The Academy Defenders

by T. J. Robinson

  “And what are these?” Kennedy asked, grabbing three or four of the small objects. Sean grabbed a few as well.

  “Smoke bombs,” answered Milo. “Remember, all we’re trying to do is distract the raiders long enough for Link to do his thing.”

  Sean stuffed the earplugs into his ears and jumped onto the red dragon. As they soared away, Milo climbed onto the black dragon, grabbed Kennedy’s hand, and pulled her up behind him. The dragon squawked in protest. Milo patted its neck, apologizing for the added weight in a whisper that Kennedy couldn’t hear. The dragon flapped its wings, and they quickly rose into the black sky.

  Within moments, they heard the howl of a death hound in the direction Milo had sent the first group of creatures. Loud snarls and flashes of light quickly followed. Milo guided the dragon toward the noise, hoping to see what was happening. Unfortunately, tall trees blocked most of the view, but he did spot someone running through the trees, headed toward Roemick Tower. Milo smiled. It appeared the creatures were doing their job.

  Roar! Snarl! The ferocious sounds reverberated through the air, coming from the island. Sean had turned on the megaphone. Milo guided the dragon back to the lakeshore, and less than a minute later, Sean and the red dragon joined them. Both dragons remained in the air, circling back and forth above the lake.

  In between the deafening roars from the megaphone, Milo yelled his next instructions to Sean and Kennedy. “We need to ...,” he paused, waiting for the next roar, “do more to attract ... the raiders here. Follow my ... lead.”

  Milo shouted instructions to the black dragon, and it dove toward the ground. A large boulder beneath Milo burst into flames, shortly followed by another one. Sean and Kennedy quickly realized what Milo was doing and joined in, using their powers to start fire after fire.

  The dragons joined in as well, breathing fire onto the trees below. The flames rose high into the air, impossible to miss. The crackling sound of burning wood and the occasional pop of a bursting flame joined the snarling from the megaphone and made it even louder. If this didn’t draw the attention of the raiders, nothing would.

  Milo turned and yelled at Sean. “Keep it up! We’ll be back in a minute.” They shot away from the lake and sped above the academy grounds toward Roemick Tower.

  “There!” Kennedy yelled from behind Milo, letting go of his waist with one of her hands and pointing to their left. Milo looked. A small group of raiders was down there, about halfway between the tower and the lake, racing to investigate what was happening.

  “Good eyes,” Milo told her, and then leaned over and yelled into the dragon’s ear. “Head back, but first fly to the island. I’ll direct you there.”

  Milo guided them past the shore and over the lake. As they flew over the water, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a magic bullet. The island was now in sight.

  “Closer,” he yelled to the dragon. “I need to see it clearly.” The dragon dove, its feet and tail skimming the top of the lake. Milo held onto the dragon with his left hand and held the magic bullet in his right. He caught sight of the megaphone and threw the magic bullet into the air. They sped past the island. The dragon rose away from the water and turned around. Milo and Kennedy watched the magic bullet as it sped toward the megaphone. It was growing, and by the time it reached the megaphone, it was larger than a bowling ball. It smashed into the megaphone, breaking it into hundreds of pieces. The loud roars and snarls ceased immediately.

  “We better get back to the others before the raiders arrive,” Milo said, grateful he no longer needed to yell. “I’d hate to miss the surprise.”

  THE sudden silence surprised the raiders. They had left the tower in a mad dash after hearing the patrollers’ reports of attacks from what could only be creatures from Sector 8. Now they stopped dead in their tracks and looked at one another, trying to decide what to make of the sudden change. Why had the sounds stopped? And more importantly, how had the creatures gotten past the Barrier?

  Finally, one of the raiders spoke. He was taller than the others, with a square jaw, dark hair, and an even darker scowl on his face. “What are we waiting for? They’re nothing but a bunch of stupid, wild animals. We’re Guardians, right? What do we have to be scared of?”

  The others nodded, and one or two of them blushed, embarrassed at being called out for their fear. Still, they didn’t move.

  “Sissies,” he growled, shaking his head in disgust and marching in front of the others to take the lead. The others followed.

