So, here's chapter 57 which will be the last plus maybe an epilogue chapter.
And as usual thank you to doctor Anthony for proof reading and also those that has contributed to this story with suggestions or simply influencing me in one way or another.
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Kono groaned as he was hurting from his elbow being snapped. Despite this he lunged at Quaritch, tackling him to the ground, before throwing punches with his one good arm.
However – despite the surprise – Quaritch, who had two good arm's quickly got the upper hand in the fight, knocking Kono back with a punch to the jaw, as he got up Quaritch remarked "You've got a lot of fight in you Lao, shame you're on the wrong side of this."
Kono got up again and was beaten down with several punches as Quaritch took out a pistol and pointed it at Kono's head saying "Much as I'd like to keep beating you down, I'm on the clock -."
Whatever was going to be said next was interrupted as a female Nykoraptor came out of the jungle, lunging at Quaritch before he could even get off a shot with his gun, the Nykoraptor quickly slashed her claws at him.
It looked as if Quaritch was about to get his throat slashed but then he grabbed the young nyko by her own throat and flung her aside as if throwing a ragdoll over Kono's head landing behind him.
Quaritch then stood up and looked at Kono.
"Now, where were we?" He said and smiled like the way Kono always hated… Or anyone that knew the man for that matter.
The young nyko was labouredly getting up but Quaritch aimed his pistol at her…
"Sorry, but I need to go and kill my idjit brother." Quaritch said and started squeezing the trigger when…
Then a cocking motion could be heard to the side forcing Quaritch to slightly turn to his left and had Kono look to his right.
There stood three individuals in uniforms similar to the Phoenix Group except the shoulder patches was instead a pitch-black version of the North Star surrounded by a yellow halo – the symbol Kono now knew belonged to the independent unit known as the Darkstar Rangers.
"Bennyboy's guys." Kono thought almost relieved.
"I wouldn't if I were you Quaritch!" Tuck said menacingly pointing his assault rifle at Quaritch.
Beside him stood Cover Girl with her high-powered sniper rifle while Tinkerbell together with Lily on the other side cleared the underbrush almost behind Quaritch… While Ninja came sneaking up directly behind Quaritch – putting his Ninjato to Quaritch's throat…
"Tut, tut, tut. You've been a bad boy again, haven't ya Francis?" Tinkerbell said teasingly as Quaritch's original name was Francis or Frank Taylor as she remembered how much the man hated that name…
Now a fifth Darkstar came out of the underbrush.
"We have a problem down below." Lily noted and was about to report when…
Then they all heard a scream from further down the valley…
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As Tashaya stopped pressing the button on the small box in her hand and the majority of those blue lightning receded, Ben felt as if every nerve ending was on fire.
"Did you really think that I would risk you running around and not figuring out a contingency plan to control you?" Tashaya said with her superior tone.
After what felt like an eternity his strength had slowly returned somewhat.
When he labouredly rose and stood, Tashaya held up her hand to him. Smythe were nowhere to be seen.
"Relinquish that amazing knife of yours first – OR –." She said smirking.
Tashaya looked meaningfully in Hooper's direction that put his knife to Mark's throat.
Ben held up his knife looked at it and then Maddy and then threw the knife with such force that it embedded itself into a tree not far from where Maddy stood.
Maddy couldn't figure why Ben gave her that look as she still watched the knife with half the blade embedded into the tree.
"I'd have to be as strong as him to get it out." She thought.
But then she started thinking…
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At the outcropping where Kono was nursing his broken arm and the five Darkstars held their weapons aimed at Miles Quaritch.
"Excuse me but I recognize that scream!" Miles said teasingly smiling wolfishly – taunting them.
"Y'all can either guard me or help your friend down there."
"Or we can kill you THEN help our friend!" Ninja noted with his deceptively calm voice.
"Oh, ya could, but not before I will be able to squeeze the trigger and separating Lao over there from at least a portion of his already too few braincells." Quaritch pointed out menacingly.
"Don't worry about me, just kill this bastard, and help the others!" Kono demanded.
For a few moments that felt like an eternity, the five Darkstars looked at one another and then finally.
"Alright, get out of here, but leave your weapons. Then go!" Ninja then said.
