Captain Possible and The Centurion Legacy

Chapter Seven: Sanctuary

"Better hide the Kepler, Wade." Kim suggested as the entry ramp closed behind them. Wade opened a flap on his gauntlet and keyed a series of buttons before the ship began to shimmer in the hot sun, taking on a black rocky form that melded seamlessly with the environment. "Let's jet."

Wade took the lead into a maze of rocks that had been formed by age old lava flows, guided only by the scanner on his wrist. "I'm detecting a tunnel network about fifty meters down the lava tube, Kim." he announced.

Ron gasped. "Why is it so hot in here?!" he whined, quickly removing his hand from the rock wall. His black Global Justice uniform was plastered to his skin and the sweat on his brow was evaporating even as he perspired. "We're in the shade!"

Joss looked back at him, grinning behind the mask of her environmentally conditioned battle suit. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

"It's just afternoon. The black ash holds in the heat." Wade commented. "This lava tube would be like a microwave at mid day."

"Lava tube?" Ron asked hesitantly. "You mean..."

"Active volcanoes are all over this area." Joss informed him. "It's mostly ash we're walking in." Ron frowned, stopping for a moment before Rufus urged him forward with his mechanical body.

"So we're willingly walking down a path that could flood with molten rock at any time." Ron panted. "Good to know." The crevice opened up into a wider area with columns of porous volcanic rock that jetted up from the floor. "Anyone else have a bad feeling about that?" he asked as the group spread out into the clearing.

"I do." Kim said, finally speaking up.

"Really?" Ron asked, surprised.

"Get down!" Kim shouted back, tackling Ron to the ground as an energy blast shot out from a shallow cave, illuminating the synthodrone that held the rifle. Bolts began to rain down from every angle and Kim hand sprung from on top of Ron and the myonetic capacitors of her suit launched her up to one of the synthodrone's hiding places. "Time to power on, Ron! Wade, find an entrance!" she ordered, gripping the arm of the synthodrone and tossing it down to the rocky floor below.

Ron leaped to his feet before the synthodrone replaced his position on the ground. Joss drew both of her personally modified energy pistols, taking cover behind one of the columns of rock that was shattering into sharp bits that began spraying her black and gold battle armor. Wade sat beside her, inspecting his scanner for a topographical map of the area. Rufus stood mainly in the open, taking numerous hits that either bounced off or fizzled to small burn marks while he returned fire with his energy cannon.

The rocky cavity was lit up with blue and red lights as the fire fight sprang to life and Ron leaped to a crevice containing a pair of synthodrones that were returning fire to the group below from behind the ashen rock. He spun in mid flight to avoid the bolts of energy that filled the area before he smashed through the synthodrones cover, the flicker of a great monkey's shadow bathing the room for a moment in a blue glow. The shards of shale sliced through the synthodrones thick husks, pouring their fluids over the back of the crevice.

Joss turned from the column of rock, her battle suits targeting computer picking out targets. With each shot, the capacitors in each pistol rotated and began charging again, expending their entire energy reserve before the cylinder placed another capacitor in the firing chamber, allowing for a greater yield than a more conventional energy pistol like Kim's or Wade's. While this meant a slower fire rate as well, Joss compensated for this with her natural ambidexterity and with each on-target tone that rang through her helmet, she pulled the trigger, effectively disintegrating each synthodrone into a fine yellow mist. She rolled to avoid return fire and came to a standing position with her back to Rufus.