Commander's Fury (Custom World Quest)

John Connor

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The older man didn’t smoke but he felt like he could have one or two right about now after the last mission. It was a near close call with the unmade and what use would he be with his status from Dante’s Abyss: Conquest be at this rate.

The old commander rubbed his eyes and sighed. He still felt odd working with someone different than what he expected but a ninja wasn’t the first thing he thought as a soldier. Boy was he wrong.

He worked with a cyborg he’d known in the past but he still wasn’t quite the T-800 he programmed to be his father-like figure. He didn’t know how the hell he managed to walk the whole entire distance toward the mercenary post the last time but his feet hurt after he got there.

John’s comm crackled with static as a message came through “Connor? We intercepted another mission if you are interested.”

He stopped, picking up his comm for a second. The only ones who knew his true name were the Ninja, Uruu and the mercenaries he worked for early.

The voice sounded familiar as Connor picked up the comm “This is Connor. I’m not currently busy at the moment. What did you get for me?”

“I’ll tell you via office visit.” the Director picked up, seriously. “Are you interested?”

Connor turned and looked around “Right, .”
 

Shinku

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Euphoria and tranquility comforted Shinku, who found himself floating - under the sea? Yet around him was nothing but darkness and shadows. Yet still, he couldn’t deny the damp embrace of water, touching every inch of his skin. Slowly, he turned, swaying his arms to look around in a desperate attempt to find out where he was. Yet somehow, the instinctive feeling of familiarity assured him that he’s somewhere safe.

‘I welcome you once again in my kingdom.’ The familiar voice of Orochi suddenly snapped him into attention. The shadow demon’s voice was followed by the silhouette of a giant serpent that slithered around him in a graceful, continuous motion.

‘Your kingdom?.’ Shinku asked in confusion as he floated, or engulfed in what seemed like nothingness.

‘Well, should I say, my kingdom in your own mind?’ Orochi hissed, his tone speckled with mockery.

‘So what do you want?’ The assassin of shadows prompted, obviously annoyed at the shadow demon’s irksome humor.

‘Haha, straight to the point as always. I would have answered some more questions I can see in your mind like, yes, you’re in a dream. Or rather we’re in a dream or hold on, haven’t you been dying to ask where I was when your clan was slaughtered?.’ Orochi continued with his mockery.

‘And what’s the point of asking that?’ Shinku retorted almost immediately. As if trying to cut anything that would have come after the question.

‘Really? I would have helped you back then. Imagine…’ The snake demon hissed but was then cut short by the assassin of shadows.

“Please just tell me what you want!” Shinku snapped, his fists suddenly tensing up in anger.

‘Jeez, you bore me sometimes kid, you know that? Very well on with business.’ Orochi responded with a child-like gruff.

The shadow demon then started to hiss and chanted words that all sounded unintelligible to Shinku. Words, which almost sounded like independent syllables started to form into a long mantra, repeated yet all sounded different. Or perhaps Shinku was just confused by Orochi’s mysterious chant.

Suddenly, dust-like particles started to dance like a twister around Shinku. Along with the whirling dust, the view around him started to morph, with rock formations shaping up from the dust particles. The shifting was as quick as a heartbeat, with Shinku’s surroundings ending up in what seemed like the interior of a rocky cave. He found himself standing on a narrow rocky path barely lit by unknown glitters of light. At the end of the path stood a sleek cylindrical pedestal seemingly made out of black limestone, with its tip thicker than its base. Above the pedestal were three stones of varying shapes floating and moving in a circular motion.

‘They’re beautiful aren’t they?’ Orochi tempted, suddenly appearing beside the pedestal.

Speechless, Shinku can’t help but be drawn by the stones’ inexplicable charm. He approached carefully, his eyes fixed at the faintly glimmering stones. One was crimson red, shaped perfectly like a drop of single water. The other stone, taking the shape of a budded rose, glimmered in a deep purple hue while the last one, which barely resembled an arrowhead glowed in bright orange.

‘Those stones contained my very essence. If you collect all of them, you’ll experience the full extent of my power.’ The shadow demon taunted, moving close to Shinku as if whispering something in the assassin’s ear.

‘And what’s in it for you?’ Shinku inquired, doubtful of Orochi’s motive.

‘Agh is it that important? You need power don’t you? The power to destroy those bandits that murdered your whole clan? Now it’s within your grasp! Well...at least once we find all those stones.’

For a moment, Shinku was somehow dazzled by the shadow demon’s speech, his hand raising to try and capture the stones in front of him, only to realize that they’re merely holograms.

‘Why don’t you have them by the way?’ His instincts however, urged him that there’s more to the stories of the stones than what the shadow demon has told.

‘Oh for the Arbiter’s sake! Aren’t you interested in getting stronger?’ Orochi grunted, his impatience showing up in his speech.

‘I’m just wondering. Once we complete all those stones. What happens next?’ Shinku continued with his inquiry, yet his eyes remained to be drawn by the beauty of the stones.

‘I already told you, haven't I? You’ll experience the full extent of my power!’ Orochi exclaimed, this time back in his enticing tone.

‘And then?’ the assassin of shadows asked yet again, still unconvinced at the shadow demon’s speech.

‘Ughh alright! Then I’ll have the chance to finally break away from this vessel. But, my loyalty remains with you my master.’ Orochi blurted out, yet ended up with endearment.

‘I don’t recall you calling me master until now.’

‘Oh haven’t I?’

‘And you haven’t answered my previous question. Why don’t you have them?’ Shinku continued to ask in curiosity. His tone however, remained bland as his focus stuck to the floating stones.

‘Well obviously someone took them away and hid them somewhere around the crossroads.’ The shadow demon answered, trying to repress a rising rage.

‘So you got robbed? By whom? And why would they just hide it instead of using it?’

‘Those stones could only be useful with that sword of yours.’

‘So why steal it?’

‘And why must you know? What’s important is that you’d get a lot stronger once we get them.’

‘Ok then. Where should we start?’ A hint of doubt could still be seen in his eyes yet, the assassin of shadows chose to move forward with the conversation.

‘Well, those pirates would lead you to it.’

‘How about the others?’ Shinku asked immediately, his eyes now shifting towards the shadow demon.

‘I don’t know yet, but I’m pretty sure they’re not here. I just felt that blood stone here but not the others.’ As soon as Orochi spoke of it, the stone that shaped like a water droplet suddenly rose, moving nearer the assassin of shadows. ‘That’s what we’d find by the way.’

‘Well, what are we waiting for?’

‘Haha! I knew you won’t fail me kid. Very well! Awake!’

In an instant, all the scenery around him crumbled into dust. A sensation suddenly struck him as if his soul was being pulled elsewhere even though he remained still.

A few moments later, the assassin of shadows jerked off his bed, his heart suddenly racing rapidly. He gasped, as if short for air until gradually, his body calmed down finally putting him at rest. He looked around and instantly noticed a note stuck on his window from the outside. Immediately, Shinku stood up to open the hotel room’s window and collect the note. Without any hesitation, the opened it up to reveal a message in crude handwriting.

North Gate ASAP!

Quest: Restless Steel with John Connor
Word Count: 1137 / 10,000
 

Ghost Orchid

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"Wake up."

Ghost's communicator rang from his robe pocket.

"Ghost, I have work, wake the hell up."

The ranger lay with his mask to the earth on some grassy hill within the Hinterlands. A whole day so far with nothing to do, nothing to hunt, and no work. It was an infrequent blessing he hadn't planned on squandering. So, of course, he chose to sleep all day in the sun.

"How long can one person sleep for? Ghost I have- Yeah I'm calling him right now! Don't you yell at me because he's napping! Ghost! Wake. Up."

Ghost Orchid opened his eyes and promptly shielded them with his forearm; the sun threatening to cripple his sight. His deep, long, maroon hair now covered in grass and various micro twigs scattered near where he'd chosen to slumber. He brushed them away with his hand before putting his hair back in its neat bun and connecting his metal mask to the robe's hood. He pushed a small button beneath his left ear.

"Claudio, is that you?" The ranger asked with a yawn.

"Hells Ghost, it's the middle of the day, no morning work means slumber til' the sky falls?"

"Something pressing?"
There was static for a second before Claudio responded.

"Well why don't you tell me, sharpshooter." An electronic beep sounded from Claudio's end of the communicator. "Sounds like some mercs are having that John Connor character look for something 'ancient'. A vault or something, I don't know. Something old and Arcadian. Figured while you're out there in the Hinterlands hunting for secrets it might be a good lead."

John Connor? That was a bigger name than expected.

"Where did you get this information, Claudio? It isn't like you to send me something for just my gain." Ghost asked with caution.

"Never mind you that, my pretty, spooky, flower friend. Here; I'm sending you the coordinates now."

Ghost Orchid stood up and stretched, awaiting the message from Claudio to arrive.
So much for a day off.
 

John Connor

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Sart looked up at John “Not sure if you heard, but we might not be alone out there for whatever the hell you are looking out there in the deeper parts of the Hinterlands. Sure you can handle something powerful that comes your way if we hit a sudden roadblock?

John was itching to know details but remained quiet “How dangerous are we talking?”

Sart itched his head for a second, checking his computer. “Hm, the other two out there might have others out for the same thing. Let’s see what info I can pick up. Oh, there’s a tiny band of mercenaries out there I believe are called “Ghost” but I’m not sure of who he has hired. Plus there’s no way to tell if Ghost is a fake name or not. The computer doesn’t exactly have many details yet.”

John looked up “Damnit, that doesn’t help me one bit.”He looks up and sighs, moving his hand along his face. “How long does it take for you to get me to the location? I want mercenaries at my side within a short time. I’m not fighting someone who’s out of my league alone this time.”