"Do we have a deal?" He finished.
Quaritch knowing the pathetic code of these traitors and knew he could trust them – plus he had better things to do at the moment.
"Deal." He growled and dropped the pistol.
Ninja removed the Ninjato from the man's throat.
Quaritch turned around smirking.
"Until next time then kids." He said and then turned around again and ran into the jungle…
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As Ben stood there after having thrown his knife into the tree near Maddy, suddenly heavy steps were heard as what looked like an Amplified Mobility Platform came marching out from behind the biggest tent.
It was like no AMP Ben had ever seen before as instead of the arms being designed to hold what to the AMP-suit would be a light machinegun – but a heavy such to anyone else of course – and if necessary, an oversized combat knife.
Instead, this one seemed as if its arms were much more agile like they were designed to actually punch something with actual accuracy than the ordinary models.
And in the controller seat was Smythe grinning.
"I told you, Benjamin, I promised to make sure that you go out in style!" He bellowed.
"Wait, that's not fair!" Maddy shouted desperately but was ignored.
Every Phoenix soldier still capable of standing stood all around grinning.
No one even noticed the four dark figures that slowly started approaching the camp.
"You may commence!" Tashaya commanded. If Wolverine died, she could hopefully use his body to figure out what it was that made him so much more powerful than the other Darkstars.
Smythe charged forward with such speed that it took Ben by surprise, and he was tackled by the immense war machine that it made him fly backwards…
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In the darkest corners of his soul, the beast is stirring…
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Elsewhere.
Commander Taylor's column of Terra Novian security soldiers made out mostly of young and battle-worn rather than battle-hardened people – was trundling along the path between Outpost-2 and the Portal Terminus Camp where they hoped to link up with the forces of the enigmatic Templar.
They could have gone for Outpost-2 where the equally enigmatic Darkstars were waiting but then they had noticed how Phoenix Group forces were closing in and Taylor had decided on a straight shot for the Terminus camp instead.
"Wash, are the Phoenix Group still on our scent?" Taylor asked as he sat beside the driver.
"Yes sir, but I'm picking up radio chatter indicating the mercs are in front of us as well!" Washington reported from behind him.
"Damnation!" Taylor mutters and quickly scanned the terrain and came to the best conclusion.
"Alright, order the convoy to form up into defensive posture on the rocky hills up front." He ordered.
"Sir?" Washington queried.
"We'll make our stand here." Taylor explained and Washington needed no further explanation as she understood how dire the situation was.
"Try contacting the Templar and tell them we've been cut off and are in need of support." He added.
Washington started sending a coded message using the frequency they had been given by Kara.
"Why are we stopping?" Josh noted as the rhino the Shannon's rode in stopped.
"We've been cut off by the Phoenix Group from retreating any further." Shackleford said from her place in the driver's seat as she came to a stop to let her passengers out.
"And do what exactly?" Josh retorted.
"Probably to make a last stand action." Frost noted stoically as she had few illusions about their chances.
"More like suicide if you ask me!" Josh blurted…
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The beast is growling in his soul, fighting to get out!...
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At Taylor's temporary camp, while getting ready for a last stand.
Alicia Washington was checking the radio when suddenly she got a signal.
"Who is this, over?" She asked into the com.
"This is Mainframe of the Darkstars. Just wanted to give a heads up that we are driving some Phoenix stragglers in your general direction, but they've been running around making white noise trying to throw us off the scent. Over." Mainframe reported.
"We've had to stop as we are being boxed in from the north and the south. Over." Washington replied.
"What? No, you need to pack up and get the fuck out of there, we're nowhere near you at the moment as we just realised these asholes been leading us on a wild goose chase, Over."
"No need to get snippy, so the northern force is basically bogus, what about the southern force? Over." Washington asked a bit annoyed.
"The southern force is very real as we've been tracking them using hover cams, and they are coming straight for you apparently, you need to haul arse out of there right now, We'll be coming to meet you, but we won't be there until in twenty minutes at best. Try and stay alive until then! Over and out." Mainframe said and abruptly cut the com.
Washington still being annoyed about almost being ordered around by someone that was probably a junior officer, she still jumped out of the rhino and sprinted over to Taylor.
