Chapter 6 - Zephoram

"Carmen," Madica murmured.

"Wait a second! Carmen as in---!" Stultic asked, fanboying away.

Madica gave a slight nod before Stultic could complete his sentence. She didn't face him. Her attention was solely on her - she couldn't get her eyes off her. Stultic knew they could've met by chance as Madica was a WARDEN herself, but the Arch-WARDENs wouldn't be so casual to other inferior WARDENs. There would be a clear superiority gap between them and the elites, yet the way she looked at her made it seem like she knew her more than merely as an acquaintance. There was a clear show of distress that rippled across her visage. It wasn't about being caught. It was about her safety.

Who was this woman to her?

That was the thought stuck in Stultic's head - an annoying ringing.

The lady who single-handedly defeated an entire mob of perfectly capable and heavily armed soldiers, was none other than the iconic fourth member of the current generation of Arch-WARDENs, Carmen Blitzer. The Arch-WARDENs were formed by hand-selected, unbeatable combat-specialists from the WARDEN fishpond. Only four were originally appointed for the unit and there always will be only four. Never more, never less. You could argue that the Arch-WARDENs were the Elites of the WARDENs, even though the WARDENs themselves were already elite compared to the pesky officers that were beneath them, grovelling by their feet.

"It wasn't supposed to be this serious; I wasn't informed about any changes. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding and she just went where she wasn't supposed to be, like a certain someone I know."

"Woah there! Pump the brakes a second!" Stultic stopped Madica's thoughts in her tracks. "It's not like I was yearning to see you on the Maglev! It was just a really bad coincidence that came into existence. You see? This is why I loathe 'Lady Luck' if she even IS a lady! Damn it, I'd prefer it that way though..."

"YOU'D WHAT?!" Madica wished to yell at the top of her lungs, but luckily, Lady Luck was on Stultic's side. "How perverted are you? Is this what you think about daily?" Madica asked, gently yet disgusted at the same time.

Stultic choked on his own words. Maybe mentioning such a thing while Madica was still around was not the brightest idea to pull from his arsenal which was already drowning in enough of his stupidity.

"Well I mean--- I'm jus--"

The racket of the turbine rose in volume. For such a large looking contraption, it was strangely silent. The perfect stealth flying system. Anyone other than hyper-eared Stultic would've been completely tone-deaf to the sounds the emanated from her plasma rotor blades.

She flew behind Madica and tapped her head lightly. "Am I interrupting something here?"

Her helmet retracted into her back just the same way Madica's did. It revealed a pale visage. Her dark red hair flowed down her back from within the helmet's confinement. She carefully pushed all her hair behind her to form a more formal, business look. Her eyes were shaped like those of a hawk, though a scar seemed to reside underneath her left eye. She must've seen many battles.

Madica's confidence had shattered as a result of the head pat. The rage-filled eyes recently burned with a roaring dragon's fire, had been extinguished by the biggest bucket of water imaginable. He could even hear her soul being ripped apart as an empty gasp for air came out her smooth-lipped mouth. She turned around to face the Arch-WARDEN.

Carmen smacked her head with a tough-looking hand. Madica winced in pain, slowly caressing her wounded head to make the pain go away faster.

"Are you braindead, Bullet?! What the hell are you doing down here in this damn place?! Do you know how screwed you would've been if I hadn't been there to save you, Blockhead?! This was my operation! Not yours!"

"Pffft... Blockhead," Stultic snickered.

"SHUT IT!" Madica's fury had been unleashed back into the world.

Carmen's head lowered in disappointment, shaking from side to side. "Madica! I was worried about you when I saw you while I flew by! Don't be so reckless, kid! I've taught you a lot but you can't be going to random places like this randomly without my acknowledgement!"

Taught her? Those two words were the sharpest out of all the garble that passed by his senses. An idea brewed in his mind. Something so crazy that it couldn't be possible. It shouldn't be.

"Was Madica being mentored by THE Arch-WARDEN Shockwave?!"

His jaw must've unhinged and fell straight to the floor because he was sure that he couldn't feel it anymore. His body went numb knowing that the principally mediocre Madica was fortunate enough to get such an experience all to herself. He skeptically squinted at her.

After Carmen had stopped lecturing Madica, her attention was drawn to the man who sat behind her in a fixed position.

"Say, you're the new Number Nine on the Most Wanted List right? Stultic, right," she winked.

Stultic could barely get any words out of his mouth. His words clashed against each other to try and form sentences, but what came out was more of a jumbled jigsaw mess rather than a completed puzzle set.

Carmen gave a wholesome smile to Stultic. "Don't worry! I'm not here to arrest ya just yet. Madica's told me some pretty crazy things about you, but I can tell that you're a good person at heart since you haven't tried to shoot for the kill. Thanks for keeping her busy!"

"No nee-- I am---" Stultic's stuttering obviously hadn't stopped.

Carmen enjoyed watching a mercenary of his calibre, losing his mind over meeting her in person. It made her feel like some fancy celebrity walking the red carpet, even though she possessed many fans across Northern Abstrain and even beyond their country.

