“I’ll stay as well,” Agent Law said. “It’ll take a lot to take down the Gladiator. If we’re going down, I’ll bring them all down with me.”
“Count me in, I guess,” Victor said, sighing and walking back to Jack. “I can’t let you two steal my thunder.”
Colonel Brown nodded slowly. “I agree, Jack.” Brown took the material bag from Law, looking each of them in the eyes. “Thank you for what you’re doing. We’ll make sure your sacrifice here won’t be in vain.”
Rogers nodded his support, River gave them a gruff salute, then they all took off.
Victor shook his masked head as he stretched. “And then there were three… before there were none.”
“How far out are they, Vade?” Law asked as she grabbed her pistol.
Jack raised his right hand, using his passive sensors to probe ahead. “From what I can tell, only a few minutes out.”
Right as he said it, a rustling sounded to his right, and they all turned in unison, weapons ready.
“You sure about that, Jacky?” Victor said, his fingers hovering over the Blade.
“Hold your fire!” a voice called out from behind the bush.
A moment later, Agent Carton stepped out. His uniform was torn and ripped all over, and his headgear was missing.
How didn’t I see him on my sensors? Jack asked himself. There’s no way his stealth gear is still working.
“Carton?” Law asked, lowering her weapon. “What happened to you? Where is everyone else?”
“I didn’t go well, Law,” Carton said, shaking his head. “We were ambushed by several of those alien tanks. We tried using our EMP bullets, but it was like throwing pebbles at a colony of horets. We were taken out in less than a minute.” He waved his hand. “Come with me. I’ll show you.” He disappeared into the bush, and Law hurried after him with Victor shrugging and following.
Cautiously, Jack trailed, glancing back one more time to make sure the coast was clear. As he went through the thick bushes, he heard the sound of rushing water growing louder, and as he emerged from the thicket, he found himself in a small clearing surrounded by dense vegetation and trees. At the other side of the clearing, plants thinned out over a large ravine and a rushing river.
And in the middle of the weeds lay Agent Henderson, flat on his stomach and deathly still.
“Henderson!” Law gasped as she rushed forward, kneeling by his side and checking his pulse.
Jack raised his fist and let his scanning beams fly loose over Henderson, but they deactivated after a few seconds. His hand clenched into a fist, and he lowered it to his side.
“There’s nothing we can do for him. He’s gone.”
Law shook her head and slammed her other fist into the grass. “This is all my fault. I should’ve been here with them.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Victor said, leaning against a tree. “You would’ve been the first to go down. And then where would we be now?”
Jack shot Victor a look.
“It’s not your fault, Law,” Carton said from behind Jack. “No one could have predicted what happened.”
As Jack turned back to Henderson, he realized his scan had found something else he had missed at first glance, and he slowly approached the body.
He gently lifted Henderson’s body to the side and pointed. “These impact wounds… they're not from a Ribiyar weapon. They're from one of yours.”
Law’s head snapped up. “What?”
“That makes sense,” Carton spoke as Jack turned to face him. Carton blinked, and his eyes flashed to crimson. “Since I’m the one who killed him.”
What the-
Small metal spikes shot out on both sides of Carton’s wrists, snapped together, and a laser ignited over the device's frame. Carton lunged forward before Jack could react and flashed his laser spades widely. The weapons tore deep gashes into Jack's chest as he fought to restrain him.
“Don’t think you can keep me out of the ac-” Victor started as rushed forward, but Carton's right foot shot out and slammed into his chest, knocking Victor back into a tree.
At the same time, Carton’s left foot kicked Law’s weapon right as she fired, and the shots flew up in the air. He backflipped, moving back a few feet and landed with the grace of a dancer.
“You can’t be real,” Law said, bringing her weapon back towards him. “The Agency never found any proof that you existed.”
Jack noted that her breathing had heavily increased and her heart rate had spiked sharply.
Whatever he is, he’s got her scared, Jack thought That's not good.
“All we found were failed prototypes, nowhere near comple-” Law continued.
“All fakes, my dear. A red herring to get you off our real tracks. Did you really think we would let the likes of you stop our ascension? Evan Adler has given us life, and we’re far stronger than we ever were bef-”
Carton was cut off as Victor’s Phantom tail shot around and hoisted him in the air.
“See?” Victor strained as he forced himself to his feet, the servos in his extended tail whining from the weight and pressure they were exerting. “He’s not that tough.”
Carton let out a laugh as his head tilted, as though amusing a small child with a naïve question. “Seriously? You really think you’ve won?”
A barrage of shots rang out from within the vegetation to Jack’s right. Jack grabbed Law and shielded her from the fire. He deployed his V-gun and fired back while Victor sent a volley of Blades through the air. The blasts cut at the Serpent tail, loosening it enough for Carton to wiggle free and the dash into the forest.
Great.
“Uh, guys,” Victor yelled as he kept fighting, his tail coiling back on his back, “the cyborg-guy-thing is getting away.”
“I’m going after him!” Law shouted as she got in a few shots with her EMP pistol. “He’s my responsibility.”
Jack flinched as he absorbed another volley of fire, but he did his best to stand firm.
