Jak IV: The Avenging Angels
I know, this one took forever. I've been so busy and exhausted with school lately, I'm coming to terms with the fact that I can only write on days that I have to go to work, otherwise, I'll be too tired to do anything. So, there you have it. School screwed me over, BIG TIME.
I'll try to keep on top of this, but things happen, and I can't control this. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out rather soon, if only because it'll be short and I know what I'm doing for it ahead of time, with no need to debate and plan out a chapter like I did here.
I also debated whether or not I wanted to kill this character off or not. It was a huge struggle for me. Read on to find out my decision.
Shoutout to those who review last chapter, which included doubledamn, Sage Nightwing, evilanimegenious, HazMasterFlash, Mooman1706, Pikadrew9000, Oblique Strategies, a guest reviewer known as Guest, as well as three new reviewers known as oddballooze, KETh1thru6, and TC-Irish3.
Sorry for the delays guys. This was a hard chapter to write, and I've had a pretty rough past few weeks.
This is a crazy fight chapter, and was inspired from one of the coolest scenes in Red vs. Blue. The fight scene may seem very haphazard and chaotic, but that's how it's supposed to be. A wild crazy showdown with a lot of switching opponents. Complete chaos.
Enjoy!
Chapter 27: Fight and Flight
"There's always failure. And there's always disappointment. And there's always loss. But the secret is learning from the loss, and realizing that none of those holes are vacuums"- Michael J. Fox
Haven City:
Shadow scowled in annoyance as Violet yawned loudly, causing her to jump. They had been patrolling around the Freedom League HQ for some time, now, and they were certain today was the day.
"Do you have to be so loud, Vi?" Shadow asked tiredly.
"Not my fault we had to stay up last niiiiight" Vi said with a grin as she yawned loudly again.
"Shade, Bane, and Doppelganger will be here in a few hours. We have to make sure everything goes as planned" Shadow growled angrily.
"You have got to calm down" Violet said admonishingly.
"Why you-!"
"I mean it. Just because your boyfriend's life depends on whether or not he can succeed in his mission, doesn't give you the right to get antsy with me. If I recall, I said I'd help you two hide if Dark went after you!" Violet snapped angrily as she looked away, her long purple hair billowing behind her.
"I know Vi…I do. I can't help but be…terrified. I'm always terrified…I don't want to do this anymore…" Shadow whispered as she sank against a wall. Violet gave her a pitying look and said "Hey, come on…it isn't that bad"
"Yes it is…I just…I just want things to be like they used to be…" Shadow whispered as she closed her eyes.
"Hey!"
Shadow's eyes slowly opened, and she saw three men walking towards them. One of them was immediately recognizable by his bald head and dark green eyes. He nodded at the two women and raised an arm in greeting. Shadow's eyes were drawn to one of his arms, which was not in armor at all. In fact it was made of pure metal with three metal claws instead of fingers. After the attack on their base on Blackwood Island, Shade had required major surgery, which left him needing a replacement. The middle figure was an albino man holding an Assault Rifle, and he regarded Violet with a grin.
The third man, however, had long shaggy hair and wild blue eyes. He had an SMG and a long knife strapped to his leg. He had a jagged scar on his face that went from his right ear to his chin, giving him a ragged and scary appearance.
"Shade, Doppelganger, Bane. Good to see you" Shadow said to the three men.
"Hey Boss. So, any word on when they're coming?" Bane asked with a slight drawl.
"It'll be a few more hours, based on Stephen's intel…" Shadow replied softly.
"All we have to do is board the Magic Bullet, take out the Angels, and get the Fragment?" Bane asked.
"We're you listening earlier?" Violet asked.
"Nah, couldn't be bothered" Bane admitted.
"Well, you need to start listening. This is an important mission…there's another condition of the mission. Don't kill any of them, no matter what. Aim for incapacitation" Shadow said.
"Why?" Shade asked.
"Because…it doesn't matter. Just try not to seriously hurt any of them. Don't try to kill them, try to incapacitate them. We just need the Fragment" Shadow said.
"Why the hell should I? Look what those idiots did to me!" Shade growled, lifting up his robotic arm and flexing the claw fingers.
"Rune tore my heart out!" Doppelganger barked at Shadow.
"I know…just…please, try to exercise some restraint. Get the Fragment, and then we go" Shadow said in a pleading tone. The three men looked at each other and nodded, albeit grudgingly.
"What the-!?" a new voice yelped at the end of the alleyway.
All of the heads turned to see an Avenging Angel Agent in bright orange armor with a set of glowing knives in her belt. She had short blond hair that was highlighted with red, orange, and yellow streaks. She took a step back in surprise at seeing the Hunters and dropped her helmet on the ground.
"Agent Phoenix?" Shadow murmured as she drew her sickle.
Doppelganger smiled evilly and said "Hey there Michelle. Remember me?"
Phoenix had a look of absolute terror on her face as the Hunters advanced towards her, and she sprinted away, scooping up her helmet as she did so. A sniper shot rang out in the distance, and Phoenix's helmet shattered as a blue bullet slammed into it. Phoenix jumped to the side and frantically looked around, searching for the new assailant, and saw Deadshot aiming at her from behind a fountain.
"Damn…my helmet!" Phoenix growled, realizing her helmet was destroyed, making it impossible to radio in.
"I've got to get out of here!" Phoenix muttered as she ran down the street.
"Should we pursue?" Bane asked Shadow.
"Please say yes" Doppelganger said with a smile.
"No. We can let the Hydragenado take care of her" Shadow said as she snapped her fingers. A small ball of Dark Eco flickered into existence next to her, and then shot after Phoenix.
"Come on. Let's move positions so we don't get spotted" Shadow said to the others, who nodded. The group made their way down the alleyway and vanished into the shadows.
Meanwhile:
"Focus…focus…NOW!" Jak yelled.
Nightingale thrust her hands out and a ball of light shot from her hands and towards a faraway rock, causing it to explode violently. As the smoke cleared, there were several large cracks on the boulder, and Nightingale laughed from her success.
Jak grinned and said "That was good. Really good"
Nightingale grinned tiredly and said "Thanks. It's nowhere near as strong as yours"
"I learned that attack a few weeks ago, and I practice when I'm not on missions…or with you" Jak admitted. He forgot how often he spent time with the black-haired agent. Not that he didn't enjoy spending time with her.
