Welcome to Gaia! ::

She retaliates be scooping up some mud, slapping into his face and rubbing it in. Wulf picks up more mud, pulls open the top of her blouse and dumps the mud on her chest.
They both laugh at each other, and slowly stop as they looked into each other's eyes like two love-struck teens meeting for the first time; moving in closer, their lips touch and in the background of their mind, fireworks began bursting in the air. They grab onto each other and wrestle down to the ground; not caring that they're in the puddle of mud.
5 hours later, Jodan and the others made it around the tree, walking along until Jodan picks up Wulf and Angel's trail. "They came through here not too long ago. Judging by the fact that some of these footprints are hooves, they were riding horses, probably like a hundred of them or more. These larger prints dictate that they were pursued by a much larger entity." Jodan looks up further at some sort of yellow substance spilled on the ground and moves up to it. Picking up a bit of it with his fingers, he brings it up to his nose and sniffs it. "It's mustard. Just as I suspected."
"What was like you suspected?"
"It's the dreaded cheeseburger rhino. Only it can leave a mustard trail his big. It has large, round body that consists of a bun with sesame seed, all-beef patty, mustard, pickle, ketchup, and a horn made of mayonnaise."
"How do you know that?"
"I hunted on when I was out here once. I was hungry. Anyway, their trail continues."
Back to Wulf and Angel, who went out in search of a stream to bathe in.
"That was like so much fun. Think maybe we can do that again sometime?" Angel asked.
"Yeh, if you can find a spa that is cheap."
"That's everyone's problem in life. Not wanting to spend."
"And everyone else's problem: wanting to spend so much until they run out, become poor and end up on the streets."
"I agree. But you gotta spend once in a while. Else the money's gonna do nothing but sit there. (will, that's unless you put it in a saving's account or something) but NONETHELESS, your money'll be of no use just sitting there in your deposit box."
"Whoa, Check it out. You see what I see?"
"I dunno, are looking at a stream of water?!" Angel replied as she jumps with glee then runs towards it."
"Finally, something normal about this planet. A plain lake; no chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla."
"Uhm. Wulf. Just one problem here: it's soda."
"What?" Wulf answered, sounding confused.
"Taste some for yourself."
"Does this planet have a sugary core or something? How does this stuff just pop up in rivers, and stuff?"
"Must you always question something's existence? You sound like my dull-witted sister," Angel said with a disappointed stare.
While they were bathing, Jodan was still tracking their scent. A couple of hours later, the trail leads them to a slope.
"They went down here. "
"You're kidding, right?" Reaper asked.
"Nice Joke, Jodan."
"I'm serious. They came to a halt, but were pushed over by the herd following them. The rhino didn't follow. He went the other way. It didn't want them, it only wanted the herd. My guess is, it's a vegetarian and whatever our friends were riding on were made of a vegetable."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Before you make a fool of yourself be asking idiot questions, look to your left."
Ninja guardian looks over at a dead horseradish with bite marks in its side.
"Quite remarkable. A common Horseradish of earth with horse legs. I'm still bothered by how this planet came into existence? Because all we've seen are unheard of."
"Hate to ruin your discovery channel moment, but one way or the other, we gotta make it down this hill."
"Will these help?" the Russian guy asked as he pulled out several large skateboards with mini-monster truck-like wheels on the bottom.
"Yev. You never cease to amaze."
Everyone except Jira gets on the skateboards.
"You think I'm getting on this thing, you gotta be out your…" she was cut off as someone extended their arm out and dragged her along.
Back to Angel and Wulf, who were completely naked in the Lake of soda.
"What? Why are you staring at me?"
"Just think you look beautiful."
"You're saying that just cuz I'm naked in a pool of carbonated water and high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients."
"That may be, but I still think you're good looking."
"Easy there, don't you think we're going too fast here?"
"No way. Besides you kissed me first, girly."
"Mind if I ask… why do you wear glasses? Do you have bad eyesight?"
"They're just as a fashion statement. Or do you not know about that stuff?"
"I know about fashion, it's just… those are wh at Gaia considers emo glasses," She giggled.
