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                          Next Dawn Comics Present 
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                       A Soljo Publishing Production 
                               www.soljo.org

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                                 CRUSADE 

             			   -=-  

                                SEASON ONE                                   

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                          PART SIX: Armageddon.

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The burning wreckage of a plane is strewn across the airport runway. Flames 
lick skywards as Milton's robots roam the tarmac. The robots head towards 
another plane. The plane passengers and crew scramble out down the emergency 
slides of the planes and down on to the tarmac. As soon as they hit the ground 
they scamper towards the terminal. When the robots attack the plane there 
are still people escaping down the slides. The robots aim their weapons at 
the plane, a humming sound escalates until laser beams strikes the plane. 
There are a number of small explosions and then one huge one, sending a 
plane engine skywards. Shards of glass spray the escaping passengers, 
slicing at their skin.

Milton swoops down from the sky and approaches the passengers. They scatter 
as he nears, parting the crowd. Milton cackles as he lands. 

"Run. Run from me. Never forget this day. Never forget these moments."

Milton points at the terminal, sending his robots marching purposefully 
towards it.

Steve, Sabre and Saviour are driving across the tarmac in mobile-steps. The 
three are huddled in to the van as they accelerate towards the marching 
robots. Saviour steps on the gas. He pulls up the hand-break and turns the 
wheel sharply. The van tips sideways and begins to slide. Steve uses his 
abilities to throw the doors open and lift everybody out. The van tips on 
to its side completely and scrapes across the ground. The ladder cuts across 
the first row of robots, cutting them off at the knees. The metal seers as 
the robots keel over. Our heroes touch down to ground safely, ready to do 
battle.

Official government vans screech to a halt outside the airport. The back doors 
spring open and troops stream out. The passenger door of one of the vans 
opens and Yoshimi climbs out. She reaches back in to the van and takes out a 
large gun, which she holds in both hands. The gun glows red as Yoshimi arms 
her weapon.

A flaming engine hurls across the sky towards Steve. It stops in the air 
and hovers. Steve pauses and then, with a wave of his hand, flings it back 
at the robot that threw it. The engine strikes the robot on the chest 
knocking it to the ground. The robots leg lands on Steve, trapping him. 
Worry etches itself across Steve's face as other robots approach. 

Sabre dodges the fire of several robots and ducks for cover. He slides 
behind a baggage cart and watches as the robots approach him. He can see 
Steve being outnumbered on the battlefield, but he cannot see Saviour. 
One of the robots pounds it's fist on the baggage cart and it shakes 
violently. Sabre moves from his position and grabs one of the cases. He 
climbs the cart and jumps off it, with the case in his hand. Whilst in 
mid air he smashes the case in to the robots weapon. Clothes spray 
everywhere as he knocks the weapon from the robots grip, ripping the 
case open. The gun rolls away from the robot. Sabre scrambles to grab 
it but the robot grabs his leg. Sabre hops and flicks his heal in to the 
robots head. Both combatants fall to the ground.

Several robots close in on Steve. Steve propels one robot away from him, 
but the others continue their march onward. Saviour flicks a lighter and 
the flame shoots out. Saviour picks up the fuel pump and sprays in the 
direction of the robots, he lights it and flame licks around several of 
the robots, it distracts those not engulfed long enough for Steve to free 
himself and levitate himself into the air. He begins to conduct. A 747 
begins to shake, it lifts straight up in to the air. Steve manoeuvres it 
over the troop of robots and then plunges it down on them. Their metal 
shells are crushed.

The gun is smouldering on the ground. Sabre makes another attempt to grasp 
it but is again grabbed by the robot. A laser blast pierces the robots 
chest. The robot drops Sabre and turns in the direction of the laser 
blasts. Another shot leaves a hole in the head of the robot and the 
robot falls prone. Sabre's eyes stare at his rescuers, Yoshimi and her 
government team.

Milton is perched atop one of the terminals. He can view the whole battle 
from his position. He can see Yoshimi's troops locked in a fire fight with 
his remorseless robots. He can see Yoshimi herself with Sabre and Saviour 
ploughing their way through the battlefield. He can see Steve above it all 
manoeuvring  anything he can find and using it as a weapon. Milton takes 
off from his position and flies towards Steve.

In his elevated position Steve suddenly drops the buggy he had elevated 
and turns. He could sense Milton's attack but couldn't react in time to 
avoid it. Milton slams in to Steve and the two of them tumble to the ground. 

Saviour has a weapon in his hand, he fires off a couple of shots and then 
backs away. Three robots converge on him. He continues to back away, then 
stops and fires a laser blast through the mid-riff of one robot. it hits 
the ground but the other three keep coming. Sabre leaps off of the roof 
of a nearby coach and grabs the robots head with his right hand, driving 
the face of the robot into the ground and crushing its circuits. Sabre 
gets to his feet and dropkicks the legs from under the remaining robot. 
It falls to the ground and saviour pumps it full of laser blasts.

Milton and Steve are struggling to their feet. Milton is first to his 
feet, as he moves towards Steve their eyes meet and Milton is lifted from 
his feet and dumped on his backside. Milton uses his jet pack to propel 
himself  into Steve, using himself as a spear and striking Steve in the 
chest. They land with Milton in a mounted position on Steve's chest. Milton 
punches Steve in the face. Milton smiles, then punches him again, 
knocking Steve's face to the side. Milton presses a couple of buttons on 
his suit and charges his wrist mounted weapon. Steve can see a gun out 
of the corner of his eye, he concentrates hard and propels it from the 
ground. It strikes Milton on the side of the head, breaking the hold. 
Milton Both combatants have their backs on the ground and their eyes look 
skywards.

The government troops continue to fight the robots. Laser fire pierces 
the air. Robots and troops hit the ground in equal numbers. Most of the 
robots get up the first time. Most of the troops do not. Sabre and Saviour 
join the battle. Yoshimi is noticeably absent.

Steve is half way to his feet. Milton is on his way up, but has only made 
his way to his knees. Before Milton can get up he has been lifted in to 
the air above Steve's head. But Milton starts to fire his weapon again. 
Steve lets him drop and rolls out of the way the laser blast. Milton hits 
the ground hard and his exo-suit buckles. Milton's jet pack splutters to 
life but dies after a second. Steve and Milton grapple with each other, 
but no matter what Milton tries Steve is a step ahead and escapes Milton's 
grasp. Steve lands a couple of punches on Milton then applies a choke hold 
around the neck. Steve forces Milton to the ground and chokes him until he 
blacks out.

Yoshimi has been watching Steve and Milton's battle. She looks on as Steve 
releases the hold. Steve gets up from the grounded position, leaving Milton 
lying prone. Steve turns his back and starts to walk away. Milton begins 
to stir, he reaches for a weapon on the ground near him. As he picks it up 
Yoshimi unloads a flurry of blasts at Milton. They are all on target. Milton 
is dead. Robots begin to close on their position. Steve turns back to Milton. 
He stands and stares. Yoshimi grasps Steve's arm.

"Come on," She screams.

The two of them run to join the remaining combatants as Milton's body is 
lying amidst wreckage.

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Crusade.

Written By ChickenSoup.
Characters By ChickenSoup & PaRiS.
Cover Art By PaRiS.
New Dawn Comics (www.soljo.org/ndc/) part of Soljo Publishing (www.soljo.org).

All Storylines, Contents & Characters Copyright Next Dawn Comics & Soljo
Publishing 2004.

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EOF
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