Closer to Home (Custom world quest)

[John Connor]

Connor waited near the village gate to see who would join him on this mission. Shinku and another strange man he hadn't seen before joined him. "Who are they?" Connor asked.

The half terminator himself was an infiltration unit, which makes him an asset in a situation like this. Marcus has a few other soldiers who have more experience in covert operations.

Connor was silent and walked up to Bipid, Shinku’s student, shaking his hand. “It’s nice to meet one of your students, Shinku.

“Am I correct he’s one of your best students?” Connor clasped his hands behind his back, almost straightening his back in response.

General Connor couldn't help but eye Bipid lightly and shakes his hand "I trust you made the right decision, Shinku. We'll need all the help we can get on this mission since one of our members is out for now. "

Connor sighed and looked around the area for a second and nodded. "How far can you two get in without alerting the mercenaries? I can serve as a distraction for the time being to keep the sniper off you two enough to get you and Bipid since you are the fastest two out of the bunch.

Marcus frowned "Why are you putting yourself in needless danger, Connor, you need to be less of a target!"

Connor frowned “I’m trying to get you guys in and distract the main problem at hand, Marcus. Besides, they would be after me first.”

"You two will be after Shinku and Biped, keeping the other mercenaries busy while they get the mayor out safely. Once we get the mayor, we can pull back enough to finish the decisive battle here. “


Seconds turn into minutes as Connor's group marched forward while Shinku went on his own.

They heard nothing of the sort except dripping water coming from the cave entrance.

The mercenaries were waiting to hear noises from the outside from a fair distance away. How far were they from Connor’s actual soldiers and how many others did they bring? It was too quiet for them

One of the mercenaries kept the mayor's gag on trying to keep him quiet but one noise could alert anybody nearby.

The view from the opening showed nothing but darkness as several soldiers started their accent into the cave while Connor was pushed to the back. Bipid was with them, a little more nervous than before, eying the cave's outside section with unease. "I have a bad feeling about this."

A limited number of soldiers gathered around while Connor looked over at Marcus, Shinku and Bipid who were waiting for the leader's order. Their lives depended on his skill as a leader and commander and while he had prepped a plan beforehand, they say always have a backup plan in case that went to shit.

Connor took a breath and looked over, giving a light signal. "On my go-ahead."

Marcus grabbed his gun and was subtle keeping himself quiet as Shinku and Biped kept ahead. He quickly followed them, keeping to the shadows as quickly and quietly as he could.

Within, the strong mercenaries didn’t hear anything yet, not until Connor made his presence known by throwing a hand grenade in front of the hideout.


With the temporary distraction in place, the mercenaries were hidden with ever expansive smoke.

Within, the strong mercenaries didn’t hear anything yet, not until Connor made his presence known by throwing a hand grenade in front of the hideout. With the temporary distraction in place, the mercenaries were blown out from their hiding space. Holding their hands over their mouth, digging for their handkerchiefs to place over their mouth, they coughed for several minutes while Connor and the others aimed at them, the smoke from the resulting explosion enough to drag a few groups of mercenaries out.

When John and his soldiers tried to pull back and disengage the mercenary groups, he growled, "You want me, you fuckers."

The two mercenary groups were quickly pushed away from the cave by Connor's group, and Marcus turned to Shinku and Bipid before nodding at them.

As Shinku led the two of them, Marcus nodded and stopped when the mayor was found, Shinku was able to cut the chains and everything loose before nodding. “Just have to get him out and the battle can begin.”

“You see Marcus, Bipid and Shinku yet?” John yelled in a commanding voice. A few soldiers held their guns close in hand. "Nothing yet, sir!". John yelled in his commanding voice "You see Marcus, Bipid and Shinku yet?!" A few soldiers held their guns close in hand "Nothing yet, sir! Wait, I hear noises."

Seconds turned into minutes, and it was worrying Connor. After a few minutes, a few rocks cracked, and Marcus showed up in time with Bipid to smash them into dust.

When Marcus shook Connor's hand, Connor muttered under his breath, “About damn time, Captain. The mayor’s safe but... Shinku’s still in there.” Connor bit his tongue, “We can’t leave without them!” Marcus frowned. “Worry about the battle at hand, Connor. Shinku can handle himself.”

Connor gritted his teeth "I can't leave anyone behind!". His face was scrunched in anger, worried about Shinku's timing.

, New in Town with Shinku
6960+851=7830/10000

 

[Shinku]

Shinku’s student arrived at the gate after most of the soldiers. He approached awkwardly, suffering the doubtful gaze of the men from afar. He was but a peasant, after all, clothed in a woolen coarse clothing which belonged to the best wardrobe he had. His face was weathered by years of toil under the scorching sun and harsh winters, his weapon merely that of a hunter's tool. If there's one thing he could brag though, it was his well-built physique that he obviously earned from years of hard labor.

"That one is Bipin, one of my students in swordsmanship," finally, the voice of his master consoled him, which he immediately saw standing right next to Connor. Bipin smiled warmly upon getting introduced, but quickly lowered his gaze seeing the soldier's disapproving looks. “And yes, he’s my best student,” Shinku added, slightly causing the man to raise his chin as he walked closer to his master's side. What he did not expect was Connor's offer of a handshake, which he immediately responded to.

“I’ll do my best,” Bipin politely interjected, dipping his chin in front of Connor. Somehow, Connor's acknowledgement of Bipin cleared the critical glares of the other soldiers. He then stepped back, blending himself with the other participants of the mission, his confidence raised since he walked in.

"So what's our plan?," Shinku then addressed Connor, mindful of the little time they had. He eyed the soldier intently, accenting his resolve in the mission. An audible silence followed as everyone waited for the commander's briefing.

Shinku was slightly taken aback when Connor asked the speed he'd be able to get inside the hideout. He's fully confident about his skills in covert infiltration but having Bipin with him was a different story. While he was able to see the man's potential in swordsmanship, he has no idea of the man's stealth capabilities. Though he'd have to admit that infiltrating a group with a couple of elite warriors did warrant him a companion, Bipin alone would not suffice. To his relief, however, Marcus seemed to have the intention of joining him.

"Well, if we have Marcus with us, and you distracting the bandits, our chances of quickly getting the mayor out could increase by a lot," Shinku affirmed while glancing at Marcus, who seemed to have nodded in agreement. He stared back at Connor, as the commander affirmed their roles, nodding from time to time and keeping ears locked on his briefing.

Bipin on the other hand seemed to grow uneasy as the briefing progressed. He'd never expected to be part of such a mission, and even less to infiltrate the bandits that they had feared for so long. While the idea of doing something for the village was thrilling at first, knowing that he's getting his life at risk sent shivers down his spine. Nevertheless, he consoled himself with the fact that he was doing it for those he loved.

After a few more reminders from Connor, the group departed for the rescue mission. Shinku went ahead through his shadow portal while Bipin stayed with the soldiers. He weaved through the forest, like a shadow in the night, his feet barely touching the ground as he dashed through a portal, one after another. Soon, he found himself at the edge of the forest, where he could once again see the entrance to the bandits' hideout. This time though, the activity inside the place seemed to have dwindled since his last visit.