He stares, then says, "I don't care what other's think. They all can be judgmental, but I don't give a ******** lean in towards each other; eyes half open while staring at each other; Lips about to touch, but Angel pauses, "Wait. What are we doing?"
"Yeh, what ARE you two doing?" Jones interrupted.
"We were dirty; fell into some mud and needed to get clean."
"Looks more to me like you're getting even 'more' dirtier, huh Wulf?" Jodan asked.
"Not like that," Wulf calmly said with no trace of emotion. We just… got lost in the moment. I mean we ARE bathing in a lake of soda after all," Wulf explain; looking in Angel petal's direction.
"Nice to see you guys, how'd you know where to find us?"
"Thank Jodan. He's the one, who picked up your scent. Glad to see you escaped that weird rhino."
"Well, maybe it was mad about something. Maybe someone close to it was getting revenge and thought I was someone else…" Wulf looks up at Jodan, angrily.
Jodan stares back even harder.
"This planet's both a dream AND a nightmare."
"Yeh. I'd love to stay and examine more of its most intensive aspects, but there's the problem of these mysterious beasts that attacked Jira. We stay, no one is safe," the Wise Man said.
"They don't seem to fond sunlight, I assume from how they stick to the dark caves."
"Maybe they're waiting for something," replied the wise man.
"Really? Then what, huh? What are they waiting on? Cuz if they love sunlight, then why don't they just attack right now; turn us all into chow?"
"Like a lion in the savannah jungle. They toy with their prey before eating them. Same principle could apply to these monsters. They could be waiting until we are more vulnerable. They know something we don't…" the wise man's voice trails off.
In the course of 2 and a half hours, the group continue wandering the forest when they came across an abandoned campsite in the middle of an area heavily populated with trees, rocks with moss facing the north side, green grass, and more weird creatures.
"First good thing that happened while we're out here. We're not the only ones, who crashed here."
"Maybe it's such a good sign after all," Jira responded as she looked around; picking stuff up and examining it. "This equipment seems many years old."
"What the hell happened here?" Ninja guardian asked.
"Something scared them off. Don't know what, there's footprints scattered all over. Human footprints, human-animal hybrids, and animal footprints. My gut feeling says those creatures from the cave. No blood, no bodies. Which means they dragged them off and ate'em elsewhere."
"Hold on, Wulf. One over here almost got away. He shot one in its shoulder on its right front leg, they got away, but were attacked by two more when running in that direction," Jodan explained as he pointed west.
"What I wouldn't give to be able to track like these guys."
"Comes with the territory. It's like we were born with it," Jodan answered.
the wise man speaks to his sons in their native language as they were looking at weird looking tracks in dirt. His children answer back and the wise man translates, "Seems like they found something." He rushes over to them and the others, including Wulf and Jodan, follow.
"Sonofabitch. I forgot about my truck. Back at that port on the planet. I left it when I was running from the scene. I might have to collect it from the impound."
"Focus, Wulf."
"Some of them took off in a Cargo-carrying truck thing. They didn't get far before they start losing control and crashed. Dealing with whatever those things are, they probably didn't know how to kill them."
"One other possibility being that they didn't have enough ammo to kill them all."
"Ok, spread out. See if you can find something that can explain what happened."
The wise man's three sons look around near a big blue tent with an antenna coming out of the top.
Jodan looks around near another tent, and noticed an odd motion drawn in the dirt; a trail of someone being dragged out and the person seemed as though they were reaching for something. He walks up in and saw a weird looking video monitor lying on the ground, picked it up and dusted it off. As he turned it on, a voice said, "Playing last transmission."
"If anyone can still hear us, the Limestone tiger things have followed us to the ship. At this time, it will be far too risky to make another pass to come get you. I am regret to say… we are leaving you." The guy looks back at the pilot, as she's trying to fix the problem with the Ship's system. "Why isn't it taking off?"
"It says we need more power, maybe we should've brought the remaining cells."
"s**t. I guess we gotta go back. Listen. You guys got lucky, we're heading back your way." The man was then mauled by one of the tigers as dark clouds, which appeared to be smoke clouds, appeared in the east; making their way closer to their position.