Sart got up, crossing his arms “Now John, don’t get angry with me yet… This is our second meeting since Dante’s Abyss and we finished one solid mission together. I know you are a big name, but with a big name like yours, you could fall from grace. Let’s hope it’s not with us here.

Connor frowned, placing a hand on Sart’s desk “What are you expecting? You want the artifact for yourself?”

Sart looked up and smirked “You are smarter than you appear, Connor. Perhaps I got you all wrong.”

Connor frowned “We don’t actually know what the artifact actually does yet. Yet these figures will be at our back the whole time.”

Sart sat up, and said “Alright, if I get the artifact, I’ll give you the profit from it. Maybe more if you are able to effectively hold off the other two mercenary groups.

Sart nodded and then walked to a holographic map of the Hinterlands, making it circle around in certain spots, showing a shortened path toward the Hinterlands and the “older” artifacts location.

The director looked at Connor “Do you understand the mission?” “My mercenaries were informed earlier on the pathways they can take, and some of the details of the enemies everyone will face.

John nodded “I prefer again to ride with the troops, sir.”

Sart eyed Connor but shrugged “Your choice.”

Connor began to load up his various weapons and some various tools. It was going to be a long trip to the Hinterlands. The mercenaries began to load up with ammo, checked their weapons as Connor moved himself into the troop transport, making sure his weapons were full of ammo, magazines and anything else he’d need here.

Sooner than later, the mercenary band joined him and strapped themselves into the troop transport.

Sart was heard in each microphone “You know what you need to do, go out there and return with the artifact with Connor, I expect the path of least resistance.”



The ship lifted off with a brief noise in the background as it turned and left toward the Hinterlands.

One of the black haired man seemed a bit gruff and had a shaved head and looked over at Connor “Heh, and here I thought we wouldn’t see you again after another mission.”

Connor was silent, opting instead to sit quietly and study the group around him, trying to eye each strength and weakness of each man and woman on this ship.

Another woman, with shorter arms but longer legs and a neat ponytail up in a bun asked “How long till we drop, sir?”

Connor turned “We got an hour, maybe more at this rate.”

The soldier opted to sleep maybe for a small bit as his dreams were pieces of war trauma both from his homeland and war trauma from the crossroad’s “game.”

He saw a terminator getting closer in fire but instead of the terminator getting closer, it quickly turned into a picture of a enemy from the distant future.”

With that, his eyes snapped open and blinked “Huh, so that’s what they look like?”

928/10000
 

Shinku

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As he left his room through the shadow realm, the assassin of shadows was greeted by the bloody skies, painted by the crossroads’ rising sun. The crisp air brushed his face, perfumed by the fresh scent of the morning breeze. He landed atop a tall tower just a few structures away from his inn and paused for a while. With his heightened senses, he could feel that the city had gradually returned to its somewhat busy state. More people had started to walk the streets again after the capture of the dreaded occult group. Still, it couldn’t compare to the city’s bustling state when he first arrived at Arcadia. Well, perhaps, it’s still too early after all.

Shinku decided to focus his senses towards the north gate where the pirates demanded to meet him. Past the few roaming guards were an isolated group of people all in a dormant state. Going further a bit, there seemed to be no one that could qualify as a breakaway group or individual that could pose a threat. He immediately noticed the aura of the captain within the group signifying that the pirates have already been waiting for him at the meet up place. He let off a deep sigh then blinked his way towards the meet up place. He chose not to bring his shadow steed this time to make a rather, more discrete entry.

‘I don’t think they’d betray you this early kid. Those pirates do need you after all.’ The voice of Orochi suddenly popped inside his head.

‘You do enjoy surprising me everytime don’t you?’ Shinku replied, a little less annoyed this time. The shadow demon’s sudden speech still made him lose focus for a second, but not that grave as the last time.

‘Well that’s useful info isn’t it?’ The shadow demon hissed, with his usual mocking tone.

‘Yeah, sure it was, after I’ve just figured the same thing.’ The assassin of shadows retorted almost mockingly in return.

‘And yet you’re still holding back.’ Orochi continued in an even more annoying tone.

‘Can’t hurt to be safe all the time.’

‘Well, that’s why I’m here to guide you kid.’

‘Yeah whatever. I’m almost there anyway.’ Shinku blurted out nonchalantly as he went through one portal after another towards the north gate. It wasn’t that long of a journey though it took him quite a few numbers of blinking in and out of the shadow realm before he could appear right on top of the city’s northern wall.

‘Right. Good luck kid! Talk to you later.’ Orochi hissed, followed by an instant silence.

Shinku drew a sigh of relief before setting his eyes over the northern wall. He immediately saw the group of pirates, packed at the end of a lone alley within the secluded slums just outside Arcadia. He took one last look at the surrounding area before opening a portal to join in with the pirates.

“I’m here.” Shinku announced after stepping out of the shadow realm.

“Haha! Ahoy there matey! I knew you’d come!” The gruff voice of the pirate captain greeted him almost immediately upon his appearance. The rest of the pirates however, seemed perplexed after he appeared out of nowhere, with most of them having their weapons drawn and pointed at him. With the pirate captain’s greeting however, the troop seemed to immediately calm down except for a few suspecting ones.

“So what’s our plan?’ Keeping his distance, the assassin of shadows wasted no time inquiring about their so called mission.

“Aaaarrrgghhh! That ain’t the right tone to speak with our cap’n!” One of the pirates barked, which Shinku immediately recognized as Jack from the murky forest.

“Now let’s all calm down, me hearties! This mate here is our ticket to the booties. Let’s all welcome ‘im as one of ours!” The pirate captain intervened in a cheery tone to calm his crew down.

“Aye, aye cap’n.” Jack immediately responded in a respectful tone. A bit of annoyance was still evident on his face yet, with his captain speaking, the pirate chose to repress his rage. The rest of the pirates shared the same emotion yet none of them dared to go against their captain’s words.

“So now, Shinku, was it? Glad ye’ came early as time is of the essence. I hear’ there were others whose eyes are on our booty so we need to get there swiftly. We shall use these babies ‘ere to get there but will leave ‘em far from the site. We better not catch any unwanted attention so we could murder them before they could notice our presence.” The pirate captain briefed then pointed out to what looked like hovering single bikes, almost similar to what Jak used to ride towards the floating city of the F-Zero racing track. “Well, ‘ye shall ride with me bike matey coz’ yer our priced ally.”

“So should we be on our way then?” Shinku nodded nonchalantly as if uninterested for any further information.

“Haha! That’s more like it! But before anything else, remember that we all have these should ye’ think of bitin’ our backs!” The pirate captain warned after showing Shinku a piece of the black stone that could nullify his skills. The rest of the pirates followed by showing the same stone on each of their hands.

“Yeah, I still remember those. And I do remember that you promised to leave me alone once I helped you with this mission.” The assassin of shadows retorted, his gaze now more serious as before.

“Arr, of course matey. Ye have me word!” The pirate captain exclaimed, then placed the stone back inside his pocket. “Now, ye better hop on, lest ye’ wanted to get left behind!” He continued after riding one of the hovering single bikes then revving the engine.

As a response, Shinku blinked out and then appeared right behind the pirate captain.

“Always like the wind! That’s what I liked about ye’ lad! Now onto the booties!” The pirate captain cheered then dashed forward, leaving the dark slums of Arcadia.

The rest of the pirates yelled in response to their captain’s cry then sped their hovering bikes towards the hinterlands.

Quest: Restless Steel with John Connor
Word Count: 1137+1030 = 2167 / 10,000
 

Ghost Orchid

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Thirty miles.

The destination of this supposed vault was thirty miles away from Ghost Orchid. He was staring at his communicator after Claudio had shot him the coordinates for the vault. How the hell was he expected to walk thirty miles and reach it in time? Claudio knew that he hadn't a mode of transport outside of the city with him; what was his angle this time around? It was sort of a blessing that he'd already been in the Hinterlands and that this vault wasn't on the other side of them. He sighed deeply before beginning to advance towards his destination.

He was walking for maybe five minutes before he could hear the sound of a roaring engine. A dirty one at that.

"Petal, come." He spoke aloud while holding his left hand outward. Black tendrils shot from his hand and reformed a perfectly shaped bow in his palm. He placed his right hand's pointer finger on the bow and drew back, conjuring an arrow of pure darkness to appear taut against the drawstring. He aimed it at the ground while he awaited whoever was thundering towards him.

A few moments later a large four wheeled buggy flew over the top of the hill he'd just descended and skidded to a halt sideways, not even five feet from him. In the driver's seat was a tall, skinny blond woman with a quad-barreled shotgun strapped across her back. Hanging from the passenger side was an extremely buff, extremely bald man with a large grey beard and a chainsword on his hip.

"Rough? Tumble? What are you two doing in the Hinterlands?"

Ghost knew these two. They were some of Claudio's mercs.

Rough stroked his long beard, "Well well well, look who we have here, Claudio's favorite new boy toy." Tumble flourished her hair and offered a laugh at Rough's sentiment.

"Can you imagine? Sending two of his bests out here just to die for some pretty boy with a magic arm."

"I didn't ask you to be here, Rough."

Rough waved him off and smiled, "Course you didn't, you can't tell us what to do. But Claudio? He signs my paychecks. And he wants to make sure his newest gun-for-hire doesn't get his head blown off by the likes of John Connor and whatever cavalry he's bringing."

That couldn't be true. First of all, Claudio was an informant at best, not Ghost's employer. Ghost had made it abundantly clear he didn't want to be marked as one of Claudio's ranks. Second, Claudio was a sleazy bastard. He'd only be 'looking out for someone' if it could benefit him in some way. Claudio knew more about what was in this vault then he was letting on.

"Tell me the truth."

Rough looked back towards Tumble, who shrugged. Rough let out a deep sigh and looked back towards Ghost Orchid.