'Sometimes danger lurks when the water is calm,' the voice of Orochi suddenly hissed in his mind, sending a cold chill down his spine.

'That's what I'm afraid of. We might be here at the wrong time,' he mumbled after breathing a sigh of relief. No matter how often the shadow demon spoke to him, it still never failed to give him a moment of fright.

'Perhaps, but perhaps not. They're probably planning something. And from the looks of it, they're confident that they can do it without fail,' the demon continued, its sly tone echoing inside his mind.

'They might have all the reason to be confident,' Shinku responded, but more of an inner pondering than a reply to the demon's words. He could still sense the presence of a massive bandit inside, but their movements have drastically changed since last time.

'They sure have a number of strong men with them. You can't imagine how much I am drooling right now, just thinking how tasty they could be! But you know how an army falls when the leader thinks that his plan is without fail," Orochi hissed once again in his usual scheming tone. Though he wasn't physically present, Shinku could somehow imagine the shadow demon slithering around his body. 'Ah, and before I forget, I think I promised you a gift,' the shadow demon continued before the figure of a black snake emerged right from Shinku's back and swiftly bit the assassin of shadows in the neck.

'What was that supposed to...' Shinku grunted as a sudden pain shot through his head, significantly paralyzing his whole body. He fought hard to keep his consciousness but for nought, as it took only seconds for him to slip out of consciousness and fall to the ground. As if on cue, his shadowsteed suddenly appeared out of the shadows and stood right beside its unconscious master.

Shinku eventually regained consciousness, feeling the nudge from his shadowsteed. He jerked up, trying to gather his thoughts and make sense of whatever happened to him. He had to push the thought aside, however, upon sensing the arrival of Connor's group. Finally regaining his senses, he stepped into his shadows and reemerged right beside Connor.

"Be careful, I have a feeling that they're expecting our arrival," Shinku whispered behind the commander's ear immediately, upon appearing among the soldiers. "Do you still plan to proceed? If so I'll be taking Marcus and Bipin with me now and wait for your signal."

At Connor's approval, Shinku went ahead and led Bipin and Marcus to a safe path towards the hideout. They, however, had to temporarily hide themselves behind a thicket of bushes until Connor could draw out the bandits and allow them to more safely infiltrate.

A sudden explosion alerted Shinku. “It started, get ready,” he whispered, keeping his eyes open at the ruckus that started in front of the bandits’ hideout.

“Never been more ready than today,” Marcus affirmed, waiting for Shinku to lead them in the hideout. Bipin simply nodded, still a bit uneasy around the two.

After the smoke settled, a multitude of bandits rushed out of the opening like a rampaging mob of beasts. Their focus on the ruckus gave the opportunity for Shnku’s group to finally make their way inside. Accessing an alternate route, Shinku led the others stealthily inside the cave, having to hide from time to time whenever a couple of bandits passed their way.

They continued to sneak inside, as Shinku recalled the route where he felt the Mayor’s presence was dragged to, the last time he spied on the place. Thankfully, most of the bandits were already on their way out, which saved the infiltrators’ group from any encounter. They followed what seemed like a spiral way down a narrow passage that was barely lit by wooden torches. Sensing a couple of guards ahead, Shinku had to enter his shadows to move ahead and silently knock them down. Bipin and Marcus followed shortly, whom he ushered further into an old dungeon room that stunk with the smell of rats and human feces.

"That must be him!," Marcus exclaimed, pointing at the only manned cell at the end of a long hallway. The door was partially open, revealing a dark figure that lay on a wooden bed, seemingly unconscious.

"Yes this is our mayor!," Bipin confirmed upon coming close enough to see the shackled old man. He was gagged, both his hands and feet bound by chains that connected to the wall of the cell.

With a few swings of his sword, Shinku was able to cut the chains, though the cuffs remained on the Mayor's limbs. Without wasting any time, Bipin quickly carried the mayor in his arms and nodded at the other two to proceed with their escape.

"Not so fast!," came a voice from the shadows within one of the cells. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, the figure of a slender tall man, both armed with daggers came into their view.

"You two get out of here. I'll deal with this one," Shinku demanded, stepping in front of his companions. He could barely detect the presence of the man, even with the bandit standing close to them.

"Oh really? You clearly don't know who you are dealing with," the bandit taunted, raising one of his daggers to lick its blade.

"Let's go now!," Marcus urged, as he rushed out of the dungeon, followed closely by Bipin who surprisingly ran quickly, given the load he carried.

As the two men ran, the bandit that stood inside one of the cells suddenly vanished into thin air. Unnerved, Shinku followed suit by stepping into his shadows. He reemerged right before the bandit's dagger could bury itself into Bipin's shoulder.

With a swing of his sword, he managed to deflect the bandit's dagger and cause his opponent to leap back.

"Oooh. So someone here can match my speed. Interesting!", the bandit remarked, eyeing Shinku with a sly grin. Once again his figure faded, only to reappear right behind the assassin of shadows. The bandit raised his daggers, thrusting both of them towards Shinku's neck.

In a blink of an eye, the assassin of shadows was able to swiftly duck, avoiding his opponent's attack. At the same moment, shadowed figures of snakes erupted from the ground behind the bandit's feet and dug their fangs into the poor man's flesh.

The moment of distraction allowed Shinku to turn and attack the bandit from below. The bandit managed to set his feet free from the shadow serpents’ bondage and defended himself from his opponent’s attack.

"Too slow mate!," the bandit mocked, as he blocked the sword with one of his daggers, then proceeded to thrust the other one into Shinku.

With his agility, Shinku managed to leap back just before the dagger could pierce his chest. Shinku’s eyes remained unfazed as it locked directly to his opponent.

“Ha! I like your confidence mate!,” the bandit chuckled, as he lunged forward with his daggers ready.

An exchange of strikes ensued between the two assassins, the bandit's face ever laced with a mocking grin until a sudden pain shot through his head. "What is this?," he grunted, his vision suddenly blurring out. He was still able to block another strike from Shinku, but failed to defend himself from another strike that came right through his neck.

Sensing the presence of several other bandits that rushed towards their location, Shinku decided to quickly retreat through his shadows. Confident that his companions had successfully escaped, Shinku went straight to the thicket where they hid earlier. Upon his arrival, he immediately saw Connor's retreating soldiers in the distance. He paused for a while to ensure that Bipin and the Mayor's presence were with them before deciding to finally leave the place. He cut down several bandits that trailed Connor’s retreating soldiers then rejoined the commander himself.

Words: 8,448 + 1,902 = 10,350 / 10,000
Quest: New in Town with John Connor

 

[John Connor]

Thank god you made it back." Connor seemed relieved about Shinku.

"It's now or never guys, we need to win this battle to end this war at least." Connor sighed; they had completed one task with the mayor safe. Now the priority is to win this war.

Just at that same time, a terminator nightmare flashed through Connor’s mind .

2029- Fighting a new war- Unmaking

Connor stood in his dream mind and blinked, standing in the midst of torn ground much like his old world he tried to save. Instead of the Earth he was used to, He found a new nightmare, terminators were being unmade, one by one, friends became enemies .

Connor stared out into the Crossroads windows, on a spaceship, specifically Ridley's own. Just who was he to win it all when the planets of the Crossroads would just fall like every other planet's Arbiters out there.

