A dark shadow eclipsed the sky, spreading bleakness across the once-vibrant city. The city streets were occupied with burning tires. As the ravenous flames burned through the ring-shaped object, a haze of smoke emanated and ascended to the sky.
The central business district was littered with corpses, scattered across the dying and wounded cracked roads. From an aerial view, the large distribution of corpses painted a picture of a dumping site, filled to the brim with litter.
They had pale blue skin that hung loosely like wet garments draped over a washing line. Now facing the dismal grey sky, the big gaping wounds revealed the insides of the bodies, some with white-tubed organs bursting out and others without limbs. Flies were lingering around, enthusiastically flapping their wings, and maggots feasting viciously despite the foul smell that pervaded the place.
The deceased were cladded in a variety of uniforms. One group had black armor with a breastplate engraved with an emblem. The emblem read "D R," which was an abbreviation for the term, "The Dark Raiders." They served the law and were in battle with another group, wearing brown uniforms with tactical vests.
The howling wind wafted forcefully, blowing papers across the streets. One of the papers was a disheveled A-2 poster draped in a dull red pigment. The figure in the picture was slowly fading away due to the quality of the paper. Despite the paper's ageful quality, his red eyes gave the impression that he bathed himself in blood. The font on the italics had these words written in bold, "All hail, the Emperor!"
The paper glided through an open window of a nearby flat. The window was on the twelfth floor of the building. The paper gingerly landed on the oak hardwood flooring.
A set of hands then reached out to it. The individual held the paper firmly and spoke, "You are the reason that we are in this mess. I pray that justice will prevail!" A young Bianca exclaimed with anger.
She ripped the poster in half and approached her bin, she threw the pieces of the poster in the bin and dusted her hands.
Her chocolate brown hair cascaded below her shoulder region, she delved her right hand deep into her pocket, surveying for a soft object. Once her thin hands came in contact with the object, she pulled it out and it was a blue headband. She then tied her hair into a knot.
She then approached her bed and closed her luggage bag. She tried to zip her bag, but it was full of clothes.
"Bianca! Bianca!" A deep voice bellowed from outside her room.
"Yes, Daddy," she responded, turning to face the door. The door burst open as her father gushed in with haste.
"How far are you?" He inquired as he approached her. Once he closed the gap between them, she cocked her head up slightly to glance at him. His burly body stood out, easily dwarfing hers.
"I'm almost done," she answered meekly.
He placed his hands against her shoulders, firming his grip.
"Good, Xaviar is waiting for us downstairs. There isn't much time before The Dark Raiders intercept us."
He then turned his back against her and pottered toward the door.
"Dad," she called out to him.
He stopped in his tracks and replied to her, "Will this ever end? I'm tired of living like this."
He turned around to face her and raked his face with his hand, pushing a portion of his skin.
He then sighed, "I don't know dear. It's been eight years since the United Nations handed Shai Ken the reigns to the world. Since then, many nations have sided with him, fearing that he might end the world. Right now, our only hope is that the Battle Troopers can increase in numbers and find more allies."
She gently grabbed his large hand and tucked it between her smooth delicate hands.
She clamped her hands against his hand while avoiding exerting too much force. He could feel her warmth and tender touch, something he only wished he could give. All he had was rough skin, and a field of hair stemming from his wrists, chest, and legs.
"Let me join you, let me join the Battle Troopers."
He smiled, his lips forming a crescent. He gently caressed her cheeks, a thick layer of skin brushing against her soft cheeks. Her skin was soft, it was as though it could easily rip off with just a stroke from his hands.
"I admire your eagerness, but you can't, it's too dangerous.
By joining the Battle Troopers Bianca, you will be labeled a criminal. You will always be under the Dark Raiders and the Civil Protection's radar. Do you want to live like that? With a weapon always by your side and a shoulder to look out for?!"
"I don't care, Dad! The monster took everything from us, our happiness and hope. I don't wanna live the rest of my life under Shai Ken's regime. Is that so much to ask?!"
He sighed, "Honey, I know where you're coming from. Believe me, I do, but I'm not gonna allow you to follow my footsteps. You're still fifteen."
She paused briefly, failing to comprehend his response. She thought that he would resonate with her. The opposite happened.
"But...but...!"
He narrowed his brows and snarled at her, "Listen carefully Bianca, as long as you live under my roof. You will do as I say, no matter how old you are. I lost your mother, I'm not going to lose you too!" His eyes welled up with tears.
"Let's go!" He said and walked away.
She clamped her teeth, as wrinkles formed above her brows. Her heart was strangled by indignation.
She pressed her elbow against the lid of the luggage bag and exerted force to drive her clothes deeper. She touched the zipper and pulled it across the bag, initially closing it.
**********
"I just found out from Chin Li that Yang Lu is on his way. It won't be long until his squad arrives," a man said as he leaned against the wall of the kitchen.
He addressed Bianca's father, William, who entered the living room from the hallway on his right.
William chuckled and rubbed his chin, "I'm not surprised, Yang Lu has always been a thorn in my side Xavier. How did he find me?!"
"I think that someone tipped him off. It must have been someone from our from our side. How else would he know that we came here to fetch you?!" He crossed his arms, his potbelly pressing against his shirt.
"It doesn't matter how he found me. What matters now, is that have a headstart and we should use that to our advantage!" William responded as he stroked his beard.
A voice muttered in Xaviar's earpiece, "Captain. We're ready for take-off. Are you guys ready?"
