Knights Among Light Chapter VII: PERFECTED “From what you’re telling me, the cooldown on my weapon could be lowered to 30 seconds if I replace the reactor each time?” Yulin asked a very serious looking Shadowshot. “Yes, that’s what I’m telling you.” Shadowshot responded. “What if i were to make it replicate via the use of SIVA. That would work as well, wouldn’t it?” “In theory.” In shadowshot’s head: “Please tell me I’m not telling him how to destroy us. I’m making this stuff up as I go along here.” [i]Hmm… let’s try “That’s a theory our scientists have. A more effective way of cooling the reactor, would be to wait for it to cool, then dismantle it, piece by piece, and then rebuild it again. It’d take longer to do, but eventually, the cooldown cycle would diminish. We’ve tried this actually, and it’s working.”[/i] “Well Yulin, that’s a theory our scientists have. A more effective way of cooling the reactor, would be to wait for it to cool, then dismantle it, piece by piece, and then rebuild it again. It’d take longer to do, but eventually, the cooldown cycle would diminish. We’ve tried this actually, and it’s working.” “By the stars? Really?” “Yes sir. That’s right.” [i]These idiots are so easy to fool.[/i] Yulin sipped his soup. He had given Shadowshot a clean bowl and they were proceeding to talk weapon’s schematics, and whatnot. Then the doors opened. Lysander walked inside. He was holding Strenu’s Haakon’s Hatchet. It was mangled and broken. The Supreme Leader’s two bodyguards rushed into the room with a body bag. On the top of the bag was a Raze Lighter sword. [i]Oh. That’s the guy. The guy that does the thing. Is that… a Hatchet? Looks familiar.. Can’t quite place it..[/i] “Well Yulin, what have you gotten out of him?” Lysander asked the Supreme Admiral. [i]This is gonna be good.[/i] Yulin was practically jumping for joy when Lysander asked. “Supreme Leader! They have a weapon and we can diminish the cooldown to 30 seconds. We can win!” Yulin stared to Lysander. Lysander stared back at Yulin. “Then do it and target their base. Release this Hunter and send him there.” In Shadowshot’s head: “We can get out! We’re free! We made it! [i]For now. In my experience, this is about the time betrayal strikes.[/i] “What?” Yulin got up. “Have fun dying!” He said. In a flash of green light, Shadowshot was transmatted back to Chicago instantaneously. He fell from his spot 5 feet in the air. “Yeah, let’s move!” Shadowshot said as he got up. “Who do we contact first?” [i]I.. Have no idea. Go ahead and decide.[/i] “Ok right. I’m going to General Hemer- oh snap! Ava is here! That filthy traitor!” [i]Way I see it? Kill her, or grab some intel from her. Then kill her.[/i] “I’m going as fast as I can! Contact General Hemera with your Ghosty thing!” Shadowshot ran towards the Willis Tower as if he were trying to stop a war. (oh wait) [i]Because I can talk to people when I’m inside someone’s head. Right. Oh wait. I know. Public humiliation, then kill her. Oohhh, perfect.[/i] “ThunderBunker! Do you read me?” The signal popped. Matt turned it up. “Hey! Rookie! Where’s your team?” ThunderBunker asked. Shadowshot didn’t hesitate. “They’re dead! The Concordat are coming! They know where the base is! And they have a city-destroying weapon I may or may not have told them how to eliminate the cooldown for.” “Woah! Wait what?!? I’m deploying the Twilight Garrison!” [i]I would’ve said ‘Yeah, I kinda told them to dismantle their reactor and then rebuild it after it cools down so that it takes longer to use it. They’re kinda stupid.’[/i] “Also! Matt!” Shadowshot began to say. “Yes Shadowshot?” “Have Ava publicly humiliated and then killed.” [i]That idea is pretty good. I wonder who the brilliant genius behind that was…[/i] “Wait why?” “Because she’s a Bounty Hunter for the Concordat! She’s a spy!” “I’ll contact Hemera. She’ll make sure it’s done!” Within seconds, Resistance troops surrounded Shadowshot. ThunderBunker Matt was among them. “Put your hands up Traitor!” Matt yelled to Shadowshot. “You want to have my girlfriend publicly executed and have the garrison deployed over some lies!” “Wait Matt! I have proof!” Shadowshot declared. He took something out of his pocket. “See, I’m safe!” He didn’t realize what he had taken out. He had just taken out a Concordat badge. Every single troop readied their weapons. “Wait! They put this in my pocket when they gassed me!” [i]Come on. You just actually got us killed. I just needed a few more minutes to come back. stall.