[Zoidberg]

Synopsis: As their city crumbles, five kids must escape their once safe haven as it is being invaded by the Plagus army. Once outside the city, they must each fulfill their own agenda.

Balik

The shop was quiet. It was a slow day for business, and it had come uneventfully so far. The only sounds in Balik's ears were the hum of his master, Yedorin, and the sound of the many bubbling potions and squeaking imps in their cages.

"Balik," Yedorin yelled to the boy while he tore through pages in his spellbook. "Bring that Crowstongue over here."

"Yes, Master," the boy said. He walked over to a large shelf stocked with potions and herbs and other magical ingredients. He searched the upper shelves for a bottle labeled Crowstounge. When he found it, he took it and handed it to the old, wizened wizard at the front desk.

"Thank you, my boy," he said without looking up. "This should do the trick."

"What are you working on?" Balik asked curiously. Yedorin worked on many different potions and elixirs during shop days, and it was common for Balik to ask this question.

The wizard cleared his throat. "It's a potion I am working on for the King. It will have a high diplomatic value."

"What does it do?"

The wizard sighed, tired of the boy's questions, but still he answered, "It's a potion that will eliminate language barriers between kingdoms. It will allow the person who drinks it to speak any language."

A loud boom and then a crash echoed from outside, disturbing the quiet air. The small shop shook so violently that both the boy and wizard fell over, and potions fell from their resting places atop shelves.

"What in the devil's name..." Yedorin shouted, but was cut off by another blast that shook the ground once again.

Someone in the streets shouted, "We're under attack! It's the Plagus!"

"Oh no," Yedorin muttered. "Balik, you need to help me."

"What, sir?"

"Come." The wizard stood up and led the boy to the back of the shop. It was an old, dusty study, and Balik had been there often, but there was a large iron door in the back, one that Balik was told never to open.

Yedorin walked over to the large door and opened it, turning the many combination tumblers and dispelling the many magical locks. When it was open, it revealed a room so dark, that even the light from the torches hanging in the room dare not penetrate it. Yedorin walked in and emerged carrying a small iron box.

"Master, what is this?" Balik asked.

"Son, on my last endeavors, I was told by the High Council of the King to create a weapon that could, in theory, destroy entire kingdoms. I did so, but what I had created could not be controlled." Yedorin's face grew grave and pale, and he broke into a cold sweat.

"Master..." Balik began, worried for his master's welfare.

"In essence, I literally bottled a high-ranking demon and harnessed its power into a weapon. If the Plagus discover this weapon, there will be horrible consequences. I need you to escape the city with this box and make sure it doesn't get into the wrong hands. The Plagus are here, so you will have to take it to the sewer system in the center of the city. Use the system to escape. I need to report to the King for battle strategies. Can I trust you, boy?"

"Yes, Master, of course."

"Good, now go!"

Balik took the box and ran out into the street. There were people everywhere, running in random directions and screaming. He ran left, down the sloping street and toward the center of the city. He raced down street after street. Soon, the Monolith was in view.

The center of the city, the Monolith was the primary energy source and safety measure for the kingdom. As Balik approached it, he heard a shout, "Raise the Monolith!"

The ground shook as the giant obsidian obelisk rose from the ground and proclaimed its might in the sky.

Balik stood in awe as the Monolith rose up. But now wasn't the time to revel in its beauty. Three Plagus assault tanks began to mobilize down the streets toward the monolith.

Each steel tank roved down the streets, flaunting and firing their cannons at nearby homes. One nearly ran over a girl, but she was rescued at the last minute by a kid about just as old as Balik, with long brown hair. Balik noticed a tank explode over on the next street.

Good, the soldiers are here, he thought.

Balik had to be quick to get the box he held to safety. He ran to the base of the monolith and lifted a sewer grate. The Grate was slick and slipped out of his hands several times. Finally two other kids ran over and helped him remove it. One was a girl, the one who had been saved from the tank, and the other was her savior, the boy with the long brown hair.

"Thanks," Balik said.

"No problem, we just got to get out of here now," the long haired boy said.

"Right," Balik agreed. He and the other kid held up the grate for three other kids before they both slipped into the dank sewers.

