NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 113 : Day Seven Occupied
Atlas returned to the protest group, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the scene. Half of the Portal Crushers looked on in shock, while the other half seemed more amused than concerned. Atlas turned to John and asked, “Have you come up with a decision?”
John looked down, clearly embarrassed. “We haven’t,” he admitted.
Atlas sighed. “Alright then, I’ll take care of this.” He yelled for Barbara.
She appeared almost immediately. “What do you need me for?” She had been watching the antics with amusement.
“For this,” Atlas replied, heading straight for the protesting hippies who were still singing their protest song.
Without hesitation, he pulled out his sword and, in one swift motion, chopped off the hand of one of the men. The man screamed in agony, clutching his bleeding stump.
“Get him stable and kick them all out,” Atlas ordered Barbara, his voice cold.
As Atlas swung his sword and the man's hand bounced off the ground, the crowd around Fort Bone froze. A mix of horror and awe rippled through the gathered Earth’s Children and Portal Crushers.
The Earth’s Children, who had been singing their protest songs moments before, gasped in shock. Some of them turned pale, while others backed away, their faces filled with disbelief. One of them muttered, "He... he really did that?" Saturn, who had been one of the louder voices during the protests, was visibly shaken, clutching her arms tightly as if to ward off the sudden brutality.
In contrast, the Portal Crushers showed little sympathy. A few of the veterans, seasoned by the harshness of the wasteland, exchanged glances, nodding as if to say, ‘This is just how things work here.‘ Kingsley snickered, while others folded their arms, clearly unimpressed by the protesters’ idealism.
Barbara smirked, her eyes gleaming with approval as she carried out Atlas's orders. "Guess that’s one way to end a protest."
Stu, who had been watching the scene unfold with crossed arms, spat on the ground. "Better than that damn song, if you ask me."
Even Alexander, ever the showman, raised an eyebrow and said, "Well, I reckon that’s one way to make sure they don’t try that again."
As he watched the chaos unfold, Atlas thought, ‘These people still don’t realize that the wasteland isn’t a place for parasites and leeches. There’s no police here to protect them from their own stupidity. Here, we have our own laws. And if you break them, getting maimed is the easiest punishment you can get.‘
“Get the fuck out of my fort!” he shouted at the topless and now panicked protesters.
The protesters scrambled to grab their wounded comrade, fleeing the camp in terror as the Portal Crushers snickered.
“My hand!” yelled Lennon, as he was pulled out with the group.
‘‘‘
Night began to fall, bringing with it the ominous approach of the demon dogs. This would be another test for the Portal Crushers, but they were feeling optimistic.
The night was alive with the snarls of demon dogs, but Fort Bone stood strong. Its once flimsy wooden fence had been transformed into a solid fortress, with stone walls and a thick gate that held firm against the onslaught.
‘Those coins spent on building defensive fortifications were definitely worth it,‘ thought Wang Bo.
The demon dogs howled in frustration, their claws scraping against the stone, trying to breach the defenses. They’d get through eventually.
They’d get through, that is, if the Portal Crushers hadn’t built a watchtower. Which they had. And were using it with good purpose. A group of three Portal Crushers peppered them with bolts from afar.
Atlas and the Portal Crushers perched on the walls with crossbows in hand fired at the demon dogs which got past the watchtower. The crafters, along with the newly drafted Earth’s Children, hurled spears, and demon dogs found themselves stuck to leg bones with the KrazyBondoglue. The demon dogs fell one by one, their eyes pierced by bolts, until the last of them, like severely ugly porcupines, hit the ground with a final, pitiful whine.
Cheers erupted from the camp as the threat was vanquished. The crafters wasted no time, rushing out to harvest the carcasses, eager to make use of every part of the slain beasts.
‘God, these things stink,‘ thought Lark, ‘but they make for great helmets and leather.‘
The mood in the camp shifted from tense to jubilant, a wave of relief and celebration washing over everyone.
Atlas, feeling the victory in his bones, turned to John with a grin. “John, take us away with our song.”
