Six of One, Half-Dozen of the Other

by Poke-em-with-the-pointy-end

The more things change, the more it stays the same. Light will be Light. Darkness will be Darkness. And the world will still be the world... even if it's technically not your world. But a true Outlaw cares little about this philosophy; because at the end of the day, all that really matters is that you have a pocket full of cash and a warm gun at your side. Bang.

2. Before - Hunt

And my mind and my gun they comfort me
Because I know I'll kill my enemies when they come
- Shawn James, "Through the Valley"

- 88AA -

"Wind?"

"Eight knots, blowing south."

"Distance?"

"900 meters. I've calculated the elevation and have made adjustments for your ballistics."

His HUD sparked to life, information began scrolling by. He read the mathematics, and his offhand went to the optic mounted on his weapon, adjusting the knobs attached.

"...A simple 'Thank you' would be nice."

Arcturus grinned as he finished the necessary adjustments to his scope, his hand then made a fist and he gently knocked twice on the back of his helm.

"Thank you Ghost."

"You are quite welcome Guardian."

"Fuckin' smartass…"

A light, but abrupt shock of electricity struck Arcturus and he jumped in reflex. Dumbfounded for a second, an annoyed grimace fell over his face as the sound of innocent whistling played from within his helm's audio receptors. He held his tongue however, for fear of another retaliation of the electrical variety.

I'm gonna remember that one buddy.

Shrugging off the lingering tingle of the improv taser, Arcturus returned his attention to the scope of his weapon. He sighted in, the dull greenish haze of the land before him magnified exponentially. Rolling hills and tall, rocky caverns met his gaze. A looming waterfall hollowed out the walls of this particular canyon; it flowed with bright bioluminescent water that sprouted and rolled into the ravine below. The brimming waterfall devolved into gentle stream of the fluorescent fluid, that spun and splashed and finally rested in the center of the stone formation beneath. Quiet and peaceful.

A gentle breath exited Arcturus' lungs as he took in the sight, his body relaxing as he embraced the natural majesty before him.

A massive flash of sickly yellow lightning illuminated the mountaintops just a few klicks away, rustling him from his trance like state. The lightning strike continued as he left the view of his weapon's scope to glare at the skies above. The viridian clouds hung low; thickly and suffocating, the clouds glowed with lethal fumes. Toxic sulfuric gases rolled overhead, highlighted by the constant flashes of bolts of lightning. A storm was rolling in, and Arcturus returned to the task at hand, not a relaxed bone in his body.

After all, the planet Venus, once considered a paradise, was nothing more than a wasteland now.

Relaxation can wait till later. Arcturus thought mildly to himself as he inserted a magazine into the rifle before him and charged the weapon. The rifle's action gave a satisfying 'clunk' as a fresh round was loaded into the chamber. I'm working right now.

He sighted back downrange, the optic's reticle focusing on movement within the caves that lay beyond the hollowed out walls of the canyon above. His eyes narrowed as he managed to make out the shadowed forms lurking in the distance. Tall, lanky and insectoid in appearance; with multiple sets of bright white-blue eyes that glowed through the cave's interior.

Bingo

The Fallen. A nomadic alien race of pirates, scavengers and thieves. Multi eyed and multi armed; they preyed upon the less fortunate and defenseless in the system. Raiding settlements and stealing resources where they could. Apparently in some sort of misconceived mission of reclaiming their race's former glory. The reasoning behind their actions was faulty at best and malevolent at worst. Arcturus didn't understand, nor did he care to; their motivations meant nothing to him. Warlocks are the ones who focused on all that 'knowledge and understanding' crap.

All a Hunter needed to know is how to effectively kill something.

Speaking of which…

The Fallen were a race that operated in a hierarchy; their basic run-of-the-mill soldier was called a Dreg. The size of an average man, they were quick and crafty. Cannon fodder troops, they were easily distinguished from other Fallen ranks by only having two arms, as opposed to the usual four. Being bottom of the totem pole in Fallen society meant that you don't yet rate a second pair of arms. Sucks to suck.

Next in command was the sharpshooter, the Vandal. Four armed and of decent height, the Vandal was capable of putting up a fight, in both melee and range. Despite this, they were still no match for a Guardian with quick enough reflexes and a steady trigger finger. Something Arcturus had in spades.

And now for the pièce de résistance.

The Captain was the leader, the highest ranking Fallen that the average Guardian could have the misfortune of coming across. Serving as infantry field commanders, the Captains were big, brutish and heavily armed and armored. Equipped with powerful arc energy shielding and personal teleporters, they were a nightmare to face off against, even to the most veteran of Guardians. They were considered the Fallen's elite soldiers.

Which meant that the bounty to collect upon them was quite considerable.