"Sir, we need to get out of here." She practically yelled.
"Calm down Wash, we have nowhere to run…" Taylor started.
"No sir, according to the Darkstar the northern force is just a decoy creating white noise to make us believe we've been cut off." Alicia reported.
"And you're sure we can trust them?" Taylor asked.
"Ben said we can, and that's enough for me sir." Alicia replied.
Commander Nathaniel Taylor looked around at his troops – most of them little more than kids – getting ready for an impossible fight.
He made a decision he hoped he would not have to regret.
"Alright, everyone mount up. We're getting back on course." He bellowed his orders.
As the members of Terra Nova security obeyed the orders.
"I wish he could make up his damned mind!" Josh grunted as he was almost thrown into the lead Rhino together with his family and Kara.
"Josh, language!" Elizabeth scolded him…
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While Ben managed to land a few blows he realised the close quarters combat AMP-suit seemed impervious and also hit back hard.
At one point when he thought he could jump over it, suddenly Smythe grabbed his right leg and unceremoniously – like swinging a ragdoll – swung him into the ground with such force Ben could feel he made an imprint in the ground with his body.
Smythe seemed to briefly lose interest and walked over to a thin tent pole and pulled the sharp thing out of the ground.
Ben was just getting up when he could hear the AMP-suit come stomping closer as he was still trying to clear his head after the hit that would no doubt have put most normal human males his size into a coma.
Smythe lifted the tent pole and struck it right through Ben's chest.
Ben grunted and went down into a heap half sitting thanks to the pole now sticking out of him.
"NOOOO!" Maddy screamed.
"You know what your sin is Benjamin?" Smythe said as he turned around and watched Maddy and Mark look at the scene in shock…
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The Beast is growling from the darkest areas of his soul.
Screaming –
"LET ME OUT!"
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"Help me!" He thought…
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They had only barely managed to get a head start when the trailing bike scouts under Guzman's command reported hostile vehicles approaching from their rear.
"Hostile vehicles configuration looks like assault APCs!" Guzman reported.
"At least three of them!" He added.
"Damnation!" Taylor swore under his breath.
Then the com unit chimed indicating someone was trying to communicate.
"This is Taylor over?!" He answered.
"This is Lieutenant Sawyer of the Templar, we've been monitoring your situation." Taylor heard the voice of a young man with almost a deep southern drawl.
"We're coming in from the northeast from your position, just adjust your course and we can join forces, over." Sawyer reported.
"I thought you folks were still guarding the Terminus?!" Taylor blurted forgetting the over.
"I went out with a third of our forces to clear out those Phoenix turds as we had been trying to track, only to find out they're just a bunch of asholes creating white noise to throw us off their scent." Sawyer noted with a chuckle.
"It's obvious someone wants only to get to you Commander, over." He finished.
"But them Darkstars didn't say shiet about you being out here. over" Taylor retorted suspiciously.
"We've been running at radio silence as the Phoenix Group's been listening in to our coms, we only found out a couple of days ago, We should be meeting up in about ten minutes, OH, and our callsign is BIG BAD WOLF. Over and out." Sawyer finished.
Taylor looked over at Kara who nodded.
"Only Commander Wolfe would know that, as that is his personal call sign within the Templar." Kara said.
Commander Taylor quickly ordered a course correction…
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Smythe was revelling in his victory when.
"Hey shit-for-brains!" Came an all too familiar voice from behind.
And when he turned around his AMP, he could see Ben Shannon rising while pulling out the tent pole out of his abdomen as if it was barely a splinter.
What got his attention the most was the blazingly red eyes of his nemesis.
Ben easily snapped the tent pole and threw it away.
"At the end of this day, ONE SHALL STAND, ONE SHALL FALL!" He uttered and charged forward with a grin in his face that made both Maddy and Mark worried as well as making the assembled Phoenix Group mercenaries terrified…
He can now feel the presence of his people.
"DARKSTAR RISE!" Ben shouts like a battle cry, concentrating to make sure to bleed off enough of that thing within him in order to equally empower his people as he could already feel the power starting to tear him apart from the inside as his eyes started bleeding those tears of blood again…
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They hear the battle cry, THEIR battle cry.
