Book 3, Chapter 83 - A Snake in the Garden (1/2)

Cloudhawk’s first thought: Run. Escape. Screw everybody.

If he only worried about himself and Hellflower then he was certain they could escape with their lives.

What did it matter if the Dark Atom was wiped off the map? Hellflower was the only one who could save him anyway, so why should he risk his life by sticking around here? These rebels were a bunch of psychopaths anyway, zealots willing to throw themselves on elysian swords. They had no one to blame but themselves for the tragedy they were about to suffer.

But Hellflower refused. She wouldn’t flee with Cloudhawk. That’s when he remembered.

Hellflower was just as crazy as the rest of them, maybe crazier. She’d wandered the wastelands for twenty years, traveling from one Seeker base to another. Nucleus was the culmination of all her searching. The Dark Atom’s technology and collected knowledge were like a furnace where she could temper everything she learned. It turned her into the incredible scientist that she was.

She was a simple woman, in a way. She didn’t really care about the goals of the Dark Atom. Nor was she determined to make elysians her enemy. Her one goal was knowledge, the pursuit of that which is hidden. It was an insatiable need, and the Dark Atom was the only group for thousands of kilometers with the tools she craved. So she wouldn’t leave. Hellflower would remain with the Dark Atom till the end.

And what did Cloudhawk understand, anyway?

Hellflower may have managed to get her hands on Roste’s legacy, but without the proper equipment or resources it was just data on a page. She couldn’t help him without the Dark Atom’s help, so if he wanted any chance at getting better he had to fight with the rebels.

“The Dark Atom isn’t as weak as you seem to think. The elysians won’t destroy us so easily – stop worrying.”

Her false sense of confidence floored him. How could such a smart woman be so blind?! Wastelanders were wastelanders, how did she know what Skycloud was capable of if she’s never even been there?

Who knew what monsters they’d sent to take out these terrorists? Skye Polaris? Maybe even Arcturus Cloude himself? If just one of them were here then they were doomed, without question. But even if they didn’t, who knew how many officers had been dispatched for a mission this important.

Skycloud had more skilled fighters than the desert had rocks, and their scope of training was vast. Not to mention, Skycloud’s border forces had to be close to a hundred thousand men. If you added all of the Dark Atom’s rebels together it wouldn’t even number half of that.

Hellflower wasted no time on Cloudhawk and started to act, leaving him scratching his head. There was no choice, it wasn’t like Cloudhawk could knock her out and drag her away.

“Don’t stand there like an idiot. Help me evacuate people!”

Wolfblade was already gone. He had gathered the fighters and was mounting a defense. However, there were many who were caught in the chaos and couldn’t escape. The greatest resources of Nucleus wasn’t the city or any thing in it, it was the Seekers themselves. The scientist who were often looked at as though they were useless, they were the ones diligently researching the secrets of the old world and bringing its boon into the present.

To the Dark Atom, these people were priceless. Now that war had come to their home, they had to be protected.

Cloudhawk’s injuries had improved greatly, enough that he could be of use. Yet as he was moving to help Hellflower he heard the sounds of combat draw near. Presumably, a small group of invaders had slipped in while the two main forces were busy fighting each other.

“Fuck, fine. It looks like I’m not going back to the elysian lands.” There was no question that Nucleus had been consumed by the turmoil of war. Cloudhawk pulled out his mask and slipped it onto his face, then looked toward Hellflower as she was helping a group of women and children find shelter. “I’ll help where I can. Get those people out of here!”

An ambiguous smile teased the corner of Hellflower’s lips when she saw he was preparing to offer support. “I knew you wouldn’t abandon me. Protecting yourself and staying alive is the most important thing.”

Do you really care?

The Dark Atom, or Cloudhawk. There was a chance it would come down to one or the other, and if Hellflower had to choose… well, he didn’t like his chances.

Soldiers had begun to pour into Nucleus from several breaches. So far it wasn’t many, several hundred perhaps. Buzzard, Greenscale and other Dark Atom agents had mounted a small resistance force.

However, despite their small numbers the rebels quickly discovered that these black-clad invaders were more of a threat than they appeared. This was especially true for its two leaders, who by themselves cut down many of the rebels who rose to oppose them.

Buzzard recognized quickly that they were outmatched. “Greenscale, go get help!”

The former mercenary was completely in lizard form. He barely managed to slip beneath an attacker’s blade, but before he could respond to his commander an arrow pinned him to the wall.

Two invaders hacked their weapons toward him, aiming to finish him off.

Buzzard responded by flinging a steel pole their way. His aim was true, and the two men in black were both pierced through like a gruesome kebab.

There were only a dozen or so soldiers left, and the invaders were close to two hundred. Underestimating the invading force had put Buzzard in a bad position.

A particularly large man appeared in his field of view. He was hidden beneath a large leather cloak and scars were etched around his eyes. His lips were pulled into a derisive sneer. Fondling jade ring on his thumb, the man idly raised his arm toward Buzzard.

A scorching wave of energy came tearing across the distance between them. Buzzard, having thrown his weapon to protect Greenscale, was left defenseless.

But just as he felt the hair begin to singe on his head someone kicked his leg out from under him. The sweep was hard enough to very nearly snap bone, but it sent him sliding several meters away instead. The invader’s ray of light screamed by overhead but caused no harm. It arced through the city until a wall stopped it. The sheer energy contained in the ray melted the wall into a bubbling liquid within seconds.

Buzzard was drenched in a cold sweat. If he hadn’t been knocked away he would have been instantly incinerated. He turned his head to look for his savior but saw no one.

Adder, however, frowned at the scene, but the knowing light in his eyes was obvious. He turned that piercing gaze toward a corner. “Cloudhawk? It’s you!”