Laying down in the prone, his form hidden behind a cloak, Arcturus readied for the shot. Positively ID the target. The Vandal held a shock rifle, nestled in a position high above, providing overwatch for the Fallen patrol below. Keep a steady hold on the target. The weapon's reticle hovered just above the alien's head, compensating for the drop that the bullet would indefinitely occur from this distance. Breathe in. The world seemed to slow to a crawl as a narrow tunnel vision affected his senses. Focused on nothing but this perfect shot, he blocked out the world around him. Breathe out. As if sensing the impending danger, the Vandal's body tensed as it cocked its head to the side, his four eyes scanning the horizon before him. Arcturus let a ghost of a smile etch upon his face. Too little too late. He gave the trigger a slow and steady squeeze.

The crack that echoed across the canyon was ear splitting. The buttstock of the rifle slammed into Arcturus' shoulder as recoil raked through his body, shaking him down to his core. A spent shell casing expelled out the ejection port, the weapon's action already loading a fresh round onto the bolt face. The empty cartridge spun through the air - wild but graceful in its descent.

By the time it struck the ground, the Vandal's head exploded.

"Beautiful shot." Ghost commented, watching the headless corpse collapse amongst his confused companions.

Arcturus quickly shifted targets. Another Vandal. Six o'clock high. He fired again, and the alien's chest caved in as the round ripped armor and flesh alike. Reddish-purple blood splattered the stone behind him, and the Vandal fell from his vertical perch. Landing painfully atop one of the Dregs that was unfortunately posted underneath the former-sentry.

The Fallen patrol was slow to react, surprise and shock worked against their favor. It took another two shots and another two kills before they finally realized that they were under attack. Their numbers were already considerably thinned by the time the Captain snapped out of his stupor, ordering his remaining unit to lay down suppressing fire in the direction the shots had originated.

It did them no good. Arcturus was strategic in eliminating their long ranged assets early in the engagement. Any other weapon system they had was wholly incapable of reaching his position effectively. They were sitting ducks.

Easy pickings.

The rifle cycled, and Arcturus fired again. This time his shot went wide, impacting the rock wall beside the remaining Vandal, who dove to cover in response. Arcturus shook his head slightly. Stay calm. He told himself. Get a proper hold on your targets, no need to rush this. He exhaled and fired twice more: one shot striking a Dreg in the chest, the force nearly tearing the alien fodder in two. His second shot impacted the Fallen Captain in the skull, draining his shields completely and sending him crashing to the floor. Arcturus grinned as he ejected his rifle's spent magazine. Bet that one hurt. He loaded a fresh mag into the weapon's magazine well and slammed the bolt home. Gun up, ready to fire.

A swarm of Shanks exited the cave entrance. Unmanned (unalienned?) combat drones that the Fallen used for scouting, fire support, and distraction roles. The drones flocked to the Captain, who was still recovering from the last sniper round. The Shanks formed a miniature phalanx around the Captain, shielding him from any further harm. Realizing this was an impossible fight, the Captain ordered the pack to retreat, falling back into the caves behind them. Arcturus attempted to get a final kill shot in, firing once and swearing loudly as one of the Shanks took the round directly, effectively shielding its master from certain death. The Fallen disappeared into the darkened cavern. Daring the Guardian to follow.

And Arcturus would take that challenge. He couldn't let them get away that easy.

"Ghost! I need a ride!" He yelled as he bolted to his feet. Calling forth the Light within himself, he willed the energy into his legs, propelling himself faster than what should be physically possible for any mortal man. Ghost simultaneously returned his forgotten rifle to an immaterial realm and transmatted his ride to reality.

The art of transmat was a complicated one, at least when Ghost bothered to explain it to Arcturus. From what he could understand through his companion's confusing technobabble (which was not much) It was an advanced form of near instantaneous matter-transport technology, first developed sometime before The Collapse. Essentially, there was an orbital grid of hyperspace- yadda yadda yadda -using this network of immaterial, Ghosts were capable of- blah blah blah -transmitting matter, atom by atom across space and time. Snore. Dribble dribble dribble.

Layman's terms were: Ghosts can teleport. Teleport things. Teleport good.

The Sparrow is a land-based speeder vehicle used for rapid local transportation. Fast, lightweight, and maneuverable; the Sparrow is little more than a comfy little seat with handlebars and an antigrav engine. Hovering a few feet off the deck, the Sparrow could cross over rough, impassable terrain with little to no issue. There was a reason they were considered the premier choice of transportation for Guardians within the solar system.

Flashing to tangibility before him, Arcturus jumped high and in one fluid movement, he was atop his Sparrow. Gunning the engine hard, his speeder shot forward in speeds nearing two hundred kilometers per hour as he soared through the canyon's center. A pair of Dreg remained behind the main body of Fallen, securing their egress route. They fired upon him as he approached, bolts of arc energy from their shock pistols landing wildly around him. Didn't realize it was amateur hour. He thought with a grin. Closing the distance in seconds, he pulled hard on the bike's brakes, momentum sending him flying over his Sparrow's handlebars, and over the rock walls leading to the caves that the Fallen were escaping through.