"You're no fun, you know that?" He started. "Truth is; there's some artifact down there that Claudio wants. He didn't give us the specifics but he said we'd know it when we saw it. He learned that due to some intel on a few pirates who are supposedly delving in there as well. Claudio sent us to meet up with you since you'd likely make the mission go smoother. That way we could all look out for one another while we traverse the unknown. He's not an evil man, Ghost, just a fuck-up like the rest of us."

Rough's words were genuine. Ghost dispersed Petal and pulled out his communicator.

"I don't have any desire on facing off with John Connor." Ghost spoke earnestly.

"Nor do we, but life doesn't always give us what we want."

"In the instance that we do have to, we fight until there's an opening for us to move forward, okay?"


Rough rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure, whatever the hell gets you in the back of the buggy and gets us moving as quickly as possible."

Ghost pocketed his communicator after sending rough the coordinates of the vault. He then deftly jumped on top of the dune buggy and held tight to it's chassis.

"Don't fall off, newbie!" Tumble yelled out as she slammed on the gas and the party of three made their way towards treasure, tribulations, and trial.



Quest: Restless Steel with John Connor.
Post 1: 335 + Post 2: 716 = Word Count 1051/10000
 

John Connor

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Soon, the pretty sunrise over the Hinterlands soon became a crimzon glow over the soldier and the lone commander’s location as it kept lowering. “Hey, Bear, what’s that noise outside?” John’s ever watchful eyes suddenly snapped open as he pushed himself out of the seat forcing himself to stand on a wobbly surface outside. He steadied himself on the walls of the troop’s transport and moved toward the door of the transport, holding a visible pair of digital militaristic binoculars. The small lights within the transport flickered on and off as it swung from the rigid ceiling.

John was able to steady his movement among the shaky floors as he stood with two hands on the field binoculars around his camouflage shirt. He looked through the walls of the vehicle appearing to stare through the transport silently while the transport continued to push the most undesirable conditions on John’s mercenary group as at least the seatbelts holding them in were holding them back from being violently swung out.

Therefore, John was taking a risk.

As the long trip to the vault took some time, the commander stepped out and clicked the handle of the binoculars, the vision switching from regular mode to night vision. Green screen/blue screen appeared through the binoculars and there were figures showing heat blobs in the middle.

“ We have company. Be on guard.”

The other soldiers were suddenly on alert and frowned, quickly loading their weapons and waiting for the transport to completely stop before unbuckling and running out, keeping around John

“Sir, what do you see down there?”

“Pirates about half a click north.”

The men and woman eyed “Bear” from a distance, making use of the Hinterland’s many trees and other hiding spots to make due. They would tuck and run, countering and using any advantage they may have in the long run.

They had their own methods for sure, but the commander liked to mix his own method with the stubborn old mule he was sometimes.

John hadn’t encountered pirates before, thieves yes but the pirates out of a children’s book was another story or a movie.

The mercenaries were silent behind the trees, and waited for a signal from John before launching a surprise attack on the pirates nearby.

John waited until the mercenaries were engaging the pirates before looking in other directions to see whomever else was nearby.

Not only were the pirates there, there was some sense of movement going through various areas near the vault, it looked like the air was “moving” somehow.

John could barely notice the movement but it did give him the element of surprise when he switched to the heat sensor mode, and noticed a visible body hidden between movements.

It gave him a quick moment to switch to his plasma rifle and keep it close and snap off a shot if he could.

480 words+928= 1406/10000
 

Shinku

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The sound of the revving engines disturbed the silence of the forest outside of Arcadia. Escaping birds scattered across the bloodlit morning sky, the sound of stomping hooves echoed around the forests, along with the odd howl of wolves. It was just the day before when Shinku fought the pirates inside the same forest but on that day, he’s riding with his enemies’ captain. Such an irony that the group he made enemies with, came to him for an escort mission.

It was a long, tricky ride as the hovering bikes weaved through the towering trees and thick bushes. Shinku could feel the chilling breeze graze his body, mostly on parts where he’s not protected by the pirate captain in front of him. It felt almost a whole day though at the moment when the pirates started to slow down, the crossroads sun just barely passed the noontime horizon.

The pirates came to a halt near some sort of encampment composed of a few ragged tents sitting at the midst of what seemed like a dead mossy forest. At least two wagons could be seen parked amidst the tents along with a few cannons facing in different directions. A few cooking tools could also be seen lying around, encircled with a few men who seemed to be chitcatting. The pirate captain was greeted by the very men who were already outside the tents with the addition of a few ones who left their tents as soon as the bikers approached.

“Ahoi there captain!” A pirate of large build exclaimed after recognizing his captain riding the hovering bike even before the latter could unload himself.

“Ahoi matey! So, any news about our booty?!” The pirate captain greeted as he left his hovering bike along with Shinku who seemed to be much of a shadow at the moment. The rest of the bikers did the same and grouped themselves behind their captain with Jack having his eyes focused on Shinku.

“Well, we saw another group went in early this morning and been monitoring ‘em but seemed like they aven’t gotten out yet. Maybe they’re dead too like the other ones who came in yesterday.” The large man reported with a large confident grin.

“How about the raiders who kept bothering us?” The captain continued with his questions, which seemed to bring out a sudden puzzled look on the large man.

“Now come to think of it. They ‘aven’t bothered us since this morning. Maybe they chickened out after we’ve blasted ‘em with our babies ‘ere.!” The man chortled while caressing one of the cannons.

“Excellent! By the way Sammy, we ‘ave here…” The pirate turned around in an attempt to introduce Shinku only to witness merely a puff of black smoke and the absence of the assassin of shadows. “...Ei! Where’d he gone to?”

“He left us! I knew that double crossin’ lily-livered scurvy dog would betray us!” Jack yelled, overly vexed at Shinku’s sudden disappearance.

“Aaaarrrrr! The raiders are here!” Most of them haven’t even digested Shinku’s escape when another pirate who just jumped off a nearby tree yelled in warning.

“Arrrggg! Pirates! On arms!” The pirate captain commanded, causing his men to hold on to each of their weapons with the other men who were on some of the tents coming out brandishing their swords and some others loading their muskets. Some others positioned themselves behind the cannons, after loading them up.

Each of them stood by the encampment, waiting for the raiders to appear within their view. They stood there for a couple of minutes but not a soul seemed to appear anywhere near the area.

“Ei Pete! Are ‘ye sure ye’ve seen the raiders!” Jack barked after waiting forever for nothing.

“Definitely! I saw ‘em from the top of that tree...Son of a biscuit eater who’s that!” The one who reported the attack explained only to be surprised by the sudden appearance of Shinku just behind the pirate captain.

“Don’t bother. I’ve taken care of the enemies. Now how do we proceed to that ‘booty’ you all are talking about?” A bloody Shinku suddenly spoke as soon as he appeared back, amidst the pirates.

“Haha! I knew I could count on ‘ya kid!” The pirate captain exclaimed, giving a tap on Shinku’s shoulder. “Now everybody listen! This kid ‘ere is our ticket on gettin’ that booty! So what d’ya say let’s march on that vault and claim our treasures!” The captain continued with a cheer that greatly brought excitement to the rest of the crew.

“Aye!” The rest of the pirates yelled in unison, each raising their weapons to the air.

The journey this time, was on foot through the dead forest as the large man who first greeted the pirate captain earlier led the way. It was a long, tricky trail made difficult by steep paths and large boulders that sometimes blocked a few areas. The sun had almost set when Shinku suddenly spoke up, putting the pirates on a halt.

“Wait up! Another group is arriving up ahead.” Shinku warned, keeping his senses focused on the new arrivals that he suddenly felt. “I’ll check them out. You guys stay here.” He continued before disappearing yet again and ending up at the branch of a tall tree that showed him the view of a large clearing, which served as a resting place of what seemed like a very old temple ruin. Up ahead is a ship that just landed, opening up to reveal a group of people dressed in some sort of military suits.

Aside from hiding behind the tree, Shinku decided to use his shadow skills to keep himself undetected. For a moment, the new arrivals seemed to be just readying up when suddenly after a few minutes, they began to rush towards where the pirates were.

‘Don’t you ever think of going back there to warn the pirates!’ Indeed just as Shinku was about to portal out, the voice of Orochi suddenly put him to a stop. ‘Let’s just wait here and let those mercenaries deal with those pirates! In the meantime, let’s wait for our chance to enter that vault. There’s someone else around here that knows we’re here but hopefully, he’d get distracted as well.’ the shadow demon warned, which made Shinku’s senses focus on someone who stayed inside the vehicle. As Orochi advised, the assassin of shadows remained behind the tree to carefully observe the surrounding areas. It wasn’t that long when the mercenaries and the pirates began their skirmish but Shinku’s focus remained on the lone vehicle beside the ruins.

Quest: Restless Steel with John Connor
Word Count: 2167+1099 = 3266 / 10,000
 

Ghost Orchid

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The rumble of the dune buggy was rhythmic and almost putting Ghost back to sleep as he lay seamlessly atop its carriage. He kept his eyes open with the help of a small rock they passed over and made the vehicle jump a tiny bit. The jostle threatened to knock Ghost off the chassis but he remained atop with his firm grip and decent practice in awareness.

"You good up there, newbie?" Rough called out from his similarly precarious position of being halfway out of the passenger seat in hopes to see what was coming.

"I'm fine. A little disruption, nothing more." Ghost responded in kind.

The trip had felt long even with the help of Rough and Tumble's dune buggy. The thing wasn't the newest model by any stretch of the imagination. Its pace was steady but overall slower than a bike you could get in Arcadia let alone a normal car. Ghost had to admit to himself though, it did have style. He quite liked its aesthetic and out of place presence in the Hinterlands. He could relate to such a feeling.

