Okay guys I know we've heard some bad news recently. But we've got to keep our hopes up. This chapter is dedicated to everyone who needs a positive story to cheer them up. I hope it helps you guys out. And due to its length this chapter is broken into two posts.
Chapter 14: Buried Alive
“Take the shot son. Just squeeze the trigger.” Henry heard his father’s voice echoing in his head as he began walking through the empty castle. According to John there was a tunnel somewhere in the castle walls to the Durem Mines.
“We made the plot for chapter two revolve around the ‘deadman’ of DMP and DMS and how he plays into Labtech X’s bid for domination.” John moved some rocks from in front of another door,
“The deadman was experimenting with infusing Ghi energy into various things and making his own animated army. Labtech X took those notes. The various enemies and bosses were supposed to be his experiments and this castle was his old laboratory. He had an escape tunnel to Durem somewhere around here that miners stumbled upon.”
“So how do all the other areas play into this?” Kerri asked as she helped clear more rocks from the door.
“He had labs everywhere. Each of the bosses were his test subjects; Each of which were infused with massive amounts of Ghi energy. It is hard to see through the blowing sand in the wastes but there are collection apparatuses like in the Sealab Compound. The deadman turned the once lush and green Phazian Fields into what they are by draining the energy from them.” John continued on.
“So what happened to his labs? Why is this one in ruins?” Penelope asked.
“Labtech X pillaged them and burned them to the ground. At some point players would find the deadman alive and enslaved by Labtech X.”
“John who was the deadman?” Jeremy interrupted.
“The joke when we were creating the story was that the deadman was Qixter. We used him as a placeholder in all the designs for the deadman. Personally, I wanted to name him Wayne Pennyworth.” Mikey came to life at John’s remark.
“Batman fan? I prefer Marvel and Spider-Man myself.” Henry ventured ahead through the door as he heard their voices. His thoughts were beginning to drift back to his childhood.
“But we decided to name him Todd, as a more appropriate mad scientist name.”
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“He’s too big for me. Dad I’m going to lose him!” Henry was six years old and on a camping trip with his dad.
“Well if you keep trying to hurry like that, you are.” His dad walked down from their campsite to the rock they were fishing off. “Slow and steady Henry, fishing is all about patience. Ease up a little.”
“Argh. Come on!” Henry’s face turned red as he continued reeling in the fish.
“Slow and steady Henry.”
“But he’ll get away.”
“And if you try to rush and break the line he’ll get away.”
“Alright, I’ll try.”
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Henry’s footsteps echoed as he walked into a large chamber.
“Guys, I found something. It looks a lot like Dr. Frankenstein’s lab.” There were all sorts of tools and equipment ranging from scalpels to some kind of sharpened tuning fork with a glowing purple orb halfway down its length.
“I don’t even want to know what that is for.” Miles mumbled. The Anari caught up quickly as Henry heard the others enter the room.
“Awful lot of tech and tools here.” Hoshi said as she picked up a clamp looked it over a few seconds before setting it back down.
“And dusty too, this place looks abandoned for a few years.” Sisko blew some dust off a table causing Deanna to sneeze as it tickled her nose.
“There should be a trap door around…” John was walking around the room stopping every few steps to stomp the ground. He stopped as his foot hit something hollow.
“Here.” He said as he bent down to open the door. There was a blast of hot air as it creaked open, the stone floor around the hole created glowed an inviting orange like a hearth on a frigid winter day.
“So that’s Durem Mines down there?” Mikey looked down the open door as John simply nodded.
“I am sorry humans but we cannot accompany you into the mines.” McCoy stepped forward, he and Mikey exchanged a look and Mikey nodded.
“Cannot or will not?” Henry growled.
“A little of both actually. Being creatures that fly we prefer the open air to cramped mines, but there are other reasons for our choice.” McCoy shot back.
“Henry, they don’t need to elaborate. We can trust them, and we need to trust them on this.” Mikey put himself between Henry and McCoy as they exchanged glares.
“I find trusting them hard after what we learned about them and The Phantom. How do we know they aren’t just running to him to sell us out?” Henry’s voice had risen so everyone else could hear.
“Henry- ” Mikey began.
