Hey all! This is it, the grand finale! Thank you all so much for sticking with it this far, and I hope you all enjoy the ending! I'll be posting an epilogue at around the same time, so I'll finish up there.
Read on!
Chapter Ten: Finale
Samus appeared outside, her body materializing out of thin air. A quick glance at her surroundings showed she was in an open field, the Requiem sky above her. Tree's lined the distances ahead, behind her the misty, rocky area she had been stuck in before. Once again, she looked down at her new armor, still mesmerized by how…alien it really was.
In the light of the sun, it shone like a silver beacon, its metal bright and reflective. The overall shape was much more organic than the Varia suit, lacking any sharp or rigid points. Her shoulder pads had shrunk, taking on a smaller, sphere like shape. The next eye catching feature was the distinct glow from within the suit. Whereas the Varia suit had the iconic green glow from her highlights, this one now had bright orange, much the same as the Prometheans did. The same went for her visor, which now took on a more angular shape, the one sharp contrast to the suits overall smoothness.
Samus brought up the message that had popped up when she had acquired the new armor.
[Prometheus Armor Online]
She smiled, before going through the numerous upgrades that had come with the suit. Her eyes scrolled down the last quickly, having read the notice before.
[Incinerator Beam Online]
[Hard Light Shielding Online]
[Constraint Field Projector Online]
[Short Range Teleporter Online]
[Samus's Notes: The last gift I'll ever receive from the past…thank you Old Bird.]
She had added that part moments before, back below ground. After receiving the Prometheus suit, the Librarian had told her she didn't have much time before the Didact found the Composer. Deciding to see just how powerful her new systems were, she'd tried to use the Teleporter, appearing in this field just now. She didn't know the extent of these new upgrades, but she was partly eager to find out. The Incinerator Beam in particular peaked her interest, and if it was anything like the Incineration Cannon the Knights used, it would be a welcome addition to her arsenal.
"Samus? Is that you?"
Adam's voice filled her ear, momentarily shocking her. Though she felt a quick rush of happiness right after, silently glad to hear his voice. She hadn't been able to talk to him without her armor, and she had missed him, both his mere presence and his tactical input.
"Adam, happy to hear you're still around." She said, trying to keep her happiness out of her voice, but cracking a smile anyway.
She heard him breathe a sigh of relief. "I was worried when you dropped out of contact. At first I came to look for you, but the ship picked up Ridley's signature, so I hid it close to our initial landing site."
"Ridley?" Samus asked. The dragon had left her just as he had her cornered, something she'd thought as odd. "Did you see which direction he was heading?"
"Yes…" Adam said, sounding grim. "Up. He's left Requiem, heading into open space."
Samus cursed. "He's probably moving to the Didacts location. We can't let him reach Earth."
"Right." Adam agreed. "I'm already moving to your position, though at first I didn't realize it was you. Your armor is giving off some strange readings."
"I'll explain on the way, but for now, we need to leave."
Samus heard the ship approaching within minutes of their contact, and she quickly spotted the distinct orange and green in the sky, flying right for her. It came to a hover above her, slowly lowering down to the ground. Samus moved out of the way, taking a few steps back. The lift descended to the ground, waiting for her, and carried her inside once she stood on it. She'd never been happier to see the familiar sight of her home, but that had to wait. She immediately moved to her pilot's chair, setting herself down and preparing the ship for fast travel.
"Is that…Forerunner?" Adam asked cautiously, his avatar appearing on the ships dash.
"Yes, it's a gift from old friends…" Samus muttered, not answering him on purpose. She fired up the ship, and they began flying through Requiems blue sky, moving for the entryway to open space.
"Do you have any idea where they might be?" Adam asked her.
Samus entered a course into the computer, powering up the slip space drive. "No. We'll head to Earth and wait for them. With any luck, we will get there before them."
"When are we that lucky…?" Adam grumbled, his hologram vanishing.
Samus relaxed into her chair as the viewport turned black as they entered slip space. She deactivated her helmet, taking a deep breath. It might be the last time she got to enjoy it.
"Adam, can you prepare a recording?" She asked, watching the blackness outside.
"Yes, what for?" He asked.
"I want to leave a message for John, incase…" She said softly, trailing off.
"No. We will pull through this, we always do." He said sternly.
"Adam…"
"The fact you would think of that-"
"Adam!" She shouted, losing her cool. She sighed. "It's a possibility. The Didact is no Space Pirate, and he wants my blood. Regardless if I can defeat him or not, there's always the chance I won't win this one."
Adam appeared, looking mad. He didn't counter her however, she guess that he must have known she was right.
"Recordings ready." He said, monotone. "Just start speaking when you're ready."
She sighed, looking down at the floor, before raising her head to stare right into her onboard camera.
"Hey John…"
John felt pain all over his body, but he willed it down. Groaning, he forced his eyes to open, and struggled to push himself off the ground. He managed to get to one knee, his legs flaring up in protest. An acrid smell filled his nose, sharp and off putting. It reminded him of ash. And then, John remembered.
All around him, piles of ash lay on the ground, still steaming. Small flecks of the stuff floated in the air, shining in the dim light of the station. The crew. They were all dead, taken by the Composer.
"You're awake…" A small, sad voice said from behind him.
He rose to his feet, turning to face Cortana. Her avatar sat on its pedestal, hugging her knees. Her face looked miserable, and was half buried in her legs. She looked like an absolute mess, it was clear she was struggling to hold herself together. John turned back around to look at all the bodies, at least what was left of them.
"I monitored the data pulse. I could hear them…what was left of them." She said quietly, sounding on the verge of tears.
John shook his head, turning to face the hallway behind him. "We need to move."
