An unexpected re-union
Ebony took another sip from the cola. She looked disgusted at it, and threw the half full bottle behind her, in between the container she sat on and the one behind her.
"AUW!" Somebody shouted. Ebony quickly turned around. She slowly crawled over the top container, to see who was there.
She was just about to look over the edge, when she felt something hit her head. It was Lex, who had just climbed the ladder to see who was on the container. They had hit each others heads.
Lex had hit Ebony so hard she had fallen on her back. When she recovered she looked who it was.
"Lex?" "Ebony?" Lex climber on to the top. A voice called from beneath them.
"What's going on up there?" It was a guys voice. "Spike? What the hell is going on here?" Ebony demanded. Spike quickly joined the due on the container. "Ebony?" Spike said as he saw who it was.
"Great, it's a tribe re-union." Lex said, in his usual sarcastic voice.
"What are you two doing here?" Ebony put her hands on her hips.
"Could ask you the same thing." Spike folded his arms, standing next to Lex.
"Don't tell me you two teamed up." Ebony pointed at the two. Spike and Lex looked at each other.
Ebony put her hand to her head. "God it's worse than I thought." Spike realised something.
"Don't tell me, Zoot kicked you out as well?"
"Would I be here if he didn't?" Spike and Lex looked at each other. They took a couple of steps away from Ebony and started whispering. At one point it seemed as if they were agrueing. When they finished, Spike and Lex walked back to Ebony.
"Have you got a place to stay?" Lex asked, folding his arms. "Why, you offering?" Ebony laughed.
"Assuming you don't, if you want, you can stay with us." Spike didn't want to look her in the eyes, so he kept looking aruond himself. They might not have gotten along so well. At one point he tried to kill her, but that was past, and surprisingly, he was trying to make up.
"Why should I trust you? Of all people?" Ebony looked both of them in the eyes.
"Some things change Eb. Believe it or not, me and Spike are friends now." Lex looked her in the eyes and softened his voice. "You're right. Some things do change." Ebony said and made her way to the ladder. "Where are you going?" Spike asked.
"Well, I do believe you asked me to come stay with you guys. I just hope it isn't a barn like the barracks at the hotel." Ebony laughed and skipped the last couple of steps.
Spike and Lex smiled at her and followed her down the stairs. All three were on the ground now.
"Now for the next step of our plan." Spike announced. "What's that then?" Ebony asked.
"Find a place to stay." Lex laughed. The three new friends, as far as you could them friends, made their way throgh the maze of containers, searching for a new place to stay.
And as a shadow, a large ship ploud threw the waves. Slowly being rocked. It was a massive class 3 cargo ship, one of the most powerfull of it's kind. It was hard to see, but the hull was dark red. On the front of the hull was the name of the cargo ship, 'Memphis Belle'.
The bridge was light with several lights. A signle figure stood at the front. The figure rushed around the room, during the increasing storm.
"What the hell is going on down there?" A girl shouted in to a microphone. She had short blond hair, and dark green eyes. She wore a shiny tight white top, and tight white trousers, made from cotton.
The speaker replied with some noises.
"Nothin much, just scrapping my puke off the wall, and I think Cesca is turning a strange colour." It was another girls voice.
"Just try not to aim for the engines." The girl apperantly called Donna held hold of the bars that were lined across the ceiling of the bridge. The ship was rocking more now.
"God I hate the Tasmaniac Sea." She said too herself. As she swung from bar to bar.
"Well if you got anything better to eat." Lex said. He ate his soup without hesitating.
The three teenagers had found refuge in a wooden office, in the middle of the docks. It was set on large studs so it over looked the entire of the docks.
Spike sat at the head of the table. He had taken off his Loco armor, and traded it for some more original cloths, like a red t-shirt and a leather jacket.
"I'll have it then." He said, he had already finished his food. He made a grab for the bowl but Ebony quickly pulled it back to herself.
"Hunger rules over taste?" Lex smirked. He continued eating he soup. Spike drew out some cards from a pocket. "Poker anyone?" He said, holding the cards up. Lex and Ebony finished their soups and started playing poker, with bottle caps as chips. They kept it up till long past midnight.
Lex put his feet up on the table. Across from him was Ebony, behind her a window. To Lex' right sat Spike holding his cards. Lex peered past Ebony through the window. It looked straight over the container yard. The wind had picked up and it had start to rain. There was also some lightning going on. When several flashes appeared, he thought he saw something on one of the containers.
Lex squinted his eyes, trying to look further. Lightning flashes light the sky again, Lex saw a shadow standing on a container, bout 500 meters away. Ebony looked at Lex, who she thought was looking at her.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" She asked, thinking she had some soup left around her lips.
"No, no." Said a distracted Lex. He lend his head to see past Ebony again. "I..I think I see someone."
"You're kidding right? Who'd be mad enough to go out in this Demon Dog weather." Spike mocked.
Lex stood up and put his cards on the table, still looking through the window. He accidentally showed his cards. Four asses and a king. Ebony and Spike threw down their cards, knowing they couldn't beat that. Lex walked around the table to the window.
"There IS some one out there." Lex said peering through the glass. Ebony joined him, standing next to Lex. Spike joined them as well. Spike looked over Lex, while Ebony under him.
Another lightning flash. They all saw a figure standing on a container, his back turned to them.
"Who is it?" Spike asked the others. " I don't know." Ebony replied. Another lightning flash showed that the figure had a raincoat on, and it waved in the wind.
"I think...." Lex started. Another lightning flash showed that the shadowy person standing on the container wore a cowboy hat. "No, I know him, I think." He continued.
"Holy shit, it's... " Spike was interrupted by Ebony.
"Don't even say it."
"He's finished with Zoot and now he's gonna finish us off." Spike became paranoid. He suddenly felt hand slap him in the face, courtesy of Lex. "What was that for?" Spike said, putting his hand to the sore spot on his cheek.
"Listen to yourself. He ain't gonna kill you. If he was, he'd have done it long ago." Lex explained.
"He's right." Ebony. Spike turned back to the window. Another lightning flash, light the container yard. "Where'd he go?" Spike asked, not seeing the shadowy figure on the container anymore.
Three knocks sounded from the wooden door. It made Ebony jump.
"Who is it?" Lex called. He walked closer to the door, and held the doorhandle.
"A friend." A low voice said, on the other side of the door. Lex turned to Spike and Ebony, who just nodded. Lex turned the handle and opened the door. Lightning flashed behind the solem figure that stood in the doorway. Ebony and Spike jumped backwards.
Lex, Spike and Ebony looked closer at the figure. "Hood?" They said at the same time.
"Mind if I come indoors? I'm getting soaked here." Hood said. Lex, Spike and Ebony smiled.
"Sure. Come on in." Lex said.
Ship a'hoy
"An hour or four." She said. Her voice was so calm it was eerie.
The storm at sea had died down, and was nothing but a bit of rain now, and the ship rocked gently.
"Cesca. Everything okay down there?" Donna asked through the ships intercom.
"Would have been nicer if Drusilla was down her to keep me company." The girl in the engine room answered. "Gues I'll have to play with myself." She continued in a more cheerful voice.
Donna laughed. The girl that stood near her was obviously called Drusilla. Her face didn't have any expression. She looked at the clock, 4 AM.
"I'm gonna get some sleep. Try not to sink her." Drusilla said and went through a door at the side. It lead to the sleping quarters. Donna saluted her. "Aye captain Blood." She laughed.
The Memphis Belle crashed through the waves, as the darkness of the night, started to turn into a more grey colour as the sun approached from beneath the horizon.
Lex and Spike lay asleep on a couple of blankets at on end of the small office. Ebony lay on a couch opposite of Hood. She wasn't sleeping, she just looked around herself.
How the hell did she get from tribeleader of the most powerfull tribe in the city, to stuck in an office, with two idiots, who'd eat anything and a swordsman that left his tribe, and didn't even give a reason for leaving. And why the hell did he come to the docks? If he was here to kill them, he would have done it long ago, Lex was right about that. Ebony yawned and fell back to sleep.
Spike began to snor as he got deeper to sleep. Lex was awakend by Spikes grunts. He tried to go back to sleep, but it just kept him awake. He sat up straight and noticed that light was shining through the window. He looked at his watch. 7 AM. No way was he gonna get any sleep now.
He stood up and put his white t-shirt on. Lex walked across the room to the window. An orange sun appeared just above the cliffs off the shore.
From the office window, if you looked straight over the container yard, you could see the piers, and after that you'd see the sea. It was so calm. The windsock didn't move an inch. No wind.
The sun sparkled on the sea, giving it an orange glow.
Lex looked close at the sea. He squinted his eyes to see better, because of the sunlight.
He saw a small black sploge just at the horizon. Thinking he wasn't fully awake he rubbed his eyes.
The sploge just stayed there, and was getting bigger. "Hum, must be a ship." He said too himself, ignoring the ship. He walked away and grabbed a bottle of water.
Ebony woke up, to Lex's gulping noise.
"Hey, leave some for the rest of us." She said and grabbed the bottle out of Lexs hands. He just sneered at her, and sat down. Ebony walked to the window, to see the start of the new day.
She sighed as she looked over the sea. Also, she noticed the ship at the horizon, she could see it more clearly now. "It's a ship if you're wondering." Lex said, trying to do a card trick.
"A ship?" She turned to Lex. "Yeah. What's so surprising about that?" Lex asked, not realising.
"Hood, Spike, wake up." A groany Spike sat up straight. Hood slowly lifted his hat.
"What is it Eb? I'm trying to catch up with my dreams here." He said sarcasticly.
"A ship that's what, at the horizon." Ebony responded pointing through the window.
"What is this fuss about? It's a ship, this is a dock. What else you expect?" Lex asked.
"Lex, you idiot. No adults! No ships! And it's heading straight for here." Ebony shouted.
Lex nearly fell over when he realised the potential.
"Wonder who's on it." Spike asked, looking through the window.
"It's heading for us. We'll find out soon." Ebony answered. Hood walked over to a cupboard. He opened the doors, to reveal a large radio system.
"What are you doing?" Lex asked. "Anyone got a battery?" Hood asked.
"Spike, there's a generator under the office. Try and get it working." Lex said.
"Hey! I don't take orders from anyone." Spike pointed at Lex. Ebony turned to Spike.
"Do it, Soldier!" She ordered. Without hesitating Spike ran out the door and down the stairs.
"Sorry, only tea." Came from the speaker. Cesca began to moan.
"Oohhh! I hate tea." She answered. "Live with it." Donna laughed.
Cesca just moaned and walked back to the engineers office. She had changed it into her bedroom. The noise from the engines wasn't to bad. She did volunteer for the job, but she didn't know she'd have to be repairing the engines by herself.
Cesca lay down on her bed and relaxed. She was just falling to sleep, when she was rudly awakened by the sound of an alarm. "Great, now what?" She said, and sat up. She walked to the intercom.
"Don, I'm trying to get some sleep here. I've been down here all night." She shouted over the engines in to the microphone.
"Turn the engines, off. We're getting close." Donna answered. "Gimme a minute." Cesca answered and ran to a controlle panel. She flipped a bunch of switch, and pulled a heavy lever. The chamber of engines began slowing down and within a couple of minutes came to a complete halt.
"We're still coming in too fast." Drusilla said looking through the window.
The ship was less then a kilometer from the docks. Donna held her hand on a switch.
"Girls. Hold on tight." She said. Drusilla and Donna held on to the bars on the ceiling. Cesca held tight on the controlle console in the engine room. Donna flipt the switch.
At the front of the ship, the anker flew down into the sea. The large metal object hit the sea bed.
The anker chain stopped.
"AAAAhhhhh shit!" Cesca shouted, just before the entire ship began to tremble. The anker dragged along the sea bed, crushing anything in it's path. Donna looked at the speed indicator.
"Six knots." She shouted. The ship was slowing down, but they didn't know if they'd stop in time. If they didn't stop in time, the Memphis Belle would hit the pier.
The heavy cargo ship continued to shake. "Four knots! It's working." Donna said, as she swung on the bars. Crackling sounds suddenly came from the radio.
"Cargo ship. Come in. Do you read us? Over!" The speaker sounded.
"Do you read us, over?" Hood shouted. He looked at the others. Spike walked to the window. He saw the ship was coming in to fast.
"This the Memphis Belle. Am I glad to hear someone." Suddenly sounded. They smiled.
"Memphis, I think you're coming in to fast." Hood spoke into the microphone.
"No sh!t. Give us a minute." The girls voice said. "I'll even give you two." Hood laughed.
"I got a bad feeling." Drusilla said as she saw the pier getting closer. Seconds after she'd finished talking the cargo ship tremble completly. The anker had hooked itself on the rock.
Memphis Belle came to a complete halt, if not a shaky one.
Donna let go of the bars and stood on her feet. "There's got to be a better way to stop this dam thing."
She laughed. "I'm coming up there." Cesca shouted over the intercom.
Donna picked up the microphone from the console and turn it on.
"I think we've arrived." She laughed. Cesca suddenly appeared from a door, onto the nose of the ship.
She leaned over the front, looking how far they were from the pier. She began laughing.
"GUYS!" She shouted to the bridge. "We're barely touching the pier!" She laughed.
Donna and Drusilla ran out of the bridge, down the stairs, and joined Cesca at the front. Drusilla brought a rope ladder, to climb down to the pier.
Cesca was right, they were only a couple of inches from the pier.
Three figures walked down the pier.
Ebony, Spike and Lex walked down to the end of the pier. Donna, Cesca and Drusilla climbed down the rope ladder and landed on the pier. They met in the middle.
"And you people are?" Lex asked, folding his arms.
"I'm Donna, this is Drusilla and this is Cesca. And you guys are?"
"I'm Ebony, these goons are Lex and Spike." Spike and Lex gave Ebony dirty looks.
"What I'd like to know, is why you think you can barge in on our docks, and park your ship, without asking us first." Ebony took control of the group.
"Sorry, but the brakes our slightly rusty." Cesca answered sarcasticly.
"You're not from here are you?" Spike asked, noticing the different accents.
"Hey Don, the guy's catching on." Drusilla laughed. "We're from Australia."
"We're looking for someone." Donna continued.
"Must be someone important, if you came all the way from Australia." Lex said.
"Yeah, he is." Cesca said. "Listen, we're in a bit of a hurry, and we need to know if he's here or not. Maybe you've heard of him. He's called The Hood." Lex, Spike and Ebony looked at each other.
They shook their heads. "Sorry, never heard of him." Ebony answered.
At that point Hood walked down the pier. Lex turned around and quickly waved.
"Hello, JOHN. How are ya JOHN?" He shouted. Hood was confused, but played along.
"Hey, Lex. what's going on here?" 'John' asked, as he joined them.
"Well, 'Boss' these guys think that just because they're looking for a guy, they can park where ever they want." Lex and Spike had trouble trying to conseal their smiles from Donna, Dru, and Cesca.
'John' walked up to the three girls.
"Who are you looking for?" He asked.
"Hood. Do you know him?" Cesca asked. 'John' looked at the others and turned back to the girls.
"Depends. Who wants to know?"
"I'm Cesca, this is Donna and Drusilla. We were sent from Australia, to find him."
"Who sent you?" John folded his hands.
"We were sent by one of our clan leaders, Cara. It's very important that we find him. Do you know where we can find him?" John looked back at the others and then back to the girls again.
"You're looking at him." Hood answered. The three girls couldn't believe their luck.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Drusilla demanded.
"I've learnt I can't trust every person I come across." He answered. Lex, Spike and Ebony felt left out of the conversation.
"What's so important about Hood then?" Spike asked sarcasticly. Everyone turned to him and gave him dirty looks. "Nevermind."
"You have to come with us. Did you get the message?" Cesca asked.
"Yeah. When do we leave?" Hood asked. "Now, we can't waste anytime." Cesca said.
Suddenly Ebony, Spike and Lex were in a huddle. They were whispering. Once they broke out of the huddle, Ebony walked up to Hood and the girls. "We're coming. Since we've got nothing better to do, and I don't want to be stuck with these guys alone." Lex and Spike gave her dirty looks again.
"Fine, we could use more people. But we have to go now." Cesca ordered. She walked over to the rope ladder and climbed up to the deck. Donna and Hood followed. Spike, Lex and Ebony were about to follow, when Drusilla stepped in their way. "Just remember. You get in my way, you can expect to get hurt." She turned to the ship and climbed the ladder.
"Don't she remind you of, I don't know, queen of the un-dead?" Ebony sarcasticly asked the guys. They nodded, as they followed Drusilla, up the ladder and on to the Memphis Belle.
A sea voyage
"So what's the situation?" Hood asked, leaning on a console. Ebony, Lex and Spike came into the room. Drusilla looked at them and then to Hood.
"Don't worry, this guys are alright. I'd trust them." Hood looked at Ebony, she smiled as thanks.
"Australia was also hit by the virus," Dru, started. "The entire world was hit." Spike rudly interrupted. He was suddenly hit by Lex in the shoulder. Drusilla continued.
"As I said. Unlike you, we developed clans and not tribes. About the same size as your tribes. Together with her two brothers, Cara is one of the clan leaders, of the Dragon clan. We're part of the clan. We dominate a small part in the Northern Territory."
Spike looked at Hood, slightly confused. "It's a part of the desert." "Ooohhh"
"Thing is, another clan, is taking over Western Australia. They show no mercy whatso ever. If they don't join, they kill 'em. The Dragons however are slightly stubborn." Drusilla grabbed a map from a cupboard. She rolled it out on a table. She pointed several marks on the map of Australia.
