Categories > Games > Earthbound > Destiny's Guard
Chapter Two
0 reviewsPart two of Tales of Destiny. Years after Giygas was defeated, a war was fought and a war was lost. The only survivor of the Chosen Four, Jeff Andonuts wanders the shattered landscape, acting as on...
0Unrated
Jeff moved immediately.
One signal sent through one of the many implants in his skull triggered a mechanism hidden beneath his coat. There was a brief whirring, and then, impossibly, a shotgun flew out from beneath the coat's folds, as if fired from a cannon. Jeff's right hand caught it by the grip as it flew past, and fired. The computer in his head automatically adjusted his aim, and the Starman in front of him flew backwards, his shield a mass of fizzling blue. The shotgun couldn't penetrate that shield, but it could still push on it.
The other Starmen fired their beams the instant the shotgun went off, but they were too late; Jeff was already spinning away. Instead, their beams intersected at the point where he had stood and struck the chest of the Starman directly behind him. It's shield held for a moment, then buckled under the stress of five beams and the Starman fell to the ground, everything above the waist now molten slag.
Jeff was moving again, this time to the side, his left hand coming about to work the slide. He ejected the shell, and fired again. This time his target took off into the air, its computer adjusting to this change in the situation. The Starman at the other end of the formation took off too, and they circled in a symmetrical pattern before diving towards him. The other two advanced, beams firing, as the one he had shot began pulling itself off the ground.
He fired off one more shot before retreating, dancing over the spray of energy that the three on the ground were unleashing at him. He leapt over a large pile of rubble and crouched behind it, hearing the beams impacting on the rubble's surface. He returned his shotgun to its hiding place beneath his long coat. It wasn't going to do him any more good.
He turned to the largest chunk of rubble he was hiding behind, and got a good grip on it. Servomotors in his arms and legs whirred as his enhanced muscles strained to lift it. He swung it about, then hurled it towards the two soaring towards him. They fired a barrage of shots, breaking the rubble into pieces and shattering it, but were surprised to see Jeff suddenly flying past the rubble and into their midst.
The boulder had hidden his leap until he was upon them; now it was too late for them. The arm containing their beam cannon tried to track forwards, but he seized each and twisted them away. The beams cut long furrows into the side of buildings. He twisted the arms until he felt something break in the beam mechanisms, and then he released them and siezed what passed for a neck on these misshapen robots. As they fell, he pulled them in front of his body like a shield.
The two on the ground were quick to retarget him, and as he fell they unleashed a devastating barrage of bolts. The shots tore Jeff's metal shield to pieces, but left him untouched. He fell into their midst, riding a ball of burning wreckage. He sent a signal to his gun belt once more and suddenly he held a pair of pistols.
He landed heavily between them, the servos in his legs absorbing most of the impact. His arms snapped out, firing his pistols at the metal men. They reoriented their weapons on him, but he danced between their shots, the computer in his head guiding him. He spun about, still firing, until at last both fell apart, perforated by the other's beams. That left only one to deal with.
Unfortunately, as there was only one left, there were no others to trick into shooting it. It was now on its feet and advancing on him, firing with chilling precision. Jeff stepped to the right, twisting his body to avoid the shots, and fired his remaining bullets at the Starman. Not one of them penetrated its shield. Sighing resignedly, Jeff returned the empty guns to his gun belt and drew his Gaia Beam.
The first shot sheared off the machine's gun arm. The second took off the other. The last cut it in two at the waist. He could have destroyed it with one shot to the CPU, but he wanted it alive a little while longer. He walked over to his fallen, disabled foe, and pointed his Gaia Beam at it's face. Well, where its face would be if there was more than a sensory strip, anyways.
"I know you can all hear me through this unit, so listen up, and listen carefully. I fought in the war. I lost. I'm not interested in fighting it again. I'm not part of some underground resistance, I'm not scheming to take your empire down, I'm not going to cause you any problems as long as you leave me alone. But I swear before whatever's left of God that if you cause me trouble, all that will change. I will become the biggest damn thorn you've ever had stuck in your paw. So leave me the hell alone." And with that he fired, shutting the unit down for good.
Crouching on the ground, Jeff inspected the power meter on his Gaia Beam. Damn, empty. That last shot must have been the last of it. Oh well, he thought,/ I can get it charged back up when I get back home./ He returned it to his gun belt, then signalled for his ride. An engine roared down the street, and a white motorcycle pulled out of an alleyway and pulled to a stop behind him. He straddled it, then took off to the west.
