The Demon of Destiny Ch.6
Chapter 6: The Warmind
"There have been reports of the Fallen tearing into machines all over the Cosmodrome. The Vanguard has noticed this, and I theorize that they're not just looting the place. It appears they're looking for something. If that's true, we ought to try to find whatever it is first." The ghost mentioned to Desert Punk in the cockpit of their ship. A swifter vessel flew next to them, soaring under them, it managed to stay in sync with their speed, Mori in it and eager to go, talking to her Ghost, she seemed ready, armed with her auto rifle and shotgun, it was surprising that she would pick that weapon, her timid nature not matching the heavy recoil, but it was something she could handle, rather nicely-as a matter of fact.
Earlier, Punk had approached her, ready to begin their first mission, her ghost informing her earlier of the very same issue that Kanta's ghost had just now. It was time for this duo to begin their work together. They landed in the Steppes of course, the safest place in the Cosmodrome to land. The Hunters both emerging from their ships as they ascended back into the atmosphere, away from combat zones.
"I'm picking up heavy Fallen activity nearby the Forgotten Shore.. But that's miles from here." The Ghost said in Punk's hand. Sighing, Desert Punk knew they'd have to 'hoof' it. That is until he witnessed Mori speed by him on a brilliant looking machine! A speeder-pike that floated before him, she mounted, her's colored in black with white streaks. "You know, Guardians set up vehicle grids here, if you connect to it, your ship can send these land transports~" Mori pointed toward the small little hut with a rusted roof in the near-distance. "I'll scout around while you connect to he grid, once you get your vehicle, we'll be off~" she said rather playfully, speeding off to look for any Fallen who may be looking for them. "I detect the grid, she's right, it's close" the Ghost said, Punk shaking his head before walking toward it, hearing auto rifle rounds in the far distance. "Crap, don't tell me she got into a firefight" Punk uttered as he began to sprint toward the little hut.
When they entered under the roof of the small shack, the console that activated showed the schematics of a the speeder bikes Guardians could connect to. "Let me out here, I'll connect us to the grid." The Ghost said, Kanta letting him do so, the Ghost flashed his scanning laser, making his spectacle of absorbing lights dance, Punk crossing his arms "Show off." He uttered, the Ghost not hearing this, he suddenly finished, Punk's very own speeder appearing out of the forces of light. It had a color very befitting, a sort of desert-esque golden color that reminded him of the Kanto sands.
"Sweet momma! What I would've given to have one of these baby's back in the Kanto!" Desert Punk exclaimed once he boarded his, his feet in place, Punk was careful to learn how to move this thing, slowly maneuvering it over the hills, and around the bend, laughing all-the-while! He was getting the hang of it, when suddenly he watched a Fallen Skiff, the Fallen deployment dropship, hover over the surface, as well as a shadow fly overhead as Mori speed off toward it. "This chick is weird..." Punk said, the Ghost hovering over his shoulder "how do you figure?" He asked Punk. "Think about it, this girls hella-shy when she's asking me to be her partner, now, she's all cheery and smiles? Kinda fishy... I got it!" Punk said, as if figuring out a puzzle, the Ghost awaiting his explanation. "She's OBVIOUSLY onto me~" Punk stated egotistically, a smirk slapped on his face by his own confidence under the helmet.
The Ghost's eye rolled, "seriously? Are you sure it has nothing to do with the fact that we know NOTHING about her, and she could just be good at killing Fallen..." He said when he heard more auto rifle rounds in the distance, along with the blast of a grenade. "...and apparently loves it too." Punk then quickly visualized tender, sweet Mori in a bloodthirsty killing spree of Fallen, laughing all-the-while. "Yeah, I'm gonna stick with my idea~" Punk gestured before hopping back on his speeder-bike, soaring by Mori, who had quickly rode up to him, finished with her Fallen.
