Terran Knights 3: Chapter 31

“It took you long enough to arrive Owen,” the machine said.

“Relax Tahu. I had some trouble entering the atmosphere safely. But Legion got me here in the nick of time.”

The zorg, Tahu, nodded and glanced at their arm. The panel that had taken the hit from Gen popped back into place. They flipped and spun their arm around quickly before righting it. Owen took a step back and stood beside him and then faced the others, specifically looking at Gen.

“There you are. I heard that you had regained your powers but it’s different to see it myself. Legion sees all after all,” he said and glanced at Alice but returned his gaze to Gen. “You should join us Gen. It’s wonderful. All the stresses of life. My siblings, the weight of the world, all of it is simply gone. I’ve never felt this relaxed. And it’s all thanks to Legion.”

“Shut up!” Gen growled and both her foxes yipped at him. “Stop using his voice like that. You’re not him!”

Owen shook his head and took off his helmet. And sure, enough there he was. The same face that she knew. The same smile. His hair was smoothed back, flat against his head but it was in his eyes. They glowed green and inside them Gen could see Legion’s symbol over his pupils. “It’s really me.”

“Owen,” she whispered. Even the foxes sat back on their haunches unsure of what to do next. She took a hesitant step forward reaching for him when Alice stepped in her way.

“Don’t get sucked in by him,” she said softly. “It sounds like him but it’s all Legion. A trick to let our guards down and then he’ll jump into your head and take you over.” She stared at Tahu then looked away quickly. “It’s how you lose friends.”

Shaking her head as if coming out of a haze, Gen scowled. “I know dammit.”

Owen frowned looking at her and then glanced at Tahu, “Organic life is stubborn,” Tahu said twisting their other arm around. Twisting it around a slot slid open from the wrist all the way down to their elbow. Breaking it off a yellow rod appeared in his palm.

Owen nodded, “It seems like we’ll have to force them to see sense.” He put on his helmet and then raised his hand. A pink orb appeared in his palm. Tahu did the same slotting another glowing yellow rod into the other palm. “What is it that the knights like to say? Let’s go to work.” 

Both of them flashed together and when the lights faded away the white and green armor of Legion was replaced with bright yellow and pink. But they still had green accents and their visors were filled with green light. They tensed getting ready when Tahu leaned back spreading their hands. Both hands glowed bright yellow and several orbs appeared in their palm. They whipped one arm forward throwing a trio of orbs at them. Rizier stepped forward creating a gust of wind catching them out of the air but nothing happened.

Owen raced in after them his body a pink and green glow. Alice got in his path cutting down with her blade but he dodged around it. The blade cut through the glow and then he punched her in the stomach knocking her into the sky. As she rose the orbs that Tahu had thrown began to glow before exploding. The raw energy slammed into her and sent her flying away from the fight.

Rizier started to say something when they looked back toward the machine. Another volley of bombs was flying at them. They moved their four arms as fast as they could redirect them on the wind. They exploded before they could even come close. Shaking their head back and forth quickly they saw Owen coming for them.

They blocked and deflected Owen’s fist as best they could but it wasn’t easy. He was fast and each blow was strong enough to rattle the sand that made up their body. They moved their hands quickly to keep up with the onslaught realizing they couldn’t remain defensive.

Shoving Owen’s fist aside they brought down a pair of arms and the wind sliced at his armor. Owen stepped forward quickly his body glowing. The wind sliced the energy in twain but Owen was now I front of them. Two quick swings of his fist hit them in the chest hard stunning them entirely.

Owen reached to grab hold of them when Gen stepped in his path throwing his arm off. A fox grabbed him around the ankle and yanked taking him off balance. She jumped and quickly kicked him in the head knocking him backwards. Rizier held their chest and nodded their thanks.

Owen cracked their head back and forth then raised his fist to Gen again. She raised her hands and glared at him. He leaned back and forth glancing at the pair of foxes on either side of her and cockily said, “It looks like I’m surrounded.”

Gen scowled. “I’ve always been a better fighter than you Owen.”

“Maybe before.”

The foxes jumped forward jaws open wide. Owen blocked one, turned around and swung it into the other. Throwing the foxes far away he looked up as Gen jumped in front of him her palm coming down and striking him in the face. He recoiled then got his bearings again, blurring forward and landing a hook between her eyes.

The blow rocked her and she stumbled back. Coughing she glared and watched him hop back and forth, “What the hell was that? You’ve never been able to hit that hard.”

He didn’t answer and instead sprinted at her again. He was fast, too fast. She managed to block one blow, then parried another. She tried to counter attack when his fist appeared between her arms. Slamming into her helmet it exploded and she was blown backwards across the ground. Dropping to her knee, she touched her visor and felt the crack in the armor.

“Your Owen wasn’t that formidable. But I’ve enhanced him. You cannot win.” He said with Owen’s voice but something far more. A cult of voices that promised something sinister. “Submit Genevieve. Join the collective.”

“Over my dead body,” she growled getting back to her feet and raising her fists.

“So be it.”

He rushed at her and she shouted “Come on Owen! I know you’re in there! Please.”

His first blow she parried. The second cracked her helmet open. The third exploded and knocked her flat on her back. She slid across the grass her armor falling to pieces. Owen brought his arm forward, reaching for her face when a red beam of light shot down in front of her. Shielding his eyes, the red light faded and Marco stood his gun leveled at him.

“Welcome back Marco.” Legion said through Owen. “Will you run away again?”

Marco spun the barrel shaking his head, “This won’t be like the last time. Not again.”