Chapter 4: Cougars Stadium
Location: Hanover, on the planet, Sera Timeline: 16 A.E.
After the whole firefight against the glowies near the stadium, it revealed that our path was blocked off.
Then Sam said as she pointed to a garage door, "It looks like we're gonna have to cut through here."
I replied, "Yep, sure looks like it."
Then we approached the garage gate and I opened it up for them, letting them go through and closed it behind us.
As we continued into the building, Cole began, "So we've got some crazy bandits on the bridge now."
I sighed and replied, "Fucking Raiders."
Carmine replied, "Yeah, and the ship's gonna pass right under 'em."
Sam said, "Come on! Even the Stranded gangs wouldn't take on a warship."
Baird replied, "I'd blow the shit out of that bridge, just to be sure."
Sam commented, "And that's why you never get promoted."
Then we exited the building and we continued towards the stadium's gate. Cole shouted, "Holy ground ahead, people!"
Baird asked, "Remind me, Cole. What was it you played again? Oh, yeah, ladies' field hockey, right?"
Cole then turned to me, Ruby, Carmine, and Ralphie, then said, "Case you guys don't know-Baird was a Sharks fan, 'cause he didn't know any better. He still bitchin' about it!"
We all nodded and Baird commented, "Allfathers Trophy. Blind referee. That's all I'm sayin'."
Then we approached the gate, but it was locked by iron chains and a lock.
Sam responded, Ah, shit! The gate's locked."
Then Baird and Carmine tried to force it open, but to no avail.
Then Carmine kneeled down at the locked, then looked up at Baird and asked, "Hey, Baird-got any wire cutters?"
Baird replied, "Yeah, hang on-" and just hands him his Lancer.
Carmine waved it off and, guess what, more glowies showed up!
At this point, I was rather getting annoyed by this and finally yelled, "FUCK IT!"
I pulled out my 'Esther' and fired a mini nuke at the stalks, completely destroying them. After I reloaded it, I switched to my 'AER14 Prototype' and I turned around to see them in shock, aside from Ruby and Ralphie.
Baird replies, "Uh, remind me not to piss you off, for now on."
I nodded and replied, "Duly noted. Now if you guys wouldn't mind, I would like to head inside."
Ruby followed up, "Yeah, same here." with Ralphie beeping in agreement.
The others nodded to us and Sam revved up her Lancer and sliced through the chains, and then kicked it open.
As we entered, we were then met with some Stranded folk, as the others seem to call them, and noticed a statue of Cole, himself, except younger, of course.
Sam said, "Hey, look. He's still the hero."
Baird responded, "Yeah, the bums didn't melt down his statue for scrap! Now that's respect."
As we approached, the locals began, "Cole Train? Shit, it is you! Wow, Cole! What are you doin' back here?"
"Man, you look just like I remember. Hey, you finally comin' back home or something?"
Cole replied, "Hey, can't keep me away forever, baby! Just checkin' everything's the way I left it, more or less."
"Hey, you wanna have a beer with us? We brew some good stuff!"
"Thanks, but I'll pass-still on duty. We're looking for supplies, though. Anything you wanna trade?" Cole asked.
"Better ask the boss-we can take you to see her!"
Cole replies, "Uh, I hear she might not be a fan."
"Aw, but she'll listen to you. You're the Cole Train! Woo woo!"
Cole corrected, "Yo, the Cole Train don't go 'woo woo'. It's 'WHOOO'!"
That last part made Ruby jump a little, since she wasn't expecting it. I jumped a little, too.
I thought to myself, 'These guys are pretty cool, for a bunch of military-trained soldiers that have fought for plenty of years for survival.'
But then someone on the comms started to panic, followed by mini earthquakes, which I assumed were stalks popping out.
Cole yelled towards the locals, "Get down! Find some cover!"
Then the gates open and people started to run out, followed by explosions of such.
Cole then said to us, "Carmine, Edward, and Ralphie, we're upstairs. Baird, Sam, and Ruby, take the ground floor."
I turned to Ruby and said, "Ruby, stay safe, alright?"
Ruby replied, "Don't worry, Edward! I'll be fine!"
I nodded, and me and Ralphie proceeded to follow Cole and Carmine, then Cole said to me, "It seems she looks up to you, Eddie. Why's that?"
"She and her friends and big sister thinks of me as their own big brother." I replied.
Carmine quired, "Wait, she has a big sister?"
"Well, half-sister, since they have different mothers. Her sister's name is Yang Xiao Long, and she's a brawler, an enthusiast, and... well, she makes puns. Not good puns, but still. But she has the temper to match in battle." I replied.
Cole asked, "How bad can she be?"