"Well, now we can do both!" Nightingale said excitedly.
Jak nodded and said "We've got to be at our best if we're going to save Havoc. Let's do it a few more times before we call it a day"
Nightingale grinned widely before suddenly flashing out of her Light Form. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and Jak dashed forward to catch her before she collapsed onto the ground.
"S-sorry Jak…" Nightingale mumbled as Jak looked at her with worry.
"You OK?" Jak asked quietly.
"Y-yeah…just…just tired is all…" Nightingale murmured as she closed her eyes again.
Jak dragged Night over to a nearby grove and laid her down on the grass. She was now dozing comfortably, and Jak couldn't help but smile as he sat down on the grass.
"She's so excited to get stronger, she stays in her light form to the point where she collapses" Jak thought dryly as he dragged her so that her head was comfortably on his chest, which happened to be Nightingale's preferred pillow of choice.
To further prove Jak's theory, Nightingale smiled and turned so that her face was buried into Jak's chest and slowly wrapped arms around him. Jak flushed pink at the sudden closeness, but allowed it, if only because Nightingale looked so damn cute.
He sighed and leaned back, resting his head on the grass, closing his eyes. This Grotto was one of his favorite places in the Sanctuary. It was so peaceful. It was safe here. He could let all of the tension in him go, and just…
Relax.
Jak's thoughts wandered to the special young woman lying on top of him. Jak looked down at her, and thought he was looking at an angel. Night looked so peaceful, so calm. Seeing her so happy, made him happy.
"I wonder if she thinks about me the way I think about her…Chill said something about her being interested in me…women should come with instruction manuals" Jak thought with a smirk as he ran a hand through Nightingale soft hair. Nightingale made soft noise, like a purr, and snuggled up to Jak, who chuckled to himself as he closed his eyes.
Sometime later, Jak awoke to someone walking towards him. He swiftly pulled out Nightingale's knife from his belt, out of reflex, and saw it was Rune poking her head out of a clump of bushes. Rune saw Jak and Nightingale lying on top of each other.
"Am I interrupting something?" Rune asked humorously.
Jak stuck his tongue out at her and said "What do you need? I'm busy"
"I can tell" Rune chuckled softly.
"Rune…"
"Alright, alright…I just wanted to let you know, Disten has a special mission for you and Nightingale" Rune whispered seriously.
"Can it wait?" Jak said quietly, and Rune shook her head.
"Alright. Let me wake up sleeping beauty here and I'll be there in a few minutes" Jak said to Rune, who nodded.
Jak watched Nightingale sleep for a few more minutes before slowly moving, causing her to shift position and slowly wake up.
"Hey Jak…" Nightingale murmured as she sat up and stretched.
"Disten has a mission for us" Jak said to the young woman.
Nightingale looked surprised and said "Now?"
Jak nodded.
"I hope I don't need to go into my Light Form…I'm completely drained from training" Nightingale said quietly.
"I'm sure it won't. Come on" Jak said as he got to his feet. Jak helped Nightingale up and the two began to make their way out of the Bathing Grotto.
Ten Minutes Later:
Jak and Night walked into the Chief's office, and saw Beast and Sharpshooter waiting for them. Disten admired the quartet for a moment before saying "It seems that we're all here"
"Sorry" Nightingale mumbled, and Disten smiled for a moment before becoming serious again.
"This mission is perhaps the most important we've undertaken yet. The final Fragment to the Gate to Darkness has been discovered, and we must recover it as quickly as possible" Disten said to the others.
"Where is it?" Jak asked.
"In Haven City"
Jak's eyes widened in surprise, and Disten continued.
"It seems as though Baron Praxis chanced upon it once upon a time, and realized it was valuable. Ashelin Praxis now has it. I made contact with her the other day, and she has agreed to hand it over to us for safekeeping. You four are to meet with her at the temporary Freedom League HQ, recover the Fragment, and then make your way out of the city" Disten said.
"Seems simple" Sharpshooter said.
"It may seem that way, but there's more. We have received intel that there have been multiple Hunter sightings in Haven over the last few days, despite the Metal Head presence being very low...which is also cause for suspicion. It may just be coincidence, but we have to remain vigilant. As a way to throw them off of your trail, you four are going to instead ride a transport known as the Magic Bullet out of the city and to Spargus" Disten said.
Sharpshooter nodded, but Nightingale, Jak, Daxter, and Beast looked confused. Sharpshooter looked at them with a smirk and said "The Magic Bullet is a giant luxury transport designed to take large groups of people to Spargus, the Icelands, Kras City, and so on. It was started up in Haven City"
"How can someone make money with a giant luxury transport?" Jak asked.
"You'd be surprised. Praxis forbade visits to Spargus, but if you wanted to, you could pay extra for them to take a detour and take the long way to Spargus. Anyway, it's a good bluff" Sharpshooter said to Disten, who nodded.
"Tech and Nymph came up with the idea. We managed to get a few free spots on the train, which wasn't easy due to the amount of people wanting to leave Haven" Disten said with a frown.
"I cannot stress how important this mission is. This is the final known fragment to us. The more Fragments the Hunters have, the greater the chances are the Lady Arranst will break through the Precursors Defenses…we must not let them win" Disten said seriously. The group nodded, and Disten dismissed them.
Nymph was waiting for them at the Docking Bay, but she had an odd look on her face.
"The Magic Bullet…those were some good times…" Nymph trailed off as she hopped into the pilots chair. Jet was sitting next to her, chatting on a small headset.
"I know...you know how I feel about that, come on!" Jet whispered fiercely into the headset. Jak and Nightingale looked through the back of the transport in amusement, and Jet looked back, seeming embarrassed.
"Uh…babe, I'll call you back. Love you" Jet said as he ended the transmission.
"He's been on that thing for twenty minutes" Nymph groaned in relief as Beast and Sharpshooter hopped into the back of the transport.
"S-shut up!" Jet stuttered in embarrassment.
"Are we gonna meet this girlfriend of yours Jet?" Nightingale asked playfully. Jet flushed pink, but turned away.
"You all wouldn't approve of her workplace. You really, really wouldn't" Jet muttered. Nymph gave him a pitying look and said "Why wouldn't we?"
"You just…you just wouldn't" Jet sighed as he activated the ships thrusters. The others looked at the Co-Pilot for a moment, but turned away and gave him some space, and began to work out strategies for the mission to come.
