"Wasteland guards in three, two, one." They rush out from behind a door, swords drawn.

"We were supposed to catch them off guard! Guthrie Harper will be so upset! How'd they even figure out we were there?" One turns to his friends.

"They've got two dogs. How do you think?" Another replies with a glare.

"Oh, yeah. Do-." He's cut off when an arrow sinks into his chest, and he drops to the ground.

Mia Blends herself into the black mamba. She slowly slithers forwards, lifting her head up off the ground and flaring her hood as she hisses. I smirk when a few of the Wasteland guards step backwards. "What the hell, bro. What would Guthrie Harper think of you fleeing from a Raydownian? Especially a Blender."

"We've got to kill it." It? The Wasteland guards make the first move. A few of them run at Mia. She lands a bite on one of their ankles, but misses on the others. The one she got collapses a few seconds later as blood streams across his foot. One of the Wasteland guards swings their sword, and nearly cuts her in half, but she manages to dart to the side just in time.

I try to run to help her, but a Wasteland guard cuts me off. Their sword flashes, causing me to have to throw my own weapon up to deflect the attack. Strength flows through my veins as we settle into a rhythm of attacking and deflecting. Several wounds appear on my arms, and another on my knee, but the adrenaline coursing through me numbs the pain. I get tunnel vision. I can't see anything but the enemy in front of me, and everything else is blurry. Rex growls behind me, and Jay hisses in pain. The Wasteland guard I'm fighting missteps, leaving me with the opportunity to stab him between the ribs. He falls as I send an assault of stars flying through the air in an arc of silver. A few Wasteland guards grunt as the stars hit home.

The hallway echoes with a computerized shriek, which is closely followed by another. The Wasteland guards pull each other into motion, and they scurry into a nearby room. "Come on! Guthrie Harper will have our necks if we don't get out of here right now!" Guthrie Harper probably won't- he uses you guys to do his work, right? Two... Two abominations, if that's the right word, stand before us, hunched over and spasming as metal screeches, reforming them into even bigger monstrosities. They're like the Click's at the Wasteland, only bigger and with more spines. Their eyes glow blood orange, and the red light blinks on and off every second. One of them hisses, its lips pulling back to reveal sharp, pointy teeth. I curse. "Precisely what I was thinking," Mia murmurs. She's removed her Blend, and is now brushing off dried blood and dirt from her arms.

"They're so big..." Callie breathes, her eyes widening as her grip on her spear tightens.

I watch one of the Clicks. It prowls forwards in slow, deliberate steps. Don't let it get to your head. You can beat it. I wrestle with the fear and force it to the back of my mind, locking it in a box. Callie starts towards the Clicks, but Jay stops her with a hand. "Stop. Let them make the first move. Hawk, get your stars ready. We'll see if we can kill them without engaging them." Engaging? When did he start talking like that? It's so... So formal. I pull a few more stars from my belt. There are only a couple left, so I'll have to remember to get the rest back. Gary nocks an arrow in his bow as the Clicks draw closer, and Callie tightens her grip on her spear as she adjusts her stance. One of the Clicks drops down to all fours, leaving the other standing behind it. It runs forwards, gaining momentum as it closes the distance. "Fire!" Jay manages to yell before the Click is on us. Gary lets his arrow fly as I hurl the stars at the monstrosity. The arrow sinks into the Click's shoulder, but only one of the stars sticks- all the rest just glance of the metal plates. Callie throws her spear, and it pierces through the monstrosity's stomach. Yet it doesn't break stride as it swipes at us. Its claws nearly tear through Mia's arm, but she escapes with just scratches when she Blends herself into the black mamba. "Hawk. Gary. Rex. Take on the other one. We'll get this one." Jay shoos us away as he sizes up the closest Click.

Rex launches into motion to match my stride as I race towards the motionless Click with Gary hard on my heels. Jay lures the other Click away while Mia and Callie get into position behind it. The Click doesn't move as we draw closer. Come on. What the hell are you doing? I trade the stars for my sword. "Stop," I say as I come to a stop and grab onto the back of Gary's shirt.

"Why?"

"Shoot an arrow at it."

"Why?" He repeats.

"Just do it. Aim for its eye."

"What if I don't hi-."

"Too many questions. Just do it."

"W-."

"Just do it." I sigh, pulling an arrow from the quiver on his back and handing it to him. When Gary hesitates, I hastily shove the arrow into the bow, and he finishes nocking it. "Come on! Shoot!"

"Ok, ok. Gimme a minute. What am I aiming at?" He pulls the drawstring back.

"The eye. Pick your favourite."

