Several days later the group was back in the dinning hall eating breakfast. It was a normal day, so far, nothing exiting happened. Torn stole the shower first and Errol used up yet another can of hair spray, nothing unusual. But as they began to finish their breakfast they all noticed something along with the rest of the recruits. The doors in the hall were usually open for people to go warm up a bit early but today they weren't.
They stood up and threw out the discarded food and drinks and waited for something to happen. They waited for almost an hour until everyone was done eating and just waiting along with them.
"Maybe the Barron bought a heart and he's giving us the day off." Vee said shrugging her shoulders and closing her eyes.
Torn huffed. "Don't hold your breath…" He said.
"Jus' makin' suggestions." She said.
Before anyone could say anything else the Barron's voice boomed over the loud speakers startling everyone. "Hello, my loyal trainees. Toady you will demonstrate just how good you all are. You will go into the Wasteland and bring back five wasteland metalhead gems. No more no less, well you could bring back more if you wanted heheheheh…."
This got everyone in the room talking.
"Is he crazy?" Marcus yelled. "Has he seen the size of wasteland metalheads! They're huge!"
"He can't be serious!" Vee said.
"I don't think we can expect jokes from him." Torn said surprisingly calm.
"Well he has to be, cause I'm not goin' into the wasteland to become some metalheads dinner." Errol said.
"Why? Ya scared?" Torn asked.
"Of course not, I'm… just… worried for Vee that's all! I'm means she's a girl!" Errol said tried to get out of his mess.
"And what in the name of the Precursors is that supposed to mean?" She said with her dark green eyes flashing dangerously.
"Nothing!" He seemed almost desperate for someone to bail him out and lucky for him, the Barron's voice came back on the speakers.
"Now that you've all had time to think this over, I want you to get in groups, no bigger then eight and be prepared to go in. I will be activating the gates for you. If you wish to back out now, remember that if you do, you will NEVER be allowed to become a Krimzon Guard again. Think it over, you will have your choice of weapons to pick from before you leave."
Before anyone could say anything two boys who looked about seventeen left the crowd. "You guys can stay here and out your lives on the line but we're not! Nothing is worth dying for!" And with that they went up the elevator to leave.
"They're right." Kristen said stepping forward. "It's not worth it; I don't know why I even came here in the first place. I liked it a hell of a lot better before the Barron took over!" And she sharply turned around and stepped in another elevator.
A couple more people left the room without speaking but other then that no one else left. "Have you all made your decisions? Good." The Barron said appearing over the loud speaker again. "Now decide who goes first and enjoy."
The warp gates activated and a wall flipped over exposing a gun rack behind it. Everyone looked to one another looking for someone to volunteer. Finally a group of seven people stepped forward, took their guns and went in. It seemed like everyone was holding their breath, that time stood still. No one dared speak or move in fear that it would jinx them.
Four hours later the warp gate reactivated and the seven came back out. Two had one man in between them and his leg was severely injured, it looked as though it would fall off any minute. They laid him down on a bed that was bought in during the hour that no one was paying attention and quickly set up a medical ward so that one could be available close by. The real ward was almost four floors up.
Group after group after group went, and every time someone came back injured and everyone came back with at least one wound. One group took almost seven hours to come back and when they did, two of the strongest members were carrying some one between them. No one had to ask any question they all knew he died. They laid him down and pulled a sheet over his head and everyone gave him a silent prayer. Vee put her hand over her mouth and turned away, she didn't cry but it seemed she was on the verge of doing so. Torn and Aaron did something that no one would ever expect them of all people to do. They out their arms around her in comfort as she sat down. The man that died was never one of the group but he was one of the other recruits that were very friendly with Marcus, Errol, Aaron, Vee and Torn.
Finally after three days of suspense it was their turn to go up went up as the last group and the smallest with only five of them. The stepped up to the gate as it activated and without a word Vee walked over to the rack and grabbed the largest gun there, she made sure it was loaded to the max and put it over her shoulder. "Lets go kick some metalhead ass." She said.
Torn walked over and grabbed two large hand guns and out them in the holsters on his thighs. "Ready whenever you are." He said and the rest of the group took their weapons. Marcus took a large gun like Vee, Errol roughly grabbed a medium sized large long range gun he inspected it first and then threw it over his shoulder, Aaron grabbed two hand guns and they walked over to the warp gate.
"Let's get this over with." Errol said sighing and the group jumped into the gate.
The wind wasn't that bad so there was no need for the cloth and goggles they bought along with them, but Torn kept them in the pack he grabbed right before they left anyway, just in case.
