{Wolfpool} Strong Alone. Stronger Together.

[Wild Wolf]

Hello Friends!

 

Real names Ryan, most people call me Wolf or Wolfie. 31 years old. Jesus freak. Husband to my Queen, Heather aka @PrincessMononoke. Father to 4 boys: Racer (8), Declan (5), Orin (4) and Jamison (21 months). I also have a baby on the way. Currently, at the time of writing this, Heather is 27 weeks along! This is very exciting for us because back in November of 2017, we lost our daughter, Violet, at 23 weeks. She was a beautiful little girl but God needed her more then we did. Following this loss we got pregnant almost right after...but lost that baby around 13-14 weeks later. Feeling like we were done with having kids, Heather and I found out in September of 2018 that she was pregnant again after 6 months of trying. You may be telling yourself: "6 months is nothing!" But you have to remember that I'm a "first try" kinda guy lol. 

 

 

Annnnyyyyways! I digress. Things are going well. Really well, actually. Started a new job February 1st of this year. My company I'd been working at the past 4 years was bought out by a bigger company and it seems things are going to be good here. I'm salary based now with an opportunity to bonus each month, making an easy 800+ if I hit the top tier. There's other perks too, like getting to work from home...which would be SCHAWEET! I have a competitive spirit and this job will feed that in a positive way.

 

Also, as some of you know, I have been closely following a game called Anthem made by the wonderful people over at BioWare. It's basically a sci-fy/fantasy mash up, kinda like Star Wars, about people in iron man esque exosuits. You're known as a Freelancer-someone trying to protect Fort Tarsis, one of the last standing settlements in a dangerous world known as Mirrus. The exosuits (called javelins) allow the Freelancers to explore this dangerous world and it gives them a fighting chance against the militaristic faction known as the Dominion. If you want more info, it would take me 3 days to explain everything, lol, so, I'll just post some videos in another post to catch you guys up a little more .

 

ANYWAYS-back to Anthem. So, I've been following this game really closely. So close, in fact, I befriended a youtuber known as Your Anthem, or to me, he's just William, lol. We became friends back in July of last year when he started making content on Anthem and then quickly after that, created a discord for subscribers of Your Anthem (and fans of Anthem) to go and talk about the game and eventually form some lasting friendships. Around September, I was promoted as the first moderator of the channel. Back then we were maybe 200 strong lol. Now, we have two more mods, one being a very good friend of mine whom I met on the discord. If he had a NF name, he would go by DementedMistahJ. You can tell why we got along from the get go lol. But, now, we are 3k strong and the discord is constantly busy and full of chatter. Especially since Anthem releases world wide this weekend. In 2 days. OMGOMGOMGOMG!!

 

I'M SOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!

 

I may have a small issue, lol. The discord became my baby since William was busy making content and going to law school full time and so it naturally took up a lot of the time I had to focus on NF challenges. If you've known me a while, you know that I've been out of sync recently, and that's mainly due to having a pregnant wife who deals with severe nausea, so more is put on my plate/shoulder, and running the discord. I'm glad to be there for Heather and helping her out in whatever way I can. I'm very blessed and thankful for the position I'm in...because things coulda been a lot worse. So, I've given up on challenges for now and decided that a battle log is better than nothing at this point. And, I'm still going strong on my Anthem related fanfic story . I'm 3 pages into chapter 5 right now. Chapter 4 was epic. 7 pages worth, even .

 

I'm going to continue writing the book and involving anyone else that wants to be apart of it. Basically, just let me know if you would like to be involved and I can get with you about creating a character. I know @WhiteGhost had a character fleshed out! Speaking of: Bro! I've had the chance to play all the javelins from the demos and the 10 hours of early access I got....and the Interceptor is so. much. fun! It's incredible quick and agile and the melee is really awesome! You're basically a space ninja! I'll post some pics of some of the customization's I've done on the javelins.

 

Anyways, side tracked. SQUIRREL! What else is new...Oh yeah! I've started streaming on Mixer. It's a free streaming service that comes with the Xbox. I'll probably upload videos on here for anyone to watch. And I think that pretty much wraps everything up for my entry post. I'll have a post below to track my story progress if anyone is interested in reading it.

 

I love NF and a lot of you I call family. We'll see how my upkeep is with my new battle log and move from there. I titled this BL "Strong Alone. Stronger Together." because it's a quote I've become attached too. Surprise, surprise, it's from Anthem, lol. But, I realize the strength that comes from community and I miss having that with y'all. So, let's kick some butt, take some names and have a blast blast!

 

 

Wolf

[Wild Wolf]

saved

 

[Wild Wolf]

Always Two Steps Ahead

 

Chapter 1: The Meeting

 

Spoiler

Chapter 1: The Meeting

 

The market area of Fort Tarsis was alive and breathing. Merchants were yelling out their daily deals while the customers of Tarsis mingled about happily. There were numerous smells radiating off the market area, like, the faint sour smell of wyvern eggs in the east corner. Or the strong smell of the various spices that lay out in the middle. However, there was none sweeter smelling then fried ursix on a stick. It was a favorite dish of the man sprinting through the market, and on a normal day, he would of stopped to purchase a stick. But today, he was severely late. It wasn’t even that he had woken up late, but the heavy drinking he’d done the night before created a dull yet painfully throbbing ache in the back of his head that reminded him to never get back to “regret point” when it came to boozing. Doing his best to weave in and out of the bustling marketplace, Colwyn Plaigue had almost made it to the end when he ran hard into the middle of a sentinel’s broad, armored back. There was a metal thud when Colwyn collided into the sentinel, knocking him off balance.

 

            The sentinel guard stumbled forwards slightly, knocking an elderly man to the ground while Colwyn flew off five feet to the side, nearly landing on a table consisting of fine jewelry and metals. He was able to slap his hands on the table and catch himself before the momentum of the fall carried him over head first. Thank the Shapers too, because Colwyn didn’t have the sweat currency to pay for a broken merch table.

 

            Embarrassed, Colwyn began to apologize to the jewler. “I’m so sorry, sir, I-”

           

“Plaigue! You idiot! Watch where you’re goin’, mate!” The sentinel roared out, his voice slightly altered and muffled by his helmet but the annoyance could be heard through loud and clear. As the sentinel began to help up the old man he’d accidentally knocked down, Colwyn gave a slight bow to the jewler and then sprinted past the sentinel, ignoring the curse words he screamed after him.

 

Gonna be late. Gonna be late. Gonna be late! Colwyn muttered under his breath as he weaved in and out of the rest of the Tarsis traffic, sweat outlining his armpits and the middle of his back. The most important meeting of his entire freelancer career and he was going to be late. As someone who was traditionally on time, this didn’t sit well with the young pilot. And as an aspiring Interceptor pilot, how would he explain that he was “too slow to make an appointment”? The Interceptor was specifically known for its unmatched agility and evasion like tactics, so, the thought of him being referred to as “slow” made Colwyn laugh nervously.

 

He made his way down a narrow alleyway shortcut and popped out in front of a set of stairs that led up to thick, double doors. Trying his best to breathe through his nose, Colwyn put both hands behind his head and tried to slow his heart rate. He had to admit that running in a javelin and running with your own set a legs was a little different. He was much faster in a javelin, for starters. The natural side effect of being a javelin pilot was the leg and core strength greatly benefited outside the exosuit, and despite being late for his meeting, Colwyn still made good time.

