Chapter 18: One Against Many
One of the more important Maverick Hunter structures in Central City was a large tower in the downtown area of the metropolis. While not nucleus like Maverick Hunter HQ, it was the base of operations for many of Central Branch's activities. Few Hunters were actually deployed there as it was mostly supporting staff and operators that worked in the many information and communication departments scattered across the 55 floors that made up the cylindrical structure
The hunters that were actively stationed there were usually on guard duty or had reports to hand in personally. Despite it's almost purely administrative function, the tower was anything but undefended. Mechaniloids and defense turrets were positioned along a perimeter around the building. Most of the long-range turrets were mounted on smaller towers that had been erected on key points along a tall wall that sealed off the inner courtyards of the building from prying eyes. The walls had also been made tall enough to almost reach higher than the rooftops of the surroundings buildings.
Normally such a structure would be the subject of great scrutiny and rumors. It was a private institution where only people on official business with proper clearance could enter. But, the fact that it was an integral part of Central Branch – the most successful of Maverick Hunter divisions – meant that its presence was met with positive feedback, more than anything else.
The walls had only four access points. Those points were reinforced gates continually monitored by Mechaniloids, Maverick Hunter guards, cameras, motion detectors and the automated turrets. The walls were sloped and layered, giving them further durability and the hexagonal shaped towers allowed the mounted turrets to use pinpoint accuracy 360 around their base, despite the heavily populated and developed city.
Beyond the thick gates lay the circular courtyard of the facility. Smaller structures, storage buildings, parking lots, facility transfer pads and more security turrets littered the pristine white roads and trimmed grass fields. The tower itself had a main entrance, oriented towards the north gate of the walls, which was also the most commonly used entrance into the courtyard. The tall building was shaped like a thin, layered cake. Every 6 or 7 floors it narrowed, allowing for solid steel balconies to circle the building all around and making room for anti-aircraft missile launchers and other defenses that weren't as effective on the ground floor.
The last 10 floors shrunk to the size where they couldn't contain more than a main elevator shaft, some stairs and a couple of rooms. The subterranean garages contained anything from Armadillo Attack Transports to Robo-Ride Armors and Ride Chasers, and were said to go far deeper than the public was aware of.
After being promoted to the rank of colonel, the tower had also come under Typhus' jurisdiction. Over the years, he and Redips had already begun to place their own agents throughout the Maverick Hunter chain of command, but after receiving his promotion, Typhus had decided that it suited his needs far more to have a single, defensible stronghold. He focused his efforts on the tower and now there were precious few hunters left there that weren't on Typhus' payroll.
A bright, purple flash heralded the arrival of the renegade. Vile had been forced to use a public transfer point and so he had arrived on a small pad that was covered by a see-through plastic roof for protection from the elements. Several people were waiting in line just outside the shack-like construction. They were understandably startled when suddenly confronted with the heavily armed individual who didn't exactly look like a friendly, neighborhood Maverick Hunter.
Alarms quickly began sounding inside the booth, but before the shack could seal itself off to trap whoever was inside, Vile dashed past the queuing civilians. Most public transfer pads always checked the id's of any users. Vile hadn't exactly taken the time to make sure his transfer was well secured, so Maverick Hunter HQ had already been alerted of a wanted criminal's arrival.
It mattered little to the renegade as he was about to storm a Hunter stronghold to begin with. Whether HQ was alerted now, or when the first shot was fired, made no difference. The Reploid emerged onto the sidewalk of a wide road and spotted his target to his right. Typhus' tower pierced the sky over half a mile away from him and Vile would come under fire from defending troops long before he got there. He cursed his luck but there was nothing else for it, he'd have to dodge incoming fire and fight his way through.
Vile had never personally been inside the building, having spent most of his hunter days making reports in jail, but he knew what kind of defenses to expect. There would be three types of turrets and a basic array of Mechaniloids. Missile and cannon turrets would harass any airborne intruder, while Gatling turrets would pelt him with bullets while on the ground. But the biggest challenge would be the stealth drones that Typhus had probably stationed all over the place.
The colonel wouldn't normally reveal his hand so early on. But Vile figured that – with the risk of exposure – Typhus would forgo caution and simply throw everything he had at the rampaging Reploid. Vile wouldn't have to contend with just the turrets, Mechaniloids and Hunters, but the Revenants as well. Vile's courage didn't vanish however, he was far too furious to have anything else on his mind but rage. Without further delay he activated his boots and dashed forward, quickly reaching his full speed as he zigzagged past incoming traffic. His hands gripped the hilt of the large rifle he had taken with him tightly and, in mid-flight, he began to take aim.
Atop the walls above the northern gate were several patrolling Hunters who checked the surrounding city-scape every now and then, using scanning devices. One of the Hunters noticed something strange in the distance and tapped his colleague's shoulder.
"Hand me your binoculars for a second," the Hunter requested. The other quickly placed the high-tech gadget in the Hunter's open palm. The guard lifted the device up to his eyes and turned to fix his gaze on a bright flare that seemed to continually grow larger and come closer. He attempted to raise his voice in warning as he realized what the incoming danger was.
However, Vile's scope had already settled on the attentive guard and a single pull of the trigger was all that was needed to make the elongated weapon discharge a thin beam of energy. The beam traversed the long distance rapidly and pierced the Hunter's head through the binoculars he still held to his face. Before he had even fallen to the ground, alarms began to sound and the base came alive with activity.