Haven City:
Several Hours Later:
Freedom League Temp. HQ:
Ashelin looked up in mild surprise as the group walked into the room. She got to her feet and said "Disten told me you were coming. Apparently this old relic is important in some way?"
"It's a part of the Gate to Darkness" Jak said to the woman, who nodded.
"Hold on, I'll go get it" Ashelin said as she turned around and walked into the other room.
"Was it wise to tell her what the Fragment is?" Nightingale asked Jak.
"I trust her" Jak said to the woman.
Nightingale bit her lip, but decided not to argue the point. She did NOT like the way the woman looked at Jak. Adding the fact that she was close to Torn, AKA Jakob, made it worse.
Ashelin arrived a minute later with the final Relic Fragment in her hands. It was glowing faintly, and had of black markings flowing down it.
"It looks evil…" Ashelin murmured as she handed it to Jak.
"It is. We need to make sure this doesn't fall into the wrong hands" Nightingale said as Jak handed the Fragment to Beast, who put it in a small satchel on his waist.
"OK, we should make our way over to the Magic Bullet. This way" Sharpshooter said to the other's as he shouldered his rifle. The others nodded.
"Jak…can I…talk to you for a second?" Ashelin asked the group. Nightingale gave Ashelin an annoyed look, but Jak ignored it and said "Sure"
Ashelin took Jak aside and said "Jak, what exactly are you doing with them?"
"What?" Jak asked in surprise.
"You've been gone with these people for months, while we're barely fending off the Metal Heads. Why are you with them instead of us?" Ashelin asked hotly.
Jak scowled and said "Remember what I said in the desert? It's not my job to bail you out of trouble. I have a life too, and if memory serves, I've saved your asses time and time again with the Avenging Angels. Remember the Metal Head wall? The Hunter attack? This is better than sitting around getting attacked in the city"
"Yeah, we're stilling watching out for you guys!" Daxter said angrily.
"And besides, there are people in there that I care about. I want to protect them too, Ashelin" Jak said in a soft voice to Ashelin, who sighed.
"I…I understand. It's just hard not having you by us all the time" Ashelin said.
"You guys are going to have to learn to fight without me" Jak said as he turned around and walked out the door.
"What was that about?" Night asked Jak.
"It's nothing. Come on" Jak said to Night, who nodded. The group made their way over to a large Zoomer and got on, driving off towards a large building in the distance.
As the group drove away, Phoenix burst out from a nearby alleyway panting heavily. She spotted the Zoomer and grinned with relief. Phoenix then took a step forward and heard a soft voice whisper to her.
"Hello there, little Angel…"
Phoenix turned around to see three men dressed in black suits walking towards her. All three of them looked exactly the same, and had the same evil smile.
"Going somewhere?" all three men asked as their features began to change. Phoenix pulled out her pistol and fired shots at the men, who were now merging together and becoming a large…thing.
"W-what the hell!?" Phoenix whispered as she took several steps back, away from the now forming monster.
"GET OUT OF HERE! EVERYONE RUN!" Phoenix screamed to the people on the streets, drawing their attention. Three shining Metal Head gems emerged from the faces of the men and Phoenix sprinted in the opposite direction, hopping onto a Zoomer and speeding off.
"Got to lead this thing away from the city and meet up with the others!" Phoenix thought as she continued to speed away.
"ROAAAAH!"
"I think that might be easier said than done" Phoenix admitted to herself as she expertly rounded a corner, the flap of wings and a roar echoing behind her.
Ten Minutes Later:
"All aboooooard!"
"Wow…" Daxter said impressively.
Wow was right in Jak's opinion.
The Magic Bullet wasn't just some transport. It was a sleek, long, and massive vehicle that seemed more like a giant air train than a transport. It had multiple cars to it, which seemed to be large enough for large groups of people to sleep in. An intricate logo of a bullet was on the side of the transport, featuring the transports name in stylish red writing.
"That's awesome" Daxter said with a grin.
"Yeah, it's pretty impressive. It can go all the way to the Icelands, Spargus, and Kras City in one trip. Thousands of people used it to get out of the City when the Metal Heads took over the place. You'd be surprised how many people use this thing to get around, especially in this day and age" Sharpshooter said as he walked towards where people were getting on board.
"Spargus can send reinforcements and supplies in just a couple of hours thanks to the Magic Bullet, while Kras City supplies other resources, as well as raising support and money to get Haven City back on its feet"
"I'd like to go to Kras City sometime" Nightingale said softly.
"Why? Are you into racing?" Sharpshooter asked.
Nightingale shrugged and looked at Jak.
"Jak, what about you?"
"If I went to Kras City, I'd get involved in some kind of adventure. I'll stay out of that, thank you" Jak muttered under his breath. Daxter nodded in agreement while Beast chuckled under his breath as the group began to walk next to other people.
"Hey, take off your helmets" Sharpshooter muttered to the others.
The group got some odd looks from the other patrons, especially sense they were armed to the teeth. There was a woman with long crimson colored hair ushering people on board, checking their tickets and directing them to other cars. She seemed to be in her forties, and was rather pretty.
She looked distinctly familiar to Jak.
"Do I know her?" Nightingale said, speaking Jak's thoughts.
"Yeah, she's Nymph's mom. Her parents are the co-owners of this thing" Sharpshooter laughed.
"Really?" Jak asked, and Sharpshooter nodded.
Nymph's mother looked up and smiled at the sight of the Agents. She waved them over and as the group approached, she laughed and said "Chief Disten told us about you all. Welcome to the Magic Bullet!"
"Can you get us to Spargus?" Nightingale asked.
"Yep. We're going to Spargus and Kras City on this trip, so it'll be easy to drop you all off there without any of those Hunters being the wiser about it" Nymph's mother said with a grin.
The group nodded and was ushered onto the back of the transport. Meanwhile, the Hunters watched them from afar. Deadshot zoomed out with his scope and said "It's just like your boyfriend said, Shadow. They're using the Magic Bullet as cover to get the Fragment to safety."
"Come on. Let's get onboard" Shadow said, her hand gripping a small band on her armor. She suddenly vanished on the spot. The remaining Hunters did the same with their armor, and they got in position.
Meanwhile:
"Wow…" Nightingale whispered as they boarded the train.
