Cir-El

" Primus Vand, I spent four seasons undefeated in the Imperial arenas. If you do as I say, you may learn the skills to seize the glory I have tasted. But this is the Maul. The empire's most lethal gladiatorial training school. And the Maul must be fed." Primus exclaimed.

He watched over the new prisoners, held in the Maul just as he did with Markus' group, and those before them.

" Or not."

Markus jumped into the pit and smashed the giant dinosaur like creature, chasing the gladiators, in the side of the head with his fist, knocking it to the ground.

" Easy, big guy." Markus told the beast. He placed his hand on the creature's obedient disk and shattered it, freeing the creature from Primus's control.

The hostility that the creature was displaying before, suddenly vanished. Instead of attacking Markus, once it was free, the creature began licking Markus excitedly.

" Kill them!" Primus shouted.

" No! We will not fight." The slaves yelled.

" You are wearing obedience disks, slaves. You will do as I say." Primus told the men. He raised his scepter to force them into attacking, but Elara stopped him. She jumped into the air and kicked him off of his platform.

" No, Primus." Elara spoke. " They will do what I say. Kill him." Elara demanded. She raised the scepter and mirrored Primus' movements. She was ready to force the gladiators into killing Primus if she had too.

But before she could complete her task, Markus snatched the scepter away from her and crushed it.

" You're all free." Markus told the men. He walked up to each of them and tore the disks from their chests with his bare hands. " And to hell with anyone who tries to make you slaves again."

" Primus Vand killed my father, and who knows how many others. He deserves to die." Elara exclaimed.

" If that is how you feel, Elara, then do what you need to do. But do it yourself. If we are going to change the empire, then we MUST be better. We cannot, stoop to their level of tactics." Markus told the woman.

Elara looked down at Primus in disgust, but she relented. She simply walked away.

" Thanks, Vulcan. I always knew you were smart. I'll tell the emperor-"

"I'd stop talking, before I decide to finish you off, myself." Markus told the man. He then turned to Virlal and the others. " Take everything. And everyone. Can't have the empire figuring out where we are too quickly." Markus explained.

after a brief moment of rest, Markus and the others were back on foot, traveling away from the empire's territory.

" The wastelands. Shadow territory. The empire will not follow us into these lands. Unfortunately, since the spike war, nothing grows here. Nothing even lives here but monsters." Virlal explained.

" Sounds like a plan." Markus stated.

The group began moving forward, but as they did Sid started freaking out.

" They're calling out. We have to go back." Sid exclaimed.

Markus and the army of slaves and fighters followed Sid through the valley.

...........

" It's governor Denebo. And that scum Headman from the village. The one that killed Sid's hive and slaved his brothers. Now, look at him. That's what we get for letting those fratzers live." Elara stated.

" We won't make the mistake again." A random fighter spoke up.

" Calm yourselves. It's the same trap as before. They're trying to enrage us, get us into that box canyon." Virlal explained.

" Markus?" Dregg called out to the man, waiting for him to decide what to do next.

Markus, looked to Sid. It was his people that were being hunted.

" They crying brother, Sid." One of the bugs spoke.

" No. No more crying. No, just smashing." Sid stated. He looked back to his team with tears in his eyes.

" May whoever dies, die well." Markus spoke.

Markus led the charge down the canyon, shouting as loud as he could. His cry for battle was shared amongst his people. And those who followed, did so proudly.

And as they fought, Virlal couldn't help but feel it more in his bones.

" Hear me, Son of Antiope, our enemies are strong, they burn us with their fire. They break us with stone. But though they move earth and sky against us.... You bear the very mountains on your back. So, that we may strike our foes. I believe it now. You must be the one to lead us." Virlal muttered. He watched as Markus as he fought.

Watched as he danced through the battlefield, the way his body moved, the sound of his arms flapping through the wind, the lightning surrounding him, the storm above.

" Valdr, will live again."

Virlal was sure that Markus was the one they had been waiting for, for so many years. The one that just might be able to do what no one else could. Restore life to a dying planet.

When the fighting was over, and Sid had killed the headman, the soldiers fighting for the empire had surrendered.

" Enough! We yield!" The men exclaimed. Their governor had run, and their headman was killed.

Markus relented, as did many of his other followers. But Sid did not.

" Sid! They Surrendered!" Grog yelled out to the bug.

