The Arrival of the Guardians
Three figures were seen running across ruins in the middle of a jungle. “Come on we’re almost there.” The first one said. His attire consisted of a long green coat, covering most of his body, brown pants and a white helmet covering his face, his only mean of vision being the black visor. In his arms he carried a SMG and on his back was a LMG with electricity arcing through it.
“Just keep going, I’ll hold the Fallen back!” Another person stated. This one in full body armor and a swept back black helmet. He drew the rocket launcher on his back, a golden wolf’s head crafted upon the barrel, and fired a round.
The rocket impacted a four-armed creature clad in white, carrying an incendiary assault rifle. Behind it were several more, waving their banners and weapons around, each and every one of them were glaring at the man who fired with their four eyes. One of them, carrying two shock swords, emitted a set of guttural commands, making all of the creatures rush forward even faster than before.
“The hell you are!” A woman grabs him by the arm after shooting one of the aliens with her sniper rifle, her red cloak waving around as she turned to the first figure. “The strength of the wolf is the pack, Daniel. ALWAYS remember that!” She looked at Daniel, making the mask visible, as well as the laser sight emitter in her visor.
They are interrupted as a ball of purple light and an explosion halt the assault for a brief period of time. “Hurry the fuck up, Lara! We need to get this done as quickly as possible!” The first man said.
“We’re on our way Ned, just cover us!” Lara replied, to which the man called Ned only nodded and started firing. Lara and Daniel used this chance to go up to where Ned was. “For a Warlock, you’re pretty good with a gun.” She chuckled.
“For a Hunter, you talk a lot.” He replied.
“Stop chatting, we’ve gotta go!” Daniel started running making sure he had cover and that his fire team was following him.
“If I’m not mistaken, the vortex should be right ahead. Run for it!” Ned said as he rushed to a rock and metal arc. “I should be able to access it, just keep them busy!” He continued as he headed to a control panel.
“Roger that! Daniel, hit them with your Fists Of Havoc like the Titan you are! I’ll get them with my Phoenix Overdrive!” Lara’s weapons began glowing red and she got out of cover just in time to see Daniel jump high into the hair. As he began descending his fist glowed blue, delivering an explosive blow upon contact with the ground. Lara began firing, each shot resulting in a fiery explosion when it hit.
Daniel, between the ranks of the Fallen, was diminishing their numbers, one at a time. A Fallen Dreg, the lowest rank with only two arms and a grey chest plate and pants for armor, tried to approach Daniel from behind, readying his shock dagger. Before the Dreg could react, Daniel delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to its head, killing it instantly.
He, as a Titan, had an uncanny ability to take a lot of punishment, but that was too much. He had to get out of there immediately! And so he did, sliding and fighting his way out through everything the Fallen could throw at him. As he jumped to a safe distance he swapped from his standard assault rifle to the Gjallarhorn, and fired a rocket, killing a few more of the attacking force in the process.
“When is that fucking thing ready?” He asked Ned, through the deafening sounds of battle.
“I’m almost there! Just a few more minutes!” He shouted back.
“You heard him, now hold them off!” Lara said as she drew a SMG and fired a hail of bullets at the incoming Fallen. Daniel nodded and slid between covers, firing his assault rifle as he moved. “Using my Morning Star!” Lara called out. Almost instantly several red star-shaped projectiles appeared. She started firing again, the projectiles homing in the direction of her bullets.
“Solar Flare out!” They both heard Ned shout from the panel. They noticed a ball of orange flames land between a few Fallen troops and exploding in a blast of heat and light.
“Is it done? Can we call our ships now?” Lara asked.
“Yes it is.” Ned confirmed. “But I wouldn’t recommend calling the ships, there is a Devil Walker out there. Going airborne now would be suicide.”
“Then focus fire it!” Daniel ran towards the six-legged armored construct, dodging the cannon shots it fired and hitting it in the legs, quickly followed by Ned and Lara.
The Walker fired everything it had but the Guardians were just too fast for it. A Fallen Commander managed to sneak up on Lara and was about to impale her with his shock sword but she moved out of the way in time to just get a small cut in her armor. She turned around and unloaded her revolver into the head of the Commander, returning to the Walker afterwards.
Eventually one of its legs was destroyed leaving exposed the core. “I got it!” Ned bellowed as he leaped high into the air, a ball of purple energy forming in his palm. “NOVA BOMB!” He launched the ball of energy, heavily damaging the core, but it was not enough for, in a blast of energy, the Devil Walker got back up knocking the Guardians away from it.
“Dan, you need to get close to it!” Lara exclaimed, while getting up.
