--- Below the Ruins of the OCC ---
"Crap its dark down here." Muttered one of the marines
"You have a light on your gun." Said a ghost, coldly
The marine shot a sour glance at the ghost and waved his gun menacingly, "Yah and I'm about to put yours out."
Both men glared at each other for a moment longer but then Commander Darius spoke up, "Now's not the time, when we get back you can have a brawl but not now. Understand?"
"Aye sir." Both said in unison.
The squad members continued on down the large cavern that was the only evidence of the Superior One's moment under the base. The passage was massive, more then large enough they could drive a siege tank through it, which made some of the squaddies want one down there with them, but unfortunately for them, the creatures attack had thrown the base into such disarray, it would take a while before they even found a siege tank that could still move under its own power, let alone shot.
The group of soldiers made their way carefully down the passage way, looking every way they could, while also keeping the same forward speed. The passage had a rough look to it, and in some places they passed through areas where solid rock had been ripped clear through. The passage was oddly straight with few curves or twists to it, but it was rough. It was warm and stuffy down in the tunnel, but that could be accounted to the volcanic activity on Char and not on any lurking creatures, but it still mad the men uneasy.
"What are we looking for anyway?" Asked on marine
"The creature that attacked the base." Replied Darius
"Uh huh, and what do we do when we find it?" queried the marine with just a slight quiver in his voice, he had seen the inside of some of the bunkers that had been attacked, and the horror that had been experienced there.
"We kill it." Was the reply
"How the Hell do you think we have any chance Commander?" Snapped the marine
"I'll feed you to it, now shut up and keep walking before I spread your body all over this tunnel."
The marine was quiet but he was still angry, but he knew when to shut up.
A noise was then hearable from a distance in the tunnel a sound of breaking rock, with the occasional savage rumble. As they moved down the tunnel, the noise grew. They got closer and they could see movement with their gun mounted lights. They carefully approached but then they saw something else, a smaller figure by the back legs of the massive, swaying, Zerg creature. Even in the dim light, they could see that the smaller one was looking at them.
In a flash the puppet had his skeletal wings out to there full length, making him look like one of the angles of Hell. He bent low, with the razor wing tips sticking ahead of him and he charged the group of men. The men answered the charge with a flurry of bullets, but a surge of psy energy knocked most of their rounds harmlessly away. Moving at a blinding speed, the Puppet ripped into the first marines armor with his wings and then scythed out on either side, ripping a long gash in the mans abdomen. The man fell to the ground in a pool of blood and entrails, while the puppet moved to his second target.
The second man Swung his gun at the assailant but it was caught in the creatures claws and snapped in two like a toothpick, while the other claw came up and smashed through the marines suit, to his throat, where the Puppet closed on the mans throat and pulled his claw back out. Before the body had even fallen, he was already beginning his attack on the third.
He reached out with him mind tore into the man's sanity; he saw demons and terrors from nightmares, swarming him. He shot wildly at the demons and his bullets went all-round, one of his shots hit Darius through his shoulder, he buckled to that side but brought his own gun to bear and sent one round through the berserk mans head, ending the demons and the threat to his squad from him.