Madica enjoyed listening to Stultic panicking just as much as Carmen did. She found it interesting to see the cocky pain in her life struggle to connect his terms. He was like a different person around her - a feeling of bitterness stuck to her tongue. Madica got up from her crouched position and patted down her suit.

"I still have a question though," Madica said. "I was assigned to this recon investigation. Why did you come here? I get that you think you were assigned but I got word from the heads. Doesn't it seem a bit off that they'd send an Arch-WARDEN to deal with these weak no-lives?"

"Yeah, I recognized that too when I fought them. They went down faster than food flies in the winter. Sure, that last part may have been a struggle for any average WARDEN but I don't see why sending me would be of any use. I got better things to do with my time than dealing with some grunts."

It was odd. They both knew it was odd for the system to send them both on the same assignment. Something wasn't right. Something didn't match. Was the system broken? It couldn't be...

With no warning, a deep metallic horn bellowed in the obscure darkness of the tunnel. It played its eerie tune that echoed off the walls, piercing the still air. An unexpected flash of emerald green light illuminated from the shadows ahead, fixating their gazes upon it.

The metal sound that resonated off its cranking body.

It marched onwards.

The moment Stultic heard the plates, he knew.

Carmen and Madica could barely see what was up ahead. The lights were still out and only the emergency red hue blared from the station. The scene was something straight out of a horror film. The green light grew in size as it closed the gap between them and it. Two hands released out from the darkness, carrying canisters of virescent fluid. It sloshed around as he twirled them on his finger. Its face was next to come out. The helmet that covered his face was familiar. His entire suit was familiar.

"This is some sick trick right?" Carmen asked.

"He retired 4 years ago. He at least has to be in his 70s... It's not feasible that the old man could still pilot that massive suit of armour," said Madica.

Their eyes had to be deceiving them with an enchanting spell. They both knew it was impossible. It couldn't be. He retired, yet the design of the suit was iconic and marching towards them. The suit was somehow pristine. It had to be a terrible joke. It had to be. The inconceivable marvel of a suit, Mammoth Goliath, and its Arch-WARDEN pilot were back from the dead. The Arch-WARDEN went by a strangely unique yet legendary alias that resonated with those everywhere. He was the first member of the 6th Generation of Arch-WARDENs for over six years and was the second member of the 5th Generation for even longer.

The Deathbringer: Arch-WARDEN Havoker.

It was impossible.

Havoker spoke.

"Hello, M-Ms. Blitzer. I am very excited to see you well."

His mannerisms and the way he walked were slightly different - they were more formal than they were before, but everything else was identical. The signature static, mangled voice that emanated from his helmet. The stocky, multi-pieced metal boots that clanked upon the rails were identical. It was all so similar. Heavy splashes of water disrupted the cool pond of Stultic's mind. Memories flooded his head in a tsunami of emotion. Goosebumps appeared like infectious fungi, sprouting from his arms. Tears streamed down his face unconsciously, falling off his chin and slowly pooling on his coat. His teeth chattered, grinding against one another from time to time. His hands quivered and his nails dug into his knees. All Madica could do was watch as Stultic's happy-go-lucky nature shatter and collapse in front of her. For the first time, she stared at him with genuine concern but her eyes promptly averted their gaze and normalized to focus on Havoker.

"What a mess you have made of the guards. I pity them, but you were right to paralyze them. They should be on the g-ground for their crimes. They're corrupt. Oh, how I hate the corrupt. The false innocents of this world. Death will c-catch up soon," he laughed. "That makes me chuckle. They won't just be paralyzed. Hopefully, I'll get to suffocate them. I will drain them of their oxygen. They'll squirm and s-scream as their lungs break and their bodies wither, but I still can't stand the sight of them... I wish I could see them suffer but they make me sick. It's so sickening to look at t-their disgusting face-- Wait... Where was I again?"

His train of thought had seemed to stop. He was frozen. He stood took a long pause before continuing to speak.

"Right!" He snapped his fingers. "What a depressing topic. I'm sorry about that. I just get so passionate when talking about this sort of thing! I'm also very e-excited because today, I get to learn whether or not I can fell an Arch-WARDEN."

Carmen knew what was going to happen.

"HIDE!" she yelled.

Havoker threw his canisters onto the station's platforms. The lights flickered on top of their lids as they opened, releasing a reactive green gas that disseminated throughout the tunnel. It spread worse than wildfire.

Carmen and Madica's helmets rebuilt themselves and returned onto their faces. To their surprise, Stultic somehow had a helmet. After clicking a button, it was brought forward in pieces and fixed itself together to form a helmet that closely resembled Madica's in shape and features. Stultic gave a thumbs-up, ready for the incoming gas waves but the other ladies were occupied, trying to guess how Stultic stole a WARDEN's helmet when they were built into their suits. A wave of noxious gas blew at them.

Havoker was right.

You could hear them screaming out for help. Help would not arrive. The worst part was that they were still paralyzed and couldn't run to save their own lives. The effects of her tremors lasted for about an hour. They couldn't survive. All they could do was watch the gas thicken and slowly choked them to death.

