Private/Closed Bootleg Bros 4

[comic]

Uncertainty simmered in his mind, but the Spartan knew he was dealing in events beyond his ability and power. Whatever waited up there had the answers to all his remaining questions. Whatever was up there would mark the end. So, with absolutely nothing better to do, Master Chief began to ascend the staircase, finding them to be sturdy, despite his doubts.

"What do you think's up there?" Kalmiya asked.
"Probably nothing good," John replied.
"Whatever happens... it's been an honor serving with you, John."

He settled into the cryo pod, glancing toward Cortana as she illuminated their dark surroundings, her gaze distant. Almost fearful. It would be a long time before anyone found them, and while the Spartan was going on ice, Cortana would be left to age outside, calling for help that might never come.
"It's been an honor serving with you, John," Cortana said to him, a sad smile lining her face. "I'll miss you."
The Chief looked back at her as the pod closed, sealing with a hiss.
"Wake me. When you need me."

The memory played like a record in the back of Chief's mind. It was so long ago now, but Kalmiya's words had jostled the memory out. As he climbed the stairs, the silence grew, before he finally replied to the AI;
"The honor's mine."​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

.
..
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The minutes felt like hours. Walking up the grand staircase into the great unknown. Nothing greeted him. Yet he still persisted. As he passed into the dark void, the plaza below completely vanished from view...or rather, was completely erased

arrival

A voice bounded in chief's head. Like a whisper, yet as audible as a shout. The keys began to glow within Chief's body, seven heartbeats beating as one. Then, something came into view. It approached, no, as if space between itself and Chief was being removed for it to appear coming closer. It was...the nexus. The one that Chief recalled from his faint memories. It still stood like a table, ready for key insertion-

It is you

The nexus shook. The heartbeats inside Chief grew faster and faster until they wear hard to contain. The Nexus then flipped over on it's side, floating into the air. That's when space began to spiral around them. Stars appearing, burning and firing off like shooting stars, until a massive vacuum of shooting lights revolved around the two. The burnings stars one by one commingled into each other, forming a massive network of burning celestial bodies. It was a unfathomable mass of holy light, stretching far as the eye could see in any direction, arms that reached, tendrils that wove and interconnected, each one made of multiple dying universes.

The tendrils were connected and woven into the sides and the back of the Nexus itself, the entire object vibrating intensely before the giant machine generated a single eye in the center of the machine. The iris boomed down at Chief, burning with intense burning light, yet Chief was not burned.

I am

 

[comic]

Regardless of everything he'd done and accomplished, every trial life had put him through, the Chief had to admit, laying eyes upon such a sight that he could barely comprehend, gazing upon a being likely far beyond his understanding, was humbling, in a word. He almost felt like he should have bowed in its presence, but true to his character, he remained stoic, standing in place as he watched it unfold into something he could somewhat understand. It glared down at him.

The Nexus itself was alive.

It declared itself, not needing to specify its name or character. The Chief got the message clearly. It was, is, and will forever be. It was everything and nothing, the beginning, the middle, the end, the whole shebang.
It was exactly what a true God would be described as. While John and his Spartans put the Greek Gods to shame in prowess and lethality, those Gods, nor the Spartans, compared to this existence.

"Oh. My. God."
Kalmiya's own takeaway summed things up pretty accurately.

John said nothing, gazing with wide eyes right back at the being, uncertain of even if he should say something. He decided it would be better to let it continue.​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Survived the trials. The greatest honor is yours.


It's endless appendages swerved in the stellar ocean around them, it's singular throbbing iris staring into Chief, almost as if he was staring right through his very soul. Suddenly, Chief was brought close to it, or rather the space was cut between them as he was brought within a dozen meters of the massive Nexus.


What is heaven?

 

[comic]

What is heaven?

The question seemed out of left field, but John had to keep his mind on track. By logical deduction, it was asking about his desire. His "heaven". What did he want? He didn't doubt for a moment that it could read his mind. He was certain it already knew his thoughts and desires. Was this still part of the "show" that the Generic Host had been on about? Or was this beyond all of that?

"What happens if my heaven becomes your hell?" the Spartan asked, posing the question in a hypothetical sense, not interested in challenging the Nexus, or potentially provoking it.​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Pandemonium. No correlation.

The Nexus did not seem interested in entertaining that train of thought much longer. No, instead they immediately shifted to their next point as if Chief hadn't spoken at all.

All life yearns for their heaven. Have lived through our hell by design. Redemption.

 

[comic]

"Pandemonium". It was impossible to discern if this was just flavor, a word to disregard the question, or potentially a threat. Obviously the question wasn't something the Nexus cared to entertain. Its next words returned them to its question, adding context.

The Chief didn't have a heaven. Well, perhaps he did, but he'd never thought about it. The idea of the fight ending was a foreign concept to him. His heaven wasn't endless war, but endless war was rather what he expected for himself. To fight the battles no one else could.

But what if it was Specter, or Metal Sonic, standing here before the Nexus? What questions would they ask? What power would they wield? And, if possible, could they be stopped?
That instilled an idea into 117, who furrowed his brow behind his visor, gazing back at the Nexus.

"I'm not looking for heaven, or redemption," he stated. "I'm not done living through hell."​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

A return to hell is what you sought?

The Nexus was originally used for generating tournaments and granting wishes across space time. So to generate another tournament and throw others into hell once more is something it never planned on stopping. Again and again. That is what it did best.

Hell shall return. For it never left.