Colonel Typhus entered the command room a few floors below his office, which occupied the 55th floor. He had expected little more than some routine remarks during his inspection of the activities of his troops, but he had barely taken one step into the room when alarms broke the silence. Every operator suddenly began executing the protocols drilled into them should the tower come under attack.
"What is going on?!" Typhus shouted, startled by the sudden chaos.
"We're under attack, colonel! An unidentified Reploid has opened fire on the northern gate. We report one fatality so far. We don't have camera feed yet as the target is still too far away," it was an officer that reported to his superior, the operator in charge of overseeing the duties of his subordinates in the command center.
"Activate the Gatling turrets at the gate and launch the fighter drones, we don't want unnecessary attention to be drawn towards us right now," Typhus' eyes narrowed as he had a pretty good idea of who would prove to be a thorn in his side yet again.
"Colonel, I believe we have a confirmation on the attacker's id. A transfer pad was used by a convicted Maverick just minutes ago. It's… Vile!" Another operator exclaimed as a mugshot of the intruder appeared on one of the many view screens in the dome-like chamber.
Typhus repeated the name in a hate-filled growl before issuing an amendment of his previous order. "Activate all base defenses and the stealth drones; divert everything you have at him. Shoot him down before he reaches the tower. I repeat, spare nothing! And notify Onslaught!"
"But, sir! People will see the Mechaniloids! Hunter HQ is sure to dispatch reinforcements for us, as per regulations. Questions will be asked as to our conduct in this matter," the officer contested.
"Do as I command! We're too close to our goals to be thwarted now. Besides, in mere moments my plan will come to fruition, Hunter HQ can ask all the questions they like when they're staring down the smoking barrel of my ultimate weapon. Order Spectrum to come to my office and notify Morrigan that she might be expected company within the tower."
"Sir! Do you actually believe he'll get through?" The officer questioned. To him the renegade seemed like a completely insane idiot for charging a heavily fortified installation like this, in broad daylight, and in a populated city.
"He's been nothing but reckless his entire life, yet he's still alive. We are not taking any chances. I'll be in my office making the final preparations. It's happening sooner than I would've liked but it seems they got away with more information than I thought they had. It isn't going to take that female operator that Vile's working with long to get that data through to her friends at Maverick Hunter HQ. When that happens all hell will break loose here," Typhus glared at the monitor showing the camera feed of the approaching Maverick.
"Even after Vile is taken down, keep the base on high alert and scramble all the heavy armor we can man. Expect to have to defend ourselves against our 'allies'," with that said, Typhus hurried out of the room and back to the elevator he had used to reach the command center.
Within seconds the tower was on full alert and every weapon at their disposal was armed and aimed at the Reploid who was foolish enough to cross paths with Typhus.
Anyone with half a clear head would turn tail at the sight of the massive array of weaponry on display around the tower, but not Vile. He continued to fly at his top speed, keeping as low as he could and flying in between traffic. He hoped the fact there were civilians driving around him would deter Typhus from opening fire. He wasn't all that surprised when the colonel gave the order nonetheless.
The heavy turrets mounted atop the towers had the longest range out of all the weapons that could see his approach, and so they fired first. The cannons fired powerful, explosive shells and Vile could hear them sour through the wind on a perfectly timed, parabolic course right for him. A few quick maneuvers later and Vile had dodged each of the shells; some only narrowly.
The resulting explosions were ignored by the renegade, but multiple vehicles had been reduced to scrap; their occupants along with them most likely. The renegade's shoulder cannon tilted upwards, its 270 angular rotation allowing him to keep his body level for streamlined flight, while being able to fire at targets in front of him. His missile pack on the other hand did not share that functionality, so for now he was limited to plasma shots and the heavy rifle. The blue orbs of his cannon and the narrow beams of the rifle fired in rapid succession while he continued dodging the incoming fire.
He focused his efforts on the Hunters atop the walls. They weren't simple Mechaniloids. They could think and anticipate, and this made them more dangerous than the drones. He picked off several of them before a weak, but precise, laser beam hit his shoulder.
Vile changed his trajectory and began to angle upwards more, still trying to stay under the range of the missile launchers. Typhus had dispatched the drones and they were approaching en mass. The drones were orbs installed with an energy-sufficient propulsion system and a rapid-firing laser weapon. Alone, they were weaker than a Mettool, but in bulk they could easily overwhelm him.
Vile decided to turn their numbers against them and flew right into the swarm. The drones feverishly tried to keep up with the maneuvers the renegade executed but ended up firing on their own kind more than the intruder. To conserve energy as much as possible, Vile turned down the power of his cannon and aimed as best he could while being forced to fly at high speeds. He missed a shameful amount of shots, but the ones that did land were lethal. One-by-one the drones were shot out of the sky.
He didn't attempt to take down the entire swarm. Instead, once their numbers had thinned, he descended down to the streets. The center two lanes of the main road were used for the transportation of supplies and goods. Large, automated trucks continually drove along them. These vehicles provided the perfect cover for the last stretch of the former Hunter's approach. Every time one of the heavy turrets fired one of its powerful shells he swerved to the side, passing underneath the shot and letting it collide with the truck he had been hiding behind instead. By now he was in range of the firing line at the gate.
Several squads of Hunters had deployed, together with ground variants of the drones. The Hunters were armed with anything from busters to heavy, repeating energy weapons. Upon the command of their sergeant, they opened fire. The last truck that had rounded the corner – and that Vile could hide behind – was quickly reduced to a smoldering heap; forcing Vile out into the open.
