Hey, First off I'm so sorry I haven't updated this in almost a week; I have been very ill and had to starve myself, so I really wasn't in the mood to be very creative. That is sort of why this chapter sucks, still recovering. XD
Chapter 4:
The hour was upon the world, if the human race could rise to the challenge and bring down their judgement upon the aliens, then they would emerge more powerful than ever before. If they could not however humanity would become nothing but ash, thrown into the winds of time, by the hand of fate. This was the hour that defined the world.
Stan's P.O.V:
The jeep flew over a jagged pile of shattered concrete, its wheels spinning madly in the air. It landed with a loud thump on the other side thankfully it remained the right way up.
"And that is how you get air in a Jeep." Kenny shouted happily, as he slapped his hands against the steering wheel.
"Great." Stan said his voice one of relief, he quickly felt around his body, and breathed out. He still had all his limbs. He turned around to look at Bebe, she started back at him, her eyes wide, her hand was quivering, as it grasped the roof Handel of the jeep, she slowly nodded to him.
"Ok let's roll." Kenny said grabbing his rifle from the backseat and kicking open the driver's side door. Stan and Bebe followed, they quickly swept their rifle sights over the crumbling buildings and burnt out cars that surrounded them. Satisfied they followed Kenny as he climbed over the pile of rubble that they had just so elegantly flown over. As they clambered over what once must have been a bus stop, they were able to get a good view of the rest of their attack force. Stan saw his squad swiftly leaving their jeeps, just has be and Bebe had done they swept the area around them with their rifles, if they were scared they were certainly very good at hiding it, Stan thought has he carefully climbed down the side of the pile of rubble.
"Sir Truck can't come any further down, neither can the tanks" Stan looked up to see Clyde standing at the bottom of the pile of rubble, a huge machine gun resting on his shoulder.
"Isn't that heavy?" Stan asked slightly out of breath nodding towards Clyde's weapon.
"Erm sir my hand is made of metal, so not really." Clyde said, as Stan and Bebe, jumped down in front of him.
"Oh yeah. Any way get the tanks to defend the laser, tell the crew to get set up as fast as possible, get everyone else to form up over here, we're gonna sweep the area." Stan said pointing towards the mass of destroyed buildings behind him. Stan was impressed by the amount of confidence his voice held. So was Bebe apparently as she gave him an approving nod.
"You got it" Clyde said, lowering his weapon from his shoulder and holding it in both his arms. With that he jogged back the way he had came shouting at people and pointing wildly in different direction, with his weapon free right hand.
"You think we can get the laser up in time?" Bebe asked her tone worried, Stan turned to see her dusting off a concrete slab, as Stan ponder her question, she sat down and slowly and started to kick the dust at her feet.
"Always the optimist Bebe." Stan said his voice almost a whisper, Stan then gestured for Bebe to move to the side of the concrete slab, with that he sat down next to her; Stan genteelly placed his rifle on the ground at his feet, and stared forward. He could hear the distant sound of gun fire and shouting, in front of him his squad rushed from jeep to jeep carrying weapons, tools and gesturing for others to follow them, at the back of this scene was a large flatbed green truck, on this truck stood glistening magnificently in the rising sun the laser it's long silver barrel pointing randomly into the air, from this distance Stan could see people clambering over it attempting to aim it at a tiny spot on the comet that hung in the sky not far above them. As Stan and Bebe drank in this scene, Kenny followed by about 15 people came jogging up to them, leaving a small dust storm behind them, Stan sighed and stood up Bebe remained seated her eyes fixed on the ground.
"Sir Laser will be ready in 8 minutes" Kenny said proudly, as he beckoned with his weapon free hand for the people behind him to come closer. "What we doing now?" he said his eyes locked onto Stan, Stan also saw Bebe raise her eyes from the ground to look at him.
"We have to secure the area round the laser. Erm Kenny, Bebe you're with me. Token you take these three and secure that area over there" he pointed off towards the right; token nodded and raised his rifle, and started moving in the direction Stan had pointed 3 others took the same stance as him and followed. "Ok Craig" Craig looked up as he clasped both his hands around his sniper rifle, Stan took this to mean he was ready, his eyes stared vacantly at Stan, as if he didn't really see him, Stan reminded himself that those eyes could kill a man a mile away. "You take someone and go find a good spot" Stan said not breaking eye contact with Craig, he nodded. Beckoned a nearby soldier to follow him and jogged off. "Ok and the rest of you stay here this is our fallback point. They nodded, Stan could tell they would much rather go and explore the city but he was glad they didn't complain. He started walking, away from them down what had once been a main road but was now a jumble of rubble and cracked concrete. He heard two pairs of feet follow him.