Connor squeezed the left fist where things sat. Who was he really? Was he the false prophet of the Crossroads too?”

Now he had to wonder if Karl Jak was right, and he was next on the target list.

John yelled in his dream " My name is JOHN CONNOR! THIS FATE IS NOT MINE! THIS IS NOT THE END!" With that he felt his body being shaken several times before he was slapped awake.

The terminator quickly snapped his head up "We have company, Connor, Marcus be on guard! The bandits are back." With that, he snapped up a gun he had on guard during the conversation as Connor and Marcus did the same. The village marksman was already ahead of schedule and began firing on the bandits, some being shot in one swoop by a plasma rifle and a soldier trying to cut down a bandit with a sword.

Something about this mission just wasn't sitting right with him.

Marcus growled, shooting down any bandits that were unlucky enough to cross his path as the cyborg slipped behind another area where he could dip and shoot from, eventually the soldiers knew what Connor was thinking and followed suit. However, the bandits may have had the numbers, but they also had another surprise on them. A sniper who was a hell of a good shot.

The terminator was cautious when he heard something prepared from a long distance away and his eyes suddenly locked on to a bandit that was lying down with a crosshair on the item.

“SHIT, Get DOWN! NOW!” The terminator screamed aloud in an ear-piercing voice as he pulled the trigger of his plasma gun. He pushed Connor out of the line of fire before letting off a second shot.

Connor lightly growled before resuming his position with his plasma rifle at hand trying to bring down the bandits. Marcus wasn't ready to give up yet as he squeezed a bandit's hand trying to choke him and shoot him down.

Two soldiers helped Connor "General, you alright? I'm FINE! NOW KEEP FIRING!"

Connor bit his tounge as he pushed himself up as the catalyst of the battle was going on. The mercenaries were falling one by one and each wave of soldiers and villager combining was able to kill one mercenary for every two soldiers in Connor’s army.

Plasma fire flew as other soldiers rushed in and slashed other mercenaries

Though the random outlooked could of wondered what crossed Connor’s mind as his mind danced on potential future events throughout the crossroads.

In this battle, Connor was able to see everyone work together with strength and speed, Marcus focusing on the gunfire he knew along with a bit more, the villagers with their outstanding skill of swords and guns mixed together and the Tech-com forces fighting the only way they knew how against these new odds.

Without concern for his own safety, Connor was sick of being thrown aside and being in safety while the other soldiers fought for him. The Commander punched a mercenary and made sure it hurt as he grabbed a gun aside the villagers, Marcus and Shinku.

The soldiers felt somehow less nervous and at ease now that their Commander was with them on the battlefield with them. Some even smiled at the heroes on the field. “Thanks, guys.”

The soldiers felt somehow less nervous and at ease now that their Commander was with them on the battlefield. Some even smiled at the heroes on the field. “Thanks, guys.”

After charging again near the mercenaries, John provided cover fire for those on the front line with him. "Keep moving!"

Marcus seemed a little worried about John falling into line with the rest of the soldiers as bullets whizzed by just short of his face.

"Come on John, I got your back. Let's get you out of here."

"Marcus, I trust you and all, but this is my battle with my soldiers. I will fight with everyone till this battle is won!

The cyborg terminator had to frown and say to himself “Stubborn man, i tell you.”

The battle raged on for what seemed like days until there were more mercenaries lost than Connor’s soldiers and several villagers lost in the attempt.

Several soldiers had switched out for another group of men to take their places next to Connor as one called out to his commander “Just like old times, huh?”

“Pay attenti- GAHHHHH! “

A man had been hit in the attempt as a solider yelled “Medic”. Amedic grabbed him and ran back.

Bipid avoided a attack from two mercenaries, slicing down a mercenary that tried stabbing him from the front as Bipid got to the mercenary first, the man fell and pulled down a few other men with handkerchiefs trying to get in front of the man in front of him.

Shinku managed to knock the sniper and the gun out of the way even as John was somehow in a daze. It only took a few shakes to wake the Commander up from whatever daze he was in before he was back.

Even the groups of students who learned from Master Shinku and Captain Marcus had decided to hop into the battle to protect thier village from the invading threat. With newfound confidence, the folks forged a new friendship and battle brother kind of relationship with each other. Both had switched between each other and each had learned a new skill from each other.

Most of them preferred swords over guns, others preferred the old-fashioned guns over swords but either way they put it, both worked efficiently to get the job done.

While several left marks on the mercenaries with their swords, they killed with the least amount of blood possible but at least still dangerous. When the students with guns were surronded, the sword students stepped up and took over and sliced thier way out of danger, and the gun students did the same.

After pushing through the largest and longest part of the mercenaries, the battle was won.

Bodies littered the barren wasteland, from both sides and Connor and Marcus bent down to check their tags, hoping to hell they could find names to match to their families. They may of survived the war and became heroes overall but they had ways to calm down families of the deceased from the villages and treat them right.

The last of the mercenaries retreated and they got chased down until the leader was left.

“Anyone want the honors?”

A village soldier, a hero in this war, stood up and shot the mercenary as a flag of mark of the village and John’s new faction was now joined together.

John sighed and gathered the remaining soldiers, grabbing what he could to rile the crowds into a victory cheer as everyone left cheered loudly at the sight as Marcus raised a fist in the air, cheering to the heroes as well.

The villagers would take care of their wounded, sick and dead but now was a short time for celebration and talks of victory over the mercenaries for the first time in their lives.

The mayor smiled and stood next to John “Thank you again to John, Marcus, Shinku, the terminator and Bipid for saving us from utter annihilation. I can’t believe how much you’ve done for us. How can we all repay you?”

John eyed the mayor and looked over "You don't have to repay us at all, just help us when the time comes to fight the unmade or the machines."

The mayor blinked, not wanting to believe the heroes of the villages didn’t want anything except help against their enemies. “You’re too generous, please at least take some kindness from our villages in gratitude for saving me and the villagers.”

John waved away any offers of the mayor’s kindness and finally agreed to another banquet of the best foods the villages could offer to the heroes and would talk over dinner in another speech as the two villages’s chefs ran around quickly to cook up the best dishes they had in town. There was talk of steak, potatoes, lobster and more for the village heroes.

John and Marcus and several of the soldiers sat together in both celebration and bitterness as the last few days were long and disastrous. Marcus placed his hand on soldiers who had lost their loved ones in battle and promised them their deaths were not in vain.


During the preparation, villagers were reuniting with their families and families of the dead would be in sorrow, crying for the loss of their heroes. With the food be prepared, the squares would be full of soldiers cheering in the streets and reuniting with their families.

Those in an average mood sat with Connor and Marcus, asking several questions about the heroes and where they came from and how they became who they were.

Even Shinku and his students who weren't expecting much were being asked questions by the villagers. Jack, jumped up thinking he missed something and realized he was sleeping in the barn.

Two soldiers lightly covered their mouths in a slow laugh "Hey Jack, the battle's over, you almost missed the celebrations and everything.

Jack blinked “Have I really been sleeping that long, you two?”

They replied “Yeah, it seemed like a long nap. “

Jack wandered out of the barn noticing the village livelier and more upbeat than usual. “Arr, what’s going on that i missed so much of?”

