Legacy & War (Battle of Nippur)

[Illidan Stormrage]

Orion ignored the ceaseless babble of his associates. He was never much for introductions. Sinestro fell into the role of default leader of their team quite fluidly, and while Orion could certainly fill those shoes, he had no intention to as long as the Lantern was halfway competent.

Indeed, the greater item of interest was the giant fissure that tore through the dunes, its edges crackling with white heat. Torrents of sand cascaded into the newly formed abyss, the granules flashing gold in the merciless sunlight. Staring into its ostensibly bottomless depths, all he could see was the flowing sand pour into blackness.

Impressive, but nothing Orion himself couldn't do.

Orion looked at the apparent progenitor of the massive scar. This Gildarts looked exhausted, barely able to hold himself up, although whether from the inhabitable temperatures on the sands or his struggle to regulate his strength, he couldn't say. The saiyan caught some nonsense about being unable to control his power. Orion humphed to himself. If this ragged newcomer couldn't rein in his own abilities, then Sinestro was taking a large gamble on him being of any worth. What if he tried to contain it, and lost focus? What if another sand shattering blast fired prematurely, hitting one of them? Even worse, what if he exploded? Orion gritted his teeth. A saiyan would never be so damn reckless, so pitifully unreliable.

Still, it would be a foolish move to write off such a potent source of power. It was magic, though, and Orion hated magic. Shooting fireballs, creating storms of ice and lightning, sundering earth and splitting wind, turning people into frogs ... what terrifying and ostentatious nonsense. Ki could do anything that magic could do, at least what Orion would want to do. Why someone would subject themselves to such pomposity was beyond him.

And yet, as he already considered, Gildarts' magical finesse, or lack thereof, could be worth the while. If he became a liability, well ... Orion was in the business of handling liabilities.

Also, this robotic mouse companion ... what was his goal? If he was worth his salt in battle, why did he speak as if they were friends, so sociable and warm? They hardly knew each other. Indeed, Sinestro had postponed their battle to investigate him, and now he was tagging along?

Orion spat into the sand, his saliva beginning to vaporise on contact. Perhaps he should stop being so damn judgemental and focus on what was happening around him. There was a time when he wouldn't jump to conclusions because his frustration demanded it.

If only his blasted NOVA unit was online. He could scan everyone in the vicinity and at least have a base knowledge of their strengths. And yet if he tried to access any of its functionality, all he got in response was a disorientating mental buzz that tore at his thoughts until it passed. Strange that he had a brief but strong connection to the Dataverse after his first battle in the Endless Dunes, outside of Carrefore. Why had it worked for those few minutes? Was it because his adrenaline flared as he killed them? Perhaps the damage he took?

Wait. This had happened before. He had taken a substantial hit in a previous battle many years ago and his NOVA unit fluctuated like it was doing now. It was only temporary then, but this time it seemed like something may have been genuinely knocked loose. That was concerning. He didn't much welcome the idea of brain surgery to fix a broken component in his head, especially since he hadn't seen a damn surgeon since he had gotten to the Omniverse.

Fuck it. It might hurt, but an idea came to him that just might fix it.

"Hey you!" Orion said, pointing at Gildarts. "Hit me as hard as you can!" He pointed at his cheek. "Right here!"

Gildarts blinked. "What? Did you not just see the magic I blasted across the ground?"

Orion's eye darted back to the jagged canyon nearby. "Hmm. Point taken." He looked around. The robo-mouse didn't look like much, and he needed something to hit him hard. "Sinestro, how about you?"

Thaal flicked the brim of his hat, making his eyes visible. He looked concerned. "Whatever for?"

Orion grimaced. "I didn't ask you to question me, I told you to hit me!"

The Lantern shrugged. "If you wish."

He levelled his ring at Orion and the sigil etched upon its surface shone with yellow light. A ray of energy exploded forward, striking Orion directly on the cheek. The saiyan's head jerked to the side, his boots skidding across the sand. Heat greater than the sum of the desert flared in his skin, but his NOVA unit did not react.

Orion righted his head again. "Damn it, it didn't-"

Another searing hit crashed into his face front on, stealing Orion's footing and slamming him into the ground. The burning sand stung his exposed skin and he quickly hopped upright. He wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth, rubbing it between his fingers until it became a ruddy stain.

Sinestro's clenched fist was still extended, the light of his ring dimming. "Work? How about the second attack?"

Orion bared his teeth. "I didn't ask for-"

In that second, he could sense everything around him, without even looking. Thaal, the way the warm wind teased his poncho. Robot Mouse, the very heat radiating from his metallic armour. Gildarts, the slinking of sweat down his skin, the ragged breaths. Even the scorpions that skittered across the dunes. Unfortunately, nothing registered of their power levels, but that mattered little in the moment.

He reached for his eyepatch and ripped it off. A fluttering interrupted his vision, but then he could see out of the red lens. He closed his organic eye to be certain. Yes. The NOVA unit was back online! Not totally functional, but he would take what he could get.

Orion snapped the eyepatch back over his face, and his anger evaporated with the moisture on his lips. "Bravo, Sinestro."

The red skinned warrior smirked. "Any time. Now, let's focus on the task at hand, shall we?"

----

The four of them jetted into the air. In short time they arrived at their destination; Nippur. Chaos consumed the streets. It appeared as though a fight had already started here, or perhaps was just finishing. In that case, the poor residents of this town weren't about to be given a reprieve.

Orion balled his fists, cracking his knuckles. Sinestro fired a beam of light into the sky, plastering the sigil of his ring above the clouds. He spoke, and Orion felt a chill run down his spine.

Orion tensed his body and let his ki flow freely. A blue flame of energy burst to life around his body.

It was time to fight.

Finally.