The Renegades: Chapter 2

   "Ah this is nice.... Real nice...." Helena purred to herself as she lowered down into the steaming waters of the forest hot springs, the warm sensation of the spring water washing all of her troubles away as if it were magic. Sadly those troubles sprang up again when Coco decided to do a cannon ball into spring water.
   "Whoopie! This feels awesome!" Coco giggled as she curled up next to Helena cuddling her. Helena sighed tiredly, "Coco..."
   "Coco that is highly unlady like!" Her etiquette teacher yelled at her as she undid her towel. Lotus Ausadha glared down at her apprentice crossly as she walked towards the pools to lower herself in, her light olive green skin paler than any leaf and dark green hair that fell down around her shoulders. She lowered herself into the steaming water and crossed her arms over her C sized chest, "Coco we do not splash about like wild animals trying to escape the flood waters in the Ikari Canyons."
   Coco pouted, "Youre no fun Lotus you never have been." she smiled at their fourth party member who stood clutching her towel around her, "Youll play with me right Nimbus?"
   Nimbus Croft curled up on the side of the pools gently sliding her feet into it carefully, "W-well sure I-if you want to play around...." Nimbus Croft was a careful little cloud nymph from the sky kingdom of Cloudcroft, her pale blue skin the color of the pale blue morning sky above them and her fluffy white hair curling around her shoulders as she tried to smile at them. Helena gave her a gentle smile, "Nimbus its fine, just relax we wont bite I promise. Or at least I wont I have no promises on the other two."
   Lotus scoffed at her comment, "Please, a true lady never bites another!"
   Coco giggled as she pretended to nibble at Nimbus as she slid in, "Im a hungry tiger bunny! I bite!"
   Lotus slapped Cocos wrist who whined, "Coco we do not bite!"
   "That huuurrrtttt!"
   Helena chuckled and pated Nimbus hand, "Its okay Nimbus no ones gonna hurt you out here. Lancho is here to protect us while we soak okay?" she looked at where her partner sat upon the tallest rock with his eyes closed as he meditated on the sounds around them to detect if anything of a great threat to the lambs that he watched was nearby, "Right Lancho?" He nodded in the sound of her voice as they continued to soak peacefully in their hot spring.
   Helena leaned back against the rock she sat against with her arms behind her head, "Ah it cant get much better than this."
   So while the ladies relaxed in their steaming baths with their Lancho guard keeping watch from his rocky perch, they were immune to the onlookers who watched from the towering oaks around them. Up high in the branches Kole looked on with his regrouped posse as they watched the Hot Baths with peaking interest.
   Kole smirks, "That girl will pay for her insolence."
   Xavian sighed standing on the branch closest to Kole from their branch outpost where they had all gathered, "Kole when you said you needed a favor I was hoping it was because of something along the lines of the last time you called me. You know I bust into the jail, bust you out and have you home before your dear mummy knows you've gone off and pissed off the Empire Guards."
   Jii chuckled as he sat next to him with a hungry look, "I don't care what you have planned Kole," he licked his lips with his lizard like forked tongue, "When all of this is over, I call eating the meatier one." he pointed one claw tipped finger towards Helena who was far more muscular looking that her friends along with a fuller chest at around a Double D while the others were anywhere from a B to D.   
   Kole grinned eagerly looking back at Jii, "Yes! Eat her! Shes the one who tried to kill me!"
   Xavian looked at him dully, "Do you ever find it strange that when you say 'It tried to kill me,' normally means she flicked your nose and you ran away blubbering like an idiot?"
   Kole tilted his head back and pointed at the scabbed over cut from Helenas blade across his throat, "You call that a flick?!"
   "No." Jii snickered, "I call it bad aim."
   Sebastian rolled his eyes standing with Carlos and Arthur on another branch close by, "How did I ever end up surrounded by you idiots."