Shinku was with his students but noticed Jack finally walk out of the barn and nodded “Hold on a second, I just want to chat with my friend a bit.”

The students bowed and respectively let their new Sensei through to find his old friend, Jack.

Jack blinked “What, you mean I missed all the fightin’? Arr’ why didn’t you warn me matey?”

Shinku smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder “It was quite the battle i’ll tell you what, let me tell you of the battle over dinner.”

Blurring back to the dinner scene, a large banquet table that kept growing was set for at least 1000 people as all forms of delight was placed on the table from big to small, from potato, to salads, to steak to lobster and more.

People sat down at the table having a grand old time, making small talk about the war stories from the days old war just fought at leaving John and Marcus looking up at the table with the the terminator sitting back “You two going to eat something?”

“Come on the food’s getting cold, don’t want you guys missing out!”

Newfound friends were closer than before, people grew closer, some people fell apart, within the night, celebrations of fireworks and a bonfire were put on for the heroes, John still thinking the celebrations were too much when the battle had just begun anyway. Marcus placed a hand on John’s shoulder thinking he should just enjoy the night.


The first day of rest was painful for a lot of soldiers who participated in the battle and it was time to go to rest after a day of new promises and celebrations to a peaceful future.


There’s no telling what John’s future brings or what’s coming next, but who knows these days. John and Marcus had decided to stay in the hotel for the night in the village until it was time to leave the next morning.

But before John and Marcus left, the mayor allowed them a place to stay.

John and Marcus respectfully declined, election to go back to the base along with the soldiers still surviving. The villagers wanting to serve in John’s military asked to serve against the unmaking and more tasks were allowed to stay on as a permanent addition to the military.
But after a long battle, it was finally good to get home, or whatever home was like to John and Marcus as they rested thier heads on both a hard cot and a table to sleep, while soldiers paced the halls at all times of nights and that’s the way John liked it.

10,005 /10,000
A New Home with Shinku

(Done!)

 

[John Connor]

After finally getting over his coffee high for the night, John rested his head on a hard desk of his base’s best desks. A solider knocked on the door, waking Connor from his stupor of a quick rest. “Sir, there’s been rumors that another village is willing to join us in our cause against Skynet and the unmaking. Should I accept the offer?”

John blinked and nodded “At ease, Lt, give me the information I need. I will plan accordingly. You’re free to go.” The solider eyed his commanding officer and nodded “Right away, sir. Let me know if you need anything later.”

The soldier placed the note down in front of the General and he read it over, moving his chair closer to the desk.

As soon as the Lieutenant left, Connor studied the note and moved a few men on his map, deciding to give the villagers who could fight in this village a chance to prove their mettle without Connor and his men taking over this time. The last time they helped the villagers, they couldn’t fight as well, and they needed help.

This time he’d bring a few soldiers and Marcus since he could relate to the villagers more than the terminator could now.

John was silent again and sighed, sending a message to his soldiers both in and out of the base. “This is Connor, I’m entrusting the safety of this base until I return to the terminator. He is your commander until I return. This is General Connor over and out.”

The soldiers sitting on their beds sighed and considered Connor’s words once again. He left them wondering how the terminator would react at times and they wondered themselves how long the Commander would be gone and if he’d be back. They tended to be a bit nervous around terminators since coming from the man and machine war themselves, but they haven’t encountered an unmaking battle yet.

A few of the older soldiers of Connor told stories of wars of the unmaking as soldiers joined to listen about their new enemies.

Connor took a breath as he called Marcus and a few soldiers up to follow him to this village this time. He had no idea if Shinku or Jack would be there this time. He held his head for a second. It was his own mistake to let the two rest when there was another village that needed their help.

The village that lay ahead consisted of many skilled fighters, many soldiers who were great with weapons and quite a few with more skills that could prove useful in Connor’s fight against Skynet and the unmade. Marcus eyed back at the few soldiers who stood straight and protected Connor with their lives.

Connor eyed the helicopter and sighed, there was so much to get with limited funds. This would have to do for now.
One of the soldiers eyed the helicopter and looked over at Connor and Marcus, “Sirs, I’m assuming you wish for me to pilot the copter?

Marcus turned “Yes, Lt. Go ahead.”

Connor watched as the soldier stepped into the pilot’s seat, the other one pointing where to go. With that set, the door was pushed open, and Connor and Marcus hopped into the seats, strapping in, waiting a few minutes for Shinku and Jack to show.

Within a short amount of time, Connor turned toward Marcus with the door open, noting Shinku and Jack coming quickly within a brief time. As soon as the two moved toward the doors, the door finally slid closed and the helicopter blades started to rotate until the helicopter hit the skies. The pilots focused intensely on keeping the helicopter in the sky while Marcus looked over at Connor who had a holo map on his lap.

‘So where are we going, Connor?” Marcus crossed his hands looking over at the General.

Connor nodded “We are heading toward a town a bit farther away, but I heard these people are capable fighters and would be useful in our cause.”

The pilots driving the helicopter had already set the location in queue and the helicopter was shaky at some point during the trip but otherwise it was smooth sailing.

The others braced for a semi-short ride as Connor blinked several times to starve off any other pressing things on his mind.

Time passed by quickly as some of the soldiers looked out the window, fully prepped for another war mission if it came to that. But everyone was prepped for anything that could happen.
A safe landing was already prepped as the helicopter landed near the village nearest it and the blades stopped their whirring as the doors slid open and Connor eyed him with a light glare as he tried to avoid showing emotions in front of Shinku and Jack. “Sleep alright, soldiers?”

From close observation, he noted that the assassin seemed a lot more tired than usual, but Jack seemed a little more awake. Marcus was a little harsher with the two, used to the harsh solider life Connor expected of his men and woman.

“You heard the Commander, quick in and out of this village. The two soldiers are those who joined in our ranks from the last village have joined us and should be able to convince this village it is all right.”

Marcus seemed hopeful that Connor would get this done right.

This village was awake and expected the helicopter to land on the ground a little surprised, but the mayor of this town saw the visitors to the village and nodded. “What can I do for you folks today?”

The men and woman had already gotten their basic gear from Connor earlier in the day after they were walked through basic training and all that during the trip to the base. After visiting, they were needed for this village, but it was not confirmed yet if they earned their Resistance bands during this time.

But it was when John Connor’s trust was earned when the Resistance bands were given out.

9, 210 +1010=10220
A New Home with Shinku

 

[Shinku]

Shinku woke up with a loud whirring sound that seemed to be coming from the outside. He wasn't used to waking up so late but their last battle sapped him dry of his strength. He rolled over and looked out of the window witnessing John Connor marching towards a camo-painted helicopter.

"Ye think Connor might help us on our mission after this?," the voice of Jack suddenly called out from behind Shinku as the assassin of shadows watched the soldiers assembled near their commander.

"I'm certain he would. It's just for a few soldiers anyway and besides, we helped a lot in this village. I'm sure he's the type of man to return the favor he's given," Shinku replied in a steadfast tone.

"Aye! We sure did! And to think I became their nanny for a day. Hahaha! Just imagine that!," the pirate laughed heartily only to be accompanied by Shinku's silence. A few moments of awkwardness followed before he could continue, "So when did ye plan to go?"

