Special thanks goes to The Story's Shadow for editing this chapter.
"Now that the remaining five veteran Guardians are occupied.' Endgame thought as she brought up a hard-light keyboard and began typing in some commands, and a few seconds later, an image of Bank of America Stadium was brought up. 'It is time to initiate the beginning of the end.' Endgame thought as a smile formed upon her mechanical skull-like face, as with a single thought, one of the remaining 27 Crushers eyes began to glow purple as it was activated. "Shadow, bring me the Carolina Panthers Megacore." Endgame ordered her mindless Crusher. Shadow roared as it made its way to the pod that would take it to North Carolina, and the Megacore.
-Meanwhile-
"Say again, RZ." Layla requested as she could be found in the girls' restroom just outside the school's gymnasium where the dance was still underway. Her NFL-R had started beeping, and she had gone somewhere private in order to open a line of communication.
"I'm detecting Negative Energy that is rapidly making it's way South-East towards Carolina," RZ informed the rookie Guardian.
"Endgame?" Layla asked quickly.
"Most unlikely, she gives off much more negative energy than I'm currently tracking," RZ said quickly.
"So then a Crusher?" Layla asked.
"That is the most likely scenario," RZ said in a serious tone. "I have alerted Claw and he is standing by for the arrival of a Guardian, but with five veterans in battle, and two unable to go into battle, I need you to choose a partner, and return to the HOK at once," RZ ordered. After a minute of deliberation, Layla mentally chose her partner.
"I'll grab Amara and report back to the HOK at once," Layla said as she cut the communication line, and left the restroom to grab her fellow rookie Guardian.
-Meanwhile-
"You sure you want only two of us to deal with something as dangerous as a Crusher?" Amara asked as she and Layla could be found standing in the HOK, preparing to go to Carolina.
"You both have portrayed exceptional teamwork in the past, so you two will be all that's needed for this mission," RZ said in a confident tone, which earned head-nods from the two rookie Guardians.
"Enter the Rush Zone!" they both shouted as their armor formed around their dresses, as they ran into the Panthers passageway.
They had no sooner left the HOK than Ish's mother Sandra entered the room.
"What was that about?" she asked RZ in a curious tone.
"Negative energy heading towards Carolina." RZ gave her the quick answer.
"You sure it's wise sending two rookies to battle a Crusher?" Sandra asked in a skeptical tone.
"I have no choice in the matter," RZ said with a sigh. "Troy's strike team is occupied, Ash is injured, and Ish is emotionally compromised... speaking of which how is he?" RZ asked.
"He's calmed down a bit," Sandra answered. "He's more concerned about Ash than anything," she said in a serious tone.
"As am I, as am I," RZ said simply. "Endgame has demonstrated that she has no care for who gets in her way, or who she hurts for that matter..." RZ said in a serious tone.
-Meanwhile-
"Good to see you, Guardians." Claw greeted the rookie Guardians as soon as they exited out of the passageway.
"Good to see you, Claw." Layla greeted, as Amara nodded her armored head in agreement.
"I've secured the Perimeter, let's head to the vault," Claw said as he and the two rookies began steadily making their way towards the Panthers Megacore vault.
"Haven't been here since Joseph attacked," Layla said with a small laugh.
"I remember that," Claw said with a serious tone. "His attack made us up security on the vault door, and the vault in general," Claw said as they rounded a corner and came face to face with the sealed vault.
"Something is hidden to its defenses," Amara noted.
"Switch your vision to thermal," Claw instructed. The two rookies nodded and pressed a hidden button on their helmets and their HUD switched to thermal vision, and it showed invisible laser lines across the vault door.
"Those lasers are non-lethal to civilians, but they are to Blitz-Botz," Claw said with a smile. "The laser grid is different for all three vault doors, and remember how the Megacore is kept in a pitch black room?" Claw asked, which earned head nods from the rookies. "If anyone who's not me, security, or a Guardian removes the Megacore... let's just say there are in for a painful surprise," Claw said with a smile as he folded his arms. Suddenly the rookie Guardian's NFL-R's started beeping.
"Guardians, the negative energy is right on top of you, prepare for battle!" RZ ordered as the line suddenly became jammed. Moments later the roof above them collapsed and in dropped Shadow.
"Authorized personnel only, no Crushers allowed!" Layla hissed as she and her friends took up combat stances, while Shadow just kept staring at them with his piercing purple eyes.
"Make your move you son of a–" Amara began as Shadow suddenly lunged with his powerful hind legs and unsheathed his razor-sharp metal claws and took a swipe at all three of them, which they quickly dodged by jumping out of the way.
Layla quickly went invisible and snuck up behind Shadow and proceeded to up on the Crushers back, causing it to rear up and try and throw her off.
"Never thought I'd be a rodeo gal, but this is fun." Layla joked as Shadow kept trying to throw her off by jumping and spinning around, to which Layla extruded her claws and dug into the Crusher's body.
Shadow then pulled a dirty trick by jumping into the air and flipping upside down, bringing it's topside down into the floor, crushing Layla into the ground, where she laid in a tumbled heap. Shadow looked at her and let out a taunting roar before turning to Amara and Claw.
"You'll pay for that!" Amara hissed as she as rushed at the Crusher and extruded her own claws. The Crusher growled as it surged forward with incredible speed and with a swipe of its front paw, sent her flying backward into a wall.
"It's not nice to hit a girl!" Layla hissed as she had finally risen from her injured state and began firing energy blasts at Shadow, who just left them bounce of his armored body, but in reality, Layla was buying time for Claw to help Amara up from her injury, and soon she joined in with firing energy blasts at Shadow.