DARKSTAR RISE! Ever since Panama this one sentence was what confirmed their bond as warriors and avengers.
They all answer the call.
"DARKSTAR RISE!" And they make sure that long range coms they brought sends it to every member of the Darkstar Rangers would be getting it one way or another.
And as one their eyes glowed a fierce crimson and they smiled at the euphoric empowerment making them stronger faster and of course… Much, MUCH DEADLIER.
At the outcropping Cover Girl had managed to set Kono's arm properly naturally at his complaining. And also put a field splint using a pair of branches and bandages.
When suddenly they heard the battle cry "DARKSTAR RISE!" And as if on cue her eyes glowed a crimson red.
She grabbed her sniper rifle and moved into a better position. Kono could see the vicious smile on her otherwise beautiful face…
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Miles away the remaining portion of the Darkstar Rangers through the coms hear.
And they all answer the call to arms!
And they all set out force marching at a high pace in the direction they know they need to go. Leaving the Templar soldiers to guard their gains.
Mikaela or Ratchet revels as the thing for none not even Wolverine knows any other name for it smiles euphorically as she runs through the jungle with her brothers and sisters.
Claymore turns briefly to his elder brother Malcolm.
"You stay here, Little brother needs to go kill some Phoenix numpties!" He says laughing as his eyes like the others glow a fierce crimson red.
Malcolm watches in befuddlement as his brother and the others simply run off…
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Ben had now jumped and covered the last few yards between him and Smythe's AMP.
"You are a demon!" Smythe hissed with hatred in his voice, and directed a solid punch of his AMP's armoured fist on Ben…
At least, that was what the intention had been…
Ben didn't even duck or any kind of evasive action and instead seemingly effortlessly stopped the punch with his own hand as if parrying the punch of another human.
Smythe immediately swung out with the AMP's other arm but Ben grabbed it, and then jumped up so that he still grabbing the AMP's arms and took support by literally standing on the operator compartment of the AMP.
Ben roared as he tore the right arm of the AMP clear off.
This made him fall but he was quickly on his feet and then started bashing the AMP with the torn off arm like a club…
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On their end, while Cover Girl was sniping one Phoenix soldier after the other maiming most of them as she wanted them to be in pain as just outright killing them was no fun.
A befuddled Phoenix soldier found himself in the path of some blonde woman flying at him horizontally and due to her speed picking him up only to turn upward and then simply dropping him from a couple of hundred feet up… The soldier of course screaming in utter dread all the way up as well as down.
All the while Tinkerbell cackled like some demented harpy.
The other three Darkstars tried to not land any fatal of overtly bloody blows as they all wanted to spare Madelyn and that young soldier being held as hostages an all too blood-soaked battle…
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As Taylor's convoy was now exchanging sporadic fire with their pursuers.
Taylor knew from the reports this seemed to be the majority of the Phoenix forces.
"We ought to be flattered that they are concentrating so much to get at us." He thought, at this rate they would be run to ground, as one of his outriders suddenly got hit by a shell hitting the ground close enough to make her motorcycle do a volt with the rider flying off…
"Alright, that's it!" He grumbled.
"Convoy form defensive formation and come to a stop!" He bellowed into the com.
He only hoped the Templar or the Darkstars would get to them in time.
Every combatant quickly disembarked and even Father O'Neal grabbed a pulse rifle and took up position next to the lead Rhino.
Then as it seemed as if the Phoenix Group forces were speeding to ram right into them they all suddenly paused.
And then Taylor's com crackled to life again.
"Commander, we see your predicament, we're comin' right at your two O'clock please do not fire at us.
Taylor quickly relayed the news to the rest as they could hear engine roars coming in from their eastern rear.
He then saw about half a dozen vehicles mostly rovers and a couple of Rhinos flanking his convoy and forming up next to them.
And then almost as if two ancient armies just finished staring each other down the battle commenced…
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If the planet truly held a conscience the battles that now was raging across it, it would sigh in exhausted sorrow, as all the battles were just the recent in another conflict among conflicts without number that had raged on the planet since time immemorial.
Somewhere… EVERYWHERE… hundreds of thousands of people were being butchered whether soldiers or civilians as these two ancient enemies were clashing all over the devastated planet.