The Dregs cried out in their native language, panicked shots from their pistols arched through the sky. A lucky bolt impacted Arcturus' shoulder as he flew - the heat and force behind the shot dissipated against the sturdy plates of his armor, and the nanofiber weave of his clothing. Hand cannon in hand as he maneuvered through the air, Arcturus let rip a salvo of rounds from his cannon's barrel, nailing a retreating Dreg in the head and crippling the other as it moved through cover. He landed in a graceful descent, boots firmly planted on the deck in cat-like-finesse. His offhand was already moving to his beltline as the wounded alien before him raised its pistol from its collapsed position on the ground. Arcturus was faster however, as he let free a throwing knife from his waist, striking the Dreg in the jugular. The alien crumpled back, dead as his companions before him.

The rest of the cavern was silent. The remnants of the Fallen patrol having escaped through the cave. Arcturus smirked at his own handiwork.

"Y'know sometimes I even impress myself." He stated cockily. If his Ghost was capable, he would have rolled his optics.

"You do realize that the Fallen are getting away, right?"

"Patience my good sir." He quipped, reloading his cannon as he approached the cave's threshold. "You must never rush an artist."

"And you're an artist of what exactly?" Ghost asked.

"Killing. Hunting. Gunslinging. Being a badass." He said as his visor shifted to a low-light sensor mode as he prowled through the near pitch black cave. "The kind of artist that all aspiring Hunters should strive to become."

"Oh really?" Ghost said, unimpressed.

"Yes. Really."

"Hey, remember that last bounty we did? The one where you died twice? And I had to resurrect you twice?" Ghost said blankly. "No? Because I sure do..."

"Ehhh, details details." He waved a hand nonchalantly as he planted a tripmine to a stalagmite (or was it stalactite?) behind him. The tripmine 'beeped' quietly as it armed. "Besides in my defense, that Cabal Centurion was waiting for us, and he had a really big gun."

"Arcturus, first of all; that Centurion was not armed." Ghost pointedly stated. "And secondly; he was asleep when you tried to ram a knife in his throat."

"Hey whoa-whoa-whoa hey!" Arcturus said defensively, "You're arguing semantics again. Stop that." His motion tracker flashed red, movement nearby. He willed the Light into his hand, and an orb formed in his palm. "Ghost?"

"On the ledge to your right. 10 meters away." He calculated the distance and lobbed the grenade. The orange glowing orb arched overhead and landed behind a formation of rocks above him. An inhuman screech met his ears, followed by an eruption of flame as the incendiary grenade ignited, illuminating the cave with fire and light.

"Two down. Alert: movement." Arcturus paused as his eyes scanned the dark walls of the cavern, his hand cannon held at a low ready.

"Uhhh Ghost?" Arcturus said, forming another grenade in his hand. His eyes bounced from corner to corner, wary of his surroundings. "Movement where exactly?"

Ghost buzzed and clicked and chittered before his response. "Everywhere!"

The words hadn't even left his Ghost's audio projectors when the Fallen sprung their trap. The Shanks swarmed over the top of the ledge above him, hovering in an overwatch position as salvos of arc energy ejected forth from their miniature pulse cannons. A Vandal posted itself on the ledge behind them, shock rifle in hand as it let loose, adding its fires to the overwhelming rain of death that fell upon the Guardian.

"Shit!" Arcturus cried out as he dove to cover behind a rock formation, returning inaccurate fire with his hand cannon in an attempt to slow the advance of the Fallen's retaliatory strike force. Several arc blasts struck the stone he hid behind, sending chunks of molten slag and fiery dust in the air. He peeked around the corner of his (relatively) safe fortification, just in time to see a group of Dregs armed with a plethora of blades, daggers, and all manner of sharp-pointy objects advancing upon his position. "Oh. Oh dear." He said, ducking back from another burst of suppression.

"Complications? Mister Artist?" Ghost spoke in his ear, over the sounds of pulse cannon fire around him.

"Ehhh. Maybe a little bit." Arcturus said, as his grip tightened around the incendiary grenade in his palm. He bent the Light around him to his will and the orb flashed and changed form. The grenade's functionality modified itself to his preference as a strategy formed in his head.

"So then un-complicate it." Ghost said, deadpan.

"Waaay ahead of you buddy." He lobbed the swarm grenade over his cover, the orb exploding into half a dozen smaller munitions that maneuvered through the air, lighting the dark interior of the cave as they tracked individual Shanks. Like a heat-seeking missile, each mini ball of death homed in on their assigned targets. Exploding upon the Shank swarm in a flare of solar light, the drones exploded in an orchestra of mechanical destruction, incinerating the pitiful armor that the drones were plated with.

Arcturus was out and moving before the grenade had even finished its first detonation cycle. Feet don't fail me now. He thought as he slid across the cold, wet ground - he let loose a pair of throwing knives from one hand, as he fired his hand cannon from the hip with the other. Making a low enough profile on his knees, he slid through the open legs of the lead Dreg in front and passed the pack that the alien was leading. The leftmost Fallen was struck by his blades, sundering armor and flesh and buckling it to the ground below. The rightmost alien took a trio of hand cannon rounds that punched golf ball sized holes in its sternum; violet colored blood seeping from its wounds as the warrior sagged to its knees. The Fallen's hands clutched its ruined chest, gurgling loudly as it struggled to breathe. The Dreg was dead before he even hit the floor.

