[center]Chapter 9: Twilight's Rain[/center][/b]

[i]The Brink of Despair[/i]

Audrey's group finally made the way to the Brink of Despair. The snipers on the rooftops had slowed them somewhat, but, all things considered, they had managed nicely enough.

The bridge to the Castle was guarded by a relatively small force. Ten Covenant Grunts and Chimeran Hybrids armed with Mark 1 Bullseyes, along with five shield-wielding Jackals.

"Go ahead, 'heroes'!" one Grunt taunted.

The four traded glances. Nods.

Hawk and Angel then moved as one, jumping and shouting. [i]"Twilight!"[/i] All of their limbs jerked out into a spread eagle formation, a light blinding all present but Derest thanks to his yellow-tinted sunglasses.

When the light faded, both Hawks had undergone major changes. Their clothing had changed to a gray color, their eyes to a piercing blue. On their backs, the two angels had a pair of wings each, one black, one white, that flapped slowly, keeping them aloft. They held their unbreakable swords lightly.

-----

Hawk kicked the last Jackal corpse off of the bridge to make way for their way forward. He picked up a Grunt's radio that was left, and tuned in.

[i]"What was that?"[/i] The voice of Ronald Rivers asked. [i]"Answer, you ungrateful--"[/i]

"Sorry, but the guards aren't here right now. Please leave a message, and they'll get back to you when you see them again."

[i]"...Angel? Damn..."[/i] A pause. [i]"I am certain that Reaper and Phantom would be more than happy to still have you j--"[/i]

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Blow it out your a**," the future of Hawk retorted before cutting the connection.

Marianna looked to the Shadowflashes. "You guys go on ahead. I'll hold these guys off when they get here."

Her past stood next to her as well.  "I'll help too."

Nods again. They knew they could handle it. When it came down to it, they were among the most experienced warriors they had. The duo flew up the bridge, into the Castle. Onward and upward.

-----

[i]Castle That Never Was[/i]

The Grunts and Nitro Splicers in the entrance to the Castle, Nothing's Call, roamed the pathway, on edge. The slightest twitch could be hostile, an invisible enemy. Considering the outdoor disorder, being paranoid was natural.

[b]"You honestly believe that you can ever win?"[/b] a male voice boomed an echo off of the walls.

[b]"You,"[/b] A second came in, older.

[b]"Will,"[/b] The first. They seemed to be trading off. The Omega troops ran around, Grunts shaking in horror, Nitros holding their new grenade types ready.

[b]"Never."[/b]

"Survive." The two directly behind them all, as every soldier looked to the only possible entrance. Hawk and Angel's wings flapped calmly ad they crossed their arms.

As one, every one of them screamed and threw their explosives, with varying levels of success. A spike spreading Hedgehog grenade slipped from someone's grasp, spearing three Grunts in the detonation. A Brute-made firebomb incendiary grenade accidentally set a Splicer aflame, detonating his box of explosives in the process and killing several more. Lastly, a thermobaric, or "fuel-air," grenade released its into the air, burning the remaining guards and denonating the Grunts' methane tanks.

Only one Grunt, horrified, remained.

The two just stood there, shocked. Okay....so [i]that[/i] just happened. Unexpected. They palmed their faces. "....Wow."

Hawk pointed at the enemy. "Shadow Claw." Three parallel slashes of dark magic cut into the methane tank, making the Unggoy turn to them. He gripped a plasma grenade tightly. Too tightly, it seemed. The pressure both activted the explosive and stuck it to him, causing him to scream until the sticky grenade exploded in a burst of blue plasma.

However, they resolutely turned to the way ahead. They would have less surprise ahead after that display of echoes.

---

The trail of Grunt corpses, of dead Templars and Splicers, marked the path of the twilight angels.

That wasn't to say the path was not difficult. Some of the blood on the ground was theirs. The Grunts here had fuel rod guns, the equivalent of rocket launchers for humans. Let's pick up in Naught's Skyway, shall we?

"Hawk, down!" Angel's warning was enough to save a then ducking Hawk from an incendiary crossbow bolt to the back of the head, a Splicer's weapon in the hands of a Templar archer.

"Shining Fist!" Angel shouted, a fist of light appearing and punching his opponent into the pit below. He looked to the archer. "Twilight Burst!" A blast that was a combination of light and dark magic killed the last Covenant trooper in the area, a by-then-unarmored Brute.

The two last enemies were the Templar archer and a Chimeran Gray Jack. Hawk and Angel held back their swords.

"Shining Slash!" The wave of light from the blade defeated the human.

"Twilight Slash!" Hawk's wave of light and darkness combined hit the lanky ex-human, causing it to overheat and exploded in a shower of gore best left undescribed.

The two continued to the Proof of Existence, which was luckily empty but for a computer. Hawk took out a small communicator, and thought, needing backup for the others if they fell to Reaper's blade ahead, the darkness the Hawks could feel.

[i]Bats, you there?[/i]

[i]Hawk? What is it?[/i]

[i]At The World That Never Was. We need backup. There's an antiteleport field here. Don't ask questions, just send help. In escape pods, however.[/i] The communicator's signal cut as Angel cut the computer with a Shadow Slash, in case that could help.