However, he had closed the gap sufficiently to divert more power to his boots, pushing them into overdrive for a short burst of speed. In the blink of an eye, he was upon the firing line.
His fist collided with the chest of a Hunter, knocking the Reploid away a good five meters and likely crushing several vital systems. The armed Reploids quickly turned their weapons from behind their barricades to fire at the dangerous Maverick. Vile wasn't keen on becoming an immobile target, so he stayed in motion.
Using his dash boots liberally, he rushed the nearest Hunter, slamming his fists into the man's jaw before grabbing hold of his arms. One of the defenders opened fire with his buster only to hit his colleague whom Vile used as a living shield. Tossing the Reploid corpse aside, he rushed the next in the line.
He realized he couldn't keep this up forever, and would have to brave the skies above the tower, missiles or not. He dodged several more energy shots that came his way, either jumping over them or swaying to the side so they passed him by harmlessly. As soon as he was close enough, he grabbed hold of a Hunter's buster arm, and aimed it for the energy cell that supplied one of the ground-based gatling turrets with power. A headbutt to his prey's forehead was enough to make the hunter instinctively pull the trigger, rendering the dangerous turret useless as its power source exploded. With a vicious roar Vile terminated his latest victim by slamming his head into the edge of one of the steel, barricade walls they had taken cover behind.
Knowing it was useless to try and win a firefight with the small army positioned outside – and knowing there were plenty more waiting for him in the courtyard – Vile once again took to the skies. He had left the fighters below in temporary disarray, which would buy him some time. He planned on doing the same atop the walls, where some more Hunters stood at the ready to repel him.
Vile flew up along the facade of one of the towers that lined the concrete walls. Once he passed the turret atop the defensive structure, he quickly deactivated his boots and landed atop the automated defense mechanism. He had to work fast as that turret needed to be taken out. Together with its twin on the other side of the gate, it had the perfect vantage point to fire at his back when Vile would cross the courtyard and make his way for the tower. He'd already have enough firepower on his tail without anti-armor shells being leisurely shot at him.
Vile wrapped his arm around the barrel of the turret and using its base as leverage he slowly forced it to aim upwards. With the barrel exposed it was a simple task for the renegade to drop an explosive down into it. His kneepad opened and dispensed a fragmentation grenade upwards. Vile gripped it tightly in mid-air, activated it and chucked it down the barrel in a fluid motion. He then flew straight upwards to avoid being harmed in the ensuing explosion that got rid of the first of the two turrets.
His helmet warned him that the missile turrets on the north facing of the tower had locked onto his position. One by one they released their payload, each firing several missiles at the hovering invader.
The purple Reploid cursed as he was already too busy dodging incoming fire from the turrets on the walls and the Hunters atop its vestments. Quickly, he fired three missiles at the other cannon turret, tearing it apart. He then descended onto the walls as fast as he could, using the momentum of his flight to shoulder tackle one of the Hunters stationed there.
He cried out in fear as he was pushed over the railings and crashed to his death below. Using his shoulder cannon, Vile swiftly dealt with two more Hunters that were in his way, and for a brief moment, he was out of sight for many of the troops on the ground. Behind him the swarm of drones had caught up to him, while in front of him the homing missiles approached. With an eager grin he waited for the last possible moment to fly upwards into the swarm, letting the barrage of explosives chase him.
By the time he appeared out the other end of the mass of flying Mechaniloids, all the missiles had already collided with a large portion of the drones. Very few of the flying nuisances remained and the renegade once again took a dive, this time flying just above the roads of the courtyard.
Awaiting him there was a sight no less impressive and intimidating as the firing line that had been set up outside. The Hunters had had the time to deploy heavy armor they had stored in the garage beneath the tower. Half a dozen Armadillo tanks stood ready in waiting, positioned around the tower's access points. These weren't the simple transports back from East City. They had been fitted with heavy turrets and a rocket pack. Several dozen Robo-Ride armors also lay in wait. These humanoid combat suits were three times the size of a Reploid, with armor thick as a tank's, weapons just as deadly, the strength to punch through a steel wall, and the speed of a Reploid in dash. To make matters even worse, several Hunters had mounted Ride Chasers which surpassed Vile's speed on the ground easily.
Still, he was not deterred. He had survived the first two waves and wasn't about to be stopped now. He'd have his revenge and adored the idea that Typhus was sat shaking on the top floor of the spire before him. Vile didn't slow down, despite several incoming energy shots hitting his body. The damage was mostly superficial, but any damage he received now would put him at a disadvantage against those mercenaries later.
But, Vile had no choice. He couldn't outgun all of these machines, so he had to outsmart them. As he passed by several Hunters, he grabbed hold of two of them by a leg each. He dragged them along with him. One of the Armadillos had locked onto the intruder's position and fired its powerful turret. The blast hit nothing but the ground as Vile flew higher and tossed both Hunters at a Robo-Ride Armor that dashed straight for him at full speed.
The impact of the two flailing Reploids was enough to compromise the armor's balance in mid-dash and it crashed to the ground, knocking out its driver and crushing two Hunters that had crossed its path. The same Armadillo opened fire once more, this time launching several rockets at its purple target.
Vile armed his rifle and picked off the rockets before they reached him. The last rocket exploded dangerously close to him, and the shockwave knocked him away. He grunted as he was knocked against the side of a building, the shock deactivating his jet boots. He felt another knock as he slid down the wall and hit the ground hard. He had lost his grip on his rifle and the weapon had fallen to the ground several meters away from him.