Shinku's response took form in a dispirited sigh, accompanying the ambience of the lazy noon. "I would have left as soon as I knew about the stone. But right now, I can't risk myself being killed by your kind," he replied in a glum tone, as he turned back to face Jack.

"Hahaha! couldn't blame ye' mate! Ye' might be tough but I don't think yer ready to cross paths with 'em just yet! ...err, the two of us I mean," Jack chuckled awkwardly, briefly alerted at Shinku's narrowing glare.

"For now, it looks like he needs us for another task," Shinku remarked, finally deciding to head outside and show himself to Connor and the rest. It only took a beckoning glare from Connor to make Shinku follow right into the helicopter.

"After ye' mate!," Jack answered, rushing beside the assassin of shadows. He gave Connor a cursory glance before stepping inside the helicopter with them.

---

Shinku let out a faint yawn as he unloaded the military flier.

"Yohoho! still sleepy are we?," the pirate teased, his elbow resting against Shinku's soldiers. The assassin of shadows, however, refused to respond but rather proceeded to observe the current village.

A few tensed-up villagers lined up in front of the soldiers, led by their Mayor who seemed unnervingly calm. He kept his ground, standing a few feet behind the commander, making sure no danger lurked from anywhere around them.

The talk between the Mayor and two of Connor's soldiers went smoothly so far, even though a few strong glares could be seen among some of the villagers.

"Ye' think those rascals be lookin' fer a fight?," the pirate whispered, his eyes eyeing the few ones that gave them some sharp glares.

"They better not be. I've had enough battles fought yesterday," Shinku remarked, keeping his senses open for anything. Though obviously skeptical at their presence, the villagers seemed to be in a defensive stance at most. He can't blame them though, approaching a village fully armed would definitely cause a lot of suspicions.

Words: 10,350 + 511 = 10,861 / 10,000
Quest: New in Town with John Connor

 

[John Connor]

John stood in front of the two soldiers, seeing the village stirring from the unrest and walked up to the mayor, offering a firm handshake to the man in charge. “May I speak for a second?”

The mayor looked over at the villagers around him, “Trust me, these people saved the last village they’ve been to. This man perhaps even throws promises he can keep.”

The soldiers around him simply nodded in response “I joined Connor’s army from the last village after these three saved our village from the mercenary threats. I put my trust in Connor to fight a winning battle.”

The mayor raised an eyebrow “Are you telling me the last village couldn’t fight the mercenary threat?”

One villager pushed his way up front “Why you want our help so bad that you can’t do it yourself?”

The mayor put his hand up and placed it on the man’s shoulder “Trint, it’s all right. I know you can fight if you need the help, but why should we help you?”

The Commander sighed; he knew he’d have to explain himself. Not everyone knows who he is after all.

“My name is General John Connor, I’ve recently moved into the the neighborhood, I know not everyone’s happy about the move but all I can do is calm your village’s apprehension about this. I’ve recently been known for stopping the machine AI known as Skynet and leading the human Resistance to victory. I’ve made it my personal goal after going through a death game to personally stopping the Unmade threat to the galaxy in hand.

Therefore, I realize the unmaking threat personally affects everyone here and the more hands that join, we can take back this planet and the galaxy from Darkseid personally!

Marcus noted the reaction of some of the villagers, a bit curious about how Connor knew about the unmaking threat and what info he had gotten.

Connor closed his eyes for what seemed like a second and said “I was personally allowed information about several Crossroadians who gave their lives to help protect from the unmaking. “The villagers noticed something behind Connor’s back as he was holding up a fist.

What fist, he didn’t know. But he looked up

“Sir, exactly what are you telling these people? That the unmaking remains a threat? That is true, for how long we do not know.”

The villagers looked up at the two of them confused, “I know we can fight this threat without too much trouble, but our stockpile of resources has gotten low over time. We cannot keep fighting the Unmade and other threats without your help.”

“But I’ve heard of a new powered weapon with the power of crystals, and it is our main source of powering these weapons. The thing is we couldn’t exactly mine these crystals without destroying way too many of them. Do you have a way we can mine these crystals in a more efficient way?

Marcus looked at John in a way and looked at him “General, Sir, perhaps since you have some of your men trained as scientists and soldiers, perhaps there is a way to help these folks out in a way.”

The man from the village lit up with glee “That would be perfect for both of us overall. Call it scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. In thoery, we’ll both get something out of it.”

The Commander turned and looked over at his men and women and thought for a second “I know a few of you are scientists that work on multiple projects for me. Your expertise would be useful in this scenerio.”

The soldiers, quiet as they were, weren’t exactly wearing their lab coats now. But they had expertise on the topic the villagers were looking for.

“Sir? You called for us?”

John crossed his arms “As I recall, you are great in your level of expertise on projects related to the Unmaking and other important topics.”

The female nodded “Yes sir. Me and David had been working on gems for a long time.”

John nodded “Good, you can help me and these villagers out by studying a new type of gem this man will lead you to where the source is. If it’s dangerous, bring it back carefully. If this works out, we may have a new game plan.”

“Right, sir. We shall get started on this right away. What about the other projects?” Marie considered while looking at David who was confused as well.

“It’s fine, you two. This project is considered top priority over the others now. Once you have figured this out, you’ll have extra time to test this out in some other experiments.”

David and Marie grabbed their guns and followed suit, immediatly grabbing their gloves so they didn’t have to grab the gems right in their hands and took some tweezers just in case. They weren’t sure how the gems were going to react.

10220+880= 11050/10000
New in Town with Shinku

 

[Shinku]

With Connor busy talking to the villagers, Shinku decided to look around. As his eyes scanned the area, he couldn’t help but notice a strange owl that looked at them as if actually doing some observations. As he examined further, he did feel some faint energy emanating from the owl. Having been looked at for quite an inconvenient period of time, the owl suddenly flew away. Alarmed, Shinku decided to quickly move and follow the fowl who moved with insane speed.

He couldn't help but suspect that the owl was spying on them. Does it pose a threat? He'd have to find out. Though he had no idea what waited for him, he was confident that his abilities would allow him to escape any danger that might arise.

As much as he wanted to keep himself concealed, the owl was just too fast for him to move warily. He had to pick up his pace if he wanted to find out what the strange fowl was up to. From time to time, he had to cut some distance through his shadow portal, only to catch up. After a couple of minutes of chasing, his eyes caught upon the sight of yet another village. Still, his eyes were faithfully trained on the owl who headed over a group of strangely dressed people, lined just in front of the town's gate.

As the owl descended upon the group, it morphed into the figure of a sparsely dressed woman, before landing just beside an old man whose hands rested upon a wooden cane.

"You can come out now young man. We're just as wary of you as you are of us. but I assure you, we mean no harm," the old man called out in a calm, rasping voice.

Shinku hesitated for a moment, keeping himself hidden behind a large tree trunk nearby while weighing all his options. Shapeshifters, he only had heard them from stories but never encountered one before. So far, they were known to be a benevolent, yet reclusive race. They, however, remained a mysterious race for most who dared not venture into their territory.

