Tuck loaded another rocket into his rocket launcher as Reynold took off, raising the car and blasting the army of soldiers with continual fire. He took aim and then a deep breath as a tank fired a massive burst of energy at the fleeing car.
The Lamborghini was hit and spun out of control, spinning into the streets below and crashing outside an adult cinema. Reynold, Gilbert and Tuck ran from the wreckage as the fuel system ignited and the car exploded.
“I loved that car, Robin’s gonna kill me!” Reynold exclaimed, leading Tuck and Gilbert into a nearby alley as the soldiers pursued them from across the street.
Tuck fired his last rocket from the launcher, exploding three incoming robot soldiers and a parked hovering sedan. He tossed the rocket launcher aside, pulling out twin blaster pistols from his belt and firing on the swarming drones that were hovering towards them. One exploded, sailing into another and destroying it as well. More were coming and Tuck roared at the top of his lungs, taking out drones, soldiers and even a hovering police patrol car that had its spotlight fixed on them.
Gilbert and Reynold exchanged glances, looking a little more than surprised at the energy of the friar.
“You said he’d be useless," Reynold said and Gilbert shrugged with a grin.
“What can I say? He’s full of surprises,” Gilbert said with a grin, pulling out a folding bow and loading an arrow into it from his quiver. He took aim at an incoming police cruiser and fired quickly, blasting it to smithereens in the sky. Gilbert’s fingers danced, pulling out arrows and firing them over and over, exploding drone after drone on soldiers that got too close to their position. His skill with a bow and arrow was almost as good as Robin's, able to aim in a second and fire in a heartbeat. Gilbert Whitehand was a brilliant archer. He kept drawing arrows and firing as he talked to Reynold, who shot at the soldiers with his golden pistols as he took cover behind a bunch of trash cans.
“There’s too many! We should retreat,” Gilbert said and Tuck laughed out loud.
“NEVER!” Tuck yelled, firing madly at the soldiers. Gilbert and Reynold exchanged glances again.
“You know, Reynold? He scares me a little," Gilbert said, motioning towards Tuck as he fired arrow after arrow at the soldiers, who despite firing madly were clearly dropping in numbers.
“Stay in cover! I’m going for the tank!” Reynold said as Tuck and Gilbert nodded. Reynold climbed the wall of the building, leaping off and jumping onto a police cruiser that hovered above. He fired through the windows of the cruiser, shooting through the mechanical heads of the officers before opening the door and climbing in, kicking out the lifeless robot bodies, which tumbled to the street below. Reynold rolled his eyes as he studied the controls for the vehicle.
“Are you kidding me? A two year old could fly this bitch,” Reynold said, grabbing the stick and spinning the car around, opening fire on the remaining soldiers below before taking off in the direction of the tank.
The tank rolled through the battle ravaged street, firing at the men that were shooting at the soldiers. Reynold flipped open the trigger stick, firing at the tank. The hull of the tank was thick and simple laser blasts would evidently not penetrate it.
Reynold removed a device from his belt; a sticky bomb, which he set as he hovered low over the tank. He dropped the bomb out of the car window and it stuck onto the thick shell of the tank.
“Au revoir,” Reynold said as the tank exploded, shrapnel flying through the windshield of his car and piercing through his chest, pinning him to the seat. Reynold struggled to regain control of the car as he spat out blood, but it spun in the air, crashing into the wall of the castle and exploding.
On the ground, Gilbert looked upward, seeing the explosion.
“REYNOLD!” Gilbert screamed, firing faster upon the last remaining soldiers. Tuck screamed, shooting madly as drones continued to swarm in from the castle. Reynold was gone.
*****
Inside the castle, the sheriff banged his fist on the table. Nigel nervously informed him of the situation.
“Our entrance turrets are down, sir! They attacked us head on! They have eliminated a... considerable amount of our soldiers and drones," Nigel whimpered and the sheriff looked enraged.
“Where on this wretched planet could they have accumulated such an impressive arsenal? And to go right through the front door! That’s madness! However his efforts are in vain. Release the spider droids!” The sheriff ordered and Nigel shuddered.
“My Lord! They will destroy everything in sight,” Nigel stammered and the sheriff gazed at the shivering shrimp of a man.
“It will be done my Lord,” Nigel said, running off to carry out his new leader’s bidding.
Chapter sixteen: The rescue
Robin, Will and John were high over the heads of the others, The Alanna banking left and right as Will navigated the ship toward the tallest point of the castle. Will scanned the castle, observing that most of the soldiers and indeed the sheriff (who had the biggest heat signature of all) were at the base of the castle, while there was another singular heat signature coming from a room in the tower of the castle.
“There! That’s got to be Marion! She’s alive!” Will exclaimed with a smile and Robin exhaled in relief.
“Thank God! Get us in close!” Robin said and Will targeted the surrounding tower turrets. He opened fire on them, destroying one after the
