Chapter 21 Independent
Xero looked around at the carnage that had ceased in an instant and thought that there might be more cheering and such celebrations at a battle gone awry. But as the silence that followed was plenty welcome from Xero, who had had enough cheering in the past few days, it caused him to stop in his movement and check his rear views.
There was Cataclysma. Ominous, the way it stood on the hillside, almost as if it had already won. It stood tall with arms crossed and head high, looking down on the clear battlefield.
Dash stepped up the hillside to stand just behind and to the right of Cataclysma. He dared not stand even with it at a time like this, that would seem too much like he was trying to steal its glory.
It happened so fast, no one had time to breath. The only thing that saved Xero was the fact that the wings acted half of their own will. Kirel had saved him. The wings were cross-folded down in front of Adrenaline's core taking the full brunt of Cataclysma's punch, energy emitting from the wings kept the sharp spikes of the fist at bay. But it was a struggling battle.
Xero blinked and saw Cataclysma meters from him, he inhaled and leapt backwards. Taking the pressure off the wings; and just as the leeway was given, Cataclysma's punch swept upwards where Adrenaline's head used to be.
Xero stood a couple meters back and kept his distance, waiting for Cataclysma's next attack.
But it didn't come…
Xero instead heard Dash's voice, "Nydem, this isn't necessary! You need to stop!"
Dash was rushing over towards Cataclysma when it turned and its hand came up, palm up, fist open wide. Dash stopped. Nydem spoke, "I made you what you are…"
Nydem spoke in an unpleasantly calm tone. Either she was sure she had already won, or as if she wasn't the one talking.
"…I told you not to interfere with my affairs! Didn't I tell you!" Cataclysma's fist clenched a little closer and Dash's AC went riggid.
"I will undo you…" Cataclysma's hand started closing steadily, its grip on Dash's AC tightening. The AC itself was almost lifted off the ground as it was being tortured by Cataclysma's unseen power.
Dash screamed, diamonds flashed and Xero dug both blades into Cataclysma's side, underneath the raised arm. They were two full meters into the chest area of Cataclysma but it showed no signs of weakness as its hand dropped, releasing Dash, and whipped around to meet Adrenaline hard in the core. Throwing him backwards and making him land on his back. The katanas wretched from Xero's grasp, they remained embedded in Cataclysma's side.
Dash's AC fell to the ground and remained motionless. Cataclysma turned to Xero, "you would save the one who betrayed you! What is this weakness!" it was obviously confused, it turned its head back and forth between Dash's ruined AC and Adrenaline, which was still lying on its back. Nydem's voice came over the comm this time, though outlined with a metallic tone, "no, that's right, I remember now. This weakness, I have seen it before… It was your makers Xero, the ones that brought the weapons to bear against me the last time. When I killed them, they made to resist, and the male tried to die in the stead of the female." The metallic tone laughed, drowning Nydem's voice out of the equation, "He dove in front of the energy that was fired at the female, too bad she died anyway." Cataclysma laughed shortly before beckoning a deadly slow speech, "this weakness… I could do without it…" Cataclysma stood straight and the ribs that shown across its chest withdrew with a sickening crack and a flesh splitting sound accompanied an oval shaped hole opening in the center of the chest. Black light flowed from the wound and a figure could be seen exiting from the hole. Nude and folded in the fetal position, Nydem was forcefully expelled from Cataclysma's heart.
She was thrown from the wound and flew through the air, Xero watched helplessly, not daring to turn his back to Cataclysma to save her. However, Dash's AC flew from its resting place and with the last of his strength, he managed to catch her in outstretched hands and land softly a distance behind Xero.
As quickly as this happened, Cataclysma was closed again and wasted no time in going for Xero's throat.
Cataclysma's grip caught around Adrenaline's neck. Sparks flew from the joints, Xero was being choked inside Adrenaline's cockpit. His vision blurred as he moved his eyes to the katanas jutting from Cataclysma's side.
Using the last few sinews of his strength, Xero reached forward with his left hand and just reached the handle of the closest blade.
He twisted it inside of Cataclysma, causing it to finally drop him. During his fall, Xero focused his eyes quickly and reached over with the right hand as well, gripping the remaining katana.
His feet hit he ground and he instantaneously pivoted to the left, bringing Adrenaline's right knee to the ground. Both blades were ripped from Cataclysma's side.
The wings then came forward and forced themselves between Adrenaline and Cataclysma. The feathers glowed blue and angled themselves at Cataclysma's chest before exploding with energy. Cataclysma was forced backwards and skidded on its feet a few meters backwards before catching its footing and balancing itself.
It brought its gaze up to meet Xero's and vanished, reappearing a split second later directly behind Adrenaline.
"not again you monster!" Xero was ready for it this time. As soon as Cataclysma lifted its head Xero flipped both katanas around in his hands so they pointed behind Adrenaline and as soon as it appeared, Xero thrust them both backward.
Cataclysma, however, was also prepared and caught both blades in its mechanical claws, the claws caught them hard and bright red liquid flowed from the claws around the edges of the blades.
Xero noticed this… "This should work nicely..." He pulled the swords forward again with all his strength and ripped them from Cataclysma's grasp, causing neon-blood to splash onto the ground at Adrenaline's feet.
Cataclysma disappeared again and transported itself to the top of the embankment that it had first appeared. "You cannot defeat me, with or without my weapons or Nydem, you will still fall short!" And with that it jumped backward and disappeared from view.
"If I cant win, then why are you running?" Xero turned back towards the forces he had beckoned to his side days ago. "I must ask you all to stay here, I will finish this. Enough blood has been spilled today. You will not be able to help, I thank you for coming and the people of this world will always owe you a debt of gratitude, but this is something that I must do on my own." And with that, not waiting for a reply, Xero turned back towards where Cataclysma had jumped down into a void and flapped the great wings attached to Adrenaline's back.
Silence greeted his departure as he landed on the opposite shore and plunged himself into the pit.
Dash had managed to stand and had given Nydem to a fellow raven before boosting off to follow Xero down the hole.
Tyre, Blaze, and Morrow exchanged glances before following Dash's lead.
None more stirred, but simply held their ground and waited for the return of their leaders.