Ancient Forces (2018 Reboot)

Chapter 36 - All Out Assault

Zayne and Eli both ran to the barrier with fear and confusion in their eyes after they heard the earth shattering explosion. Zayne looked around for a moment before tracing the sound to the action. A massive pillar of smoke rose from the house, and Ver was running up the cliff to the base now to get a better look. Zayne saw, way in the distance resting just outside the house, Keith and Damien, both slowly picking themselves up from the explosion. Their clothes were tattered and ruined, but otherwise they looked fine save a few cuts and bruises here and there. Keith looked badly burned on his backside, no doubt he'd shielded Damien from most of the explosive pain. Still, Zayne knew he was needed. He extended his wings and was about to take flight when Ver suddenly stood in front of him, arms extended to make sure he didn't take off.

"Wait! There might be more attackers, and I think I already know why they're here!" Ver exclaimed.

"What? Why?" Zayne wondered aloud.

"Them!" Ver pointed to the prison door, speaking of Arachnid and Thunder Fang.

Instantly the words rushed in. Arachnid had warned him, hadn't he? Soon he would be free, and Zayne would regret everything he'd done to them. The reality of the situation gripped him slowly. He looked back to Ver, knowing now what he had to do. He had to stop those infiltrators before they reached the cave. He stretched his wings out and got ready to launch again when Ver waved him down a second time.

"No, wait, we need to stay here. Like I said there could be more of them and if there are I can't deal with them alone," Ver commanded.

"Eli's got skills to offer. You won't be alone," Zayne replied.

"But these will no doubt be trained villains. No doubt whoever hired Arachnid hired these people to break him out, and if he did that then he would want to make sure that failure was not an option here. I need another skilled member here with me. If Eli can help great, one extra enemy for them to have to worry about, but me and Eli alone wouldn't be able to hold off trained villains. Do you understand?" Ver explained, watching as Zayne slowly retracted his wings and agreed with her logic.

"But what about Damien and Keith?" Eli cried, pointing to the two in the open.

"Whoever it is they'll be fine. Combined they make a better team than most, and they know each other's skills too. They'll be fine, they'll be fine," Ver repeated as she ran over to the base monitors and turned everything on, activating a distress beacon and base alarm.

"What's that?" Eli nodded to the flashing red light.

"Attack Flare. If we're under attack we activate it and it alerts the government that we require help," Ver explained as she started typing several commands to the computers.

"But I thought you said this base was cut off from the government systems?" Eli replied.

"They are. The vital control systems. Security systems, alert systems, and training systems are still logged in so we can maintain contact if need be like right now," Ver was more occupied with the computers now, and she tuned everything else out around her.

Zayne stared out the barrier at Damien and Keith, wondering if they would be alright. Ver said they would. Zayne wasn't so confident.

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Keith stood as tall and as strong as he could, but the pain was seriously bad. His back felt like it was scorched, and to be honest it probably was. His body was aching and screaming in pain with each movement he made. Despite this he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small metallic ball. He crushed it between his fingers and billions of small nanites erupted from it, creating a suit of metallic looking materials with his helmet and everything. Lightning crackled between his fingers as the suit straightened him out and applied basic medical supplies to his back. Damien got up next to him, his body less injured than Keith's. Damien had a few scratches and bruises, but otherwise he looked fine. Fine other than the murderous glare he peered at the house with, facing the smoke that rose from the explosion that occurred. Keith followed Damien's gaze and locked eyes with two figures emerging from the smoke. Both looked intimidating, and both looked more than guilty for setting off the explosion. These were the villains they were looking for. The green and cosmic ones.