by Max Jager
His retirement. This was what he wanted now. All Alerius wanted was for this mission to be over just like Korzen!
"It might not be for long but it'll be enough. More then I have experience for forty years! I don't care what they do to the galaxy anymore! They can burn the stars down and torch the gates of Heaven for all I care. If they leave me in peace, I will be content till my dying day. I will rest in peace! The hellion forces agreed that if I joined them I would have one mission and one mission only. This being it."
He wouldn't stop! Alerius knew this. He also knew that he himself would also never stop. The more Alerius thought about Korzen's and his own situation, he began to see striking similarities. Alerius had a cold sweat form on his brow. Was he becoming like Yellow Korzen? Would he too let his emotions kill his service to duty?
"Agent Red Firius, if you don't want to listen to me on anything, that's fine. I didn't really expect understanding from a youngster like you. Just remember one thing, one thing. If you believe nothing I've said, believe this!"
"The mission is nothing or everything. There is no in between. You have to decide what is more important to you. The mission or everything else! You will learn one day that once you have chosen you can't go back. Its not up to me to decide, it's up to you. If you don't want to end up like me though then don't go with the mission. I did it for all my life. Put the mission ahead of the more important things I should have really been concentrating on. Now, I'm free."
Alerius knew that Korzen had let his emotions overrule the mission. It had driven him insane. Alerius knew that the mission was all that mattered. Korzen's mission had become his crazy feelings. Alerius would not let that happen to him. The mission! It's all that mattered.
Alerius was not remembering Lire's words or that Korzen was still sane at the time. Alerius was just too influenced by Korzen's traitorous act and too stubborn to Aurela's charms to see it.
He was so alone and he was too bullhead to realize that staying that way could cost him everything! The military, the universe, his life, Aurela! He remembered Korzen's words before they had finally considered each other enemies. Before the two great warriors had finally crossed their own lines in the sand. When Alerius had made his choice. "The mission. Sad choice agent."
Aurela twitched again in her sleep and then suddenly awoke startled and scarred out of her mind! She sat straight up on the bed still with the Steed's shotgun close to her bosom. Alerius quickly turned his attention to her. He figured she had had a bad dream or something. Suddenly, a hard tremor shook the building and both of them about crashed to the floor. Aurela swung her head toward the window behind Alerius. "Korzen! He's here!"
Alerius turned around to face the window and there was a very unwelcoming sight! A huge beast-like cannon barrel was about ten feet away from the window. Alerius's eyes grew wide with fear! A shot of adrenalin had surged through his body causing his muscles to spasm!
Alerius quickly grabbed Aurela by the arm and swung her into the bathroom. The cannon fired and the entire apartment was blown out. The explosion was massive. The floor caved in and the entire wall framing of the room was gone. There was no more room, just the small bathroom which now somewhat hung in midair connected to a wall from the other room down the hall.
Korzen popped out of the turret and yelled across the destroyed apartment. "FFFOOOOOOOOX!"
Alerius had Aurela in a vise-like hug and was hiding behind a doorframe. He quickly poked his head out and looked at his agent nemesis. Alerius could see the new changes very clearly even from a distance. He rolled his head back inside and began talking to himself. "Korzen? My god, what the hell happened to you?"
Aurela answered him. Her voice still beautiful then ever but shaken and filled with a disturbing tone. "He's like them. He's one of them. Soon he will be complete and no weapon we have or can gain will be enough to stop him!"
Alerius then heard Korzen's voice. He heard the change in it too. The darker more evil roughness to it. It was downright demonic. "FFFFFFOOOOOOOOOOOX! COOOOOOOOME OOOOOOOUT!"
Alerius tilted his head just a bit. Not enough to be seen but enough to be heard. "What happened to you Korzen?"
Korzen looked down at himself knowing full well what Alerius was talking about. "I've…"Korzen stopped and took a momentary pause. He thought of a clever reply. "had an upgrade."
Alerius let out a sigh of discontent. The old Korzen he had known was completely gone. For the first time since this whole doomed mission had began he agreed full heartedly with Aurela. He was one of the hellion forces now and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.
Alerius saw that Aurela still had The Turquoise Steed's shotgun. He pried it loose from her grip and pushed her farther away against the wall. So if the big cannon fired again maybe she wouldn't be harmed. He took aim with the shotgun right at Korzen. He pulled the trigger and a burst of green light came from the barrel of the shotgun. Alerius retracted back behind the doorframe knowing full well he hadn't even hit the traitor agent.
A bright blast of green plasma exploded right next to Korzen's head. He twitched away from it. He looked at were it had exploded and a somewhat black, charred patch was left on the tank. "What was that Firius? A futile attempt at a headshot? huh?"
Alerius twisted his head again so he could be heard but not seen. "No, I just thought maybe you'd like to see The Turquoise's shotgun in action again."
Korzen's head slightly jerked. His eyes squinted with disbelief. "Your bluffing."