"We've got several outposts and three central bases in the desert. Rumours have been going around that Cara's son is gonna be kidnapped by the Sentors, that's what the other clan is called. Several other clans have joined us, but are very small. Cara sent for you, because she knows you are one of the greatest warriors on the southern hemisphere." Hood looked at his feet.
"My reputation proceeds me." He said. The thick headed Spike didn't understand. Lex clarified.
"He means, they heard of him." "ooohhh."
"How big are the Sentors?" Hood asked.
"Give or take, two hundred." Drusilla said, without hesitating. Lex let out a loud whistle out of surprise. Some crackling noise came from the intercom.
"Dru, if you're finished with giving the apes, their briefing. Could you find it in your heart (if you had one) to initiate the start sequence from the bridge?" It was Cesca. Drusilla walked over to a console.
"Gimme a minute." Dru answered. She punched in several buttons. "How's that?"
"Good, it'll take her about 10 minutes to get going." Cesca replied, and turned her intercom off.
"Apes?" Hood asked Dru. "It's what we call our soldiers. Kinda like in the army." Dru answered.
Lex and Ebony walked to the window and looked at the docks.
"Say good bye to the tribes." Ebony said and looked at the container yard. Lex looked at a wooden fence along the side. He then noticed large silver clubs being thrown into the air. Suddenly from around the corner several teenagers, with baseball bats and silver warpaint.
"Yeah well, say hello to some old friends." Lex pointed at the Demon Dogs walking around the container yard. Spike ran over to Dru.
"How long untill this rust bucket is cooking?" He asked. "Seven minutes. Why?" Dru answered, Spike pointed at the advancing Demon Dogs. They had caught on that the ship wasn't meant to be there.
One of them pointed at the bridge. They saw the five people there.
Hood, without saying a word walked out of the bridge, and down the stairs to the nose of the ship.
"What's he doing?" Drusilla asked, thinking Hood was a complete nutter.
"He's gonna do his thing!" Spike laughed, noticing the shotgun handle on Hoods back.
The Demon Dogs ran down the pier, but stopped about 50 meters from the ship, when they saw Hood.
"What are you doing here?" One of the Dogs shouted.
"Taking a cruise. I suggest you turn back." Hood shouted back at them. He'd put his shades on as the sun was starting to get brighter.
"Who's gonna make us?" One of the female DD's shouted. Hood took out his shotgun waved it in the air, and aimed it a meter away from he leader of the Demon Dogs. He just laughed.
"O yeah, like I'm so affraid of a little pee-gun." A gunshot was fired. The people in the bridge jumped.
A large gape in the wooden pier, appeared, only a meter from the Demon Dogs, who looked scared as hell.
"Later Tater!" The leader said, and made a run for it with his tribe. Hood smiled, and put the gun back in it's harnas next to his sword.
Drusilla looked down at the nose, to Hood. "He's good." She said, and turned back to the consoles.
Hood walked back up the stairs and into the bridge. "Don't you think we should be going?" Hood asked, smiling. "Donna, you heard the man." Drusilla spoke into the microphone.
She then flipped a couple of switches. A large ratling noise came from the anker, being dragged back on to the ship. A large rumbling noise came from the back of the ship. Drusilla turned several wheels and pressing buttons. The ship started to turn, though not the way they wanted it to. The wooden pier got crushed under the weight of the ship, as it turned to starboard. Slowly but surely the Memphis Belle made a 180, and began to move faster.
"Them Aussies better watch out, Lex and Spike are out and about." Lex and Spike shouted and made a high five in the air. Drusilla smiled, though Hood noticed Ebony walk off the bridge without being noticed by the others. Slipping away from Lex and Spikes partying Hood made his way to the nose of the ship, where Ebony stood, looking over the railing.
"What's wrong?" He asked, standing beside her, pretending to actually take notice of the beautiful sea.
"Why would you care?" Ebony snapped back at him. "Because I don't like seeing people hurting from the inside." He explained.
"If you remember, I was Zoots girl, you know the guy that tried to have you killed?"
"People make their own choices. And I know for sure, that you're not all that people make you out to be." Ebony looked at his eyes, as far as she could see through his shades. She could tell that he was being honest, though she always thought people had a hidden agenda.
"You're wrong about that, Hood. I'm just wish I hadn't gotten myself into this, or got stuck with dumb and dumber up there." She nodded to the bridge, where Lex and Spike were mucking about.
"I never forced you to come with me. You can take one of the dinghies now if you wanted to."
Ebony looked down at her feet.
"But I'm not gonna, am I? I have too many burnt bridges back there. Especially with the Locos."
She was about to walk away, because she admitted the truth for once.
"You'll be in a new country, a new world. It's not to late to change. You said it yourself, things change." Ebony suddenly turned around. No one but Zoot knew that she said that.
"How did you know that?" Hood turned back to the sea. "I didn't, you just admitted it."
Ebony stormed off the deck to the bridge. Some one tricked her, and she really didn't like it.
Dead in the water
"So what you think about Lex?" Ebony asked Cesca. "I don't know, he's got an ego, bigger than the ship." They giggled. "I don't know, I think he's cute." The girls looked surprised at Donna.
"But ya right, he's got a bigger ego than me." Donna continued. Cesca pretened to run away.
"Quick, run before her head explodes." She laughed, Donna laughed as well.
The all lay facing the back of the ship, as the roof tilted that way.
"It's been a long time since I've done this." Drusilla said, relaxing.
"It's been a long time since any of us did this." Ebony continued.
"So what did you do in NZ, I heard rumours that you were power crazy or something." Dru smiled, showing that she didn't believe them. Ebony thought long about what she was gonna say. She remembered what Hood said, It's not to late to change.
"I was part of a small tribe, nothing big. We just lived in the forests." Ebony avoided Dru's eyes.
"Hm, cool." Dru layed back down, on to the towel. They all put their sunglasses on at the same time.
The sun blazed in the sky. Memphis Belle, still on course, to the Northern Territory. Cesca sat up, to look for her bottle of water. She find it beside her. As Cesca took a long sip, she noticed someone at the rear of the ship. It was Hood. She looked confused. "What the?"
Hood stood on the steel floor, his shades on. He practiced his sword fighting, but slower this time.
The sword reflected the sunlight in all directions. Hood had to think long and deep.
He was going to meet his son, and his girlfriend. That's if you could call her that. Cara's big sister had taken care of her and her son, when Hood was in New Zealand. He hadn't seen her for nearly three years now. He had never seen his son before.
Hood remembered the short time Cara and him spent. She lived with her big sister as guardian on a farm, in the western desert of Australia. Her two brothers lived in New Zealand. Cara was half English and half New Zealand, though she was born in Australia. A lot would have changed. He remembered what she looked like when he left. She had short hair to the shoulders, blue eyes, about 5"5 and a beautifull tan.
Hood smiled as he sliced the air with his sword.
Cara was sometimes shy, but when she wasn't she could be unbelievably sly. Though there was something about Cara that Hood could never lay his finger on. It was something mysterious, even eerie at times. She understood Hood so well, at times it was like she knew what he was thinking.
A red light started flashing at the right end of the console. Lex sat up straight on the chair.
"Spike, what the hell is that?" Lex said, standing up. Spike gave him a dirty look before walking over to the blinking light.
"I think it's something with the fuel tank, or something." He said, looking puzzled at the light.
"How you know?"
"It's written on the top of the light, fuel tank." Spike laughed.
"I'll get the girls." Lex said. He walked to a ladder and climbed it to a hatch. He popped the hatch open, right next to Drusilla, Donna, Cesca and Ebony. Lex's head opped out from the hole. Dru looked surprised at him.
"We got a problem." Lex quickly said and climbed back down. Dru looked at her three friends.
"Can't we ever get a holiday?" Cesca said sarcasticly and followed the other girls down the ladder.
"What's wrong?" Drusilla asked, and rapped her towel around her lips. Spike pointed at the flashing light. "It's been flashing for the last couple minutes." He said. Dru, Donna and Cesca looked at it, then turned to each other, then faced Ebony, Spike and Lex.
"It's the fuel tank." Cesca said. "Yeah we kinda figured that out." Spike said sarcasticly.
"No, it's blinking because the pressure in the tank has dropped, that it isn't supplying enough diesel." Donna explained in scientific terms. Lex turned to Spike, and then to Donna.
"And for all of us who didn't excelle in shop class?" Spike said sarcasticly. Cesca translated.
"In nother words, we're out of gas." Lex and Spike understood now. Ebony looked at Drusilla.
"So, what do we do?" She asked. "basically, we try to stay a float."
It was a new oil-rig, well when it was built anyway. It was a vast structure of metal pipes and steel frames. A large block of the rig, was made for the crew, holding for about a hundred or so. There was a large helicopter landing pad on one end of the rig, on the other side was a large extending frame, which once burned the waste gasses of drilling for oil.
"Everybody, singing, get off the dance floor and you p!ss off the scene." It was a song that Areosmith sang, before the virus got to them. Now it was still being played by a cd player, on the helicopter pad.
A teenager stood next to it with a golf club in his hands. in front of his feet was a turf of plastic grass, with a Tee in it, and a golfball on that.
The guy wore a dirty t-shirt, with Hells Demon, printed on the front. He had oil trousers and a messy haircut, black hair, and brown eyes. He swung the club back, and then with force forward, hitting the golf ball, making it fly through the air. It landed somewhere in the sea.
"I'm guessing 400 meters." A voice said behind him. The guy turned around to see a girl. About 16, 5"4, long dark red hair, and dark green eyes, a bit on the large side, but not massive. She had a t-shirt without sleaves, and long shorts.
"CJ, what happend?" The guy asked, in a not so friendly voice.
"Someones been using the gas frame for bungee again." The guy looked frustrated.
"Harry, I'll give two guesses but you're only gonna need one." CJ continued. The guy called Harry got completly pissed off and threw his golfclub from the heli-pad into the sea, shouting "BRAINSTEW!"
"When's diner?" Spike asked as he walked with Donna from the cabin section of the ship to the bridge. Donna just shrugged her shoulders.
"How did you guys know how to use this thing?" He asked her as the pair turned a corner through the endless maze of steel corridors and rooms.
"Basically it's like driving a car, you just have to factor in many other things, like trying not to sink." She smiled. Though it could be heard that the ship was at a complete stop, the engine room quiet as could be without the heavy machinery echoeing.
After climbing several staircases they got to a door that lead to the bridge. Drusilla sat in the captains chair. Francesca was explaining some of the consoles to Hood, who wasn't really interested.
"Who's cooking today?" Spike asked Dru, as she looked like she was the one in charge at the moment.
"Lex." She answered, smiling.
"Oh boy." Ebony said, hearing that Lex would be cooking.
"Dru, we need diesel, or we'll be adrift here untill we hit a rif or something." Donna pointed out to her, keeping it quiet enough not to let the others hear.
"We haven't got a choice. The best chance we got is that another ship comes by and we hijack it."
Hood walked over from the consoles to Dru and Donna.
"How about a oil rig?" He asked.
"We'd have to get there first. And even if we did, they have oil, not diesel." Donna explained.
"But oil rigs need power, and supplies. They should have some kinda form of transport, to get their supplies."
"Yeah, but who'd be mad enough to live on an oil rig in the Tasman Sea?" Dru asked.
"There should still something leftover if there were only adults there." Hood continued.
"Okay genius, but how the hell are we gonna get there?" Donna asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"You're the engineer, you think of something." Hood walked off, back to Francesca.
A bell sounded around the ship. The people on the bridge jumped in to action.
"What's going on?" Ebony demanded, entering the bridge from the roof.
Lex entered from a door at the back of the bridge. They all looked questionable at him.
"What? You got a better diner bell?" He said, looking at them. The crew on the bridge relaxed, and followed Lex to the canteen. There on a metal table, were several plates, with beans in sauce, sausages, and what looked like carrots. They gathered around and started munching down the food Lex had prepared. He just stood there looking at them.
"Gee? I think you like my cooking Ebony." He said, looking at her, who suddenly slowed down eating, and had gave a less interested look at her food. Lex sat down with them and started eating his food, he then looked disgusted and grabbed some salt.
"Needs more salt." He said and sprinkled some on his food.
"You seen Stew?" Harry asked him. "Umm." He said in a deep voice. "Last I saw him he was gathering some ropes from the gas frame." That's all Harry needed to know and started walking in the other guys direction.
Seeing Harry walk his way the guy known as Brainstew quickly turned around and started running back to where he came from. As soon as Harry turned the corner he saw Brainstew.
"Brainstew!!!" He shouted and started running after him. Brainstew got a worried look on his face and tried to run faster, though the weight of the bungee rope was slowing him down. Harry quickly caught of with him.
He ran up from behind the fleeing and jumped on to him. Harry quickly turned Brainstew around, so that as he lay there he could see the fuming red head.
"How many times do I tell you?" Harry said, grabbing the rope from Brainstews shoulder, and putting it around his own. "If you want to go jumping, get your own rope!" Harry let Brainstew go and started walking down the corridor.
"Gees Harry, lighten up man. It's not like this place is exploding with adventure. I was BORED!" Brainstew replied, but Harry had already left.
Dusting himself off, CJ and the big black guy came and stood behind Brainstew.
"Ya think that rod will ever get out of his ass?" CJ asked, watching Harry storm off.
"Don't matter." Brainstew said, turning around to CJ and the other guy. "Papa Bear. Stormrider ready?" The black guy nodded. "She'll be ready by tommorow morning." He said in his deep voice.
"Great. Anyone wanna come?" Brainstew asked. "I'll come." CJ volunteered, not knowing how Brainstew drives the small zodiac boat. "I'm to big, I'd sink it." Papa Bear said.
"Right then. I'll see you at 5." Brainstew said and started walking to his cabin. CJ looked surprised at him. "5? As in the am?"
"Well what time did expect? If Harry found out he'd kill me. That or let me bungee off the frame without out the rope!" Brainstew said over his shoulder and then laughed.
Darkness revealed in dreams
"Don't want to talk about it." She replied in a harse and cold voice.
"Some things you need to talk about." Hood said as he made himself comfortable. He knew that there was something troubeling Dru. The moon reflected some light off ocean.
"Nothing like a clear sky to clear a conscience." He continued.
"I don't have to tell you anything." Beginning to make move to leave, but Hood looked at her through his pitch black shades, that made her stay.
"You don't have to, but you want to, don't you?" Dru sat down next to him.
"Nothing you know could compare to what I did." She began, though Hood quickly broke her off.
"You'd be surprised." He smiled, which made Dru smile. "Back at Sydney, before we were gonna steal this ship, we made a detour to a clan gathering in the opera house. It was just another market, but we were low on supplies. Not having anything to trade, we just nicked most of what we're wearing now."
"Doesn't sound to bad." "I'm not yet finished. A fight broke out with us in the middle. Donna and Cesca couldn't escape, as they were being held by three of my oldest friends I had just met again.
I grabbed the closest knife there was, and slit their throats." She paused with a creepy silence.
"They were friends of mine, and I coldly killed them. Without a thought."
"If someone feels guilty after killing, then it's not cold murder ya know."
"I still killed them." Dru leaned forward and watched the silent ocean.
"Sometimes things change, people change. And not always for the better."
"But I don't want to change." "Not you, those friends of yours that you killed." Hood smiled, seeing the relief in Dru's face.
"Thanks." Dru said and stood. She start walking over the roof and down the hatch in to the bridge.
Hood sighed to himself. "Why am I such a good shrink?" He asked himself and also went down the hatch. On his way to his cabin, Hood began to feel slightly dizzy. Thinking he was just sleepy he moved on. Though the further he got the further his head started to hurt.
It had grown from a slight migrane to a regular headache, untill it felt his head was gonna burst.
Hood slowly fell to the ground. He was only just able to lean himself against the wall.
He held his hands to his head, but it didn't stop. Suddenly it felt like there was someone else in his head. He felt emotions, though they weren't his. Pain, anger, but most of all fear.
Ebony walked around the corner, and saw Hood leaning against the wall, squirming in pain.
She quickly ran to him, and looked at him.
"Hood? HOOD!" She said, trying to get through to him. Slowly, as Ebony tried to convert him, Hood started to calm down. The shaking in his head, calmed down. But as the pain dissapeared, Hood became unconscious, and slumped to the metal floor. Ebony watched in fear. She hesitated for a moment. She thought quickly what to do. Deciding he'd be better of in his room, which was just around a corner, she lifted Hood by the shoulders. She slowly but surely dragged him over the floor.
"Dam it Hood. Either you've got to get rid of some fat, or that sword." She puffed.
Finally she got him to his room, and had layed him on his bed. She took up a seat beside him, and just looked at his unconscious body. He was still breathing.
'What could have done this to him?' She thought to herself. Then she realised something. She actually was worried about him, about some one else besides herself. It was an eerie feeling, she was actually changing, as she told Zoot. But she never believed she would. She kept an eye on Hood while she continued to think things out in her head.
"Not again, can't you guys just send a letter or something else?" Hood said, as he awaited who ever was gonna appear. From behind him, a figure in a dark robe appeared. The figure looked like he was a monk, though he also had a brown hood, consealing his face. He also held his hands together, though hidden in the robe, as if he was praying.
