Work Text:
Things were not going according to plan.
Swordana Bladefast, commander of the White Knights sub faction of Valiants had ordered a few of her number, including their newest recruit, Artemis, to stay behind at the area the Valiants had made their home base to begin converting their ship into the White Knight's stronghold. With her were Aurilius Blastfire, the scholar-warrior and host Romulus Falconer with his three symbiotes, Diode Powercharge and the two Fleetwings Oscillator and Velocity. Their cleric-medic Gravity Corecode rounded out her attack force on this first mission. The Earth was already in dire straits when she and her White Knights arrived. The stiff-necked members of the Red Star nations in the far northeast were locked in near constant combat with Overlord Gorg, an invader from beyond the stars. Members of their host's homeland, the Democracy were engaging in armed conflicts with an organization calling themselves C.O.I.L.S., which appeared to be a well-funded mercenary force backed up by Deceivers in thinly veiled disguises. Ancient creations of The One, the Beastlords, ever enigmatic in their purpose, were facing off against a contingent of Infesters led by their Hive Mind Queen. Lastly her meeting with Ducal had been cut short as reports of the Sub-Aquatic Atlanticans engaging one of his lieutenants, a Valiant named Chromecharger, required his immediate attention.
Distress calls from a human city built around an experimental power plant in the Democracy’s east coast had been deemed the mission Swordana would have her newly earth-bound White Knights cut their teeth on. She'd thrust her relic blade into the sky and called out to the power of The One, transforming her and her compatriots into bolts of lightning, rushing off across the sky. However, when they had settled down they found another group of Bots already waiting, obviously prepared for battle.
Now standing across from them, each force arrayed in a line, Swordana narrowed her eyes in revulsion and no small amount of suspicion. Their opponents were emblazoned and festooned with oranges and blues, their physical forms somehow held together and at times even comprised entirely of detritus and refuse. The stink of their tainted codes, altered by the penitent modification offended her sensibilities. That line of code hadn't seen wide use in over a millennium and never in such a concentration of this size, yet here they stood. She thought she recognized one or two of their number, yet just couldn't place them for all the modifications their mechanical bodies had undergone from the penitent directive. While ultimately she knew those under its influence were driven to do the work of The One, their lack of restraint and self-preservation made them unpredictable at best.
The largest of them stepped forward and offered Swordana the battlefield greeting, the subtleties of which indicated that he acknowledged her as one of higher rank in official matters yet equal on the field of battle. She nodded in return as she stepped forward herself, removing the Eternity Blade from its place on her back and planted it point down into the ground before her, resting her hands on the pommel. The warrior opposite her mimicked her pose with his own war ax.
"One whom wields the Eternity Blade, I bid you greeting. I am called Chopper, and these with me are among my penitent band of Trashers." The large Bot spoke, voice full of authority yet with an echo that spoke of ageless wisdom. Swordana returned the greeting and introduction, hoping to move this interaction along, the mission of saving the beleaguered humans at the forefront of her mind. Swordana stated her purpose, yet the one called Chopper considered it a matter of honor that Swordana's White Knight force stand aside.
Tamping down the sense of frustration welling up within her, Swordana lifted her blade and turned away. "I don't have time for this nonsense, nor do those whom I am charged with providing protection. You may ally yourself with our cause or stand and watch from afar, but either way I will put my blade to purpose."
Chopper lifted his ax with clear intent, yet before he could issue an official challenge, another of his number stooped, lifted a stone from the ground and hurled it at Swordana, striking her in the arm. A middling hit causing no real damage, yet that was never the intent. By striking the early blow, Crusher had made first challenge, stealing the opportunity from Chopper.
The Trasher leader admonished his subordinate yet saw reason in Crusher's argument that it had been done to allow Chopper to save face from making challenge, claiming that his forces needed their leader far more than a lowly soldier. Swordana kept herself from rolling her eyes at the witnessed exchange only for the fact that this was a matter of honor, something she could tell meant a great deal to the lot of them. No need to go making enemies when there were already plenty to go around.
Facing off against the Bot called Crusher, Swordana sized him up, the wild spikes on his shoulders and combat mace speaking volumes to her based on an eternity of combat experience. When the attack came Swordana made short work of her opponent. A block then another, followed by a sidestep and three quick slashes of her relic blade brought the penitent Bot low. Chopper made the sign of submission and bade the gleaming white Bots good fortune in the battle to come.
