"How's everyone doing, RZ?" Ish asked his leader as he stood before RZ.
"To put it simply: injured, recovering, or on a secret mission." RZ answered with a grim expression.
"How are Ash and Marty?" Ish asked in a concerned tone.
"Ash got off easy compared to Marty, and while it will take a few days to recover, they should hopefully be able to fight again within a week." RZ said in a hopeful tone.
"I'll be in the medical wing if you need me." Ish informed his leader as he went down a corridor inside the HOK, and entered the medical ward, and saw Ash, Marty, Joseph and Kristie all laying on hard-light hospital beds. "Hey guys." Ish greeted in a low tone, which caused them all to look at their leader.
"'Sup Ish?" Joseph asked with a wince, and Ish couldn't help but notice the large surgical bandage wrapped around Joseph's bad knee.
"Just waiting to be called on if needed." Ish answered honestly.
"So where we, and look where that got us." Kristie answered dryly.
"I'm sorry this happened, if I had been there, maybe things would have gone better." Ish said in an optimistic tone.
"Or things could have gotten worse." Marty said with a weak tone. "You're the only veteran Guardian still able to be called to duty, the rest of us are either hurt, recovering, or on that secret mission for RZ." Marty said with a serious tone.
"I see your point." Ish said after a minute of contemplation as he walked up to Ash and planted a quick peck on her lips, which earned a smile from her. "I still wish I could have been there." Ish said in a regretful tone.
"You're here now, and that's making me, as well as the rest of us feel better." Ash said with a smile around her face, which off-set the bandage wrapped around her head.
"How's your gut, Kristie?" Ish asked Joseph's girlfriend.
"Considering I got stabbed with an energy knife, I guess it could have been worse." Kristie said with an optimistic tone of her own, which earned a laugh and a smile from Joseph.
"Kristie, your sense of humor never ceases to earn a laugh from this rugged veteran." Joseph laughed softly, which earned a smile from Kristie. Ish was about to speak until his NFL-R started beeping.
"Ish, return to the central HOK at once." RZ ordered Ish, who gave his fellow Guardians a head nod and quickly left the medical wing.
"That was quick, RZ." Ish joked as he stood before RZ.
"I'm afraid we've got a problem." RZ began with a serious expression. "The Titans Rusher has just informed me that Endgame has made a direct threat against the Titans–"
"I'm on my way to Nashville." Ish said as he raised his NFL-R and prepared to armor up.
"I'm very weary about this one Ish, for Endgame has never made a direct threat to a team before." RZ said in a serious tone. "So be cautious and never let your guard down." RZ ordered the leading Guardian, who nodded his head in agreement.
"I'm guessing I have no backup?" Ish asked even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.
"Regrettably no, so be on your guard Ish." RZ said in a caring tone, which caused Ish to nod his head once again.
"Enter the Rush Zone!" Ish shouted as he quickly armored up and jumped into the Titans passageway.
'It seems RZ has sent the leader in response to my threat.' Endgame mused as she sat plugged into her throne, listening in on the leading Guardian via hacking into his communication app. 'I already have ten Megacore's.' she mused as she looked at the stasis pods that where in view of her throne, the first ten pods each had a Megacore inside of it. 'It is time to add an eleventh Megacore to my collection.' Endgame thought with a smile as with a thought she activated one of her Crusher's pods and a Crusher activated and walked towards it's masters throne. This Crusher looked like an old man, complete with a long mechanical beard, but the most menacing feature was the deadly looking sickle attached to it's back. 'Kronos, bring me the Tennessee Titans Megacore...' Endgame ordered her Crusher.
"Good to see you Ish." the Titans Rusher Cyclops greeted the leading Guardian.
"Despite the circumstances, I'm glad I could be here." Ish said with a smile underneath his visor.
"Yea, Endgame hacked the PA system and delivered the team a very threatening message, and I decided we needed a Guardian right away." Cyclops informed Ish as they began walking through the stadiums hallways.
"Megacore in the vault?" Ish asked Cyclops.
"Not at the moment–"
"Taking it out of the Megacore vault is not a good idea, since Endgame can't resist a moving Megacore, hence New York, and most recently Denver." Ish said in a grim tone.
"I heard from Steed about what happened in Denver. Speaking of which, how are Ash and Marty?" Cyclops asked Ish.