“No, no, I’d be a little suspicious too were I in his shoes.” Hoshi began as she approached Henry and McCoy,
“What McCoy so kindly left out was that we Anari are also elementally charged creatures whose life force is tied to our powers. That is why we are each guardians of our element. But think boy, we… you are preparing to go somewhere underground and full of lava, heat and the like. Lava melts ice, rock and metal and burns plants. Even if we did go with you Deanna, Archer, Sisko and Miles would be risking grave injury.” She made a faint clicking sound as she closed her mouth.
“I… I didn’t think about that.” Henry stood back shocked.
“McCoy and I have been talking it over, the Anari will take the above ground route and meet us at the Durem end of the tunnels. We are not going to risk a third of our team in the mines.” Mikey said dryly.
“See you guys on the other side.” Penelope hugged Archer and Miles.
“Safe trip alright.” Kerri hugged Deanna.
“And a safe trip to you as well humans. All sorts of nasties call those tunnels home.” Sisko said as he hovered out one of the windows in the lab.
“Keep an eye on her please.” Deanna pointed to Kerri and Mikey nodded. Kerri was dropping through the trap door and was oblivious to the exchange. One by one the humans dropped through the door into the glowing tunnels below, but Henry’s mind was occupied by other memories.
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“Dad why do we have to shoot the deer? I like when they roam through the yard.” Henry was twelve and on a hunting trip with his father.
“Son, it’s a rite of passage. Until you’ve killed something you aren’t really grown up. When I was your age my dad took my hunting, and his father did the same for him before that. Now look over there, that’s a beauty.” Henry’s dad scratched his stubble on his chin as he pointed Henry towards a buck that was chewing on pine needles barely 100 feet away. “Remember to put the shot in his heart son we want a nice clean trophy.”
Henry peered down the sight of the rifle he held. He was shaking as he pointed it at the deer’s chest.
“Dad, I don’t know if I can do it. Dad?” Henry stood there his elbows and knees were jumping in the chilly forest air.
“He’s a nice eight pointer son. Take the shot son. Just squeeze the trigger.” Henry’s memories suddenly jumped ahead four years.
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“Son there are two things about women you got to remember.” His dad began as he gulped the foam from the top of his beer can.
“And what’s that pops?” Henry shook his long black hair back.
“One, they are always going to hurt you, so have a backup plan. That can be another woman, an escape, a prepared breakup, just a plan b.” He took another gulp from his beer.
“And what’s the other thing?” Henry eagerly waited his father’s words. To him they were gold.
“Two, they don’t like guys with hair longer than their own, so cut that mop off your head.” His dad finished the can he was drinking, belched, crushed the empty can, and pulled out another from the pack. “Now where’s dinner?”
“It’s still cooking in the oven. I got home late.” Henry braced himself as his dad rose from his lounge chair.
“Why were you late? And an hour to boot?” His father’s voice had become a growl as he raised his arm.
“It’s not my fault. The Delaney sisters needed help with their pottery and the teacher asked me to stay after and help them on the wheel.” Henry cringed with anticipation.
“Delaney sisters? Oh those twins you’re always talking about being ‘hot,’ I see. That a boy, you’re starting to think just like your old man.” His dad rubbed Henry’s head and sat back down. He pulled out a third beer as Henry slinked back into the kitchen.
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“Henry see anything?” Kerri and the rest of the crew had caught up to Henry as he scouted ahead. The mines had been nothing but hot, dusty, cramped tunnels dimly lit by lanterns left by mining teams some time ago.
“Nothing yet, but there is a large opening ahead.” Henry called back. He stepped into a massive cavern as he looked around he thought it had to be at least the size of a football stadium in Texas. From the tunnel they had come down there was a narrow walkway suspended in the air by mining cables. Below was a 300 foot drop into a pit of orange red magma. On the other side of the walkway was a large round pillar, it was flat enough so that they could walk around on top of it once there. There were numerous tunnels all connecting to different pillars much like the one ahead, at various heights and each of the pillars was interconnected by a system of stairs down the sides of taller ones leading to more walkways across to shorter ones. The entire cavern was lit by the brightness of the magma below. There was something that caught his eye on the ground ahead. As he looked down it was words burned into the rock.