"Last time I was here, I talked to myself, who are you?" Hood asked, but the hooded monk merely walked around the circle of light, around Hood.
"Listen, if you're here to give me a message, hurry up." His patients was wearing. The monk stopped circling him and just stood there in front of him. Slowly he seperated his hands and in his right hand was a long sharp dagger, perfectly made. It reflected some off the light to Hoods eyes. He closed his eyes for a second, but when he opened them again, he saw that the Monk had stabbed him, though that's what he thought. Hood looked down to his side where his wound should have been, but the dagger wasn't even touching him. Slowly blood trickled down the dagger.
Hood turned around to see the source of the blood. He saw a short girl, with blond hair to her shoulders, blue eyes and she wore, dark yellow jeans, and a tight yellow t-shirt. The dagger had stabbed her perfectly in the stomach.
Hood tilted his head. "Cara?" He wondered, though the image of the girl dissapeared. In rage Hood turned to the monk he slowly put the bloody dagger back in his sleave. Hood stepped forward and ripped the Hood off the monks head, though as soon as he touched the fabrice, the figure collapsed into a pile on the ground. All there was, was a brown robe, and a letter on the top.
Hood picked it up and read it. "Soon." It said, as quickly as he read it, the bright light above Hood dissapeared, and then there was nothing but darkness.
The last scene kept playing over and over in Hoods mind. Every time he said the same, every time the same blood. Over and over.
The little speedboat nearly flew over each wave on the ocean as the orange sun glowed in the horizon.
Brainstew stood at the front, holding the wheel in one hand and the throttle in the either. He pulled the throttle back and the speeboat slowed down to a nice stop, still rocking on some of the waves though. "What's wrong?" CJ asked. Brainstew turned to her as he cleaned his glasses with his t-shirt.
She smiled. She then looked over the ocean, watching the sun rise.
"Kinda nice isn't it?" She asked. Brainstew sat down next to her. "What is that?" CJ asked, pointing to what Brainstew thought was a formation of islands.
"Those are the Derran Islands." He answered. CJ shook her head. "Not those." She aligned her pointing arm with his head. "That." They both focused on a large black object, sitting on the ocean, still. Brainstew moved from the side of the boat to the boats throttle and wheel. He turned the engine back on and turned the boat towards the large object. "What ya think it is?" CJ asked, sitting down next to him. "Better find out, hadn't we?" He smiled and pushed the speed boats speed to it's max.
"Hood? Can you here me?" It stopped for a moment but continued. "Here, this should help."
A chillin dampness was layed upon his head. In his mind he slowly got out of the scene that was replaying for a while. He remembered what had happend.
Without realising he opened his eyes. "Hood? You in there?" He looked upwards. He saw a girl with braids. "Ebony?" His voice was dry, and quiet. Ebony smiled as she saw him look at her.
"Welcome back to reality." She said. Hood sat up quickly but the disorientation made him dizzy. "Easy, tiger." Ebony said, and slowly pushed Hood back down on the bed.
"What happend?" He asked, putting his hands to his head. "You tell me. I found you in the corridor, looked like you were having a seisure. I dragged you back to your room." She explained.
Hood then realised what the dream meant.
"The monk, the dagger....Cara." He blurred out. Ebony looked confused at him.
"He's gonna kill her."
"Who's gonna kill who?" Ebony asked.
"The monk. He's going to kill me, but he'll kill Cara instead." Hood forced himself to sit up. The nausia had stopped. He looked at Ebony.
"Eb, you have to promise not to tell anyone what has just happend."
"Why?"
"Because if they found out, they'd get hurt as well." Hood looked around and found his sword beneath his bed. He quickly put it in it's harnas on his back, and slowly stood up.
"What can we do now?" Ebony asked, standing beside Hood.
"Wait, it's all we can do." He put his shades on and walk out of his cabin followed by Ebony.
As CJ continued to contact the Memphis Belle, Brainstew looked at the side of the ship, as they were circeling the ship. Finally there was a response.
"Memphi.....no...power....need...assistance..." That's all that came out of the speaker.
Brainstew looked up at the nose of the ship. He suddenly saw a girl standing over the edge, searching the horizon, but she should have loked straight down. Brain shouted out.
"Hey lady! Down here!" The girl looked down. She was definitly pleased to she them.
Donna quickly picked up a rope ladder and threw it down the side of the ship. The stormrider pulled up along side and CJ tied it to the ladder. Brainstew and CJ climbed the ladder. As they reached the top, several people had gathered.
"Howdy." Brainstew greated, slightly nervous. CJ asked. "You said you needed assistance?"
"Yes. We've run out of diesel and we need to get to Queensland." Drusilla bluntly explained.
"Well how many of you are there?" Brainstew asked. "Seven." Dru answered.
CJ and Brainstew started whispering.
"We think we can help. You have a rescue boat on board or a dinghie?" CJ asked.
"Yeah, but no gas." Donna answered.
"Well our boat can hold four, and we can tow the dinghie with five in there." Brainstew said.
Spike interrupted. "We're 70 miles from the coast!" Brainstew looked at him with piercing eyes, Spike backed off. "We happen to live on a oil rig about 10 miles away. We can take you there and then you can hop on a supply ship to the coast."
The ships crew start talking. Finally a decision had been made. Hood stepped forward.
"Okay, sounds like a plan. Give us half an hour and we'll be ready." Hood said. Brainstew and him shook hands, and the crew walked off, to gather their stuff.
"Harry is gonna go nuclear." CJ suddenly reminded Brainstew. He just smiled in response.
"I know."
"Not sure, but as long as we can get back to the Coyotes I'll be happy." She answered. Donna put the last book in her back pack, and followed Cesca out of the room.
They met up with Ebony, Dru and Hood, who were waiting for Spike and Lex to finish getting the dinghy. "There they are." Ebony said as she gazed at the large inflated boat with human legs.
Everyone laughed as they saw Lex and Spike walk weird. They did a special walk as well. Two stepes forward and one back. It took a while but they got to the others.
He turned back to the throttle lever and quickly pushed it forward. The Stormrider jumped forward.
The rope between the dinghy and the Stormrider tightened, and it was pulled forward with tremendous force. Everyone but Hood had trouble holding on to the sides of the dinghy as it bounced over the waves made by the Stormrider.
"I hope you guys know how to swim." Hood asked the others, smilling. They all looked at each other with worried faces. Lex turned to Hood, with a pityfull face. "I can't..."
A new friend and an old enemy
Donna had an accident on the oilrig and broke her leg, she couldn't make the rest of the journey.
They had secured some transport in a village. Hood had stolen a Harley as usuall. The rest of them had gotten three dune buggies. The group made a hasty escape from the village and they lost the pursuing tribes.
Hood drove up in front of the three dune buggies. Lex and Spike sat in the first, then Dru and Ebony and then Cesca and Brainstew. The buggies were tight, but comfy.
It was about midday, the hottest time of day in Australia.
Hood looked in front of him. The waves of heat, rising off the road were hypnotising. He then noticed something else in the distance, which was more attractive. A service station. And a big one as well.
He held his hand in the air to get the attention of the others, he then pointed at the service station.
Everyone smiled as they saw an oppertunity to fill up and stretch their legs.
Hood lead them on to the massive parking lot. It mostly empty, except for some cars with skeletons and ten trucks at the back. Hood slowly drove passed the cars, looking inside.
"Never had a chance." As he noticed that they were all adult skeletons.
He stopped the stolen Harley in front of the Petrol station. So did the others.
He jumped off his bike and looked around. "Spike, fill the buggies and my bike." Hood ordered.
Spike walked up to him. "I ain't your slave. I'm just on this ride because of Ebony and Lex."
Hood then took out his sword, and leaned on it. "I do believe you owe me after that baseball bat in my back?" Spike looked disgusted but did what he was told. Hood swung the sword back into it's harnas.
"I'm gonna check out the cafe." Ebony said. "I'm coming, I need the little girls room." Cesca said smiling and ran after Ebony. Brainstew and Lex looked around the parking lot.
"Lex, aren'tt those C&A trucks?" Brainstew said pointing at two trucks. "Yeah, let's have a look." He answered and ran over to the trucks.
Hood and Dru checked out the shop. Hood noticed the freezer, which was still full of drinks and water. He opened the door, but some water splash out on to his boots and trousers. A bit embarished he looked around for some kitchen towels or something. He was glad to see some truckers clothing on a shelf, among which, some boots and jeans. He quickly grabbed them and made his way in to a back room. He popped his head around the corner to Dru. "Don't look." He said and closed the door.
Dru just smiled, and walked around the shop. She picked up a bottle of cola and took a sip.
Hood returned in to the shop. The boots and trousers were nearly the same. Though he had also ripped of the sleaves of his leather black raincoat, and his t-shirt.
"Nice." Dru said. Hood smiled. They walked back outside with the bottles of water and cola. Hood put the bottles on the back of the dune buggies. Brainstew and Lex came walking back to the dune buggies. Hood noticed the new clothing. Lex wore a white T-shirt and blue jeans and cowboy boots.
Brainstew wore baggy skater trousers and a bright orange T-shirt with a black nuclear sign on it.
Spike finished filling the last of the buggies and walked into the store.
"We're ready, what about the girls?" Lex asked, putting on a pair of sunglasses.
"As soon as Ebony and Cesca get back we can leave." Dru answered.
Suddenly they heard a scream. It sounded like Cesca. Hood looked at Dru.
"Here we go." He said and ran of over to the cafe, taking his sword out of its harnas. He burst through the doors.
"What's going on?" Hood demanded. He saw Cesca and Ebony looking at a girl behind the counter. She had an army kinfe in her hand. She had a pink top as far as I could see, and long red hair.
"Who are you?" She demanded. "Who are we? Who are you?" Lex demanded as he entered the cafe.
"I asked first." She replied, holding the knife tightly. "How many of you are there?"
Spike and Brainstew burst through the door. "Now what?" Spike said sarcasticly.
"You're on my service station, you'd better leave." The girl said threatening with her knife to Hood.
"Or what? You'll slice us?" Lex mused. The girl gave him a dirty look which made him think twice.
"We're only passing through, we just need some supplies and we'll be gone." Cesca tried to negotiate.
"What makes you think I'll give you anything?"
"Because we already have." Spike said with a grin, waving a bottle of cola at her. She looked even more angry.
"You haven't answered my question yet." The girl continued. Hood took charge.
"I'm Hood. Listen if you want." Hood couldn't finish his sentence.
"Hood?" The girl asked, she lowered the knife. "As in Hood from NZ?"
"Is there any other?" He asked.
"About time you got here." The girl answered and jumped over the bar. She then put the knife in a pocket in her green army trousers. "I'm Louise." The girl said.
"Should that ring a bell?" Hood asked. "I'm Cara's friend. Her brothers sent me out here to make sure you got there." She grabbed the bottle out of Spikes hand and took a long gulp.
"Hey." Spike responded. Louise just smiled annoyingly.
"Why have we never seen you before?" Drusilla asked, as they followed Louise out of the cafe.
"Because I only just got back from Indonesia. I get to the ranch, and I end up waiting for loverboy there." She pointed at Hood, who just had his usual neutral face.
"You're Dru right?" Dru nodded.
"What transport ya got?" Louise asked. Dru pointed at the dune buggies and Hoods stolen Harley.
"Those'll never make it." Louise said and walked in front of the group. "You got anything better?" Spike asked. "As a matter of fact." Louise grinned and ran to the back of the petrol station.
Lex looked at Hood. He just shrugged his shoulders. The group gathered around to wait for Louise to return.
"What ya think?" Dru asked Cesca. "Think Cara mentioned her once." She answered.
A load rumbling noise echoed from behind the petrol station, the ground started to tremble. Smoke and dust was thrown up into the air behind the building. Every one looked at what was happening.
"What the hell?" Spike said. A heavy horn blasted sound out in to the air. Cesca covered her ears.
A cloud of dust emerged from aruond the corner of the petrol station, coming straight for the group.
It then seemed to turn so that it came right in front of them. The massive object came to a halt.
When the dust settled the group looked gobsmacked at the massive piece of machinery that stood before them. It was too big to be a truck. The door on the side opened. Louise jumped out and stood in front of the beat of machinery.
"What the hell is that?" Lex asked. Louise smiled.
"It's a Road-Train. Able to travel up a to a thousand miles on a full tank." She explained.
Brainstew walked ahead and climbed the ladder into the cabin. It was as big as room, and there was something like a balcony or shelving at the back on which two people could sleep.
"Dude this place is massive." He said telling everyone outside. Ebony, Lex, Spike and Cesca ran inside.
Hood walked over to his Harley, and wheeled it to the back of the truck. Louise and Drusilla gave him a hand putting it on the back of truck, where usually the trailers would have been attached.
"Carefull, don't wnna scratch it." Hood said, carefully strapping it down with some ropes he had found in a toolbox behind the cabin of the truck. Dru jsut rolled her eyes, Louise laughed at that.
Surprisingly everyone fitted inside, with room to spare. Louise sat down in the drivers seat, which was behind a massive console of buttons and lights.
She turned the key under the large black wheel. The engine roared. At first the cabin shook, but as soon as the Road-Train started moving that stopped.
Drusilla sat in the passengers seat, while Lex and Spike sat on the bed. Ebony and Cesca sat on the top bunk. Hood leaned against a small cupboard behind Drusilla. Brainstew sat on a cooler in the middle of the cabin.
"How long till we get there?" Spike asked. "About six hours." Louise answered over her shoulder.
"Where is there anyway?" Lex asked. Hood turned to Dru. "Umm, if I remember, the Tanami Desert?" He asked. "Yeah just about. It's the heart of the northern territory."
"Let's just hope we're in time." Louise said quietly, though Hood heard her. He sat down next to her.
"Tell me about the other tribe, I mean clan." He asked. Louise started talking in a voice that only Hood could hear.
"There big, about a hundred or two. They're called Razors. They're a militairy clan, when on duty, Razors show no mercy, but follow orders, though when they're off duty, even more vicious."
"These guys got a leader?"
"Well, no one knows for sure, no ones ever survived a interigation there. But a rumour is that there's this guy, called The Admiral, most merciless guy in Australia."
"What does he look like?" Hood stared out along the long black dusty road.
"Don't know much about that either, but I heard that he had curly blond hair, and never smiles."
Hood shook his head. Didn't sound formiliar. Louise suddenly remembered something.
"Oh yeah, one more thing, I think his reall name Jeffa or Joffe or something like that." Hood suddenly looked up. "Jaffa?" He asked. Louise smiled.
"Yeah that's the guy. Why? You know him or something?" She asked.
"I should, I first plunged my sword in him and then burnt him, there was nothing left but a crispy body."
"Well, maybe this guys someone else." Louise tried to assure him.
"No, not from what you tell me." Hood stood up and walked to Spike, Lex and Ebony.
"Guess who's back." He asked them. They just shook their heads. "Jaffa."
"Excuse me?" Lex said annoyed. "Jaffa? As in The guardian Jaffa? The Guardian that wanted to sacrifice Trudy?" Hood nodded. "I thought you burnt him?" Ebony asked.
"So did I." Hood answered. "So what ya gonna do about him this time?" Spike asked.
"I don't know, burning didn't work." He said. Cesca interrupted.
"Who's Jaffa?" She asked. "Just another priest who was leader of a religion worshipping a dead guy, wants us all dead and is back from the dead." Spike explained bluntly. "Oh." Cesca said.
"What time is it?" Lex asked. "About 3.30." Cesca said. "Right." Lex jumped behind Spike and laid down on the bottom bunk. "Time for a siesta." He said before closing his eyes.
"Yeah, you better all get some sleep, it's still a long ways there, and we don't know in what state the Coyotes are, as far as we know, they're in a battle right now." Louise said over her shoulder.
Cesca and Ebony laid down on the top bunk, arguing who'd get the blanket. Spike slept next to Lex.
Brainstew fell asleep on the floor in front of the bunks. Drusilla and Hood stayed awake, keeping Louise company.
The heavy Road-Train thundered over the asfalt. Smoking pouring out of it's exhausts on the roof.
Even without the trailers, it must have weighed at least 20 tons, if not more.
Several vulchers watched the vehicle drive by from the side of the road while eating the remains of what looked like a coyote, but continued when the truck was out of sight.
There were about 8 of them. One large one in the middle, circled by seven others. At the back of the compound was a small field with a shed, with strange looking creatures, hoping around or just hiding from the midday sun in the shed. On two of the tents in the circle a white square with a red cross was painted, obviously the field hospital.
"You okay? You feelin betta now?" A black boy asked. He had long black braids, and dark red eyes. He wore a white doctors uniform. The boy sat on a chair and rapped a bandage around his patients paw. The patient gave a soft 'oor' sound. The creature that the boy was helping, was something that looked like a kangaroo, something like that. It was obviously larger, and had less of a nose then a kangaroo. It's tail was also shorter.
The doctor was treating it's left front paw. The creature didn't feel threatend or frightened as it lay on the medical bed. "There ya go. You be carefull now, okay?" The doctor said and helped the creature up.
It slowly and carefully hopped out of the tent, through a gap in the front.
The doctor looked pleased with himself. He was then joined by a chinese girl, with short spikey hair and a nurses uniform. She put her hands on his shoulders and gave a massage.
"God you're good at that babee." The doc said, soothed by the gentle rubbing.
"Doesn't really help if you're so tense." The nurse replied. A gloomy expression filled his face.