[i]"Teleportation barrier deactivated. Reserve barrier will be active in one hundred twenty seconds."[/i]

So it did help. Who knew? Not enough to get the [i]Bat-G[/i]'s crew in, but to escape in an emergency.

-----

Another conflict later, the two approached the way to the Altar of Naught. Hawk, still winged, was in his Twilight Heart form, with a suit of armor replacing his gray clothes.

Both entered...and a hexagonal barrier, the same thatcaene with most battles, came.

"He knows," Angel breathed.

"Oh my G-d," Hawk mouthed, his eyes wide. They had not felt the darkness they had thought. It was a trap.

One hundred fifty Kamikaze Darklings stood at the door and up the spiral pathway, their identities clear from their enraged demeanor, the bombs on their backs. If they were lucky, the blast would not kill any down below.

"He's not here!" Angel screamed into his radio.

"Uvidimsia [See you], comrades," said one in a heavy Russian accent. And time seemed to slow to a stop.

Hawk thought about his life. He was an External Interference. A great warrior. A good friend. When it came down to it, did his actions really matter? He had been through so much pain, so many horrors. It seemed Isaac would get Victory to himself after all. Se still held her as a gold standard, had stronger feelings by this point.

In a panic, Angel disappeared in a flash of light, teleporting out of the area. His past didn't blame him. Instead, he thought into his Valor Shard once more.

----

[i]Chimeran Tower[/i]

Isaac was continuing on was way up the Chimeran Tower. The Zivaku brothers were a quarter of the way up when se saw something out of a window. Something huge.

There was an enormous Gateway in the depression below the Castle That Never Was. The demonic boy knew that he alone had the ability to see it, the German, faceless zombies of World War I, enormous-mouthed beasts, and Darklings pouring out far more visible. Did he have what it took to close it? Possibly, but the Darkness could take him completely as he did. Was it worth the risk?

The Audreys were down on the Brink of Despair, a fairly impressive body count being with all types of opponents produced that was actually starting to clog the bridge.  Isaac called into his radio to the dhampir. "Audrey!"

[i]"Yeah? I'm busy!"[/i]  Came the dual reply.

"Huge Gateway opening under you two. It's covering the deep part of the city."

"Ugh, great. Can you close it?"[/i] Marianna wasn't all that hampered by talking and fighting, apparently, and neither was her double.

"Maybe, but--"

Another signal cut him off, through the communicators Batman had created.

[i]Isaac.[/i]

Not knowing if vocal speech would work, Isaac returned with the mental variant. [i]Hawk? Wha--[/i]

[i]Kratos Aurion will call back on this if he does. Take care of Vic, okay?[/i]

It was a reminder of earlier times. Of their rivalry before a friendship that was the only one Isaac could truly count as a friend anymore. Victory Everstrong had been an imperfect Sora clone, and loved by them both. Maybe only Isaac now. Hard to know. Why mention that now? [i]Okay, bu--[/i]

The explosion at the top of the Castle was visible and faintly audible from the demon's location, racking the structure for a few seconds. Fire rained down toward the ground below. Isaac didn't want to think of what exactly was burning.

Greg, a ways ahead by now, came back to his little brother. "What was that?!"

"Hawk! [i]HAWK![/i]"

But it was no use. Hawk Shadowflash was dead, possibly his future with him, victims of a dirty trick, a trap.

-----

The burst of wind came as Audrey shouted, "Aeroga!"  Only those of the Otherworld stood again. Those zombies would never die until their hearts were extracted, or their bodies destroyed. Usually it was the latter.

This was bad. If that explosion was what Audrey thought, they were definitely not doing well. Reaper had proved he could survive worse. That Otherworld portal was pumping out enemies that only Ephraim or Isaac had proved capable of truly destroying. What to do....what to do...

"Marianna? What should we do?"

Marianna looked at the looming zombies, and sighed.

"I have an idea, but it's not going to be fun."

Her younger self nodded without hesitation.  Anything it took.  She spoke into her communicator again.

"Isaac, start closing the Gateway. Now." A question of why as thirty troops were killed by a combination of wind and swords. "Just do it. No matter what. I'll keep it closed, or at least from being an issue. ... We have a way.  Goodbye, Isaac."

They did not see the portal begin to close so much as felt it. A gigantic Chimera charged at them, but a blast of wind from both slowed its charge and knocked it off balance.  Marianna then sprinted at it.  "Help me!"

The two tackled it, and went over the edge.

-----

Two human snipers and a Jackal fell from the rooftops, each either fried by lightning, frozen solid, or immolated. The mages were doing well.

Ele noticed their dynamic, as had been established over time together. Vivi was the heavy hitter when he could work effectively. He was nervous about using some of his higher level spells where allies could be attacked. Some "Doomsday" spell he'd never been used. However, by the sounds of how Greg and Alex talked about it, it was a double-edged sword. Aside from his reluctance to fire his more powerful spells at the enemies below, they were also very costly. Their Ether stock had been mostly depleted by him alone, including about half of what they had brought to this assault.

