Six Steel

Chapter 7: Reassurance

Parker watched four shadows creep to their post while he stood from the roof of a shop. Far off in the distance, he could see the fire of a camp on the outside of Alten. All he had to do was watch and wait for the bandits to make a move and then fire a signal in the direction of where they would enter the city so that James could lead the group to intercept them.

Parker was having a hard time staying focused, however, since the argument he'd had with his parents was still fresh in his mind, having happened only a few hours ago. Up until his mom scolded him, he hadn't taken the time to consider what would happen if someone did get hurt. James was nineteen, and Carter was twenty now, But Max and Patrick were still just sixteen. Cutting their lives short would be a crime to the life they could have carried.

Sure, they let James meticulously plan every mission to ensure that the boys never put themselves in any immediate danger. But what if it was simply a matter of time until somebody ended up dead? What if they have just been lucky up until now? What if that luck runs out one day?

The truth was Parker didn't want any of his friends to die because he would never be able to let himself live that down. Even now, the thought sent a shiver down his spine, and the bandits moved from their camp towards Alten. Parker prayed that all of his friends would be- HOLY CRAP, THE BANDITS ARE MAKING THEY'RE WAY FOR ALTEN. Parker took Carter's Mag and fired a bright ball of magma toward where the bandits were headed. The four boys began to move towards that location, and Parker kept an eye, waiting for the first sound of gunfire before leaving his post in case the bandits intended to change their path, which meant Parker would need to redirect the boys.

Silence stood in the air as the two groups made their various movements. Then two bangs rang out, and Parker lept from his post, heading towards the location of the sounds, knowing it was Max and Parker with their Normans. Before Parker could get to the ground, three more shots shattered the night, and Parker felt his stomach drop for the second time that day. He began to run as fast as he could, more shots starting to ring out as the Fearsome Five's first shootout began.

Parker drew his Liquid, prepared to fire as soon as he arrived. A vibration shook the ground as James' Barrier Breaker launched a massive shockwave, most likely giving the boys time to regain their energy. Parker kept running, feet pushing the ground, propelling himself forward, and every thought was pumping through his brain, telling him that his friends were okay and everything was alright, that the bandits were just more prepared than the boys had expected. When Parker rounded the final building that stood between him and his friends, the problem was already solved. James had not only knocked the men back with his Barrier Breaker but had also knocked them unconscious. This gave the group time to tie the bandits up and prepare them for another delivery to the officers of State Quil.

Carter was tying the last knot on the criminals and heard Parker's frantic running. When he looked up, Parker had assessed the situation and was putting the pistol back but couldn't disguise the fear he had been experiencing only moments before.

"You doing okay, Parker?" Carter asked.

"I'm alright," Parker replied, "Just got a little worried."

Parker scanned the group and noticed blood running down Max's face. Parker could hear his mother's words echoing in his mind as he stared at Max's blood.

"It's just a scratch. One of their bullets struck the boulder we were hiding behind, and the shrapnel cut my eye," Said Max, noticing the worried look on Parker's face.

"Besides," Max continued, "We caught the guys, right? Which makes it totally worth it," he performed the Fearsome Five's salute, "Anything for the Fearsome Five."

"Yeah, you're right," Parker responded, taking a deep breath.

He decided to push his doubts aside. There was no way they would get hurt. They were too responsible for that. Every single person here had been practicing shooting since they were in their early teen years. At the end of the day, they knew what their limits were, and James would be smart enough to keep them from passing those limits. The occasional cut and scrape were to be expected, but if they continued to hunt criminals in the night without facing them head on, nothing could stop them.