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Olivia rocked back and forth in her wheelchair, 'Why...why!' She screamed and wrapped her arms around her head. Why did Emilie have to die?
'Hello? Is someone there! Please help me!' I looked around at my surroundings. Everything was burning, the smell of ash and blood filled my senses. I cried out again and again. Time after time, people just ran past, completely ignoring me. The Sentinel towered above me, its crimson eyes boring into my soul, my breathing was shallow. I saw the horrible creature raise its foot above me, 'No please no!' I tried to get up but I couldn't feel my legs. Shouting, trying and bleeding I just couldn't move. I reached for rocks for support yet I fell back down. I screamed as the foot came crashing down, accepting it, I closed my eyes. Nothing happened. I heard grunts and opening my eyes revealed a man with long silver hair, 'Are you okay?'
'I can't feel my legs.' I blurted out. He nodded and he ducked down and covered me with his body, above us I heard explosions, screams and a loud thud. The strange man picked me up and carried me away to a huge truck, 'This is Emilie,' he showed me another little girl, not much older than me, 'Why don't you say hello?' He lay me down opposite her and walked away leaving me with a doctor.
'I'm Olivia.' I said as the doctor went outside the truck, 'Where did you come from?'
'A long way away.' She said folding her arms around herself, 'What happened?' She tilted her head towards my legs.
I sighed and glanced back at her, 'I can't feel my legs.' I started to sob s everything came flooding back, 'It was my fault.' Emilie tilted her head, her eyes were a fascinating colour, a sharp emerald green, her hair a orange brown mess, 'If I hadn't...' My voice became weak and Emilie came over. I saw her arm was bandaged up, blood caked her body, fear embedded in her eyes.
'Don't blame yourself.' She said, 'It will only make things worse.' She held my hand and just stared at me, 'You are alive for a reason.' She gripped my other hand and dipped her head as the doctor came back in.
'The nerve from your back to your legs has been severed. You will never be able to walk again my dear. I am truly sorry but there is nothing I can do. Here let me help you sit up,' he adjusted a belt around my waist, 'There we go. We are ready to move, Emilie dear ou sit down too.' Emilie jumped up in the seat next to me and clicked her belt in. I felt her hand grasp mine and I never let it go.
'Calm down Olivia.' Nathaniel walked in and stood against the table. His dirty blonde hair fell across his pale skin, a few freckles dappeled across his face, his eyes one red and one chocolate brown how that happened no one ever knew, mud, grime, blood and soot coevred his whole body, a spanner stuck out form his back pocket, sleeves rolled up and pants all torn. He must've been working just before he came here. Nathaniel ajusted his goggles on his head and looked down at Olivia, 'Everything is going to be okay.'
'How can you say that?!' Olivia shouted at him, 'Emilie is gone forever...I...'
'Olivia,' Nathaniel squatted down in front of her and took her hands in his dirty ones, 'Don't blame yourself. Emilie saved us, she is a hero. Heck if it wasn't for her we would never be in a team like this, I mean she hates Aaron to her very core but she respects him like she respects all of us. She wouldn't want you crying over her death. Her spirit will always watch over us and she will bloody make sure we stay alive whether she can help it or not. She will never leave us, especially you. You are her best friend, her sister. She would never leave you alone in this world.'
Olivia threw her arms over Nathaniel and sobbed in his unclean shoulder. He stroked her hair, 'We always get through it.' He patted her back.
'Nate,' Olivia whispered, 'What are we to do now?'
'Fight. We fight for Emilie. She would want us to keep going.' His chocolate brown eyes sparkled and a single tear fell from his right eye, 'We can't back down now. Not after all we have done, after all she has done.'
'Come and play Olivia!'
'You idiot I can't play! I only have wheels!'
'Oh come on Olivia, I can teach you basketball.'
'You need your legs stupid.'
'No you don't. My older brother taught me while we were in hiding. It's a lot of fun. He was in a wheelchair too.' Emilie's crooked smile spoke up and I couldn't help but smile, 'Besides, I don't want to play with Aaron or the toehrs boys. They're mean.'
'Fine.' She took me to a flat spot, 'What's that?'
'A basketball hoop. I had Guy help me with it a little while ago. I read about basketball and all sorts of sports. When my brother taught me, I admit its a little different but it still works. Here look, you shoot,' She pushed the ball into the air. The orange ball flew and fell through the hoop with a clean swoosh. I clapped and she gave me the ball, 'Now you try!'
I lifted my arms and threw the ball. It bounced off the ring and rolled back towards us, 'Here,' Emilie showed me an easier way, 'Now try.' I threw it again, this time is spun around the hoop then fell in. I laughed, excited Emilie grabbed my hands, 'YOU DID IT!' She hugged me and we played for hours. She taught me how to pass and bounce it from my chair.
Beep beep beep beep! Nathaniel checked his portable tablet and his faced paled, 'We have trouble. Two Inquisitors are coming. Something bigger. We have to warn everyone to get out. Here.' he picked Olivia up bridle style, 'We need you to hold them off.'
'My suit is damaged!' She squealed as he ran out with her.
'I'll do a quick fix,' he scanned the area and ran over to her suit which lay on the ground, 'Now,' he set her inside and closed the hatch. She buckled herself in and he played with the wires. She placed the helmet on her head and the machine responded quickly. Nathaniel's voice buzzed over the COM, 'All good?'
