Take Back the Light

Chapter 4

Alana's eyes began to open when she felt Midnight begin to slow down.

She couldn't tell if she had fallen asleep, or if she had just been lost in thought. Either way, Midnight was slowing to a trot as she made her way across the long mushroom-tree trunk that led to the hideout.

It was only late afternoon- Alana winced as she looked around the bright forest. It felt like it should be night. Waking up in her sleeping bag that morning felt like it had been weeks ago.

Alana sat up and gasped, sharp pain shooting up her side.

Right. I forgot.

She looked down at the wound. The skin felt just barely healed over beneath the Arachnet webs. It would make quite the scar. Mage sat next to it on Alana's once-blue-now-stained-red shirt, fast asleep. Healing already tired her, and added with the crazy day the little Boon Doc had, Alana couldn't blame her.

"Let's go get cleaned up," Alana mumbled as Midnight finished crossing the mushroom-tree. The Mecha continued to walk down to the launch bay door, but instead of automatically opening like it always did when Midnight sent out the signal, it remained shut. Midnight stopped in her tracks and tilted her head, confused.

Groaning, Alana gently picked up Mage and set the healer on her left shoulder. Then, slowly and painfully, she slid down off her Mecha.

"Stupid door..." Alana mumbled as she carefully walked up to the control panel on the side of the door.

Numerical passcode, the control panel read. Alana punched in 2-4-1-10.

Alphabetical passcode. S-u-r-f-a-c-e.

Alphanumerical passcode. S-h-a-n-e-9-3.

Passcodes accepted.

"Excessive," Alana sighed as the bay door began to open. "Well, you knew how to keep a place safe, Wi-"

She froze as the door opened wide enough to reveal the inside of the garage. There were four Mechas, and one of them was hung from the maintenance stand, being worked on by a cave troll.

Will's Mecha. The only time Alana had touched it in the last five years was to bring it home and keep it under a tarp.

Alana scowled and immediately grabbed her blaster, Ash jumping in, as the cave troll dropped his wrench and sprung to his feet.

"What the- who are you?" he asked, starting to move for his own blaster next to him.

"Don't," Alana said, stepping forward, but faltering as more pain ebbed from her wound. For a second, the world swayed. "What are you doing here? This is private property..." her voice trailed off as everything tipped sideways again.

She was still in pain from her side wound, and exhausted from the fight and chase with the workers. And she hadn't felt it until now, trying to move so quickly after a long Mecha ride, but Alana still felt chilled from the monster slug.

She lowered her blaster and then suddenly she was on her hands and knees, trying to stabilize herself.

"Uh..." the cave troll said, taking a step toward Alana, then deciding it was best to keep his distance.

One by one, Alana's senses clicked back into place. She got to her feet, pressing her hand to her side. She'd tear open the newly healed skin if she wasn't more careful.

The cave troll scratched the back of his head, trying to make sense of the situation. Then his eyes wandered to Midnight, who was still standing outside the launch bay. His gaze trailed down to the Shane star painted on her side.