-=- #### #### #### #### ######## ##### ### #### ### #### #### ## ## ##### ## ## # ## # ###### # ## ## ## ## #### ## ##### ## ## ## ## ## ### ## ## #### ## ## ## ## ## #### ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## #### ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## #### #### #### ## ## ## ####### ## ## ## ## #### ## ### ## ## ## ## ## ## ####### ## ## ## ## ### ## ## ##### ## ## ## ###### ## ## ########## ## ## #### ### ##### #### #### #### ##### #### #### ########## #### ### ############ ############ #### #### #### ############# ############# ############ ############ ##### ##### ############ ####### ## #### ### ### #### ## #### #### #### ##### ############ ############ #### #### #### ############# ## ######### ############ ############ #### #### #### ############# ############# -=- Next Dawn Comics Present www.soljo.org/ndc/ -=- A Soljo Publishing Production www.soljo.org -=- CRUSADE -=- SEASON ONE -=- PART SIX: Armageddon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The burning wreckage of a plane is strewn across the airport runway. Flames lick skywards as Milton's robots roam the tarmac. The robots head towards another plane. The plane passengers and crew scramble out down the emergency slides of the planes and down on to the tarmac. As soon as they hit the ground they scamper towards the terminal. When the robots attack the plane there are still people escaping down the slides. The robots aim their weapons at the plane, a humming sound escalates until laser beams strikes the plane. There are a number of small explosions and then one huge one, sending a plane engine skywards. Shards of glass spray the escaping passengers, slicing at their skin. Milton swoops down from the sky and approaches the passengers. They scatter as he nears, parting the crowd. Milton cackles as he lands. "Run. Run from me. Never forget this day. Never forget these moments." Milton points at the terminal, sending his robots marching purposefully towards it. Steve, Sabre and Saviour are driving across the tarmac in mobile-steps. The three are huddled in to the van as they accelerate towards the marching robots. Saviour steps on the gas. He pulls up the hand-break and turns the wheel sharply. The van tips sideways and begins to slide. Steve uses his abilities to throw the doors open and lift everybody out. The van tips on to its side completely and scrapes across the ground. The ladder cuts across the first row of robots, cutting them off at the knees. The metal seers as the robots keel over. Our heroes touch down to ground safely, ready to do battle. Official government vans screech to a halt outside the airport. The back doors spring open and troops stream out. The passenger door of one of the vans opens and Yoshimi climbs out. She reaches back in to the van and takes out a large gun, which she holds in both hands. The gun glows red as Yoshimi arms her weapon. A flaming engine hurls across the sky towards Steve. It stops in the air and hovers. Steve pauses and then, with a wave of his hand, flings it back at the robot that threw it. The engine strikes the robot on the chest knocking it to the ground. The robots leg lands on Steve, trapping him. Worry etches itself across Steve's face as other robots approach. Sabre dodges the fire of several robots and ducks for cover. He slides behind a baggage cart and watches as the robots approach him. He can see Steve being outnumbered on the battlefield, but he cannot see Saviour. One of the robots pounds it's fist on the baggage cart and it shakes violently. Sabre moves from his position and grabs one of the cases. He climbs the cart and jumps off it, with the case in his hand. Whilst in mid air he smashes the case in to the robots weapon. Clothes spray everywhere as he knocks the weapon from the robots grip, ripping the case open. The gun rolls away from the robot. Sabre scrambles to grab it but the robot grabs his leg. Sabre hops and flicks his heal in to the robots head. Both combatants fall to the ground. Several robots close in on Steve. Steve propels one robot away from him, but the others continue their march onward. Saviour flicks a lighter and the flame shoots out. Saviour picks up the fuel pump and sprays in the direction of the robots, he lights it and flame licks around several of the robots, it distracts those not engulfed long enough for Steve to free himself and levitate himself into the air. He begins to conduct. A 747 begins to shake, it lifts straight up in