Chapter 6: Flight to the Frontier Area
A week had passed since the Scouts and Aonghus had escaped the Androids at 2Fort, but they had finally arrived at Watchtower through the side RED used to control. Immediately, Aonghus decided that they would make camp in the towering cabin that served as the cap, where they would be able to see any attackers from all sides. But to be safe, Aonghus ordered that none of the lights in the cap be turned on. For a few days, the Scouts followed these orders, waiting patiently for Gerald to arrive.
"Do you think Gerald will really show up?" Freddie asked Aonghus on the night of the sixth day since they arrived at Watchtower.
"It's hard to say. Either he's in bigger trouble than I thought, or he's already gone ahead of us to Mountain Lab," Aonghus answered, watching as the moon came over the cliffs that surrounded the area.
"Mountain Lab? Isn't that where—
"Yes. That's where the legendary Saxton Hale resides, and he's got a whole army of Snipers guarding the place. I know because I used to live there, when I was a lad," Aonghus sighed, as if some distant memory made him sad.
"I've heard Mountain Lab is supposed to be beautiful."
"Oh, yes, the sunsets and sunrises are gorgeous beyond your wildest dreams, and – hold on, what's that light doing over there?"
Freddie looked to where Aonghus was pointing, and sure enough, there was a small flashlight shining along a side path that was suspended above the small valley below, with two black shapes moving. It didn't take long to figure out who they were. Quickly, Freddie and Steve made their way out the door that led to the side path, and smacked the two Scouts across the back of their heads, causing one of them to drop the flashlight in fright.
"Hey, what's the big deal?" asked Mickey, who was originally holding the flashlight. "Can't a couple of Scouts take a piss in peace?"
While Patten was zipping his pants back on, Steve said, "You realize you could've gotten us killed, right?"
"What if the Androids saw you?" Freddie said, jabbing Mickey on the shoulder. "Then they'd know we're here, dumba**!"
As if on cue, several bullets came flying out of the darkness, forcing the Scouts to run back into the cap area, and duck as the glass shattered and wood splintered all around them. Meanwhile, Aonghus was hiding under the table, loading bombs into his Loose Cannon bomb-launcher. Then through a gap in the constant gunfire, Aonghus managed to launch a few bombs at the attackers, followed by huge explosions. However, since the shots seemed to be coming from every side, Aonghus found himself running in circles around the room. When the explosions ceased, so did the gunshots.
"So, did we win?" asked Patten.
"I don't know. I couldn't see where I was shooting," said Aonghus, putting the Loose Cannon bomb-launcher down. "But I wouldn't be surprised if there were some left, so stay quiet."
The Scouts did as he said, while the sound of cartridges being emptied could be heard. Then, there were numerous bladed weapons being unsheathed or taken out. Nobody moved, but then Patten nearly yelped when he heard footsteps running up the wooden staircase that started at the bottom of the cap.
"Bloody hell! They're coming up here!" Aonghus snapped, taking his Eyelander sword out. "Draw your weapons, lads!"
Immediately, the four Scouts took their bats out, which had been adorned with nails they found during their stay at Watchtower. The footsteps ceased on the step below the landing, then the black mask of the Spy from 2Fort emerged, followed by the Sniper, a Demoman, a Soldier, and a Scout. Like the Android Heavy, these Androids also wore something that obscured their eyes, whether it was shades or hoods, and black garments. While the Android Scout ran in circles around Aonghus, the other four approached the cowering Scouts who were backed into a corner of the cap, away from any of the side paths. Then Steve made the first blow, swinging his nail-covered bat like a madman, causing the Android Sniper to back away. Mickey and Patten followed Steve's example and swung crazily at the Android Soldier and Demoman. Freddie was about to attack when he felt a sharp pain, and was surprised to see the Android Spy appear in front of him with a short knife coming out of his sleeve and into Freddie's right shoulder.
Unfortunately, the other Scouts had been knocked aside by the other Androids, and just as Android Spy was about to grab the One Bomb from Freddie's neck, Aonghus managed to hit the Android Scout in the head with sharp end of the Eyelander sword, causing it to fall. Next, he tore his way through the other Androids, swinging the Eyelander sword around and launching the last of the bombs from the Loose Cannon bomb-launcher. This sent two of the Androids flying out of the windows as the bombs exploded on impact and forced the other two to retreat. Then Aonghus picked up the wounded Freddie and along with the other three Scouts they made their way across one of the side paths and left Watchtower, heading further up into the mountains.
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For days, they ran across rocky cliffs and through pinewood forests, but the journey was much slower than before not only because of the biting cold but also Freddie's weak condition. It turned out the blade Android Spy used to wound him was tipped with microscopic Robots that were slowly trying to assimilate Freddie into obeying the Androids, and the only cure for it lay in Mountain Lab. In the meantime, Aonghus gave Freddie some stimulants to keep the things from taking over, which did work at first but gradually the length of the effect grew shorter. When Aonghus got tired of carrying Freddie, Steve and the other two Scouts tried their best to carry him, but that only caused them to slow down.