“Guys I think you should see this.” Henry waited for everyone to catch up as he pointed at the writing.
“MAGE WAS HERE.”
“Well that’s a comforting thought. At least we know we weren’t the first team to get this far.” Mikey managed a smile.
“Why just him? What about the rest of the crew?” Kerri touched the burned stone.
“This has been here a while.”
“I think I know why.” Jeremy pointed at some burned splotches on the ground. The pillar began to shudder as the whole room began to shake. A plume of lava shot up from the depths below.
“Crowd around the message! Now!” Mikey and the crew pressed against the stone face where the note was etched. Molten rock rained from the sky and burned the entire platform except for where the message was etched. As the lava cooled everyone stood back up and looked around.
“I guess that explains why just them. I hope there wasn’t anything too painful.” Penelope looked at the different pathways they could take.
Henry strode to the nearest opening and blew some dirt off of some symbols carved into the wall.
“How about this one?” He dusted off the symbols to some language completely unfamiliar to him.
“Any idea what it says?” Penelope scratched her head staring at the circular characters.
“I’ve not seen this script used since late 2010. It was from an old toy line I used to play with, I think I still remember some of it.” Mikey stared at the stone writing as he scribbled something underneath it.
Henry wandered a little ways down the tunnel and found a weathered looking book. He began flipping through the pages as he walked back with it.
“Check it out.” He handed the book to Jeremy.
“It’s someone’s journal, but from the looks of it, it’s been here a while. And there are pages missing. I think I can read the last entry. How’s that translation coming Mikey?” Jeremy brushed some dirt off the pages.
“On…Koro Highwa…D…rem…Mines Sect…6…Tun…1A. That’s as much as is legible enough that I can translate, I think it’s some kind of joke native to the writing and then a label for the tunnel. Let’s hear that journal, maybe we could make use of any of the information in it.” Mikey pocketed the chalk he had been scribbling with.
Jeremy cleared his throat as he began reading,
“Last will and testament of Brooklyn Rage Mage… Those Gemeralds are savage beasts, they have finally taken my wife Val. We fought them as long as we could but the second she dazed, I lost sight of her. They buried her in their glittering forms and she was gone. I ran, I couldn’t stomach the fight any longer. I’ve been alone in the tunnels nearly two days now, the scratching of their bodies against the stone still haunts me. I am unable to sleep. Chasing him here was a mistake, we should not have come here. If someone should happen upon this please tell everyone I am sorry. I tried my best but it wasn’t good enough. I’ll continue on as far as I can go alone but without my crewmates I doubt I’ll get very far. Their scratching is getting closer, maybe I can take some with me on the ledge. They are coming and I am alone…” Jeremy stopped reading. He had a look of horror in his eyes.
“I remember Mage, he became the villain of the z!F when they originally released Deadman’s Shadow. He wasn’t a shadow of the villain people made him out to be. He just got the bad end of a twisted high school drama popularity contest.” Henry shook his head in disbelief.
“I remember that. I can’t imagine much that would shake someone who went through all that, and still refused to give up helping people. But something down here did. Makes me nervous about going on.” Kerri shivered despite the heat of the mines.
“We’ve only got two options, go forward or go back. We made these mines to be a labyrinth, if we can find tunnel seven though, it’s a straight shot out and to Durem.” John looked down the shaft ahead.
“Keep your eyes open then. Hopefully, we’ll find tunnel seven before whatever these Gemeralds are find us.” The tunnel walls glowed orange, lit by the occasional torch. Gemstones embedded in the walls twinkled in the dim light casting eerily colored glows on the path ahead.
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“Fire ants are a most interesting pest Henry. See individually they can be squashed and forgotten. But when you find one, there’s a whole hill of them. And fire ants, once you kill one, come after you with the whole nest. They’re strength is not in individual attacks but the swarm. Fortunately, we have bug bombs for these suckers. Just watch.” Henry was eight as he watched in awe. His father pulled a pin out of a gray cylinder and set it under a glass dome he put over an anthill in their yard. The cylinder emitted a gray gas that quickly filled up the dome.
