A/N: Sorry about the wait, everyone! But a friend convinced me it would be cool to coincide the posting of this chapter with the premiere of season 2, which NO, I HAVE NOT SEEN YET, SO SHUT UP. Also? Writing a battle-focused chapter is NOT easy. I honestly wish I had R. A. Salvatore's gift for that; the man is a genius. Please R&R! And remember: credit for all OCs used is linked back to their creators on the copy of this chapter that is posted on my dA account!
Chapter 9: Battle On The Dead Plains
None of them had slept well. Few spoke during their cold breakfast. Only Panthro and Lion-O said anything as the others prepared to load back into the tank. But when a strange rumbling across the plains revealed through Panthro's spyglass a generous division of Mumm-Ra's army, everyone burst into shouts of alarm.
"Everyone, calm down!" Lion-O ordered, his own heart hammering wildly inside his ribcage. "If we all keep our heads cool, there's a chance we can outrun them."
"How did they even find our trail to begin with?" Jess'ica demanded angrily.
"Well, um…" the Wilytwins began uncertainly, and together they pointed, directing everyone's attention to a set of grooved tracks left in the ground by the Thundertank.
"Fangs!" Panthro swore softly.
"There's nothing we can do about that now," Cheetara said, "We have to move, and fast."
Apparently this was all too much for Tygra, who let out an abrupt snarl and turned to glare at Lion-O. "None of this would have happened if I were in charge!" he spat.
"Now's not the time, Tygra." Lion-O shot back angrily.
"It's as good a time as any! If you keep leading us like this, we'll wind up dead!"
"So then what would you have us do, Mr. Perfect? Turn around and face them now, while we're still at a disadvantage?"
"Tygra," Cheetara piped up, "Lion-O has a point—"
"Oh, so you're siding with him now?" Tygra gave a mirthless laugh.
"That's a surprising change of heart!" Lion-O snorted, his blue eyes going cold as he glared at Cheetara, who flinched back as though struck.
"Don't you talk to her that way!" Tygra snarled, surging toward his brother.
"All of you, stop this at once!" Kuncia's firm voice rose above theirs like a blast of icy wind, and immediately the three froze, turning to stare at her.
"But—" Tygra started to protest.
"You are all behaving like bickering children! Even those lizards are better organized and more level-headed than the three of you are right now." she declared in a tone that brooked no further arguing.
"And this is why I'm still waiting to be impressed by either of you." Razor said coldly to the two princes, ignoring the protests of Cougaress at his side. Nyrris, standing nearby, shot a quick, disappointed glance at Lion-O, who dropped his gaze to his feet, feeling a strange, sinking guilt devouring his insides.
"I say we save this for later!" Panthro said, opening the back of the tank. "Everyone inside! The Gray Marsh is just beyond the borders of the Dead Plains. Perhaps with any luck (and my baby's souped-up engine,) we can just reach the Marsh and get the upper hand!"
Nobody objected, moving quickly, and within a matter of moments, the Thundertank was roaring across the rust-red plains once more.
"It appears they have increased their pace, General."
Slithe stifled a growl as the captain reported the news, clenching his fists angrily. The Thundertank had one major advantage over his army's machines, and that was speed. If the cats had seen them and were increasing their pace again…
"We're never going to catch up to them at this rate!" he hissed in suppressed rage.
"Do you have no faith in me, Slithe?"
The voice turned his blood to ice, and Slithe stiffened, trying not to let his lip quiver as he turned his head to face his master.
"That's not—I mean I…I never said—"
"Perhaps you would like to keep that tongue in your mouth?" Mumm-Ra whispered acidly, red eyes flashing dangerously.
"I'll take it out," Grune piped up suddenly, a manic grin spreading over his face, "We might all do better without it."
Slithe swallowed over the knot in his throat. It was terrifying enough, finding out that Mumm-Ra had pulled the saber-tooth back out of the Astral Plane. But even more frightening was the prospect of meeting those caramel eyes and the truth in them: Grune had gone quite irreversibly and completely insane.