  They arrived at the lakeshore. Fires raged around them, flames dancing in the moonlight. The raiders formed a circle. As far as they could see, the area was empty.

  “Where are they?” grumbled a chubby, short man.

  “Maybe they went back to Sector 8,” offered one of the women.

  Suddenly, one of the flaming logs exploded with a loud pop and a burst of flame. All of the raiders, aside from their tall leader, jumped.

  “Oh, for crying out loud,” complained their leader. “Let’s split up and search the area. If they’re gone, then good riddance, if not, we know what to do.”

  Thwomp! He was interrupted by the sound of something solid colliding with flesh.

  “What was that?” yelled the leader. His question was met by silence. One of his cohorts lay slumped on the ground. The leader took a step toward her, but stopped as a small, black box fell from the sky, bouncing several times before coming to a rest at his feet.

  He bent down to examine it, reaching out to pick it up. Just before he touched it, the box clicked loudly and the four sides fell open. Black smoke began pouring from it. “Smoke bomb!” he cried out, coughing as the thick smoke filled his lungs and stung his eyes.

  On cue, the creatures attacked. They appeared out of nowhere, lunging at the circled raiders as the air filled with smoke. The raiders, surprised by the sudden attack and unable to see through the thick smoke, panicked. They scattered in every direction, fleeing their vicious assailants.

  MILO and Kennedy cheered from above as another magic bullet found its target and knocked a surprised raider to the ground. Kennedy tossed another smoke bomb which began releasing smoke as soon as it hit the ground, adding to the confusion.

  Below, the tall raider took charge again. He gathered the others along the lakeshore, forming a semicircle and using the water’s edge to protect their backs. Milo watched as one of the yetis took an air blast to the face, flew backward, and disappeared into the nearby trees. The smoke began to clear, and the other NE creatures vanished back into the shadows.

  Milo surveyed the area, frowning as he did so. A handful of raiders lay injured on the ground, but another twenty or so were still standing and listening to their leader as he shouted out instructions.

  Milo whispered something to the dragon. He turned to face Kennedy as they flew out over the water. “Listen, whatever you do, don’t let go. Also, you may want to hold your breath.”

  “Hold my breath?” Kennedy asked, frowning at Milo as he turned back around. “Why would I need to hold my breath? Milo,” she said, her voice rising as she gripped his waist tighter, “you better not be planning what I think you’re planning.”

  “Consider it payback for the dunking you gave me in the water fountain,” shouted Milo.

  The dragon dove. They hit the water several hundred yards away from the shore, barely making a splash. Milo gasped and grabbed the dragon’s neck as the cold water hit him like a brick. He closed his eyes. He could feel Kennedy’s hands grip even tighter on his waist as they sped through the water.

  Seconds later, they burst back into the chilly night air. Milo opened his eyes. They were now only a few yards away from the raiders. The raiders heard the splash and turned to see what had happened. Their faces filled with horror. The dragon shot a burst of fire from its mouth and they scattered. Milo grabbed a handful of magic bullets from his pocket and began hurling them at the scattering raiders, targeting a different raider with each throw.

  That ought to keep
them busy for a while, Milo thought with satisfaction. They were now flying over the trees, turning back toward the raiders while at the same time rising higher into the air. Kennedy hit him hard in the back.

  “Hey!” he protested, wincing.

  “That’s for getting me wet!” she yelled, and then punched him again. “And that’s for thinking we’re even. Don’t forget, when I threw you into the fountain, you deserved it.”

  Milo used his power over water to pull it out of their clothes, drying them instantly. “Well, hopefully you can somehow find it inside that giant heart of yours to forgive me.” He smiled, and after a second, so did Kennedy. She put her arms back around his waist.

  Suddenly, the dragon twisted in the air, thrown sideways as if hit by a giant baseball bat. Kennedy’s hands were torn from Milo’s waist. She screamed as she fell off the dragon and plunged toward the tall trees beneath her.

  Milo reacted without thinking. He decreased the gravity on Kennedy, slowing her fall as much as he could. At the same time, he redirected the dragon, aiming below Kennedy.