 

“Ok, Col, you got this. You’re a skilled pilot. You’re charming. Your morals are questionable...Corvus is gonna love you.” With a final nod, Colwyn brushed the loose hair from his face with his hand and began to ascend the stairs. As soon as he tugged on the door handle, he was immediately greeted with a sudden smack to the face. The painful blow sent him backwards onto his butt, nearly tumbling backwards down the steps he’d just climbed. The door swung open viciously and out walked a woman of medium height, purple hair and a stunningly beautiful face. Colwyn, bleeding at the nose and lip, suddenly didn’t care about how bad his face hurt. Holy shi-

 

“Oh my! I’m so sorry!” The purple haired woman rushed over with a grace Colwyn had never seen before but already come to admire. She kneeled down next to him, wide eyed. “You’re bleeding...oh man, I’m so sorry…”

 

“Colwyn.” The freelancer pilot said grinning sheepishly as blood still poured from his nose.

 

“Ada... It’s nice to meet you, Colwyn. Can I please help out somehow? I was in a hurry, but it’s no excuse, and then I didn’t even think that someone would be on the other side of the door, and..and…” She looked at Colwyn, waiting for him to take control of the conversation. 

 

“Maybe just help me up and we’ll call it even? Not sure about my pride, though.”

 

Ada offered a hand to Colwyn and helped him get up. Her hand was smooth but strong. “What about your pride, though?”

 

“Oh that? That’s gonna stay right there.” Colwyn said pointing at the spot he’d just been helped up from.

 

Ada laughed. The sound of it sent chills up Colwyn’s back. “So...you’re face is ok? Again, I’m so-”

 

“Face is fine. It’s looked like this a while so I think I’m good..” Colwyn said chuckling and meeting her gaze. He immediately dropped it, feeling overwhelmed by the honey color of Ada’s eyes.

 

“Ok, well if you say so. I would love to stay and chat but I am late to a meeting...hence the door and the nose...the blood...sorry again. Maybe I’ll see ya around??” Ada asked quickly, a hint of a smile hiding in the corner of her mouth.

 

“I hope so...I’m also late for a meeting. Trying to get Corvus approval so I can fly the Interceptor.” He said winking. And even though he was being smooth on the outside, Colwyn was crying on the inside. He honestly had no idea how he was pulling this off with Ada.

 

“Freelancer, eh?” She asked heading down the steps.

 

“Nothing but.” Colwyn replied, the smile widening on his sore face.

 

“Well if you’re meeting goes well then I’ll see you in recruit training, Mr. Colwyn. I’m the instructor.” She winked back at Colwyn seeing his grin turn into something that resembled delight and utter despair. Ada laughed again, disappearing from view. Colwyn looked down from atop the stairs as she turned down the first street past the alleyway, impressed beyond measure. “Wow...what a woman.” With that, he turned towards the door, this time making sure as not to get smacked in the face again, and entered the building with the thought of Ada on his mind.    

 

 

Chapter 2: The Unwelcome Guest

 

Spoiler

Chapter 2: The Unwelcome Guest

 

            Lucky for Colwyn, he hadn’t been the only one late that day. And despite a swollen lip, bruised nose and blood stained shirt, he did excellent in his interview. His interviewer, a man named Bandoh, actually appreciated the battle scars Colwyn had accrued in the past half hour. It showed him that nothing would stop Colwyn from getting to the meeting and Bandoh admired the freelancer’s tenacity. Maybe it was the meeting with Ada, though, and maybe not, but, Colwyn felt like he was on fire and that his luck was rapidly rising in stock. He needed a little boost in luck these days. Ever since his Ranger javelin was destroyed about a month ago, Colwyn had a hard time getting a job without the only thing that could protect him outside the walls of Fort Tarsis, a Javelin exosuit. Yarrow wasn’t going to just give Colwyn another javelin. He would have to earn his next one. Unfortunately, these unique and powerful suits were not massed produced and needed a skilled blacksmith to help forge Colwyn a new one. Either that, or you visit one of the other factions within the Fort that used javelins. Sometimes they would let you “borrow” one in exchange for running contracts for them out beyond the wall. Colwyn didn’t know any blacksmiths, so, the likelihood of the former happening was slim at best. Colwyn thought the meeting went well, however, and Corvus was his best chance at getting back in a exosuit as soon as possible.

 

There were three other options available for Colwyn to get back in an exosuit. He wasn’t much for the big exosuit, the Colossus. Besides, the freelancers had ownership over the Colossus and Yarrow nicked that idea too. However, Colwyn did respect any lancer using one. While heavy armored and packing a wallop, the Colossus was slower by design. It was built to take the brunt of enemy aggro with its thick chassis and shield while raining down destruction with it’s heavy weaponry and artillery. And while the Storm javelin was extremely powerful in the right hands, those hands were not Colwyn’s. He lacked the advanced kinetic abilities to pilot a Storm javelin properly and left the Anthem “magic” to the Arcanist. This left Corvus. The questionable intelligence group that served as spies, agents and diplomats for Fort Tarsis. Corvus tended to deal with threats without direct confrontation in there own “signature ways”. They had also created the Interceptor javelin. Smaller than the Ranger and stylishly sleek by design, the Interceptor’s initial purpose was for scouting and infiltration, yet, Colwyn knew the suit could do so much more. In order to gain Corvus’ favor though, Colwyn would need to pass their three part test which recruits dubbed as “The Gauntlet”. And the pass rate was a shockingly low 3%.

 

The fact that Colwyn wasn’t the best test taker never crossed his mind, either. He wasn’t exactly selling his intelligence to the highest bidder, and would rely on his experience and instinct as a Freelancer to do the talking at the end of the day. With his first class starting bright and early the following day, Colwyn had left the Corvus building after the meeting and headed towards the north end of the Fort where his apartment was. This time, he did stop back in the market to pick up some ursix-on-a-stick. The sentinel soldier that Colwyn bumped into before was still patrolling the area and gave him the verbal warning he missed earlier, threatening the freelancer with a day spent in the stockyards if he wasn’t more careful. Colwyn restrained from rolling his eyes as he was being scolded and instead gave a mockingly low bow and promised it wouldn’t happen again.

 

Sentinels could be...problematic. Especially when it came to donning the wings of a freelancer. Sentinels were the peacekeepers of Fort Tarsis, resembling the ranger javelin in size and overall look, and were employed by the emperor to protect the people within it’s guarded walls. Colwyn knew that deep down they meant well, but that didn’t make him like the sentinels any more than he already did. The feeling was mutual for both sides, though. The sentinels looked down on the freelancers, calling them reckless show-offs and party boys looking for cheap thrills. They didn’t agree with what Colwyn and the rest of the freelancers did for work and it seemed the two factions were always butting heads because of it. Quite frankly, Colwyn thought that sentinels were just jealous of the freelancers.