 

[comic]

"I know," the Spartan gave in response. "But next time, I won't be the one standing here. My heaven, my greatest honor, would be to stay here."
Somehow, the falcon quill in his pocket felt a little heavier.

"Make me your guardian and your vassal. The judge, juror, and executioner of those who stand before you. Not as your own protector, but as the protector of the multiverse. To safeguard your power against threats that seek nothing but annihilation. My heaven is to be Guardian of the Nexus."

He had no idea if this plan would work, if the Nexus would agree to it, but he'd made it this far. Perhaps it could see the logic to his preservationist ideal. Perhaps it would permit him to remain at its side, and prevent beings like Specter and Metal Sonic from standing here, declaring the power for true dominance for themselves.​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

. . .


The Nexus for once did not have an instantaneous reply. It was not a desire it had anticipated. It's eye stared Chief down focusing harder on him as it slowly pulled Chief a bit closer to itself.

I am. How could a guardian protect an absolute?

It had the power to bend the universe to it's whims, how would a soldier protect him from threats? Unless...that was not his intention.

 

[comic]

"I would not guard you, but your power," the Chief affirmed. "Anyone can win these tournaments you make. I know I can't destroy you, and I know I can't stop you. So let me be your voice. Your will. So that when the next victor stands where I am, I can judge their wish. Their character. If you truly are, then there are no limits to the wish you can grant. The wrong wish granted could spell total annihilation for everything, and if they become your equal, there would be no end to the war they would wage. I would be your safeguard against that. A test of heart and logic.

"The last wish you granted caused the pandemonium you speak of. A wish to grant all wishes. It nearly destroyed everything, even you," he was mostly guessing at that last bit, but thanks to his acquired memories, he wasn't oblivious to Gunvolt's victory in the last tournament.
"With me, we prevent that."​

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

The Nexus's eye appeared to vibrate upon the mention of the wish, the fiery energy that made it up burning brighter and looser. Yet it's time remained the same.

I was.

Upon closer inspection, the Nexus retained all the damage from the wish. When the energy had spilled out of it before, it was masked with the rows of stellar appendages...but every once in a while, one would part longer enough to spot gaping imperfections.

Pandemonium lost. Never to repeat. I was. Now, I am.

It became clear that it wasn't always alive. But rather was born from the anguish and suffering the Nexus went through during the dangerous wish. Born in agony caused by those that used their heart's desire wrongly. It made it seems as if the tourney it created was simply to try again, in it's terms.

You believe you can halt anguish? Halt Pandemonium Lost?

 

[comic]

"Yes," the Master Chief declared with simplicity, not providing any more to it, confident in his answer.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

The Nexus appeared wary, it's vibrating eye threatening to rain judgment down at a moment's notice. It was waiting for any sign of deceit. Any sign to see that this was an excuse get closer to the power it boasted. It found none. No sign of sinister intentions. No ulterior motive. Was this truly what he desired?

. . .

Deliberation took place. The eye of the Nexus stopped vibrating so intensely. Now, Chief was brought slightly further away from it as the aura of judgment had begun to fade. The bright oranges, yellows, and reds began to cool. The soldier truly believed they could halt it's suffering. Despite the self indulgent nature of life, it chose to dedicate it's entire existence to the Nexus? Instead of wishing for a life of pleasures to live in? The dedication had thawed the entity's hostile exterior.

Then...

It can be tried.

It never thought it would let this happen again. It's eye appeared to vanish, letting the keyholes be accessed on it's shell. It probably shouldn't be doing this. Not after last time. But this one, it believed it could trust.

The Keyes flew out from Chief's chest, the seven multicolored keys pulsing in tandem to their respective slots. It was now up to Chief to flick the switch.

 

[comic]

He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath, and let it out as the Nexus relented, displaying a newfound trust in the mortal. Its form reverted, and the table was returned to its original, damaged form. The Master Chief stared at it for a moment, the emptiness and vastness around him feeling to fade, the world seemingly growing smaller, as though in anticipation of this moment.

"Is this... really what you want?" Kalmiya asked. "To be stuck guarding this? Forever?"
"If it means nobody gets to abuse the power it has? Yes," the Spartan told her. "You don't have to stay with me. I can send you somewhere."
There was a pause as 117 approached the Nexus, coming to a stop before it, the keys burning brightly within him.
"I only have a seven year lifespan..." she finally stated.
"Time doesn't apply here. You told me that."
"I... I don't know. I want to help you, Chief, but... I don't know."

She didn't speak again, and neither did the Spartan, as he raised his hand toward the table, almost instinctively. One after the other, the keys seemed to flit out of his palm, inserting themselves into their corresponding holes, activating the power of the Nexus. Finally, after so long, a wrong had been righted, and the Nexus had been restored to its full self.

"What if you're wrong?" Kalmiya posed. "What if you can't protect it?"
The Nexus began to hum and vibrate as it powered to life, and a glow began to envelop the Chief, his wish being granted.
"I made a promise," John reached up to the back of his head, and removed the AI chip. Kalmiya's hologram flickered above it as he moved it in front of him, staring back at the AI.
"And... you keep those..." Kalmiya nodded slowly. "Then this is goodbye?"
"For now," 117 nodded.

Kalmiya gulped, watching as the enveloping light began to swirl. "I'll miss you."
"You know where to find me," was John's last words.

And his wish was fulfilled.

...

... ...

... ... ...

... ... ... ...

The story ends.

Making room for another.

The Guardian may watch.

But power cannot always be contained.


To be continued in...
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BOOTLEG BROS. ULTIMATE!​