Sid ignored Grog and continued charging, he lifted his spear over his head and prepared to kill the soldiers.

" Stupid!" Markus yelled.

Faster than anyone could see, Markus closed the distance between Sid's spear and the defenseless Valdarian.

Markus raised his arm and Sid's spear shattered on Markus' bracer.

" Wha? What are you doing?" Sid shouted.

" Stopping you. Sid, not like this. We don't kill those who have surrendered. If we start doing that, then we only fail ourselves. There is no honor in it. I won't allow it." Markus told the bug.

Sid let out a loud shout of disapproval. He wanted the men dead. But what could he do against, Markus.

..........

Elsewhere on the planet, the rebels continued fighting in Markus' name against Mongul. In fact, their presence had gotten so big that Mongul decided to handle the rebels himself. Along with his loyal army and his lieutenant, Mongul took to the cities.

Cir-El fought through the crowd of rebel fighters, killing each of them with ease. But she made sure not to overdo it, less she harmed her own men.

Mongul on the other hand, did not show such restraint. He crushed and burned anything and anyone in his way, without showing even a bit of remorse at the deaths of his own men.

" Lieutenant! He's killing anything that moves! You have to-" Just as the man was speaking to Cir-El, Mongul turned his flames on him.

Mongul continued his blazing path, until Cir-El jumped ahead of him.

" Wait, my lord!" Cir-EL yelled out. " Permit me." In an attempt to calm Mongul's path of destruction, she exerted her power and crushed the remaining rebels with one solid blow to the ground. This way they were defeated, and no longer posed a threat. " It is over, your grace. They'll bother you no more." Cir-El stated, believing that her efforts were enough.

" Of course, they still bother me, Lieutenant. They're still alive. Now, move aside." Mongul told the woman.

" Your grace?"

" Now, Daxamite." Mongul commanded.

" Your grace!" Mongul's advisor, managed to avoid being burned to death, called out to the man. " Governor Denebo has returned."

Denebo came stumbling up to Mongul, in a trance. lacked his armor and his men.

" Denebo, where is your armor. Where is your army?" Mongul asked the man.

" He- He is too powerful. My lord, he's too powerful. He lifted an entire mountain on his shoulders. Struck with the might of a god. He's- AghhHHH!"

Mongul lashed out on Governor Denebo, burning him to ashes on the spot.

" Have they forgotten who I am?! I AM MONGUL! THE CONQEROR OF WORLDS! AND I WILL NOT HAVE MY THRONE TAKEN FROM ME BY SOME SMALL WORLD GLADIATOR TRASH!" Mongul screamed. " Heed my words, Cir-El. You will seek out and destroy all those who are pretenders to my throne. Or the Daxamites will be the least of your concerns." Mongul told the woman.

...............

Hours later, deep into the dark of night, Markus and his people had settled into the wastelands. Their camps were set, and their needs sated for now. The only problem was the prisoners.

" We found Primus and the other prisoners, dead. Throats cut. No one will say who did it." Grog spoke. " When I asked Elara she just laughed."

Markus heard enough. He was angry.

A single bolt of lightning flared across the sky, the sound of thunder rumbled far and wide.

Markus sat seething in anger, so much anger filled him that lightning flowed freely from his mouth and eyes.

" Every death, every blow of anger struck will be turned on us just as hard." Markus muttered.

" Why does it matter? They needed to be stopped from killing anymore." Sid spoke up.

" SIDEROS!" Markus roared. A barrage of lightning danced across the skies, lighting up the darkness and illuminating the entire valley.

Sid nearly jumped out of his skin. Never before had Markus raised his voice at him so threateningly.

" No matter what the reason, those men were defenseless. To kill in combat is one thing. But this wasn't that. This was cold blooded murder. No different than what was done to your hive. And we will pay a price. Of what kind, I don't know yet. But it will come, and we will deserve it." Markus muttered. He walked away from the group and sat alone for the night, thinking, until finally he fell asleep.

...................

When morning broke, Markus awoke from his slumber. His mind was still as clouded as the night before. Markus would not argue that those men did not deserve death. No, he understood why it was done. To Primus at least. But the others? Simple men following orders. As simple an order as any king could give, fight or die. Those men had families too. And now, because of his carelessness, they were dead. And it was his fault.

............

A little later.

" We've gotten transmissions from the crown city. Hundreds of slaves are rioting in the streets, in your name! Smashing the guards. Fighting the corrupt king. The time is now, we must return and fight." One of the Rebels exclaimed.