This was the fate of all humanity if they didn't leave now. He didn't know how long he'd been out, or how much of a head start the Didact had, but they had time. Lasky, and hopefully Samus would be at Earth right now, and they would buy time. John hoped he had enough time.
"These people are gone." Cortana said, raising her head from behind her knees.
"And more will follow if the Didact reached Earth." He told her, trying to rouse her from her emotional state. They didn't have time to dwell on what had happened.
She was silent for a few moments, looking out the window into space. "They'll pair you with another A.I. Maybe even another Cortana model if Halsey lets them…"
John turned swiftly to face her, moving so he was right in front of her. "That's not going to happen"
"It won't be me…you know that right?" She continued, staring up at him.
John sighed. He didn't know how to reply to that. It sounded like Cortana had given up, was accepting an avoidable fate. But he wouldn't give up, he could do it. Save her, save everyone.
Cortana got up, bringing up a holoscreen and tapping a few icons. "Spinning up a Broadsword in the main hanger bay. Whatever the Librarian did to you obviously worked.
John looked at her, still caught up on her apparent defeat. "Cortana…"
She turned to look at him, her face looking tired and worn out. Her eyes looked vulnerable, as she awaiting whatever it was he had to say.
"It's not over. Not yet."
She didn't smile, didn't warm up. She just stared up at him. "Not yet…"
The next few minutes passed as a blue to him. He retrieved her, before making his way to the hanger area. In here was the Havoc that was never used, and so John attached it to the underside of his Broadsword, ready to be fired should he get a shot at the Composer. Cortana brought the ships engines online, and John climbed inside without a moments delay.
The ship itself was tiny, about half the size of a Pelican, and much smaller than Samus's Gunship. But it was fast and effective, designed for intense combat. If the Didact was still in the system, he'd catch up to him. The magnetic railings holding the ship in place released, and John sped off into open space. Cortana informed him that the Didact was indeed still in the system, not far from the actual base. He sped off in the direction she'd told him too, coming into visual contact with his colossal ship shortly after. John raced toward the ship, its size growing as they got closer and closer.
"Two Hundred Kilometers from the target." Cortana informed him. "Once we get aboard, we'll find the bridge."
John nodded, continuing to speed right for the ship. A sudden blue and black shimmer appeared, growing into a massive tear in slip space. They'd gotten here just in time. The Didact was planning to jump.
"He's on the move again." John noted.
"The Fighters shields aren't rated for slip space travel!" Cortana warned him, but John continued to speed towards him.
"No, but the Didacts are."
He flew right for the hull, pulling up at the last minute before impact. They skidded along the larger ships hull, sticking low to the ground. Above them, the shimmer of the Ships shields activated as they passed through the wormhole. John checked the Broadswords systems quickly, noting that everything was stable. He maneuvered the ship through the density of the Didacts hull, which was covered in various antennae, satellites and various other utensils.
"Broadsword hull integrity is stable. We'll be safe as long as we stay below the Didacts shields." Cortana told him.
"Where's the Composer?" he asked.
"Close, it's near the front of the ship. I should be able to guide us to it."
John noted that they were currently near the top of the ship, which had an odd, stretched out proportion. He continued to dodge the minefield of equipment outside the ship, taking care to stay as close to the hull as possible.
A sudden and familiar voice startled him. "You have not been composed. Such inoculation should not be possible."
John did his best to ignore the Didacts words, though the mere fact he said them meant he knew they were there. They had lost the element of surprise, though John didn't find this as shocking as he thought. Of course he knew they were there, his ship most likely had very advanced sensors. He didn't let this deter him however, as he pushed on and drove the ship further down.
"Locking on to his transmission…he's at the Composer!" Cortana exclaimed. "We can take them both out at once!"
John noticed objects materializing ahead of him. They looked like small turrets, glowing orange and pointing in his direction. He was soon proven correct, as they opened fire on him as he passed. He tried to dodge all the shots, but they were numerous turrets, and he couldn't dodge both them and all the excess metal sticking out of the hull.
He flew down into an opening to escape the turret fire. Inside, the walls moved and changed, making John swerve the ship in all directions to avoid crashing. They came out the other side to be faced with more turrets, though this section of the ship was less cluttered, meaning John had room to maneuver. He returned fire, a few shots from the fighter's chain gun obliterating any turret he set his sights on. A sudden warning beacon lit up on his dash.
"Radiation levels fluctuating." Cortana told him. "We're coming out of slip space!"
"That was fast…" John noted, not surprised as he looked up and saw the Earth appear above them.
The planet was a blip of blue and green against an endless sea of black, and while John had spent little time in his life on Earth, he still thought of it fondly. It was humanities final great stronghold, their last true bastion, and once again, it was under threat. John dodged more turret fire, darting under another tunnel in the ship's hull.
Johns radio crackled, the local chatter of military forces playing both inside his helmet and from the cockpit.
"At current velocity, hostile will achieve Earth orbit in approximately four minutes." An unknown person said, reporting to a higher figure no doubt.
"Roger. Battle group Dakoda, close on the Forerunner vessel."
"Infinity must have warned them!" Cortana shouted, real happiness in her voice for once.
Even John had to admit, it was a very nice surprise to see Earth was waiting, it's defenses ready. "Sierra 117 to Infinity. Captain Del Rio do you read?"
He was greeted by a very different, much preferred voice. "Chief, it's Lasky. Is that you?"
John swerved through several columns, dodging fire. "Affirmative sir. Where's the Captain?"
"Fleetcom didn't take too kindly to his abandoning you on Requiem. I'm afraid I'll have to do." Lasky informed him.
John jumped right to the point. "The Didacts got the Composer. Cortana and I are in a Broadsword carrying a Havoc grade payload. On approach to deliver."
