Take Back the Light

Chapter 7

With every step Midnight took toward the east, Alana felt like she was heading toward something to be avoided.

The gang had gotten a distress call just after lunch, from a small caravan out in the middle of nowhere. The signal had been a crackly recording of explosions in the distance and a worried man begging for help to protect some sort of shipment. Then there was a gasp, one final explosion, and silence.

As the five of them sped through the caverns, Alana couldn't help but feel that there was more they were heading toward then just some of Blakk's lackeys causing trouble. Her nerves had been all over the place since Deadweed, and she felt like time had slowed down, because she was noticing things more. She seemed to be aware of every slug in the hideout, and the feelings only got more complicated when she rode around the jungle, knowing where every single wild slug was without seeing them.

"How are you feeling?" Eli asked Alana for the third time that day as they rounded a corner and began riding their Mechas down a rocky slope.

Alana sighed. The gang's trip to Deadweed had been two days ago, and ever since she had lost consciousness when the dark water had swelled up, Eli had been worrying about her wellbeing way more than Alana did.

"I'm fine," she insisted. "I already told you, I was just tired already from the burning building and the trek through Deadweed, and dark water doing weird stuff just set me over the edge."

"You were pretty pale when you went down," Trixie added from behind Alana, who rolled her eyes.

"I'm not pale now, though," she stressed. "I feel way better now."

"I just wanna be sure. With how powerful these ghouls are, I don't want you just passing out in the middle of a fight," Eli said.

"Believe me, I'm not gonna miss the chance to take down some ghouls," Alana laughed. "I really am fine. And if I'm not, I'll let you know right away. And besides-" Alana stopped as a firework suddenly shot up from the bottom of the rock slope, "I think we're about to have bigger things to worry about."

Eli nodded and pulled his Mecha to a halt, the others stopping behind him. Over the edge of the slope, Alana could see a large clearing with areas of smoking grass. A pile of Mechas and a tipped-over cart hid a few slingers, cowering in fear as two Mechas approached them. Each Mecha held a large man- the twins Locke and Lode, some of Blakk's hired muscle. Alana frowned when she saw the ghouls in their blasters and bandoleers.

As the fireworks in the sky faded, Eli fired a Frostcrawler at the twins. They dodged out of the way just in time to avoid the slug, looking around wildly to try and find its slinger.

"Where'd that come from?" Locke gasped.

"The Shane Gang!" Lode called, pointing up the the slingers on the cliffside. Eli smirked at the twins' surprise.

"Good, you remember us!" Eli exclaimed, loading his blaster with a Hop Rock. "Then I bet you can guess what happens next!"

He fired the Hop Rock, and the gang all took their cue to charge down the slope. Kord fired a Rammstone that knocked away a ghouled Hop Rock from Locke, and Alana followed Kord's shot quickly with an Armashelt that knocked Locke off his Mecha.

Lode came to a stop and jumped off his Mecha to stand alongside Locke. The two fired ghouls- a Terrarix that dug into the ground and a Hop Jack that followed after it. The ground rose and dirt flew up as the ghouls sped right under the gang's Mechas. Before any of them could move, the Hop Jack exploded, throwing the Shane Gang into the air.