Chapter 15 The Chrono Dragon
Satellite 1
July 25th, 2017
1:05 PM
Earth's Orbit
International Space Station
Out in the vast open space of Earth's orbit, an American astronaut from NASA was hanging onto one of the ISS's space satellite stations—two of them in orbit. The astronaut entitled Satellite 1 was the only astronaut in space afloat. Admiring the view of his home planet of Earth and the stars of the Solar System surrounding it. While on his routine orbital inspection.
ISS Control: (comms) Come in, Sat1. This is ISS Control. Houston's requesting a feed from your helmet cam. Over.
Sat1: Where to?
ISS Control: (comms) Uh…they want you to look over to the dark side of the Earth. It should be cresting the horizon about fifteen degrees east of the starboard PV arrays.
Sat1 turned his head in the direction he was told to, and. ISS Control informed him that his head was in the right place.
ISS Control: (comms) There it is. We're getting your feed, Sat1. Come in, Houston. Are you getting this?
Houston Control: Copy that, ISS. The video feed from Sat1 is clear.
Suddenly, a small spark of cyan-blue energy appeared to illumination at the Mediterranean Hemisphere. Sat1 caught the anomaly with his own eyes.
Sat1: Houston, I'm detecting some kind of surge in the Mediterranean Hemisphere. Looks like a glowing blue light or something. Are you getting this?
Houston Control: ISS, Houston, stand by. We may have a problem here.
The light surge appeared to be getting larger and larger and more worrying to Sat1. It didn't look like a normal hurricane you'd see from orbit. This was something unidentified.
ISS Control: Houston, this is ISS Control – (static)
Then comms were completely cut. The light surge grew large enough to where it then shot a beam of light through the atmosphere and past the station's orbit. Sat1 turned his head around with shock and fear in his eyes as he witnessed the event. Then the beam of light was now manifesting more lights of energy that were glowing green, blue, purple, yellow, red, and orange. Which were then manifesting moon-sized objects in space. Objects that were causing the station to destabilize and get blown to bits in just a matter of seconds.
Sat1 one was then thrown off his station as it blew up. Sending him flying uncontrollably in zero gravity. Then getting hit with a satellite dish that impaled him and killed him. The explosion of the satellite station finished the dying astronaut.
Max
July 25th, 2017
1:05 PM
High Providence, Meridian Prime
Ark of Genesis
Ares inserts the codex for the ark to bend to his will. Then tremors are felt. An earthquake of some kind erupts around us. Then the walls and ceiling come tearing themselves apart. Rock and stone pulling themselves apart like Lego bricks. Alex and I then bear witness to a beam of light that erupts from the top of the pyramid. Launching through the surface and into the open sky.
Soon, the surface above High Providence came crashing down as well. The entire pyramid and the rest of the city with it then erupt into a whirlpool of levitating ruins. Sending Alex, Ares, and me flying sky-high on our platform where the ark was at. When everything came crashing down, the whole Mount Genesis blew itself open as well. It could all be seen from the battlefield on the island.
The beam of blue light that shot itself in the sky could be seen from off-land where ConDef and Chrysalis battleships were fighting. As our platform was raised to a higher altitude, we could see something in the sky manifesting from the planet's orbit. The beam itself is what manifested the objects in the sky. They appeared to be moons of some kind. Six of them in total. A purple, blue, red, green, yellow, and orange moon. This was the Brethren Eternal! Purple for power, blue for space, red for reality, green for time, yellow for mind, and orange for soul. Just like the six shards.
The moons themselves had large mouths of some kind. With moving tentacles as well. Like the Sarlacc Pit in Return of the Jedi. The sight was horrifying to see. This wasn't the balance Ares was committing. It was madness and chaos.
Ares: Do you see now, Traveler?! This is what the true power of balance is! Something Lady Joanna will never live to see!
Max: This isn't balance, Ares! This is madness! Joanna was your pawn from the start! You were never going to let her live even if she did succeed!
Ares: You've been a hindrance in my side for long enough, Max! It's time to embrace your demise!
Ares pulls out his Sword of Olympus. Then summons Fallen Revenants with the Soul Shard on his gauntlet. Alex was still pinned under the debris and it was my job to protect her. That is when Chronos slams himself on the surface between Ares and me like Superman to intervene. Just in time to assist me.
Ares: You!
Chronos: This is your only and final warning, Grandson. Cease this madness or suffer my wrath.
Ares: (laughs) You think your threats will persuade me, Grandfather? In my hour of triumph?! I think not!
Chronos: (turning to Max) I'll keep Ares at bay. You protect your cousin.