"Now that we have our bikes, we can be at the Forgotten Shore in seconds." The Ghost said to Desert Punk, he had to admit, this was shamefully fun, his speeder blazing around when he put it in full throttle, Mori giggling abit, keeping her comms on so they could communicate. "Having fun?" She questioned, her reply was given when Desert Punk rode up a rock formed into a ramp for him. "HELL YEAH!" He shouted as he made serious air, not realizing that the drop up ahead was much larger, the Punk went hurtling downward, Punk instantly firing his rocket winch to the railing of the path on the otherside, connecting to the rusted plane-filled Mothyard.
Swooping himself over the railing, he breathed for a moment, Kanta looking down at his now destroyed bike, weeping my a bit. "Awww crap!" He cried, sighing, he sat for a moment, Mori watching him sadly from the other side of the drop he made, wondering if he was okay. "Easy come, easy go.." Kanta said, standing up all depressed, the Ghost shook his small little form, concentrating on something, Punk's same bike formed again right before him, good as new. "Easy go, easy come..?" The ghost questioned, Desert Punk staring at the Ghost... "You know Blinky, this is the start of a beautiful friendship~"
As the two riders then began to head to the Forgotten shore, Desert Punk took in some of the sights around him, the rocky cliffs that towered over him, water pouring out of the side into a small pond, this type of rock-bordered path was the only way to the Forgotten Shore. As they passed around the next few turns on the path, the Ghost spoke up again "We're almost at the Shore, the Fallen have established signal amplifiers up ahead." Mori then spoke up "What is it they're transmitting?"
"Bet your sweet ass it's got something to do with what they're looking for.. Or found." Punk said, hitting the thruster gear on his speeder, jetting ahead, right out into the open, a Fallen wire-round passing him, quickly causing him to jump from his bike, finding cover as it evaporated into light. When Mori saw this, she removed herself from her bike as well, seeing the Fallen Vandal from inside a cave to their left, Punk hid behind some toppled rocks. When the Vandal put eyes on her, it was his chance to rush it, it's focus on her as he fired off wire-rounds at her, she suppressed him with auto rounds of her own, distracting him as Punk swooped upward at him, blasting off his shotgun in its face. Over quickly, he waved to Mori.
"Let's keep moving." He called to her, suddenly more shock rounds flew by them, as more Fallen were littered behind the many rocks of the shore. Seeming to have been squatting in this shipwreck yard-turned-base of operations for the Fallen, they had Vandals and Dregs on guard, Punk could see in the distance as a Captain, with his Arc shields flaring, was in the center of one of the opened up ships. "One of the amplifiers has to be in there." Desert Punk stated, staying low as the Fallen patrol who saw them were heading over. "Aw crap-stack! We're not gonna make it to the amplifier with that many Fallen, if only we had a distance weap-" he stopped at the sound of a could clicks, like a reloading of sorts, looking to Mori, the smaller black-clad Hunter with a sniper rifle now in her hands.
"What the crap!? Where'd that come from!?" Desert Punk questioned, stopping as he remembered his situation. "You know what? Fuck it! Can you clear a path for me, I got a plan, keep them scrambling towards the cave over there to the left, I'll head down the yard from the right and get in. If they get too close, fall back to the mountain pass, the view from there will still be good, got it?"
"O-Okay~" the girl said, quickly sprinting toward the cave, Desert Punk watched as she sniped, rather well actually. He knew how the ammo worked, the technology of today, thanks to the traveler, allowed guardians to synthesize ammunition from the death of the darkness. The Fallen counted as Darkness, so ammo would be emitted. "Alright, time to move." Desert Punk said, sprinting down the dirt/sand engulfed shipyard, sprinting toward the rusted ship cracked open at the middle. "I'll bet my sack both the amplifiers are in these wrecked ships." The Ghost spoke up then, sighing at the vulgarity of his guardian. "Must you be so indecent?" He asked, eating a quick "Shut up" from Punk, trying to focus on the task at hand.
