1.9 Harbinger Part 6

As cheers go up from her fellow fighters in the city, Guardian activates her KEPs only to realise that the majority of them are broken with the few remaining not enough to grant her flight capabilities.

Can we repair them? Using my power?

Not now. Not enough time. Armageddon would kill us while we’ve halfway through.

Dancore!

The cheers die down all of sudden as Armageddon begins to get up. Guardian darts away.

“Guardian,” says Gears over her comm.

The connection isn’t very good as damage to her armour has left it fuzzy and shaky with Gears’ voice containing some static to it.

“Here,” replies Guardian as she puts ground between her and the Harbinger.

“I’m here with Protector and Defender,” says Gears as another orange ray beam hits Armageddon, “Darkness has also shown up to help. I think seeing his twin sister get taken out motivated him to help.”

“Many have fallen today,” replies Guardian quietly and solemnly.

“Then let us make their sacrifices worth something,” says Gears with a determined voice.

“Try to take out his other eye,” Guardian tells Gears.

“Don’t worry, I will,” Gears assures Guardian.

Guardian glances at Armageddon as he gets to his feet. Whips of black and white energy lash out at the Harbinger, but Guardian doesn’t see the result before a building obscures Armageddon from view.

Guardian comes to a halt as she spots a pair of bodies in the ground.

Too late to save them.

We can’t save everybody...

But that doesn’t mean we should try to. I know. How do I know that anyway?

It is good advice that has been passed on.

Okay.

“Guardian!” yells Defender as she lands a short distance in front of her, “Over here!”

As Defender and Guardian runs towards each other, Protector lands behind the former.

“Nice work so far,” says Protector.

Both are wearing the same type of power armour as Guardian and Gears, but where Guardian is black and Gears’ is grey, Protector’s armour is a dark forest green whilst Defender is a deep shade of blue.

“My armour is no longer capable of flight,” Guardian informs them, “It has also sustained serious damage on the front.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” replies Defender, “So what do we do?”

“You two engage Armageddon while I conduct emergency repairs to my armour so I can get flight capabilities,” says Guardian, “Remember he is fast and intelligent in addition to being one of the toughest creatures out there.”

“We got it,” replies Protector as he shares a look with Defender, “You just keep safe. We can’t afford to lose you.”

Then it is rather ironic that I am the most expendable of the Guardsmen, both the least missed and the most easily replaced.

“We can’t afford to lose anybody,” says Defender.

“I have no intention of dying this day,” Guardian reassures them, “And I am not that easily killed. Not even by a Harbinger of the End Times.”

“See ya back at base later,” replies Defender as she and Protector off, “Take of yourself.”

“I-” Guardian starts to reply when Armageddon comes crashing through the building.

Protector and Defender both dart off as Guardian runs for it. She gets a few metres before the ground erupts and twists around her.

Dodge left!

Doing as Ceta says, Guardian jumps to the side. She is barely in time to dodge one of Armageddon’s energy attacks and still gets hit in the side of the right arm. The majority of her power armour is burned away on the outer side of her right arm and Guardian feels spikes of burning hot pain across the affected flesh.

As Guardian staggers to the side, something grabs a hold of her and her surroundings suddenly blur.

“I got you!” says a blurred voice as Guardian is sped away.

Guardian stumbles on her feet as her rescuer drops her off a couple of blocks away. A military tank retreats as several soldiers run alongside it on foot.

She looks around at the four people around her. Of them, Guardian only recognises Pathfinder. One is a good looking male wearing a red and white racing jumpsuit while the other is an Adonis in orange and black spandex. The last is another Bellator girl wearing armour made of ice. All seem rather young and Guardian would guess they are all in their teens.

Ice? How is that possible? And why isn’t it melting?

She must have created them using her power.

Like with the not-technology?

Yes. A variant of the power that allows for things that are physically impossible to be made.

“Hello Guardian,” says Pathfinder.

“Yeah, nice to meet you,” says the Adonis boy, “Good work against the kaiju.”

“His name is Armageddon,” replies Guardian as she looks at the damage to her right arm.

All of the armour except for a few scraps have been burned away while the flesh is blacken and raw.

“Well Guardian, I am Rush, speedster and leader of the Grand Rapids Junior Heroes,” says the boy in red and white, “That is Sulphur and Iceforge and you’ve already met Pathfinder.”

“So what is the plan?” asks the Adonis boy who Guardian assumes is Sulphur.

“We hit Armageddon while it is distracted and Guardian can hit it with that fancy sword of hers,” replies Pathfinder, “My power says that is the best course of action.”

“You can hurt it right?” Rush asks Guardian.

“Yes,” answers Guardian “I have already taken out one of his eyes and removed a little finger.”

“Glad to know we can hurt that thing,” growls Iceforge.

“Okay, so we-” starts Rush when Pathfinder cries out and spikes erupt from the ground.

Rush, Sulphur and Pathfinder all manage to get away from the spikes while one tears through Iceforge’s lower right leg. She cries out in pain even as Guardian feels a sudden surge of pain in her abdomen.

She looks down to see a large spike made from pavement and earth piercing her abdomen, tearing through both her armour and her flesh.

That hurts.

I’m sorry Legacy. It has been an honour.

Huh?

Hor segg yoinn sor.

As she slumps to the ground, Guardian looks over at the others just in time to see Rush and Sulphur get here by one of Armageddon’s energy blast. Sulphur’s mangled corpse topples over while Rush is reduced to a blacked, burning skeleton by a direct hit.

Guardian hears somebody calling her name before she is consumed by Armageddon’s ugly, hot energy.

***

Purr arnn lin Ordic?

What?

Peace or battle Guardian?

Do I have choice?

Yes.

Then battle. Lin. I won’t abandon my friends or family.

Then I shall inform Jaylyn that you will return.