"I think I'm gonna be sick."
Eli clutched his stomach while pushing away his plate.
"Why do we let Pronto cook in the first place?"
"It takes an iron stomach to digest my famous Casarolana!" Pronto exclaimed, digging in his plate unlike the others.
"Which we don't have, so please make something eatable for us normal people." Trixie stood up, not even wanting to taste the food.
"Gah! All you people do is complain. Why don't you cook instead? Then you'ill know how it feels in Pronto's shoes."
"We'd rather not find out that. We would be dead the minute we wear 'em." Kord remarked with a sly grin.
Him and Eli broke out into a fit laughter making the molonoid huff in frustration and direct his focus on his food.
"I still can't believe her."
"What was that Trix?" Eli regaining from his laughter, glanced at the red head who had her eyes now glued on her halo pad.
"That major diva. Saying stuff like that, starting unnecessary fights. Who does she think she is?"
"Ehem a Blakk?" Kord replying as an obvious tone.
"She did managed to use our distraction as an advantage by hitting that cliff's turf." He pointed out.
"Which gave her enough time to get away.....again." The Shane muttered under his breath.
"She clearly lied about not knowing the Herringebone mines incident."
"I'm not positive of what to believe. But its for sure that she's really deft and efficient on her part." Eli stated. "We got caught off guard."
"Remember the last time we met, she got away pretty quickly too?" Kord reminded.
"Yeah your right...now that I think of it, its like she never really wants to fully engage in a battle with us. Whenever she detects a chance, she slips away." Eli thought out loud.
"Probably scared of Pronto and his remarkable slinging skills!"
"Sure.." He trailed off. "Though you shouldn't have provoked her Trix."
"What do you mean? Its my fault?" Her verdant eyes glared at him.
"I was trying to pull a conversation with her. You shouldn't have raged at her if you knew what her answer was gonna be anyways."
"Well I still thought she would feel some slight guilt." She mumbled, resting her hand under her jaw.
"Speaking of Blakk looks like we should buckle up cause the distress signal just beeped in." Kord pointed at Trixie's halo computer, effectively gaining everyone's attention.
Thier conversation long forgotten before they started sorting up soon.
"What? Oh come on! It has only been a day! Why can't they give us a break." Pronto grunted while wearing his bandoleer.
"What is it this time?" Eli asked, suiting up himself.
"I dunno. The intel said that Blakk's crew has been spotted at Antimony Cavren, armed."
"What could they want from there?" Trixie enquired, starting the engine of her meca.
"Whatever it is, we need to take control over it before they do." Eli griped the accelerator, the engine roaring with a spark of power, his vehicle taking off with an agility speed and a fluent pace.
The rest of the gang trailing not far behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The Antimony cavren was thoroughly populated, increasing the risks of building damage and injuries.
A small pit formed in Eli's stomach, as he watched the people all around him casually strolling with thier morning moods and engulfed in their own activities.
We have to be extra careful here. He noted.
"I don't see any sign of Blakk's guards so far. Are you sure they're-"
A sudden blast perceived nearby their spot, followed by another imitate one.
Shock wave vibrated through the ground, indicating the closeness of the blow.
"Perhaps that gave you your answer." Kord replied to Trixie, pointing at the smoke emitting a few yards away.
The sight enough for Pronto to shrink in his meca and reconsidering his trip to this cavren.
"Come on gang lets move!" Eli ordered, roaring his meca's accelerator to pick up speed again.
Nearing to the blow, they slowed down. The semi vanished smoke allowing them to see what was happening without getting spotted.
"Mr Lockwood, you're clearly out numbered. Isn't it better to just accept Dr Blakk's demands and get this over with?"
"What your offering is truly unacceptable! You are assuming I would give you quater of the cavren's land!?"
"In case if you haven't noticed we are offering you a heavy load of monetary transaction in terms of the contract."
"I can't let you take over this place! What about the people living in that area? Where would they go?"
Lena rolled her eyes. "They have the sanction to to resettle where ever they want with the funds Dr Blakk is providing."
"You can't just expect them to pack it up and leave their homes like that. This is one of the very few cavrens remaining without Dr Blakk's marking on them. I simply wont allow it!"
"Fine then," She gritted. "Have it your way."
She signalled the goons behind her, firing ghouls at the man and the hired security guards that barriered him.