And the world shuddered at this ancient conflict seemed to be willing to deal the final blow to the once beautiful jewel of a planet called Earth…
At Hope Plaza.
Things had deteriorated gradually with the Canadian commander suddenly reporting the US Army strengthened by crack troops bearing the Illuminati symbol, had managed a breakthrough and the Canadian forces had been pushed back all the way to Hope Plaza.
The rumbling of heavy artillery could now be clearly heard in the distance and some very close as the enemy was even aiming at the city itself in order to try and knock out the logistics of the Templar led armies.
"Reports are that the Yanks have managed to drive the Mexicans back across the Rio Grande, at best we have a stalemate, but I don't know how long my forces can hold before we are likewise pushed back!" The Canadian commander reported via com to Magnus.
"They're bringing home more of their forces from abroad." Magnus noted, as he knew this was meant a quick offensive to seize Hope Plaza and send the expedition to Terra Nova and then blast Hope Plaza to oblivion.
Now that did not look like it was going to happen unless he got word from Taylor about the Pyro sonic – a weapon roughly the power of a nuclear weapon that might cause enough of a rupture in the particle accelerator's power plants in order for those to simply do the rest…
"And before you ask, NO whatever artillery I still have is being used just to achieve parity with the enemy – Right now we are fighting an artillery duel, if we let up the slightest, they'll bombard us all the way back into Canada." The Canadian commander said.
"It's alright I MAY have a solution. Just try and hold as long as you possibly can, Wolfe over and out!" Magnus replied and then cut the com.
He knew the enemy wanted Hope Plaza in one piece, as he checked the long-range scout drone data.
"Looks like they are willing to throw away their assets by the thousands just to retake Hope Plaza!?" He mumbled…
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Even with the Templar reinforcing them they were still outnumbered.
Taylor and Sawyer had managed to form up into defensive formations and so far the enemy was not using armour piercing which was a small comfort.
"What in God's name are those things?" Jim said and pointed.
Taylor got a binocular and searched to where Jim had pointed.
A number of soldiers that looked awfully a lot like those unisols come marching at them.
"My god, if those things are as tough as I fear they are we are in trouble!" He thought fretfully.
As he watched he could see several of them get shot and even had grenades explode right next to them and all they did was simply to get right back up, as if they had just been hit by a sandbag…
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Meanwhile.
Smythe managed to direct his AMP's remaining arm to swing at Ben hitting him square in the chest making the latter fly several yards and tumble to the ground.
He turned around and saw how his soldiers were getting hammered by mere four people and probably someone sniping from farther away. And the worst humiliating was that they seemed as if not even trying to kill anyone apart from one or two that got a little too brave for their own good, many were literally running for dear life, and those four new arrivals seemingly laughing off whatever blows the mercenaries managed to land on them.
"Probably that fool Lao." He thought.
"Hey, ASHOLE!" Smythe now heard from behind and slowly turned around in disbelief.
When he finally turned around, he could see how Ben Shannon was standing up again still with blazingly red eyes.
"How in everything that is holy can you still be getting up after all that?" Smythe asked befuddled at how this paddy kept getting pummelled and still rose…
"If you're gonna kill someone Smythe, you better wanna make sure they stay down!" Ben growled menacingly and charged.
All the while Doctor Tashaya Radcliff kept watching with a fascinated smile on her lips.
Ben launched himself so that he was clinging to the operator's compartment of Smythe's AMP and quickly but calculatingly drew back his right fist and struck with all his might…
*CRASH*
The strike went right through the armoured glass and straight into the chest of Smythe.
For a few moments Smythe stared at the arm that was sticking out of his chest and then at his hated enemy, his vision failing.
Ben withdrew his hand and in it he held Smythe's heart.
Smythe still with hate in his eyes glared at Ben and then his eyes turned slightly up, and as the AMP now was no longer controlled it toppled still with Ben standing on it as it hit the ground.
Ben now turned his gaze to Tashaya and crushed the now no longer beating heart in his hand, he was bloody all over.
Tashaya smiled…
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As Diana Shackleford even threw a sonic shock grenade that exploded almost right in where the face should have been on one of the unisols that did little else than to momentarily slow it down.
