T H E F I E L D S -{}- Nicholas Vanceon -{}- H a m m e r O f T h e A r m y
As excited blood coursed through his veins, Niko took a moment to close his eyes and inhale. He could feel the slow heaving of his chest as he steadied his breaths and the grin that struggled to stretch into a full blown smile. Even if the beastly Mordrem had the capability of killing him in a single blow, the young Guardian relished in the successful attack he had landed thanks to the opening provided by Monika. The simulations back at Oakridge did true combat no justice. The feeling of accomplishment overwhelmed the boy and as he opened his eyes to advancing fungi spores, he let instinct gain complete control of his body and he eagerly met the venomous enemies. Explosive echoes rang out from the newly separated blunderbuss and the now straightened blade of Niko's shortsword sliced at mushroomed spores through pirouettes and half-steps. It was easy to avoid the poisonous clouds the fungi gave off if they could be shot from some distance and evaded. This scenario was part of the reason Niko chose to add range to his trick weapon design back when he first began to develop ideas; the Cathedral had always been a stickler about details and preparedness. They were also the ones who instilled the sense of awe the boy felt during combat and, at this moment, he was certainly in awe.
The other Guardians had taken over the fight pretty quickly. It was not something to be upset by as teamwork was more important than anything on the battlefield, but the spectacle was completely unexpected. Monika's spirits seemed to glow the brightest as she let off what looked to be powerful offense one after the other with recoil being her only punishment. This was preceded by a red beam that cut through the air and pierced the head of the Mordrem with pinpoint accuracy - apparently, another Guardian had arrived late, but announced his presence in grand fashion. Graham was equally as impressive with his own acrobatics and athleticism as he literally pounced on the beast and seemed to hold it in place while damaging it with his own weapons. Every Guardian on the battlefield fought as if they had easily dispatched this kind of beast before and even though that was true to a degree, it left Niko more impressed than he thought he would be - and then it was over. The Gastridamon fell and the rain fell with it.
Niko stood as if he were in disbelief. His face was a blank slate of uncertain emotion, but his thoughts were calming down and becoming focused once more. The battle had not been as hard as it could have been, but it was almost as if... He was disappointed. It was true that grave injury had been avoided thanks to the fact that a number of Guardians were present to combat the threat, but it was also mildly disappointing that he had not been able to push himself harder. In a place like the Dark Zone, there would be more than enough challenge to satiate even the hungriest appetite for battle, but Niko could not help but feel as though he was not able to utilize enough of his training - or better said, not able to evolve passed the simulations he was so used to training against. Olivia's hand on his shoulder - for however brief that actually was - brought the boy back from his mind to the reality of the small peace and new vehicle the team had been given.
The drive was much quicker this time and once arrived at the base called Nautilus, Niko exhaled sharply. The ride had given him time to truly come down from his high and he realized he was in desperate need of a hot shower. As soon as the officer briefed the group, Niko slung his weapon back over his back, sheathed his blade, and headed for the nearest shower. He would gladly take the offer of dry clothes and a deep cleansing.