The camera on the transmission device was still displaying an image. The blue sky turned an orangish-red, the clouds moved in closer practically covering the sky as fireballs rained down from above; one of them collided with the monitor and all that could be seen and heard was static. After the transmission ended, Jodan puts the device in his pocket and steps outside into the fresh air up to Jira.
"Find anything?" she asked.
"Nope. Not a damn thing.
"Well, it's not a total loss. I found a bunker with fuel cells. Those similar to what most common aircrafts use. Which means they must be an escape ship somewhere nearby."
"Where? I don't see one."
"It must be further ahead, usually when a ship is about to crash, they relieve some pressure, lighten their load and all that s**t. They had to have dropped such a heavy ship as their emergency escape vessel somewhere around here as they entered the atmosphere."
"I know the procedure. Are you even sure that it could still be there?"
"The sooner we find out, the better the opportunity that we suffer the fate of the bastards who were here before us."
"It's got to be a few miles out, how do we get there?"
"We walk. Like we've been doing all along."
Jira stands there with no response, no emotion; just staring at Jones as if her were out of his mind.
"Look, it's our only option. Plus, It's best only a few of us go. The more we have in the group, the more we'll slow down and it's getting dark soon."
"Fine. I'll go with you."
"No."
"I'm the captain now, I have the best navigational experience, so I'm going. No argument."
"You're gonna need protection, I'll go," Wulf responded.
"No, Wulf. Allow me," Jodan intervened.
"Ok, Jodan," Wulf replied, who saw Jodan as being suspicious. "I'll stay behind and protect them."
"Take these with you," Kaira replied as she tossed a couple of walkie-talkies toward Jones and Jira. "So we can stay in contact."
15 minutes later.
A feeling of hunger came over Kaira, the wise man and the others as Ninja guardian, Reaper, and Kaira searched the grounds for anything they could salvage. Reaper, who was struggling with a heavy piece of machinery no bigger than she was, heard a huge rumbling noise, like footsteps of a massive army, heading towards her and the others.
"Yev, tell me that was your stomach?"
Yev didn't answer.
Kaira called out his name again, this time even louder. Still no answer.
As the rumbling got closer and closer, the wise Indian ushers his sons to safety.
"Good idea," Kaira responded as she took cover behind the huge machine Reaper was trying to turn upright.
The sound gets louder, Some of the tree were knocked over as a colossal Cheeseburger Rhino stomped into the campsite with Yevkovich on top, riding it like a bucking bronco. He grips the reign he put on it tightly; tight enough to choke it, and it crashes to the ground, face-first. "How's 'THAT' for service," he said with a toothy grin of excitement.
"Yev?! You NEARLY SCARED US HALF TO DEATH! I thought we were under attack."
"Well that horrific incident is over, let's eat!"
another 5 minutes later.
"Anyone else feel like fries and a soda?"
All the others laughed softly as they ate a piece of the huge Cheeseburger Rhino.
"Well, to remedy that," Angel petal answered as she reached into her bag, "I bottled up some of the soda from when Wulf and I were a the lake."
"The one you two bathed in?"
"Yes, but it was a big lake, so I got some where it was clean and mud-free."
"Speaking of Wulf, where is he?"
It was getting close to nightfall and the tip of a giant glass-like figure appeared in the direction the sun was going to set and was slowly beginning to rise.
"Well, Jones. You got lucky."
"And still intact, too. So what's the status?"
"The two cells give off just enough power to run a check on all the system components, but it needs three more to make it work."
"Think we can get back the camp and haul them back here in time?"
"Like you said, Jones. Sooner the better."
"Well, I'm gonna locate Jodan. Make sure he don't get in no trouble."
"Good luck with that," Jira answered as Jones steps outside; unaware of Wulf's presence. She heard footsteps stepping back onto the craft, "Lose something, J…" she paused as she turned around and saw Wulf standing in the doorway.
"Surprised to see me?"
"I thought you were back with the others?"