  They caught her just before she crashed into the trees. The dragon wrapped its tail around her and threw her onto its back. They soared away from the treetops, high into the dark sky.

  “What happened?” Milo yelled.

  “It must have been an air blast from one of the raiders!” Kennedy yelled back shakily, obviously unnerved from her brush with death. Sean flew toward them on the red dragon. He looked worried.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  Both Milo and Kennedy nodded. The three of them were now well above the action and out of reach from any raider attacks, air blasts included. Milo looked down. The raiders had moved away from the water’s edge, no longer trusting it for protection. Magic bullets zoomed through the air, trying to attack their intended targets. Sean had dropped a few of the smoke bombs near the raiders, and smoke was everywhere.

  The raiders were clearly frustrated, forced to defend themselves from the flying bullets and unable to get a clean strike at the creatures as they weaved in and out through the smoke. Milo watched one of the magic bullets sneak past the raiders’ air shields and strike the chubby man in the chest. He fell to the ground where he remained, unconscious.

  The tall raider stepped into the middle of his followers. He controlled the smoke surrounding them and condensed it into a small cloud just above their heads. The cloud shrank, turning darker and thicker. Suddenly, it exploded and vanished into the surrounding air. The tall raider looked up, giving the recruits a confident smirk, daring them to try something else.

  Another raider created a light over the circling group, giving them much-improved visibility. One of the saber-tooths, so caught up in its attack, didn’t notice what was happening. As soon as the light flared, the saber-tooth was left completely exposed to the nearest raiders. They attacked, using their powers to easily defeat the creature before it could escape. Milo yelled in frustration. He grabbed another magic bullet and threw it toward the raiders, glaring at the tall one as he did so.

  “That should wipe the smile off your smug little face,” muttered Milo. He turned to Sean. “If we run now, they’ll follow us. The last thing they’ll want to do is face Xander if they let us get away. Let’s make the signal.”

  Milo smiled as he watched the tall raider, stumbling and cursing, narrowly dodge the flaming magic bullet flying at him. Milo and Sean positioned the dragons side by side and then watched in awe as they blew fire into the air, crossing their flames to make a giant, orange X in the night sky.

  The signal given, the dragons and recruits sped away, meeting the other creatures as they raced toward the NE Zone. The raiders chased after them. Milo could now finally relax. He and his group had done their part. The rest was up to Lincoln.

  CHAPTER 24

  NO TURNING BACK

  LINCOLN AND HIS GROUP WERE HIDING on the hill overlooking Roemick Tower. The creatures were hidden in the trees at the bottom. The recruits and Duncan lay flat across the top of the hill, watching the tower entrance. Just as Duncan had told them, two guards stood at the entrance. The guards, sloppily dressed and much too thin, reminded Lincoln of the ex-raider. Were they just like Duncan, brought here with the promise of a job and a paycheck?

  Lincoln glanced down at his watch. It was 3:30 a.m. Milo would be creating his distraction any second now. At least, he should be. What if Milo had uncovered the truth about Simon’s betrayal? How would he react to the news? Would he still go through with the plan? Lincoln nervously rubbed his hands on his pants.

  “Over there!” Guga cried out, pointing toward Atlas Lake. Giant flames rose high in the sky. It looked like the lake was on fire. Two raiders had just stepped out of the tower entrance, ready to start their next patrol. They saw the flames, shouted, and raced back inside the tower. The other two guards remained outside, staring at the still-growing flames as if in a trance.

  “Milo certainly got their attention,” whispered Skylar. Lincoln felt a rush of relief. Whether or not Milo knew about Simon, he had done his part. They waited, watching the tower entrance and hoping their plan worked.

  “Come on ... take the bait,” Jack muttered. A few seconds later, five or six raiders rushed from the tower and headed toward the lake.

  Skylar groaned. “It’s not enough. What do we do now?”

  “Give it a minute,” Lincoln replied while still staring at the tower.

  A few minutes later, two patrollers came running toward the tower from the direction of the lake. They raced inside, ignoring the guards and their angry protests. Within seconds, they sprinted back out the entrance, joined by a larger group of raiders.