" Then go." Markus replied.

" Vulcan?"

" That is not my name. My name is Markus. And all I ever wanted was to be free." Markus told the man.

" You have to come with us." The rebel stated. " We fought for you. Because you bled, because you brought the green back to us. Because you held mountains on your shoulders."

" You didn't fight for me. You fought for yourselves. You never wanted to make Valdr a better place. All you wanted was revenge. Well, you got it. Those of you who want to come with, then come. We're done fighting for revenge." Markus stated.

He then started walking away. And he would have left them all behind if not for the arrival of Sid.

" No, Two hands. You're not going anywhere." Sid exclaimed. He had changed. He was now three times bigger than before, and his shell had changed completely.

" Sid?" Markus asked.

" No. Not just brother Sid anymore. King Sideros now. Brother king!" The hivelings exclaimed.

" Good for him. Now get out of the way Sideros." Markus told the bug.

" No. To kill the mad King we need you. You're not going anywhere." Sideros stated. " We are Warbound, two hands." Sid walked up to Markus and placed his hand on the man's shoulder.

Markus did not like that one bit.

" Get your hand off me, Sideros." Markus demanded.

" You-"

" Get off!" Markus yelled. He swatted Sideros away from him, causing the rest of the hivelings to attack him.

Markus swatted the bugs away as they lunged at him with their spears. But eventually, the numbers began to catch him off-guard and while he was trying to pry some of the hivelings off of his arms, Sideros stabbed him in the chest with his spear. The spear pierced Markus' flesh, but just barely moved an inch deep.

It was still enough, however, to infuriate, Markus.

Markus balled his fist up and drove it straight into the center of Sideros' chest, slamming him into the ground with enough force, to crater it.

" You little!" Markus growled. He readied himself to strike Sideros once more but this time, as Markus tried to punch the bug, Dregg and Grog, jumped in the way.

" No, Markus!" Dregg yelled.

He and Grog jumped in between Markus and Sid, taking the brunt of the blow for the bug.

" Dregg? Grog?" Markus muttered.

" Enough." Grog spoke. " Let Sid hunt the king if he wants... But you.... You need to stop." Grog told the man.

" Who are you kidding, Grog? How can he stop? He's doing what he was born to do." Sid stated bluntly.

Markus looked at Sid and the others, and then without saying a word, he walked away. He needed to be alone. He needed to think. He needed to question himself. What was he going to do now?

.........

Later.

Virlal, and Grog stood together, watching over the two sides. Those who wanted to remain in the wastelands, and those who wanted to fight.

" Ever since the spike wars, these lands have been dried up wastelands. But from the storms he commands, comes the necessary tool to bring back life. The Elesh'al vines grow. And where they grow other plants will grow. The refugees... He gives them hope. He gives me hope." Virlal muttered.

" Sid is wrong, Markus needs to come with us into the wastelands with the refugees." Grog stated.

" To do what? Plant crops? Raise a family?" Elara asked the group.

Then it was seen that Markus returned. Girded for War.

" No." Elara grinned. " The Vulcan goes to war."

And so it was, that Markus chose war over the peace of the wastelands.

" I came to this world, to escape my past. A life of darkness and pain. But how can I run free, while the rest of the world suffers? I promised you all that I would see this through to the end and I have no intention of breaking that promise. You all want to fight? Fine. But we do it my way. And when I say we stop killing, we stop killing. If any of you have a problem with that, then leave. And if you break that rule, I promise, I'll kill you myself." Markus exclaimed. " Now, let's go."

.................

Markus and the refugees marched far. Their armor strong, and their swords and spears sharp. Some marched for their families, some marched for their lands, some for their homes. But all marched, for their freedom. Only Virlal and Grog remained behind.

" With signs upon signs pointing the way, how can we help but believe? These are the days the prophet tells us to look within ourselves, in our hearts. With our own hands. By our own blood. No Destiny. No Doom foretold. We make our own choices. To save ourselves. Or destroy ourselves. So, whether we ride north into the unknown. Or south, towards war, we remember you, Prophet. Forgive and Embrace us all." Virlal said one last prayer for the warriors as they marched away towards the Empire.

Eventually, the army led by Markus, came to a halt.

Standing in their path was the King's Shadow assassin. His mightiest warrior.