The Ghost in the squad activated a hidden switch on his exo suit, and it activated a hidden psy amplifier that had been equipped by Darius' order. He struck out with his mind, and he was the only other ghost to receive the psy training needed to fight down Overmind, but the first of the two to receive that training had been captured by the zerg, and now he was facing him. His first attack caught the puppet off guard, and caused him to stagger, but his advantage didn't last long. The Puppet began his counter, trying to break through the ghost's psy barriers but he resisted with amazing determination, and his psy amplifier increased its power. The puppet was puzzled by his lack of success but began to walk towards the ghost while keeping up his psychic onslaught, soon he was within striking distance and he swung at the ghost. The ghost has sensed it though and jumped back, but that weakened his psy defenses so the puppet redirected his fury there. They continued in their game for some time, one going physical reached out with his power towards the psy amplifier and began to fiddle with its inner workings, and the sudden disappearance of a psychic enemy and the increase in his amps power, caused the ghost to push far into the puppet's mind and actually feel the presence of the man he once was and the terror that was the Superior One. The Superior One felt a new presence in his link with the Puppet and he felt the familiar power and the expense of psychic power, only to have the other counter with psychic and sacrifice physical. But the Puppet was ultimately more powerful, and unlike the ghost, his psy power was not limited to the realm of the mind. He that made of a ghost, he lashed out with his mind and began to pummel the new human with the same force that he had attacked the puppet with, and the new ghost was no better, he to fell and his body was turned into a extension of the Superior one, with limbs moving as if they were being pulled with strings.
The Ghost turned his head with a jerky movement, and looked at Darius with empty eyes. Darius gazed into the Ghost's eyes and saw that the man who he had once been was no more, he turned to the Puppet, its demonic form standing there, looking at the former Ghost with as much curiosity as arrogance, and he felt rage over the fact that that thing had once been his Son. He was never much of a Father but he had tried to turn his son into a man not by playing favorites but doing the opposite and coming down harder on him. He had nearly succeeded in making a man but now that was gone, so was his son, and he would not allow the Superior one to claim another soul.
His shoulder still in pain from the last hit he had taken, he lifted his weapon and sent a shot through the ghosts head, before his new master had a chance to react. The man's head erupted and his body tumbled limply to join the other three men who had already died in the attack. This left Darius with only another three marines and himself. He decided that they would have no chance so he began to retreat, unleashing a hail of weapons fire to cover their escape. The puppet let out a screech at what had just happened, and struck out with his psychic force at one of the marines and ripped him apart in a flurry of armor and blood. He was starting to charge the running men when his master recalled him. Letting out one more shriek that would forever haunt the survivors of this attack, he returned to his master and entered the protective shell of the Superior One, where he would wait until needed again.
"Crap its dark down here." Muttered one of the marines
"You have a light on your gun." Said a ghost, coldly
The marine shot a sour glance at the ghost and waved his gun menacingly, "Yah and I'm about to put yours out."
Both men glared at each other for a moment longer but then Commander Darius spoke up, "Now's not the time, when we get back you can have a brawl but not now. Understand?"
"Aye sir." Both said in unison.
The squad members continued on down the large cavern that was the only evidence of the Superior One's moment under the base. The passage was massive, more then large enough they could drive a siege tank through it, which made some of the squaddies want one down there with them, but unfortunately for them, the creatures attack had thrown the base into such disarray, it would take a while before they even found a siege tank that could still move under its own power, let alone shot.
The group of soldiers made their way carefully down the passage way, looking every way they could, while also keeping the same forward speed. The passage had a rough look to it, and in some places they passed through areas where solid rock had been ripped clear through. The passage was oddly straight with few curves or twists to it, but it was rough. It was warm and stuffy down in the tunnel, but that could be accounted to the volcanic activity on Char and not on any lurking creatures, but it still mad the men uneasy.
"What are we looking for anyway?" Asked on marine
"The creature that attacked the base." Replied Darius
"Uh huh, and what do we do when we find it?" queried the marine with just a slight quiver in his voice, he had seen the inside of some of the bunkers that had been attacked, and the horror that had been experienced there.
"We kill it." Was the reply
"How the Hell do you think we have any chance Commander?" Snapped the marine
"I'll feed you to it, now shut up and keep walking before I spread your body all over this tunnel."
The marine was quiet but he was still angry, but he knew when to shut up.
A noise was then hearable from a distance in the tunnel a sound of breaking rock, with the occasional savage rumble. As they moved down the tunnel, the noise grew. They got closer and they could see movement with their gun mounted lights. They carefully approached but then they saw something else, a smaller figure by the back legs of the massive, swaying, Zerg creature. Even in the dim light, they could see that the smaller one was looking at them.
