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A Star Guardian shouldn’t be scared of death, it is only natural and when joining the Star Guardians you should already know your life is at risk with every mission. It was part of their code, risk your life everyday so others can live in peace. They knew whether it was a big or small mission there was always that risk of death.
Blue Cop was no expectation of this code. He partially trained to overcome the fear of death. Each mission he treated as his last as you'll never know. He had heard it first hand, the smallest missions somehow killing some Star Guardian. Each memorial wasn’t seen as sad but as respect for that Guardian, of course yes there were a few sadden yet still the memorials were to be respected. Death is only natural and Star Guardians gamble with death each mission.
Death wasn’t a fear for the Star Guardians when they signed up, yet somehow death always finds a way to haunt.
That day Blue Cop was just walking around Machina just on a patrol. He didn’t really know what he was doing when he got a high alert mission, he wasn’t afraid. There weren't many details to this mission as it seemed rushed, almost like a call for help from another squad. Blue Cop didn’t seem to mind though, a mission as still a mission. He just pressed accept on the mission request, transforming into his alt-mode and zoomed off towards the mission.
He met up with a few other unit members that were called to the mission. Already close to where the mission was located he had swapped back out of his alt-mode choosing to walk with the other Star Guardians to the location. He glanced at the others spotting familiar Cardbots walking together. Blue Cop was pretty sure they were conjunx? He wasn’t familiar with them enough since they were newer to the unit but he was no stranger to gossip.
He remembers what another unit member had said, “Conjunx in the Star Guardians are kinda dumb, you're just gonna watch one or the other die one day. Plus it can be a distraction in the middle of a battle.”
Blue Cop never really cared though, saying that is just like saying close friends are dumb since they're also just gonna watch one another die. Still though Blue Cop was happy for the two other Cardbots, at least they have someone to care for them even in such a rough time. Whatever made them happy.
Getting closer now Blue Cop can hear the sounds of a battle, some fires dying out, and oh, a dead Guardian.
“Poor dude.” He heard another member of the unit whisper.
Quickly paying respects they continue forward, no time to properly mourn when there's an active battle. The cleanup crews will properly clean up the scenes and then a proper memorial will be hosted for every Guardian lost here.
Walking closer to the mission location the fires seemed to burn more, so did the plating of unknown cardbots laying around. Most likely ripped from their bodies during the fight. Blue Cop kept walking, better not look at them.
Blue Cop was so forced on not looking he bumped into another Star Guardian as the whole unit suddenly stopped walking. He heard some gasps and swears from the others. He blinked once before walking to the side of the bit to see what the others were looking at.
Oh.
Oh.
Standing a few feet away was Solidhorn. Blue Cop had heard of this Wild Cardbot before, the one who managed to kill multiple Star Guaidans. There he was standing, right hand holding their weapon card, the sledgehammer. The other hand held a Guardian by the head.
Oh Deus Machina he was holding a Star Guardian…
The Guardian, despite trying to pull away from the grasp, Blue Cop's eyes widened as he heard a sickening crush. Solidhorn threw the body aside, turning to the unit that just arrived.
The mission request now seemed to make sense. A call for help, written quickly with no time for details. The cardbot who sent it was most likely dead now.
He barely even had time to register another member summoning their weapon card charging. Solidhorn was too, charging at the Guardian. Luckily they ducked before the sledgehammer could make contact. Solidhorn didn’t seem to stop though, grabbing onto the arm of the Cardbot swinging them up, then slamming them down with brutal strength. That left the Guardian momentarily stunned.
The other Star Guardian, Blue Cop included, didn't even have time to react before the sledgehammer was already swinging down. There the sickening crunch was heard again.
The pause was only a few seconds long.
Almost mindlessly the unit charged, weapon cards summoning. There’s no time to worry about death when protecting Machina was on the mind.
It was so… so brutal.
Blue Cop witnessed it all, each member dying. Crushed like a bug without care. Yet each of them still ran into their deaths, for that’s what a Star Guardian was trained to do. Death was just another word in the millions of others.
He can remember it, one of them being launched into a jagged rock implanted. Another's head was stomped on. One was thrown into the flames. The two cardbots that were conjunx? One of them lost a leg. Ripped away from Solidhorn. The other ran towards them to help them away from Solidhorn, but they didn’t see the sledgehammer swinging at their back, it knocked them to a crunch into some rocks. Solidhorn crushed the guardian with the missing leg before walking over to hold the other’s head and to crush it with his hand.
Each member of the unit was gone, dead, offline. Blue Cop was the only one left. Injured he was still able to fight… but he didn’t. Frozen for some odd reason. He didn’t understand why. He was sure the fear of death was gone. Yet there was something wrong. Something about dying here… without anyone to call out too, without him knowing someone to witness. Someone he was familiar with.
He needed to move, but he was just trembling. He can’t die, not here, not without some other Star Guardian here to witness it. Not with someone to see it and report it back. Dying now? No one would see him. Those Conjunx Star Guardians. It must have been nice to at least see someone running after you even on your last breath. Blue Cop wouldn’t have that experience if he died now. All the other Star Guardians in this unit at least had something, someone crying or yelling out their name when they died.
Blue Cop can’t die here without something calling out or some bit of comfort knowing he would die soon. Blue Cop didn’t want to die alone.
Maybe that is why he was afraid right now. He got over death but not dying alone. What a dumb reason.
Solidhorn was still standing there. Blue Cop had to forcefully lift his arm and gauntlet up but it was pushed down. That slight push somehow reassured Blue Cop. He wasn't alone because looking over, he saw Flame Nova walking towards Solidhorn.
If Blue Cop were to die now, he wouldn’t mind as long as Flame Nova was here to witness it.
That bought him some comfort.