"Come on." Torn said. "We're not gonna find anything just standing around here."
And with that they set off, wandering for almost fifteen minutes without seeing another soul out there.
"This royally sucks." Aaron said dragging his feet. "The way they all came back you would think we would had found someone, or something, by now."
Torn looked around his guard still sharp as ever. "Ya don't know that. Just stay on your guard… this is the dessert ya never know what to expect."
They wander for another fifteen minutes without seeing anything until Torn stopped in his tracks and looked around. Vee and Errol were next to stop and then Marcus and Aaron felt it. The ground was shaking slightly. "You feel that…?" Vee asked not really expecting an answer.
Everyone cocked there guns and prepared for the worst a few seconds later a giant Wasteland metalhead came over a hill.
"Ho-ly shit." Vee said and her eyebrows raised and her gun lowered slightly.
"Aim for the chest." Torn said as he raised his second gun up. "Ready… and FIRE!"
The sound of gun shots rang in the open space the metalhead roared and began to charge after them. After it got a little to close they began to back up and run out of the way of it charge. Luckily it didn't hit anyone but it got awfully close to Marcus. As soon as they got the chance they began firing again. They hid behind rocks so they could fire without being in great danger but soon the metalhead decided to leave the area they had to chase it.
"Keep shooting!" Errol yelled. "We almost got it!"
When they thought only a few more bullets would do it the metalhead turned back around thinking they were safe they didn't move until the last minute and it charged. Finally they got the bright idea to move, but they weren't fast enough it's left foot collided with Aaron. He managed to get out the way mostly so he wasn't flown one hundred feet but he did get hit in the side.
"Dammit…" he moaned and clutched his stomach as they rest of the group continued to shoot. Soon the metalhead was on the ground dead, Torn walked up to it and stuck the gem in his pack breathing heavily. He then turned his gaze to Aaron who was now sitting up on the ground clutching his stomach.
"Hey." Torn said jogging up to everyone who was now crowding around him. "Aaron, man, you okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine… just a scratch is all." Aaron managed to get out. "No need to worry about me."
"Oh shut up." Vee said grabbing the bag off Torns back and taking one of the pieces of cloth out she pulled up his shirt and wrapped the cloth around it. "Ya know if ya picked up a bigger gun this wouldn't 'ave 'appened." Vee said.
"The guns I picked are just fine." He said as he was helped up by Marcus and Torn.
"Can ya walk?" Marcus said.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Aaron said and brushed himself off.
"Hey what happened here?" Torn asked as he noticed a gash on Vee's shoulder and walked over to get a better look at it.
"Got it from a rock, it's nothing." She said shaking him off. "Now how are we supposed to take four ore of these things out? We can barley handle one."
"Well we'll have to handle more then one." Marcus said. "I don't see that warp gate openin' anytime soon without those five gems."
They wandered the desert for another half hour before they found anything else. And they never didn't find another metalhead, the metalhead found them. As they walked they all heard the faint rumble of something behind them, and they ran out of the way in time before getting run over by a metalhead.
"I hate these things." Torn mumbled and aimed his gun and began shooting. The rest of them also started up again, the metalhead roared and charged after them this time it went after the rock Torn was hiding in, he jumped out in time but thepieces of rockknocked him over making his landing less then graceful. The metalhead seeing him laying there ran over, Torn got up and dodged the first foot and before he knew it he was underneath the metalhead. He took this opportunity and stayed right where he was dodged a foot whenever one came to near, also the entire time he was under there he was shooting up blindly at its stomach.
Eventually his luck ran out and the metalhead changed direction taking Torn off guard. Torn was now standing to the side of it desperately loading his gun (he dropped the other one long ago). Before he knew what was happening he was being thrown, the metalhead had hit him in the back with it's head and Torn was flying. The sand he landed on was recently churned up by the metalhead but the landing still hurt none the less. He stiffed a yell of pain as he landed on his stomach and quickly flipped over to continue shooting. Before the metalhead figured out where he was Torn crawled behind a rock and still shot at it until he heard the loud thump of it falling to the ground. He sighed a sigh of relief and looked over the edge of a rock not only to see a dead metalhead but also a Wasteland vehicle parked ot far away with the rest of his group walking up to it.
He got up grunting and clutching his left arm to his stomach and he walked down the hill and over to them. Vee was the first to notice him walking over.
"Torn!" She said and ran over. "You okay? Anything broken?" Before he could answer she already had him on the ground and she was inspecting his injuries.
"Who are you?" Torn said looking at the people in the vehicle. You could tell they were wastelanders by their clothes.