  Lincoln’s heart leaped. Milo’s ruse had worked! The roamers had left the tower. “Guys, you’re up. You’ve got five minutes.” Lincoln watched Duncan, Guga, and Jack as they stood and made their final preparations. Duncan had given no sign of any plans to betray the recruits, but neither had Simon, and if Duncan was going to betray them, now would be the perfect time.

  “Be careful,” Lincoln added, giving Guga a meaningful look and nodding his head at Duncan.

  Guga nodded, and then he and Jack followed Duncan into the darkness. Skylar stared after them, her brow creased with worry. “They’re going to be fine,” Lincoln told her, trying to sound more confident than he felt. “I need to talk to Samson. You wanna come?”

  Skylar shook her head. “Nah, I’ll stay here.”

  Lincoln found Samson and the rest of the creatures hidden right where he had left them. Samson was pacing back and forth among the trees. He spotted Lincoln and hurried over.

  “Is it time?” Samson growled.

  “Not yet.”

  Lincoln reached into his pocket, grabbed two vials of Tonic, and handed them to Samson, who studied the dark liquid curiously before looking suspiciously at Lincoln.

  “What’s this?”

  “Healer’s Tonic. It’ll give you back energy after you’ve used your powers.”

  Samson held up the two vials. “Is this all I get? The more you give me, the longer I can fight.”

  “Your body can only handle two vials,” explained Lincoln. “Any more than that, and you could lose your powers forever. Besides, I’ve only got a few vials. The rest of us need some too.”

  Samson snorted. “If I were you, I’d want me in the fight as long as possible.”

  “I do. Trust me, I do.”

  Lincoln patted the yeti on the back and then hiked back to his spot next to Skylar. “Any action?”

  She shook her head. Another minute passed before they saw what they had been waiting for. Duncan, Jack, and Guga approached the tower entrance.

  Duncan pulled the other two behind him, holding onto a rope that was tied around their necks. Their hands were also bound behind their backs, making it difficult for them to keep their balance as they walked. The two tower guards called out to Duncan. He shouted something back, and Lincoln could see the two guards chuckling.

  Just then, Guga se
emed to panic. He reversed direction and raced away from the tower, looking terrified. The tower guards jumped to their feet and raced after him. At the same time, Duncan grabbed the rope with both hands and yanked.

  Jack and Guga tumbled to the ground. As they clumsily tried to stand, hindered by their bound hands, Duncan approached. He gave each of them a swift kick to the ribs and lifted them roughly to their feet, shouting out insults. The tower guards were now within reach of Duncan, Jack, and Guga. One of them slapped Duncan across the back, congratulating him, while the other guard took the rope and yelled at the prisoners.

  “Okay, Duncan,” whispered Skylar as she and Lincoln watched from above, “do your thing.”

  Duncan and the two guards began walking toward the tower, dragging their prisoners behind them. As they got closer, the ropes supposedly securing the prisoners’ hands fell to the ground, and Guga and Jack pulled the nooses over their heads, freeing themselves.

  The guard holding the rope felt it go slack and realized something was wrong. He stopped walking and turned his head to look behind him. Before he could see what had happened, Duncan dove at his legs and tackled him to the ground. The two of them crashed into the bushes just off the path.

  The second guard heard the scuffle and saw Duncan tackle his friend. For a moment he looked as though he was going to try to help his friend, but then he seemed to reconsider and ran for the tower instead. Jack chased after him, closing the distance in only a few strides, then jumped and kicked the guard in the back. He collapsed to the ground.

  Guga joined the attack, and together the two recruits quickly defeated the guard, Jack finishing the job with a blow to the back of the guard’s head. The other guard was already out cold. He had fallen on a rock when Duncan first tackled him and wouldn’t be waking for several hours.

  Duncan and Jack dragged the unconscious guards into a patch of bushes while Guga watched the tower entrance. A few seconds later, Duncan and Jack emerged from the bushes, holding the guards’ dark hoodies with the red X’s. Duncan tossed one to Guga. He and Jack threw them on over their T-shirts and pulled the hoods over their heads to conceal their faces.