Um. . . I got nothin'.

Chapter 34: Staff of Fire Part I

Misty's POV

In two seconds, half of our team had already been knocked out of action by this titan that was now approaching us with no sign of slowing down. Marlton raced towards Juggernog, buying it, then traveled towards the footprint with the MP40 chalk outline. I had managed to run past Arlington and Austin's incapacitated bodies without being grabbed like Austin had, I guess because he was too enraged to think straight.

By now it was total chaos, Marlton and I were confused beyond imagination. The metallic zombie continued to bear down on me as I hopped down the mud trail. Marlton wasn't in the clear either, as I could hear his gunfire and the shrieks of dying zombies. Gradually, the sound of gunfire died down as Marlton grew more distant and I kept fleeing retreating from the bionic freakshow.

Eventually, there was nowhere to go but down, because the trail led straight into the trench area between Generators 1 and 2. I needed to be in a wide, mudless area to safely dispatch the freakbag. I thought about Generator 2, and decided it would be suitable to destroy it. So, when I made it to the immediate area, I turned with my AK74u and fired the entire clip into the creature's face. It didn't kill it, but enough damage must have been done to blow a hole into the glass part of the helmet, because he stumbled for a second. I turned and ran, simultaneously trying to jam a new clip into the SMG-Assault Rifle hybrid.

By the time I had a new clip fitted in, I had just entered the bunker, the zombie still hot on my tail. I took a chance, firing every shot at its face, praying that enough damage would be done to destroy it. I soon felt its metal claw wrap around my waist, and my gun clicked.

"No!" I screamed, and the metal zombie laughed. I didn't want to give up just yet, and I whipped my knife out, thrusting it through the shattered glass and into the very center of its forehead. He instantly let go of me, and fell back, causing an explosion that did minor damage. At first, I thought I had done it, but soon I saw Marlton behind me, smiling and picking up a dropped Fire staff part.

"I have heard Kagutsuchi, he told me to help you slay the monster of metal. I know everything that you and Austin know." He pocketed his staff part. "Now let's get to the other two and try to get them up and about."

Arlington's POV

The first thing I felt was intense burning all over my face, and I'm talking about pain worse than shocking yourself in Alcatraz. I was laying on frozen ground, that much I knew. I heard no voices, but I was remembering how a giant metal zombie attacked. I tilted my head to the left and gasped. Austin was unconscious and laying next to me. However, I noticed a new ugly scar across his face. It started just above his right eyebrow, and diagonally went around his nose before stopping below his left eye. Along his face were also minor burns, but nothing serious and would probably heal.

"Austin?" I murmured. No response. In a panic, I grabbed his arm and felt carefully. I sighed in relief to discover a faint pulse radiating. I felt extreme burn pain everytime I tried to stand up, so I was forced to just lay there. Finally I heard two pairs of feet approaching, but I couldn't roll my head to if they were the other two, or a pair of hungry zombies.

"Oh my God," Misty gasped. "They both got injured pretty badly."

"I agree," Marlton replied to her. "Austin's got a terrible scar across his face and-" Marlton turned to me and saw I was awake and aware. "Oh, you're awake!"

"What's wrong with me, huh?" I asked, fearing I knew the answer. I still had a hard time getting back up. Misty walked off quickly without saying anything, leaving Marlton with me.

"You're badly burned. I suspect the burns you suffered were third-degree, they probably won't heal. But at least you're still alive, we can't afford another loss," with that, he turned over to Austin and gave me a look of fear.

"Is he-?"

"He has a pulse, I checked, but it's faint."

Misty came back holding two bottles of Juggernog, opening one for herself. She handed the other to me.

"Drink up, it might get you back up on your feet." I quickly gulped the entire bottle. It didn't completely take the pain away, but I was able to stand and walk, so that was a start.

"We need to take his body and put it somewhere safe," I nodded in Austin's direction. We picked up his body and carried it to the nearby underground tunnel, which strangely read "wind". We set his body gently down next to a crafting table that was somehow there. I didn't even bother to question it, we had seen enough crazy shit.

"We'll leave his body here, the zombies don't seem to go after prey until all are down, so he should be fine. What's our next move?" Marlton asked.

"Al will go get Generator 5, he should be fine with his Ray Gun Mark II, I'll come with you to Generator 6."

Everybody scattered shortly thereafter, and I got Generator 5 on without any trouble at all. However, while I was there, I saw something strange in the sky. It was a plane on fire! I shot it with my Mark II, which must have hit it, as it began to spiral out of control and crash near the excavation site. I traveled over to it, and discovered no debris, but just a weird artifact piece. I decided to hold onto it.

I went over to see how Misty and Marlton were doing, arriving at Generator 6 without a problem.

"Just be careful in there, OK Marly?" I overheard.

"I will, er, honeybunch," Marlton replied to Misty, awkwardly but lovingly.

As I walked up the ramp I saw them standing next to the center of the Generator, about to kiss, but I inadvertently cockblocked.

They quickly pulled away and blushed. "Er, I'll just go." Marlton snatched the artifact away from me without hesitation and ran away faster than I'd ever seen him. I turned to Misty, who was staring MAJOR daggers at me.

"Fucker."