Chapter 14
Riddles
The metal shined in the light of the campfire.
"Long time ago." He answered and laid it down in front of him.
"What? That's all you're gonna tell me?" Amazon said with a sarcastic voice.
"Thought you would have known." Hood answered with a smug voice.
"I mean you usually know everything."
"I might hear allot but I never know it's true." She answered while she ran her hand through her short
purple/blue hair, it reached to her shoulders. She was wearing a green, brown army top and black trousers.
Her blue eyes shone with the light of the campfire.
"Well what did you hear about it?" Hood asked looking at her with a smile. He laid down on his side on his
elbow. Hood was wearing black jeans, a black T-shirt, and a black leather raincoat which reached his ankles.
Amazon crept closer.
"Well I heard from a rogue demon dog that you stole it from a museum during your raiding days." Hood
shook his head. Amazon crept closer again. She was also laying on her side leaning on her elbow.
"Okay, a Nomad told me that before the virus you found it in a cave up in the Blue Mountains." Amazon
said, trying to get the secret out of Hood.
"Getting closer." He answered.
"Well once a Gull told me that you used to live in the mountains with a old Chinese dude called Chi Lang?
And that he gave it to you." Hood looked surprised.
"How did ya know that?" Hood asked with a curious voice.
"As I said, a bird told me." Amazon said. By that time she had crept right next to Hood.
"Sometimes I wonder if you know too much for your own good." His hand was on her cheek.
"The only stuff I don't know is before the virus about you." She said and her hand was on Hood's hip.
"That's why I like you so much." She continued.
"Why?" Hood asked now closer than ever.
"You're so mysterious." She said. Their lips moved closer and kissed.
Shadows moved in the forest. They crept around the camp, while Hood and Amazon were passionately
kissing.
"Ya think they noticed us?" One of them said. It was a girl's voice.
"With the way they're going I don't think they'd notice world war three." A guy's voice said. It was a bit
deeper and rougher.
"Do we do it now or later?" Another guys voice said,
This one sounded younger though.
"Naa, they're having too much fun now. Any way I'd rather watch." The guy with the deeper voice said.
He then felt a thump.
"Oi." He softly said.
"Shut up ya big lug, let's get outta her." The girl voice said.
The shadows then left the forest.
All wet
The campfire had burnt out.
"Hood, where are ya?" She asked herself again. She looked around but couldn't see anything.
Amazon stood up and walked through the forest and found a waterfall which fell into a large lake.
There she saw Hood on his bare feet and in his black jeans standing on a rock at the side of the lake.
He was looking concentrated as he held his sword as a spear aimed at a large trout swimming calmly in the
clear water. Amazon looked at him with her arms crossed.
'Wonder if he's gonna get wet?' She thought to herself. Suddenly Hood threw his sword into the water.
"Ahh shit!" He shouted as he lost balanced and took a deep breath. He changed his moves from wobbling
into a dive and jumped into the water. Hood looked under water and found his sword.
'Yes' He thought as he grabbed the sword and swam back to the surface.
"Yes!" Hood shouted as he held the sword up when he jumped out of the water. On the end of the sword
was the trout.
"Mind if I joined you?" Amazon said.
"Not at all." Hood answered and swam to the side.
"I knew you were a veggie so I got fish instead." Hood said laying his sword with the dead trout on the end
on the side of the lake.
"How did ya know?" Amazon asked.
"I just do." He answered.
Amazon took her top off and her black trousers. She wore a red set of underwear. Amazon took and long
run and then dived into the water.
"Ain't we the naughty type." Hood said and took a deep breath and dove back into the water. Under water
Hood saw Amazon looking at him. He swam up to her and held her by the hips. Amazons hair flew freely
through the water. She put her hands on Hood's shoulders and kissed him. Bubbles floated up past their
lips to the surface. After that they swam back to the surface of the lake.
"Never tried that one before." Amazon said as she swam to the side followed by Hood.
"Try it in a whirlpool, more fun." They both lay in the sun drying themselves and their clothes.
After about an hour they got dressed again and had breakfast. They travelled through the mountains and
forests to the other side of the country. They heard that something big was happening there.
"So what ya thinks going on there?" Amazon asked Hood walking through the forest.
"Probably some tribes at war." He answered. "I thought I'd visit an old friend of mine on the way there."
"Who's that then?"
"We called him Junior."
Friend or Foe?
grew except shrubs and cactuses. As they walked under a cliff three heads popped up.
They looked down on the two travellers.
"Now can we get them?" The young voice said.
"Yep. There's no village for miles." The girl voice.
"Party time." The heavier voice said.
"You never told me. Where did you live before the virus?" Amazon asked curiously.
"That I'll...." Hood was able to finish his sentence, as three figures jumped of the cliff ahead on to the road.
One was a girl, she had long braided purple hair, she had a very mini top on and a pair of red died trousers.
The other was big guy, with green army trousers and a white t-shirt. His hair was blond and really short.
Then there was a kid with long black hair and had baggy trousers and a green t-shirt. They landed on their
feet in the dust of the canyon. The girl stepped forward.
"Impressive entrance." Hood said.
"You're in our domain now." She said.
"Sorry, must have missed the sign." Hood said. He was about to reach for his sword but then the big guy
unfolded his arms. He took a step forward.
"We don't like strangers. Who are you?" He asked.
"I'm Hood. This is my friend Amazon." She held her hand up, saying hi.
"We have no beef with you." Hood said. The little guy then stepped forward.
"Ya in our land now. That's reason enough for a fight." He said.
"Lag, shut up." The girl said.
"Since we're getting to know eachother, who are you?" Hood asked.
"We're the Desert-Rats." The girl said. "That's all you need to know, now turn around."
"Fraid not, we going to the north. Maybe you heard something of what's going on there?" Hood said, he
took out his sword from it's holster on his back.
"Don't matter, don't care." The big guy said. Amazon turned to Hood.
"Let's turn back, and go through the valley." She whispered in his ear.
"No, " He whispered back. "That's three days extra walking."
"Better move, or we'll make ya." The girl said. Her braided hair waved in the wind.
Suddenly on the horizon a flare light up in the sky.
"Orca, the dome." The guy with with baggy trousers stept to the girl.
"Let's forget these guys, and help the others." The big guy said. The girl looked at them and then at
Hood and Amazon.
"Just this time. But next time you won't be so lucky." She said, and she ran off with the two guys.
"Let's follow 'em." Hood said and ran after the desert-rats.
"Why can't we just have a normal day?" Amazon said too herself and then ran with Hood.
Lazarus
distance they saw a large glass dome. It looked formiliar to Hood.
"That's really... really... large." Amazon said.
The dome had to be at least a mile in diameter, maybe even two and about have a quarter of a mile high.
"Can't waste time." Hood said and started climbing down the cliff.
It wasn't long before he and Amazon were at the bottom. The Desert-Rats were far ahead.
Smoke started rising from the glass-dome and another flare light the sky. The sun was shining without
mercy on the dry desert. Hood and Amazon started running again.
After about half an hour they arrived at the dome. They saw through the 5 inch thick glass held up by
white painted steel a jungle of tree's and plants.
"Dam, that is big." Hood said and they started running along the side of the dome. The two travellers
walked round the base of the massive complex. They found a large entrance made of stone and steel, all
painted in white.
"This definitly looks formiliar." Hood said.
"What?" Amazon asked.
"Nevermind, let's get going." And they ran into the complex. When they entered the humidity was extra
ordinary,but the temperature was less than outside. It was a massive man made oasis in the middle of the
desert.
"All we need is a Tarzan and Jane." Hood said. Suddenly the sound of shouting echoed through the man
made jungle.
"There's our Rats, I presume." Hood said and ran with Amazon over the sandy path.
They came to a building painted white. On the top was a guy dressed in grey clothing fighting the big guy
they met earlier.
Suddenly the girl with braided our fell through the bushes.
A guy also in grey clothing jumped from the bushes, from which the girl fell. Hood watched.
"Well, don't just stand there, help us." She said holding the guy in grey away with a metal rod.
"Well...." Hood hesitated.
"Okay." He said and took his sword. Hood stood behind the guy in grey and with the handle of the
sword he hit the guy unconscious. Hood smiled at the girl sarcasticly.
"Hood, over here." Amazon said and pointed too behind the building. There the guy with baggy trousers
and black hair was fighting another guy in grey. Amazon took a couple of steps backwards behind the
grey guy, and then took a run kick at him. The guy fell straight to the ground.
"I could have handle it." The baggy trouser guy said.
Back at the front Hood had found a couple of steps to the roof of the building.
It couldn't have been more the a meter or three high. Hood jumped to the top.
"Need some help?" He asked the big guy.
"Kinda." He answered.
"Double wammi?" Hood asked. The big guy nodded. They stood together and as the guy in grey was
running up to them, they put their fists forward. This instantly knocked the guy out.
Hood and the big guy climbed down the steps too the floor.
"Guys." The girl said and the two guys huddled with her.
"Shoud we let 'em in?" She whispered.
"Guess so, saved our buts." The large guy said.
"Why not?" The guy in baggy trousers said.
"Okay." the girl said and they came out of their huddle.
"So are we gonna get an explanation?" Hood asked putting his sword back on his back.
Tea?
the background from the two guys.
"Oyeah, this is Turmoil," she pointed at the big guy. He nodded.
"and this is Laguna." And pointed at the guy in baggy trousers.
"It's a pleasure too meet you." He said and kissed Amazons hand. She giggled in response. Hoods
response was a snear.
"So what is this place?" Amazon asked holding her hands up.
"This is Lazarus," The girl said "our parents had built a couple of years before the virus." Turmoil stept in.
"They built it trying to change the ecology of the desert." He said.
"First person that Jezus healed." Hood said.
"Yeah, that's why they called it Laz. This building here controls all of the atmosphere." Laguna said
while stepping closer to Amazon.
"My mother was the boss when building this place. Turmoil is my brother. Laguna is my cousin."
"Come, we must go to the center." Turmoil said and lead the way away from atmosphere controlling
building. On the way to the center of the dome, Laguna kept trying to get closer to Amazon.
Realising this she pushed back a branch that was in her way, then letting it spring back, right into Laguna's
face. After that she couldn't stop grinning.
"Here we are." Orca said as they arrived a large dome shaped building which was partly dug in to the
ground. It seemed to be made of metal painted white. There steps leading down to a door in a dug out
hole in the ground.
"By the way, sorry about earlier. We hate having uninvited guests." Orca said to Hood as she opend the
door. In side was a large room with three beds and a seperate room, probaly the bathroom.
In the center of the ceiling was a thick glass panel allowing light to shine in. It was a bit messy in side.
"We weren't expecting anyone." Laguna said quickly hiding some magazines away under a matras.