"You want to slow down there cowboy!" he heard Kenny shout, Stan could almost imagine the jolly grin stretching across his face as he said this. Seconds later Kenny appeared at his right hand side and Bebe at his left.
"Ok let's do this thing" Kenny said trying to catch Stan's eye, he gave up and then reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small radio. "Hey Craig you covering us yet." Kenny asked as he held the radio to his ear. Seconds past of Stan and Bebe just walking forwards scanning ahead with their rifles, while Kenny stupidly shook the radio, and muttered various curse words. Then a bust of static. And silence. Kenny angrily stuffed the radio back into his pocket, and returned both his hands to his rifle. "Son of bitch just told me to piss off."
"I thought he wasn't answering." Bebe said her voice remaining icy cool, as she lowered her rifle and glanced at Kenny.
"Well he wasn't but..."Kenny was cut off before he could finish his recollection, by a buzzing from his pocket. Curiously all three stopped as Kenny reached into his pocket and pulled out the radio he had so angrily placed in there. A look of triumph on his face.
"Yes Craig." Kenny said smugly into the radio. This was shortly followed by another burst of static. Stan watched feverously as the smugness drained from Kenny's face. Kenny slowly placed the radio back in his pocket; his face wore a concerned expression. "Craig has spotted movement in our sector" he said his voice and face both showing an expression of deadly seriousness. Within seconds Bebe and Stan had raised their rifles and started sweeping the air with them, grim looks on their faces. Kenny joined them, after a minute of silence Bebe spoke up.
"Is Craig sure", her voice was filled with concentration, not once did her eyes leave her rifle sight. Kenny slowly raised the radio back to his mouth. Before he could use it however. Gunshots rang out though the destroyed city.
"Get to cover!" Stan shouted, his voice now showing signs of panic. Stan rolled. Behind a burned out car. Bebe and Kenny quickly followed suit, leaving only a ghostly Dust cloud where they had been.
"All squads check in, who fired that shot?" Kenny shouted into the radio, his hair now coated in dust and ash, as he lay belly down behind a metal bench.
"who ever it was their high up!" Bebe shouted from behind a pile of concrete. Her eyes still glued to her rifle sight.
"Craig, you fire a shot?" Kenny all most screamed this into the radio; his voice was a mix of anger and fear. Almost instantly the radio cracked with static again, Stan heard a faint voice shout back at Kenny.
"Not Craig, so that leaves three options. Number one we have an unmarked human squad with us in this city. Number 2, the aliens have swapped their plasma weapons for bullets. Or we have an armed human survivor group in the city." As Kenny said this he drew crude pictures of each scenario in the dust in front of him. When he finished he looked up expectantly at Stan.
"Number 3 sounds most likely." Stan shouted back. As he pointed his finger towards the third drawing Kenny had made.
"Yeah, how are we supposed to make contact though?" Bebe asked as she crouch ran towards Stan, trying to keep her body behind cover.
"We let them know where we are" Stan whispered back, his voice was one of realisation and a hint of uneasiness. As he said this, he slowly stood up and pulled a red cylinder from one of his pockets.
Wendy's P.O.V:
These people have no idea! Wendy thought as she slowly shifted her rifle, tracking another blue blur as it zig zaged between spires of cracked concrete. She braced herself, quickly breathed in, the second before she squeezed her finger she heard her heart thump in her head. Then, BANG! Her rifle fired. She breathed out with relief as a high pitched scream was carried to her on the dusty wind. She quickly brushed her forehead with the sleeve of her coat. Despite the cold Wendy's face was covered in sweat, her hair had fallen into her eyes she quickly brushed that away to before she again returned to the miniature world inside her rifle scope. Then she saw it A bright red light burst into life on the dusty ground below her, it waved from side to side red sparks that followed it were quickly blown into the wind. Wendy instantly spun her rifle scope to its source, her face filled with terror, was this some new alien weapon?