Gena and Nadim

The clash of the two swords in the back of a blacksmith's shop echoed down the streets. A girl and boy, both of the same age, practiced their swordsmanship. Time after time, the steel of their blades crashed, and the two parried, dodged, ducked, and evaded each other back and forth. A single mistake would have caused a nasty gash, but these two were sure of themselves, bringing the blades back together every other second.

"Ya know, sis," Nadim said between sword clashes.

"Yes?" Gena replied calmly.

"I never got to show you this new move Dad taught me."

"And what might that be?" she asked mockingly.

"Why don't I show you?" he shouted as he swung the blade dangerously at her feet. Gena nimbly dodged it, jumping over the blade and coming back down on the flat edge, pinning it to the ground. She placed her blade on Nadim's neck, letting him feel the cold, iron sword.

"Hmph," she grunted, "Nice move,"

"It gets better," he said tauntingly.

With all his strength, Nadim lifted the blade out from under Gena's feet. Gena lost her balance and fell back, slicing off a lock of Nadim's long brown hair.

"Look what you did!" Nadim exclaimed.

"It'll grow back," Gena said, rolling her eyes.

"Gena, Nadim," their father called from inside the furnace room. He walked outside, and saw his two children, swords in hand. "Oh my god! I told you never to use these swords! Practicing is one thing, but this is entirely different. You could get seriously hurt!"

"We know," they said in unison.

"Well--" The father was cut off by a loud boom and then a crash.

"What was that?" Gena shouted.

"We're under attack!" their father shouted and watched as a mortar came crashing down on the smith just behind him.

"Kids, grab your swords. Come on!" their father shouted. He led them out through the rubble that was once the smith and into the streets.

"Ok, Gena, Nadim, you have to get out of here. The Plagus are here, and they're going to destroy the city. You won't be able to get out anywhere except the sewers. Go to the Monolith and use the sewers there to get out of the city."

Another explosion shook the street. People ran past Gena and Nadim, screaming. A group of Plagus soldiers, all with gasmasks and flamethrowers came storming down the street.

"Look, you need to get to the next kingdom and tell them the Plagus are coming, do you understand?"

Both Gena and Nadim nodded, their faces filled with fear. "Now go!" their father shouted over the screams.

"But Dad..." Nadim began.

"Nadim," his father said, half in tears, "you have to go. I am going to miss you, but you have to go. Don't let me down."

"We won't Dad," both Gena and Nadim said, starting to cry.

"Ok, good, now go," their father said, and ran to the nearby armory. The Plagus were getting closer now. They could see the reds of their eyes beneath the gas masks. They could hear them barking orders to one another. Both Gena and Nadim watched as they left nothing intact, setting fire to houses, people, and carts. They watched as people ran around, flames leaping off their backs. It was a horrific sight, but it couldn't be prevented.

Both the kids ran in the opposite direction as the Plagus, heading towards the Monolith. As they neared the Monolith, they noticed less and less chaos. The Plagus hadn't arrived there yet. If the Monolith could be set up before Nemora was taken, they might have a chance.

When they got there, their worst fears were realized. Three Plagus tanks were moving down the streets towards the Monolith. If they destroyed the Monolith, Nemora would be lost.

They headed down the street, away from the tank, and finally spotted the sewer grate. It was their only way out of there. They headed towards it, and noticed a boy with an iron box attempting to open it. It looked like he was going to escape as well.

"Wait!" Nadim cried out to Gena. "Look!" Nadim pointed over to a girl lying in the middle of the street. She had fallen and was about to be crushed by the tank.

"Go on ahead!" Nadim shouted. "I'll catch up!"

Gena said nothing, but nodded and continued on. She was almost there when two Plagus soldiers got in her way. One attempted to shoot her with his flamethrower, but Gena was too quick. She drew her sword and sliced the gas chamber on the flamethrower, and when the soldier pulled the trigger, he and his companion burst into flames.

Gena stepped over them as they writhed in pain, and continued on her way to the sewers. Nadim was already there helping the boy, along with the girl he saved. Another boy joined them as well, and they all jumped down into the sewers.