'All good Nate, Thanks!'
'Now go kick some alien ass!' He laughed and the link cut out.
Olivia raised her head and smiled. This was for Emilie. Everything hit her at once. Darting in and out she dragged a Sentinel around and bashed the head against a brick wall. Black blood spilled and tarnished her amour, she threw the corpse aside and challenged the other two. There was a shout and everything stopped.
There was a mighty roar from above. All eyes turned to the heavens as a great shadow was cast over everyone. Olivia shuddered as the air turned cold, ice creeping around. The sky was black, clouds tumbled across leaving nothing but darkness. She turned and saw Nathaniel helping up a woman, Aaron standing alone. He hadn't looked up, his gaze was upon what looked like a fireball. Olivia's pulse quickened. Her eyes turned to the sky again, this time the roar was louder and closer.
The COM blinked and all five faces were on screen, 'What is it?' Olivia gulped and stepped back.
'Only one thing can make that sound.' Jaymes wheezed.
Tomas grunted, 'We are truly dead.'
'GET EVERYONE OUT NOW!' Aaron screamed.
They all saw him running with mothers and children away. The Cree, Sentinels and the two inquisitors left them alone and began to run. Olivia picked up people and they ran to the far side, roars and a huge gusts of wind belted through. They ran through the streets, sweaty and terrified. Olivia and the boys knew what was coming, although they weren't sure. They had learned of legends and stories concerning this beast, they have never seen one.
'There are seven different alien troops.' Guy said looking at each one f our eager faces, 'The first is the Cree. They are about the size of a average man. They are the weakest of the seven ut still a very formidable opponent. They master in guns and most hand to hand combat. Their armour is strong yet still can be penetrated.' He showed us a diagram.
'The next level is a Sentinel. They stand nearly ten feet tall, their amour is strong, and is light. There are disadvantages and great advantages to this. An advantage is they can move quicker, but the disadvantage to them is that they are not as protected.Their weapons system is remarkable, but easily manipulated.' He smiled down at Nathaniel, 'Nate, what are you doing?'
We all turned to face him. He had a little gadget in his hand, a screwdriver tucked behind one ear and a pencil behind the other, 'I'm making me own robot sir.'
'What's him name gonna be?'
'Don't know yet sir. But when he's done, I'll know.' His tongue crept out as he tightened the bolts.
'Why don't you listen?'
'I am sir.' He said not looking up, 'There are seven different alien troops. One, the lowest is the Cree, amour is crap, still good fighters. Masters in gunship and hand to hand combat. Second, Sentinels, amour strong yet is so light. Meaning they could be killed quiet easily. Next are the Inquisitors, their armour has gold and silver running through it, giving them a lot of protection,' he flicked his hair out of his eyes and smiled, 'Yet they are so slow. Above them is a Castling. They...!'
'Yes thank you Nathaniel, I was about to explain that. Why don't you put your robot down and watch?' Guy said smiling at him. Nathaniel dropped his things and rolled up his papers and stuffed them up his torn sleeve, 'But he is right. The next is a Castling. They are fliers. They stand just shorter than an Inquisitor who stands at thirteen to fifteen feet. They wear next to no amour but they are stronger then the latter three combined. If you ever have the misfortune of meeting one, run. You cannot stand against them unless you are trained to the highest.'
'Its a Castling.' Olivia breathed, 'Holy shit.'
'We need to get people away before it attacks!' Jaymes shouted at everyone. While everyone was moving the ball of fire flickered.
'It's going out!' Nathaniel said to Aaron. Just then everything slowed to a halt. There was no roar, only the beating of wings getting father and farther away, 'The Castling is flying away?' He said looking up.
Olivia, Jaymes and Tomas looked at Aaron who was looking at the ball of flames. They shielded their eyes as the flames burst. They didn't burn anyone, just flowed around on the winds. Everyone watched in awe as the flames died away, leaving nothing but a corpse on the ground, unmoving.
Aaron glanced around, Tomas was smiling, Jaymes held his side as blood covered his hands and Olivia well, she ejected and Nathaniel picked her up, 'That bastard.' She laughed.
'She can't help herself can she?' Tomas laughed and slapped his knee, 'We can't kill her can we?'
'Let's go.' Jaymes said smiling. All five of them stepped out onto the street and just ahead, Emilie reached up from the crater she had created and pushed herself to her feet, 'She's good.' Emilie's clothes were all torn, her hair in a mess, eyes turning in circles trying to stop spinning.
They started to run and she saw them and smiled, 'What did I miss?' She laughed as Tomas reached her first, 'Calm down!'
'You bastard!' Jaymes said jumped as he reached her. Nathaniel and Olivia came next and Emilie took her from his arms. Olivia sobbed in Emilie's shoulder and Nathaniel just stood there fiddling with his spanner, smiling and crying. Aaron stayed at the back.
'Why did you do that?'
'If I hadn't kept him busy everyone would've died.' She said smiling, 'I can't leave you to have all the fun moron. You probably couldn't have handled it yourself anyway,' she yawned and winked down at Olivia, 'You always need me. I ain't dying yet, good god man you still need me to keep you all in line!'
They laughed and hugged her as the sun peeked through the clouds, all walking back to a rather angry Sergeant Erikson.