“If you can, take him out. But either way, I want you to warn Brown and the others. They have no idea what he is, and they likely won't survive if he tries to jump them like he did us.”
She turned to go but turned back to say, “I was wrong about you, Vade. Win this war for us.” Seeing an opening, she bolted forward, dodging a few blasts that came her way, before disappearing into the trees.
The stream of fire slowed and it looked like they were slowly making progress, but another wave broke out on the other side. Jack moved in front of Victor, once again becoming a shield against the more intense firepower.
With their backs to each other, taking sporadic hits from both sides, Jack yelled, “Kinda reminds me of our standoff on that island in the Atlantic. Just us two against the world.”
Victor shook his head. “Don’t get sentimental on me now, Vade. I don’t want to have to kill you and take these guys by myself right now.” As he sliced away, he said, “And how do we know our favorite agent isn’t one of those cyborgs?”
“I managed to get a scan of her before she left. As far as I can tell, she isn’t one of them. I can’t risk contacting Brown and the others over the comm.” He deployed his laser cannon and sent out a quick attack, cutting down several trees and momentarily blocking the combatants’ assault. “Trustworthy or not, Law may be their best hope for survival.”
The ground a blur beneath his feet, Carton dashed through the African forest without breaking a sweat. Less than a minute from withdrawing from his confrontation, he was far enough away to have safely removed himself from the fray of battle.
Gotta love the perks of being Reborn, he thought, slowing to a casual walk.
“You have survived your engagement with the organics,” a voice behind him interrupted.
He glanced behind him and saw a black Ribiyar emerge from the shadows.
“Good to see you too, Fe’Rol,�
� Carton responded.
The black Ribiyar he had first encountered on the outskirt of the base had become his almost constant shadow ever since he had managed a bargain between their two respective parties.
And frankly, you're starting to get on my nerves. Images of slicing off the robotic alien’s head and limbs flashed through his head, but Carton grudgingly dismissed them. Fortunately for your sake, you’re still needed for my plan to come to fruition.
“Your appreciation of my appearance is irrelevant, half-breed,” Fe’Rol said as he walked closer, while Carton inwardly seethed at the comment. “You may not be organic, but you were still created by them. The only reason you and the others still function is because the High Order believes your assistance is beneficial to our current operations. And yet you failed. You had the organics in your grasp, and you let them overcome you.”
Carton scoffed, “Hardly. I’m playing my cards like I should be. Work smarter, not harder.” He pointed back at the direction of the battle. “In case you didn’t notice, one of those organics is the pilot of the most powerful weapons my rivals ever created, and she’s been keeping it in reserve. If I had killed her, that thing would have rained down a world of pain. So, if my hunch is right, she’s chasing me down right now, taking her mech with her, and I’ll lead your troops out of the blast zone as I get farther away.”
Carton’s enhanced hearing picked up the rustling of leaves a distance away, and Fe’Rol turned in the direction of the sound.
“Your reasoning is sound, half-breed," Fe'Rol responded. “However, based on your earlier performance and this conversation, it is clear you care more about theatrics than completing the mission. And we must resolve this conflict with the remaining combatants.” He waved Carton off. “Do as you wish. Lead the mech and its organic pet away. But we will now handle the execution of this extermination.”
Chapter 22
Date: July 15, 2132
Location: Aboard the Atlantis, at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean
Chief Lexton ran with everything she had, not risking a glance back. She was making good time, but from the pounding footsteps behind her, she knew the Ribiyar were keeping good pace as well.
Lexton charged around a corner, but she tripped as her feet skidded out from underneath her. She slammed into the ground and slid across the floor, the impact jarring her wound as stars flashed in her eyes.
She tried to crawl away, not yet giving up to her pursuers.
In her mind, however, she knew it was already over.
As the Ribiyar aimed their weapons, something dashed by Lexton at inhuman speed. It slammed into the lead Ribiyar, throwing the alien against the wall. As a figure dashed to the other Ribiyar, the aliens fired blindly as they tried to hit it, bolts flying all over the surrounding walls. The weapon fire hit a nearby wall control panel, and the lights winked out. Lexton was enveloped in a pit of darkness, with shredding metal, weapon blasts, and flashes of various colors flying through the air surrounded her.
Suddenly, all was quiet. The short, intense battle was over. She saw a pair of crimson-red eyes staring at her from a distance. Spearhead-shaped lasers floating in the air dimly illuminated a pair of hands within them.
The figure dashed forward was suddenly at her feet. Before she could react, the laser over the left hand disappeared, and it grabbed her throat, lifting her up and slamming her into the wall like a ragdoll.
The impact alone almost knocked her unconscious, and she struggled to breathe, held against the wall by her neck. The laser spearhead over the right hand began to spin rapidly like a high-speed drill as the arm pulled back.
At least I didn’t get killed by aliens, Lexton offered to herself. Doesn’t make it much better though. As the arm shot forward she closed her eyes, as ready as she could be for death.
She felt the heat of the laser on her face.
But beyond that… nothing.
It took her a minute to realize that it wasn’t because she was dead.
But because the attacker hadn’t followed through on his attack.
