Previously on Protector’s of Worlds:

After being missing for nearly a week, Calem and Marcel joined together to venture into the Scavenger’s hive to search for Starman!

While they were exploring, the two were attacked by the battle automatons: Gorbado and Wreckall!! Both were dealt with, but Wreckall proved to be more durable than the other one. Just when the two were about to finish it off, a cluster of Scavengers, awoken from all the fighting, merged with the automaton, giving it a new form……..

What will our heroes be fighting this time?! Let’s return to the battle, shall we?.....

X

Our two heroes backed away as they came face to face with a new threat......

It had the upper damaged body of Wreckall, but its lower half was composed of Scavengers, giving it a slug-like appearance, a long slimy neck holds the automatons head in place with four eyes, and two new arms were formed with the left arm forming a mouth with various sharp objects as “teeth” and the right arm grasping the spiked ball. This automaton/scavenger hybrid is named…..Scaven-Wreckall!

The many eyes of Scaven-Wreckall looked around as they spot two humans in the distance. With prey in sight, the hybrid lets out a roar, flailing its arms around before attacking with the spiked ball, causing Marcel and Calem to roll out of the way. Both could’ve dealt with the hybrid quickly, but because of the previous battle with the two automatons, both were injured and too tired to finish it off.

The hybrid sends the mouth arm towards Marcel, who caught its “teeth”, holding its mouth wide open. With his friend in danger, Calem tried to help him out but the lower half of Scaven-Wreckall shot out smaller Scavengers toward him, nearly encasing him. He tried fighting them off, but the struggle only seemed to make it worse as he loses his balance, falling on his back as the amorphous creatures covered his legs, and abdomen before making their way to his head. Nearly being enveloped, Calem had no other choice but to use his power, using his entire body to electricity them. The Scavengers screeched in great agony as electricity surged throughout them.

When finished, the scavengers smoked before drying up, turning into a grayish solid mass before coming apart, breaking into millions of pieces.

Using what strength he had left, Marcel tried to keep the jaws from clamping down on him. The ground then started to crack as a handle appeared. He grabbed the handle and pulls out a warhammer with yellow/black coloring and a spike on the head. He hits the mouth arm with it, knocking it back and allowing him to bounce back to his friend.

“How you doing?” Marcel asked Calem as he removed all the dry Scavengers from him.

“Good so far, but nearly…..(gulps)......exhausted,” Calem said. “I have enough…..for one more attack.”

“Then let’s finish this thing off, together,” Marcel said as the two do an arm-wrestle handshake.

The two separate as Marcel stands his ground as the hybrid slowly crawls towards him. Calem climbs on top of a huge junk pile before raising his arms up as he starts absorbing lightning from out of nowhere.

Back to Marcel, with Scaven-Wreckall close to him, he starts to unleash his attack! He gripped his hands tightly before his arms started to glow a bright red, letting out steam the brighter they get. With a loud yell and using all of his might, he slammed his fists into the ground, sending a wave of cracks toward Scaven-Wreckall. When the cracks reach underneath the hybrid, a massive eruption of magma engulfs it! It screeched as it thrashes and squirms about with the Scavenger parts being burnt and reduced to ash. Above it was Calem who holds a ball of electricity in his hands. He aimed it toward the hybrid and fired a lightning beam.

The combination of electricity and magma caused the Scavengers to dry up quickly before resulting in a massive explosion, sending pieces of Wreckall and dried Scavengers everywhere.

With the hybrid now dead, Marcel slumps on his knees, exhausted with his arms letting out steam. His entire armor glows orange before being sucked back into the gauntlets. Huffing and puffing, he tried to gain energy from the long fights he just had. He was able to get back on his legs when something crashed into a junk pile behind him. He went over, threw the junk aside, and saw Calem in the middle of it.

“You alright, pal?” Marcel said.

“I’m still alive. My armor was able to save me from the impact before disappearing.” Calem said. “Mind giving me a hand?”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Which one?” Marcel asked as he reached both hands out to Calem, causing him to chuckle.

“Very funny,” Calem said as he grabbed Marcel’s right hand and starts pulling him up before wrapping his arm over his shoulder and his hand around his waist. He then starts carrying Calem, helping him move.

“Where are we going?” Calem asked.

“Back to the city” Marcel replied. “We’ll just hope that Starman is out there, still alive.”

As he carried his friend back to the city, he didn’t notice that a small unit of Scavengers, which managed to separate from Scaven-Wreckall right before the combo attack, sneaked up from behind them. It jumped and was hoping to pounce on them, but a green sparkly beam from out of nowhere stopped it, causing it to expand and explode, sending parts everywhere and some onto Calem and Marcel.

“Was that….?” Calem said, curiously.

“Oh, yes, it was!” Marcel said with great joy, knowing full well who fired that beam.

They heard some big footsteps come from behind them and they turned to see Starman’s shadowy figure. Both were bright and cheerful to see the giant, but when he fully revealed himself, the look of joy turned into one……..of horror!