"This sucks on ice!" shouted Mickey, as he, Aonghus, and the other two Scouts sat around a small campfire during early morning before dawn while Freddie lay nearby, twitching in agony. "At this rate, we'll never make it to Mountain Lab!"
"I wouldn't give up yet," Aonghus said, then he sighed. "But I cannot deny that we're running out of time."
"So what are we gonna do? Kill him if he succumbs to the little Robots?" Steve asked.
Aonghus looked between Steve and Freddie. "If it gets that bad, we might have to. I've done all I can for him."
Then suddenly, a bunch of birds flew overhead, followed by heavy footsteps. Knowing it was the Androids again, Aonghus quickly picked up Freddie, while the three Scouts put out the fire and packed up. They quickly ran down the rocky slopes, while gunshots fired behind them. Eventually, the five came to a dirt road that ran along the side of a rocky cliff, and were surprised to find a van similar to the one they used to leave 2Fort in heading straight toward them. But just as they were about to run away, the van stopped, and the driver got out. To their surprise, it was a female Sniper, with long brown hair tied back into a ponytail, wearing a short vest and an equally short red shirt that exposed her waist, with long blue jeans. She tipped her hat up to expose her face, which was finely featured and beautiful to look at in the light of the rising sun.
"Ava Ebony," Aonghus said, though he couldn't believe his eyes. "What the hell are you doing all the way out here?"
"To pick you mates up, of course," the female Sniper, Ava Ebony, said nonchalantly. "My da, Saxton Hale, figured you'd run into trouble, so he sent me to take you to Frontier, and from there, Mountain Lab."
"But you do realize what you're dealing with? If those Androids lay a hand on—
"You can trust me, love," Ava Ebony said, taking Freddie off of Aonghus's shoulders. "I can outrun those mongrels in my sleep. Now let's get bloody going!"
Without questioning her, the three Scouts climbed into the back of the van, while Freddie was placed in the passenger seat next to Ava Ebony. As for Aonghus, he insisted riding on top of the van despite Ava Ebony's wishes so he could keep watch for the Androids. Then no sooner than Ava Ebony started driving along the mountainous road, the black van came riding towards them at incredible speeds. This forced Ava Ebony to drive faster, and make a series a sharp turns while Aonghus was holding on for dear life.
"Sorry, love!" Ava Ebony shouted leaning out the driver's window.
"Don't worry about me, Ava!" Aonghus replied. "But it would help if I had some bombs!"
"I've got you covered, love!" Then Ava Ebony turned her head back to Steve, Mickey, and Patten in the back. "Oi, you! Give me those bombs lying underneath your feet! Don't worry, though, they're not set to go off."
They were a little bit afraid when Ava Ebony asked for the cannonball-shaped bombs, but then they quickly handed as many to her as her freehand could carry. After switching them between hands, Ava Ebony leaned out the driver's window and handed the bombs to Aonghus on the roof. This went on for a couple more rounds despite the road still being twisty, and yet Ava Ebony still managed to keep the van from careening off the edge. As the black van started to close in on them, Aonghus lit one of the bombs and threw it towards the van's hood. There was a deafening explosion, causing vibrations through Ava Ebony's van that sent the three Scouts jumping out of their seats. Freddie jumped in his seat too, but he didn't seem to notice. Ava Ebony looked at Freddie with concern, and speed up even more down a slope that led into a valley that ran all the way up to the Frontier area, which stood like a lonely fort against the taller mountains behind.
From here, the drive was much smoother, but it made them more vulnerable as the Android Sniper started taking shots at Aonghus, despite the black van having smoke coming out of the engine. In retaliation, Aonghus fired back with more bombs, which landed near the van causing it to swerve, and then he threw one right under the van, causing it to explode beneath. The black van tipped over on its side as a result, and was set ablaze. While Aonghus lifted his leather flap in a taunting gesture at the wreckage, Ava Ebony slowed the car down enough to let him back inside as they approached Frontier. As the sun rose higher, the more agonized Freddie became. He was yelling and tossing from side to side while Aonghus tried to keep him steady.
"I think he's losing the fight," Ava Ebony observed, and hit the gas hard.
Then a sudden shot rang out, followed by the sound of a tire exploding, which sent the entire van swerving. Luckily, Ava Ebony managed to prevent it from tipping over, and saw out her side that the Androids were now running on feet, despite their metallic gears and levers showing through the skin. Some of them even had their eyes exposed, which were nothing more than electric blue lights. Immediately, everyone got out of the van and ran the last few miles up to Frontier and over its wooden plank bridge. The Androids followed close behind them, then when Aonghus and the Scouts were running along the bomb-cart tracks that ran through Frontier, Ava Ebony took out her Huntsman bow and fired an arrow at the switch on a rusted Li'l Chew Chew train engine docked on an adjacent track. It immediately sprung to life, and started moving towards them. As it picked up speed, Ava Ebony, Aonghus, and the Scouts got out of its way to see it smash right into the oncoming Androids with its gaping jaw full of sharp teeth. But their victory was celebrated short when Freddie suddenly collapsed onto the ground, and he didn't seem to respond to any attempts at bringing him back to reality.
End of Chapter 6