Arcturus continued to slide across the slippery ground, bounding to his feet as he reached the other end of the cave. Kicking off the wall with as much force as he could muster, he shot back towards the remaining Dregs, who spun around to face their elusive foe. Arcturus focused his Light as he vanished in a bloom of luminescence, reappearing behind one of the startled Dregs, who was still facing the direction that the Hunter had been a mere second before. Arcturus' hand shot out, another blade in hand, as he rammed the serrated edge deep into the spinal column of the Fallen warrior before him. Bone and nerve severed as the alien's muscles sagged, losing control of its body's motor functions. Arcturus ejected his blade, wrapping his arm around the Dreg's neck, as he raised his hand cannon over the other shoulder, forming a makeshift shield with the now crippled Fallen's body.

Let's see just how much your fellows like you pal. Arcturus thought, as he took a few steps back, maneuvering his body out of the line of fire of the Vandal above. Several bolts of arc energy impacted the Dreg he held, as the dismissal Vandal opened fire. Not very much, it would seem. Protected from the incoming fire, he sighted in on the sharpshooter above and unleashed a fusillade of rounds of his very own. His cannon clicked empty - just as the Vandal died.

The remaining two Dregs rushed him, daggers in hand, looking to spill Guardian blood. Arcturus kicked the now dead body shield forward, who crashed into one of the charging assassins. As they collapsed in a heap of limbs and smoking armor, he quickly returned his hand cannon to its holster as he counter-charged the other Dreg. Ducking under one dagger slash and sidestepping the other, Arcturus grappled with the alien; grasping an over extended arm with his own, he plunged the Fallen's very own dagger into its opposite shoulder. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he then raised his leg high, before kicking out at the Dreg's knee with the heel of his boot with as much momentum as possible. The alien's knee gave way in a loud snap as bone broke skin and purple gore began streaming out from an arterial bleed. The alien marauder screamed in its native language.

Arcturus tossed the beaten Fallen to the side as he faced the last, healthy fighter. The Dreg snipped and snarled at him from behind its mask as the alien brought its two daggers together, scraping the blades against each other in a display of intimidation.

"My Eliksni is a little rusty." Ghost said from within Arcturus' helm, as he watched the alien soldier warily. "But it appears that this Dreg is challenging you to a knife fight." He watched as the Dreg twirled his blade expertly, no doubt expecting the confrontation to begin soon. "By the Fallen's code of honor, you are meant to accept."

Arcturus grinned as he retrieved a knife from the sheath on his arm. Honor huh? He mused, eyes narrowed as he took aim. Didn't anybody bother telling these fools that outlaws don't have honor…?

His cloak billowed as his blade flew, straight and true; impaling the Dreg in the chest, the alien's eyes flashing brightly in surprise to the sudden betrayal. Arcturus then rushed forward to deliver a dropkick to finish the job. His legs infused with Light as the force of his kick multiplied tenfold, the impact sending a tremor of force through his form, and sending the now embedded knife ripping through the Fallen's body, tearing its heart in two and piercing out of its back.

Flying through the air, the knife struck stone and planted itself firmly into the rock wall. The blade was covered in dark purple muck, from dagger point to handle.

"Oh okay. Gross." Arcturus moaned, glaring at the sight of the mess that was his blade, his hands absently drawing his hand cannon and loading in a fresh cylinder. "I uh, don't think I want that knife back…"

"Nothing a little T-L-C won't fix, Guardian." Ghost's ever chipper voice echoed through his helm. Arcturus shook his head as he approached the wounded Dreg on the ground; the last alien moaned, clutching at its damaged shoulder.

"Ah Ghost." He said warmly as he raised his hand cannon. "You're such an optimist. Never change buddy." He fired once, executing the alien before fancily twirling his cannon as he returned it to its holster. The barrel still smoking.

"You know me Guardian. I'll always be a glass half-" His partner stopped mid sentence, startling Arcturus as a symphony of whirls and chirps followed, the telltale sounds of a Ghost processing information.

"Alert! One last Fallen behind you!" Ghost cried out in his ear. Yet Arcturus didn't even bother glancing over. Instead he kept his back turned as he unsheathed his sword from its scabbard and began strolling over to the walkway leading to the platform above. He made it three steps before the familiar roar of a tripmine detonation sounded off behind him; shaking the cave's walls as the explosive took care of a particularly sneaky Vandal that attempted to complete a backstab. "Oh...well nevermind then." Arcturus chuckled at his partner's sudden dismissal.

"How many more are left?" Arcturus asked, sword in hand, as he casually walked up a stone ramp leading to the ledge above.