By now the enemy was not even shooting much anymore but advancing behind the unisols.
"This is it!" Jim said angrily as he knew there was no getting out of this one and without Ben or any of his…
Then suddenly both Sawyer's and Taylor's coms crackled.
"Never fear the Darkstars are here!" They could all hear in their coms Mainframe's maniacally chuckling voice.
"Is this guy for real?" Taylor huffed.
"I would not discount the Darkstars commander." Sawyer mumbled back through the com.
Then all hell broke lose as Hell itself seemingly came hurtling out of the jungle as twenty men and women and one AMP came running out and charged at first the unisols.
"DARKSTAR RISE!" Came the battle cry.
Winston Hook Watkins screamed of joy as his AMP fired its heavy machinegun at the unisols one of wich was literally blown apart in a cascade of flying debris and various body-parts.
"GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!" He howled in joy.
Others charged more directly – like Claymore that swung his mighty Scottish namesake sword hacking off limbs left and right all the while laughing like a complete maniac.
Taylor quickly contacted Sawyer.
"Lieutenant, I'd say this is our que!" He growled and then.
"Alright everyone, drive them back while the Darkstars keep those monsters busy." He ordered.
"CHARGE, for Terra Nova!" He then bellowed and the Terra Nova security soldiers those that could at least rose to their feet and together with the Templars counter attacked the Phoenix Group that got so taken by surprise they started even retreating at the sight of first some psychopaths going into a melee with the unisols and even WINNING, the counterattack by the Terra Novians and their allies was simply the final straw. As more and more of the unisols was neutralised, more Darkstars started attacking the main Phoenix force that started withdrawing.
And as the last unisol fell.
The Phoenix Group was by then in full retreat leaving behind weapons and wounded comrades…
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Tashaya looked unfazed by the flaming gaze from Ben and picked up the small device.
Maddy saw what Tashaya did and started as silently as Ben had taught her to move towards Tashaya but then stopped and remembered something from months ago and turned to the tree almost beside her.
"You are truly a remarkable specimen, but as I told you I have one last trick up my sleeve." Tashaya said and pressed the button.
And suddenly it seemed as if it affected Ben only but a bare moment later the four other Darkstars reacted as well, and they all went to their knees screaming in pain.
Kono looked at Cover Girl that suddenly doubled over screaming in pain and he could have sworn even utter dread as she started clawing at her body as if trying to scratch an itch.
Back at the camp a pair of petite hands grabbed the knife embedded into the tree, immediately the knife reacted at first defensively, a female grunt of pain as blood poured and was smeared across the handle, but then as if the knife recognized the holder, a barely noticeable hum came from it and effortlessly the knife came loose from the tree…
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As Taylor was surveying the battlefield looking for his son, he tried to concentrate on helping those of his forces that had been wounded.
Shackleford had taken a hit to the side of her head from an sonic blast close to her. O'Mara had almost been too close to an explosion, and it did not look good for his foot had been mangled by a unisol just before the arrival of the Darkstars.
Father O'Neil was dead as he had tried to defend Corporal Anna Reilly from another unisol and had his chest crushed by the abomination.
Sergeant Jack Titan had also been gravely wounded as he had lost an eye from a blast that nearly took half his face and his arm had been ripped clean off, he was still unconscious.
All in all, rather low casualties apart from Corporal Vladimir Antonov's pride at having caught a bullet in a rather tender spot that would probably make it difficult for him to sit or walk properly for a while
Taylor felt sadness again but was relieved at the low casualties especially since the civilians had never even been close and for that Taylor thanked whatever god or gods that obviously must have intervened on their behalf.
Elizabeth and the battle medics were doing their best to help the wounded from both Terra Nova and the Templar.
The Darkstars had amazingly enough suffered little more than maybe a few bruises wich astonished Taylor as they had literally been almost right in the middle, as Taylor could have sworn he saw one of them the big one with that big sword getting knocked down and simply gotten up almost as quickly as he had fallen but they all looked exhausted as if they were all ready to fall over.
One of the Darkstars was hurrying over to him, Taylor could see her eyes was still glowing somewhat but it seemed as if to return to her obviously natural colour, as she was breathing heavily.
