Sigma/Star

Chapter 136: Into The Breach

"It came up once, I think," Porter replied, scratching at his head a little as he checked with his brain. "Why?" Porter was suddenly blasted back into his seat by a wave of energy, a pulse he could feel going straight through his brain, rattling his every thought and blowing through his memories. It felt like it was stripping away layers of his person and his psyche, as though spirit and flesh were melded into one and destroyed, and he quickly recoiled, the White Storm screaming at him as warnings took off. A barrier was being erected around his Goliath, pulling from his chi that drove its engines, to repel the incredible pressure around the pilot.

The viewscreen containing Marian had been flickering on and off, overloading and losing power simultaneously, and it finally settled onto a constant connection. Everything within the White Storm was going through a reset, and the visual connection with the outside world had been reset, only now turning back on as feeds from various cameras across the battlesuit pulled in images. The Bahari that had previously surrounded them were gone, and the remaining creatures were much further back, still eyeing the pair but in a much more tentative fashion than previously.

Porter had to shake his head, trying to clear the strange heaviness that had settled into his mind. He flexed his fingers, trying to express control over his own body. It was a bizarre feeling and he couldn't properly explain what had just happened to him. All he knew was that he never wanted to go through it again. His machine had automatically defended him from the barrage; he couldn't imagine what it had done to unprotected creatures like the Bahari.

"You were serious then," Porter said to Marian, grabbing onto his controls again to begin stepping forwards.

"There's more to this fight than just killing off some underground mutants." Marian took slow strides forwards next to Porter, towering over the smaller Goliath. The wings across his back had disappeared, and only now were reforming. It made sense, considering they were all generated as an expression of Marian's overflowing chi, and whatever the general had done previously had required an incredible release.

"You mean how you're working with that annoying kid you hate?"

"That annoying kid I hate needs to learn a lesson. Porter, since I became a General, do you know how many challenges I have received to a fight, be it on the battlefield or elsewhere?"

"Uhm, I'm going to guess all of them, generals are always being challenged." Porter thought back to Rex at the island, who wouldn't stop bothering Porter to have a rematch every second he had spent with him.

"Nobody has ever challenged me from any nation. I know some of the other leading generals have fought each other. None have ever crossed paths with me." Porter gulped in his cockpit, suddenly very aware of the power standing next to him. His confidence was knocked down a level for a moment, but he had to reassert himself, bringing his self-esteem back up so he could maintain top form on the battlefield. As per Reaper's teachings, it was time to leave the unsure, timid Porter of old behind. "I want you to be well aware of that fact. That's the other reason I'm coming with you now. You need to know that after this is all over, you don't have a hope in hell against the government. I want you to have that burned into your memory."

"And afterwards I'll turn myself over?"

"I'll ensure you're only imprisoned for life. Maybe I'll let your friends go into exile if you're extra nice."

"Not a good deal, I would think," Porter replied, his voice unwavering as he maintained confidence in himself. "I have a friend who told me that those who get imprisoned for political dissent have a bad time."

"I have to side with him, Marian," Sigma added, cutting into both unit's comm networks. "It doesn't turn out well for those involved."

"Sigma, Marian. Marian, Sigma. I believe you two might have a history together." Porter finished the introductions, well-aware that Marian had always known Sigma would be nearby.