"Only the pack leader remains." Ghost said, "Just a heads up, he's a little upset..."

Arcturus' blade suddenly clashed with two more. The Captain was waiting for him at the top of the ramp. Its armor cracked, bleeding, and slightly singed by the earlier grenade; The Fallen's four eyes radiated loathing behind the dual shock sabers he wielded. The Captain roared at him in some unknown alien dialect, and Arcturus grinned behind his helmet.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat it?" Arcturus' mocking enraged the Fallen, who grasped the Hunter's waist violently with its remaining two claws, attempting to lift the Guardian high into the air. The alien's grip was tight, and the Hunter painfully groaned as his muscles were violently squeezed.

Not much of a hugger, sorry. Arcturus mindlessly thought as he blinked out of the Captain's grasp and landed behind the alien commander. He swung his blade in a wide slash that the Fallen parried with his sabers. Undeterred, Arcturus continued on the offensive, metal met metal in a dance of sparks and arc energies as the two warriors dueled.

Arcturus swung hard, breaking the Captain's parry in a forceful attack. He attempted a second slash, hoping to cut the alien's throat in a devastating blow. Arcturus grunted as the Captain expertly dodged the slash with a twitch of its head, before bringing its head forward in a painful headbutt that sent Arcturus reeling from the impact.

Oh yeah, he is definitely pissed. Arcturus said wordlessly as he kicked the alien's chestpiece hard, as their blades became locked in strike. The Captain returned the favor with a swift suckerpunch to the helm that send stars flashing through the Guardian's vision. That one fucking hurt!

He dove to the side, narrowly dodging a quick downwards strike that the alien sent his way. Another backstep had him avoiding a pair of slashes, and he deflected a straight stab that sent tremors of kickback through his sword and up his arms.

Arcturus was on the defensive now, parrying rapid strikes, while dodging and avoiding quick jabs that the Fallen sent his way. Forced to bob and weave, he was at a slight disadvantage in the duel, thanks to the extra two arms that the Captain's anatomy blessed him with. The Hunter continued to duck, dive and backstep his way out of danger - up until there was no more room to maneuver. The balls of his feet teetered on the edge of the rocky ledge that they dueled atop, his back to the metaphorical wall.

The Captain, not one to let up on a disadvantaged foe, pressed his attack. Lunging forward with as much weight as his sizeable form could muster, the alien attempted to finally silence the Guardian before him in one devastating blow as their blades clashed once more.

Arcturus had other plans in mind.

The Hunter's form tore through time and space in a flash of light and smoke. Once again blinking to the rear of the Captain, Arcturus wasted no time at all; striking out with a backwards kick that sent the alien commander falling off the edge, and down to the cave floor below. Howling out in its alien language, the Fallen landed in a miserable heap, its armor clanking loudly as it impacted the stone painfully. Quick to recover, the Captain brought his sabers to bear as he rose back to his intimidating height, spinning about to roar furiously at the Guardian above him.

Only for a throwing knife to immediately embed itself into its eye cluster.

Arcturus amusedly watched as the Captain's form stood, still as stone, its body not yet reacting to the blade that was now firmly planted into its brain cavity. The alien teetered, then leaned, before finally buckling backwards. Still, and very much dead.

Ghost materialized before him, eyeing the kill his Guardian had made. "You know you could have just shot him earlier." He chittered, floating around to face Arcturus. "It would have been much easier."

"Yeah I know." Arcturus shrugged, returning his sword to his backside. "But this was way more fun."

"I thought you considered shooting things to be fun." Ghost sputtered.

"Oh I do buddy, I do." He replied, jumping off the rock ledge to inspect the Fallen's corpse. He kicked the alien's body once with the tip of his boot, ensuring that it was for sure dead, before reaching down to retrieve his knife. "But see, if I did that, I wouldn't have been able to say this…"

Ghost spun around, his optic narrowed as he observed his Guardian warily. "Say what, exactly…?"

Arcturus grinned, wiping off the Fallen's blood on his blade with his cloak. "Just that the Captain here had really gotten the point I was trying to make with my knife."

"Arcturus, don't start." Ghost sighed, and the Hunter's grin grew even wider.

"What? That one was clever! You could say my wit is as...sharp as ever."

"Please stop."

"Awww c'mon G." Arcturus laughed, nudging his Ghost as he stood up. "I haven't even gotten to one about how the poor old Captain here had really… Fallen into some hard times."

"Oh by the stars above. Why did the Traveler have to pair me with you…?"

- 88AA -

The bounty on the Fallen Captain had netted a decent price of five hundred glimmer. A moderate amount, one that was for sure able to cover Arcturus' various expenses for ammo, fuel, and other goodies that the bounty hunter deemed necessary. And while he was content with this outcome, it paled in comparison to the real hunt that was about to begin. As Arcturus rode through the plains of Venus on his Sparrow, Ghost's synthetic voice sounded off from within his helm.