"Later, if Slithe continues to voice his less intelligent opinions," Mumm-Ra said with a low, eerie chuckle, "At the moment, I am afraid there is a more pressing matter at hand."
He brushed past them both, heading toward the front lines, raising a crooked claw for all to see. Wind, strong and battering, pushed its way through the army and gathered around his withered hand, spinning in a sharp ring, crackling with red-violet energy. The lizards around him shied away, ducking away from the violent touch of the wind. For a moment, Slithe could only watch in awe, marveling at the display and knowing it wasn't even scratching the surface of his master's power.
Then Mumm-Ra brought his hand down sharply, clawed fingers opening wide, and the wind shot away from the army, released with a powerful vengeance.
And Grune let out a high, maniacal laugh that only made everyone's blood run colder.
The few conversations occurring within the Thundertank were muted, spoken in quiet murmurs behind raised hands. Kuncia and the twins were in the cockpit with Panthro, leaving the rest to speak amongst themselves. Razor and Cougaress were in the middle of a hushed argument, while Tygra and Cheetara whispered to one another softly, both avoiding looking Lion-O in the eye. Unsurprisingly, Jess'ica sat off in a corner and said nothing, simply watching Snarf and Kewi interact, but Lion-O felt strangely hurt that Nyrris hadn't said a word to him. The ocelot sat a few feet away on the bench, refusing to even turn and acknowledge him.
Finally, he decided to attempt a stab at conversation with her.
"…you think I'm a loudmouthed idiot, don't you?" he murmured, inwardly thankful when his words caused her to look around at him in surprise.
"I never said anything like that." she answered quietly. "Do I think you were acting like a loudmouthed idiot? Well yeah, kind of. But that doesn't make you one."
His cheeks flushed with shame and his eyes found the rose-colored stone in his gauntlet, automatically starting to study its faucets.
"Besides," her breath suddenly tickled his ear in a low whisper, sending a shiver down his spine, "If anyone's a loudmouthed idiot, it's Stripes over there."
He couldn't help himself; he burst into laughter with her, settling down only when he noticed the others giving them odd looks. He gave one last small chuckle, rubbing his ear, and turned to grin at Nyrris.
"Thanks."
"I told you, we're friends. It's one of the perks of friendship: we support one another." she said with a shrug, though she wasn't able to keep from grinning back. For a moment Lion-O felt buoyed…until he noticed Jess'ica glaring at them. His heart sank a little at the sight, and his stomach twisted with anxiety. But he didn't have long to dwell on it; the next moment, the Thundertank spun.
Everyone inside was flung back and forth, slamming into the walls and each other, yelling in shock and fear as the tank began to skid and tilt on its side. Then, just as quickly, it righted, crashing against the ground in an abrupt halt that bounced them all.
"Everyone okay?" Tygra asked.
"The others!" Lion-O gasped, scrambling to get to the cockpit. The hatch opened and the twins poked their heads into view, eyes wide with fear.
"They're okay, Panthro!" Kit yelled, her voice strangely muffled.
"What's going on?" Lion-O shouted, climbing up the hatch and looking around wildly at Panthro. But at once he already had a very good hunch; a loud, violent wind had picked up, howling above voice level, and when he looked off to the right, there was a strange distortion in his vision.
"WIND!" Panthro yelled, "An entire blasted WALL OF WIND! It slammed right into us!"
"Can't we go around it?" the prince cried desperately.
"I don't think so!" said Kuncia, shakily getting to her feet, "There are traces of a magical signature in this wind, one unlike anything I've ever seen before!"
Lion-O bared his teeth, hissing in frustration. Apparently their strategic withdrawal had come to an end.
"Turn the tank around!" he shouted above the wind.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Panthro shrieked.
"We don't have a choice! We just have to get ready!"
