Ch 2 the truth
Kya spent hours healings Locus's wounds as best as she could, but she knew he needed serious medical attention if he wanted to continue fighting.
"So how is he?" Pema asked.
"I don't know, Pema. Locus should be dead many times over. I don't know how he's still alive. He says he's a soldier, but I doubt he can continue with his injuries." Kya said.
"What kind of a soldier?" Pema asked.
"I don't know. I get the feeling he doesn't want to talk about it." Kya said, when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Locus walking towards her, sniper rifle on his back.
"I'm going out for a walk, and to get some clothes." Locus stoically said, as if it was something he did normally.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Pema asked.
"I feel fine." Locus calmly said, and simply walked out the door.
"I better go with him." Kya said.
Locus arrived at the docks and walked into the city, ignoring the few looks that he was receiving. But it was unnerving.
Do they consider me to be a monster? Am I a monster?
Locus put the thoughts to the back of his mind and continued his walk. He was currently lost in the city, and Kya found him.
"You lost, Locus?" Kya asked.
"Yes. Where is the clothing store?" Locus asked.
"Hey, soldier. Let me help you." Kya said.
Locus resigned himself to following Kya as she took him to the clothing store. Locus spent the time observing Kya. She was happy and cheerful. Too cheerful in Locus's opinion.
She's not Felix. She doesn't seem to be the manipulating type.
"What do we have here?" the owner asked, seeing Kya and Locus walk in. He backed away at seeing Locus.
"Hi. We're just here to buy clothes." Kya said.
"Do you have clothes that'll fit a man who's 6'6''?" Locus asked.
"Sure do. Just follow me." The owner said, eyeing Locus.
Locus calmly followed the owner, though the owner was terrified of Locus. He was decked in armor head to toe, and had a large weapon on his back. Locus grabbed the clothes the owner suggested and changed into them.
"Much better." Locus said, and walked out.
"I like your style, Locus." Kya said.
Locus shrugged his shoulders and put his armor over his shoulder, as Kya paid the money. Leaving the store, Kya talked to Locus.
"You don't talk much." Kya said.
"No. I don't." Locus deadpanned.
"You said you were a soldier. What kind?" Kya asked.
Locus deeply sighed, and hefted the armor plus sniper rifle on his other shoulder. He didn't want to talk about it, but seeing how he was stuck here, he had no choice.
"If you want to know, I'll tell you. Initially, I worked for the UNSC. We were fighting an alien threat called the covenant. I was involved in some of the most brutal engagements in the war. When the war ended, I couldn't go back to human society. There was another soldier, named Felix. The bastard. He was a monster." Locus said.
"What happened?" Kya asked.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Locus said.
"I understand." Kya said.
"No. You don't." Locus coldly said.
Kya was put off by Locus's cold demeanor.
"Well I'd like to know." Kya said.
"Fine. I'll tell you. No, better yet. I'll show evidence." Locus said.
"How?" Kya asked.
"Got a movie projector?" Locus asked.
"Yeah. There's one at the pro-bending arena. You can show me tonight." Kya said.
"Viewer discretion is advised." Locus said.
"I'm not a little child." Kya said.
"You've no idea what I saw." Locus said.
As they walked back to the temple, Kya noticed Locus's behavior. He was more tense than when he first woke up, and his eyes were steeled into concentration. He was scanning ahead of him, like a machine searching for threats. Kya read his aura and was confused. It was steel being melted down and made stronger again and again. And it was also a scared child in a dark room, groping the walls, but never leaving the room.
Locus noticed a poster about a pro-bending tournament.
"Oh yeah. There's a pro-bending tournament tonight." Kya said.
"If the arena is unoccupied, I can show you the information right now." Locus said.
Kya and Locus went inside the pro-bending arena, where they saw the film projector still standing.
"Looks like we can start." Kya said.
"Start what?" Korra asked, walking to the two of them, prompting Locus to quickly grab his sniper rifle and point it at Korra and her two friends.