"You all can take seats in a private room. Make yourself at home, and my husband will be by later to check in on you" Nymph's mother said with a wink as she walked off.
"She's cheerful, isn't she?" Jak commented as he sat down in the comfortable chair. Daxter jumped into the seat next to him and lounged in it.
"Kind of makes sense that Nymph's parents own the Magic Bullet. Nymph's one of the best pilots I've ever seen" Sharpshooter said with a smirk as he watched the woman walk out of sight.
After about thirty minutes, a man's voice spoke to them over the intercom system.
"Hello there everyone! Despite the stormy weather today, it won't be affecting our departure. Please stay in your seats while get the final preparations for our voyage" the man said.
"Nymph's father I presume?" Nightingale asked.
Sharpshooter nodded and said "Yep. Apparently she helped her parents with this thing before she joined the Krimzon Guard. That's all I really know"
Nightingale looked out of the window and noticed the growing storm clouds in the distance. Jak noticed Nightingale's worried look on her face and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Nightingale looked back at Jak and smiled.
A few minutes later, and transport finally began to move. It rose smoothly into the air and went through an opening in the wall. Sharpshooter let out a pent up breath and said "OK, step one complete"
The group sat in the car, chatting idly while the transport made its way through the city. The storm clouds descended upon the city, blocking out the sun and engulfing the city in a shower of rain. Sharpshooter seemed worried, and had a scowl on his face.
"Sharpshooter, what's up?" Nightingale said.
"It's this feeling I'm having…ever since we left…" Sharpshooter muttered.
"What do you mean?" Jak asked as the transport soared over the city.
"This seems too easy…I would've thought that-" Sharpshooter began to say before a loud roar interrupted him.
The other riders went quiet and began to murmur softly, wondering what that sound was. The AA Agents were on their feet at once.
"I knew it" Sharpshooter muttered.
"That sounded like a Metal Head...a big one" Nightingale murmured.
Sharpshooter looked out the window, quickly scanning their surroundings, but growled in annoyance as he turned around.
"We need to get to the roof" Sharpshooter said to the others, who nodded.
"Hey!" Sharpshooter said to a nearby worker.
"We're heading to the roof to keep an eye on things" Sharpshooter said to the man, who nodded. The man led the Agents to a small shaft that led up to the roof.
"Be careful up there!" the man called as the Agents as the got to the roof.
"REAAAH!"
"What the hell?" Sharpshooter said as he pulled out his rifle as he starred up at the swirling storm clouds above them, his visor becoming soaked with rain.
"I don't like this" Beast growled.
"Get ready" Jak muttered to Nightingale, who nodded.
"FINALLY!"
The Angels looked up to see a massive serpent break through the stormy clouds and descend upon them. The group opened fire upon the serpent-like Metal Head, with Nightingale hurling a disc grenade at the Serpent and causing its head to be engulfed with an explosion. The serpent hissed in annoyance, but retreated back into the storm clouds.
"Why did it back off? Metal Heads that size are way tougher than that" Nightingale muttered as she starred into the sky.
"Night!" Jak yelled.
Nightingale looked down and saw several figures walking down the roof of the transport. Shadow led the pack, followed by Shade and Doppelganger. Violet and Bane were bringing up the rear, weapons trained on the Angels.
"I believe you have our Fragment. Give it to us, now" Shadow said coldly as the group advanced towards them.
"Beast, get out of here! Protect the Fragment!" Nightingale yelled to Beast over the roar of the rushing air.
BAM!
Beast crashed onto the ground as a shining blue bullet soared through his chest, barely missing his heart. Nightingale whirled around and saw Deadshot prone on the ground at the other end of the train, aiming his rifle at them.
"Jak, help Beast! Sharpshooter, come on!" Nightingale yelled as she ran forward, SMG's at the ready. Jak went into Light Jak mode and activated his Light Shield to give him and Beast some cover while he healed them. As Jak went back into his regular form and Beast got to his feet, Beast took cover for a few moments while Jak pulled out Nightingale's knife and flipped it in his hands while Daxter pulled out his pistol. The two rushed forward into the fray, Beast close behind.
Nightingale opened fire on Deadshot, who rolled to the side and fired three shots at the woman, who kicked off of the ground and into the air, causing the bullets to follow her. Nightingale activated her Jet Boots and spun around wildly in midair, causing the bullets to circle around her until they collided with each other in midair. Nightingale dropped to the ground in a crouch, dazed, only to be kicked in the face by Doppelganger.
"Hey guys! Remember me!?" Doppelganger snarled as he took aim with his Assault Rifle and opened fire on Nightingale, who rolled away from the gunfire. Jak lunged at Doppelganger and tackled him to the ground, and the two fought for control of the gun.
Deadshot took aim once more and fired a shot at Nightingale again, only for his shot to be intercepted in midair by a shot from Sharpshooter. Deadshot and Sharpshooter both looked at each other and took cover behind two pillars that had risen from the top of the train.
"A sniper battle? It's on now!" Sharpshooter thought with a grin.
Shadow and Bane quickly ran at Nightingale, who was getting to her feet. As Shadow lunged towards her, a razor sharp sickle grasped in her hand, a sniper shot quickly went through her shoulder, courtesy of the speedy shooting of Sharpshooter. As the Commander crashed onto the ground, Sharpshooter was blasted with a burst of Dark Eco and sent crashing onto the ground by Shade, who was flexing his robot arm threateningly. Sharpshooter glanced at his fallen rifle and saw Deadshot walking towards them, rifle raised.
"I'm going to enjoy this, far, far more than I should" Shade growled as he opened fire with his SMG.
Sharpshooter brought both of his forearms together as the gun fired, and a green wall of energy appeared between Sharpshooter and the bullets. Shade gasped in surprise as the bullets bounced off of the wall of energy and went back towards him, tearing through his armor like nothing. Shade crashed onto the ground, howling in pain as Sharpshooter rolled to his feet, scooping up his rifle and firing shots Deadshot, who fired back.
As the two snipers traded fire, Jak ducked under a lightning-charged punch from Violet and kicked Doppelganger in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards. Nightingale jumped into the fight and flew at Violet, having dealt with Bane for the moment, and tackled her to the ground. Nightingale gained the upper hand, delivering several powerful strikes to Violet's helmet. Desperate, Violet clamped her hands on Nightingale's face and streamed electricity into her, causing her to go flying backwards with a yell of pain. Violet chuckled darkly as she got to her feet, only to be grabbed from behind and hurled down the length of the train like a rag-doll, slamming again and again into the thick steel roofing.