"I was, but… I figured Jodan couldn't be trusted. I feel as though since stopping at the campsite, he's been hiding something."
"What's makes you think that?"
While Wulf and Jira had their little chat, Jones walks towards the huge armored truck where he found Jodan.
"Well?" Jodan asked.
"We need three more cells to operate the ship, there was only enough for a system check."
"Now, do we still have a deal about what to do with Wulf?"
"I'd keep your voice down if I were you, Wulf is here as well, and we don't want him getting wind of our assassination plan."
"I know he's here. Talking with Jira no doubt. He must know about the device I found."
"What device?"
Jodan pulls the video-com device from his front pocket and hands it to Jones. "Shows the previous group that were here before us, being attacked by some tiger things made of stone, Also a weird firestorm of some sort. Happened around this time long time ago according to the date."
"Shouldn't we show this to Jira?"
"No. She's so chummy with Wulf, let the storm come and watch her skinny a** burn."
"I like your thinking, but who's gonna pilot the craft?"
"Are you forgetting how I got away during our last encounter?"
"Oh right, killed the pilot, read the manual and took off."
"You handle Wulf, and I'll take care of the woman."
Half an hour later, Wulf, Jira, Jones, and Jodan reunite as they board the truck.
"Wait. Wait. When'd he get here?" Jones asked. Sounding surprised.
"He followed us here, I guess. I'm just as surprised as you are. Now let's go," Jira said as she got in the driver seat. She pulls down the overhead visor and finds the keys, she puts them in the ignition, shifts into high gear, and off they went.
In the sky, the glass-like figure was still rising in the afternoon sky; slowly making its way in front of the sun as Jira and the others drive through a path of trees, and bushes, making their way back to the camp where everyone else is.
Half an hour's passed and the figure, which appeared to be a giant magnifying glass was less than 3 feet away from the sun.
Back at the camp, the others continue finishing the remains of what they don't know may be their last meal on the planet.
A family of potato roaches make their way into their midst. As they nibble on a piece of the Cheeseburger Rhino, they shook like they shivering from the cold, and broke off into little French fries; crispy and fresh to the taste.
"So cool. Did you see that?"
"Yeh, I did. They just broke off into French fries. Quite remarkable."
"If only it were that way on earth."
Back to Jira, Wulf, Jones, and Jodan, who were still racing along when the giant magnifying glass moves in front of the sun; blinding them for a brief moment with a brilliant flash of light before dimming.
"What was that about?!"
"I dunno!"
"Look out!" Jodan exclaimed as he pointed out in front of them as a fireball dropped like a asteroid fragment from the sky followed by more balls of fire.
Jones whispered to Jodan, "Well, Jodan. When you're right, your right."
"What are you two whispering about?"
"Uhh…. Nothing." They both replied in unison.
"This thing's solar powered, we gotta get back before the sun is blocked out by the clouds."
The fireballs continued raining down like it were Satan's revenge. Tree began catching fire, withering from the flames' intense heat, smoke rising into the atmosphere, which could be seen by the others back at the camp.
"What the hell is that?"
At the same time, something was racing towards them like a stampede of wild animals.
"Whatever it is, it's not our only concern," Kaira said as she turned to the sound of the stampede. She armed herself with a large piece of metal lying next to her and from one direction, a bunch of limestone tigers; jumping out at their prey. In the other direction, a huge armored truck came crashing in; left front tire running over a boulder and tipping over on its side.
Wulf jumps in hits one of the beasts with a slash to the neck, blood gushed out as it hit the ground. Another one leapt in from the right, Wulf spun around and gave it a kick the side of the face, spins around towards Kaira, leans over with one foot in the air behind him as he reaches for her gun and shoots the tiger in between the eyes.
Jodan leapt in front of the wise man in his sons as a tiger pounces on them and stabs his blade through its mouth and out the back of its head then pulls it out. Another pounces from the left; almost catching Jodan off-guard. Jodan caught its paws with his paws; desperately holding it back.