The sun was beginning to sigh its farewells into the clouds it sunk beneath. A once beautiful day now turned blood red; a fitting setting for things to come. The mercenary thought about what it might take to face off against John Connor should the need arise. He hadn't failed a mission yet, but this was a different level of opponent then he was used to. Cutting down thugs or intimidating witnesses was child's play compared to dealing with a military commander who was well known for his competition in Dante's Abyss. He would be a force to be reckoned with and likely not a battle he could win one on one.

The pirates were an irritating impasse but that was far more his speed. Pirates were hasty and arrogant and completely blinded by their own greed. He'd have an arrow through their teeth before they could see the moonlight reflect off his mask. The cover of night was advantageous to him as well, seeing as he always chose to dress in jet black. What was making him nervous about them was they didn't seem the type to engage in a vault assault without a plan, or an ace up their sleeves. Perhaps now was a better time than never to figure out the scope of the battlefield.

Ghost whistled loudly towards a few trees on their passing left. In seconds, a blue-jay erupted from the trees branch and flew directly towards to its shadowy summoner. The small, blue bird landed upon Ghost's shoulder with a few happy chirps and then they locked eyes upon each other.

"Scout." Ghost Orchid declared to the bird. It chirped once before flying ahead of them, much faster than the dune buggy.

"Damn that bird can move." Rough called back. "Where'd you learn that trick, anyhow?"

Ghost shook his head. "It isn't a trick. The birds, the wolves, the bears; the animals of the Hinterlands are my community. They've taught me pieces of their languages as I've taught them pieces of ours. I bring them berries and shelter, they allow me to hunt. A cyclical system of the food chain."

Rough looked over at Tumble with a raised eyebrow and she just shrugged in return.

"You're a weird one, Ghost Orchid."

A few minutes passed before the blue-jay returned. It landed seamlessly upon Ghost's shoulder once more and they again locked eyes. It chirped once, then chirped several times. One group. A multitude of enemies. That could be either John Connor or the pirates, it was still unclear. It chirped again once, then chirped again several times. Dammit. Two groups. A multitude of enemies yet again. Both groups had more backup and likely more firepower. But, it seemed the bird wasn't done. It chirped ten times, then nine times.

What?

This was a new development. That was the code he'd created for the term anomaly. Something that the bird couldn't decipher but recognized the presence of. There was someone likely among the pirates, that was an anomaly. He knew it. He knew that they had something or someone up their sleeve.

"We need to be careful. There's someone else besides John Connor there who knows what the hell their doing. This could get ugly, fast."

Rough and Tumble let out a harmonic, boisterous laugh.

"Ghost, we should probably tell you..." Tumble started. "We were paid to keep you alive. However, we've had a good run of things. Me and Rough have been doing this for almost thirty years now. It's been a fun run but really, it's gotten stale and old. We don't wanna die in some home twenty years from now doing nothing but drooling on ourselves."

They were fast approaching another hill that they would surely launch off of. The sounds of warfare were now apparent. The pirates and John Connor engaged in combat were just over this hill.

She looked backwards and up to Ghost who returned her gaze intensely, and she smiled sorrowfully.

"We don't plan on getting out of this alive, Ghost."

Before he even had time to process what she'd said to him, the dune buggy flew over the grassy knoll, and they hovered for a few seconds over the battlefield. That's when Ghost saw John Connor, switching to a plasma rifle. Good, he'd located him immediately. Their eyes met briefly but certainly long enough to leave an impression.

The dune buggy came crashing down like a vengeful comet, turning a mercenary and a pirate who were engaged in battle into bloody paste in the grass. Ghost jumped down from the top and summoned Petal. He drew it back and launched an arrow into the head of a pirate who'd been stunned by their sudden arrival. Not wasting time, he bolted towards the trees for cover, drawing another arrow.

Rough had jumped out on top of two of the mercenaries. He shoved the chainsword through the stomach of one and pulled it out deftly to remove the arm of another.

Tumble stood up in the driver seat and drew her quad barreled shotgun, planting a shell in the chest of a pirate trying to run her down with his blade.

She laughed aloud and shouted;

"WE'RE THE GRIM FUCKING REAPERS, MOTHERFUCKERS!"

1057+1051 = 2108/10000
 

Ghost Orchid

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It was so fast, but due to the entrance they made it made complete sense. Rough and Tumble went down. A pirate cutting Rough's throat and Tumble facing a spray of bullets through their heart. Ghost was left alone on a suicide mission for a 'potential' answer to his history. Fucking Claudio. He was full of shit, wasn't he? He just wanted to fatten his pocket.

Ghost did not think twice about his decision. There was no point to linger. John Connor and the mysterious intruder could kill each other for all he cared. He didn't want to die here, chasing dead leads. A sharp whistle left his lips that pierced through the night air and went straight into the ears of a flock of crows flying overhead. They swooped, and they, all together, grabbed him by the shoulders and carried him away from the battlefield.

Another fruitless, pointless massacre.

Claudio would answer for this.

EXIT GHOST ORCHID DUE TO BEING IN ANOTHER QUEST NOW
 

John Connor

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The sound of John’s mercenaries and Shinku’s pirates sounded like an all out war in the soldier's mind. Finally hearing something off the top of where he was watching carefully with his binoculars, he was just about to prepare a plasma rifle when the sudden appearance of a man “in” a metal mask was carefully staring hard back at the soldier's eyes.

He stopped, hard, piercing eyes staring back.

It’s then a war flashback happened.

He stared down a terminator in a fight, and shot at it, but he found himself almost too close to a molten pot conveniently placed where he could get to it. This terminator didn’t go down without a fight but once he shot the molten stew and then the freezing cold liquid underneath, the other terminator barely got to him before falling on the ground and scraping a burned “Y” scar on the soldier's face.

The hardened Commander felt his face where the red “Y” scar was and turned to the face of one mercenary trying to get his attention “Sir, you alright? Whomever it was or whatever it was, it’s gone now.”

John frowned, “Somehow, I think he’ll be back eventually.”

For a split second, the commander came back to his senses, his eyes still locked on the new arrival as the vehicle that carried them finally crashed into the battlefield. Could that be the terminator that he faced back then? John knew that there’s only one way to find out.

Without thinking twice, he charged the rifle and aimed it at the dune buggy. A flare of red light built up at the rifle’s mouth before blasting into a thin wave of red laser that went straight to the vehicle’s engine. A minor explosion resulting from the shot settled down after a while, revealing an exposed engine fried to a crisp. John hoped for some damage done to the dune buggy’s passengers but all his sensors could catch was a single human inside the vehicle with a vital reading condition of merely a minor shock. It seemed that the others had left the vehicle even before his shot reached the buggy. The damage he did at least denied his opponent an escape route.

“I think it’s time for you to go inside the ruins while they are busy fighting. I’ll cover for you.” Sart suddenly spoke up, his voice sounding merely like a background noise amidst an ongoing war.

“No, you go get the artifact. I’ll handle this myself.” John retorted, his voice as firm as steel. His eyes narrowed, searching for the suspected terminator within the battlefield. It took him a while before he finally set out and joined the war.

John turned back, looking for the “terminator “ he saw a few minutes earlier. He stared down digital binoculars as he slowly moved in the settings of the binoculars. Maybe this terminator was nothing more than a “mere” Ghost.

He squeezed his plasma rifle while he moved closer to where this false terminator was at, waiting for the perfect moment to take it down.

What was on the commander’s mind? Why did he get so harsh? Through two wars, he had survived. Even that was enough to send the most basic man reeling from fear.

He eventually heard the sounds of guns and swords clashing. Surprisingly the fight seemed about even.

With a quickened, loud shake of his communication device, there were a few loud blasts in the distance which signaled something big just happened. John yelled into his comm, “What the HELL just happened out there? I heard two blasts in the distance! Well?!”

“Report!”

“Uh, SIR! There were casualties out there. Two mercenaries by the name of Rough and Tumble, it seems. The bodies were found not too long ago.

The Human Resistance leader bit his tongue and sighed in somewhat of a relieved mode. Two of their biggest problems were gone and killed without a trace and not to mention Ghost had gone missing. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing to be honest.

That left the problem of Shinku’s pirates and the mercenaries still left under his command.

John growled. He’d wasted precious seconds trying to determine if his merc’s lives or the artifact actually mattered in this case. He gritted his teeth, letting his mercs take care of the pirates.

The man eyed the pathways again, looking back and stealing what was Rough and Tumble’s rides. He turned on the motorcycles and created dust on the pathway.

Hopefully, he was two steps ahead of Shinku’s planning and watched the Hinterland’s map, tracking to see where the cave containing the artifact was.

After finding, marking and pointing to where the map lead, John packed up the map, pushing the motorcycle to its limits toward the cave.

1406+804= 2210/10000
 

Shinku

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The young crimson night has started to plague the Hinterlands in gradual darkness. The noise of battle between Shinku’s pirate companions and a couple of mercenaries however, denied the night of its supposed peace. Explosions, gunshots and steels that clashed against flesh and armors roared along with the cry of warriors in the forested battlefield.

Shinku on the other hand, patiently lay in wait under the protection of a tree near the ruins. He kept himself hidden all throughout the battle, looking for the perfect moment to make a move. The one who stayed at the ship seemed wary of the battlefield along with a few mercenaries that could be his guards. What the assassin of shadows could feel however, was only the serene aura that those few people exhumed. It’s as if they too, remained unfazed by the chaos in front of them. Their inactivity however, greatly puzzled Shinku. Could they be merely guarding the ruins? Or perhaps Orochi’s words bore some truth - someone was aware of his presence and could be waiting for him to move. He could just use the shadow realm to bring him inside the ruins but he deemed it too risky without having any awareness of what’s inside. He could be trapped inside a wall, or perhaps end up in an inescapable danger.