As she peered though the scope her fears were shattered. For the red light emitted from a small red cylinder clutched in the hand of a tall black haired man, he waved it about randomly, a scared look on his face, his blue eyes darting from destroyed building to destroyed building. Wait, Wendy felt something when she looked in those blue eyes, a familiar feeling, she knew them, she knew that hair, and she knew it parted on the right, she knew that face. Wendy gasped, then like lightning she thrust her hand into her pocket and pulled out a creased photo of three people sitting on a bench. Wendy quickly looked from photo to scope, a slow look of realisation dawning on her face.
"Stan?" she lowered her scarf as she spoke revelling her mouth hanging open in surprise. Stan's name almost felt alien to say after so many years apart. But was he really here? Had he come looking for her? As happiness started to creep into Wendy for the first time in years, it was suddenly torn away, by a blue dash that streaked straight towards the red light and Stan. Wendy aimed her rifle and fired, her motive was now not just to protect an unknown human life, but to save the one she loved. CLICK, empty! Wendy gaped at her rifle a look of horror on her face, a familiar cold feeling creeping into her mind. That alien was gonna kill Stan!
"Shit!" Wendy shouted. As she threw down her rifle and sprinted towards the door, like a Jaguar she leaped down flights of stairs not caring about hurting herself, she cleared the stairs in a blur a of broken tiles and mouldy wooden doors. Before she knew it she was running towards a door that would bring her, out onto the dusty streets, she prayed she would be in time.
Stan's P.O.V:
"Nothing. Properly ran away soon as they saw us. " Stan said disappointment was stagnant in his voice. As he angrily threw the flare about into a pile of rubble a few feet away.
"Sucks." Said Bebe as she stood up and started to brush herself off, small dust clouds falling away from her. Kenny also stood and aggressively ruffled his hair.
"We tried let's just get the laser set up." He said in a defeated voice as he and Bebe started to slowly walk back the way they came. Stan stood where he was for a moment, staring into the slowly dying red smoke. He had been so sure that that survivor had been Wendy, surely they saw him, what if it was and she didn't remember him? Stan sighed and slowly started to turn around. Then suddenly lots of things happened at once, Stan heard a door break it rusty hinges, a loud screech, and someone called his name in a shrill voice, that he knew well, he had hoped to hear it every day. He turned, towards the sound of his name, there standing in the middle of the road dust blowing around her feet, stood Wendy Testuarburger. She wore a black coat, a red scarf hung around her neck, and her black hair fell around her face like the branches of a tree. Why did she look so shocked though? and why was she lower down? It was then that Stan felt numbness in his chest, he slowly turned his head forwards. To see a dark blue round face, in front of his, from under an overhang of spikes, Stan could see 6 yellow eyes staring back, with a look of triumph in them? Stan slowly looked down and shakily raised a hand to the numbness in his chest, as Stan looked down he realised to his horror that two huge red spike extended out of the aliens arms, and into, his chest. It was then that the numbness turned to excruciating pain, Stan let out a surprised sort of croak. It was then that he heard a high pitched cry that could have only have been Bebes from behind him. Suddenly Stan felt very tired, he heard a machine gun, and then a screech, and he felt himself hit the ground.
Wendy's P.O.V:
She hadn't been fast enough. She had burst out to see Stan be skewered by the alien, she had heard a scream, and a burst of machine gun fire, then the alien had fallen and dropped Stan from it grasp. Stan Marsh now lay on the dusty ground in a pool of crimson, coughing. Wendy rushed towards him; she vaguely registered two other people both with dusty blond hair race towards Stan to. One held a smoking gun, but Wendy had tunnel vision only for Stan. She threw herself to his side and clasped his bloody hand in her gloved one, hot tears had started to form in her eyes.
"W-Wendy?" Stan murmured his eyes shakily gazed into hers, his voice filled with pain. All Wendy could do was start to sob, her tears cutting clean though the years of dirt, he shakily reached out his hand to her face, touching first her hair and then her cheek, he slowly smiled, showing blood stained teeth, Wendy was vaguely aware of the two others slowly come to a halt on the other side of Stan, she saw one of them lean into the other. Shakily Stan reached with his other hand into his pocket and pulled out a creased blood stained photo of a black hair girl with hair resembling black velvet, wearing a light pink Bert.