"B-beast?" Nightingale choked out as she got to her feet, her body twitching. Beast nodded and growled "Get ready!"
Bane threw himself at Beast, slashing downwards with a jagged blood-red knife. Beast grabbed the man's arm and threw him to the ground, dodging another slash with ease. Nightingale moved to help him, but was cut off from him as a bolt of Dark Eco went flying by her, sent by Shadow, who was running at her. Jak was now fighting with Doppelganger, knife to knife.
Beast and Nightingale stood back to back as Shadow and Bane circled them.
"A good fight…" Beast growled, a savage grin spreading across his face.
Nightingale grinned back at the large man and said "A good fight!"
Beast spun around as Nightingale jumped into the air, grabbing her by the foot and hurling her at Shadow as he spun around. Nightingale activated her whip with a flick of the wrist and as she slammed her feet into Shadow's chest, sending her crashing onto the ground. Before Shadow could get to her feet, Nightingale wrapped her whip around the neck of Shadow, who snarled and tried to break free.
Beast ducked under a slash from Bane and slammed his fist into the Hunter's stomach, causing him to hiss in pain as he flew backwards. Bane suddenly righted himself in midair, landed lightly on the rooftop, and hurled his knife. Beast roared in pain as the knife slammed into his chest with a thud.
"I'll take great pleasure in ending your life!" Bane growled eagerly as he opened fire on Beast, who was suddenly engulfed in a raging red aura.
"What the he-!?" Bane managed to say before Beast grabbed the Hunter by the skull and slammed his other fist into Bane's head, sending him rocketing down the length of the train like Violet, only blood streamed from his helmet.
"AGH!"
Beast whirled around to see Sharpshooter on the ground, currently being stomped on by Shade, who was injecting bursts of Dark Eco into each of his kicks. Beast grabbed a small steel rod on his belt and pressed a clasp, flicking it outward. The small rod suddenly flipped open and became a tomahawk, gleaming in the sun streaming in through the cloud cover. Beast hurled the tomahawk across the train, catching Deadshot in the chest sending him flying backwards and crashing onto the roof of the train. Shade stopped his assault and turned his efforts to Beast, who charged at the Angel. Both men suddenly locked hands and were forced into a battle of pure strength.
"JUST DIE ALREADY!" Shade bellowed as a wave of Dark Eco erupted from him, increasing his strength immensely.
Beast roared in response, his Red Eco Overcharger giving him the strength to fight on par with Shade's Eco powers, and kicked Shade in the stomach. As Shade reeled in pain, Beast drew his hand back and punched Shade in the head, sending him crashing onto the ground. Beast roared in victory, even as Violet and Deadshot slowly got to their feet, Dark Aura's surrounding them both.
Nightingale ducked under a slash from Shadow and kicked her in the chest, sending her skidding backwards. Shadow recovered and pulled out a grenade, hurling it at Nightingale, who kicked it off to the side of the train, where it exploded violently.
"REAAAH!"
Nightingale looked up into the sky and saw the massive serpent-like Metal Head shoot out of the sky and roar at them. This time they got a better look at it as it flew alongside the transport as it made its way through the city. It had long silvery scales and had large demonic looking bat-wings. It had a dark dragon-like face with black eyes, and a gleaming Metal Head Gem on its forehead, along with three massive horns.
Jak growled in annoyance as Doppelganger continued to swing at him, having gone into a Dark Eco mode like Havoc. Doppelganger seemed to be much more skilled than he let on, as he was giving Jak a run for his money in the fight they were having. The Hunter Agent dropped to his knees and kicked Jak in the shin, causing him to fall to the ground. As Doppelganger got to his feet and punched Jak, the AA Agent viciously kicked Doppelganger in the chest as hard as he could, sending him flying backwards onto the roof of the train.
"Agh! You're good Mar! Real good!" Doppelganger said with a painful grin as his Dark Eco aura flickered away. Jak dashed forward, ducking under Doppelganger's guard, and slashed at him several times with Nightingale's knife, drawing blood. Doppelganger stumbled backwards in pain and backed off for a moment, allowing Jak a second to figure out what was going on.
Jak glanced at the monster above and then delivered a wicked uppercut to Doppelganger, who fell to the ground. Jak then turned into Dark Jak, aiming a Dark strike at the Metal Head's skull as soon as the transformation was complete. The blast slammed into the monster, and while it seemed to roar in pain, it looked much tougher than it seemed.
Nightingale looked back at Shadow in time to lean back and dodge a back-handed slash, and Nightingale wrapped her legs around the Hunter's neck and activated her Jet Boots. Nightingale couldn't tell what exactly she was doing, but she released her grip on the Hunter and heard a dull crashing sound several feet away as Shadow landed on the transport, dizzy and hurt.
"This thing needs to die!" Dark Jak growled as he delivered his seventh Dark Strike into the Metal Head's skull. It was certainly weakening, but Jak was quickly running low on Eco. Dark Jak grabbed Doppelganger by the neck and slammed him viciously into the roof of the transport before blasting him away with a burst of Dark Eco.
"How do we kill it!?" Daxter demanded as he turned his attention to Violet, who had recovered and was making her way back to the fight. Daxter fired a few shots at her and she backed off.
The Metal head lunged at the transport, slamming into the roof of it and causing the entire thing to sink downwards several feet. The fighters heard screams from below in the transport, and Nightingale growled in annoyance and opened fire on the Metal Head, who snarled at her. Daxter added his gunfire to Nightingale's while the serpent Metal Head reared its head back for another strike.
"GIVE US THE FRAGMENT!" the monster roared as Nightingale began to throw disc grenades at her.
"NEVER!" Dark Jak roared.
Nightingale continued to fling disc grenades at the Metal Head while Dark Jak unleashed more dark attacks at the creature, but it still descended upon the ground and lashed at them, catching Beast in the chest with a Dark Eco blast. He managed to get to his feet, if only from having his Red Eco Overcharger on. The Metal Head roared again and slammed its tail into the transport, causing it to sink downwards again.