" It's.... Her! The emperors shadow! FIRE!" One of the rebels shouted as he laid eyes upon Cir-El. But as the archers raised their bows to, Markus raised his hand to stop them.

" Wait." Markus told the men.

Markus, stopped his army, and approached the woman alone.

" What do you want?" He asked.

" You." She responded. " If you'd listened to me before, I could have let you join your friends in the wastelands. But now my king demands your head." Cir-El spoke.

" That's funny. I was just coming for his." Markus told the woman.

" You've lost your shadow and the rock man. Your strength and strategy. You lead an army of angry children." Cir-El stated.

" Angry's worked pretty well for me so far." Markus joked. He looked at Cir-El and smirked in her face.

" You really don't know what you face, do you?" Cir-El asked the man.

" I was but a little girl, no older than thirteen when I crashed landed here. My people, they despised the thoughts of travel. They despised our cousins from the stars. But I wanted to be free. To explore the stars, like the Kryptonians. So, I stole a ship and set off beyond the great veil. But my people would not simply let me go. My people chased me through space until eventually I ran out of fuel and crashed. When I did, I was found by the Shadows, taken in by them, taught their ways, and as time passed, I discovered I had powers of my own. I couldn't control them fully. I didn't even know how I had come to gain them. At first it didn't bother me. The Shadows believed they could help me control my powers. And I believed them for a while. But then one day, the Spikes attacked. They had infected everyone in my village. I tried to force the spikes out of their bodies, but what I didn't know at the time was that you couldn't kill a spike with your hands. Nor a sword. I didn't know how to do it, only that I knew I had to. My skin was hard, harder than anyone else's. That meant I was the only one who couldn't be hurt by them." Cir -El explained.

Markus listened closely as the woman, spoke. He even began to feel a little sorry for her. He too knew the curiosity of wanting to explore beyond what he knew. In so many ways, they were similar. More so than he initially believed.

" But then they came. The King and his strange machines. He had come for me. He knew what it was he wanted and how it is to get it. With his power he exterminated the spikes. He knew the spikes were coming. But he let my whole village die. Just to have my power." Cir-El moved her armor to the side and reveled the scars of an obedient disk underneath. " Just to make me his slave."

Markus, stood close to Cir-El. Close enough he could reach out and rub his hand across the mark left behind by the disk.

" I... I am sorry." Markus told the woman. His heart ached for the woman. Her story was truly a painful one indeed, even more so than his.

The pain and sadness from her memories was written all over her face. Especially in her eyes.

" He'd kill millions to get to you." Cir-El told the man.

" He'll kill them anyway."

" Maybe." Cir-El muttered. She moved her armor back up, and Markus pulled his hand away. She then raised her spear up to Markus' chest. " But if I kill you first, at they'll have a chance. I challenge you, by the laws the Valdr, to Individual combat."

" Why?" Markus asked the woman.

" To give you a chance to fight!" Cir-El exclaimed. She drove her spear forward and Markus blocked it with his bracers.

" I meant, why would you stop me? Don't you see? These people won't be safe so long as Mongul is on the throne. You've seen what I can do to him." Markus told the woman.

" When last you fought, Mongul toyed with you, and he paid the price. He won't be as negligent a second time." Cir-El remarked. She twirled her spear over her shoulder and slashed Markus across his chest.

Markus, responded by slamming the full weight of his sword down on her spear. The moment the two weapons met, they both shattered into pieces.

" Fine, then. May he who dies." Markus exclaimed.

" Die well!"

Markus and Cir-El collided with one another.

She pulled everything she had into a single punch, and he did the same.

The world shook from their collision for miles upon miles. Even those back in the Imperial city felt the aftershocks. And the explosion of lightning was just as magnificent. For miles a raging bolt of lightning flashed in the red sky.

" What's going on?" Mongul demanded to know.

" Their power! It's unbelievable." One of Cir-El's soldiers was in contact with Mongul's advisor.

When the dust finally cleared and the wind settled, Cir-El and Markus were buried in a crater.

They were both injured, but the wounds appeared to only be flesh wounds.

" You?! You should be dead." Cir-El exclaimed.

Markus scoffed and smirked at the woman.

" Heh! You look dead." Markus joked. He then burst into full laughter. He couldn't believe it.

Cir-El found herself slightly confused. He was laughing at such a time? Who does that in a fight to the death.

" Let's finish this." Cir-El muttered.