[/i] “Come on guys! Can we all just get along?” Shadowshot asked. “I mean we’re all friends here. It’s for the greater good.” “Shadowshot, that is the Concordat motto!” ThunderBunker yelled at the rookie. [i]You make me want to actually die.[/i] “Oh… it is. Whoops.” Shadowshot looked through his pockets. He found something. He took it out. It was a Concordat sidearm. [i]Why does this happen to me?[/i] “Kill him!” ThunderBunker shouted to the troops. They all began to pull the triggers on their guns. At this moment, everything appeared to move in slow motion to Shadowshot. The flashes on the guns, the individual bullets flying towards him, and the rounds being dropped on the floor. As the bullets neared him, his vision was darkened. A dome, similar to a Defender’s had appeared around him. But this one was all… dark. Like a taken Vandal had popped it. As his vision lightened, he saw a Taken Vandal in front of him. It gave him a little wave. It was one of Artemis’. In Shadowshot’s head: well, what good long 5 months that was. So much fun meeting all those people, seeing all those things, going all those places- WAIT?!? I’M ALIVE! [i]You talk like you’ve never been close to death before.[/i] “Is this the afterlife?” [i]No, not yet at least.[/i] “Might as well try escaping.” She was silent, gone perhaps, or just keeping quiet. “Arty?” The silence was killing him. Her silence was still there, as was the dome and the Taken Fallen. The troops didn’t know what to make of it, since Artemis had never called her taken in front of the Resistance before. Needless to say, they were a bit confused. “Umm. Right. Hold your fire? I guess.” ThunderBunker commanded in utter confusion. “This day is a wreck.” The Gunslinger inched closer to the Taken Bubble. “Stand back. It could be deadly… or just a bubble.” The Hunter raised his weapon. “Hey wait. This thing is Taken.” It took a moment for his next command. “LIGHT IT UP!” A familiar voice sounded from the surrounding rooftops. “Yeah… I don’t think that’s necessary.” Artemis, in her Taken armor stood upon a rooftop, a Black Spindle in her hands. “Artemis?” ThunderBunker asked. This entire situation was taking him by surprise. It was like a dream. “No. Just your average Huntress with Taken abilities. Who else would it be?” “Aion. If he were a she and a Hunter.” The Gunslinger stopped. “Was that sarcasm?” His shock was overwhelming. “No. It definitely was NOT sarcasm.” “I can't tell anymore. My world is exploding.” “Oh your world is exploding? It's not like I died twice today.” “You died?” With that, the Taken Bubble collapses. Shadowshot walks out. His clothing is singed black from the Blight. The troops don't aim at him but they don't trust him. They all stare him down with guns at the ready. Then a high pitched scream sounded, causing everyone with their comms to hold their heads in pain. Their microphones all go dead, and every screen around them is replaced with the Devil’s SIVA logo. “Arty. What's happening?” Shadowshot asked. ThunderBunker rushed to the sides of the two hunters. He asked the same question. The Taken Armored Huntress walked forwards. “They’re using it aren't they? The SIVA we said.” Shadowshot asked her. “No. Because that’s the Devil’s SIVA logo. Besides, if they used SIVA, it would turn against them, since the Devils are ‘controlling’ it.” She replied. “Unless they controlled it somehow?” Shadowshot looked around. “Fallen attack?” “SIVA would be useless to them, I think. It’d most likely take over their station and kill everyone.” “And if they gave it a directive?” “Then it follows it until it can’t do so anymore.” “And what if the directive was to take out our communications array?” “Then it did that.” “You don’t say.” “Sorry, would you like me to say the same thing you said, but without the part where you state the obvious?” “Point Taken. Eh. See what I did there?” “Yes. Very clever.” “Your sarcasm bewilders me.” “Sarcasm usually does that.” Next episode: Incursion