"And Samus?" Lasky asked.
"I don't know. I last saw her engaged with a hostile on Requiem."
Lasky was silent for a moment, the radio crackling. "Let me see if I can make your drop easier. All ships, prepare to engage!" Lasky shouted to those on the other end of the line. He'd sounded mad, and John didn't need to guess why.
"Alright Chief, the battle groups moving to intercept, but at the rate the Didacts advancing, he'll reach the wire in two minutes."
"Direct all your ships toward the Composer. Cortana will give you the coordinates."
"Roger that Chief." Lasky said.
John flew into a massive tunnel, lined with large lasers firing into wall sockets. He guessed this was some kind of energy production, but he didn't have time to guess or even fire on it. He sped through, ducking and weaving through the expansive laser beams.
"Orbital Defense Command, this is Fleetcom. Hostile inbound. Proceed to condition Red."
The highest warning, Lasky had really pulled through and convinced them of what was coming. Maybe, the combined human ships would be enough to at least slow the Didact down.
"This is Earth Orbital Defense. MAC defenses have prover ineffective against enemy vessel. Hostile still approaching."
"Battlegroup has reached Didacts ship!" Lasky shouted.
"Captain Lasky you are clear to engage!" An unknown officer told him.
John continued to race down the hull, the view of Earth growing ever closer. He also saw various UNSC ship firing upon the Didacts vessel, but they were much smaller, and their rounds didn't no damage. Only Infinity was close to matching the ships size, but John couldn't see that particular ship.
"Composer signals just ahead. Get ready to-John behind us!" Cortana screamed.
John managed to roll to the side just in time, as a huge silver and orange shape barreled past him. A tail flicked in annoyance, a fierce roar reaching him inside his cockpit. John spotted glowing wings and sharp teeth, and felt a lump in his gut. It was Ridley.
Had he killed Samus? John didn't know, but had little time to think as Ridley flew right for the Broadsword. "We have to move into open space."
He pushed the fighter to its limits, rocketing out into the open, still flying toward the Didacts ship center. Ridley pursued him, somehow managing to keep up with them at subsonic speeds. The monstrous dragon began firing Hardlight beams out of its mouth, both fast and accurate. John did his best to avoid the onslaught, but Ridley was proving to be more than a match for them in speed.
"Captain Lasky, I have a hostile on my tail. Uploading my coordinates." He informed the Captain, hoping they could do something.
"It's that creature from Requiem…" Lasky noted. "Lasky to bridge, fire on that target!"
John spotted the infinity, moving to rest between the Didact and Earth. A barrage of ship to ship missiles flew out the starboard side, streaking right toward him. Just before they reached him, John went into a dive, flying toward the Didacts hull. Ridley didn't have time to react, and was hit with a majority of the Missile attack. To John's surprise, the dragon emerged from the smoke unharmed, his orange eyes glaring angrily. It turned to look at the Infinity, before roaring and flying toward the UNSC ship, ignoring John.
"I hope they can handle that monster." Cortana commented, worriedly.
"They'll be fine." He said, speeding toward the center of the Didacts ship. It was a large, flat opening that led into the interior of the ship. John spotted the Composer sitting in the middle, kept there by forced he didn't understand.
As they approached, the opening began to close up, large plates moving to seal the opening away from them. John curse, speeding up, but they couldn't reach the opening fast enough. It closed just as they neared firing range, hiding their target away from them.
John pulled back, away from the constant fire from numerous turrets, to the safety of the UNSC fleet, which had now congregated at the opening. They fired upon the plates shielding the ship, but the attacks didn't do a scratch.
"Infinity, the Didacts closed off our entrance to the Composer."
"We could try to punch a hole but-"Lasky cut off. "Damn, withdraw staff in that section. Aim local turrets to the outer hull."
"Sir?"
"It's Ridley. Its tearing up our defenses, and taking out our big guns. We can't do anything until a solution comes up."
"Good thing you have one then."
The voice was instantly recognizable. That cocky, bold tone. John looked up, scanning the sky. Soon enough, he spotted her, and her outlandish orange ship. She sped past them, soaring right for the Infinity.
"I'll take care of Ridley." Samus said. "Focus on getting John inside. John, I'll meet you in there when I'm done."
"Are you sure you can fight Ridley alone?" he asked, aware of the last couple of times they'd faced off.
"Yes, I can do it." She said, and something in her voice made her believe him.
"Samus? Oh thank god." Lasky said, sounding more than relieved. "You heard the woman, aim the main gun at that ship."
John watched as Infinity turned to face the Didacts ship, watched as its main energy weapon powered on. Twin lasers shot out, blasting into a small section of the ship, close of the main opening. John did a quick circle of the site, and spotted an opening had been made, just large enough to accommodate his fighter.
"Clean hit. We're proceeding to insertion." John informed Infinity. He flipped the Broadsword and flew right for the opening.
"Acknowledged. We'll be on station if you need us." Lasky told him. "Make sure you give the Didact our regards."
John plummeted right through the opening, their vision taken up by near darkness as they entered the bowels of the ship. As they flew deeper, the walls closed in. In fact, it looked as if they were actually closing in, moving to close the gap created. A loud screech echoed out as the Broadsword scrapped along a wall, but John had no room left to maneuver. The walls above and below him closed in, moving dangerously close to crushing him.
"I don't think this is going to end well!" Cortana screamed.
Just as the walls finally closed in, the front half of the fighter made it through the opening. The sounds of metal tearing shrieked in his ear, as he was thrown about inside his seat. The front half of the ship came crashing to the ground, coming to the stop as the rest of it rained down from above. John made sure that his body was ok, before moving to exit the craft. He landed on his feet, rifle raised as he checked the hall for any signs of trouble.
