Day One - Part 2

[Karl Jak]

Face to Face
#05 Gilgamesh, #33 Jon Snow, #45 Blackfire, #40 Tartaros, #32 Galel $ #31 Okor vs #19 Ganondorf and #18 Link

The three metal men had been reunited at the clinic. In the almost twenty hours since forty-six primes had been dropped onto the island, the building had seen more conflicts than most locations. With its sinister barricades, boarded-up windows, and the caltrops and Czech hedgehogs that adorned its halls and the grounds around it, the clinic looked nothing like the quaint little building where people used to go to for treatment. It had been transformed into a bunker for a trio of space marines, and they were dead-set on defending their little piece of the Abyss.

Now reunited, the trio remained together at all times, unwilling to get surprised without having the support of one another. So as they made their rounds of the building, they paused in what had once been the lobby to assess the situation once again. Before speaking, Okor took a moment to glance around at the room. Was this the same place where he had fought that ‘ninja’ for control of this structure? The desk where Dr. McNinja had been passing the time was long gone—its wood being put to better use covering some of the shattered windows.

“This will do,” the plague marine declared as he looked at his battered foes. Despite their wounds and mutilations, they yet lived—proof that the three of them were superior to the rest of the common stock pulled together for this ‘contest.’

With a dull thud, something smacked into the reinforced doors of the clinic. The trio of marines exchanged looks before Okor, the sturdiest of them, made his way over to a peep hole near the window. A glance to the outside world revealed a white ball lying on the barren earth a few feet from the door. Although the ball itself seemed mundane, it had what looked to be a face painted onto it with… blood?

“What is it?” Tartaros asked as he hobbled over to his compatriot.

“I’m not sure,” Okor muttered as he pulled away from the peep hole and slid the piece of wood back over it. “Some sort of sphere.”

“Could it be a bomb?” Galel asked as the three space marines all stood silent, pondering what to do.

“I volunteer,” Tartaros declared as he made his way over to the reinforced doors of the clinic. He looked back over his broad shoulders at his allies. “Isn’t much I haven’t seen yet,” he said, although his voice seemed to waver as his hands worked the improvised ‘lock’ that kept the door shut. With a gentle push, the entrance swung open, spilling some of the dying sunlight into the clinic. To the north, there were storm clouds brewing over the island, and beyond the forest was the city where Tartaros had left so much of himself earlier in the day.

‘Looks Clear.’ The space marine signaled his two allies as he stepped forward to collect the ball. Okor had been correct—it seemed to be little more than a harmless sphere with some sort of war standard emblazoned on its somewhat soft surface.

Before he could relay that parcel of information, the rocket screamed out of the forest and blasted the Iron Wolf. The impact blasted apart the marine’s power armor and hurtled his broken, battered form backwards. Okor and Galal both dove out of the way to avoid the shrapnel that erupted from the shattered wall and door.

The plague marine, with two functioning legs, was up to his feet first. His immediate attention went to Galel, who was cradling his previous injury but otherwise seemed all right. Glancing over at Tartaros, Okor—staying crouched down to avoid any more missiles—made his way over to his ally. Most of the other space marine’s power armor had been destroyed, leaving behind a battered and bloodstained chest embedded with shards of twisted, super-heated steel.

Through it all, the heavy, broad chest was still rising and falling as the marine refused to relinquish his grip on the mortal coil.

“A marine doesn’t die on this back,” Tartaros screamed through the blood pooling in his mouth as he planted his stump into the ground and somehow managed to pull himself up into a seated position on the floor of the clinic.

“Enemy boarding party!” Galel bellowed as Okor turned his attention to the entranceway of the clinic. From across the smoldering threshold, a dark-skinned titan and a smaller man dressed in green strode into the bunker. The shorter prime held a very simple-looking rocket launcher, while the taller individual held the white sphere in a giant hand.

“Take them out,” Ganondorf muttered as Link shouldered the rocket launcher and squeezed back on the trigger. Okor threw himself out of harm’s way and came running at the pair even as the missile punched through the a window and blew apart what had once been a doctor’s lounge. The space marine threw out a plague-coated fist and caught Ganondorf in the side of the face, staggering the king, who winced as the fetid grim burned at his face and beard. Grimacing through the pain, the Gerudo retaliated with his own savage punch that nearly toppled over the marine.

“Nice to see someone I can look in the eyes when I kill,” Ganondorf declared as he cracked his knuckles and pressed the attack against the marine.

Link took a step forward to join his ally in battle, but before he could find his aim, a metal club created by twisting together the legs of several gurneys crashed into his skull. The impact threw the young man off balance, leaving him wide open as the Psyker swung back the improvised weapon for another go. He never got a chance to finish the motion, because a ball smacked him in the side of the head. The Hylian looked over and saw a smile flash across Ganondorf’s face before he turned to resume his fistfight with the plague marine. With a scowl, Link tore out a piece of twisted rebar from the wall and swung at Galel, who swung his own weapon. For a few brief, chaotic moments, the pair dueled with their lamentable attempts at swords.

