Petunia and Flashthunder

Cherry had stayed with motifs similar to those of her opening song, and a soft shifting rhythm together with the string-section’s dreamy rills cast a mellow mood across most of the dance-hall. One exception remained though. Petunia at her lone table was dejectedly drawing hearts in the air, making them manifest through her modest powers, then with her fingertip obliterating each one in a little peachiodiferous pop.

A slim pretty male Mini-Flash with brown hair and tunic was making his way through the crowds. Petunia hadn’t realised Flashthunder was here, though it should have occurred to her he wouldn’t miss his girlfriend Cherry in concert.

Suddenly Petunia’s heart was beating hard. On that last awful night at the space-lounge it had been Flashthunder and Cherry who showed Joe how to open the message that wrought all this trouble, whereat Joe told them he was in their debt and at their disposal if they ever needed to contact him. Here was Petunia’s chance. It was true that off the top of her head she couldn’t think of any reason why Flashthunder would call in the favour just for her, other than that she was ever so nice, but when Petunia considered this with all objectivity she concluded it would probably serve as motivation enough. Jumping to her feet she blundered after him.

In the corridor outside the dancefloor’s bustle and noise Petunia ran the Mini-Flash to ground. “Flashthunder, wait!” she cried, and he turned. “Um, I’m not sure if you remember me…”

For Flashthunder however that distinctive perfume would have done the trick even if his first lungful of it had been under more mundane circumstances than a mindlink with Cherry. Flashtease’s date at the drive-in that night. “Of course I do, Petunia, isn’t it?” he gallantly replied.

“You’ve got an amazing memory for names,” declared Petunia. “Especially as I never told you mine. So, um, you’ve not shipped out?”

“Cherry had a gig and I’m rubbish and terrified of everything,” Flashthunder explained. “Besides, male Mini-Flashes are hardly ever assigned frontline duty these days, now we’ve got a new and more powerful variety. Which suits me just fine, as it happens.”

And all of which taken together offered Petunia the sum total of no opportunities to move the conversation smoothly on to her request. She struggled after words that might serve while Flashthunder waited for her to speak, as patiently as possible given he’d come out here in the first place to use the bathroom.

Perhaps Flashthunder would understand if she just told him. Petunia took a deep breath.

And the wall behind them exploded. Flashthunder was flung aside amid a tide of rubble, while Petunia glimpsed fiery bat-wings as a slender but very strong arm hooked itself about her waist. Next second she was sweeping through the spotlights in Xandreth’s stratosphere, a wild wind rushing through her flippy tips and the boulevards and nightclub domes spinning far below.

“I won’t hurt you,” said Phoenix Prime from a foot or so higher than Petunia’s upside-down head. “It’s just that most of my enemies don’t know that, and right now I could use a little insurance.”

Alone in the corridor, Flashthunder straightened his shaking hemline and went back inside. Confusion and a little alarm still rippled through the clientele following the impromptu demolitions next door, but judiciously Cherry had kept the soothing music going and thereby lulled her listeners back from the brink of outright panic. Flashthunder crossed the dancefloor and rejoined her at the foot of the stage while she brought her song to its twinkling close.

“It’s turning into a very strange night,” he told her.

NEXT: 'I'LL FIND YOUR PLANET'