Chapter 45 - Stage 5 - Escape

Watching them leave, Omega feels oddly at peace with herself

Watching them leave, Omega feels oddly at peace with herself. Though her final death is nearly upon her, she does not feel saddened, but rather proud at what she and her father, the late doctor Andel Killian have accomplished. "It is over." She declares. "No!" Deakon shouts angrily. Seeing him appear on radar, Omega turns to face the critically damaged AC. "I, will not lose!" Deakon shouts. "You cannot win." Omega replies. "Yes we can Omega." Zinaida tells her, her damaged AC landing by Deakon. Though sparking and smoking, Fascinator's parts are all intact, her PYTHON replaced with a HP handgun.

"My name, is Maria Killian." Omega tells them. "And I will not allow you to pass." Zinaida points her NIX at Omega. "We'll see about that."

Boosting up through a hole in the ceiling, Kain can feel the entire Layered shaking. "What's going on?" Kain asks. "When the Layered implodes, all the earth above it will collapse in, creating a very big crater. We estimated five minutes before the whole area starts to collapse. We have to make it to the subway before that." Coming out into a tall shaft, Kain grunts. "We should make it. See if you can get the right arm working again, we might need to make some doors."

"I've been working on it." DK assures him as they start to rise. "But systems are reaching critical. It's taking most of the backups just to keep me running."

"Take the other leg offline then." Kain grunts. "Not like we need it right now anyways." Checking the radar out of habit, Kain starts when he sees a contact appear. "What's that?" He asks, tensing. "It's Zinaida!" DK exclaims. Cursing, Kain continues boosting up the shaft. "How far back is she?" Kain asks. "Closing fast!" DK replies. "I think she's dropped all weapons."

"I doubt we'll be that lucky." Kain growls. Checking the map, he sees that they are about halfway up the shaft. "Raven!" Zinaida shouts. "I won't let you live!"

"She must have left Deakon to deal with Omega." Kain says, cursing under his breath. Just as he is debating to slow down and take her out once and for all, an explosion causes the entire shaft to shudder. "Falling debris!" DK shouts. Looking up, Kain sees large chunks coming down from above, and quick boosts aside to avoid them. "It's raining hell!" Kain shouts, working frantically to avoid getting hit as he continues to climb. "Zinaida's catching up!" DK warns him. Looking down quickly, he sees the other AC coming up, a handgun in the right hand. "If I have to die here, then you're dying with me!" Zinaida shouts. "I don't think so." Kain states. Moving to the side of the shaft, Kain fires the KAWASARA.

Seeing it coming, Zinaida dodges, and flies right into a chunk of stone that had fallen from above. "Almost at the top!" DK tells him. Seeing this, Kain spots a way out of the shaft, and starts flying towards it. As he nears it though, the shaft shudders again, and explosions start ripping through the walls and ceilings. "Oh shit!" Kain exclaims. "Can we use the OB?"

"OB is disabled!" DK replies. "Great, maybe we should, watch it!" Seeing a large piece of metal coming flying towards the cockpit, Kain swerves to avoid it, but feels the debris smash into the AC. "Right arm offline." DK warns him. "But still attached."

"Kinda wish it wasn't right now." Kain grunts, climbing up out of the shaft. Finding himself in a corridor, Kain checks the map for direction, and starts heading towards the exit. "Kain!" Zinaida shouts, coming out of the shaft a short distance from him. "Will you get off my back?" Kain shouts at her. Undaunted, Zinaida gives chase, raising and firing her HP at Kain. Swerving to avoid the shots, Kain grits his teeth as another explosion rips through the tunnel around them. "It's starting to collapse!" DK shouts frantically. "Tell me something I don't know!" Kain shouts back, watching as the ceiling above starts to buckle.

Reaching the end of the corridor, Kain comes out onto what looks like a train platform. "Go left!" DK shouts. Kain complies, turning left onto the tracks. "Right!" She then shouts when they come to a split. Keeping focused on his piloting, Kain follows DKs shouted directions, doing his best to avoid Debris, and the occasional shot from Zinaida as she tries to give chase. "It's starting!" DK shouts, the entire tunnel now shuddering violently. "Raven!" Zinaida shouts, her voice full of rage and spite before suddenly getting cut off. "See you in hell bitch." Kain grunts, Zinaida's signal disappearing from his radar.

"How far left?" Kain asks. "Keep going!" DK replies frantically. "That can't be good." Kain mutters. Several seconds later, Kain notices that the tunnel is starting to significantly slope upwards. "Shit, I don't think we're going to make it!" Kain shouts, the tunnel around him starting to crumble. "Light above!" DK suddenly shouts. Looking up, Kain catches glimpses of light through the ceiling as it starts to come apart. "What are you doing?" DK shouts when he comes to a stop. "Can you fire the homing lasers?" Kain asks. "What?"

"Can you fire the homing lasers?" He shouts frantically. "I, yes! But only enough for one or two volleys!"

"Target the cracks above us and blow it apart!" DK complies, and after a few precious seconds, Homing lasers start shooting from the SHIFTER. Seeing the first few shots having no effect, Kain starts to fear that he had been wrong, but as the last of the lasers hit their marks, the ceiling starts to give away. "Yes!" Kain shouts triumphantly, boosting backwards to avoid the debris, then boosting up towards the light once he has an opening.