“Wow dad, that’s so awesome! Someday I want to be just like you.” Henry’s father smiled at the comment as he lit his cigar and took a few puffs.
“Oh really now? You want to be the number one exterminator in all of Salida? Good luck, for now though let’s see what your mom fixed for dinner. Come on inside we go.” His father and him went inside. Henry inhaled deeply as the odor of sauerkraut greeted his nostrils. His mom smiled her usual thin smile as she brushed her raven hair away from her face. She and dad had been fighting again, Henry could see the faint darkened ring around her eye from the night before.
“Yum, mom’s world famous brats and kraut!” Henry quickly washed his hands and sat at the table. At his father’s seat was a can of beer already opened
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“I said, do you see anything ahead Henry?” Henry snapped back to reality as Mikey called again.
“A large room, there are some chests in it though. Might be worth opening.” Henry called back. The crew gathered around the first of three chests as Henry opened it. Six rings fluttered out and went to each of the crew members as well as substantial sums of Shadow Orbs.
“Echo Ring? Isn’t that the one you said causes the user to create echoes of themself each with 100 HP, Mikey? I think you mentioned the number of echoes is based on the rage rank used.” Kerri asked. Mikey simply nodded as they went to the next chest. As it creaked open there was another set of rings and more Shadow Orbs.
“N00b Tube Ring?” Penelope asked in wonder.
“Launch an RPG at your foes, but be careful the splash damage on this ring can also hurt you and your friends if you stand too close. Damage and aoe increase with rage.” John chimed in,
“I liked testing that one, and suiciding with it.”
They opened the third chest only to receive recipes,
“Epic Recipe: Combat Surgeon Ring?”
“Ahh that one. It requires charge level 10, Diagnose, Defibrillate, Bandage, Adrenaline, and Wish, as well as 10k Charge Orbs and 1k Shadow Orbs, in order to craft it. But once made the ring allows you at the cost of 500 HP and 50 Stamina to fully restore one crewmate to full health and stamina as well as give them a major willpower boost and remove debuffs and crowd control effects on them. We added the crafting ability in game if you’re in a Null Chamber.” Mikey held up a hand to silence John as they heard scratching against the stone floor. Something was coming down the tunnel ahead, a lot of somethings.
As the crew stood at the ready a diamond on two small legs came walking around the corner, followed by a ruby and a sapphire.
“AWWWW they’re so cute! A girl’s best friend.” Penelope was disarmed at their appearance and ran to the nearest jewel.
“Penelope no!” Henry stopped her as the diamond shot a thin white beam of light at her. He dragged her back just in time and it only singed her hair. Mikey and Jeremy shot back at the jewels but their rings seemed to have no effect. The jewels glowed as they absorbed the lancer shots, then shot their own beams at Mikey and Jeremy. Their arms burned as they were hit by the beams.
"These must be the Gemeralds the journal warned about."
"What do we do?"
"Running seems appropriate, nothing we have fazes them." The crew backed away from the Gemeralds, all of the lancer shots had yielded the same reaction.
“Our only options are shoving past them or going back. I vote we shove past them.” Henry hacked one of the emerald colored ones, but only scratches appeared on its smooth surface. John used hot foot on one and to everyone’s amazement it began to melt.
“Heat and flame is their weakness. Like any rocks they can be melted.” Penelope’s amulet glowed as her lancer became a flamethrower, melting several Gemeralds in their path.
“We’re still outnumbered. Only three of us have the necessary rings and there are at least 50 of them. Just keep them cleared and let’s keep moving, now lead on Penelope.” Penelope charged ahead shooting occasional flames. Mikey had grossly underestimated the number of Gemeralds, she counted at least 150 as they emerged from one tunnel onto another walkway to a platform.
“Cut the cables quick!” Following John’s impromptu plan the walkway collapsed and fell into the orange-red magma below, creating a gap between the Gemeralds and the crew.
“It won’t take them long to find another way around we need to keep moving.”
“Guys I found a few more pages from the journal and this tunnel ahead has another bit of funny characters, though these are different.” Mikey looked at the characters Jeremy had pointed out before shaking his head. Jeremy tilted his head before he handed the pages to Kerri.
“I know this one.”
Kerri cleared her throat as she began reading the journal.