"Okay I have confirmation. The target's ship has just jumped into planetary orbit." His partner spoke, as Arcturus pulled his speeder to a controlled stop. "It appears he'll be heading towards the academy in Ishtar Sink. I've set a waypoint to a decent ambush spot in the ravine leading to the academy. It should be popping up on your nav now." True to his word, Arcturus' HUD sparked to life, a navpoint appearing a few kilometers off from where he was currently located.

"Much appreciated G." Arcturus said, starting his Sparrow back up and accelerating towards the position. "Any word on what to expect? I assume he's not gonna go quietly."

"Target's information is coming up now." A window opened up on his HUD, scores of text began scrolling by and Arcturus began reviewing what he could. One little tidbit of information sparked his interest; the reason why he had taken this job to begin with.

Holy. Shit. That is a lot of glimmer.

For the last seventy years since his awakening, Arcturus had worked every job a Guardian could imagine. Assassination missions for the Vanguard, Scouting and defensive patrols over the lands that lay on the border of The Last City, and even working security for various settlements and caravans across the planet Earth. For a time, it was good and Arcturus was content. But as the years went on, he became more and more aware of the constant bureaucracy and red tape that weighed down the actions of the Vanguard. The missions came less and less, and the stagnation began to settle in. His dissatisfaction with the Vanguard, the City and all its politics and rules continued to build and grow until he could no longer contain them. And at the end, when the dam finally broke, the decision to leave was made.

Years after his departure, Arcturus found that the life of a freelancer was truly the correct path to take. The rules and regulations of the City ceased to be a burden upon someone that lived outside the City's walls, and he was free to go about his duties as he saw fit. The jobs flowed in endlessly then - after all, a Guardian working as a gun-for-hire was a hot commodity, especially in the lawless frontier that lay beyond the reach of The Last City.

Not to mention, going independent meant that you could charge whatever you wanted for your asking price. And you didn't even have to share your earnings with anyone. Private contracting paid way better than life in The City. And the work he did was much more exciting than whatever bullshit assignments the Vanguard had Guardians doing.

Case in point. Arcturus thought, as he read the dossier loaded before him.

His current job was a big one. Some time ago, The Queen of the Awoken had opened the gates of The Reef to the Guardians. Something about a Fallen rebellion, or whatnot. The details weren't important. What was important however, was that the Awoken were loaded. And that their bounty list was seemingly endless. Not just with Fallen Wolves, or the occasional deserter of the Royal Armada, but with special cases. And by special, he meant Guardian special.

His current target was a man named Karr Tenebris, a Warlock of the Last City. Months ago, he had been given access to The Reef, just another face amongst the endless sea of Guardians now working closely with the enigmatic Awoken. His relationship with the warriors of The Reef was apparently quite good, and he claimed many bounties working alongside the deadly Corsairs of the Armada. Then a few weeks ago, the relationship soured, and he was banished from The Reef, and he left aboard his jumpship.

But not before taking with him a multitude of rare engrams, strange coins, and a shipment of about thirty thousand silver. All of it stolen from within The Reef's vaults.

Mara Sov, the Awoken Queen, was pissed. With good reason of course.

Pissed enough that she put a whopping twenty thousand glimmer bounty on the Warlock's head. With an extra five thousand glimmer reward for taking him in alive, and another for the return of the majority of their stolen goods. That was thirty thousand glimmer in payout for one job. Just the sort of payday that any respectable bounty hunter could only dream of acquiring. Which was why this particular job had already been taken by three other Guardians before him.

Rumormill was that those three Guardians were dead now. Tenebris had proven to be an exceptionally deadly Warlock. So much so, that even the Vanguard had a price up for him now, a meager four thousand in glimmer, but hey, a bounty was still a bounty.

And this bounty was too rewarding (in both challenge and currency) for Arcturus to pass up.

Why come to Venus though? Arcturus thought, as he slowed his speeder to a crawl when he approached the ambush point. Why not lay low somewhere on Earth? The third planet from the Sun was a perfect hiding place for a wanted man. Between every nook, cranny, and alleyway inside the Last City, where several millions of people lived. Or at the hundreds of settlements that scattered throughout the planet. A man could lay low for decades before a bounty hunter would even consider searching near his locale. Compare that to the wastelands of Venus; where everyone and everything was out to kill you. Where even the atmosphere itself was deadly. Sure, anybody looking for Tenebris were bound to deal with Fallen, Vex, and the hostile environment that plagued the planet. But a man on the run would find that the planet was inhospitable for any lengthy amount of time.

It's absolute suicide to try and hide out here. Arcturus thought, as he hopped off his speeder and began analyzing the narrow canyon passage Ghost had determined to be the premier ambush spot. This runaway-Warlock isn't the brightest Light in the dark.

Arcturus got to work setting up his ambush. With the planetary storm rolling over Ishtar Sink, flying in on a jump ship for a deep insertion was suicide. Tenebris would have to land somewhere outside the storm, somewhere along on the Shattered Coast. There was only one way in through the coastline that lead to the destroyed Golden Aged skyline to the north. And Arcturus had set up his trap directly on top of it.

