“I killed morethan ten thousand of them!” Donut shouted. “I didn’t even go up a level! This is an outrage!”
I just breathed for a second as we continued to rush down the road.Okay, okay, this isn’t over yet.
Ahead, I got a better view of the massive colorful skull thing at the bottom of the long hill. At first, I thought it was a whale skull, but I realized that it wasn’t. It was the head of a giant beetle thing. Like the skull or husk of a Hercules beetle, though this thing appeared to be the height of a three-story building just blocking the road.
An info box popped up.
This is the skull of Tem, who up until a few days ago resided within the Nothing. We borrowed different parts of his corpse for different races because he was really badass-looking. It’s too bad your friend Odette wasted him the moment he appeared. But, alas, waste not, want not. Still, you might just want to take note of the size of this thing. He has friends who are still alive.
An explosion echoed behind us. I didn’t know what that was.
Carl: Update?
Jasha: We’re almost through the chop! The shield is keeping the fuckers back. You got the Dominators on your ass, and we’re right behind!
Chiyome: We are in trouble. We can’t see. They are everywhere. Your missiles detonated too early over the Fine Pigs, and the goo went all over the place, including over Onikuma. I do not know where the Jugglers are, but they are back with us. I think maybe behind us. The road is too steep for Oni. He keeps stumbling.
Carl: Move to the right side. We’ll toss the tunnels if a third wave comes!
We continued to rocket down the road for a good minute without anything happening other than Gluteus bouncing up and down in his chair, shouting for more music.
“No music!” I yelled. “I need to be able to hear!”
“What’s the point of speeding if we can’t do it to heavy metal, you fucking poser?” The man was absolutely vibrating, shaking in the chair.
“Gluteus, why are you talking like a mantaur?” Donut demanded.
“Because I am made of speed and the sun and I am one with the universe, baby!” He started howling again. White foam had started to form on his fuzzy lips.
“Just keep your eyes on the goddamned road!” I growled.
I returned to the back of the truck and peered outside. The ghoul in the cage on the passenger’s side remained, glaring out at the GTO, which had pulled up directly behind us, tailgating. The Free Love van also trailed us, maybe ten seconds back. And beyond that, nothing but smoke from the now-distant but still-raging wall of fire.
Wave three is commencing.
“Fucking hell!” Gluteus shouted while laughing maniacally. He started to slap the side of his own face, suddenly remindingme of the caprid leader. He was getting worse by the second. More foam drooled out of his mouth, and it splattered everywhere as he yelled. “They’re coming up through the road! Get ready for some crunchy, lumpy speed bumps!”
Well, fuck us all, I guess. The final wave is commencing, too.
And that’s when the skulls started raining from the sky.
I watched as multiples of the sugar hermits started crashing into and around the shield of the GTO as divots started to form on the asphalt.
We lurched again, gaining air before crashing down as the colorful skulls started exploding all around us. They weren’t just falling from the sky. It was like they were being shot downward out of a cannon. None seemed to actually survive the fall, instead exploding like hail all around us.
“We’re getting close!” Donut shouted. “Just a few minutes, and we’ll be there!”
I heard a hissing scream from the passenger’s side of the truck, quickly followed by a notification.
Warning: One of your hired mercenaries has died! Well, died again, as he was a ghoul.
“The shield is down!” Donut yelled. She let out a yelp as we bumped. Behind, I had a clear view of Rapture as she fired her flamethrower directly into the air above their car as skulls pelted and exploded against their shield. Dark ichor sprayed with each explosion.
The truck lurched again, and we swerved dangerously.
“Slow down,” I shouted. “We’re going too fast for a bumpy road! Donut, macaroni!”
Our windshield shattered. Wind filled the truck, almost blowing me back. The purple guts of sugar hermits misted into the cabin as little pieces of skull peppered us like shrapnel.