The man and his boys ran to safety as Jodan held off the beast. His arms began getting weak as it fought against his hold while snapping and snarling at Jodan, who pushes him back, stabs his sword in his chest, reaches for a knife, grabbed the tiger by the neck, places his blade above his arm as he held on with a tight grip and glides his blade along the beast's stony exterior and tosses him aside; pulling his sword out of it.
While Wulf fought of the ones in front of him, one grabbed Kaira by the leg from behind and dragged her off into the tree.
"KAIRA!!!!!" Wulf yelled out.
Loud crunching sounds could be heard from beyond the trees along with a loud, ear-splitting scream, which was cut off after two seconds.
"Nothing much we can do. We gotta watch our own backs," Jodan replied.
"And how would you feel if it were you getting eaten? HUH, JODAN?!"
Jira lays a hand on Wulf's shoulder, "He's right. You did all you could. Now we have to move on. Get the cells to the ship and take off."
"And how we do that, captain?" Jones exclaims. "That truck is solar, and the clouds are blocking out the sun, meaning it won't work."
"It's got to have battery supply," Yevkovich answered.
"You're right, Yev. But the guys who used it before never bothered to recharge it."
"So we juice it up."
"I've checked, there's no charging station anywhere here."
"No charging station? That's bullshit, Jodan." Wulf said.
"Check yourself, if you don't believe."
"We don't have time! The limestone tigers will be back. We need to carry the cells, or whatever it takes."
Those things have gotta be a ********' ton. And you want us to carry them?"
"There's an old fashion sled used in sled dog races in the back of the crashed truck. Maybe we can use that."
"Look. We can stand here arguing, or we can make this work. Who's with me?"
"You're certain we can do this?"
"We have these two lead, we'll do fine," Jira explained, pointing to Wulf ninja and Jodan."
An hour of gathering the fuel cells, grabbing the sled off the truck, and setting the cells on it, they mush on towards the emergency aircraft; flames burning all around, tree being reduced to nothing but firewood and ash, skies ridded of their blue color and replaced with the dark gray of the clouds.
All the forms of wildlife either running from the flames or being chased down by the limestone tigers in the far off distances as the group traversed the dying forest.
Jira, Yev, Ninja guardian, Reaper, and the wise man and his sons left to carry the sled.
"You've been awfully chummy with Jones for someone, who is his payday. Whatever deal you have with him, how sure are you he'll deliver on his promise," Wulf whispered to Jodan.
"What business is it of yours whether I can trust him or not?"
"It's not any of my business. But you'll end up either dead, or back in the slammer. Don't mean me no never mind."
Meanwhile, at the back of the group, the other cautiously looked around them to make sure nothing snuck up on them.
Sounds could be heard from all around; sounds of animals being eaten by the ravenous beasts as the trees and other foliage burned around them.
Darkness slowly crept upon the woods as they moved on and on; heading across a bridge hovering a huge canyon
Out of nowhere, a fireball falls on the bridge; rapidly burning through it and makes it collapse into the depths below; cutting Jira, the wise man and his sons, Reaper, Ninja guardian, Wulf and angel petal off from Jodan and Jones.
"Not this again," Jira shouted.
"Yelling at it won't do anything. We need to go around and quickly! Before we are too far behind them."
They continue moving left trying to find another way across, while Jodan, Jones, and continue on without them.
"Quite the body count we're stacking up here. First half the passengers from the ship, now Jamie, and Kaira."
"Not much of a body count if you ask me."
"Oh, right. It's nothing compared to how many you and Wulf killed. How many was it? 300?"
"More like 500 and I'm think of adding one more," Jodan looks up as Jones looks into his eyes with distrust, and beads of sweat dripping down the side of his face.
They each exchange stares like two cowboys in an old western, Jones draws his shotgun as Jodan drew his sword and pushed the barrel into the air as it fired off a shot that could be heard by the others from far away.
"Sounds like they're in trouble. Let's move!" the wise man pointed out as he lead the others towards them.
Jodan lands a left jab under Jones' chin, and back flips; kicking the gun out of his hand three feet in the air.
Jones hits with a right cross beside Jodan's eyes.