As the assassin of shadows counted his possible options, the entrance of a dune buggy suddenly caught his attention. The newcomers came from a low hill - flying?? What pinned his sight was a person placed right on top of the buggy, dressed in an all jet black suit. The only reason he was able to notice the shadowy stranger was the fact that the person came in line with Shinku’s sight of the bloody moon. The stranger suspended there for a while, as merely a shadow that tainted the faintly glimmering ball of the night sky, before the buggy that carried him, crashed into the battlefield.

‘That one’s tasty too. You can feel it right?’ Orochi’s voice again pulled his attention back, proving his sense that the newcomer was also of high caliber.

‘Aren’t we here for that stone?’ Shinku contested, not wanting to involve himself with some senseless battle.

‘Of course. Of course. Now perhaps he could be of use to distract that other one.’ Thankfully, the snake demon immediately conceded, then diverted the subject to the stranger inside the ship that they’ve been wary of since a few moments ago.

And as Orochi had predicted, the newcomers did catch the mercenary’s attention, evident by the sudden blast of red laser that obliterated part of the group’s dune buggy. Furthermore, he could feel the sudden strong killing intent of who seemed like the lead mercenary from inside the ship. After a few more minutes, the assassin of shadows then noticed the movement of a few other mercenaries towards the ruins. He could be clueless of the ruin’s inside structure but luckily, he could use his foes’ position as reference for safe landing.

The strong mercenary finally made his move, yet Shinku’s focus remained on his allies that moved farther inside the ruins. With everyone outside the ruins occupied by their own battles, the assassin of shadows finally had the perfect timing to escape. He let himself be devoured by the shadows as he disappeared into a purplish black smoke.

Shinku reappeared just behind the small mercenary group that escaped ahead of him yet, his stealth ability prevented the mercenaries from noticing his presence. Stealthily, he followed closely after his foes while carefully keeping track of his surroundings. Strangely enough, their traverse of the narrow hall seemed peaceful in spite of them having walked for a couple of minutes since their entry.

“Jeeze, I will never understand what goes on in the mind of that crazy freak. One moment he’s in control of everything then suddenly he comes after that shady stranger.” The mercenary who seemed to lead the other two, grumbled, as their pace gradually slowed down. His companions on the other hand, could only stare at each other and react with a shrug of their shoulders.

With the absence of any response from his open complaint, the group’s lead could only sigh in dismay as he continued the long walk through the endless tunnel. Shinku remained undetected, as he carefully stalked the unsuspecting group from behind.

After a few more moments of walking, the mercenaries suddenly came to an abrupt stop. Shinku had to stop as well, pinning himself to the wall, careful as not to lose his stealth. The smell of rotting flesh started to get in the way of the group’s exploration. The odor started to get nauseating that the mercenaries had to cover their lower face with a torn piece of their clothes before resuming their exploration. Shinku was able to tolerate the rotten smell but had to block his olfactory sense as the odor got stronger.

It did not take them that long before the group could finally witness the gruesome view of rotting human bodies that flooded the hallway ahead. They could only gasp in terror as they stop once again, unable to pass through the countless dead people whose bodies seemed to have been roughly piled to block the entrance of wherever the hallway leads.

“How the hell do we get through that pile of shit!” One of the lesser mercenaries exclaimed, still with disbelief of the scene in front of them.

“Over those dead bodies I assume??...” The mercenaries’ lead responded, though a hint of doubt could be noticed from his tone. Who could blame him though, as the scene before him was enough for even the bravest knight’s courage to falter.

As the mercenaries contest on how to proceed, the faint sound of revving engine started to echo through the hall.

‘That’s their commander. Those newcomers don't seem to be tough enough to hold him eh.’ Orochi’s voice suddenly rang once again inside the assassin of shadows’ head as the engine’s sound quickly got louder and louder.

Shinku could only hope that his stealth would be enough to keep himself hidden from anyone’s view or senses. He simply stood still, as he continued to observe around him, wary of what action to do next.

3266+1043 = 4309 / 10,000
 

John Connor

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John’s stolen motorcycle from the dead bodies of Rough and Tumble came to be very helpful right now in this moment as he watched some of the mercenaries he was responsible for enter the cave, standing at the pile of dead bodies in the midst of the cave.

Connor’s patience wasn’t going to be tested here, not when his enemy could be anywhere, anyplace around and you had to have eyes around you at all times.

It’s about time the mercenaries heard the roar coming from the cave.

“Listen, I came back. We don’t have a third company trying to stab us from the back anymore. Rough and Tumble are confirmed to be Killed in Action. They are now dead.”

“What about Shinku, sir?” One mercenary asked out of curiosity.

John frowned and gritted his teeth “Watch my back, I’m not sure of his current location after I came from the last known location of the fights in question.”

John flipped the flashlight connected to his plasma gun on, getting a better peer at the cave in question.

The light shone on various sides of the wall. He should have packed a flare for a better look. This Shinku was noted to be a stealth expert.

Any noise and scream could be this Shinku.

John ignored his first instincts on how bad the cave actually reeked as human remains were the last thing on his mind at the moment after seeing so many dead bodies in a row, should he actually be worried?

“See anything, Sir?” The mercenary in question brought a flare and threw it to the ground in case they would need it. The cave lights up like the morning sun.

John was cautious, taking a careful step by step approach and he moved his weapon back and forth as everyone continued. Steps quickened from boots hitting the ground, one by one.

The quickened movement made John move his light toward a spot in front of him. Thirty years of decoding the mysteries of robots, only to actually be forced to kill a real human in Dante's Abyss or be killed, wasn’t that the war he was fighting all these years?

There was something waiting within the cave, there had to be. Nothing in any book or guide he could find on Erde Nova ever said the caves were easy trails. There was always something waiting in the wisps.

2210+401= 2611/10000
 

Shinku

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The bike finally skidded to a stop and the shadowy figure of a muscular man quickly stepped off the old machine. His steps were quick, obviously in a hurry. With his quick strides, it wasn’t that long before his image could be clearly seen from where the assassin of shadows was.

The view of a man, who looked more like a heavily equipped soldier in uniform rather than a mere mercenary, came into Shinku’s view. His aura felt exactly as the one who was previously inside the ship that first caught Orochi’s attention. His demeanor gave away his obvious rank that surpassed the rest of the mercenaries along with the authoritative tone of his voice the moment he spoke.

The stink of the place was still strong enough to be ignored yet, the newcomer’s presence wasn’t one to easily pass by either. It wasn’t that surprising anymore since Shinku encountered the soldier’s presence outside the cave but didn’t expect the man to join his subordinates that soon.

‘It will not be easy to get past them, kid. That big guy’s definitely something.’ Orochi noted, as the mercenary group continued their small talk. ‘Well, good thing they haven’t found us out yet,’ he continued, but not in a relieved tone but rather in a strangely declarative manner.

Shinku concurred but what caught his attention the most was when he heard his own name being spoken by one of the mercenaries. He’d been too careful these past few years to the point of giving false identities whenever he spoke with anyone but this group, they knew who he was. Indeed, just as Orochi mentioned, this isn’t going to be easy. He’s dealing with mercenaries that could even get classified information from whatever they got his identity from.

‘Yeah and that too. I bet they know the identity of everyone that came here today. Those sneaky bastards!’ Somehow Shinku has gotten used to it but Orochi’s intrusion of his mind somehow gave some uneasy feeling to the assassin.

‘Could it be Elise?’ Shinku thought for a moment but tried to brush off the idea. After all, the lady did owe him one for saving her friend’s family and it didn’t occur to him that she’s the type that could betray him. He could also think of Jak, as the eco warrior also knew him by name and his somehow broken promise of help could mean betrayal. But he couldn’t conclude just yet without any presented evidence.

‘Haha conflicted are we? Well, could be, could be not. But right now, our bigger problem is how to race them to the vault when they clearly know more than we do.’ The shadow demon advised, this time in a rather more serious tone.

‘Should we go back then?’ The assassin of shadows teased, though his eyes were still pinned at his foes.

‘Haha come on! You’re better than that, kid.’ Orochi simply laughed Shinku’s last statement out, knowing that he didn’t actually mean what he said.

‘Or should we face them here right now?.’ It may be more like a sudden joke but Shinku somehow wanted to actually face them off however, starting a battle with unknown enemies could prove fatal especially when they were more aware of who he was more than he knew of his opponents. He may have had the element of surprise but that couldn’t guarantee a smooth victory.

‘Sure, you can try.’ Orochi teased once again, sarcastic of Shinku’s somehow empty threat. Or could it be a test? Perhaps, a challenge of the assassin’s resolve?

‘Well, this place has got to have some traps here somewhere.’ The assassin’s tone finally got a bit more serious. The longer they stayed idle, the riskier it got. But in the end, all he could do was hope that the place could somehow aid him against the mercenaries.

‘I know what you're thinking, kid. But don’t you think they could have prepared for those as well?’ The demon proved a point making Shinku ponder once again but somehow, he couldn’t help but be bothered by the shadow demon’s calm demeanor.

‘Well, I doubt you brought me here without some plans of your own,’ Shinku noted, his mind gradually settling down from its previous strain.

‘Haha, of course there’s always something up my sleeve, kid. Good thing you’re starting to know me little by little. Aren’t you going to ask what my plan is?’ Orochi hissed, in his usual sarcastic tone.

‘Nah, I’m sure I’d know anyway when the right time comes.’ The assassin of shadows responded, his attention now focused more on the mercenaries he’s tailing.

‘Woah, so you trust me that much now eh. Now that’s a first.’ The shadow demon hissed, somehow surprised at Shinku’s response.

‘This is your quest after all, not really mine. So at least I’m sure you know how to get this through.’

‘Could that be a compliment or a blame? Well, you did agree to help. And let me remind you that this is for your own sake as well. Imagine how stronger you would be once we took hold of that stone.’ The snake demon tempted, while being enthralled by the very vision of the loot himself.