"They're recovering." Ish answered simply, which earned a head nod from Cyclops as they continued to walk through the stadium.
-Later-
"This coming Sunday we are hosting a big event on game day." Cyclops informed Ish.
"What's that?" Ish asked the Rusher. "I didn't hear anything from the NFL news." Ish said in a confused tone.
"That's because we've kept it a secret." Cyclops said proudly as they exited out the front door of the stadium and came across something underneath a giant tarp.
"That the surprise?" Ish asked Cyclops, who nodded his head with a big smile on his face. "What is it?" Ish asked. In response Cyclops looked reached up and pulled the tarp off, revealing a bronze statue of what appeared to be a football player. The player was posed as if he was about to throw a pass, he had a number nine on his jersey.
"Is that who I think it is?" Ish asked in a surprised tone.
"Yea, Steve McNair." Cyclops said in a happy yet slightly sad tone. "Played for us back when we where the Houston Oilers, when we became the Titans, before finishing his career as a Baltimore Raven." Cyclops said proudly, but still with a sad tone.
"I'm sure he would be proud of the Titans honoring his memory." Ish said as he place a hand on Cyclops shoulder.
"We like to think number nine is looking down on us." Cyclops said with a small yet hopeful smile.
"Air McNair." Ish said as he said Steve's nickname. "Like I said, I'm sure Steve would be honored with this stature." Ish said with a firm tone.
"This statue is not the only thing we are doing to honor him this weekend." Cyclops said with a smile, which earned Ish's attention even more. "We are going to wheel this statue unto the fifty yard line and have a ceremony where we have a moment of silence, and then retire his number nine jersey." Cyclops said with a proud smile.
"I'm confident everyone will be so excited." Ish said with a big smile. "The Megacore inside the statue?" Ish asked with a confident smile. In response Cyclops put his hand down upon an inscribed plaque and the plague began glowing blue and white, then the plague opened by splitting right down the middle and opened up, revealing the Titans Megacore inside the statue.
"This statue will be our new permanent game day vault." Cyclops said proudly.
"I got to say it once again, Steve would be honored. His statue holding the Megacore, that's a great show of respect." Ish said proudly.
"What a magical moment, you might make me cry." a familiar female voice called out, which caused Ish and Cyclops to whip around and see Kronos, who had Endgame's voice emanating from the Crushers mouth. "That is if I still had tears to cry." Endgame's voice said in a now mocking tone as Kronos reached it's hand behind it's back and pulled a very sharp and lethal looking sickle off it's back.
"Back off Endgame, your not getting through us!" Ish hissed angrily as he and Cyclops took up combat stances.
"I took down two veteran Guardians, and a Rusher in Denver. You are only one Guardian and one Rusher, what makes you think you have a chance?" Endgame's voice asked in a mocking tone.
"It was you and a Crusher then, now it's only a Crusher." Ish hissed as Cyclops raised his shield and took up a defensive stance.
"A Crusher with me at the controls." Endgame retorted as Kronos rushed at the duo, sickle swinging through the air. Ish responded by jumping into the air and front-flipping over Kronos, firing energy blasts the whole time, while Cyclops raised his shield and blocked the slash from the sickle, and pushed Kronos backwards.
"Freight Train Force!" Ish yelled as he formed an orange shield and rushed at Kronos. His attack was pure as he hit the Crusher, and sent it sailing airborne. However Kronos began levitating and hovered above the battlefield, he then quickly flew back down unto the ground.
"I'll admit Taylor, that caught me off guard." Endgame's voice admitted as Ish once again engaged his Freight Train Force and rushed at Kronos, while Cyclops rushed forward with his shield. Once they both where within range, Kronos snapped it's mechanical fingers and time slowed to a crawl, forcing Ish and Cyclops to run in seemingly slow motion. Kronos then began whirling around and slashed them both with his sickle across their chests, and then snapped his fingers and time resumed again, and both Ish and Cyclops both went flying in separate directions where they landed in a tumbled heap. "To easy." Endgame said darkly as she walked up to the statue of Steve McNair and looked at it for a second. "Pitiful." Endgame laughed as she reached into the plaque and grabbed the Titans Megacore. "Eleven down twenty one to go." Endgame's voice laughed as Kronos took to leave, but before she did, she raised Kronos's sickle and sliced the statue of Steve McNair in half, and then teleported away.