Player is Waiting... (Ultimate Clan Wars)

by Wells, JB

  Isabelle and Sebastian laughed. The under one hundred signs just felt like ping pong balls bouncing off their armour, but the bigger bills landed with a ‘thud’ and some left dents.

  “Okay, let’s move out.” Sebastian jumped up and rushed off. The cadets were close behind him.

  Dexter’s crosshairs sprung to life on his visor. “Sir!”

  “I see them, Price. Okay everyone, guns at the ready…Selsus?” Sebastian held his arm upright again and they stopped. “Roger that, how are the others…Copy that. Thanks.” Sebastian turned to the forty strong group. “We have Biters and Inchers up ahead. The other crews are taking out the same. We’re looking at a couple of hundred Biters, we don’t know what else there is. The medics are transitioning here in five minutes and…” There were a couple of loud crashes that interrupted him. “Zwerms,” he sighed.

  “Erm…Sir?” Dexter called, his visor dancing around like fireworks.

  “Then we need to clear through…”

  “Sir?” Dexter called again. The bright silver eyes of a Biter were staring right back at him. It had quietly crawled over one of the safes and it planted itself above Sebastian’s head. “Sir?” Dexter asked one last time but Sebastian was too busy.

  The Biter opened its huge jaws, he could see down its throat and it wasn’t pretty. Behind the robotic jaws of steel were lights that glowed with energy. That is where they stored the Trojan and it fed into their razor-sharp teeth. If the creature had drool it would have covered Sebastian’s head. There was no time. Dexter raised his gun slowly as Sebastian carried on talking oblivious to the threat. None of the other cadets had noticed it because the creature blended in with the mechanics of the Conveyor belt. Dexter slowed his breathing and carried on raising his gun until the barrel was pointing at the creature. He leant forward and squeezed the trigger. The pulse shot out and lit up the room.

  “Price, what are you…” Sebastian screamed in shock and fell to the floor for protection.

  Owen saw the creature once Dexter’s pulse lit it up, he took aim with the others and they all shot at the creature. After a few shots it fell to the floor only inches from Cadet Thistle.

  “Hey!” Dexter whined standing over the pixelating remains. “Who stole my points, come on own up!”

  “Sowwy,” Joey laughed and he lifted his flashing arm plate as the points counted up.

  Dexter growled and slammed his gun back into its holster which sat on his back.

  Sebastian slowly picked himself up and dusted himself off. “Thank you 301. That was a close call, and a good lesson to all of us to listen to each other.” Sebastian stopped again and turned around. “We have incoming! Keep moving forward and clear the way, Hunters. If we separate, meet by the vault, just watch out for The Cats.” Sebastian forged off ahead and then he was gone.

  “Cats?” Owen mumbled.

  “Hey, I don’t like Cats.” Dexter shuddered.

  “Come on, let’s move!” Isabelle took the lead and they weaved their way through corridors of safes and conveyor belts.

  It wasn’t long before they found themselves in the path of a few Biters. Their nerves were pushed deep down inside as they shot their way through and cleared the path.

  “Yes, fifty to me!” Dexter laughed.

  “Same here.”

  “Well, I have seventy five.” Isabelle shrugged off her win and checked her ammo levels.

  There was a thump from around the corner, they stopped and stared. A couple of the safes above them tumbled down, their flames extinguishing as they landed.

  “There’s nothing on my visor!” Owen called.

  “What was it, Sun Burn?”

  Isabelle growled at Dexter, but Owen was nearly rolling on the floor in laughter.

  “Sun?” Isabelle called.

  “Shine.” Echoed back.

  The three of them made their way forward and met up with five very lost and very worried looking medics.

  “We were supposed to be transported to Cadet Thistle’s location but I think we got lost.”

  “Chun?” Owen called out, “can you show me Thistle’s location please.” There was another long silence. “Seb is a little way over from here. He has a large nest of Biters.”

  “Stick with us and we’ll meet up with him. Just keep behind us and be ready to initiate Recov on the big monster.” Isabelle led the way with the others following.