"We'll be right there," Xavier responded.
Then, Bianca stepped into the kitchen dragging her luggage bag with her. As she stood next to her father, she directed her gaze at Xavier. At that moment, the two exchanged prolonged gazes with each other.
Xavier ran his eyes up and down her body, probing her features. He analyzed her from her hazel eyes to her stick-like arms and bony legs covered in blue jeans.
Though words couldn't describe her beauty, he soon realized that he couldn't make a move on her, at least until she was old enough.
"Xavier, this is my daughter, Bianca," William responded as he gestured at her. He approached her and shook her hand. His firm grip excited her, though she masked her true desires with a stern expression.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Xavier," she smiled back.
Xavier turned to face William, "Now that your daughter is here, let's get outta here."
***********
The three were inside the cabin of a hybrid-winged aircraft. The aircraft had unique features, it was distinguished from other aircraft by having peculiar wings which seemed to be blended smoothly with the main body. The pilot then initiated take-off as the vehicle advanced.
"It's good to have you back Colonel. We've been waiting for this moment for a long time," Xavier responded glancing gleefully at William.
"Fighting alongside the Battle Troopers has always been my destiny. Even when I retired to look after my family, fate found a way to bring me back." William replied as he leaned against the wall of the cabin.
Once the aircraft acquired the maximum speed it needed to take off, it slowly ascended from the crooked tar road.
An explosion abruptly erupted from the right wing, prompting the aircraft to fall forcefully to the ground. Thankfully, the aircraft did not reach greater feats of height. The aircraft skidded through the ground, plowing through the rough tar as though it were soil.
An alarm echoed throughout the interior of the ship, as red hues of light flashed repeatedly.
"What the fuck just happened!?" William inquired as he glanced up, a drop of blood seeped out of his wound from his temple, it traced down his nose until it fell splat on the floor.
William then crawled up to his feet and found his daughter lying on her back with her eyes closed. Once he stood, he raced with unimaginable speed toward her and knelt. Blood seeped out of her lips and nasal passages.
He scooped her head with his hands and shook her head, "Bianca! Bianca! Bianca! C'mon, wake up, there isn't much left!" He shouted, hoping that his words would awaken her from her unconsciousness.
Eventually, she opened her right eye and soon, her left eye.
"Dad?!" She responded.
William gently grabbed her arm and wrapped it around his shoulder, he supported her weight while he helped her up her feet. Once they stood, Xaviar approached them limping. While the three of them looked at the rear door, there was a loud hammering sound banging against it. The bashing sound suggested that the individuals outside were using large objects to demolish the rear door.
William looked to his left side to face Xavier. His colleague returned the gaze, they nodded implying their next move.
From the outside of the aircraft, a squad of Dark Raider soldiers stood in front of the rear ramp door with their plasma cannons poised at it. The door accumulated a pit of dents all around its surface. Even though it was able to resist several plasma beams, it was in a dire state. With smoke emanating from its surface and black marks thoroughly spread all out. And thus, its solid shape was bent in several portions, now resembling a disheveled piece of paper.
They fired more shots at the door until an explosion erupted, demolishing it in the process. Once the smoke withered away, they trudged inside the ship and looked everywhere for their victims. They searched the cabin and found nothing, as well as the cockpit. However, they found the pilots who seemingly appeared to have died. Once they checked their pulses, they realized that they were knocked out cold by the crash.
As they searched around the aircraft, one of them noticed an orifice on the floor. The orifice had scorching read marks circling it.
"They're on the run, let's go after them!" The soldier exclaimed with urgency.
********
The three sprinted down Halloway Road, a spacious thoroughfare that consisted of six lanes that were evenly divided by a painting island.
As they sprinted further, they were stalked by a nearby drone that flew behind them. The machine released two canons from its port and fired numerous plasma beams at them. An outburst of explosions erupted from behind them.
A blast wave repelled them off their feet, sending them flying until they landed on the ground face flat.
Meanwhile, Xavier took out his plasma canon and sat up straight to face the haze of smoke. He poised the dreaded weapon in the direction in which the drone would emerge. While he waited patiently, wrinkles formed above his brows as he gritted his teeth and drew his finger closer to the trigger.
Once the drone emerged from the haze of smoke, he fired a plasma beam at it, initially destroying it.
"Take that, you piece of shit," He remarked.
"Nice shot," William responded.
"Thanks," he replied.
Xaviar crawled up to his feet and so did William, who helped his daughter up as he supported her by placing her arm around his shoulder.
"Let's keep going, there isn't much time left!" Xavier exclaimed.
As they advanced further, a squad of Dark Raiders emerged from the left corner of a nearby junction. They stopped dead in their tracks and turned around, facing the direction they came from. While they did so, another squad of Dark Raiders approached them, they marched leisurely knowing well that they had cornered their prey.
The three were sandwiched by two squads of lethal soldiers from both directions, their front and rear view. There was no escape and it was only a matter of time til the Dark Raiders sealed their fate. They poised their plasma cannons at them.
Willliam swallowed a hard lump as his pupils dilated. Bianca's heart rate increased drastically, the speed it acquired made it seem as though her heart would burst out of her ribcage. Her legs trembled violently while a bead of sweat formed between Xaviar's clenched fists as well as his temples.
"We are fucked," replied Xavier.
Bianca grabbed William's upper arm and tightened her grip around his black leather jacket.
"Daddy? What should we do?"
He looked deep into her eyes, only stuttering uttered from his mouth.