"Locus what the hell!?" Kya shouted.
"Who are you three?" Locus demanded.
"I'm Korra. And these are my friends, Mako and Bolin. We're on the fire ferrets." Korra said, backing away from Locus, both her hands raised to try and calm Locus down.
"You friends with Kya?" Locus asked, flipping the safety off.
"Yeah, we're friends. I've known Kya for a few years." Korra said.
"Good." Locus said, and put the rifle on his back.
"Thanks for warning us." Mako sarcastically said. Locus flipped him off.
Locus pulled out a chip from his helmet and attached wires from the chip to the projector and started the projector. Everyone sat down and watched.
"Static, nothing new." Mako said.
There was no dramatic introduction. When the static cleared, it showed Locus fighting a large monster. Right in the middle of a battle.
"Holy shit!" Bolin shouted, as they watched Locus fight an Elite. The thing had 4 mandibles on its face, and a rounded off dome head. It was not human.
The elite lifted Locus, intent on strangling the human. Locus pulled out a knife and stabbed the alien in the wrist, then pulled a blue ball from the alien's chest and slammed it in the eye of the alien, the blue ball now sizzling.
Locus backed away as the alien clutched at his face, then a bright blue explosion occurred, leaving the lower half of the alien remaining, dripping blood.
"Oh god." Kya said, but forced herself to watch.
Locus grabbed a rifle, much similar to the one he had right now and looked down the telescopic sight. A large group of multiple aliens was in the sights, and Locus pulled the trigger, killing the little grunts, tall elites, and a few of the jackals.
Static occurred, and then it was a different scene. Locus was walking thru a desert, and bodies of dead humans and aliens surrounded him. An inhumane growl was heard, and Locus pivoted his weapon in the direction.
The noise grew louder, and on the screen an ape like monster appeared, running towards Locus. Locus took notice of Kya holding his hand, squeezing it real tight.
On the screen, Locus fired his rifle at the brute but the shields flickered from the onslaught of bullets. The gun jammed, and Locus charged the brute with a combat knife in his hand. The camera flipped up and over and was now facing the back of the brute's head. The knife was brought down hard, breaking the shielding and piercing the armor into its skull. The brute thrashed violently and the knife came down again and again, until blood was all over the place.
Locus grabbed a long purple object from the dead brute and walked over a sand dune, seeing two larger aliens. They were covered in green armor from head to toe, and had plasma cannons and thick shields in place of its 'arms'.
Locus aimed down the telescopic sight of the purple rifle and pulled the trigger. A quick flash of plasma went thru the helmet slits and into the flesh, bringing the monster dead. An inhumane scream was heard, and the second hunter fired its plasma cannon, forcing Locus to run out of its line of sight.
Locus headed back to the dune and fired more shots, eventually killing the second hunter. The large hulk fell in front of Locus.
"Damn. That thing is huge!" Korra said.
"That's what the UNSC calls hunters. They're practically walking artillery. Always travel in pairs, are very tough to kill, practically impossible." Locus said.
"But you killed two of them." Kya said, shaken up by the combat footage.
"I got lucky." Locus growled, and giving Kya a death glare.
Static occurred, and they saw the last bit of Locus's recording. Locus was sitting against a wall, heavily breathing. A machinegun was dropped on his lap.
"Wake up! I told you we'd make it." Felix rudely said.
"Felix, it's over." Locus said, grabbing the machinegun.
"Run your camo, and stick to the shadows. I'll draw them out." Felix said, activating his energy sword.
"The Tartarus is destroyed. Our numbers are falling. The mission-" Locus started.
"Fuck the mission! Jesus Christ! For once in your life, would you forget about following goddamned orders?! I'm not doing this for Hargrove. I'm doing this, for me." Felix coldly ranted.
Locus watched in disbelief as Felix walked away to fight the simulation troopers. Locus stood up and followed, though weakly. His breath was short and staggered, and he collapsed on the ground, rolling onto his back, racked with pain. The AI appeared to Locus and talked to him.
