Striker Titan Jayla Rin and her fireteam were in the EDZ, helping Devrim Kay clear out some of the infighting among the Cabal and the Fallen in the area.
L.J, the team's Hunter's, latest daily gag was something called E.K.C or 'Enemy-Killing-Competition', and the loser had to buy drinks for the others. Darren, their ever-accurate warlock pointed out that most ghosts have a kill tracker for certain locations. L.J insisted it was more fun to count aloud and challenge each other.
He almost smirked at Jayla as he mentioned it, knowing she could never turn down a competition. She had rolled her eyes at him and said this was no time for games.
"15….16...ow!" L.J sliced down Fallen with his Quickfang. "Watch where you're pointing that thing, Chief!"
Jayla had accidentally winged him with a shot from her Thunderlord.
"I do what I WANT!..." She snapped, punching a Dreg in the face. "21…22…"
"Chief" had become L.J's nickname for her and she made a point to glare at him every time he said it.
"You two are children." Darren said calmly, Void light coursing thru his body as he activated his Nova Warp. "63, 64 and 5…"
At times, Jayla had almost begun to feel guilty about the way she treated L.J, not that she'd ever let on.
He didn't ask to be put on the fireteam with a wounded titan (any guardian who valued their lives wouldn't) and he really wasn't a bad person. He pulled his weight, had a good k/d and was always quick to crack a joke. He always said one day he would say something that would make Jayla laugh or think he was funny. Usually she just flipped him off. While Jayla refused to openly admit she was warming up to him, she had begun to get used to the nuances of his fight style, and for the first time since they lost Reno-13 the team was meshing together quite well again.
A giant armored Cabal transport hit the ground in front of them and two Gladiators emerged from it. Jayla threw a pulse grenade at them, before dealing with a Psion who rocketed her body sky-high.
L.J swiped and cut down one of the Gladiators as she landed hard on the ground.
"Eff you, those are mine!" She yelled.
L.J held his hands up defensively. "Fine by me."
He turned around to help Darren with the second transport's passengers, a Centurian and it's escorts.
Jayla rolled her eyes and turned back to the Gladiator, but realized right at that moment she was out of heavy ammo. She looked up into the whirling, oversized machete blades the 1000+ pound Cabal was swinging at her.
"Well, shit-"
The Gladiator swiped, and lowered a significant portion of her health.
Her HUD flickered as she leaped out of the way and stumbled, trying to load her secondary.
"Orrin...I might need you in a sec!" She screamed. Shebraced herself for the finishing slice, but it never came.
Drowning out the commotion she heard L.J's yell. But it was different than his glorious, renegade yell as he shredded thru a boss or after he made a particularly impressive shot. In fact, it was a different sound than any she'd heard previously. This was a loud, almost tortured-sounding yell, like his soul had escaped his body, or like it had been held in a long, long time. There was a crack and a deafening gunshot as L.J activated his Golden Gun and wasted the Cabal, with all 3 shots.
As the flaming cinders floated away, Orrin healed Jayla and she stood up, gasping.
"I...HAD HIM!" She yelled furiously, embarrassedly. She waited for L.J's snarky "Yeah, right!" But for once he didn't say anything. She squinted and stared at him.
His helmet was deactivated, and he was still holding the flaming pistol, trained on the spot where the Gladiator had been. His singed hair stood straight up, and flaming solar energy radiated from his wide ice-blue eyes. The wildly contrasting ensemble made him look even more like a mental patient than usual. Jayla smelled burning flesh.
Asa was whispering in L.J's ear. Finally the pistol vanished and L.J dropped his hands to his sides. He looked ill; like he was ready to throw up or fall over or both.
Jayla cocked her head and stared at him. What the hell just happened...?
Just then, Darren came back over to them. "Devrim says we're clear. Totals?"
L.J and Jayla were silent.
"Be sports now, come on. No cheating." He pressed.
"Yeah...uhh...67 or so." Jayla said distractedly.
"L.J?" Darren looked at him.
He took loud breath in thru his nose. "91." He said thru clenched teeth.
Darren smiled victoriously. "115. I win!"