He was now groggy, but unharmed, and slowly he realized that he couldn't sit still, these guys weren't exactly taking prisoners. He looked up and his eyes widened in surprise behind his helmet.
Before him, a stealth-enabled saber Mechaniloid materialized and raised two of its beam weapons. Vile only narrowly rolled aside, preventing the blades from slicing him into three pieces. As soon as he was on his feet, he opened fire with his shoulder cannon, vaporizing the machine's upper body.
Three more of them appeared out of nowhere, one of which tried to run him through. Vile had gotten used to these Mechaniloids' attack patterns by now, having destroyed as many of them as he had. It was relatively easy to predict the first slash. Vile stepped past the strike while drawing one of the handguns he had taken from Giga City. Two shots were fired and both pierced the back of the drone's head, destroying it instantly.
The next drone encountered a similar end as he grabbed hold of the blade arm it struck with. Vile's canon tilted and a point-blank shot destroyed the drone. As the smoke cleared he still held the arm that gripped the active saber. Vile spotted the last Mechaniloid and hurled the blade towards it, severing its torso from the rest of its body. He wasn't in the clear yet, not in a long shot.
He decided to deal with the Armadillo that had grounded him, which would leave only one other heavy transport on his direct path to the tower entrance. By now the Armadillo had rotated its turret and its massive barrel was now dead-set on reducing Vile to a crater. He began running towards it, activating his boots just as the vehicle fired the heavy shell. The former Hunter passed underneath the projectile and a single, well-aimed shot of his cannon destroyed the transport's rocket pack. The pitch-black smoke that flowed from the destroyed pack blinded some of the vehicle's sensors, allowing Vile to dash underneath it unseen. He didn't slow down, but instead left behind two powerful explosives, sticking them to the bottom of the vehicle. As he reemerged, the devices exploded violently, destroying the Armadillo quite effectively.
Vile laughed enthusiastically, adrenaline and the rush of a real battle and real destruction beginning to fill his veins again. It was a familiar feeling and he loved it.
Typhus looked down at the carnage below, his eyes narrowing as Vile was doing a lot more damage than he would've thought possible.
"Ramonov... Why the hell did you have to do your job so damn well," he got a feeling that the late scientist was mocking him from the afterlife right now, reveling in having the last laugh after all. The tall colonel activated his communications device and hailed central command.
"Report," he ordered, as the monitors in his office didn't offer as broad a view of the carnage as the wealth of screens and security feeds his operators had at their disposal.
"Vile has broken through the outer defenses. He's about to breach the inner courtyard but we've sealed off the main and garage entrances. Our troops are flooding in after him, it won't take much longer."
"Where is Onslaught? I thought I ordered him to take care of the external defenses."
"He's on his way; he double checked his equipment and energy levels. I believe he realizes he can't take any risks with Vile."
"Caution? From Onslaught?" Typhus scoffed and shook his head. "The idiot just wants to show off. He better not mess this up or this time I'm having him – and the midget in the repair bay – executed," He turned around as the door into his office opened.
Spectrum entered the room with a report. "A detachment of elite hunters and stealth drones have been posted outside. I'll remain here for now," by the sound of his voice, it was clear that the mercenary commander would like nothing more than to head outside and deal with Vile personally. But orders were orders, and Typhus signed the pay checks.
Typhus nodded before turning his attention back to the battle outside, and to the officer in central command. "What about Hunter HQ?"
"We've received numerous requests for updates as well as information on what the threat level is so they know how many Hunters to dispatch."
"Keep silent or feed them false information. It'll only delay them so long. Standard procedure will have them dispatching several units no matter what we tell them. Just keep them in the dark until we're done with Vile."
"Yes, sir."
The colonel turned off the device and folded his hands behind his back. The tall, decorated officer took a deep breath. "It's almost over, Spectrum."
A cry of pain could be heard as Vile shot down another Hunter that had charged him with a saber. An entire unit lay dead around the renegade, together with the occasional destroyed Mechaniloid. More opponents poured in, this time wielding ranged weaponry. Vile focused on the incoming projectiles but was quickly distracted by a massive shadow that crept over him. He looked over his shoulder to find a towering Robo-Ride armor raising its fists in an effort to bring them down on him.
Becoming a pancake wasn't one of the Vile's aspirations, despite his near-suicidal attack. His boots flared as he dodged the fists that destroyed the patch of tiled road he had been standing on. As he rose to his feet he caught sight of his rifle to his left and a quick dash closed the distance between him and the weapon.
The massive armor boosted towards the former Hunter, ready to crush him beneath its weight. Vile, however, had a different plan. He knelt down and took aim, firing a single beam at the exposed driver of the armor. As the controller of the armor was destroyed, the machine slowly slid to a halt.
He had used more ammo and energy up to that point than he would've liked to – but he was still alive – which was a miracle unto itself. He had to keep moving, and after taking flight, he began a rapid dive to hopefully race past the troops that formed the last barrier between him and the tower.
Vile skillfully dodged energy shots, missiles, rockets and cannon shells. But just as he was about to rush past the Hunters, he was abruptly stopped. A massive fist knocked him onto the ground, violently ending his descent. Vile cried out in pain at the powerful impact. Whatever had stopped him in his tracks decided to grab hold of his head and lift him like a ragdoll.
"Look what I found. A maggot!" The deep, gritty voice was more than a little familiar and, after a blow to his gut, the purple Reploid was chucked away.