"Got it." It's a wonder the Click still hasn't moved. Its eyes are blood orange, meaning it's under Guthrie Harper's control, or more his minion's, the Wasteland guards, control. Yet it still hasn't attacked. Arrow's words at the fighting squares. I realize. Each one has a different fighting style. It isn't attacking because it won't until we attack. We'd better make the first hit count. "Wait! Gary! Don't hit it!" I place a hand on his shoulder, but I'm too late. His fingers release the arrow. It sails through the air, and hits the Click right in the eye. Rex bolts forwards as the Click stumbles back a few steps and shakes its head with a computerized screech. He bunches his hind legs underneath him and throws himself at the Click. The robotic humanoid tries to claw at Rex, but he moves to its back. My Blended form rips off a piece of metal from one of its shoulder blades.

I race towards the Click with Gary right behind me. The Click throws Rex from its back as it swipes a hand at us. Gary swerves around it while I drop down, skidding beneath it and letting my sword cut a gaping wound on its palm. It screams, and catches me in its grasp. Gears turn, moving pistons and tightening its grip. I strain against the Click's fingers. "Come on, you stup-. What the hell was that?" An arrow is sticking out of one of the Click's knuckles, and the tip is digging into my arm.

"You were stuck. Gimme the arrow though; I'm running out." I manage to wriggle out of the Click's grasp now that one of its fingers has gone limp. The monstrosity screeches as I climb up its arm. I drive my sword deep into its shoulder as the Click throws its arm back in an attempt to throw me off. Wires snap and spark. I jerk my hand back as a shock shoots up my arm, and I lose my grip on my sword. The air gets knocked from my lungs as I slam into the ground. "Hawk!" Gary's drops to his knees beside me.
"I'm fine."

"Are you alright?" He ignores me. The Click starts towards us.

"I'm fine. Rex! Come here!"

"What are you doing?"

"We need to bring it to the ground."

"Why?"

"It'll be easier."

"How are we going to do that?"

"Dunno. We'll figure it out." I sit up and give Rex a scratch behind the ears. I tighten his bandana before doing mine.

"He's pretty much on us!" The Click has accelerated to a bounding run.

"Hit the other ankle when I tell you do. Go right for the joint as hard as you can."

"The other one?" Gary frowns as he nocks yet another arrow into his bow

"Don't hit me. Rex hit his back as hard as you can." A light sparks in my Blended form's eyes as he races off before doubling back.

Strength flows through my veins as I dig my toes into the ground, running as fast as I can and forcing myself faster. When the Click is right in front of me, I slip to the side and wrap my arms around its leg. I jerk its leg backwards with everything I have. At the same time that the Click loses its balance, Rex slams into its back with a snarl. "Now!" I shout. Gary lets go of the drawstring, and the arrow whizzes through the air before burying itself in the Click's ankle. The joint gives out. I dart out of the way, and watch as the Click falls to the ground. Metal bends and creaks, crumpling from the force, and one of its legs snaps at the knee. Dust rises in clouds from the maroon carpet as the sound echoes throughout the hallways. Rex is on the Click again in an instant, biting and tearing at the monstrosity. I follow close behind, and yank my sword from its shoulder. With one quick swipe, I hack a deep wound in its arm. It carves through robotic muscle and plates of metal like it's butter. The Click screeches its pain as it lashes out, catching Rex on the side as he jumps out of the way just a moment too late. Gary fires a few arrows, one after the other, and they land deep in the Click's stomach as the monstrosity rises to their feet again. They stumble when their broken ankle bears any weight.

"Hawk! Watch out!" Jay screams.

"Wha?" I whirl around and see the other Click stomping towards us. I curse. Now it's two monstrosities we have to fight. The other Click is missing an arm, and a chunk of its shoulder. Mia and Callie run over to where I'm standing with Rex and Gary by my side as Jay leaps onto the Click's back to retrieve his daggers before jumping down, but not without ripping off a few more metal plates. "What's the plan now?"

"Tear off as much metal as possible. Aim for the head. Try to find the vital wires and stuff."

"Should we bring them to the ground?" Callie asks.

"Yes. How did you do it, Hawk?" Jay

"I got the Click running at me, then yanked one of their legs out from beneath them as Rex hit their back as hard as he could and Gary hit their other ankle with an arrow just as they were taking a step."

"Do it again. I'll take Rex's place. I need him fighting off the other one, while you bring yours to the ground. I think it's almost dead." He looks at the monstrosity with a faint smile. It's left leg is nearly crumpled, and its back and shoulders are severely dented.

"Go, Rex." I wave him off to the other Click. He races towards it, immediately launching himself at the robotic humanoid.

"Let me know when to hit its back, Hawk. Gary, get an arrow strung," Jay orders.