“They have taken Sephy. It’s just me and Val now. These Gemeralds are merciless and without honor. Omni is gone. They took Sushi and Verda. It’s just us now. We have tried almost everything, but most of our attacks work. We think we may have something with flame based rings like Fire Rain, Hot Foot, Magma Shooter, and Burning Crusade. The problem is too few of us have those rings to fight their horde. Too many they overwhelm us. I can hear them, they are coming. They’re in the walls. We have to find Tunnel 7…”
“Okay I got it, the best translation I can make is written below it.” Jeremy’s handwriting was a series of scribbles underneath the symbols but it was legible.
“True strength co… om… pow… wisdom… d… courage. Tunnel 6F.”
“So we press on. I don’t hear anything ahead.” Henry moved to the head of the group as they went down the tunnel.
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“Henry dude that was off the hook.”
“Where did you come up with that speech?”
“You guys don’t listen to Coldplay? Man I got to teach you both before we go off to CSU.” Henry put his arms around James and Peter as they walked back to his car. Their robes fluttered in the breeze as they held their caps.
“I’ll meet you guys at Hailey’s party later. Okay, just got to swing by and change and pick up Susie.”
“You’re still with that chick Henry?” James said.
“What is that six weeks? Time to dump that girl.” Peter joked.
“What do you guys mean?” Henry laughed he opened his car door.
“Six weeks man, that’s your longest relationship in well since you were 14.” Peter joked.
Henry drove back home from school the 30 minutes on the road gave him time to think a few things over. He opened the front door of the house and the smell of alcohol was overwhelming. “Where were you?” Henry barely ducked as an empty bottle soared over his head.
“I had graduation dad. You were supposed to be there, but you didn’t show up. I told you a month ago the time and place, and you still missed it.” Henry felt warm tears well up in his eyes.
“Yeah well it wasssn’t on the calendar. Get out of that dress and in the kitchen and make me dinner.” His father’s voice was slurred as he slammed his fist into the armrest on his chair.
“No dad. I’m going out to a party with some friends. You’re on your own.” Henry had changed and had walked down from his room.
“Henry you walk out that door you aren’t coming back.” His dad shouted. Henry ran back up to a room, grabbed a box from the bottom of his closet and ran back downstairs.
“Fine! I’m going to be more than you ever were dad. I know why mom left now. I’m going to succeed.” Henry slammed the door shut and tossed his box into the trunk of his car. The tires screeched as he drove off.
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“It’s strangely quiet.” Jeremy caught up as they stood in a large domed chamber. There were pickaxes lining the perimeter and there were all sort of large vehicles around the room. As they moved into the middle of the room the pickaxes sprung to life and formed a ring around the crew.
“Pic-Axis these Ghi animated literally fling themselves at their enemies hoping to get their point across. The sharp pointed end is used in their pointed jab, while the blunted end is used in the broad slash attack.” Kerri remembered the log entry before Jeremy could quote it.
“Have at them guys.” Mikey shouted as a Pic-Axis flew over his head.
“Dig in grunts.” One of the axes said as their ring began closing in. Henry found himself dueling a Pic-Axis with his hack ring. As Penelope shot one with her lancer the metal head flew off from the wooden handle. John managed to deflect two off of himself as the wooden flats struck his arms.
“We need to pull back, we’re outnumbered and taking some damage.” Henry and John dragged Jeremy back as they retreated to the tunnel. Mikey took up the rear making sure everyone got back to the tunnel before he fell.
“Maybe these mines were a bad idea. We seem to be finding ourselves outmatched and outnumbered.” Mikey stood in the tunnel as he was struck by four Pic-Axis. Mikey flew back from the force of the impact.
“Get him back. Mikey, you alright?” Mikey’s health was dangerously low. But the tunnel was bottlenecking the flow of Pic-Axis. Henry counted no more than 15 remaining as they kept coming three at a time.
“Good job guys.” Mikey got back up after he’d been patched up with some bandages and wishes. The defeated Pic-Axis littered the ground, as they returned to the domed chamber.
“Is it just me or have some of these vehicles moved?” John remarked at some of the mining vehicles around the room.