Their skirmish drew to a close the moment someone launched an arrow that punched through the wall to their left. Two sets of eyes moved over to the glowing arrowhead protruding out from the brick. Neither Pskyer or Hylian was quick enough to clear out of the way before the explosive went off, sundering the entire wall in a terrifying ball of fall and debris. Link was thrown clear to the other side of the lobby, but the bulkier mass of warrior that was Galel Baraz had too much on him to just go hurtling through the air like a green rag doll.

The Psker rolled backwards and groaned. He grabbed the first soft thing he saw—the Hylian’s bag—and pulled it over his head as what remained of the wall collapsed onto him.

Ganondorf and Okor were far enough away that they avoided the concussive force, but both had to turn away as the flash of heat washed over them. When he felt the initial gust of super-heated wind flush by him, the Gerudo latched his hands around Okor’s shoulders and smashed the plague marine into the wall. As his opponent slid to the ground, Ganondorf heard the thud of armored boots behind him.

“What now?” Ganondorf muttered as he turned to see a bloody, half-alive man in the blackened remnants of a power suit glaring at him.

“…bang.” Tartaros pulled back on the trigger, releasing a burst of bolts from a rifle that he could just barely hold steady in his hand. The Gerudo’s eyes went wide as he tried to get out of the way, but even though his foe’s aim wasn’t what it used to be, a handful of rounds tore through his armor.

But he was the Great Demon King!

After stumbling and nearly losing his balance, Ganondorf let out a roar and charged.

Tartaros had stopped shooting by then…his good hand was dangling uselessly at his side. His good leg quivered, but he failed to let it give out from under him. With a smug, blood-smeared grin, the space marine stood tall as the gauntleted fist smashed through his skull.

As Tartaros finally fell into a smoldering, bloody heap, Ganondorf let out a long breath just as someone started to clap behind him.

“Link?” Ganondorf asked as he turned around to see Gilgamesh and two cronies staring where the front of the clinic had once been. The gilded monarch sneered as he continued to clap at the heaving, bloodied Gerudo.

“Nice show.” Gilgamesh chuckled as the black-haired man next to him knocked another arrow into a high-tech bow. “Put down this rapid animal.” The king barked as Jon Snow took the shot.

With its blinking tip, the high-explosives arrow zipped through the air, but as it did, a green mass moved to intercept it.

A beat later, a second explosion rocked the shattered clinic. Gilgamesh grinned from ear-to-ear as the light from the blast faded to reveal…

An untarnished Hylian shield!

“What!” The gilded king screamed as the shield faded away to reveal a smirking Link. From behind the young man, Ganondorf stood back up and sneered at the other ruler.

“You’re still not better than me,” the Demon King said, and to punctuate that, he spat his own blood across the room at Gilgamesh.

“Already sick of all the saliva today,” Gilgamesh screamed as he threw down his bag. His two allies and pair of foes watched in mild interest as the gilded king proceeded to remove his large, golden chestplate. While the armor had a terrible thud as it hit the ground, everyone’s attention had already moved on to the glowing red tattoos that covered Gilgamesh’s chest. Throwing his head back, Gilgamesh started to laugh as the glow of the runes intensified. The floor beneath the man started to splinter as his power surged to new limits.

In front of Ganondorf, Link held out his hands and summoned a small mask. As the Hylian placed the mask upon his face, his normal features vanished in a flash of light. The young man in the green tunic was replaced by a blue-skinned humanoid with fish-like features and fins that jutted out from his wrists. From the back of his head, his hair had been replaced by another exaggerated fin.

Ganondorf shrugged and threw back his head. The Demon King’s body surged outward as his features became those of Ganon. Once the pig monster was in action, it leapt over Link and stampeded the glowing Gilgamesh.

With the rocket launcher slung over his shoulder, Zora Link dashed forward the moment he saw Jon Snow move for another arrow. The bastard frowned as he was forced to dodged out of the way of the fish creature’s fist and the long fin that followed after it. His strength and speed surging to new levels, Link quickly followed up with a second punch that found its mark. As Jon Snow fell backwards, he pulled out an arrow and let it loose with the finesse of a pro. Rather than eat an arrow, the zora retreated as a cackling Gilgamesh managed to find the leverage he need to throw Ganon out into area in front of the clinic.

With Blackfire at his flank, the king casually advanced against the sneering, one-tusked creature. Before moving to confront the monster, Gilgamesh turned to look at Blackfire. “Give me that,” he barked as he tore the survival shovel from her hands and shoved her. “I’ll put it to better use than you will.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Gilgamesh turned right into the oncoming path of Ganon’s massive hand.