Opposite the beds was a couch. Hood and Amazon sat down. Orca sat down on here bed and Turmoil
on his. Laguna sat down next to Amazon, but then Orca gave Laguna a look which would have cooled
a moose at mating session.
"Who were the grey guys?" Amazon asked curiously.
"We don't know for sure, but we heard they're called the Wolves." Orca said. Hoods eye suddenly went
wide open.
"The Wolves?" He asked.
"Why you heard of them?" Turmoil asked.
"Uumm... nevermind." Hood said. He rememberd the dream he had just before he left the Mall-Rats.
A pack of wolves was circling him while he was talking to a duplicate of himself.
"So why are you two travelling to the north?" Orca asked.
"We heard something big is happening." Hood said with a distracted voice.
"Where you guys from anyway?" Laguna asked. He was laying down on his bed throwing a baseball
in the air and catching it.
"We're from the city down in the south." Amazon said.
"Does anyone else live here?" Amazon asked with a curious voice. She was nearly sitting on Hood's lap.
"There used to be more of us here. It was fantastic." Orca said.
"There were about fifteen of us here. We had water and food." Turmoil stood up and walked to
what appeared to be the kitchen.
"Then the wolves came." He said while making a pot of tea. Laguna sat up on his bed. On the wall
behind him was a poster of Lara Croft with just a towel on.
"They came to get rid of us. So that they could have the Lazarus." Laguna said looking at the ground.
"Now there's only us, and we can't hold the out for much longer." Orca continued. There was a pause.
"Hood we should help them." Amazon whispered in his ear.
"Okay. I got an idea that this is where we're supposed to be anyway." Hood answered. He stood up.
"If it will help, we'll stay." Hood said.
"We can't let ya do that. This isn't your fight." Orca replied.
"Doesn't matter, we've got time enough to get to the north." Amazon said. Laguna had a smile that
covered his entire face.
"I don't mind." He said.
Turmoil came forward with a pot of tea.
"Fine by me. It's your call sis." He said.
"Alright, but I ain't responsible for what these to guys might do to you." Orca said pointing at her family.
"Heey, I'm standin here." Laguna said.
"Anyway, tea?" Turmoil asked holding up a pot of tea. They all agreed to have a cupper while they
were talking about where Hood and Amazon came from and talking about the Lazarus.
The day continues
They were walking to the north of the dome, to get some apples from the gardens.
"Up in the north. The Lazarus is the largest supply of pure water in the entire quadrant." She replied.
"Lazarus isn't just a normal oasis dome." She continued as they walked.
"The technology it has is extra ordinairy though."
"What ya mean?"
"The glass for example is 5 inches thick, but if a frame is broken it uses nanotech devices to repair itself."
"Never thought they finished that." Hood said looking surprised.
"If there are intruders, Laz, sends out destress flares."
"So that's how you knew they were here." Orca smiled.
They arrived at the garden patch. There were trees with bananas, apples, pears. On the ground were
different plants, strawberriess, potatoes, carrots, and more.
"Help me with this ladder could ya Hood?" Orca said struggling with a large ladder.
"Don't bother." He replied, Orca looked puzzled. Hood took out his sword and walked backwards.
He went running against the tree, and the went vertical. Hood then jumped of twirling with his sword
chopping some apples of the branches.
"Wow." Orca said. She was totally gobsmacked.
"Where did ya learn that?" She asked while picking up te apples.
"I pick things up as I travel. A bit of this and a bit of that." Hood answered.
"Ya know, Amazon is really lucky." Orca said picking up the last apple.
"Why's that?" Hood asked. Orca put the apples in a bag. She then walked up to Hood.
"She's got you." She said and walked closer to him.
"Umm... yeah, might be right." Hood said nervousely.
"By the way, we saw you before you entered the canyon." Orca said as she turned around aiming for the
sand path back to the center.
"When was that then?" Hood asked turning too her.
"When you were just outside the waterfall, in the night, at the campfire." Orca said. her voice changed to a
different tone.
"How muh did you see?" Hood asked.
"Let's just say that there was alotta action." Orca said and then started walking back to the center.
"Oh boy, Maz ain't gonna like that." Hood said too himself and then walk behind Orca.
She sat back down on the couch.
"We help keep the plants, there are animals in the west part of the dome." Turmoil said. He was sitting
on the bottom of the bunk bed. Obviously he slept on the bottom and Laguna on the top.
Laguna was already laying there, bouncing a tennisball of the wall.
"I mainly take care of the atmosphere control." He said.
"For the rest, he just eats and takes up space." Turmoil added. Laguna then threw the tennisball at him
which bounched right back in to his hands.
"Maybe you want to live too tomorrow, when you can repair that dam system." Turmoil said, his voice
getting deeper and more threatening. Laguna suddenly stopt bouncing the ball.
"What's wrong then?" Amazon asked.
"For some reason the perimeter scanners have gone off-line." Laguna said.
Hood and Orca entered the room.
"Apples been plucked." Orca said.
"What time is it?" Hood asked sitting down next to Amazon.
"Time we got to bed." She said. Orca opened a door in the wall.
"There are leftover rooms underground. Hope ya don't mind." She said.
"Don't worry, I'm used to darkness." Hood said guiding Amazon in to the rooms.
"Thanks again." Amazon said
"No worries." Turmoil said.
Hood lighted a couple of candles, although there was some neonlights in the rooms. They were large.
Abit grey, there were about twenty beds.
"Not the Hilton, but it'll do." Hood said and put his coat and sword on a table.
"I don't care where we sleep, as long as I sleep with you." Amazon said. She looked diviously at Hood.
He took of his t-shirt and blew out the candles. It was all dark and all that could be heard was some
giggling.
"Night, guys." Orca said as she blew out the candles in the main chamber.
"Night, Boss." Laguna and Turmoil replied in cona.
There was still some moonlight shining in from the glass window in the ceiling.
The past remembered
Turmoil handed him the wrench.
They were repairing the atmosphere controlle system.
"Aah, dam." He suddenly said.
"What now?" Turmoil asked.
Laguna rolled from under the machine, showing his oil covered face.
"Nevermind." Turmoil added quickly, trying not to laugh.
"Hand me that towel." He asked. Laguna tried to get most of the oil off. Orca walked in to the building.
"Where's Hood?" She asked putting her hands on her hips. "Don't ask us, we've been here all moring."
Turmoil said.
"Nevermind." Orca said as she saw Amazon walking past the door. She walked out to her.
"Amazon, where's Hood?" She nearly demanded.
"Don't know," Amazon replied. "he usually takes off in the morning, but is always back by lunch."
"Where are you of to then?" Orca said. "I saw the duty roster and thought I'd help. Turmoil's busy with
Laguna, so I'll feed the animals for him." She answered.
"You sure Hood's okay?" Orca asked.
"Don't worry, he's probably just getting some fresh air." Amazon replied and then walked off to the west
of the dome.
He was laying on the ridge of a cliff behind some shrubs. Hood was miles away from the dome.
"Not bad defence." He said too himself. What he saw was the wolves' base. It was a large compound
set at the foot of a mountain. There was a large windmill, probably for power, a large cement base, where
two wolves were playing basketball.
"He shoot's he scores." Hood said too himself again. There were three large grey tents set up at the
foot of the moutain, as if they were entrances into the mountain. A couple of wolves were sitting down
at a large metal table.
Hood extended his binoculars. It seemed as if the wolves were making bombs.
They were emptying fireworks of their powder and putting them in to tennisballs.
"Your serve." Hood said. He then saw a couple of wolves coming out of the tents.
Upon looking at one of them, Hood's mouth dropped.
"Mad Mike." He whispered.
He was a black guy with short curly hair.
On his head there was a streak of red. Mad Mike was wearing the grey Wolves uniform.
"Here's a surprise, I never imagend." Hood crawled from behind the rocks which he was hidding behind.
He started walking back over the desert to the Lazarus. As he walked he took out a water flask and
drunk from it.
"What I would do, for a decent can o' Pepsi." He said too himself after putting the flask of water back
in his coat.
of the dome. He looked like he was praying with his hands together.
"Not really, I just try to keep the gods in reasonable moods." turmoil answered.
"Gods?" she responded.
"Greek gods, make more sense than the christian." He stood up and walked to Amazon.
"How long have ya known Hood?" He asked.
"Since high school I guess." She sat down on a log.
Turmoil saw this was going to be a long story.
"Actually I really shouldn't be telling you this. Hood doesn't want to talk about his past." Amazon stood up
again and walked away.
Hood opend the door to the Dome center where they slept the other night.
"Hey there." Orca said as she sipt some tea.
"Is it me, or does every one in this world drink tea?" Hood asked as he sat down on a bed.
"Herbs are better than caffiene." Orca replied. She was sitting on the couch with her feet on the table.
"By the way, I found the Wolves. There planning for an attack, but not for two days." Hood said.
"Thanks for telling me sooner." Orca said sarcasticly.
"Don't worry, I know the leader, I know his tactics. I'll talk too him tomorrow." Hood said, Orca relaxed.
"Where did you live before the virus?" Hood asked.
"Here, our family was a crucial part of the Lazarus, project. Didn't have time for a normal life. Always
helping here. What about you?" Orca looked at Hood.
"That's a chapter in my life, that's best untold." He said as he stood up. Hood walked off out of the living
quarters and walked into the jungle of the Lazarus.
he saw the sun shining brightly through the glass dome.
He was thinking of the past, eventhough he didn't like thinking of it.
Before the virus, things were very different.
Hood didn't have a real home. He used to travel with his father occasionaly. They travelled all over Europe.
When he was twelve his parents seperated and Hood moved to England with his mother.
There he lived at the beach, and helped take care of his grandmother. Even though he lived in the sun,
he felt better during the night. One day he met a girl who was so similiar to him, but still so different.
She was called Maz. Both Hoods and Mazs life were hard. She had to put up with her bitter father, Hood
never fit in anywhere, so they both turned to the shadows.
Once a week they met, in London, where they went out and did stuff. Later when Hood turned fourteen
he moved to New Zealand, shortly after Maz moved there aswell.
Amazon never found Hood in NZ. Hood had moved in with a chinese girl named Tai-San and her
grandfather Chi-Lang. Tai-San and Hood were taught the ways of a warrior and the ways to survive.
Chi-Lang might have been a bit slightly insane, his methods were admired by the two students.
Just before the virus came, Chi-Lang past on. Hood moved then to a relative named Vincent and his
children, Charles and Jade.
Vincent was an expert in sword fighting and taught Hood how to battle.
Soon the pupils surpassed the teacher in skills, but that was when the virus struck.
When that happend, Charles changed too Chain. Who was alot tougher. A month after the virus hit,
Hood met Karen. Hood never let it show but he was instantly in love with her. After about a month,
Karen and Hood, started going out. The four teenagers found a home in an abonded fort.