"Every week, they hurt another Roo. Every month they kill one. Every week five people come in with something from the fighting, a scar, a bruise, or a broken limb." The nurse looked sorry at him and then sat on the medical bed table in front of him. She smiled and gave him a long kiss.
"What was that for?" The doc replied, but a bit more happy. "For caring so much about others." The chinese girl answered. She took his hand and lead him out of the medical tent.
"Cara wants you to look at junior." She said.
"A doc's work is never done."The doctor said reluctantly, but followed his girlfriend to the other tent.
"Basically we had a fight, I stabbed him with my sword and he fell on to the campfire. Now the dam thing is that he want stay dead." Drusilla wasn't really suprised. She could think of at least ten ways Jaffa could have come back from the dead, she knew she could.
"That's the problem with guys, they don't know when to stop." Louise and Drusilla laughed, though Hood scowled a bit.
"Still, I just wish I didn't have to kill him again. Thought he would have gotten over the whole power and chaos idea." Hood adjusted his shades and started staring back at the road.
He just watched the open road ahead, trying to think of what he would do, what he would say, when he would meet her again, after two and a half years.
'Things have changed, do I still love her' he thought too himself. Though he was so deep in his thoughts, he did not feel the pair of eyes, watching him closely, behind him.
Louise and Dru headed the way over the dirt road, that lead to the former desert campsite.
Spike and Lex were merely looking at the scenery. To get to the campsite, on the plane, they had to go through a canyon road, as the entire plane was surrounded by a circle of mountains streching for several miles. It was the only way in...and out.Lex looked at the campsite ahead of them. Several people wearing nomad style clothing walked around the compound inside. He noticed that ahead left was a small field, with strange creatures roaming in it. The had short snoutes, and short and thumpy tails. The looked like kangaroos, but were far to big.
Hood wasn't taking any notice of his surroundings. He just focused ahead of him, the entrance to the compound. People were still walking across inside, not taking notice of the group or the road train.
He could see the large tent, which was dark green, knowing that there was a part of him, he had never seen.
The time it took them to walk to the camp felt like an enternity, but was merely three minutes.
Several people in the compound started to linger around the entrance, only now seeing the group.
A girl with heavy tanned skin and long brais like Ebony, holding a couple of towels, stared at Drusilla.
She then dropped them and ran to her. Dru didn't decide to run, but she was smilling. The girl embraced her though Dru was more hesitant. "Dru what took you so long?" The girl said, she didn't looked older then 12.
"Long story." Dru said. Louise then came and joined the group.
"Hey Lite, ya dropped ya towels." Louise said smilling and pointing at the dirty towels.
"Doesn't matter, they were gonna get washed any way." Lite asid smiling and hugged Louise, who was more willing then Dru. Lex and Spike joined them.
"Don't think I'm gonna start hugging anyone." Lex pointed out at the girls.
"Who's this jerk?" Lite said, with a dirty look on her face. "This here is our friend (I use the term losely) Lex, and that's Spike." Dru introduced them. "Guys, this is Lite, Cara's right hand girl." Lex didn't aknowledge her, but Spike gave a nod and a smile. Lite was obviously interested as she scanned him from top to bottom with a smile.
"Mind if I join?" Hood walked to the group. Lite looked suspicous at him. It wasn't often that a guy would be insane enough to wear nothing but black in a desert.
"You must be Hood." Lite said. He nodded.
"Spike, go get the others." Drusilla ordered. Spike scoweld as he ran to the Road-Train.
"Come, you guys must be exhausted." Lite said, and lead Dru, Louise, Lex and Hood through the entrance to the campsite. The people that were running around were gobsmacked as they looked at the four strangers walk in to there camp. Most of them looked at Hood, they had heard tales of his deeds, the Mall-Rats, the Chosen, Raiders, even the Wolves. A small girl standing next to her big sister looked straight at him.
"I thought he was taller."
Lite walked to the center tent. There was a ring of stones around it, with several flowers. The entrance to the tent was marked with a path of stones.
Lite walked past the guards at the front. They greeted her. They held long staffs in there right hand, and wore skaters protection,white helmets, white pads, also white biker clothing. They were much like the Locos, except these guys were cleaned up more.
Dru, Louise walked past the guards, also greeting them. Lex just didn't bother. Though when Hood walked past the guards the kneelt down on their right knee. Hood looked perplexed at them. What was he, some kinda god? He discarded it as being mistaken for someone else and followed the others into the tent.
Outside people were gathering in groups, talking about the new arrivals, and the Hood.
"Did ya see that sword on his back?"
"This guy's insane, he wears total black in the desert."
"I heard he was a Psychic."
"I heard he was a Psycho."
"I heard he killed thirty guys in five minutes, just for staring at him." With those last words they decided not to stare to him the next time he'd walk by.
Friends return
In the middle was a table, able for about ten or so. At one end was a girl, about 15 maybe 16. She held a child on her lap, maybe three years old. It was a boy. The girl had blond her till her shoulders, blue eyes.
she had a yellow top amnd yellow trousers, tight. She looked from the boy to the group that had entered.
She looked at Dru and Louise and smiled at them. The girl lifted the boy up and stood up. Then put the boy on the chair she was sitting on. She ran to the other girls and hugged them.
"I'm so glad to see you guys. I missed you." She said holding them tight. Brainstew, Spike , Ebony and Cesca walked into the tent behind Hood at the back of the group. Cesca ran around them and hugged the girl as well. "I missed you to Cesca." The girl said. finally they let go of each other. Dru, Louise and Cesca stood with the blond haired girl. She first looked at Lex, then Spike, Brainstew and Ebony. Then her eyes fell rest on the guy behind the group, Hood. She ran through the group, and practicly jumped on him.
"Is it really you?" She asked. Hood held by the waist as she held her arms around his neck. He was definitly taller then her. "It's good to see you, Cara." He said, smiling slightly.
"I've missed you so much." Cara said and gave him a kiss on the lips, though Hood was not responding much. She stopped and looked at him. "We can talk later." She whispered and then let go of him, smiling.
"So we gonna get introduced or are we just gonna stand here like Chosen?" Spike sarcasticly said.
"Oh, yeah sure." Hood said. "Cara, this is Brainstew, Lex, Spike and Ebony. Guys, this is Cara."
"We gathered that much." Lex scowled too himself.
"Come sit down, you guys much be exhausted." Cara said and pointed at the table. They sat down around the wooden table. Cara at the head, to her right Hood, then Dru, Louise, Cesca, Spike, Lex, Ebony, Brainstew and the little boy on the seat next to Cara. Brainstew and the kid looked at each other. The kid then stuck his tongue out at him. Stew responded by sticking his out at the kid. Ebony just shook her head.
"Same age as each other." She whispered.
"Lite, could ya get us some water?" Cara asked, Lite nodded and ran out of the tent.
"So you gonna explain why we're here?" Hood asked.
"Yes of course, but emm, wait. Where's Donna?" Cara asked. "She had an accident and his staying with some friends." Dru answered. Cara nodded.
"Well, Drusilla probably explained what happend before she left." Dru nodded. Cara continued.
"Well, it's gotten stranger now. We've got eight outposts on the mountains surrounding these grounds, and none of them have seen anything supsicous." Ebony did not seem pleased.
"So you're telling us that we came all this way for nothing?"
"No, the Razors are still out there. But they've gone quiet. They're planning something big."
"And we have no way of knowing what it is." Louise continued for her.
Out of one of the sleeping rooms in the tent, the Doctor appeared. He was still talking as he came out.
"Now, don't take more than three of them, okay?" He said in a Jamaican accent. A scowl came from the compartment. Hood found it formiliar. He looked behind him. Followed by the Doctor, a figure stepped out.
He had a black coat, jeans, and gloves. He also had a hat that consealed his eyes. Hood recognised him a blink of an eye. "Tiger?" He asked. The figure looked at him. "Hood?" he said, slightly confused.
"Man, what are you doin here?" Hood asked, standing up and shaing Tigers hand.
"Just got here. Visiting my sis." Hood looked confused from tiger to Cara.
"What? Didn't I tell you of my half brother?" She asked. "Yeah but you never told me his name." Hood answered. "You never asked." Cara said. The group at the table were getting confused.
"Don't wanna break up this reunion and all, but someone mind explaining what the hell is goin?" Brainstew demanded.
"Tiger was the guy that helped me defeat the Wolves. He's a mercenary." Hood said.
"Maybe we should leave." Louise asked Dru. She nodded to Louise and then to the rest of the group.
"Come, let's get something to eat." Cesca suggested. "Cara, we'll take G for a bite to eat okay?" She said and picked up the boy. "Okay" Cara answered. The group exited the tent. Leaving Hood, Tiger and Cara alone.
"What's his name?" Hood asked. "Genesis, it means new life." Cara answered.
"He's beautiful." Hood turned to Tiger. "So how are you related to Cara?" He asked.
"I was adopted a long time ago by her parents, though my real father appeared in New Zealand. We spent along time together, guess it was before you came to Australia." The Mercenary answered.
"Where's Dan and Alex?" Hood asked Cara. They were her older brother and sister.
"They're helping at the outposts. What time is it anyway?" Cara looked at them.
"I'm gonna take a wild guess, but I think it's diner time." Tiger said. He was right, the sun had begun to set and the skies had become orange. "Let's get some grub." Cara said and walked with her men out of the tent.
Most of the Coyotes, wore old rags, and bright clothing. Most of them wore red, yellow, white or any other light colour of clothing. Most of the guys wore skater type armor, all white. They were probably meant to be the guards or soldiers. They wouldn't have stood a chance against the Locos.
Cara sat at the head of the table, on either side of her were Hood and Tiger.
Hood looked carefully at Cara while she wasn't looking. He had contemplated what the rest of his dream meant. Some would be aiming to kill him, but kill her instead.
As he ate, he thought of what his next move ought to be.
"Something wrong with the food?" Cara asked
"no, no, it's great." Hood quickly replied. "What were you thinking of?" She asked, he quickly came up with an excuse.
"What were those animals in your ranch?" He asked, pointing to where they had seen the creatures.
"Those are Roo's. Kinda weird story."
"I've heard weirder, trust me."
"Well, we found them just after the virus, at a Gen-Tech building, they play around with DNA there. Well, we've been told, that they injected Kangaroos with steroids, nothing happend. But the virus came and together with the steroids, made them evolve." At this point Lex was listening. "Excuse me? Evolve?"
"Oh yeah of little mind." Ebony sarcasticly commented. Hood surpressed a smile.
"They have become what they would be in about ten thousand years. Their bigger, stronger, faster, smarter. We use them as you would horses."
"Though it kills your ass!" Doctor added. They laughed.
"We're not a warring clan," Cesca said slowly. "we just want to live peacefully." She sat next to Hood. He looked at her. Cesca was on the brink of crying. "Hey, I ain't gonna let anything happen to this clan." Hood smiled. Cara looked from the corner of her eye at him.
"Come, we must rest. It's been a long day for all of us." Cara said, and picked up her plates. The rest of the clan did as well. They put the dirty dishes in the large tent, at a portable sink.
Hood stepped out of the center tent. He had been talking with Tiger and Cara about the Razors, what they were like and what their stratergies were.
'It's gona be hard, ' he thought. The Razors were about two hundred, maybe even more. They were a militairy clan. They were just like the army, only worse. And knowing Jaffa, they weren't just idiotic drones like the Locos.
He walked with his head down over the compound, he had told Cara that nature was calling, it was, but he was planning coming back yet.
Hood walked away from the bushes and to the ranch with Roo's. Some of them were asleep, the others were just moving around sleepily. He noticed a figure leaning over the fence. It was a girl.
"Cesca?" He put his hand on her shoulder. She turned around. Tears had been streaming down her face.
"What's wrong?" She quickly wiped the last of the salty tears from her cheecks and tried to force a smile.
"Nothing. Nothing. Umm.. uh, I'm on guard duty. Taking care of the Roo's." Hood stood next to her and together they looked over to the evolved creatures.
"Which is your favorite?" Hood asked.
"Umm.. that one. She's called Destiny." She pointed at a Roo with black stripes from its shoulders to its paws, or hands, or...somethings.
"Mind giving me a hand?" Hood asked, he started walking to the Road-Train. Cesca looked confused but then agreed and followed him.
Hood climbed onto the back, and started unstrapping the Harley. Together they gentley and slightly clumsely got the Harley down. He stood next to it, and was about to make his way out of the campsite, then he turned to Cesca.
"Mind doing me another favor?" He asked. "I'm in my tent and I don't want to be disturbed." She smiled.
Hood started to roll his Harley out of the campsite, as not to wake anyone up. Cesca folded her arms and watched him leave. When Hood was out of hearing range, he started his motorbike up and drove off, Cesca still staring as he dissapeared into the night.
A Shadow captured
"Whatcha ya talking about?" He asked. Genesis was sleeping soundly in Cara's part of the tent.
"He's not the same, it's like he doesn't want to know me." She paused and stood still, then sat down at the table.
"As if he doesn't love me." She said quietly, Doctor could barely hear her.
"Naaa, that couldn't be. You're wrong. He has to love you, what about Gene back there?"
"He can love him, but he's not sure of me anymore."
"Well, maybe it's because your so suspicise of him."
"I'm not, I just want to know what he's up to."
"That's called suspicion by the way." doctor smiled as he proved his point.
"What ever it is, there's something different this time." Cara said goodnight to Doctor, and then went to her room. Doctor walked out the center tent and to his tent, he shared with several others.
His eyes might have been fixed on the road, but his mind was wandering through his thoughts.
There was a question he had to answer himself, if he still loved Cara. It had been so long since he had last talked to her, let alone seen her. From what he could tell she had changed. Once she was different, it was hard for him to describe, even in words, but she hjad changed, that was all he was sure of.
Though what he saw in his dream, or even vision, had made him come here and protect her. But would he be able to? The last image just repeated in his mind. The dagger in her body, blood dripping from the sterile blade. But it wasn't Jaffa who had killed her, it's like him to do the dirty work himself.
Then one thing remained. Genesis. What was Hood gonna do? He had never seen his son before, and that moment in the tent stole his heart. His son...he was a father. It was finally getting through to him.
Not only would he have to protect an entire clan, but also his son and Cara.
Hood only just noticed the bend in the road, in time to turn.
It took about a couple of hours, but he finally caught sight of lights.
'Wait a minute. Lights?' He thought. And they weren't tiny either. Massive flood lights, like at a football stadium. He took out a pair of binoculars from his coat on looked through them.
"Large electrofied fences, guard towers, guards and guard dogs, barracks, weapons warehouse, garage and a fortified building attached to a mountain." He named everything to himself. "This could be a challenge."
He suddenly noticed that it wasn't just in New Zealand that the pulse cannons had be made. They were heavy cannons able of making a controlled soundwave and were made into weapons. And now if they were in Australia, it could be presummed that they could be over the entire world.
Hood headed to a formation of rocks, near to the large building. He parker his motorbike.
The entire building complex was also attached to a large mountain ridge. Hood looked through the binoculars to the complex. There was a large steel door as entrance, above it was a sign.
"Razor HQ. That's original." Hood said too himself, and put the binoculars away. He was betting that there were about fifty to sixty Razors here, most of them asleep.
"You call yourself the night shift? My ma could do better then you lot." He shouted.
In the cave were several teenagers as well, but most of them with pick axes and shoffles. along the ground was a rail track. Two boys pushed a cart full of strange purple crystals along it. They were wearing scruffy clothing, mostly rags sown to be clothes.
"No you guys call us the night shift, we call ourselves slaves." A tall boy mumbled to himself.
"What did you say boy?" The angry soldier shouted a whiped the boy on his back. The pain was tremendous, and the boy yet a small yelp, but then continued picking into the rock. A girl quickly ran to him with a small bottle of water, and put her arm around his neck.
"Here Maverick, take a sip of this." She said, holding it to him. The boy called Maverick took a sip then pushed it back to the girl.
"Save it for later, Leonie. Next supply doesn't come till tommorow night." The girl looked tired but did as Maverick said and walked away with the bottle.
"What I'd do for one of Mikes Bloody maries right about now." He said before plunging his pick axe into the rock.
Hood guessed that if they had enough power for those light, they'd have enough for the fence.
But as luck would have it, there were several lose stones between the last post and the rock face. He quickly dug a big enough gap for him to get through without touching the fence.
A short jump over the small field, undoubtely full of mines and up the rock face and over the second fence.
He landed on his feet and dusted himself of a bit. He suddenly remembered he had to be quiet so he made his way to the back of the main building.
The building was made out of tough concrete and was about five floors high. The back of it was buildt in to the rock, so it could be presummed that there was more inside the mountain.
"Nothing like an infiltration to get the night going." Hood softly laughed to himself. He stood in the corner where the building and the rock face met and scanned the wall for open windows of some sort, there were none. He looked then at the rock face, it wasn't completly vertical, it was some what sloped, sloped enough for him to climb it.
Finally he reached the roof of the building. Just in time as well, as he noticed a flash light fly by and over his head, there was no sound after that. After breathing a sigh of relief he quickly ran to a glass window.
Hood looked down through the window. It was as if he was looking into a prison, come to think of it, this place might have been a prison before the virus. Several guards in desert type army clothing walked over the bridges, past the cells. Hood spotted the hand guns in their belts.
Jaffa had definitly whiped these teenagers into a regular army, probably better then the Chosen. Hood stood up and looked around the roof. No way in. His eyes fell on a ventilation duct in the rock face.