That is when Chronos begins his fight with Ares. The two gods launch themselves in the air to fight each other. That is when I'm forced to hold off the Fallen left behind on this levitating surface. Completely unarmed and had no gun or sword to fight them with. Besides my time powers and the Time Shard enhancing my power on my gauntlet. Then Alex reminds me of another weapon I had with me the whole time. The one Chronos gave me. The one I fought Hephaestus with as well.
Alex: Max, your sword! Use it!
Alex points to the hilt of the Excalibur Sword that was attached to my belt. What were you thinking, Max? You could have fought Joanna with it the whole time and the fight with her would have been much easier!
I pick up the hilt and the blade of the Excalibur Sword manifests. I prepare myself to swing it at some Fallen Revenants coming my way. Protecting Alex with it as well.
Max: Stay behind me, Alex! I got this!
Alex: You go get 'em, tiger! I'll just be here chilling! Still stuck under this rock!
David
July 25th, 2017
1:06 PM
High Providence, Meridian Prime
Ark of Genesis Pyramid
Cayce and I find ourselves amidst the whirlwind of the pyramid that had torn itself apart as soon as the ark had activated. We were on a platform that had been severed once the event erupted. Levitating around inside the whirlwind caused by the ark's activation. The whirlwind itself appeared to be destroying the mountain on the surface above High Providence as well. This disaster could tear the whole island if it could.
Then we witness the moons with mouths and tentacles in the sky. Ones glowing purple, blue, green, yellow, red, and orange. Whatever the hell was happening, it had to be Ares's handy work. Not Max's.
Cayce: The fuck is happening, Commander?! What the fuck are those up there?! They look like Stephen King's fucking Langoliers in the sky!
David: Whatever the fuck they are, Ares must have done this! Not Max!
Cayce: Let's hope Max puts a stop to it, then!
Suddenly, the Chronos Dragon reappears. Flying towards our platform and landing on its four legs. Roaring at us like the animal it is. Cayce and I ready ourselves for another gunfight against a mystical dragon. Until someone on our comms channel chimes in.
Heard: (comms) Did someone order a calvary?
We turn behind us and see Cage and Heard flying on the two-bladed helicopter that belonged to ConDef they spoke about in their last transmission earlier. Heard was flying the chopper while Cage had the big gun. A big surprise gun was mounted over the opening of the rear hatch of the chopper.
David: Heard, Cage, you made it!
Cage: (comms) Remember that big ass gun Heard talked about? Well, now you have it. And it's coming your way right now!
Heard flew the helicopter past us and the dragon. Then we see Cage from the hatch. Mounted on what appeared to be an electromagnetic state-of-the-art railgun. Provided by ConDef tech inside the ConDef helicopter.
Cage: (comms) Hold that fucker off for as long as you can. I'm about to nail his ass with my new toy!
David: We got it from here, Captain! Cover us while you can!
While Cayce and I hold off the Chrono Dragon on our floating platform, Cage provides air support with the railgun. Cage charges up the railgun for a few seconds, and then fires away an electromagnetic laser at the dragon. Doing some extra damage more than my standard rifle could.
Max
July 25th, 2017
1:09 PM
High Providence, Meridian Prime
Ark of Genesis
I swing the Excalibur Sword around. Slicing and dicing the Fallen Revenants that charged at me. Alex used the handgun still had with her. Covering me while pinned under the debris. Her bullets take out a few Fallen I miss. Her gun clip eventually empties and requests ammo. She couldn't reach for her own with the debris crushing her.
Alex: Max, need ammo!
I throw a clip for Alex and she catches it before she can reload. The spare clips I had were for my gun which I no longer had with me. All I had now was Excalibur and Alex covering my skin with her ammunition.
Chronos
July 25th, 2017
1:10 PM
High Providence, Meridian Prime
Ark of Genesis Pyramid
Ares and I flew around while surrounded by the levitating ground of the pyramid crumbled by the whirlwind. Throwing punches mid-air like Superman and Zod. Grandson versus Grandfather. The God of War versus the God of Time.
The two gods throw themselves onto two separate levitating platforms. Ares on one platform. I am on another. From across our two platforms, I conjure time disks and use them to unleash a trail of green lighting from my platform to my grandson's. Ares jumps and evades my godly lightning. Then jumps to another platform and fires supercharged purple energy from his Power Shard. I shield Ares's attack with a time shield and then throw the shield towards Ares. Ares then shatters the shield with the Power Shard. Then uses the Space Shard to absorb the fragments from my time shield into a ball of godly power. Then fires the ball toward me. I conjure another shield to break Ares's projectile.