This is were the Raiders shortly formed, but after the Chosen came, Hood was alone once more.
After six long months travelling through the jungles of New Zealand, Hood came back and found Amazon.
"I love Amazon, but she will never be Karen." Hood said too himself.
The sun was in the late afternoon turning orange. Hood walked back to the center after walking
around the edge of the dome.
"Mike, when did you get here?" He asked himself.
Old friends
Hood open his eyes, to find himself laying next to Amazon.
"Hey babe," He said to her as he kissed her tender lips.
"uummmm." Amazons reaction was together with her hand slipping around Hood, holding him tight.
"You always did know how to give me the right wake up call." She said and kissed back.
"What do we do today?" Amazon asked.
"WE, do nothing. I'm going to meet Mad Mike later." Hood said and slipped out of the girls embrace.
"So what ya gonna do to him?" She asked. Hood put his clothes.
"First I'll try to negotiate," he put on his black raincoat, "if he doesn't respond to that," Hood put his sword
into it's holster and strapped it to his back,
"I'll have to take him out." Amazon sat up, nearly dropping the sheet, and revealing her... secrets.
She grabbed Hood and pulled him back onto the bed. She dragged him right up to her lips.
"Say Hi for me too him." She said and then planted a big wet one on his lips. Hood smiled.
"Sure, babe." He said and then went out into the Lazarus. It was very easy sneaking through the
other room, seeing as Laguna's snorring was louder than Hoods footsteps.
Hood walked through the jungle of the dome. A small hawk landed in front of Hood as he was walking
over the sand path.
"What do you want?" Hood asked. He noticed the hawk looking at something in Hoods pocket.
It was a chocolate rapper.
Hood took out the piece of choclate and threw it to the hawk.
"Bon appetit." Hood said and walked past the hawk who was eating his heart out.
Walking over the sands of the desert, Hood saw buzzards flying in the sky.
"You're gonna have to wait a long time before I'm dead." He said and continued walking.
Hood arrived at a rock formation, where behind that was the Wolves' base. He walked around it entered the
shadow of the mountain, where the base was set at the foot at. He saw Mad Mike walk into one of
the smaller grey tents. Hood hide in the shadow of the tent. Two guards stood at the entrance to the tent.
Hood grabbed a rock and threw it to the other side of the tent. It made a loud thump and the two guards ran
to it.
The sound of DR. Dre sounded inside of the tent. Hood stood at the inside of the entrance.
Mad Mike turned away from the table on which a cd player stood with Dre's cd playing inside. He saw a
shadow standing in the entrance.
"Phill, I'm busy." Mike said and turned away.
"You hamster." Hood said. Mad Mike turned around immediatley with a shocked face.
"Hood?" He asked. Hood walked closer and offered his hand. Mike took it.
"Dude, what ya doin here?" Mad Mike asked with a pleased voice.
"Could ask ya the same." Hood answered.
"Man sit down." Mike said as he walked to a cupboard. Hood sat down on a black couch.
"Max?" Mike asked.
"Always." Hood responded instanly. A can of pepsi flew threw the tent. Hood caught it. Mike sat down
with a nother can on a grey armchair.
"So what ya doin here?" Hood asked.
"I always wanted to go to NZ. Warm, sunny, center of babesville." Mike replied drinking his pepsi.
"What 'bout you? Wait I remember, ya moved a couple of years back. What ya doin now?"
"Just travelling around. Ya should do something about the security." Hood answered.
"I know. The wolves are a tough tribe but ain't too smart." Mike said taking another sip of pepsi.
"Why are you leader?" Hood asked.
"Got lucky at a fight with their leader. When I won they chose me for leader." He answered.
"Let me get to business. Ya know about the dome in the south of the desert?" Hood said leaning over.
"Yeah. what about it?" Mike asked.
"Some of your goons have been attacking the tribe that's there." Mikes faced changed to a surprised look.
"I gave strict orders to stay away from there."
"Well there about three to five wolves attacking the place. Nearly weekly." "Reaper, that son of a bitch.
Lately a couple of the Wolves have been in a muteny mood." Mike said.
He finished his pepsi and crushed the can with his hands and threw it in a bin.
"Well if you'd better take care of it." Hood said and stood up.
"By the way, I noticed you were filling some tennisballs with gunpowder."
"We're blasting open a rock formation, it will let springwater flow from the mountain." Mike answered.
"It better be." Hood said and started to walk to the entrance.
"Remember Hood. The Wolves might be dumb, but they're not the kinda people you want to fight with."
Mike said. Hood turned his head to Mike.
"Remember, I'll defend my frinds, whatever the cost." He said. Mike turned around to his cd-player to
change the cd.
"Hey Hood, do you have..." His words trailed of as henoticed Hood was no longer in the tent.
"How the hell does he do that?" Mike said too himself.
I spy, with my camera
In her backpack she had a camera. Orca had attached a a larger zoom lense to it. Amazon reached the steel
handels which formed a kinda ladder.
She fellt as if she had been climbing for hours, but she was nearly at the top. It became easier and she
could start walking up right. Amazon arrived at the top.
There were large antenna's standing tall on the dome.
"Jungle with a radio. Now I've seen it all." Amazon said too herself, setting up the camera to one of the
antenna's. She grabbed some rope and tied it around the camera and antenna. She then took a cable
which she attached to the camera and then to a confinatly placed socket.
Amazon then took out a walkie-talkie.
"Try it now." She said. Down in the jungle Laguna received her loud and clear. He was in the center at a
control panel. Probably the main computer system of the dome.
"Over." Laguna said and then pushed a button. Back on the roof the antenna with the camera started
turning around.
"Perfect." Amazon said.
"I'm coming down now." She said into the walkie-talkie and then took out a large straw mat.
"The matras is ready." She received out of the walkie-talkie. Amazon laid down on the mat and set off.
She started sliding down the smooth glass of the Lazarus, slowly at first but then going faster and faster.
"WWaaahoooooo." Amazon shouted. After a couple of minutes she saw the bottom, where the guys had
layed some matrasses.
Amazon gave a slight push of the dome and landed face down on the former beds.
"What a rush." She said too herself and got up.
"So what ya see?" Turmoil asked. Laguna looked at one of the monitors which was linked to the camera
at the top.
He pushed one of the buttons and the camera turned.
"Nothing yet. Wait... I think it's." Laguna stopped and then antered a couple of
commands on the keyboard. The camera then zoomed in.
"Yep, it's Hood." He said and then left the command center with Turmoil.
Hood and Amazon were already walking to the center, as Amazon met Hood up at the entrance.
"So?" Orca suddenly said coming from behind Laguna and Turmoil.
"He's leader of the Wolves, but they came here without his authority. I don't think we should worry."
Hood said as he had his arm around Amazon.
"We'll just in case, we got a camera on the top. Thanks to Amazon here." Orca said pointing out to her.
She did a little bow with a smile.
"You always did know how to climb." Hood said and gave her a kiss.
"They got a place for that ya know." Laguna said with a smile.
"Let's get lunch." Hood said and they all walked back to the center.
Iron birds
"What you mean?" Laguna said in a curious voice. They were repairing one of the regenerating walls.
A rat had chewed threw a power cabel and caused a piece of the wall to stop functioning, while at the
same time being fried by the electricity.
"You know what I mean. Amazon." Turmoil said while handing a screwdriver.
"Dude I'm telling you, I don't know what you're talking about." Laguna said, but not to convincingly.
"Come on man. You can tell ya cousin." Turmoil was very persistant.
"Well, just a bit I guess." Laguna said admittingly.
"I knew it."
"Yeah, well. Don't tell the others, especially Hood. I don't think he'd like it too much." Laguna said waving
a wrench at Turmoil.
"I don't really mind." Someone suddenly said. It was Hood.
Laguna suddenly looked shocked, his faced to white.
"Man, don't worry, I didn't mean disrespect or anything." Laguna said trying to avoid Hood.
"Don't worry man. Makes me think I've got a girl who's more valuable to others than I thought."
Laguna breathed a sigh of relief.
"What are you doing here?" Turmoil asked, tightening a screw on a panel.
"The boss, I mean Orca, sent me to get you guys. She noticed something on the camera or something."
Hood said.
"We're finished here anyway." Laguna said clearing about some of his tools into a toolkit.
They walked back to the center.
"So what ya got boss lady?" Turmoil asked. he sat down next to Orca at the command center.
"This." She said and the put in a video tape into the recorder. She pushed the play button and the moved
a monitor which was on a spring arm done to eye level. On the monitor was just the horizon of the desert.
"So?" Amazon asked impationatly.
"Just wait." Orca replied.
She then paused the tape. She pointed at a large spec on the monitor.
"So? It's a bird." Laguna said.
"How far away ya think that is?" Orca asked quizzing the others.
"I don't know, 500 meters?" Turmoil said. He started to get bored.
"According to the computer it's at least 1 mile up, and 10 miles west. And watch when I do this." Orca
pushed the slow motion button.
The spec quickly flew across the screen.
"That ain't no bird." Amazon said.
"So what is it?" Laguna asked. They all looked at each other, not knowing what the flying object was.
"I know." Hood said. Everyone turned to him. While the others had been talking he had been sitting on a
couch.
"Well?" Orca demanded.
"It's a Junior." Hood said. The others looked puzzled. Though Amazon thought she might know.
"It's an airplane. To be exact, it's a Triumph. The guy flying it, I think I know." He continued.
"Who is it?" Turmoil asked.
"Don't hold out on us." Laguna said.
"Okay, okay. I don't know what he's called now, but he used to be called Junior." Orca, Laguna, Turmoil
and Amazon gathered around Hood.
"I used to go to school with him. He was a complete nutter about planes and choppers. He had a distinct
flying style. He was my best friend, but when I moved I didn't hear much from him. His cousin had a crush
on me. I don't know if that was him, but it was the same flying style." Hood said.
"Who is he?" Orca asked.
"He is.. my friend." Hood said.
Another travel begins
"And you're lousy at it." Reaper replied angerly. There were two of the other wolves now on the inside of
the tent, standing behind Reaper.
"I'm trying to get that water spring open. When we get it open, we won't have to worry about getting water."
Mike said.
"I ain't gonna do digging. We're Wolves, we must be respected."
"And we are, and by the way, don't think I don't know about you lot going to the dome." Mike started to
get pissed off.
"I can do what I want, when I want to. And you're definatly not gonna tell me what I can and can't do."
"I'm the leader, unless you decide to challenge me." This is what Mike feared most. He knew the day would
come when someone would challenge him. The only reason he's leader is because he got a lucky punch at
the previous leader, who is now banished from the Wolves.