The hall was silent, except for the flaming wreckage behind him. He turned and moved to the underside of the fighter, pushing shrapnel aside to get to the Havoc nuke inside. He grabbed it, pulling it away from the wreckage, before unscrewing the payload from the missile base. The actual nuke, which fit into his palm, he placed on his spare weapons slot on his back. He readied his rifle.
"Now what do we do?" Cortana asked.
"Plan B." He replied, striding down the hall.
Samus's ship flew in close to the Infinity's hull, the damage Ridley had caused as bright as day. Large chunks of hull had been torn out, as well as weapon systems and vital equipment. Samus spotted the menacing dragon, tearing into one of the Infinity's hanger bays. He was destroying ships and killing crew, causing utter mayhem. Samus flew the ship in closer, glaring daggers.
"Get his attention." She growled, getting out of her seat.
Adam complied, firing two bursts of energy from her main guns. The twin projectiles hit Ridley in the back, causing him to roar and turn, searching for his foe. Samus knew when he'd seen them, his body stopped, and he dropped the Pelican he had been crushing. He moved slowly toward the exit, like a predator stalking prey.
"Fly the ship to Infinity's roof, then get out of his range." Samus ordered. She felt the ship suddenly shoot up, and watched as Ridley pursued them, roaring silently in the void of space.
"You sure about this?" Adam asked.
She nodded. "I'll see you when this is over."
She watched as they flew closer to the top part of the Infinity, counting silently in her head. Just as they began passing over, she activated her teleporter. She felt her insides twist for a moment, and suddenly she was on top of Infinity, her ship soaring overhead to join the rest of the fleet. Slowly, she turned to face Ridley, as the dragon slowed and landed a short distance away from her, his eyes glowing against the blackness.
The Earth was beside them, a bright blue gem. Had this been any other situation, Samus would have considered it beautiful. But currently she barely registered it, her attention fully on her opponent.
"You use to scare me." She said aloud. Ridley didn't react, just kept staring at her.
She continued. "When I was younger, you use to terrify me. It took me years to get over that fear, but I wasn't completely free from it. It changed, evolved into anger. The mere sight of you used to send me into a rage."
Samus didn't know if Ridley could understand her, or even hear her. His cold, mechanical eyes just stared, his jaw slightly open. He let out a faint hiss, his tail coiling behind him.
"But you know what? I don't feel that way anymore. The Ridley who scared me is gone, dead. Whatever the Didact did to you, you're not the same monster." She said, pausing. "No, I'm not afraid of you anymore…I feel sorry for you."
He let out a loud screech, growing impatient. He began sinking into a crouch, ready to spring forward. Samus brought her cannon up, her visor glowing as orange as his eyes. For a moment, the two just stared, the distant battles in space unnoticed.
Ridley sprang. He jumped forward, claws extended. Samus shifted to her Morph Ball, rolling under him. Ridley swiped at her, but missed, crashing into the ground instead. Samus shifted back, charging her cannon. It began to glow molten orange, large amounts of orange vapor venting out the sides. She fired, the massive energy blast hitting Ridley in the back. He screeched, and swiftly turned. Ridley began advancing, attempting to shield himself from Samus's fire. She backed up, firing more charged shots from the Incinerator Beam.
Ridley suddenly charged forward. Samus didn't have the time to react, and was knocked off her feet. She hit the ground hard, grunting from the flare of pain. Ridley didn't give her time to pause, swinging his clawed hand. She rolled away, the hand smacking into the hull, leaving a dent. Ridley pursued her, swiping and clawing. Samus kept rolling, trying to see how close she was to the edge. When she felt open space, she stopped, shooting to her feet. She glanced behind her, her heel right on the edge.
Ridley roared, and ran at her on all fours. Samus was trapped, but looking to the open space behind the dragon, she got an idea. Just as Ridley reached her, his claws out and ready, she teleported. She took a second to get her bearings, before turning. She was now behind Ridley, who was screeching in surprise. She fired more Incinerator blasts, catching him in the back and wings. He roared, trashing his tail at her. It slammed into her gut, pushing her off her feet. The wind left her, as she collided with a wall and fell to the ground. She gasped for air, struggling to her feet.
She looked up in time to spot Ridley launching himself into the air, soaring high above her. He began to circle, and Samus noticed his mouth begin to glow. She pushed herself up and away, running as Ridley opened fire on her from the air. Large blasts of energy rained down on her, crashing into the hull and causing more explosions. Samus dodged some, but couldn't avoid them all. Her Hardlight shields kicked in, the blue barriers shielding her from most of the damage. She heard a sudden whoosh, and turned, only to be knocked down by Ridley. The dragon had dive bombed her, slamming her into the ground.
He flew back up, circling for another attack. Samus stood her ground, getting to one knee and firing up at him. Ridley ignored her fire, flying through the energy blasts. Samus tried to dodge his swipe, but Ridley proved faster. She got caught on the legs, which sent her spiraling along the ground. Her shielding held on, the physical barriers bright and blue.
She got to her feet, looking up as Ridley circled for another attack. Samus got ready to run, but another idea formed in her mind. Taking a moment to watch how fast Ridley was flying toward her, she waiting for the last possible moment, before teleporting. She appeared on Ridley's back, almost falling off as she got her bearings. Ridley yelped in surprised, pulling up before he hit the ground. Samus clung onto one of his back spikes, aiming her cannon at his wings. She fired, the Incineration shots causing the Hardlight membrane to ripple. She heard Ridley hiss, before he started rolling in a continuous loop. Samus had to stop firing as she clung on, refusing to be thrown off.
