CoJoGo
patreon
CH60: Crimson Titan
🕑 Added 2024-12-20 15:00:00 +0000 UTCThe pair of manned pickups flew through Sanctuary, over grassy flats and dirt roads. They caught up with Toby and Lowell's looping path in minutes, and the next phase of the plan began.
Toby had the Titan focused on him, and no one was quite certain what would happen if he let the skill go and the beast was allowed to freely make decisions. The first option made sure that didn't happen. They would put the trucks between Toby and the rest, and Reid would try to draw its attention by dealing it damage. If the beast stopped, they would all fight it without Toby lifting his skill. If the salamander ignored the present danger and still chased after Toby - they'd have him drop his skill and do their best to surround the creature. In both cases, the vehicles would stay close to deliver them to safety if needed - and the third would come back to do the same once the wounded in it were clear.
Getting around the beast was no easy feat. They had to wait for a longer stretch of the planned route, and even then they nearly missed the passing window to put themselves between Toby and the Titan. Up close, Reid could see he was sweating heavily, and his complexion had started to pale. It was the telltale early sign of skill overexertion, and Reid made a call. There was no guarantee the Titan would stop and engage them. If it didn't, they'd need more time to get back in pace with it. Reid wasn't sure if Toby would be able to keep things up that long - and he didn't want to see what would happen if the man's taunt dropped at an inopportune time, when there weren't people around to engage the beast.
Reid signaled the other truck, and shouted out to the others in the bed with him - then he signaled Toby.
He had their group slow, just a little, before it happened. As soon as the taunt dropped, the Crimson Titan skidded to a halt, and the trucks slammed on their brakes to match.
Reid hopped out of the back, and looked up at the beast. It was the closest he'd been to the thing, even during the moving chase.
It let out an angry, snarling growl that shook Reid's chest. Lips parted to show off hooked teeth the size of Reid's arms. There were bits of dried blood and debris at the base of each one. Its eyes burned like swirling lava, and shook with hatred as it shifted focus over each member of the attacker group.
Massive hands curled menacing, four-foot-long crystalline claws in violent anticipation. It shifted on its feet, but didn't take a single step. The flecks of crystal that dotted its skin caught in the sunlight like facets on a jewel, and the moving shimmers felt like they were playing tricks on Reid's eyes. A glowing crystal crown grew out of the top of its head, thicker and larger than the guardian's. Its massive, looming frame cast a long and thick shadow over the ground. It cast defenders in shade as they spread out to surround the creature.
The beast tucked its chin like a boxer, and splayed its claws out at its sides as it bared its teeth in a mock bow at Reid. Just like the other salamanders had done when they attempted to fight him in single combat.
This goddamn lizard.
The Titan had all but refused to fight him one on one at the start of the entire ordeal, and now it wanted to engage in some sort of honorable fight? Fuck that.
They'd assembled the team here with the sole intent to kill this thing, and Reid wasn't going to waste time or their efforts by taking the thing on by himself. They'd killed the guardian together, and they would take down this big red asshole together, too.
Reid frowned and flipped off the Titan with his left hand, then signaled the archers to fire.
Bows twanged and bone-tipped arrows hit the beast from three sides. They barely sunk into its flesh. One bounced off a crystal fleck on the Titan's skin with a 'clink'. It cocked its head and spun to give the ranged fighters an indignant look. Then it sprinted for the closest archer.
Reid gave chase, and swung his mace out sideways at the beast's tail to try and get its attention. It sunk itself halfway into the swinging appendage, and the tail's motion lifted Reid off the ground before he dislodged his weapon. Others advanced and tried to draw the creature's focus, but it ignored them and closed on the archer. He was an older man - one of Marysa's fellow coaches - with a receding hairline and bright grey eyes. He roared and fired his bow, then brought out a bone sword from his belt when the beast got in close. The Titan lifted a leg, and crushed him with a single stomp. It hadn't even bothered to use its claws - just stepped down like it was getting rid of a pest.
Reid felt the anger rise into the back of his neck. This fucking lizard had to die.
It turned towards another archer, but Reid was already in motion. He sprinted and put himself between the man and the beast. Its swirling orange eyes bored through him, and charged forward. The ground shook under Reid's feet as its thunderous footfalls neared him. It swung out, and Reid brought Requiem up to meet its arm. The mace hit it just below the inside of the wrist, and mangled a good amount of flesh on impact, then more when Reid slid his weapon down to get it free.
The Titan screeched and plunged its other claws into the earth, then flung massive amounts of dirt - and Reid - into the air.
His challenge had opened up the beast for other attacks, and Reid saw the melee fighters stab and slash at its legs before he even hit the ground. The Titan whirled on them, and sent its massive claws into the brave fighters. They erupted in screams and blood.
Reid got back to his feet, and closed in again. Requiem found purchase on the Titan's legs, arms, and lower torso, but nothing seemed to slow it down. It kept pushing the attackers back, and dwindling down their number. The fight continued.
It attacked, they responded. They dealt damage, and it killed their forces. Some of the first wounds they'd inflicted on its legs were visibly starting to heal. They needed more opportunities. Small openings that could lead to big ones. If they could get just a single good one, they could hit it in the head and end the fight. Just one, with enough reach. The idea of it felt so close, and tangible, but at the same time, so far from reach. Part of that was literal. The beast's head was still far above them, and Reid would need to leap up just to land a blow on the thing's skull.
