"WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!" 6 screamed
Lars, 6, Reggie, Lance, B, and Seymour trailed through the win in the seats of their hovercar. The hood of the car was missing, the paint was rusted and the engine was so loud 6's screams were easily drowned out.
Each one of the teens had had their outfits completely redone.
Reggie, wearing rags and bandana around his neck, had his entire Arm painted with fake rust, making it look over a century old.
B looked relatively the same, given she was a rugged looking Shifter already.
6 had his hair clipped so instead of a neat pattern it was jagge dand uneven like a torn cloth.
Lance's hair was tied together in a ponytail, giving him a more badlands look.
And finally Seymour, had his beautifully sparkly glasses replaced with a visor.
"Calm down 6! Riding in a hovercar is a normal thing to do out here in the Badlands" Seymour instructed.
"But... this is so cool!!!!" Reggie said.
"If you two don't shut it out were gonna get found it quick! Have some restraint will yah" B said.
As B spoke a small tailed creature lept out of the sand.
"Huh? Is that a fish?" B exclaimed.
"It's a sandfish! In the badlands the sand is like the sea, thats why all of the cars hover above it! There are also entire areas that essentially act like quicksand that are indistinguishable from the norm" Seymour said.
"COOOL!" Lars said watching the fish.
"Still not impressed?" Reggie said poking B.
"Nope" B said
GRAARRG!
as soon as B spoke a giant finned lizard leapt through the air completely engulfing the fish that had been in front of them.
"That one is called a sand shark, the name is self explanatory" Seymour said.
"Ok! Now that was awesome!" B remarked hi fiving Reggie
"Tsk! Kids will be kids" Lance grunted.
"Oh shut up Pony boy! Your still a kid too!" Seymour laughed.
"HAHAHAHA!!!" Lars and friends laughed.
"So tell me Mr. high iq Major, why is it we are all dressed in rags and you are in a suit gold chain and a freaking visor!"
"Heh, c'mon Lance use your head! Why else would a grown man be traveling with a bunch of kids! Your my slaves!" Seymour laughed.
All of a sudden the laughter died in the car ride.
"Slaves?" Lars said.
"Yes, they are very common in the badlands, rich men gather children and send them to work, sometimes by barter or kidnapping, such men are called Family men, believe it or not this is actually a profession out here in these sands."
Lars and friends looked around ashamed, they had no idea they were going to pretend to be child slaves.
"This isn't a field trip..." Seymour said. "This is an inside look at some of the worst conditions people can live in, you should take this time to learn about the badlands culture"
As Seymour spoke they came a cross a line in the sand the stretched on for miles.
"That is the end line! that means we are about to enter a city! Just like our S.P.A has a barrier so does the badland cities! There's only works against fish and monsters however all it does to us Shifter is..."
"Albert" A man with long nose said.
An old man sat at an umbrella stand completely passed out. He was surrounded by empty beer cans, and what seemed to be small chocolates.
"ALBERT!" The man yelled again this time shaking the old man as hard as he could.
"HEhhh? What the hell do you want!" Albert sighed.
"There are eight Shifters that passed through the line I don't recognize" THe man said.
"Ehh? Do you have a camera? How would you know who they were?" Albert sighed.
"Because they crossed the line at over 600 kmph" The man said.
"Meaning!"
"They are on hovercycles!"
"I'll alert the lookouts... He could be making his way back... Old man... if we can't give him that generator..."
"Don't worry" Albert says. "If it comes to that, I will fight!"
As Lars and friends reached the gates of the city they saw something they couldn't even believe.
"Is this..." Seymour said opening his eyes. "A city from the badlands?"
As the city came into view, a giant Steel mill was high in the sky connected to a network of other huge steel buildings. The building seemed to be half material from the pre-shift era and half steel, as if someone had repaired them using metal. Past the dust and sand, the buildings shimmered in the light, and although rusty, reflected the inside of the city to Lars and friends.
Among its reconstructed buildings and half broken city, a long causeway divided the town in half with a city square located in the center.
It was here that the group of traveling agents, and Especially Seymour were completely taken a back.
"These people..." Lars said. "They look happy!"
Throughout the town square There were children zipping around in the streets eating cotton candy and lollipops, teenagers hanging out near the wishing well in the center of the square, while adults went around at the various wine and beer stands. All around, everyone seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere of the various activities.
"This isn't the badlands I know!" Seymour said. "There must be some kind of mistake!"
"It says Lagara right on the sign! Maybe you were wrong Seymour, maybe our iq isn't as high as I thought"
"No" Seymour said. "If this city is like this... it can only mean one thing"
"What?" Lars said.
"This city... is very new... it was torn apart, and has recently been rebuilt... which means its only a matter of time before-"
"Visitors! Please stop at the front gate!" A voice called from above them.
Seymour brought the vehicle to the front entrance
"what is your Business?" THe man asked.
"We have come here to acess the Lagara mineshaft... have we arrived at the correct place?" Seymour asked.
"No you haven't!" The voice answered. "This here is the town of Sheridan! The city of steel, the city you know as Lagara was once considered a part of this town but we have fought hard for our independence! The Lagara you seek is on the other side of this town!"
"Thank you.." Seymour said. "Then we'll be on our-"
"Wait a minute!" THe voice cried. "are you with Darius's crew?" The man asked.
Flashes of light pulsed through Seymours eyes as he heard the name.
"Darius.." Lars said. "I've heard that name before."
"No, I work alone" Seymour answerd
"Well we se you have some children with you! We take kindly to children! Today is Sweet Sunday! Our monthly festival! You should bring your children! hey look very deprived."
"No thanks" Seymour said. "I'm here strictly on busines"
"Please Mister.. Simone sir.." 6 said with puppy dog eyes. "Can we go into the town?"
"Yeh I'm hungry!" Reggie siad.
"It is pretty hot out, water would be nice before working in a mineshaft." Lance siad.
"Heh and a nap!"
"Don't get cocky!" Seymour snarled.
"Hmm well didn't you say on the way here something about learning and culture?" Lars said.
"This kid..." Seymour thought. "Will forever be a pain in my spine!"
"Fine!" Seymour grunted. "We stay in the city gets some food and after that its off to the mines with yah!"
"Yay!" Lars and freinds yelled running inside the gated walls of the city.
"This world" Lars said running into the gates. "One second I'm in the future, one second I'm in the past... the next" He said looking at the steel buildings. "It's like I'm in another universe! Heh I don't know where you are right now O'brian but this is hardly a punishment!"
Back at H.Q Obrian was receiving a call from Grant.
"Hello, O'brian here" Obrian said.
"O'Brian! You crazy mutt! I had no Idea Lagara was Guilles territory! And to make matters worse Apparently Sahara Sherief has been spotted there on occasion! What the hell are you thinking!"
"Don't worry" O'brian said closing a book. "They are in good hands "The title of the book read, "Remnants of the Pre-shift era, by Mateo the Megastar"
"They better be! The last time Guile met with an Agent he melted their face off!"
Somewhere in the badlands the, Guile and his bodyguards got back on their hovercycles.
"Well, I certainly didn't expect that to be there" Guille sighed, "But it can't be helped, we continue to Lagara, or as those naïve freedom fighters call it... Sheridan"
As Guille and his man rode away, the carcass of a giant sand shark lay behind them, with its face completely melted off.