She was suddenly yanked away from her hand hold by a large, clawed hand. Ridley had grabbed her as he spun, now holding her toward his head. She struggled to release herself, but she still couldn't match his raw strength. He screeched, attempting to bite down on her. She fired blindly, unable to lock on during the constant movement. She heard him roar in pain, but his grip stayed tight. She tried to focus, but Ridley was spinning too fast, causing everything around her to be a blur. She continued to fire in his general direction.
Ridley stopped spinning, coming to a stop above the Infinity. He glared at her angrily, to which Samus fired a charged shot into his face. He hissed, and began plummeting to the Infinity's hull, arms outstretched. Samus realized he meant to crush her, and she fired more frantically. Ridley roared and screeched in pain, but held onto her, their speed increasing. Samus tried to teleport, but she couldn't focus on a location. The ground grew closer as they sped toward it.
Samus fired a Super Missile into Ridley's face, causing the dragon to roar and look away. Samus used this opportunity to fire a charged shot at Ridley's hand. He yelped, his grip loosening. Samus took the opportunity to wriggle out, her body being thrust up from the momentum. Ridley flew past her. Samus tried to dodge him midair, but got caught on one of his face spikes. She tugged against it, but was wedged in tight. Ridley realized he was going to crash into the ground, and tried to pull up. He came crashing down, a massive boom following. Huge chunks of the hull went flying. Samus was pulled away by the inertia, and sent sprawling away. She came to a stop close by, groaning from the pain.
She slowly struggled to her feet. The crash had sent a massive plume of dust and debris up into the air. Samus rested a hand on her leg, leant over slightly. She panted, her eyes on the crash, waiting. Sure enough, Ridley emerged out of the plume, but Samus immediately noticed he'd taken some damage. His metal skin was dented, scratched up. And his wings…
"His wings are gone!" She thought to herself.
Ridley's wings, or rather the glowing membrane, was damaged beyond repair, leaving him with shredded stumps. He growled, stalking toward her, each step shaking the ground. Samus fired into his face, but he ignored her, and continued advancing upon her. She ducked a swipe, backing away. But Ridley pressed on, swinging his claws and tail. Samus jumped over his tail, firing another Super Missile to keep him at bay. The concussion dazed him, long enough for Samus to get a scan in.
[Subject Ridley is covered in numerous layers of armor, the materials unknown. Most conventional weaponry will not penetrate this thick shell.]
She cursed, but the scan wasn't finished. More information flashed on the screen.
[Scans detect a flaw in subject's armor design. Upon firing weapons, Ridley's mouth area is vulnerable, exposing his internal systems. Damage to this area will cause severe damage to Ridley.]
"His mouth…" She said slowly, watching as Ridley recovered from his daze, glaring down at her.
She charged her, crashing into a wall as Samus side stepped. She fired into his back, enraging him further. Samus used her teleport to create distance between them, appearing a short distance away. Ridley glared, before opening his mouth, the inside beginning to glow. Samus stood her ground, charging up her Incinerator Beam. She held the charge, waiting for the right moment…
Ridley fired, the massive beam of energy streaking toward her. Samus fired at the same time, before rolling to the side, the attack scuffing her armor. She looked up quickly, just in time to watch as her beam shot right into the dragons open mouth. He eyes lit up as he screeched, falling onto his back and trashing around. He clutched his chest, letting out a painful hiss.
Samus ran toward him, intending to finish him off, but Ridley saw her coming. He rolled, catching Samus under him. She struggled to push his weight away, but her arms strained, shaking. She felt his hand grab her again, and was unable to stop him smacking her into the ground. She gritted her teeth, pushing against him in vain. He appeared above her, holding her down. He leered, his tail moving into focus.
Samus let out a cry as she narrowly dodged his sudden stab. He missed her head by a mere inch, growling in irritation. He tried again, getting even closer. Samus fired a missile at his tail. Ridley yelped and pulled it away. He glared down at her, before opening his mouth, his throat beginning to light up. Samus saw her chance, raising her cannon and charging. Just as Ridley began to fire, she fired too, the beam traveling down his throat.
Samus caught a blast of Ridley's beam, her shielding flickering from the powerful attack, but Ridley turned his head, the beam moving. He roared in agony as her attack tore him apart. He threw his arm in the air, releasing Samus. She tumbled, landing in a roll, and springing to her feet. She raised her cannon, ready for him.
Ridley thrashed about, roaring loudly. His movements grew slower, as he struggled. Samus fired again, the beam crashing into his chest. He screeched, collapsing into a heap on the ground. He grew still, his movements feeble and slow. Samus advanced, her cannon aimed down at his head. His eye followed her, that same coldness still there. Ridley was dying, she knew that, but she had to be sure. He had cheated death more than once, but that ended today.
She fired again, into his face. He groaned meekly, his head tilting to the side. She noticed his body had begun to disintegrate, similar to the deaths of the Knights. She stood back and watched as his body slowly faded away, starting with his tail and wings. It continued along his body, moving toward his head. Ridley watched her the whole time, his glowing eye never leaving her. Just as the disintegration reached his head, he opened his mouth.
"Little Girl…" He hissed, a menacing grin growing.
Samus gasped and took a step back, but Ridley vanished, his remaining dust floating off into space. Samus watched the cloud fade, the glittering orange partials fading into the dark. He was gone, finally gone. While Samus felt more than thrilled that he was gone, and more so she was alive, she felt a pang of sadness. Ridley had been one of the few things connecting her to her old life, and now he was gone. Samus felt a sudden loneliness, standing on Infinity's roof by herself.
"Infinity…"
"This is Samus, Ridley's taken care off. I'm going to join John inside the Didacts ship." She said into the radio, her tone cold.
"Roger that Samus, good luck." Lasky responded. "And…come back alive, please."