He landed near the burning wreck of the Armadillo he had destroyed earlier. It took him a while to struggle to his feet, the heavy hits had disoriented him.
"Onslaught. Now I'm wondering why I couldn't smell your stench," Vile's eyes settled on the massive Reploid that towered over his allies.
Onslaught was as gigantic as ever. His armored body was bulky with layered plates that were colored dark blue and silver. His broad shoulder pads supported two of the thick, steel bars that were needed to use his particle projector. His broad-muzzled plasma rifle was attached to the back of his right shoulder. His imposing form was accentuated by the large boots that could withstand the force of the jets that were capable of lifting his weight airborne. He was made even bulkier by the backpack-like compartment that housed the rockets and missiles the bipedal tank could fire.
The circular emitter on his left arm was still deactivated, but Vile knew it was capable of deploying an energy shield that would block most – if not all – of his attacks. Onslaught's particle projector was deactivated for now, as the steel bars on his hips had retracted and rested idly. The other two had collapsed and tilted backwards to rest on his back. If the going got tough however, the renegade had no doubt that the mercenary would eagerly apply the weapon normally installed exclusively on massive battleships.
Onslaught's balding, white hair and slight beard gave him a seasoned, crude exterior. The red targeting device that covered his right, grey eye hummed to life. Like his fellow Revenants, he too had markings on his face. A purple, crescent shape crossed his left eye, as if announcing his affiliation.
"I haven't forgotten about South City. I hadn't seen Spectrum that pissed off in a long while," Onslaught continued, ignoring Vile's insult. "And I also haven't forgotten about Frostbite. I don't know what ya did to damage him the way ya did, but I'm damn sure ya weren't playin' fair!" The giant's voice grew even deeper, as he was clearly bitter over both defeats.
"Cry me a river, big guy. Why don't you go cuddle your frosty pet and leave the fighting to the real soldiers?" Vile suggested, chuckling arrogantly. He figured Onslaught had the same weakness he did, a bad temper. A few well placed taunts and the mercenary wouldn't be able to contain his anger.
Onslaught growled under his breath. "I'll show you Vile. I'll show ya who the real war-machine is here. You're nothing but a joke. Your creator was an idiot to waste his time on a project that yielded a toothpick compared to me. Once I rip your head off your neck and put it on display, the world will know who the superior soldier is. Business – and life – will be good," Onslaught grinned widely as he seemed to imagine just that.
"You'll have to learn when to stop talking trash and actually doing something if you wanna to get that done."
Onslaught reached back, his massive hand gripping the hilt of the plasma rifle. With a violent motion he drew the weapon and activated it. The rifle hummed, red energy starting to transfer through conduits from the three cylindrical plasma containers to the muzzle. "No one interfere! Vile's mine! If any of you fire so much as one shot-," As if to add some more threatening force to his words, Onslaught began charging up the rifle.
The clicking sound of the inner mechanisms – as well as the increasing hum of the concentrated plasma – got the point across. "Y'all get my drift?" Onslaught then turned his attention back to his opponent. "Time to die, Vile! And this time I'll make sure you stay dead!" The massive mercenary pulled the trigger after aiming the weapon and a narrow, red and deadly beam erupted from the muzzle.
Vile dashed to his left, the beam piercing the wrecked transport behind him. He quickly raised his own rifle and opened fire, shooting a hefty volley of beams at the mercenary.
Onslaught's shield activated and the rotating red energy circle that appeared absorbed every blast. "Brought some extra gadgets I see. It won't help you one bit!" Onslaught fired more in retaliation.
Vile was forced to keep moving as his foe's very accurate rifle didn't allow him a second of respite. As he swayed aside to dodge yet another blast, he accidentally brought his rifle in the path of the beam. The weapon's barrel was sliced in half, rendering it useless. Sicne it was an energy weapon, it was even dangerous to fire now.
The renegade dropped it to the ground and dashed into the air. The Front Runner fired several plasma blasts, all while he drew the two handguns he had been carrying with him to add their firepower to his barrage.
Both walking weapons continued to fire volley after volley at each other. The former used his shield as an impenetrable wall, while the latter succeeded in using his mobility to stay out of harm's way.
Onslaught's backpack slid open as the giant Reploid launched several missiles. The projectiles flew up vertically before slowly homing in on the purple Reploid.
"Shit," Vile quickly turned his Vulcan guns to the missiles, shooting some of them down while dodging the others. The explosives were more advanced than those of the turrets as they adjusted their trajectory the moment they passed Vile. In a very tight turn they quickly returned and threatened the renegade again. Vile flew down towards the ground before dashing sideways at the very last moment to send them crashing into the paved floor.
He wasn't allowed any rest for the large mercenary had already used his powerful dash boots to close the distance between him and his foe. As he reached Vile, he bashed his shield into the Maverick's side. The heavier Reploid then lifted him overhead while keeping him pinned to the shield.
With a deep grunt, the much smaller Reploid hit a grassy patch beside the road. He then rolled away in the nick of time, as Onslaught brought his booted leg down onto the spot. The giant repeated his attempts at crushing his opponent into the ground three times. His heavy boots left deep imprints in their wake. But as he raised his leg for the fourth time, he'd forfeited his guard and Vile made good use of the opening.
The much nimbler Reploid had managed to get onto one knee and, from that position, dashed away. Simultaneously, he fired his cannon at the defenseless Onslaught. The blast connected with the Reploid's chest, causing him to roar in pain, grip the scorch mark on his armor, and back away a couple steps.
