บท 32: Crucible Chronicles (4)

A/N: I won't lie I feel so tired....exhausted even. No clue why but I was mad sleepy writing this chapter. Anyhow, if you managed to listen to "Tragedy Suite by Michael Giacchino" which is the ost for Spiderman: No Way Home, lmk. I love that compilation.

Also it was my birthday yesterday so I didn't feel like writing.

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[Sector 618]

As Void approached the seven guardians lined up against each other, he smiled and nodded his head.

But before he could even begin to introduce himself, Void felt a vexing glare from Amos. Knitting his brows, Void shot him a glance, but the warlock had a disgusted expression, like he'd somehow stepped on shit.

"Another newbie thinking he's hot shit." Amos flared his nostrils, walking towards Void.

" I don't know why you thought to join here. But I am the champion. " Amos spat out.

Void didn't understand the show of anger as a nearby gunslinger leaned in, "Screw off Amos, you got lucky once. It won't happen again."

Amos scrunched up his nose as he looked at the two hunters with disgust, He immediately turned away and stomped towards his team.

"So much for warlock's being wise and calculating. Don't mind that idiot, he just doesn't like it when Shaxx praises others." The gunslinger chuckled, offering a handshake.

"Not a problem, I guess we'll just have to smack some sense into him again." Void grinned and shook his hand.

"Warrod"

"Void"

The two hunters seemed to be on the same page as they found Amos's actions to be immature.

"I like what I hear. Count me in. I'm Jason." The titan in the team walked over, as he placed his hand above the two, like a dogpile.

"Edith" The arch warlock chimed in, "though I will apologize for that dumbass. I promise we're not all the same." She smiled and gave a little wave to Void.

"So, what's the plan?" Warrod asked, side eyeing the other team.

Void held a dangerous grin, "It's simple really, we'll smash them into the ground."

His words earned him some curious glares as Void motioned for everyone to huddle in.

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"Alright Guardians, planning time is over." Shaxx shouted into the arena, as he surveyed both teams.

Raising a small revolver, he pointed to the sky, "Prepare your defenses, load your guns, sharpen your blades and clench your fists. When I fire this flare, on the count of three. The crucible will start." He announced with great vigor.

"Your objective? Elimination. Last team standing, wins it all. Now remember, give it your all, and don't hold back. Show them the light guardian." Shaxx's words seemed to brew excitement within both teams.

"1"

"2"

Adrenaline ran high, senses ran wild and hearts started pounding. Every blink barely scraped away the seconds as they all waited on the last number.

"3" Shaxx clenched his fingers, slamming his hand on the railings, the flare shooting up into the sky, as green hue spread across the arena.

With a fire burning in their heart, the two teams met in the middle, auras collided and the titans from each side rushed into a brawl.

Amos seemed to glide above the fight as he rapidly blinked around the battlefield, surveying the grounds.

His eyes looking for the new hunter that had just managed to piss him off. Light gathered in his palm as he flicked an empowering rift downwards, " Keep pushing forward."

The rift landed on his titan as he easily overpowered Jason, slamming the titan to the ground.

He planned to follow with a punch but as his hand moved, bullets immediately grazed through his cheek, and ripped through his shoulder.

"Keep your hands off my boy." Warrod chuckled, peering into his scope as he perched upon the warehouse roof.

Feeling multiple bullets shoot towards him, the titan jumped backwards as he blocked with his shoulder releasing a strong barricade to cover his retreat.

Amos immediately signaled his team to blitz the sniper as the two hunters seemed to flicker through the air towards the warehouse

"Not so fast boys." Feeling a jolt nearby, the two hunters immediately tensed up and leapt backwards.

Edith smirked as lightning pulsed through her fingers, she thrust forwards, barely grazing the two enemies.

Things only seemed to get worse as both sides opened fire, a hail of bullets pelted every corner of the arena.