Jodan kicks him in the right leg, kicks with his right leg into his waist, plants his left foot on his chest and lifts up as he spins his right leg around and dealt a devastating blow to Jones' Jaw; knocking him into a tree face-first. "Wulf's right. You can't be trusted. Consider our deal terminated. I'll deal with him myself.
Jones wipes the blood from his lip, reaches to his right and pulls out a handgun. When fires off another shot, time slows to half speed as Jodan, moves his blade in the path of the bullet and deflects it, pivots around and throws his sword like a dart at Jones, who dives out of the way.
Jones runs up to Jodan the same time he does. Jodan draws back his left arm, open palm, as he moves in closer then thrusts it forward, Jones blocked, Jodan hits with a palm thrust to the face from his other hand, Jones ducks under it, rises back up and delivers a kick to Jodan's waist, but he blocks by grabbing his foot. He smiles at him as he still held his foot up at a 90-degree angle, and flips him backwards.
He spins backwards, Jodan waits until he is facing him in mid-air before belting a kick into his stomach; knocking him flat onto his back.
"Get up!" he exclaimed, "It ain't over yet." He marches over and pulls back up onto his feet and dealt a hard punch to the left side of his jaw, steps back a few feet, runs back up, plants his right foot into his chest; walking up his body and standing on his shoulders where he twists his pelvis around and snaps Jones' neck bone resulting in instant death. "You're next, Wulf…" he mumbles to himself as he walks off; leaving Jones' body for the beasts.
Hour and a half later, Jira and the group reunite with Jodan; wondering about the gunshots and where Jones was, and Jodan said, "Wulf was right about him not being trusted. He tried killing me, but I got him first," He lied.
"And how can we trust you? How do we not it was you who tried to kill him and succeeded?"
"It's your choice whether to believe me or not. We can stay out here; arguing and wait to die, or we can mush on. Isn't that far to the ship as long's we keep moving and not rest."
The others take the lead while Jodan stood there waitng for Wulf to pass. As he passes close by, Jodan whispers, "He died fast, and if I have my way again, that's how you'll go out. For now, let's put our differences behind and get off this rock before we're both dead."
Another hour of wandering through the burning forest, the flames began dying down; making it darker and forcing them to pull out their flashlights and signal flares.
Only eleven of them left: Jira, Wulf, Jodan, the wise Native American man and his three sons, Reaper, Ninja guardian, Angelpetal, and the Russian Art dealer, Yevkovich.
With the limestone tigers all around them like hungry lions looking a pile of raw meat sitting in the middle of their den, while the others are grouped together in a circling as they keep a lookout from all sides as they move forward.
The clouds above in the pitch-dark sky began moving in the wind in the direction they all came from.
They arrive at a canyon, which dry like the Mohave desert. "It's our only other choice. The path we came from will be filled with those things. Jira, you know this," Wulf explained.
"I'll carry the cells, You Protect them. I'll take the lead."
"Fine then, Jodan. Give'em the cells," Wulf demanded from Yev and the others, who then took the straps from around their shoulders and presented them to Jodan with the fuel cells attached.
Jodan throw the straps over his neck and rests them on his shoulder. "Now move," he whispered.
"Sure you wanna do this," Reaper asked.
"Just MOVE!" he exclaimed at the top of his lungs as he pushed off on his left foot, then his right and kept going like a sled dog down the canyon while the others kept up. All around them, the limestone tigers started fighting with each other as they ran on by. After running a few yards, one of them fell off the canyon wall above them, landing in front of Jodan; lying their dead and lifeless as he stepped over him.
"What the ********?" Ninja guardian asked.
"Why the hell they killing themselves?"
"Like lions in the zoo, killing each other over food," the Native American man explained.
"C'mon, don't slow down, we gotta keep moving!" Jira shouted.
They ran and ran as the tigers killed each other out of greed and hunger when two fighting tigers fell over the cliff, taking the huge skeletal remains of their previous meal over with them and landed on top of reaper, who screamed out loud as it rapidly descended on her and pinned her down and separated the others from Jodan, who kept moving down the path.
"Jodan, wait!" Wulf exclaimed while Jira was fighting the tigers off to protect Reaper. As this happened, Jodan didn't stop, he kept moving.