Starman was critically injured with sharp and jagged shards piercing his arms, legs, and abdomen, leaking out greenish blood, one eye closed as it was bruised, and some of his skin was ripped off.

“Dear god……” Marcel said with great shock.

“You two, what the hell are you doing here?!” Starman yelled as he slowly limped to the humans.

“We….We were looking for you.” Marcel said.

“Are you insane?! You know how dangerous this place can be! You could’ve gotten killed!” Starman yelled, scolding his apprentice. “What were you thinking?! This was a stupid and rash decision!”

“I…..I……” Marcel tried to say something but with this constant yelling, he could only stutter, not being able to form any words.

“Sir, please. It was my fault!” Calem yelled, causing the giant to cease. “I was the one who suggested we go look for you. Don’t take this out on him, please. He was………worried about you”

With what Calem told him, Starman looks at his apprentice, who looked troubled and upset after the scolding which made the giant feel bad for what he did.

“I’m…..I’m sorry, but it was still stupid of you to come here,” Starman said.

A bit of light hits his eye as he noticed that the sun was almost coming up, knowing that night is almost over….

“We’ll talk more later. Let’s get out of here!” Starman said as he grabs both humans before flying off, making a beeline straight to the Rovernite city.

X

Back in the city, our heroes were being treated in a hospital by the Rovernites. Two of them were helping Starman remove the jagged shards as one pulled them out while the other welded the wound shut with metal plates.

For the humans, Calem and Marcel were put into stasis tanks, naked and unconscious while submerged in a blueish translucent fluid as both breathed through a mask. Two or more robotic arms tended to them, healing all the damage they’d taken.

With his numerous wounds being treated, Starman looked to the stasis tank that held his apprentice. He was still mad that Marcel ventured into the hive, knowing full well of the dangers, but was amazed he still took the risk………..all to see if he was alright.

X Five days later: Tower X

With the majority of their injuries nearly healed, both Calem and Marcel were summoned by Starman to take part in a meeting. They sat on the couches and waited for the big man to arrive.

“What’s this meeting about anyway?” Calem asked.

“Don’t know, but must be pretty important,” Marcel replied to his friend.

The elevator door opens as Starman enters as four Rovernites stand beside him. All four were carrying a roundish mechanical object before placing them on the table near the two humans.

“Gentlemen, thanks for coming. How’s the healing process going?” Starman asked.

“Not bad,” Marcel said. “Still have a few aches, every now and then.”

“Good, 'cause I’m gonna need you guys at 100% for something like this,” Starman said as he nods to the four Rovernites.

All of them press down on a button on the round objects which caused them to start projecting, merging, and forming a squarish holographic projection, showing a slide.

“Now, you know of my routine of exploring the hive, right?” Starman asked.

“Yeah, to see what kind of progress they're making,” Marcel said

“Yes, but it was something else,” Starman said, which got the two humans thinking.

“What do you mean?” Calem asked

“It wasn’t just about seeing what progress they made, I was looking for some kind of………leadership. A caste that is capable of controlling the others, giving them orders. After much searching, I was able to find it!” Starman says as the slide changes, bringing in a new one, showing what appears to be a huge mountain-like figure with many tunnels and chambers leading underground.

“Out of all the towers I’ve investigated, this was the one with the most lethal resistance I’ve ever faced. I was attacked in every direction, not giving me enough time to form a strategy. With a few injuries, I was able to enter through one of the tunnels.”

The slide then shows a red dot enter going into a tunnel before making its way down.

“As I was going down, I came upon a massive space….” The red dot then stops at a tunnel, leading to a chamber larger than the others. “But, I wasn’t able to see what was inside as I was grabbed by tentacles and dragged off.” The hologram disappears, ending the presentation.

After hearing and witnessing what Starman had been through, this would explain why he was doing these inspections and why he was almost gone for nearly a week. All this time, he was looking for some kind of…….smart Scavenger.

“If this “Leader” is destroyed, there’s a strong possibility that some of the Scavenger population will withdraw from the planet, giving the Rovernites their home back and having enough time to rebuild,” Starman said.

“How do you plan on getting them to retreat?” Marcel said, as his friend nodded in response to his question.

“Easy, this part will involve you two,” Starman said in reply to his apprentice’s question.

“For what purpose?” Calem asked.

“I want you two to sneak into the leader’s base…….and plant a bomb within,” Starman said, which raises eyebrows from Calem and Marcel.

“A bomb? That’s it?” Marcel said.

“Yes. The Rovernites will construct one that will have enough force to destroy the base, its underground passages, and anything within a 20-mile radius.” Starman said.

When he said the bomb will destroy everything in its path, both Calem and Marcel looked at each other with a bit of fear within them.

“Will….W-Will they be able to create such a weapon?” Marcel said, curious and scared about wherever the Rovernites are capable of creating something as destructive as that.

“They will…..” Starman stopped before pointing his thumb toward himself. “With my help, of course.”

Now that our heroes know of Starman’s plan, what will happen next?! What kind of bomb will they create that is capable of reaching such destructive power?! Find out in the next chapter!