Spear Head

As the two foolish boys commence their crude tango in the skies, I find myself alone with this "angel". I glance over my shoulder, watching as Clover meekly twirls her thumbs. The girl nearly trips over each vine we pass. Despite her eyes locked to the floor...

Diana: "Why don't you stay over by the beach and play in the water or something."

Clover: "... I can't just leave you alone on an uncharted island... What if something happens?.."

Diana: "I'll be fine! I may not look it, but I'm quite capable. Plus, what could you do? Cry in a corner as I fight off the bad guys?"

Clover: "... You know... I'm pretty strong..."

I stop in my tracks, looking back at the modest girl. Her leg finally gets caught on a low-hanging branch as she flies forward. Her arms thrash around as she splashes face-first into a tiny puddle. I can't help but cry out laughing at the statement's implausibility. I struggle to speak, choking over my gasping breaths.

Diana: "... Save the-... Save the-... Jokes-... For those idiots up there..."

I jester through the treetops. Pointing Clover's eyes towards the roaring jets before continuing down my makeshift pathway. Clover hurries to her feet, wiping off the water and bits of mud as she chases behind me. After a few minutes of silent walking, we stumble across an old makeshift hut. The sounds of the merciless duel have long since vanished in the past time. The building is old and corroded. But telltale signs of use still remain around its exterior. The extruding vines across the forest, trimmed and maintained. Fresh pelts from the woodlands few animals, hung out to dry. And lastly, freshly stacked firewood, contrasting the old element exposed wood that the house's walls are built from. I pause, throwing up a hand to signal Clover to do the same. I stand still, not making a sound as Clover inches up beside me.

Clover: "What is it?..."

Diana: "This place may be more inhabited than it seems... Stay alert..."

I draw the combat knife hidden underneath my dress, bringing it close. I watch my steps, slowly inching closer to the small home for investigation. Clover trailing not too far behind. Reaching its wall, I slowly peak through the small glassless window. The inside of the house is simple. In the center of the room, A fireplace sits with a moderately sized hole poked through the roof's center. A bed cushioned with an assortment of leaves humbly fluttered from the passing breeze. Beside it, animal pelt clothing dances to the bed's flowing rhythm. Scattered everywhere else in the room had random bags, tools, objects, bows, and wooden spears. The house's inhabitant, nowhere to be seen inside.

Diana: "It seems whoever is on this island is still quite primitive...:

sheathing my knife, I reach through the window, grabbing a nearby spear. I drag the spear to my side, observing its details.

Diana: "A sharpened rock tied to a semi-smoothened stick with a bit of vine... Not the sharpest spearhead... Or the smoothest spear pole... But I guess this would be enough for whatever prey is hunted on this island."

I quickly return the spear to its prior position. Redrawing my knife, I motion Clover to follow me.

Diana: "We have to let Lucas and Jax know of our findings. Cmon, every second we waste is a second disaster can strike."

We rush through the trees, vaulting over fallen logs and hazardous vines. Knife in hand, I swipe through the irritating thick leaves and bushes blocking our path.

Clover: "Diana!"

I slow my pace, looking back to see what the annoying girl desires.

Diana: "What!?"

Clover pushes past me, lunging forward. Recovering from my short daze, I snap back at Clover. Angry at her sudden uncalled-for attack.

Diana: "Ow! What the hell are you do-"

The world seemed to pass in days as I helplessly watch the spearhead slowly close in from my face. Suddenly the strike is diverted as Clover pulls the spear off beside me, grazing my cheek. Using the spear pole as her support, Clover spins around, sending the back of her boot into the animal-pelt-clothed man's face. The man flies onto his back. Surely not getting back up as a firm boot print branded his face. Securing the spear as her own, she twirls it around before slamming its base into the floor. She's strong!

Diana: "Thank you C-"

She cuts me off short, throwing her hand in front of me as she looks around.

Clover: "Don't thank me yet..."

The trees and brush began to clash and clutter as we soon found ourselves surrounded by more primitive people. I bring my knife close, readying it for use.

Diana: "Seems like they won't make it easy for us..."

