Difference between revisions of "The Adventures of Mavus Pt. VI"

Revision as of 23:52, 18 May 2020

Chapter 35 - Amana's Crazy Plan

"So we're just going to let Mogul stroll up to Corinth?" Sam's face looked incredulous. The guy really buffed up. I guess his mission with Jason and Merrow was a success because the guy became even more jacked than before.

From what I heard in the mission briefing, Sam regained Sentry, and during his time without Sentry, his Decen reincarnation powers had reawakened. So the dude had both Darkfire and Regeneration. That was as meta as it could get. Jason's katana was also restored, and upgraded. It probably had something to do with Sentry returning.

Amana put her hands together. "Yeah. We're going to lure him into Corinth and close the seal, trapping him with reinforcement magic." She turned to Lazarus.

Lazarus looked at me. "Do you remember what Mogul said, about New Croft being a front for the Pit of Corruption? I suspect that Mogul might be linked to it, and without the Pit, we might be able to take him on."

I wasn't convinced. "But how are you going to deal with the Pit? That thing is crazy! I don't think a little runes could do much to it."

"Wow, you're not very faithful in your mage elders." Said a familiar voice. Robert Caliburn stood up. He gave Lupine a look of approval. "Leave that to me. You should work on trying not to let your girlfriend steal your spotlight kiddo."

I looked at Junon. Junon's growth with the Achilles Boost was crazy. During one of our training sessions, Junon managed to hold her own against Sam's Form 5 (yeah, he got a new form). You might be wondering how that was even possible. Junon went from unpowered to Tier Zero in like a few days. The thing was, Junon had already gotten such a crazy good base from years of fighting without powers, that once she received them, it was none other than an expansion from her current skillset. I guess she really was worthy. Not that I was jealous or anything...

Sam smashed his fists together, causing a burst of black and blue flames. I jumped. "I'm looking forward to having a crack against Mogul. He's got a lot to pay back for what he has done to Decen and our remnants."

Jason didn't seem to like the way his protege called him his remnant. I held back a snicker. "Mogul is going to be one hell of a being to take down. Even with Junon, Mavus, and Sam. We're talking about a god who slaughtered most if not all the Paladins. And we're not even talking about the fact that the New Militia is going to be backing him up too."

Lazarus cut him off. "Nope. This is why this mission also involves rescuing another Tier Zero metahuman." He turned to me, and it felt like my heart began beating faster.

"Aaron." Lazarus smiled. "We owe him for what he had done for us."

"Hold on. We're still forgetting the fact that her most annoying highness, Calliope isn't going to be sitting idly by. Mavus mentioned that she momentarily changed?"

Lazarus frowned. "I know. Leave Calliope to me and Jason." Jason gave him a nod. Lazarus continued. "I knew all along. A part of Calliope is still in there. I'm not going to rest until I get her back."

Kyrael dug her dagger on the planning table. "The Inquisition will assist in evacuating the prisoners in the Capita. When the final battle comes, we will stand by Darkstar's side."

Marcus stood up. "The Street Angels will not sit idly by either. They got Nigel, Aaron, and Jericho. We're gonna give the New Militia everything they got coming for them for betraying the Angels."

I was so freaking lost. "Wait wait wait. Hold it, what is happening. Can someone start off from the top. I'm so lost guys. Come on!" Junon elbowed me, but Amana laughed.

Amana explained the plan from the start.

The first thing to do was to rescue Aaron and the others. This meant a squad including Lazarus would be responsible for extraction. Junon and I were going to set up a distraction, to lure most of the forces away. Knowing Calliope, she would eventually descend to end the fight. That was where Blackflame, Jason, Merrow, Amana, Trill and Lupine would jump in, holding off Calliope. Reya, Joust, and Ferris would assist Kyrael's forces in taking down any calvary that might try to flank Junon and I.

Once Aaron had returned to the Fortress, the Street Angels will lure Mogul to the portal while Lazarus and Caliburn would work on weakening the Pit of Corruption in an effort to weaken Mogul.

From then on would be the endgame. There was no chance that Mogul would bring in his army, this would be where Kyrael's remaining forces would aid us in the final battle.

So basically we were about to go to war.

Chapter 36 - Well then.

I walked with Junon back to our room, it was evening. That was probably the longest meeting I ever had.

"How's Hannah?" Junon asked me. I looked at the courtyard, seeing Hannah handing out clothes to the refuges, aided by Steel. I guess Steel loved kids too, who knew?

"She's doing okay. I told her we're going to spring Aaron. She'll be seeing her boyfriend in no time."

Junon smiled, but her expression was troubled again. Uh oh. "Umm, did I do something wrong?" She shook her head.

"Not really. But do you mind telling me why you've been keeping what the seer told you a secret?"