He did realize that though the group was obviously armed, they did not exhume any hostile aura, except for a few ones who seemed a bit uneasy at his presence. Quite understandable, given that he's a stranger and chased after one of their comrades. After a moment of contemplation, Shinku emerged behind the tree and approached the group with caution.

"I mean no harm as well, it's just that I was intrigued at why she was spying at us earlier," he explained in a polite and steady voice, his eyes momentarily gazing at the woman and then back at the old man.

The elder nodded understandingly, keeping his hands fixed on his staff. "I understand young man. We too, couldn't help but be curious of your group's sudden presence. May I ask what brings you here?"

Shinku took a deep breath before opening his lips once again. "Well, it was that soldier John Connor. He built a base here nearby and wanted to assure nearby villagers that he only meant well."

The old man nodded slowly and smiled before showing an alerted visage upon the arrival of another guest.

"Arrr! What ye' be doin' disappearin' just like that!," Jack's gruff voice suddenly called out, as he appeared from a shadow portal just behind Shinku.

The men beside the elder were all about to raise their weapons if not for the elder's gesture to stand down.

Words: 10,861 + 590 = 11,451 / 10,000
Quest: New in Town with John Connor

 

[John Connor]

The scientists sighed, and nodded back at the Commander “You wish to accompany us? Or should we just follow the man ahead?”

John thought for a second and then put his hand down. “Go ahead of me, if you find something, let me know and I can come back to it.”

David and Marie nodded and saluted “Yes sir!” before heading off to observe and maybe if they were lucky, get some of the rare gems for use to study perhaps for themselves.

They mumbled, not sure how long the job was going to take but they could make a new form of weaponry for Tech-Com over time.

The man walked with David and Marie observing and listening to their stories of different things they have invented and or projects over the years that lead them to finding John’s branch and how they could help.

With the project going on, there was a large mine cart nearby the operation where the gems were being kept in the mine.

The man smiled and looked at David and Marie, shaking both their hands, happy to be working with the two in a business-like relationship for now.

As both took a brisk walk, they stopped at the mining cart, looking down at what exactly was being mined inside. They found a mixture of gems being mined but several were still in the mine and were stuck. They were having difficulty getting the rest out.

The scientists were getting giddy at just seeing the prospect of different gems lying in the cart as they had studied these gems for years and they were only getting to see most of these gems for the first time since they came here from the apocalypse.

Were these gems powered? They were going to find out soon enough.

Looking at the man, Marie dug in the gems and pulled out a rare gem “Do you know this gem is a rare one? This is an Apache gem!” The woman stared in astonishment; this is an amazing find!” “How much is in the mine anyway?”

David went over with the other man doing his own research, the gems shining above his head as the man introduced what they were trying to do in the village is to process a new type of a weapon to help them in the unmaking and they needed a way to get more gems down.

A protective Plasma rock hammer would do the trick!” David reminded himself to say after he pulled out a strange superheated like rock hammer. It would both heat around the gems and be able to melt some of the harder material series holding the gems in the walls.

Luckily for him and Marie, the man had a system already in place and the mines were held up in safe ways. A test of the superheated plasma hammer would have to do first.

David bent down as he was able to hit some of the walls with a little knock on the wall of dirt covering the gems at first.

The dirt at first began to heat up but suddenly began to start to turn to dust with just a few hits. But David had to be careful as he tried it on the gem. The gem at least started to heat but wasn’t affected overall.

The scientist was impressed as he watched the gems start off hard to get and then easy to chisel out after a few hits.

After watching an example, the man thought to himself “It took us that long to dig out gems with normal weapons, we haven’t thought of using other weapons available out there to us.”

David nodded and said “We’ve only used plasma when we were able to reprogram it from Skynet. Just not as a readily able weapon source.”

The man used a tool, took the heated plasma rock hammer, and began to work away at the gems one by one in a short matter of time.

11,703/10000, New in Town with Shinku

 

[Shinku]

"You might want to look around you first," Shinku warned, as he noticed the startled expression on a few men near the elder. Most of them had their hands already resting on their weapons as if waiting for an order to draw them.

"Ah, ahoy me hearties!," the pirate greeted with a wide grin, his visage mixed with a faint hint of tension. "And who are these people?," he whispered at Shinku, as he leaned closer to the assassin of shadows.

"They're citizens of this town. And they're shapeshifters. You might want to tone it down a bit," Shinku advised with a hushed voice, his eyes flickering towards the elder who was observing them both with an unreadable expression.

"Ehemmm...Now where are my manners. You both might want to come inside the village with us," the elder invited, as he turned after gesturing the rest of the group to follow.

"Eh...ye sure about this?," the pirate asked, seeing Shinku moving forward without any hesitation.

"Yeah. As long as you behave yourself, I don't think we'd run into any problem," Shinku assured Jack, as he continued his way towards the village.

"Eh. Why me?," Jack grumbled under his breath, but followed the assassin anyway.

Shinku's lips remained sealed, his focus fixated on the elder's group that walked ahead.

The structures within the village were built mostly out of wood and various animal pelts mostly adorned with intricate carvings and markings. The preserved head of various beasts hung on each door as if serving as guardians for each shelter. Towering torches were posted at even intervals, each containing unique carvings on its base.

The assassin of shadows couldn't help but marvel at the amount of skill and craftsmanship needed to design such intricate structures around him. Jack, on the other hand, seemed to be busy eyeing the beautiful ladies that the village had.

As they made their way further into the village, wary eyes watched them but as they were being accompanied by the elder, no one dared to make any move against Shinku and Jack.

"Welcome to my humble abode," the elder greeted them once again as they finally stopped in front of a large hut, its door adorned by the head of an albino lion. Four totems stood towering above the hut itself, planted on each side of the structure. "You make yourselves at home," the elder continued, as he entered the hut, after whispering something to one of his men and then beckoning Shinku and Jack to follow inside.

Words: 11,451 + 420 = 11,871 / 10,000
Quest: New in Town with John Connor

 

[John Connor]

The lift carried David, a short brown hair scientist, took to the skies and cracked more of the crystal down, it wasn’t super effective like they could have wanted, but it worked wonders.

Marie pulled the cart and the gems eventually cracked and fell toward the cart. The woman scientist hoped she could get as many of the gems in without missing one. “Hey! David, slow it down, will you? I got to catch these too you know!”

David frowned, looking down “Alright, Alright already, just doing my job. Wouldn’t want Connor getting mad at us for missing out.”

Marie lightly laughed for a bit, covering her mouth. As the gems dropped into the mine cart, David couldn’t be more curious about the gem and how it glowed. Not sure of the effects, Marie nodded “That should do the trick, right?”

The balding man looked up, observing the mine and how clear it’s gotten over time.

“Can you please show us how you managed to create these so our miners can do this next time when we have a little less help?”

David stepped down off the lift after it reached the ground.

“Sure, we can teach you. But in return, you help our Commander out in his favor he was asking.”

The white-haired, balding man was in thought as he looked back at the gems. “Very good. You may take some of the gems back with you, perhaps we can also help you make these gem-powered weapons as well as a favor from us from you to us.”