They fought on. Sara darted in and landed ever-effective slashing strikes. She focused on the same area of the same leg, over - and over - and over. While the rest of their group just tried to deal damage, Sara's blows accumulated into real injuries for the beast. She methodically carved into the skin all around the Titan's ankle until there was a deep ringed cut, and blood flowed freely from the wound.
Renewed energy surged through the group as they saw the damage. They all saw and felt it - they could turn the tide. Reid shifted his focus to add to Sara's effort, and cleaved open the cuts wherever he could. They carved deeper and deeper, until they started hitting bone.
The Titan lashed out with both claws in a spinning strike that rotated its entire body. It wheeled with a massive amount of momentum, and continued to spin after it planted both feet. The beast let out a pained low growl as the flesh and bone around its wound strained and ripped under the force of its own movement - then its leg snapped off at the ankle.
It teetered, and caught its fall with an arm.
The attackers didn't waste the chance.
Sara sprinted towards the Titan's head. Reid lunged forward at the beast's other arm, and brought his mace down like he was trying to drive a railroad tie into the ground. It slammed into the Titan's limb and smacked it into the ground. Others piled on to restrict its movements. With one arm bracing it from falling over, and the other limited by attacks, they had their first real opening of the fight.
Sara leapt into the air and kicked off the Titan's arm like a springboard as she launched herself at the side of its face.
Sara drove Queen's edge straight into the Titan's eye. The salamander flinched and twisted its neck as the blade bit into it, but Sara didn't let that stop her. She pushed harder in until her arm started to disappear into the salamander's skull.
And then, it stopped with a clink.
It was a noise Reid knew all too well from his recent fights. The sound of bone hitting crystal was distinct, like tapping on a giant wine glass.
Sara pulled her arm back and pushed again. Another clink. She swirled her blade around inside the beast, and it clattered across solid crystal.
The crystal had been a growing issue. Elites had lines of the hard material on their skulls that made them harder to kill. The guardians were even more protected. Reid had assumed the Titan's version of the protection was simply more complete and rigid than the others. That the growth up and out of its head was where most of the difference lay.
He was so very wrong. The crystal growth grew down far enough to shield the Titan's brain from penetration through its eye socket, which meant Sara didn't have the kill. And now she was vulnerable, partially buried in the Salamander's skull.
The Titan curled its tail towards its wounded side to stabilize itself, and lifted its now-free arm that had been holding it up.
Its claws glowed with blue light, and the long crystal moved so fast it blurred. It whipped around and back at Sara like it was trying to brush a hair off its cheek.
Sara's head lifted and shook in a silent gasp.
One claw had missed low.
The next split through her leg just below the knee.
The third was through the side of her ribcage and out the middle of her stomach.
The last carved a hole through the front of her neck.
Reid surged forward as he screamed in grief and rage. The Titan's claws stopped glowing, and it sluggishly flung Sara out with a flick of its wrist. Reid shifted towards her, and pushed power into his legs. He dropped Requiem, and caught her ragdolling body in his arms. There was so much damage, and she was already bleeding.
Reid needed to move, now, or his daughter was going to die. He turned to their vehicles, and sprinted for the waiting truck. He screamed for it to move as he closed in, and leapt into the bed while it gained speed. His momentum carried him into the back of the cab, and the center window shattered as metal bent around Reid's back.
Moving figures receded as the rest of the defenders limped and ran for the other two pickups. The Titan watched them leave.
The truck's engine roared. Reid braced himself against the wheel well to keep his daughter stable through the bumpy terrain, and held her close.
Blood coated his hands and seeped through the cracks in his armor. Sara gasped for breaths that came through the hole in her throat. Blood bubbled.
Her hands grabbed out at Reid in frenzied, pleading motions. They looked for help and comfort. Reid's heart broke and ached, and he cradled her against his chest as he shouted at the driver to go faster.
He shed bone armor off himself, and tore off his sleeve to wrap it around Sara's neck. It wicked up the red liquid and soaked through, then dripped the excess down onto Reid's arms. He tore off more cloth and packed it around and into wounds as best he could. She was losing too much blood. She'd lost too much already. Reid's heartbeat hammered in his head and he had to force himself to stop hyperventilating.
The truck started to slow as they neared the wall. Reid lifted up his daughter and stood. Her breathing grew fainter with every exhale, and her eyes had started to go glassy. Her fingers weakly grabbed for his neck, and her lips trembled in an attempt to speak.
Reid grabbed his strengthening thread, and sent every bit of power he could manage to his legs. He sailed forward, up out of the truck and sprinted the remaining distance to the wall, then leapt up to where Susan should have been. It felt like someone had stabbed a thousand molten needles into his overworked leg muscles, but he pushed through the pain. He shouted his wife's name at the top of his lungs, but it was Danny who arrived. His eyes went wide at the bloody cloth wrapped around Sara's neck, and his face paled in a grim frown.
"SAVE HER! HEAL HER!"
Reid cradled his daughter's head in his hands as he screamed at the healer. Images of Louis's broken and cold body flashed through his mind and threatened to plunge him into despair.
This wasn't the same. It wasn't.
Louis had already been dead. Sara was still alive. Her chest still moved, even with the massive effort of every breath. Her blood soaked through her clothing and the improvised bandages Reid had wrapped around her, but she was still warm. Her heart was beating. She could be healed. She had to be.
Danny flinched at Reid's words for just a moment. And then his hands glowed.
