"Sorry RZ, got here as quickly as we could." Ash said in between pants as she and Marty had hurried to the HOK as quickly as possible, in fact they had run most of the way there.
"It's quite alright, I'm just glad you two are here." RZ greeted them with a smile.
"What can we do for you, RZ?" Marty questioned his leader.
"As you know yesterday, three teams where deployed on missions. One to New York, one to San Francisco, and one on a secret mission which I cannot reveal out of fear of Endgame finding out. Sadly though we lost both the 49ers, and the Giants Megacore in yesterdays attacks by Endgame's Crushers.
"Crap." Ash and Marty said at the same time.
"That brings her up to nine Megacore's." Marty said in a concerned tone.
"Sadly that is true, which is why I have called you both in." RZ began, which earned his two veteran Guardians attention. "With Tua, and Dean recovering, as well at the team in San Francisco, I need you both to travel to Denver for an important mission–"
"What's the mission?" Ash asked her leader.
"The Denver Broncos are in the process of constructing an improved Megacore vault. They removed the Megacore from the de-commissioned vault, and are moving it from safe location to safe location. As you know a Megacore on the move is when it's most vulnerable." RZ said in a serious tone. "Until the vault is complete, it will be transported to a secret location that only the Broncos Rusher knows. Your mission is to go to Denver and him keep the Megacore safe." RZ ordered the veteran Guardians, who nodded their heads upon receiving their orders.
"Enter the Rush Zone!" they shouted as they armored up and jumped into the Broncos passageway, and where on their way to the Broncos stadium.
"Good to see you, Ash, Marty." the Broncos Rusher Steed greeted the armored up veteran Guardians.
"Good to see you as well." Marty greeted in a friendly tone.
"As RZ informed you, we will be moving the Megacore to a secret secure location until the new vault is complete–"
"Where exactly are we moving it to?" Ash asked the Rusher.
"'Fraid I cant tell you that." Steed said in a serious tone, which earned confused looks from the armored Guardians. "Mr. Elway made it very clear to me, only I am to know the location of the secret vault–"
"Doesn't John Elway trust the Guardians?" Ash asked Steed.
"Of course he does... well it's complicated, best not to dwell on it." Steed said in an attempt to end the conversation, and the Guardians decided to do just that.
"Where is the Megacore now?" Marty asked Steed.
"It's where it always is on game-day: the owners box." Steed informed the two veterans as he began leading them up to the owners box.
"How we transporting the Megacore to this secure location?" Ash asked in a serious tone.
"We'll be taking the team bus, I'll be driving while you two ride in the bus and provide security." Steed answered the question.
-Later-
"You'd think they'd have enough security with the thirty armed guards on the bus." Marty whispered to his superior. The two Guardians could be found in the Broncos team bus driving down the crowed highways of Denver, the Megacore hidden somewhere in the bus by Steed, and he had neglected to tell the Guardians or the security guards where it was hidden.
"The more security, the better chance you have if a Crusher or Endgame herself shows up." Ash whispered back to Marty, who nodded his head in agreement.
"I'm glad these windows are tinted, that way nobody can see everyone inside the bus. Tinted windows might not be the best thing, but at least hopefully Endgame won't be able to see inside the bus. However unbeknownst to all the security on the bus, Guardians included, Endgame was preparing her next move...
-Later-
"Come on, move it!" Steed yelled from the front of the bus as they had been stuck on a stretch of the highway for at least twenty minutes.
"What's going on?" Marty yelled from the back of the bus.
"Not sure, traffic stopped all of a sudden–" Steed was never able to finish due to a bolt of purple lightning striking the front of the bus, instantly shattering the tinted windows and making the bus shake violently. Both Steed and the Guardians knew what that purple lightning bolt meant.
"Everyone out of the bus and unto the highway!" Ash yelled as Steed opened the buss' door and half the security guards, and Marty raced out the bus and unto the concrete roads of the freeway, while Steed and Ash stayed in the bus with the other half of security in order to act as a last differ in the even the first team failed.
"Hello Guardian." Endgame herself greeted as Marty took a stance in front of the fifteen security guards who had exited the bus with him.
"You made a mistake showing yourself, Endgame!" Marty hissed angrily as all the guards drew their handguns.
"Oh, why is that?" Endgame asked the fifth Guardian.
"I'm still a ticked about you electrocuting me in Detroit, and I think it's time to score a little payback!" Marty hissed as he began firing energy blasts at Endgame, while the guards began firing bullets at the mechanical woman in front of them.
"Pathetic." Endgame mocked as she formed an energy shield on her left wrist using her stored Negacore energy and used it to block the incoming energy blasts and bullets. Even though she knew neither could really hurt her, she still liked to play with her prey. "Your wasting your ammo." Endgame laughed as she dissipated her shield and raised her hand and fired a purple energy beam from her right palm at her enemies.
"Defense engage!" Marty yelled as he formed his blue energy shield and proceeded to block the incoming energy beam, and to his surprise, his shield held up. 'Odd, our shield have always been shattered by Endgame's attack, why did mine hold up?' Marty wondered to himself as he began walking towards Endgame with his shield, pushing the energy beam back towards Endgame. "Stay behind me!" Marty ordered the guards as they got behind the advancing Guardian, firing their weapons at Endgame. Just before Marty and the energy beam reached his enemy. The energy beam was stopped by Endgame. "What's the matter, running out of energy?" Marty joked at his opponent.
"Hardly." Endgame scoffed at Marty. "I just like to... play with my prey." Endgame laughed in a very dark tone, which made Marty's blood run cold, as he had a sinking feeling in his gut about what that meant. He instantly whipped around and looked at the Broncos bus, and to his surprise the bus was in tact.