Lexton slowly opened her eyes, and she saw the blade had stopped rotating and hung suspended in the air only inches away from her face. The hand inside it was clenched in a fist… and trembling. The attacker was breathing heavily, far more than he should have been. She forced herself to look into the crimson-red eyes and was perplexed at what she saw. Behind some sort of mask, she saw the red lights were fading, going back to normal, flaring but then dimming again, over and over.
“Please…” she managed to croak, still struggling to breath. “You don’t have to do this. Just let me go… and we can… talk about this.”
The person locked eyes with her, and after a few moments, his gaze shot back to full intensity.
Yelling in torment, the attacker pulled back his right and slammed his blade forward.
Right into the wall inches from Lexton’s head.
The laser hand-blade winked out and she heard a whir of mechanical servos. The hand suspending her against the wall fell away and she collapsed to the floor, coughing as she gulped air like a drowning survivor. Suddenly, the lights in the corridor snapped back on, and she finally saw who her attacker was.
The metallic, triangular mask broke apart into smaller pieces and the plates of skin appeared on his face. Elijah stared blankly at her. He blinked hard and shook his head like waking from a deep sleep. When he looked at her again, his eyes were back to their normal light-blue color.
“Chief Lexton?” Elijah asked, surprised to see her. He looked around and stumbled backwards. “How did I get here?”
He looked at his hands and the mixture of Ribiyar mechanical fluid and blood left on them. Mortified, he clamped his eyes shut.
“What did I just do? What… what happened to me?”
Location: Southern Africa, near a Ribiyar storage base
“Do you have eyes on him, director?” Law shouted as she charged forward through the jungle.
Though her helmet may have seemed bulky to an observer, it helped to shield her from any branches she ran into as she chased Carton. The Heads-Up-Display on her helmet tracked the slight footprints Carton’s boots left behind.
I can’t believe this is actually happening, she thought. I saw the reports about what Adler was doing, but I never thought in a million years…
“Affirmative, Agent Law,” Director Carr spoke in her helmet speakers. “I’ve locked onto his tracking device and am now sending the information to you.” Farther ahead, a red light appeared in the distance, signaling his position. “However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep the Gladiator secure. The Ribiyar’s probing is becoming problematic.”
A small grin on her face, Law replied, “That won’t be a problem now. Come pick me up. Let’s take this guy together.”
“Acknowledged. Descending now.”
As Law pressed forward, she heard the roar of a thruster growing closer as it reached the ground. The Gladiator uncloaked as it dropped to the ground behind her, and as it stepped forward, she jumped into its outstretched hand. The mech’s chest cavity opened, pneumatic pistons hissing as they operated, and Law jumped from the hand into the small, ovular cockpit. As the cockpit resealed, she stretched out her arms and legs so restraints automatically moved to fasten her in place. Protective padding expanded from their holding compartments and encompassed much of her body to enhance the support, allowing just enough room to allow for oxygen to be released.
She closed her eyes, and the neural machinery in her helmet fully activated, linking her to the device. When she opened her eyes, in her mind, she now saw the environment from the Gladiator’s perspective, a giant in a playground. While the system was engaged, she was the mech, and she always loved the rush she felt from the power she had.
Charging forward, Law made short work of the remaining journey, moving around what obstacles she could dodge and plowing through the rest. Finally
, Law reached the signal, which had come to a complete stop.
“Be cautious,” Carr whispered in her mind, echoing within her and all around her at the same time. “Ribiyar reinforcements are not far away.”
“Understood. Once I take care of Carton, we’ll be out of here in a flash.”
All around her, sprawling trees stood firm, a large rock formation to her right. She carefully maneuvered around them in the mech as she searched for Carton. Carr adjusted and focused Law's sensors, and she finally found the source of the signal. On a rock lay a portion of Carton’s armor and his tracking device woven inside.
“No!” Law yelled, slamming the Gladiator’s fist into the rock. The impact split the rock and sent up a plume of dirt and debris that rained back down on the mech. “I’m sorry, director. I’ve failed you all.”
“You haven’t failed us, Law,” Carr said firmly. “None of us saw how far Adler’s plans had progressed. Not even me.” After a moment of silence, Carr said, “We need to keep moving, Law. The Ribiyar will be here any momen-”
“Looking for me?” a voice shouted to her right.
Recognizing it, Law turned around and saw Carton at the base of the rock formation, his upper uniform shredded from removing the tracker.
“Carton!” she yelled through the mech’s speakers. She drew her energy scimitar and activated it, and the greenish-purple blade simmering with radiance and power. “You have many crimes that you must answer for.”
Carton let out a loud laugh. “Just because I’m something different than what you thought? Even you can’t deny the potentially prejudiced natures you’re following.”
“Your actions clearly show how dangerous you and your kind are. You were built for only one thing: war. But even you can’t overpower the Gladiator.”
Carton nodded, as he glanced at the mech. “Obviously. But they, on the other hand, can.”
“Incoming, Law!” Carr shouted.
Law looked up just in time to see a Destroyer leap off the large rock formation and plunge towards the ground. She stepped back as the behemoth slammed into the ground, its left fist plunging into the dirt where she had been standing.
Galactic Defenders- Perseverance Page 13
