09-29-2015, 08:11 AM
The red eye of the sun stared down over the earth below, its burning gaze drawing up rolling columns of heat that bent the light that passed through them. Sand blew from the peaks of the undulating dunes as stiff, dry winds pushed them. Towering, red spires of stone clawed at the clear sky like the fingers of a long-dead giant begging for water. The desert was unrelenting in its harshness, unashamed of its malice, and unforgiving in its cruelty.
And yet, some thrived.
A roar of the engine preceded the war-truck’s cresting over the summit of a sandy knoll, a towering trail of yellow dust rising behind it. The thrumming of music could be heard from a distance as the craft barreled through the arid wasteland, the driver’s eyes locked upon her target on the distance. It wasn’t long after that the rest of the war party came into sight.
Vehicles of all makes and models, jetbikes, motorcycles, semis, pickups, dune-buggies, pursuit vehicles, and almost every other conceivable craft made up the bandit’s marauder militia; the remnants of what was once Sledge’s Gang were now rallied under a new banner.
The Bandit With No Name clutched her chest as she rode onward, a grim look of determination and hatred on her face. Caret sat beside her, a distant look of worry tainting her usually enthusiastic expression. The few cowards that had advised against the charge into the Town With No Name had died under the hammer of their previous leader, and those that remained seemed all but too enthusiastic about joining her in the violent crusade. Nothing would stop her. Nothing could dim the spark that had been lit when Sinestro drew first blood.
“Why are you doing this?” Caret finally blurted. “Listen, I’m glad that you found me a bunch of cool stuff at your base, and became the leader of a huge gang by murdering their old boss or whatever the fuck happened back there, but this is totally crazy! What does this have to do with anything?!”
The bandit sat for a long time, holding the wheel with one hand as they raged through the barrens. “It’s just something I’ve got to do,” she said flatly after the lingering pause had finally worn itself out.
Crossing her arms, Caret threw herself back in her seat with a huff. “Sure. Ok,” she said, clearly unconvinced. She crossed her legs and peered out the window, her foot bobbing in agitation as she watched the world blow by. Her silence didn’t last long. “You’re just committing suicide!” the girl screamed, slamming her hands on the dash. “You tried to do it when you fought that guy the first time, and now you’re just doing it again!”
“Don’t talk such bullshit,” the bandit spat in irritation. “I’m trying to right the wrong that shithead Prime made against us. Show him what you don’t mess with us.” Another silence gestated in the cab, both glaring out their respective windows.
Caret’s fingers tapped on the dash in front of her anxiously, “Roland isn’t some pushover. He’s not just gonna let us take that town.”
The bandit grinned. “Nah, he won’t, but this time he’s not gonna have a choice. This time we got something special for him.” She thrust her thumb to the massive convoy that followed, the wild revving and swerving of their vehicles taking up most of the valley. “Even Roland can’t fuck with those numbers.”
“Well what about the other Primes? What about the one you fought in the first place, huh? What if there are more there?” Caret’s face had become red, her body tense and her thin fingers were clenched in frustration and anxiety.
The bandit shook her head. “If I can put that one guy down on my own, we don’t gotta worry about him. Any of the others? Well, they’ll learn quick not to fuck with us.” She slunk into her seat with a self-satisfied smile, “They’ll learn that just because they’re Primes doesn’t mean they can put us down.”
Pushing her hair back, Caret sighed heavily. “Listen, I’m here for the adventure, but if this gets any more crazy, I’m out”
The bandit’s eyebrows knit and a maniacal laughter erupted out of her mouth, “I’ll let you know when take off, kid.”
“Up here, Sherrif!” the man waved from the top of the roof, pointing and shouting at the distance beyond the Town. “Coem up, quick! There’s something you gotta see!”
Roland moved up the ladder quickly and took the binoculars from the lookout, putting them up to his eyes. The distant thunder and the wall of dust was headed by the familiar silhouette of a truck he had seen a few weeks ago. It seemed she had more friends than he had anticipated, too.