Clover kicks the spear's base from the floor. whirling around her before readying it at her side.

Clover: "Doesn't look like it..."

As me and Boss throw ourselves into our lawn chairs, Boss tosses me a wine bottle of sorts.

Jax: "Boss you know I can't drink-"

Boss: "Read it again kid."

Confused at his assessment, I follow his instruction, reading over the bottle's labels.

Jax: "Sparkling apple cider? You treat me too well Boss!"

Boss lets out a chuckle as I hurriedly crack open the bottle.

Boss: "Consider it thanks for the vacation kid. And as an apology for soundly kickin' your ass once again."

Jax: "Oh shut up already! If it wasn't for Ignited's new wing morphing bull I would have had you!"

Boss: "Whatever lets you cope kid..."

Boss looks over towards the Royal Sakura as it flaunts its abundance of ordnance in our faces.

Boss: "I'd love to see what the little miss can pull now. Sakura is a pretty mean fighter. And with Clover bein' able to properly handle her now... Who knows what would happen..."

Jax: "You think she's good in the air? Wait till you see her on the ground. Clover's a monster when it comes to face-to-face combat. Kicked my ass too many times to count..."

Boss lets out a roaring laugh as I take a swig at my carbonated juice.

Boss: "You let another little girl kick your ass, Jax? This shits too funny."

Boss steady his breaths, wiping a tear from his eyes.

Jax: "No. Dude... She's a MONSTER, at feet on the ground combat. She'd even make you look like child's play... Especially with a spear... It felt like I was fighting an army all alone against just her..."

I lung my knife into an attacker's side. Ripping it out, I spin around, sending it straight through his neck. I glance over to clover, seeing how she is fairing. 3 men are attacking her at once, each trying to close the distance from Clover's spear. She throws the spear around her. Deflecting the attacks spear's before sending her own spearhead down the chest of one. She sends the spear's back end into the gut of the person behind her before thrusting the tip into the other's gut. The guy behind her regains his composure, charging back in for another attack.

Clover yanks the spear from the fallen soldier's gut. She traps the enemy spear. Rolling the spear around her own before thrusting hers into the poor man's neck. An arrow whistles from one of the trees, aimed for Clover. But it's no use. she effortlessly deflects it with her spearhead. Sending sparks soaring over her gentle face. She rear backs her arm, launching the spear into the sniper. Another man emerges from the treeline, attempting on Clover's life. She evades the attack, dancing over the spear before throwing a foot into the attacker's neck. Claiming his weapon in the process. She looks over to me, pulling back her spear and sending it towards me. The spear misses me by under a few inches as a cry is let out. I look over my shoulder, seeing another attacker right behind me as he's flung back by the spear's impact.

Diana: "What... Are... You..."

Clover walks over to me, gently patting me on the head before continuing to the whaling person. She walks over to the struggling man, yanking the spear from his chest.

Clover: "Just a novice Aerocord pilot..."

She looks into my eyes with a gentle warm smile before silencing the man's cry. Clover looks around me, her calming smile turning into a serious face.

Clover: "But they won't seem to stop..."

I look around the trees, seeing them still filled with life and activity.

Diana: "We're not too far off from the beach now... We might just have to book it."

Clover: "Right!.. I'll cover you!.."

Another arrow twinkles from the treeline. And once again, Clover effortlessly redirects it into the sky. Clover volleys her spear into the archer as its impact launches him off the tree. We make a dash for the beach, vaulting over any obstacle while fighting past the primitive attackers. I glance back, seeing the flash of another arrowhead flying right for me. Once again the world seems to move in slow motion as the glimmery arrow closes on its mark. My eyes instinctively close as the unavoidable arrow appears inches away. A wince of pain cries out from Clover as I feel a warm liquid splash against my face. I open my eyes, seeing the arrow less than an inch from my face. The arrowhead drips in blood as Clover's hand paints the arrow's shaft red. Clover tosses the arrow into her other hand, sending it back into another nearby attacker. I brush over my cheek, observing the metallic red substance on my fingers. Clover clutches her gashed palm and fingers, suppressing the pain.

Diana: "Clover are you alright!?"