 

As Colwyn was nearing his apartment, he couldn’t help but hope for another run-in with Ada. He could do without getting whacked in the face again, but the thought of seeing her made Colwyn’s heart pound against his ribcage with reckless ferocity. With the sun nearly set behind him, the freelancer pilot approached his apartment door and came to a slow halt, noticing the door was cracked open slightly. A chill went up his back and Colwyn clenched his fist. Break-ins weren’t uncommon in Fort Tarsis, but not usually in the area where Colwyn lived. Without hesitation, Colwyn went to the left of the cracked door and pressed his back up against the wall. With his arm closest to the door, he pushed it all the way open, listening for someone caught in the act. He was greeted with silence. In his head, Colwyn counted to three then jumped in view of the open door and let out an audible “AHH!”, but still nothing.

 

With eyes forcefully held open to adjust his sight inside the dark apartment, the cautious pilot entered slowly. Colwyn hadn’t made it two feet into his apartment before a blow to the back of his legs sent him crashing to the floor. With much more grace than he had shown earlier in the day, Colwyn recovered from the surprise attack with amazing speed. After he had regained his feet, another blow blurred past him, aiming for his head. Colwyn had just enough time to dodge the attack and side step the follow-up one. Keeping with the flow of his movements, Colwyn used his sidestep to shove his assailant off balance and pounce on them. He used his knees to try and pin down it’s flailing arms but his attacker writhed underneath Colwyn’s weight and managed to send a knee in his crotch, forcing the freelancer off as he doubled over in pain.

 

It took Colwyn several long seconds to recover from the painful hit and came too just in time to see his apartment assassin take off out the open door, vaulting the stair railing. Anger burned deep in Colwyn’s core and he scrambled to his feet, slower this time, and took off after his fleeing attacker. Just like the assassin, Colwyn vaulted the stair railing and landed on the cobbled street, rolling awkwardly as he landed. His attacker was quick and already had a hundred yards on Colwyn as they neared the market. Fort Tarsis during the evening was a beautiful sight to behold. The lively market area was now lit up with hues of red, orange, purple, and green, giving off a constant “festive” vibe. The “daily deals” were now “nightly knockoffs” as businesses looked to be closing shop soon and doing their best to rid themselves of the perishable items that would spoil overnight.

 

The fleeing assassin avoided the market area altogether, knowing the lights would expose it as well as the roaming sentinels, and took a sharp left, heading towards the strider bay. Colwyn, still recovering from the knee to the crotch, sluggishly took off after them.

 

When Colwyn woke up that morning, he didn’t expect to spend a good chunk of his day running around Fort Tarsis. Even more so, he didn’t expect to be in so much pain doing so. What started out as a day of promising fortune had quickly turned sour. Even the thought of Ada’s honey colored eyes and violet hair couldn’t help now. Colwyn took the sharp left heading towards the strider bay but had lost sight of his attacker. At night, the strider bay was still busy with returning striders from beyond the wall and the many engineers working to repair broken down or damaged javelins. At first, the freelancer pilot was confused, asking himself why his attacker ran into the bay but then realized the hulking giants would make for a great hiding place. He would of probably done the same thing given the circumstance.

 

Well over five stories high, striders were basically walking fortresses. It allowed a freelancer and his or her team to be mobile out in the dangerous world of Mirrus. Each strider was equipped to handle javelin repair, gear loadouts and weapon customization along with everything a cypher would need to aid the freelancer. Colwyn had spent a lot of his youth hanging out in strider bays. His dad had been an excellent engineer and even dabbled in javelin repair on his free time. It was in the strider bay that Colwyn realized that he would one day grow up to be a freelancer pilot. The comforting memory was quickly diminished when a familiar voice called out Colwyn’s name.

 

“Plaigue? What are you doing here?” The deep voice asked. It was Yarrow, leader of the freelancer faction. An imposing force, Yarrow’s questioning gaze almost became comical when he looked at the deshoveld state that Colwyn was in. There was a hint of a smile at the corner of his lip but you had to really look to see it. Yarrow’s thick, salt and pepper beard covered most of his ancient mans expressions rather well as he continued to study the young freelancer. Every bit of a spitting image as his mother with his copper colored hair and blue green eyes with the height and brawn of his father, Colwyn Plaigue was one of Yarrow’s best pilots. The problem was, is Colwyn also knew that. He was cocky and brash and tended to be reckless out in the field, looking out for himself above others. Yarrow would never admit it, but he was thankful when Colwyn’s ranger javelin was damaged. Sure, he could of had it repaired for Colwyn, but the kid needed to learn a lesson or two and staying grounded would be the first step.

 

“I...uh...was hoping to find you here. And…” Colwyn forced a smile, shoving his arms out as if he was revealing Yarrow to a crowd of onlookers, “here you are!”

 

Expressionless, Yarrow gruffed. “I’m sure that’s why you’re here…”

 

“I came here to tell you that today, I learned a valuable lesson. I learned that I must treat ALL my fellow freelancer pilots with respe --”

 

“Cut the crap, Plaigue. You’re not getting your javelin fixed. When I said ‘show me you’ve changed’, I didn’t mean for you to give another lengthy explanation on how your time spent grounded has made you a better person. Actions, Plaigue. Not words.”

 

Colwyn was going to rebuttal but quickly caught himself. He had no desire to argue with the old man about his reinstatement right now. “You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking coming here to convince you to let me fly again. I’ll do better --”

 

“You almost got another lancer killed out there, Plaigue. As freelancers, we are constantly knocking on death’s door as we face the many dangers out beyond the wall. There are numerous threats and we don’t need to add ourselves as one of them. You’re a talented and skilled pilot, Plaigue, but you have a lot of growing up to do.” Yarrow finished up, holding the young freelancer pilots gaze.

 

Colwyn, feeling like a child being scolded, just nodded his head in agreement. He was stubborn, but this time, Colwyn knew to quit while he was ahead.

 

“Walk with me, Plaigue.” Yarrow demanded as he strolled past Colwyn with spry agility. For more than a second Colwyn hesitated, knowing his would-be-assassin was still somewhere hiding in the strider bay. Yarrow turned back, realizing that Colwyn hadn’t moved. “That wasn’t a suggestion, Plaigue.”

 

“Sir…”

 

“C’mon. I want to show you something.”

 

Colwyn took one last look inside the strider bay and rolled his eyes. He turned heel and followed Yarrow begrudgingly.

 

Chapter 3: Recruit Training

 

Spoiler

Chapter 3: Recruit Training

 

            Colwyn followed Yarrow without either one speaking to the other, though, his thoughts were flooded with suppressed annoyance. Having fully lost the trail of his attacker, Colwyn would need to be on the lookout. He even debated speaking to Yarrow about it but dismissed the thought quickly and didn’t want the old man any more involved than he already was. After several minutes of walking, Yarrow finally stopped. Colwyn rolled his eyes when he realized where they were. Looming over both men stood an erected twenty foot statue of General Helena Tarsis. It was made of steel and carved to almost near perfection. Each line, each detail made specific to resemble the fearless warrior that Helena was. From pictures and counts of General Tarsis’, Colwyn knew her to not only to be brave but also beautiful in her prime. The pose showed off her stoicism and the eyes were so finely made that they almost seemed lifelike in their shine.