"I, I'm sorry I didn't" Before Stan could finish he stopped his eyes now clawing into Wendy's, fear entering his gaze, as his eyes grew wide, he sucked in one last pained breath, and his hand fell from Wendy's. Stan Marsh lay dead on the dusty road. For a moment, Wendy just stared into those eyes that now so blankly looked towards the sky, devoid of life. Then she felt the tears begin to stream freely down her face. Then like someone had opened a floodgate, pain and sadness hit her. All these years of waiting, hoping and now this. Wendy thought; she was vaguely aware of someone grab her round the waist and pull her away, as she left she saw, a boy with messy blond hair knee over Stan, he gently closed Stan eyes, and then he slowly moved his hand to Stan's neck and shakily pull something metal off of it. He then touched his hands to his eyes, stood up and left.
Kenny's P.O.V:
Bebe slowly dragged Wendy away, as Kenny took Stan's dog tags he heard her begin to cry. Kenny had to fight back the tears as well he put his hand to his face and closed his eyes, and thought. Come on keep it together, solemnly he opened them and without looking at his former friend walked away, sadness beginning to bite into him.
He quietly followed the footprints left by Bebe, his eyes on the floor, slowly turning Stan's tags over in his clenched fist. He heard footsteps stop in front of him
"Corporal McCormick, what's happened?" he heard some distant voice say, without looking up Kenny slowly extended his right hand, and opened his palm, to revel a metal tag with the words "Sgt Stanley Marsh" etched into them.
"Oh shit" he heard someone say in a shocked voice.
"Where's the body?" he heard another say in what Kenny guessed was a gentle voice. But did nothing to ease the pain. Kenny pointed back the way he had come. He heard the sound of people running and felt them past him. Kenny looked back to see four people running towards Stan. Kenny solemnly continued walking past the stationery jeeps and soldiers, no one stopped to ask him anything, Kenny was glad he didn't think his voice worked any more. He reached the laser truck, he saw people clambering over the laser adjusting its aim, slightly and the base of the truck he saw two people slumped down one had her head buried in her hands only her black hair was visible, next to Wendy sat Bebe one arm round her friend trying to consul her, Bebe just stared blankly ahead. Kenny slumped down next to Bebe, not saying anything, he felt her hand touch his, he grasped it in his, she leaned her head against his shoulder, and he heard her start to slowly sob. They sat like this for a few minutes though it felt like years. Kenny eventually became aware of someone walking up to him. He looked up to see Clyde awkwardly standing in front of him, his eyes on the ground.
"We got his body, Kenny we need you to take charge." Clyde said slowly, his eyes fixed on his boots, he had tried to keep his voice reassuring, but Kenny should sense, he wanted to know what had happened.
"OK." Kenny said trying to keep his voice natural. As he stood up. Bebe raised her head from his shoulders her eyes puffy. "Bebe look after her" Kenny said his voice soft, as he gestured towards Wendy. Bebe nodded. With that Kenny got turned away and followed Clyde, he was dimly aware that he still had Stan's dog tags clutched in his sweaty palm, he gently placed it in his breast pocket.
"Laser is ready we just gotta, run final checks, other squads say everything is clear. We're gonna fire in...4 minutes." Clyde said as tapped a small electronic tablet he clasped in his metal hand. Kenny walked up beside him and grabbed the tablet, from him. He quickly glanced at it and handed it back
"I want us ready in 2 minutes" he said bluntly, his eyes locked with Clyde's.
"Yes sir" Clyde said as he aimlessly held the tablet, out towards Kenny.
"Well go!" Kenny said, in a frustrated voice, he instantly felt bad as he watched Clyde jog off. But he didn't have time for that now, he pulled out a radio from his pocket, he turned a dial shook the radio then spoke into it.
"Breaker lead this is Breaker 2, CO is KIA, request orders, over." Kenny sighed, he knew Breaker lead wasn't gonna like this. Then a burst of static and a familiar voice blasted though the radio.
"Kenny, you mean Stan's dead?" Kyle's voice was surprisingly controlled.
"Affirmative Breaker lead." Kenny said back; sighing as he finished, why did he have to be so formal about this. A short silence followed then the Static buzzed back.
"Ok Kenny you take command, fire that laser." Then the radio went dead, Kyle's had started to break towards the end, Kenny closed his eyes and breathed in, and slowly turned around and started walking back the way he had come.