“Yeah, they seem to be blocking to other exit now” Penelope raised an eyebrow. The two excavators suddenly sprung to life as their crane like arms stretched out to smack Penelope.
“Look out.” Henry lunged and knocked Penelope over as the jagged bucket dug into the ground next to them. The diesel engines on the five vehicles revved to life as their headlights bathed the dome in an eerie green-yellow glow.
“The Dig Team, an animated gang composed of two X-Cavators, two Truckors, and a Bul-doser. These creatures really know how scoop, shove, and carry their point home.” Jeremy ducked as the excavator arm swung overhead.
“Red X-Cavator, now!” Mikey directed everyone to attack the nearest member of the Dig Team. Their hack and slashes seemed to bounce off of the metal monster’s body. As they got backed up to the wall the X-Cavator broke down in a smoking heap. They had to leap aside as one of the Truckors smashed through the wreckage and into the wall.
“Sir, yes sir.” Henry said as Mikey nodded, he’d come to understand it as
I have a plan, cover me while I do it. Henry, hacked one of the tires on the Truckor, Jeremy went after the other tires with his own attacks. Penelope and Kerri were attacking the clawed arm while John and Mikey drew away the rest of the Dig Team.
“Hey Bul-doser I’ve seen a tractor with more getup than you what gives?” John taunted the yellow monstrous bulldozer. Its headlights shrank to slits as it started chasing John across the room.
“Horsepower? All I see is snails here. I thought you guys were animated not lazy lounging things like us naturals. Catch me if you can!” Mikey stuck his tongue out and razzed the other Truckor and X-Cavator. As he ran one direction he saw John coming from the other direction with the Bul-doser right behind him.
“Ready?” John shouted to Mikey. Mikey smiled and nodded.
“Now.” He and John turned and ran in another direction as they reached each other. The Dig Team members chasing them were unable to stop or slow down as they collided with one another.
“Not too smart are they?” Mikey smiled and patted John’s back.
“Not the brightest bulbs in the box.” John smiled back.
“Another one down.” Henry, Penelope, Kerri and Jeremy ran over to John and Mikey as the Truckor they were menacing exploded.
“I don’t think it’s over yet.” There were sounds of a muffled engine and metal grinding on metal as the Bul-doser erupted from the pile of wreckage John and Mikey made. Their lancer shots bounced harmlessly off of the reflective surface of the plow on the front of the hulking form, save for Penelope’s lone flamethrower-like shot. The crew narrowly avoided its rush as it plowed by them.
“So what’s the plan now?”
“Is there ever a coherent plan we take on these big guys?”
“Our leader does seem to be fond of the attack it and hope for the best ideas.”
“Not to disappoint but this particular animated still has a driver’s seat, treads, a massive plow, and an engine. Each of those presents a vulnerability we can bank on. Henry try getting to the driver’s seat and stopping him there, Kerri and John try to disable the engine, Jeremy you and I got the treads, Penelope your Fire Amulet makes you the only one that can hurt that plow. Any questions?” Mikey said in a rush, the Bul-doser had begun turning around and getting ready for another pass.
“So a targeted ‘attack it and hope for the best’?” Jeremy laughed.
“You could say that. Now go guys.” Mikey’s empty finger glowed as Quicksand appeared under the Bul-doser.
“I doubt that will hold him too long.”
Mikey was correct the quicksand only held for ten seconds before it freed itself from the attack. The engine had begun to click as the arrows Kerri lodged in it continued to linger. Jeremy and Mikey clung to the yellow sides of the beast as they jabbed and burned the treads. Penelope ran and repositioned herself to keep her flamethrower focused on the plow. Henry was stuck halfway up its body somewhere as it kept bucking trying to throw him off.
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“But momma where are you going? Why do you have a suitcase. Why can’t I come too? Henry was 9 it was the night before his 10th birthday and his mom clutched a suitcase in one hand as she went down the stairs.
“Momma?”
His mom knelt beside him her soft voice filled his ears like music. She tried to smile but her eye was still purple from earlier. “I’m sorry Henry. I can’t stay here anymore. It’s not you I promise…” She began.
“Claire where’s my beer? You know I need my beer.” He could hear his father yelling from downstairs.