"I don't need to challenge you. The Wolves have already decided on a new leader, one who is not weak, like
you." Reaper snapped his fingers. The two Wolves that stood at the door came forward and grabbed Mike
by the arms.
"Take him outside." He ordered. Mike walked with them, he had now choice.
Outside the other Wolves had made a quarter of a circle, leaving a way out, but that was straight into the
desert. The two Wolves place Mike in the center. He turned to Reaper.
"Mad Mike," Reaper shouted "we now banish you from the Wolves. Should you return, I doubt you will
survive." Mike had his head to the ground. "Now leave, you have no place with us."
The two Wolves at Mikes side pushed him to the exit in the circle. Mike stood a meter or two from the exit
in the circle on the wrong side, and turned.
"And before I forget, well I gues I don't need to tell you that we stripp you of your honour." Reaper said.
"Remember Reaper, power corrupts, absolute power, corrupts absolutely." Mike sighed and turned to the
desert. He started walking. He didn't know where to go, but he'd go somewhere.
"Dam. How do you do that?" Turmoil asked. They were sitting at a small table playing poker.
Instead of money they use bottle caps.
"Just a little luck." Laguna answers.
"How about a different bet?" Laguna asked Turmoil.
"Depends." He answered.
"I bet Hood will not be back in time before the next couple of Wolves attack." Laguna said sitting back on
his chair.
"No bet, Hood'll be back." Turmoil answered.
"You sure about that?" Laguna asked giving Turmoil a questioning look.
"As I said. No bet." Turmoil said and stood up.
"Where ya going? There's nothing on the roster to do." Laguna askdc.
"Just need to do something." He walked out of the center and into the jungle of the Lazarus.
Turmoil walked to the atmosphere control building and climbed to the the roof.
In the middle of the roof were a couple of cushions where he sat down.
Turmoil sat down in a meditational position and closed his eyes.
A mysterious traveller
"So how long have ya known this guy?" Orca asked.
They continued walking over the desert.
"About 3 years I guess." Hood answered. "At times he might seem a bit... eccentric, but he's the best pilot
I know." He took out a bottle from his raincoat and opened it. He took a sip from the cool water inside it.
He then gave the bottle to Amazon who also took a sip from it.
Then Amazon gave it to Orca who took a sip as well. Orca closed the bottle and then threw it back to Hood,
who put it back in his pocket.
"How long till we're there?" Amazon asked.
"There's nothing in the desert for miles except a small abonded airport, that's which we're heading. About
another hour, I guess."
"Nope, wrong." Hood said as he pointed out towards them. There was the airport.
A long concrete landing strip was looking very worn out. Attachde to the twoer was a staff building.
The controlle tower stood next to two hangars. One of which was open. Hood took out his binoculars and
took a look. There he saw a long guy walking around a helicopter.
It looked like an old search and rescue helicopter.
"Thought he might get one of those." Hood said too himself standing still. The guy was rather tall.
His hair was kinda gelled back. He wore a bomber jacket with a badge on it, a tom-catand he wore long
baggy trousers. Then Hood noticed the pilot sunglasses he was wearing.
"Hood, the controlle tower." Orca said suddenly. Hood turned quickly. There was a guy walking around.
He looked like he was wearing something grey, but Hood make out who it was. The lighting in the tower
was very poor.
"Let's go." Orca said, and they moved down the hill towards the airfield.
The guy with the bomber jacket saw the trio walking down the hill. He came out of the hangar and walked
over the landing strip.
"I feel the need," Hood said, while the other guy came up.
"The need, for speed, Ow!" They both in chorus.
Hood grabbed the guys hand and they hugged.
"Junior?" Hood asked.
"Not anymore it isn't." He answered. "The name's Maverick. What the hell are you doing here?"
"Just travelling around. We saw you flying around earlier. You're the only guy with a barrel roll like that."
Hood said. Maverick gave a modiest look.
"You here alone?" Orca asked.
"Naa way. Leonie is with me here. I don't know why but after about a year you left, she started to like more."
Maverick answered, Hood suddenly got a surprised look. The four of them started walking to the base.
"Oohh yeah, there's also a guy that just got here today. He's called Mike." Maverick suddenly said.
Hood looked even more surprised now.
"Mike?"
They entered the building. It was a bit dry air inside, but breathable. There was a small bar at the side, with
more booze than you could shake a stick at. Next to that was a small fold out bed.
There was a guy lying on it, he wore nothing but black. Same style as Hood.
Some of his clothes were slightly ripped. You couldn't see his face as a girl was leaning over him.
Hood recognised the girl immediately. She had dark blond hair, and wore a dark pink jumper.
She was carefully putting band aid around the guys arm.
"Leo, we got company." Maverick said. The girl turned around. Her hair reached till her shoulders.
"Hood?" She said. Leonie stood up and laid the band aids on the table. She walked up to Hood and
gave him unbelievable hug.
"I thought you were gone forever." She said. Hood had a very surprised look on his face.
"Yeah, I missed you to." I said, carefully hugging her back. Amazon on the other hand looked like she
was gonna blow her tank top.
Leonie let go of Hood.
"Long time no see." She said.
"As I said. This is Amazon and this is Orca, leader of the Desert-Rats." Hood said.
"Hi." Leonie said. Behind the bar a door suddenly opend.
"Surprise, surprise." Some one said as they entered the bar. It was Mad Mike.
"Mike? What the hell are you doing here?" Hood asked as he walked over the bar.
"What a minute. These guys know each other?" Maverick asked Orca and Amazon. They only responded
by raising their shoulders.
"A couple of hours after you left, the Wolves banished me." Mike said, he had started washing glasses.
He looked like a regular bartender.
"He knows a bit about mechanics and about cocktails, so he's here now." Maverick said.
Leonie went back to treating the injured guy.
"Who's this guy?" Amazon asked as she stept towards Hood.
"Don't know, he came unconscious on a horse here." Leonie said turning around to Hood.
"Since everyone is here let's have a drink huh?" Maverick said.
"I'm up for that." Orca and Amazon said in chorus, but then looked at each other in surprise.
"Got a radio?" Hood asked.
"In the back, follow me." Maverick said and went into a backroom.
It was a small room and up against a wall was a radio system.
Hood changed the channel to nine.
"Laguna? Do you hear me? Over." Hood spoke into the microphone.
Laguna rolled his chair to the command center. He picked up a mic.
"Hood? What's up?" He said.
"Looks we're spending the night here." Hood responded
"In the mean time, put the Lazarus on complete lock down."
"That takes three hours man." Laguna said in an angry way.
"Yeah, well you might have visitors from the wolves again soon." Hood said.
"Alright, but what if they get in before lock down?" Laguna asked.
"You'd better not find out huh?" Hood answered. "Hood out."
"What Wolves?" Maverick asked.
"I'll tell ya later. But now we drink." Hood answered as he went back into the larger room.
"Every thing okay there?" Orca asked. She was sitting on a couch across from the bar.
"So what ya guys want?" Mike asked leaning over the bar.
"We'll have a couple of Margaritas." Amazon said, also ordering for Orca.
While Hood and Maverick were gone they had started talking.
"Coming up. Leo?" Mike asked her.
"I'll have a Fruit Jungle." She answered. After she had finished aiding the wounded guy she sat down in
a arm chair, put her feet up and started reading magazine.
"I'll have a whisky." Maverick said.
"What about you Hood?" Mike asked.
"Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirn." Hood replied.
"Haa, a Bond Fan." Mike said as he got the drinks ready.
"So where do you guys live?" Maverick asked as he stood at the bar.
"Orca lives at the dome. We're just travelling past." Amazon said.
"The Dome? I thought it was just a waste disposal unit." Leonie said looking up from her magazine.
"That was just the cover up. It's a self contained eco-system." Orca explained.
"We're were ya heading?" Leonie asked Hood.
"Actually, we were heading here. I heard of a crazy pilot, doing barrel-rolls close to the ground, and there's
only one nutter, stupid, or smart enough, to do that." Hood said standing next Maverick.
Maverick smiled.
"So where do ya get the fuel, for the plane?" Orca asked Maverick.
"Ahh, Thought you might ask that. Ya see, under the airfield is a massive fuel tank, ready for
hundreds of flights." Maverick answered as he pointed to the ground. Mike put the drinks on the bar.
"Get 'em while there rich in alcohol." He said. The others laughed. The drunk up and partied all night.
But as they were having the fun, the mysterious stranger in their midst, was still fast asleep, not knowing
who his new allies were. Or his enemies.
The mystery awakens
Salamanders and Desert-rats crawled out from the cracks of rocks formations and mountains.
Vultchars landed on the controlle tower of the airfield, where on the other hand was little life to be noticed.
In another room next to the bar, lay Leonie fast asleep. With her clothes on she lay over Mad Mike, who
was snorring like an Ox. Maverick was sleeping in chair, with Orca on his lap, sleeping on his shoulder.
Hood layed on a couch with Amazon next to him.
The mysterious traveller on the other hand, didn't move an inch from the previous day.
Leonie started to wake.
"Uhhh, God.... No more jungles for me." She said with a drousy voice. Mike woke up as well. He stretched
his arms and then looked at Leonie, who looked at him.
"Don't you dare get any ideas." She said angerly.
"Don't worry, I won't." Mike replied.
Hood woke up next.
"Bond sure knew how to party." He said too himself. He then looked at Amazon, who had her arms rapped
around Hoods chest. He carefully got out of the position and stood up.
He picked up his t-shirt and put it on. Leonie and Mike walked in. Hood looked surprised at Leonie.
"NO!" Leonie pointed at Hood. The three of them, then looked at Maverick and Orca. Hood looked at Mike.
"Kodak moment!" Hood said and sneaked away. Amazon woke up to find Hood had got away again.
"How the hell does he do that?" She said too herself.
Hood re-entered the room with a polaroid camera. He held the camera up aimed at Maverick and Orca.
"She's gonna freak when she sees this." Mike said.
"Ooh guys!" Leonie shouted. Maverick and Orca opened their eyes. They then looked at each other with
the most shocked faces in the world. At that moment there was a flash.
"I should work for the Times." Hood said.
Maverick stood up with a shock, throwing Orca off his lap and onto the ground. He looked around.
"What the hell?" he said too himself. Leonie took the polaroid from Hood and hide it behind her back,
while Hood hide the camera behind his back.
"Nothing, must be the lightbulb flashing." Hood said pointing upwards. Amazon walked up to him.
"You sneak." She whispered in his ear, and then gave him a kiss on the lips.
Later in the day the people at the airfield were busy. Hood, Maverick and Leonie were working on the plane.
Behind the hangar's Mike and Orca were taking care of the horse on which the mysterious traveller came,
and Amazon was busy in the staff-room, clearing up from last night.