Alerius decided to egg him on. Maybe he could get him to make a mistake. He doubted it but it had worked before back on Scalobore. He had gotten him so worked up that he went on a rant and Alerius had gotten away. He wondered if it would work again.
"What other weapon do you know fires rounds like that? What other gun has an impact like that? What other…"
"ENOUGH!"
"Why did you do it Korzen?"
Korzen looked down for a minute and then looked back at the destroyed room. He had this twisted grin on his face. Almost as if the words he was going to say were going to taste as sweet as candy. "The same reason I'm going do it now!"
He jumped back down into the turret and shut the top cover. He rotated the barrel over to the bathroom and was about to fire.
Alerius looked around for an escape route. Something, anything! The barrel stopped and was directed right at the opening into the bathroom. Alerius had no choice! He saw all the way down to the second floor because the floor of the apartment was gone along with a story or two of the building!
Alerius had Aurela tight and jumped right off the edge of the bathroom floor. When he did it was like slow motion. Him and Aurela were both in midair when the explosion hit the bathroom! The blast radius was huge and all the debris that was launched out of it covered them.
Alerius suddenly felt gravity take hold and dragged them both down to the second floor. When they landed Alerius rolled along with Aurela. They were separated from each other and were lost in the smoke and debris kicked up by the explosion.
Meanwhile, half of the top layer of the building was now gone and this huge wide gapping hole was now blown into the building. All of it laid on the ground or inside the building a smoking pile of rubble. Which Alerius and Aurela were almost right at ground zero.
Alerius was the first to get up and through the smoke, found Aurela a little to his left. He made sure she was okay but she was extremely shaken. He grabbed her and they both began to find their way through the cloudy debris.
The smoke was almost cleared when Korzen saw that nothing of Alerius nor Aurela was left. He heard Soren's voice come into the turret. "I think you got them!"
Korzen slightly growled at the driver. "No body, no death."
The tank eased its way into the hole and Korzen was starring down into the dark, rubble filled building looking for any hint of survival by the young agent. All he saw though was the last remnants of dust and debris. Korzen tilted the cannon side to side looking for any signs. Scan
ning the wreckage.
Little did he know that Alerius and Aurela had found their way to the underground parking lot of the apartment building. Alerius knew that the ship had to be done by now. Question was how to get there? The only vehicle in the whole lot was a hover bike. It looked fast but he wondered where the keys were. He approached the bike and saw that the keys were still in the ignition. He figured that the bike belonged to the owner of the building and he probably wasn't going to be needing it anymore.
Alerius hopped on the bike and got somewhat accustom to it. It was almost identical to the one back on Scalobore he had made that crazy rush with on Magna-Fusa Bridge. This one though had long V-handle bars on it. That was about were the difference stopped. Aurela was a little bit more skeptical.
Alerius waved her on and she got on behind him. He handed the shotgun back to her. She wrapped her arms around him and put the shotgun across his lap still gripping it. Alerius couldn't help but get just slightly aroused by this situation and he cursed himself for it. He had to completely ignore everything that was going on now though. He had to start the bike up and fast.
He turned the key and like the bike before, it roared to life and hovered about five inches off the ground. Alerius swung the bike to the left and was now facing the exit of the garage. He revved the bike and told Aurela, "No matter what happens; don't let go of that shotgun!"
Aurela looked at him and with this solemn and almost blessed stair and said back, "Never."
Korzen was still scanning for them when he heard the hover bike kick over. He yelled at Soren, "Pull out!"
Soren down below made his feelings known. "Give me a break! Their dead!"
"Now!" Korzen screamed out. The spider tank quickly lunged out of the hole and hopped back onto the main road.
Korzen looked a little to his left and saw the exit to the underground parking lot. He aimed the cannon for the exit and fired right at it!
Alerius saw the explosion and decided to go for broke! It was like slow motion again! He raced right through the gravel, cement, concrete, and God knows what else that was kicked up by the impact. The dirt and debris was heavy but not heavy enough to stop the speeding bike. Alerius and Aurela came blasting through the dark cloud and raced right onto the street. The spider tank was right behind them as they sped off down the road.
Korzen saw it all! His amazement only lasted for a quarter of a second. "After them!" The tank hissed this loud, metallic groan and lunged after the bike!
Alerius heard the tank and looked behind himself and Aurela. He saw the tank hopping on all four metal limbs after him and Aurela. It was like a giant, leaping spider and not even the bike was fast enough to elude it. Alerius had to out maneuver the fast giant behemoth. He took a left, down a narrow alleyway and ripped through the drawn puddles and street trash.
The tank swung to the left pivoting the mass on the four, tall, metal pillars right into a building. Alerius stopped at the first cross section of the alleyway and heard this rumbling inside of a building over his left shoulder. Both of them looked at the building and saw these fast moving cracks snake their way up and down the brick wall of the structure.
Aurela looked at it and said in this falsely calm voice, "Maybe its just a demolition crew?"
Alerius had this frightful sneer slide onto his face. "Yeah, ours!"