"Get him running at us, and hit his back as soon as I pull its leg out from underneath it. Gary, I'll tell you when to hit its ankle." I sheathe my sword.

"Getting it to run at us shouldn't be a problem." Jay points at the Clicks, which are screeching at each other. Finally, the one we want turns and runs at us. More, like, hops or something. Its leg keeps buckling. "We should probably hit its other leg with an arrow."

"Yeah." I nod.

"Go in three, two, one." Jay taps into a bit of his speed to dart around to the back of the Click, which is currently bounding towards us with increasing speed. Just like before, I dig my toes into the ground to propel myself forwards, barreling into the monstrosity's other leg. With a vicious yank from my arms, I jerk its leg backwards, and it loses balance as Jay slams into its shoulder blades. When the Click throws out its other leg in an attempt to prevent itself from falling, Gary lets his arrow fly, and it knocks the monstrosity to the ground. Jay grabs onto the collar of my shirt, and pulls me away from the Click. "What the hell was that for?" I rub my neck.

"You were going to get squashed!"

"No, I wasn't. I was just about to move away."

"You weren't moving fast enough."

"Am I squashed? I don't think so."

"Lets kill this stupid beast."

"Couldn't agree more."

When the Click starts to get up, I rush forwards and stab it through its spine. Well, where its spine should be. Jay Blends himself into the gray-masked dog, and hope onto its shoulders to tear at the back of the Click's head. The monstrosity lashes out with its claw-like fingernails; I flinch and skitter back a few steps as five shallow lines of red appear across my side. I curse, the pain spiking, and press my hand against my ribcage. My fingertips come back red, and beads of scarlet drip from my fingertips. "Hawk! Are you alright?" I'm really starting to hate that question.
"Just dandy," I mutter as I work on blocking out the pain- I've got better things to be doing than wallowing in pain.

"Gary!" Jay exclaims.

"Wha?" Gary asks, turning around. But then the Click's fingertips tear through his back, starting at his shoulder and running down through his ribs and ending by carving through his elbow. He screams as his legs give out and he crumples to the ground, his bow falling from his fingertips. Blood blooms like a scarlet flower, and it quickly soaks through his shirt. Gary is gone by the time I've beheaded the Click and made it to his side. His eyes stare blankly at the ground. What'll happen with his family? How are we going to find them? Also, how are we going to tell them that he's dead? Sorry, Gary's family. He got murdered by a Click. Sorry about that. Also, we're down one much-needed person. Snap out of it, Hawk. You've got an evil Guthrie Harper to kill. Yeah, you're right. Adrien said we'd win, so we will.

Jay's kneeling by Gary's side. His shoulders are slumped. Mia screeches in pain; she's trapped in the remaining Click's grasp. Its grip tightens as Callie uses her spear like a bat to beat the monstrosity. My brother snaps back to reality and races over to them, Blending himself in the process. I follow close behind. I retrieve a few of my stars, and tuck them into my belt. The edge of one of the eagle's wings presses into my wrist as I slice at the Click's shins. Metal groans, bending and buckling, but the monstrosity remains standing. With another blow from Callie, the Click drops Mia.

The fight goes our way when Jay, in his Blended form, and Rex leap onto the Click's shoulders while Mia, Callie, and I attack from the ground. Rex clambers up to the monstrosity's neck and tears at its neck and face. My brother does the same on the Click's back. Strips of metal fall to the ground. The Click falls to pieces. It tries to fight back, but it's five against one and even the monstrosity's powerful blows can't save it. I hack off its hand, Jay rips off its shoulder blade, and Rex brings it to the ground as his teeth find its artificial spinal cord. Callie finishes the Click off by staking it through its heart. The glowing blood orange color in its eyes goes out, and is followed a second later as the flashing, red light turns off.

Rex shakes bits of metal and dust from his shaggy coat. He's panting, and his tongue lolls to the side. Jay brushes off his pants. "Could we take a quick, minute-long breather?" Callie asks, leaning on her spear.

"No. Everyone in the Carrot and Dandelion groups aren't getting a break, and the fight won't end until Guthrie Harper is lying dead on the ground. We need to keep moving. Let's go." Jay's voice is hard as he waves us on. A nearby door opens.

"Miss me?" My heart sinks through the floor.

Thank you for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please leave a comment and a vote!

Who asked if the group missed them?

Why does Hawk's heart sink though the floor?

Will T-LOOT-D and the Raydownians be able to pull this off?

What will happen when the Spinach group reaches Guthrie Harper?

Will they reach Guthrie Harper?

Are there any predictions as to how the rest of the story is going to go?

-Werewolf14-