Knightmare: A Storm Hawks Story

Chapter Eleven - Creating A Monster

After killing the Talons on board the Condor, Knightmare was taken out of his prison cell and into the bridge of the Condor. The Storm Hawks kept a close eye on him, not fully trusting him. Knightmare looked into a mirror and saw what he had become. The restored Carth was in deep shock at the reflection staring back at him. 

Starling: Carth?

Knightmare: Starling.....

Starling could see that Knightmare was distressed. She took his hand as a means of comforting him.

Starling: Carth, what happened to you?

As Starling asked that question, memories began flashing through his head. He could see the day he was nearly killed alongside the rest of the Interceptors by Repton's hands. He remembers the painful injuries he sustained and how Doctor Skaal conducted inhuman experiments on h and created the monster that is Knightmare.

Knightmare: I...I remember surviving the attack on the Interceptors. I also remember seeing.....the Cyclonian scientist Skaal....

On instinct, Knightmare felt his chest plate and opened the hatch, exposing his Crystal heart. Upon seeing this, Starling and the Storm Hawks were in shock.

Piper: That's a.... Crystal...

Finn: But where's his heart?

Knightmare: I....I think that is my heart.

That revelation deeply disturbed and disheartened the Sky Knights. They had heard stories of Cyclonian experiments involving replacing a person's heart with a Crystal. Seeing this before their eyes was shocking.

Piper: I can't believe they actually did it....

Starling: You said you remembered Skaal. What...what do you remember?

Knightmare then recalls what had happened to him. He remembered crawling out of the wreckage of the ship. He had third degree burns on 90% of his body. Both of his legs were blown off. His left arm was left a mangled and broken mess with bone sticking out of his shoulders while his right arm was the only limb that retained it's function. As he crawled away, Carth quickly lost consciousness. He then woke up in a storage tank in a dark room. He saw Doctor Skaal overseeing him. The Merb mad scientist glanced over to the broken Carth.

Skaal(Past): You will do nicely...Sky Knight....

Memories flash to all the horrid experiments Carth endured. All he could remember was the pain and the screams. He remembered how he lost himself through the pain as well as the reconditioning. He was made into an emotionless killing machine. A machine made for killing Sky Knights. With no memories of his past life, Carth had become Knightmare. Everything began to bridge between Carth and Knightmare. As Starling and the Storm Hawks learned of what had happened, Knightmare himself learned the truth of what he had become. That realization deeply impacted the former Sky Knight. The entire room was stunned into silence at what they had just heard. Knightmare fell to his knees. Feelings of intense remorse of what he had done began to take hold of him. He thought about every Sky Knight he killed while under the control of the Cyclonians. 

Knightmare: I...I killed them. I killed them all....

Starling: It wasn't your fault, Carth. It wasn't you...

Knightmare: But it was, Star. I killed them. The Cyclonians turned me into this...monster and I killed my fellow Sky Knights. 

In that moment, Knightmare was overcome with guilt. He had been made into a monster and killed his fellow Sky Knights. 

Knightmare: I should've died that day...

Starling: Don't say that, Carth! You're here now. You're Carth! You're a Sky Knight! You're an Interceptor! This...this monster isn't who you are!

Knightmare then glanced over to the mirror. He could see the monster staring back at him. As he glanced over to Starling, he gazed into her eyes. Despite his monstrous appearance, Starling didn't see a monster. She instead saw Carth. She saw a teammate as well as her lover. Knightmare then remembered all the missions he went with Starling and the Interceptors. 

Starling: Do you remember that day in Outpost Five, Carth?

Knightmare: I do. We were thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire. Heh. That seemed so long ago....

Starling: You're free, Carth. 

Knightmare then thought about everything he had done in his involuntary service to the Cyclonian Empire. In that moment, he knew what had to be done. 

Knightmare: Not yet, Star. We need to stop Skaal. He's working on something terrible. I don't know what it is. 

Piper: The Sky Council has been after Skaal since before the war. No one knows where he is. 

Knightmare: You're right. But I do. I can lead you right to him. I've been assigned to kill you all. They don't know I'm compromised. 

At this point, the Sky Knights saw an opportunity. Doctor Skaal was one of the most wanted men in Atmos. If the Sky Knights could capture Skaal, then they could take away one of the most dangerous minds from Cyclonis. 

Aerrow: Can we trust you?

Knightmare: As far as I know, I've broken free of the programming. Just follow my lead. This'll be just like old times, eh Star.

Starling: Just like old times, Carth. Just like old times. 

In that moment, Carth had joined forces with the Storm Hawks and Starling in an effort to take down Skaal. But the infiltration would have it's own complications as the construction of the Mass Shadow Generator was nearing it's completion. For Carth, this was a chance to right the sins of the past and make an attempt to redeem himself.