Suddenly the tank blasted through the wall and one of the pillar sized metal legs crashed down right next to the bike. Alerius revved the bike and tore down the rest of the alleyway. The tank exploded forth with another lunge blowing out the sides of the buildings to the left and to the right of it. Alerius was not only racing to get away from the tank but the falling cascade of brick and plaster proceeding it!
Alerius raced onto another street and slide the bike to the right. The bike's back hover plate made a warble of sound from the hard turn much like a normal bike's back tire would have squealed from the maneuver. The bike came mere inches from jolting right into a building on the side of the road.
The tank followed swiftly behind! Exploding out of the alleyway like a giant hammer! Blasting huge plum clouds of rubble from the destroyed buildings behind it. It lunged to its right and began to pounce down the street! Leaving the road a broken and battered layer of its former self.
Alerius was grateful there were no people on the roads and hardly no vehicles either. Everybody had probably been evacuated which meant that the authorities would be coming soon.
Alerius kept racing down the road but the tank was gaining! The tank made another leap but this one was different. All four of its legs extended outward in midair and plowed into the top floors of four buildings! It loomed up high like a massive, unstable attachment to the buildings. Small debris clouds came from the tips of the legs because the tank was about to fall but it was hanging there just the same!
It then made a lunge from its high altitude position! It flew through the air just like a gigantic battleship! Alerius stopped the bike to listen better to this strange sound. What he heard was the loud whistle of the wind behind him not seeing the tank make its aerial launch!
Suddenly the tank plowed into the ground about fifty feet in front of him! Alerius swung his head to the front of the bike and looked at the tank in a very surprised fear! His heart jumped about five beats and Aurela was just in a stunned awe. The left cannon began to move and Alerius revved the bike. He swung into another alleyway and a tremendous blast went off behind him. He just missed the explosion's aftermath by about five feet!
Korzen meanwhile was irate about it. He stomped on the floor and yelled out at the driver, "What the hell, keep going, he's not dead yet!"
The tank shifted quickly the way Alerius took off and plowed through the buildings lining the alleyway. The one on the left was about to fall down anyway from the huge tank shell Korzen put into the lower side of it.
The bike flew down the alleyway and the tank followed right behind it. Buildings blasted out and rubble rained down torrentially from the tank. It was a machine of destruction and by now ten percent of the city had been demolished.
The bike then reached the end of the alleyway and flew out onto another street. Unfortunately, so did the tank. It again blasted through two buildings turning them into rubble. It bounded onto the street and began to follow Alerius once again.
Alerius was looking for an escape of some kind when just up ahead he saw a small road block. He saw about five armored cars all with heavy gun mounts. He heard a man's voice come from the blockade. "This is Heavy Arsenal City Defense Blockade Squad…"
Alerius raced past the blockade and looked back. He saw their attention immediately go at the tank. They didn't even try to communicate with Korzen. They just opened fire. He saw a slew of bullets ricochet off the tank as he turned down another street to his left.
What he didn't see was the tank stop as the heavy guns blazed away at the monstrous metal behemoth. The tank made a loud metal whine as the cannon Korzen manned aimed in on the blockade. Korzen fired and the entire blockade was wiped out! The armored cars were thrown into the air along with the officers in them. Engulfed by fire and torn up road. Some of the officers on the ground were killed instantly while others were buried alive and trapped by hundreds of pounds of street debris.
The tank jumped over the demolished section of road and continued its rampage after Alerius. Meanwhile, Alerius and Aurela both knew that they were getting close to the repair shop. They only had about half-a-mile left of road to cover. However, half-a-mile probably seemed like an eternity to them with the giant, monstrous spider tank still hunting them down.
As it still chased after them, fighters came swooping down after the tank! One of the pilots of the ships tried to communicate with Korzen. "This is…"
That was all Korzen let him get out as he set the crosshairs of the display right on the ship. Korzen pulled the trigger back and the fighter became a burning rain of metal. The other ship looped down in front of the tank and turned. It began to unload its own hostile
payload. Two missiles smacked right into the front two legs of the tank slowing it down to a stop. It lumbered off balance but that was it. The two legs had huge black marks on the armor but that was the total disfiguration to the lumbering war machine. The massive tank was too armored to be stopped by the fighter's missiles. Suddenly, the small battleship let loose with a spray of bullets from two high-powered guns underneath the cabin. The bullets did nothing to the tank. All they seemed to do was make Korzen more mad.
Korzen set the crosshairs on the ship and blew it out of the sky. Like its comrade, it also went down in a burning mass of fire. The tank pounced over it and continued its pursuit of Alerius and Aurela.
Korzen took two shots at the ground aiming for Alerius's bike. Two gigantic holes were left in the ground but the bike raced through the carnage unscathed. Korzen had missed both times. He was now getting really upset at Alerius's precision driving with the hover bike. A couple of times one of the legs of the tank almost crushed Alerius it got so close. Every time though Alerius would pull away somehow avoiding the armored monster.