Ripping through the air, the beam very powerful yet slow caught the right shoulder to the Reaper, sending it spinning through the air.
Still spinning, Robert tried to activate the thrusters to straighten himself out. They wouldn't ignite. Before Robert could do anything, the Reaper hit the ground on its back. Grinding to a halt, he was momentarily dazed.
"Aw, it didn't even bounce." Commented Jesse.
Scopes still on the Reaper, Caleb waited for any signs that it was still functional.
"Look at that, isn't even movin'." Jesse said lightly.
"It's still functional," Caleb said, voice showing no emotions as he pointed to the moving arm of the Reaper.
System by system, the Reaper came back to life, life support, main computers, sensors, motor functions. Lights and panels across the cockpit were flashing or showing red. A few went to green or yellow after initial repair systems had kicked in.
Right arm gone, the Reaper had only one arm to get itself up. Lifting its arm and placing the palm on the ground, Robert transferred all available power to the motors. Pushing hard, it got to its knees. Then dragging it's right leg forward, it was able to plant the right foot firmly on the ground, looking like it was bowing - bowing to a superior fighter.
Slowly, unsteadily, and creaking all the way, the giant stood up. In the cockpit, the control panels read low power levels. Looking to his right, searching for some controls, Robert finally noticed for the first time that light from the setting sun was peeking into his cockpit.
"Robert, if you abandon your suit, I will let you go with your life."
"WHAT?!?" Jesse exclaimed, "Let him go, after all this? You gotta-"
"IF he leaves his cockpit," Caleb emphasized the IF, "plus a suit is only half of a weapon without a pilot. If we can get a hold of that suit, they'll be set back for months, thus weakening the enemy's army for a short time. Plus, the computers might have some information we need about enemy movements"
"You must be foolish to let me go. I still have the plans for this suit, and your suit, and his suit too. I can come back with a better suit!" Robert sneered. "I will destroy you!"
"YOU'RE IN NO POSITION RIGHT NOW TO BE THREATENING ANYONE!" Caleb yelled at Robert. "First off, I can finish you off either with this," he gestured to the cannon in his hands, "or I can whittle you down with my daggers."
"I still can destroy you now, I have yet to use my trump card!"
At that, Jesse was about to attack when Caleb grabbed the Enclave in mid stride, spun around once and launched it into the air.
"What did you do that for?!?" Jesse asked, astonished at his friend's boldness.
"The only way I can save at least someone, for I didn't follow you back, I-I could've saved our soldiers." Caleb choked down a sob.
The last thing Jesse saw of his friend was his suit wrestling the Reaper to the ground before it self-destructed. Finally regaining control of his suit, Jesse circled around to watch as the suits exploded.
"He, he sacrificed himself for me." Was all Jesse could muster.
SEVERAL DAYS LATER AT CALEB'S FUNERAL
"Are you Andrea?"
"Yes, wh-why?"
"After the explosion, I found a capsule with this box in it, your name's scratched into the top of it."
"Who's it-" She was stopped by Jesse placing a finger on her lips.
"Open it and find out."
Giving Jesse a grateful look, she ran to her car, hit the auto tint, and opened the box. A holo of the back of someone flickered into view.
"Andrea, my sweet. If you are watching this, then I have faced the end." As the figure slowly turning to face the viewer, Andrea recognized him as Caleb. "If I could change one thing in my past before I died, it would be to be with you. You are a very beautiful young woman, one that I have fallen in love with." A tear rolled down his cheek. "Now that I am gone I cannot help but feel that I had wasted my life. I ask that you don't do the same thing. Good bye my love." As the holo faded, one last tear was seen rolling down his cheek.
Back at Jesse's place, he and Jenelle just walked in. Jenelle immediately went to the bedroom to lay down for a while. Walking into the living room, Jesse couldn't help but feel that something was out of place. Sitting on the couch, he realized that there was a jagged dagger on a stand on his coffee table. Picking it up from its stand, Jesse studied it closely. Turning it over, he noticed some writing engraved into the base of the blade,
DAGGER OF HELL
Still spinning, Robert tried to activate the thrusters to straighten himself out. They wouldn't ignite. Before Robert could do anything, the Reaper hit the ground on its back. Grinding to a halt, he was momentarily dazed.