Markus stood up as well.

" Is there no way, I can convince you to join my cause?" Markus asked the woman.

Cir-El remained silent, and though she didn't speak, her body spoke a thousand words.

" I'm sorry to hear that." Markus replied. He stood his ground, ready to fight once more. But before either of them could move a large ship crash landed right into Cir-El's soldiers.

And in that moment, all the fight seemed to leave the woman's body.

" Soldiers! Retreat!" Cir-El yelled.

" What? Another bomb?" Markus asked the woman.

" No! Not a bomb. Spikes!"

Hundreds of small bugs came flooding out of the ship and started attaching themselves to the soldiers.

" What's the problem? They're small bugs." Markus asked the woman.

" They aren't bugs. They're spores. And they'll attack anything that lives. And within minutes, even seconds, they take over. And then they'll destroy the world." Cir-El explained to the man.

" Heh! They don't look so tough. Wanna help me take care of these things?" Markus asked the woman.

" I am sorry." Cir-El muttered. She grabbed the remains of her spear and drove the tip into Markus' foot, trapping him in place.

" GAHHHHHHHH!" Markus yelled in pain. " Fine then." Markus grabbed Cir-El by her waist and threw her as hard as he could away from the spikes. " I'll save your world for you, and then I'm coming back."

Cir-El flew away from Markus with a smile of relief on her face.

" Goodbye Vulcan." She muttered.

Markus turned back to the spikes and punched the first one that came close to him, blowing away the body it had taken over.

" Didn't anyone tell ya? I'm the strongest one there- Ugh!" As he was gloating, the spike suddenly shot a tendril into his chest, and though the spike stunned him, it failed to penetrate his body.

" Two hands!" Sid yelled.

" Sid! Elara stay back! Run!" Markus yelled to the two approaching warbound.

Markus started punching and throwing each spike that approached him, but no matter what he did, the spikes merely reformed their shape and continued attacking him.

" No! Sid help two hands! Fight for friends, remember?" Sid yelled. He grabbed his spear and joined Markus in the crater, stabbing and slashing at the spikes.

Markus smiled at the bug man.

But even working together they didn't accomplish much. In fact, they did the opposite.

" They're absorbing everything they touch. Sid, get back. I need some room." Markus told the bug. He reeled back and chucked a bolt of lightning at the giant spike creature. He wanted to try and give him and Sid room to breathe. But when the lightning bolt connected with the spike, it let out a loud shriek and started dissolving, until finally it turned to ashes.

" It worked, Sid, get everyone to safety." Markus exclaimed. " I'll deal with the spike. But you all are in danger."

" There's a village nearby, Ann-Sara." Elara stated. " We can go there."

" Then go. Get to everyone to safety. I've got this." Markus told the woman.

" Alone? Even with your power, you can't- OW!"

Sid slapped the man in the side of his head as he spoke.

" Stop speaking can't. Not when you're with two arms."

Markus smiled at the sentiment, the faith. But he would need more than faith to get everyone out of this.

...........

At the gates of Ann-Sara.

" I am Cir-El the shadow guard of the emperor. Call in your workers! Wield shut your doors and windows! And stoke your fires and furnances!" Cir-El exclaimed. She went straight to the village to warn them of the coming spike invasion.

" Stay back!" A villager shouted.

" What's the matter with you?" Cir-El asked.

" You fell from the sky. What kind of monster survives that fall?"

" She's the King's shadow guard, you fool!" Another villager exclaimed. " Forgive us, Shadow. Whatever you come to punish us for, we submit and beg for your mercy."

" Listen you fools! The spikes have returned!" Cir-El shouted.

The Villagers all turned on heel and ran into their village, when they heard the spikes were coming. They shut all the doors, welded them shut, set fires, and prepared for the coming travesty.

" What on earth are you doing here Lieutenant?" Mongul sent out a probe to the village, and when he spotted Cir-El, he flew it straight to the woman. " As I recall, I sent you to kill The Vulcan."

" Your grave, a spike ship has landed, let loose a thousand spores. Infected my entire platoon." Cir-El explained.

" So?" Mongul asked the woman.

" So, these people-- this entire continent is at risk! We need death's head guards! We need deathfire bombs." Cir-El exclaimed.

" Calm yourself, my dear. They're on the way." Mongul replied.

Cir-El watched as the Imperial dreadnaught flew over the village and started dropping bombs just a few miles away from the front gates.