Damn sleep talking! I wish there was medication for this. "What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean."

I sat down next to her. "I never brought it up because I needed to focus on what was in front of me. You can't do much about fate. Just gotta keep moving forward, you know? Like what you always tell me."

Junon scooted closer to me. "You seem pretty okay about dying." My eyes went wide. "No! I mean. I don't mean it like that. I'm just trying to ignore it... Of course I'm not okay with this."

Junon's eyes were turning red. I really did it this time. "Look, I just. I never thought that my role would be that. Junon, the last thing I want is to leave you all alone." Junon didn't say anything. She looked at the jacket that I had hanging on the wall, then the window. The countless stars.

"I wish we had more time. More time together. I always wondered what it was like to have a guy propose to me."

I stared at the window too. "Yeah. Wait what?"

She looked at me. "You're twenty six, Mavus. We're both adults. I just thought... forget it."

I never thought about it like that. I guess I really was immature for my age. I spent so long being an egotistical maniac that I had completely forgotten what it was like to grow up for once. What even was my end goal anymore? I only joined the Inquisition to impress Junon and hopefully score a date. We went far beyond that now. Having been in battle together for so long, being there for each other. I guess I could kind of see where she was going at this, but it still felt... fast. I didn't imagine myself ever going this far, to the point where I would even be thinking about that.

Damn.

"Mavus, what is your end goal in life?" I looked at Junon, her cyan eyes regarding mine. "I, don't really know. I guess maybe leaving a mark on this world? I was a Tier Zero metahuman, but no one even knew I existed or what I was. I was just a government secret. In a way, I always contemplated my own existence."

I realized I had just said that out loud. Junon laughed. "A mark huh?"

I raised my eyebrow. "What's so funny about that? Don't you want to leave a mark too? We're both engineers. Isn't that a dream we should both aspire to?"

Junon turned back to the window. "The world is different now. I just don't think we can leave a mark something like that. But... I had a different idea for a mark."

I stared at her. "Huh? I'm not following." She turned to me. "Wow, you really are oblivious. I'm talking about a legacy. Your legacy."

"My... legacy."
"Our legacy."

Suddenly it hit me. "Whoa there, um... let's slow it down a bit. I mean, haha, don't you think we're approaching this a little too fast?" I was really hoping what she meant wasn't what I thought.

"You don't want to? It's okay if you don't feel up to it." Junon leaned back. My heart was beating at world record pace. It wasn't the fact that I didn't want to, but just how surreal this conversation was. She was trying to hide it, but I could sense her disappointment.

I was going to die, and leave her behind. She wanted something to remember me by. But at the same time, how would he or she feel? Living life without a father?

"I know it's selfish... I just. I'm just not ready to say goodbye." Junon sobbed, burying her face in my chest. I put my hand on her head, stroking her hair. I remembered meeting her in person, who despite my hardest to be the hero and impress her, she was always the one impressing me. Always the one being there for me when the going got rough. We were always there for each other. I remembered all the times she would roll her eyes at me being stupid, or my unfunny jokes.

No one had put up with me like that. Not my parents, not the suits.

"Hey." I said. I looked Junon in the eye. I saw my own reflection in her tears. My face had grown since the day I joined the Inquisition. My eyes, cyan, just like hers, now aged from battle. Maybe this was a dumb idea. Maybe I was being stupid and unethical with this. But screw it. I was going to give my life to protect everybody here. Let me be selfish, just one last time.

Chapter 37 - We Completely Vandalize The Capita

"You two lovebirds ready?" Khione asked us. Veran raised his broadsword up high. "The final battle! We shall save these people once and for all!"

Truman freaked out. "Dude! You're going to break the chariot!"

The chariot dropped Junon and I off in Croft. The place looked like a magical fantasy world, well, if it hadn't been completely brutalized by some tyrant.

"Remember you two, just draw out as much forces as you can. Don't destroy the whole place!" Amana called out to us. Yep. No promises though.

I suited up into Revision 8, while Junon encased herself in Achilles Energy. She flew up. I nodded at her. Junon held out her hands, and the turrets all around suddenly glowed cyan, ripping out of their supports and into the air. The guys who were watching over the place stared at us. "Seriously?" Junon's powers were insane. I always thought she would be some kind of Blue Lantern ripoff, but apparently she was way beyond that. She was a telekinetic too, her powers probably putting Sharon's to shame.

A bunch of mages showed up, preparing their spells. I lifted my hand, revealing R8's Hyperthreaded AoE Repulser. A wide beam of cyan light fired from the palm of my hand, sending all twenty of the mages into the side of the building.

The alarms went off. Junon flew around the castle, firing mini asteroids at the sides. I activated my thrusters and followed suit, bombarding the sides with mini versions of my missiles, taking out the structures with explosions.