David and Marie nod and slip a few gems as samples into glass jars and are extremely careful as they take a brisk walk back toward Connor and Marcus. Connor and Marcus got the honor of trying a new gem-powered weapon of the village on a wood target at least a fair distance away.

The white-haired man turned toward Connor and his terminator friend, Marcus. “You are a soldier, am I correct?”

John eyed the man with confidence “Yes, Sir.” “I see Lt. David and Col Marie made quite an interesting find, don’t you think?” The Commander looked over at David and Marie and nodded “What did you find out there, you two?”

“We found some rare gem out there, turns out these villagers are using them in their weapons against the unmade and it seems to be working.”

The old man nods, and immediately pulls out his gem-powered gun, turning it away from Marcus and Connor and then aiming it at the target “Want to see my gun in action?”

Marcus shrugged “Right, it will be useful to see it work.”

The man nodded and took the cover off, slipping one of the mine gems in the gun and starting it up as the gem started to glow, slow in intensity but taking time. A large blast of a plasma-like color shot out of the gun and ripped the target apart.

“Oh, whoops, must have gotten too much strength again.”

Marcus blinked “Did that weapon shoot that much blast?”. He raised an eyebrow and eyed the gun as the man handed it to him for a try. “Alright. I’ll try it first, if you wish, sir.”

John nodded “I will watch for now.”

Marcus held said gun up and pushed the gem into the gun as it powered up creating a large glowing-like plasma attack. Once it exploded another target.

John raised an eyebrow, now interested “So, how exactly do they work on an unmade?” “Can we get a test?”

The man said, “I haven’t field tested it on an unmade before, but we can make you a few guns to try out on the field for doing us a favor.”

John nodded “Show me how to make this gun. I will instruct my soldiers on how to make this.”

The man frowned “Take as many gems as you need, it’s what you need to fight the unmaking, am I right?”

John looked at the fist in his hand and then at the gem.

The man patted him on the back “I’ve tried it on an unmade and I know for sure it works.”

John frowned “I want proof.”

The man raised an eyebrow, looking down “Very well. Come with me.”

The man leads Connor and Marcus with his two scientists and soldiers, David and Marie toward a small unmade trapped under cords.

It was struggling.

The man nodded “Here’s your test. Make it count.”

Connor was quiet, looking at the unmaking itself, and then aimed the new gun at it, shooting it without remorse for his actions.

The unmade was gone.

Connor nodded “That is my proof, very well.”

The man nodded, and gems were gathered.

“Thank you, sir, for all your help today.” Connor shook hands with the man assuring things are ok.

With that, Connor and his group of men and women, including Marcus, Marie, and David stopped, Connor contacted Shinku and Jack “Mission complete here, meet us at the base and one of my men will accompany you overall.

After the whole goodwill mission was completed on both sides, everyone eventually met up with each other and Connor, Marcus and the scientists lined up with brand-new gem-powered guns.

12604/10000
New in town with Shinku

 

[Shinku]

"Please, make yourselves comfortable," the elder offered warmly, as he gestured towards the fur mats before he sat in on a similar fur mat in a cross-legged position. A few of his men entered the hut, carrying a tray with a teapot and cups which they immediately served to their guests and their leader. “My people call me Chief Viho. As you can see, I rule this little village here. Now, may I know who you both are?"

"Of course. I am known as Trevor and this here is Jack. We are here on behalf of our companion John Connor," Shinku introduced himself, trying to maintain a respectful tone.

"I see. You mentioned that your friend just built a base somewhere near hear? Not that this was my first time hearing such news but would you know of his purpose of building a base near our land?," the village elder inquired courteously, after taking a sip of his tea.

Shinku hesitated for a moment before responding. "I believe he was preparing to fight back against the unmaking. Also, he visited every village to clear himself of his intentions and to beseech help for his cause against the unmaking."

The elder took another sip of his tea before nodding thoughtfully. "That's a noble cause indeed. I wouldn't deny that the unmaking has been a great concern of my people as well. We've been working hard to protect our land and our resources. But you see, even before the threat of the unmaking, we've already fought against many outsiders who sought to exploit our land for their own gain. So forgive us for being wary of your presence here. And to help you on your cause, we must first guarantee that your intentions are sincere. I wouldn't want anyone to use my people as mere fodders for war."

We understand. Is there any way for us to earn your trust and prove that we are not a threat to your people?," Shinku asked humbly, dipping his head in respect for the elder.

The elder paused, considering Shinku's words. "I assume that you represent this John Connor. Am I correct?," he asked, looking directly at the assassin of shadows.

Shinku hesitated for a while. To say that he represented Connor would be an overstatement. Though it was true that he was working for him at the moment, he wasn't officially reporting under him. At that point, however, it's futile to make a big deal out of it since part of his mission was to help Connor establish a good relationship with the locals around his base. "I do represent him. And if you wish to test us for our intentions, I'd be happy to do the honor," he responded with conviction, meeting the eyes of the elder with a firm and steady gaze.

"Very well. We would appreciate it if you could undergo the test of our ancestors," the elder announced solemnly, picking up his staff to help himself up.

Shinku stood up as well, followed by Jack who seemed puzzled about what was going on.

The village elder then led them outside, and gestured for some of his men to follow. “The test of our ancestors is a sacred ritual passed down from generations to deem one worthy of serving the tribe as part of its protectors. It could also help us to determine the sincerity and intentions of those who wish to establish connections with our people. But I must warn you that if you fail this test, it might cost you your life. So are you sure you want to proceed?,” the village elder remarked as he led the group to their testing grounds. He momentarily eyed Shinku with a serious expression before peering back forward to his path.

"Hey, ye sure about this?," Jack whispered to Shinku, somehow concerned at the actual cost of the trial.


"I've been through a lot in my lifetime. Trust me, I can handle this," Shinku reassured Jack in a hushed tone before facing the village elder once again. "Yes I'm sure I want to proceed with this test," he then confirmed, his voice steady and determined.

"We will see if your intention matches your resolve," the village replied calmly, his tone showing a hint of respect for Shinku's determination.

The elder led the group outside the village, hiking up a low hill that stood right outside the village walls. Upon reaching the summit, Shinku and Jack were met with the sight of tall carved stones arranged in a circular formation, each bearing unique and intricate patterns and symbols all seemed to be of ancient origin. At the center of the pillars was a raised flat stone that seemed to serve as a platform for the test.

As soon as Shinku stepped on the stone, the village elder began to chant in an ancient tongue, barely understandable for both Shinku and Jack. As the chant progressed, the symbols on the stone pillars started to glow with ethereal light, emitting a powerful energy that seemed to resonate with Shinku's very soul. Suddenly, a surge of energy coursed through the assassin's body, causing him an overwhelming mix of pain and ecstasy as his mind began to be flooded with memories of his past.

Shinku's orifices lit up with a bluish-white light, with peculiar symbols suddenly appearing all over his body, glowing over his black tattoos.

"Oi! What ye' be doin' to me matey 'ere!," Jack grunted, alarmed by the sudden suffering of his friend, along with the strange markings on his friend's body.

"Calm down. You said that you have no ill intentions right? This test will determine the truth of that claim. If what you said is true, then you've got nothing to fear." Bipin reassured Jack, his tone appearing stern, yet solemn. "However, if deceit lies in his heart, the consequences will be dire." he added gravely, his focus trained on the sacred testing ground.

