Subsequent Fall Part 34: Darkness

Weeks passed, Astral stayed by James and Angel's side the entire time, they explored the entertainment district of the Red Merle and the shopping district, helping the two create their own separate room in Astral and Jaimie's section of the ship. 

They drifted and stumbled across the next humanoid planet. All of it's energy was being absorbed into one place according to the orbital scans. "I call dibs." Airsoft put his hands up as Proto and Omaha stood by his side.

"Good, cause Astral is having family time aboard the station. You want full charge of helping this planet and the few people that are left?" Adam was showing the reports.

"Without question." Airsoft typed away as he readied three ships. "Isn't that our whole reason for existing is to help people?" Achilles scoffed off in the distance. The three legions of clones readied themselves as Zane entered the bridge.

"I will accompany you in orbit to watch over my clone legions." Zane extended his hand as Airsoft shook it. The four of them head to one of the carrier ships as they launch from the Red Merle to the planet below.

Once they got into the atmosphere they landed in an isolated area of darkness. "Why is this place giving me the same jitters of that first void creature we killed in the training room?" Proto looked at it all.

"That's probably due to it being the actual issue at hand, this peaceful planet is either being consumed by that darkness or even worse." Airsoft pulled his helmet on and made sure he loaded up on his melee weapons.

"It's already been consumed and it's a trap?" Omaha looked more worried than the other two. "What's the call Airsoft?"

"Scanners show that these people aren't hostile and that they are drained. We have scouting reports that show where the energy is going." Airsoft tossed Joan of Arc over to them. "We go into the belly of the beast with us three." His head moved slightly. "Zane, you take charge in case of any foot rabble trying to attack?" Zane nodded as the three walked out of the bridge and onto the surface of the planet.

"It feels spongy, but look at our feet, they are glowing white." Proto looked down as Airsoft ran his hand across the surface, he had been in contact with this before the training exercise. "Well, how far we got?"

"A quick five mile march and we will be at the front gates." Airsoft started jogging as Proto and Omaha took their sides on his right and left respectively. They took a breath of air once they arrived. It smelled rancid as Omaha and Proto gagged. Airsoft turned his filters on and looked at the gaping hole in the ground.

"I thought it was a building not a pit." Airsoft spoke as it inverted itself and turned into a spike with a single doorway as he opened it. There was no light inside as two clicks were heard from both Proto and Omaha.

Airsoft activated his beacon on his armor as a soft white glow illuminated the area. The three walked in as they looked around, all the doorway led to was a singular hallway. Walking down it turned into a big church room cathedral. With a shadowy figure standing over the altar. Signing to them. 'Welcome my children, are you ready to be baptized?'

"Airsoft what the fuck is that thing? Is it what I think it is?"" Proto shouted and pointed at it.

'How rude to swear and point at me.' It signed at them as Proto side stepped a pillar of black ooze pouring down on where he was.

"All I ask, is if we kill you, do you leave this planet and revert it back to its natural state?" Airsoft was gentle in his tone.

'Yes, but good luck with that, humans cannot possibly harm me.' it dropped it's imaginary robes as it smoldered away like ash. Charging at them he went to rip Airsoft's heart from his chest.

On the surface Zane was receiving distress call after distress call. Each one was asking for help with supplies and to help the sick people. Routing supplies Zane would not know the situation and danger level that the other three just entered.

Airsoft pulled a knife from his wrist gauntlet and slashed upwards, slicing it's wrist open as it backed up half a step. 'Its fast enough to track me and damage me, HOW?' The creature thought to itself as Omaha pulled out her spear. Proto pulled out his broadsword.

"Silly little ghost, when it comes to your kind, we have the edge." Airsoft quickly drew his pistol from his side and fired a light round through its shoulder as it didn't heal immediately.

It launched a volley of blows between the three of them, each punch thrown was able to glide off of their armor with some redirection by the three of them, it was amazed that their armor was also taking the hits, why wasn't it going through. Airsoft took the lead and slashed deep into its arms with his knives as it stood confused. Retaliating a spike came from the ground and skewered his foot and locked it in place.

Omaha thrusted her spear forward as it jabbed into it's shoulder. It burned him as a void tendril slapped her away. She cracked the wall around her at the impact as her body laid on the ground motionless.

Proto dropped his sniper at Airsofts feet as he took the lead spot with the broadsword. Each slash cut into the creature but it couldn't get deep and kill the creature off. Proto decided to just tank a blow here or there rather than try and dodge everything, each punch felt like it had the force of one thousand. He felt a bone break over and have it become shattered as he went onto his back foot. 

A punch became aimed at his skull as Omaha thrusted her spear forward into the hand coming down onto her brother. Holding still she jabbed the rest of it into the fallen's skull as it sat there trying to attack with its far arm. Proto finally got a good slice as he sliced the right arm clean off and jabbed his sword into his foot.

"Say welcome to hell you bitch." Airsoft pulled the trigger on the sniper as it took away the chest of the fallen. His remains started to smolder and fade away like mist as the three took a sigh of relief, the rest of the church crumbling as they sprinted out as fast as they came.

It crumbled into dust as the planet became back to its natural blue and green colors from orbit rather than a matte gray. "Zane, how is the recovery and assistant efforts going?"

"A real pain in my ass, but the clones are enjoying the public work and helping, what was the creature that made everything dark?" Zane asked as reports flooded that people were instantly feeling better.

"A fallen." Zane froze as he heard the words from Airsoft. "Could you send us an evacuation shuttle? I got tagged on my foot and Proto has several broken bones."

"It's on his way. Congrats on downing a fallen. I am proud." Astral's voice echoed through the communications as they regrouped at the Red Merle once more and became adrift once again.