 

“I want you to understand something, Colwyn…” Yarrow began, never taking his eyes off the statue. Colwyn took notice that this was the first time he could remember Yarrow ever calling him by his first name. “What we do as freelancers is so much more than protecting the walls of Fort Tarsis, you understand. We are setting a path for future generations to thrive in this dangerous world. We are the foundation that our children will build upon. I’m an old man, Colwyn. I’ve fought many battles and presume I’ll fight many more before my time is done here. But, this place needs leaders. People like General Tarsis here who are willing to go that extra step. To put the needs of the few above their own needs. I’ve seen you out there. You’re a natural in a javelin and I don’t say that lightly because I’ve trained some of the best pilots in the last 35 years. I just wish you applied yourself more…” Yarrow turned from the statue and looked at Colwyn, placing both of his hands on the young man’s shoulders. “I know about your interview with Corvus and I think it’s a bad idea.”

 

Colwyn’s face quickly switched to shock as the old freelancer continued talking. “I say this because I know your heart, Colwyn, and I know your desire to be in a javelin. I think you should stay grounded for the time being. Honestly, I could use your help with the new recruits we just got in. You remember those days, right? When you first passed your freelancer test and were hours away from suiting up for the first time. They’re gonna be rabid wolven.” Yarrow smiled warmly.

 

Colwyn shrugged Yarrow’s hands off his shoulders and took a step back. “Look, Yarrow, I don’t know what you have against me flying but I’ve learned from my mistake. I appreciate you looking out for me...I really do. But, I won’t stay grounded. The Dominion is up to something. I know it. You know it, and yet, we do nothing!? I’m sorry, Yarrow, but I can’t just sit idle and wait for your approval to fly again. Once I pass the ‘Gauntlet’, I’m getting an interceptor javelin and I’m going back out beyond the walls - with or without your approval.”

 

Yarrow sighed, dropping his gaze. “As you wish, Plaigue. The offer still stands to help me with the new recruits if you want. I just hope you know what you’re doing with Corvus…” And with that, the old freelancer walked past Colwyn, brushing his shoulder as he moved by.

 

Colwyn let Yarrow go without turning around and stared back up at the Helena Tarsis statue. “Don’t look at me with this judging eyes, General. You wouldn’t let him ground you either.” The young pilot took off in the opposite direction, back to his apartment. It had been a long day and the only thing he wanted was to sleep. Tomorrow would be even longer. With the paranoia of his attacker still out there, Colwyn had the thought that sleeping with his knife would probably be a good idea.

 

**********

 

If Colwyn had known how difficult the next day would be, he would of saved some of his complaining for then. Sure, it was nice to see Ada again but, boy was she ever feistier as his recruit trainer! Part of him felt like she was purposefully punishing him. When the water boarding started, Colwyn managed to get out between coughing fits and gasping for air, “and I thought my nose had received the most punishment,” before he was flooded with enough water to make him drown. That was the fourth time that day he had drowned and then been revived. Cover face with towel or rag. Check. Pour endless amount of water on covered face. Check. Pour and pour the water until you drown your victim. Check. Waterboarding 101. The thicker the towel the harder it was to breathe. Even in the midst of all this, Colwyn couldn’t help but wonder what a first date would be like with Ada. If he could survive Ada waterboarding him with a smile on her face, I think it was safe to say that nothing would deter him now. This was the crazy part of Colwyn that made Colwyn, Colwyn. *You’re crazy for liking this girl. Plus, she said she doesn’t date pilots, bonehead! Remember?* He always notched up the difficulty level with whatever he did or whomever he pursued.

 

There was this one time during recruit training, before Colwyn had become a Freelancer, that he met the prettiest female in his recruit class. Come to think of it, she was still one of the most beautiful woman Colwyn had ever seen. Her name was Marique and she easily outclassed Colwyn in every way. With long blonde hair and green eyes set in the middle of a face you couldn’t stop staring at, Marique was also an exceptional pilot. Top of the class in both looks and skill. Somehow, though, Colwyn managed to “bad humor” his way into her bed sheets and the following two weeks was one wild ride. As he stumbled back into consciousness, Colwyn tried his best to hold on to that warm memory as they drug the dazed Freelancer pilot into a different room. Welcome to the Gauntlet, ladies and gents! Step right up and see an overly cocky Freelancer pilot get his pride torn in two!

 

Colwyn was roughly placed in a chair in the middle of the room and his arms were quickly bound behind him. His vision was still blurry from just barely gaining consciousness but the bright light sitting overhead made it worse. “Mind shutting off the-” Colwyn coughed up some more water, “bright light? It’s hard to think with that thing on.” There was no verbal reply, but instead, Colwyn received a hard punch to the gut, causing him to double over. His restraints only let him go so far and a sharp pain flared around his shoulders. Through gritted teeth, Colwyn responded “thanks”, trying to sound as sarcastic as possible.

 

“You really don’t know when to shut up, do you?” a voice said from the darkness. A hint of an accent could be heard at the end.

 

Colwyn lifted up his head with a smirk on his face. “Not really, no. Plus, I ate a lot of sugar earlier.” And he was greeted with yet another punch to the gut.

 

“You know...they say that when someone covers up pain with humor that they are hiding much deeper issues of insecurity. I believe that is absolutely the case with you, Colwyn Plaigue.” The voice from the darkness spoke again.
 

“Really now? Well, congratulations, pal. You’ve figured me out! Hey guys?!” Colwyn yelled out into the darkness of the room, squinting from the brightness of the overhead light. “You hear that? This guy’s figured me out. Should I give you your gold star now...or later?

 

**********

 

From beyond the room where Colwyn sat, lay another room. The two-way mirror provided an observation area and in this area stood Ada and her commander, Vairin Gyles. Vairin was a man of little expression. He was cold, calculated and had been working for Corvus for over half his life. Not a very tall man, but he was built with a clean haircut and a perfectly trimmed beard. Vairin was in charge of all new Corvus recruits. He, was the mastermind behind the Gauntlet.

 

“Your boy seems to be doing well.” Vairin spoke without looking at Ada. “But, we’ve encountered many like him before. What makes you think he can be different?” The commander asked.

 

Ada took a minute to respond as she watched Colwyn take yet another punch to the stomach. “Well, we know he can take a hit, sir.” She said with a small smirk forming at the corner of her mouth. “I’ve also pulled his pilot records…”

 

“And?” Vairin asked.

 

“Exceptional. Top two in his recruit class and already more missions under his belt than any other Freelancer his age. The problem is, sir, is-”

 

“He’s cocky. Yes…I can see that quite clear here. We don’t need another hero on our hands. We need someone who will get the job done. No matter what the costs.”

 

“Of course, sir. And I believe if we can break him, we can mold him into something that may even rival you, sir.”

 

Varin broke his concentrated gaze from observing Colwyn and turned towards Ada. She could of sworn there was a smirk on his face. “I hope you’re right, Ada. Because if you’re not, it’s your ass.” The commander turned his back on Ada and walked out of the room. Ada remained where she was and continued to watch.

