Chapter 3
They say that hindsight is 20-20, but I don't know if that's always the case. After all, it's difficult sometimes to get an accurate picture of the past when, for example, half of the people who witnessed the event are dead.
It was a full month after the attack when I finally received word of what tore down the shield wall.
Braxton had been marching along the side shield wall with the others when he finally stopped on the far side of the Harbor.
"Alright, guys. Take a break." He told the others.
Braxton sat on the edge of a wooden walkway and let his feet dangle above the water.
Raizel stopped behind Jessamine and looked up through the purple-tinted wall.
"Gosh, that sand goes on forever, doesn't it?" Raizel's deep voice spoke. His gray eyes scanned the edge of the beach in the distance.
East Harbor, it's said, had once attached to the Wastelands. But that was long ago, when Haven was first founded. At that point, all that was left of what used to connect the harbor to the great expanse of sand was a long bridge-like dune.
"I'd sure hate to get thrown out there." He said. He took a drink of the canteen he kept at his side.
"Why do you think we're in the Guard, man?" Aubri replied. "Think about it, if we weren't here, he'd toss us out there."
Exiling people to the wastelands was not an uncommon practice. Still isn't really. The Baron doesn't like to make a huge deal out of it except to those who he's threatening. There's no need to have people distrusting the "selfless" rule of their Baron until he decides you're not worth anything unless you're fighting on the front lines or keeping people in their place.
"Shut up, Aubri." A gruff voice added. Bentley strode up to the others and folded his arms. "Some of us are here to kick some ass. And if you say a word against the Baron, I'd consider it traitorous not to kick yours."
Aubri flushed a deep shade of red. "What was that, Bentley?" She asked.
She squared her shoulders and turned to face him. He didn't tower over her by any means. Aubri was tall for a girl, and was not the kind to allow herself to be pushed around. Her renown in the Krimzon Guard had been evidence of that.
"You heard me, bitch. Keep your damned mouth shut if you don't want me feeding your carcass to the Metal Heads." Bentley shot back. His lips curled into a smirk as he watched her temper rising.
"Hey!" Braxton called. "Cool it, you two."
Aubri snarled, her face mere inches from Bentley's. "Yep." She replied to Braxton.
"No problem, chief." Bentley said.
Raizel rolled his eyes.
Bentley was never my favorite of the team. He was often the instigator of any slight turmoil. However, even he had his place. He was horribly good at getting information out of almost anyone, which was probably partially due to his ability to invoke any emotion he wanted. Surprisingly enough, that emotion was most typically rage. He seemed to like seeing exactly how long it took for him to piss the shit out of you. And it usually wasn't very long.
As Braxton started to radio a standard check-in to me, Raizel and Jessamine had wandered to the edge of one of the docks. Right to the edge of a shield wall.
"Hah. Look at the Metal Heads out there." Jessamine chuckled.
A few Metal Heads were lurking around the edge of the water. Their glowing yellow eyes seemed transfixed on the Harbor at the sight of the humans—almost as though they were waiting for something.
Raizel turned his head oddly. "It's funny that the people we're protecting from those things can live watching them out there on the desert. This shield wall doesn't look any more substantial than a sheet of glass."
He held a hand a few inches above the purple shield wall, as though afraid to touch it.
"Yeah." Jessamine replied. "But it's not. There's the full brunt of the eco grid working there. They're not getting through."
Bentley, upon hearing their conversation, had moved closer. He placed his hands on his hips and leaned forward.
"Yeah, you're not so tough out there, are ya?" He teased the thing.
The dark creature moved forward angrily.
Raizel took a step backward and held his gun aloft.
My men were used to fighting outside the shield wall. They knew how powerful they were. They understood how their claws could cut through armor as easily as pressing a knife through yakkow butter. They knew how quickest way to end your life would be to make them angry.
And yet Bentley pressed on.
"Take it easy, jumpy. Don't get trigger happy." He shoved Raizel to the side as he crossed to the dune where the Metal Head stood.
He leaned down to look at it, his face inches away from the shield wall, directly opposite where its face sat, equidistant.
"Yeah, you're actually kinda cute huh? Harmless."
The Metal Head clawed at the wall instantly. A slight ripple appeared in the clear purple and the creature jumped back in shock.
It waved its clawed arm as smoke trailed off of it's burnt flesh.
"I'd like to see you try that again." Bentley teased.
His gun raised slightly higher in his arms and he lay his finger on the trigger. His eyebrow cocked at the creature as though daring him to tell him to fire.
A large blast fired from Bentley's gun and hit the shield wall with some force. This time, a hole tore through the shield as the electric current ran through. It quickly refilled itself as the Metal Head looked up.
"Bentley, I think you should stop." Jessamine asked.
Bentley laughed to her face. "Right." He said.
The creature moved down on all fours and ran off toward the mountains again.
"See. With this thing in the way, they're completely harmless."
Raizel looked up at the mountains. The mountain range itself seemed to be turning black.
"What the hell…?" he muttered quietly.
"Take it from me." Bentley started again. "Those things can't do a damned thing once they're outside of that wall. Not one of them. Not a thousand of them."
Dark shadows swept across the distant horizon and a black dust seemed to kick up.
"Bentley…" Raizel spoke.
"Not a hundred thousand of those buggers. I don't even know why we go out and shoot them… They're not gonna get in here."
"Bentley…."
"What a bunch of weaklings…"
"Shit."
Raizel turned quickly back toward the others.
"Braxton!" he called in desperation.
Braxton stood up and turned around. "What's—"
His jaw dropped open as he saw the approaching Metal Heads.
Hundreds of them, both land-bound and air-borne, were flocking toward the town.
Braxton fumbled for his radio as the flying creatures moved over the sun.
Bentley stepped backward as the first wave of Metal Heads hit the shield wall.
His grin flitted from his face as the shield wall tore through. A large shockwave ran through the shield, but this time, it did not repair. The corpses of the first wave fell through and splashed into the ocean and onto the docks.
An arm slipped around Bentley's and wrenched him away from his spot just in time to prevent him from being crushed by the falling bodies.
"Move!" Aubri shouted as she dragged him forward.
Two shots fired from Raizel's gun as a Metal Head charged toward him. His gun clattered to the ground as the Metal Head's claws tore through his shoulders.
He screamed out in pain.
"Braxton! Call Cyrun!" Aubri called.
"Right!"
Braxton took the radio from his side and held the button. He shot the Metal Head that was attacking and kicked it off of his comrade.
"Lark! Lark, come in!"
There was no answer.
A flying Metal Head was starting toward a tiny girl.
His eyes rest on her. She was so fragile and defenseless. Braxton ran toward her and lifted her by the waist under his arm.
"The shield wall is down!" He paged. "Metal Heads everywhere. Get the Civilians out!"
He ran toward a door to a house above the water and opened it. He set her down inside.
"Get inside." He told her. "Lock the door and don't open it. Not for anyone."
Her tiny face was streaked with tears. "But my Papa!" She cried. "Where is he?"
He hushed her. "He'll be waiting for you when you get home. I'll come back and get you. I'll take you back to him.
"I promise."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The fourth chapter will not be posted until the 1st of August due to an overwhelming ammount of other commitments
Sorry for the delay.