“Get your own damn beer Richard!” His mom yelled. Henry clutched tightly to his yellow stuffed dinosaur Frank. “Henry, promise me no matter what you’ll always be as sweet and kind as you are.”
“Momma?” Henry could feel tears welling up in his eyes.
“Promise me Henry. Please, don’t become like your father.” His mother ran to the door and left it open as she went to the car.
“CLAIRE! CLAIRE you come back here!” His father yelled. He was met with the sound of the car screeching as it pulled out of the driveway.
“Momma don’t go. Don’t leave me!” Henry ran out the door. Tears streamed from his eyes as he ran down the sidewalk chasing the car as his mom drove away.
“Momma!” He dropped Frank as he tried his best to keep up, but his legs ached and his eyes stung from all the tears. He slipped on a lingering patch of ice on the sidewalk as his mom’s car disappeared into the night. He laid there face down on the sidewalk as he felt the tears gushing from his eyes. There were footsteps behind him as he finally got up. He was face to face with his father, tears still streaming down his face.
“No son of mine cries.” His father slapped him across the face, “Now go home and get to bed.”
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“She left me. What’s stopping them from leaving me once I’m not needed.”
“Don’t know dude, whatever you’ve got it’s like catnip for the ladies.” James chuckled.
“I wish I could get them like you do.” Peter groaned. Henry was 16 and they were talking about his most recent breakup with a girl named Stacey.
“Ehh we all know Karen is much hotter than Stacey, I traded up.” Henry smirked.
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“Ahhhh!” Henry felt electricity jolting him as he entered the small cabin for the driver’s seat. It was more painful than any other animated’ attack he’d ever had to endure. He turned the keys dangling in the ignition as the massive Bul-doser slowed to a stop. Still being jolted he managed to wreck the control panel and ignition before he fell out of the cabin. He felt the world going dark on him.
“Henry!” Mikey managed to catch his falling crewmate as he was falling. But the inertia of a falling Henry dragged Mikey off of the tread.
“Tear it to pieces team!” John led the attack as the engine of the Bul-doser turned red hot and melted.
“Henry, don’t you dare leave me alone with this bunch. We need you, I need you.” He was rapidly bandaging Henry while everyone else tore Bul-doser apart.
“Besides I need your sage advice on a few things.” Mikey added in a whisper.
Henry grumbled as he got up,
“Did we get him?” He sat up, but he flinched from the soreness he felt.
“Yeah we got him, thanks to you.” There was a noticeable thud as four tunnels entrances slid open. Each had a different writing text at the entrance. As he glanced from left to right Mikey made note of the symbols.
“More riddles and translating?” Penelope rubbed her hand against the second tunnel’s entrance.
“And another journal!” Kerri picked up the worn pages of another entry.
“Wait a minute I know this writing.” She stared at the writing resembling footprints. She handed the journal to Mikey as she took the chalk from his hand.
“Sushi and Verda are gone. They fought bravely but fell. The Gemerald nest is down these tunnels, we awoke them by stumbling onto it. They hide from the heat. Any other energy based attack seems to just empower them. There’s one big one a Quantum Gemerald that seems to act as a queen of their nest. Omni sacrificed himself to seal the tunnels so that their flow could be slowed down. My team is falling and it’s my fault for leading them here. We should have taken the overland route to Thenedrana, chasing The Phantom here was a mistake. I only hope they’ll find a team that can survive and stop him.” Mikey stopped reading.
“That does it. It’s not just our fight anymore. We have to do this, for Mage and his crew. For anyone else they sent before us.” Henry looked at the writing of one of the tunnels.
“Chalk. These ones are from an old TV show I used to watch with my mom. I learned the languages as a bit of mother-son bonding.” As he turned away to write he stifled a few tears.
“Today is a go…d…y to…die…Tunnel 5D.” Henry eyed the next one, it was from the same show.
“Resistance…fut… Tunnel 4C”
“Hey wait I remember this one from a video game I used to play.” Penelope took the chalk from Henry.
“Death bef…dishon… Fo… the… Great Journey. Tunnel 3A.”
“How about your translation Kerri?” Jeremy asked. Kerri flung the chalk back to Mikey.