 

**********

 

The tortured investigation continued for another two hours. Even after getting beaten over and over again, Colwyn still managed to keep his sense of humor. Ada admired his tenacity. The copper haired Freelancer was growing on her. The only thing that slightly worried her was Colwyn’s need to take matters into his own hands when the opportunity arose. She had seen the cypher footage of why Colwyn was grounded. He had disobeyed a direct order and endangered his entire squad by doing so. One of his squadmates had received critical damage and was stuck in a coma for 3 weeks following the mission. What the footage didn’t show, was the four Arcanist lives that Colwyn saved that day. Ada knew from her heart that it was the right decision to rescue the Arcanist, but going against mission orders was different with Corvus. Sometimes the job was dirty. Sometimes...you left a man behind to complete the mission. Ada wasn’t sure Colwyn could do something like that when the time came.

 

She shook the thought from her head and pressed the speaker button on the side of the wall. “Ok, Byron, that’s enough. Let’s move him to phase thee.”

 

“Ada? Is that you?!” Colwyn perked up. “I thought you might be drowning some other helpless sap back there?”

 

Ada pressed the speaker button again. “Now, Byron!”

 

“Whoa man...Ada is noooooot happy with me.” Colwyn said as he was unbound and dragged back to his feet. He fell down immediately, hitting the floor hard. “Owwwwww. C’mon, Byron, I thought after our intimate session back there that you would treat me more like the beautiful lady I am?”

 

Byron pulled Colwyn up with a quick heave and started forcing him through another door that had just been opened. “I hit ladies too.” Byron said matter of factly.

 

“Well that’s not nice. Your mother must be sorely disappointed in you, *Byron*.”

 

**********

 

Phase three was easy. Well, easy in the sense that Colwyn no longer had to endure the countless gut punches from Byron. He was pretty sure there was a fractured rib or two or three in there. It hurt to laugh but Colwyn could never give them the satisfaction of breaking him. His stubbornness may sometimes be his downfall, but it was also his greatest strength. Phase three finally allowed Colwyn to get into a javelin. He had to admit, the strategies behind the Gauntlet was top notch. Making your recruits go through hell and back before you put them in a suit and *then* ask them to perform at a high level? Genius level thinking. It was easy to see what someone was made of when you completely depleted their strength and energy with a full days worth of torture.

 

When Colwyn was brought before his javelin, he merely chuckled. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. I’m supposed to fly around in...that?” Colwyn looked on at the rusty and beat up javelin. It looked like a generation one Ranger that had been stomped on by a strider over and over...and then crapped on by an ursix.

 

“Being picky now, are we?” Byron asked wryly. Colwyn finally got a good look at the man who had been punching him for the last couple hours. He was close to half a foot taller than Colwyn with broad shoulders, a head full of thick, dark hair and a trimmed goatee. He also sported a thick scar on the side of his mouth going from his top lip down to his chin. Colwyn glanced down and saw that Byron’s right hand was wrapped in a studded glove. *Confirmed. Ribs are definitely fractured.* Colwyn thought. 

 

“Ya know, Byron. If you tried smiling more often I think you might be a handsome fella.” Colwyn received a stiff backhand for that comment. His cheek stung and a bright red mark begin to appear with indentions from the studded glove. For the first time that day, Colwyn didn’t have a snarky comeback.

 

“Nora, he’s all yours.” Byron said to the dark skinned woman just to the right of Colwyn’s ranger javelin. She was petite and wore a headdress of grey and silver. From the looks of her, Nora was a cypher. They were the eyes and ears of any pilot donning a javelin. The metal plating on each javelin helmet completely covered the pilots face, blocking everything from view. Cyphers came in with their “powers of the Anthem” to help project real time images into the pilots head so he or she could “see” where they were going, and who they were shooting at. Colwyn wasn’t exactly sure all the science behind it, but he knew it had to do with the mysterious material called “ember” and the fact that it amplified the telekinetic powers of the cyphers.

 

“Hi, Nora.” Colwyn said smiling. Nora merely nodded at him.

 

“If you would please step into the javelin, Mr. Plaigue.” Nora said with a soft voice.

 

“Get in.” Byron demanded.

 

“You think I could get a boost, big guy?” Colwyn asked back. Byron raised his hand like he was gonna hit the Freelancer pilot again but Colwyn jumped forward and began to climb into the Javelin. The sudden movement made his ribs scream in protest. Screw you and your studded glove, Byron! I promise you’ll get yours one day! Colwyn shouted in his head.

 

The padding on the inside of the javelin was a yellowish white color. The easiest and best way to get into a javelin was feet first, then arms and then the back of the exosuit could be closed up. The final piece was the securing of the helmet. Colwyn entered the javelin like he had done hundreds of times before, his body aching from the days events. When the helmet was down and locked, Colwyn was in complete blackness. He waited a moment before saying anything to Nora and then just like that, he could “see”. It was an odd way of seeing if you weren’t used to it. The Cyphers projected images in a third person view to allow a full 360-degree view of your surroundings. This made fighting in the javelins much easier. However, if you weren’t used to it, the odd third person view could give you motion sickness. It had happened to Colwyn on his very first time in a javelin. And he may or may not have thrown up in his helmet. He remembered the smell being terrible!

 

“Speaking of smells...It smells like the inside of a wyvern’s butt in here, Nora. Good grief! How old is this suit?”

 

Nora ignored Colwyn’s comments. “Alright, Mr. Plaigue, let’s get to work. The doors set before you should be opening any second now.”

 

“Right. And what happens after the doors open?”

 

“Door opening in three, two-”

 

“Nora? What happens?”

 

“One...” And with that, the doors opened. Beyond the doors, out in the wilderness of Mirrus, Colwyn heard the mighty roar of an Ursix.

 

“Shiii…”

 

Chapter 4: Double or Nothing

 

Spoiler

Chapter 4: Double or Nothing

 

Colwyn was forced to dodge out of the way in mid-hover as a giant rock came soaring past him. “Hey! That was uncalled for! Cut it out!” Colwyn yelled at the large ursix who looked up at the hovering javelin and roared back with hate-filled rage. Its bulky body was greyish blue in color and thick, quill-like hair follicles covered its head and upper back like spines. On its nose were two horns, and while not sharp, could easily pierce through the javelin armor with the right force. Colwyn had seen it happen before. What you had to watch out for were its powerful arms, though. The ursix was surprisingly agile for a creature of its size and it propelled itself around with thickly muscled arms that could grab boulders or large chunks of rock and launch them at ungodly speeds. If you were unlucky enough to get hit, the force of impact was enough to kill you. And if it didn’t kill you, the blow would knock you to the ground, leaving you open to get death slammed by the ferocious beast. Colwyn quickly decided that neither option sounded like a good one. 

 

“Hey Nora, am I supposed to solo this SOB or can I maybe get some help here?” Colwyn asked his cypher as he dodged back the opposite way, avoiding another stray boulder. He had been doing the whole “dodge dance” with the ursix for the past few minutes because they sent him out without any weapons and both of his abilities were on a cool down at the moment.

 

“This is part of the test, Mr. Plaigue. You will be on your own for the duration of this encounter.”

 

“You’re kidding me?” Colwyn asked, annoyance showing in his response.

 

“I’m not one to joke around, Mr. Plaigue. All new Corvus recruits must take on their final test alone.”