  It felt like they had been on the move for hours. Eighty Biters were under their belt and they met up with another few groups to help take out a few Zwerms. They made their way to the main banking vault. It was a large silver box that sat in the dead centre of the room. Every so often the door to the vault would creak open and then it would close again.

  “They said they would be here in five minutes.” Owen leant against the wall of the vault and rested his head back.

  “That was ten minutes ago.” Dexter huffed.

  Isabelle and Kaitlyn were standing with their backs to the vault. “Something’s not right,” Isabelle said cautiously. “This isn’t what we were told to expect. A few Biters, three Zwerms and the odd other thing.”

  “Maybe there was more but the others got them?” Owen lifted his visor to allow the air on his face.

  Sebastian Thistle appeared. He staggered out from behind a wall of safes and slid to the floor.

  “Sir!” The girls screamed.

  “It was a trap, we need to get out…”

  “Sir, are you okay?” Kaitlyn opened her case and tried to administer Recov but Sebastian pushed her away. “I’m not infected.”

  “What happened, Sir?”

  “We were…” The vault door opened and Sebastian crawled his way to the vault. “Everybody, hug the vault. Do not make a sound.”

  There was a loud purr and then a few rumbles. Two large fat cats appeared. They were huge Tom Cats that wore big black hats, suit jackets, a monocle and a cigar.

  “What is that?” Owen muttered.

  “The Fat Cats of the banking sector.” Isabelle whispered. She craned her neck backwards to watch the two creature’s crash their way along. Their fur dropped out onto the floor like large palm leaves.

  Sebastian whispered under his breath. “There must be some money transactions still going through. The fat cats personally watch over any transfers of large amounts of money. No one touches their money. If they see us they will kill us, two weeks in the repository and out of the war.”

  The cats chuckled to themselves as they entered the vault.

  “How long do we wait?” Kaitlyn whispered.

  “It depends if they are rolling in the money.” Sebastian shrugged. “I need to get us a Portal out of here, it was a trap.”

  “Where are the others, Sir?”

  Sebastian looked at Isabelle, “Gone, all gone. It’s a trap. They’ve launched an attack on the wall. There never was anything happening in here, it just looked like there was. I found the others, we regrouped to come here and then they appeared.” Sebastian’s voice sounded very worried.

  “What did, Sir?”

  “Shh.”

  The cats left the vault. In between them was a large mass of money symbols that were floating on a golden plate. The cats purred and rubbed their fur all over the terrified symbols as they walked along. Each animal in turn grabbing at the cash with a grubby paw, but the symbols dodged their grasp. The cadets held their breath until the money grabbing cats had gone.

  “I don’t know what they were, but they took out over one hundred cadets in one minute. There is a portal opening up in twenty seconds. All of you be prepared, we are to ReGen and then head for The Wall.”

  “What about here, Sir?”

  “There is nothing going on, I repeat this is a trap!”

  Kaitlyn screamed, then others screamed.

  “They’re here. Run!” Sebastian started to bolt but he was stopped in his tracks by what looked like a Stag beetle. “Command Control, Guiders, all who can hear this is a trap we are under attack in Sector B.” S
ebastian ran towards a terrified Isabelle, Owen and Dexter. “Run, now!” He turned and the bug was in front of him again. With its back to him, it opened up its wings and spewed out red hot TV virus. It hit Sebastian like a river of hot molten lava, and he disintegrated in a matter of seconds.

  The bugs appeared everywhere. What was a thirty strong group was now down to ten in a matter of seconds. The bugs kept spraying the infection and Isabelle ran grabbing Dexter and Owen.

  Covering fire emerged from behind them. “Cadets!”

  “Seal?” Dexter whispered.

  “To the portal now!”

  “Seal, get them through!” Another taller officer shouted as he gave covering fire.

  “Sir.” She ran and dodged the beetles as more appeared around her. As she reached the group she pushed them forward, her gun held to her chest.

  “Watch out!” He yelled, he was running backwards covering the rear position; his gun was firing over and over. “Refill, cover me 301.”