Desert Punk dashed forward, ducking behind every rock and up-turned crate, vehicle, or large object he found. Seeing the ship much closer now, he analyzed his next move, calculating his best option of infiltration. His final product of an idea was then set and he began it immediately, launching a grenade into the opening of the split sea-vessel, blasting out any unwanted attention.
Most of the Fallen numbers focused on Mori, she seemed to handle herself well, that cave being a good hiding spot, but he had to move quick, or else she'd be swamped soon. Dashing in through the smoke and blasted remnants of the thrown bomb, he pulled out his shotgun, best in close-quarters, he yanked out his Ghost to speak to it.
"Hey Blinky, Whatcha got on the amplifiers? Any in here?" The Ghost was quick to scan, nodding instantly "Just above us." He stated, disappearing back into Punk's hand, he knew where he was going next. Careful to ascend the steps, he pointed his shotgun forward, peeking in to see the center of the ship where it was gashed and opened, half of the room he entered still intact, a distinct Fallen looking device was emitting a sound, it was... Playing music..?
"What the crap...?" He said, as the ghost was sent out to scan the amplifier, only to spin around and widen his eye "Punk! Duck!" The Ghost shouted, Desert Punk doing so as the Fallen Captain slashed at him, his shock blades emitting arc energy! "SON OF A BITCH! I forgot about the freakin' Captain!" Punk said as the Captain slashed at him again, scratching his back! This causing him to bleed, his shields obviously broken. He quickly fired his winch, rocketed out and wrapped around the amplifier, sending him in a loop around the room, as per the rule goes; 'what goes around, comes around', slinging Desert Punk RIGHT at the Captain, one shotgun blast bursting most of it's arc shielding, earning a roar in reply, firing off a shock pistol with one of its lesser arms, trying to end Punk there.
As Desert Punk swung around by the Ghost, he yelled to him, "Go scan the amplifier!" The Ghost then quickly flew toward the Fallen machine, sending his many rays of scanning, coordinating the signal as Punk acted quickly, swinging himself then outward towards the great opening of the ship! Outside, it was simple for him to swing downward, out of sight from the captain as he landed into the deck below as he detached himself. The Fallen Captain, which had gone down to search for Punk, quickly met a scatter-round which broke his shields as soon as he descended the stairs. It roared, firing off his shock rifle that he pulled off his back, aiming at the Hunter before he could regain his own shielding.
As a grenade was chucked over his shoulder, it landed right at the distracted Captain's feet, only having enough time to brace himself as the blast ended him! As Punk watched this, he chuckled, enabling himself smarter than the Fallen. "Damn lizard-men don't have the attic material to do what I do~ let alone keep up!" Punk said as he used his rocket winch to fly back up to the Ghost, who was waiting for him. "The signal is hazy, the music was some sort of code.. but I was able to detect the other amplifier in the ship on the beach shortly further down." With that, the Ghost disappeared into Desert Punk's open hand. With that, he made his way back down the stairs of the ship, then out through the gaping split between the two halves of the forgotten vessel, looking toward another forgotten sea-transport jutting out of the ground in all its rusty glory. The next amplifier is there, but he took too long defeating that Captain... What does Punk do?
As Mori was fending off the many Fallen, she noticed the Fallen Skiff fly in, deploying more Dregs and Vandals, also birthing Shanks from the oven-like vents in the side of them, before rising back into the atmosphere, there were about twenty Fallen in total now, not including the Fallen just deployed, her suppressing fire killing off one at a time. "I'm starting to think this Desert Punk isn't coming Mori" her Ghost told her "and this won't be enough to fight them all."
