Independence Day-Part 2

With thundering footsteps, the three Warders appeared behind Sticks and Bones. Voices further back signalled the impeding arrival of guards. Sticks glanced at Bones, instantly transferring his plan to his younger brother. The chip in Bones' brain registered and stored the plan. The brothers' special means of communication was known only to themselves, Xavier and the late Dr. Cringe. The loss would be great, but the need was greater. With a roar,

Vinyl got up and stabbed Aura with her own shocker. He drove it in with such force that the tip broke out her back and split apart, discharging all of it's thousand volts of electricity. Unfortunately, Vinyl's body jerked along with the screaming Aura. To the Raider's last credit, he did not do so much as blink.

Bones threw Sticks his gun and raced for Vinyl's corpse. Retrieving the cable, Bones took a final glance at his older brother as he ducked into a door. The three Warders hesitated for the moment and two pursued Sticks while the lead Warder started after Bones.

Bones scrambled up onto the roof and began uncoiling the precious cable, connecting it to the crucial parts pre-situated on the roof. He smiled at their bright colours and the thought of the happy faces of the children. He heard the panel burst open and the labouring stomps of the Warder.

Sticks had exhausted his and his brother's guns and only managed to wound one of the Warders in the arm. Their cannons, while not able to hurt the agile Raider, did much more to the maintenance room. Machinery was curled up and blackened, what furniture were there was blasted to bits. Walls were puckered with holes the size of Sticks' head. He was left with his mini mines (M&Ms) and they took  time to set up, too long a time. But time was what Bones needed. Gritting his teeth, Sticks unclipped a M&M and threw himself at the Warders, muttering.

Bones had just finished connecting the last of the cable and armed the detonator. Blood still flowed freely from the hole where his arm used to be. The Warder had been quick in turning his cannon, catching the young Raider unaware and leaving him bereft of his entire left arm. Bones collapsed to the edge of the roof, his stamina giving out at last. His rapid breathing slowed, and went slower still, until he stilled. The Warder loomed over the prone Raider, cannon aimed at the head for maximum effect. As the cannon warmed, a blast three times more powerful than his cannon shook the top levels of the skyscraper.

Bones, a split second before the explosion, heard Sticks murmur 'Goodbye.' in his comm. Bones took advantage of the Warder's momentary distraction and drew the detonator. The Warder turned his attention to the Raider, what face visible under the visor contorted in rage. The Warder garbled, "You sonofabitch Raider. You die." Bones clicked the detonator just in time as the cannon vaporised his head and shoulders.

Fireworks cut through the night sky. The children went 'Ooooo' and 'Ahhhh'. As the first fireworks faded, gunfire and explosions erupted throughout Los Angeles. The sounds of war were surprisingly drowned out by the ever present fireworks. Xavier clicked his comm twice. No response. He closed his eyes for a moment, the only sign of mourning for the four Raiders. He checked his antique windup watch, still working since the twenty-first century, the time of his great-great grandfather. Exactly midnight. On the fourth of July, Independence Day. He smiled and returned to his daughter and the children.