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Orion floated crosslegged, hands on his knees, the end of his robe brushing the ground. With eyes closed, he breathed deeply through his nose, in and out. He had forgotten the simple pleasures of meditation. Clearing the mind and focusing only on the passing of air through his nostrils brought great calm and focus, and he quietly scolded himself for forgetting its practical uses in the intervening years since he learned it.
Once he recognised the heartbroken fury of losing his tail and, thematically, his entire sense of self and the sacrifices that composed it, he remembered that meditation would help in cutting through the blinding pain and resentment that Darkseid so readily used as a bridle to break Orion’s will.
But since he was so out of practice, it would take time for it to become natural again. His first attempts were fruitful, and they would continue to be, he knew, but this was a journey.
However, such journeys were often interrupted. So he had to train for those eventualities.
The dragging of steel against the hard rock of the ground entered Orion’s awareness. Snarls and hisses orbited his position. The acrid stench of their breath and possibly body odour signaled to the Saiyan what had surrounded him.
Orion inhaled slowly, holding his breath momentarily, and released it as he opened his eye.
The harbingers of Darkseid, the parademons, growled at him. Their glowing red eyes and serrated teeth exposed their true feral nature despite the laser rifles and sinister spears they wielded as adeptly as any other sentient being. Their ebony power armour granted them protection beyond what most soldiers and mercenaries could penetrate.
He had intended this. Meditating in the wilds of Cevanti almost necessitated a visit from the marauding parademons. Practicing a peaceful and centred state of mind while in the midst of a frenzied attack would help hammer in the need to abandon the rage that he had allowed into his battle style. He knew it intellectually. He just had to train it in emotionally.
The servants of the Fallen Arbiter seemed to take exception to the Saiyan meeting their hungry gaze, readying their weapons and lunging at him.
Orion’s boots met the ground.
The first parademon stabbed forward with their obsidian spear, its pointed tip coated with a film of dry blood. Orion raised his knee and pivoted slightly to the side, his foot crashing down on the spear as it missed its target. The shaft snapped beneath the Saiyan’s stomp. The parademon continued forward with its momentum, providing an unguarded moment for Orion to drive his knee into the beast’s face. A sickening crack sounded from the impact, sending a thick stream of green blood from its pointed maw. It hit the ground twitching, its crimson goggles laced with fractures.
Watching their comrade collapse so easily drew greater fury to the surface of the parademons’ twisted faces, and they attacked in tandem.
Their anger overrides any fleeting sense they might have, Orion thought to himself. Far too similar to myself when I faced off against Saren.
Three of the remaining five parademons entered the fray with spears, while the other two took aim with their laser rifles. A hail of ruby hued projectiles lit up the dull, rocky area in a pale red light. A handful of shots connected with Orion’s armour, leaving scorch marks and imparting noticeable pain but unable to break his ki infused body. Forming a ball of energy, the Saiyan detonated it at his feet as the trio of spear wielders reached him, instantly covering himself in a plume of dust and smoke.
The lasers still whizzed through the shroud, but the lack of sight on Orion meant most went nowhere near him. Though blinded himself, the parademons shone with brilliant life energy easily detectable by the Saiyan’s ki sense. He struck with heavy precision at the first unaware victim in the back of the skull, gripping it in one hand and slamming the creature headfirst into the unyielding earth. The sound and vibrations acted as a clarion call to the other two spear wielders. They beat their sharpened wings and headed for Orion, their backdraft scattering the dusty cloak that hid him so well.
Stomping on the downed parademon’s skull for good measure, Orion snatched its spear from limp fingers and hurled it at one of the riflemen while the plume still held. The spear turned javelin pierced the beast’s throat, forcing it backwards as it choked and gasped for air. It held its finger down on the rifle as streaks of red flew into the sky haphazardly, until it toppled over.
Orion took a fast second to evaluate his mental state. Focused, pumping with adrenaline, but without the hate and malice that accompanied his last battle. Good.
A glint of ebony nicked the side of Orion’s left bicep, catching him in the moment, his guard momentarily lowered. The Saiyan spun away from the strike as the second parademon closed in.
An almost reflexive spike of rage wanted to guide Orion’s actions, but he recognised it for the echo of his habitual fury that it was and reseated himself in the flow of battle.
Instead of lashing out, he tapped his forehead with index and middle fingers, vanishing as the second parademon attempted to skewer him. Materialising behind the monster, Orion drove a roundhouse kick into its cheek with all the strength he possessed. The parademon thumped into the rocky earth headfirst, its body standing upright almost comically while its head was firmly planted downwards. The rest of the monster flopped downwards lifelessly.