Vile knew better than to let any opportunity slide and quickly fired several rocket and a more powerful shot from his cannon.
Onslaught swiftly retaliated with several of his own missiles on an intercept course, destroying Vile's projectiles. However, he failed to bring up his left arm to prevent the plasma shots from pummeling him.
"You little pest! Don't you know that stings?!" Onslaught groaned as he gripped his rifle tightly. His dash boots flared and propelled him forward with speed one wouldn't attribute to his bulky frame.
Vile immediately went airborne to prevent another shoulder tackle like before.
His opponent shifted his weight and dug his feet into the ground to grind to a halt faster than he normally would have.
Vile was forced to dodge more of the plasma rifle's penetrating beams. Every blast he sent back was simply blocked by Onslaught's shield. At this rate the renegade would get nowhere, and he knew it. The longer he was stuck there fighting the bunker-on-legs, the more troops were converging on his location, as well as reinforcements from Hunter HQ.
The device covering Onslaught's right eye bleeped as he activated it and a laser sight soon painted a red dot on Vile's chest.
"Ya can move 'round all ya like. The end result'll stay the same. I'm gonna to turn ya into Swiss cheese," the walking tank pulled the trigger, his beam hitting home this time. The laser hit Vile's side and knocked him out of the sky. As he crashed into the roof of one of the smaller buildings, Onslaught took flight as well.
The purple Reploid cursed under his breath as he jumped up off the floor. He had gotten lucky, as no vital systems had been damaged by the hit. However, the armor on his left side had been molten away, leaving him more exposed there.
Onslaught landed on the roof, a wide grin on his face as he reveled in the fight, and his apparent upper hand. "What's the matter? Can't keep up with a real mercenary?"
"Be sure to point me in the direction of whoever you're talking about. I'd hate to miss out," Vile's kneepad opened up to reveal a flamethrower.
Onslaught laughed boisterously as the flames licked at his shield. The giant then began to rush through the smoke and fire, but as he cleared the dense fog, he found his foe had already sprung into action.
Vile had dashed forward, keeping his body low so he could pass under the giant's shield. From there, he flared his boots again, using a significant amount of momentum to send his knee up into Onslaught's chin.
The mercenary stumbled back. Before he could recover, Vile followed up with a roundhouse to his jaw. As Vile landed, Onslaught – eyes blazing with rage – tried to bring his shield down onto the smaller Reploid. He hoped to crush him into the roof they were standing on.
Vile swiftly dashed between his legs and left a little present in his wake. A grenade exploded, shredding a part of the structure's rooftop. Not letting up the momentum one bit, Vile had already landed back on the ground and fired several missiles at where Onslaught had been. The resulting explosions demolished what remained of the storage building.
He refused to stop and gripped his shoulder cannon; charging a powerful shot.
Just as the powerful blast was released, the smoke and debris cleared. Onslaught dashed passed the projectile and clotheslined the renegade. The heavy impact sent Vile skidding across the ground. He only stopped when he hit the wall of one of several transfer booths scattered across the courtyard. He'd nearly toppled the tiny structure, but instead left a nasty dent in its side.
Onslaught's body wasn't nearly as pristine as it had been before. The armored plates covering both his legs and his chest had been shredded by the fragmentation grenade, while the missiles had clearly done a number on his right arm. Despite the bare circuitry, most of the damage was still superficial, but his left leg was clearly bothering him.
"No more games. It's time I rip you apart, limb by limb!" Onslaught's rage had begun blinding him and instead of using his weapons, he holstered his rifle and dashed forward. He pushed his boots to their limit to reach his top speed as quickly as possible. He pulled back his fist, intent on using all that speed to crush Vile's head into the booth's wall.
The helmeted Maverick scrambled to his feet and managed to get out of Onslaught's path just in time.
The massive fist effortlessly pierced the wall of the building, but as he tried to pull back he found his arm had snagged on something. "Gah. Shit! Stupid wall!"
Vile remembered Nana's words from the previous time he fought Onslaught. The energy source for his cannon was on his back, which also meant his armor was thinner there to allow proper heat dissipation. That huge body of his needed a massive amount of energy to move, and he had been dashing and firing all over the place.
If he were to take out the heat sinks keeping him cool now, his generator might just overload. Vile kept his distance and landed behind the struggling mercenary. He angled his cannon down and activated his Vulcan guns. Before Onslaught could break free, Vile opened fire. He didn't let up and threw a barrage of plasma shots and bullets towards the weak points on Onslaught's back. He made sure to aim for the parts of his foe's back that weren't covered by his large backpack.
Onslaught roared in pain and frustration as he felt the attacks tear away his armor and damage his internal systems. The bullets punched holes in the heat sinks and further compromised his body.
Slowly he reached for the front of his waist and, as it opened to reveal a compartment, he grabbed hold of several mechanical orbs. "Take this!" He shouted as he threw the strange grenades behind him. As soon as the explosives got in close proximity to Vile, they detonated. Each grenade erupted in a crackling, electrical, purple-colored sphere that hovered in place. One of the spheres wrapped itself around Vile's left arm.
"What the-?" the renegade tried to free his arm, but no matter how hard he pulled at the limb, the strange orb did not give way.
Onslaught placed his booted leg against the face of the building and finally freed his arm with a mighty feat of strength. He then reached around, touching his lower back before quickly pulling his hand away and hissing in pain. "You little maggot! You're not gonna get away with this!" He groaned as he turned around to face Vile, who still struggled to free his arm. Onslaught's gaze was filled with anger and malice, and he didn't waste a second longer to charge his opponent head-on once again.