The gas quickly blew to the sides as Havoker rushed from within. His glowing green eyes flying at Carmen. He grabbed her by the throat and slammed her body into the wall of the tunnel repeatedly in sequence. After the savage assault had ended, he dropped her. It didn't take Carmen long to get back on her feet and deliver a few punches of her own. The sounds of her punches were just as strong, if not stronger, but Havoker seemed unphased. His armour radiated stronger than before. It burned with more fury and passion than before. All she could do was look up at the tall figure and see its emotionless countenance. With a strong back fist strike, he sent her flying into the rails. The rails bent when she hit them and her helmet cracked.

"Get a hold of yourself, Altiser! Havoker!" Carmen said, trying to reason with him.

She took out her massive double-bladed, crimson glowing axe to fight against him and struck his armour numerous times. He blocked just as quickly with his arms taking most of the hits. The slashes were penetrating through little by little, but the plating was still thick. Throwing her palm in front of her, a strong tremor hit his face - the same one that paralyzed the guards. Havoker dug his heels in and resisted. The only difference between the situation before and the situation now was that her new enemy was unphased by her attack. She took a step back in disbelief.

"Don't c-call me Havoker. My name is Zephoram," he said with a spiteful tone. "I'm not some pathetic Arch-WARDEN. I am the cleanser of this corrupted, false, destructive humanity. I am the holy deity of justice and empowerment for this entire world - for I will bring Moraine's will to fruition. S-Something you mind-controlled puppets would never understand."

Madica couldn't believe what she was seeing. Carmen couldn't lose. She could take on countries in a few hours, armies in mere minutes, heavily armoured tanks in seconds. How was it possible that the person in front of her was overpowering her completely?

He kicked her straight in the chest. Her boot snagged onto the rail; causing her to stumble over. The next moment, he raised his foot and stomped on her body numerous times over. Every second, Carmen could feel another rib cage break, another knee snap, another elbow twist. She was a toy to be played with by the hands of a golem. Red bled out from her suit. Her mouth erupted with it. Each stomp broke her more. He stopped to look down at his "opponent".

She was crushed.

He grabbed her back and legs, lifting her to the roof of the tunnel as if he was examining her condition. As he brought her body down to eye level, he spoke directly into her frightened eyes.

"So don't mess with me, runt."

Stultic broke once he heard that line, but something else had broke.

He lifted her again and slammed her back down onto his knee, her back felt as if it had been snapped.

Carmen let out a stinging scream. She was carefully placed back down onto the dusty rock floor with only a little spark still left in her eyes. She barely clung onto the last few droplets of life that she carried in her soul. He grabbed the axe that was left on the floor and examined it closely. Its blade was quite massive and the handle was very long, but the weapon's balance was incredible. He brushed the residue from the blade and kept it with him. He also ripped off her gloves for inspection and placed them in a hidden compartment near his legs. After all the salvaging was done, Zephoram quietly stared from above, content with what he had accomplished. Even though she wasn't dead, he continued to stare at her.

"YOU BASTARD!" Madica cried out from the sidelines, shooting a frenzy of blue bullets his way.

The bullets struck the metal plating, yet they barely left a dent. They only left a frosty ice residue on the metal. Each one dissipated upon impact with little damage done. Zephoram slowly turned his head to face a distressed, sorrowful Madica. He grabbed her arm and flung her back to her starting point, dislocating it.

Zephoram panted and then returned to normal. "I'm doing her a favour. She isn't corrupt by any means, but she's a future t-threat to Moraine's plans. I cannot have a future threat in the way of my progress and change. She represents a cog in a massively broken system that must be r-replaced with something new. I don't hate this specific cog, but it must be removed to destroy the rest of the corrupted system."

Madica cried, continuing to fire even if she knew her weapons were useless. She was desperate to hold onto her hope and confidence. She needed Carmen in her life. She helped her when no one else would. From the day she was on the streets to the day she became a WARDEN. She was her true mother. She was her life.

Zephoram held his newly acquired axe above his head. "I guess you're another problem I must eliminate beforehand. How sad for you."

Madica viewed with no hope. She was a dead woman. This was how she would die. Every moment of her stressful life all came down to this. People say that "your life will flash before your eyes" before you die. Madica found out firsthand that this statement was more than true. Her heart stopped. Her lungs collapsed. Her confidence broke.

With force, he brought down the oversized axe from above like a guillotine, slicing through the gassy environment to reach her.

It was then that his electric blue dagger intercepted the axe.

With little patience left in his meter, Stultic clenched his teeth, letting out every ounce of hate in his body. He shook himself from his pain and his fears. He couldn't let himself break down now. He asked for a challenge and he got one. Plain ol' karma working its magic all over again. But the difference between him and a regular tunnel-navigating weirdo was the undeniable fact that he was Stultic.

"DON'T YOU DARE LAY A FINGER ON HER!" Stultic hatefully shouted.

Zephoram's axe had lost its power. It returned to his side.

"Stultic..." Zephoram said, monotonously.

"Or should I say, Sebastian."

—^𝐯——^𝐯— 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧����𝐞𝐝 —^𝐯——^𝐯—