Colwyn sighed. “Well, if that’s the case, you think I could get some firepower out here?”

 

“No weapons either. Just javelin specific gear.”

 

Colwyn was going to respond but was forced to doge out of the way of another boulder toss. His thrusters were also becoming dangerously close to overheating and he would need to land soon. With a kick of his boosters, Colwyn flew off past the ursix and landed on a cliff face fifty yards out. The angry ursix tracked Colwyn with its yellow eyes and bounded off after him.

 

“I gotta admit, Nora, you and I are getting off to a rocky start. How the hell am I supposed to defeat this thing with just frag grenades and seeking missiles?”

 

“The good pilots always figure it out, Mr. Plaigue. And, don’t forget about your shock mace.” Nora replied back. There was a hint of a smile behind Nora’s words and instead of responding, Colwyn activated his seeking missile. At that time, the ursix also launched a volley of rocks near Colwyn and the seeking missile exploded on an incoming boulder. Colwyn cursed under his breath.

 

Where in the world is that ugly mofo getting all these rocks from! Colwyn shouted to himself. He launched himself in the air and activated the double jump ability for the Ranger that immediately transitioned to his thrusters as he began to gain altitude. Colwyn’s timing was perfect because the powerful ursix had hurled itself towards the cliff face, slamming into it with deafening force. Debris and rubble exploded in all directions as Colwyn activated hover just above the messy scene. Well there’s your answer to the seemingly endless supply of ammunition, Col. He hated when the universe answered his rhetorical questions so quickly.

 

“Frag!” Colwyn yelled out instinctively as he tossed the grenade down below. The ensuing explosion lit up the area around the ursix and he heard the beast roar in pain. A smirk formed across his boyish face. Admitting Nora was right was almost as exhausting as taking on this urisx, but Colwyn knew that a good freelancer would endure no matter what the odds were.

 

“Ya know, Nora, I’m not opposed to using just my gear abilities…but you coulda helped a brother out and equipped me with a frost or inferno grenade!” Colwyn said unamusingly. The cypher on the other end of the conversation chose not to respond. While Colwyn had worked with a few different cyphers during his stint as a freelancer pilot, Nora was easily becoming his least favorite.

 

“I’m not here to be your favorite cypher or your friend, Mr. Plaigue. I’m here to make sure that you are Corvus material.”

 

“Roger that.” Came Colwyn’s reply. The telepathic link between freelancer and cypher also meant that there was a little bit of mind reading going on behind the scenes. Colwyn always seemed to forget that little detail. One time, he had been thinking illicit thoughts about one his first cyphers during a mission and she purposely helped him crash into a waterfall. The concussion and the bruises that came with that crash were a loud and clear “message received”. Before Colwyn could return home from the mission, his hot little cypher had already requested a transfer to a new freelancer. Colwyn chuckled a little.

 

“Sorry, Nora, that was uncalled for. You’re just doing your jo-“ BOOM!

 

The force was hard enough to twist Colwyn mid-air and he was sent spiraling down to the ground. The ugly ursix finally managed a direct hit on Colwyn and all the while he was trying to be a nice guy and apologize! During the plummet to the ground, Colwyn braced his core and did his best to right himself as he cursed profanities for allowing himself to be distracted. Just as he was a couple feet from crashing to the ground, the freelancer pilot was able to throw his right leg behind him, flattening himself in the air while using his arms to square his shoulders, allowing him to land in a crouched position. This was a technique all pilots learned in case they were shot down and Colwyn was thankful for the valuable skill.

 

There was no time to waste though as the raging ursix effortlessly leapt the thirty yards to close in the distance between Colwyn and itself. It let loose a guttural growl and then roared at Colwyn, spittle spraying all over his Ranger javelin. The stench from the urisix was potent enough the make Colwyn gag. Colwyn yelled back at the ursix, adrenaline and anger coursing through his veins. The ursix lifted one of its thick arms in the air, the muscles coiled on each other like a large snake, and a meaty hand came crashing down to crush Colwyn underneath the blow. With quick thinking winning out, Colwyn double jumped over the attack and grabbed the shock mace that hung off his right thigh. When he unsheathed it, the electrified baton extended out, completing the charged blunt weapon. Colwyn smiled as he used both hands to wield the mace overhead and then slammed down hard on the ursix’s hand.

 

The shock mace was just strong enough to damage the ursix’s hand and render it paralyzed for the next five seconds or so. Colwyn took advantage and boosted backwards to give him some breathing room and then fired off a seeking missile. The small ordinance flew through the air unhindered and struck home on the freshly charged ursix. The combination of the electricity and the blast from the missile created a loud concussive boom and sent the ursix to the ground. Colwyn let out a cheer of victory but was quickly stifled when the ursix began to move again. It’s tough, almost impenetrable hide was meant to take a beating.

 

“Might I suggest your frag grenade, Mr. Plaigue?” came the monotone voice of Nora.

 

“You reading my mind again?” Colwyn asked as he tossed the grenade at the ursix. The ensuing explosion lit up Colwyn’s view. After a few seconds, the dust settled and the ursix remained motionless. Cautiously, Colwyn walked up to the fallen beast and kicked at it, his right arm outstretched, the seeking missile at the ready just in case. “And THAT’S how it’s done, Nora! All that complaining earlier…? Yeah, that was to test you! And guess what? You passed with flying colors, girlfriend! Remind me to high five you when I get back.” Colwyn snickered loudly, dropping his arm.

 

“While that seems good and all, Mr. Plaigue, I’m picking up two more hostiles in the area.” Nora chimed in suddenly. Her usual monotone voice was now sprinkled with panic.

 

“Whadda mean two more hostiles?!” Colwyn asked, his voice pitched a little higher than normal.

“I mean, that two more urisx are headed your way!”

 

“What the shi…Ugh! You did this on purpose, Nora! I’m taking back that high five I was gonna give you.” Colwyn activated his thrusters and sped off towards the treetops that surrounded him to get a better vantage point. The jungle area off to his right began to part ways as the two hulking ursix bounded out in the open area, looking for their slain kin. Colwyn had his hands full now.

 

“This wasn’t part of the training, Mr. Plaigue! Please make your way back to the loading dock as soon as possible.”

 

“That’s a negative, Nora. I got a job to do and these smelly bastards are too close to the wall.”

 

*****

Nora paused, thinking over her reply. She sat up from her amplification chair and looked over at Commander Gyles who sat stoned faced across from her. “Sir... two more ursix have entered the area. They must of heard the other one and decided to investigate.”

 

“Excellent. Let’s see how Mr. Plaigue handles this. Also, give the man some weapons to work with.

 

Nora nodded in reply, noticing how casual the commander was being, then she settled back into the amp chair, feeling her cyper abilities spike with energy. “We’re going to send you a care package, Mr. Plaigue.” She spoke over her telepathic connection with Colwyn.

 

The freelancer pilot sped off in the opposite direction of the two adult ursix and activated hover. “Ok, fine, you’ve convinced me, Nora. You still get that high five!”

 

“Package should be arriving in t-minus, two minutes.”

