Outlaw: Into The Fire

Prologue

Edited by BizarreSmalls

Prologue

The old inventor struggles with the controls of his damaged fighting machine. He knew that his fighting days had long since come and gone, but he couldn't stand by and do nothing. He had felt compelled to join what remained of his son's and grandson’s generation of heroes in their final stand.

Some rational part of his mind admits that he knew he wasn't going to survive the battle, and that he really had little reason left to keep going. He's shocked that he's still alive. After so many younger and more powerful heroes have already fallen.

The only reason he's running now is because he can't allow his final two invention's to fall into a villains hands. They were to be a gift to his grandson. He was killed six months ago, before he could finish them. He only finished them to stave off the grief of his only remaining family members death.

The last words spoken between them where in anger. His grandson thought that they should start dealing with the villains permanently. That the villains had no problem killing them and that we should return the favor. He told him if they did that. They would be no better than the villains themselves. “Maybe that's the price we need to pay to protect the people from them!” His grandson had shouted as he walked out the door. He was sure he was right then. Now, after the battle, he's not so sure.

Alarms scream as he loses altitude, a shuddering groan emanates from the machine. He searches for a place he can crash. The only open ground is a soccer field near a school. “It can't be helped,” he thinks to himself.

He aims his battered machine for the center of the field. His long range optics pick out movement and zoom in. Teenagers are on the field chasing a ball around. A map appears on his only working screen. A high school sits next to the field. They must be having gym class.

He pulls back on the controls trying to pull up. A sharp crack rings through the cockpit, as electricity skitters across the controls. The instrument board goes dead and the controls are unresponsive. A startled laugh burst from him, his fate is now in the hands of the laws of physics. He found it rather ironic.

The teen's scatter after finally seeing him. He's thrown hard against his safety restraints as he hits the ground, digging a trench in the field. All he can hear is the sounds of buckling and tearing metal. He feel's a sharp pain in his leg as the metal buckles, clamping his leg in place.

He finally comes to a stop in a smoking, crumpled mess. Through his cracked viewport he see's a lone heavyset teen running towards him. He slap's the control to open the hatch to his machine. It groans and shutter’s in protest, But opens in several slow jerking start's and stop's.

“Hello, Are you alright?” He can see him peering in through the hatch.

“My leg is trapped, I need help!” He yells yells to the young man.

“Okay, I will go get help.” The boy turns to leave.

“No wait!! There's no time for that. They will be here soon. Come in here quickly.”