"This ain't working," Amara noted as Shadow had grown bored with the energy blasts and was slowly making its way towards the three of them as if he was daring them to actually hurt him. "I've had enough of this," Amara growled.
"When he gets in range, sonic roars, full power," Layla said, which caused Amara to smile. Soon Shadow was within striking distance and he reared back a paw to strike them but was met by a pair of sonic roars, one sounding like a panther, the other like a jaguar. The roars lifted Shadow off the ground and threw him back through a concrete wall, where he laid in a tumbled heap.
"Take that you mockery of a big cat!" Amara shouted.
"That's that," Layla chuckled, as the trio walked forward and began looking at the Crusher, noting how its eyes were now not glowing purple.
"RZ," Layla said as she activated a line of communication to her leader. "The Crusher has been defeated–"
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." a new female voice called out from behind them, causing the trio to turn around a see a very familiar robotic woman standing there.
"You might have beaten Shadow, but luckily I'm my own best backup." Endgame mocked as she made a taunting gesture with her clawed right hand.
Layla fired her panther roar at Endgame, hitting her with its powerful sound waves, but after the attack had subsided, Endgame was still standing with minor damage.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Endgame mocked as she raised a hand and fired a lightning bolt from it, striking the two rookies in their armored chests, making them fall to one knee.
"You are not getting this Megacore!" Claw snarled as he lunged at Endgame and reared back his claws, only for Endgame to snatch him out of mid-air and hold him her powerful right hand.
"Claw, just as defiant now, as you were back then." Endgame mocked, and it made Claw snarl as it was clear she was referring back to the times on their home planet.
"You're still just as insane as always." Claw hissed.
"You are at my mercy Claw, I could kill you right now." Endgame said as a purple energy knife formed in her left hand and put it inches away from his heart. "I could tear out your heat and put it in the foundation of my throne," Endgame said in sadistic tone.
"What's stopping you then?" Claw asked in a mocking tone. "Something is telling me you don't want to kill me, not yet anyway." Claw smiled still with a mocking tone, and that made Endgame snarl, as suddenly she realized that one of the Guardians was missing from her line of sight.
She whipped around like a viper and sank the energy dagger into Amara's left shoulder just before Amara's claws got her, which were just inches from her. Endgame twisted the dagger, causing Amara to scream in pain and anger. Endgame then kicked her so hard it sent her crashing through several walls.
"NO!" Claw and Layla screamed.
"Clever," Endgame admitted to Claws plan as she head-butted him and he was out like a light.
-Later-
"I can't believe this happened," Hunter snarled as he stood by Layla, who could be found on a hard-light bed in the medical room of the HOK, Layla on the bed beside her.
Dean had returned to the room, but he had just been outside letting out a scream of anger and fear once he saw/heard why Amara had been hurt. He went immediately to Amara's side. RZ had summoned the remaining rookie Guardians to the HOK once Claw had regained consciousness and had carried the injured rookies back to the medical room.
"Why didn't you send more of us into battle?!" Jack hissed angrily at RZ, which caused Juniper to put her hand on Jack's shoulder.
Before RZ could answer the passageway to the HOK opened and in walked Troy's strike team, and they didn't look good, to say the least. Ricky had his arms slung over Tua's shoulders and was limping, while Troy was being carried by Joseph and Marty.
"What happened here?" Kristie asked in a concerned tone as she walked up to her boyfriend and gave him a sot hug.
"We went on a retaliatory strike against Keith and Jacob," Marty answered as he powered down, the other veterans following his lead. "We beat them, but five Crushers showed up, and they swamped us," Marty said grimly. "You can see the damage they did," he said once again in a grim tone as Marty and Joseph laid Troy down on a hard-light bed, while Tua helped Ricky unto a sitting position on another bed.
"Not to sound insensitive." Jessica began. "How did you five get bead so badly if I took down Crusher Corsair tonight?" Jessica asked in a confused tone.
"Wait, you beat a Crusher?" Joseph asked in a serious tone.
"Yea, at the school," Jessica answered.
"I believe I might have an answer," RZ answered before Joseph could ask another question. "Jessica I have studied the footage from your battle, and I believe you fought a mimic Blitz Bot, not a Crusher," RZ said in a serious tone.
"Impossible," Jessica said seriously. "It had Endgame's voice coming out of it, how was it not a Crusher?" she asked.
"Endgame tonight hacked the Passageway to get to Carolina so fast." RZ began, and that shocked all Guardians who were still conscious. "Needless to say I have since upped security protocols to make sure that she does not have access to the passageway," RZ said, causing every Guardian to breathe a sigh of relief. "But since she hacked the Passageway, what's to say she also couldn't have hacked one of Wild Card's Mimic Blitz Botz?" RZ asked, and every Guardian new and old had to admit, he had a fair point.
"Endgame will pay for this," Dean snarled.
-Meanwhile-
'Power is such a beautiful thing.' Endgame thought as she sat plugged into her throne, recharging her energy, as she sat with the object of her desire in her right hand: the Carolina Panthers Megacore. With a though a mechanical arm descended from the ceiling and picked up the blue and Black Megacore and placed it in one of thirty-two empty stasis pods, right next to a pod with a purple and black football that was glowing a purple aura, only thing keeping them from interacting was the energy fields around the stasis pods.
'One down thirty-one to go.' Endgame thought as with another thought she pulled up images of all thirty-one reaming NFL Stadiums and Megacores. 'Which one to strike next?' she asked herself as she pondered the question for a minute, for she had injured most of the veteran Guardians with her Crushers, and the rookies had proven themselves to be no match for her herself. After roughly three minutes of silent deliberation, she had made up her mind, a second Megacore would soon be hers...
To be Continued...