   Arthur chuckled nervously averting his eyes from where the girls laid naked in the water, "I ask myself that all the time Sebastian." he smiled at Carlos, "Don't you agree Carlos?"
   The fifth man shrugged, "I suppose."
   "Quit all your yapping!" Kole hissed at them, "Im not over reacting and I want to see her destroyed!" he grinned rubbing his hands together, "And you five are going to help me do it."
   Arthur shook his head waving his hands flusteredly, "Id rather not Kole... Allistor has already gotten me into more trouble than I think I can handle and I don't think I can handle much more on my plate because of him."
   Kole rolled his eyes looking at Sebastian and Carlos, "What about you two eh? Sabastian I know you're itching to use that blade of yours."
   Sebastian closed his eyes crossing his arms at him, "Sorry but I have to make sure Carlos doesn't do anything to rash. Fighting to defend your pointless pride? Its not worth my time."
   Carlos nodded, "Sorry man but those are women, not burly evil doers. I couldn't stand to live anymore if I had the thought of my powers ruining their lives-"
   Kole waved his heartfelt explanation away, "Yeah yeah if you didn't want to you could have just said something." he turned to Jii and Xavian, "What about you two?"
   Xavian smiled as he adjusted his hat, "Cant let you have all the fun. I came here for a fight and that's exactly what I plan on getting."
   Kole looked at the Dragon Man who had closed his eyes as if in thought with his index fingers put against his lips, "And you?"
   Jii grinned, his sharp teeth zigzagging together in his smile, "Well Xavian wants his fight," he cracked his knuckles, "And I want my meal. Growing dragon has to eat you know."
   His loud knuckle cracking was not only threatening but a bit to loud to be under the super sensitive radar of Lanchos super hearing, their former conversation muffled by the winds around their whispers. The green furred protector was on his hooves quickly as he turned to face the group that was hidden by the tree branches. Xavian swung the butt of his rifle like a baseball bat and struck the dragon in the back of the head, "You're an idiot you know that?" he whisper screamed at him.
   Jii chuckled as Lancho raced towards the base of the tree where he sat, "You telling me you're afraid of that?" he grinned down at Lancho who had reached the base of the tree, "Well hello there little beastie! What do you want-"
   Lancho didn't let him finish that sentence. He ran up the tree trunk like he was running on the ground still as he leapt up and uppercutted Jii in the jaw, a sickening cracking noise rippling through the air as a steel powered hoof connected with a super powered jaw. Jii flew through the air before falling to the ground making a small crater around him, Nimbus and Coco screaming as an unknown man fell from the tree line. Lotus seemed to have fainted but Helena never missed a beat as she leapt out of the hot water and grabbing her towel. She wrapped it tightly around her body and grabbed her trusty axe.
   Kole grabbed at his hair whimpering, "Great now you've done it!" Xavian smiled at him wickedly, "We finally got the fight we wanted Kole. Time to meet the masses." he leapt down from his tree branch laughing while Jii slowly a rose from his crater. He rolled his jaw and felt it crack back into place. He glared at the furry mass that was racing towards him once more, "You managed to pop my jaw out of place. That takes guts little beastie." He snarled as he ran to meet his attacker, "To bad I will have to end your gutsy little life!" The two powers clashed and their steel like wills and iron claw and hoof sent ripples through the air like a crack of lightning.
   Helena was ready to race to help her partner as she guarded the three remaining girls who coward in the pool still, "Nimbus Im going to have to ask you a favor."
   Nimbus shook in the water looking up at her protector, "Y-yes?"
   Helena grasped her axe handle, "I need you to get mad and protect the others okay."
   Coco whimpered, "W-what are you gonna do Helena?"
   Helena glared at the Sharpshooter who was walking towards her with a confident smirk across his freckled face, "Something stupid." She tied her towel tighter again as she stood her ground in front of the man.
   "Oh that's cute you think you have a chance." Xavian chuckled darkly as he pulled out his pistols, "Ill teach you to stay in your place Barbarian."