Samus didn't reply, instead changing channel to her ship. "Alright Adam, come pick me up. We have another fight ahead."
While she waited, she turned to look at the Forerunner ship in the distance, a massive glowing beacon of evil. It had gained a lot of ground, and was now practically hovering over the Earth. She thought of John, in there by himself.
"Don't worry John, I'm coming…"
"Chief move!" Cortana yelled.
John rolled to the side as a Hardlight explosion rocked him. He sprung to his feet and returned fire, finishing off the last of the Knights. The hall grew silent as it vanished into glowing dust, leaving a sore and tired John alone.
"How close are we to the Composer?" He asked, reloading his Light Rifle.
"It's just up ahead." She said anxiously.
There journey had been harder than John thought it would. The Didact had been changing the layout of the ship from the inside, forcing John to take alternate routes or backtrack area's he'd already cleared. But they were finally close. He patted the Havoc on his back once again, ensuring it was still there, and stable.
Moving onto the next area, they came out inside a massive chamber, the walls stretching as far as he could see. This was indeed the Composers firing chamber, and John spotted the Composer floating in the middle. He couldn't make out if the Didact was there, but he knew the Forerunner had to be around. The next question was how would they get over there? John glanced over the edge of his platform, looking down below. The floor was vacant, replaced by a monstrous portal. John didn't know if it led somewhere, or was powering the ship somehow, but he definitely knew if he fell, it would be all over.
"Gravity lift, end of the ramp." Cortana told him.
He looked and saw the lift she mentioned, sitting at the end of his walkway.
"If we time it right, our momentum should carry us through the low gravity." She continued, as John ran for the lift.
He felt the sudden inertia as he was thrusted forward into the open, as if flying. John watched as the machinery around the Composer shifted, the huge metal plates that had hidden it from him before now opening. John looked up and realized they were sitting just above the Earth. He willed himself to go faster.
"Chief…once that warhead is primed, the window for getting out of here will be pretty slim."
John didn't say anything at first. The truth was he knew how likely it was he wouldn't walk away. But the Didact had to be stopped, and he was willing to sacrifice his own life if it meant saving humanity. Saving those he cared about.
"I know."
They continued to fly closer to the Composer. John could now make out the details of the platforms around it, all interconnected by light bridges. John guessed they housed terminals to power and fire the weapon.
"And so…you have come at last." A familiar eerie voice called out to him. John gritted his teeth.
"Activity! Significant slip space event building under the Composer!" Cortana warned him.
John looked down as the Portal grew to an even larger size, and appeared to be sucking in the air around it. To John, it looked like a hungry maw, reminding him faintly of the Gravemind. He shuddered.
He rushed toward a platform, landing hard. He grunted, landing on his hands and knees. Shooting up, he raced forward, running along the platform toward the Composer. He came to a stop in front of a terminal, directly opposite the Composer. John looked up and spotted the Didact himself, floating within its confines. A bright blue shield now surrounded the Composer, separating John from both it and the Didact.
"The Nuke won't do us any good unless we can disable that barrier! Terminal now!" Cortana shouted.
John complied, inserting her into the console. Her hologram appeared on top, looking up at the Composer. She slowly turned to face him, a look of regret on her face.
"I've got to do something you're not going to like."
She suddenly screamed, the noise inhuman. Her avatar began splitting, as if she was shedding copies of herself. Her face was scrunched up in pain as the copies vanished shortly after their split. John quickly grabbed her chip and pulled her out, placing her back in his helmet.
"What did you just do?" He asked her, worried.
"I ejected my rampant personality spikes into the system." She explain breathlessly. "If I can do that at multiple terminals, the copies will overwhelm the shielding."
John didn't like it, but they didn't have a choice. Cortana brought up two additional terminals on his HUD. They were on other platforms, connected by the light bridges. But as John watched, the bridges vanished, cutting him off from his objectives.
"Your efforts are in vain." The Didact purred, gesturing to the Composer.
As John watched, it fired, a massive pillar of light shooting out into space. It impacted the Earth immediately, the blast radius visible from space. John swore, and ran for another platform. Just as he was about to jump, his body froze. Struggling to move, he managed to turn his head. The Didact now stood outside the shield, on a light bridge connecting the Composer to another platform, his hand outstretched toward him.
"Did you really think I would let you attempt to stop me?" He asked, a hit of amusement in his voice.
A sudden roar filled the air, as both looked up. Samus's ship soared over the opening. The Didact released his grip on John, letting him crash into the ground. Samus's ship didn't stop, and sped past, vanishing out of sight. The Didact let out a chuckle.
"I wouldn't be laughing if I was you." A cold voice said.
John blinked, not sure what he was seeing. The Didact whirled, shock on his face. Samus Aran stood on the light bridge, a short distance away from him. But she was different. Her armor looked much too similar to a Promethean, her visor as orange as the lights around them. The Didact didn't move.
"You, who would commit genocide." She growled.
"Where did you get that armor…?" He said slowly, his shock fading.
"A gift, from your wife." She muttered.
"The Librarian…" He said, growing visibly angry. "You have no right to wear such armor. Remove it at once!"
"You don't get to tell me anything." She said. John noticed her glance down at him. "I think you've lived long enough."
The Didact bristled, raising his arm. "If you will not give it to me, then I will take it!"
His hand pulsed as he send out the gravity wave, but Samus remained in place, unmoving.
"No tricks." She said. "No cheats. Let's see how much of a warrior you really are."
He roared in anger and flew toward her, the two colliding in midair. John groaned and pushed himself to his feet. He still had his objectives to accomplish, regardless of Samus's status. Suddenly, a small icon popped up on his HUD.
