The Sentinel Knight stepped forward, raising the blade up. Quake's eyes widened then narrowed.
"You guys know what to do! WS formation! Go!"
The group rushed off in different directions, quickly surrounding the knight. Quake fired her concussive blasts, Inferno released a stream of fire, and Iron Heart fired a repulsor blast at the entity all at once. As the dust settled, they saw that the sentinel was standing unharmed. Ms. Marvel's eyes widened.
"Not even a scratch?!"
The sentinel swung the sword, the massive earthen blade striking down at Inferno. The young Inhuman jumped away, throwing another stream of fire at the entity. Inferno watched in shock was the entity brushed aside the flames with a simple shrug.
"You cannot expect to win with fire with so little heart."
The entity swung the blade at Inferno again though Ms. Marvel elongated and embiggened one of her hands, quickly grabbing Inferno and pulling him out of the way. The sentinel pulled the blade back.
"Hmm."
Though this wasn't heard as Iron Heart screamed, firing multiple repulsor blasts at the helm of the sentinel. She gasped as the blasts didn't budge the entity. The guardian swung the blade at Iron Heart though she flew to the side and from her armor's flanks pockets opened up and fired rockets. She gasped as she watched the guardian raise on arm, blocking the missiles and showed no damage on the armor.
Ms. Marvel shouted, throwing one embigended fist forward striking the helm of the sentinel. She cried out in pain, her fist bruised and pulled it back towards her face.
"Why did I do that?!"
America Chavez lunged forward, throwing her own punch against the helm of the entity. Her eyes widened as she see her attack didn't even move the sentinel.
"What?!"
The knight gently knocked her away with one hand, sending her flying to the ground. She gritted her teeth.
"Why you?!"
She lunged forward again, only for the entity to latch its hand on her back and placed her on the ground. America Chavez gasped and grunted, trying to pull herself free.
"Hey! I need some help!"
Quake rushed forward, unsheathing the katana.
"Use your weapons!"
She threw one hand forward, firing another concussive blast at the sentinel. The attack struck the knight's helm while Daisy slashed at the hand of the sentinel. Her eyes widened at seeing the weapon hadn't even scratched the armor.
"What?! That's impossible!"
Inferno rushed forward, throwing a hand forward with flames racing up towards and against the knight's helm. He then slashed at the knight's blade with his axe, also seeing his weapon did no damage.
"What?! But these weapons-!"
The knight then knocked aside Inferno, the sword striking Inferno's axe with the force sending him flying back. Inferno cried out in shock until he hit the ground, wincing in pain. Iron Heart gasped surging towards the knight and tried striking with her naginata while Ms. Marvel struck with her kusarigama, but they also learned their weapons did nothing to this being.
The knight then waved its hand, a surge of wind sent both young women hurtling back and hitting the ground. Quake gasped as she pulled America Chavez away with her free hand, both of their eyes wide. Their opponent towered over them, all of them struggling to stand or laying on the ground as they looked up at him.
"Do you believe this style of fighting will win you the day?"
Inferno frowned and threw another hand forward, another stream of fire racing towards the entity only for the sentinel waved the flames away with its free hand.
"Try again."
Iron Heat threw one hand forward, firing a continuous repulsor blast at the knight's helm though the attack didn't even move it.
"Someone hit this guy!"
Quake rushed forward as America Chavez got onto her feet, taking her blade in both hands. She then slashed at the sentinel's blade, again with no damage against the stone sword.
"Our weapons aren't doing any damage!"
America Chavez fumed, punching a star shaped hole in front of her and then punching another above the helm above the sentinel. She let out an angry cry, both daggers raised to stab into the helm of the knight. Again she is snatched in the air by the sentinel's free hand then moved her in front of its helm while Chavez stabbed the stone hand repeatedly to no avail. She then looked up at the helm, eyes wide with anger and disbelief.
"I'm not done!"
"Show me."
He then released his grip and America Chavez landed on the ground, coughing as she grumbled. She turned to the others.