Somehow, Shinku could feel the lust for power; however, he couldn’t help but be wary of Orochi’s real intentions. There were still details left unanswered about the stones yet, the assassin of shadows got caught of the desire to taste the power that Orochi mentioned. Their inner dialogue had to stop when the assassin of shadows had to shield his eyes from the sudden flash of a flare that just intensified how gory the sight at the cave was. After that, he noticed that the mercenaries started to move out.

Shinku himself, decided to keep his position and use his senses to keep track of the group’s movement. He deemed it better to safely monitor the mercenaries from a distance since their auras were easy to keep track. He observed carefully, ready to blink towards the group should they reach past his tracking senses.

4309+1014 = 5323 / 10,000
 

John Connor

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John nodded “Come on, keep going. Not sure what is coming or what to expect yet except whatever is creating bodies in here is dangerous and probably some sort of killer of some kind.

The mercenaries resumed their mini talk before continuing, gushing boot sounds being made in the dirt. A few mercenaries wondered who exactly could be guarding said artifact. “Sir, you have info on what or who exactly could be guarding said tool of power and what the hell we do with it once we’ve got it in our hands?”

The commander eyed the cave even more as he looked back quickly before saying “Not exactly sure, I guess we’ll find out eventually. I fought terminators back in my world but I doubt there's ever been terminators in this gory cave. Depends on what Sark wants with it as well.

The mercs raised an eyebrow and said “Yeah, Sark could use it, but imagine what it could do or the money you could earn just from selling the thing in question.”

John stared over at the man who said this “Well, we can decide who gets paid or who actually gets the artifact when we get there.”

Now he wished he actually had the terminator by his side along with the mercenaries as well. He could get a bit more valuable info.

He took a breath and kept walking, taking a second glance moving the gun back and forth as one pair of red eyes peered out from the dark, staring back at the so-called Leader.

John raised an eyebrow, moving the light onto the glowing red eyes. “Who are you? What are you doing here?!”

A robotic monotone voice came back and answered him “I am T- Series 800 here to help you, John Connor in your quest to defeat whatever it is you need to defeat in here.”

The group of mercenaries eyed the terminator in question standing in front of John Connor and their way of continuing as they raised their guns and almost got to high alert.

They stared down the metallic menace and looked over at him. “Who are you? How do you know John Connor?”

John immediately stepped in front of the terminator, only staring back at it. “How the hell did you know me and my mercs were here?!”

The T-800 frowned “Simple, I’m from another timeline. I tracked you down all the way to the Hinterlands. A quick search on the name John Connor brings up results from the last Dante’s Abyss. It isn’t hard to find the name after you got such a high ranking.”

John turned “It’s a long story, stand down. He’s not going to shoot any of us.”

The cautious mercs raised an eyebrow “Yes, sir.”

“Well, if you came such a long way to find me. Are you planning to come along or what?” John eyed the terminator who just stared back. “Yes, I plan on coming with you. I got my own gun so you don’t have to provide me with one.”

“Now, can we keep moving without another distraction?” John sighed and kept moving, the terminator now near him, covering his back in case of any quick and dangerous movements.

Seconds turned into minutes, minutes moved slowly as a new set of metallic footprints followed along Connor’s own footprints and the terminator followed behind him, first in slow moments, then quick.

The terminator’s blinding red eyes were covered by sunglasses to cover any tracks that the robot was in fact a terminator and not a man himself.

The mercenaries looked over at Connor “So this is the terminator we heard of from Dante’s Abyss? The metal monstrosity spoke up and looked behind him “Yes, I am that terminator. Now I recommend we all move and grab that artifact before we attract any more attention to each movement we.

The machine stopped himself as he held out a hand “Quiet. I hear something..”

John immediately signaled the mercenaries to stop with a hand signal before pointing the light on the “sound’s location.”

Seconds later. Something revealed itself to pop out of the walls as it flew.

The terminator gritted his teeth “JOHN! MOVE! As he pushed the Commander further into the ruins and grabbed the first arrow and easily smashed it.

The mercenaries suddenly turned their heads as they heard a noise within the cave and therefore ran toward the source of the noise as an annoyed John dusted his coat off and pushed himself up as the Terminator lifted the broken arrow to show everyone the source of the danger.

“An arrow?” One of the mercenaries looked up, now cautious as to what other traps laid inside this ancient cave of wonders.

Seconds turned into minutes as a sudden onslaught of seemingly endless droid bots appeared shooting arrows of all things.

“Damn it, why did it have to be robots?!” John Connor literally facepalmed and sighed. The T-800 was already ahead of John covering him by shooting as many of the droid bots and catching said arrows.

“MOVE IT! Let’s GO!” John yelled out as the mercenaries kept shooting at the droids with the arrows.

As a mercenary pulled back, others took their place as the terminator slammed a few droids together and crushed them like they were flies.

Running and gunning through the flurry of droids was more of a pain in the ass than anything at the moment. The terminator pushed through one angle as the mercenaries kept shooting and asking questions later.

Scattered robot bodies laid dead among the mixed bodies earlier.

“There must be another way to avoid the constant onslaught!”

Turns out there was a <i>secret</i> back way. Didn’t know if it was any easier to get to, however.

“Retreat! Pull back for now! Regroup a ways back.” The commander yelled to get the mercenaries' attention.

It took some time but John stood in front of a map and pointed out a secret back way they could work through but it probably would be a lot tricker than the last road.

2611+1015=3626/10000
 

Shinku

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Gradually, darkness took over the place as the mercenaries moved away from Shinku. The assassin of shadows on the other hand, chose to remain and instead tracked the mercenaries’ spiritual signatures as the men moved deeper into the ruins. He had to adjust his body as the coldness of the ruin’s stone wall started to seep through him. Still, his focus didn’t falter, keeping track of his enemy’s movements within the place. Although his slight discomfort failed to break his concentration, the sudden flight of an arrow towards his direction stole his attention, forcing the assassin of shadows to leap out of the way. He was able to perfectly dodge the shot however, the arrow didn’t appear to be a lone one as Shinku began to dance his way out of a flurry of arrows that followed.

“Intruder spotted! Commence elimination!” The chorus of what seemed like a multitude of mechanical voices echoed around the narrow space of the ruins. The darkness prevented Shinku from seeing his foes, but the origin of their voices came from the direction of where he came in.

‘Now I didn’t see that one coming.’ What came worse was the unsolicited thought of the shadow demon that suddenly popped as an annoying voice inside Shinku’s head.

Shinku could only sigh in dismay as he tried to survive a seemingly unending attack from his unseen enemies. What annoyed him more was that he couldn’t even detect their presence but they were able to see through his stealth. He could only guess their location by the arrow’s origin but couldn’t pinpoint exactly where his foes might be. Realizing it futile to try and fight back, he decided to step into his shadows and arrived halfway between where he originally was and the location of the mercenaries. The jump wasn’t that far but seemed enough to escape from his opponents.

This part of the ruins was a bit more lit than his previous spot that was covered in total darkness. This was due to a swarm of bioluminescent insects that covered parts of the walls and ceilings, serving at its natural source of lighting. Anticipating his previous assailants’ return, Shinku decided to move towards the mercenaries this time, following their pace as he tracked them from afar. Their spiritual aura contained a bit of tension, probably due to a similar incident that he encountered earlier though the tension did not last that long.

As he slowly pursued the mercenaries, the sudden appearance of a familiar presence from behind him surprised the assassin of shadows. He had to quickly turn to block an incoming attack with his sword.

“Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! Ye’ bastard!” An enraged Jack appeared before his face, almost digging a blade on Shinku’s throat. The pirate's face was fully red in fury, his teeth bared like a frenzied wolf. “I knew yer’ a traitor!,” the pirate continued, as he pulled out a pistol from his left pocket.

Shinku chose to disengage by blinking just behind the pirate and then attempted to decapitate his foe. Jack however, was quick enough to turn and block his attack and countered with a pistol shot. The assassin of shadows was able to evade an almost headshot then followed up a side kick from his right foot.

The kick was strong enough to send the pirate flying towards a wall, disturbing the glowing insects that rested on it. Not wanting to give his opponent another chance of attack, he dashed towards the downed pirate, pointing his sword at the man’s throat. In desperation, Jack raised his pistol, aiming for Shinku’s head.

“Don’t be ridiculous, that's merely a flintlock pistol. There’s now way you could fire another shot from that thing,” Shinku mocked, yet his face remained expressionless.

“Then why don’t ye’ just end me like ye’ did with the others!” Jack retorted, his hand shaking in obvious fury.

“They’re fight was against the mercenaries. Why blame their death…”

“Arrr! Ye’ left us! Ye’ definitely planned all of this so ye’ could grab ‘em booties fer’ yerself!” the pirate barked, even before Shinku could finish his own speech.

“And you pride yourself on doing the same,” Shinku retaliated, causing the pirate to be speechless.

The conversation however, was cut short by an arrow that suddenly flew towards Shinku. The assassin of shadows, decided to cut the arrow this time, along with the other shots that came towards his direction.

“I guess we could continue this later,” Shinku sighed, then blinked out in a purplish black smoke. Thanks to the cave’s dim lighting, the assassin of shadows was able to see his assailants this time. His opponents came in the form of a multitude of floating ball-like mechanical devices armed with gun-like hands that shoot out arrows.. He appeared right at the center of the machines, cutting down a couple of them before entering the realm of shadows once again.

Jack on the other hand, helped himself up, immediately reloading his flintlock pistol. He watched from a distance as Shinku cut the floating robots one after another.

After a couple of slashes, Shinku had to evade a shot from behind, which instead destroyed one of the machines. “Thanks I guess,” Shinku mocked, then again blinked out of existence.

