Chapter 127: Brutes
Adrian tried to look past Pennie and out the doorway, but was having no such luck as she stood in his way,
"'The Covenant?' I've never heard of such a thing," said Adrian.
"I'm not going to see if you're lying or not," said Pennie, "I've been inside your mind enough."
"Did you only hear screams?" Asked Adrian, "Or did you manage to get a glimpse of my life as well?"
"Only screams," said Pennie with a shudder, "so many that it amazes me that you're still sane." Adrian huffed,
"With the Blacklight Virus in me, I can absorb almost anyone or anything, giving me their powers, but also their memories." Pennie turned to Adrian, shocked and a little disgusted,
"How could you?! How can you live with yourself?!" Adrian looked away, ashamed,
"It's difficult, I'd admit. I wish I didn't have to. But there are times where I don't have a choice."
"We always have a choice!" Said Pennie, but she couldn't saw more as a massive hand reached around the doorway, grabbing Pennie and covering her mouth, yanking her around the corner, pulling her from the room while making her drop her weapon. She was dragged onto a narrow stone balcony, turned around and pinned against the wall of the small stone house, facing two nine foot tall ape like creatures with red eyes and gray fur.
"Jiralhanae!" Pennie gasped.
"We finally found you," said the bigger of the creatures, "now you will answer to our god!" Pennie struggled against them as the lead creature raised a bladed gun from its belt, but not even a split second later, a large blade exited the creatures chest, soon consumed by tendrils and freeing Pennie, making her fall to the ground, revealing Adrian standing behind in the beasts place, his arm morphed into his signature blade and clutching his head as memories flooded his brain. The second monster could only stare in shock as Adrian turned, his Blade morphing into the whipfist, and with a quick swipe he sliced the creature in half down the middle.
"Jiralhanae, AKA Brutes," said Adrian, looking at the sliced creature while going off his newly gained memories, "and the Sangheili are also know as Elites. They've hated each other for years because they each thought they were better than the other. Now, after that last bout with somebody named Master Cheif about three thousand years ago, the Covenant, several alien groups forming a religious sect, has all but gone extinct until now, and I'm willing to bet the man I've been hunting is at the center of it all..." Adrian finally stopped speaking, and saw Pennie staring at him,
"I...knew most of what you said already," she said tactfully.
"Sorry," apologized Adrian, "I just had to say it out loud so I can better understand a simply downright insane situation."
"What's so insane about the situation right now?"
"The fact that aliens are real..." said Adrian, earning an offended glare from Pennie as she placed her hands on her hips, "...sorry. The fact that 'beings from other worlds' are real. Better?"
"Much. But who is it you're hunting? And what would he want here?" Asked Pennie.
"The guy I'm hunting is named Zeus, and I don't know what he wants. I've been following him from dimension to dimension and so far it all seems random." Pennie nodded,
"Well we should go ahead and find Thatan. If there are two Brutes here already at the door, then there is, without a doubt, more roaming around here somewhere."
"A whole team more if I'm viewing that one Brutes memories correctly," added Adrian, quickly snatching the two Brutes weapons (which from his new memories he knew to call Spikers) up and into his hands, "Now let's go and find Thatan and give him an assist."
Meanwhile...
Far below the Devil Virus and Asari, on the desert like ground was Thatan, facing a ship much like he himself was patrolling in earlier when he came across Adrian, only this one was full of Brutes, the leader of which was carrying a massive hammer-like weapon.
"Thatan! I'm surprised you didn't run away like you did before!" Said the hammer bearing creature.
"I had my people to protect before," answered the Elite, "but now they're safe, and I am ready to die." The lead Brute smirked, turned his head to the right, making Thatan look, and there was three Brutes, coralling several more Elites, one male, two female and three children, dressed in a varitey of colorful robes.
"No one is safe from the Resurgence," said the lead Brute. Thatan tightened his grip on the hilt of his energy sword, ready to lash out at a moments notice,
"What do you want?" Asked Thatan, already knowing the answer.