Mori spoke back quickly "I-It will have to be enough!" It wasn't enough, however, to stop their push, some Fallen Dregs would even climb up the side of the small mountain she was hiding in, popping in to the mouth of the cave, this occasional attempt would end with a knife in the Fallen's face or gut, but would serve its purpose in distracting her. By the time the Fallen attempted the jump tactic a second time, the mob was at the cave mouth, she had to go in, rushing in quickly, only to meet a dead end! She pulled out her machine gun, firing it off with a spray tactic to headshot as many as she could! But it wasn't enough, quickly running out of ammo, she had killed at least 10 more, but there were still too many, all of them having their shock knives and daggers ready to charge and end the Hunter.
Tired and weak, Mori looked at the cave mouth, which disappeared, or at least filled with the shadows of the Fallen... Was this her end? Was she really going to die here? Had Desert Punk really left her for his reputation of 'finishing his job alone for his reputation'? She sighed, saddened for a moment, actually believing that her partner would be a good one, for a hunter like her? Too weak to even defeat the Fallen, she fell back, accepting that Kanta had left her.
...
"HEY ASSHOLES! KNOCK-KNOCK!" She heard from outside the cave, not even a second later, and EXPLOSION blasting down most of the Fallen, the rest at least on the floor, this was her chance. "Mori! If you're alive in there, get your ass out of there!" She had listened to her retreating instinct, dashing out of the cave, to see her partner on the rock, he came for her! He actually did!
By now, the surviving Dregs and Vandals dashed outward, only to get shot down by Punk's new Scout Rifle! "I freakin' love this thing!" Desert Punk shouted, laughing as he popped off the Fallen that dared to peek out their heads. When no more attempted this, Mori threw a grenade to clear in to the cave mouth, blasting away any of the lingering Fallen. "Eat that, you lizard fucks!" Punk shouted out, Mori looking up at her partner as he jumped down to her level, she didn't care that he was pissed, she was just happy he came. "What the hells your deal!? I told you if you get swamped to fall back!" Punk screamed, only to see her head facing down, she seemed sincerely sorry.
Punk felt awkward and now, a rare feeling of guilt entered him... "Look.. I don't need you dying on me! You still gotta teach me how this whole 'Guardian' thing works, can't do that 6 feet under, got it?" Punk said to her, she nodded. when he turned around and began walking, she hugged him suddenly from behind, Punk feeling her softer body even under the armor, and his thoughts began to wander~
"Snap out of it Punk!" The Ghost said inwardly, so Mori couldn't hear "We still need to get to the amplifier." Punk tried to move, but her hug was surprisingly strong. "Look, Mori, get yourself together, w-we gotta move." Desert Punk said, slowly trying to push her off, Mori finally letting go, she smiled underneath her helmet "Yeah~" the female Hunter said, letting him take the lead as he said one final thing "J-Just consider us even." Punk said, she then remembered she had saved him from the Fallen, when they first met.
With that, she still felt grateful, moving on with him toward the next forgotten ship, which contained the second Fallen signal amplifier. Reaching the second downed boat/Fallen squat-base, they were welcomed with more shock rifle and pistol rounds, which wormed through the air at them, the first couple landing against their shields, before they strafed left behind cover, abandoning speeders before getting low behind the a piece of curved toppled metal.
When the shots lightened up, Mori was the first to jump out, firing suppression at the Fallen, which were also using the rocks and other bigger debris that were sunk into the ground just like the ship. Desert Punk enjoying his new scout rifle, also firing off at the peeking Dregs. The Fallen response involved the charging sound of a shock grenade, which landed at their feet. When it's charging sound escalated, they both jumped out in opposite directions, Kanta left and Mori right, Mori's new cover was clear, squatting behind it, she quickly checked for Desert Punk.
"Dammit! I didn't think it would be one big freakin' firefight! I hate this crap!" He shouted in complaint. What she saw was a quick reaction and a shotgun blast to Fallen Vandal, Desert Punk taking out his grenade and chucking it toward the enemies hiding up ahead, hoping to draw them out. It did work, for the most part, two Dregs blasted out from behind the rocks ahead, it was now a straight shot up the ship's escalating bow, the stern covered with sand, as well as half the ship.