It was good fortune they would need, for as they crested the rise and saw the city before them Swordana knew her small number would be hard pressed. What appeared to be two score large mechanical drones marched through the city streets, bolts of lightning blasting from accumulator arms on their backs at anything that moved below them. Overhead a Deceiver Air Warrior in jet mode made great sweeping passes over the city, laser fire punching through buildings and warehouses, while against the backdrop of the power plant, next to the shining sea, the great form of ElectroTyrant could be seen hard at work with some nefarious deed, his second-in-command Sonique at his side keeping watch. From the smoking wreckage it appeared that the humans had put up a fight with a token military force, but against an enemy army this size half measures just wouldn't suffice.
Swordana sensed Chopper approach behind her, hoping he wouldn't be able to read the slight worry that may or may not be projecting from her posture. Mighty though her warriors may be, against numbers such as these, she may have just bitten off more than she could chew. These physical metal bodies they possessed were new and still somewhat unfamiliar. It would take time to become fully accustomed to them, time which they had just run out of.
No such luck for her, but Chopper knew all too well the difficulties of command, the politics that were an unfortunate necessity of such a position. He leaned down close to her and quietly murmured only for her to hear.
"Those drones are mindless abominations and attack as such. We've faced their like in the past, yet these appear a different design. They should fall easily singled out but are dangerous in large groups. Beware you don't become surrounded. I and my warriors shall keep watch from here. I have faith in your combat abilities, but the wise leader knows when to call for aid." He palmed a small device to her, which Swordana accepted silently, hiding it away at the small of her back.
********
ElectroTyrant was carefully plasma cutting away the protective outer wall of the power generator when the commander of his drone forces approached from behind, Sonique nudging him to draw his attention.
"What is the meaning of this interruption?" ElectroTyrant ground out, fighting to keep his agitation in check.
"Forgive the intrusion, my Lord Tyrant," the drone commander intoned in its monotone voice, "but I have lost contact with drone squadron Two-Bravo. I recommend tactic One-Echo."
ElectroTyrant turned away, sparking his plasma cutter back to life. "Do what you think is best. That’s what I programed you for."
The drone commander began to step forward then froze in place for a second as lights in the dome that served as its head flashed from white to red. It once again spoke aloud in its monotone vocalizer. "I have now lost contact with drone squadron Three-Delta."
ElectroTyrant whirled around and scanned the city scape before him. It was difficult to see anything for all the smoke in the air but indistinct flashes of white flickered from between buildings and piles of rubble. He growled in annoyance, knowing that the delicate work before him couldn't be rushed if the extraction of the power generator was to be successful.
"Sonique, deal with the problem. I'm at a delicate stage right now. And you!" ElectroTyrant pointed at the drone controller as Sonique turned and slipped away. "Get out there in the field and take direct control of the drone forces. I can't afford any further interruptions at the moment. Understood?"
"Yes, my Lord Tyrant." The commander droned as it turned and clomped back down into the city proper, leaving ElectroTyrant to his task.
ElectroTyrant would have much preferred that his drone forces could be directed by Vexxed, yet the Dissenter Air Warrior, while more than competent on the field of battle, lacked the mind for leading troops, even nearly mindless drones. Sonique had no small amount of veiled treachery, forcing ElectroTyrant to program the drone troops with limited permissions for following Sonique's orders. Such was the necessity of the Drone Controllers. Redundancies on top of redundancies. Pushing those thoughts aside, ElectroTyrant sparked his plasma cutter back to life and returned to the task at hand, knowing that even with backup reinforcements standing by, time was growing short.
********
Swordana's forces had engaged the enemy. Thought she would have preferred the stealthy approach, including Aurilius in her strike force made such a tactic impossible. They'd been fortunate enough to find one, then a second triadic squad of drone troopers isolated enough from the others that her White Knights had been able to dispatch them without any apparent reaction from the greater Deceiver force. That luck however ran dry as an ugly brown Bot swooped overhead and opened fire on them, forcing Swordana to order her own troops to scatter.