Clover: "... I'm fine... We need... To keep moving!.."

Diana: "Ri-Right!"

I take off sprinting as Clover follows close behind. We finally make it through the treeline as we spot Jax and Lucas sitting in their lawn chairs. hearing the leaves clash, Jax and Lucas shoot up from their seats. Their confused eyes bat between the two of us.

Boss: "Whoa! What the hell happened to you two!?"

Diana: "We need to go NOW! This island is anything BUT uninhabited!"

Boss: "You heard her Jax! Mount up, only one of us can take off at a time! We gettin' the hell outta this place!"

Jax: "On it!"

Jax runs off into Spirit, throwin' her engine to life as he throws sand down the strip. I return my attention to the two girls, notin' Clovers crimson soaked left hand.

Boss: "The hell happened there!? Damn, we can't treat it right now..."

I quickly run over to my Barrage, reachin' into a storage compartment behind the seat and pullin' out a first aid kit. I toss it out to Clover before lookin' into the treelines.

Boss: "You Take off next missy! Bandage that up while Sakura takes off for you!"

With a little nod as her reply, Clover hops into Sakura, Takin' off with full afterburners as Jax comes in for a gun strafe. I draw my pistol from underneath my shirt, firin' into the gainin' mass.

Boss: "Diana! Mount up, Jax and Clover will cover us but we gotta get up there as fast as possible!"

We both rush over to our Aerocords. I spool up Barrage, sendin' 'em full power down the sandy strip as Sakura and Spirit light up the woods behind Vertex. Takin' to the skies I swoop back around, morphin' my wings to maximize my agility. I line up for a rocket strafe, firin' into the woods behind Vertex. Scorched earth lay in the path as the trees get blown away under the rocket's power. Makin' passin' turns with each other, we all watch as Vertex spools up. Vertex rolls off the little dirt patch right onto the sandy beach before gettin' held up once more.

Boss: "Damn it! Don't let up the attack, hold 'em back until Diana gets that fat bird in the air!"

Jax/Clover: "Right!"

We increase our attacks potency. Unleashing as much firepower as we can to hold back the seemingly endless mob approachin' Vertex. Vertex's afterburner kicks into life, finally allowing the chained bird movement. She coasts down the beach, slowly gainin' speed by the second. Arrows and spears start flyin' out from the trees. A few bouncin' off Vertex's fuselage, some others stickin'.

Diana: "You damn apes! Throwing your sticks at my elegant bird!"

Shattered time works its magic as the spears and arrows start gettin' tossed back into the trees. gainin' enough speed, Vertex's nose finally points up, but ain't gainin' any altitude yet. Vertex's ragin' afterburner scorches the sand as specks fly up behind the molten jet stream. The beach's end crawls closer and closer as Vertex scrapes up its speed.

Diana: "Come... On... Get... UP!.."

With one final pull, Vertex climbs away from the scorch-trailed beach. Her wings and fuselage, scarred with a few spears and arrows from the native's attacks. Finally airborne, we halt our attack, formin' up on our wounded comrade. We look back down on the island, seein' spear and arrow attacks fallin' short. With the threats off their land, dozens of people emerge from the trees and onto the beach. Each wavin' spears at us if not tossin' them instead.

Diana: "How many of those people were down there?.."

Jax: "I don't know... But we have the perfect chance to wipe them out after what they did to Clover and Diana!"

Boss: "We ain't gonna do nothin' of the sort!.. We set foot on their lands. It ain't right if we wipe them out for us intrudin' on their home. More so, Jax, that island couldn't have been further from uninhabited!"

Jax: "Yeah, yeah! I see that now! I'm sorry alright, I didn't think there was anything on it. And if anything I surely wasn't expecting a whole mini nation on it..."

Boss: *sigh* "How you holdin' up over there little missy?"

Clover: "I'm ok!.."

Boss: "Good... When we get back to base get Doc to check you out first thing. Diana, you two. You were only grazed but it's better safe than sorry."

Diana: "Will do..."

I look out into the blood-red skies. Fallin' into Jax's formation as we fly back to base.

What a day...