Special thanks goes to The Story's Shadow for revising this chapter.
'It seems RZ has not totally taken the bait,' Endgame mused to herself. She and Widow Maker entered the room full of footballs.
'None the less, with no backup, these three Guardians, and Rusher will fall easily,' Endgame thought to herself as she quickly formulated a plan and relayed it to Widow Maker.
-Meanwhile-
After the three rookie Guardians and Stallion did a check on the Megacore Vault, they quickly made their way back up to the surface and had a lot on their minds. RZ had contacted them while they were checking on the vault and had informed them that New England and New Jersey where currently under attack. But to their surprise, he had ordered them to stay in Indianapolis.
"Endgame is in either New England or New Jersey, not here, and RZ has ordered us to stay put," Jack growled angrily.
"I agree with you to an extent Jack," Juniper said after a moment of contemplation.
She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck
"But orders are orders, and RZ wants us here," Juniper added, which earned a hiss from Jack.
"I don't care what RZ wants, I want to fight Endgame," Jack hissed angrily as he attempted to storm out.
"Jack! We need to stay together!" Hunter said, his voice almost a growl.
But Jack was out of earshot. Hunter sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.
"I'll go after him," Juniper said with a sigh as she left the room and followed after Jack.
"Who's your money on?" Stallion asked Hunter.
"Sorry, I'm not thinking of this like that. She needs to talk to him to fix some things," Hunter informed Stallion.
"They together?" Stallion asked.
"Not as far as I know. She just... has his number." Hunter answered.
-Meanwhile-
Back up near the charity event Juniper and Jack could be found arguing with each other.
"Don't you tell me to calm down!" Jack hissed angrily.
"What would your mom–" Juniper started before Jack raised a hand to silence her.
"Don't... mention... my... mother!" Jack hissed angrily.
Jack paced for a few moments, grumbling angrily under his breath as Juniper watched.
"You don't have the right to mention either of my parents. Endgame killed them both." Jack growled lowly enough only so that Juniper could hear, and that made Juniper's blood run cold.
She tried to say something, but Jack spoke first.
"I know what your thinking: 'Your mom died in a car crash.' Well, you're wrong! If Endgame hadn't killed my father, she would not have been working that dead-end job, and would not have had to drive to work that day. So don't you ever mention my parents again, do you understand... DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?" Jack yelled loudly enough to actually cause some heads to turn from a slight distance away though only after the last three words.
Juniper instead of using words just nodded silently and allowed Jack to walk away from the charity event and off into the domed stadium's hallways, and towards the snack bar.
-Later-
"I miss you mom," Jack whispered to himself.
He sat in the hallways, well out of the way of anyone else in the stadium.
"Dad trusted me to look after you... and I failed," Jack said in a very pained tone as he felt a single tear slide down his cheek.
"What a touching moment, I wonder who could possibly ruin it," a familiar evil toned female voice called out from behind Jack, who quickly leaped to his feet and whipped around. An angry scowl forming on his face as he now found himself face to face with Endgame.
"Oh wait I know somebody... me," Endgame mocked in an evil tone, which made Jack growl angrily.
"You should have brought a Crusher, 'cause when I'm done with you... you'll be an unrecognizable pile of scrap parts," Jack hissed as he raised his NFL-R, "Enter the Rush Zone!" Jack yelled as his armor morphed over his civilian attire.
"I don't need a Crusher to defeat you," Endgame laughed at her enemy.
"You sure of that? Super Size!" Jack yelled as he grew in size to nearly match Endgame's, who proceeded to make a taunting 'come get me' gesture with her clawed left hand. Jack obliged and rushed at Endgame rearing back a fist. Endgame smirked and waited till Jack was in range and then blasted him with a massive purple energy blast, which knocked him to the ground.
"I could kill you right now, Jack," Endgame mocked as she pointed a single finger down at Jack, and began streaming purple energy into Jack, resulting in him writhing in pain like a fish out of water, "But... I have other plans for you."
Endgame smiled wickedly as she began manipulating the Negacore energy she was streaming into his body, and a few seconds later his eyes began to glow purple.
"While I didn't give you a large enough dose to poison you or create a connection like I did with Ashley Reynolds, this amount is just enough to turn you to my side, be it temporarily," Endgame said honestly as Jack stood up and bowed to Endgame, "Jack, I'd like you to lead me to the Indianapolis Colts Megacore."
-Later-
"He just walked off?" Hunter asked Juniper.
"Yep, after he yelled at me he just stormed off," Juniper said sadly.
"Should we go after him?" Stallion asked Juniper.
"No. Right now he needs his space," Juniper said.
Those wise words were short-lived as suddenly the crashing sound of clopping hooves reached the two Guardians and Stallions ears, and a moment later, Widow Maker ran unto the field.
"Crusher!" Stallion said as the people in the charity event took off running for cover, leaving only the three of them present.
"Enter the Rush Zone!" Juniper and Hunter shouted as they armored up.