  Dexter spun around and shot at everything that moved. Two medics were shot and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

  “Keep moving. How far?” Ex ordered.

  “Where’s the portal?” Owen called to his Guider. “Okay, this way!” He pulled them both along with him until they reached a dead end.

  “Are you sure?” Dexter called in a fluster. He was shooting and dodging the bugs.

  “Yes!” Owen confirmed. “Follow me!” Within the blink of an eye he had jumped into one of the safes.

  Officer Seal, Isabelle and Kaitlyn began to climb, Dexter and Ex protected the lower safes’ and tried to reduce the amount of bugs that were slowly gaining on them.

  “No!” Isabelle screamed in tears. The bugs were after them, there were fifty of them and only three cadets. “There’s too many of them. She ducked and dived as the virus was shot at them, skimming them by millimetres.

  “Climb 301,” Ex ordered.

  Dexter turned, hoisted his gun and raised himself onto the next level of safes. Seal and the others were firing but Owen had climbed ahead.

  “This way!” He shouted.

  Ex turned to climb and a pulse flew past him, he dodged it and then Dexter’s shrill scream stunned everyone to silence.

  “My armour,” He screamed, his back plate began to sizzle and melt.

  Officer Seal ran to help him up, “It’s okay,” she started to say and then she screamed and fell to the floor.

  “Quickly,” Owen yelled.

  “Get to it!” Ex lifted Olivia on to his shoulder and dragged Dexter off the floor and ran with them.

  “I’ll cover you!” Isabelle called and began firing rapidly. Kaitlyn knelt down and helped take out the bugs as they climbed and jumped up to their level.

  “In, now!” Ex hollered. He had one leg in the portal as he commanded the cadets to follow.

  “Come on,” Isabelle turned to her friend but as she looked, there was a few wisps of smoke from where she had been. “No!” Her voice was horse and her tears streamed.

  “It’s too late,” Owen called and pulled her away. They jumped into the portal and transitioned to another place.

  Ex laid Olivia on the ground, she screamed in pain as he tried to settle her. Dexter was propped against the wall, he grunted and tried to ignore the pain he felt. Olivia lifted her arm in pain and pulled her helmet off. She took the vial from her pocket. “It’s my last one,” she gasped, “give it to 301.” Tears filled her cloudy eyes as she placed it in Ex’s hand. Her skin was greying, veins filled with a dark purple colouring started to cover her. “Promise me you will give it to him!”

  “No,” Dexter grunted and repositioned himself, “Mine hasn’t pierced the armour.”

  “Are you sure?” Ex asked and Dexter nodded.

  “Give it to him just in case,” Seal panted, her body writhing around as the pain took over.

  “He’s fine,” he said. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I should’ve protected you all.” He administered the Recov vial into the inlet in the neck of her armour.

  “Dex, your face,” Isabelle muttered in shock. His eyes had begun to cloud and his skin started to grey. She looked to Ex and he pulled him forwards, and there on his back was a gaping hole showing the infection spreading through his body.

  Ex didn’t know what to do. He had made the wrong choice and he looked ill. “I’m sorry,” He shook his head with anger.

  “What do we do?”

  “This doesn’t look like the Grand Hall,” Owen called back to them, dust kicked up around as he moved.

  There was a tinkling noise and something hit Isabelle’s boot, she looked down and found a Recov vial next to her. “What the…” she bent down and picked it up.

  Ex took it from her grasp and leant into Dexter, “It’ll be okay now, 301.”

  Dexter and Officer Seal began to Return, they wriggled and rolled on the floor as the pain was battled with the healing medicine, their bodies twitching as it worked.

  “Ex,” Owen called, “This isn’t right.”

  Ex stood up and his eyes caught something behind him, they filled with a mixture of anger and fear and he tried to reach for his gun. Isabelle was confused. She turned around and saw blue eyes that peaked through long tendrils of wavy black hair.

  “I’ve been waiting for you.” His deep gravelly voice called, behind a sinister smile.

  Isabelle’s shrill screams echoed around and were the last thing that was heard.