He took of the lid and looked inside. Big enough to crawl through.
"God this is annoying." Hood said to himself, he had crawled about 10 or 20 meters.
He saw light coming from a hole in the bottom of the duct. It was pretty big. Hood crawled over to it and took a look down. He saw several children digging into the rock. It must have been some kinda of mine.
But what were they mining for? There wasn't any coal, gold or even silver in this part of Australia.
His eyes rested on a tall teenager with lashes on his bare back. He held a pick axe in his hands and dug into the rock. The teenager stood up straight and wiped the sweet from his forhead. Hood could see who it was. Maverick.
He held onto his hat as he lowered his head through the gap to see who else was there. A single guard stood at the far back of the mine and an empty cart was being pushed by two boys back into the mine.
"Psst.....psssst!" Maverick looked around at first but then went back to work. Hood shook his head.
"Oi, lamppost. Up here!" He whispered slightly louder. Maverick looked up to the hole in the duct where Hoods head was. "Don't look up!" Hood warned. He peered back down the mine and saw the guard had left. "Alright, grab my hand." Hood helped Maverick into the mine.
"Hey, what you doing this part of the world?" Maverick asked smiling as he settled himself in the duct.
"Visiting my ex and my son, what happend?" Hood answered, shaking Mav's hand.
"We were dropping Tiger off here. When we had to stop for supplies we were captured by these bastards."
"We? You mean Leonie is here as well?" Maverick nodded. "Listen, I'm busting you two out, we'll come back for the rest tommorow." Maverick agreed. He looked down the hole. Leonie knew perfect timing as she was just walking under it.
She suddenly felt two pair of hands lift her by her shoulders, and gave a quiet yelp. She opened her eyes to reveal that she was sitting next to Maverick. She then looked at Hood.
"You guys always did know how to lift a girl of her feet." She smiled. "Follow me." Hood said and started crawling back through the duct.
"You cheated." He said, the other merely smiled. He stood up and looked around the compound. The two guards were in one of the guard towers.
He noticed three figures moving along the side of the rock face to the fence. He ran to a microphone and pushed a large red button.
"Three prisoners are escaping, sector 2." He said as the sirens and search light parade began. Several lights were directly aimed at the three figures.
Several guards were ran to the fence. Maverick was already on the otherside and was waiting for leonie who was in between fences. He grabbed her hand a dragged her the last bit.
"Hood! Hurry up!" Maverick insisted. But Hood didn't try. "Use my harley to get to the others! Tell them I'll be okay." Maverick and Leonie hesitated. "GO!" Hood shouted. They started running.
The guards took a hold of Hoods arms. He put his hands behind his had and calmly went with them.
"Safe yourselves." Hood whispered too himself as he was taken away.
"Hey Tiger, woz up?" He asked, just walking by him into the tent.
"Doc, you got any polish left?" Tiger asked. Doc just shook his head and entered the tent. Tiger just shrugged and used the last of his polish up on his sword.
"So, how's little Gen doing huh?" Doc asked as he approached Cara and Genesis. The two were playing together.
"He says you should stop checking up on him so often." Cara said after a couple of seconds.
"Well, you both got a pretty fancy gift, I just need to make sure that you're using your full potential." He smiled and messed Genesis' hair up a bit. The kid smiled and clumsily put it back into style.
Lite suddenly entered the tent.
"C, you'd better see this." She said quickly and lead Doc and Cara out of the tent.
Outside two tired teenagers got off a black Harley infront of the tent. Cara and Doctor looked worried.
"Maverick? Leonie? What happend, I thought you guys were in the NZ." Tiger said, catching an exhausted Maverick staggering. Leonie and Tiger dragged Maverick onto a wooden log.
"We were made slaves, Hood helped us escape, but he captured himself." Leonie explained, sitting down next to her cousin. "Lite, get some water." Doctor ordered, she ran off.
"How are you feeling?" Doctor asked, putting his hand on Mavericks shoulder.
"Like a teenager who has had someone wip his back." Doc only just noticed the slashes on Mav's bare back.
"Let's get him into the med-tent." Doctor said and together with Tiger helped the two escapees to the tent.
A guy, he knew all to well, stood in the opening. Though this time he wore a desert army outfit.
"Why am I not surprised to see you?" Hood said, looking through his black shades.
"I don't know, I've never seen you before." The blond hair teenager said. Two guards appeared from behind him and lifted Hood up, who just looked puzzled at Jaffa. It's strange to look at someone who is breathing yet you've killed him a year ago.
"Take him my chamber." He ordered the guards. Hood was dragged along a brightly light corridor.
They entered a room, which looked like a sultans bedroom, with bright colours and everything.
Jaffa walked over to a throne in the center and sat down, Hood was held before him.
A girl in chains stood next to the throne, holding a cushion with Hoods sword on it.
"Thought you would have had me killed on sight, after last time." Hood said.
"Last time?" Jaffa said confused, but then his face looked slightly enlightened. "Ohh, last time, I understand now." He smiled slightly and then snapped his fingers. The girl handed the sword to him.
"Early 15th century I believe. Europe, and made in England as well. You're British?" He asked.
"I didn't have a permanent home, I lived shortly there." Hood explained.
"Don't you remember the last time we met? You know, the Chosen, Hope Island, you burnt to a crisp?" Hood asked tilting his head. Jaffa started to chuckel slightly. The girl looked slightly worried and walked away, her chains clattering.
"Well, not exactely but I'm sure the Doctor will remember." Jaffa nodded his head slightly.
Hood suddenly felt a piercing pain in the back of his head. He put his hand to the back and looked at it.
Just before seeing the blood on his hand he lost concinous and dropped to the ground.
"By this time he's probably already dead." Lex mused. He then suddenly felt Tigers fist in his face and fell backwards.
"Hood will have survived, he's a good man. He'll be alive." Tiger said, looking at Lex laying the floor.
Doctor turned to Cara, who was holding Genesis. He nodded. Cara whispered something to Genesis.
The little boy smiled to his mother. "He's alive." Cara smiled.
"We can't go. They outnumbered us twenty to one." Doctor said,
"What about the slaves?" Maverick asked. "Well if there as many as you say there are, that would make it twenty to seven." Doctor said dissapointed.
"He knew the risks when he went there. Anyway, he'll escape sooner or later, we've got his Harley." Louise tried to lighten the mood, unsuccesfully though.
"What about the mines? Can't we first free the slaves?" Cesca asked.
"That place is bolted up tighter than fort knox. Getting in there is easy, getting out is the problem." Maverick said.
"Listen, if we don't hear anything from him in 24 hours, I'll lead a force in there to free Hood and the prisoners." Tiger said, hiding his eyes with his hat. The others agreed. The teenagers split up from the table.
Cesca walked quickly outside and too her tent. Ebony quickly caught up with her.
"What's wrong?" She asked. Ebony noticed that Cesca was on the verge of crying.
"We can't wait 24 hours. We have to free him, and the slaves." Cesca explained as she entered her tent.
"Don't worry, Hood is terrible at getting killed. He'll survive." Ebony said and smiled. This being to nice people was really felt good to her, it's was creepy as well.
Several figures were walking around the lab. He could make out two tall ones, but the rest were short little shiny beings. Didn't care much for those however, what he did care about is how he was gonna get rid of that bloody headache he'd been feeling since he became conscious.
"Sir, I believe he is awakening." A young adult leered over him and then walked away. Hood became slightly confused, was this real? Or was this one of those weird scifi dreams he had when he was a kid?
"Thank you Joe, check on the others would you?" A voice said behind Hood. He had only just realised he was laying down. On something cold, that was for sure. He made an attempt of rubbing his hand over his face to wake himself up slightly, only to find his hands were in restraints, as well as his legs and his waist.
Hood also noticed by the bright lights above him, that someone had taken of his shades.
'Someone better get them back on my face or they'll be in intesive care soon' the warrior thought to himself.
He felt a bit chilly as well. 'Great, now someones nicked my t-shirt as well.'
"Let's see now. Looks like calcium is being neutralised and the chip should be working right about....now."
The voice said deeply again. It was to deep and dark to belong to a teenager.
Hood felt a twinge in his left shoulder. He tried to move his head but apparently it was also being restrained.
"Who the hell are you?" Hood demanded, trying to break the restraints, though without succes.
"So you talk as well. Joe, nevermind with the speech interface." The voice behind Hood sounded it like it was moving, so it did. A shadow stood over Hood, bigger then he was used to, since the virus.
"Would someone mind letting me in on the secret." Hood demanded, still wrestling with the restraints.
"Of course, why not?" The figure said. The bed that Hood was firmly attached to started to move, and then became perpendicular. He could looked straigh ahead of himself now. His gaze fell upon a computer screen at the other end of the lab. The shape of a body was on it, with a yellow skeleton in it.
The figure walked around the table and stood infront of Hood. Words could not describe what he saw, except for one. Adult. After more then two years, an adult had appeared. He then noticed the pandorax logo on the mans lab coat. 'Pandorax? Shit, the guys who made the virus.' His thoughts were more active now.
He looked at the name plate on the coat, just above the logo. Dr. Zachary.
"Where am I? Where's Jaffa? I got something to finish with him." Hood demanded.
"All in good time. Though if you want to know, Jaffa 2 is upstairs." The adult said, and walked back to the console behind Hood.
"This is great and all, buddy. But I think it's time for me to get going." Hood ordered. Unfortunately the scientist was not so willing to let him go, as yet.
He found himself having to wait several minutes before getting a reply.
"Hood, I believe. Yes, well, let me be the first to congratulate you." The scientist said, reappearing.
"With what?" Hood sneered at the man. The Dr laughed. It was a slightly disturbing, hearing an adult laugh like that. Especially when the guy had a smile like a shark.
"Well, let's just say that you're the first human to have survived the Adamantium transplant." Hood thought deeply. Adamantium, where did he hear that before? It sounded so formiliar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The Doctor looked at him as he was about to walk away again. He noted the puzzled looked on Hoods face.
"By the way. Adamantium, is the strongest alloy known to man, well to Pandorax anyway."
Hood now realised where he had heard it before. The X-men comics. Wolverine had Adamantium bones.
"Hey Doc, you msut have been reading on to many comics." Hood said, trying to turn his head.
"All science fiction books are based on something. X-men was probably based on this." Dr Zachary dissapeared from Hoods line of sight. He thought about it. He now has steel bones? It was to unreal, then again, so was the virus when it occured, but hey.
'Okay, that explains, why I feel a bit heavier, what about the chip?' His thoughts asked himself.
The younger adult he had seen earlier returned. He held a notepad and walked over to behind Hood.
"The drones are stabile. But number 4 is having respiration problems." It was obvious to Hood that this younger scientist was the dr's assistant, or maybe an intern.
"Answer me this. How come you ain't dead like the rest of the adults?" Hood asked, trying to project his voice behind him. Dr Zachary appeared in front of the warrior suddenly.
"Cryo-statis, slightly chilly, but does wonders for the skin."
"I'll be back in a moment with your mission."
He chuckled and walked away. Hood could hear a door close. He pulled at the restraints once more, but was unsuccesfull again. This wasn't gonna be easy. And what did he mean with Jaffa 2?
'Firs things first' he thought 'first get rid of this guy, and then take care of Jaffa'.
The thoughts were unheard by the assistant appearing behind Hood again. He had forgotten that he was behind him. Maybe he'd be able to get some info out of this guy.
"Hey buddy, so you're Joe?" He asked. The assistant merely nodded. 'This isn't gonna be easy'
"What do you guys do here anyway?" the assistant discarded the question, and just continued reading the notes. Hood gave a sigh.
"What else has that doc done to me?" He tried to get a conversation going.
"Well, guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you." Joe began. "He's replaced your bones with Adamantium, placed a neural interface chip in your left shoulder, and is about to neutralise several segments of your cirlebral cortex." Hood looked completly confused, never being the expert in biology. Joe decided to explain it in english, though was interrupted by Dr Zachary returning.
"Let him find out for himself." He told the lab-assistant. The dr was holding a bunch of clothes and some other items. One of which happend to be a sword. Though Hood didn't recognised it.
He walked over to a console behind Hood and pressed several keys before returning to Hood. Within a second the restraints holding Hoods legs, waist, head and hands disengaged. rubbing his wrists Hood stood up. He did feel slightly heavier. He had to get used to this new sensation. Hood leveled his eyes with the doctors. In an instance Hood made a move to high kick the doctor in the head, but almost as fast as he moved the scientist pressed a small controle in his palm. A fierce pain went through Hoods spine, making him fall and cringe on the hard floor. The Dr stopped pushing the button, and then pain in Hoods spine resided. He stood up again, still feeling some remote power surging through him.
"I knew you'd be slightly mad about the entire transplant and all, but your skills justified it." Hood began to get a slight idea of what was gonna be expected from him. most likely he was gonna be hired as assasin or something like that. Joe picked up the clothes and boots and handed them to Hood.
"New bones, new style." Joe said. Hood looked a bit angry. "Where's my hat and my shades?" He demanded. He didn't like the bright lights around him. Joe handed them to him. The shades weren't the same but they looked alright to Hood and put them on. Dr. Zachary pointed to a small room where Hood could change. Walking bare feeted to the room, Hood was still suspicise, but he wanted to get dressed first.
Moments later he reappeared from the small room. His clothes fitted like a glove.
He had a new black leather raincoat with sleaves this time. Black t-shirt and jeans, none of which were ript. He also had army boots were freshly polished. Under the raincoat he also wore body armor with pockets.
Hood walked to the two scientista and adjusted his cowboy hat.
"So what do you guys want me to do? I can guess that this ain't all for free." He asked.
Joe pushed a small roll table in front of the table Hood was laying previously. On it were several weapons.
The assistant introduced Hood to the weapons. He handed them to him one by one.
"Panzer Hunter crossbow, 6 cammo arrows." Hood took the slink looking weapon and folded it so that it would fit in his coat. "Standard army daggers, grenades, and .45 magnum gun." Hood was impressed with the arsenal. Joe then walked away into a seperate room.
"He's been working especially on this one." Dr Zachary said as he reappeared. Joe held a slink black sword.
"Half the weight of your previous sword, Adamantium blade, and an acid lined edge. Pretty good piece of work I believe." He gave it to Hood, who was fascinated with it. He took a couple of steps backwards and swung the sword around. He nodded his head approvingly. Joe and Dr Zachary looked at each other.
Hood put the sword in his harnas and walked to the scientists.
"But you still haven't answered my question. What do I have to do?" Hood asked.
Dr Zachary walked over to a large computer screen, and entered several commands. A picture appeared on the screen. Hood recognised instantly.
"I believe you know him as Demon Dog Hunter Tiger. He has been in our way for a while now, and I'd prefer it if you could dispose of him." A smirk appeared on the doctors face.
"And if I don't?" Hood asked, though he got a strange feeling of what was about to come. The sudden burst of pain returned to his spine, and fell to his knees. "Oh and before I forget." Dr Zachary smiled and nodded to Joe. He walked over to the warrior kneeling on te ground, and quickly injected a seringe into his neck.
The contents wre quickly injected into Hood and he pulled it out.
"What the hell was that?" Hood said, breathing heavier and looked over the edge of his shades at the Dr.
"Surpresents. They will neutralise the 'weaker' of your emotions in your brain, allowing, only anger and hate to exist." The grin on his smile broadend. Hood though was ready to kill the scientist, though he was only just able to surpres the urge. The doctor gave another nod to the assistant, who injected another seringe.
"Now what?" Hood asked in an even deeper voice. Dr Zachary merely smiled.
"Seditive. You'll be unconscious once more in about 5 seconds." Hood waited for the stuff to kick in, but it took at least 30 seconds before he was feeling drowzy. It didn't take long after that untill he dropped.
A heavy thud could be heard on the floor. Dr Zachary held a recorder to his mouth.
"note: use stronger seditive next time on subject known as Hood."
Warrior's darkness
"You know, that is really starting to get annoying." Dru said, munching down on a juicy apple.
"I can't help, Hood's has been caught by the Razors and we haven't heard jack from there." She said, raising her hands to the air. Tiger entered the tent.
"I'm leaving with Lex, Spike and Brainstew. We're busting Hood out." He said in his usual way. Cara walked up to him and gave him a hug. "Be carefull, okay?" Tiger just nodded from under his hat and walked out of the tent to the guys outside.
"I'm coming with." Maverick said joining the guys outside of the tent.
"Dude, you wouldn't be able to take a blow to gut in your condition." Brainstew protested. Maverick looked at him. "He's one of my best mates, I ain't gonna let him get killed."
"Better take the roadtrain." Spike said as the group made their way to the massive vehicle. Though it was as if a ghost appeared infront of the entrance of the campsite. The figure stood there, his raincoat gliding through the desert wind.
"Thought I'd save you the trip." He said and smiled as he walker over to his friends.
The group of guys greeted Hood as they gathered around him. He had travelled the entire way from the Razors HQ to the campsite. Though none of the guys noticed the change in clothing.
Tiger and the guys reentered the centre tent. Cara looked confused.
"You forget something?" She asked. Hood appeared from behind the group. Cara ran over to him and embraced Hood. He just looked slightly annoyed with amount of times she had to embrace him. Though Dr Zachary was right, he didn't feel any emotions, what so ever.
"Nice to see you to." Hood forced smiled as Cara looked at him. "What happend? How'd you get out?" Cara started to fire questions. "Cara, give the man a break. he just walked all the way from their HQ." Drusilla said, not budging from her position at the table.