"What are you waiting for?!"
As she rushed forward, Ms. Marvel, Iron Heart, and Inferno turned to one another in uncertainty. They watched as Quake blasted another concussive blast at the sentinel's sword before slashing with her katana against one of the knight's legs. She gritted her teeth, eyes wide with desperation and adrenaline.
"You think this will make us give up?!"
She then slashed with her katana, her blade striking against the stone sword again without damaging it again. Her eyes widened even more as she gritted her teeth.
"Come on!"
She then thrust one hand against the ground, causing tremors to race and contort the ground towards the knight. The knight then placed the tip of his sword against the ground and met the tremors as moved within an inch of the sentinel. Quake gasped as she saw and felt her attack halt instantly.
She took a step back.
"What?...What are you?!"
The knight looked to her.
"Simply a guardian. Now, I've still yet to fully see who you all truly are."
Quake felt herself sweat more now, her sword hand trembling. She gritted her teeth, holding her blade in both hands. The leader turned to her teammates, her face a mix of fear, resolve, and anger.
"Guys! You know what to do! Come on! We've got to get that stone!"
She rushed forward, letting out a cry. The others watched as their leader continued to swing her blade, jumping around and firing her concussive blasts. America Chavez nodded, a grim expression on her face. She punched a star hole in front of her, emerging in front of the others.
"You heard her! Let's go!"
The others hesitated for a moment then nodded.
They then rushed through the star hole and out of another hole at the feet of the sentinel. The group lashed out with their weapons: America Chavez aimed to stab with her daggers at the knight's right leg, Iron Heart striking her naginata at the knight's sword hand, Ms. Marvel swung her kusarigama to hit the left shoulder, and Inferno swung his axe at the sentinel's helm.
As they moved with their attacks, they looked back at the knight only to find again their attacks did nothing. The knight turned to look at all of them.
"Again."
He swung his sword, the stone blade carving towards all of them. America Chavez rushed forward, moving to block the attack with her daggers. She panted as she was pushed back from the strike, her strength not enough to halt the attack.
"Move guys!"
Ms. Marvel grabbed both Inferno and Quake as she elongated her limbs, pulling and jumping over the strike, while Iron Heart flew up. America Chavez cried out as the strike threw her back.
Iron Heart flew back and caught America Chavez by one of her arms.
"I've got you!"
The sentinel watched this, quiet. Inferno's eyes locked on this and raced forward after Ms. Marvel let him down, throwing a hand back and sending a burst of flame against the ground. This launched him up and towards the knight, raising his axe above his head with both hands. The knight grabbed him in midair, not even seemingly looking at him.
Quake and Ms. Marvel rushed forward, the latter swinging her kusarigama around like a chain beside her. They looked to one another and nodded. Ms. Marvel took an elongated step forward, swinging her kusarigama towards the knight's hand that held Inferno. The knight quickly blocked the advance with his blade as Quake leapt forward and swinging her katana. While the leader of the Secret Warriors launched her attack, the knight pulled his sword to the side and pulling Ms. Marvel in tow. The young women collided into one another, falling to the ground.
A star hole appeared below them, America Chavez catching them and pulling them back into the hole before appearing through another just above the ground a few yards away. Iron Heart had surged forward, firing rockets from her armor's backside. The rockets struck the helm of the knight while the young woman swung the naginata, striking at the hand that held Inferno.
She growled in frustration at seeing her blade didn't leave a scratch. Inferno shouted as he tried to writhe out of the grip, but he was held in solid, magical stone. When the dust settled, the helm turned to the group (also without a scratch). He then dropped Inferno, who landed in one of Ms. Marvel's elongated and embiggened hands. She pulled him back to them to where the rest of them were, releasing him.
The group gasped and panted, all looking up at the knight.
"Again."
Ms. Marvel's eyes were wide, hands on her knees.
"W-What?"
"Again."
