Chapter 25
ShadowStrike and Karai readied themselves for battle as the guardian statues came to life, brandishing their weapons. They snarled at the two intruders, ignoring the Autobots behind the barrier. The shinobi and kunoichi glanced at one another, a plan forming their heads. All the while, the four guards' patience had run its course. With a battle cry, they attacked.
The two separated, dividing their numbers in half; the original guardian and his pike wielding comrade approached ShadowStrike. The battle axe and sickle wielding guardians circled Karai, growling low. The Autobots and two special agents watched the situation unfold, worried for their comrades. Wheeljack simply leaned back to enjoy the show; Karai was a natural at kicking aft, so this would be good. Finally, the two guardians after ShadowStrike attacked.
He leapt back as they slashed at him, their weapons swinging wildly, whistling against the air. Jack was quickly forced upward into the monolith's sides. The creatures displayed an excellent climbing ability, their sights set on reducing Jack to pieces. Once he'd gotten hold of the ledge, the dual knife guardian launched himself into air. He landed in front of the ninja and resumed his attack.
Karai fared no better against their onslaught, the battle ax and sickle guardians slowed down by the weight of their arsenal. She'd managed to get a ledge of her own, overlooking some sort of pond, the waters looking none too friendly. The two attacked with ferocity, keeping the female on the defensive. She'd managed to keep them at bay with her own katana but they were persistent. If she ever ran into Oni-Kage again after this, she'd kill him.
Outside, the others could only watch in suspense as the battle took place, all of them save Wheeljack worried for their human companions. Optimus watched the battle intently, hoping to somehow use the Star Saber to break through the barrier. But doing so could cause more harm than good if he didn't control it well enough. Bulkhead slammed his fist together; he knew those two could handle themselves but hated missing out on the action. And the longer this took, the longer it would take for them to reach Miko.
Bumblebee couldn't help but be amazed at what he was seeing; this reminded him of some old movie Raf had shown him about explorers coming to a temple where the guardians came to life. He knew Jack and Karai would be able to come out on top though; he'd seen them in action. Arcee growled in frustration watching her partner fight off these things himself. The only backup he had in there was someone she didn't know she could trust. If what Karai said was true, then most of what was happening here was her fault, and that infuriated her even more.
Chromia was interested to see how her sister's apparent significant other could handle himself in this kind of fight. She'd heard he was tough (just not as tough as her 'Hide) but seeing was believing after all. Wheeljack couldn't help but smirk at the apprehension on their faceplates, "Don't worry, Karai can handle herself. Your boy's in good hands."
"Am I the only one who remembers her father throwing Jack off a cliff, among other things?" Fowler exclaimed. "And we're really supposed to trust this girl?"
"I don't trust her," Arcee replied, still keeping her optics on the battle. "If she tries anything…"
"Regardless of her previous allegiance," Optimus rumbled. "Karai proved to be valuable ally in protecting New York City from the Shredder's attack. I believe this is chance for her to exorcise the demonic shadow of her father once and for all."
"I hope you're right," Mizuki commented.
Darksider: The Prime Judgment
After returning to the Charred Council and reporting their mission a success, the Horsemen had been dismissed for the day. Miko decided to return to the White City and speak with Azrael about a few things. Of course, that meant she had to find him first. He'd never told her where he went (of course, she never thought to ask) but how hard could it be to find the Archangel of Death? With a farewell to the Horsemen, she returned to the White City via the Serpent's Hole.
She could see angels flying through the city in the distance and decided it would be the best way to travel. Remembering what War had told her about the suit, she figured out she could have it do what she wanted if she thought hard enough. And like that, her metallic wings were back and she was gliding through the City. For a moment, her sense of wonder and adventure returned, wanting to explore the city further but she knew otherwise. Business had to come before pleasure.
She noticed the streets and skyline of the White City were free of its occupants, prompting her curiosity. She noticed a few of them heading in the same direction and followed. She found herself outside the meeting hall of the High Council once again. Rather than go in through the front door and have them stare at her, she decided to watch from the opening of the roof. She landed on the roof and watched.
The chamber was filled with the City's occupants, all of them talking amongst themselves as to why they were here. The Council entered the chamber and all fell quiet, its members taking their seats while the foreman spoke, "We have gathered to listen as our champion and leader of the Hellguard, Abbadon, speaks to us about what we must do to stop the spread of corruption." The foreman sat as Abbadon floated to stand in the middle of the chamber, unfazed by the dozens of eyes watching him.
"The universe is sick," he began. "Darkness stretches to its corners even as we gather here now. Their influence on the Third Kingdom is spoken of in lore and fiction. The shadows laugh at us while slipping under even the Charred Council's notice. The only way to ensure our triumph is to move forward and destroy this darkness once and for all!"
"You speak of starting the EndWar before its appointed hour?" a Council member gasped.
"What you are suggesting is a direct violation of an ancient treaty!" another bellowed. "One that has bound us all for centuries! You would risk the wrath of the Council and the Horsemen? You would risk Heaven's very honor just to sate your hunger for war?"
"I am not driven by any such hunger, "Abbadon replied calmly. "Only by my commitment to the eradication of darkness in this and all worlds. We cannot ignore the clear evidence of its spread."
"But you are suggesting we begin the EndWar, thus dooming humanity before they are even ready to withstand such a conflict. The treaty dictates we must await humanity's physical evolution before such actions can even be discussed. Yes, their progress is agonizingly slow but they are evolving and we must wait."
