The chicken crow died under the roar of engines and the crack of lasers. Mark screamed Attack and his one hundred fifty high tech crew surged forward like a storm of metal and fire. Hover bikes screamed across the dirt kicking up clouds of dust . Lasers sliced bright red lines through the afternoon sky cutting through everything in their path. The town of Ceil answered with everything they had built in that one week. Crates from the stall stood stacked high into thick barricades. Glowing vines woven by Shed crackled with blue energy ready to shock anyone who touched them. Rods knives and rifles filled every hand as one hundred twenty people of Ceil stood ready behind the walls they had built together.
At first the line held strong. Sheriff stood tall on the highest crate his red eye locking on mark crew as he shouted.
"Hold the line "
he roared his voice carrying over the chaos. Vine traps first. Fire on my mark. His metal fist slammed the signal post hard. Blue electricity exploded along the front wall of boxes. The first wave of bikes hit hard. Riders jerked violently in their seats as shocks cooked their armor from the inside out. Three bikes flipped end over end and crashed into the ditch Shed had helped dig. Sharp scrap ripped through tires and legs. Blood sprayed hot across the ground mixing with dirt into a dark mud. One man crawled out his arm snapped at a sick angle bone poking through skin. A townsman ended it quick with a spear thrust straight down.
Shed leaped from rooftop to rooftop his green scales flashing under the two jagged moons that had just begun to rise. He dropped behind the broken line claws out and bone knife flashing. One goon spun too slow. Shed slashed across the throat once then twice into the side. Blood bubbled hot and sticky as the man dropped gurgling his last breath. Shed hissed loud enough for the whole gate to hear. For Ceil. For every weak one they called useless. He spun fast and ripped another rider off his bike the hover engine sputtering as it slammed into a crate sending wood splinters flying.
Saint gripped his metal rod until his knuckles turned white. His heart slammed against his ribs so hard he could feel it in his throat. Lasers hissed past his ear scorching the air with a metallic tang that burned his nose. He thought of what happened if they lost but Then he shoved it down deep. Focus. Fight. Live. This is your home now.
The big merchant who had argued hardest in the hall now swung his heavy rod cracking a helmet with a deep thunk that dented the metal inward. Take that you Director dog he yelled his face red with rage. The old woman from the herb stall stood behind a low wall of boxes hurling jar after jar of glowing paste. They burst on impact blinding three attackers who stumbled forward rubbing their eyes. One walked straight into a vine trap. The shock lit him up like a festival lantern and he screamed once then went still. The teenager who had joked about Independence Day earlier fired his borrowed rifle shots steadier now. One hit a fuel line on a hover bike. The explosion bloomed orange and hot throwing two more riders like rag dolls into the dirt.
But Mark was too overpowered and stacked with high tech armor and guns that cut through everything. His crew pressed harder. Lasers punched clean holes through crates and bodies alike. Ceil people began to drop fast. A woman with a rifle took a chest shot and crumpled without a sound. The teenager got hit in the arm but kept firing through the pain blood soaking his sleeve. More fell as lasers burned through the line. Though the Ceil people held strong with their weapons raised it was not enough.
In a flash the numbers crashed hard. Out of one hundred twenty people in Ceil only seventy six remained standing bloodied and breathing hard their faces covered in sweat and dirt. Out of Marks one hundred fifty crew only ninety remained but they still looked strong their armor barely scratched and their guns still glowing. Mark looked at the remaining Ceil people as they stood strong with their weapons raised defiant even now. He grinned wide and cruel. More of his men pushed forward in a fresh wave. More Ceil defenders dropped. Bodies lay piled in the dirt blood and guts everywhere the smell thick and sickening in the air.
Sheriff and Shed tried to stop Marks expansion. Sheriff charged the center drawing fire like a metal wall. Shed leaped to the flank slashing tires and throats with wild fury. It went badly for both. Mark himself rode straight at Sheriff. He leaped off the bike and beat Sheriff personally. Fists like hammers slammed into metal over and over. Sheriffs red eye flickered wildly. A heavy blow cracked his chest plate wide open. Another dented his leg so deep sparks flew in a shower. Sheriff crashed to the ground hard wires exposed and smoking. He tried to rise but Mark stomped down with a boot that rang against metal like a bell. Sheriff lay there broken and still.