***
Aurilius Blastfire charged deeper into the city, jumping down from a freeway overpass into the middle to a grouping of several drone squads, a wild, booming laugh issuing from his lips as he put his dual heavy blasters to work, spinning in a circle, twisting this way and that to avoid electro bolts and clumsy punches the drones aimed his way. It was a tactic that Aurilius used well, trusting in his toughened armored exterior to shrug off the worst of any hits that may land true.
***
Romulus Falconer readied his sword as Vexxed circled back around for another strafing pass. Finding only a single target waiting for him this time though, the Air Warrior instead shifted into his natural humanoid form, crashing down amidst the rubble, flexing his claws as the barrel of his photon cannon began to glow an angry violet. A moment passed as the two opponents locked eyes, taking the measure of the other. Vexxed drew upon his practical experience from the war, while Romulus had vast volumes of knowledge available at the blink on an eye, curtesy of his time as the main curator of the Library of The One. Each waited for the other to make the first move.
***
Gravity Corecode knew his role when he volunteered to become a White Knight and join Swordana's quest beyond the Gate of Revelation and it wasn't to be a frontline fighter. As a master of energy manipulation it was his place to convert regular energy for other specialized uses and apply his skills as a medic, saving the existence of his compatriots. Gravity had already been hanging back, keeping out of the way as the three larger bots did what they did best when engaging the drone soldiers, but when they were attacked by a through-and-through true Deceiver Gravity ran for cover, calling upon his vast stores of knowledge and experience to increase his movement speed, running from one covered location to the next, avoiding drone patrols, looking for and taking advantage of every available opportunity to approach one of his team mates to work his magic and dispense a burst of healing repair.
***
Swordana dashed down a side street, making short work of a drone squad blocking her progress with a great swirling slash of her relic blade. Her experiences during the war had allowed her to hone her skills to a razors edge, but nothing could have prepared her for the abominations of facing off against drone soldiers possessing only a fragment of code within them. They reacted differently, slower, weaker, yet with a oddly jilted movement. This allowed one to land a glancing yet telling blow upon her just as the Eternity Blade bisected it. This unexpected sting of pain was an unfortunate distraction, for it caused Swordana to focus her attention inward instead of her surroundings, leaving enough of an opening for a shadow to slip around behind her. The only warning the White Knight commander had was the whisper-ring of twin blades singing through the air in a deadly downward slash as Sonique dropped towards her quarry.
***
Aurilius grunted in pain as another searing blast of electricity slipped past his defenses, his grim smile beginning to slip as he realized that perhaps he'd bitten off far more than he could chew this time around. His twin blasters packed a devastating punch when well maintained by a weapons master such as himself, but his brutal application of putting them to purpose could overtax even their expert craftsmanship, cutting their effectiveness nearly in half. While his initial barrage had been blindingly effective he hadn't been expecting a literal hoard to converge on his location. While Aurilius could withstand far more punishment that your average Bot, the sheer weight of firepower directed at him was taking its toll. The light at the end of the tunnel was that the crowd finally appeared to be thinning, yet the question remained of what would give out first: his blasters, his armor, or the enemy forces?
***
Romulus lunged forward at the same time as Vexxed, their pounding strides tearing up the pavement of the street below as the distance between the opponents shrunk. At the very last second, several things happened all at once. Vexxed raised his arm mid-stride and fired his photon cannon at Romulus' chest. The blast would have struck home with devastating effect had Romulus still been there, but drawing upon programmed training and tactics, he'd already ducked down, sliding along the ground on one knee, the broad blade of his sword swinging to slice Vexxed cleanly in two at the waist. Unfortunately for him, Vexxed had expected this move, the photon blast meant to force him into the maneuver. The fact that Romulus had done so of his own free will merely meant that he was prepared for an alternate angle of attack, yet Vexxed was more than willing to accept some pain if it meant he could cause some in exchange. Vexxed leaped, spinning in midair as his barbed talons raked at Romulus, striking the Valiant in the shoulder while the broadsword sliced a deep gash along the Deceiver's leg. Both warriors rolled with the impact, Romulus with the added surprise of ejecting three symbiotes from his person. The two falcons immediately began to circle in the air, raining down fire on Vexxed with their light blasters while Diode Powercharge leapt behind cover before turning his own blaster pistol on the wicked Air Warrior. Romulus hoped the distractions would be enough as he readied himself for delivering his next blow.