Two Fallen Vandals were trying their hardest to snipe Mori and Punk, the wires of sapphire energy flying over their heads, Mori pulling her Sniper Rifle out again, Desert Punk seeing this, knowing she'd need another second to set correct her sights once she peeks out, but those snipers would pick her off, unless he did what he was going to do, which was dash outward, behind a giant turned over canister of an emptied substance, both shock wires passing him by barely, giving Mori her opening. After that, it was already too late for the Vandals. Punk peeked out after he heard the two sniper shots, seeing the Vandals dead, and her standing up, giggling a bit, a cute giggle, but the sight was a tad scary all the same...
"Punk, before you get the wrong idea... Don't mess with her.." The Ghost said, Punk nodding quickly in agreement "Y-Yeah, I think you may be right..." With that, Desert Punk and Mori entered the ship, seeing the second amplifier, Mori's Ghost scanning it this time, relating it to what Kanta's scanned earlier. This amplifier was different, the first one playing classical music, this one speaking a foreign language... "What's he speaking? Crap-anese?" Punk asked, the machine speaking gibberish to him, the Ghost corrected him quickly, as if trying to make him look foolish "Russian, actually, and it's not the language that matters, it's 'whom' is speaking the language." The Ghost finished, analyzing it thoroughly now...
"It's the same transmission... But with both halves of the signal analyzed, I can track where it's coming from. The signal is coming from under Skywatch." The Ghost concluded, returning to Mori. "Very good Ghost." Mori said, quickly making her way out of the ship, onto the sloping sand below where they once were. "What the crap!? We came all this way just to head for the freakin' Skywatch!? This blows!" Punk retorted, following Mori out. She seemed to have the patience of a saint, not really being bothered by any of Desert Punk's... Mannerisms... "Kanta, we have to have to find out what the Fallen are up to, deal with this sort of thing is a part of being a Guardian~" Mori pointed out, quickly summoning her speeder. Kanta copying, wanting to stay close to his partner now.
As the two hunters rode onward, Mori took an odd right, instead of the forward, going up the rising trail that turned around the mountainside, Kanta following her "Where are you going?" he asked Mori. "The Skywatch~ there's a backdoor, leads right into it~ through the Terrestrial Complex, just follow me." She said, leading them under a bridge that connected two abandoned buildings, coming up to a taller complex of buildings. "Here it is, the Terrestrial Complex." She said, getting off her speeder before entering first into the darkened entrance, which was only lit inside by the set up Fallen lights and crates with lit attachments. She armed herself with her auto rifle, and Punk, his shotgun as they tried to keep quiet...
This changed when the sound of water slushing in the distance could be heard by the two guardians, this being after making two turns since the entrance. Coming on the room of the watery sound, two Fallen Dregs could be seen patrolling the small chamber, the Dregs clad in a different color, instead of the expected red, the dim gold color was the color that the Dregs were clad in. Turning back from the corner he peeked from, Desert Punk questioned this "What the crap? What kind of color-coding shit is this?" Mori was quick to whispered to him "Not all Fallen dress the same, but their different colors signifies their different houses."
"Different houses?" Punk asked, even more confused "There are different Fallen houses? What kind of medieval crap are they pulling?" Mori sitting back, letting Kanta comment on it before speaking again. "There are different groups of Fallen that are given different assignments, and handle different section or planet, if they're able. The House of Devils, or the Red Fallen, have been on Earth since the first Fallen invasion. Lately, the Darkness has been growing stronger, but not the Fallen, we've been pushing back well against them, at least here on Earth. So recently, the House of Kings, or the Gold Fallen, have been assisting the Devils from this side of the Cosmodrome~" Mori clarified, making more sense now to Kanta.
"So they're all still dirt-rotten lizard-assholes, correct?" Punk questioned, earning a surprisingly cheery reply, and nodded "Yep~!" When she stood up again, they peeked to see the Dregs with their back's turned. They may not be able to go around them, but they didn't have to be detected.