"Let me know if you change you mind." Lena walked past the goons, letting them do their jobs while she found a spot and to watch over the area.
They won't be able to stand for long, sooner or later he will have to sign the contract.
Subconsciously her breath hitched when the last night's conversation as well as her father's visage imaged in her head. He wont be disappointed, I'ill do it right.
An unanticipated blast hit the bottom rock she was standing on, making her topple on the ground with a loud thud.
The landing scrapping her knees roughly. "Gosh," she mumbled. "What th-"
Multiple shots from an unknown direction were heard.
She whipped her head back at the scenario to see the Shane gang quickly dominating the area, working side by Lockwood and his men.
How did I not notice them comin-
"Surprised?"
A voice all too familiar resound from behind and she repressed the urge to hold a sarcastic remark.
"Mr Shane." She resolved herself coming face to face with a blaster. "How are you this fine day?"
"Wonderful now that I've caught you by surprise." A small smirk played on his lips. While his eyes glinted with the usual determination she noticed everytime.
"Now now," She rested her finger tip on his blaster's cold edge, slowly pushing it down. "Don't go so ahead of yourself pretty boy."
As if in a trance, his arms lowered his blaster, obeying her command.
It felt quite amusing to him seeing her to act ever so casual while being stuck at a gun point.
Even though the ghostly smile plastered on her face was far from genuine, her body posture seemed strained. She was tensed for some reason.
"Looks like you're doing a pretty good job in following Blakk's footsteps huh. What's next? You'ill be ghouling slugs by his side, or if you haven't already done so." Eli stated, his voice now having valiance in it despite the mockery tone.
He saw something flashing in her jade green eyes while her lips slightly parted, inhaling a sharp breath.
Before her jaw clenched and she squeezed her eyes shut for a second, opening them again with a certain rage flaming in her green orbs.
"Enough talk." She growled, swiftly kicking his arm and shoving him away from her.
Although the movements were quite sudden, he reached up with them by firing his slugs. While the favour was returned to him with her ghouls.
He had noticed the small changes in her expressions by his words. Whatever he said had piqued her.
"Can't get a simple task done without you interfering it." Lena fired a Pyringo, submitting the heat flames with high pressure.
Barely doging it, the flames lightly, yet sufficiently, burned his sleeve joints before hitting the side of a rock.
"Aargh." He held his forearm as the burning sensation felt on his skin.
She isn't slowing down.
He shot Banger which fortunately hit her before the impact making her hit the ground with a rough landing, knocking the air of of her.
She could feel her clothes being lightly shredded from all sides, her scrapped knees exposed even more.
Attempting to stand up she lightly coughed before getting hit by another slug. Making her roll down to the lower ground.
Eli flashed a signal to his friends, trying to join them.
He had lost Lena's position while she disappeared out of his sight.
I hope this gives us some time.
The Blakk's guards rapidly surrounded him, blocking his way and view to the main event.
"Looks like we're gonna have alot of exercise today Burpy." He nodded to his slug, a scheme already forming in his head while a confident grin placed on his lips.
Lena attempted to stand up with her quivering arms. Behemoth stood next to her, lifting her arm for some assistance before she snatched it away and glared at him.
"Just keep them busy, we only need Mr Lockwood to sign the contract."
He snarled back but obeyed anyways, signalling his troops to go further.
All this parade for a piece of paper.
She forced herself up and dusted off.
So much for thinking it was easy.
Glancing at the bargainer, he was left all alone while most of his guards were scattered on the ground unconscious.
"Come on old man I'm getting impatient! I've destroyed your department building and I wont hesitate to destroy this one too." Her voice growled. Loading a ghouled Tenasher and aiming it at his sector office.
The building was well built, wide and tall. But the ghouled Tenasher in her hand gave the man mild apprehension.
"No! Please don't. You have already destroyed thousands of gold coins work. Its the only devision office left for my company." He pleaded.
"It would've been easier if you agreed with me in the first place. None of this would have happened." Signalling Behemoth that stood beside her holding the papers, she gestured towards him.
"Lets just sign this and get this over with. Dr Blakk will have his part of the land, you building will remain unharmed. Everyone wins!"
He stumbled forward and with his quivering hands, he signed the contract the mauve giant held up towards him.
His face holding affliction and sorrow, his eyebrows ceased together while he urged himself to seal the deal.
"Done."
