An Army of One

[helmetisntdumb]

ANNIHILATION DAY, PLUS 11
VERGE SYSTEM 001 THE RUINS OF THE XANDARIAN CLUSTER
THE FORMER HOME PLANET TO THE NOVA CORPS
THE ORIENTA SHARD

||Attention. It is critical that you pay attention.||

||There is no one left alive except you||You have sustained physical injury. It is also likely that you are psychologically disoriented by shock

Comments

[helmetisntdumb]

"Nnnghk."

[helmetisntdumb]

||Attention. Are you there?||

[helmetisntdumb]

"Nnh."

Nova coughed, then looked up dizzily.

"S-snow," he said fuzzily, looking up. It fell in little cold spots where his face was exposed. The sky was a dead gray.

[helmetisntdumb]

||Temperature is dropping. Snow is a consequence of the Shard's environmental collapse.||

||Are you there? It is critical that you take action now.||

...

||Are you there?||

[helmetisntdumb]

||Nova 11249-44396, you have sustained addition physical injury. Your combat effectiveness rating is at 12% and dropping. You are in absolutely no condition to engage the enemy.||

||It is critical that you avoid further combat at this time.||

[helmetisntdumb]

"Uuhhhk."

The combat wasn't avoiding him. The bugs closed in, ready to tear him apart.

[helmetisntdumb]

||You can not be allowed to perish in such a futile fashion. Routing reserve Nova Force to your bio-pattern. Engage your flight function and withdraw. Immediately.||

[helmetisntdumb]

"Yaaah!"

[helmetisntdumb]

||I recommend exit trajectory 452--what are you doing?||

[helmetisntdumb]

He can feel it burning under his skin. Even with the suit, even with it clamped down, he can feel it.

Look at 'em. Millions of 'em. Don't you just wanna stop and dish some out?

Flying at break-neck speed away from the Orienta Shard, he sees them all spread out before him, and it's like he's just joined the New Warriors again, big mouth, but this time he has the muscle to back it up. This time, he really does have that kinda power.

[helmetisntdumb]

||No. That would not be appropriate at this time.||

[helmetisntdumb]

Yes, dad.

All this time, he's wanted to be somebody, and now he is.

'At this time,' 'at this time'--what better time is there?

[helmetisntdumb]

When he wakes up again, he's in a crater, the snow in it melted. It takes him a moment to remember what he's just done, to remember crashing back on the Orienta Shard

[helmetisntdumb]

No answer.

Worldmind is apparently quite pissed.

[helmetisntdumb]

There had been civilians in the Orienta Shard, even if it'd mostly been the Corps. Families. Little kids.

There's a doll half-buried in the snow, not far from where he's kneeling.

He buries his face in his hand.

"Why am I alive?"

Tears stream down his face, under the helmet.

"Why didn't I die too?"

His useless sorry ass should've died with everyone else. If he couldn't save anyone, he should've died with them.

[helmetisntdumb]

Worldmind finally decides to chime up.

||You are exhibiting symptoms of combat stress reaction--which may possibly progress to post-traumatic stress disorder--and survivor's guilt.||

[helmetisntdumb]

The Xandarian home star goes brighter in the distance and destroys all that's left in the system, bugs, and remnants of the Xandar Cluster alike. It's a funeral pyre. For the Nova Corps, for all the innocent people, for the Xandarians, who have died before, and will not live again. Not this time.

Rich can't have hope after the devastation he's seen, but he almost does, seeing that beacon of light grow even brighter as the star goes supernova.

Even in the midst of death and destruction, they lose, and the light wins.

Whether or not that can happen without everyone dying first is the part he thinks about that keeps him cynical.

[helmetisntdumb]

||Whatever is responsible for the Wave will know something did this. It may assume something survived here.||

[helmetisntdumb]

"Whatever's responsible for the Wave probably already knows something survived here after my little temper tantrum earlier. Let 'em know."

He didn't care. He didn't have time to worry or be afraid. All he cared about was doing what had to be done.

"Open all comm-channels, and find the nearest occupied system that hasn't gone silent yet. That's where we need to go."

[helmetisntdumb]

||Nycos Aristedes is sending out distress calls, asking for aid in their evacuation efforts. You will have to open a stargate.||