"I think the more appropriate question is who the hell are you?" Said the girl that was with them she looked the youngest probably around fifteen or sixteen, she also looked pissed about this situation and Torn got the idea that she wasn't up front with helping them. "And what the hell are a bunch of Haven Citiers doing in the Wasteland?" She finished.
The man looked over to her and sighed. "Calm down." He told her. "Excuse her, she's young. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Cain, this is Sig," he motioned to the man by the guns on the vehicle, he looked about eighteen. "And this is Shockra." He said motioning to the girl. "Now, I know what you're doing out here. Praxis sent you out here didn't he? To kill metalheads."
At this Errol got defensive. "And how exactly do you know that?"
"Why do you think all those men came back safely? No sane person takes on a wasteland metalhead without a wasteland vehicle. I helped them out with killing them. I thought that everyone has already come, but I guess I was wrong, you guys the last group?"
"Yeah." Torn said now sitting up with Vee still looking him over. "We're it."
"Small group." Sig commented. "You chili peppers honestly think you could have come out here and taken five down?"
"We were hoping." Vee said.
"That won't do you any good." Shockra said acidly.
"Hey what is your problem?" Vee said standing up and walking over to her, she looked quite intimidating next to her because Vee was a full head taller then Shockra.
"My problem is coming out here and finding' a bunch of yellow belly Haven Citiers in my territory!" She said.
"Your territory? I don't see ya name on it!" Vee said.
Torn stood up and walked over to the girls and pulled Vee out just as Cain came over and pulled Shockra out. "Calm down." Torn said to her.
"I'm calm." Vee said fixing her pants.
"Shockra, we didn't come over here to pick fights we came here to help them now are you going to cooperate or not?" Cain said in voice slowly getting louder.
"Fine, but don't expect me being friendly."
"Wasn't counting on it."
They took out two metalheads without many casualties and were on the last one. They had been shooting at this one for the longest time, and were beginning to run out of ammo. Vee was on her last round and Aaron only had one loaded gun left.
As they shot at it somehow Shockra ended up out of the vehicle and one the ground as the metalhead neared her. She tried to get up in time but wasn't successful, and at the last minute he was pushed out of the way and rolled down a hill by Vee.
"What the hell do you think you're doin'!" Shockra yelled oblivious to the fact that Vee just saved her.
"It looks like I just saved ya sorry ass!" Vee yelled as she stood up and began shooting again.
Shockra glared at her for a second and began shooting once again. Several minutes later the metalhead fell to the ground dead. Torn sighed heavily and picked up the last skull gem.
"That's all of 'um." He said and walked over to the wastelanders. "Thanks for the help."
"Whatever." Shockra said and turned her back and began to walk back to the vehicle to Sig.
"What she means is, you're welcome. But next time you come here don't expect all Wastelanders to be as friendly and helping as I, you just got lucky today." He said and got back in the vehicle and they drove off.
"Come on, let's head back." Torn said and Errol stood close by him to make sure he could get back on his own. He may not show it often but not only was he Torn's roommate and competitor he was also one of his best friends and would be there if he needed help… he thought he would always be there to help him.
Marcus stayed near Aaron with one arm around his shoulders to help him walk and Vee took the rear of the group making sure they were still the only things traveling. After about a half hour they finally made it back to the warp gate. Torn took the gems out of the pack and placed them in the holes activating the gate and when he took them out a timer wet up saying they had one minute to go in before it closed. He placed the gems back in his pack and slowly all five of them went in the gate.
When they got back a sigh of relief was heard throughout the room. All of them had injuries just some not as serious as others. They went over there and had them looked at by the doctor and they found out that Torn had a broken and fractured rib, Aaron had a fractured rib, Vee's wrist was sprained, Errol had a broken finger and sprained ankle and Marcus had rehurt his leg and twisted his wrist.
"Well." Torn said. "Look on the bright side, at least we all got out alive." He forced a hoarse laugh and the rest of his group smiled and laughed slightly.
"On another bright side, it seems that the sun made my hair even blonder." Vee said smirking and holding up a strand of her hair from the pony tail.
They all then started laughing and making jokes about what they just went thorugh.
AN: Like the action? Yeah I got stuff to happen. The Barron is crazy… He should die, wait yay he eventually does yay! But not soon enough…. Bastard… Well anyway I thank all of you for your support and reviews by mecca-dog, FeralSpirit714, and Ecohorse. I only have one more thing to say, don't expect all my updates to be this quick, unually they're once or maybe twice a week, sometimes longer. But anyway bye! And review!
Oh wait! I have one more thing! I know 'citier' is not a word but who gives a damn I wanted to use it.