DEFEND THE CITY

EPISODE #1 Skull Bunny vs. Skyladon

Story by Damon Eckhoff. Illustrations by Sara Kaltwasser.

Heart City is black.

The skyline is black and it is still hours from dawn. An occasional lit window of a city building is visible from the sentry post at Heart Tower, but Skull Bunny is most interested in the building tops. The night has been calm, but reports have been coming in from the city’s outer posts that Skyladon is on move, and may be heading towards Heart Tower.

The sentry tower windows are large and open, reminiscent of a medieval castle They are made from thick steel weathered by centuries of use and exposure to the elements and the ambient radiation the Heart Tower produces.

The wind blows and Skull Bunny continues to scan the skyline and listen carefully. “If you can’t see it, you might hear it.” Those words repeat in Skull Bunny’s mind, informed by years of training and experience.

Silence.

Wind.

Silence.

Sharp eyes scan each nook, each shadow, looking for the slightest hint of movement, or a misplaced stillness. The sentry’s job is to notice change or lack of across the landscape of the city. The night has been calm but Skull Bunny knows that might be a clue.

The skyline of Heart City is both ancient and modern. Hundreds of generations of citizens have inhabited this city. There is a code of honor in living in this city. Protect the Heart Tower so that others my have life. Defend it from those who wish to take control and own it.

The radiation from the Heart Tower, which fuels the planet, has the ability to change the nature of life. For some this results in terrible deformities. For others it results in the gift of new powers. Skull Bunny has been blessed by mutation. He was born with the psychic power of hypnosis and the power to control others with his eyes and mind. The bone of his skull is exposed and glows when he casts his mind spell.

Tonight the silence has left him on edge. Silence can be the hardest thing to sustain. It can create self-doubt.  Am I missing something? Such words hold power over those waiting and looking out over a vast city for the faintest sign that the sky might erupt into madness and chaos. The mind begins to look for things that are not there. Every scrape of a tree branch on a fortress wall and every flickering shadow becomes an attacker.

There’s a sound.

Probably nothing though. It’s a high pitch scrape. It’s short and barely audible. Skull Bunny carefully stands at the window and focuses in the direction of the distance sound. Tree branch? No. Citizens? No. It’s too cold at this point in the night and the city has not yet began to stir.

He presses the button on the intercom to communicate with the other sentry posts, “Echo sierra in omega sector.” That’s code for a potential sighting. Perk up, listen up, but be silent. This may be nothing.

“Roger, Station Bravo on alert,” comes back from the nearest post. This is followed by three more reports from the posts stationed about the city.

Another sound.

It’s a metallic tearing sound. Thick metal being scraped and torn. Followed by silence.

It’s too black to see clearly but a dark shadow, about 1000 meters out is moving up the side of the building. The form begins to take on a familiar reptilian shape. Skyladon is inside the city walls and trying to get near the Heart Tower.

Skull Bunny knows that he has only moments react.  If Skyladon can position himself close enough to the Heart Tower he will be able to use the energy source to double his size and power. He reacts quickly and immediately issues an alert over the intercom, “WALL BREACH! SKYLADON SPOTTED IN THE OMEGA COMMUNICATION SECTOR! ALL UNITS RESPOND!”

He scrambles to the roof of the sentry tower and into the awaiting copter. He jumps in and flips on the console. Within seconds the vehicle roars to life and lifts off from the roof towards Skyladon’s perch upon a tall city building with a communications tower on top.

Other units are lifting off as well. The first unit to reach Skyladon flies in close catching the reptilian monster’s attention. The ship turns tightly to swoop down and fire upon the attacker, but suddenly electricity erupts from Skyladon’s mouth and eyes.

There is a white flash that illuminates the city so brightly that all the buildings look as if they are covered by ghostly ash. Then, there is a large crackling noise as the defending ship is hit mid air and explodes.

“SHIP TANGO NINER DOWN!” Breaks over the radio.

Skull Bunny knows that another direct assault upon Skyladon would be suicide. The lizard-like creature’s black skin is now glowing a ghostly gray as he absorbs energy from the tower. He flies low and lands his shuttle behind some buildings near the base building that Skyladon has taken as his perch.

He bolts from the ship and sprints towards the battle. The other sentry ships are firing upon Skyladon from a safe distance.

Skull Bunny enters the building and begins climbing the stairs towards the roof top. The building shakes as the reptile begins tearing the antennas from the roof and throwing them towards the attacking ships.

Skull Bunny finally reaches the roof top and carefully opens the door. Luckily the lizard is facing away from him as he steps out onto the windy roof. Skull Bunny carries no weapons other than those that nature provided him.

He silently approaches the giant glowing lizard from behind and then focuses on Skyladon. Skull Bunny’s head begins to glow a shimmering white. Speaking with his mind, he says to the mighty Skyladon, “LEAVE THIS PLACE! LEAVE THIS CITY, OR WE WILL DESTROY YOU” Although no audible word was spoken, Skyladon clearly heard him and turned his spiked head towards Skull Bunny.

Skyladon’s eyes light up and his teeth begin to glow. His electricity attack is about to be released in it’s full force upon Skull Bunny.

“LEAVE THIS CITY! LEAVE THIS CITY!” Skull Bunny says again. The electricity is sparkling all around Skyladons head, his eyes are glowing with rage and energy.

“LEAVE THIS CITY! WE WILL DESTROY YOU!”

Suddenly, a sentry ship fires upon Skyladon. Skyladon turns to attack the ship but Skull Bunny unleashes the total force of his abilities.

No words are spoken. No sounds are made, but the psionic wave that emanates from Skull Bunny freezes Skyladon in his tracks.

The creature can barely move and slowly turns his head back towards Skull Bunny. The electricity surrounding his head disappears. The hypnosis has taken affect.

The lizard is frozen perfectly still, eyes locked with Skull Bunny. As the ships fly down for a finishing attack on the frozen Skyladon there is another white flash.

Skyladon is gone! “OFF TARGET! OFF TARGET!” the attacking ships shout over their radios. “WHERE DID HE GO!”

Skull Bunny stumbles back breaking out of his psychic trance. Grabbing his radio link he shouts “HE’S GONE! WE GOT HERE TOO LATE! HE MUTATED AND GAINED MORE POWER!”

Skyladon has been able to absorb enough energy to add another power to his deadly repertoire, teleportation.

This is an ominous development.

Skull Bunny knows that this is going to be big trouble in the future. He isn’t sure what the extent of Skyladon’s new power is, and that worries him. He calls off all the sentries and tells everyone to regroup back at the main sentry tower to debrief.

This time it is a victory, but next time they may not be so lucky.

*** THE END ***

or is it?