The last spear wielder jabbed at him with its weapon. Orion deflected the piercing tip with his silver vambraces, birthing a spurt of orange sparks, guiding the point into the ground. Grabbing the shaft, Orion yanked on the spear and pulled the parademon towards him. He closed his eyes and slammed his head into the monster’s, mimicking the earlier brutality of his knee strike. He heard the crunch of broken teeth and cracked goggle lenses as the last melee attacker gracelessly fell to the earth, its wings beating in fits and starts.
A sharp sting blossomed in Orion’s left temple, knocking him off kilter. He groaned as his mind buzzed, the impact point sore and pulsing. Puzzlingly, the sight from his cybernetic eye stopped. The last parademon advanced on him behind a storm of crimson lasers.
Disoriented, Orion lifted his arms to block the projectiles. A haze thickened the passageway for his thoughts as if he’d taken a strong blow to the head, but it persisted much longer. Some laser bolts splashed harmlessly off his armour or vambraces but the deaths of the parademon’s allies seemed to hone its aim. Other shots seared the exposed skin of his forearms, leaving blackened burns, and tearing holes through his ornate robe.
The Saiyan battled against a dazed mind. Unable to formulate a proper response but lucid enough to defend himself, he stepped backwards amidst the laser fire, enduring the hits but incapable of stopping them.
As swiftly as the bewilderment set in, it evaporated. Regaining his wits, Orion swung his arms to the side and opened his mouth in preparation of an instinctual, iconic Great Ape attack. A blazing column of ki burst forward, absorbing the laser fire and enveloping the parademon. As Orion closed his lips, a charred and emaciated humanoid frame toppled over, its body disintegrating into blackened ash on impact with the ground.
Orion sighed to reset himself, dusting his hands. The carnage he wrought wasn’t in the name of repressed anger or bitterness but of a desire to live and to implement the many hard won lessons of his extensive fighting career. But he knew he hadn’t completed his objective. His fury took a chance to take control of him – it still lingered, unwilling to submit so easily after decades of suppression. But he didn’t let it. That was the important part, and a heartening display of his own developing mental control.
He probed the gash on his arm with a finger. Not too deep, but the spear tip would hardly qualify as sanitary. Just in case he received some sort of hellish Unmade virus, Orion fished out a senzu bean and popped it in his mouth. A few moments after swallowing, the wound cleared up immediately, as did the numerous burns along the exposed skin of his upper arms.
He pressed two fingers into his left temple. Still a headache, though not as strong. Certainly not debilitating as it was earlier. Unusual.
Maybe a beer will fix that, Orion thought to himself, ascending into the sky.
Once he recognised the heartbroken fury of losing his tail and, thematically, his entire sense of self and the sacrifices that composed it, he remembered that meditation would help in cutting through the blinding pain and resentment that Darkseid so readily used as a bridle to break Orion’s will.
But since he was so out of practice, it would take time for it to become natural again. His first attempts were fruitful, and they would continue to be, he knew, but this was a journey.
However, such journeys were often interrupted. So he had to train for those eventualities.
The dragging of steel against the hard rock of the ground entered Orion’s awareness. Snarls and hisses orbited his position. The acrid stench of their breath and possibly body odour signaled to the Saiyan what had surrounded him.
Orion inhaled slowly, holding his breath momentarily, and released it as he opened his eye.
The harbingers of Darkseid, the parademons, growled at him. Their glowing red eyes and serrated teeth exposed their true feral nature despite the laser rifles and sinister spears they wielded as adeptly as any other sentient being. Their ebony power armour granted them protection beyond what most soldiers and mercenaries could penetrate.
He had intended this. Meditating in the wilds of Cevanti almost necessitated a visit from the marauding parademons. Practicing a peaceful and centred state of mind while in the midst of a frenzied attack would help hammer in the need to abandon the rage that he had allowed into his battle style. He knew it intellectually. He just had to train it in emotionally.
The servants of the Fallen Arbiter seemed to take exception to the Saiyan meeting their hungry gaze, readying their weapons and lunging at him.
Orion’s boots met the ground.
The first parademon stabbed forward with their obsidian spear, its pointed tip coated with a film of dry blood. Orion raised his knee and pivoted slightly to the side, his foot crashing down on the spear as it missed its target. The shaft snapped beneath the Saiyan’s stomp. The parademon continued forward with its momentum, providing an unguarded moment for Orion to drive his knee into the beast’s face. A sickening crack sounded from the impact, sending a thick stream of green blood from its pointed maw. It hit the ground twitching, its crimson goggles laced with fractures.
Watching their comrade collapse so easily drew greater fury to the surface of the parademons’ twisted faces, and they attacked in tandem.
Their anger overrides any fleeting sense they might have, Orion thought to himself. Far too similar to myself when I faced off against Saren.