Knifing both Dregs from behind, laying them down quietly. Unfortunately, movement on his radar was going off, which detected it being right next to him, coming from the left, turning to see... Nothing... "KANTA! DUCK!" Mori called, a slash suddenly appearing across his shields, breaking them instantly, Desert Punk falling back, what the hell was that!? Mori quickly unloading her magazine at the direction the slash came from, the air distorting into a fading silhouette, a Vandal carrying two blades suddenly appeared before them, getting shot down to the ground then, Mori firing off at another direction around the crate in the water where the dead Dregs lay, distorting ANOTHER Vandal that was rushing at them, Punk beginning to see it, the Fallen could CLOAKS themselves!
"OH C'MON! THE FALLEN CAN DO THAT!? WHAT BULLSHIT!" Punk said, trifling to get his strength back, aiming his shotgun at his general forward direction, firing, suddenly, Stealth Vandal's camouflage disappeared, making it appear. It still charged them, as all Fallen did, even when injured, would still fight. Punk's second shotgun burst however was enough to put it into the ground, leaving no more invisible splashes of water charging at them. Without moments reprieve, a shrapnel launcher fired off at them, the Captain at the far end of the hall watching all this, lifted its arm in the signal of challenge, two Vandals stood by him, one with shock blades and one with a shock rifle, firing it off as well as the Captain.
Punk taking cover behind the crate with Mori, both of them suppressing them with Auto and Scout fire, Mori then pulling out what looked like a Fallen grenade, only it matched her armor instead of the usual ugly Fallen design. Kanta noticed, doing the same, he pulled out his grenade, and both Guardians throwing it in their direction together. Her grenade letting off a similar shock charge around its perimeter, though it's second discharge was a surprise, along with Kanta's incendiary grenade that simple set alight anything around it with an explosion, the result was two dead, gold-clad Fallen, a Captain and a Vandal.
"Hold it." Punk stopped Mori from moving forward, remembering something "there were three Fallen here, where'd that other Vandal go-?" Was all he could say as he suddenly ducked, a shock blade rearing over him with an across-slash, kicking backward, Kanta sent the Vandal back some feet for space, pulling out his scout rifle, he shot it dead with two rounds. "Well, that takes care of that." Desert Punk finished, pressing onward, Kanta and Mori moved upstairs, one of the older complex lights still flashing in decrepit function, in need of maintenance, like the rest of the complex, or the whole freakin' COSMODROME for that matter.
Moving up the stairs, they kicked through some more rubble and dirt on he floor before moving up another small flight of stairs, entering a small office room that entered into a bigger generator chamber, with generators, computers, tanks, and consoles filling the room. "The Fallen are tapped in to a console on the far side of the room." The Ghost said. Three movements were detected on their radars, but nothing at all could be seen, except the thin outer layer of a Fallen Shock blade swinging right in front of them!
Two more pairs of shock blades silhouetted with a blurry distortion of what was behind them. Stealth Vandals ambushed the two guardians, the three Fallen striking around each other, attempting to slash, stab, or even graze the two hunters. Mori responded with her knifed, stabbing at the Stealth Vandal, making it visible for Punk's shotgun blast, ending one of them, the two other Vandals pranced back into the room, in case they entered again, however, this move was anticipated by Punk, who winched upward to the ceiling of the room before the smaller office, pulling out his rocket launcher! Firing it off with a great blast "SUCK ON THIS YOU CAMOUFLAGED FUCKS!" Desert Punk yelled, the Fallen being blasted to smithereens, as well as the two dregs waiting to ambush the Guardians, in case the Stealth ambush didn't work. These Guardians weren't to be taken lightly by these Fallen...
After finishing off another golden clad Captain and his Dregs, Mori and Desert Punk headed for the Fallen tap on, what appeared to be, a functioning console. It wasn't Fallen, but human, the machine seemed to be activated. The Ghost was sent to scan it, speaking after a second of analyzation "The Fallen are trying to access these machines, but something is fighting back. I'll look into it. This may take some time..." He stated, only to be responded to by the sound of growling and harsh whispering, the Fallen were coming.
