Oh my gosh, it's sooo good to be back! It's been months! *twirls round in a circle* *notices an angry mob waiting to charge* Now, just hold on, let me explain... I kinda lost the passion for this story last year, and then I started university this year, so life has been hectic for me. No excuses; I shouldn't have kept you all waiting for so long, and I know how it feels as a reader when an author disappears from FanFiction and abandons his/her story. I have, however, rediscovered my passion for writing and my determination to finish this story. Without further ado...
Chapter 19: A Battle To Save
The depleted Space Marines quickly formed a perimeter, covering the terrified young racers. Plasma bolts sizzled through the air, homing in on the CyBug's head, but it merely roared, swooping to dodge and scything two marines down with a sweep of its mighty tail.
Calhoun grabbed Jerry's arm and yelled over the cacophony of the battle. "You and the boys; get the racers together and keep them out of harm's way!" She charged the CyBug's flank, screaming to draw its attention. She smoothly dodged its flailing claws and discharged several bolts into its face from point-blank range. It bellowed in pain and clumsily retreated back into the forest, ripping up several peppermint trees in its mighty jaws.
"Now!" Calhoun ordered. She and the men dashed into the forest, hot in pursuit, only to break into an empty clearing bordered by a high rock face, several meters in. She looked around and cursed in frustration. Nothing but trees and several large candy boulders…
As Calhoun regrouped her forces carefully, the racers were starting to calm down, huddled in a corner of the barricaded Oreo Obstacle Course. Jubileena and Candlehead were trying to comfort Kristin, who was still sobbing in fright and fear. Rancis and Amos looked at each other grimly. "Do you think it's safe enough to try getting to our karts?" Rancis asked. Swizzle carefully peeked out and commented, "It seems okay. The CyBug doesn't seem to be here-" Unfortunately for Swizzle, the CyBug chose that moment to make a dramatic reappearance, smashing through the surprised marines from the rear. Swizzle yelped and ducked back in, panting. "Never mind," he gasped.
The CyBug roared as it burst upon the startled marines. It had pulled off the ambush by using its selective transformational ability. It didn't automatically change into whatever it ate, but was able to decide as and when it wanted to change. It had masqueraded as a peppermint boulder, throwing the marines off its trail, before converting back to its metallic form and creeping up its unsuspecting foes.
Calhoun swore. The CyBug seemed to be toying with them, raiding her platoon suddenly and stealthily before fading back into the jungle. Her original force of thirty men had been cut down to eighteen; the others injured or worse. An impending sense of doom hung like a dark cloud over Gumdrop Gardens. Still, Gumdrop Gardens was peaceful for the moment, with the CyBug apparently lying low after its previous unsuccessful attack. Calhoun had deemed it safe enough to attempt an evacuation of the racers. Under her watchful eye, the racers scurried for the karts and began the necessary repairs to their damaged vehicles. Her men stood ready to fend off the CyBug should it reappear.
Taffyta was working next to Swizzle, who was acting jittery as he cleaned out the Tongue Twister's engine. She looked over and asked, "How's it going?" Swizzle replied, "It's looking good," as he snapped shut the hood and hopped into the front seat. He gunned the engine and the Tongue Twister growled confidently. Swizzle smiled smugly and gunned the engine again. Suddenly a tremor ran through the earth. "Whoa!" Swizzle commented, patting the Tongue Twister's hood. "Easy, girl." Bubblina looked up in alarm. "That's not-"
The CyBug burst from beneath their feet, sending earth and racers flying. Amidst the chaos, a sound caught Taffyta's ears. Kristin was huddled on the ground, screaming in terror. Taffyta gasped and scrambled into Pink Lightning, praying for the engine to start. Pink Lightning surged over to Kristin. Taffyta skidded to a halt and quickly picked up Kristin, jumping back into Pink Lightning. The CyBug's gaze swept around the garden before alighting on Taffyta, and it leapt towards her. In her panic, Taffyta yanked the wheel from side to side, trying to wriggle out of the reach of the CyBug's grasping claws and snapping jaws. However, Pink Lightning didn't respond with her usual speed, handling sluggishly, and the CyBug gained quickly.
"The steering!" Taffyta thought, before the CyBug's jaws closed around her and Pink Lightning. She screamed as she felt herself lifted in the air by powerful jaws, the razor-sharp teeth of the CyBug slicing into her skin as she desperately wriggled out of her kart. Amos and Jerry gasped and ran to her aid. Amos swung his rope, snagging Pink Lightning and began a tug-of-war with the CyBug for the lives of Taffyta and Kristin. Taffyta screamed to the boys, "Take Kristin!" She grabbed Kristin and desperately looked around. Jerry yelled in reply, "Here!" Taffyta locked her gaze on Jerry and heaved Kristin overboard. Kristin yelped before Jerry's waiting arms ended her fall. He quickly carried away to safety. Taffyta, however, was still fighting her way out between the CyBug's jaws and Pink Lightning. With her grip slipping, she lost her hold on Amos' rope and fell, limbs flailing. "Taffyta!" Rancis screamed in despair.
Taffyta plummeted through the air, landing in a heap. The CyBug was gorging itself on the mangled remains of Pink Lightning. Taffyta whispered, "No…" as her beloved kart disappeared down the CyBug's greedy gullet. Rancis dashed forward, unheeding of Calhoun's warning cries. He cocked his peanut butter shotgun and unloaded several shots into the CyBug's eyes, yelling in anger and grief. The CyBug reared back, blinded by gobs of peanut butter lodged in its eyes. Rancis skidded to a halt next to Taffyta's broken and bleeding body, tears flowing down his face.
Calhoun was running full pelt towards her gigantic foe when a transformation washed over the CyBug, stopping her short. It was converting itself into the same pink hard candy that Pink Lightning was forged from. "Finally! A chance!" Calhoun thought. She assumed the candy would easily be smashed and discharged several rounds from her plasma blaster, but the plasma merely bounced off the CyBug's sugary and reflective hide. "What?" Calhoun was dumbfounded.
The now unstoppable CyBug roared, seeking out targets. Rancis cocked his shotgun, ready to defend Taffyta. The CyBug reared up, preparing its claws to strike. Suddenly, a rope snaked through the air and pulled the CyBug off-balance. Amos had taken a stand next to Rancis, rope in hand. As the CyBug prepared to strike again, Jerry darted in, batting the giant claws away with a candy cane staff and sliding into a ready stance. Taffyta watched fearfully as her three loyal friends repelled attack after attack, side by side with Calhoun and her depleted squad. Round after round burst from the marines' blasters to no avail, each bouncing uselessly off the CyBug. "How?" she whispered silently, as blood ebbed from her veins and bolts of pain wracked her body. "How can the CyBug be beaten?"
The pink CyBug swirled in front of her eyes, alternating and merging with Taffyta's beloved kart, Pink Lightning. "Wait a minute," she thought. "Pink Lightning's material…" As she swam in and out of consciousness, a memory floated to the surface of the blurry waters of her mind...
Who will win this fierce battle; the native defenders of Sugar Rush and their valiant allies, or the invading one-man/one-bug force? Will Tffyta survive? What memory came to her mind? All these questions will be answered soon!
As always, please leave a review. All (reasonable) comments are appreciated, and I will strive to reply you ASAP. Once again, a heartfelt apology to all readers... *runs off screaming, "I'm baaaacckkk!"