Handing the papers to her, a sigh of relief escaped her lips. Well now that's dealt with.
Her eyes darted towards him again, her own expressions gradually faltering seeing his visage.
A light frown had etched on her lips, and her eyes took a softer shade of green.
Is it really that bad working with him?
"What are we waiting for? Lets go before the Shane gang catches up to us." Behemoth uttered.
Ignoring his demands she gently approached the old man.
With all the fuss going on, her frustration had taken the best of her. She had forgot her own morals, being harsh and disrespectful to someone much older than her.
But did she had a choice in the first place?
"Umm Mr Lockwood..I know this would mean nothing to you. But I am sorry for all the damage that we have cost. But I'll assure you, everything will work out fine." Her voice taking a politer tone. She felt the guilt rising up inside her, for not using a gentler approach, despite the persistence.
But that's the way how Dr Blakk does things, she could do nothing about it.
"Do you even know what he has done with us? You think this is all for some businesses expansion? If you're his daughter than you should far mostly know the true intentions he has." He shook his head.
"Stop trying to give false hope. You've got what you wanted. Now leave before the regret inside me eats me out of existence."
Leona's mind took in ever word, registered every emotion on his face showed. Her own eyes speaking the rythm of perception and dismay.
She couldn't find the words to roll out of her tongue and felt like her voice had faded within.
"I...he..–" Before any proper words could form in her mouth, a heated blast perceived in her ears.
Her eyes quickly catching the glimpse of the Infurnus, her body rapidly reacted to the flames that she barely managed to doge in time.
"Get away from him." The Shane gang made their way towards them in a fast pace.
Lena couldn't find the time to shoot a slug, and tried dodging their attacks as far as she could.
Now a wall of fire separating herself from the old man she was talking to.
"I told you to get out of here sooner didn't I!" Behemoth yelled at her while running his way back to the vehicle they came in, leaving the girl all by herself.
"Wait! What about them?" Lena glanced far away at the scattered horde of soldiers they brought. Internally another wave of pity washing over her.
"Do you think I would give a damn about them right now? Hurry on or I'm leaving you!"
Lena fired her Blastipede and Thrasher. Both being slugs but they directed their attacks efficiently.
The Thrasher knocking out the cave troll's Flaringo attack and the Blastipede exploding tiny bombs into dust and smoke, working as a distraction and helping them with their escape.
"They're getting away!"
"No not this time."
Feeling a thrust on her back, Lena flew forward. Her arms being caught in an Archnet's web while its force making her fall with a loud thud.
Her visioned blurred out a bit when she tried to perceive her surroundings. Her eyes catching Behemoth running away from the scene.
Dam it that coward!
Lena scowled as she sat herself up, huffing by the insufficient amount of air her lungs were getting a hold of.
"Don't try to escape, it won't work."
Lena glanced up to meet the Shane's eyes. The bright blue colour blazing with fiery.
Her eyes swiftly blinked away, feeling too overwhelmed.
"Don't be so sure about that pretty boy." Her lips twitched up in a small smirk, as soon as her ears felt the rumming vibration of a vehicle.
"We should tie her tounge too while we're at it-- what the-"
Before Trixie could finish the Blakk's Steel roared its way towards them.
"Everybody scatter!" Eli yelled.
The slingers doged their way from the caboose that bragged its way towards them with no mercy.
"What are you waiting for? Get in!"
Her smile didn't falter as she wiggled her way through the Archnet's web and ran towards the wagon's opened door.
"Later losers!" She saluted as the vehicle started turning away and drove out of their sights.
"For a second there I didn't think you'd come back for me, thanks." She breathed, her eyes glistening with gratitude.
The Darkbane grunted in response.
"Don't get so friendly with me. Dr Blakk told us to come back in one piece, that's all I did. Although I do hope some sense will knock into that pretty little head of yours of how to treat our dealers. Stop being nice to them, its a waste of time."
The small hint of her smile, that lasted for a speck of seconds, faltered as she watched him walk further away from her without much of a glance.
She let of a strained breath. Atleast its over now...
Her hands went to her soar shoulders, massaging them, yearning to find some comfort.
"Good guardian slugs." she mumbled, heaving a sigh.
Its not like I wanted to fight them. I didn't want to tear his company apart.
Her emerald orbs softened their shade. The glistering sparkle in them vanishing away, replacing them with clouded emptiness.
But what's done is done isn't it