Three of the remaining five parademons entered the fray with spears, while the other two took aim with their laser rifles. A hail of ruby hued projectiles lit up the dull, rocky area in a pale red light. A handful of shots connected with Orion’s armour, leaving scorch marks and imparting noticeable pain but unable to break his ki infused body. Forming a ball of energy, the Saiyan detonated it at his feet as the trio of spear wielders reached him, instantly covering himself in a plume of dust and smoke.
The lasers still whizzed through the shroud, but the lack of sight on Orion meant most went nowhere near him. Though blinded himself, the parademons shone with brilliant life energy easily detectable by the Saiyan’s ki sense. He struck with heavy precision at the first unaware victim in the back of the skull, gripping it in one hand and slamming the creature headfirst into the unyielding earth. The sound and vibrations acted as a clarion call to the other two spear wielders. They beat their sharpened wings and headed for Orion, their backdraft scattering the dusty cloak that hid him so well.
Stomping on the downed parademon’s skull for good measure, Orion snatched its spear from limp fingers and hurled it at one of the riflemen while the plume still held. The spear turned javelin pierced the beast’s throat, forcing it backwards as it choked and gasped for air. It held its finger down on the rifle as streaks of red flew into the sky haphazardly, until it toppled over.
Orion took a fast second to evaluate his mental state. Focused, pumping with adrenaline, but without the hate and malice that accompanied his last battle. Good.
A glint of ebony nicked the side of Orion’s left bicep, catching him in the moment, his guard momentarily lowered. The Saiyan spun away from the strike as the second parademon closed in.
An almost reflexive spike of rage wanted to guide Orion’s actions, but he recognised it for the echo of his habitual fury that it was and reseated himself in the flow of battle.
Instead of lashing out, he tapped his forehead with index and middle fingers, vanishing as the second parademon attempted to skewer him. Materialising behind the monster, Orion drove a roundhouse kick into its cheek with all the strength he possessed. The parademon thumped into the rocky earth headfirst, its body standing upright almost comically while its head was firmly planted downwards. The rest of the monster flopped downwards lifelessly.
The last spear wielder jabbed at him with its weapon. Orion deflected the piercing tip with his silver vambraces, birthing a spurt of orange sparks, guiding the point into the ground. Grabbing the shaft, Orion yanked on the spear and pulled the parademon towards him. He closed his eyes and slammed his head into the monster’s, mimicking the earlier brutality of his knee strike. He heard the crunch of broken teeth and cracked goggle lenses as the last melee attacker gracelessly fell to the earth, its wings beating in fits and starts.
A sharp sting blossomed in Orion’s left temple, knocking him off kilter. He groaned as his mind buzzed, the impact point sore and pulsing. Puzzlingly, the sight from his cybernetic eye stopped. The last parademon advanced on him behind a storm of crimson lasers.
Disoriented, Orion lifted his arms to block the projectiles. A haze thickened the passageway for his thoughts as if he’d taken a strong blow to the head, but it persisted much longer. Some laser bolts splashed harmlessly off his armour or vambraces but the deaths of the parademon’s allies seemed to hone its aim. Other shots seared the exposed skin of his forearms, leaving blackened burns, and tearing holes through his ornate robe.
The Saiyan battled against a dazed mind. Unable to formulate a proper response but lucid enough to defend himself, he stepped backwards amidst the laser fire, enduring the hits but incapable of stopping them.
As swiftly as the bewilderment set in, it evaporated. Regaining his wits, Orion swung his arms to the side and opened his mouth in preparation of an instinctual, iconic Great Ape attack. A blazing column of ki burst forward, absorbing the laser fire and enveloping the parademon. As Orion closed his lips, a charred and emaciated humanoid frame toppled over, its body disintegrating into blackened ash on impact with the ground.
Orion sighed to reset himself, dusting his hands. The carnage he wrought wasn’t in the name of repressed anger or bitterness but of a desire to live and to implement the many hard won lessons of his extensive fighting career. But he knew he hadn’t completed his objective. His fury took a chance to take control of him – it still lingered, unwilling to submit so easily after decades of suppression. But he didn’t let it. That was the important part, and a heartening display of his own developing mental control.
He probed the gash on his arm with a finger. Not too deep, but the spear tip would hardly qualify as sanitary. Just in case he received some sort of hellish Unmade virus, Orion fished out a senzu bean and popped it in his mouth. A few moments after swallowing, the wound cleared up immediately, as did the numerous burns along the exposed skin of his upper arms.
He pressed two fingers into his left temple. Still a headache, though not as strong. Certainly not debilitating as it was earlier. Unusual.
Maybe a beer will fix that, Orion thought to himself, ascending into the sky.