Jane looked surprised as the bodies hit the ground without their heads. She could feel her demeanor of Lukas different than ever before. On the bench beside her appeared her spare work belt as well as her shotgun and a bandolier full of buckshot.
“ Jane, listen closely. When I fought the Titan, our fight was a [duel of honor]. He felt I had wronged him and we fought till one of us could not. This is completely different. These people challenged my life, and more importantly, challenged me for the life of the one under my protection. With the Aegis not far away, I thought first contact would be pleasant away from the crowds... but this attack seems too well timed to be anything but an attack on our presence...”
Lukas turns in his suit to distant screams and sounds of fighting before turning back to Jane.
“ In short, they just declared war on a Warden.”
With those words said Lukas raised his right fist into the air and lifted his left foot and slams it into the ground. Then he lifts it again and slams it before lifting it a third time and slamming it yet again. Then a pole appears in his right fist and he brings it down, burring it into the walkway.
“ The [Banner of the Warden] is planted. A Warden goes to battle. [Warden Santuary] is to be given. Let no harm come to those in my care.”
With a flash, Jane could see a dome begin to surround the park and she could feel the static electricity on her hands as the Banner of the Free Wardens slowly unrolled down the pole.
“ Get in contact with whoever you can. I traded out your normal munition with Warden standard. So keep that in mind when you pull the trigger, because it will be lethal.”
Jane nods understanding as she put on her police belt and put the bandolier over her shoulder and fastened it to her belt. Then she checked her pistol before grabbing the shotgun.
“ Stay near the banner. When the other Wardens arrive, it will be here first. Your ring will identify you as the go-between. Tell them to set a perimeter and act on the situation as needed from there. If they go out there without getting proper intel. The body count will be much higher.”
And with that Lukas left. Leaving Jane to blink in surprise before going to her radio.
“ Dispatch, this is Officer Jane Carter. I am at East Central Park. Do you copy?”
“ Holy shit, Jane, please tell me that huge wolf guy is with you. It is a fucking bloodbath out there. Everything east of forty-first street went quiet within minutes. Over half of the department is confirmed dead. Over six hero groups have been wiped out and those that are left look like they have been put through a grinder. You should get out of there if you get the chance. I am the last one in the building as it is since it is half gone.”
“ Fuck, Bridget, listen to me. Get word to whoever you can. The Warden has put up a sanctuary shield around the park. We need to set up an emergency relief center here. I need whoever is left to get here and keep whoever can be saved safely. I need people to keep order, medical personnel, and even the god damn lunch lady. You got me?”
“ Yea... yea... I got you. There is fighting all over the place and getting all the survivors around you to you will get the hero teams some breathing room. And Jane, stay safe.”
“ You too.”
-----
Lukas pulled his sword from his assailant’s guts as the man fell in surprise to find said guts starting to fall on the ground. The next to come for him tried to attack him but was greeted with a backhand bash with his shield. The sudden snap of the neck told him all he needed to. With his attackers out of the fight, he took a moment to look around and found dozens running into the park not knowing safety awaited them inside, but the wooden police barricades that were set up and the dozen super-suited individuals who arrived to help guard the perimeter seemed to be enough.
“ Well, if you look at that. The Warden can fight.”
Lukas blinked and he saw five on a platform floating over the street. An elderly-looking man stood between two men on one side and two women on the other. One of the men had a straw hat on their head and a sword at his side while the other had a large riffle on their back and a cybernetic eye. The women had one cladly clothed with a muscular body covered in scars as the other had what appeared to be a bloody doctor's uniform on. Hanging from chains on the platform were the still bleeding heads of dozens of high-ranking heroes. The one that wore a robe and had a katana smiled.
“ Let us see how well.”
Then he was gone and a gash appeared on the breastplate of Lukas’s armor.
“ Hm.” the samurai said as his sword split from the middle as he stood behind the unmoving Warden. A moment later he fell to his knees as his vision split as the top left side of his skull slipped free from the rest.
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“ I am surprised anyone could counter Silverswords [flash strike], but this will not do. [Disintegration Blast].”
Lukas instantly raised his shield and felt it and his entire arm just vanish. In fact, it took him blinking a few times to realize that part of his helmet was gone. As soon as he saw the four on the platform Lukas brought his right sword back and put as much strength as he could into throwing his sword. To his surprise, the burley woman stepped in the way and took the blade in the chest up to the hilt.