In what could only be described as a maniacal frenzy, Edith fought two hunters at the same time, keeping them at bay with her thunder as Warrod provided long distance support. Nothing escaped the gunslinger's eyes as he scoured the field for anyone foolish enough to be exposed to his range.

Amos being the warlock seemed spooked as he was forced to provide a constant influx of rifts to keep his team alive.

While all this seemed to unfold, Jason and the opposing titan spent the entire round trying to not let the other participate. While a gritty brawl ensued,

Jason was pushed back blow for blow as the titans duked it out.

"Hey the empowering rift is messing me up. Do something" He shouted into his comms as he ducked under a blow.

"Stick to the plan Jason!" Warrod replied as he tried his best to snipe Amos out the air.

However the warlock's reactions were too fast, as he blinked just before the bullet seemed to hit.

"Running on empty here. Void?" Edith chimed in as two hunters immediately assaulted her figure.

"Ready, its a go." Void replied, his figure invisible as he lurked around the arena, setting up his smoke bombs.

Edith weaved through the blows as she swung her head to the side, the punches barely grazing her.

"Go go go" Edith shouted, alerting the two hunters as they took a cautionary leap back, enough for her to blink away towards the center of the arena.

"Comin in hot" Jason shouted as he shoulder charged through the bunker walls, the opposing titan on his tail.

"I got it" Void responded, instantly Jason felt a translucent figure jump through the shadows to the titan.

Void swung his fist, rocking the titan in the jaw. Before he could gain any semblance of balance, he wrapped his legs around the titans neck and jerked to the side while a dagger plunged into the titan's nape.

The titan's body slumped to the floor as Jason felt his mind go blank seeing Void appear out of nowhere.

"W-wha..." He slurred his words

"Save it." Void kept rushing to the center.

Amos immediately realized something was amiss as Edith blinked away. His eyes darted around the field, as he saw Jason and Void rush to the center.

"They're in the center, quick-" He held his comms as he felt a slight prick and immediately blinked a few spaces behind himself, just in time as a scorching bullet rushed through his old position.

He felt Warrod's gaze as he saw the scope glint in the distance.

"YOU fucking bug" Amos clenched his teeth, there hadn't been a single second where he wasn't targeted by Warrod's scoping. If not for his reaction timing, Amos was sure he would have been hit eliminated by Warrod ages ago.

Amos immediately flew towards Warrod as the bullets kept flying by, the warlock dodging it with a blink each time.

"Hey hey hey he's pissed." Warrod spoke as he kept firing.

"Good job, keep him there, bait it out." Void replied as their team reached the center.

Edith reached the center as the two hunters were hot in pursuit.

The two figures appeared to rush in as they saw Void, Jason and Edith. Without hesitation their guns glowed golden as they pointed towards the trio.

Void smiled, seeing the golden gun, he wasn't intimidated, 'I faced someone far scarier.' He smirked.

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke erupted around them as Void triggered his bombs, flashing a haunting smile, his figure seemed to disappear within the smoke, surprising Jason and Edith.

The two hunters were unable to peer through the smoke as their uncertainty grew. With only one shot each, it was foolish to waste it on something they couldn't see.

However a strange aura seemed to linger in the air as they felt a shiver run through their spine.

"Devour them" Void whispered, his spectral figure held a bow as a shadowshot tore through the smoke, engulfing the two hunters whole as their bodies were chained to the floor, light tethers sucked their power away, leaving them as lifeless corpses.

The smoke dissipated as Void finished off the hunters.

"Woah, I didn't know you could do that." Jason replied, star struck.

"It's definitely a welcome surprise." Edith laughed.

"I told you, we'll smash them into the ground." Void shrugged his shoulder as he grinned.

"Guys funny story, but I am still alone here." Warrod shouted shakily as he blitzed across the roof, jumping to other buildings.

The trio could barely spot Warrod as they saw him chased by Amos slinging energy blasts aiming to rip through the hunter.

"Fight BACK COWARD" Amos roared, as he dashed towards Warrod.