***
Aurilius lay on the ground, his limbs refusing to respond to his repeated commands to move. There were only two drones remaining, both damaged yet still capable of more function than himself. He grit his teeth and tried once again to squeeze the trigger of one of his blasters yet all he succeeded in doing was dropping the weapon. His last sliver of hope extinguished, Aurilius glared defiantly at the two mindless automatons, preparing himself for this, his first of ends on the material plane. His surprise was absolute when a stray photon blast punched through the torso of one of the drones, its remains falling against its companion, knocking it off balance. The remaining drone pushed itself back up and was about to make a second attempt on Aurilius when a peppering of light blaster fire stitched across its thinly armored shell. A weak point was exploited for with a shower of sparks and garbled blurt of static the final drone soldier collapsed to the street below. Aurilius gathered the strength to turn his head. A blur of white crossed his vision before appearing above him, looming over his head.
"I hope you don't make a habit of this." Gravity scolded his prone companion before crouching over a damaged panel on Aurilius' midsection and quickly put his tools to work repairing the components within. Aurilius bit back a sarcastic response and left the smaller Bot to his far less violent yet no less necessary work.
***
Swordana spun to the side, keeping the Eternity Blade between herself and her opponent. Sonique may have had a much shorter reach but her movements were lightning quick, dashing in for one or two rapid strikes before leaping back from the answering swings of the great relic sword. Both pausing to take the measure of the other, Sonique exploited the lull to eject the pair of Symbiotes she'd had accompany her on this mission. Vulture and Vampire both took up flanking positions around Swordana, forcing her to divide her attention. The metal gargoyles began to pepper her with shots from their internal blasters. Each laser blast was weak, the possibility of them causing any real damage negligible, yet Swordana was lightly armored, depending more of her speed and agility to avoid damage. Even were that not the case their real purpose was to distract her from the real threat. Sonique smiled cruelly behind her armored mask as Swordana narrowed her eyes while angling her great sword to block the incoming laser fire as best she could. A coded hand signal informed Vampire of her intended maneuver. Vulture shifted position, increasing his weight of fire as Sonique stepped forward, drawing attention away from Vampire, allowing the miniature Bot to swoop in and dig its claws into her back, latching on as it began to feed off of Swordana's energy.
***
Vexxed snapped off another shot at the miniscule Bot hiding in the rubble, keeping an eye on Romulus as he flexed his claws. The falcons circling in the air above him were becoming more and more of a nuisance that needed to be addressed, yet the broadsword the Valiant host wielded kept him warry. Vexxed could tell the large white Bot was lacking practical experience yet balanced it out with far more knowledge of battlefield tactics than an opponent usually displayed, making him unpredictable.
The circling falcons were now truly getting on his nerves, one of their laser blasts finding a spot between his armor plating and burning a deep hole in a vital component. With a roar of pain Vexxed snapped off a photon blast into the sky, clipping Oscillator Fleetwing with enough force to cause the symbiote to crash down to the street below. The lucky hit the falcons had caused, coupled with the distraction of attacking the airborne Bots was all the influence Diode needed. Rushing around to the Deceiver's rear, the tiny Valiant jumped on Vexxed's back, pushing the barrel of his pistol into any gap in the much larger Bots armor he could find and squeezing the trigger over and over.
Romulus suppressed the urge to check on Oscillator, knowing he couldn't afford to squander the opening the small Bot had allowed him. All that was nearly undone as Diode bravely yet foolishly rushed the Air Warrior from behind. As Vexxed reached around his back with a snarl, ripping Diode away from where he had been latched onto, Romulus saw his opening and exploited it.
Vexxed began to squeeze, the barbed talons that were his fingers piercing the small white Bot's physical form, its howls of agony the sweetest music to his ears. Suddenly the blocky white Valiant host was before him, the hilt of his broadsword pressed to the armor of his chest, the end of the blade exiting through his back. With a yell of righteous fury Romulus yanked the blade upward, cleanly slicing up and out through the top of the Deceiver’s head.
Diode dropped to the ground in a pained crouch, injured yet still alive as the Deceiver toppled over backwards behind him very much not. As the dust began to settle about them, Romulus lifted Oscillator from where the winged Bot had fallen. The hit he had taken was a glancing one, but for a Bot with such a slight and delicate form it was more than enough to snuff out the spark of life. Knowing that the falcon's code was safely in the care of The One Romulus reverently folded in its wings and stored the metallic body away within a cavity in his own.
