The mechanical monstrosity which stood before CAL cackled like a mad man. His single cyclopean visor, glowing a dingy yellow from hours worth of battle and bloodshed, glared at CAL with devilish glee.
“You're a treacherous worm, Negas.” CAL struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the exposed side of his mouth, “Zimone was not only loyal to you but one of your top warriors. And you just–”
“JUST WHAT? THREW HIM OUT LIKE THE GARBAGE HE WAS? OF COURSE I DID! HE KNEW BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE THAT YOUR SKULL IS MINE AND MINE ALONE FOR THE TAKING.”
“AND I SPIT ON HIS LOYALTY! LOYALTY IS A BAD JOKE THAT ONLY LASTS AS LONG AS NO ONE ELSE OFFERS A BETTER DEAL.” Taking a step back and gesturing to the fierce battle behind him, he continued, “I’M THE FUCKING DREAD PIRATE NEGAS, I RULE THROUGH THE FEAR AND TERROR MY NAME STRIKES IN THE HEART OF MY FOES AND MY CREW. NO ONE BETRAYS THE MAN THEY FEAR, ‘CAUSE FEAR KEEPS THEM FEEBLE AND WEAK!”
“Until someone overcomes their fear and sees you for the idiot brute you are.”
“WEAK, FLAGRANT WORDS FROM A SOON-TO-BE SCRAPPED BOT. I DIDN’T COME HERE TO MINCE WORDS DROID, I CAME TO CLAIM YOUR HEAD!”
“You’re welcome to try and take it, but fair warning, I’m going to end you with a single strike!!”
Negas roared with excitement, sprinting toward CAL at an alarming fast rate considering his hefty size. With each step, he shattered the ground beneath him, a solid ton of force exerted with each crushing footfall. Though as fast as he was, CAL was still faster. Summoning a battle mace, CAL was inches from Negas’ face the moment he launched himself from the pavement. Slamming the blunt weapon into the mechanical maniac’s face with the force of an orbital rail cannon. Sending a shockwave across the area and disrupting the battles between the villagers and the pirates. All eyes turned to the source of the shockwave, leaving many stunned, and others amazed to see the two strongest warriors of each faction finally clashing. Regardless of their initial reactions, one singular emotion washed over all of the onlookers of the battle as the smoke from the attack faded:
Terror.
Terror induced from the sight that stood before them clear as day. Negas, standing in front of CAL and mace firmly planted in his face, was completely unfazed.
“WHAT WAS THAT, DROID? DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT FINISHING ME IN ONE STRIKE?”
Utterly shocked, CAL launched himself backward to put space between the two.
“NO YOU DON’T, DROID!”
Negas grabbed CAL by his damaged leg and slammed him into the ground next to him. The sheer force of the blow shattered the ground beneath them. Leaving CAL unconscious, complete static filling his visor as Negas threw him into the air. Catching him by the waist with his bladed vice claw and slamming him into the ground once again, however, this time he repeatedly slammed him against the ground.
Nearly a dozen slams in, CAL returned to consciousness. Summoning a spear as Negas raises him up for another slam, CAL jams the spear into the shoulder joint of the mechanical arm. Causing the arm to go limp and releasing CAL from his grip. Not wasting a single moment, CAL backflipped from Negas, summoning a sword to his hand and throwing it at the borg.
Negas laughed, letting the blade pierce the flesh of his left arm.
“YOU’RE BEST IS THROWING A BUTTER KNIFE AT ME? I’M GOING TO ENJOY THE DEVASTATION I’M GONNA BRING TO YOU.”
The massive thruster on Negas’ back lit up, sending him flying forward as he ripped the spear out of his shoulder. With his mecha arm now functional again, he slammed full force into CAL. Crushing him against the Village wall, he pierced CAL’s shoulder with his own spear, pinning him against the wall as he took a step back.
“IT’D BE A SHAME IF I KILLED YOU BEFORE LETTING YOU SEE THE RUIN I BROUGHT TO YOUR BELOVED VILLAGE IN. A PITY THIS TWENTY METER WALL IS IN THE WAY.”
Negas began laughing like a mad man once again as the Spear pinning CAL to the wall began to fade.
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“WAIT, I JUST HAD A GREAT IDEA.”
Before CAL could move, Negas clamped his vice claw around his waist again. This time was different however, as his claw began spinning. Going faster and faster, Negas slammed CAL into the wall and began using him to drill a hole straight through the Wall, laughing the entire time.
