                RETRIBUTION

PART 14 BY THE CHOIR BOYZ TEAM.................

Bane was in the midst of battle with a Vengier when he heard
the deafening blast.  The Vengier's mouth dropped open as she
gazed past Bane.  In the midst of battle, the threat of Bane
vanished.  Her eyes turned lifeless as if she had witnessed
Overkill's ship landing in the Wastelands.  A rare opening
like this did not present itself often, and Bane struck at the
Vengier with all his might.  Her expression never changed, and
seemingly paid no mind to Bane's attack.  It was as if she
knew her life was over, regardless of the outcome of the
battle.  The Vengier fell to the ground, never taking her eyes
from the mesmerizing sight to the south.  She then took her
final breath and her equipment disintegrated.  Bane turned to
the south and saw the mushroom cloud and the fiery ball that
was miles wide.  His base and his friend were gone.

Miles further west atop a mountain peak, he sported a huge
grin as he watched the ball of fire dance across the skies.
His armor trembled from the high winds caused by the explosion
and the air around him blackened with ash.  He partially
shielded his eyes to protect them from the flash, but he could
not help but take a peek to see his handy work unfold.  He
savored the moment.  Satisfied that his days work was
complete, Hawk took a quick inventory of his back pack.  The
floppy disk that he had used in the missile silo was still
intact.  He would head for a secluded place where the other
recruits would not look for him.  He would rest the remainder
on the day....... and scheme.

As Bane neared the blast area, he saw that what little
vegetation there had been around the base had disappeared.
There were no signs of life for as far as he could see.  There
was only ash and radiation dumps that surrounded a huge pit.
Even the remains of the Hydrites that had attempted to breach
the base were no longer there.  There was no evidence that a
base ever existed.  Curiosity gained control of Bane, and he
neared the pit that replaced the base.  At the bottom of the
pit was Eliminator. Bane lowered himself to the bottom of the
pit, and was grateful he was wearing a radiation suit.
Although the suit was working properly, the radiation was so
intense that he knew he had to work quickly.  He knew that
without it, he would be dead in a few moments.  He examined
Eliminator's body and searched for life signs.  He found none.
Eliminator's body  had either been stripped or the missile
struck while he slept.  Bane would probably never know the
circumstances, but somehow it was important to him to know
exactly which had occurred.  Although time was running short
and his rad count was nearing dangerous levels, Bane climbed
to the surface and waited in ambush for an unsuspecting
creature to venture into the area.

                                Michael Willis
                                Cleve Sanders

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