"Aw, it didn't even bounce." Commented Jesse.
Scopes still on the Reaper, Caleb waited for any signs that it was still functional.
"Look at that, isn't even movin'." Jesse said lightly.
"It's still functional," Caleb said, voice showing no emotions as he pointed to the moving arm of the Reaper.
System by system, the Reaper came back to life, life support, main computers, sensors, motor functions. Lights and panels across the cockpit were flashing or showing red. A few went to green or yellow after initial repair systems had kicked in.
Right arm gone, the Reaper had only one arm to get itself up. Lifting its arm and placing the palm on the ground, Robert transferred all available power to the motors. Pushing hard, it got to its knees. Then dragging it's right leg forward, it was able to plant the right foot firmly on the ground, looking like it was bowing - bowing to a superior fighter.
Slowly, unsteadily, and creaking all the way, the giant stood up. In the cockpit, the control panels read low power levels. Looking to his right, searching for some controls, Robert finally noticed for the first time that light from the setting sun was peeking into his cockpit.
"Robert, if you abandon your suit, I will let you go with your life."
"WHAT?!?" Jesse exclaimed, "Let him go, after all this? You gotta-"
"IF he leaves his cockpit," Caleb emphasized the IF, "plus a suit is only half of a weapon without a pilot. If we can get a hold of that suit, they'll be set back for months, thus weakening the enemy's army for a short time. Plus, the computers might have some information we need about enemy movements"
"You must be foolish to let me go. I still have the plans for this suit, and your suit, and his suit too. I can come back with a better suit!" Robert sneered. "I will destroy you!"
"YOU'RE IN NO POSITION RIGHT NOW TO BE THREATENING ANYONE!" Caleb yelled at Robert. "First off, I can finish you off either with this," he gestured to the cannon in his hands, "or I can whittle you down with my daggers."
"I still can destroy you now, I have yet to use my trump card!"
At that, Jesse was about to attack when Caleb grabbed the Enclave in mid stride, spun around once and launched it into the air.
"What did you do that for?!?" Jesse asked, astonished at his friend's boldness.
"The only way I can save at least someone, for I didn't follow you back, I-I could've saved our soldiers." Caleb choked down a sob.
The last thing Jesse saw of his friend was his suit wrestling the Reaper to the ground before it self-destructed. Finally regaining control of his suit, Jesse circled around to watch as the suits exploded.
"He, he sacrificed himself for me." Was all Jesse could muster.
SEVERAL DAYS LATER AT CALEB'S FUNERAL
"Are you Andrea?"
"Yes, wh-why?"
"After the explosion, I found a capsule with this box in it, your name's scratched into the top of it."
"Who's it-" She was stopped by Jesse placing a finger on her lips.
"Open it and find out."
Giving Jesse a grateful look, she ran to her car, hit the auto tint, and opened the box. A holo of the back of someone flickered into view.
"Andrea, my sweet. If you are watching this, then I have faced the end." As the figure slowly turning to face the viewer, Andrea recognized him as Caleb. "If I could change one thing in my past before I died, it would be to be with you. You are a very beautiful young woman, one that I have fallen in love with." A tear rolled down his cheek. "Now that I am gone I cannot help but feel that I had wasted my life. I ask that you don't do the same thing. Good bye my love." As the holo faded, one last tear was seen rolling down his cheek.
Back at Jesse's place, he and Jenelle just walked in. Jenelle immediately went to the bedroom to lay down for a while. Walking into the living room, Jesse couldn't help but feel that something was out of place. Sitting on the couch, he realized that there was a jagged dagger on a stand on his coffee table. Picking it up from its stand, Jesse studied it closely. Turning it over, he noticed some writing engraved into the base of the blade,
DAGGER OF HELL