Shed got humbled by a full squad of goons. They surrounded him firing low powered stun shots that numbed his scales and slowed his movements. One grabbed his tail and slammed him hard into a crate. Shed slashed wildly with claws and knife but a boot to the head dropped him beside Sheriff. Both lay hurt breathing ragged their bodies battered and broken.
Saint watched it all happen in slow motion. The bodies. The blood. The friends broken on the ground. His chest tightened until it hurt to breathe. All of this happened because of him. The portal. The running away. The box business that made them targets. The speech that convinced the town to fight. He stepped forward voice cracking but loud enough to cut through the noise. Stop. Everyone stop.
The fighting slowed then stopped. Eyes turned to him from both sides. This is the person you want. Not them. Saint pointed at himself his hands shaking. Take me. Not the town. Not my friends.
Sheriff and Shed looked at Saint defeated. Sheriff lay on the ground after Marks personal beat up his red eye dim and flickering. No Saint he rasped his voice weak and broken.
Mark looked at Saint with a cold smile. You give up yourself he said.
Saint replied yeah just do not hurt them. The director want me not them so pls stop.
Mark looked at Saint and said smart kid. He waved a hand. Handcuffs clicked tight around Saints wrists cold and heavy. Two goons grabbed his arms and started pulling him away toward the hover bikes.
Saint twisted his head back toward Sheriff and Shed one last time.
"It all because of me sheriff if wasnt for me non of this will happen."
Everyone looked shocked. The remaining Ceil people got up slowly from the dirt their weapons still in hand but useless now. The silence was insane. No one spoke. A random person in the back whispered we fought for this.
Sheriff looked around the ruins. Blood. Guts. Broken crates and bodies everywhere the ground soaked dark. Inside his brain something snapped hard. Anger. Bloodlust. Revenge. But he stayed silence his red eye burning with a new fire.
Mark took Saint away fast. They blindfolded him tight with a thick cloth that smelled of oil and smoke. The hover bike rumbled under them as they sped off into the ruins wind whipping past. Saint kept asking them questions the whole ride. Sixty seven questions poured out of him fast and scared his voice shaking. What is the Director really planning. Why does he want me so bad.How long have you worked for the director. Does the Zach Clan know about this attack. What happens when we get there. Are Sheriff and Shed going to be okay. Will Ceil survive without me. Why wear the mask if you work for him. Is the portal still open somewhere. Can I ever go back to Earth. Do you have families waiting. What is Veyra really made of. How old are you guys anyway. Does the lightning girl work with you. Will they kill my friends anyway even now. What about the glowing herbs and vines. How do the hover bikes work. Is who is the Director really why follow him like this . And on and on the words tumbling out in a scared flood.
Most they ignored completely. The goons stayed quiet helmets on riding in silence. But they answered six or seven anyway. One grunted yeah the Director wants you alive kid no doubt about that. Another said the mask is so no one knows his face not even us sometimes. A third answered the Zach Clan is already moving in on Ceil right now. The last one said we reach the forward camp soon. Shut up after that or we make you.
Finally they reached Mark crew base. The bikes slowed to a stop. Metal gates hissed open with a heavy clang. When inside they remove his blindfold and they collect some information like real prison. They scanned his eyes with a glowing device took his name measured his height asked his age and locked him in a cold metal cell with a couple cell mates who looked rough and tired. Saint sat on the hard bench staring at the bars his hands still cuffed. Well never thought I be in jail he whispered to himself the words echoing in the small space.
Meanwhile back in Ceil everyone still feeling dumbfounded because fought for nothing but started to recover and help the injured there. The people of Ceil criticize on sheriff and shed but sheriff and shed do not care they only care about Saint. Voices rose in the ruins as they dragged the hurt to the medic.You outsiders brought this on us one merchant yelled while bandaging a wound. We lost so many for what. Another woman spat on the ground. Should have handed you over from the start. Sheriff and Shed ignored every word. They only cared about Saint. They helped carry the injured anyway their own bodies aching but their eyes hard.
In night Shed was scared and ask sheriff how are they going do to bring back Saint. Sheriff said in deep authority tone
"We bring back Saint dont worry will we plan."