Aerith was the main healer. White magic was her specialty, most useful against the forces of the Darkness, the Flood, and in restorative spells.

Donald was the all-around worker, alongside Ele herself. Both could heal, though not like Aerith, and taking a longer time. Donald had his Fire, Thunder, and Blizzard as well as Duck Flare and Comet. She held power over the four classical elements, fire, water, earth, and air. Mixing them had many effects. For instance, tie water to air, and healing could be produced. Fire and air, a blazing tornado.

Isaac's voice came over the radio. He seemed on the verge of a breakdown. [i]"Hawk's...dead. Reaper's not at the top of the Castle."[/i]

After a short time, the voice of Greg over the same radio from a distance. [i]"Sh**! We lost the Audreys too!"[/i]

There were more shouts, but Flora's future could no longer hear them. Everything went silent to her, all time slowing to a stop. Hawk, the Hawk of this time, was dead. What did that mean for her fraternal twin brother?

[size=1]"No..."[/size]

Her eyes looked to the myriad snipers on the rooftops, the floating Covenant Engineers, the Jump Pack Brutes and Banshees. Her brother was gone. It was Reaper's fault. It was this entire army's fault. Ele's grip tightened on her staff, knuckles turning white with strain.

The sky was still cloudy, rain still falling. Good. One less element to deal with.

Donald looked to the woman. "...Ele? Are you okay?"

Silence, as her hands were raised, her mouth forming inaudible words. Streams of red, of green and of brown rose from her fingertips as she looked around the battlefield. Silence continued as she continued to mouth her spell.

Aerith took action, having an idea of what was being planned. She pointed at the two males among them, and intoned, "M. Barrier!" A transparent bubble of magic energy surrounded herself, the duck, and the Black Mage, a formidable protection against magical attacks.

Then came the scream. Ele threw her head back and released a call of untamed rage, her stream of MP not stopping for an instant.

[b][i]KRACKOW![/i][/b] Thunder boomed in the clouds, and the very weather itself turned against the Omega forces.

Lightning rained from the sky, each bolt seeking out an individual Engineer or Banshee. Those that did not explode instantly started on a crash course with the group, as if hit by an electromagnetic pulse. Not even the high jumping Brutes were safe. Their primative jetpacks detonated on their backs from the surges, sending them to the pavement screaming in agony or dead.

Tornados touched down on almost every rooftop, sweeping up snipers and throwing them skyward, where hail collided with them, ending their lives.

This entire onslaught did hit Aerith's barrier, but the protection save the crazed woman's allies from unintentional harm.

After twenty seconds, the weather calmed, Ele exhausted. She fell to her knees, the magic stream ending as she panted for breath, holding back tears in the rain.

Every sniper was dead, as were the majority of Engineers and Jump Pack Brutes. Banshee count had been halved. But Hawk was still dead. She had solved much and nothing.

-----

That attack was both a blessing and a curse. Yes, it was totally awesome. It took out the sniper problem. But, as Axel learned, it caused the sky to begin literally [i]raining aircraft.[/i] Not a good survival strategy.

The red haired pyromancer jumped to the left to avoid a Banshee, an exloding Engineer narrowly missing him as he somersaulted forward. Seeing two Grunts who seemed to be only just holding themselves from absolute panic, he threw both of his bladed disks at them. Apparently the leadership of Omega had given them enough confidence to keep from screaming in terror as often as usual. Didn't help keep their heads on their shoulders all that much, though, or their methane gas tanks from exploding, sending blue blood spilling on the ground.

The pyrokinetic continued forward, and reached the Scarab's legs. A large, yellowed mass of flesh seemed to have wrapped itself around the right front leg as the vehicle was kept stationary. The man's eyes followed the Flood organic matter to a pair of Covenant ships reaching over a crater, probably caused by one of the Geth bombs. Both were completely surrounded by the mass, which reached deep into a pit that seemed to have been [i]dug[/i] by a Flood mass. Axel paused for a moment.

Then he palmed his face. "Why me? Why always the icky jobs?"

The ex-Nobody heard a pair of thuds behind him, and turned to the source. Two Brutes were there. Well....two Brutes, but not two [i]standing[/i] ones. On top of them were a pair of gray pods, about eight feet tall. From the smoke trail, they had fallen from the atmosphere on to this world of distorted physics. Lucky for Axel, since it looked like those Brutes had meant to backstab him quite literally with those now discarded Brute Shot bayonetted grenade launchers. Both pods were kicked open, and the occupants exitted. The [i]Bat-G[/i], though unable to physically assist due to the formidable blockade, had sent aid in the form of two helpers.

Both held up an index finger, a small flame appearing on the tip and jumping from one finger to the next as the digits were extended one by one in succession. After the display, the flame winked out.

"The Flood?" the younger of the pair asked, noticing what they were up against. "Duuude..."

"A little help?" Axel asked. "Thanks."

"For wh--" the elder one looked to the Brutes. "Oh. You're welcome."

As one, Axel, Pyro, and Inferno, Pyro's future, looked to the Flood mass. This abomination was weak to fire. Good thing they were there. It was time to help start to even the odds.