Once Ares's energy ball is broken, I think levitate off my platform to perform another attack of mine that could even overpower my grandson. I use my godly power to duplicate myself into a dozen other duplicates of mine. Cloning myself like paper dolls. I and my other forms surround Ares from above him. Then I and my group of duplicates whip out green energy leashes from ourselves. Restraining Ares from his arms like chains to a wall.
Ares hollers painfully, but with quick thinking, finds a way to beat me. Ares combines the Soul Shard's and the Power Shard's power to dissipate my duplicates and unshackle himself from the leashes. I fumble mid-air as my duplicates disappear with only me remaining. Ares uses the Power Shard to reel me towards him. Then snares me by my throat. I claw his arms as he strangles me with his one hand.
Ares: All your tricks, Grandfather. And never once did you use your greatest weapon. Time.
Ares tosses me away to another platform. I roll on the surface as I'm briefly knocked unconscious from the impact. I was no match for my grandson. Not with five of the six shards equipped in his knuckles. It was now up to Maxine Caulfield to defeat Ares for good.
David
July 25th, 2017
1:11 PM
High Providence, Meridian Prime
Ark of Genesis Pyramid
Cayce and I fire our rifles at the Chrono Dragon. Shooting bullets and grenades at the weak point of the demonic creature. The dragon fought back at us. Attempting to smack us with his clawed feet and hands, whacking its wings around at us, breathing fire on us, even shooting razor claws at us from its hands as its projectiles. Then growing new ones when the claws were fired upon. The two of us evaded every attack as best we could while fighting back as best we could.
Cayce: This fucker has everything! It's like something out of a medieval fantasy!
David: Can the chatter and give it everything you got!
I fire a grenade from my grenade bayonet into the Chrono Dragon's mouth before it could shoot more fire. Stunning the creature and burning its mouth apart from the blast and the incomplete exhale of the dragon's fire.
The hijacked ConDef helicopter Heard was flying was still giving us cover fire. With Cage on the railgun as air support. Cage fired another rail round at the dragon. Its electric laser damaged the dragon and pierced through its armored skin. Pissing it off more and more to where it decided to take its combat off the flying ground.
The Chrono Dragon then flew towards Heard's chopper. Preparing to ram. Cayce and I could see it charging at our air support the moment it took flight.
David: (on comms) Heard, get the hell out there!
Too late. The dragon clawed its razor hands through the cockpit. Impaling Heard in the chest with its claw through the hull. Heard whaled in agony as blood spilled out of her stomach and out of her mouth while the helicopter came crashing down.
Heard: (comms) Arrrrgggghhh!
David: Heard!
Cage: (comms) Shit, Madsen! We're going down!
The dragon released his grasp from the crashing bird. The chopper itself was crashing towards us. Cayce and I take evasive action. Running away from the chopper's crash point. Once the two of us are out of the way, the helicopter hits the deck and comes sliding across the levitating platform with its propellers slowing down. Then it comes to a halt.
Cayce and I run towards the wreckage. Cayce checks the cockpit to check on Heard's status. I check the rear hatch for Cage's. I see Cage getting up and about. Alive but bruised by the crash. Cage coughs out smoke caused by the crash while getting out and holding his railgun he dismounted.
David: Cage!
Cage: (coughs) Madsen!
I help the captain out of the helicopter. Holding him by the shoulder while Cage carries his big gun with one hand.
Cage: Thanks for the assist. Where's Heard?
Cayce: Commander, over here!
Cage and I walk over to where Cayce is located. Standing near the cockpit. The three of us take a horrible view of Heard impaled by the Chrono Dragon's claw that fatally pierced through her body and chair inside the cockpit damaged with shattered windshields and fried circuits. Heard was killed in action. Lying dead on the chair with her eyes pale, her head limped to the side, and a mass amount of blood loss from the impaling.
Suddenly, the Chrono Dragon landed on the surface again. Roaring at us with all its fury.
Cage: Let's show Puff the Magic Dragon here how we do things downtown.
But before Cage could charge up the railgun and Cayce and I could fire our guns, the dragon shot more razor out of his claws and wings. I dive to the ground to duck for cover, but Cayce and Cage are not as lucky. While Cayce tried dodging out of the way, the sharp projectile impaled Cayce's arm and pinned him to the metal of the downed bird like a tac to a corkboard. Cayce hollered in anguish.
Another projectile hit Cage and for it, it was through the chest and heart. Pinning him to the metal of the wreckage as well. Cage drops his railgun as he succumbs to the impalement.
David: Cayce! Cage!
I look upward to see the Chrono Dragon ready to rampage on us all. I stand back on my ground to prepare to fight this thing single-handedly. Until I hear Cage's voice holler to me.
Cage: Madsen!