As Romulus turned back to check on Diode, something fell from the sky, bouncing off his shoulder before landing on the ground at his feet. With growing horror and no small amount of dread, Romulus recognized the form of Velocity Fleetwing lying in the dirt. Before he even had time to look up the massive form of ElectroTyrant crashed down on top of Diode Powercharge, the impact's thunderous boom drowning out the sound of crumpling metal as the tiny white Bot was flattened.
***
Swordana finally was gaining the upper hand. After falling backwards upon her blade, an action which had cut the vile symbiote in twain, the remaining one seemed more than happy to keep its distance while Sonique found herself with one less ally. Though she felt the ragged edges of exhaustion nipping at her heals, curtesy of Vampire’s energy draining attack, Swordana refused to acknowledge it, doubling down on her attacks against Sonique. The wicked Deceiver host Bot steadily lost ground under the withering fusillade of strikes, the Eternity Blade’s great reach keeping her from countering and returning blows, Swordana having transformed into a whirlwind of gleaming retribution.
Having studied the martial arts for centuries, Sonique could take the measure of a fighter after only a moment or two. While Swordana’s attacks were impressive in their speed and ferocity Soinque noticed a pattern in her attacks. Backing up another few steps to allow the White Knight the room to continue her press confirmed the suspicion. Sonique permitted herself a slight smirk, hidden though it was behind her mask. Now she had her. Just as Swordana finished her flurry of swings and prepared to begin again Sonique stepped into the void left in the pause’s opening.
Perfect.
As Sonique extended her twin sabers Swordana reversed the grip on her relic blade and swung it wide, smashing the broad flat of her sword into the Deceiver’s midsection, lifting her off her feet and driving her back. Flung far off balance, Sonique wheeled her arms as she stumbled backwards over the city street, tripping over fallen masonry until she slammed roughly against the side of a building. Half a second later she felt another impact from the front as the ancient Eternity Blade sliced a deep, mortal blow across her torso. The last thing the wicked Deceiver saw before her code slipped into the ether was the spikey winged Vulture flapping away in the distance.
***
Romulus backed up, putting distance between himself and ElectroTyrant. Thumbing a switch on his broadsword the weapon reconfigured itself into a blaster rifle. Confident as he was in his swordsmanship, Romulus was much more accomplished at ranged combat, especially when facing off against a Tyrant with the raw strength and power to rip him limb from limb.
As ElectroTyrant straightened from the crouch he had landed in a series of laser bolts began to strike his armor plating. Everything had been going more or less according to plan. Arrive on site, eliminate the local defenders, then his forces would deal with any reinforcements that showed up as he delt with retrieving the component he deemed would be beneficial to speeding up production in his drone factory. What he hadn't counted on was a group of Valiants newly arrived on Earth, each with augmentations granted specially by The One to each to throw a spanner into his plans. Luckily for him, he had his own Ace up his sleeve, to borrow a local term, and it was time for these Oh So Holy warriors to learn that simply having the favor of the creator did not guarantee victory. All he needed was a few moments and the tables would be turned.
Romulus continued to fire, ElectroTyrant's hateforged armor proof against each bolt of light. It wasn't until the Tyrant began to charge up his electrical accumulators that one of the Valliant’s shots got through his defenses. Grunting more in anger than pain, ElectroTyrant channeled a bit more energy than necessary before unleashing his own destructive blast. Romulus tried ducking behind the cover of a shattered building just a second too late, taking the full brunt of the blast which sent him tumbling end over end, finally coming to rest amongst the shattered remains of a grove of trees now reduced to kindling. The Falconer didn't know what surprised him more; the fact that he was still alive or that ElectroTyrant was the one now howling in pain instead of himself.
Summoning for more strength than it should require, Romulus lifted his head to behold the teal and purple Deceiver Tyrant being peppered with a rapid series of heavy blaster shots, Aurilius' unmistakable battle call sounding from somewhere off to his left. Arm shaking from the monumental effort, Romulus managed to raise his rifle and fire off a shot at ElectroTyrant. Though the recoil jerked the rifle from his hand the Falconer felt a small sense of pride that the laser beam managed to scratch the Tyrnat's paint work.
ElectroTyrant was falling under the influence that he rarely allowed himself to feel.