"Her eyes turn from lilic to red, her hair ignites into flames, literally, and she can punch a... uh, what's the most dangerous enemy you guys have faced?"
Cole replies, "A Berserker, a Brumak, and a Corpser."
"Well, if possible, she will literally kill them all just by punching them to death, more or less. She's that scary when she needs to be. Plus the fact that she can become stronger after she takes damage." I replied.
Cole replies, "Damn!"
Carmine replies, "Edward, if we all meet you're friends, or in this case, this 'Yang' person, remind us not to piss her off."
I nodded and replied, "Duly noted."
Then Cole motioned us to follow, "Come on guys! Let's not waste any time!"
Me and Carmine nodded and we followed Cole.
XXXXXX
'Ruby's POV...'
We were about to split up until Edward came up to me and said, "Ruby, stay safe, alright?"
I replied, "Don't worry, Edward! I'll be fine!"
Edward nodded and proceeded to follow Cole and Carmine, with Ralphie following behind him.
I followed Baird and Sam and then Sam turn to me and asked, "How well do you know Edward?"
Baird followed up, "Yeah, I'm a little curious about him."
"Edward is like a big brother to not just me, but to my friends and my sister, Yang. I first met him at a shop late at night when it was being robbed. Me and him teamed up and fought off the robbers and then we started to go to Beacon Academy, where we are trained to become Huntsmen and Huntresses, which are protectors of the innocent." I replied.
Sam then responded, "So, you, your friends, and your sister thinks the world of him?"
I nodded and said, "Yes. And the fact that he came from a whole different world where everything was destroyed by war, against each other, he's a very kind person that is always there for us when we need him the most. He also cheated death a lot and he's a veteran."
Baird and Sam were surprised by this and replied at the same time, "A different world!?"
Baird began, "You mean he came from his world to yours?!"
I nodded and replied, "Yes. His world was destroyed by their weapons-of-mass-destruction, the Atomic Bombs they were called, that one alone can wipe out a metropolis and the surrounding area, miles out, as he said. That was two centuries and five years ago in his world, and it's still a wasteland."
Baird and Sam were kind of shocked about this, but then I added, "Edward is not just a veteran, he's what the people from his world named the Messiah, because he helps the innocent non-stop. I trust him with my life, and so does my friends and my sister. So, that means you can count on him to have your backs."
Sam and Baird nodded, now knowing about some of Edward's background history, and then Baird said in a more friendly tone, "Come on. Let's get this done and over with."
Sam and I nodded and we went through the gate.
XXXXXX
'Cole's POV...'
After that whole scenario, we were now approaching the old locker room for the Cougars. I then kicked open the door and then memories from back then started to flood into my mind as I looked around.
I then heard Baird sniffed and replied, "Yeah, you're right about the smells lingering forever."
Then I heard someone shoving someone else, probably Baird since I was too focused on the sight before me. Then someone laid a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to see Edward was there.
Edward said, "It's alright, Cole. Take your time. We'll wait for you."
Then he walks away and I saw Ruby, who smiled softly and nodded at me, then started to follow Edward, along with their robot, Ralphie.
I chuckled quietly and thought, 'Those two have good hearts. A rare thing to encounter, now-a-days.'
I then turned back to the scene of the locker room and spotted my old locker, and I then began to walk towards it.
XXXXXXXX
'Edward's POV...'
We were out on the audience stand and me and Ruby were talking with Baird and Sam, until Cole came marching out, but something was off.
But then a giant stalk erupted out of the ground in the field and someone ran up to Cole as he entered the field and shouted, "Help! There's a giant stalk on the field! Grab the bomb!"
Me and Ruby were about to go after Cole until Baird stopped us and said, "Let Cole relive his moment."
Ruby and I were hesitant, but eventually nodded and left him alone.
We the watched him charge in, knocking down glowies left and right as he yelled out, "Yeah, your punk-ass messed up my sacred turf! Bad idea! Yo, I'm about to cream some shit out of these motherfuckers!"
Then he jumped over a blue stone goal as he shouted, "WHOOO!"
Then Cole grabbed the bomb and began to charge in towards the opposite side and knocking more glowies, while even some of them blowing up. Then he attached the bomb to the red stone goal and the bomb armed itself. Then he began to stand in poses, like what they did in football, until the bomb blew up, knocking him to the ground.
Ruby shouted, "Cole!"
Then we all ran up to Cole and it seems that he was fine. As Baird helped him up, Cole began, "Ha, the Train's still got the moves, baby! Now that was a move I first used against the Eagles in the national finals. Of course-ha, ha-them bitches didn't explode!"
Baird replies, "Yeah, you still got it. Now, let's go talk to the Queen of the Bums."
Then we began to head up to the building out from the field.
To be Continued...