The wire that Arcturus laid across the narrow canyon was made of reinforced titanium alloy; thin yet strong, like the strings of an instrument, the wire was nearly invisible to the untrained eye. He tied the wire tightly to a boulder on one side of the chasm before running it across to the other end, pulling it tightly before securing it to another formation of rock and stone. He tested the taut of the wire with a simple pluck of his fingers that send vibrations shaking from one end to the other, a gentle hum echoing through the valley gorge.

Satisfied with the rather simple trap he laid, Arcturus took position among the rocks, embracing the Light around him and disappearing from sight as his cloak enveloped him. Hand cannon in hand, Arcturus twirled his weapon silently, the familiar weight adding a small comfort to counteract the lingering feelings of anxiety that began to creep down to his nerves. He thumbed the perfectly worn hammer of his cannon as he sat. It was all a waiting game now.

The game didn't last for long.

Arcturus' audio receptors picked up the telltale sounds of an antigrav engine long before the Sparrow entered visual range. He rapidly blinked twice at the corner of his HUD and his visor reacted immediately; shifting to an additional sensor module. TMI, or Target Motion Indicator, a hybrid thermal sight setting that tracked the thermal readings of moving objects only. Arcturus scanned the horizon; most of the land appearing as a dull, lifeless dark green due to the lack of motion of inanimate objects. He scanned until he identified his prize: a rapidly approaching blur of white that burned on his visor's thermals.

Returning his HUD to its normal visor settings, Arcturus carefully locked the hammer of his hand cannon to the rear. The deep thunder of drums began to pound in his ear, adrenaline shooting forth through his body. His heart rate began to skyrocket, and he took a deep breath to relax. Words began to form within his head, silently playing on his lips. Words that were forever seared into his psyche. Words that were established over centuries ago:

I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the Light of the Traveler.

I aim with my eye.

I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the Light of the Traveler.

I shoot with my mind.

I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the Light of the Traveler.

I kill with my heart.

The Gunslinger's Creed.

Arcturus calmed as the words left his lips. His senses honed and time itself seemed to slow to a crawl. He became aware of the stone beneath his feet, of the storm raging overhead, of the wind that billowed his cloak, of the Darkness that had swallowed this planet whole, and of the Light within his own soul.

The wire tensed and struggled and then snapped. The whine of an engine silenced as the roar of an explosion swept through the canyon. Somebody screamed.

Arcturus was out of his cover the second that the wire pulled; blinking down to the dirt below his position, he watched as the flaming wreckage of a Sparrow bounce along the rocky face of the cavern. A body was sent tumbling through the canyon trail, leaving a bloody smear as it dragged along violently before slamming into an obelisk of stone. Red painted the stone walls as the body crumpled to the deck, motionless.

Arcturus stalked forward, weapon at the low-ready, as he approached the broken form laid to rest against the planetary gravestone. The body before him started to move - chest rising slowly as deep, wet, laborious breaths sounded off from the not-so-dead corpse. Its head struggled to turn and face his direction; the helm that met his very own helmet was that of a skull of a terrestrial animal, with long curved horns and empty eye sockets that bore into his very own visor.

For a few tension filled seconds, the Hunter and the Prey watched each other silently.

"Ah ah ah." Arcturus said finally, as he raised his hand cannon in response to the broken Warlock before him, who was beginning to inch his hand to the waistline of his robes. "That would be ill advised, pal."

The Warlock's hand fell back to its resting place at his chest. His pitiful breathing continued, causing a severe series of raspy coughs to exit his helm. Arcturus winced ever so slightly. Coughing up blood, definitely has some internal bleeding going on. The Warlock struggled upwards to a sitting position, his back resting against the stone. All the while glaring at the barrel of Arcturus' hand cannon that seemingly dared him to move out of place.

"Osiris spit on you." The Warlock finally said, groaning through the pain. His hands clutching at his ruined chest, it was a miracle he was still alive. "Who the hell are you?" He indignantly cried out.

Arcturus crouched down, keeping eye level with the Warlock. "Karr Tenebris." He said, ignoring the Warlock's question. "You are wanted on on over a dozen charges. Including grand theft, espionage, and murder. How do you plead?" He watched as the Warlock's hands clenched into fists in response.

"Not-fucking-guilty." Tenebris snarled.

Arcturus' head cocked to the side, "Guilty eh? Wonderful, thanks for being so upfront with me." He lashed out with the butt of his cannon, whipping the Warlock in the head and sending him crashing back down to the dirt below. Arcturus maintained pressure on his bounty's back with his knee, as he searched his robes and found a sidearm hidden within the Warlock's waistline. Disarming him, Arcturus kicked the fallen Guardian back over as he threw the weapon off to the side. Beneath his boot, Tenebris swore and struggled.

"By the stars above, I'll make you burn for this."