Warrod deftly dodged his blasts as he rushed towards the center.

However, as Amos saw him run, his anger blinded him. "Fine, then run from this." He mouthed, as a great energy surged through him, his body levitated off the ground as he held his palms towards the sky.

"This is gonna be bad" Edith smacked her lips together as she saw Amos condense a frightening amount of light into his hands.

"That's gonna sting for sure." Jason gasped, as he analyzed the energy surging through the warlock.

Void looked at the two as they didn't bother moving to help Warrod, "You know you guys are kinda cruel."

"Please, this handsome face can't take that nova bomb again." Jason replied rubbing his chin.

" Warlocks can be vengeful, it's best not to get in the way." Edith shook her head.

"Guys? Hey, hey I can see you three. Why the f*** are you not moving." Warrod shouted as his voice went hoarse. He looked behind him to see Amos's erupting nova bomb.

Realization set in as his eyes went wide and he saw his world turn white. "F*** me"

The nova bomb pulsed through the arena as the ground shook. Three figures in the center looked towards it's eruption as they gasped with concern, "Told you it was gonna sting." Jason replied.

Void nodded, "Good idea, we're better off here."

Edith shrugged as if to say, 'I told you so.'

"Well, I guess it's time for work. We're not gonna win by staying here are we." Void chuckled his gun revolving in his grip.

"It's as good as done, after that nova bomb, Amos is probably all out of juice." Edith replied, loading her shotgun.

"So why did you just load up that explosive shot into the barrel?" Jason inquired.

She chuckled pumping the slide backwards, "I just don't like his face."

Jason immediately recalled her previous words about revenge, and vowed to never cross a warlock if he could help it.

The dust cleared, Amos saw the three figures approaching as he tried to take a fighting stance.

Walking towards the exhausted warlock, Void spun his handcannon leisurely and pointed it towards him, "Oi, don't think of any sudden moves, we all know you can't block these shots" Void chortled.

"Please...against the likes of you, I-I could do this all day." Amos heaved a breath as he stood limping with shoulders slumped.

'Did he just quote captain america?' Void was shocked as his jaw dropped.

"What? Scared?" Amos laughed.

The warlock seemed to think that Void was intimidated by his pathetic stance, hence he continued his slurry of words.

"You're ju-"

Before he could finish his words, Edith pulled the trigger as the warlock's head exploded into smithereens with a single bullet.

"Bad way to go." Jason shook his head in dismay.

"Indeed" Void couldn't help but agree, as the two stood over the warlock's body.

Far away, Shaxx who had been completely thrown off by this round was speechless.

'Invisibility is quite useful' He thought to himself, however Shaxx thought it wasn't enough to qualify Void as promising.

Of course, that was until he saw the double play using the shadowshot.

'How did he know a counter to the golden gun?' Shaxx contemplated, did he experience this before?

He was thoroughly impressed by the hunter, the titan was lost in his thoughts as he finally heard a loud bang and saw Amos's head blow up, 'Ah, that's a bad way to go.' He shook his head.

"This is Amazing! Erhm, The victor has been decided, marvelous job guardians." Shaxx shouted with an ecstatic hum in his voice.

As the round concluded, several ghost's appeared as the guardian's were slowly revived. Warrod hearing of their victory walked over to his team.

"Nice job Void" Warrod shook the hunter's hand as he glared at the two beside him.

"Don't look at me, I can't make shields." Edith threw up her hands.

Jason gave her the side eye and spoke, "Listen, all's well that ends well isn't it? You did good by attracting his attention." He patted Warrod's shoulders but the gunslinger simply gave him a dangerous glare.

"Great job guardians, your team demolished the enemy completely. Void, a word." Shaxx stepped closer as he requested Void to follow him out.

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A/N: I know the chapter probably didn't have an amazing fight scene, but I was slightly tired. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed. Leave a review!!! Comment what you liked!!!