Trask Tries Again

It had been over 12 hours since the battle. The Joes knew that Trask would attack again. Still it didn't help that two of their own were missing.

"I'm really worried about them," Lance said to Willow. He looked over at Todd, Xi and Wanda. "Those three are taking it the worst."

"Can't they track them down with the homing devices they wear?" Willow asked.

"No," Lance sighed. "Somehow Cobra's blocking it!" He hit his fist in his palm.

Willow took his hand. "You have to have hope," She told him. "Come with me."

She took him to a small alcove. There were several candles. "Here," She gave him a match. "We call these hope candles. Light one and make a wish. Pray for the best. It will help. If it comes true the light will go out on it's own."

"Okay," Lance shrugged. He did so. Immediately the candle went out. "Is that good?"

"I don't know," she blinked. "It's never happened before."

Suddenly an alarm sounded. "We're under attack!" Willow cried.

"You stay here!" Lance told her. "We'll take care of this!"

"No," Willow shook her head. "I may not be an Outrider like my father, but I have powers like his! This is my home and I must do what I can to defend it! Come on!" They raced outside.

"Oh great!" Lance groaned as he saw the huge Sentinel wander towards the village. "Just what we need!"

"Willow!" Thorn cried out. "Help me girl! Maybe we can slow it down!"

"Right!" Immediately both of them used their powers to entangle the Sentinel with vines and plants.

Just as they did so dozens of soldiers ran out shooting at them. The Eloi scattered in fear.

"Run everyone!" Mole shouted. He quickly dug a hole in the ground and several young Eloi followed him. One soldier stuck his weapon down the barrel. However he didn't see Mole pop up in a hole behind him. "Excuse me please," He tapped him on the shoulder before punching him. "Ow! That hurts!" He waved his massive hand. Then he ducked back into the hole as more soldiers fired on him.

"Get those mutants!" Trask shouted as he fired.

"Misfits!" Flint ordered. "Take care of the Sentinel! We'll protect the Eloi!"

"We can help ourselves as well you know!" Hound Dog snapped. "Okay! Let 'em have it!"

Immediately several soldiers were bombarded with fruit. They chased the Eloi into the trees where some strange fluid was poured on them. "What the hell is this stuff?" One shouted. "I'm stuck!"

"Yeah it's our homemade glue," Hepcat smiled. "It's like all natural and it really sticks like the devil!"

Meanwhile the Misfits were trying to trash the Sentinel. "Our vines can't hold them much longer!" Thorn shouted.

"Then how about a hexbolt special!" Wanda screamed as she turned her powers on the Sentinel. It shuttered wildly.

"Keep pouring it on Scarlet Witch!" Todd shouted as he fought off some soldiers.

Meanwhile Flint had cornered Trask and the two of them were fighting. "Give it up Trask!" Flint shouted. "You can't win!"

"Why are you doing this?" Trask shouted. "I'm trying to save the human race!"

"So am I," Flint snapped. "In case you haven't noticed, mutants are human too!"

"Yeah, right," Trask snapped. "But unlike Bragg I am not a traitor to either my country nor my species!"

"What?" Flint asked before Trask punched him in the stomach.

"I don't care much for shooting a fellow human," Trask told him as he grabbed his pistol. "No matter how misguided they are. However…"

Just then Wanda's powers finally caused the Sentinel to explode. "Oh no!" Trask snapped. "Not another one! We'll have to finish this another time!" He took off into the woods. Flint tried to chase after him only to have his route cut off by Trask's troops.

Fortunately Xi, Todd and Fred took care of them rather quickly. Several tried to retreat but Lance tripped them up with an earth tremor. "Got 'em!" Lance shouted.

"We got this party all wrapped up," Thorn smiled. "Mrs. S…"

"I know," She sighed. "I hate to do this, but I have to erase the coordinates of this village from their minds. But that's all I am going to do!"

"It's for the best," Lady Jaye told her. "Where's Trask?"

"He got away, but we got his men," Roadblock sighed. "But something tells me it will be a long time before he tries to attack this village again!"

"Especially now that he's out of troops and minus one overgrown tin can," Lance said.

"Wait a minute!" Wanda cocked her head. "I hear something!"

"YEEEEEHHHHAAA!" Pietro skidded to a stop. "Last call! Eloi village! Wow what a mess!"

"Aw man," Althea got down from Pietro's back. "We missed the party!"

"ALTHEA!" Todd hopped over and grabbed her into his crushing embrace. "You're okay!"

"Hey!" Fred called out. "They're back!" Soon the two missing Misfits were surrounded with their friends and family.

"Sorry we took so long," Althea said. "We were trapped in the Dreadnoks' lair and we got lost on the interstate in Florida. Maybe if someone had stopped for directions first…"

"We were not lost!" Pietro fumed. "I just was a little unfamiliar with the territory. That's all!"

"Wait a minute," Flint blinked. "You were captured by the Dreadnoks yesterday and you just escaped now?"

"Actually it was about an hour or so ago," Pietro admitted.

"I told you we got lost," Althea said.

"We did not!" Pietro snapped.

"But the Dreadnoks are all the way in Florida! You can't be that fast Quicksilver! Are you?" Beach Head asked.

"Hello? Super speed!" Pietro zipped up to him and lightly knocked on his forehead. He moved away before Beach Head knew what had happened.

"I was so worried babe! You could have gotten hurt!" Todd cried out.

"Hey come on guys," Althea said. "Everybody knows that Dreadnoks are dumber than dirt!"

"Yeah and boy did they spill the beans on some stuff!" Pietro said. "You won't believe what we found out!"