"W-We may not have a whole lot of time.." Mori stated, Desert Punk stepped up, looking to her. "Aw dammit, I wasn't expecting another damn firefight..." He took a second, a second was all he had to analyze the room and the direction of the enemy; which was many, at least a dozen Dregs, eight Vandals and three Captains, not to mention plenty of Fallen Shanks, clad in the King color of gold. In the back, there was, what appeared to be, a giant black eyeball, colored in purple at the center, emitting a sort of noise, speaking its own cybernetic language, what the hell was that?
Luckily for Mori, a second was all Kanta Mizuno needed. "Guard my Ghost, use the cover and snipe the Captains and Vandal snipers. No matter what, DON'T move from that top ledge." He said to her, she hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly, then quickly reacting to the shock rounds that flew by them, by jumping up to the ledge, where the Ghost was. With Mori sniping up above, it was time for Punk to get to work. Re-quipping his hand cannon in place of his scout rifle, he began landing head shots on at least three Dregs, and blasted four Shanks.
Mori sniped, breaking the shields of two Captains, and ending a Vandal sniper instantly, before a slow whistling sound was heard through the air, she peeked outside of the scope of her sniper rifle to see a sudden purple light fly right at her! It wasn't fast enough to hit her straight on, as the anticipated shot was aimed for. She quickly realized the one responsible, the black machine sphere, this Servitor of void blasts fired another out of its eye-cannon, this time it was dodged by Mori completely. This however did put the Guardian sniper behind cover, and busy.
Punk was alone amidst the collection of crate-shaped machines and tanks, using them to get the jump on them with a shotgun blast, and a knife to the face. This tactic worked... For the first minute of battle, until he was surrounded by two Stealth Vandals, slashing his shields off AGAIN! The pain replicated on Desert Punk's abdomen and arm, he was cornered still, but now has a moment to rebuttal with his shotgun, blasting the one on his left back, before firing up his winch, tying it to the ceiling. Bad move. His body was then a moving target for the three captains with shrapnel launchers. If the situation wasn't so dangerous, the sight would be comical, at least to anyone who knew Desert Punk in the days of the Kanto Desert.
Punk's response was that of a shock to his enemy, who didn't react until it was too late! A rocket launcher once again in the clutches of the Desert Demon, he quickly fired it off after a "HOLD ON TO YOUR ASSES!" he warned the enemy as the rocket then flew at them. The blast killed off two of the Captains, the third awaiting his short demise, attempting to regain it's honor by lashing out toward the hanging Guardian, when a sniper rifle round blasted through it's head, downing and ending the Fallen.
As the Servitor then began blasting Desert Punk from behind, he let himself go from the ceiling, dropping amidst the different large machines of the room. The two Vandals from before were waiting on him again, except this time, Punk was ready, shooting the first Vandal out of its camouflage, blasting the other with his shotgun again, before knifing the same first Vandal, ending both of them.
"You know, for a 'House of Kings', you guys are real easily mistaken for fools! Jackasses!" Desert Punk taunted the Vandals left in the central room, only they and the Servitor were left now, and the few other Dregs that were attempting to suppress Mori, but instead were dropping like flies. The Vandals were attempting to fire upon Punk's back, his rushing the Servitor, he must've had a strategy, but how it involved RUSHING a Fallen Servitor, Mori wouldn't understand.
Punk dashed forward, the Servitor locked on him, it fired its void cannon, which Punk slid around, then rolling behind a crate, the Servitor making more of its computerized tones and noises, giving away its position. Punk then made his move, Mori trying to multi-task her aim on the Fallen and her partner! Desert Punk jumped up and over the crate, anticipated by the Servitor, who blasted his void eye-cannon at him, who responded with a grenade, not one used before, this grenade burst on the Servitor's eye, swarming it suddenly with spiked spheres which slashed and at it constantly. The Servitor was helpless, and that was when Mori saw it, Desert Punk dropping back behind the crate, then attacking from the side, around it, the Servitor then bombarded by shotgun blasts, three was all it took to end it!
