The Lantern Bearers

chapter 32: haven fall part 1

It was a good few hours since we returned with Fuko, the....thing that's like Yui that Moro "claimed". He named her that because in Japanese, it means "bad luck" which was how we bumped into her..... through sheer bad luck. However, once he "claimed " her, she has become docile and sweet, as well as revealing that she's mute, not knowing why she is.

Man, i just want mama and papa to return already. It's getting weirder by the second.

We were talking to willow during those few hours, catching her up on what happened.

"So it was a dud, huh?" She said having cyrus covered with a blanket while she breastfed him

"Nothing, but old people medication and vitamins that wouldn't do jack for you." I said bluntly.

"Well damn, that sucks. But hey, least you got another "Yui" outta the deal!" She said with a smile.

"I almost died...." moro said all wide eyed, still shooken from the event, while Fuko petted his hair with a carefree smile.

"Yeah, she can shoot rivet spikes into people and punch through them like they're made of paper." I explained.

Moro shuttered at the thought that a killing machine is literally petting him and doting on him. I would be freaking out too, to be honest.

"She seems cute enough, but she needs new clothes....those look dirty and ragged." Said willow.

In proper lighting, she was right, fuko was in dire need of new clothes. She wore bloodied rags for a dress that had gashes and holes in it. It was too stained with dirt and blood that i couldn't tell what the dress used to look like.

"Hows cyrus?" I asked.

"Healthy and sleepy as can be." Willow said with a smile.

"What about you?" I asked.

"Still sore, a bit more mobile than yesterday, but not by much, still hurts to do things." She admitted.

I nodded and pulled up a chair to have a seat, since my feet were sore from walking. However, as soon as my ass was about a few inches from the seat, there were gunshots outside.

"what the fuck?" I said as i stood back up.

Willow was in the process of burping cyrus when she heard them too. Fuko immediately morphed her right hand into a jackhammer and her shoulder launchers armed.

"RAAAAAID RAAAAAID!!" nathan shouted from outside.

I bolted out the door with moro and fuko, and the sight was chaotic. There were striders all over the place, stabbing  the denizens of the camp while nathan, sullivan, and some of the other bearers were shooting the striders as they came in.

"We have to protect Willow and the baby!" I yelled, pulling out my pistol.

"Protect her, fuko!" Moro ordered.

Fuko would nod and stand at the entrance of the house.

We would all open fire on the striders as they flooded the camp.

I would use my pistol and get precision shots. When they got too close, i would shock the shit out of them, then put a bullet through their skull.

Moro would shoot each strider a few times each in the chest, trying to concerve ammo. I gotta admit, with the laser sight attachment, he is deadly precise and almost never misses, despite his condition.

Fuko would stay at the door and would punch and kick any of the striders that got close, breaking their bones and caving in their skulls. Long distant targets were met with yellow hot rivets through the skull.

This went on for a suspicious amount of time. They all wielded the same weapon, but some of the denizens were being shot. The angle is off too, like, these were headshots that were coming form one angle from above. Another thing about the striders, they all seemed the same and instead of there being blood, it was plumes of dark mist and they would vanish shortly after "dying". This has to be the work of a tainted, there is no question about it.....but where are they??

Willow would look out the window, and a strider would immediately point at her and emitted a ghastly wail. The others would join in as well, pointing at her.

She looked pale as a ghost and immediately ducked behind the wall.

The striders would begin rushing us now.

We were getting overwhelmed quickly, even with nathan, sullivan, and the other bearers coming to our aid.

"Why are they after baby girl??" Nathan exclaimed.

"She said she was being hunted by a strider and shit! Said he was haunting her!" I said.

"Fucking dammit, she's just a teenager! Why is he this aggressive!? It's psychotic!" Nathan said.

I'd hear moro curse to himself and slapping his TMP over and over.

"What's wrong?" I asked

"Its jammed!" He exclaimed.

"Didn't anyone teach you to maintain a gun??" I asked.

"Uh, no?" He replied.

I groaned and yanked the gun from him. 

Upon inspection, the bullet was wedged in the receiving chamber and the expelling door. I took a screwdriver and popped it out, pulled out the clip, checks it, and slides it back in.

"Here!!" I yelled, tossing the gun to him.

He caught it and resumed firing.

"Who taught you how to do that??" Moro asked.

"Pops!" I replied.

"The white haired guy??" He asked.

I nodded.

I would look around and seen some rebarb poles.....and got an idea.

"Moro! Tell fuko to grab the rebarb poles and throw them in the air!" I yelled.

"What?? Why??" He asked.

"Just do it! She won't listen to me!" I yelled.

"Fuko! Do as she asks and throw the rebarb in the air!" He commanded.

Fuko would nod and gather the rebarb. She would then throw them high into the air. They would come slamming down into the earth and even impaling a few of the striders in the process.

I would grab one and then took a deep breath.

Channeling my electricity into the rod, i would pour everything i had into it. The electricity would jump from one pole to another, zapping striders left and right. Before i knew it, i created a web of electricity that would constantly zap striders.

"Heh.... I'mma call this one the zeus zapper!!" I said with confidence.

"Hey! What are you- willow!" Moro said from behind me.

I looked and seen willow handing over cyrus to moro and grabbing her shotgun.

"The fuck is she doing?! Stop her!" I shouted.

"She said she had to do something important!" He said.

"She's being retarded! Stop her!" I yelled.

"She's already gone!" He replied.

"Fuck!" I cursed to myself.

Willow, whatever you are doing, i hope it's fucking worth it! You just gave birth, you dip shit! You're putting yourself through agony!