"This thing is tougher than it looks. If it hits the train again, it's going to go down. Any ideas on how to take it out!?" Sharpshooter asked Night as he turned his rifle back to Deadshot, trying to ignore the immense pain coming from his chest, where he was sporting several broken ribs. Nightingale realized with a start that they were now over the ocean, fairly close to the Pumping Station. The Serpent Metal Head reared its head back, and a massive ball of Dark Eco was now forming in its mouth.
"YEEHAW!"
A flaming Zoomer shot from behind the Pumping Station, being chased by a massive three headed dragon-like Metal Head. The Avenging Angels and Hunters watched on in amazement as Phoenix, helmet off and bleeding from her head, soared through the sky on the heavily damaged Zoomer, wearing a mad grin on her face.
"Phoenix!?" Nightingale said in surprise.
"WATCH OUT!" Phoenix yelled as she got to her feet on top of the Zoomer, aiming it right at the serpent Metal Head's Head Gem.
"NO!" Shadow screamed as the flaming Zoomer slammed into the Metal Head's skull, exploding violently as Phoenix kicked off of the Zoomer and into the air with a backflip, landing on top of the three-headed Metal Head that was chasing her.
The Serpent Metal Head shrieked in pain as the energy from its Gem gushed out, and finally the serpent Metal Head let out a roar of defeat before falling into the ocean below. The rain had now stopped falling, yet the storm clouds still loomed overhead.
Phoenix, riding atop the three-headed Metal Head's back, was now fighting the three heads trying to kill her. She was fending off all three heads at once by punching them, her fists being engulfed with a wraith of fire that caused great pain to the Metal Head. After a minute or so of this, Phoenix decided to end it as the Hunters and Angels watched on from below.
"EAT IT!" Phoenix yelled as she flung her palms down at the back of the Metal Head and a huge burst of flames shot from her palms, like a flamethrower. Phoenix shot into the air, moving her arms so that the entire Metal Head was continuously bathed in flames, causing it to howl in agony. The Metal Head tried to escape, but Phoenix kept her flames trained on it, the force of the fire keeping her suspended in midair. The warriors watched in awe as Phoenix landed on the transport a moment later, a wraith of fire around her, as the second Aimperditor fell to its death into the water below.
"Need some backup?" Phoenix said casually to Nightingale, giving her a thumbs up.
"YOU!" Doppelganger growled as he took aim at Phoenix with his Assault Rifle, only for a massive fist to slam into his skull, sending him flying across the train. Violet let out a scream of distress, but was forced to back off once Jak started shooting at her with his Morph Gun.
"Beast?" Phoenix said questioningly at the large Agent, who was bleeding freely from his chest.
Beast let out a growl of satisfaction before Bane took aim and fired a few shots at the Agent, causing him to snarl in pain. Phoenix drew a knife and flung it at Bane, who despite his size, moved very quickly, and dodged it with ease. Bane opened fire with his SMG, causing the two Agents to scatter. Phoenix yelped as one of the bullets clipped her on the shoulder, while Beast took cover behind a metal barrier that had risen from the ground. Beast's Red Eco Overcharger finally began to fade away, and Beast sank to the ground with a growl as his body felt the drawback of using the enhancement.
Shadow growled in annoyance and stood next to Bane, who chuckled darkly at his CO, despite his injuries. Shadow looked over at Phoenix, who was drawing her pistol and aiming it at Bane.
"Just give us the Fragment. No one has to get hurt!" Shadow yelled to Phoenix.
"There's not a chance in hell you're leaving with that thing!" Phoenix yelled as she fired a few shots with her pistol. Bane expertly ducked and dodged the shots, for some reason not shooting back, while Shadow maneuvered herself so she could see Beast, who was trying to recover as his body screamed at him. Beast's armor was slick with blood, but he still had a glint in his eye that told Shadow he'd fight until it was over.
"Give us the Fragment, Agent Beast. No one has to die" Shadow said in a calm voice to Beast, who growled at her and aimed his pistol at her.
"Never. I know what'll happen if you win. I won't let you hurt them!" Beast snarled.
"Damn it. There's no reasoning with them. If we keep using this sort of force, one of us is going to die…and Stephen won't be happy with that" Shadow thought angrily as Phoenix lunged at her. Beast watched helplessly as his body tried to recover from using his enhancement. Nightingale saw an opportunity to help Beast with his wounds and yanked off both of her GED's and tossed it over to Beast.
"Beast! Heads up!" Nightingale yelled. Beast caught the device and injected two bursts of Green Eco into his chest, cauterizing the wounds and stopping the bleeding for now. Beast tossed the GED's back to Nightingale, grunting in thanks, and Nightingale jumped back into the fight again.
Meanwhile, Sharpshooter and Deadshot, who had both run out of ammo, were now trading blows. Deadshot was obviously far less experienced in hand-to-hand, as Sharpshooter was able to sidestep a punch and delivered a powerful kick to Deadshot's stomach, causing him to bowel over in pain.
Sharpshooter shoved Deadshot to the ground and made a move to help Jak, who was now fighting Bane and Shade. Jak ducked under a swipe from Shade's robot arm and jumped back to dodge a Eco-charged kick from Bane. Jak flipped the Morph Gun in his grip and spun around, firing a massive wave of Green Eco in Bane's face that sent him flying backwards.
The Agent once again recovered in midair and landed on the roof of the transport a few feet away, but watched as Jak fought Shade without joining in the fight again. Jak continued to use his speed to wear Shade down, not bothering to go into his Dark or Light forms. Bane glanced over at Nightingale, who was fighting with Doppelganger, who was using his Dark Eco form again.
"Shade has Jak, Shadow was Phoenix, Doppelganger has Nightingale, Deadshot has Sharpshooter…" Bane thought to himself. Sharpshooter had jumped into the fight against Shade, only for Deadshot to once again go after Sharpshooter. The two began to brawl once more.
Violet suddenly shot a bolt of lightning across the transport, hitting Nightingale in the chest and sending her flying across the train and onto the ground. The Agent tried to get to her feet, but was stopped by a massive blast of Dark Eco from Doppelganger, sending her flying like a rag-doll through the air and onto the roof of the transport
"NIGHT!" Jak yelled, transforming into Light Jak. The man ducked under a punch from Shade and clapped his hands together.
Bane watched as Jak became a blur, slamming into Shade before flying over to Doppelganger and Violet and dispatching them both. Jak helped Nightingale to her feet as she healed her wound with a burst of her GED, using the last of the Green Eco to heal her injuries.
