CoH CoS (Chapter 26)

He moved over the floor of the training room, silent and deadly. He met the training robots head on. They were only three people that used that level of training robots. Standing nine feet tall and weighing almost as much a bulldozer, with armor plating and several forms of attacks, they were the ultimate in robot warrior. The other two people only went against these robots in full battle armor. Damien flew through them unarmored. He wore light running shoes, a pair of jeans and t-shirt. He took the physical blows of the robots full on. There were already several deep dents in the robots. Two already lay on the ground. One torn in half and the other mangled beyond recoginition. Damien had a small trickle of blood on the corner of his mouth, from where a robot had caught him with a glancing blow. His sabers lay at his sides, untouched. He moved through the robots, fighting only with hand and foot.

“Something’s wrong.” Chip spoke, watching Damien train from outside.

“Why do you say that? He’s in better condition than he had been before.” Starr replied, watching from Chip’s side.

“I don’t mean his physical condition. As you said, Damien is in the best condition of his life. But something has been wrong with him since the last encounter with the Randon. I don’t know if had something to do with the battle itself, his life spell to Honey, or his recovery, but something is different. I’ve never seen him in this kind of rage before. Damien is very powerful, but going against the Gladiator robots in hand to hand…” Chip shook his head slowly.

“Well, Athena’s trial is coming up soon. Do you think that’s it?”

“I think that may be part of it, but I don’t think that’s the main thing. It’s something else. Something happened that none of us know.”

“You know, Terri is gonna freak when she sees what he’s done to those robots. The rest of the team and she are already overworked from everyone wanting to train more with the threat of the Randon, but those Gladiators are the hardest to rebuild I’ve heard.”

“They are and she is going to freak out.”

There was a loud bang from inside the training room, resounding even through the supposed sound proof room. Many of the cadets were crowded around the viewing windows, staring in awe. Damien was thrown back against the far wall, denting it with the impact of his body. The Gladiators, after losing another of their number, had finally gotten into a battle front against Damien’s attack and been able to knock him back. Damien glared at the Gladiators, energy from his aura crackling around him. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and drew one saber. He activated it and charged back into the fray. He met the Gladiators sabers thrust for thrust. The Gladiator robots were the only training unit equipped with lightsabers. He moved back and foward. Weaving, striking, defending. He made no sound, no battle cry, no shouts. His face pulled back into a slight grimace as a robot got a fist past his defense and struck his upper arm. He continued fighting, his power visible in his battle rage. Finally, as Gladiators fell left and right he moved against one last robot. He and the Gladiator circled each other warily. Damien moved in, striking hard, his eyes wild with inner fire. The Gladiator, desperate in winning the battle, thrust his arm out and was able to close about Damien’s throat. Damien glared at him and threw his head back, then foward hard, headbutting the Gladiator. The Gladiator and Damien, still locked flew back against the wall from the force of Damien’s blow. As the robot hit the wall, his grip loosened and Damien moved in for the final blow. His lightsaber came down, cleaving through the robot and it was gone. He looked around the room slowly before bowing slowly and walking out.

Two hours later…

Terri ran into the training room and yelled. Starr followed slowly, a slight smirk on her face.

“What the hell did he do? Does he know how long it takes to make even one of these? He wiped out the entire unit. He just had to try out the prototype armor didn’t he? Just like a kid, never can leave anything alone. And why didn’t he…”

“Terri!” Starr interupted, still smirking.

“What?!”

“He didn’t wear any battle armor. He didn’t even use a saber until the last part of the battle.”

“What?” Terri’s voice, still loud was less hysterical, “That’s not possible. No one goes against Gladiators without at least practice armor on. Or without a weapon, preferabely a big one.”

“He went most of the battle without either and near the end he used only one saber.”

Terri gestured around the room, “You’re telling me that Damien did all this with only his bare hands and one saber.”

“Yes, that’s what I’m telling you.”

Terri shook her head, walking out of the training room, “Well shit. So much for the near unbeatable line. Back to the damn drawing board.”

Starr walked after her, trying not to laugh, but couldn’t help the smirk on her face.

 

-Damien