   "You must be new around here man because I wont deal with your cocky attitude or your friends over there." Helena snarled back to him as she raised her axe towards him.
   Sebastian sighed, "Okay I've seen enough." He grabbed Carlos collar, "We're not getting involved in something so ridiculous." he leapt through the tree branched heading to where the forest connected to the Shin-mei Mountain range, Carlos being dragged behind him. 
   Kole looked at them desperately, "You jerks! Come back here and fight like men!!"
   Arthur looked down at Helena and Lancho nervously, "Sorry bro but I'm bailing too. This isn't a safe environment for me right now of for Allistor... We can hang later though alright? You know if you all make it out." he turned and followed after Sebastian and Carlos and the way they had taken. Kole yelled after the three men angrily, "Cowards!!!" he turned back to the ensuing battles and began to hug the tree trunk shaking, "We're so screwed..."
   Below his perch Jii shot flames at Lancho who kept leaping around to dodge his attacks before stomping out the mini blazes that Jii had formed with his fiery breaths while leaping off of Jii's head when ever he had the chance to annoy him.
   "Stay still you worm!!" The Dragon Man snarled as he slashed at the place where the little llama had just been, "Why cant you accept your fate like a true warrior!?"
   Lancho replied with a spit wad to Jiis face before his kicked him in the stomach like a spring board and leaping away once more like an agile gymnast. Jii howled with rage and jumped after him as they both exchanged volleys, Jii with his fire and Lancho with his steel hoofed blows and spit.
   Meanwhile near the hot springs Xavian shot at Helena with the same ferocity that Lancho and Jii battled with, Helena doing her best to block the blows and keep them from hitting Lotus, Nimbus or Coco who screamed under the heavy fire, the sound of their screams mixing with the delighted laughter of the shooter. Helena panted as she leapt back and forth trying to block the bullets from both pistols.
   "Don't you get it Barbarian? Its pointless!" Xavian called to her, "If I want you to die then you will die by my bullets!"
   "I will die.... by no mans hands!" Helena swung her axe with the flat of the blade facing Xavian, "I choose my own fate for I am The Barbarian!" she hit the bullet with her axe like a professional baseball player swinging for a home run. The blade and the bullet connected changing the bullets direction and headed back for Xavian. His eyes widened as the bullet scraped his left cheek before lodging itself in the bark of the tree behind him. He reached up and wiped the blood with his hand and looked down at it, "You deflected it..."
   Helena smiled as she panted, "Yeah... Its what I do... The impossible I mean."
   Xavian clinched his bloody hand and slowly slid his pistols back into the holsters while Helena wiped her sweaty forehead, "What you given up so soon man? I was just getting started."
   The sharpshooter reached behind him and pulled out a gun larger than his pistols but the same design and loaded one giant bullet into it as he cocked the gun, "Helena Kelsig.... The Barbarian of the Grasslands..." He pointed the barrel of the Mega Gun at the girl with an icy look at her, "This shot will be your end."
    Helena chuckled, "You know just because you got a bigger gun doesn't mean its going to end any differently. I'll still deflect it and you'll still cry about it-" Xavian turned and pointed at the gun at the tree where the bullet that she had deflected was lodged. He fired and at first it seemed like nothing happened until a miniature nuclear explosion ripped the tree apart vaporizing it on the spot leaving only a miniature crater where it once had stood proudly. He quickly preloaded and turned back to Helena who had lowered her axe in surprise.
   "He... he vaporized an Ancient Tree!!" Coco screamed in a panic.
   Kole smirked in his tree, "Shes done for."
   "Do you understand now. What you are up against." Xavian muttered, "I wont let you escape alive."
   Helena slowly raised her axe once more, "I can still deflect it. Don't doubt me."