"Which of them of them has the Fragment?" Bane wondered as he clamped his wrist, becoming invisible.
Bane watched each of the fights intently, trying to determine which one of the Agents had the relic they were seeking. Bane finally found Beast crouching behind a transport, snarling in pain from using his enhancement too much, so much so that he couldn't move. Bane approached Beast, eyeing the small pouch at his waist.
"Hand it over. Now" Bane said with a cocky grin as he aimed his SMG at Beast, deactivating his camo.
Beast got to his feet, ignoring his protesting body, and got into a fighting stance. Bane grinned and clipped the SMG to his shin and lunged at Beast. Bane activated his Dark Eco form as Beast reactivated his Red Eco Overcharger.
"Beast! You can't use that thing again!" Vin yelled from Beast's helmet.
"Agent Beast, if you continue to use the Overcharger, it will weaken your body further!" Arch said worriedly. Beast ignored the two A.I.'s and aimed a fist at Bane, who ducked under the strike and delivered a kick to Beast's stomach. Beast ignored the pain searing through his stomach and balled up his fist, slamming it into Bane's chest. Bane screamed in pain as he crashed onto the ground, but he rolled out of the fall and pulled out his SMG, shooting Beast in the upper chest. Beast roared in pain as the bullets passed cleanly through him, spraying the ground with blood. Bane swiftly reloaded his SMG as Beast reeled in pain, stumbling backwards.
"Gotcha!" Bane yelled as he shot forward with a burst of Dark Eco, kicking Beast in the skull. Bane flipped into the air as Beast crashed onto the ground, slamming his foot onto Beast's chest and pinning him to the ground. Bane triumphantly aimed his SMG at Beast's chest and unloaded the entire clip into Beast's chest.
"BEAST!" Nightingale screamed as Bane laughed manically as the shots slammed into Beast's armor, sending blood everywhere as Beast scream in pain. The entire roof of the transport was bathed in Beast's blood, and the Agent was now remaining utterly still as Bane stood over him.
Nightingale's wings shot out of her back as she somehow went into Light Mode and she rocketed towards Bane, who yelped as the agent slammed into him with the force of a speeding Zoomer. Nightingale screamed as she pummeled the living hell out the Hunter Agent, blasts of Light Eco leaving her hands and feet and she pounded the life out of him. She didn't even notice her hands becoming increasingly bloody from the force of her punches. Nightingale grabbed the barely conscious Hunter by the throat and slammed him into the ground, leaving massive cracks on the roof of the train as he howled in agony. She then grabbed him by the arm and hurled him over the side of the transport and into the water below.
"BANE!" Violet screamed as the Hunter tumbled out of sight. Phoenix, murder in her eyes, made a start towards Shadow and the others before Violet shot her with a bolt of lightning, stunning her. Violet looked back at Bane, who landed in the water below and let out a small sob.
"He'll be fine! GET HER!" Shadow snarled, pointing to Phoenix, who was getting to her feet.
Shadow and Doppelganger lunged at Nightingale, who turned her fury to them. Shadow swung a Dark-Eco charged fist at Nightingale, who ducked under the swing and grabbed Shadow by the throat, soaring into the air as she did so, and hurled her at Doppelganger, who yelped in pain as the woman slammed into him. Shadow got to her feet, only for Jak and Nightingale to converge on them, both of them in their light forms.
"Together!" Light Jak yelled.
Shadow let out a yell and she burst into a dark purple aura, Doppelganger did the same. The two Hunters charged at the two Angels, and the group began to brawl. Nightingale and Jak worked as a flawless team, overwhelming the Hunters with teamwork. Doppelganger fell to their combined efforts, and Shadow growl in annoyance as the two Agents drew closer.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!"
Nightingale yelled out as a massive blast of Dark Eco slammed into her from behind, sending her crashing onto the ground, knocking her out of her Light Mode. Light Jak turned around and saw Shade barreling towards them, immersed in a pure black aura that was pulsating wildly. Light Jak thrust out his hands and shot an arc of Light Eco at Shade.
Shade screamed in agony as Light met Dark, but continued to charge forward and slammed into Jak. Jak cried out as the Dark Eco knocked him out of his Light Form as well and sent him crashing onto the ground. Daxter crashed onto the back of the transport as well, unconscious. Shadow snarled furiously and shot Jak with a quick series of Dark Bursts as he slowly got to his feet, causing him to scream in pain as the Dark Eco coursed through him.
Shade grinned as the Dark Aura around him faded and said "See? That's the Dark Blessing at its finest. Lady Arranst rewards those who are loyal to her!"
Shade reached down and grabbed the weakened Nightingale by the throat, crushing her throat with his powerful robotic hand. He laughed cruelly as Nightingale choked and puttered, trying to fight her way out.
"Now…die…" Shade whispered as he tightened his grip.
BAM!
A blur of steel slammed into the side of Shade, sending him falling to the ground with a spray of blood. Shade crumpled to the ground, a steel warhammer embedded into his chest. Shadow let out a scream of horror before looking over at the culprit.
"No…I won't…let you hurt her…" Beast growled weakly as he limped forward, blood gushing from his chest like a fountain. Jak slowly got to his feet, trying to go into Light Jak mode to heal Beast, but realized that the last attack had drained him of his remaining strength and Light Eco. Jak knew Nightingale was in the same boat. Beast fell to the ground, his legs giving out, and Jak silently cursed himself for being hurt so badly. His entire body felt like it was tortured. Beast slowly reached up and ripped his helmet off, trying to get air.
"How can someone become so powerful, just from a blessing?" Jak asked himself as Doppelganger got back to his feet, groaning in pain. Jak and Nightingale, both weakened horribly from Shade's strongest attack, got ready for the next fight.
Phoenix let out a yell of victory as Violet crashed onto the ground, howling in pain as a wall of flames dissipated. Phoenix looked over towards the sniper battle and saw Deadshot standing victorious, holding a fist of Dark Eco flames in his hands in triumph. The two locked eyes and darted towards each other.
Shadow slunk away from the fight to take a moment to evaluate the damage.
Shade was out of action, Deadshot was injured but could fight, Violet was out of action, Bane was…gone, and Doppelganger was injured, but was still able to fight. She herself was drained from using her Dark Eco.