"Your grace! They're two stonesteps off. They're missing spikes!" Cir-El told the man.

"In that case, Cir-El, all goes as I decree. As the spikes were never my target." Mongul told the woman.

" You mean... You... You're trapping the entire village, with spikes." Cir-El stated. She stood in disbelief. Cir-El turned her back to Mongul and rushed to help the villagers in anyway she could. Even if it was a decree, she would sacrifice the lives of the people for a mad man's ambition.

Markus on the other hand, looked upon the dreadnaught as it rained bombs down on them.

" Those bastard.... They're trying to trap the villagers with the spikes." Markus muttered. " Hurry up. Everyone. Towards the village. Stay together and watch each other's backs. Markus raised his hand to the sky. " Grrrrrrraaaaaaaah!" Markus snatched his hand down from the sky and leveled the entire grassland around him with lightning, killing off a good number of the spikes. But still not all of them.

Markus turned and followed behind his people. Doing his best to try and keep the spikes off of them.

They made it to the village without suffering substantial losses.

" The Vulcan! The Vulcan is here! He's going to kill us!" One of the villagers shouted.

" Vulcan! We will take your refugees, but you're!" Cir-El shouted.

" Already here! Now, stop shouting and help me!" Markus yelled at the woman.

Markus started chucking lightning, out of his hands, at the spikes.

Cir-El watched as Markus struggled to deal with the spikes, the way he selflessly put himself in danger to protect the villagers even after all they've done to him.

" Now! While he's playing hero-- You still have a chance." Mongul spoke.

Cir-El ignored the king and stood beside Markus.

" You'll have to watch me, after this. I'll be a little weak. Promise you won't take advantage of me." Cir-El asked the man.

" I won't." Markus replied.

Cir-El took a deep breath and " HAAAAAAAh!" A large burst of heat erupted from Cir-El's eyes, and she started burning away at the spikes approaching the village. But her surprise attack didn't last long. It wasn't too long after she started using her heat vision that she suddenly fell to her knees.

" Hey! Are you okay?" Markus asked the woman.

" Sorry, using my heat vision like that, takes more of a toll on my powers than anything else." Cir-El explained. " I need a moment to recharge."

" I've got it. Just rest. You earned it." Markus told the woman. " Hey, what's your name?" Markus asked the woman.

" Cir-El." She responded.

" Heh! Well, Cir-El. Let's save the day!" Markus exclaimed. He started raining down bolts of lightning into the fields once more. His attacks weren't as accurate as Cir-El's. But they were just as devastating on the spikes.

The situation was good, Markus was beginning to thin the spikes numbers down to a handful, but then it happened.

Sid exploded from underground with a giant larva behind him.

" You brown punks, One of the last queens! Here! Slaving her! Chaining her in the dark! Making her lay eggs! Eating them! Now Sid eats you!" Sid exclaimed. He grabbed one of the villagers and lifted him off the ground.

" SIDEROS!" Markus yelled. He turned his head for just a moment, and in that instant, a spike managed to reach over the city and stab the queen.

" No! Not the queen!" Sideros yelled in terror.

He ran to help the Queen, while Markus turned back to eliminate the spikes coming in.

" The spikes have breached the walls. Now, Vulcan the fire." Cir-El grabbed a fire blaster from one of the dead villagers. She ignited the blaster and Markus for some reason clapped the flames out with his bare hands. " What are you doing?"

" Fighting for my friends." Markus replied. With his hands on fire, he jumped down to Sid and the queen. He grabbed the spike trying to invade her body, and with the fire on his hands, he pulled the spike from her body.

Cir-El watched as Markus helped his friend without hesitation. The danger he put himself in constantly. She respected him.

High above the sky, a pleasure cruise started floating over.

" The Vulcan ladies and gentlemen! Brought to you live from on Vidbox by pleasure cruiser 12! He just does not give up, does he? But those spikes aren't exactly pushovers." The announcer spoke.

" This is insane." Cir-El muttered.

" But wait? here comes the calvary. All your favorites from the great arena! Grog the Kronan! Virlal the shamed! Soon to join Sid the unhived, Little Elara, and Vulcan himself in the final stand of the doomed town Ann-Sara!

Grog and the others joined Markus and the others down in the town.

" You guys have been busy." Grog stated.

" Shut up, it's been hell this whole time... But it is good to see you all." Dregg told the man.