 

*****

Two minutes seemed like a lifetime. Besides the occasional crack shot here and there from Colwyn’s gear abilities, he spent most of his time dodging, hovering, re-positioning, and letting his thrusters cool down. Maybe I should revisit those Arcanist about piloting the Storm javelin instead, Colwyn thought randomly to himself. He had heard that a storm javelin had extended hover due its ability to use the Anthem of Creation to power the suit opposed to the other suits being powered by ember and a little bit of sweat, blood and tears. He could really use that extended hover now.

 

The two adult ursix began to catch onto Colwyn’s evasive strategy and work together as a team. When one urix would throw a giant boulder, the other one would be waiting to see where Colwyn dodged too to launch another volley of rocks and debris. It was the most dangerous game of cat and mouse and Colwyn was getting fed up with the whole ordeal. In the distance, about 200 yards due east, a package began to float down to the ground.

 

“Alright! I see the care package, Nora!” Colwyn excitedly called out as he activated his Ranger javelin’s flight. Just as he was closing in within thirty yards out, Colwyn felt a hard pull on his leg and was sent sprawling towards the ground. One ursix had used the other as a launching pad to leap up and grab Colwyn as he sped past them. In all the years he’d been a freelancer pilot, this was the first time he encountered this move. “Ohhhhh crap! Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!” Colwyn yelled out as he bounced off the hard ground twice and then landed in a shallow stream on his stomach.

 

“Nora… did you… see that? He just leapt up and grabbed me….” His vision was fuzzy and the breath had been knocked from lungs but otherwise Colwyn seemed fine. The way the ursix leapt up to grab him would give Colwyn nightmares for weeks!

 

“Move, Mr. Plaigue!” Nora shouted with concern.

 

Colwyn turned himself on his back just in time to see a monstrous fist come pounding down on him. Without a seconds delay, the freelancer pilot used his thrusters to propel himself backwards out of the crushing blows way and came skidding to a halt a mere ten yards away from the care package. The ursix that tried to crush him bellowed out in frustration. Jackpot, Colwyn said with a devilish grin. With quick proficiency, he was up on his feet and sprinting over to the package, his thrusters giving him a much needed speed boost. The supply crate was stone grey in color and had Corvus’s arrow head looking logo stamped on it. Colwyn popped it open as quick as he could, revealing the contents inside. “Nora, we just became best friends.” Inside was a defender assault rifle and a scattershot shotgun. Colwyn quickly equipped each gun and then turned to face his attackers.

 

The ursix that tried to crush him with its fist was the closest one to Colwyn, so he decided to barrage that one first. He chunked a frag grenade at its feet to give himself a little more breathing room and then double jumped into hover, his thrusters humming behind him. With his scattershot, Colwyn emptied the entire clip into the thick hide of the blueish-grey beast, sending it roaring off behind a raised plateau to avoid any more damage. The other ursix came bounding into view, flinging a large piece of debris at the freelancer pilot. Colwyn dodged backwards and reloaded his scattershot as he did so, and then watched the chunk of debris fly past him. “Missed me, you ugly piece of –“ Colwyn emptied another clip of hard hitting shells into the second beast.

 

He needed to kill one of the ursix quickly because dealing with two at the same time while being solo was too much to handle in the long run. Stronger together, Colwyn chuckled. Old Haluk was right about that in all aspects. Colwyn didn’t realize how much he missed having a squad until he didn’t have one. And now, fighting two pissed off ursix would be a good time to have that squad. A few minutes passed and Colwyn and his two ursix foe’s stood at a stalemate. He had gotten a few good shots on one; even managing a smooth fly by and striking the beast on the back of its leg with his shock mace and quickly following up with a frag grenade. The blast damage was enough to render the ursix movement by over half which now gave Colwyn the advantage. He attacked the injured beast with everything he had, even throwing his shock mace in order to prime the ursix for an explosive combo. He had unfortunately missed this opportunity, though, and cursed himself for thinking that would work. Colwyn even got a snide comment from Nora saying that he “needed everything at his disposal and throwing his melee weapon was NOT the same as throwing a grenade”. He assured her with confidence that he would get his mace back and just a few seconds later he made good on his promise.

 

“Nora, be real with me. You got anything else for me. I’m gonna run out of ammo soon and I hate to admit this... but I’m getting kind of hungry. I’d like to finish this.”

 

With a brief pause, Nora replied. “You could use your multi-target missile battery?”

Something burst within Colwyn at that point in time. He was sure it was a blood vessel somewhere because of the sudden dump of anger that rushed through him. “I’m sorry...did you say ‘multi-target missile battery’? NOOOOOOOOORRRA! Don’t you think this is something I would like to of known from the VERY BEGINNING?!”

 

“Mr. Plaigue, yelling won’t help the issue. I honestly thought you knew it was there and was waiting to use it. Your suit should of prompted you that it was available.”

 

“Well, my SUIT isn’t working at the moment. I’ve received no prompt. When did you notice it was active?”

“Right before you took that fall before you reached the care package.”

 

Colwyn cursed out loud. His missile battery had been damaged in the fall! He had been doing OK without it but knew that it was a game changer had it been working. Colwyn growled and muttered under his breath, “Fiiiiine. I’ll make do without it.”

 

A few more minutes passed and Colwyn was finally able to take down the injured ursix for good. His hard hitting scattershot shotgun was now completely barren of ammo, though, and he only had a few more clips left for his assault rifle. It was time to end this.

 

The remaining ursix did something Colwyn wasn’t used to. It ran off. With effortless ability, it scaled the mountain side due east and disappeared from view. “Did you see that, Nora. The ugly beast just… retreated.”

 

“I’m not picking up its signal anymore, Mr. Plaigue. It seems like you have won this fight and can finally return to the Fort.”

 

Colwyn holstered his rifle and deactivated his thrusters. It was nice to breathe a sigh of relief for a change. He felt like he’d been battling the three ursix for hours. On top of already having gone through the rest of the Gauntlet, Colwyn understood fully why the pass rate was only 3%. He knew for a fact that after he was done with this he would get a nice hot meal, take a nice hot bath and sleep for a loooooong time.

“Nora, that was exhausting,” Colwyn said, and, “thank you again for the care package. It felt good to have some more firepower out here.”

 

“You’ll have to thank Commander Gyles for the care package, but, I’m glad you made it out of there safely, Mr. Plaigue.”

 

“There it is! I knew you cared about me more than you let on, Nora. You’re good people. Maybe next time, smile more?”

 

“I will certainly –“ Nora’s voice trailed off suddenly. “Mr. Plaigue! MOVE! NOW!” It was more of a scream then a command but Colwyn was too slow. The ursix that retreated came sprinting off the mountainside it had just climbed up on and leapt off of it. The massive creature flew through the air and landed just feet from where Colwyn stood, slamming both its large hands into the ground. The force of the impact created a crater ten yards in diameter and the impact sent the freelancer pilot sprawling backwards. Colwyn tumbled end over end and when he finally landed, he did so with a hard thud and skidded on his back. The raging monster quickly pounced on Colwyn before he could escape and held him down with crushing force. Colwyn screamed out in pain as the metal and carbon fiber plating of his suit caved in.

 

*****

Frantic, Nora sat up from her amp chair and pleadingly looked at Commander Gyles. “Sir, if we don’t get people out there now, we will lose Mr. Plaigue! He’s only got a few more seconds left before he’s crushed to death!"