"I hate picking straws." She said too herself as she picked up some glasses from under the table.
Then she found a rubber chicken hanging from a painting.
"What did we do last night?" She picked up the chicken and threw into the bin.
Suddenly there was some mumbling coming from the otherside of the room.
It was the mysterious guy. Amazon went over to look. The guy started to turn his head abit.
"Hello?" Amazon said. He opened his eyes slightly to she a girl leaning over him.
"God you know how to sleep don't you?" She said. Amazon ran to the door to the outside.
"Guys," She screamed "he's waking up." Hood, Maverick and Leonie ran out of a hangar to the staff-building,
followed by Orca and Mike.
"What the hell is going on?" Leonie asked.
"I said he's waking up." Amazon repeated. The mysterious stranger slowly started to mutter.
"Where... where am... I?" He said. Hood leaned over next to Amazon.
"You're with friends. Who are you?" He asked.
"I'm The Tiger." He slowly sat up on the bed. Everyone crowded around him.
"Guys give him some room. He'll go back in a coma when he notices your mugs." Orca said making it
clear everyone should move.
"My hat, where's my hat?" Tiger asked urgently.
"Here." Amazon handed it to him.
"Thank you." He said and quickly put the black cowboy hat on. Tiger then looked at Hood.
"Like looking in a mirror, huh?" Hood said. Tiger stood up in front of him,
Noticing that they were wearing the same clothes, a black raincoat, black t-shirt and jeans, and also a
black cowboy hat.
"Nice clothes." Tiger said.
"Where have I heard that before?" Orca said quently looking at Hood.
Tiger suddenly wobbled.
"Sit down. You've been unconscious for some time ya know." Amazon urged him to sit down,
which he quickly did. Amazon sat next to Tiger as the rest were either sitting on the couch or at the bar.
"So what happend to you?" Amazon asked.
"First of all I'd like something to drink." Tiger asked.
"Dulche de Leche, coming up." Mike said from behind the bar and then ducked behind it.
"Dulche what?" Tiger looked confused.
"It clears the throat."
"Ohh." Mike gave the drink to Tiger.
"What's in this?" He asked. Mike looked at him while he walked back behind the bar.
"Milk, sugar, and a kinda native flavouring." He said.
"What flavouring is that?" Tiger asked suspisouly.
"Bacardi." Mike said non-hesitantly.
"Hmm.. ahh well." Tiger answered and finished his drink.
"Well thanks for that hospitality but I can't stay, things to do." Tiger said and stood up. He put his coat
on properly and started to walk out, but Hood stopped him.
"Hold on, you ain't going no where till you tell us what happend." Hood demanded an answer from Tiger.
"Listen, I don't want trouble, just to get to my horse and be outta ya hair." Tiger tried to get past Hood.
He made a reach for his sword on his back but Amazon stopped him.
"Not here." She whispered. They watched as Tiger walked out of the room.
"That was nice." Mike said and started washing some glasses behind the bar.
Cry for help
"What's up?" Hood asked from the bar. He was talking to Mike.
"Trouble, that's what." He replied.
"Orca!" Hood shouted to the kitchen.
"Yeah?" She shouted from the small kitchen on the otherside of the room.
"It's ya cousin." They both ran into the radio room. Maverick stood up from the radio equipment to make
room for Hood. He sat down and put the headphones on.
"Laguna, what's up?" He spoke into the microphone.
"Not good," a scrambled voice replied. It sounded like explosions in the background.
"Wolves are attacking..." There was serious interference.
"Lock-down won't hold out for long....we need help soon." The speaker just went dead.
"Broke?" Amazon asked.
"No, transmission stopped." Hood said.
"Mav, you know what to do?" Hood asked outside the building. Maverick knodded.
"Alright. Let's go." Hood said.
Out one of the hangars a large jeep drove out in to the desert. In it were Amazon, Orca, Mad Mike and Hood.
They drove of towards the Lazarus. But without noticing a pair of eyes were watching the four leave the
airfield. Suddenly a rider on a horse rode out of the shadows of the controlle tower and after the four
teenagers returning to the Lazarus.
It was Tiger.
Maverick saw him ride of the desert, trailing behind Hood. He jumped into the old Spitfire.
Maverick grabbed a microphone.
"Hood. Hood, pick up Hood." He shouted.
"What is it?" Sounded from the planes speaker.
"Looks like Tiger's coming to help." In the jeep, Hood look behind himself and saw Tiger galopping on
his black horse.
"I think we need all the help we can get." Hood replied into the speaker.
As the sun turned orange in the evening sky Hood, Amazon, Orca and Mike arrived at the Lazarus together
with Tiger.
"Nice of you to join us." Orca said to Tiger as he got of his horse.
"I don't turn down a good fight." He replied.
They looked at the entrance of the dome. A large iron door had sealed the entrance from anyone going in, or
out. Orca walked up to a panel in the iron door. She opened it and revealed a dial pad. Orca punched a couple
of numbers and the door opened up.
What they found behind the iron doors left their faces gob smacked. The jungle was in ruins, tree's had
fallen, the domes self healing glass had broken and fallen on to the jungle.
"Ahh shit man." Orca exlamated, she ran with the others to the center.
When they arrived at the center, they found nothing but rubble and ruins.
"Ooh no." Orca said shocked. They started searching through the rubble. Tiger found something, but it
wasn't good.
"What ya fi...." Amazon didn't finish her sentence.
Sticking out of the rubble of the caved in center, was a hand.
"Orca." Mike arrived at the site where Tiger and Amazon were standing. Orca walked over to see what the
hassle was about.
"Oh my god." She held her hands to her mouth when she saw the hand.
"Laguna." She whispered and started to cry. She put her head on Tigers shoulder. He got a frown on his
face, well as far as you could see his face. Hood took his hat of as a sign of respect, while holding Amazon,
who was also crying.
"What was that?" Mike looked behind him.
"What?" Hood asked. There was some groaning.
"There. Behind the trees." Mike pointed. They all ran to behind a tree. There laying on the ground was
Turmoil. He had blood dripping from his head.
"Turmoil, what happend?" Amazon asked, trying to tend his wounds.
"Wolves, used TNT. Ahh, dam that hurts." There were blood stains on his t-shirt.
"Where are they?" Hood asked.
"One of them said... can't feel my legs." Turmoil was in real pain.
"He sounded russian, said something about the north." Orca held Turmoils hand. She was still crying.
"Don't you dare leave me, or I'll kill ya." She tried to smile but had trouble doing that.
"Might.. be too late.. for that.." Turmoil eyes started to close.
"Jake.. please, don't go." Orca was nearly breaking his hand.
"See ya at the Laz in sky.. sis.. love.. you." Turmoil choked on some blood comingout of his mouth, and
then closed his eyes.
"Jake." Orca cried over Turmoils body, the others standing in a circle around them.
Rage and revenge
one with circuity on it and another with metal armband.
"I should never have left with you, never." She said looking down at her late family.
"It wasn't your fault. If anything it was mine, for taking you with me." Hood was trying to comfort her, but
death never is pleasing. Especially family. But out of sorrow rises anger. No matter who it is, no one can
resist the taste of revenge, not even Orca.
"Hood, you know how to battle. You said you defeated the Chosen." Orca looked at Hood with a face she
never had before. Her eyes were filled with rage.
"Chosen were a different thing. I can't take the Wolves on my own." Hood looked dissapointed, not at Orca,
but for himself. He knew the Wolves were too much for him.
"You're not fighting them, I am. You're gonna teach me." Orca said.
"You'll never make it." Hood said.
"I don't care. They'll pay for this." Orca walked away from the graves. She walked towards the others.
"I don't know who's with me. But anyone who stands in the way, is against me." She said to them. Mike
muttered to himself.
"North, north. What the hell is there..... Ahh crap." He just remembered why the Reaper would go the north.
Mike ran to Hood. "Hood, we got shit and we don't have long to stop it." He said.
"What ya mean?" Hood asked as they started walking to the others.
"In the North is real shit. The kind which gives total power." Mike looked very worried at this point.
They joined Tiger, Amazon and Orca.
"When the virus struck right, they got rid of all the weapons, right?" The others nodded.
"My dad was in the army, and they had a back up just in case of they were able to make an antidote on
time after all." Tiger stopped him.
"So the rumours are true?" He asked. Mike nodded yes.
"Mind telling us?" Orca asked sarcasticly.
"The biggest weapon depo in the NZ is in the north. But these weapons were just prototypes.
Days before the virus, they started making more and now the place is abonded."Mike looked at Hood.
"How were gonna get there before the Wolves?" Amazon asked.
"I know someone who can gives a lift." Hood said with a smile.
looked surprised at Hood. He nodded yes.
"Hot dam, you're courageous." Maverick said.
"So you'll help?" Orca asked coming from behind Hood.
"Of course, gimme a minute to arm the spitfire and the seaking." Maverick walked back into the hangars.
"Need help guys?" Hood asked them.
"Yeah, put these in the seaking." Maverick handed a bunch of 2 litre bottles with a green liquid in them.
Hood walked through a door into the other hangar followed by Leonie. Hood opened the door to the
Seaking. How did he get a Belgian chopper to the NZ Hood thought to himself.
"How long you guys been here?" Hood asked Leonie, while placing the bottles in the seaking.
"Since the virus, NZ is the best place." Leonie answered, She put some bottles in racks on the interior of
the helicopter.
"You guys comfy?" Amazon asked, smiling. She stood in fron the of the door in to the seaking.
"Sure, babe." Hood replied.
"What you do anyway?" Maverick asked Tiger. Maverick was laying under the Spitfire, putting some
canisters on to the wings. Tiger handed another one to Maverick.
"Ya don't wanna know." Tiger answered, trying to disincouraged Maverick from asking.
"Yeah I do, guy like you must have a lotta time on his hands." Mavercik said, adding a couple of bolts to
a canister.
"Ya really wanna know?"
"Yep." Maverick rolled from under the plane.
"I'm a mercenary. You pay me enough, and I take care of someone." Tiger didn't like saying it, but it was
the thing he was best at.
"Glad you're on our side." Maverick said.
"Ironic as it is, I don't like seeing people get hurt for no reason." Tiger said and passed a screw driver.
"Thanks."
Flying high
you call me, you need to pee."
Maverick was walking past the line of pilots to be. He walked by Hood, Amazon, Orca, Mike, and Tiger.
Leonie was standing behind maverick.
"We call you?" Mike asked after Maverick finished his sentence.
"No, I'm asking if anyone needs to piss. It's a long flight." Maverick turned to Mike. Tiger and Orca giggled.
"Alright, I taught you to fly, now let's hope ya rememberd to bring your barf bags. Hood, Tiger, Leonie,
Mike and Amazon, you're in the Seaking. Me and Orca are in the Spitfire." Maverick looked at the others,
Leonie had joined them.