Rage.
Rage at a failed simple snatch and grab mission.
Rage at his drone forces being gunned down and hacked apart by these new upstarts.
Rage at the deaths of his Deceiver forces, driving them ever closer towards the madness of Infesterism and the cruel clutches of The Queen.
Rage that it seemed he would soon be taking one more step towards the same inevitable fate that awaited every Deceiver.
Rage that now saw him turning back towards the helpless White Knight lying in the dirt, the one that just didn't know when to die, ignoring the larger Bot that was lobbing shot after shot at him. Better the guaranteed kill than take a chance...
As ElectroTyrant began to charge up his accumulator arms, pointed his rod at Romulus, the Tyrant witnessed a strange sight; an arc of white flashing through one side of his vision, the singing ring of metal on metal, followed by the sensation of leaning over to his left as though he suddenly had become unbalanced.
The rage cleared away in an instant as he was struck by the realization that the arm which had held his disruption rod now lay on the ground, no longer part of his body, simply now a part. Swordana, having lept from the roof of the building behind ElectroTyrant, raised her blade and prepared to strike again, delivering the final blow. Fate, it seemed, had other plans. A sizzling arc of electricity seared into her back as ElectroTyrant's last remaining drone, the commander itself, trundled into view, its combat protocols instructing it to sacrifice itself to allow its master and creator to escape. It was an opportunity that ElectroTyrant wasn't going to squander, beating a hasty retreat to the sound of crumpling metal and failing servos.
***
Gravity Corecode knelt on the ground alongside Romulus effecting what repairs he could. It wasn't much, but at the very least his knowledge of energy flow allowed the Falconer to climb to his feet, if a bit unsteady at that. Silently his comrades, both looking far worse for wear handed over the second fallen falcon and Diode, Romulus storing their physical forms away for repair once they were able to return to their base.
Swordana cast her gaze across the shattered and smokey vista. Damaged buildings, overturned human vehicles, the cries for help from these helpless victims that hadn't asked for any of this. While humanity had brought many of their woes upon themselves, the level of devastation she now witnessed was completely unjustified. How much of all this was because of those who had passed through The Gate of Revelation, the gate which she herself had stood watch over as its commander and guardian for countless Millenia? She now began to feel the first inkling of what Ducal had been struggling with since first making landfall here in the physical realm.
Shaking her head to clear it of all but the present, Swordana suddenly recalled the primary mission of every last Valiant this side of the Gate: capture Deceivers alive for imprisonment. ElectroTyrant may be missing an arm but he was still functioning. Issuing a rallying cry the White Knight commander gathered her wounded forces to her and prepared to give chase to the fleeing Tyrant.
***
ElectroTyrant paused in his flight only long enough to pick up the lifeless form of Sonique and throw it over his remaining shoulder. It would be easier to repair a damaged form than build a new one from scratch, and with the King Gills and the blasted C.O.I.L.S. seemingly able to pluck random Deceiver codes from the ether to download into mechanical bodies under their control the sooner he got his second in command back into operating status the better he'd feel. Glancing out at the shining sea as he began moving again he allowed himself a wicked smile. The Ace up his sleeve proved genuine afterall.
***
As the remaining White Knights came to the edge of the city and got their first clear view of the ocean the experience was tarnished as blaster fire was hurled their way, forcing them to retreat and take cover behind the taller buildings. Stomping, rolling and flying out of the ocean and arraying themselves on the beach was a strike force of Atlantican Aircraft, Tanks and several large mechs under the command of Baron Nautilus.
Were Swordana's forces undamaged and at full strength she would feel confident in taking on such a challenge. As they now stood though, some just barely, this was an unwinnable scenario. Aurilius caught her eye and lifted a heavy blaster pistol in salute to her, signaling that he was willing to pay the price, the others following suit in turn, knowing that this was what they had volunteered for. A price that would be paid. One that, in her moment of grim determination, Swordana decided wouldn't be paid today. Not if she could do anything to prevent it. The wise leader knows when to call for aid.
Reaching behind her to the small of her back Swordana retrieved the signal gun that had been given to her by Chopper, raised it to the sky and fired off the glaring red flare. Let those from the deep face off against the combined might of the righteous White Knights and the penitent Trasher barbarians. The Atlanticans would be taught a costly lesson this day.