Bebe's P.O.V:
Bebe lightly dabbed with at Wendy's face with a white sheet of lemony smelling fabric, Wendy looked up into Bebe eyes, Bebe saw that Wendy's eyes were red and bloodshot, and filled with sadness, Bebe managed a weak smile, she saw Wendy's eyes fall, tears starting to build at their corners. God I hate this shit, Bebe thought as she cleaned Wendy's check.
"It was my fault." Bebe heard Wendy quietly sob, as she hung her head to look at the ground.
"No its not." Bebe said, brushing Wendy's hair back behind her ears. Wendy remained looking at the floor, as if she hadn't heard her. It was then that a powerful emotion rose up inside Bebe she didn't know if it was anger or sadness, but before she knew it she was standing on her feet, Wendy was staring blankly up at her with puffy eyes. " Wendy listen to me, it's not your fault, it not my fault its not Stan's fault, It is theirs" she said point at the glowing blue rock above them, her face and voice now full of hatred for the invaders. "Now stop being upset and be, Wendy Testuarburger!" she finished in the same voice her eyes now firmly fixed on Wendy. The same look of determination and anger slowly spread across Wendy's face, as she stood up and pulled a worn pink Bert from her coat, which she placed on her head, as she did.
"I am Wendy Testuarburger." She smiled, so did Bebe.
Kenny's P.O.V:
"I need to know if it's ready!" Kenny almost shouted up at Clyde, as he stood next to the large green truck, watching Clyde and the other hurriedly adjust the laser.
"Well yes, just need to" Clyde as he pulled heavy leavers on the side of the leavers, his eyes locked onto a small screen, his voice peaking with frustration." Ok we're good, ok firing in... Shit 30 seconds, everybody ready?" Clyde shouted. Everyone shouted back, as they jumped down from the laser, backing away wiping sweat from their brows.
"Ok get ready!" Kenny shouted, he clutched at Stan's dog tag harder in his right hand.
"Ok countdown started. 5, 4,3," the tension around the laser could almost be heard Kenny remembered the last time he had felt like this, and gulped, at the irony."2,1!" the end of the laser erupted with brilliant red light, which seemed to suck in the space around it, then suddenly the light erupted forwards, it raced towards the comet, casting a dazzling red light over the city beneath it, Kenny was dimly aware of Wendy and Bebe walk up and stand to his right. Kenny however was to awed by the laser as it struck the ominous blue comet, rock fragments broke off and fell to the ground below, glowing slightly, suddenly more beams of dazzling red energy joined the first all hitting the same spot sending a shower of burning rock fragment to the earth. Kenny heard some people around him ohh and arhh, suddenly he felt a hand touch his clenched right fist he looked to his right to see Bebe her eyes still fixed on the spectacle, Wendy stood beside her wearing her pink beret, also watching the comet burn, both relief and sadness played across her face, Kenny smiled and grasped Bebes hand in his, surely it was over now. Abruptly the laser spluttered and stopped, the other beams soon followed, with his left hand Kenny reached into his pocket and pulled out his radio and whispered into it.
"Breaker lead, did it work?" his voice was hoarse, while he held the radio to his mouth awaiting a response he feverously pulled at his hair with his fingers.
"All breakers, this is phoenix strike force, coming in for low missile strike, brace yourselves!" the radio cracked with the voice of a Texas pilot. Kenny sucked in air and held it in his mouth, as he waited for the sound of flightier jets. Suddenly blue light flew from cylinders jutting out of the comet and streaked, over Kenny's head, in response Kenny heard, and great explosion, and the sound of an aircraft violently breaking the sound barrier. Deathly silence followed Kenny, felt Bebe grasping his hand in a death lock, he turned to her to see her eyes wide and staring disbelievingly into the sky.
"All, Breakers comet is..." A voice cracked over the radio only to be engulfed by static. For a moment Kenny stood there not quite believing what had happened, and then he felt the sudden urge to run. He began to turn, almost in slow motion Kenny saw a stream of red light burst from the comet and hurtle towards them, before Kenny could even scream he was engulfed by it.
Hey, again. I'm sorry about the sad probably not being very good. XD, quick shout out, thank you so much to the people that have reviewed this your amazing, for being able to decipher my writing. It not over yet one more chapter to go, yeah woooooo, god I need to get a life, cheering in an endnote, honestly. Catch you later.