"I'll tell ya later, I need to talk to Tiger." Hood said, and nodded to Tiger to go outside with him. He walked with Hood out of the tent. While the others inside decided to call off their rescue plan.
"What's this about?" Tiger asked, his eyes hiden by the rim of his hat. Hood looked at him. How was he gonna explain that he was sent to kill him? Tiger was a good friend to Hood.
"You know Pandorax?" Tiger nodded.
"You know Dr. Zachary?" Tiger nodded once more. "He's here."
"How do you know?" Tiger asked.
"He put a chip in my shoulder. If I don't kill you, it will kill me." Hood bluntly explained. Tiger didn't react. "If you were gonna kill me, you'd already have done it." You had to admit, Tiger was the upfront type, but it was true. Hood wouldn't kill him. He'd rather die himself that kill a friend. "Tell the Doc to get ready. I've got something for him to do." Hood asked. Tiger nodded and walked to the medical tent. Hood looked up at the morning sky. The sun shined in the clear sky.
When he'd get the chip out, he'd first free the slaves, then take care of Jaffa, and then Zachary. He never knew that a guy or even an adult could get on someones nerves so quickly.
"Where is he?" Cesca asked. "He wen't to the medi tent, had something to take care of." Dru answered.
Cesca was over the moon. Now she had her chance to tell him how she felt. Since she discovered these emotions herself after they were in the Road Train together. If only she knew what was going on in his mind.
"Sorry H-man. It ain't possible to get that thing out." Doctor said sitting back down. Hood looked at him.
"What ya mean? If he got it in there, it can come out." Hood reacted.
"Well maybe, but I don't have the equipment. And I doubt he'd let you get it out. It's probably bugged so that if it's tampered with, it'll shock you." Doctor didn't look to encouraged. Hood just looked at him and walked out of the medi-tent. How could he get rid of it? Hood suddenly got an idea. It was gonna hurt, but it was the only way.
On his way out, he nearly hit Cesca on her way in. "Hey" she said in her friendly tone. Hood only nodded, pulling the army dagger out of his coat as he started walking to his harley.
"Whatcha gonna do..with...those?" Cesca suddenly got an idea what was gonna happen.
"Gonna, get rid of a bug." Hood said, and sat on the black Harley. Cesca shook her head.
"Don't even think of coming with..." He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as she jumped on the bike with him. "me" Hood looked behind him. Cesca closed her eyes held on to his waist and waited for him to start the engine. "Alright, just don't faint when you see blood." Hood started the engine. The words only just got through to Cesca, and before she could say anything she had to hold on for dear life when Hood pulled out of the campsite, on the roaring Harley.
"Where are they of to?" Lex asked, as he walked with Spike over the compound.
"Don't care. I just wanna know where ya can find some beer around here." Lex agreed and they set of for their journey through the camp to find alcohol.
Cesca jumped as they transended from the road to the desert ground. She wished he was less rougher with the bike.
As they approached the rock formation, Hood stopped the bike and got off it. he then helped Cesca off it.
"Hope it wasn't to bumpy." Hood said. Cesca noticed that there was something different in his voice.
He walked to under the perpendicular rocks and sat down on one. A scorpion appeared just at his feet.
With a single breath, he grabbed a dagger from his coat and drove it into the scorpions body before it could have made an attempt to sting the warrior. He then took the dagger out of the scorpion and cleaned the blade. Cesca sat down beside him. "What happend there? At the Razors." Hood was to pleased buht he had to tell her. She was one of the few friends he truelly trusted.
"I met some people. Two adults." Cesca couldn't believe what she was hearing. Adults? After two years?
"They were scientists. They tried a couple of experiments out on me." He continued talking as he took his coat and his armor off. "First replaced my bones with Adimantium, then put a chip in my shoulder so they'd be able to controlle me, and then cut off most of my emotions. Whatever you say to me will get through, I'll just be lousy at expressing it." With his right hand he started to rubb his shoulder, looking for where the scientists had placed the chip. No doubtely it was attached to the bone. He found it.
Cesca looked worried as he started to play with the dagger. "You're not gonna do what I think you are?"
"Yep." Hood said, and without a hestitation plunged the dagger into his shoulder. The pain, it was unbelievable. He felt that the dagger had reached the chip. He cringed with pain, but continued.
Hood took the dagger out and put his right hand to the shoulder. Cesca turned away, as he searched for the chip with his bare hands. It was to painful, even to watch.
He suddenly felt a slight click, before being enthrulled in even more pain. The chip was nearly glowing it gave so much power. He found it. All he had to do was rip it out. But the pain was becoming to much, even for him. He started to groan. He pulled harder at the chip, and the power increased. It seemed nearly an eternity, but it was merely seconds. Finally, the pain became to much, and he let lose the most thunderous of roars. It echoed through the entire desert.
And just, before he closed his eyes, he could see in his right hand, the chip. The size of a thumbnail. The cause of the pain. Though now it did little good, as the blood began to pour out of his shoulder.
A small smirk appeared on his face, before Hood fell forward.
Cesca turned back to Hood, who was laying on the desert soil. She was crying as she lifted his head slightly. Tears fell from her eyes, onto her cheecks then onto his cheecks.
No. This couldn't happen. There was too much at stake. The Coyotes, the prisoners, her love for him.
Still crying she ripped a piece of her t-shirt off and rapped it around Hoods shoulder, trying to supres the bleeding. It only help slightly.
'CONNECTION ERROR'
Dr Zachary pushed the lab-technician aside and sat down. He looked at the recent log entries in the computer database. There had been some slight shocks in the last minute and then it used all of it's power at one point. Calmly he stood up, and then looked at the flashing screen, still giving the same message.
A wide grin appeared on his shark like face.
"No matter. We can use the drones." He told the lab technician. The good doctor then dissapeared from the lab and resised to his quarters. It was Joe's first choice in eliminating Tiger. Come to think of it, he didn't want to eliminate him at all, but Dr Zachary was his superior, he had no choice.
"What happend?" Doc asked, trying to lift Hood up.
"He took the chip out himself." Cesca said, nearly crying, and lifting Hood up herself. Together they dragged Hood to the medi tent. Doctor and the nurse got to work at once.
Once Doc had cleaned the wound he started stiching it up, but there was something wrong. He looked at Hoods face. Apparently he was conscious. Barely. He tried to talk. "I ...die....free." That was all Hood was able to say as one of the machines started an eerie long tone, without any change.
Cesca looked at the pale face which belonged to Hood. She then buried her face into his lifeless chest, and cried. The tears flooded from her eyes. Now she would never be able, to tell him the feelings she had for him. Never.
Cara burst into the medi tent, and shuved Cesca aside. She looked at the lifeless body which lay on the table.
"DOC! Why aren't you doing something? Do SOMETHING. NOW!" She ordered, anger first appearing before she whaled out in tears. Cesca looked at her from the corner of the tent.
Cara thought of her as just another Coyote to boss about, even now, when her boyfriend was dead.
Cesca quickly dissapeared out of medi-tent, crying. She ran past Ebony and Lex.
"What's she so upset about?" Lex asked. "Something happend to Hood." Ebony said, and they made a sprint to the medi tent where they discovered Hoods lifeless body.
Tiger put his hand on Caras shoulder. "We'll bury him tomorrow." He said and tried to comfort the crying girl, as he lead her out of the tent. Lex and Ebony watched as Doc covered the body with a white sheet, finally covering the face as last. Doc walked over to the two New Zealanders.
"He died free. No one controlled him." He said to them and walked away.
"We don't have much time. You set everything up?" The figure in blue asked.
"Yeah, everything's there." The figure in purple answered.
The figures ran into the medi-tent. The blue figure in the lead, and started looking around the beds.
"There." The figure said and pointed at a med-table with white sheet layed over a body. They gathered around it.
"Kinda creepy, ain't it?" The purple figure said.
"We've been doin this for a while and NOW you think it's creepy?" The red figure said.
"Would you two shut up? Doc sleeps here as well." The blue figure intervened and took hold of the med table. They wheeled the table with the body on it, out of the medi tent.
"What time is it?" The blue figure asked as it pushed the table over the campsite.
"10.30, I think." The red figure replied. The three figures pushed the table to the ranch, where the Roo's were held. Most of them were already asleep. The red and purple figures guided four of the Roo's to the gate and lead them out. Clumsily the blue figure, lifted Hoods dead body onto one of the Roo's.
With a bit of work it tied the body to the Roo's back.
The red and purple figures put the rains onto the creatures heads and climbed onto them.
The blue figure did the same, but also attached a rope to the Roo with Hoods body to it's rain.
"Come, we must hurry." The blue figure said, and climbed onto it's Roo.
The four creatures knew what to do, and quickly started to hop away from the campsite and across the desert to the mountain range. Only the figures knew what was there, and what they had to do.
They were the only ones, who would be able, to rekindle the fire, and let his spirit breath once more.
For if they did not, they would surely perish, as would the others. They had to do it.
The awakening
It was quite big. Like an underground dome. But about the size of a garage.
In the middle of the cave, was a circle with a pentagram made branches and twigs. In the center of the circle was a stone table, with a body upon it. It was a teenager, about 16 years old, and had black clothes, armor and most distinguishable black shades and a black cowboy hat. Though the skin was pale and his lips were blue.
Five figures appeared from behind a curtain. They all wore dark robes, but different colours, red, green, blue and brown. The fifth one was a light blue. The figures moved solemly to the pentagram and the table.
Each figure took a point of the star shape. Though the person in the light blue robe stood at the head of the star. Their faces were shadow by the hood they wore.
From their sleaves they took a candle. They held it to their faces, and softly began to blow on it.
First smoke appeared from the string, and then suddenly it was light, without a match or lighter.
They held up the candles, and the figure in light blue began to chant.
"Dues, Dia. Reduco defluo animus quibus spiritus. Dues, Dia. Reduco defluo animus quibus spiritus!"
The voice who spoke these words belonged to a girl. The figure held their hands up, holding the candle.
"Dues, Dia. Reduco defluo animus quibus spiritus!" They all started to chant. A slight wind started to blow through the cave. The figures continued chanting the latin sentence, over and over. As they continued, the wind became stronger. Although the flames of the candles in the cave did waver, they didn't get blown out.
Their chant became louder, and they had trouble hearing themselves over the sound of the wind blowing around them.
"Spiritus! Nos voco!" The figure at the head of the pentagram shouted. Their hoods were blown of them, and their faces revealed. The red figure, was a guy, the green, a girl, the brown, a guy, the dark blue, also a guy and then the light blue at the head, a girl.
Eventhough there were no clouds, no electricity in the cave, light started to flash. But there was nothing for light to flash from, it just did.
The teenagers, looked upwards, as the candles they held began to flicker, and as the light in the cave flashed more, lightning came from each of the candles. The lightning flowed into the body at the centre of the cave. The corpse began to shake, and heaved itself. The teenager then began to levitate above the stone table.
The lightning and flashes, reached an all mighty blinding lightness, which blew the five figures away from the centre. When they landed, the flashed stopped. The body fell back onto the stone table.
Cesca, the girl in light blue, dusted herself off and walked to the body.
Drake, the guy in red, looked puzzled as he stood up.
"Did it work?" The body suddenly arched, as the teenager gasped for oxygen, refilling his lungs.
"Does that answer your question?" Lite answered in the green robe, giving a questioning look at Drake.
Belonged to the girl of Spirit, Cesca. And his reaction to her smiling face was a smile.
He slowly sat up straight and looked around. He then noticed he was sitting on the stone table.
They all waited. Jax finally asked.
"Aren't you gonna say something?" Hood then looked at him and then turned to Cesca.
"Why does everything this week involve me getting up offa tables?" Hood asked.
She smiled with satisfaction of bringing her love back to life. She was over joyed and expressed it by walking up to Hood, pulling him closer to her and kissing him. Her kiss was passionate, nothing like Hood had ever felt. So much power, so much love, so much passion. After several seconds she released him and touched her lips. Hood then looked at her.
"I should get resurrected more often." He looked deep into those beautiful eyes of her, and could easily have been lost in her soul for all eternity. He moved closer, and this time he kissed her.
They could have stayed in that moment for all of time, their lips touching each other, holding each other.
Hood never wanted it to end, but it had to, for the moment.
"When you guys are finished." Magice said, in the dark blue robe, playing with some cards.
Cesca regained controlle, and left Hoods lips alone. "Umm.. uh? Oh yes, of course."
She let go off Hood. He slowly started to wobble his head before falling back down on the stone.
The five quickly came to his aid. Hoods body started to shake as his eyes closed. Jax explained.
"His neural pathways cannot completly take in all the stimuli of being re animated." Lite then looked at him.
"And for those who didn't major in brain chirgury." She gave him a cocky look.
"His brain is getting a jump start." Magice explained bluntly. Cesca nodded to Lite, and the two girls lifted Hood off the stone table and onto a nearby bed.
As Hood was layed down, his body slowly stopped shacking. Jax put his ear above his mouth.
"He's asleep." He said. Cesca appeared with a blanket and layed it upon him.
"I'll stay here with him." She said unfolding a chair and sitting beside Hood. Jax, Magice, Lite and Drake left them alone and wandered to their own parts of the cave.
She leaned over and gave Hood a quick kiss on the sleeping warriors lips. "Good night."
"Where is he?!?" She shouted. Tiger sat on a chair with his feet up, reflecting on some unpleasant experiences when he finally reacted to her question.
"Where's who?" He solemly spoke.
"Hood!" Tiger gave a hint a confusion. "His body, it's gone."
"Why would his body be taken away?" He asked her.
"I don't know. But he wanted a warrior funeral, and now we can't have it, because we need a body." Cara started to panic. She was still grief strucking with Hoods death and sat down next to her half brother, nearly crying. "I mean. It's the last thing he wanted. There's nothing I can do." Tiger put his arm around her.
"Don't worry. He will understand. He doesn't need a warriors funeral to be remembered."
At this point the three year old wandered into the tent, smiling happy as can be, not knowing that his father had passed on, or did he?
cara held out her arms and Genesis climbed onto her lap. She rapped her arms around him trying to comfort him, and herself.
"Hey gene. I've got something to tell you." Cara tried to wipe the tears away from her cheecks but they kept coming. Genesis looked at his mother and touched her cheeck. He looked in her eyes as if he was talking.
'Don't worry, he's okay.' A voice spoke. She smiled, Genesis was an unbelievable child.
He was able to talk to people, but they couldn't answer, only by voice. He used, well it was hard to explain.
They weren't words or pictures, just shapes. Gene called them thought shapes.
"You telling me that he rests in heaven?" Cara asked her son. He shook his head.
'He's alive and well, I can sense him.' The shapes said in her mind. Cara then looked at Tiger.
"He says he's alive." Her face slightly worried. Tiger shook his head.
"He must be mistaking. Probably just an echo." Cara just lowered her head, and lifted Genesis off her lap.
"Go and play, okay?" Genesis nodded his head and ran out of the tent, to play with some of the younger Coyotes. Though he knew what he sensed. The only thing he didn't know about this person, was that he was his father. And it would stay that way, for his own safety.
"Royal flush." He said with a grin. Spike threw down his cards with a grumph, as Lex grabbed the bottle caps. Once they would have been at each others throats, and now, now they were playing poker.
Suddenly three white uniforms were thrown onto their table. Spike and Lex looked up at the people who threw the uniforms there. Three Coyote guards stood there. In front stood Drusilla.
"What's this?" Lex asked holding up the white biker suit.
"You're uniform. You're being drafted." Dru answered, a slight smirk on her face.
"I never agreed to join you guys." Spike stood up infront of the girl. She turned her face slightly, then as quick as lightning she swept her leg under Spike, causing him to fall. She then grabbed her wooden staff, and push it against his throat. Lex looked at that position, it looked strangely formiliar to him.
"If you fight with us, you dress like us. No questions asked." She lifted the staff away from Spikes throat, who was gasping for air. He stood up and dusted himself off, as Dru and her guards walked away.
"She's starting to act like Ebony." Spike said, picking up the uniform.
"Who's starting to act like me?" Ebony just entered the tent, looking at the Coyote uniforms and then at Spike and Lex. "Nothing, nothing, nevermind." Spike quickly recovered. He then threw one of the uniforms at her. "What's this?" She asked.
"We've been drafted." Lex answered, lifting the suit up to him to see if it would fit.
Ebony turned around and started walking to her own tent. "Great, just great."
She looked so peacefull, not a worry in the world could get through. She had a smile as she slept. He got out of bed and put his coat on. He looked at the Adimantium sword he held. He knew what he had to do.
Before dissapearing, he gave Cesca a kiss on the lips. Her lips were as soft and smooth as silk.
Hood smiled as he dissapeared into the shadows of the cave.
"Excellent, how many have you prepared?" He asked, looking at the screen before him.
"5. They've each been fitted with a Siege-Omega explosive pack." Joe handed his superior a notepad, with the specifications. A smile grew on his face as he read the papers.
"Send them in tonight." He handed the pad back to his assistant, and the lab-tech dissapeared onto a catwalk. Dr. Zachary the turned back to the controlle screen before him. There were three screens before them. Each with a picture and texts beside them. One name was light in red. Gray.
She saw a black army boot, then black army trousers and a black raincoat. She rested her eyes on the black shades and the black cowboy hat. Her face turned pale of shock.