Without missing a beat, John led the group in a triumphant chorus. Together, they sang, “Atlas will bring us home,” their voices rising into the night, a song of victory and survival.
‘I still feel a little silly, listening to a song about myself. But it’s good for morale.‘
As the cheers from the demon dog victory subsided, the Red Fairy appeared once more, high in the air, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “Well, my valiant warriors, how was that attack? I see some of you have quite a lot of those little doggies to deal with now.” She laughed, a high, malicious sound that echoed through the night. “Let’s update the leaderboards.”
‘‘Leaderboard‘‘
TOP 10 SETTLEMENTS
1. Portal Crushers: Atlas 12.1 points
2. Canucks: Wayne 8 points
3. Cell Block 21: Liam 8 points
4. The Coven Clique: Emma 8 points
5. Faith: Kumar 8 points
6. Belief: Oliver 7 points
7. Cocoon: Amelia 7 points
8. America First: Charlotte 7 points
9. Blackstrike: Noah 7 points
10. Help Everyone: Sophia 6 points
The leaderboard projection lit up the night sky again. The Red Fairy’s grin widened as she pointed. “Oh, it looks like we have a clear winner. Good job, Team Atlas. You go, boy! Looks like you deserve a nice treat!”
She snapped her fingers, and suddenly, Atlas, the Portal Crushers, and even the newly drafted Earth’s Children found a token floating above their hands. Atlas looked at the token, his usual cautiousness kicking in. “What’s this, your majesticness?” he asked, trying to keep his tone respectful.
‘No need to get my head blasted off,‘ he thought. ‘That tiny fairy is a loose cannon of epic proportions.‘
The Red Fairy’s smile didn’t falter. “Each one of these tokens is a prize! If you put it into the vending machine, it allows you to have one steak dinner with all the fixings. And yes, for tonight, we’re also providing you with a table, chairs, and bottles of wine.”
‘‘BADUMP!‘‘
A fancy table setup materialized in the camp. Complete with linen napkins and fancy golden cutlery. Chairs made of a luxurious dark wood beckoned invitingly. And a mini vending machine was nearby, ready for the coins. A small basin of clean water appeared as well with fragrant soaps for washing their hands.
A wave of excitement spread through the camp. The promise of a luxurious meal lifted everyone’s spirits—everyone except for the Earth Children who were vegetarian or vegan. Atlas noticed the disappointment on their faces and quickly leaned in, whispering, “Don’t worry. You can use the tokens, the machine offers choices, and I hear the vegan options are great.”
Olivia’s face brightened at the suggestion. “That sounds great,” she said, visibly relieved.
“But just like we have a big winner, we have a big loser. Naughty, naughty!” said the fairy, and the lower board came up.
‘‘CURRENT 10 LOWEST RANK SETTLEMENTS‘‘
1. Don’t Kill Us: Samuel 5 points
2. Please Help: Joh 5 points
3. We Need Food: Knop 5 points
4. People Are Dying: Amilii 5 points
5. Please Forgive Us: Hillary 5 points
6. Earth Bring Us Home: Billy 5 points
7. Please Please Please: Nobody 5 points
8. We Demand to Go Home: The Group 4 points
9. Where Is the Government: Voters 3 points
10. This Is a Dream: Fhhyr1346‘d 3 points
“My, oh my, why aren’t you eating?” asked the fairy, looking at the Portal Crushers. “Don’t worry, I won’t mind, go ahead. I can wait.”
Atlas, getting these very clear instructions, led the team to the luxurious table and started happily eating their steak meals. The vegetarians and vegans ate quinoa salads, tofu steaks, and all the fixings like corn and baked potatoes.
The Red Fairy, who had broadcasted this harmonious scene high into the sky for all the settlements in the wasteland to see, looked down in satisfaction at the scene.
Clark, watching from his small cave, thought, ‘Damn it, that could have been my steak dinner!‘
After watching the Portal Crushers happily eat for a while, she said, “But what’s dinner without a show?”
“Let the fairy wipe begin!”
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