"Stallion, we'll handle the Crusher, you head back to the Megacore vault and try to contact RZ so he can reach Jack to join you," Juniper ordered Stallion, who nodded and took off running.
Hunter sniffed the air.
"Something's off, there are a few scents in the air...they're all mixed up but I think I -" Hunter started to say.
"We can deal with whatever that is later, we have a more immediate problem," Juniper said as she started to run towards the field.
"OK...Any ideas, Juniper?" Hunter asked his fellow rookie, the first word unsure.
"Stick together, and we'll send this bucket of bolts packing," Juniper answered.
The two rushed to the field and a few seconds later, Widow Maker charged at the two rookies, who charged in return. The two rookies were soon throwing kicks and punches at Widow Maker, who leaped around them.
Hunter unleashed his sonic roar, and due to the close proximity, Widow Maker did not have enough time to dodge the attack and was sent skidding backwards till its back legs dropped to the ground. Juniper followed it up by jumping into the air and delivering a dive kick to the Crushers face, sending it skidding backwards again.
"Is it me or is this–"
"Too easy." Juniper finished for Hunter as Widow Maker quickly got back on its hooves.
"The Megacore!" Juniper yelled as she tried to abandon the fight and run back towards the vault.
Widow Maker jumped into the air and got in front of Juniper, and took up a defensive stance blocking the path to the Megacore vault. A snarl shot out as Hunter leapt towards and landed on the Crusher's face.
"I'll keep him distracted, you back up Stallion!" Hunter ordered as his energy claws emerged and began slashing the Crusher's face leaving claw marks as the Crusher tried to throw him off. Juniper ran for it. Hunter growled as he continued to claw at the Crusher who suddenly gazed at Juniper and lifted a hoof, a ball of negative energy emerged on it.
"No!" Hunter hissed as he leapt from the Crusher's face to its leg and forced the hoof back to the field.
The resulting explosion sent both Guardian and Crusher flipping through the air, but both landed back on the field. Though the hoof where the energy had formed was damaged. Hunter growled as he lunged forward, claws out to either side of him. But the Crusher turned and kicked him with both back hooves and sent him flying back and partially through one of the walls just below the stands. Juniper gasped as she turned to see this and ran back to help.
"No! Get to the Megacore!" Hunter growled in anger and pain as he pulled himself out of the wall, but dropped to his knees as he tried to pick himself back up.
"Not a chance!" Juniper scoffed as she dodged energy blasts from Widow Maker.
She punched one of the legs of the Crusher, causing it to stumbled and tried to stomp on the Guardian who had made it to her friend.
"Helping Hand!" Juniper yelled as she activated her special Guardians ability, as Hunter suddenly jumped to his feet again, completely revitalized.
"Whoa, what was that" Hunter asked.
"Helping Hand: allows me to heal up to two other Guardians, but it cuts my energy by a quarter," Juniper answered as she saw her suits core energy levels on her armor's HUD.
"Thanks for the save, " Hunter thanked as they dodged another Negacore pulse.
"If you liked that, then you're going to love this... Huddle Up!" Juniper yelled as she activated her second ability, but it seemingly did nothing.
"Um...what did that do?" Hunter asked in a confused tone as Widow Maker began charging at them.
"Hit 'em with a sonic roar!" Juniper yelled.
Hunter rushed forward with a speed that surprised Juniper and leapt into the air towards the Crusher then released a huge sonic roar that sent Widow Maker airborne and then crashing back down.
"Oh, I get it," Hunter chuckled.
"My other ability 'Huddle Up' doubles your abilities powers," Juniper said with a smiled.
"You should use that more often." Hunter chuckled.
"It only lasts five minutes before it needs to recharge," Juniper responded as Widow Maker got back on its hooves.
"OK, I'm good now. Get to the Megacore and...no!" Hunter said then gasped as he heard something.
"What's wrong?" Juniper asked.
Suddenly Stallion crashed to the ground in front of them, creating a mini crater in the turf. Upon looking up they saw Jack rubbing his hands together, though his armor seemed different.
"So that's where the scent came from...that means, Endgame's here," Hunter growled.
"No," Juniper gasped as Jack fired an energy blast at them, which they both dodged with ease.
"Plan?" Juniper asked.
"Get to the Megacore and contact RZ!" Hunter said.
Juniper nodded hesitantly and ran. Jack readied to fire another energy blast, his vision on Juniper. A snarl rang through the air and he turned, but only to see Hunter's fist slam into his face and sent him flying back. Hunter rushed forward.
"Sorry about this Jack!" Hunter called out.
Jack didn't say anything as he stood up and rushed forward. He threw a punch, but Hunter caught it with one fist then he used his free hand to snatch Jack's throat and lifted him in the air.
"Where's Endgame? Where is-oh no," Hunter started to growl then hissed as he heard something.
He turned quickly with a snarl, but only to see a surge of immense lightning strike him. Juniper turned when she heard Hunter's growl of pain and anger. But she only saw the same lightning in time to strike her. Both Guardians were on the field unconscious.
To Be Continued...