Reckless or not, his physical power would impart more damage Vile could really do without. Luck didn't have the tendency to be on his side, so he was assuming he'd still need to take down Morrigan and Spectrum. Seeing no other option, Vile aimed his hand for his trapped arm and a quick volley of bullets later, the sphere dissipated. The renegade had taken a gamble, for all he knew the damn thing could've exploded right then and there, taking his entire arm with it!
Onslaught had almost been upon him, but once he was freed, Vile took to the air and prevented the mercenary from connecting another potent hit.
"Stop movin' around! Stand still so I can smash ya to bits!" Onslaught bellowed as he turned to face the purple Reploid who flew above him. Before he could raise his weapon however, he was interrupted by a powerful explosion that vaporized a Robo-Ride armor behind him. The sound of jet fighter engines drowned out the two struggling Reploids.
"The fuck was that?!"
Typhus watched three fighter jets pass by the top floor of the tower. Spectrum behind him was as surprised as he was.
"Colonel! Maverick Hunter forces have opened fire on us!" The sound of the command center officer could be heard over Typhus' communications device.
"What?! How could they have gotten here so quickly?" Typhus looked down at the city below and narrowed his eyes as he realized something. "That operator – Nana – must've been able to make contact with Maverick Hunter HQ a lot quicker than I thought."
"Onslaught will need help fighting them off long enough for work to be completed. I'll go aid him." Spectrum suggested as he turned around.
"For all your sake, I hope he has dealt with Vile by now. If not, than you better pray Morrigan does a better job," Typhus threatened.
Spectrum held back a retort and merely nodded before rushing out of the office.
Typhus turned his attention back to the city streets below. He could see several Hunter squads approaching his walls. Heavy transports, tanks, robo-ride armors and hordes of drones. All of that - coupled with fighters in the sky – meant that HQ had spared no expense. His fortifications were still largely intact so he could hole up and hold out, but not for long.
"Keep them at bay; prioritize using drones and Mechaniloids against the attacking Hunters!" Typhus wasn't certain he was paying the Hunters under his command enough to secure their loyalty in the face of this dire situation. So, he would sooner rely on robots and send the Reploids after Vile.
"Looks like the cavalry's arrived..." Onslaught muttered, his hands clenching as he heard the order to put up defensive formations. He had his eye on the prize however, Typhus could go jump out of his 55th story window with his orders for all he cared.
"You should've kept your eyes on me, merc," Vile proclaimed as he dove down towards the giant. He slammed his fist into the damaged patch of armor on Onslaught's chest, fueling his opponent's rage with pain.
Onslaught made a wild swing with his rifle, but hit nothing but air as Vile ducked underneath his strike.
The Maverick dispensed another grenade and quickly stuck it to the center of the deactivated disc that generated Onslaught's shield.
The mercenary had already raised his fists to try and smash his opponent, but fell for the same trick as before as Vile dashed out of the way between his legs.
To immobilize his opponent until the grenade detonated, Vile slammed his boot into the back of the giant's right knee and swiftly dashed out of the blast radius.
The heavy Reploid released a cry of frustration, but was silenced by the ensuing explosion. He wasn't down for the count just yet, not even after all that punishment. Using his boots, he jumped up high and landed behind the surprised renegade.
"I've got ya now!" He roared before wrapping his arms around the significantly smaller Reploid and lifting him off the ground in a crushing bear hug.
Vile screamed in pain as his enemy began applying armor-crunching force to his body.
"This is it. There's no way I'm letting ya leave here alive. You've humiliated me for the last time!" Onslaught's body was in poor shape. The explosion had forced his rifle from his hand and had demolished his shield. His back was scorched and damaged beyond recognition and patches of synthetic skin had gone missing from his etched face.
Vile tried furiously to break free from the iron grip, but his arms were pressed to his body and any grenades he dropped to the ground could simply be kicked away.
"When ya took up mercenary work, ya began giving the rest of us a bad name. We were known for our pristine work, but rotten apples like you blew up everything along with the target. And then they started calling you a bigger war machine than me? Can ya believe it? Me?! Onslaught! Outdone by a puny relic like you? Ya didn't even know where ya came from until today. You don't even know what you are, who you are and where you're goin'. What hope can ya possibly have to defeat me? Or Spectrum?"
Vile flailed his legs as he started to tilt his shoulder cannon backwards. From the current angle he wasn't able to fire any blasts into Onslaught's head. "You're wrong. I know exactly what I am and where I'm going. I'm going straight through you!" Vile exclaimed as his shoulder cannon fired three spheres of blue electricity. The orbs flew passed Onslaught's head harmlessly, invoking the massive mercenary's mockery.
"What are ya tryin' to do, hm? Deafen me with your loud mouth and silly boomstick?"
Vile chuckled as he looked back at Onslaught over his shoulder. "You gotta the dumbest asshole I've ever met."
The bolts Vile had released were orbs of energy that slowly dropped to the ground before splitting up into numerous smaller spheres. Each and every orb would crawl along the ground, walls and ceiling until they would hit something unable to absorb or resist their energy, or dissipate.
Onslaught looked back as he realized he had overlooked something, but by then it was too late. Several of the orbs hit his booted leg, violently shocking his body and loosening his grip on his opponent.
