Space Highway (Legends)

Protectors

Village of Zerkaen people.

*Reese's POV*

We hurried to Zarra, who had the same look of shock and horror earlier. There is no way this day could get any worse.

As we hurried over the hill, I stood corrected; on the other side of the village entrance, in the plains, stood a 200-man Grey battalion of soldiers, accompanied by two large mechanized suits. The suits were silver, and broke the twenty foot mark. On the right arm, in lieu of a hand was a large cannon, connected by a single tube. Where there was no head, there was a thick, opaque sheet of armored glass, concealing the pilot.

My legs began to shake, almost giving out from under me.

"I had heard Ardanians would be here," a Grey officer shouted, bursting forth from the formation. "Or do you prefer humans?" He stopped mere inches from us.

I saw the crimson-clad alien point to the mechs. "Do you like them? We had them built specially for you. You are the one who bested one of our Captains in battle back on Earth, are you not?"

"I am." I replied as calmly as I could. "Those tin cans don't shock me."

The officer chuckled. "They will. You may as well surrender. You can't save these creatures, not against our might."

"Try us." I replied.

"I will enjoy watching our new weapons tear you to shreds. Such stubborn creatures."

"We wouldn't be humans if we weren't stubborn." I retorted as the officer walked back to the troops.

I looked to Colin and Elle. "Okay. Colin, Elle, you guys handle the soldiers. I'll take on the mechs."

"Hell no!" Colin replied.

"Yeah, I'm with him." Elle agreed. "You'll die!"

I sighed. "I'll be fine. There's no way they can match how strong I am. Besides, I need the soldiers dealt with."

"Then you and your girlfriend here can take them, I'll battle the mechs." Colin argued.

"Damn it Colin, listen!" I shouted. "I need to do this! These assholes have caused enough problems for me and everyone else in this galaxy, and today...that stops. I won't let those people down there get killed because I didn't take the chance to do something."

Colin nodded. "O...Okay. At least let me take on one of them. I'm curious myself, just how powerful those suits really are."

I tilted my head. "I can work with that. Let's go!"

I saw the officer wave an armored hand towards us, followed by the biggest group of people charging at us, with the mechs leading.

I ran full speed ahead at the Grey battalion with Elle right beside me, and Colin...flying towards them, mace aimed at one of the mechs.

Before I knew it, Elle was firing on the troops, killing two to three at a time. She ripped a grenade off a soldier, throwing at the oncoming horde of aliens.

I leapt upward, and just before I could impact it, I threw a punch at the mech suit, sending it crashing down on some unfortunate Grey troops beneath it.

However, immediately afterwards, the alien suit leapt up, and responded with a slam of its cannon. The barrel impacted my chest, sending me skittering along the ground, uprooting a few trees.

I quickly got back up, only to be met with weapons fire from the suit. I managed to evade it, with leap after leap. Before I could land a hit, the suit managed to kick me backwards.

After a short travel through the air, one of the villagers' huts broke my fall. The impact hurt like hell, but I managed to shrug off the pain.

Just as I got up, I heard screaming, and saw two of the villagers crouched behind a shelf that managed to stay standing after my crash. They were terrified.

I reached out a hand to them, and before I could help them, a bright flash caught me off guard, followed by a blue fireball screaming towards me. A powerful shock wave sent me flying, whilst the villagers were engulfed in the flames.

I picked myself up, looking at the burning hut. I cursed myself for not getting them to safety. But, their deaths would not be in vain, that I could promise.

I looked up to the Grey combat mech I was busy with approaching me, the culprit of the villagers' demises.

Before it could open fire with its cannon, I picked up a large boulder, and hurled it at the canopy. It managed to catch the pilot off guard long enough for me to charge the suit, punching at the glass. The glass was indeed tough, I barely managed to crack it.

We traded blow for blow, kicking up massive amounts of earth.

*Colin's POV*

I looked down at Elle, who was engaging the Greys with impressive speed and precision, taking down troops with blaster fire, or the slash of a sword.

I looked at the troops below, and summoning a massive storm cloud, I hurled a bolt of lightning at the suit whilst flying towards it.

Utilizing Wolfsbane, I swung at the arm with the cannon, managing to sever it in three blows. I then drove my fist through the glass, shattering it, revealing the defenseless pilot within.

I ripped the Grey bastard from his seat, and with my hand around his neck, I squeezed the life out of the suit operator, dropping the corpse into the battlefield below.

I touched down, and seeing the arm I smashed off, I ripped the cannon from it, wielding it like the Terminator. I flew upward and opened fire on the enemy troops below.

While I fired on the Greys, I looked on as Reese was engaged in battle with the other mech. He looked like he was getting tired, but the mech looked to be in much worse shape with multiple dents in the metal and a large crack across the glass.

Reese seemed to be quick too, dodging cannon fire and kicks.

Just as he was about to beat the suit, the mech drove its cannon's barrel into Reese's chest and fired.

I spotted Elle. "Take this, Elle!" I shouted, throwing her the cannon as I flew off to help Reese.

*Reese's POV*

I knelt down in front of the mech, holding my insides together while blood pooled around me. This can't be how I die, not here.

Despite the burning agony I was experiencing, I managed to stand, screaming at the mech. I reached for a shot of adrenaline in my belt pouch, and jammed the needle into my chest. I quickly yanked it out, and within seconds, I felt a surge of power course through me. The adrenaline was helping me power through pain, and I stood ready.

"Reese, catch!"

I looked up to see Colin throwing me his mace, to which I caught effortlessly. Immediately, I was overcome with great power, a rush of electricity surged through my body.

The newfound strength I found myself with was intoxicating, and before I could stand and admire it, I quickly charged the mech suit, and with one swing, I brought the mace down on the glass, caving the canopy in, and crushing the pilot inside, blood spattering out in all directions.

I then tossed Colin his mace back, the mighty power leaving my body. I quickly fell to the ground, blood beginning to spurt of my wound again.

Before I lost consciousness, the last thing I could see was Colin flying down.

After the half human, half Ancient touched down, the first thing that greeted me was...cold.