"You know what we want," said the lead Brute, "and nothing would give me greater joy than to wipe out the last of the Elites, but our God has demanded the Asari girl. Give us her, and we will let the last of you live in peace..." Thatan tightened his grip, a small bead of sweat forming when the other Brutes surrounded the Elites, aiming their Spikers at them, "...make your choice. You have till the count of three." Thatan looked from the surrounded Elites to the lead Brute, "One..." The Brutes had their Spikers ready, "Two..." Thatan tightened his grip, deciding to rush at the Brutes threatening his people, "...Three."
Gunfire rang out, but to Thatans' surprise, the ones that fell were the Brutes, with superheated metal spikes sticking straight out the top of their heads. Thatan and the lead Brute looked up, seeing Adrian in the air with his wings unfurled, Spikers in his hands,
"Go! Run!" He shouted to the Elites, and out of sheer fright they did as the Devil Virus told them, fleeing to the stone houses Adrian and Pennie came from.
"What the hell is that?!" Panicked the lead Brute. Thatan shook his head, his mandibles turned into a smile,
"That is a Devil, old friend." Adrian landed on the ground, withdrawing his wings, dropping his Spikers and forming his Blade and Gear,
"C'mom you overgrown gorilla! Let's see what you got!" Shouted Adrian, getting into a defensive position between the Brute and Thatan. The creature roared, swung his hammer down to the ground, and sent a blast of energy at Adrian, sending him flying back into Thatan and causing them both to fly back. They both crashed and skidded onto the ground, with Thatan landing on his feet, and Adrian rolling backwards and landing on his stomach.
"I probably should of mentioned that he is weilding a Gravity Hammer," Thatan said as a side note.
"Gravity Hammer...yep...got it!" Wheezed Adrian, pulling himself back up to his feet. Thatan finally let his energy sword crackle to life, and ran for the lead Brute, letting his Energy Sword collide with the beasts Gravity Hammer. Adrian was about to jump in and help, but several more Brutes bounded out of their ship, all armed with Spikers in addition to what looked like large revolvers, along with large sleek red guns, and the one furthest back carrying a large two handed weapon, resembling some sort of cross between a grenade launcher and a minigun. "So Spikers, Maulers, Plasma Rifles and a Brute Shot," Adrian said to himself, tapping his temple with his gear arm, keeping the Brute he absorbed in mind, "Thanks for the info." He was anout to go and start fighting, but a swift blast of plasma rounds started to enter the group of Brutes, causing Adrian to turn and see Pennie joining the fray, her weapon from before back in her hands and firing away.
"Thanks for the assist with the Plasma Repeater!" Said Adrian, rushing to the stunned Brutes and taking his chance to swing his Blade at the Spiker and Mauler bearing Brutes, while using his Sacred Gear to absorb the energy from the Plasma Rifles, and discharging it at point blank range in the faces of the users. Before long all but the final Brute Shot bearing creature was left standing, but Pennies gun was all out of energy, and Adrian was not close enough to make a successful dash for him without getting shot at. Pennie simply tossed her gun down, aimed her hand at the Brute, and an dark orb appeared behind him, suspending it into the air, unable to use the Brute Shot. The Asari girl then reach for her belt, removing a sleek purple gun with pink needle shaped crystals protruding from the top, rapidly shooting six needles into the Brute, and cause it to explode into a pinkish purple blast. The dark orb dissapated, and Adrian turned to Pennie with interest,
"Was that some sort of telekinesis?" He asked her.
"It's my Biotics," Pennie breifly explained, "I can create Mass Effect Fields using Element Zero Nodules in my body tissue."
"Hmm, fascinating," said Adrian with interest.
KSSHT!!
Both Adrian and Pennie turned to see the head of the Gravity Hammer tumble to the ground, with Thatan standing in front of the lead Brute, his Energy Sword in the creatures chest. The Elite withdrew his sword, letting the blade dissapear while catching the large ape creature in his arms, helping to rest him onto the ground,
"You fought well..." Thatan said respectfully, "...you fought well." The Brute closed its' eyes, and Thatan rose to his feet, facing the Asari girl and Devil boy,
"We need to leave this area...before more Brutes arrive..."
