Orca

This story was inspired by a song called "You Better Run." by Toismic.

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I once again have found strength.

Because of him. All because of what that man did for me.

He protected me.

Single-handedly,

Swiftfully,

Powerfully.

I should be dead right now.

Ajax, the vile man. The Cobra defector.

This is his doing. The Utanic Empire is at its limits.

The occupation, the desolation, the confrontation, all of these ended at the destructive fists of a man they call The Bull.

For years, the Utanic Empire maintained its grasp over the Akrian lands. The people who resided within these lands were fed up with it and attempted a revolt. When my Night Operative team was tasked with investigating an international incident, the worst possible outcome befell my teammates and I.

After the destruction of a Cultural Heritage site that was established by the Utanics, they sent in what is called a Royal Vanguard team. These Vanguards are fierce and monstrous. They wear dark red armor with glowing shoulder and chest plates and they wield a plasma based claymore the size of an armoire. Almost all of them are short tempered and radiate every toxic masculine trait imaginable. Each team has several Bellators with different unique abilities that serve several purposes. The Bulwarks are strength based, the Sentinels are very observant and very quick, and the Vanguards are advanced armament users.

We were tasked with the collection of evidence that was pointing towards a local militant group that formed from the outraged populous within Utanic rule. Things heated up while we were gathering intel. An internationally recognized revolutionary faction, called The Cobras, sponsored an assassination of one of the governors placed there to dictate the puppet state of Akria.

It was a Cobra by the name of Ajax who sponsored this act. The Vanguards immediately reacted as they were under the impression my team and the rest of the Celian government was behind the take-down. They did not care for conversation and immediately engaged my team. These Vanguards are immortal, or atleast, they have been up to this point.

As I was analyzing the fragments of a monument that was destroyed by a makeshift bomb, we were ambushed. My team responded accordingly, but we were overwhelmed.. and I watched every single one of my teammates get sliced, stabbed, and crushed by these gruesome Vanguard soldiers. The only reason I managed to flee is because I have mastered a playbook of mind manipulation techniques. I couldn't spare the eco to save my comrades and I am ashamed.

I managed to flee temporarily, but they were hot on my trail. They devastated an entire town of innocent people who the Utanics believed were part of the incidents that took place. After this, they made way for the city of Norma, an Akrian city that used to be flourishing with culture before the days of Utanic occupation. "All hope is lost," I heard some of the inhabitants relay as they began to arm themselves for an attempt to resist the imminent onslaught. I took refuge and traveled with some of these civilians. These people were frightened and rightfully so, they heard of the horrors of devastation these Vanguards can cause. It was only a matter of time until they showed up again.

Before entering the city, I was aboard a civilian cruiser that was trying to gain entrance to the hastily fortified Norma. I was worried for my life. I meditated and regenerated some of my eco in the case of an improvised altercation, but I knew I was no match for the Vanguard teams. They have a specialized Bellator in each team, this unit specializes in intelligence gathering similar to myself. This unit is called an Imperial Sentinel. They can see right past my mind manipulation techniques and have the ability to notify their Vanguard teammates of my efforts, but still I must try to defend these helpless people.

I felt an immediate halt and heard screams of the civilians beside me as my eyes fell upon a Vanguard by the name of Grandall, who ripped open the transport from the ceiling of the vessel. I immediately reacted by pulsing eco at him, which momentarily discombobulated him as I successfully escorted the civilians out. But as I began to make a break away, I was caught. I was handled by a second Vanguard as he grabbed me by my neck and lifted me up. His Imperial Sentinel said, "She's the last one of that Night Operative team. She needs to die." The Vanguard threw me at Grandall's feet.

I beg, "Please, these people are innocent!"

He responded with, “Anyone who revolts will be executed.” And as he lifts his large blade, he hears a memorable and distinct voice from behind,

“Your days of murdering are over.”

He turns around...

A resonance of dark, necromancing eco spirals towards him at intense speeds that are simply too quick for a bulked Vanguard to react to. Then a Cobra Bellator who goes by the name Carter the Bull thrashes two violet, eco covered axes into his breastplate 7 times, each swing piercing into his armor deeper and deeper. Grandall grunts with full masculinity and thrashes downward, violently shaking the ground around them as The Bull evades and cuts the head off of the Imperial Sentinel Captain without hesitation. He needed to get rid of the sensory unit if he even wanted to get close to taking these guys down. He then sheathes the axes into his back.

