An Elite's Tale 3

Shortly after Falzud pulled Mar aboard the Scarab, the Demon called them over. He was standing to one side of the ramp that lead up to the outer main deck, but was pinned down by an endless stream of thick, blue, plasma.

"Major," he said to Mar. "When I draw his fire, I need you two to take him out."

Mar nodded that he understood and looked over to Falzud, who did the same. They both looked back to the Demon and he started a countdown with his fingers.

Three...

The Demon readied his assault rifle.

Two...

Mar drew a grenade. Falzud tightened his grip on the beam rifle that the Arbiter gave him.

One...

"Now!" the Demon yelled, firing up the ramp as he took three huge steps back.

The plasma stream ascended as it tracked him, allowing Falzud to swing his beam rifle around the corner and crouch under it. Mar stepped out just as Falzud's gun overheated. He launched the plasma grenade up the ramp and stuck the shield-recharging Brute Chieftain's weapon. The stuck plasma cannon came flying down the ramp a few seconds later.

Mar pulled Falzud back behind cover while the Demon somersaulted away from the cannon back behind the right side of the ramp.

Bfff...Boom!

The whole contraption exploded and sent out a low shockwave that flared each of the warriors' energy shields. All of a sudden, from the top of the ramp came a gruff-voiced command, "Kill the Demon and his scum sucking Elites!"

Directly following that came the maniacal cries.

"Yaieee! Yayay-"

The cries were cut short by the Demon's assault rifle. Two suicide bomber Grunts flopped over in the short, inclined hallway and died messily as the plasma grenades they were carrying went off in a quadruple thunderclap explosion. The Demon and Falzud, now wielding a plasma rifle, emerged seconds later. Mar readied his detached Sentinel's beam as he followed them up the ramp. At the top, both of them stopped and clearly saw something, but chose to ignore it. The Demon moved left. Falzud went right. They had a mission to carry out.

Once Mar reached the top and saw what it was, he re-holstered his weapon. It was time to let his hands do the talking. Standing before him with both arms crossed was the Chieftain. He was inside a bubble shield, flanked on both sides by a couple of Brute bodyguards. One was a Major, the other a Minor. Mar calmly walked into the bubble.

"Well well well. Look who it is," the Chieftain laughed to his subordinates.

"Socorgius," Mar growled.

"I had heard that a group of Elites and Insects helped the Arbiter murder Tartarus. Should have known that the cowardly twins were among them."

He was just taunting, Mar knew. Pushing buttons, trying to goad him into making a mistake. He let Socorgius keep talking, but stood tense, ready.

"Which one are you, the elder? Couldn't protect baby brother from all of us big, scary Brutes?"

Mar ignored him and replied, "Just keep talking, ape."

Amused, Socorgius shook his head and waved one of his goons forward. The Minor snarled and bared its sharp canines as it approached. However, scary appearances didn't win fights. Mar easily countered the Minor's first blow, drew an energy dagger, and plunged it deep into the side of its neck. The Minor appeared to be in shock as it weakly reached a hand up to the small blade, then dropped like a sack of potatoes. Socorgius appeared unfazed.

"I've already sent word ahead," he said. "Cethegus and the others already know you're coming. They'll be waiting. You'll all be walking right into a trap."

That's it. I have heard quite enough.

Roaring, Mar dashed to greet Socorgius with a stiff right cross, but the other bodyguard, a Major, stepped in front and blocked him. Socorgius, with both arms still crossed over his chest, laughed heartily as the Major shoved Mar back out of the bubble.

OK then... Mar thought upon seeing this new foe stride confidently out of the bubble towards him.

He let the Brute reach out and grab his shoulder. The instant it did, he pulled the arm towards him with one hand and delivered an open palm to the nose with the other. The Major hollered as he reeled back, and so Mar followed up with a strong, double-fisted blow to the chest, sending his opponent stumbling backward.

"Rrrraaagh!" Mar yelled as he ran and leapt straight back into the bubble with a flying kick, which caught the Major right in the chest and flipped him backwards over the Scarab's low railing.

Before Mar could regain his balance, a paw struck him square in the face and he dropped.

Socorgius yelled angrily as he tried to step on Mar's head, "You cannot stop the Great Journey!"

After Mar rolled away from the unforgiving stomps, tripped the Chieftain, and rolled back to his feet, Falzud contacted him from the back end of the Scarab.

"Major, where are you? We're about to blow the power core."

"Just do it!" Mar cried.

Socorgius rushed him from the ground up and wrapped both arms tight around his midsection. Then the Brute squeezed and squeezed. Hard. Mar felt like he was about to snap in half. He desperately elbowed the side of Socorgius's head until he felt the grip loosen. That was when the Scarab fell back into emergency repair mode, presumably for the last time. It shook violently beneath them and Socorgius released Mar in order to stay standing. Mar's ribs felt like they were on fire. But he too stayed standing.

"Alright, that did it. The beast has been slain," Falzud reported. "We must leave now before it blows."

From past Socorgius, down below, Mar could see Dubbo driving full speed toward the Scarab. Mar then looked back to his opponent at hand.

"Thinking about running?" Socorgius challenged.

Nothing wrong with that, Mar. You did what you came to do. Time to leave.

...No.

Major 'Garais was holding his side as he stared eye to eye with Chieftain Socorgius.

You have already won. What are you trying to prove?

Mar limped pathetically over to Socorgius. The emergency alarm was going off and red lights were flashing all around them.

That the Elites are not weak. That we are not afraid.

Socorgius swung for his head. Mar moved deceptively fast as he ducked and landed a gut punch, then came up and locked both hands behind the groaning Chieftain's head. With his opponent caught in a clench, Mar started to bring the pain. Knees. Hooves. He released one hand and closed it into a tight fist as he reared back for another punch.

"Major!"

Falzud caught Mar's hand and pulled him off the Brute.

"We have to go!"

He heaved Mar over the low railing and was about to jump off as well, but never did. Mar was falling backwards through the air when he saw Socorgius tackle Falzud just seconds before the Scarab exploded. Intense, blinding brightness. A wave of heat. Then pain. Hard, slamming pain. Darkness creeping in. With the pain comes immeasurable grief, sorrow, self loathing. Light starting to fade...

"Are you hurt?"

Mar opened his eyes. The Demon was standing over him, blocking out the sun. They were inside a bubble shield. Mar struggled to find his voice and when he did, it came out in a hoarse whisper. He sat up, coughing, and tried again.

"No...No, I'm fine."

The Demon turned and walked out of the bubble shield.

"Then get up."