Take Back the Light

Chapter 25

"Alana, come on!"

Alana sat up, stretching out her back. As uncomfortable as it was sometimes, getting in extra sleep on her Mecha was worth it. She'd readjusted plenty of times already, and had just been leaning all the way back on her Mecha's seat with her feet propped up just above Midnight's control panel, one arm on her stomach and the other draped over her eyes.

"What's up, Trix?" Alana asked, yawning and rubbing her eyes as she readjusted herself, now sitting properly. Trixie was riding alongside Midnight, looking worriedly at Alana.

"We're almost here, sleepyhead. Are you okay? This was not a comfortable ride, but you were out," Trixie noted. Alana nodded, already coming to her senses.

"Yeah, just got in a quick power nap," she said.

"Ah, so you are learning from Pronto the Magnificent!" Pronto exclaimed from behind her. Alana laughed and nodded.

"Sure, that's it," she said, looking at the buildings around her. They were in a small town that was just as much plant life as buildings. Small mushrooms grew at curbs, and bamboo stalks swayed between buildings, which had slanted rooftops and lanterns at doorways.

"This should be it," Trixie said, looking down at a map on her Mecha's screen.

Alana looked at the building in front of the gang. It was three stories, and there was a crowd of people around it, all murmuring worriedly. It didn't take her long to figure out why- the sound of slugfire was barely muffled by the restaurant's doors.

Eli came to a stop, the rest of the Shane Gang following suit, and led the way toward the doors. A bang and crash made the two doors rattle on their hinges.

"That sounds fun," Alana noted.

"You sure about this, Eli? Sounds like a tough character in there," Trixie said worriedly. Eli nodded.

"My dad never had the chance to train me, but he always said that a Shane never backs down from a challenge," he said. Burpy chirped and nodded from his shoulder.

"That doesn't mean you have to face it alone," Trixie said as the rest of the gang stood beside him. Pronto hurried forward.

"Five against one? Allow Pronto to lead to charge!" the molenoid exclaimed, leading the gang forward. But he only got in a few steps before the doors to the restaurant flew open. A man sailed out, crashing to the ground at Pronto's feet, covered in bruises and looking utterly defeated.

"Do not go in there!" the man groaned. Eli kept moving, unfazed.

"Come on, guys," he said. Alana, Trixie, and Kord followed after him, while Pronto laughed nervously and stayed behind a moment to check in on the man.

Eli led the gang into the restaurant. Alana's eyes widened as she looked around the place.

Tables were on their sides, broken glass littering the ground around them. Plates and food were strewn about the floor, the back counter, and even a bit on the walls. Smoke rose from a few charred places on the ground, and at the center of the room, a hooded figure sat on one of the few remaining upright tables, sipping from a steaming cup.

Alana narrowed her eyes as she felt the stranger's energy. It wasn't like hers by any means, but it felt different. Like this person had taken their natural aura that accompanied them as a Slugterran and manipulated it, not changing it to be more light or dark, but to have more strength. Alana was impressed.

"Are you the one who called me out?" Eli asked, his hand hovering over the handle of his blaster as he walked toward the figure, who remained silent. "Look, are we gonna duel, or-"