“On it!” He ran as fast as he could but got hit right on the chest by its machine gun. His armor was taking most of the hits but it still hurt as hell. “That’s it! Time for Iron Skin!” As he shouted that his armor turned silver, deflecting each shot from the Walker. “Hercules up in this shit!” He continued as he tore out one of its legs with his bare hands and punched the core with the Fists Of Havoc.
“We got it, call the ships!” Lara called out as the fire team ran to cover and fidgeted with small control panels on their wrists.
“They are on their way, just hold your ground!” Daniel said.
“They’ll be here in around thirty seconds.” Ned replied. “Just run back to the vortex, we’ll wait there!” He tried running back but a powerful magical discharge knocked him out of his feet.
“What just happened?” Daniel asked as he helped the Warlock getting up.
“There must be some sort of magical interference. It is turning the Vortex into a portal. We have to get into our ships before the pull gets too strong!” Ned answered, panic growing with each word.
“I think… it’s a bit too late for that.” Lara said as the pull got stronger and their ships, which had just appeared, were beginning to get sucked in.
“We’re within radius! Teleport to your ships so we at least have something protecting us on the other side!” Daniel ordered as the three dematerialized in a blue light, going inside the portal with their ships.
<…>
Ned Stone was his name, Warlock of the Guardian fire team and one of the three people between human kind and extinction. Now, in a void, waiting for the portal to take him to his destination he couldn’t help but wonder. “Who’s going to protect Earth now? We failed everyone and the last light of humanity will go out.”
“Ned, are you there?” He heard the voice of the Titan who went by the name Daniel Smith.
“I hear you.” Was the simple reply.
“Good we are all awake. Can you predict where this is taking us?” The voice of Lara Silvermen, the Hunter sounded on the intercom.
“I’ll try.” He fiddled with the controls of the ship trying as hard as he could to figure out where they were going. “Wherever it is it’s outside known space. Looks like we won’t be protecting The City any time soon.”
“Did… did you forget?” Daniel reluctantly asked.
“Forget what?” The Warlock inquired.
“Ned… that Fallen colony… was the last of the threats to Earth. And they got sucked in with us. The City… is safe.” Lara said.
“That’s a relief, but on the other hand we have to deal with The Fallen now.” Ned replied.
“We can take them on!” Daniel stepped in.
“I sure ho-” Ned was stopped by the travel through the portal finishing, knocking the three out cold.
<…>
Ned woke up inside of his ship. “Lara, are you there? How about you, Daniel?” He asked through the intercom.
“Well it’s about time.” Lara responded.
“Well look who’s awake.” Daniel chuckled.
“Stop mocking and report. Has anyone figured out where we are?” Ned inquired.
“Nope, just waiting on you, sleeping beauty.” Daniel answered.
As Ned was going to answer, a female voice was heard outside. “It must be somewhere around here.”
“Huh… did you hear that?” Daniel asked the rest, who gave sounds of affirmation.
“Stay down. If possible we want to catch them by surprise. Once they approach the back of the ships, open them and aim your guns. Hopefully we’ll get some answers.” Lara ordered the team.
“Roger that.” Ned replied as he prepared his electric LMG ‘Thunderlord’ and aimed it towards the back of the ship.
“What is that?” He heard a tom-boyish voice from outside the ship.
“Maybe it is a space ship? Are there aliens? Do they like parties? If so I’ll throw them the biggest one ever!” Came the voice of what sounded like a sugar rushed 5 year old.
“Don’t be ridiculous, there are no such things as aliens.” Another, more sophisticated, voice sounded.
“I wouldn’t be so sure. This is definitely not Equestrian technology, which means there ARE aliens and that they’re somewhere nearby.” The first voice sounded again.
“Clever girl…” Ned whispered to himself.
“So what now?” The second voice stepped in.
“We open ‘em.” He heard a new voice, this one with a drawl common to the people he heard on the Southwestern part of The City. Then, he heard a thud.
“Move out!” With that he opened the door of the ship, along with his fellow guardians. Upon spotting nothing but horses ahead they began scouting for enemies. As they did so, Ned could swear that the poor animals were paralyzed in fear.
“Clear!” He heard Dan.
“Nothing here!” Lara said as she and Daniel regrouped with Ned in front of his ship.
“Whoever was here must have run away…” He concluded.
“Huh… hello?” He turned his head to find one of the horses talking. He know noticed everything he needed to notice to conclude: These were not normal equines. They were too small, two of them had horns and two of them had wings. He pitied in a way those who had none. All this not to mention they were far too colorful.
The one who was talking was a lavender one with a horn. Her mane was long and purple, with a strand of a lighter tone. “They talk… What do we do now?” Lara whispered to Ned.
“We try and communicate.” He whispered back.
<…>
Meanwhile in an unknown location…
“The Guardians are here? Interesting. I will be sure to fight them again, and this time… I won’t be as weak as in Old Russia.” A voice echoed throughout a dark chamber.