"Any questions?" Leonie asked. She looked at the others.
"Good, let's go." They ran in to the Seaking. Hood and Leonie took the pilot seats.
"You remember how to pilot one of these?" Leonie asked, strapping herself in. Hood looked at her.
"Ya never forget how to pilot ya first seaking." Hood said. They put on their helmets. Each helmet had a
microphone in it. Leonies helmet had 'Flying demon' printed on it.
"Closing bay doors." Mike said as he closed the door.
"Mav, take us out." Leonie spoke in to the mic.
In front of the Seaking, Maverick had set a small car to pull the seaking out of the hangar and on to
the desert field.
Slowly the Seaking moved out of the hangar.
"Thanks Mav." Hood said.
"Uhh Hood?" Amazon asked sitting in the cargo bay of the helicopter.
"Yeah?" Hood asked, while he was flipping some switches.
"You really know how to fly this crate?"
Amazon sounded very nervous.
"I might be a bit rusty, but I think I know how to keep it from crashing..." Hood spoke in to the microphone.
".. I hope." He smiled at Leonie.
"We need a Navigator." Leonie asked.
"I know where to go." Mike said and climbed into the cockpit and took a seat at the navigation com.
"Alright, you're set to go." Maverick said. He drove the car off the field.
"We'll join ya later."
"See ya when ya get there."
Hood answered back.
"Just don't start the party without us." Hood waved out the window.
"Begin ignition sequence." Leonie said.
"Everyone check in." Hood asked.
"Tiger, here."
"Mechanic, here." Mike said holding his hand up.
"Good loving, here." Hood smiled.
"That's my baby."
"Sure you're not talking about the helicopter?"
Leonie said looking at Hood. The helicopter started, the rotors turned and the seaking came alive.
"Let's rock the skies."
Hood shouted and pulled carefully on the stick. The Seaking took off. Maverick and Orca waved to the
others as the took to the skies.
"Hey Leonie, whats in these bottles any way?" Amazon asked while looking at one of the bottles in the
racks. She was sitting across from Tiger who was just sitting there with a his head down.
Still letting no one see his face.
"Them bottles are filled with a super mixture Mav came up with." Leonie said in the microphone.
"What's it made of?" Amazon asked, curious of what it is.
"Nitro-glycorine, petrol, umm what else? O yeah some stuff called helium 3, and also to spice it up we
added one of Mav's socks." Leonie smiled and turned around.
"Dam that has got to be bad." Hood said.
The Seaking started to fly over forests and mountains. A couple of ducks flew with them. One the side of
the Helicopter was painted in red, blue and yellow 'Aude Audenda' , the latin moto for the belgian airforce.
"Hold up I think I got something." Mike said looking at his radar. There three blieps on the screen.
"Looks like two commercial choppers and a cargo helicopter." Mike said turning to Hood.
"I see 'em." He answered. In the distance were the three helicopters, each painted grey and black.
"Hood, take her up above them. Their radar won't pick us up." Leonie said aiming at some cloud cover.
"Carefull, Reaper is known for his surprises." Mike said.
The swift helicopter flew in to the clouds above the Wolves.
"We're right above 'em." Mike said.
"Doesn't look like we been noticed." Leonie said looking down the glass floor at her feet. She could see
the helicopters.
"Ahh shit man." Leonie quickly show on the landing sleeds of the helicopters chain guns mounted.
"They got ammo. But only one pilot." She said looking at Hood.
"Better take them out now then later." Hood said.
"Tiger, Amazon, you're gonna be our bombardiers for now okay?" Hood asked.
"Got that. Opening bay doors." Tiger said while opening the door.
"Hook your self up." Leonie quickly urged.
Tiger strapped a metal rope to his belt, and so did Amazon.
"Amazon, hand some of the good stuff." Tiger asked.
She handed one of the canisters to Tiger. He held it iwht its nose down.
"Hood, swing her to ya left." Tiger asked and Hood pulled on the stick. The Seaking turned.
Tiger dropped the canister in to the air. With a whistelling sound it flew with high speed downwards.
"Hold on ." Hood said and forced the helicopter upwards.
The Wolves helicopter blew up in a blaze of fire in the midst of the sky.
"Goodness graceness, great balls a fire!" Hood and Leonie shouted.
"Another one bites the dust." Amazon shouted.
Battle for the skies
"What?" Hood asked quickly.
"They're scrambling the radar." Mike replied quickly.
"I can't see 'em." Leonie said looking through the glass floor and through the window.
"Get back into the cloud cover, fast." Mike shouted. Hood swong the Seaking through the air into the clouds.
"Mike? Gimme some news." Hood quickly asked.
"Gimme me a minute, I ain't a genius." Mike was tinkering on the circuity with a screwdriver.
"Got it!" He shouted and came up from under the machinery.
"Great, now that." His face frowned.
"Mike, don't hold out on me." Hood was having trouble keeping the helicopter stable in the
strong wind currents.
"They've stealthed themselves." Mike said looking at the two pilots.
"Guys, we're getting air sick back here." Amazon shouted. Tiger didn't say anything, although his stomach
was feeling strange.
"Try the stabelisers." Leonie said pointing at a couple of switches.
"I'll give it a shot." Hood said and flipped the switches. The helicopter stopped shacking and flew
straight again.
"Guys, we got company!" Amazon shouted from the cargo hold. She looked out the rear window
and saw trouble. To be precise, the wolves helicopter which was armed with chain guns.
"We can't get higher without compromising the pressure." Leonie said quickly. There was some sound
coming out of the radio.
"Pull over to the side of the cloud." It was the Wolve behind them.
"Really? No shit." Hood responded to him.
"Time for the Delta manouvre." Hood said.
"THE WHAT?" The others shouted in chorus.
"Hold on!" Hood shouted to everyone. They quickly took a hold of the closest thing they could hold.
Hood thrust the Seaking down. The helicopter was shacking from the turbolence.
"You're gonna kill us." Mike shouted.
"Shut up and let him do his thing." Leonie replied.
Hood then took the stick up and swung the Seaking to the right. They came out of the cloud cover
and in to plane sight.
The Wolves helicopter then appeared from behind them.
"Stop or I'll shoot." Sounded over the speaker.
"Yeah that's original." Leonie shouted down the microphone. Hood thrust the helicopter back up and
slowed down so that the Wolves helicopter appeared beneath them.
"Pilot to bombardier. DROP 'EM!" Hood shouted. A green canister dropped from the Seaking on to the
Wolf. Hood flew the Seaking quickly away from the falling inferno.
"Burn baby burn." Mike started to sing.
"And they say Seakings are slow." Leonie said and checks a couple of dials.
"They do?" Mike looked at Leonie, who just gave frown back.
"Where's the cargo?" Hood asked looking behind him at Mike.
"Umm, nowhere. It's vanished." Mike responded but veery puzzled looking at the radar.
"Well how far are we from the weapons depo?" Hood asked again.
"About a mile or 5." Mike said.
"Good."
"Better take her down and signal Maverick." Leonie said.
"Okay." Hood took the Seaking down below the clouds. While Hood was going down Leonie took the
microphone and opened a channel.
"This is Seaking to base. Whirly bird is nearing nest, probably gonna need fire bird in about an hour."
Leonie waited for a response.
"Read ya loud a clear." The voice of Maverick sounded from the speaker.
"Did he say loud and queer?" Mike looked at Hood who just hit him on the head.
"Nevermind." Mike said turning back to his radar.
"Fire bird will be there within 15 minutes." The speaker continued.
"Where ever here may be." Hood said. In the distance was what looked like a large factory, with an even
bigger warehouse next it. Attached to the factory was a large cooling tower, the type that are found next to
nuclear power plants. This complex was in the middle of a waste land stretching for about 3 miles.
There was a large junkyard about a mile from the factory. The cargo helicopter had already landed in front
of the factory.
"Hood, they're already here." Leonie said looking through binoculars. They were just approaching the
junkyard.
"I'm putting her down here. Better keep her outta sight." Hood said landing the former search and rescue
helicopter behind the junkyard.
Dust and bits of garbage flew away from the air coming from the Seaking.
"Touch down." Hood said, clicking some switches and turning the helicopter off.
"Jack off and lock the chopper." Leonie said. Everyone turned their headsets off. Hood, Leonie and Mike
climbed in to the cargo bay. Leonie dealt out small ear pieces to everyone.
"These should work if we keep in range of each other for a mile." She said and put her earpiece in her ear
and the transmitter in her back pocket.
"Remember the Wolves are very resourceful." Mike put clear to be cautious. Tiger opened the cargo bay
door and they all got out.
"I've put the Seaking on selfdestruct, just in case anyone tries to nick her." Leonie said looking at Hood,
who just gave a surprised look.
Unexpected allies
Amazon walked with Hood. Right behind them were Leonie and Mike. At the back was Tiger.
At the entrance to the junkyard was a large gate, made out of metal skeletons and with various signs hung
on it like 'keep out' and 'death can be assured upon'. Hood pushed the gate open.
Here and there were fire in metal barrels.
There was a path going straight down the middle of the yard. The feeling that Hood got from the place
wasn't pleasant, but they pushed on.
"Don't think they get many visitors." Mike tried to make a joke, but amounted to nothing.
As they walked over the path through the junkyard, they each took a metal bar from the ground, just in
case.
The group stopped. The path lead them in a small opening in the junkyard, in a circle shape.
"I think we might have problem." Tiger said looking around.
The circle was surrounded by a round hill of metal junk, car parts, washing machines etc.
Suddenly Hood saw a shadow rush from a car door to a washing machine.
"5 o'clock." Hood whispered to the others as he took his sword from his back. They all turned.
Amazon saw from the corner of her eye another shadow moving.
"11 o'clock." She said nervously. Tiger turned.
"They're all around us." Tiger said. Hood put down his sword on the ground.
"What are you doing?" Amazon said suspicouly.
"Put ya weapons down. It's a sign of peace." Hood said.
"But these are Wolves." Amazon said quickly. Mike interrupted her.
"These ain't no wolves I know." He said quietly. They all did what Hood said.
"Wise move." A voice said from someone where outside the circle.
A figure appeared. The sun was right behind the figure so none of them could recognise him or
her but as a shadow.
"We have no beef with you, we're just passing through." Hood said, his hand was above his eyes
blocking the sun.
"You're on our terrain, that's beef enough." The voice sounded like a girls voice, very light but still powerfull.
"Listen, we just need to get to the factory." Hood was trying to reason with the girl. She stood on the top
of the circle of junk. The girl stood in a Peter Pan position on the junk.
"Well, maybe. If you can prove you're worthy, we might let you through." She said.
