Lanius Collision

As Oreic and Niode prayed for the group, they heard an explosion shake the entire runner. Tetsuyin screamed.

"Ack! Are we dead?" Niode panicked.

The red lights disappeared. The barracuda stopped making noises. Gunfire and explosives could be heard rampaging nearby, making the ground rumble. They could hear people yelling.

"What's going on?" Rahim looked out the window.

The group looked out the window to see soldiers dressed in green. They stood beside a few tanks, firing at the massive hovertank.

"Those are M1 Abrams," Niode said. "Looks like the US arrived just in time."

"Niode-Kun," Tetsuyin felt dizzy.

Niode sat back down with his wife to comfort her while the rest watched the sphyraena resisting the firepower.

"Yeah, well sadly, they won't be able to even scratch it," Oreic frowned.

"Wait, something's different about those soldiers," Rahim said, placing his computerized goggles on.

Rahim observed the soldiers' green attire.

"What do you mean?" Isrina asked.

"SHRIKE," Rahim noticed bird-shaped symbols with the word, SHRIKE, on the soldiers' uniforms. "All of them have that SHRIKE symbol, including the tanks."

"Wut is SHRIKE?" Nashura asked.

"I don't know. Never heard of them."

"Could they possibly help us?"

"I doubt we can trust the US army judging how people have turned against us. We don't know what Forroway plans to do with us at this point."

The group heard obnoxious cybernetic clicking from the hovertank. Tetsuyin rolled on the floor in pain as Niode covered her ears again. The tank blasted red lights at the soldiers, turning them into red dust. Tetsuyin cried as the barracuda burst curvy pink fireballs from its mortar holes, sending the SHRIKE tanks flying about.

A sniper shot the warhead launcher's central eye from a nearby skyscraper. However, the sphyraena's eye only blinked in response, showing no signs of damage. The gigantic head turned to the building. It blared out nasty alarm noises, launching purple warheads that crumbled the tower into pieces.

"Naphthien," Rahim said. "This is our opportunity to escape."

Naphthien nodded, jumping into the cockpit. She swiftly backed up the cloaked runner through the ruined parking lot.

"At least we are out of that mess," Oreic sighed.

"We made it, my dear," Niode hugged Tetsuyin.

She didn't say a word, burying her face on Niode's chest.

"Niode," Rahim looked at the control panel. "You know the map format better than any of us. Can you lead the way?"

"Of course," Niode carried Tetsuyin, sitting her next to Mivangeline.

"Looks like we are out," Nashura said as the runner backed up onto the street outside of the rubble. "Mom, you okay so far?"

Naphthien gave a thumbs up. Soon, she abruptly stopped the invisible vehicle just in time before it could crash into a rushing armored vehicle.

"Ack!" Niode banged his head on the control screen. "What now? I was reading the map!"

"That's an armored personnel carrier," Rahim noted. "Has one of those SHRIKE symbols too."

Naphthien showed her husband sign language.

"Yeah, doesn't look like it saw us," Rahim nodded.

The vehicle's top machine gun fired into the air as it unloaded more soldiers wearing SHRIKE outfits.

"We better go," Oreic advised. "I am certain we don't want to make the big discovery of what they are attacking."

Naphthien made a u-turn away from the armored vehicle. The group saw more SHRIKE soldiers scattering across the streets, firing into the air. Naphthien frantically swiveled the runner about to avoid crashing into the soldiers and their incoming vehicles.

"What's going on?" Niode looked at the yelling men in green.

"Where did these soldiers come from?" Nashura asked.

"Not good," Isrina said. "We are caught in a battle. We need to get-"

"Look out!" Rahim shouted.

A gunship shaped like a hammerhead shark hovered above the road. Swarms of missiles were fired at the SHRIKE forces. Naphthien reversed the vehicle, evading the explosions. The vehicle bumped into something hard.

"What the?" Rahim hit his head on the floor.