Quake and America Chavez gritted their teeth, gripping their weapons. Iron Heart gasped as she pointed the blade of her naginata at the knight, her arms trembling slightly. Inferno frowned, fuming, as a little fire blew out from his nose like a bull snorting air. Ms. Marvel gasped at the others then nodded, twirling her kusarigama like a chain again.
The group rushed forward again.
Quake and Inferno's weapons collided with the sword of the knight, sending them both flying back. America Chavez was thrown away after the knight used her flying momentum to grab and launch her away. Iron Heart was sent hurtling to the ground after the sentinel slashed down with the sword, striking her armor. Ms. Marvel cried out in panic as the knight grabbed the chain of the kusarigama and pulled her away and swinging her like her kusarigama.
As she landed against the ground, she looked to her team. They were all on the ground, gasping and panting. Some of them had visible cuts and bruises.
The knight looked at all of them, silent.
The team all turned to one another, expressions of worry, anger, and even fear fixed on their faces. Quake looked up at the knight, panting. For the first time she took in his appearance for more than a second now, a memory returned to her from one of the lessons Metatron had thought them.
-Earth, S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, A Few Weeks Ago-
Metatron stood before the Secret Warriors, all of them on the floor of the training room. Some of them could hardly grip their weapons while the Wolf still held his family's ancestral weapon with a strong yet relaxed grip. Ghost Spider panted.
"Y-You...you win."
The Wolf raised an eyebrow at this.
"Pardon?"
America Chavez slammed the floor with a fist.
"You win! Happy?"
The Wolf shook his head.
"You haven't learned the lesson."
They all looked at one another, eyes wide with shock, anger, and confusion. Iron Heart grunted, her face plate retracting.
"You said we needed to show you what we've learned and what we can do...I think you got your answer."
The Wolf walked forward and knelt down on one knee before the group.
"The point of this wasn't to say lost or even win."
Vixen panted, ears perked up at this.
"T-Then what, S-Sensei?"
"To show your will and desire to fight for what you aim to protect regardless of whom or what you face in battle. That is the true test."
Quake's eyes widened in realization. Her gaze then focused as she inhaled and exhaled before slowly picking herself up with the katana. The young Inhuman's gaze fixed on the knight, gripping her katana with both hands.
"...I...won't stop fighting for my home."
The others turned to her, their expressions fixing with determination as they picked themselves up to. Like their leader, they readied their weapons.
The knight nodded, placing the tip of the sword to the ground.
"Well done."
The group gasped and panted, some of them dropping to the ground. The sentinel raised one hand and the Soul Stone flew over to the entity's hand and rested in it. He knelt down, and offered the stone to the group.
America Chavez gasped a little, coughing slightly.
"T-That's it?"
Quake walked over to the knight's hand, turning to the group.
"Remember the lesson Metatron was trying to teach us a few weeks ago? When we all fought him? It wasn't to say we lose or to win?"
The others gasped before eventually walking over to join her. The knight nodded to him.
"His test and mine was to prove yourselves by showing you fight for an honorable cause and that you would do so together."
The group nodded to one another. Quake took one of the Dragon's Claws to take the stone and placed it in the trove. As they gathered to go to the ship, the knight stood straight up and walked back towards the altar. Quake turned back to the sentinel.
"Wait!"
The knight turned back to her, drawing the attention of the group. Quake bowed.
"Thank you again, for helping us."
The others followed her action, which the knight returned.
"Remember the lesson, young ones. I wish you good fortune for what's to come."
The knight's body then returned to their former resting places around the altar.
-The Golden Griffin-
The Dragon's Trove was placed in a small energy barrier. Quake gasped, falling into one of the nearby chairs along with her team.
"I need a nap...and a trip to the doctor."
"I can help with that. Well done, all of you. I have a lock on the next stone."
Quake chuckled lightly.
"Alright, head that way...and A.E.G.I.S...we need to patch up...and we'll need to put some time in the training hologram room."
"As you wish."
AN: Soul Stone acquired. What does everyone think, and what stone you think is next?