“ Stupid idiot, with my regeneration... I’ll just...”
The woman grabbed the hilt of the sword and tried to pull it out as blood started escaping her lips. It took only seconds for her to start hacking up blood as it filled up her lungs. The other woman of the group kneeled down to her and started to help as Lokas changed the shape his right hand was made to allow his Warden-issued Stargaze to enter his hand. The uninjured woman did not even know what hit her as her head became a red mist and the cyber-eyed man managed to pull his rifle to block one of the shots coming his way, but the other caught him right in the chest. Effectively erasing his heart and other organs keeping him alive.
Lukas’s last two shots went to the old man but another beam was launched and Lukas's world went white once again. To his surprise, he was not in any pain as he looked at the old man looking at him in anger.
“ My family. We had planned this for decades and you go and kill four of my grandchildren. What kind of Hero are you?”
Lukas just blinks finding his personal shades appearing over his eyes. The status report showed him was the upper half of his armor was gone. Not to mention all the hair from his stomach up was gone.
“ Who said anything about being a hero? I am a Warden. A knight. A soldier. I have given my life to the order.”
“ Sounds like a waste to me.”
Lukas turned to look at the crowd watching in the distance protected by the shielding of the banner. One face, in particular, stood out to him. Seeing her, he could not resist smiling as he turned back toward the old man.
“ The Wardens gave me a life in return and the strength to defend it and those I wish.”
“ A forlorn hope. Your armor is shattered. Your very arms are gone. What can you hope to do except standing there.”
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“ You see, that makes all the difference.”
Lukas watched as the old man began his attack again.
“ [Disintegration Beam],”
“ Here, a [Dreadnaught Stand]s!”
Then Lukas's world turned white for the final time.
-----
Jane blinked the white of her eyes as she caught her breath realizing she was still alive. She, like all those around her, was surprised by this fact as she was.
“ Thirty fucking seconds.”
She heard as her vision cleared to reveal a twelve-foot-tall figure in some sort of ceremonial robes with some type of lizard leather body suit on. Then Jane realized it was not a suit as the mask moved as they talked.
“ Six months across the ass end of the Ancients and we arrive thirty seconds too damn late. Woman with the ring, did he leave you with any messages?”
Jane blinked startled as she noticed a dozen warriors in similar but much more decorated, and armed, versions of Warden armor than what was Lukas.
“ Right, perimeter and assess so you all do not just go on a rampage.”
“ Damn rookie thinking that...”
The figure then took a deep breath and seemed to calm down.
“ Apologies, representative. It appears we came in the middle of an incident. Could you kindly tell me who killed my wayward charge, so I may rip them a new one?”
“ Rip me a new one will you? I would ask you what army but... We both know they will not make a difference.”
The twelve-foot-tall dragonoid turned his head to see a platform hovering overhead with a single man still standing on it.
The dragonoid looked lazily at him as the old man unleashed another [Disentegration Blast]. To the old man's shock and surprise. The dragonoid raised a single finger and both he and his attack froze.
“ Tier four [Disentegration Blast], looks like a bunch of focus on effectiveness and area coverage. Some work on resource costs as well. This must have been fifty years of work solely on this one attack. Color me impressed. Most rookies would not survive a single hit. It is too single-focused to be effective on a [Grand Master Warden] little alone one of my rank.”
Jane spoke up behind the dragonoid. Truly realized that Lukas was gone.
“ He took three and... and...”
This caused the dragonoid to contemplate things a moment before coming to a decision. He snapped his fingers and the paused attack simply vanished and the old man felt the weight of the world on his shoulders as a crystal collar appeared on his neck.
“ I’ve decided not to give you a quick death.”
The dragonoid then snapped his fingers as he turned his back to the old man and Jane could see a portal appear on the platform two in Warden armor took the man and pulled him into the portal. Then she noticed the portals appearing and releasing dozens of Wardens from each as they took to the perimeter. Then it occurred to her. This was a military occupation.
“ Representative, apologies, Lukas’s loss is great pain on us all. I am [Grand Elder] Gabriel Warright. And I must say, your world is a mess.”
To that Jane could not resist breaking out into a laugh, before beginning to cry.