"Naphthien? What happened?" Isrina flipped back up.

"Our stealth is gone!" Niode looked at the control panel.

The group looked in front of them to see a large four-legged walker blasting a SHRIKE tank away. It made gritty bug sounds as it turned towards the runner, staring at the group.

"Brachyura terrortank!" Isrina yelled.

Naphthien swung the steering wheel 360 degrees as fast as she could, but it was too late. The walker's arm cannons shot pink fireballs at the runner, sending the vehicle sliding across the rocky ground in flames.

As everyone was tossed around by the runner, Oreic closed his eyes in focus, facing his hand at the purple fire to make a flaming shield that paused the explosion. He did his best to keep his concentration as the runner made a screeching stop on the hard street.

"Ugh! Get up, guys!" Oreic demanded. "Come on!"

"Oreic?" Isrina coughed, forcing herself back up.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Lansen shook his metallic feathers on Nashura's back.

Nashura too woke up, brushing Lansen off.

"I can't hold this explosion much longer! Get everyone out!" Oreic told them.

Isrina and Nashura quickly got Rahim and Naphthien up while Lansen slapped his little wings at Niode and Tetsuyin's faces to awaken them. They carried Shien and Mivangeline out in time.

"But where do we go?" Isrina asked.

"We can take cover in that library," Rahim pointed. "We need to get out of this battlefield."

They ran into the dark entrance of the building.

"Oreic!" Isrina looked back.

"Almost got it, Dr. Niang!" Oreic shouted.

Master Oreic walked out, still with his eyes shut. He wanted to release the explosion at a safe distance. However, the brachyura reached the runner first, firing at it again. The vehicle became a catastrophic discharge of fire, blasting the young Vultau master and the brachyura away in opposite directions.

"No! Master Oreic!" Isrina saw Oreic land facedown on the hard ground.

"I got him!" Nashura jumped out to save Oreic.

Rahim loaded his shotgun, running to escort her.

Nashura picked Oreic up. His robes were tattered while his face was full of ash and blood.

"I will need to tend to him," Nashura wrapped his arm around her.

"Come on, Nashura!" Rahim ran to escort her. "Quickly! I hear another sphyraena coming!"

They frantically ran into the demolished library as they heard electric screeching heading their way.

***

"God, it's a firefight outside," Isrina looked out the window, hugging Shien.

As Nashura and Lansen bandaged Oreic's wounds, the group hid on the tenth story of the enormous library. They watched the droid vehicles annihilate the SHRIKE forces effortlessly. Sphyraena hovertanks infested the area with irritating electric clamor as the hammerheads dropped off more brachyura walkers on the streets. Buildings around the group were destroyed to finish off the hiding SHRIKE soldiers.

"Is Oreic alright?" Isrina asked.

"Yep! Yep!" Lansen flapped his wings.

"Don't worry!" Nashura smiled. "Oreic is resting now. He will be just fine."

"Thank goodness."

Naphthien signed to Rahim.

"I am not sure," Rahim wondered. "But we have a dilemma."

"What is it?" Niode questioned.

"How will we ever get to Choro Emplexion now? We have no transportation and no map!"

"Hmmm, could we walk on foot?" Isrina asked.

Rahim was silent.

"Ugh. Do we have to?" Rahim grumbled.

"Doesn't look like we have a choice," Isrina said.

"No. No. Not like the Niang Chronicles. It's happening again!"

"Rahim, it's… it will be-"

"You know. I tried to warn those damn politicians about this invasion, but nobody would listen! Now, the Federation is here, and we have to run around the streets again?"

Naphthien tugged on Rahim's coat, but her husband continued to fume his frustration.

"This is America's fault!" Rahim stomped the ground. "They could have stopped the Middle Eastern Smite of my people a long time ago to prevent all of this. But no, they are too scared to start border disputes, so they let the Federation get their way!"

"Rahim, listen to me," Isrina tried to get his attention.

