Anthony DeCosmo - Disintegration

He let the machinegun rip, hitting the lead Guardian: it was too big to miss. However, such relatively small projectiles did little damage.

The stems of both the Guardians coiled tight like springs compressing. Johnny dropped his heavy weapon and ran away from the compound as if the devil spit fire on his ass. Stonewall turned his horse and retreated with Simms still sharing the ride.

The first Guardian created the necessary energy and literally sprung through the air.

If it were not so huge…if it were not so hideous in appearance… then perhaps it would have looked humorous; like a person in a potato sack race leaping toward the finish.

And oh, did it leap.

The Guardian ‘jumped’ through the open gate and crashed to the ground a few yards shy of where the Reverend recently stood. Its stem, which had grown a sort of pedestal at the bottom, crushed several parked cars and sent another pin wheeling through the air. The impact caused an earthquake to ripple across the lot. Reverend Johnny stumbled and fell…

…Jon Brewer watched from a damaged office building on the western flank. He said to Shep, who stood at his side, "Can you handle that thing?"

"Practiced for half an hour this ‘morn," Shep tipped his head. "Want me to go get?"

"Haul ass."

"Seems to me there ain’t any other way to go on these babies…"

…The Revered staggered to his feet and looked up at the massive red eye as it stooped to study its victim. Tendrils reached toward the man.

Jerry Shepherd rode to the rescue on one of the mutant hovercraft bikes. Shepherd zipped in, slowed, used one free arm to hoist Reverend Johnny on board, and swooped from the Guardian's shadow.

The second Guardian leapt from the compound and landed next to the first. The impact, again, shook the earth; more cars tumbled away like kicked matchbox racers.

The eyes of the two mushroom-like monsters searched for targets. They watched as the hovercraft and horse-carrying humans-disappeared into the tree line.

The Guardians bent their "stems" again.

Something flew overhead: mortar rounds from behind the trees lobbed toward the outpost. The shells fell in front of the gate and exploded not with shrapnel but in white smoke.

The stems of the Guardians released, propelling them forward. The gigantic figures hurled through the air and somehow landed without tumbling at the north end of the parking lot.

Both domes whirled and flung deadly discs into the trees. Sliced evergreen branches fell like rain but the pine trees absorbed the volley.

Their attack frustrated, the Guardians bent their stalks again, waited for energy to build, then hurdled the tree line and landed in a field of dying grass and shrubs.

Reverend Johnny, on the far side of that field, dismounted Shep's hovercraft and steadied his stance as the ground shook. When the tremor calmed, he stared across the field directly at the two large red eyes.

He lit a torch.

A smell of gasoline permeated the field.

Johnny quoted Two Kings: "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!"

He dropped the torch.

An inferno erupted, fed by fuel and dry brush.

The Guardians were nearly as flammable; their massive frames charred in chutes of fire.

– Jon Brewer and Boylen, riding hoverbikes, stopped at the wall of white smoke dropped from the mortars. The main gate waited on the other side of that smoky veil. Wind-seemingly growing in force-chipped away at the wall of white fast.

Behind them, beyond the tree line, rose two great pillars of black smoke announcing Reverend Johnny's success.

So far, so good. Trevor would be proud.

Jon pulled a radio from his belt and transmitted, "Whiskey, get up here!"

Brewer lifted the hinged seat of the hovercraft and surveyed the ping-pong sized grenades filling the storage compartment.

He asked Boylen, "You ready?"

Boylen brandished one of the plasma rifles scavenged from the platypus soldiers. "Aye."

Shepherd, also on a hoverbike, zipped to their side.

"The Rev took care of business." A gust of wind sent wisps of smoke trailing into the sky. Holes appeared in the white screen. "Reckon we’d better get moving."

The three rode through the smoke and entered the open gate, stopping inside the compound on one end of the courtyard. Robed figures-Monks-drew swords and raced to intercept. They retreated as Shep fired a burst from his assault rifle.

Across the courtyard, against the southern wall, sat the main building with a big sealed membrane: The Order’s equivalent of a door. Two spider sentries defended that door.

Jon dismounted his ride but kept a hand on the control panel.

Shep fired pot shots at scurrying monks and told Jon, "Do it fast before they realize there's only three of us!"

Brewer pushed a switch next to the handlebars of the craft and the rider-less hoverbike drove off like a cruise missile. The spider sentries opened fire but to no avail; the bike covered the distance in a flash and crashed into the door.

The platypus’ grenades exploded en masse tearing apart the spider sentries and sending chunks of the building's front flying across the compound.

The clatter of a horse-drawn wagon at speed came from behind. Whiskey-the older man originally from Stonewall's group-worked the reigns furiously. The wooden wagon bounced as much as rolled, nearly throwing Gruder and the Grenadiers who rode in the back.

Jon shared Shep's ride and followed Boylen to the blasted-open entrance, as did the wagon. As they neared, two monks-human faces overrun with green blotches-came out from within brandishing thin swords.

Boylen drove his hover bike directly into one, sending it sprawling with a body full of smashed bones. The Irishman avoided a jab by the second monk and blasted Voggoth's minion with his plasma gun.

Jon and Shep dismounted just as the wagon clattered to a stop among the ruins of the destroyed membrane. The cadre of K9s onboard leapt out, led by Tyr and Odin.

The ground shook. Jon spun around and saw another of The Order's defenses approach. This one stood ten feet tall, wore a cone-shaped shell of emerald and red, and moved on two thick gray legs. In some warped way, it resembled a walking Christmas tree, complete with a shiny gold star on top. In this case, the shiny star crackled with electricity.

Gruder-in the wagon-lit and threw a Molotov cocktail. The bottle smashed on the armor plating and spread fire giving the creature an amber glow but was otherwise ineffective.

A bolt of jagged lightning shot from the top of the cone-creature. Gruder jumped from the wagon for cover. The bolt caught him in mid-air. His body charred black instantly and broke into pieces when he hit the ground.

Boylen knelt near the front entrance and fired his plasma rifle at the beast. It responded with a bolt of lightning that slammed next to Boylen, stunning him for a moment.

Suddenly a stream of fire engulfed the cone-creature's legs. It wobbled frantically and then the shiny orb that shot lightning exploded in a fury of sparks. The cone toppled and Reverend Johnny-flamethrower in hand and Stonewall on horseback at his side-yelled, "I told you, they don't like a hot foot!"

Stonewall spurred his horse to the entrance where Jon asked, "Status?"

"Ms. Simms, Ames, and Mr. Tolbert are prepared to cover our retreat. Alas, Mr. Sanchez has fallen in battle."

"Hold here," Jon said. "We're going in."

"Like the rock of Gibraltar!" Johnny cried.

The Reverend, Stonewall, and Whiskey stood in a ring around the hole in the building.

Jon, Shep, and Boylen started in but the K9s moved quicker: Tyr, Odin, and the six other dogs poured through the gaping hole. Jon hoped their noses could overcome the horrid stink of the place and lock on to Trevor.