"Oh my god..." She was only able to get out before fainting and collapsing on the ground. Hood shook his head.
"How do I do it?" He said too himself, and picked Louise up.
"No other choice. Take the Roo's and the Roadtrain." Donna suggested. "What do you think?" She asked Tiger. Though he did not respond.
He was thinking about Dr. Zachary. He had been persueing Tiger since New Zealand. He would never have a better chance then now. Though Dr. Zachary wouldn't be easy to beat. Zachary had been trying to kill Tiger since he had been unlocked from the pod.
"Tiger?" He was allerted by hearing his name. "I asked what you think." Donna continued.
"Hmm? Oh.. Yes. We don't have the forces to defeat the Razors." he made an excuse to sound as if he had been listening. He was lucky, that was the answer they were looking for.
"Agreed. We'll start packing immediatley. Get the tents on the Train. Rest on the Roo's. Better to run, then to be dead." Cara said. and stood up. She sat down as her face turned pale again as she saw the shadow in the tent opening. It was like they all saw a ghost. Pretty good breathing ghost though.
"I don't know. Death wasn't that bad." He carried Louise to an empty chair and sat her down.
"Doc, have a look at her would you?" He waited for an answer, though all he got as response was an open mouth. "Would you?" He repeated. Doc suddenly snapped out of the trance and nodded.
"You're breathing aren't you?" Cara asked nervously. "Or are you the bad cheese I had this morning?"
Hood nodded to Drusilla to give Doc a hand in getting Louise to the medi tent.
"Me and Tiger have to talk." He said to Cara. She nodded and gave Hood a quick kiss on the cheeck, though he showed no emotion to it.
Donna followed Cara out of the tent, still gobsmacked at his life likeness. Now only Tiger and Hood sat in the tent. They stared at each other for a moment. tiger broke the ice.
"Cesca?" Hood nodded. Tiger smiled slightly under the rim of his hat.
"They're attacking tonight. Not the Razors. But the Drones." Hood said, Tiger understood.
He knew about the drones, from the last time he was at one of Dr. Zacharys labarotories. The drones were like the Japanese kamikaze pilots. They were issued old airplanes with explosives on board on crashed themselves into enemy ships. It was also a way to keep the population growth down.
These drones however, were just left overs from several of his experiments. Some of them people, some animals.
"We're planning on leaving." Tiger said to Hood. He looked at the mercenary from the corner of his eye as he said those words. A plan was brewing.
"You're formiliar with decoys, Tiger?" A smile grew on Hoods face. As well as on Tigers.
She rolled her eyes, as she threw the blanket aside, and walked into another part of the cave.
There, Drake, Lite, Magice and Jax, sat around a table having breakfast. Magice though sat at the end, playing with some cards.
"Good morning, cheri." He said in a french accent. Cesca put her hands on her hips.
"Where's Hood?" They all shrugged.
"Thought he was in bed with you." Jax said with a smile. He then felt a punch in his shoulder as he said the remark. He spilt some cheerios.
"He'll be okay. Anyway. we'd better be getting back to camp." Lite said, standing up and putting on a blue jeans jacket. Cesca agreed and made their way out of the cave. They were greeted outside by the bright desert sun. Cesca quickly grabbed a pair of shades and put them on.
Decoy
"Hood, I can help you." Cesca pleaded. She wanted to be with him, though she didn't understand why she couldn't.
"For one, you'll get in the way, no offence, second this is our fight, not yours." Cesca grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at her. Straight in the eyes. She had his attention now.
"You can't do this alone." She looked at those black shades. The orange sun was reflecting on them. But she couldn't see behind them, nothing but a deep void. Hood took ahold of her hands.
"You have to understand. I don't want the responsiblity of you getting hurt. I just want you safe, the best way for that is for you to be as far away from here as possible."
"But..." Hood raised his eyebrow, and she gave a sigh. Cesca eventually agreed. she turned around to leave but Hood still held her hand, and pull her back to him. Before she realised anything she was kissing him.
He finally let go off her, and though she wanted to stay more then anything now, she walked to the Roo and climbed onto it. Before she departed she blew Hood a kiss, but he just signalled her to leave.
"Come. They'll be here soon." Tiger started walking, he was then accompenied by Hood.
"Where's Jade then?" Hood suddenly asked. Tiger then looked at him. How did he know about the singer.
"I left here in Sydney. I wanted to see Cara alone." Tiger finally spoke after deciding Hood was a friend, a trustworthy friend. "How did you know?" Hood just grinned.
"Many things I know and others don't."
Two were Roo's, and three were humans. But they didn't look human.
They had hoses and tubes going in and out of their bodies. One of them had a metal plate on their head and a piece of binoculars on their eye. Another had a cybernetical arm, and was bald. They looked like the Borg gone wrong.
"And should you encounter these people. Kill them aswell. Gray..I mean Tiger and Hood." He showed the drones a controlle screen with their images. Although there were statistics on Tiger, there weren't any on Hood. "Now go." A large smile appeared on his face as he saw his creations walk over the catwalks out of the large underground complex. Soon he'd be rid of Gray. And Hood. Although Hood was a mistake.
He had underestimated Hoods mental strength. Though taking that chip out must have severly injured him. This time he'd be less of an opponent. Didn't really matter. He'd have a special surprise for him.
"I pressume you also know what to do?" Dr. Zachary turned to another person behind him. Although they kept to the shadows of the lab. A figure could still be made out of the darkness, a slight browness. This figure nodded to the Dr. "Then you'd better get going." An even larger shark like grin appeared, on the evil face.
Joe watched as one of Dr.Zacharies most devious creations dissapeared onto the catwalks. Even this one was a surprise to the Lab-Tech.
Nearly all the Coyotes were asleep, laying around the Road-Train and the Roos.
Brainstew sat against the wheels of the truck, playing intensely on his game boy.
Cara kept thinking about Hood. Left back at the camp with Tiger to take on those drones.
She couldn't just sit there as the two most important people in her life were about to get killed.
With a quick movement she layed Genesis beside the sleeping Louise. She'd take care of him while she was away. The night had made an eerie darkness, as Cara jumped onto a roo and headed back to the camp.
She wasn't gonna let her friends get hurt that easily.
"Raise ya five." He said, as he sat against a couple of rocks, about 3 feet high. Tiger smiled beneath his hat as he threw in five pebbles.
"Let's see what you're made of." Tiger said and he layed down his cards. Two queens and three jacks.
Hood looked intimated, but then let down his defence an showed a slight grin. He put down his cards.
Three kings and two aces. Tiger raised an eyebrow in unexpectense. What a hand.
"You and Jade are close huh?" Hood decided to end the game with some chatter.
"Yeah, she's taught me alot." Tiger smiled. He thaught of the many times he had seen her washing her face and hair under the waterfalls. Hood though jus reflected on a previous memory.
"I knew a girl called Jade, along time ago." He started. Tiger tilted his head. "Knew?"
"Yeah. she was a good friend." He began telling the story of the Raiders. And before that. Tiger was a friend, much like himself. He could trust him.
Two Roo's with metal packs on their backs ran ahead of three beings. The Roo's first circled around the camp. The simultanously rocketed into the medi tents, followed by a huge explosion.
Tiger wasn't impressed. He'd seen bigger explosions. Hood as well.
Two human beings walked ahead of the other. With their heads forwards they ran into the center tent.
The two warriors then noticed the bleeps that came before the explosion.
The third drone stopped a couple of yards from the campsite. It looked like he was struggling.
But then it decided to explode where it stood.
They found it strange. Though Tiger had expected that Dr. Zacharies drones wouldn't have been a full succes. Hood peered through his binoculars but couldn't see anyone or anything else in the area.
"Time to go." He stood up and started walking with Tiger to the road, which eventually lead to the Razor compound.
Among the many rocks and shrubs along the road a single figure loomed and watched the Warrior and the mercenary walk. Their face consealed by a dark brown hood. Though in their hand was a long dangerly sharp dagger, glimming in the moonlight.
She looked at a pair of scorn legs, belonging to a Roo. But the rest of the body was covered by a burning tent cover. She looked around. Everything was burning, everything.
The flames, the heat, the bodies. She couldn't take it anymore. Cara had to leave.
She pulled on the rains of the Roo and headed away from the burning inferno.
As she rode away, some chemicals in what was left of the medi tent, exploded. A huge black cloud made it's way upwards, into the sky, blocking out the stars.
Mistaken Identities and forgoten lives
As the door shut, he continued pondering through his mind. His thoughts were conerntrated on one person. Hood.
'Last time?' He thought to himself. 'What happend last time?' He had never met Hood before and yet he knew him. Apparently Hood had done something painfull to the person he had met in New Zealand.
But it was strange. Dr. Zachary had told him that there was someone in New Zealand who was also called Jaffa but that was all he was told. Strange. Jaffa decided to investigate.
He walked over to a mirror and it rolled aside. A computer screen appeared, with a keyboard. He entered several commands and the screen turned on. Dr. Zachary appeared.
"Yes Jaffa?" He said, though he looked like he was busy with something.
"Yes. I was wondering about this Hood character. He said that we had met previously, but I have no memory of this. I was hoping you'd be able to clearify this." The Dr. paused for a moment with what ever he was doing but then continued.
"All you need know is that there was someone in New Zealand that resembles you in many ways."
The shark like smile returned to his face, but he did not directly look into the camera.
"Was? What happend to him?" Jaffa looked concerned at this point.
"Umm...I believe..this Hood stabbed him with his sword and then threw him on a campfire."
A loud 'Gulp' could be heard coming from Jaffas throat as his face turned a ghostlike white.
"You needn't worry, I have taken precautions."
"What do have?" One of the guards asked waving his staff at the basket.
The figure moved their hand to open the basket. For a moment it was out of their sight, but then returned, but with an unexpected surprise. Holding a folded crossbow the figure threw the cape off.
"A surprise is what I have." Hood said as the crossbows arms unfolded, loading an arrow at the same time.
At that very same time, Tiger ran away from the gate, as a hissing noise began. Hood threw the cape back over himself and ducked as the explosion blew the guards over him and onto the ground.
For a second time he revealed himself and looked at the teenage guards on the ground.
"Surprise!" He joined Tiger as he entered they compound.
Before the guards began making their way to the gate, the two intruders quickly hide in the shadows, something they have both grown accustomed to. The guards merely ran by them, not noticing them.
"Two objectives. One you go into the mines and free the slaves." Hood explained his plan.
"And two?" Tiger asked, taking out his half moon curved sword.
"Two is...me going after the good dr. I owe him for giving me Adamantium bones." A grin appeared on the warriors face. He held up his hand to Tiger, shook, and both dissapeared in oppisite directions,
One going to free the slaves. One repaying a debt.
"What is sir?" Joe asked, from under a console, replacing several blown fuses.
"I had completly forgotten about the file on Hood." The Pandorax scientist said.
"I thought you said he was dead?" Joe rolled out from the console.
"That's why I'm your superior." Dr. Zachary quickly looked at the lab-tech, but then returned to reading up on the file. The documents revealed several occuriences in Hoods life. Some from before the virus.
Him moving to New Zealand, his son, Vincent, the Raiders and Shadow Raiders, Karen and Amazon.
Though there was one part, that he was most fascinated in. It had the title: Moondust.
He was surprised at how easy that was. But being a mercenary for a long while, he had learnt to be cautious, no matter what the cirumstances. He had been for his entire life.
There were three floors with two rows on each. Each row had about 10 cells. Taking a wild guess Tiger pressumed that there were about three prisoners in each cell. Doing a bit of maths he was surprised with the answered.
"180? They captured 180? I'm really starting to hate this clan." Tiger thought.
The lighting in the prison was dim, but enough for him to hide in the shadows. It wouldn't be long untill the guard will have been. There were three other guards walking on the catwalks, linking the three floors. Each had a pulse rifle, which were able to seriously hurt someone, but not wound them.
Tiger stood still for a moment. There was a service passage way, just outta of the guards line of sight.
It lead beneath several cells to a service hatch. He read the notice with it.
'Manual cell block release' A grin grew on the mercenaries face, beneath the jet black rim of his hat.
Coldly he made his way through the passege way. There were only two things on his mind at the moment.
Jaffa and Dr. Zachary. He'd prefer to take care of Dr. Zachary first. Jaffa didn't seem so concerned with him at the moment. He didn't recognise Hood either.
'Perhaps amnisage.' he thought to himself.
A brief glimpse in front of Hood appeared. It was like a shadow, but alive. Hood stopped dead in his own tracks. He could only make out that it was someone dressed in brown. He blinked, but the figure had already dissapeared.
'What the...?' The thought ran through his head. He looked around himself but there was no one there. And there was no where they could have hide behind or in.
He disregarded the image and continued walking. Though it continued to run through his mind. Who or even what was it? Probably just a flashing light, reflecting something.
He arrived at a door. 'Commander' was printed on a plaque on the door.
Hood jiggled the door knob. Locked. He stepped backwards and then took flying towards the door.
It flew off it's hinges into the room and he entered the room.
Jaffa jumped up off his seat, and before he realised anything he stood before Hood.
They were about a metre or two from each other.
Hood hesitated to draw his sword.
Jaffa hesitated to raise the alarm. They stood there, staring at each other.
Hood looked deep into those brown eyes. Although he was about to kill him, there was something in those eyes that looked different from the last time they had fought.
'Wait a minute. Brown?' He thought suddenly.
"Well? Thought you were gonna fight?" Hood snapped out of his thoughts and realised that Jaffa had already a dagger in his hands. That was another difference from before. The Jaffa he knew always used a staff.
"Who are you?" He asked, tilting his head. Jaffa looked confused.
"I'm Jaffa. You know that." Hood stepped out of his ready position and turned around.
"You're not him. He was a worthy opponent. You're not him."
"You're right. I'm not." Hood suddenly turned back to him. That was unexpected.
"Then who are you?" Jaffa put his dagger away.
"I am Jaffa. But not the same as you had previously met in New Zealand."
"Excuse me?"
"I believe you've met Dr. Zachary? I've got several suspicions, you might agree with." "Go on."
Jaffa sat back down on to his throne like chair.
"Dr. Zachary told me that he is my step father. I believe that, but not in the usual way."
"What is usual in tribeworld?" Hood sarcasticly said. "Just get to the point, I got a score to settle."
"Very well. I think I'm a clone." This was not a surprise to Hood though. "But not an exact copy."
"Yeah, I noticed. You have brown eyes. The other had blue. He also used a staff instead of a dagger."
There was a moment of silence which Jaffa broke.
"I can get you to the laboratory. From there you're on your own." Hood agreed, sensing that this was not a trap, but a genuine offer.
A mirror on the wall slide along the wall, revealing a lift like door. Jaffa entered several commands into a keypad. The doors opened, inside was a pure white lift. Hood entered the lift. He noticed that Jaffa didn't join him. "Aren't you gonna help?" Jaffa shook his head.
"No. I've had enough of the army. Always wanted to try farming." A slight grin appeared on his face.
Hood knodded, and was slightly shocked to hear himself say. "Thank you, and good luck, Jaffa."
The doors slid shut, and the lift began to move. By the lose of gravity he could tell that the lift was going down.
"Down we go."
Then she came across a door with a sign printed in bright red together with a no smoking sign.
"Crystal storage huh?" She tried the door but it was locked. From under the army cap she wore Cara took a hairpin and started picking the lock, with succes.
The door opened, revealing a room with dozens of crates, with warning labels on them.
Curiousity got the better of her and she decided to open one of the crates.
In the large wooden crates, there were thousands of glimming crystals, so purple, but producing light, which shined on her face.
"Genesis would love to play with these." Cara said too herself and grabbed several crystals, putting them in her pockets. Once they were ful, she made her way back to the maze like corridors.
With a swift sound the doors opened, revealing a large cave with a catwalk. From the bottom of the cave, sveral spotlights shined on the cave walls, giving an eerie feeling.
Hood began walking over the catwalk. It was about 50 feet to the bottom.
As he reached the middle of the catwalk, a shadow moved infront of him. It stood before him for less then a second, before dissapearing. It was the same figure as in the corridor earlier. He rapidly looked around, but once more, nothing.
Hood continued to walk down the catwalk, untill he reached a door. It wasn't the scratches on the door that was eerie, or the sign 'authorized personel only' that got to him. But the fact that the door opened as if it was welcoming him inside. He hesitated for a moment, but then entered. The door slammed shut behind him.
"Look what the drone dragged in." The lab Techy suddenly appeared from behind a console, walking up to Hood. Although he was greeted by having his airpipe tightened by Hoods hand, pushing him upto a wall.
"Where is he?" He asked. Joe denied him an answer. He tightened his grip.
"You know what happens if the blood flow also stops to your brain?" With the other hand, he tightened the skin around his neck, stopping the bloodflow. "First your veins, swell, and then burst and voila."
With whatever breath Joe had left, he answered. "Okay, okay." Hood released his grip on the lab-tech.
"He's in the central lab." Joe answered.
"Thank you, that wasn't too bad now was it?" Hood grinned. But as he was about to dissapear onto another catwalk, the doors slide open. A girl in army clothes stood in the doorway.
"Cara?" She jumped up to Hood and embraced him. He wasn't really happy to see her.
"I told you to stay with the others."
"I had to help you. You can't do this by yourself." Hood pushed her back.
"Just stay out of my way." He turned back to where the lab-tech stood but he had already dissapeared.