It didn't take them long to assemble; Panthro brought the tank to a halt a good distance from the wall of wind, and within moments the tank opened and the cats began to file out, one by one, looks of grim resolve on their faces. The twins remained in the cockpit, ready to fire any of the tank's deadly weapons at a signal from Panthro, and Kuncia and Cougaress remained with them. The former was preparing her spells, both to protect the others and to rain havoc upon the lizards, while the latter readied her longbow, crouching on top of the tank to better aim and draw.
"I'm still not comfortable with this." Razor remarked as he stood next to Panthro. The others had quickly formed a line, weapons at the ready, facing down the approaching army.
"I've seen worse odds." Panthro replied, "…I think."
"Really?" Tygra asked, skeptical as ever.
"I think." the veteran repeated firmly.
"Okay, military experts," Nyrris murmured, "Answer me one question? Why aren't they firing at us already?"
A brief-lived silence followed her words, then Jess'ica spoke up.
"They're probably trying to trick us into attacking first, so they can fire when we go to move." she declared with a huff. Razor shot her an odd look and Panthro jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
"Somehow, I doubt that's the case." he remarked, indicating the wall of wind.
"Whatever it is," Lion-O said loudly, "Everyone get ready!"
The approaching army only slowed to a halt when there was barely over fifty yards of distance left between their ranks and the small group of cats. Battalion upon battalion of lizards stared them down, milling about in tightly-knit formation around their giant automatons. One familiar lizard stood at their fore, cradling a firearm weapon as he sneered toothily at the cats, and at his side stood—
"Grune?" Panthro spluttered, his face paling as his entire body began to shake, "It…it can't be!"
A wave of uncertainty ran through the ranks of lizards, and the saber-toothed cat next to Slithe addressed them loudly, eliminating any doubts as to his identity.
"Don't be worried, men! This ragtag motley crew may bite, but there's more than one way to skin a cat." Grune shouted to the lizards before erupting into a high, cold laugh that drove ice splinters into everyone's spine. Swallowing over the knot of fear that had lodged in his throat, Lion-O took a step forward.
"Try it, Grune," he yelled, "You might get scratched!"
The saber-tooth glared daggers back, but it was Slithe who raised a hand and let it fall forward sharply. "ATTACK!"
"THUNDERCATS! HOOOO!"
The Sword of Omens erupted in a blinding flash of light, the Eye of Thundera and the spirit stone of the gauntlet crackling with wild energy as Lion-O raced toward the lines of lizards, the other cats at his heels.
Cougaress's arrows found the lizards first, and drove the first flank into a frenzy, screaming at the unexpected attack. Razor directed his fury at those lizards his wife's arrows found, striking quickly, hamstringing and crippling wrists as he went. He was an unstoppable blur of rage, unwilling to hold back against any opponent, fighting with his fists and his feet as often as he did with his sword. Cheetara and Tygra fought in tandem as well; he would shift in and out of visibility, luring unsuspecting lizards into the path of Cheetara's staff, allowing her to activate its latent power, ensnaring their foes in a cage of roots.
Jess'ica stayed near no one, simply cutting through rank after rank of the lizards, snarling and roaring as her sword glinted in the dim light, an eerie, almost tangible darkness lingering at the edges of her form. Several of the lizards began to edge away from her after a time, realizing she couldn't be held for long, driven by a stubborn will and fighting to make her way toward Slithe. Panthro also fought alone, weaving in and out like a dark whirlwind among the warriors, arms and nunchaku whistling as they spun in the air. On his own he cleared out almost as many lizards as either young couple and Jess'ica combined.
Kuncia stayed with the twins, who hunched down in the cockpit of the tank with Snarf and Kewi, watching the battle unfold, and Cougaress, standing atop the tank next to Kuncia to better aim. The snow leopard had erected a magical nexus surrounding the Thundertank, forming a powerful shield that blasted away any lizards that came too close for her liking. A smaller spell she placed on Cougaress's quivers allowed the younger cat's arrows to find their targets with greater accuracy, without truly emptying the quiver. But her magic wasn't limited to maintaining spells, and soon she simply began casting another spell that manifested ice, her worry for the cubs bolstering her courage.