"It's a message from Samus." Cortana said, confused. "Playing it now."
A video screen appeared, showing Samus inside her ship. She looked tired, faint black rings under her eyes. John noticed parts of her new suit as well, though her helmet was missing.
"Hey John." She began. "I had a whole speech planned, but I've forgotten it, so let's just roll with the motions yeah? Listen, Neither of us can beat the Didact alone, but we both know you're the one in greater danger."
He listened, enthralled. The sounds of battle above him faded, his eyes only on the tired, sad girl in front of him.
"We're both amazing fighters, and we've both saved humanity before. But the truth is, I don't belong here." She said, looking away. "I've felt like an outsider since the day I woke up. There's much I don't understand about humanity now. I feel…like a relic."
"But, there was one person who didn't make me feel that way. One man who treated me like any other soldier, one man who made me feel…like I belonged here, at his side."
She looked back at the screen. "That man, was you."
John blinked. What was she saying?
"I can't let you fight the Didact, not on your own. You're the savior Humanity needs, the one who will continue to save the Human race for years to come. So while I fight the Didact, you must destroy the Composer, at any cost. I will buy you the time you need, even if it costs me my life…"
He felt his heart race.
"John, in case this is indeed my last fight, I just wanted you to know that…That I…"
"We're dropping out of slip space." Adam interrupted.
"Ok." She snapped, looking back at the camera. Her features softened. "It's been an honor serving with you John."
The video shut off. John was frozen, his mind reeling from what she'd just told him. He slowly looked up, watching blankly as Samus fought with all her might. The two seemed to teleport constantly, orange blasts firing in all directions.
"She's going to sacrifice herself…" Cortana said in quiet shock.
Her words spurred John, jolting him back into the situation. "We need to get up there."
He jumped over the gap, landing on the next platform. He ran, moving toward the next marker as fast as he could. He saw Knights appear in front of him, roaring a challenge. He hurled two frags at their feet, ducking a sword swipe and running past them. The explosions tore them apart, but John didn't stop to check, he kept running. He moved up a ramp, moving up to the second floor of the platform.
More Knights awaited him, Hardlight rounds crashing into the walls around him. John returned fire, always moving forward. He reached the second Terminal, which was guarded by a high ranking Knight. It screeched and charged at him. John ducked the swipe, and pushed its back, knocking it off the edge. The Knight roared as it fell of the side, vanishing into the growing portal below. John yanked Cortana's chip out and slammed it into the console. She appeared and began to split again, yelling in pain. John took a moment to look up and check on Samus.
For the moment, she was holding her own. She darted left and right, dodging energy pulses from the Didacts hands. He on the other hand ducked and weaved as well, most of Samus's shots missing. He vanished appearing behind her. He swung a punch into her side, causing her to cry out and fall to one knee. He aimed his hand at her, intending to fire, but Samus moved at the last second. She swung her leg out, sending a vicious kick into his head. He roared and tried to punch her again, but she vanished, appearing a short distance away.
"Yank me!" Cortana shouted, her voice glitchy. The splitting was worsening her condition, john noted grimly.
He pulled her out and jumped, landing on the first floor of the platform. Ignoring the enemies behind him, he shoved a Crawlers in front of him off the edge, leaping over to the next platform. This one had an identical layout, and John spotted the terminal above him on the next floor. He ran through the continuous fire, his shielding flaring in protest. He jumped up, grabbing a Watcher by its wings. It squealed in alarm, but couldn't break free of his grasp. He held it out in front of him, using it as a shield against the Prometheans attacks.
He raced up the ramp, hurling what was left of his Watcher at another, destroying both of them. The second floor had a large group of Knights protecting the terminal. There was no way past them, he would have to fight. John opened fire with his Light Rifle, stripping the shields of a couple of Knights. He hurled his remaining grenades, taking out the weakened ones. He ran into their midst, sending a bone crunching punch into one's back. It fell, crippled, and dropped a Scattershot. John swiftly picked it up, firing into another Knights face.
The remaining Knights closed in on him. He fired the Scattershot, taking out a couple more before it ran out of ammo. Switching back to his LR, he opened fire on the closing Knights. One swung its sword at him. Instead of dodging, he caught the sword. The Knight tried to pull away, but not before John tugged the sword loose, disarming the Knight. He finished it with his rifle, before hurling the sword at the final Knight, who was thrown back by the force. Surrounded by glowing particles, John turned to the terminal, inserting Cortana.
She screamed once more, the copies flooding the systems, before the sounds of machinery powering down rang out. John looked up and saw the blue shield around the Composer was now gone, leaving it exposed. A loud cry of pain caught his attention, and he looked toward the fight between Samus and the Didact.
He had her in his grip, his hands gripping her tightly. She cried out and struggled to free herself, but the Didact slammed his helmet into hers stunning her.
"This armor does not belong to you." He said slowly, an air of authority in his voice. "So I take it back."
He suddenly slammed his hand into her stomach, again and again. On the third time, his hand went into her suit, a sudden bright flash of light filling John's eyes. He heard Samus scream, a blood curdling sound. The light began to fade, and as his vision cleared, John's blood ran cold. Samus hung limply in the Didacts hands, her armor now it's usual orange and green. It was badly damaged, cracks visible. Her visor had a massive crack. The Didact chuckled, holding up some kind of holographic item. John guessed it was her suit upgrade. With an air of causality, he dropped it, letting it fall into the portal below. Turning his attentions back on Samus, he released her, only to begin holding her up with his gravity control. John clenched his fists, his bones cracking. The Didact looked down at him, realizing he'd taken the shield down. He raised his hand toward them.
John tried to retrieve her, but he couldn't move fast enough. The Terminal containing Cortana exploded in a flash, sending John rocketing back. He landed on his stomach, struggling to get up.