  29

  Kieran was thinking to himself as he was dragged roughly through the blackness. It was all he could do to block out the horrible things that the troll kept saying. The only thing in his mind at that point was about who he had become. The Locator, what kind of name was that? It wasn’t a superhero’s name, and it wasn’t like he could wear a cape and his underpants over his jeans. His powers were useless in the real world, the powers that he’d only recently found he had. At best, if he concentrated really hard, he may have been able to turn on a printer or make phones beep but that was it. But in here was different, in here he could save the world and all the people in the real world. He had a real part to play and his powers, as they had done already, could make a difference. He thought long and hard about things he would do differently when back home. How he would take more time to play with Max and spend more time with his mum.

  The darkness carried on for an age, there wasn’t a spec of light to be seen other than his arm plate flashing as it lit up the back of the creature. Using his time wisely, Kieran tried to remember the bit on trolls in one of his books. Suddenly his visor popped down on its own, a safety precaution when detecting dangerous rays. On the left of the screen something was written:

  Trolls: A sight to behold. Their ugliness is not just on the outside but very much on the inside as well. They sit and wait in their little dark hole until they find a prey that is weak and ready for the taking. The troll pounces and attacks the victim; it speaks horrible (pre-programmed) things, making them lose hope. Then, when the catch is subdued and accepts it fate, the troll can haul away its catch with ease. A troll feeds off the victims’ insecurities until they are driven to give up. Once back in their lair, the troll drains the victims’ knowledge and strength. The victim becomes turned, one of them, on the inside as well as on the outside.

  He didn’t know who had sent the information, or if he had called upon it himself but he liked the thought that someone knew where he was, and was watching him. The troll continued with its task of pulling Kieran through the darkness, and to him it felt like hours. He could hear whispers coming from the black, sounds calling his name, creatures hissing that they wanted him. He began to think of names to call the troll, anything that would block out the calls and other noises that now surrounded them. He went through all the names he could think of and the only one he came up with was Twitch. Whenever it threw harsh words at him, he could feel its arm twitch.

  “No good,” Twitch hissed.

  Kieran remained silent, he had listened to S
ergeant Benson’s last words of not to retaliate, instead he hummed the eerie tune the cadets had sung.

  “Useless.”

  The words of torment went on for another few minutes until there was a light breaking through the dark. Kieran watched it grow nearer, his eyes fixating on that one point. The sounds of screaming and hissing seeped through the darkness and various trolls appeared, trying to steal Kieran and rip him from Twitch’s grasp. But his troll had no intention of letting them, its trusty club that it hauled over its shoulder, was used over their heads. They retreated with a sorry whine and a whimper.

  “Stupid,” Twitch growled at them as they backed away.

  The light was there, right in front of them. It was a light in the dark that formed into a circle. Kieran looked at it carefully and realised it was a door and the light was seeping through the edges of it.

  “A portal?” he whispered with tiredness.

  As far as everyone was concerned there were no more portals in Section 54-3. There was one way in and the same way out. Only when a portal split into three, were there more but they were next to each other. The UK door split into Belgium and France and that was it.

  Twitch lifted Kieran under the arms and threw him at it. He held his breath and closed his eyes, ready for impact but he didn’t hit a wall. In fact Kieran had been thrown through the portal and he was now lying in the dirt of what looked like a little rabbit warren. Twitch appeared over him and dragged him toward the edge of the little burrow. Kieran heaved himself towards the wall and propped himself against it. It was getting annoying, looking at the world through a flashing red visor, and the arm plate was starting to irritate him. He tried to bash at his arm to stop the retched thing from vibrating, but his strength was still weak and his hits were a little more than a tap.

  “Stop it, you useless Det,” Twitch huffed. “Me is hungry, yous is full of information to feeds me.”

  “You can talk?” Kieran gulped. “I thought you were programmed.”

  “I haves been,” it growled, “but I is hungry now. I won you, and now he wants me to keeps you for hims. He wants you, but I’m hungry.” The troll stamped its feet as if it were about to have a tantrum.