In a flash the puppet had his skeletal wings out to there full length, making him look like one of the angles of Hell. He bent low, with the razor wing tips sticking ahead of him and he charged the group of men. The men answered the charge with a flurry of bullets, but a surge of psy energy knocked most of their rounds harmlessly away. Moving at a blinding speed, the Puppet ripped into the first marines armor with his wings and then scythed out on either side, ripping a long gash in the mans abdomen. The man fell to the ground in a pool of blood and entrails, while the puppet moved to his second target.
The second man Swung his gun at the assailant but it was caught in the creatures claws and snapped in two like a toothpick, while the other claw came up and smashed through the marines suit, to his throat, where the Puppet closed on the mans throat and pulled his claw back out. Before the body had even fallen, he was already beginning his attack on the third.
He reached out with him mind tore into the man's sanity; he saw demons and terrors from nightmares, swarming him. He shot wildly at the demons and his bullets went all-round, one of his shots hit Darius through his shoulder, he buckled to that side but brought his own gun to bear and sent one round through the berserk mans head, ending the demons and the threat to his squad from him.
The Ghost in the squad activated a hidden switch on his exo suit, and it activated a hidden psy amplifier that had been equipped by Darius' order. He struck out with his mind, and he was the only other ghost to receive the psy training needed to fight down Overmind, but the first of the two to receive that training had been captured by the zerg, and now he was facing him. His first attack caught the puppet off guard, and caused him to stagger, but his advantage didn't last long. The Puppet began his counter, trying to break through the ghost's psy barriers but he resisted with amazing determination, and his psy amplifier increased its power. The puppet was puzzled by his lack of success but began to walk towards the ghost while keeping up his psychic onslaught, soon he was within striking distance and he swung at the ghost. The ghost has sensed it though and jumped back, but that weakened his psy defenses so the puppet redirected his fury there. They continued in their game for some time, one going physical reached out with his power towards the psy amplifier and began to fiddle with its inner workings, and the sudden disappearance of a psychic enemy and the increase in his amps power, caused the ghost to push far into the puppet's mind and actually feel the presence of the man he once was and the terror that was the Superior One. The Superior One felt a new presence in his link with the Puppet and he felt the familiar power and the expense of psychic power, only to have the other counter with psychic and sacrifice physical. But the Puppet was ultimately more powerful, and unlike the ghost, his psy power was not limited to the realm of the mind. He that made of a ghost, he lashed out with his mind and began to pummel the new human with the same force that he had attacked the puppet with, and the new ghost was no better, he to fell and his body was turned into a extension of the Superior one, with limbs moving as if they were being pulled with strings.
The Ghost turned his head with a jerky movement, and looked at Darius with empty eyes. Darius gazed into the Ghost's eyes and saw that the man who he had once been was no more, he turned to the Puppet, its demonic form standing there, looking at the former Ghost with as much curiosity as arrogance, and he felt rage over the fact that that thing had once been his Son. He was never much of a Father but he had tried to turn his son into a man not by playing favorites but doing the opposite and coming down harder on him. He had nearly succeeded in making a man but now that was gone, so was his son, and he would not allow the Superior one to claim another soul.
His shoulder still in pain from the last hit he had taken, he lifted his weapon and sent a shot through the ghosts head, before his new master had a chance to react. The man's head erupted and his body tumbled limply to join the other three men who had already died in the attack. This left Darius with only another three marines and himself. He decided that they would have no chance so he began to retreat, unleashing a hail of weapons fire to cover their escape. The puppet let out a screech at what had just happened, and struck out with his psychic force at one of the marines and ripped him apart in a flurry of armor and blood. He was starting to charge the running men when his master recalled him. Letting out one more shriek that would forever haunt the survivors of this attack, he returned to his master and entered the protective shell of the Superior One, where he would wait until needed again.