Lion-O, leading the charge, felt his sword arm working automatically, years of training and instinct finally taking over in a way he'd never felt before. His thoughts returned to Hatanzo the drifter's advice from before, and his motions became more and more fluid with each movement, his thoughts reminding his body to stay flexible, to bend with the wind. The Sword of Omens became an extension of his arm, a glinting, powerful fang, a formidable claw that crackled with energy, knocking back any lizards that came too close. A strange void of calm seemed to engulf his mind, and his thoughts were distant things, floating on the surface of water. He was only vaguely aware of Nyrris at his back, moving in tandem with him as best as she could manage. Her quarterstaff spun and smacked, warding off the enemies that tried to attack Lion-O from behind.
"Regroup!" Lion-O shouted as the lizards kept coming forward. "Regroup!"
But he couldn't see any of the other cats responding to his call. The lizards began to swarm around, and in seconds, he realized they had trapped him. Nyrris swore suddenly, and the two of them backed into each other, tensing as they shifted to defensive posture. The lizards began to close in—
"Lion-O, you're doing it wrong!"
Several of the lizards fell away, tumbling backward as though they'd just been struck. A second later, Tygra shifted into view and landed nimbly at his brother's side, grinning as he cracked his whip a second time. The enemies off to the other side started to heft their weapons when a golden blur smacked into them, lifting them off their feet and flinging them backward several times. The blur dissolved into Cheetara as she bounced backward several feet, regrouping with the other three.
"We have your back." she stated confidently.
"Don't forget about me!" Razor shouted, vaulting himself in a leap above several of the lizards, landing close to Nyrris's side, saluting his wife quickly. There was a sudden roar as Jess'ica cut her way through more lizards and charged toward them.
"And what about me?" she demanded, eyes wild as she grinned.
The lizards began to fall back a few steps, wary concern showing on their faces. Then they started forward again, remembering their training, until—
"Why. Is it. Always. Lizards?"
Panthro, a veritable mountain of annoyance and raw power, plowed through the reptiles with his robotic arms alone, smacking them out of his way as he rejoined the others. And this time, the army really did begin to back away in fear, hissing uncertainly.
"Cowards." Grune's voice cracked across the battlefield as his energy mace began to hum with power. The cats turned in shock as the saber-tooth took aim, undulating, acid-green energy racing toward them…
Only to be met with a frigid blast of magic as spear of ice met the energy in mid-air, the two powers erupting in a small explosion that fell quite short of its mark. The cats turned their heads, looking back to the Thundertank in awe as they heard the Wilytwins shout in glee, finding Kuncia lowering her hands with a grim smile on her features and Cougaress clapping her on the shoulder.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Nyrris crowed, punching the air with a fist.
"Hey Panthro," Tygra said abruptly, drawing the veteran's attention, "Close that mouth, you're drooling."
Before Panthro could completely register his own words being thrown back at him, Tygra laughed and cracked his whip, disappearing once again.
"Boy, you had better be so glad we're on the same side!" Panthro roared, swinging his nunchaku again. As if on cue, Lion-O gave a shout and they all began to charge again, gaining their second wind. From the relative safety of the tank, Cougaress continued to fire, her shots coming quicker now, and Kuncia's ice continued to sweep across the field, forming some sort of frigid armor over the cats.
Grune and Slithe charged into the fray, the latter hiding among his warriors shooting his firearm maliciously, his shots barely missing the cats. Grune, however, gave a wild laugh and sought Panthro out instantly, throwing the massive panther on the defensive as he swung his mace with total abandon.
"Panthro's in trouble!" Razor shouted at once, and before anyone could stop him, he broke away, cutting through more lizards in order to get to the older cat in hopes to turn the tables on Grune.