On the other hand, Jak and Nightingale, their two biggest threats, had been neutralized with Shade's Dark Eco powers. The effectiveness of the attack spoke volumes about the double-edged sword of Light and Dark Eco. While Light Eco was strong against Dark Eco, Dark Eco was equally strong against Light Eco.
Sharpshooter was out of action, Jak and Nightingale were very weak, Phoenix was still fairly fresh, and Beast was on the verge of death.
Shadow heard a wave of static buzz through her helmet at that moment. Someone was trying to radio her, though their signal was very weak.
"Shadow…" Bane hissed.
"B-Bane!? Are you OK?" Shadow asked worriedly.
"Never mind that…Beast…has the Fragment…get it" Bane whispered before the communication went dead. Shadow closed her eyes tightly, forcing back the tears of losing yet another Hunter, and turned to find Beast. Shadow stormed over to the wounded Agent and yanked the pouch from Beast's belt, pulling out the Gate Fragment and tossing the pouch to the ground
"I'm sorry Agent Beast, but I'm doing this so Stephen can live. He's more important to me than any of you could know" Shadow whispered to the bloodied Agent, who's glazed eyes flew open in horror and realization.
Shadow then realized that he knew who she was talking about.
She had revealed her secret.
Shadow pulled out and raised her sickle high into the air, determined to silence the Agent for good, before a flaming dagger slammed into her hand, causing her to drop her sickle to the ground.
Shadow screamed in pain as she yanked out of the knife and dropped it to the ground. Phoenix sprinted towards the Hunter Commander, kicking her in the stomach before jumping into the air and slamming her foot into Shadow's head, sending her crashing onto the ground. Phoenix picked up Beast's pistol and aimed it at Shadow's head, only for a stray shot from Deadshot to knock it out of her hands, causing her fingers become slick with blood and drop the pistol.
Shadow glared at Phoenix as she quickly got to her feet, before saying "I think it's time for a hasty retreat. We got what we wanted"
"What? NO!" Phoenix yelled, lunging forward, even though it was too late.
Phoenix gasped as Shadow flashed the Gate Fragment to her before vanishing in a burst of darkness. Deadshot, Doppelganger, Violet, and Shade vanished in bursts of Dark Eco as well.
"DAMN IT!" Phoenix snarled as she flung the pistol onto the roof.
"Not…not good…" Sharpshooter said weakly as he limped over to Phoenix.
"Hey…what happened…to Beast?" Sharpshooter wheezed.
"Beast?" Phoenix said in confusion, not catching his meaning.
"BEAST!" Phoenix and Sharpshooter yelled as they ran over to Beast, who was still lying motionless on the roof of the train in a puddle of his own blood.
"Stay with us! Come on Beast!" Sharpshooter yelled as he tried to pry off the damaged armor, to see the source of the bleeding. Sharpshooter managed to tear the armor free, and gasped in horror as the massive gunshot wounds continued to gush blood. Beast wouldn't last much longer.
"Jak! We need you!" Phoenix yelled desperately, but Jak and Nightingale were too injured from their fight. Jak was barely conscious, and Nightingale was utterly drained to the point where she was crawling over to Jak from overusing her Light Form in the way she did.
"Beast…Beast please, stay awake" Phoenix begged as the Agent closed his eyes.
"Don't…" Beast murmured as he closed his eyes.
"Beast!" Sharpshooter yelled, shaking the man violently. Beast's eyes flickered open, and he gestured to Sharpshooter to come closer.
"Bring her…to me…" Beast growled softly. Sharpshooter knew who was talking about, and ran over to Nightingale. He helped her walk over to Beast, and she starred at him in a dazed sort of way.
"B-Beast…what happened?" Night asked softly.
"I'm…I'm going to die…Iris…" Beast grunted, and Nightingale shook her head weakly.
"No…no…I said I wouldn't let anyone else die Beast…not after Rush…not you…not you too" Nightingale whispered as tears formed in her eyes.
"I don't…have much time…Iris…I will die…protect them. Protect the others. My strength will become yours. Protect them…save us…" Beast growled, and Nightingale wordlessly nodded.
"Return me to my people…I want to Usolutakz…so I can be at peace…will you do that for me?" Beast asked softly, his eyes shining.
Nightingale nodded again, and Beast smiled weakly.
"Thank you…I do not deserve such an ally…I am ashamed, of what I did to you…what we did to you…I tried to help you…however I could…" Beast growled softly as Jak slowly walked over to him. Jak felt his breath hitch as he beheld the mortally wounded man. So brave and fearless in battle. Even in death, he was worried about those who could no longer protect. He was regretful for what he did to Nightingale until the very end. He had relentlessly tried to redeem himself for hurting her, and despite his injuries, continued to save them from the Hunter Assault.
"Beast…Arkzlag…I was never…ever, mad at you…you were the only one who cared in the Fortress…the only one who cared enough about me to abandon everything he knew" Night whispered to the man, who smiled at her.
"Not just for you…to protect the world…it…is our destiny, is it not?" Beast grunted as he felt his remaining strength fade.
"You all…stay together…remain…strong…do it for me…do it…for Arkzlag…the Beast…" the Agent growled before his eyes closed once more. A shuddering breath escaped his mouth before he remained motionless.
Phoenix let out a sob and turned away, trying not to let her tears be seen. Sharpshooter sighed and placed a hand on Beast's chest, muttering "We'll get them back for you buddy…I swear it"
Jak found himself wrapping his arms round Nightingale, who was crying in his arms. Jak could only hold her and console her to keep himself from dwelling on the death of his friend. Jak felt a tight pain in his chest and felt his eyes sting, but he remained strong. He had too.
Jak tightened his embrace with Nightingale as the Magic Bullet soared across the ocean and towards the Wasteland. Phoenix called up some of the train's personal to help them carry Beast's body back into the train, and to get it off of the roof. The rain began to pour once more, washing away the blood of the fallen warrior
"I don't know how…and I don't know when…but they'll pay for this…" Jak thought as Sharpshooter began to report in to Disten, trying not to cry as he told them of their failure, and of their loss.
They would pay.
End of Chapter:
Beast is dead, and the Hunters have the last free fragment to the Gate of Darkness. Shadow's secret is safe with her, now that Beast is dead, and now is where the fun will really start. And don't worry, there's more backstory to Beast and Nightingale.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. As always, please let me know how you thought of it in an review.
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Until next time, FlygonN out!