The girl started walking down the scrapheap and in to the open plain in the junkyard. Everyone could see
what she looked like.
The girl had tight red and orange leather trousers, a blue tanktop armoured with metal parts. She had
brown worn out army boots, much like Hoods.
The girl had metal wristbands. Her eyes were light blue and she had blond hair in waves that reach her elbows.
"What do we have to do?" Hood asked looking at the girl. She looked back at him.
"A test I think. Girls?" The girl looked around the circle of scrap. Suddenly girls with metal armouring,
decorated helmets and all, jumped up on to the junk circle. They all looked at the girl in the center and
started shout 'test'.
"Well, I think we're giving you a test." The girl said now looking at the whole group.
"But before we begin, who the hell are you?" Hood picked up his sword and put it on his back again.
"This is Amazon, fighter and informant. That's Mad Mike, former Wolves leader and great mechanic."
Hood pointed out to them one bye one.
"That's Leonie, fighter pilot" Leonie just waved. "And that's Tiger." He ran his hand down the side of his hat.
"Who are you then?" The girl asked.
"I am Hood, warrior of shadows, former leader of the Raiders." He replied. A small girl ran to her leader in
the circle and whispered something in her ear.
The girl had a black hairband and green tanktop and blue jeans. The female leader nodded to her.
"Raiders huh?" She said.
"Michelle tells me you were one of the biggest tribes in the south city." Hood looked surprised at her. He
didn't figger that people in the north would have heard of him and his tribe.
"Yeah. Though we kept a low profile." Hood tried to be modist.
"Low Profile!?!" The girl shouted with a smile. She turned to her tribe.
"This man, who took on the Locusts, the Demon Dogs and defeated the Chosen, says
he kept a low profile?" Hood was really surprised now. So were Tiger, Mike and Leonie. The female tribe
gave cheer for Hood. The girl walked up to Hood.
"It is an honour to have you here." She said looking at Hood.
"I couldn't have done those things without my tribe, or defeated the Chosen without Amazon." He
turned to Amazon.
"Of course, I heard of you. The girl who saved Trudy and help defeat them." The leader turned to Amazon.
"Yeah well." Amazon said looking at the ground.
"Come. It's nearly night fall and we must eat." The leader said walking in the middle of Hood and Amazon
and putting her hands on their shoulders.
"You haven't told us who you are." Hood pointed out.
"Oh of course. I'm Kat, leader of the Hackers." Kat said. Tiger Mike, and Leonie were still standing.
A couple of girls walked to Mike and Tiger and in a way seducted them, which definetly worked.
Leonie on the otherhand just looked at Tiger and Mike being dragged away with her arms folded.
"Men!" she said too herself and walked after them.
Diner before war
large food bash in the dark night. They all sat in the middle of the courtyard having the meal of a lifetime.
On the table were in large dishes sauces. Plates of chicken and in the middle a massive crispy toasted boar.
Most of the girls were definitly not watching their figures, mainly because
Mad Mike was doing that for them. Hood sat in between Amazon and Kat.
Next to Kat was Michelle from earlier. Tiger sat next to Amazon just calmly eating, though he now and then
looked around as he did not trust the place. Leonie sat across from Hood and Amazon.
She to did not trust the Hackers either.
"How the hell did you get all this food?" Hood asked Kat. She just finished a piece of chicken leg.
"We got a complete eco-system under this place." She took a sip of wine.
"What ya mean?" Amazon asked looking at Kat curiously.
"Our best skill is working with technology. We use an underground hot spring as water and power source.
We've disguised small dome complexes with piles of junk." Kat pointed out to a large scrapheap.
"That's where we keep the animals. In the north part of the yard is another where we live." Hood was
very impressed, so was Amazon and Tiger.
"What defences have ya got against intruders?" Leonie asked quickly. Michelle stood up.
"We have eight heavy sound pulse cannons in four of the five extendable sky towers.
They are powered by two eco friendly generators which we have set underground above the spring."
Leonie, Hood and Amazon were gobsmacked. Mike just looked at Michelle.
"Makes sense." He said and returned to his meal.
"Michelle is one of our greated assets. She might be twelve, but she helped install the pulse cannons."
Kat stroked Michelles head.
"Pulse cannons?" Leonie asked.
"They're large heavy bass cannons. The best non-lethal weapons we have.
Just think of them as the strongest sub woofers in the world." Kat explained.
"I doubt you made them yourself." Hood said finishing the last bit of chicken.
"Hell no. We found the cannons in the old factory a mile away. We completly cleaned the place out."
Kat explained.
Hood and the others smiled and began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Michelle asked looking to the group.
"I'll explain," Mike said. "we were following a tribe called the Wolves. They knew about those weapons
of yours and went to the factory. Now we're having diner with you fine people and the Wolves are
searching their asses off for weapons, that ain't even there." Mike smiled.
Kat and Michelle began to laugh. Though Hoods face changed.
"Ahh shit." He said. Everyone turned to him.
"That's not good is it?" Mike asked.
"Once they figure out there ain't no cannons there, the Wolves will come here since this is closest
place with people." Hood explained.
Kat looked at Michelle.
"Definitly not good." Mike said.
"Hackers, prepair defence mode." Kat shouted as she stood up. All the girls scrambled from the table and
opened passage ways in to the hidden rooms in the scrap piles.
"Get the towers up, engage the radars and someone shut those lights off!" She continued to shout.
The lights blacked out and red emergency lights started to glow from the scrapheaps.
"What can we do?" Leonie asked quickly.
"We noticed you had a Seaking. Michelle could rig a small pulse cannon to the hull." Kat quickly said
looking at Michelle.
"Five minutes, tops." Michelle said. Hood and Leonie nodded.
"Let's kick some Wolve ass." Mike said standing up, and ran with the others to the Seaking.
The calm before the storm
Mike, you come with me to fit the cannon with Michelle." Hood said walking with the others.
Just before they split Hood took Amazons arms.
"Please be carefull." He said.
"You know me." She said with a smile.
"Exactly." Hood gave her a kiss and then followed Michelle and Mike to the Seaking.
Michelle took her back pack off and opened it.
"You still have the search light on here?" She asked looking at Mike.
"Yeah, it's at the front." Mike said pointing it out. Mike got in to the Seaking and sat in the cockpit.
Michelle crawled on her back under the Seaking and found the search light. Hood sat on his heels.
"Wrench please." Michelle said holding out her hand from under the Helicopter. Hood handed it to her.
"How long have you been here? I mean your tribe." Hood asked.
"We've been about a year and a half. About six months after the virus."
She handed the wrench back to Hood.
"Get me the thing that looks like a ray gun." Michelle ordered.
"Yes ma'am" Hood replied and took a black device that indeed looked like a ray gun.
It was about the size of a baseball bat.
"Thanks." Michelle took it and started puzzling the pulse cannon in to place.
"Kat, she your sister?" Hood asked.
"Yeah. She's always taken care of me. Always knew I was special and what was good for me,
though I was smarter." She replied.
"Wires please." Michelle held out her hand.
"You're not real modist are you?" Hood said.
"Don't have a reason to be." Michelle responded and crawled from under the helicopter.
"There that should do." Michelle said dusting off her hands.
"Mike, turn the spotlight on and turn it." Hood said in to his microphone.
"Roger." He responded. The search light turned on and started to move.
"Okay, that'll do." Hood said and stood up with Michelle. She walked to the cargo door.
"Mike, when ever the high beam is on the cannon will fire." Michelle said.
Mike nodded.
"We can leave the king here Mike, till it's needed, let's join the others." Hood spoke in to his mic.
Mike jumped out of the seaking and closed it.
"Let's go." Mike said to Hood and walked with Michelle and Hood back to the junkyard.
Suddenly five large junk heaps started to move in the distance.
Out of the piles of junk, five towers moved upwards.
Four at each corner of the junkyard and one in the center. Each of the towers were about 5 meters high
and had platforms. Hood and Mike saw that on each platform were two cannons with girls standing
behind them. The center tower was about a meter higher than the others and a had a larger platform.
On there three hackers stood.
One of which was Kat, one of the girls had night vision binoculars and the other sat behind a computer.
"Nice toys." Mike said.
"Those are the sky towers." Michelle said as they entered the junkyard again.
"Those are really... large." Mike said and walked on.
"There not here sir." A wolve said. The Reaper walked up to him.
"I know that, otherwise I would not have you by the throat now would I?" The Reaper lifted the
Wolf up by his collar.
"Sir, I think you should see this." Another wolve said quickly.
He stood at a window looking at the junkyard where the red lights could be seen, but not the towers,
as they were heavily disguised.
"I think I know where they are." The Reaper said looking out the window.
"Come, we must go." He said walking through the factory. "
Boss, I think we found something." One of the Wolves said as he ran to the Reaper.
"Show me." He said. The Reaper followed the Wolve in to a kind of garage.
"We found it in one of the pits." The Wolve said.
The Reaper leaned over to see what was in the maintenance pit.
A Wolve was being handed M16's from a secret cellar under the pit.
The Reaper walked in to the pit a grabbed one of the guns.
"Perfect."
They were standing behind a concrete wall facing the factory.
Everyone had been handed strange looking rifles, with a kinda of radars on the end.
"Just some lights flashing." She answered.
"Where's Hood?" Amazon asked. Mike turned and pointed to the Command tower in the center.
There Hood and Kat were talking. Hood seemed to be enjoying it.
"You don't think...?" Amazon asked looking at Mike.
"Hood? Never. He'd never cheat on a girl. Specially you." He reassured her. Amazon smiled.
"Amazon. You hear me?" Hood spoke over the transmitter.
"Yeah. What's up?" She spoke in to the microphone.
"You do know, you left the transmitter on?" Hood said. He was leaning over the railing of the
platform looking down at her.
"Huh... ohh... yeah.... thanks." Amazon was unbelievably embarised.
Avenged
"What is it?" Kat asked. She walked over to the otherside of the platform to the girl with the
nightvision goggles.
"Nothing. No light's, no shadows, no nothing." She answered. Hood joined them.
"Not good huh?" He asked. Kat nodded. Hood turned on his transmitter.
"Mike, Leonie, I want you air born, and make sure that the cargo doesn't go any where."
"Got that." Mike replied and ran with Leonie from the front wall back to the Seaking.
"I'm going down there." Kat said. Michelle stopped her.
"We need you here." She said looking at her with puppy dog eyes.
"Not the eyes... okay." Kat climbed back up the ladder.
"Yeah, well no puppy eyes are gonna stop me." Hood said climbed down the ladder of the tower.
He joined Amazon and Tiger at the front wall. Tiger handed Hood one of the pulse rifles.
"Thanks." He said.
"Three, mid left." Amazon said looking through the binoculars.