" Is everyone together?" Markus asked the men.

" Yes." Dregg replied.

" Good. Let's blow this joint." Markus told the men.

Markus and the others started holding off the Spikes, while Cir-El quickly gathered the remaining citizens and started loading everyone on the platforms, Grog and the others flew in on.

" Cir-El, their guns are running dry. I can't hold off the spikes alone forever. How far are we?" Markus asked the woman.

" Almost there! Just another hundred to evacuate!" Cir-El yelled back.

" Fine, you all go help her get those people out of here." Markus told his Warbound.

Elara, Sid, and his queen, along with the rest of the refugees, started helping to evacuate, while Markus, Grog, and Dregg continued to hold of the spikes.

" Did you all imagine something like this would happen when we first met?" Markus asked the men.

" No. I imagined I would kill you in the arena and earn my freedom." Grog replied bluntly. " But as we fought together, I came to understand you. And now... I can't imagine my life without you. Thank you, my friend."

" Heh! How do you follow up on that?" Dregg asked.

" Well, the feelings mutual. I want you to know, I'm grateful to have met you guys. What do you say we get the hell out of here?" Markus asked the men.

" Let's do it." Dregg and Grog both replied.

The three men jumped off the platform and ran towards the evacuation lifts.

Cir-El however, was still working to get people out the village. She went running through the streets and ended up coming upon a crying boy. But she wasn't alone.

" Helping the enemy now, girl?" Mongul asked the woman.

" I have not forgotten my oath to you, my grace." Cir-El told the man. " Once your subjects are safe, I'll kill the Vulcan." She bent down and picked up the child and started carrying him back to the evacuation site.

" Are you really so stupid?" Mongul asked the girl. " We've seen you try... And you failed. That's why I released the spikes." Mongul explained.

Cir-El's world shook. She turned back to the probe in shock.

" What? You?"

" And now you and your precious civilians are just in the way." Mongul stated. " Goodbye, my dear."

Mongul cut the transmission.

Cir-El looked up, and watched as the bomb that had been fired, closed in on the city. She was stunned. Her body was motionless.

" I'm scared." The child spoke to Cir-El.

" Just close your eyes, little one." Cir-El told the boy.

She closed her eyes as well, but just before she did, she saw the faintest flash of light.

Markus grabbed Cir-El just as the bomb went off.

The others who were evacuating were in complete disbelief as they looked down at the smoking crater.

There standing in the middle of the smoke, cradling the burned body of a child was Cir-El and Markus. He had tried to move them out of the blasts way, but by the time he grabbed her, the bomb was already going off. So, instead he tried shielding them both with his body....

He failed.

The boy slowly turned to ashes in Cir-El's arms, and slowly but surely, the woman started to cry.

Markus was silent. He placed his hands on Cir-El's shoulders and pulled her close to him.

He hugged her tightly, as tight as his strong arms would allow him.

The red skies turned black.

Thunder and lightning raged like never before.

Markus was angered beyond his own limit.

" He's gonna pay for this!" Markus growled. The veins from his forehead down to his neck, pulsed with rage. " Cir-El, do you see now, that your king does not care for you or his people?" Markus asked the woman.

" I do." Cir-El replied.

" Then come with us. Fight with us. Speak to us your name and let us be warbound." Markus told the woman.

" I am Cir-El, once the emperor's shadow. Now, I'll fight by your side until we are all dead... Or until I take the king's head off." Cir-El exclaimed.

" Works for me." Markus told the woman. Markus turned to the pleasure Cruiser and beckoned for them to come forward. " Do you hear me, people of Valdr?! Do you see me?! Do you see your king for what he is now? He's tried every way imaginable to kill me. With swords, spears, bombs, and spikes. And he failed every time. He'd sacrifice the entire village to kill me, and that failed too. But no more do you hear? I say no more! Alone, we are but a voice. A single voice in the madness. But together... Together we are a raging Thunderstorm for hope. For the hope that we may find freedom. For our peace. For the hope of our families. Our fathers and sons, and mothers and daughters. We must fight! We will fight! For all of you! And to you, Mongul. Here in the remains of this village, I say to you. You've pissed me off. And now... I'M COMING FOR YOU!"

Mongul watched the broadcast from his throne room. He held tight to the probe speaking Markus' message and crushed it.

" Bring it on." Mongul grumbled.