“She doesn’t die as easy as I thought,” the sheriff said bleakly. “Sound the alarms! Everyone is either inside or carrying a weapon!”
And yet, some thrived.
A roar of the engine preceded the war-truck’s cresting over the summit of a sandy knoll, a towering trail of yellow dust rising behind it. The thrumming of music could be heard from a distance as the craft barreled through the arid wasteland, the driver’s eyes locked upon her target on the distance. It wasn’t long after that the rest of the war party came into sight.
Vehicles of all makes and models, jetbikes, motorcycles, semis, pickups, dune-buggies, pursuit vehicles, and almost every other conceivable craft made up the bandit’s marauder militia; the remnants of what was once Sledge’s Gang were now rallied under a new banner.
The Bandit With No Name clutched her chest as she rode onward, a grim look of determination and hatred on her face. Caret sat beside her, a distant look of worry tainting her usually enthusiastic expression. The few cowards that had advised against the charge into the Town With No Name had died under the hammer of their previous leader, and those that remained seemed all but too enthusiastic about joining her in the violent crusade. Nothing would stop her. Nothing could dim the spark that had been lit when Sinestro drew first blood.
“Why are you doing this?” Caret finally blurted. “Listen, I’m glad that you found me a bunch of cool stuff at your base, and became the leader of a huge gang by murdering their old boss or whatever the fuck happened back there, but this is totally crazy! What does this have to do with anything?!”
The bandit sat for a long time, holding the wheel with one hand as they raged through the barrens. “It’s just something I’ve got to do,” she said flatly after the lingering pause had finally worn itself out.
Crossing her arms, Caret threw herself back in her seat with a huff. “Sure. Ok,” she said, clearly unconvinced. She crossed her legs and peered out the window, her foot bobbing in agitation as she watched the world blow by. Her silence didn’t last long. “You’re just committing suicide!” the girl screamed, slamming her hands on the dash. “You tried to do it when you fought that guy the first time, and now you’re just doing it again!”
“Don’t talk such bullshit,” the bandit spat in irritation. “I’m trying to right the wrong that shithead Prime made against us. Show him what you don’t mess with us.” Another silence gestated in the cab, both glaring out their respective windows.
Caret’s fingers tapped on the dash in front of her anxiously, “Roland isn’t some pushover. He’s not just gonna let us take that town.”
The bandit grinned. “Nah, he won’t, but this time he’s not gonna have a choice. This time we got something special for him.” She thrust her thumb to the massive convoy that followed, the wild revving and swerving of their vehicles taking up most of the valley. “Even Roland can’t fuck with those numbers.”
“Well what about the other Primes? What about the one you fought in the first place, huh? What if there are more there?” Caret’s face had become red, her body tense and her thin fingers were clenched in frustration and anxiety.
The bandit shook her head. “If I can put that one guy down on my own, we don’t gotta worry about him. Any of the others? Well, they’ll learn quick not to fuck with us.” She slunk into her seat with a self-satisfied smile, “They’ll learn that just because they’re Primes doesn’t mean they can put us down.”
Pushing her hair back, Caret sighed heavily. “Listen, I’m here for the adventure, but if this gets any more crazy, I’m out”
The bandit’s eyebrows knit and a maniacal laughter erupted out of her mouth, “I’ll let you know when take off, kid.”
-----
“Up here, Sherrif!” the man waved from the top of the roof, pointing and shouting at the distance beyond the Town. “Coem up, quick! There’s something you gotta see!”
Roland moved up the ladder quickly and took the binoculars from the lookout, putting them up to his eyes. The distant thunder and the wall of dust was headed by the familiar silhouette of a truck he had seen a few weeks ago. It seemed she had more friends than he had anticipated, too.
“She doesn’t die as easy as I thought,” the sheriff said bleakly. “Sound the alarms! Everyone is either inside or carrying a weapon!”
![[Image: sig2.jpg]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/KrimTheUnsettler/sig2.jpg)