Nearing the other side, the laughing tyrant stopped drilling, backing out of the crude tunnel and dragging CAL’s haggard body with him. He looked down to him with sadistic glee before charging full force into the tunnel, grinding CAL against the wall as he ran. Reaching the end, he threw CAL through the last chunk of the wall. Crashing through several houses, falling through fires, down multiple stone slab stairs before finally falling off the cliff side into the center of the village. CAL lay broken, bloody and thoroughly beaten, attempting to drag himself deeper into the village. His previously severed leg was completely missing, his chest was sanded down to the bare circuits, his facemask was in complete shambles.
Negas stood on the cliffside, looking down upon his defeated prey. “I TOLD YOU YEARS AGO DROID, I WOULD BURN EVERYTHING YOU LOVED AND PROTECTED.”
Jumping down from the cliff, he crushed CAL beneath him, enjoying the strained screams of his prey as he crushed multiple vertebrae in his spine, and both of his femurs.
“MUSIC TO MY AUDIOLOBES.” He Laughed.
Picking CAL up by his head with his organic arm, he continued laughing, showing him the flaming remnants of the village.
“DO YOU SEE THE CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION I PROMISED YOU? DO YOU SEE THE RESULTS OF THE WEAK DEFYING THE STRONG? THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE THAT FIGHT ME.”
Lifting his mecha arm up to CAL’s severed leg, he clamped down, cutting the rest of it clean off.
“AAAAAHHHHHH!!!” CAL’s screams did little more than excite NEGAS.
“ALL THESE LONG YEARS YOU’VE SPENT CALLING YOURSELF THE APEX PREDATOR. ALL THESE YEARS YOU RAN HIT AND RUNS AGAINST MY OPERATIONS. ALL THESE DAMN YEARS SPENT MOCKING ME AND MY ARMY. AND NOW LOOK AT YOU, NOTHING MORE THAN A USED PILE OF BOLTS AND OIL.”
CAL tried to summon a blade, only to have Negas throw him to the ground. Stomping and shattering his arm before kicking him across the village center. Crashing into a tower and collapsing it, Negas easily sorted through the rubble, prying CAL’s limp frame from the carnage.
“WEAK AND PATHETIC! YOU’RE LITTLE MORE THAN MEAT ON THE BUFFET TABLE, AND NOW, IT’S TIME FOR THE KING TO FEAST.”
Raising his Mecha arm to CAL’S neck, he clamped down.
Nothing happened.
Negas stopped laughing, looking at his arm in bewilderment as he continued to try to behead CAL. Upon trying to clamp down a fifth time a shock of pain rippled through his arm from the back of his shoulder causing it to go limp.
Looking behind him, he saw Protector Kubrow had impaled the joint with an electrified spear.
“YOU INSECTS NEVER LEARN!”
Before he could turn, seven warriors led by Gerin jumped out from the ruins around them, armed with modified spears and some of the pirates' own weapons. Gerin was the first to reach Negas, jamming a crimson spear directly into his chest and grabbing onto CAL like his life depended on it.
“YOU THINK A RED STICK IS ENOUGH TO MAKE DROP THE DROID? DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH!”
The back end of the spear lit up as a beautiful jet of exhaust blew out of it.
{“Fly borg man, fly like the ships you brought with you.”}
The missile core took off, taking Negas with it, though Gerin was strong enough to pry CAL from his grasp. Motioning for the other Warriors to follow him, Gerin called out for his sister.
Emerging from a nearby bush, she somberly looked at CAL.
{“Take him to the palace, Father will protect him.”} Handing CAL to her as gently as possible.
{“Brother Gerin, come with us. You and other Warriors will not defeat the Borg man.”}
{“No, I cannot. You are the older sister, but I have the responsibility to protect you. You have a responsibility to protect the village. You are the second strongest Warrior, we need you and the strongest warrior to defeat Borg man.”}
Placing a hand on her shoulder, he smiled at her. {“You are powerful, faster and smarter than me and the others. Only you can be trusted with this. I am trusted with giving you time to get Warrior CAL strong again.”}
Teary eyed she smiled at him, {“You die, I will find your ghost and beat it to death.”}
{“I do not like that idea, I shall endeavor to remain alive.”}
With a nod of acknowledgement they went their separate ways, both bound to dance with death. One to bring a friend back from it. The other to face it head on.