One signal sent through one of the many implants in his skull triggered a mechanism hidden beneath his coat. There was a brief whirring, and then, impossibly, a shotgun flew out from beneath the coat's folds, as if fired from a cannon. Jeff's right hand caught it by the grip as it flew past, and fired. The computer in his head automatically adjusted his aim, and the Starman in front of him flew backwards, his shield a mass of fizzling blue. The shotgun couldn't penetrate that shield, but it could still push on it.
The other Starmen fired their beams the instant the shotgun went off, but they were too late; Jeff was already spinning away. Instead, their beams intersected at the point where he had stood and struck the chest of the Starman directly behind him. It's shield held for a moment, then buckled under the stress of five beams and the Starman fell to the ground, everything above the waist now molten slag.
Jeff was moving again, this time to the side, his left hand coming about to work the slide. He ejected the shell, and fired again. This time his target took off into the air, its computer adjusting to this change in the situation. The Starman at the other end of the formation took off too, and they circled in a symmetrical pattern before diving towards him. The other two advanced, beams firing, as the one he had shot began pulling itself off the ground.
He fired off one more shot before retreating, dancing over the spray of energy that the three on the ground were unleashing at him. He leapt over a large pile of rubble and crouched behind it, hearing the beams impacting on the rubble's surface. He returned his shotgun to its hiding place beneath his long coat. It wasn't going to do him any more good.
He turned to the largest chunk of rubble he was hiding behind, and got a good grip on it. Servomotors in his arms and legs whirred as his enhanced muscles strained to lift it. He swung it about, then hurled it towards the two soaring towards him. They fired a barrage of shots, breaking the rubble into pieces and shattering it, but were surprised to see Jeff suddenly flying past the rubble and into their midst.
The boulder had hidden his leap until he was upon them; now it was too late for them. The arm containing their beam cannon tried to track forwards, but he seized each and twisted them away. The beams cut long furrows into the side of buildings. He twisted the arms until he felt something break in the beam mechanisms, and then he released them and siezed what passed for a neck on these misshapen robots. As they fell, he pulled them in front of his body like a shield.
The two on the ground were quick to retarget him, and as he fell they unleashed a devastating barrage of bolts. The shots tore Jeff's metal shield to pieces, but left him untouched. He fell into their midst, riding a ball of burning wreckage. He sent a signal to his gun belt once more and suddenly he held a pair of pistols.
He landed heavily between them, the servos in his legs absorbing most of the impact. His arms snapped out, firing his pistols at the metal men. They reoriented their weapons on him, but he danced between their shots, the computer in his head guiding him. He spun about, still firing, until at last both fell apart, perforated by the other's beams. That left only one to deal with.
Unfortunately, as there was only one left, there were no others to trick into shooting it. It was now on its feet and advancing on him, firing with chilling precision. Jeff stepped to the right, twisting his body to avoid the shots, and fired his remaining bullets at the Starman. Not one of them penetrated its shield. Sighing resignedly, Jeff returned the empty guns to his gun belt and drew his Gaia Beam.
The first shot sheared off the machine's gun arm. The second took off the other. The last cut it in two at the waist. He could have destroyed it with one shot to the CPU, but he wanted it alive a little while longer. He walked over to his fallen, disabled foe, and pointed his Gaia Beam at it's face. Well, where its face would be if there was more than a sensory strip, anyways.
"I know you can all hear me through this unit, so listen up, and listen carefully. I fought in the war. I lost. I'm not interested in fighting it again. I'm not part of some underground resistance, I'm not scheming to take your empire down, I'm not going to cause you any problems as long as you leave me alone. But I swear before whatever's left of God that if you cause me trouble, all that will change. I will become the biggest damn thorn you've ever had stuck in your paw. So leave me the hell alone." And with that he fired, shutting the unit down for good.
Crouching on the ground, Jeff inspected the power meter on his Gaia Beam. Damn, empty. That last shot must have been the last of it. Oh well, he thought,/ I can get it charged back up when I get back home./ He returned it to his gun belt, then signalled for his ride. An engine roared down the street, and a white motorcycle pulled out of an alleyway and pulled to a stop behind him. He straddled it, then took off to the west.
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