Damian's Sacrifice #5

Damian gripped his SIG as he trailed Brutal and Talis to the broken gate of an old shipping yard, next to the river.  The fight had moved a couple of blocks from 18^th Street, but finding it hadn’t been a problem.  Guardians could feel the presence of each other thanks to their special DNA, so Brutal just had to follow the scent.  Once Damian went through his sacrifice, he would be able to do the same.

One after the other, they slipped through the opening, Damian the last.  He froze as he caught sight of the battle on the other side.

Hands, feet, arms, legs, heads.  So many body parts slamming into each other.  Weapons and claws tearing through the air.  The thuds and smacks creating a rhythm to the motion.  A ballet produced by Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper.

Ax and Corrix were squaring off against a couple of drones, knives drawn and ready for blood.  Talis was working on a pair himself, slashing and stabbing them to oblivion.  But it was the Guardians who stole the show, their individual abilities nothing short of spectacular.

Stone took punch after punch without so much as a flinch, able to withstand pain that would send other males to their knees.  Hail kept out of reach of the drones’ deadly claws, turning himself to mist at will.  Vain was giving a flawless performance, not allowing a single strike to land, proving his reputation as the best fighter in the Order.  Brutal gripped a drone by the throat with one hand as he ripped the heart from its chest with the other, turning the piece of shit to dust.  A clear display of the immense strength he was well known for.

And soon, Damian would be joining their ranks, wielding powers far beyond what he was capable of now.

But there was no need to wait until then to kick some more Savrati ass.  He focused his aim on the group of drones closing in on Talis and pulled the trigger.

One.  Two.  Three.

As they fell to the ground, his commander gave him a quick nod of appreciation, then dusted the group and moved on to assist Stark and Raze—the last of the Guardians to join the battle.

The Order had their enemies under control, but several drones were surrounding Ax and Corrix.  Damian cleared a path through the crowd, though the wounds he inflicted wouldn’t be lethal.  He'd have to worry about that later.  Right now, his friends needed him.

The gunshots didn't get the fuckers' attention—they  didn't get anyone's attention.  Hail must be causing interference with the frequency or some other sci-fi shit like that.  Rumors about the extent of his control over nature were boundless, much like his powers were proving to be.  After finally seeing it in action, Damian was surprised more hadn't chosen it as their sacrifice. Damn, that was a hell of a trump card to have up a sleeve.

As he moved in on the drones, he targeted two with their backs to him.  He shot twice, and as they smacked the pavement, a third spun in his direction.  Damian slipped one of his knives from the strap and threw it straight into the drone's heart.  Corrix and Ax took advantage of the distraction, pulling their guns and firing on the rest of the group.  In a matter of seconds, the only thing surrounding them was ash.

The claw marks across both of their arms were not a welcome sight.  The venom now coursing through their bodies was going to fuck with their healing capability.

"Are you okay? Are those your only injuries?"  Damian locked eyes with Ax, straining to keep his voice even.

"As far my injuries, what you see is what you get.  And although I feel like Wolverine's sparring partner, I'll be fine."  Ax cracked a smile.  "Besides, chicks dig scars."

Damian looked to Corrix, shaking his head.  "Can you believe this asshole?  He gets sliced and diced, and all he's thinking about is fucking."

"I don't know, D.  A little pussy would go a long way right about now."  The sparkle returned to Corrix's eyes, the corner of his mouth lifting.

Damian rolled his eyes.  "You two.  If you were less focused on your dicks and more focused on the fight, you probably wouldn't have been hit.  I managed to get through it unscathed."

"You can't tell me it wouldn't be nice to have that little redhead of yours in your bed tonight."  Ax's eyebrow shot up, waiting for a response.

He couldn't argue that he didn't want Cara.  The image of her body writhing under his, flushed with passion had him biting back a groan.  His cock strained against his zipper, pleading with him to make the fantasy a reality.

Ax laughed.  "Unless Barnum and Bailey are under that tent in your pants, I rest my case, D."

"Shut up.  And you two need to get Stark to patch you up, instead of standing here fucking with me."

Hot pain shot up Damian's leg and he let out curse.  As he fell to his knees, he looked down at his calf.  One of the drones he'd left on the ground had healed itself and grabbed hold of his leg.  He felt his eyes shift to white as the bastard sank his claws in further, dumping venom into his body.

Ax grabbed his knives and jumped onto the drone, knocking him back and forcing him to release his hold.  In one smooth move, he sank the blades into the brain and heart at the same time, poofing the fucker out of existence.  He reached a hand out to Damian, helping him to his feet.

"Looks like you'll be joining us at Casa de Stark.  That one got you pretty good."

They slowly made their way over to the rest of the Guardians, the pain receding with each step.  "Damn, that shit hurt.  I'm not even gonna lie."

"Oh, you'll be fine.  Your eyes aren’t white anymore.  You just get Cara to kiss it for you and you won't even remember it happened."  Ax made kissing sounds and Corrix laughed.

Damian punched Ax in the shoulder.  "You're just jealous you haven't met a nice girl like her.  And you better respect her, man.  I'll floor your ass in a heartbeat if you step outta line."

"Easy, D.  I was just fucking around."

"Looks like I have a few newbies to stitch up.  You boys don't look too bad, though."  Stark glanced to Talis as he placed his hand on Damian.  "You're doing all right with these boys, Commander."

"Thanks, but no amount of sucking up will get you out of the bet.  You still lost.  I told you.  Every new kid gets sliced the first night.  Happens every time."  Talis winked at Damian.  "Even the talented future Guardians."

"Fair enough.  Your payment will be waiting on your desk Monday morning."  Stark shifted his gaze back to Damian.  "Relax.  This won't hurt."

A soothing warmth spread throughout his body as Stark worked his magic touch.  The guy could suck the life out of any creature, but he could also give a portion of what he took.  An ability Damian was grateful for as the pain was erased and his wounds completely healed.

"Thanks, man."  Damian patted him on the back.

"No problem.  It's my job."  Stark flashed a smile, then moved on to Ax and Corrix.

Brutal approached, Talis by his side.   "Damian, you did well tonight.  You’re gonna be one hell of a Guardian.  Though, your commander here tells me you still haven’t made a decision on your sacrifice.”

Damn.  Disappointing the leader of the Order before you even start working for him.  Excellent job, dumbass.

“I want you both in my office on Monday, as soon as the sun goes down.  I expect you to have made your choice by then.”

"Yes, sir."

Havoc appeared at the gate, the landscape distorting as he disengaged his cloaking field.  Concern marred his features as his eyes locked on to Brutal.

“That’s my cue.  You boys take it easy for the rest of the weekend.  You had a big night.”  He and Talis strode off in the direction of the gate.

Holy shit.  What if Havoc had located the nest?  A full-scale assault on the Savrati Primes hadn’t happened in such a long time.  Not since Stark’s father went kamikaze on the soulless bastards.

Damian would know soon enough.  If he could make his decision on the part of himself he wanted to give up.

Usually, the sacrifice was foreseen by the oracle, and the parents were informed at birth.  Which was why so many of the Guardians had names related to their abilities.  But, for whatever reason, Stone couldn't get a bead on Damian.  While it wasn't unheard of, it was rare. 

After seeing the Guardian talents up close and personal, the choice should be easy.  Not the case.  They were all an invaluable asset to have in the field.  They each had a role to play in the future of their species, the future of the entire world.

So what was his destiny?