“Scurvy dog!,” Jack muttered under his breath, after failing to shoot his original target. He proceeded to load another bullet on his pistol but had to move out of the way to save himself from a couple of arrows that ended up on the ground behind him.

At that moment, the glowing insects that produced the only light on the cave started to scatter around and fly away from the place. Their movements alarmed Shinku as he knew that he wouldn’t be able to trace the machines without their light.

“Time to leave!,” Shinku warned after suddenly appearing beside Jack. The assassin of shadows dragged the pirate with him while dodging a flurry of arrows that came after them.

“Arr! Get ‘yer hands off me! I can take care of meself!” Jack tried to shake Shinku off, while cutting down a couple of flying arrows.

‘Yeah you could just let the pirate die so I could eat his soul. He definitely smells delicious.’ Orochi hissed, speaking yet again after a couple moments of silence.

‘Oh shut up.’ Shinku retorted but let go of the pirate anyway then dashed off.

Quest: Restless Steel with John Connor
Word Count: 5323+1062 = 6385 / 10,000
 

John Connor

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Through the tunnel, the bots seemed like they weren’t stopping at all. It felt quite awkward having a flashback to the battlefields back home in the middle of a tense battle such as this.

The terminator was the first to slap John out of his daze as he growled “Snap out of it, John. We aren’t in the clear yet!” The mercenaries and the T-800 were trying to hold back the *metal back on all fronts, lines of droids falling one by one.

John snapped back to attention as he finally joined in on the action, taking his plasma rifle and shooting down the approaching droids following him and his mercenaries. “Eat shit, metal freaks!”

The terminator frowned, reloading, letting the mercenaries take more pot shots at the metal Clockwork droids coming after them.

More droids fell but more quickly took their places in front of each line of the seemingly endless line of Clockwork droids.

“How long can we hold them?!” One mercenary cried out as they switched reloading and shooting at the droids.

The terminator yelled “As long as you can hold them off!”

John blinked, he held responsibility for these mercenaries coming back to Sark and there were many risks involved. All including possible death and other problems.

But so far, the plan had seemed to work.John’’s terminator blinked and then smirked. “Come on, let’s see if we can take a few more of them out!”“The terminator moved forward with his mercenaries in tow and fought off the coming droids one at a time. The mercenaries picked off droids while John aimed and fired.

Some had been dispatched, some were retreating back towards the cave’s exit. .John’s terminator kept a close eye on the droid movements as they all pushed towards the same exit “They’re trying to take their last stand in there!”John, after deciding that it would be best to turn them from one path of retreat into another, they quickly change course before they are discovered .“Terminator, stand down and let them go!” John ordered.It complied and they were able to continue their mission unimpeded. The droid movement stopped as the T-800 listened for a moment at the clanking of metal on metal. There was no sound now, just silence punctuated by John's heavy breathing. He was right next to the first droid, and tensed as it whirred back to life, turning its head towards him.John is going to try and take out the first droid by force.

"I'm just not very good at this human thing” John Connor murmured under his breath.

The Terminator looked at him and tilted its head. “What was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of your impending doom.”

Connor glared. “I said I'm not very good at this human thing.”

“I don't understand, what do you mean?”

Connor sighed. “It's just, I'm not very good at being around people. I'm not good at talking to them, or being social. I'm better at being alone.”

The Terminator looked at him silently for a moment before speaking. “I see. But you are good at being a leader. You are good at being a soldier. You are good at being a protector.”

Connor nodded. “I am. But that doesn't really help me when it comes to interacting with people.”

“Maybe not, but it does make you a good leader. And that is something that is very important.”
Connor smiled gratefully at the Terminator. “Thank you.”

The mercenaries glared at the Terminator and John “Can we cut the part with the feelings?”

The passage led to a heavy door and blinked, the mercenaries and John Connor taking the time to shoot the droids as the terminator tried to pry open the door with its bare hands.

Everyone ran inside, the terminator letting the door slam closed as arrows peppered the metal door as the terminator searched for the next passage with his eyes.

The red screen scanning from the terminator’s point of view included where to find human targets and where they were heading. His mission to terminate was long gone by John Connor himself but he could still find the targets ahead of him a fair distance apart.

Seconds later, the terminator’s ears picked up screams from pirates a short distance away.

“There!” Calgary called and ran after John Connor and the terminator.

The room’s floor was desolate and full of holes, including one that appeared to have no end to it and the terminator stared down “CAREFUL!, We don’t want the same fate as those pirate-”

John pointed carefully down and saw Shinku and Jack.

The mercenaries looked strict, “Should we be helping out what could possibly be an enemy?!”

John’s eyes lit up in wonder “The map says here, the pirates and Shinku somehow accidentally set off a door to led to the vault and the possible treasure that lies within.

The mercenaries frowned “It can’t be that easy… It’s never that easy.”

A mercenary dug around in his pack as he looked for the ropes to go down with “I’ll get them, sir.”

John was quiet “Do what you have to.”

The mercenary connected himself to the ropes and used the rope to pull himself down to grab one at a time

“Who is coming up first?!”

Two figures came falling, one pirate and one strange guy as the mercenary grabbed them by the scruff of their coat.

Soon after, another few mercenaries heard the safe call and followed the other mercenary going down already on a rope.

The terminator followed them once it was safe, and then finally John Connor followed suit, all heading toward the vault.

It was only then the terminator’s hand went up “Look, there they are. Those two causing all this trouble for you guys?”

A mercenary looked over at John who stared at the pirate and the stranger.

“No sudden moves.” John warned.



Quest: Restless Steel with Shinku
Word Count: 3626 +987=4613 /10000
 

Shinku

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"Ain’t there an end to these…metals…droids!," Jack complained in exasperation. From time to time, Jack had to reload his pistol in desperation to shoot their pursuers one by one. Their numbers however, didn’t seem to dwindle no matter how many shots he made.

“We just need a place to actually fight them.”, Shinku replied, as he ran forward and tried to sense what the mercenaries were up to at the same time. To his horror, their presence showed that the group were retreating, quickly approaching their place. “Or perhaps let’s just focus on finding the vault,” he continued, in fear that they’d have to encounter the other group as well if they stop to fight the droids.

“Arr! Will ye’ make up yer’ mind!,” Jack yelled, confused at Shinku’s conflicting statements.

"Hey, this passage might work!," Shinku exclaimed, seeing a narrow wooden door on one of the walls. They hurried into it and then tried to close the door but the small door was surprisingly heavy for its appearance. Nevertheless, they managed to finally push the door and close the entrance but sounds of arrows being shot at the door meant that they’re both far from being safe. Worse, he could sense the other group quickly closing in. The room they were in seemed to have proper lighting in it with a few lit torches hanging on the walls. They could definitely fight the droids this time but they weren’t ready to face the trained mercenaries.

“Why don’t we just cleave ‘em to the brisket! And blast ‘em one by one!,” Jack complained as they’re obviously out of any more options.

“There’s too many of them,” Shinku lied, but what he’s actually afraid of was the group of mercenaries closing in on them. “Besides, aren’t we after the vault, not them?,” he continued, somehow knocking some sense at the pirate.

“Arrgg! Oh hey there’s another door!,” Jack announced upon seeing another wooden door just in line from where they came in. Jack, this time, decided to smash the door with a strong kick. Luckily, one hit was enough to destroy the hinges and burst the door open. They quickly went inside, having them end up in a small circular room with two more wooden doors on both sides.

“Well, whatever would do I guess,” the assassin of shadows suggested as he quickly made his way to the one at the right side. Left with no choice, Jack followed Shinku as the sounds of the droids’ shots continued to haunt them nearby.

This time, they ended up in a larger room with a wooden floor that obviously started to rot in age. A few cracks were visible, accompanied by a couple of holes everywhere. Seeing the floor’s condition, Shinku decided to slow down his pace, careful not to create any more damage at the place.

‘Were getting near the stone. I can feel it!’ The snake demon suddenly hissed in excitement. Shinku however, couldn’t dismiss the fact that they’re still in danger.

‘Well could you sense exactly where it is so I can teleport there and leave this place?,’ the assassin of shadows reacted impatiently, knowing that the swarm of mechanical droids as well as the mercenaries could catch onto them at any time.

‘That’s what I’ve been trying to do but a magical energy seems to be blocking its signature. I can feel it nearby but there’s no way of telling where it is. Could also be a trap I don’t know,’ Orochi barked yet unfocused by the tone of his voice.

‘Yeah that’ll help us a lot,’ Shinku mocked, disappointed at the fact that their situation wasn’t getting any better.

“Arrrrggghhh! What are ye doin’ ye son of a biscuit eater! They’d catch on us in no time!,” the pirate however, seemed to be unaware of the room’s condition and carelessly rampaged into the place.

“Hey slow…,” Shinku tried to warn the pirate but it was too late. As long as Jack made his first step into the room, the old wooden boards gave way, making both of them fall.

In desperation, Jack tried to hold on a piece of broken wood to prevent his fall but unfortunately, the wood wasn’t strong enough to hold his weight. He tried to look for anything else to hold on to but of no avail.

Shinku could only facepalm, as the boards that supported him broke as well, making him helplessly fall down along with the pirate.

“Arrr! Ye’ didn’t tell me the floor ain’t that strong!” Jack complained in panic as they both plummeted down on what seemed like an endless pit.

The moment Shinku saw the bottom ground, he stepped into his shadows and reappeared safely at the dirt ground below the pit.

‘Its presence is getting stronger! The stone is just around here somewhere!,’ Orochi’s voice came up yet again, his tone even more thrilled than before.

‘Let me guess. You still can’t sense where it is,’ Shinku replied in hopelessness yet somehow relieved that he could no longer hear any sound from the droids. The presence of the mercenaries however, seemed to be getting stronger as well.