She saw three grey shadows moving. Hood held up his hand as a sign of readiness to Kat.
She saw this. Kat let the forward left tower know as well. They turned their cannons and got ready to attack.
"Four, right." Tiger said pointing them out.
The forward right tower aimed at them.
"Six more. Twelve o'clock." Hood saw the six Wolves staying down.
"Amazon, gimma the infra red." Hood asked. Amazon handed the infra red binoculars to him.
Hood took a look through them and saw strange shapes with the body heat.
He knew right away what they were. All of the Wolves stood up and as far as Hood could see
they started to aim at the junkyard.
"GET DOWN! NOW!" Hood shouted.
The defenders ducked behind the concrete wall and the girls up in the towers hide behind iron walls.
A wave of bullets flew across the top of the concrete wall.
"Seaking, where are you? We're getting hammered down here." Amazon shouted into the microphone.
All she heard was some scrambled sound.
"They're using the scramblers again." She told Hood.
"Great just what I don't need." He said.
"Junkies!" The Reaper shouted in a megaphone. "Surrender now, and we won't hurt you." He paused.
"Much." The Reaper said too himself quietly.
"Take out their left tower." Reaper ordered two of the Wolves. The two Wolves stept forward.
One of them kneeled down and the other put a large loaded bazooka on his shoulder.
They slowly aimed for the Sky Tower.
Hood saw all this through the binoculars.
"Get down from the Tower!" He shouted to the Hackers.
They slide down a pole to floor. Just in time as a large explosion engulved the tower.
It broke in two and fell outside of the junkyard.
Kat walked to the railing of the tower.
"That's it. No more miss nice kitty. Prepare flares." She said to one of the girls.
The girl prepared a rocket attached to the railing and aimed it at the Wolves.
"Fire!" The rocket flew away and light the sky above the Wolves.
"Was that meant to hurt us?" One of the Wolves asked.
"Foolish mortals. Advance!" The Reaper shouted to his soldiers. They ran forward.
All the Hackers saw them.
"FIRE!" Hood shouted to everyone.
The pulse rifles made strange sounds as they shot what looked like high speed bubbles at the Wolves.
Most of them missed, but when they hit an enemy they flew a meter or two back.
Three of the Wolves were disabled. The rifles stopped firing.
"What the... No ammo?" Tiger looked at his pulse rifle.
The others noticed they were shooting blanks.
"Serious shit." Amazon said in a very worried voice.
Suddenly out of the midst of the night, from behind the junkyard and bright light moved through the sky,
followed by a hovering sound. It was the Seaking.
It flew above the junkyard and held position about five meters in the sky in front of the junkyard.
"Yeaha!" Hood shouted and stood up from behind the wall with the others.
He waved at the Seaking.
"Bout time they got off their ugly butts." Amazon said as she waved as well.
"What say we kick ass?" Mike asked Leonie up in the cockpit. Leonie manouvred the Seaking right in
front of the group of Wolves. The Reaper looked curiously up to the cockpit at Leonie.
She was sitting in the pilots seat.
"Goodnight." Leonie smiled and hit the high beam on the search light.
A large sound wave errupted from the cannon and flew in to the ground.
A massive shockwave moved through the ground, throwing all the Wolves in to the sky.
"Fly high, and die!" Mike shouted and high fived Leonie.
The Seaking turned around so that the two pilots could wave at the others at the junkyard.
Although their victory was shotrly lived as the Reaper appeared from behind a rock.
"Crash and burn, baby." He said too himself and launched a small rocket from semi launcher.
"Mike!" Hood shouted.
The rocket hit the tail of the Seaking.
"Ahh dam!" Mike shouted trying to stabilise the helicopter.
"Puttin her down next to the junkyard." Leonie shouted over the sudden amount of alarms going off.
The seaking spone to the side of the junkyard.
"The cannons are jammed." Michelle alerted Kat.
"Dam! What happend?" Kat asked her little sister.
"That last shockwave disabled the generator. No power, no cannons."
The wolves grouped back together. They loaded their guns and marched forward.
"It's hammer time!" Hood shouted and drew his sword from his back.
"Hood, there's no chance you'll get through." Tiger stopped him.
"What have I got to lose?" Hood asked.
"Me." Hood turned to Amazon. She grabbed Hood by his raincoat and gave a passionate kiss.
"When you put it that way." Hood was convinced.
"But we haven't got any defences." He continued. Tiger started looking through his clothes.
"Where is it...where o where?" He looked in his inside pocket.
"What ya lost?" Amazon asked. A smiled came to his face, as far as his face could be seen.
"Not lost, but found." He held up a grenade. The others smiled as well.
"Bombs away." Tiger said. He took the pin out with his teeth and threw the grenade far away
in front of the Wolves. A wolf looked at what fell in front of him.
"Shit?" He ran for cover but got thrown away from the blast of the exploding grenade.
"Amatuers." The Reaper said and continued walking.
"Kat, we got something on radar." A Hacker said. She stood by the radar screen.
"What is it?" Kat asked as she walked with Michelle to the radar.
"I don't know but it's moving fast. It's in visual range." The girl said.
They looked behind to the south of the junkyard.
A strange sound echoed through the night.
"What is that?" Amazon asked. Hood knew the sound immediatly and smiled.
"Reinforcements." He said.
Suddenly a blue Spitfire flew with high speed across the junkyard.
"Someone call for back up?" Maverick shouted over the transmitters.
The plane flew straight over the Wolves which scatered them.
"Where ya been?" Hood asked, speaking in to his microphone.
"Engine blew, fixed it though. Ya didn't start the party without us did ya?"
"Things are just heating up."
"Then let's heat it up some more." Orca shouted.
The Spitfire was now about a mile away from junkyard and started a vertical U-turn.
It then turned back to normal and slowly lowered altitude.
"Hit the gas." Orca shouted.
From the back of the wings on the plane flames egnited. The speed of the spitfire suddenly increased.
"Time to cook." Maverick said. He had trouble trying to controlle the Spitfire.
"Napalm." Orca said. She knew what the Spitfire was loaded with. Her eyes caught fire.
Rage building up inside her. The revenge she wanted would be near.
"Reaper will meet the real Reaper soon." She said. He'll pay for Laguna and Turmoil she thought to herself.
"What!?! Not napalm. It's too much." Maverick was surprised.
They started to near the Wolves. In a futile defence Reaper started firing at the spitfire.
"Nevermore." Orca shouted. She was completly filled with rage.
"No!" Maverick shouted. The speed of the Spitfire was still increasing.
"Now!" Orca screamed and released the bomb. The Spitfire flew with incredible force over the Wolves.
The wind blew them of their feet. Reaper fell on his back.
"Ahh crap!" He shouted as he saw a black canister flying straight at him.
A huge explosion took place were the Reaper stood.
The ground around him for fifty meters exploded in pure flames. Burning each Wolve to a crisp.
"DIE!" Orca screamed at the top of her lungs. The Spitfire flew with tremendous force over the junkyard
before going in to a vertical climb.
"Orca. How could you?" Maverick asked.
He started flipping buttons and slowing the spitfire down.
Maverick brought the spitfire down. He began his decent and lowered the landing gear.
"Very easily." Orca said as she regained controlle of herself again.
"For you Laguna and Turmoil." Orca said too herself
Rages end
All she did was nod. They sat in the middle of the junkyard on a scrap car.
Several Hackers walked by with casualties.
"Would you mind?" Orca asked. Amazon shook her head and left Orca alone to think.
Never in her life had Orca felt such anger in her soul.
"How is she?" Kat asked Amazon.
"She's pretty shook up, but Orca's a tough girl, she's strong." Amazon answered. Hood joined them.
"Mike and the others are working on the Seaking, she'll fly but not fast. Orca okay?" Amazon nodded.
"Listen, I want thank you guys. We'd never have been able to win without you guys." Kat said.
Michelle walked by.
"I want you to have this." She said, and handed a red and silver cross made from scrap metal to Hood.
"It's the Hackers symbol. Kinda like a medal, but it's more like a talisman.
It brings good luck to all who has it."
She made Hood bend down and kissed him on the cheeck.
"Thanks." Hood said. Michelle giggled and ran off.
"Cute." Amazon said. Hood put the cross in his pocket.
"I got to help them with tower. I'll see ya later." Kat said and walked to what was left of the sky tower.
"Listen, Hood. we need to talk." Amazon and lead Hood with a confused face to a quiet place.
"I've been thinking, lately and..." Amazon was hesitating.
"What is it?" Hood asked.
"Well, ya see. I'm the kinda type that stays put, as in doesn't travel much." She wondered off a
bit from Hood.
"Maz, you can tell me." Hood knew what was coming.
He knew the kinda of voice that women used on him when something bad was gonna happen.
She used the same tone as Karen did, just before she broke up with Hood.
"And I want to stay here. These girls have learnt so much,
the way they live and work, it's all selfcontained and..." She looked at Hood.
"I think we should stop seeing each other." Hood looked at the ground.
"Kat has offered me a place here together with Orca and Mike. They're staying and so am I." Amazon knew
that Hood would never stay in one place for long.
"Hood, I'll miss you." She walked up him and kissed him, for the last time.
"I understand." Hood said.
"You'll be alright?" Amazon asked.
"Yeah. Don't worry about me. But you do know I'm heading back to the south?" Hood said, Amazon
nodded in reply.
"Okay. I wont forget you." Amazon said and walked off.
"Yes, you will." Hood thought.
"Well, I guess this good bye." Kat said.
All the Hackers were lined up at the back of the junkyard. In front of them was Mavericks Spitfire and
Seaking. In front of that were the four teenagers.
Tiger, Leonie, Hood and Maverick.
Kat, Michelle stood in front of them, together with Mike, Orca and Amazon.
"We'll miss you guys." Michelle said.
"It's been something." Kat said. Michelle turned around.
"HACKERS SALUT!" She shouted. Hood was surprised that a little kid like her could have such a voice.
All the Hackers put their right hand on their hearts.
"Goodbye." Hood said also doing the salut together with the others.
Amazon walked away in to the junkyard. Hood watched her walk off.
"Fare well." Hood said too himself.
Leonie and Hood climbed in to the Seaking and as Hood closed the bay door, he waved too everyone.
They took their seats in the cockpit and start launch sequence.
Tiger and Maverick climbed in to the spitfire and also waved to the female tribe as they closed the hatch.
The Search and Rescue helicopter took off first and flew to the south, leaving the junkyard behind them.
Mavericks spitfire took off then and flew over the Seaking helicopter.
On one of the scrap heaps, Amazon stood, waving goodbye.
She put her hand down, and just watched the two aircrafts fly away in the early morning glory.
A tear dropped from her left eye.
"Good bye Hood. Honour... and Glory."