"Why are you here, meddler?" Santa asked.
"To kill the simulation troopers." Locus said, but he didn't have the resolve.
"Will this secure victory over their forces?" Santa asked.
"No." Locus confessed.
"Then what purpose would that serve?" Santa asked.
"I don't know." Locus said.
"Then why are you trying?" Santa asked.
"I don't know." Locus said.
"Than what do you know?" Santa asked.
"I don't know." Locus angrily replied.
"Than what do you want to know?" Santa asked.
"I… I want to know what Felix is afraid of." Locus said, wanting some closure before he died.
"You were broken by war. It was his goal to see that you never healed. Because despite what he may claim, only one of you needs the other to survive." Santa said.
"What are you saying?" Locus asked.
"Ignorant creature. Your partner is afraid of you." Santa said.
Locus rolled on his stomach and stood up, processing what the AI told him. He had been used, manipulated by Felix.
"That little fuck!" Locus shouted, and with renewed energy, jogged towards Felix with the machinegun in his hand, and his cloaking suit activated.
Locus rounded a corner and saw Felix surrounded by the simulation troopers. He calmly walked towards Tucker and Caboose, hearing Felix taunt the soldiers.
"Think again." Felix said, only to have Locus toss his machinegun at Felix's feet.
Locus turned the cloaking off, revealing himself to everyone.
"Freeze!" Tucker said, pointing his carbine at him.
"Locus, what are you doing? You were supposed to kill them." Felix said.
"No. No more killing." Locus said, surprising everyone. Tucker lowered his rifle at his remark.
"What are you doing? You're a soldier, remember?" Felix asked.
"I'm not a soldier. I'm a monster. Like you." Locus said to Felix.
"Locus, we're partners. Survivors. We need each other. What about our orders? Our reward? Becoming the ultimate weapon." Felix said, almost about to break down.
"I'm not doing this for the reward. I'm not doing this because someone told me to. I'm doing this for me." Locus said.
"Then you can die with the rest of them." Felix said, and threw his energy sword at Locus. Locus, Tucker, and Caboose ducked out of the way. As Locus heard everyone fight Felix, Locus grabbed the hilt of the energy sword, now turned off.
Locus knew Felix would have to die before he could use the sword, and waited for the simulation troopers to kill Felix, himself not armed with a ranged weapon. An explosion was heard, and Felix fell off the ledge, screaming to his death. Locus activated the sword in response.
"It's said that only a true warrior can activate these temples." Locus said, examining the active plasma sword, then swung it to activate the comms tower.
"Hey, just because you saved us doesn't mean you can leave, asshole. You killed innocent people." Tucker pointed out.
"I know. I'm going to make things right. But not from inside a cell." Locus said.
"If you run, we'll find you." Epsilon said.
"No. You won't." Locus said, then activated his camo suit.
The footage stopped, and everyone looked at Locus, there jaws dropped in awe and horror.
"Are you superhuman? A super soldier?" Kya asked.
"I was a Spartan-3 super soldier developed by the UNSC. My parents were killed during the war. Me and 299 others were selected into a company. We received enhanced training and augmentation, if you're wondering how I managed to survive all that." Locus said.
"Maybe you can help us." Korra said, an idea forming in her head.
"What help?" Locus asked.
"Okay. There's a mad man wanting to overthrow the city. He's Amon, and wants to get rid of bending." Korra said.
"No. I'm done with killing, with fighting. I want no part of this war." Locus said, standing up and grabbing his armor and rifle.
Korra only looked at Locus as he walked up the stairs and out of the arena. Kya followed Locus, concerned for him.
"Locus, we're not asking you to fight the equalists." Kya said.
"Then don't ask me. If you or anyone tries to blackmail me, or manipulate me to fight this equalist enemy, I'll kill you." Locus said, painfully reminded of what Felix did to him for years on end.