‘Well, try walking around. Open a door or something,’ the shadow demon commanded impatiently as his excitement slowly built up.

‘Alright, but wait,’ Shinku realized that Jack was still around and the presence of the mercenaries seemed to getting nearer every second.

“Arr! Did ye’ think yer the only one who ‘ave such tricks!”, the plummeting Jack exclaimed the moment he saw Shinku teleport towards the ground. To save himself, he made the black bracelet on his right wrist glow into a dark purplish hue. With that, he disappeared into a puff of smoke then appeared right behind Shinku.

Shinku was surprised to see the pirate teleport with his very eyes but what frightened him more was the sight of the mercenaries quickly descending into the pit with John Connor and a metal robot staring straight at him.

“We’ve been found out,” Shinku said as calmly as he could, careful not to make any foolish move.

Quest: Restless Steel with John Connor
Word Count: 6385 +1015 = 7400 / 10,000
 

John Connor

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An awkward silence drew upon the mercenary squad as they were hanging by their rope, everyone finally dropping onto the vault’s area but just as they got there, droids were starting to swarm again coming at the mercenaries. Calgary yelled as he pushed back trying to keep the droids at bay, the terminator grabbing one and smashing them against each other, the other mercenaries pushing back lines of droids until they kept falling. This went on for hours. Shinku and Jack are forced to hear echoes of everyone’s battle cries from their positions.

-2029, the battle against Skynet-
A thunderstorm was a common played out vision in John Connor's head.

The sky was a deep, ominous gray. The wind had picked up and the air smelled of ozone and rain.

John Connor had been told that, before the war, thunderstorms were rare. Now, they are a daily occurrence.

But this one was different.

It wasn't just the violent storm brewing in the sky above him. It was the feeling that he was being watched. He felt a chill go up his spine and his skin crawl.

Sounds of metal on metal and cracking of mechanical skulls was heard over plasma fire from both terminator and human Resistance fighters as John’s battle cries could be heard echoing through the night along with several other humans in the fight for their very survival.

A voice shook Connor back to reality in a dream, a soldier shaking John in his prophetic dream “Wake up! CONNOR! WAKE UP!”

John snapped back to reality when it was the terminator shaking him as John just narrowly avoided a blast.

“God DAMNIT!” John muttered under his breath.

It was then more droids started to pour into the fray and Connor and his group of mercenaries were starting to get surrounded on all sides.

The terminator tried its best to fight off the mess of droids' onslaught coming on.

“Keep firing!” We can do this!”

It was until then John looked over at the two stragglers in the corner and frowned. He knew the group was surrounded on most sides so it was time to call somewhat of a truce between groups.

The mercenaries kept shooting over and over, gritting their teeth over the loud blasts. “WELL?!”

John frowned at the pirates, “You there and you, we need your help with these droids… What do you request in our aid?”

Calgary looked narrowly at the pirate captain and the one next to him and then at John, who was cautious with the T-800 standing next to him.

John cleared his throat loudly enough so that the Pirate Captain’s and the strangers conversation was broken.

“So about that truce.”

The terminator frowned and crossed his arms “I don’t quite trust these two.”

John frowned, trying to bring a human’s edge to what the terminator was saying.

“You’re right there, Mr. Pirate Captain. Me and my mercenaries along with the T-800 here usually fight machines for a living. Nobody ever thought there’d be an endless assault on <i>everyone</i> here.
The terminator made sure there was no assault made on John Connor himself or the mercenaries in front of them.

John’s face was cold and emotionless as he stared down (Shinku) and Jack, the pirate captain. No telling how the possible enemy would react.

One mercenary named Calgary stood near John and the T-800 staring at Shinku and the pirate captain.

With that, John broke his emotionless facade.

John walked like a machine but was human, here the terminator was a machine but acted human.

How much of his own humanity has he given up to protect the human race? To make a truce with these unknown, possible enemies.

-DA 2021-

John stared down a horse-like creature, his T-800 only in his range named Alantis. The soldier-like horse was there to “take him away” or so to speak. He worked his way up the hard way and this horse commander wasn’t going to take that away from him.

The terminator looked back as he was requested to “distract” the horse commander so that John could get back to Azula’s command.

The woman was dark and determined yet she was a bit out of it sometimes. He learned to respect and sometimes fear the Fire Nation Princess yet hated the sacrifice the T-800 made to protect John.

The T-800 started to speak to Shinku and the pirate captain about John's lack of attention to the situation. John blinked and started to speak to them.

“So about the droids, I say we propose a truce.” John frowned, eyeing everyone near him. “I’m sure nobody likes the situation we are in and it benefits us all in the long run if we work together. He watched the pirate’s body language, still seeing him as a threat to the situation at hand.

Quest: Restless Steel with Shinku
Word Count:4613 +809 =5422 / 10,000
 

Shinku

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Things had turned from bad to worse having the mercenaries finally caught up with Shinku and Jack. Somehow, Shinku’s only option would be to fight back but realizing that this one easily dealt with the pirates, he knew that a battle with them would be anything but easy. At that moment, he instead chose to observe after all, the mercenaries weren’t being aggressive in spite of the fact that the assassin of shadows and his companion were literally pinned at the corner.

“This ain’t lookin’ good shadow landlubber!,” Jack whispered, as he witnessed the mercenaries descend upon them. “Tell me ye’ can handle ‘em scurvy dogs!,” he continued, his teeth gritting in anger. Jack loaded his pistol and decided to conceal it behind him. His right hand tightened its grip at his cutlass, ready to make an attack anytime.

“Maybe but that leader of theirs, something tells me that he’s not that easy to handle,” Shinku responded, his eyes locked at John Connor whose eyes were fixated on the duo. He was shocked to see more of them at the pit, more than the four who remembered to have entered the cave. He still couldn’t understand the fact that the mercenaries weren’t shooting when most of their guns were pointed right at them.

“Ye’ can do that shadow thing of ‘yers and just cleave ‘em to the brisket!,” the pirate demanded, yet his voice remained as soft as possible.

“I don’t think it’s that easy with that man around. Especially with that other robot thing beside him,” Shinku retorted as calmly as he could, while thinking of ways on how he could turn the situation around. It would have been easier had it been just the four of them like earlier but dealing with a whole squad with the addition of the mercenaries’ mechanical ally, would put them in a dire situation if they’re not careful.

“So ‘yer sayin’ that he’s stronger than me Cap’n!,” Jack barked, his voice a little louder this time but luckily, not enough to have his hate speech be heard by the mercenaries.

‘Yeah he’s dead now and that one’s alive,’ Orochi mocked though his response could only be heard by Shinku.

‘Really? You choose to be the annoying one today?!’, Shinku mused as he thought of a good reply for the frenzied pirate. At that point, the sounds of the guns sounded more like background noises as his attention got completely fixated at Jack.

“Hey look. This isn’t the smart time to make any foolish moves. If we’re forced to fight then I’d do my best but as of now, let’s…,” Shinku responded then as if the Arbiters’ favor suddenly turned to them, he witnessed the droids suddenly swarmed against the mercenaries from behind. “...and that’s our hope right there. Just stay still.”

“Arrrgggg! What are ‘ye sayin’! It’s our chance to get out of ‘ere or stab ‘em from their backs,” Jack demanded, as the fight between the mercenaries and the ruin’s mechanical droids began.

“Just trust me, stay still. I really hate to say this but we definitely need their aid to that vault. We don’t know how many more of those droids are in there or what more dangers lie in here. And they’d also be needing us two so just be quiet there and act like a good pirate,” Shinku explained, keeping his eyes on the ongoing battle before them.

“Arrrg! I ain’t workin’ with ‘em landlubbers!,” Jack complained, his responses now getting much louder than before.

“Listen, that leader of theirs still has his eyes on us. If we make a wrong move here, he’d definitely be on us. We still don’t know what he’s capable of. Remember, they were able to wipe out your ‘mates’,” Shinku explained further, trying to knock some sense at Jack. He couldn’t help but to face the pirate for a while as they argument started to heat up.

“Well, if that man’s really more capable than me captain, they would ‘ave wiped ‘em droids by now,” Jack retorted, his fists now clenched in an attempt to hold back his anger.

“True, but still, they’re holding out just fine against that number of droids. Unlike…,” Shinku quickly responded but as he was about to continue, the voice of John Connor suddenly came up. He turned around only to notice the man to be standing just a few feet from them, accompanied by their metal companion and another mercenary.

The commander’s voice seemed desperate yet his eyes were cold and emotionless. The mercenary came to them with the proposition of a truce, something that Shinku hoped for earlier. Somehow, it eased up the tension between them though Jack’s clenched fist still suggested that the pirate isn’t comfortable with their presence. Let alone their sudden intervention at their heated argument.

Shinku would have answered right away yet he somehow felt that the commander’s mind was suddenly elsewhere. For a moment, he decided to observe, along with the mechanical being that was with them. Similar to the droids, he couldn’t feel any spiritual presence at this one. The robot looked exactly like a human yet a hollow being on the inside.

The mechanical being confirmed the commander’s inattention at the moment, making Shinku simply respond with a nod. Surprisingly, Jack was able to keep his mouth shut in spite of the fact that he still had some heated issues against the mercenaries.

Finally, the commander spoke again, reiterating their proposal of truce.

“A fair cut from whatever is on that vault that’s all we need. And we promise to cooperate with you until the end,” Shinku quickly responded, his speech as careful as he could come up with.

‘Yeah, we only need that stone, there’s no way that could be of use to them,’ Orochi hissed, still in a speech only audible to the assassin of shadows. ‘And maybe add some souls from his men.’ A sinister laugh followed annoying Shinku once again but he remained to keep his focus at the commander’s reaction.


Quest: Restless Steel with John Connor
Word Count: 7400 +1007= 8407 / 10,000
 
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