 

“Calm down, Nora. This is part of the test.”

 

“Sir, with all due respect, killing our recruits is NOT part of the test.”

 

“It absolutely IS part of the test, cypher.” Gyles said, that last part dripping with venom. Corvus needed people that could get out of their own mess. Casualties, while seemingly rare during the Gauntlet, were possible, and Gyles was willing to take that risk. “Let’s see what happens.”

 

“But, sir, he doesn’t have—“

 

Commander Gyles put his index finger to his lips, quieting Nora in mid-sentence. “Watch and observe.”

 

*****

The ursix continued to press its massive weight down on Colwyn and not only was there pain, but now he wasn’t able to breath, either. The way he was pinned down also took away any of his abilities. “Nor….ah…” Colwyn managed to choke out. “Need….back…up”

 

The cypher once again looked at her commander but he slowly shook his head from side to side. Colwyn would be on his own for real this time. No care package. No help.

 

As his vision started to close in on itself, Colwyn thought of the only thing that might save him now. He HAD to activate his multi-target missile battery somehow and he had to do it quick or it was bye bye Colwyn Plaigue. Think, Col! Think! Colwyn screamed in his head but that was the thing; he couldn’t think properly. The pressure from the ursix had nearly wiped all of Colwyn’s rational thinking away and all that was left was instinct and the will to survive. Then, a crazy idea came to him. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen being pumped to the brain, but it was Colwyn’s best shot at surviving this encounter. The pinned freelancer pilot began to wrench his arm free.

 

With its free hand, the ursix slammed it down hard next to Colwyn and yelled out in triumphant victory. It knew that within moments that its prey would be crushed to death and it’s yellow, soulless eyes seemed to glean with happiness. Colwyn managed to wiggle his right arm free after a second ground slam came down and without thinking, he fired off his seeking missile. Because of the close proximity of the ursix, the concussive force deafened Colwyn for a brief moment but he didn’t care about hearing. He only cared about killing this annoying beast. The blast gave Colwyn just enough time to do what he planned as the missile hit the ursix directly in the chest and caused it to raise up on its thick haunches. Colwyn immediately grabbed for his shock mace and unsheathed it. The mace sparked with electricity and Colwyn closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Oh man, this is gonna hurt!

 

He struck himself with the mace near the left shoulder and was instantly greeted with an amplified charge all over his already aching body. The pain was excruciating and unlike anything Colwyn had felt. Colwyn’s body convulsed and gyrated for a few seconds as the medically induced shock was running its course. During one of the convulsions, Colwyn managed to bite down hard on his tongue, tasting blood, as the warm and metallic liquid filled his mouth. He almost wished he had just been crushed underneath the ursix bulking weight instead of dealing with this pain, but digressed when a special prompt appeared.

In that moment, the freelancer pilot couldn’t think of anything that would make him happier. Not food. Or sleep. Or even a date with Ada. Nothing could compare to the sheer joy he felt when he saw that his multi-target missile battery was now primed and ready to go. As blood still dripped from his mouth, a smile began to form on Colwyn’s face. Each javelin suit had a special ability that the pilots called “ultimates”. This was basically the suit reaching its full potential and releasing a barrage of power in one fell swoop. The ultimate attacks only lasted a short while, but while active, each javelin was near invulnerable, powered by super-charged ember and the Anthem of Creation!

 

The salvo launcher just behind the left shoulder of Colwyn’s Ranger javelin extended forward then flipped up at an angle. A locking screen appeared and a multitude of red target icons also appeared on the ursix in front of Colwyn. His bloody smile broadened and he let loose his multi-target missile battery with a wink. Dozens of small seeking missiles shot out of the launcher and made their way home on the ursix as it was continually peppered by blast after blast. The last thing that Colwyn remembered before he faded out into blackness was the ursix falling down sideways, the front side of it cooked and mangled from the explosions.

 

Chapter 5: Coming Soon!

 

Wolf

[darkfoxx]

[emoji119]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sloth the Enduring]

Welcome back brother.

[WhiteGhost]

Love the new installment! Great to have you around 

 

[Wild Wolf]

23 hours ago, darkfoxx said:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

23 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

Welcome back brother.

 

 

22 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

Love the new installment! Great to have you around 

 

 

Thank you sir! I'm glad you enjoyed the last installment and I'm glad to be around again  

 

 

Not much to report. Seems like today's gonna be a boring one. I have training at 1:30-3 this afternoon but doing diddly squat before that. I'm gonna work on chapter 5 to pass the time .

 

Midnight tonight is the release of Anthem!!!

 

 

I got my day 1 team ready to rock n roll! My dad and Josh (DementedMistahJ) are gonna be Storms, I'm rocking the Interceptor and I think Josh's wife will also be rocking the Interceptor as well. I'm already lvl 16 from my 10 hours of early access, so, it'll be nice to hop in and get going

 

PAPA PUMP

Shotgun

Upgraded Scattershot: Standard-issue lancer shotgun.
Reloading increases force and delivers bonus damage of _% for _ seconds. Stacks to _.

 

So there's an example of a legendary shotgun. "Papa Pump" is a fantastic name, but look at the perk of the weapon: "reloading increases force and delivers bonus damage of __% fir __ seconds. Stacks to __." 

 

Even without numbers on that, that's insanely wicked!

 

PYRRHIC VICTORY

Assault Rifle

Upgraded Defender: Standard-issue assault rifle.
Defeating an enemy, or hitting them 10 times, causes a force explosion.

 

Here's another legendary that sounds just insanely fun to play!

 

SIEGE BREAKER

Sniper Rifle

Upgraded Whirlwind: Combination of assault and sniper rifles.
On a hit-streak (_), shots freeze the target.

 

Ummm....yes please! BTW, this is a great sniper. The combo of AR and sniper is really unique and fun. Plus, freezing targets would be too legit to quit!

 

That's just some of the weapons I can obtain in the late game. Check out some of these Interceptor specific components:

 

WAY OF RESOLVE

Interceptor Component

Increases Interceptor melee damage by _%.
Dashing increases melee damage by _% for _ seconds.

 

WAY OF THE SWIFT

Interceptor Component

Increases assault system damage by _%.
Any _ hit increases _ damage by _% for _ seconds.

 

ELUSIVE TALISMAN

Interceptor Component

Increases weapon damage by _%.
Dashing (_) times refills the equipped weapon magazine.

 

And that's just to give you an example of how I can build out my Interceptor. By the time you hit max lvl of 30, your suit can hold up to 6 components! Each component, like the suits abilities and weapons all hold inscriptions that also give you bonuses, like a % to health, bonus to melee dmg and/or physical damage, increased thruster use, etc., etc.

 

This game is crazy, y'all!

 

Anyways, I didn't mean for this to be a long post, I'm just excited lol.

 

 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day today!  

 

Wolf

[RuthixCube]

WOLFIE!!!!! Following  

[starpuck]

I'll just post my intent to follow you with this ..

 

 

I'm right behind you Lancer!

 

[Terra]

Found ya! I’m bad about following the battle logs but I’ll try. Miss ya in the challenges.