Jack sealed his lips, watching nervously as events unfolded before his eyes, unable to do anything but pray for the safety of his comrade.

Shinku suffered a few more agonizing minutes of intense pain before his mind entered a state of trance.


"He's got a lot of blood on his hands!," a voice suddenly welcomed Shinku as his vision gradually adjusted to a blindingly bright room, radiant lights emanating from what seemed like a panel for a jury.

"He also has his deeds. See those?," another voice echoed from among the illuminated figures which took Shinku a while to even distinguish their features.

"Hey! He's awake," exclaimed another one, followed by a few moments of sudden silence.

"So, you said that you are here to represent a comrade who came to help our people with the dangers of the unmaking. Do you not?," the central figure inquired, his tone conveying a sense of authority.

Shinku nodded, still overwhelmed by the sudden change of environment around him but tried to maintain his posture. "Yes, you are correct.

"Now, let me think. If you have such a noble intention. Then why lie about your name?," the figure spoke once again, taking Shinku aback with its knowledge of his pretense.

"I just needed to protect myself, that's all," Shinku responded, his voice growing fainter after each of his words.

"And so did the elder. He meant to protect his people. But he did not lie to you. Did he?," the figure continued, his words suddenly piercing through the assassin's very soul.

"I...," Shinku stuttered, his mind suddenly running out of words to feed his lips.

"Ah. Of course, you trust no one. Do you not? Then why should we trust you?," another question left the figure's lips, earning it another sealed lips from the assassin of shadows.

"We do understand your caution young man. But how could you make us believe that you'd make a noble connection with our people if you live in deceit? Even your soul reeked of wrath and hatred. So how could we trust that you do fight for a noble cause?," the figure continued his inquiries which Shinku wasn't able to respond to.

Shinku knew the answers to begin with, and couldn't deny that his own cause wasn't a noble one. He helped Connor for a favor. He was merely there for his own power and not for anyone else.

Taking a deep breath, Shinku gathered his thoughts and finally decided to open his lips with conviction. "Then kill me here if you need to. But please help them and give Connor a chance. Give the crossroads a chance to fight back," he pleaded earnestly, being void of answers to address the figure's inquiries.

The figure paused for a moment as if contemplating the assassin's plea. "But you said that you represent this Connor do you not? Or was that also a lie?,"

"Yes, that might be a lie. But that was on me. I can assure you, and I know that he wouldn't lie about his resolve," Shinku responded, faintly trembling, yet his voice was tinged with conviction.

"See, it wasn't that hard was it?," the figure remarked, "We knew how that demon tempted you with power. But you see, if you only learn to believe those around you, you could witness power far greater than whatever you could achieve alone. But you already figured that out did you not? Or else, you wouldn't be so bold as to prove yourself here to gain our trust. Now, I could do nothing with that hatred of yours. I could only trust that it will heal in time if you learn to share that burden with others."

Shinku breathed a sigh of surrender. He couldn't agree more with the figure's words. He, however, couldn't help but still be lost in his feeling of vengeance.

"I will let you go young man. It's not that I trust you to let go of that demon and that you wouldn't be a threat to my people. But for now, I can see that you indeed meant well.

With those words, Shinku was struck by a blinding light that freed him of his trance. As he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the middle of the testing grounds.

"Arrr! Ye' came back mate!," Jack greeted him, rushing to check on his well-being.

"Of course I did. So, will you offer your help to Connor?," Shinku responded to Jack briefly then to the village elder, making sure to keep his tone respectful.

"Well, you did pass the trial, so you do earn our trust. But I'd have to tell you that you still have your mark on you. That meant that our ancestors weren't done with you yet. As to why, I couldn't tell you, but could promise you that we'd be willing to help you, or that John Connor with the threat of the Unmaking," the elder assured the assassin of shadows, before leading them back to the village.

Shinku and Jack joined the elder in a hearty meal before bidding their farewell to the tribe. Quickly, they made their way to meet back with John Connor's team.

Words: 11,871 + 1,858 = 13,729/ 10,000
Quest: New in Town with John Connor

 

[John Connor]

Connor took a breath and nodded, allowing Shinku and Jack to catch up as they made it back to base via helicopter.

He had a lot of things on his mind as he eyed the base, like why did Kyle Reese come back and how exactly did he come back?”

Connor nodded and frowned, shaking Shinku and Jack’s hands. “Thank you for repaying that favor. In exchange? Hold on.”

The General walked inside his base and tried to figure out who to send with Shinku and Jack. It’s when Kyle stepped in for a surprise exchange.

John was busy searching through the database of soldiers, trying to select who was perfect.
The voice startled him for what seemed like a second. He blinked, for what seemed like a few seconds.

“Sgt? How, and why?!” John eyed Kyle for a few seconds.

Kyle stiffened and stared back “I wondered this myself. Where are we?!” “And what is the meaning of the terminator in this base!”

John looked over at his dad, “You know it’s not good to ask too many questions, soldier. But I should answer your questions if the terminator hadn’t already done so.”

John sat in his seat and began the long search through the database and then talked with his dad and Sgt, second in command. “First of all, you are in the crossroads. You are on the Planet Erne noda where I found this place is mostly Earth-like. The terminator I sent back to protect me when I was a kid has protected me through the years here in the crossroads, along with a half-terminator named Marcus Wright as well. “

“There is such thing as space-travel here, but not time travel, Sgt.”

“But before this, I will need you for a quick favor. I was hoping you could help me evaluate who and what solider goes off with Shinku and Jack here.

The Sgt was quiet “Shinku and Jack?” “Who exactly are they?”

John sighed “They owed me a favor and I’m repaying them for it.”

“Who exactly have you got in mind, sir?”

The General pointed to a name in particular and nodded at Kyle to come over.

“I’ll explain more later.”

“You mean the sniper ?” “He’s .. an interesting choice, sir.” Reese looked up at Connor

John itched his head for a second “What’s his record?”
Kyle crossed his arms.

“It’s complicated. At home, I don’t think we’ve seen him with a sniper before. He’s more skilled with guns and the like but he’s only picked up the sniper here. I believe he’s served under a small Resistance cell, sir. None of the names sound familiar to me yet.”

John was quiet “So, it’s settled. I’ll send the sniper with Shinku and Jack.”

“Kyle, call him here. I’ll inform him of his new post and his new assignment right away.”

Kyle was cautious about this but was silent “I need Sgt Callon Micheals, here as soon as possible.”

The sniper grabbed his gear and gulped, getting several looks from others in the base “Ooh, look, why is the commander calling him?”

The sniper walked into the office, closed the door, and sat in the chair next to Sgt. Kyle Reese.

“Sir? You wanted to see me?” John nodded “Over here, is Sgt. Kyle Reese, but this is not the reason I called you here today.

“Your achievements and years of service have made you an excellent candidate for helping me out with something. This is why I am reassigning you right away to go with Shinku and Jack. I am not sure what your assignment is, but follow their orders.”

Sgt. Callon stands up and shakes the Commander's hand along with the Sgt “Thank you for everything, sirs. I’ll do everything in my power to help them.”

New in town with Shinku
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