[Lord Stanley]

CHAPTER TWO

Four motorcycles plowed across the landscape, throwing dust into the air as they crossed the barren plains of Glukksonia. Their riders were three Sligs – one a soldier, one a country Slig, one a SKRUT special operative – and a strangely blue-skinned Mudokon, all dressed in their best and with guns holstered by their hips.

“Will you turn that stupid music off!?” Abe screamed over his shoulder.

Oner, bouncing his head to the music, shouted back, “Respect the classics, dude!”

“Turn it off!”

Oner shook his head. “Can’t do that, man! Rock an’ roll is my life!”

Abe shook his head and concentrated on driving. Ever since they had left the Mudokons and Sligs behind at the town of Denzling, Oner had been listening to the most awful electric guitars and singing, blasting out of his brand-new helmet-model iPodd. Oner insisted that the infamous Lulu the Glukkon – the very same one that Abe had busted many years ago – had made some great music in his time, but to Abe it was just a bunch of jumping and shredding.

He gunned his controls, and his motorcycle leaped out in the lead. He was tired of talking to Oner, who never seemed to understand that life was a serious business and that sometimes serious situations called for serious thinking about the current situation. But Oner didn’t get it. He just turned up his rock and roll.

Rock and roll, flop and roll, Abe thought irritably.

He had only known the SKRUT Slig for a few hours now, but it already felt like he had known Oner for hours. SKRUT – Slig Kommando Radical Uber Troopers – were supposed to be the toughest of the tough, the best fighters the Sligs had to throw out, but Oner was the most laid-back, least-serious Slig Abe had ever talked to.

It still felt weird to know that his only companions on this, his newest mission, were all Sligs he had just met this morning.

This morning. The horrible morning when everything had happened.

The prison breakout, Munch’s appearance, the death of Fragg, the arrival of the Keuja, the destruction of Mantin City. It had all happened that same day.

It had been the longest day of Abe’s life.

And now? He was going to a place he had never returned to in his entire career, a place he had hoped never to see again: RuptureFarms. A huge heap of ruin on the west border of Glukksonia, the place where he had passed his first test and become known as the hero he was today.

But RuptureFarms was a plaything in comparison to the monstrosity that was the Keuja. He vividly remembered the nightmarish earthquake the monster had caused that had destroyed the entire front section of Mantin City…

But Bigface’s spirit had told him to return to RuptureFarms if he wanted to stop the Keuja. The knowing would come to him there.

Abe would do just about anything to stop the Keuja now.

“Abe!” The shout came from Cloud, the young Slig who had proved his courage in battle by commandeering a jetcopter and attacking Munch earlier that day. “I think we’ve got trouble!”

Abe glanced briefly over his shoulder –

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