to the air. Steve manoeuvres it over the troop of robots and then plunges it down on them. Their metal shells are crushed. The gun is smouldering on the ground. Sabre makes another attempt to grasp it but is again grabbed by the robot. A laser blast pierces the robots chest. The robot drops Sabre and turns in the direction of the laser blasts. Another shot leaves a hole in the head of the robot and the robot falls prone. Sabre's eyes stare at his rescuers, Yoshimi and her government team. Milton is perched atop one of the terminals. He can view the whole battle from his position. He can see Yoshimi's troops locked in a fire fight with his remorseless robots. He can see Yoshimi herself with Sabre and Saviour ploughing their way through the battlefield. He can see Steve above it all manoeuvring anything he can find and using it as a weapon. Milton takes off from his position and flies towards Steve. In his elevated position Steve suddenly drops the buggy he had elevated and turns. He could sense Milton's attack but couldn't react in time to avoid it. Milton slams in to Steve and the two of them tumble to the ground. Saviour has a weapon in his hand, he fires off a couple of shots and then backs away. Three robots converge on him. He continues to back away, then stops and fires a laser blast through the mid-riff of one robot. it hits the ground but the other three keep coming. Sabre leaps off of the roof of a nearby coach and grabs the robots head with his right hand, driving the face of the robot into the ground and crushing its circuits. Sabre gets to his feet and dropkicks the legs from under the remaining robot. It falls to the ground and saviour pumps it full of laser blasts. Milton and Steve are struggling to their feet. Milton is first to his feet, as he moves towards Steve their eyes meet and Milton is lifted from his feet and dumped on his backside. Milton uses his jet pack to propel himself into Steve, using himself as a spear and striking Steve in the chest. They land with Milton in a mounted position on Steve's chest. Milton punches Steve in the face. Milton smiles, then punches him again, knocking Steve's face to the side. Milton presses a couple of buttons on his suit and charges his wrist mounted weapon. Steve can see a gun out of the corner of his eye, he concentrates hard and propels it from the ground. It strikes Milton on the side of the head, breaking the hold. Milton Both combatants have their backs on the ground and their eyes look skywards. The government troops continue to fight the robots. Laser fire pierces the air. Robots and troops hit the ground in equal numbers. Most of the robots get up the first time. Most of the troops do not. Sabre and Saviour join the battle. Yoshimi is noticeably absent. Steve is half way to his feet. Milton is on his way up, but has only made his way to his knees. Before Milton can get up he has been lifted in to the air above Steve's head. But Milton starts to fire his weapon again. Steve lets him drop and rolls out of the way the laser blast. Milton hits the ground hard and his exo-suit buckles. Milton's jet pack splutters to life but dies after a second. Steve and Milton grapple with each other, but no matter what Milton tries Steve is a step ahead and escapes Milton's grasp. Steve lands a couple of punches on Milton then applies a choke hold around the neck. Steve forces Milton to the ground and chokes him until he blacks out. Yoshimi has been watching Steve and Milton's battle. She looks on as Steve releases the hold. Steve gets up from the grounded position, leaving Milton lying prone. Steve turns his back and starts to walk away. Milton begins to stir, he reaches for a weapon on the ground near him. As he picks it up Yoshimi unloads a flurry of blasts at Milton. They are all on target. Milton is dead. Robots begin to close on their position. Steve turns back to Milton. He stands and stares. Yoshimi grasps Steve's arm. "Come on," She screams. The two of them run to join the remaining combatants as Milton's body is lying amidst wreckage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Crusade. Written By ChickenSoup. Characters By ChickenSoup & PaRiS. Cover Art By PaRiS. New Dawn Comics (www.soljo.org/ndc/) part of Soljo Publishing (www.soljo.org). All Storylines, Contents & Characters Copyright Next Dawn Comics & Soljo Publishing 2004. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EOF -----------------------------------------------------------------------------