Wulf jumped in one of the two beasts Leapt at Jira. He decked it in the jaw, it just turned it head; reacting to the blow and struck back with one swipe from its mighty paw, which Wulf blocked.
The tiger leapt at Wulf, who bent backwards; falling on his hand with his feet in the air and flips the oversized cat over his head.
Three more tigers intervened; surrounding Wulf like a tribe of Indians cornering a cowboy in the desert.
Meanwhile, Jodan only got a couple yards before he decided to turn back.
As Jira, Ninja, and Yevkovich attempted lifting the skeleton off of Reaper, Jodan leaps over them towards Wulf, who was still surrounded by the tigers as he looked around him. Jodan jumps inside the circle with him and they stood back-to-back like the dynamic duo, Batman and Robin.
"Glad to see you still care."
"Hey. I don't. I just want the privilege of killing you to be mine alone."
"What'd you do with the cells?"
"They're safe."
Two tigers leapt at both Jodan and Wulf, who stick their hands out and caught their paws and slammed them into each other and threw them aside as three more jumped in. Wulf and Jodan unsheathe their swords and duck under them, rise up again and cut into their ribcages. A sixth one rushed towards Wulf as he leaps over him; landing on his back where he places his blade under his neck and slides across, slitting its throat; jumps off and into the air where he points his blade downward as he lands on top of another tiger and stabs him in the back of the head.
Another one runs up to Jodan, who spins around; kicking it in the side of the face, quickly spins around in mid-air and drops his other foot on top of its head like a sledgehammer, causing all four of its legs to collapse from under it.
"And that's a wrap," Wulf chuckled.
"Damn right," responded Jodan as he extends his hand.
"We do make a good team, don't we?" Wulf asked as he extends his hand celebrating with Jodan through a handshake.
"Just don't think this changes things, we're still enemies."
They let go of each other's hand, "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got cells to carry." As he walks off, a loud roaring could be heard in the night sky, followed by a light shower, which increased into a light storm, which began dousing the flames that were still burning in the forest around them along with any bit of light that could help light their path.
"Little rain never hurt anyone. Help her up and let's move."
After 10 to 20 minutes, Jodan stops when reaching a small cave at the end of the canyon.
"Jodan what is it?" Jira asked.
He didn't answer.
"Jodan!" she called out.
"We're close, we just need to go through this cave and we're home-free."
Jodan goes through first followed by Wulf, then Jira, Angel petal Reaper, Ninja guardian, the wise Indian, his sons, and Yev in that exact order.
The sounds of the rain falling onto the stony canyon floor and walls began to deafen as they went further inside the narrow tunnel.
"Was places like this that gave me the creeps when I was little," Jira whispered out to Wulf.
"I wouldn't know," Wulf replied. "I wasn't around when you were a child. Not sure I was around to even have a childhood. From what I believe, I was created in the G-corp lab before the explosion in '04."
"Really? Wasn't aware of that."
As they moved through the cave into a huge cave den of some sort, Jodan trips and the force of his fall caused a cave-in, which blocked the entrance; crushing the the wise man's sons, and Stranded Yev.
Jodan jumps to his feet acting like nothing happened and kept going as everyone else tried to pull the rocks off of the three.
"Jodan…" Wulf mumbled to himself as he took off after him.
"Wulf, where you going?" Angel asked.
He didn't answer, and she followed after him. Through the rain and thunder, the three traversed as their scenery transitioned from a grassy wood to wet, sandy desert. Angel arrived just after Jodan loads the cells into the ship's engine.
"Are you that heartless that you'll leave them all here to die?"
"Every man for himself. A basic survival trait of all the human species. It's either eat… or be eaten. Kill… or be killed."
"I know the world is cold and selfish, Jodan. But that doesn't mean you need to be."
"Don't dare to lecture me," he said as he pulled out .44 magnum revolver and aimed it at Wulf's forehead. "Either come with me or stay here and die. But if you utter one more sentence or try anything stupid, I'll kill you right here. You can take your girlfriend with you if you please, now just get the ******** in here."