   Xavian smiled, "Ill prove your theory wrong." He raised his gun, "Good bye, Helena the Barbarian." he fired and there was a miniature explosion followed by the terrified screams of Coco and Nimbus who had been trying to hide behind a nearby rock with the still unconscious Lotus. He turned his back on the scene with a satisfied smile as he sheathed his gun in its holster behind him while Kole laughed in his tree, "Shes done for! I knew you could do it Xa-"
   "WE ARENT DONE HERE." a defiant voice snarled from the dusty scene behind Xavian who paused in his smugness, "Don't tell me she's..." he spun around and pulled out his rifle and pointed it into the dust.
   A dusty figure waved her hand through the dust and it settled instantly. When it had all dissipated two figures stood on the scene. Nimbus stood manipulating the winds to calm the dust cloud down while Helena stood defiantly with her between the scorch marks that ripped between the ground on either side of her, gouging out two new tributaries for the hot springs, Coco holding Lotus atop the rock between them as pale as she could get.
   Xavian looked at Helena with a stunned look, lowering his rifle in surprise, "You... you actually..."
   "Cut your so called 'ultimate bullet' in half? Yeah I did." Helena stated as if it were as easy as cutting butter. She shouldered her axe and tightened her towel, "I told you once and I'll tell you again sharpshooter. I die by no mans hands."
   Xavian slipped his rifle back into its holster on his back and closed his eyes in thought. He sighed, "Jii. Kole. We're leaving." Jii squirmed beneath Lancho who had pinned him with his hooves to his throat. "O-okay!" he chocked before sucker punching Lancho in the jaw and sent him flying. Jii sat up laughing, "Heh, take that you mutated freak!" He stood up and dusted himself off and stretching his arms, "Okay then we're off."
   Kole slid down the trunk of the tree and faced the two angrily, "What do you mean we're leaving?!"
   Xavian adjusted his hat and looked at the third man, " I mean we are leaving. We are obviously, mind the puns, out gunned. Its no use in fighting anymore."
   Kole fumed but managed a few words, "Fine. Lets go." he turned with slumped shoulders to walk away when Helena called after him.
   "Caine would never concoct such a stupid scheme."
   Kole paused, "What."
   Helena cocked out her hip and hoisted her axe over her shoulder, "This whole rouse with all of your little playmates to try and kill me was idiotic and ill planned proving the fact that you are truly inadequate compared to your twin brother and his sword." she stated simply.
   Kole looked at her angrily about to say something when Xavian placed a hand on his shoulder, "Well little lady its been an absolute displeasure so with those wonderful words we'll be leaving then." he grabbed Koles arm, "Come on you idiot." he dragged him through the woods. Jii winked at Helena spreading large bat like wings, "Eat ya later Barbarian." he took off into the sky transforming into his dragon self as he took off for his hidden away home.
   Coco leapt off her rock and ran and tackled Helena, "Helena you were wonderful!!!"
   Helena panted tiredly leaning on her axe, "Thanks.... Goodnight..." she passed out and fell into the waiting arms of her llama partner.
   "I think its time we get some sleep..." he muttered in his partners ear before clicking at the other girls to grab their stuff and follow him back to the house which they did with tired work before taking off after him.
---
   Meanwhile Kole looked out over the sandy plateau above Xavians cave home in the Ikari Desert with a scowl on his face.
   Xavian fired test shots at his target range. He sighed with his pistols empty and holstered them again. He crossed his arms with his back to Kole, "So... another day another failed plan."
   "Shut up." Kole muttered through gritted teeth.
   Xavian chuckled smirking at his irritation, "Something on your mind oh 'inadequate twin of Cain Prycen'?"
   "Something crazy."
   Xavian turned to him with a sly smile, "Well if its crazy then you know Im in."
   "Good cause I need your help in distracting Helena once she finds out what we've done."
   "And that is?"
   Kole looked out into the flaming sunset that always pointed to where his home castle was and where he had suffered in the shadow of his twin brother since he came out of the womb second, grabbing at his brothers ankle. The thought made his throat close up with disgust.
   "Im going to steal the family sword from my brother."