"The disorder unit just took a hit! It's failing!" DK shouts. "Hold on!" Kain shouts back. "Just a little more!" Dark Knight reaches the surface seconds later, the land dropping slowly out of sight all around him. "Punch the OB!" Kain shouts. "Do it!" DK complies, and there is the sound of metal screeching as the disorder unit is torn off of the core by the OB booster rising up. Turning so that he is facing the nearest stable ground, Kain grips the arms of his seat as the OB kicks in. "Don't stop!" Kain shouts. Watching the condenser dry out, Kain feels the OB, and the boosters, die off. "Please let us be high enough!" Kain prays, the condenser not recharging.

Watching them sail towards the ground, Kain starts to breath a sigh of relief when they clear massive crater, then quickly realizes that there are no boosters, or legs, to soften the landing. "Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!" Kain yells as Dark Knight hits the ground hard, feeling his body straining against the safety harness, Kain can do nothing but hold on for dear life as the AC bounces once, hitting the ground again with a bone-jarring impact his head hitting the back of his chair hard enough to knock him out.

Groaning, Kain comes to, his body throbbing with pain. "DK?" he calls out weakly, gasping when the slightest movement sends sharp pain shooting through his abdomen. "You still there?"

"Barely." DK replies weakly, her voice in his head. "Did we make it?" Kain asks. "Barely." She replies again. "Good." Kain sighs. Opening his eyes, he realizes that Dark Knight is lying on the ground on it's back, propped up slightly by the mound of dirt pushed up by their slide. "Well, I guess we can call this mission a success. Is the comm. working? I think we're going to need a pick up." When DK doesn't answer, Kain frowns with worry. "Hey! Don't die on me yet damnit!"

"Systems failing." DK says quietly. "Shut down everything but whatever you need to keep running!" Kain orders her. "Do it now damnit!"

"I'm, glad." DK sighs. "That, I could, fight with you." Shaking his head, Kain starts to unbuckle himself when he notices something wet against his skin. Looking down, he grimaces when he sees a piece of shrapnel stuck in his stomach. "That's going to scar." He mutters. Reaching for the shrapnel, Kain starts to pull it out, when he remembers the first aid that he had been taught, and how not to take something like this out, as it can also act as a stopper, preventing him from bleeding out. "Just hang on DK." Kain tells her. "The others should be . . ." Kain's words die off when he sees something come rising up into the air before him. Squinting, his eyes go wide in shock when he recognizes Deakon's Final Judgement.

"You got to be kidding me!" Kain shouts as the AC lands a way from him. Badly damaged, the AC's head and arms are gone, the core ripped apart, revealing Deakon's naked form sloshing around in what looks like a thick, white liquid. "Kain." Deakon gasps, his voice coming into his head. "Congratulations." Kain grunts. "You are officially harder to kill then a damn cockroach." Deakon takes a hesitant step towards him. "I, will not, lose." Above the core, the two rocket pods rise up into position. "You still got ammo left?" Kain asks. "Enough, to kill you." Deakon gasps. "Even if I die today, at least I will die knowing, that I am, the Last . . . Raven!"

"Don't do it." Kain tells him. "Give it up Deakon. The others will be here any second, they can help you." Deakon laughs weakly. "Begging does not, become you Kain." Deakon tells him, his voice sounding a little stronger. "I'm not begging." Kain growls. "I'm giving you one last chance to save your damn fucking miserable life. Scratch that, I don't give a fuck about your life. All I care about is making sure Valkyrie doesn't have to bury another lover." Deakon pauses, hesitates. "Then, she will be, disappointed." Taking another step forward, Kain can feel Deakon activating the rockets. Suddenly, a shot comes out of nowhere, hitting Final Judgement in the leg, destroying the limb and sending it crashing to the ground. Trapped within the cockpit, Deakon howls with fury and pain.

"Deakon." Valkyrie says quietly, her voice cracking. "Why?" Hearing her, Deakon ceases his howls and thrashing. "Valkyrie? Is that, you?" Looking around the confines of the screen, Kain can see Swiftwind and Midas come into view, the LANDON deployed. "Why Deakon?" Valkyrie asks again. "I could, never live, in a world where I was not . . ." Deakon's words trail off into a weak laughter. "It doesn't matter now, does it? Forgive me, Valkyrie, but this was, our fate." There is a pause before Deakon speaks again. "Kain." Deakon calls out. "Yeah?" Kain asks. "You, win . . ." Deakon's voice trails off once more, this time into a death rattle that Kain barely hears. "Damn." Kain mutters, starting to feel tired. "Kain, are you there?" Diana's voice comes into his head. "Yeah, still here." He mutters. "We're coming with the MRV, just hold on!"

"I'm fine." Kain says dismissively. "Least, I think I am. Doesn't hurt anyways."

"That's a bad thing!" Diana shouts at him. "Right." Kain agrees, suddenly remembering, giving his head a shake. "Head feels a little fuzzy. Must have taken a few more hits then I thought I had."

"Just hang on!" Valkyrie tells him. Sighing, Kain looks around, and sees Megan's Choirriot land and run towards him. "Glad to see you all made it out." Kain mutters. "We did." Megan agrees. "We won."

"Yeah." Kain sighs, now feeling really tired. "Just, in time for a vacation. If you don't mind, I'm going to take a nap now. Really tired."

"You have to stay awake Kain!" Diana shouts at him. "Yeah, whatever." Kain mutters, consciousness slipping away.