Deepwoken: Divers

Rumbling: ...Even if I can't anymore

Colt, Faust and Pakki were sitting in their cell, trying to hear what the soldiers outside were talking about.
Colt pushed Faust and Pakki into a position, signalling for them not to move. He moved back a little, narrowing his eyes, looking into theirs, using them as mirrors to see the outside soldiers' positions.
Colt nodded at Faust, before slamming himself against a wall several times until one of the soldiers came to check on them. "What the hell are you doing..."
As the soldier approached the cell, Faust kicked his foot out, causing him to fall against the bars, giving Pakki an opportunity to cut his hands free, grabbing onto the soldier's spear.

Suddenly, Kenny's voice spoke up as he held a bound Kevin before himself, a flintlock pushed against the Adret's head. "I wouldn't if I were you."
Pakki and Faust both froze up.
"Sorry... I was ambushed--" Kevin said before Kenny shoved the gun harder against his head.
The pistol-wielding captain glared at the three friends. "You're in no position to negotiate. Not that I'd listen. Now drop the soldier." He turned towards a soldier who was standing guard. "Go get Matthew."
With that, the guarding soldier ran to get yet another soldier.
The soldier being held by Pakki against the bars started sweating as lightning surrounded him. "B-boss?--"
Suddenly, Colt switched places with him.
As Kenny turned to look, Kevin ducked his head down, slamming it against the captain's hand leading him to miss.
Pakki jumped on the soldier now inside their cell, holding him down while Faust cut his own restraints off.

As Colt and Kevin were struggling to wrestle the guns out of Kenny's hands, they were interrupted by a loud scream, reminiscent of a megalodaunt's. There was also the sound of the Songspeaker's signature red sparks floating around in the air around the prison. Pakki managed to cut his mouth free.
Kenny used this distraction as an opportunity, knocking both Kevin and Colt back and firing at them while running out.
Faust used his resonance to create a strong gust of wind, pushing the bullets to the side.
Kevin looked at the three of them. "Are you okay?!"
"Yeah, we're fine..." Faust answered.
"Just weaponless. But I've called in a bunch of animals." Pakki replied.
Colt looked at the open door for a moment. "They... Weren't running for no reason. That guy believes we pose a threat to the Hundred Legions. He wants us dead."
Kevin turned to look at Colt. "What do you think he's doing...?"
Colt looked back at him. "... Notifying the Ministry so that they're prepared." He closed his eyes for a moment, waiting. "Pakki, is the Rumbling ready?"
Pakki narrowed his eye. "I need a little more time... I need to go down into the Depths. To control that many animals at once.... I'd need to be a deepwoken. But I can do it. I know I can. I just need a little time."
Colt looked between all of them, examining the situation. "... We'll split up. Faust, Kevin, you two notify the Authority, Hive and the Union to attack Etris and the Ministry immediately. Me and Pakki will do the rest."
The four of them went to get their weapons, collecting them from the armory. Pakki sheathed his weapons before speaking up. "Only attack Etris once I give you the signal... Faust, you said the owls work in a Hivemind...?"
Faust nodded, before Pakki continued. "Then I'll use them to communicate with you, since you're a visionshaper. I'll give you the signal once I get rid of Zi'eer's throne."
Colt tilted his head. "Zi'eer?"
Pakki nodded. "Regent's real name. And... Good luck."
Faust waved to them. "Good luck. We'll meet in Etris."
Kevin looked at Pakki and Colt one last time. "... It's time for you to really be the hunters. Do me proud."
With that, they left.

Colt turned to Pakki. "I need to ask you a favour."
Pakki tilted his head. "Yeah?"
Colt looked at him completely calm. "I'm going after them. Someone needs to slow them down."
Pakki was taken aback. "But... You're--"
Colt took out Pakki's severed necklace that he had fixed up. "I'm sorry for back there... I should've trusted you. But this one last time, do me this favour. Give me her katana." He handed Pakki the necklace.
Pakki took the katana off, his eye almost filled with tears. "You're... Going to die."
Colt shook his head. "No. I'm... Just gonna go visit Gwen. I'll be useful for once. Strong for once."
Pakki handed him the katana, putting on his necklace as a single drop of a tear fell onto it. "...You... Were always the strongest out of all of us. You're a real hero. She'd be proud."
Colt teared up as well, putting the katana on his waist. "Yeah..." He offered Pakki a fist bump. "I'm counting on you."
Pakki bumped his fist. "Yeah... I'll take our revenge, no matter what. You just wait..."

When they walked out, Fort Merit was filled with monsters and cleared of soldiers. Colt waved one last goodbye to Pakki before teleporting up a mountain using Thundercall. He took a glider and jumped, spotting the crew of Legion Soldiers fleeing towards Minityrsa. "Gwen... I'm finally taking your words to heart..." He thought to himself as he positioned himself above the group. "I'll..." He dropped down in the middle of them, slamming his spear into the ground, creating a massive shockwave.
"Fight, even if I can't anymore!"
All but one soldier was knocked back. That soldier was standing still, using wings to not be knocked away.
He spoke up. "You fucked up by coming here..."
Kenny wiped a little blood from his mouth as he got up. "Heh, get 'em, Matthew."

Colt pulled out his rifle spear from the ground, wielding Gwen's Katana in his other hand.
Matthew charged at him with a magically enhanced spear, to which Colt spun around, throwing a massively concentrated thunder-spear into his face, knocking him far back.
The other soldiers recovered, rushing at Colt who pushed forward, first impaling one on the rifle then slashing another one across the chest with Gwen's katana.
Colt antucipated an attack from Kenny, turning around, using the soldier he had impaled as a shield against Kenny's flurry of bullets.
Another soldier stabbed Colt in the back to which Colt spun around, throwing the impaled body off of his spear and into the soldier.
Colt recovered as Kenny started to reload. "Come on... Come on, all of you! I'm not going down THAT easily!"
As the soldiers tried to get up, lightning would strike them, burning them up and creating almost a ring of fire around the scorched battlefield. Matthew sent a spiralling wheel of flames at Colt who surrounded himself in a lightning aura, dodging to the side with increased speed, so much so it looked as though he had teleported.

Another soldier flew at Colt with a gale-enhanced lance, which Colt parried with the katana, impaling him on the spear before throwing him up and shooting him. Yet another soldier tried to stab at his back, but Colt moved around the blade, slashing him across the chest and neck.
Kenny fired several shots at Colt, none of which hit. "What the hell's up with his speed...?!"
Colt went through several other soldiers, thinning their numbers until he suddenly fell onto one of his knees, coughing as the lightning aura disappeared - he had exhausted all of his ether.
Matthew saw his chance, flying into the air and releasing a massive stream of flames onto Colt, even hitting his own men, just desperately trying to take Colt out. "GO TO HELL!"
As Matthew descended from the air, and just as the smoke was clearing up, Colt rushed out at him.
Covered in wounds, yet still standing with the last of the soldiers besides Matthew and Kenny impaled on his spear, rushing into Matthew.
Matthew tried to back off, only to be slammed and stabbed against a wall. "What the?!-"
Colt pushed his spear deeper, his vision blurry as he gripped Gwen's katana. "I swore to her... That I'd fight.." He slashed at Matthew's head. "... I'd fight, even if I can't anymore!"

A single gunshot rang out from behind him. Kenny had hit him - and in the head. "F-finally..."
Matthew was still left with a deep slash in his cheek, looking at Colt's soul leave his body. Surely, if it wasn't for Kenny, he would've died there because Colt wouldn't have missed - his spirit was very much alive, but Kenny had killed his body.
Matthew looked around. "It's just... Us left..."