"Dr. Niang. You lost your husband because of America! I swear if this country manned up years ago, Jinhai would still be alive."

"Dad!" Nashura exclaimed.

Isrina clenched her fist, feeling the pain of being widowed by Amitonyx.

"Europe made us run and rot on the streets. Did anyone help us? No!" Rahim swiped Naphthien's hand away. "We had to struggle by ourselves to survive! Look at us now. Why do we have to go through this again? America still wants to be ignorant, doing nothing as Fanghui burns the entire world into Kneapexism. Cecilius is dead because of Forroway! We suffer because of him!"

Naphthien finally grabbed Rahim's coat, dragging him on the floor with her. She hugged him.

"Naph-" Rahim felt Naphthien squeeze her husband closer.

"Rahim," Isrina knelt to him. "Listen, we will make it through this together. We have done it before. We can do it again. Yes, we were left alone. But I mean, we weren't really by ourselves. We had each other. We are a family."

"I… I know, but," Rahim sobbed as Naphthien allowed him to bury his head onto her chest. "America allowed too many of our friends to die. Our children are constantly endangered. Nashura is too precious for me to lose. Why does America do this?"

Rahim couldn't find a way to express his anger any longer but cry.

"I know America hasn't been perfect," Isrina said. "Yes, Forroway has made mistakes, Rahim. But don't you remember? He was the one who sent Covinski for us even when his delegates said no. He was willing to offer us refuge in this country. Forroway protected our families no matter how many people wanted us dead. He's one of the few who dared to speak against Fanghui."

"What about now?" Rahim sniffed. "What do you think he will do?"

"Well, I am not certain yet," Isrina rubbed his back. "But I think Forroway will do whatever it takes to do the right thing."

"Okay," Rahim wiped his tears with a handkerchief. "I am so sorry, Dr. Niang."

"Don't be," Isrina hugged him. "Even if we must experience running about the streets again, we will continue to defend each other and our kids."

Naphthien leaned her head on Rahim. They looked at Nashura, healing Master Oreic with the best of her medical abilities. She smiled at her parents. The three signed to each other:

"Love you so much."

"Yes, we made Nashura strong," Rahim sighed. "Till our last breath, we will never let the Federation hurt her."

Naphthien nodded.

"We just need to find Choro Emplexion though," Isrina scratched her head.

"I can help with that," Niode pointed out.

"Huh?" Rahim pulled himself together.

"Wut you mean?" Nashura bandaged Oreic's vulpi ears.

"I studied the map, and I happen to remember it."

"Wait," Isrina asked. "You memorized the map?"

"Yep," Niode stood up. "Come on. Syanic Earth is my thing! First, I know we gotta move northeast approximately 22.6 miles from this location. I can be your GPS!"

"Seriously…"

"Niode," Rahim looked at him. "You… um…"

"What, Rahim?" Niode chuckled. "Now you admit that I am useful?"

"I, I guess so," Rahim laughed.

"Yes, I am!" Niode danced. "I am as cunning as the Desert Cardinal!"

"I am going to take back what I said."

"I know the nine shadow kicks! Begone, villainous Reaper Squad! Fear the red bird!"

Everyone cracked a smile as Niode made weird bird noises, clumsily kicking the air. He punched a bookshelf only to find a big encyclopedia fall and hit himself on the head.

"Stop making fun of me," Isrina rolled her eyes.

"So, when should we get going?" Nashura asked, wiping off the remaining ash and blood from Oreic's face.

"Not now, obviously," Rahim looked down at the barracudas scanning the area with their 20 eyes. "There are too many droids out there. We would need to wait."

"We could use a rest anyway," Isrina smiled, walking back to her son.

"Most definitely. Good thing we are out of range of those sphyraenas."

The group sat comfortably near the tattered bookshelves.

"My little chickadee," Isrina patted Shien's head. "Please be okay. You are my only family left. I will never let anyone hurt you."