"What the–" Marty then realized he had made the mistake of taking his eyes off of Endgame, and she had taken advantage of that mistake by running forward and grabbed Marty by his throat as soon as he was able to turn back around.
"You Guardians are too easy to fool." Endgame laughed as she tightened her grip around Marty's throat, causing him to gasp and claw at her clawed hands.
"Let him go Endgame!" a familiar female Guardian yelled as an armored up Ash ran out of the bus and took up a combat stance.
"With pleasure." Endgame replied with a dark laugh as she threw Marty like he was a football towards an evacuated car, resulting in him crashing through the windshield and landing in the car in a painful tumbled heap.
"RB5!" Ash yelled in a concerned tone.
"Don't worry about your fellow Guardian, it's more than likely he'll live." Endgame laughed.
"I'm giving you one chance to walk away, I know you fear me Endgame." Ash said in a mocking tone.
"I think it's time I conquer my fear, and I'll do that by killing you!" Endgame hissed as she fired a stream of lightning from all teen fingers after she pointed them at Ash. Ash dodged the attack by activating her flight app and taking flight over the highway, but Endgame had anticipated the move and made no effort to redirect the attack, and instead struck the Broncos bus and blasted the front of the bus clean off, sending Steed sailing out of the bus and crash landing unto the hood of a parked car.
"Steed!" Ash cried as she landed next to Steed.
"I'm fine, protect the bus." Steed ordered as he jumped up into a fighting stance alongside of Ash.
"I grow bored of this battle." Endgame said with a fake yawn, and proceeded to give a mechanical whistle, and they instantly heard metal hooves making their way towards them.
"What is that?" Ash asked Steed.
"War Horse." Steed whispered as a Crusher jumped over them and landed in front of them. This Crusher looked like a mechanical horse, but it had the ability to walk on it's hind legs, and it's front hooves morphed into hands.
"War Horse, bring me the Broncos Megacore." Endgame ordered. War Horse stomped it's hind legs unto the ground and began charging at Ash and Steed. Steed responded by channeling his energy and rushing at the charging Crusher, and when the two collided, it created a shockwave that shattered all the nearby windows of abandoned cars. The Rusher and Crusher began exchanging high powered and high speed punches and kicks. Ash quickly jumped into the battle and jumped on War Horse's back and began riding the Crusher, resulting in it jumping around trying to buck off the red-headed Guardian. Suddenly gunfire reached Ash and Steed's ears and Steed turned and saw Endgame making haste towards the Broncos bus, which Ash also noticed.
"I got War Horse, you help the guards on the bus!" Ash ordered as she back-flipped off the Crusher and fired a Super Kick at War Horse. Steed nodded and abandoned the fight and ran at Endgame.
"Your not getting our Megacore Endgame!" Steed yelled as he jumped unto Endgame's mechanical back and began trying to pull her to the ground.
"Get off me!" Endgame hissed as she jumped into the air and did a somersault and flung Steed off of her back.
"There's no need for me to point out which of us is physically stronger." Steed mocked his former Rusher ally.
"You might possibly match my strength, but you cannot match my intellect." Endgame mocked right back as Steed Rushed at Endgame, but the female robotic woman waited till he was in range and Sparta kicked him back into the bus, but Steed got right back up to her surprise.
"Nice kick, here's mine!" Steed hissed as he jumped into the air and brought his foot down unto the concrete, creating a shock-wave that ripped the ground open and snaked towards Endgame.
"Impressive." Endgame admitted as she began levitating over the ground, thus avoiding the attack. "But not Impressive enough." Endgame laughed as she quickly formulated a way to quickly secure the Megacore without further interference. "You cannot save this world from my Endgame, but you can save her!" Endgame hissed as she turned to look at Ash and fired a beam of purple energy from her chest towards the distracted Guardian.
"No!" Steed yelled as he quickly jumped into the path of the beam and took the blow for Ash, knocking him out instantly.
"Steed!" Ash yelled as she abandoned the fight with War Horse and rushed over to the passed out Rusher.
"Finish the fight.' Endgame ordered War Horse with a silent thought he walked up to Ash and power kicked her with one of his hooves and Ash went down like a sack of bricks. "Never take your eyes off your enemy." Endgame lectured as she and War Horse left the beaten Guardians and Rusher and walked up to the bus, only to be met with the remaining fifteen guards opening fire. "You've got to be joking." Endgame sighed with a roll of her purple eyes. She then proceeded to clap her hands together and created a purple shock-wave that knocked out the rest of the guards. She then walked unto the bus and quickly located the Megacore energy beneath the metal floorboards. Endgame fired a lightning bolt at the floor, creating a hole in the Megacore chamber, and it floated out of the hole, and into the waiting clawed hand of Endgame. Endgame then exited the bus and prepared to teleport away, when she heard footsteps and shaky breathing behind her.
"Haven't had enough, Stevens?" Endgame asked as Marty was barely able to take up a combat stance.
"I... can... do... this all day." he said in defiance as he took up a weak combat stance.
"I admire your passion, but I grow bored of this battle, War Horse?" Endgame asked as War Horse picked up and abandoned car and threw it at Marty, and while the Guardian managed to catch the car, War Horse jumped forward into the air and jumped unto the back of the car and forced it down unto Marty, pinning him beneath the car.
"I'm slowly but steadily capturing all Megacore's Marty." Endgame mocked as she showed him the Broncos Megacore. "This makes ten Megacore's under my control, and soon enough I will have all thirty-two. Then you will have no choice but to come to me, that is when I will end your life, as well as the lives of your fellow Guardians... and the lives of your family." Endgame laughed as she teleported way with War Horse, leaving the war torn highway behind.