept these types at arm’s length. Here out and alone on the desert, she’d have no choice but to entertain him all the way. Sighing to herself she just walked past him.

She was mumbling to herself too. He didn’t quite catch all of it but he did hear her say, “ ... posing as a man.”

“Come again?”

Not turning to look at him, her piercing yellow eyes flashed with a sudden gleam. “I said that you’re just a little boy posing as a man!”

Fast and fierce as a knife tossed at him. He heard rumors that this woman was Zero’s mistress, and if so, he must have been one hell of a man to keep up with her. Her clothes torn up, she still could be a fire breather. But as she kept on walking, he could swear that her cheeks were getting a little red.

This is already looking like a playground.

Anthony didn’t mind following behind her, it was for her protection after all. He also didn’t mind that with her bell bottoms torn off, those tight pants underneath were clinging real nice to her lower body, it was almost like she was wearing nothing at all. The shape of those lovely long legs and not to mention that big ass of hers shaking as she walked, he was hooked. Going down after being struck by a missile wasn’t what he staked his rep on, but holding this hottie close to him and now all alone with her, he knew how to improvise and have himself a good time.

“You should undress,” he said.

She looked back at him, that same fire in her yellow eyes. “What?”

“We’re out here under the blazing sun and if those imperial stragglers spot us, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb. I’m saying this for my sake too, yeah? Get naked.”

Staring at him for several long seconds, finally she started laughing. So loud and condescending, he understood that very well. Soon she just turned back around and kept walking. Not quite the response he wanted. But getting to look at that sweet ass moving in those pants, he wasn’t complaining either.

Walking in those sands, at first glance things looked pretty hopeless. But it wasn’t long before they found themselves a forest in the distance. Big tall palm trees clustered together, Anthony just stretched out. Here on the hot sands behind a hot chick, he was finally gonna be getting himself some nice shade.

“Hot damn is it good to see that. Was starting to think it would be the end of the legend of Ant.”

“You never know,” she said. “It might just be a mirage.”

“Well if you don’t mind me saying so, following you fair lady? I’m looking at two big buns that ain’t a mirage! Almost tempted to go up and cop me a feel to make sure they’re real.”

She flashed him a look. “Try anything and I’ll make sure you learn the reality of pain.”

Anthony flashed her a real slick smile. “To touch such sacred treasures, I would give my life.”

She didn’t answer. Following her, Anthony kept his eyes on that sweet cake of hers jiggling in her pants. He was so distracted that even for a soldier of fortune like him that he didn’t notice they were getting closer to the bundle of palm trees all clustered together.

As soon as they were in that forest, the both of them surrounded on all sides by palm trees, he let out a loud whoop. “Man! I tell you what, it is nice being out of the sun!”