After that, the Fallen were no match, the rest retreating away to God-know's-where, the Ghost finishing up his analyzation. "Okay, I pulled out everything they managed to steal." The Ghost spoke on both Mori and Desert Punk's comms. "We should destroy this thing..." The Ghost said as Kanta was stepped up to the ledge where the Ghost and Mori both were. As the console then engaged in showing its main power supply, which glowed a fluorescent blue color in between metal caging. Kanta aimed his shotgun, firing off two buck shots and stepped back as it burst into flame.
"The Fallen didn't get much, they kept hitting an active firewall. Old. Russian..." There was a moment of silence, the Ghost recollecting his thoughts, concluding his own analysis. "The legends are true, a Warmind did survive the collapse. 'Rasputin', an A.I. built to defend Earth.. He faced the darkness, and survived. And I was able to find his recent activity. He's protecting something here, in the Cosmodrome. We have to find a way to reach him, or at least what it is he's protecting" the Ghost finished.
Desert Punk looked at him, then at Mori, then at the Ghost again. "You're shitting me, right? After all that? We're STILL not done here!? What kind of nutjob, charity case IS this Guardian crap!?" He said, Mori stepping forward to him, looking at him straight through his helmet, he could feel her eyes.
She wasn't the type to yell, nor did she, however, this was the sternest he'd seen her speak. "This isn't 'crap' Kanta. If it were, than it wouldn't be worth fighting for. This fight, this cause, you may not be the type to fight for it, but you ARE here. Which means that the Traveler found a light to resurrect you by. Think about it... It may seem like a load of 'charity work', but it's more than that. This is the world you once lived in. This is the world that once held the 'Great Kanto Desert' and if you're not able to fight to survive in it... Then you're gonna die. Alone and forgotten. The Darkness will consume you, as it has all others who have the very same conviction. I won't force your hand, seeing as your view on all this is very uncharacteristic of you-one who serves only himself. But the way this world is, or what's left of it... If you WANT to survive, to serve yourself, you HAVE to serve the city... There really isn't another way." Silence again filled the room...
Kanta thought... And thought.. And thought, his mind on overdrive, all of this hitting him like a freakin' truck! His face red, he wanted to yell! Scream! Holler at how wrong she was! But was she...? In the end... He couldn't say anything... He swallowed his pride, like a brick, turning around in a pouting fashion. She looked at him, wondering what his next move was... He suddenly stomped, as if his fuming frustration could be seen, he turned around at her, finger in her face "You know what? Fine! We'll go to wherever the damn A.I. is leading us! Okay!? Cause I promise you this LADY, I'm not some PUSHOVER from the city! I'm a freakin' badass, and I'll tell you what! It's gonna take EVERY DARK SHADOW OUT THERE to take me down! So I'll play that stupid Snow-Globes' game! And I'll fucking win it too! I'll serve the damn city! If that's what survival is, than so-fuckin'-beat! I'll make you see that I'm the hardest fucking thing this 'darkness' has ever seen! And if ANYONE questions it, than they can get the front row seat to the show called 'KISS MY ASS!' Understood!? So let's go, and lets find this damn A.I.!" He shouted out before he stomped down the steps, making his way out as his Ghost followed him. Mori followed them out, smiling underneath the mask, a honest, genuine, happy smile, whispering "Thank you, Kanta."
OH-MY-GOD! THAT WAS SO DAMN LONG! Thank you for reading thus far, sorry if the battles stretch on abit, kinda have to, if you want it vivid in the beautiful instrument that is called 'your mind' :) Thanks again for reading. TTFN "Ta-Ta For Now"