Carter the Bull is seen with his arm and shoulder muscles showing through the sleeves of his tightly fixed exo-suit, some fabrics of his Nano-regenerative breastplate torn off and blowing in the wind like a cape, and he's wielding the stare of a truly infuriated man.

He stands there, unfazed, and radiating several forms of eco with his arms casually crossed and looks at the dozen Utanic Bellators before him who have seen much more combat than one could imagine. His eyes rapidly jump from one enemy to another, scanning the entire adversary group before he makes his next move.



“You again?! I thought that Megalachorin Commander killed you off!” Grandall yells.

Carter doesn't say a word, he just lunges at Grandall as the Vanguard swings the red plasma blade from one side to another. The Bull "echo-phases" and an after image copy appears behind Grandall, chopping an ax into his left leg. The other Vanguard comes in and grabs The Bull. This was a mistake, as The Bull disperses into a horrifying slush of dark eco, which begins to melt his gauntlet and courses eco violently up his arm and burns his torso to the third degree inside of his armor, which makes him let out a pain-filled yell that puts his team in a panic. 

[A Necromancer? Is this guy part of Virgo?] The other imperial sentinel thinks to himself. 

Carter the Bull then comes out of the ground slashing upward with a devastating hasteful attack, slicing Grandall’s breastplate into two and causing the armor to fall from his body. The armor lays on the ground, steaming, while its materials melt into the soil. 

“How?!” Grandall cries out as a second copy of Carter the Bull then sticks a violet sword into his chest. Grandall’s Bulwark team member comes in and punches the original Carter with all of the strength he has and is only met with a black and hardened stone, similar to the stone of the statues necromancers summon. 

Carter the Bull slowly turns his head and gives a psychotic side eye at the Bulwark and warns,

“You better run.”

The Bulwark, looking at the blade as it eats away at the flesh of this previously known to be immortal Vanguard, widens his eyes as his irises and pupils shake. A true sense of fear rushes through his body and he immediately withdraws his fist from the stone and turns around, running and screaming like a helpless child.

Grandall begins to bleed out of his mouth and Carter creeps up and whispers into his ear, “You joined the wrong army, punk.” Then finishes him off by spearing his purple, eco covered, hand through Grandall’s back. 

The Vanguard teams begin to scramble around and run away, except for the second Vanguard. With burns all over his upper body and his hand almost completely melted off, he still wishes to fight.

This man had a blade similar to Grandall’s, it had small differences, but served the same purpose. He raises it and begins to slash around. This is impressive, to wield such a weapon with one hand. 

After slashing downward, the blade is stuck and fused into the ground by some strange necromancing technique Carter the Bull used as a trap. The Bull maneuvers around and lets out a fierce kick of dark eco into his helmet, making part of it disintegrate and the rest of it falls off. 

Carter the Bull looks the man into his combat hardened eyes, he sees only ruthlessness and hate and nothing else. 

Carter says, “You’re not immortal anymore.” 

“So what? You’re going to kill me now?” The Vanguard asks gruffly.

Carter walks up to his face and says, “Join the Cobras.”

He smugs and says, “I’d rather die before I-”

Carter the Bull interrupts his response by swiping his head clean off like a werewolf with insanely fast arms and sharp claws.

Many may read this and believe the Bull to be terrifying. And that he is, but he's a hero to me.

I have been demoted by the Celian Commando Brigadier and I am truly ashamed of what happened to my team.

I have no place in the Night Operative division anymore. As a matter of fact. I have no place in the Celian intelligence at all.

I am turning over a new leaf.

I have been wanting to show my gratitude in some way or another and it finally dawned on me.

The public is against his misdeeds and his Cobra allies are doing many things within the moral grey area. Even within the rules of combat. They ignore protocol on all levels. They do what it takes to win, but that is something that saved my life.

Carter the Bull has made it known that he vows to deal with the man named Ajax. He has talked extensively that his brash decisions are costing the Cobras their reputation and he needs someone cunning and swift by his side to aid him in taking this prideful man down. The Cobras are not loyal to the government of Celia, the Utanic Empire, the Megalachorin Alliance, or the mysterious group they call "Virgo."

They have a vision, not one of balancing the power of these extremely influential groups, but to eradicate them.

I don't entirely believe in these idealistic endeavors, but I must repay my debts to Carter the Bull and I will do so by joining him.

My name is Orca.

I am grateful,

and now..

I am a Cobra.