Hood quietly swore, but then began to walk to another catwalk, followed by Cara.
Out of the fighting groups, a Razor crawled away, well tried to. He was immediatly dragged back and pounded upon.
Tiger smiled from a distance as he saw this happen. He dissapeared back into the complex.
There was still something he had to do.
"I hadn't expected you back so soon." He said. Though he wasn't intimadeted by the black shades or the black cowboy hat.
"I want my old bones back." Hood sneered. He was on the brink of slitting the doctors throat, but he didn't want to be walking around with a metal skeleton all his life. Zachary turned away from him.
"I'm affraid the process is in-reversable. But, the Adamantium, will continue to replace the calcium. Allowing you to grow further." As soon as Hood couldn't see his face, a large grin appeared.
"Adawhattium??" Cara asked, confused by the scientific talk going on.
Zachary started walking around the lab, then stopped at a console, and faced Hood.
"Tell me Hood. What happend between, december 13th 1984 to ummm...december 13th 96?" He asked, folding his arms.
Hood hesitated. The fist he had for the last five minutes, now unclenched. He knew. "Well?"
How did he know. How did he know about those 12 years? He couldn't have known, no one could have.
Unless.
A dagger
The long sword left the harnass on Hoods back, and the tip was dangerously close the Zacharies throat.
"You did it didn't you. It was you." Dr. Zachary grew a large shark like smile like always.
"Helas, no my naive friend. Though close." He put his finger on the sword, lowering it slightly, giving him room to breath.
"Would someone please tell me, what is so important about Europe?" Cara asked, knowing that's where Hood lived most of his life. Zachary chuckled.
"So that's what you told them?" Hood let the sword away from him, though kept it in hand.
Cara just gave questioning look to him. He turned away from Zachary.
"I don't remember, I don't know what happend from '84 to '96." He suddenly ran up to the scientist, and held the sword even closer to his throat. "But you're gonna tell me."
A chuckle escaped Zacharies mouth. "I'm affraid I can't do that." The blade grew closer to his throat, but the pandorax scientist didn't even break a sweat.
Suddenly Hood saw something in the reflection of Zacharies eye. The figure he had seen before now stood behind him. He turned to face him, releasing Dr. Zachary from the danger of his sword.
They stood about 10 feet from each other. The figure was a monk, wearing a dark brown robe, his hands together. His face was hidden behind the shadow of the hood. Hood didn't even know if it was a he.
He suddenly remembered. The vision he had several weeks before. The monk and him, the dagger, Cara.
"Cara! Get out of here!" Cara hesitated, not understanding. He turned to her. "NOW!"
Cara turned around and ran to the door. But before she could escape the doors closed.
He turned to see Dr. Zachary pressing a button, which made their escape impossible. But escape wasn't on Hoods mind. He was too close to go away now.
"Who are you?" Hood asked, as he stood before the monk. Nothing. Not a word.
Though he already knew what was gonna happen. But he wasn't gonna let it.
Hood held his sword tightly. The monk took a couple of steps. He thought the monk was intimated by his sword. But he was. It began.
The Monk seperated his hands. His right hand holding an Adamantium dagger. It was a reddish colour, though it was the metal itself, there was no blood on it. For now.
Cara looked at Hood, his back turned to her. He was waiting. Waiting for this moment. For the moment that the monk would attack.
As quick as lightning, the dagger was raised in the air, and then flung forward. It was like everything went into slow motion for Hood. He saw the dagger fly through the air. Flying at him, to his chest.
It grew nearer and nearer. But something went wrong.
It missed him.
The dagger just passed his side, and flew straight at Cara.
"NO!" The second it passed him, he flew towards her. But it was too late. The dagger embedded itself in her stomach, and she fell backwards onto the metallic floor. Hood kneeled over her.
she cringed of pain, but that slowly subsided. She looked at him.
Cara placed her hand on his cheeck. This was the last moment. She would never breath nor walk this earth again. She struggled but she gained enough breath to speak.
"Let me see your eyes." Hood hesitated. But he moved his black sunglasses away.
Though as he removed the shades, he saw in the reflection something wrong. His eyes, they were different.
"You're eyes, Hood. They are red, with passion and fury." She coughed. Blood stained the metal floor as it flowed away from her.
"Don't ever let either go." She moved closer to him and kissed him with whatever strength she had left.
Then, she took her last breath of air. He felt the air flow against his face. That was it. She had left.
He slowly closed her eyelids, giving her her finale peace.
The black shades returned to Hoods face. He adjusted the black cowboy hat and stooded up.
The blood flowed over the shiny metalic floor to a figure.
The monk.
Hood tightened his hold on his sword. His eyes began to emite an eerie like redness, as the Adamantiuam in his bones, had also affected the irisses in his eyes.
Turning towards the murderer, millions of thoughts were blurred. But as he looked at the solem monk, they all formed one. Revenge.
With a swift move, the blade cut the air surrounding. It flew straight at the servant of Dr. Zachary, cutting the brown robe in half.
But it was to easy. The robe fell to the ground. Hood moved to where a body should have been. But there wasn't. Nothing. Just the cut robe.
Anger travelled through his mind. He wanted justice for the monk who killed Cara. But there was nothing there. As if it had never existed. But it had too, how else could she have been killed?
He quickly looked around himself. But there was no sign of Dr. Zachary. The Pandorax scientist who had done this too him.
His heart filled with rage. Hood began slashing the sword around him, destroying the equipment around him.
Electric shocks and sparks flew as the sword was strong enough to cut through metal itself.
A fire broke out in the corner of the laboratory. It slowly spread onto the computer consoles.
A rack of chemicals began to explode one by one, by the heat from the fire.
Hood began to calm down, but fire began to rage around him. He looked once more at Cara's body, and decided it was better that it would stay here.
He ran to the doors, but they were still shut. He began pressing buttons on the console next to it. No effect.
Suddenly the doors slide open. A person in lab coat stood behind them.
Assuming it was Dr. Zachary, Hood took ahold of his throat and pushed him back onto the catwalk.
He leaned the figure over the railing. But then he saw who it really was.
Joe looked scared downwards at the sharp rocks at the bottom of the cave. He was relieved to find himself pulled back.
"Why did you come back?" Hood sneered, still considering if he should chuck him off.
"I wanted to give you this." The Lab-Tech held up a laptop carrier bag. "It will explain '84 to '96 and some other things."
With a slight smile Hood thanked him, and released his grip on the adult.
"You're staying?" He asked as he swung the carrier bag over his shoulder.
"I'm an adult. I don't belong in your world."Joe answered and made his way over a different catwalk to a lift.
Hood watched the lab-tech dissapear. And decided to make a runner for it as the flames from the laboratory began to spread onto the catwalk. He took a final glance at the inferno.
He thought of Cara. He knew it was going to happen, and yet he couldn't do anything about it.
What was worse, was the fact that he didn't tell her that he didn't love her anymore.
One more glance at the fire and he dissapeared to the lift from where he came.
"What happend down there?" He asked. Hood didn't respond, he just walked by Tiger, without saying a word. Though Tiger didn't need to ask further to find out what was wrong. He could tell it was bad.
The lift doors began to smoke. Flickers of red light came from the crack in between the doors.
Tiger and Hood saw this they decided this would be a good time to leave.
They left the central complex as smoke began to fill it, followed by flames. The prisoners stood outside the gates, waiting for their saviours. They had captured the Razors and tied them up. Making them kneel before them.
Hood and Tiger looked at the people they had safed. All teenagers, some even small children. Dirty and tired from the time they had been digging in the caves. Just for crystals, as slaves.
It would be for the best, that they did not know about Dr. Zachary and Joe. If they knew adults had survived, they would either worship, or kill them. Although the scientist diserved it, Joe did not.
They all looked at the two warriors, awaiting what they were gonna say. Hood stepped forward.
"GO! You..are free now." A cry of cheers came from the slaves.
Tiger and Hood walked to several Razors who had been tied up. They cut the ropes binding their hands, with their swords. One of the slaves ran up to them.
"What are you doing? They we're the ones that controlled us." Tiger looked at him.
"They have their own tribes. Begin with a new slate. The past is behind you. Make peace."
Although the slave did not have his enthusiasm (none) he agreed.
Hood began walking away. He was followed by Tiger how ever.
"What happend?" He asked. Quieter this time, knowing the answer wasn't going to be good.
"Cara has died." Hood said in his blunt voice trying no to show any emotion. Tiger bowed his head.
Cara was close to both of them. Tigers half sister, Hoods ex girlfriend. That ran through his mind.
Ex.
A new Beginning
Hood had said a short goodbye to Genesis. It was best he didn't that he was his father. It would only get him in trouble. All Genesis knew was that this mysterious man was a friend of his mother.
What everyone found surprising was that the young boy had taken his mothers death unbelievably well.
He looked at his son one last time. This child held unbelievable powers locked away within him, but not even Genesis knew that.
Hood had agreed with the rest of the others that they'd take care of him untill Cara's brother and sister returned from the outposts.
The Coyotes had returned to their home, or what was left of it. Several of the prisoners had also returned the clan. In fact they had intergrated some Razors into their society.
Brainstew picked up a blown off human hand and waved it Spike.
"Hey buddy? Need a hand?" Although he found it amusing. Spike did not.
Ebony sat down on a log, looking at the wreckage and the coyotes, trying to rebuild their once peacefull home. She was joined by Lex.
"So now what? We're staying?" He asked, shifting some hair behind his ear.
"I'm not. I might be changing, but I ain't gone soft." She stood up and walked away from Lex who just sighed. "Women, never make up their minds."
Cesca stood beside Hood, who was packing some blankets into a black sports bag.
"You're leaving?" She asked him.
"Is it any surprise? I did what I came here to do, it's done. Now I got something I need to do myself." His voice was deeper and darker than she had ever heard before from him.
"So, where are we going now?" She tried to sound enthusiastic, although with the death of Cara, she wasn't cheerfull.
"Cesca, there is no we! You know what happend. Everytime someone gets close to me, the either leave or die. It's happend before, and it will always happen." he paused for a moment. "I will never know true happiness." Cesca turned her back on him, angry with his decision.
"Listen. I'm greatfull that you resurrected me and all, but there are things you don't want to know about me, things....I don't know myself." He had always known it. There was something dark about him, that no one was allowed to know, although he let on more then he knew about his past. He just made it up.
Because Hood had no past.
"I don't know what the chick says, but I'm staying with you." Ebony had appeared. Hood sneered.
"I don't want anyone to come with me." He said to them. Lex appeared from behind Ebony.
"You don't have much choice. Where ever you go there's trouble...I like that." He smiled, although Hood did not give a reply.
Three more people that would tail along with him, untill something would happen.
"Alright. You'll regret it. Though if anything happens to you two, you're on your own." Lex walked up to him, and shook his hand. "Wouldn't want it any other way."
"Take care Tiger." Dru said, and shook hands with the mercenary.
Maverick suddenly joined him.
"Hey buddy, need a lift?" He asked. Tiger would need a ride to pick up Jade and Jewel. He solemly nodded.
Hood looked at her, and smiled slightly. He watched as the bright golden sunlight shined on her purple and blue like hair.
"Well, I ain't walking to where ever we're going." Ebony had a point. The closest town was to far away to go in the heat of the desert.
A thundering sound suddenly could be heard from behind them, coming from the camp. They all turned around to find the Road-Train stopping right behind them. Brainstew was in the driving seat.
He quickly jumped out, holding the door open. Everyone but Hood smiled.
They climbed into the massive truck, though when Hood got in, he was surprised that Brainstew did not follow.
"Are you staying?" He asked. Brainstew nodded.
"Yep. For several reasons. One: these guys need a hand rebuilding their home, two: those Roo's are wicked and three." For this one he whispered to Hood. "That Dru, is a icecube I intend to unthaw."
Hood tilted his head slightly, then said goodbye and closed the door.
He pushed his foot down on the pedal and waved goodbye to Brainstew.
"As I asked before. Where are we going?" Cesca asked once more.
"I got some things to check up on." Hood said, as he put the carrier bag he had beside him. Knowing that his past was hiden in there, somewhere.
"When's diner?" Lex asked, after feeling his stomach going mental. As Hood stepped out of the truck, he turned to the former mall-rat.
"Look in the truck, if ya don't find anything, go a hunting." Ebony smiled at the idea of Lex killing someone, or something for that matter.
Cesca through Lex and Ebony an army ready meal pack. Not a gourmet meal, but it had something resembling food, which was all that mattered to Lex.
"Aren't you eating, H?" Cesca asked, holding out a meal pack to him. He shook his head. His mind was busy with the contents of the laptop. He'd only open it when the others were asleep.
Suddenly, right after she took a bite out of a chilli pepper, she started to cough, then she started to choke.
"Whartergg!" She garged out. She couldn't breath.
Without hesitation, Lex jumped to her aid, and rapped his arms around her. He gave a quick and sturdy jolt, making the pepper fly out of her throat and onto the campfire. Though once she had regained her breath, Lex was still holding her. She looked over her shoulder to him.
"Don't get too comfortable." She said with a smirk, but Lex let go. Ebony was slightly dissappointed.
"You guys get some sleep. I'll keep guard tonight." Hood said, after the others had finished their food.
Ebony and Lex climbed into the road train and into the bunk beds. Cesca walked over to where Hood was sitting, and gave him a goodnight kiss on the lips, and smiled, before dissapearing into the Road Train.
He watched her as she climbed in. God, she was beautiful. Especially when the moonlight reflected off her purple blue hair. His mind wandered into the future of Cesca and him. Something was bound to happen.
One way or another she would be ripped from him. He just hoped he wouldn't be the same way like Cara.
Realising he'd been thinking of Cesca for the last half hour, he opend the carrier bag and the laptop.
He switched the laptop on. The Pandorax logo appeared. Follow by another logo, but this one was a Moon with glitters on it. Beneath it, it had the title, Moondust
Designation: Beta 1. Age: 0
Notes: Beta 1 has been removed from stasis tube 2. He is in excellent condition. The final blood sample has been taken and the DNA will be recorded in the Pandorax. The subjects birth name has been chosen. He shall be called, Michael Hood.
Tests also show that Beta 1 has less fear hormones in his blood stream, suggesting in future conflicts, he shall have less chance of becoming affraid then the others.
Next month we will be letting him interact with his future squad members. Of course his superior will be Alpha 1, who is also making excellent progress.
End of report.'
In a cold sterile lab. Several labcoated figures moved around, with chemicals and tubes. Although, their faces were hidden behind what seemed to be gas masks, probably for precautions.
There were 10 small glass containers, about box size. Inside was a green bubbely liquid, and floating within were babies. On the top of the tubes were also name plates and indicators. The indicators showed a procentage meter. Each of them were the same, 99.99%.
From a speaker a voice sounded. "Prepare for birth sequence."
A scientist rolled a large table into a clearing in the lab. A red light flashed above the stasis tubes.
The liquid was pumped out of the tubes, and the babies started to cry.
Each baby was taken out of the tube and placed upon the table, with blankets on it.
As the table, with all ten of the babies was rolled out of the laboratory, one baby stopped crying, and just looked at the lights above him on the ceiling, going by.
Lex's nose twitched at first. Ebony did it again. He shot up straight. He then fell back down on the bed when he hit his head on the top bunk above him. He let out a moan and put his hands to the bruise on his forehead. Ebony snuck out of the truck, before Lex could realise that it was her fault.
"Cesca, hand me that wrench." He held his hand out as his head was somewhere in the engine. She hesitated handing it to him. "Please?" She smiled and handed the wrench to him.
"Now that wasn't too hard now was it?" A grumph came from the warrior, deep in trying to repair the engine.
It had been about a week of travelling. Ebony and Lex weren't getting along much lately. They were starting to bicker about the old times, when she held him captive at the hotel and stuffed the antidote down his throat. Ebony though was complaining about the lousy job he did as security chief at the market. He was doing more of the stealing then the thieves, together with KC.
Hood was still a puzzle. Every night he was on guard duty, he was reading up on his past. Day by day. What he did not know was that Cesca was watching him intensly reading the computer screen.
She was worried about him. He kept his past to secret, as if it was something to be ashamed off. Maybe it was.
The four travellers had nearly reached Darwin. There, they heard about an airport, that is still being used, though recklessly. Lex and Ebony couldn't care less where they were going, though Hood had not told Ebony that they would be taking an airplane to Hong Kong, as he had a suspicion that she had a fear off flying. Cesca though would have loved to go somewhere exotic for a while. Obviously she had never been to New Zealand. But for Hood it was a bit more complicated. he had to find the place he was born.
he had an incredible urge for getting there. The problem was, he had not yet discovered where.
All he knew, was that it was north.
"Well that's it. This thing has no gas and it's completly shot." Hood had finally given up on trying to fix the engine. He adjusted his hat after he closed the hood on the truck.
"How much water we got left?" Lex asked, throwing a smaller empty bottle away. Cesca tilted her head in disapproval.
"Enough for three days." Ebony answered him, checking through the back pack with bottles.
A moment of silence, before Hood returned from getting the last of his things from the truck.
"So what now?" Ebony asked. He looked at her and then started walking. Ebony looked confused.
"You got legs don't you?" Cesca asked sarcasticly, and picked up her back pack, and caught with Hood.
Ebony looked at Lex in a questioning look. He just shrugged and picked up his back pack and also started walking. she shook her head as she also picked her bags up and followed the others.
"I must be going mad."