She stopped in front of him and saluted as straight as she could.
"Greetings Commander Taylor, I am Warrant officer Michaela McBride callsign Ratchet." She presented herself.
Taylor returned the salute and managed a smile.
"You people arrived literally in the nick of time, glad to finally meet some of Ben's friends." He greeted.
This Warrant officer McBride looked like she could not be any older than Ben Shannon.
"Likewise, Commander, I sent some of our people to track down Captain Shannon, and we did get a com from them which is why we could arrive this fast." Ratchet replied.
"Captain Shannon?" Alicia blurted as she had heard about Ben and was worried about Kono.
"He is our CO. We all decided he should lead us considering he is the most powerful of us and sharpest tactical mind." McBride replied.
Taylor was about to ask another question himself but then…
Almost as one all the Darkstars doubled over on their knees except for the soldier in the AMP that instead caused his war machine to topple and fall over, and screamed in agony as what seemed to be small sparks going off from their eyes of blueish light, With blood dripping from their eyes…
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Ben was on his knees but tried to stand up as he inch by inch crawled closer and closer to Tashaya determined to kill her as despite the nearly blinding agony and fear he felt at whatever that weird light was from the device in her hand.
Strangely though he somehow recognized the power behind the light but could not for the life of him figure out why as the other power in him was just as much a mystery to him.
Tashaya pressed the button harder and Ben finally dropped to his hands.
And still he kept crawling closer to her with seemingly his entire body lit up by that blueish light sparking all over, blood was not only coming from his eyes but his nose and mouth as well and even the wounds to his body and what had to be a wound from the blood stain on his side.
There was still some sporadic firing from the direction Ben and Mark had come from as Kono was firing his pistol – not that he expected to hit much even though he did manage to down another mercenary, it was all a desperate attempt at keeping the Phoenix mercenaries busy so that Ben and his Darkstars could get out of whatever it was that seemed to afflict them.
"Stop it, you're killing him!" Maddy shouted as she had yet to notice the others cringing in pain and terror.
"Why do you not make me girl!?" Tashaya retorted mockingly, not even bothering to look in the young girl's direction.
THEN, there was a swift movement of something metallic shining brightly as it without the least effort sliced right through the hand, she had held the device in – HER hand!
"AAAAHHH" Tashaya shrieked in pain but mostly in surprise.
She instinctively grabbed the stump and was about to turn to the girl, but too late as a blade was put at her throat.
"ENOUGH!" Maddy was surprised at her voice and fought to keep from throwing up.
Hooper had been staring at the spectacle and turned to some of his cowering soldiers.
"Get up boys and take care of these freaks while they're down!" He ordered.
But.
"DON'T even think about it, surrender now all of you or I'll slit her throat and believe me as this knife seems impossibly sharp!" Maddy almost thundered.
Tashaya had to agree as she could feel the blade easily bite into her epidermis, the girl thanks to not being trained for this might just kill her by mistake.
"Do what she says!" She ordered still with a note of pained anger in her voice as she could see that the device had stopped blasting Ben Shannon and his renegades, with three of them getting back up though with obvious problems. Apart from the wisp of a woman that wore the jetpack as she had been in the air when the device activated and had tumbled into a tent and seemed to be knocked out cold.
By now Maddy could see Kono come hobbling down from the rocky hill, holding what looked like a half comatose woman by propping her up with his free arm as his right arm was in a splint.
"Alright mercs, on your knees. You too Hooper, let the kid go and drop down!" Kono bellowed.
The Phoenix mercenaries still outnumbered them but did as they were told even Hooper quickly dropped the knife and dropped to his knees with his hands locked behind his head as Ninja came at him albeit labouredly.
Maddy, Mark and Kono noticed the Darkstar's eyes looked normal now. The others had started to tie up the mercenaries
Then Maddy let go of Tashaya as she then looked over at Ben and noticed with a gasp that he had yet to rise.
Ben was lying face down on the ground – he was not moving…
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…
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And that was chapter 57, at last that only took I don't know how long and I would like to apologize the long hiatus as I've been dealing with a lot of things these past years.
Well if you liked it then please drop me a review.