Cage is still pinned to the downed helicopter by the claw impaled through his abdomen. Coughing out blood and using his dying strength to hold out the railgun with his one hand over to me. For me to use myself. I quickly approach and take the railing for myself.
Cage: (coughing blood) Kick his ass…
I take the railgun right as soon as he drops limp and presumably dead. Cage had to have used his last breath to lend me his railgun and kill the Chrono Dragon himself. Cayce was still pinned by his arm but there was no time to help him.
Cayce: Leave me! (tempting to pull the claw out) Kill that motherfucker!
I turn my attention back to the Chronos Dragon while Cayce struggles himself free. The dragon walks closer and without hesitation, I charge up the railgun. With electrical current sparkling and heating up inside. The dragon raises its clawed hand at me and is about to whack me to death with it. That is when the railgun finishes charging and I fire away. The dragon's burst open and is severed apart when the electrical charge fires through it. Spewing dragon blood and the dragon roars in pain. The Chrono Dragon was now left with three limbs instead of four. The first big dent we've ever made to it since we first started fighting it.
While I fought the dragon, Cayce grabbed his army knife to try and cut himself open. Amputating his arm apart since it was no use pulling out the claw that pinned his arm onto the metal. Cayce started cutting the flesh of his arm open like a Thanksgiving turkey. Hollering at the pain of the process with no anesthetic for it. Cayce would bleed out, but it was the price he was paying to help me defeat Ares's pet dragon.
The Chrono Dragon then used its wings to attack me. First, it waved its right wing at me. I charge up the railgun again and blast its wing apart. The dragon uses its left wing and I blast that wing apart. I charge up the railgun another time. Aiming for its chest to blast open the heart or artery. Only this, while the gun was charging, the railgun had jammed. I could not fire. This left me vulnerable to the Chrono Dragon to attack me.
The dragon itself raised its left hand and slammed me to the ground. Disarming me from the railgun as it slid away from me as I was pinned to the ground by the dragon's ferocious hand. Its clawed fingers are between my head and dark scales press me down on the ground to suffocate me. I holler at my anguish. Attempting to catch my breath as I was being asphyxiated by the dragon's weight and the Chrono Dragon was about to finish me with a breath of fire.
Meanwhile, Cayce was nearly done cutting himself open. His knife cut through the flesh and bone. The crack. Cayce cries in agony once his right arm is severed completely. A geyser of blood spewed from his armhole. Cayce immediately catches eye of the railing gun lying in front of him and me in peril. Cayce puts his knife away and picks up the railgun with his one remaining arm. Cayce aims at the dragon, charges up the gun, and fires.
The electric blast pierces through the scales and bones of the dragon's hand that has me pinned down. The dragon roars in pain once its other arm is severed, its blood splattering from the arm holes, and I'm set free. The Chrono Dragon then lies down crippled. Both its two front limbs were blown apart. It was time to finish this animal once and for all.
Cayce: Commander, here!
Cayce tossed me back the railgun with his left hand. I pick up the railgun with my two hands and march my way towards the dragon's mouth. The dragon was still lying down there. Weakened and beaten by a batter. Gasping for air and clinging to life. I charge up the gun one last time and stick the barrel into the dragon's mouth to deliver a coup de grace. The gun was fully charged. And I speak one last punchline to the dragon.
David: You want Chrysalis?! I'll give you Chrysalis!
I press the trigger and the Chrono Dragon goes out with an atomic bang. The electronic blast fired through the dragon's throat and ripped its heart apart. Ripping and tearing the main body into a bloody pulp. Its blood erupts from the spine and its bones are exposed from the blast. The Chrono Dragon lies defeated and destroyed. The Chrono Dragon is no more.
I catch my last breath, pull the railgun out of the mouth of the dead dragon, and toss it away. My face and gear are covered in the deceased Chrono Dragon's blood. I hold onto Cayce who just ripped his hand open to save me. We walk each other over to Cage. Still pinned to the downed chopper by the claw that impaled him. The man was still clinging to life. Maybe we could still save him and pull him out of there?
David: We're getting you out of here.
Cage: (grunting) No…no you're not.
Cage pulls out his family photo. The last photo he had taken of them before losing them to the Arcadia Bay storm. He, his wife, son, and daughter all smiling in it. I take the photo of him as a token of his farewell to us.
Cage: I'm off to see them again…send me out…with a bang…
Cage's head drops downward with his last breath drawn. Cage was dead. Heard was dead. It was just me and Cayce now. And Kristine if she was still alive to be the last of Valor Team lost to this final battle.
Cayce: David…I'm so sorry.
David: Don't. He won't die for nothing.
Cayce: Not just him. My arm. I – I did it…for Chrysalis.
David: I know you did. Come on. We still have a war to end.