Injustice League #1- Shroud of Darkness

Chapter 5- Seeing the Gold

(I told you, these chapters got pretty dumb names)

The cave was very narrow, but eventually it opened up to a huge cavern covered in diamond-encrusted rocks. "This is so amazing..." Cupa said, her voice trailing off. "We could make a fortune off this place!" Rocket said, trying to yank a diamond loose. "Move aside, I got this." I said, pulling out my M1 Garand. I slammed the butt of the rifle against the rock, knocking the gem loose. Rocket grabbed it and stared at it for a while. "C'mon Rocket." I said, taking his diamond. "We gotta go." Rocket reluctantly followed. We followed the passageway through the cave until we made it out into a forest. All around us I could hear sounds of various animals chattering. As I looked up, I saw that the trees were covered in several types of exotic birds. They were all chirping and singing in harmony, and some of them flew by us, eyeing Echo curiously. Echo sang along with them, looking happy. "Well gang, looks like we made it to the peaceful part of the island." I said. 

Suddenly, a spear came flying through the air to stick itself in the ground inches from my foot. "Halt!" I said, beginning to draw my magnum. Scout looked around nervously, raising his minigun. 

"Do birds throw spears?" Scout asked, looking scared. "It's not a bird." I said, lowering my gun. Suddenly, several tan-skinned people with strange clothes and old-looking weapons came towards us. Scout raised his minigun, and began spinning the barrel, readying to fire. "Scout, stop!" I shouted, pushing down the barrel of his gun. "Maybe they can help us." One of the Natives stepped forward. He was a lot more decorated, with white and blue face paint on his face. He wore a headdress made of a velociraptor skull decorated with hanging T-Rex teeth.I stepped towards them, and dropped my magnum on the ground. "Guys, lower your weapons! Show them you mean no harm!" I said, before turning to greet the chief. 

"We come in peace." I said, gesturing to my fallen magnum. 

"Peace?" Said the chief, with a smile on his face. 

"Yes! Peace!" I repeated, nodding. 

"Our boat crashed several miles north of here, and we are stranded here. Can you help us?" I asked. 

"Help..." The chief said, his voice trailing off. He turned to his comrades, and began speaking to them in a foreign language. He then turned to me and spoke again. "We help. We bring you to elder. He speak good." 

He then turned, and beckoned for us to follow. I picked up my magnum and followed them.

...

The native's village was built on the treetops, allowing them to get lots of sunlight and food, while still staying safe from predators. There were a lot more natives there. Women, children, and elders. The oldest sat meditating next to a campfire with his eyes closed. His face had pale white facepaint on it, making the shape of a skull. His headdress was composed of the skull of a stegosaurus, with two small trike tusks protruding from it. 

"You guys make yourselves comfortable. I'll talk to the elder." Everyone walked off to do separate things, like talking to the natives, eating, or in scout's case, impressing the females.

Except Cupa.

"I want to speak with the elder as well." She said. She and I walked over to the elder, who was now gazing off into the sunset, but still sitting. "Come. sit." He said, turning to face us, but keeping his eyes closed. We sat next to each other on small, cushions. 

"Your aura of violence clouds my vision. Please remove your weapons." He said. I set down my magnum, tommy gun, and rifle. 

Cupa set her defense knife and her small Glock 21 neatly next to her. Then the elder opened his eyes. They were a pale blue color, and he stared blankly in our direction. 

 "You're...Blind." Cupa said, confused. "Blind in sight, but not in mind." He said, gesturing to his eyes and head. "My spirit is free, and I can see everything on this island, including you." I watched him, Interested. "Can you tell us about the Island?" I asked. "Very well." He said.

"My people came here a long time ago. We were brought by slave drivers. They made us work every day in the mountains for the white gold." I listened intently. "White gold...You mean the diamonds?" He nodded. 

"The white gold blinded them with greed. They wanted to see the whole island. So we kept mining the mountain wall until we came out into the field. The Slave drivers were scared of the monsters on the other side, and they let us go out of fear. 

We stayed on this side, and they hunted on the other side. The side they were on is unsafe. Whoever goes there never returns. Which is why we stay in the trees, so we stay off the ground." I was starting to understand. 

"Why don't you leave? Surely you can build a boat?" The elder shook his head. "We tried before in the past, but water monster destroyed all the boats." I smiled. "Water monster, huh? He's long gone. We killed him on the way here." I gestured to Rocket, who still had the large, dried up eye of the Kraken strapped to his back. 

The elder looked sad. "Even so, the Flying lizard would kill us." I suddenly caught on. "Flying lizard? Like a Dragon?" The elder nodded. 

"Flying lizard controls the island. He lets things in, but anything that leaves he destroys with fire. Flying lizard told us that the only way to leave the island is to find his stolen egg, and bring it to him." I could suddenly make sense of the ordeal. "So...The monsters here stole Flying lizard's egg, and to be able to leave, you have to return it?" The elder nodded. "But everyone who we have sent to find it has not returned. It is impossible." The elder suddenly looked straight at me. "Until you. We have seen your weapons. You can defeat the monsters, and set us free." 

The elder stood and walked over to me. Me and Cupa got up to meet him. "We'll try." I said. "Flying lizard lives in fire rock, the tallest mountain on the island." He gestured to a huge volcano in the distance. "We will supply you with food, as long as you promise to set us free at last." He held out his hand. I put my hand on his, and shook it. 

"We promise."

(Get ready to break that promise, dumbass...)