"There would be no War if we attacked now," the angel offered. "Shadow's Edge has been warned by the Council against any action that would violate the Balance. Who would they believe? We, who are sworn to uphold justice, or Samael and his dregs, who serve the Prince of Lies?"
"Enough!" the foreman bellowed. "Abbadon, you are our most celebrated champion but what you speak of is the deepest form of blasphemy! There will be no more talk of beginning the EndWar or even conspiring to do so again, are we clear?"
"Yes," he replied with no emotion. With a sigh of exhaustion mixed with relief, the foreman adjourned the meeting, its occupants flying off. Miko couldn't help the shaking of her body at what she'd just witnessed. Abbadon was trying to go to war early? Now she definitely needed to find Azrael.
Once the chamber was empty, she flew down and her wings disappeared as she searched through the building. She watched as more people left, catching the sight of one of them heading deeper into the building. It was Uriel, Abbadon's right hand. She looked concerned for some reason, prompting Miko to follow her. It didn't take long for her to find the angel with Abbadon.
"They treat as though I seek our destruction!" Abbadon fumed. "Darkness threatens the universe and they continue to hide behind a Balance that does little more than prevent us from protecting all of creation. Is there no one who will stand beside me?"
"I will, my Lord," she bowed. "I am here, ready to serve you without hesitation."
Abbadon sighed, "Of course you are. I apologize; having to hear my ramblings must be exhausting for you."
"You are right to be angry," she assured. "The tendrils of the Dark Kingdom threaten us even here in the White City. We cannot rely on the Charred Council or the Horsemen to protect us. But I know that with you as our leader, we will survive the EndWar when it begins." She became bold and took his hand in her own. He made no attempt to lean in or pull away, simply looking off to the side while the doors opened. Azrael entered just as they pulled away from each other.
"I told you the Council would be angry," he replied with no emotion.
"They needed to have their eyes opened," Abbadon argued. "Even if they prefer to watch a veil, we cannot ignore what is happening."
"But to risk incurring the wrath of the Charred Council is madness. If they ever believe you a threat to the Balance, they will send the Horsemen to end you."
"The Horsemen are barbarians but they are not without honor," Abbadon assured. "Unless the Council provides them with proof, they will take no action against us."
"Just be careful, old friend," Azrael sighed. "You speak of dangerous things and one day, I fear they will attract the attention of dangerous ears."
Darksider: The Prime Judgment
ShadowStrike continued to battle with the dual knives and pike guardians as they clawed at him with their weapons. He'd managed to situate himself behind some rocks and come up with a plan. The pike guardian managed to slip through and attacked, his weapon blocked by Mugetsu. Jack managed a few cuts before he sent the creature flying downward off the cliff. It landed with a thud but quickly recovered, roaring in rage.
Before he could react, he felt a sharp pain from behind, one of the knives from the guardian sticking out of back. It roared as it threw another one in his direction. He dodged it and removed the other one from his back. The guardian got through and attacked while its partner climbed back up. Jack managed to fend them off with Muay Thai, Karai faring a little better against her odds.
The two guardians managed to force her back, attacking from both sides. She used her acrobatics to keep them on the edge, slipping past them. One of them charged her, missing and falling into the pond below. Contact with the water caused his stone body to seize up and break apart, sinking into the depths. She sighed in relieve, "So these things can die."
The other guardian took a hold of her and threw her down, just barely missing the pond. She recovered as it leapt down, its axe and its partner's sickle in hand. It started swinging wildly at her, forcing her back on defense with her katana. ShadowStrike continued to fight off the pike guardian, becoming frustrated with its persistence. He finally saw an opening and slashed through the creature.
It growled in pain as it collapsed, allowing Jack to cleave its head clean off. Taking hold of the pike, he blocked the attack of the dual knife guardian. It managed to cut him a few times but he used the pike to slice its head in half, knocking it off the ledge. The fall caused more debris to fall on it, though Jack didn't complain. Three down, one to go.
Still using its partner's weapon, the battle axe guardian roared as ShadowStrike joined Karai in battle. The guardian proved to be a challenge with its rapid fire attacks, forcing the two ninja back a ways. It kicked Karai away and managed to drive its axe in ShadowStrike's arm, tearing the muscles as it pulled away. The kunoichi stabbed it from behind, allowing the shinobi to cut its arm off. With a monkey-flip, he sent the guardian flying into the wall, forcing dozens of boulders downward.
With a roar of defiance, the guardian was crushed by the boulders, allowing the two ninja a chance for reprieve. The barrier fell and the Autobots rushed to their allies, who'd fallen on their backs in exhaustion. Breathing heavily, they exchanged glances, nodding in one another's direction as Optimus radioed for Ratchet to send June to treat their wounds. Raf and Sunny followed and were amazed by the area. June sighed, "Honestly, it's like you want me to have a heart attack Jackson Darby."
"It's just a few cuts," he replied.
"And a gash in your shoulder?" she raised a brow.
"The thing had an axe," he argued.
"Don't you take that tone with me!"
"Stop it!" Sunny shouted, hands on her hips, prompting them both to mutter an apology. The three returned to base as they prepared to leave.
"Stop smiling," Jack grumbled, noticing the smirk on Arcee's face.
"Can't a femme be proud?" she teased.
"You're a bad influence on her," he crossed his arms over his chest and waited to leave.
Darksider: ThePrime Judgment
A/N: Hoped you enjoyed.