Wulf didn't make a response; he stood there thinking to himself. Then he blurts out, "So you're gonna walk away? Why not just kill me now? Cuz I'm not getting on the ship… at least not without the others."
Jodan stares into Wulf's eyes with anger, Wulf stares back even harder. Inside their eyes, a intense flame burned. "Fine…" sighed Jodan with a frown on his face. "It'll be a cold, wet death for you, Wulf." He moves in closer; gun still aimed at Wulf's forehead as he marched up. At 2 feet away, he spins the gun until he is holding it by the barrel, then at 3 inches away, he slaps it across Wulf's cheek, tosses it aside and delivers a blow at to his cheek again, but this time, Wulf grabs him by the wrist. He twists it around behind his back and puts him in a headlock and slams his head into the sand, pulls it out, turns him around and strikes with a punch to the forehead.
Jodan steps back a few feet like a drunk person losing his balance as Wulf delivers a kick to his ribs, and a kick to the side of the face so fast that he didn't see it coming. He lands another kick to the face, which Jodan ducks under by falling onto his side as broke his fall with his right arm, and pivots clockwise; kicking Wulf in the back of the knee, making him kneel down, and finishes with a kick to the chin. "over that quick?" he asked as he sticks the magnum revolver in Wulf's face yet again.
"Got one more trick," he answers as he rapidly plants his arms above his head in the sand, and kicks his feet into the air, knocking the gun out of Jodan's hand as he sprung to his feet and pivots around clockwise; hitting with a devastating spinning kick to the stomach, runs up and throws a jab towards Jodan's Adam's Apple, Jodan latches his hand onto Wulf's wrist, Wulf unclenches his fist and pokes his nails into the Adam's Apple, making him gag for a short moment and loosen his grip on his wrist and reaches around with a sucker punch to his jaw, knocking him onto his back. "All things must come to an end, Jodan."
"You'd honestly die for them, Wulf? Even for your girlfriend?"
"I would fight for them."
"That's not answering my question, Wulf ninja!" he said as he coughed.
"If you're looking for a straightforward answer, Jodan. Then yes. I would die for them."
"Very interesting. But I won't let you just yet."
An hour later, Jira and the other were still removing the rocks when they heard a noise coming from the other way and turned in the direction to see Wulf, Jodan, and Angel walking down the tunnel towards them.
"Just had to make some last minute system checks. We're all good to go," Explained Jodan.
"Anyone ready for this?"
"What about my sons?"
"If you haven't heard their voices by now, then they're long gone."
"The more e stay here, the more we're susceptible to the limestone tigers coming back for us," Wulf replied.
Ten minutes later, they emerge from the cave; rain still fell down with no sign of it ending any time soon. They traverse through the wet grass, and half burnt trees in the soaking rain towards the emergency ship with the limestone tigers hot on their trail. After another ten minutes, they arrived at the ship. The doors opened upon approaching the rear of the craft to let them in.
They all climb aboard and shut the door.
"Sure this'll work? Jira questioned.
"100% positive."
"Sooner the better right, Jodan?" Reaper asked.
He flips the switches, activating the thrusters, kick-starting the engine, and turning on the lights. Then shuts them all off again as the limestone tigers piled on the top of the hull.
"What the hell are you doing?" Ninja asked.
"It'd be rude for us to leave without a proper goodbye…" he said as he flips them all on again, and begins takeoff.
From yesterday by 30 seconds to mars fades in
He engages afterburners, turning the tigers behind the ship into semi-molten rock as the ships glides along the sand before lifting into the air.
They fly through the stormy weather, exiting the planet's atmosphere where the clouds began thinning out and showing the sun rising over the horizon with a sky full of stars all around them.
Like I said, not a day goes by that don't remember my adventures, including the epic survival of the harsh conditions of that strange planet.
“Lots of questions that needed to be answered if I were to run into ship owned by bounty hunters; but as I told the others, ‘Tell'em Wulf and Jodan are dead; died on the planet somewhere; A merciless slaughter of giant proportions. Only thing I'm worried about was…. Where will I go’?"