Vile immediately activated his jet boots and – with a violent burst – he broke free from the giant's crushing grasp. In a fluid motion, Vile turned to face Onslaught and brought both his fists – palms clasped together – down on his head like a hammer. Instantly, he followed up the crushing blow with a front heel kick that shoved Onslaught away from him.
As Vile prepared to fire his cannon and hopefully finish the tenacious monster, Onslaught reached for three of his grenades. Before Vile could fire, his right shoulder, left arm and right leg were locked in the same purple spheres as his leg had been before. The shocks deactivated his cannon, and his hands were stuck pointing away from his target.
"No more talkin'. It's over; I'm not takin' any more chances with ya! You're like a weed, why won't ya just die and stay away?!" Onslaught shouted as he braced himself. The soles of his boots began to widen and two thick spikes appeared from his backpack that dug themselves into the ground. All of this broadened his base and stabilized him for the use of his favorite weapon.
The four obsidian rods of the particle projector installed on his body angled to point in Vile's direction. Electric energy began crackling between the rods, arching from one rod to another in seemingly random patterns and intervals. The rods themselves glowed as a sphere began to form between them. Onslaught clenched his hands and gritted his teeth at the enormous strain the weapon put on his weakened body.
Most of the heat vents cooling his body were damaged, which meant that firing the projector was extremely dangerous. His weakened legs also meant that – even with the additional bracing – firing the sphere could mean he'd be ripped apart by his own attack. But the mercenary clearly didn't care anymore by this point. Vile was all that stood in his way of being known as the greatest weapon ever fashioned. He'd be unstoppable, and the big bucks would really start rolling in from that point onward.
Vile continued to try and pull free from the hold of the spheres, but had little to no luck. Nothing he did made the spheres give way. That is, until he noticed that his left arm had only been partially trapped by the sphere. While his leg and shoulder had been sucked into the core, his other arm was locked in place near the edge of the orb. The renegade began using all his strength to break his arm free.
Onslaught's insane laughter could be heard, even over the sounds of the veritable war being waged on the other side of the walls, and even over the deafening hum of the projector rods gathering the energy needed to create the dark red orb that would vaporize Vile.
The purple Reploid didn't have time to cheer when he finally broke one of his arms free. His helmet's readings confirmed his worst fears: Onslaught's weapon was almost charged.
"No. Not like this!" He cursed. But then he spotted Onslaught's rifle lying near him, perhaps even in reach of his single free arm. Without the compatible energy source of Onslaught's body, Vile would not be able to fire it, but perhaps it was just big enough for a very different use. Any other weapon he would use would be anticipated by Onslaught, but there was one thing the mercenary hadn't counted on. Vile leaned forward as best he could and reached for the hilt of the weapon. His fingers inched closer at a tantalizingly slow pace. "Come on… Come on… Almost…" Vile urged himself on, his eyes turning from gun to Reploid, and back again, until he finally managed to grab the weapon.
"You're nothing compared to me! Like everyone else, you're just a fly on the wall, ready to be squashed at my leisure!" Vile shouted as he unleashed a mighty roar and flung the rifle towards Onslaught as hard as he could.
Onslaught had just pulled the proverbial trigger when the rifle smashed into his right, damaged leg. His leg was knocked back and the pressure of the orb – so precariously balanced between the four rods – instantly pushed him to his knees.
"What?! Nooo!" Onslaught shouted as he could no longer stop the release of the massive particle sphere. The recoil shattered the stabilizers embedded into the floor and sent him careening back. As the mercenary hit the ground, the full weight of his body warped one of the projector's rods, rendering the weapon useless until he could get it repaired.
Vile closed his eyes as he watched the sphere still barreling straight towards him. But, just as he thought he had failed after all, the sphere began to deviate and missed him by less than a hair. The projectile collided with the massive gate of the subterranean garage of the tower that had been sealed after the alarms had been sounded.
It tore through the barrier, as well as a good portion of the vehicles parked near the entrance. The deafening explosion shook the ground and only when the light and smoke dissipated did Vile realize he was still alive. His often-present – but always unseen – confident grin reappeared on his lips. The rush continued, nothing had stopped him so far, and he felt like he could take on the whole world. He felt more alive than he had in years. When he was done here, that tower would burn. Uttering a deep grunt, Vile broke free of the spheres that held him in place and he crossed his arms smugly as he looked at Onslaught, who struggled to get up.
The mercenary was badly damaged, but he was still far from being defeated.
"Sorry, but I have better things to do than finish you off," Vile laughed cruelly before continuing. "You're not worth my time. Ya can't even scratch me, let alone match me. I'll let a lowly Hunter take care of you; it's about as much as you deserve," Vile knew which strings to pluck to drive the mercenary insane with rage and injured pride. Vile knew that if the mercenary faced utter defeat, he would've wanted to fight until he was destroyed.
But instead, the renegade figured he'd give the giant one last, good insult, before leaving him to his 'precious' Spectrum. With that said, Vile turned around and quickly dashed for the demolished gate. Secondary security measures had already activated and a blast door had begun lowering. Central command was trying to cut Vile off from the perfect means of infiltrating the building.
"Don't just stand there! Shoot him!" Onslaught ordered, shouting at some of the Hunters and drones that were still nearby. Apparently the mercenary's dueling code was only valid as long as he was winning.
None of the Hunters were able to prevent Vile from clearing the gate and he slowly landed to find himself in the darkness of the garage. The purple Reploid took a deep breath and activated a light source on his helmet.
"Alright, I'm in. But I guess things have only just started…"