"Razor!" Cheetara shouted, barely parrying a blow.
"They can handle it for a few seconds!" Lion-O shouted in desperation, "We have to get to Slithe!"
"Allow me," Jess'ica growled, breaking away and disappearing among their foes.
"Wait!" Lion-O shouted, barely managing to parry an overhead swing. He let out a snarl of frustration, throwing his weight forward against the lizard, knocking it flat on its backside.
"Look out!" came a shout from behind him, and he spun in time to see Nyrris bat away another enemy that had come at him. A second glance showed the bruises and cuts the ocelot was steadily acquiring as a tremor going through her body threatened her balance, her knees beginning to buckle. A cold hand of dread closed over the young lion's heart, and he knew somehow, were he to closely inspect his other companions as well, he would no doubt find just as many abrasions on them too. He swung without thinking, rage building inside him at the thought of his friends—his family—harmed, and he sliced down with the Sword of Omens, the magnificent blade arching down throw the air, slashing at two lizards about to attack his ocelot friend.
"Thanks!" she gasped, spinning just in time to smack a few more heads together with her quarterstaff.
"Can't let my only sister take a beating, now can I?" he said with a weak, awkward chuckle, not looking her in the eye, turning to face down more attackers.
The battle raged on, the two of them fighting back to back, Cheetara and Tygra slowly spreading out their small circle of protection, Jess'ica hunting for Slithe, and Razor and Panthro fending off Grune together. But no matter how valiant their efforts, it took only moments for Lion-O to realize they were losing the fight.
"We need to regroup again!" he said loudly. Cheetara and Tygra responded instantly, letting Cougaress and Kuncia shoot down their pursuers from a distance as they rejoined the lion and the ocelot. But hoping that Razor and Panthro could successfully break away from Grune was like hoping to catch a falling star with one's bare hands; the saber-tooth continued to maintain the offensive, even against both opponents, laughing like a maniac and fighting with no apparent concern for self-preservation.
"We have to help them!" Lion-O growled to the others.
"LION-O!" Jess'ica roared, briefly appearing in the crowd, "THERE'S MO—"
She suddenly vanished among the lizards, several clawed hands muffling her mouth and dragging her down.
"Jess!" Cheetara cried, "What's happening?"
"A simple sedative," a voice nearby chuckled quietly, and the surrounding enemies paused, starting to take steps backward, "Can't have her spoiling the surprise now, can we?"
There were two figures darting among the ranks of lizards, appearing only as brief flashes of stark white and burnt orange fur, moving quickly.
"You're not the only one with new friends, cat!" Slithe hissed somewhere among the milling horde.
"New allies?" Tygra murmured.
"I don't know for sure," Lion-O murmured back before hefting the Sword of Omens high above his head. "I don't care how many 'new friends' you make, Slithe! Thundercats never retreat!"
"Then that," a cold, rasping voice washed over the battlefield, drowning out all other sound, "Will be your own undoing!"
As one, the cats turned, drawn by the sound of that cruel voice, and found Mumm-Ra, staying close to one of the huge robotic machines. His red eyes glinted even from a distance, and he raised a clawed hand. Red-violet energy spiraled from his fingertips, and Lion-O instinctively raised his gauntlet, preparing to deflect Mumm-Ra's power with the rose-colored spirit stone.
Except Mumm-Ra wasn't aiming for Lion-O and his band.
He was aiming for the Thundertank.
The high screams of Kuncia, Cougaress and the twins stopped the other cats cold.
"COUGARESS!" Razor roared, and his moment of distraction cost him dearly as the lizards pounced, dragging him to the ground.
"KUNCIA!" Panthro yelled, taking a sharp blow to the head from Grune, falling to the ground unconscious.
"NO!" Lion-O cried as the lizards swarmed them anew.
The last thing any of them heard was Mumm-Ra's wild, triumphant laugh.
Then the world went black.