Reignite: Down Fall.

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As they entered the edge of the valley, Cillen suddenly stopped the HARDFRAME; as it skidded to a halt he took a moment to look around through the sensor array. It was calm and quiet…unnaturally so. The black clouds covering the night sky, Cillen just stared at the pitch black storm clouds as if he was expecting something.

“Cillen, what’s wrong?” Luna asked.

“We’re about to enter the Valley.” He answered her, “From this point onwards we won’t be able to use the HARDFRAME’s on board weapon systems.”

“Why?” She inquired, “Wouldn’t that leave us vulnerable?”

“In any other circumstances yes, “He replied, “The Memoria are still chasing after us, but they would have to go underground to get past the valley. As I already told you this place is filled with unnatural sentient Tornados and Hurricanes, and once they get wind of us every one them will come hunting us down until we get to a tunnel at the heart of the valley; from there on we’re travelling on foot through the tunnel. These tornados and hurricanes clock in at speeds exceeding Mach 5, to get through above ground we would have to be travelling twice that otherwise we would get torn apart.” Cillen explained, “One of my modifications to this HARDFRAME was to overclock the Over Boost, but doing so would drain the remaining energy of the HARDFRAME.”

“I see…” Luna acknowledged, “Just do what you have to Cillen.”

“You might want to hold on tight.” Cillen warned her, “This is going to be rough couple of hours.” Luna hugged Cillen tighter.

The HARDFRAME lowered itself into a stance like Olympic athlete would before the start of a race, both of its feet embedded into the ground for better footing.

“Engage Gravity Drive!” Cillen ordered the on board computer. Various bits of loose rubble and stone began to float into the air from the lack of gravity. “Engage Over Boost at 200% power!” The Boosters flared into life, scorching the earth behind the HARDFRAME. “Power 300%.” The HARDFRAME began to grip into the ground, causing it to crack as the boosters output tripled in size, heat and thrust. “FIRE! VANGUARD OVER BOOST!”

The HARDFRAME shot off in an instant, a loud thunderous boom that echoed throughout the valley as it broke the sound barrier in seconds. Anything that would have been caught in the take-off would have been incinerated in a fraction of a second.

Even with Gravity Drive on, they both felt the force of travelling at Mach 10. Without the Gravity Drive they would have been crushed from the force of the take-off, as they sped through the valley the storm clouds roared to life. The savage winds began spinning down in nature’s full fury, pursing them relentlessly and tearing the very ground apart. Five hurricanes became ten, then twenty; every single one of them howled with bloodlust that wouldn’t satisfied until they tore the HARDFRAME and its occupants apart.

Tornados crashed down in an attempt to intercept them and cut off their route, but with the HARDFRAME’s sheer speed it wove in between each one in an act of defiance. Angered by this act the skies rained down lightning, each boom of thunder roared throughout the valley signifying its dissatisfaction and anger towards the two trespassers.

This continued for hours; the ducking, weaving and the angry primal roars and howls of nature. Hurricanes and Tornados came at them by the hundreds, as the sky drenched the earth with gods own lightning, and the rubble of countless torn up mountains that formerly populated the region.

They had to keep pushing forward as there was no looking back: they had to succeed, they needed to succeed, and they will succeed. Everything was riding on getting through this enormous valley of death. Cillen could see a glimpse of the tunnel ahead of them miles away.

The ground shook around them as it cracked, tearing itself apart becoming a chasm in one last final act to stop them. Collision warning flared up in the pilot slot of the HARDFRAME, Cillen did his best to weave in and out to avoid the very earth collapse on them as it tried to swallow them whole. A few more miles was all that was needed, The HARDFRAME’s remaining arm collided with the chasm wall tearing off the HARDFRAME as it crashed about the chasm before finally exploding behind them.

“LUNA! BRACE YOURSELF!” Cillen roared, “GRAVITY DRIVE FULL POWER! OVER BOOST 500%!” The HARDFRAME increased its speed to Mach 15, the thrust output tripling in size as the sheer speed the HARDFRAME was travelling was beginning to tear it apart piece by piece.

As the remnants of the HARDFRAME crashed and tumbled into the ground as it finally entered into the promised safety of the tunnel, the force of the crash knocked them both unconscious as they slammed into the tunnel wall. The tunnel entrance collapsed sealing them in, preventing them from going back the way they came.

Cillen and Luna were both unconscious and injured, but alive thanks to the HARDFRAME’s Gravity Drive. They wouldn’t wake for a few more hours yet.