The impact threw the glowing king to the ground and knocked the air from his lungs. Before Gilgamesh could recover, Ganon’s shadow fell over him.

“You’re the useless one,” Blackfire shouted as she grabbed the shovel and swung at Ganon before the beast could strike. The shovel slashed open the creature’s palm and stopped him from crushing Gilgamesh, but in the process, Blackfire made herself the focus of Ganon’s ire. Before she could offer another snide remark, a giant fist shot out and closed around her thin waist. As her feet left the ground, she started to hack at Ganon’s arm, but her strength was already failing her wrecked body. A giant fist slammed into her face, and the shovel dropped to the ground.

It was then that Ganon dropped her, but before she hit the earth, he snatched her around her legs. With a grunt, he swung her up and impaled her scrawny body through one of the horns that jutted from his shoulder.

“Damn it,” Gilgamesh seethed as he scrambled to his feet. “This is over,” he declared as he reached a hand back. Behind the gilded king, a portal opened and produced the handle of an elegant weapon. With a fluid motion, Gilgamesh tore Ea free from the portal as her blade started to glow the same shade of red as his tattoos. “Enuma Elish!” Gilgamesh screamed as he thrust the sword at Ganon. The boar roared defiantly as the energy blast slammed into his chest and sent him on what the other king knew to be a one-way trip into the forest.

“Trash,” Gilgamesh seethed as Ea vanished within his hand. The king turned to see that Jon Snow and Zora Link were still engaged in an almost elegant game of cat and mouse. Each time the archer tried to line up a shot, the aquatic warrior would throw him off balance with a thrown chunk of debris or use his speed to close the distance for an erratic slash or jab. Most of the Zora’s attacks, however, did little to stagger or wound his foe. It wasn’t until Gilgamesh came rushing at the pair that Jon turned his eyes and lost his delicate control over his ‘dance’ with Link.

At that moment, Link sprung forward and smashed a brick against Jon’s upper arm, causing the man to grimace and drop his weapon. If not for Gilgamesh rushing at him, it was possible that the Hylian-turned-Zora could have stolen the bow, but a swift kick from the gilded monarch ruined Link’s plan. The aquatic prime hit the ground hard, and before he could get upright, an arrow sank into his thigh.

“Finish this,” Gilgamesh barked as he and Jon walked slowly toward the fallen man, who was clutching at his new wound. Jon Snow fell back a few steps, and this collar started to flash. As the Bastard summoned strength, his ally kicked Link in the middle of the face and laughed as the Zora writhed in pain for a few moments before pulling himself upright. “Pathetic.”

“Better think twice…”

Gilgamesh looked over to see that Ganondorf was stumbling from the forest. One of his arms hung limp against his massive body, but in the other arm, he gripped a familiar weapon that glowed a vicious shade of red.

Ea.

“How dare you!” Gilgamesh screamed as he came running at Ganondorf.

“Enuma Elish!” The Gerudo roared as the thrust the sword forward and struck his rival with a colossal blast of red energy. When Gilgamesh finally hit the ground, he made no effort to stand as he watched the giant monster explode out from the clinic behind Jon Snow. Ganondorf rushed to Link just in time for the two of them to receive a thunderous punch that threw them both from sight.

Rather than press the attack, Jon Snow rushed to aide his king.

[spoiler]

#40 Tartaros DEAD
#45 Blackfire DEAD

37 Primes Remain

Link used Tier 1 Super Move Hylian Defense (-2 SP)
Link used Tier 1 Transformation Zora Link (-1 SP)
Gilgamesh used Tier 1 Super Move Enuma Elish (-2 SP)
Jon Snow used Tier 1 Super Move Fist of the Wun Wun (-2 SP)
Okor used Tier 0 Super Move Necrotic Punch (-1 SP)
Ganondorf used Tier 1 Transformation Ganon (-1 SP)
Ganondorf mimicked Tier 1 Super Move Enuma Elish (-2 SP)

Okor has bled more and cares not for his +4 Damage (Minor Injury)
Galel has suffered a broken right arm, bruises to his neck and spine, and all of his wounds are bleeding once again – Major Injury (+8 Damage)
Jon Snow has a nasty cut on his right arm – Minor Injury (+3 Damage)
Gilgamesh has dislocated his left shoulder and suffered extensive bruises – Minor Injury (+5 Damage)
Link’s formerly dislocated shoulder is now broken. His leg also had an arrow through it, which will make walking unpleasant – Major and Minor Injury (+10 Damage)
Ganondorf’s left arm is broken in a few places, his face is partially disfigured from the filth punch, and he’s generally going to be miserable – Major Injury (+8 Damage)

Okor/Galel get the Banishment Serum from Link
Wilson and the Shovel are there for New Bablyon or the Space Marines[/spoiler]