"Cortana!" he cried out, the terminal completely destroyed.
He looked back up just in time to watch Samus try and fight back. She got some hits in, but it was clear the Didact now had the advantage. John looked around frantically, spotting a gravity lift close by. It led up to another platform, the one that connected it and the Composer. He raced for it, running as fast as his tired legs would let him. All around him, he swore he heard Cortana whispering, the noise low by constant. He ignored it, and kept running. He wouldn't lose them both.
He shot up the gravity left, pulling out his Light Rifle as he did. He landed on the platform above, now on the same level as the Didact. He took aim, advancing. The Didact crushed Samus into the ground, causing her to cry out. John opened fire, the shots impacting the Didacts head. He turned, using his gravity to lift Samus and hold her between them.
"Let her go" He growled, finger itching on the trigger.
"Why should I, Reclaimer?" he asked, his tone curious. "Of what value is the Hunter to you?"
John moved closer. "I said, let her go."
The Didact, swung his free hand, sending John's rifle flying out of his grasp. It tumbled over the edge of the light bridge, leaving him without a weapon.
"Very well." The Didact said, dropping Samus. She whimpered when she hit the ground, curling up. "Samus Aran had caused me much irk, and I will take my time in her destruction."
He glared at John. "As for you, I will deal with you swiftly."
John ran at him, but the Didact forced him back. As John came crashing into the ground, the Havoc on his back slipped off, rolling past the Didact and coming to a stop near the Composer. John struggled to his feet, but the Didact knocked him again, causing him to grunt with pain.
"Then again, maybe I will have my fun with you." He said, smiling.
Pain. All she could feel was pain. Every breath was sharp, the feeling stabbing into her. She knew bones were broken, multiple ribs definitely. Her head was one fire, and she could taste blood. She didn't even try to move. Her fight had been knocked out of her. It was useless, the Didact was just too strong…
Blue static filled her broken visor screen. Samus struggled to focus on it, her mind slipping in and out of consciousness.
"Samus…Samus." A voice said urgently. Samus realized it was Cortana.
"Samus, you-have to get up." She said.
"I…Can't…" She gasped quietly. "I'm…done."
"Samus he's-Got John! Going-to kill him!" The Voice shouted faintly.
Samus used all of her will to move her head an inch, just enough to see. The Didact had John hovering in front of him, using gravity to squeeze him. John was yelling in pain, his body going into spasms in response to the torture. The sight caused a fire inside her, energy from somewhere deep within her filling her limbs. Very slowly, and agonizingly, she got on one knee.
"Alright…here's the…plan…"
John struggled pointlessly against the Didacts grip. It was useless, he couldn't fight the technology that allowed the Didact to hold him there. Slowly, John felt his body move to hover over open space, away from the bridge. With a sudden realization, he knew the Didact planned to drop him into the portal below.
"Humanities imprisonment, was a kindness." The Didact said, applying pressure.
John felt his body tense up against his will, his muscles crying from the pressure. He resisted crying out, merely not to give the Didact any satisfaction. The Didact smiled.
The light bridge suddenly began to glitch, its smooth surface fragmenting. The Didact looked around, confused. John watched too, unsure what was happening. Then, to his amazement, Cortana began to rise out of the bridge, her hologram human sized. She wasn't the only one, as other Cortana's appeared. Soon, the Didact was surrounded. He swung John back onto the bridge, dropping him. John gasped, and tried to get too his feet, his body refusing to obey him.
"In that-case, you won't mind if we-return the favor!" She said, her voice heavily distorted.
"Your compassion for mankind is misplaced!" The Didact yelled, looking around him nervously.
"I'm not doing it for-mankind!" She shot back.
Cortana then jumped at him, turning into a small beam of light. She attacked herself to his arm, before anchoring herself into the bridge. The Didact struggled to free himself, but the light anchor held fast. Suddenly, the other Cortana's did just the same, attaching themselves to various parts of the Didact. Soon, he was anchored to the ground, unable to move. He struggled, growling as he did, but it was no use.
"Now-Samus!" Cortana yelled.
John turned his head painfully. Samus was now on one knee, her armor visibly in bad shape. A chunk of her visor had come out, exposing her angry, bright blue eye. One of her shoulders was missing, as well as various cracks throughout her armor. She held her cannon out, which was in a shape he'd never seen before. It had opened right up, exposing the alien mechanics inside.
While they'd been talking, she had been charging this weapon up. Now, it was huge, a glowing ball of pure energy extending from the end of her cannon. Her suit visibly shook from the force, more small parts cracking and fragmenting.
"No…No!" The Didact screamed, his struggled renewed.
Samus fired.
The Beam was enormous, filling John's vision. It washed over the Didact like a wave, his form vanishing inside the white beam. Samus continued to fire, despite how much damage it was doing to her. The beam lasted what felt like eternity, before finally she stopped firing. Incredibly, the Didact was still there, though his armor and body were badly damaged. He struggled to get up, but couldn't. His strength failing him, the Didact fell on the edge of the bridge, falling into the portal below.
John struggled to his feet, but only managed a few steps before crashing down again. He spotted the nuke, now resting right beside Samus, who had collapsed again. John pulled himself along the bridge, his crawl agonizing. Samus rolled onto her back slowly, letting out a small hiss. John reached them both, his hands feebly grasping for the Havoc. He pressed the button which would make it active, a little flashing button appearing.
"Do…It…" Samus managed, her eye looking directly at him.
He looked up, at the Earth. The Composer had been firing this whole time. How many were dead? He looked back down to Samus, who nodded once, slowly.
Taking a deep breath, John slammed his hand down on the nukes activation button.
And the world went white.