"Yeah yeah, like I've never heard that one before," Arcturus muttered as crouched down low, next to Tenebris' head. "Now then," he said as he rested the barrel of his hand cannon to the Warlock's head. "How about you tell me where you're hiding all those stolen goods, yeah?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tenebris huffed against the ground.

An obvious lie. Arcturus thought, shaking his head.

"You're pretty shit at lying, y'know that?" Arcturus stood back up as he glanced downward, towards the Warlock's mangled body. His leg is definitely broken. His right leg was twisted and bent at an unnatural angle, scarlet red blood was seeping through his robes. You brought this upon yourself pal. He stepped over the wounded leg, positioning his boot just above the joint before he started applying pressure. He went little by little until his entire weight was now pressed down upon the leg.

Tenebris gasped and shuddered in agony as the Hunter tortured his broken form. He cried out in pain as the Hunter twisted his boot, rubbing his heel into the damaged flesh and shattered bone. The pain continued for only a few more seconds, but for what must have felt like eternity, until the Hunter removed his weight and shoved his cannon back against Tenebris' helm.

"I'm not fuckin' around now." Arcturus said, a hint of aggravation in his voice. He infused a small amount of Light into his weapon; not much but just enough to cause the barrel of his cannon to glow and radiate solar energy. A crackling sizzle emerged from where the barrel met the Warlock's helm, scorching the metal slightly. "Where. Are. The goods?"

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you, just relax!" Tenebris cried out. Arcturus' eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation, before shoving Tenebris' head one last time as he stood up and off the Warlock, his hand cannon still drawn and aimed at his bounty's head.

Arcturus allowed the Warlock a simple moment of rest; to lick his wounds and catch his breath. Tenebris took full advantage of the moment, groaning loudly as he sat up and inspected his ruined leg. A shard of bone was now clearly visible, piercing through the Warlock's clothing; his inner Light was already beginning the process of healing the damage, but without a Ghost out and present, the process would be an extremely long one.

Speaking of which.

"If your Ghost constitutes itself at all, I'm blowing the lightbulb out of the sky." Arcturus warned the Warlock, as he spun his cannon once for dramatic effect. "Traveler's Light be damned. You're both prisoners now."

Tenebris scoffed. "A real charmer you are. Does the Vanguard always hire degenerates to do their dirty work?" He grunted, sitting himself up against the rock obelisk once again, nursing his injured leg.

"The Vanguard?" Arcturus chuckled as he warily watched the Warlock's idle hands. "No friend. I'm a freelance agent. Now how about you tell me-"

"Where I stashed the goods? Yeah yeah, how about some manners first?" Tenebris said, before throwing up his hands in a mock apology. Arcturus had straightened his shoulders, his hand twitching in slight anger at being interrupted. The Warlock sensed the hostility in the air, and immediately backtracked. "I mean you obviously know my name…" He trailed off as the Arcturus' finger closed around the trigger of his hand cannon.

"Arcturus." The Hunter introduced himself after a moment of tense silence. "And don't interrupt me again. Clear?" The barrel of his weapon glowed even brighter as he threatened the other Guardian.

"...Crystal." Tenebris mumbled as he watched the weapon warily. "Well Arcturus, I have the goods aboard my ship, inside the cargo hull."

Arcturus cocked his head ever so slightly. The hell? He thought, as surprise gave way to confusion. Who just hauls around a score like that? It made no sense. Professional criminals never carry their entire score of loot with them. That was a good way to attract suspicion. They always stashed the goods away, somewhere safe and secret, that they and only they could access easily.

So one of two things here... Arcturus continued to contemplate, as he eyed the Warlock carefully. Either I'm dealing with the galaxy's worst crook ever. He shook his head as he dismissed that last thought.

Or I'm dealing with not a criminal at all.

"You've never done something like this before, have you?" Arcturus questioned the Warlock, who shrugged from his position on the deck.

"Figured that out, have you?" He scoffed. "Yeah. It's my first time. I heard I pissed off a lot of people doing it too."

"The Queen put up a twenty thousand bounty for your head. Twenty five to take you in alive." Arcturus nodded, and then gave a small shrug. "That's quite impressive for your first gig."

"Twenty five thousand?" The Warlock said, amazed at the price placed on him.

"It's actually thirty thousand, but that's only if I were to return the goods you stole too."

The Warlock's head cocked to the side. "If you were to return the goods?" He asked, putting emphasis on the first word.

Arcturus grinned, "What? You take me for a fool?" He chuckled as he twirled his hand cannon once more, "All that shit you stole? That was worth far more than just an extra five thousand glimmer." It was true, Arcturus could sell all that stolen merchandise out on the black markets of The Last City. It was worth another twenty thousand glimmer, easy.

"Well I'll be damned." Tenebris said in disbelief, his voice taking on a more solemn tone. "Not much of a Guardian, are you?" He sounded disgusted with the Hunter, and the hypocrisy of that statement did nothing more than make Arcturus smile wider.

"Never said I was a good guy." Arcturus replied, cockily squatting down to jab the Warlock in the shoulder with the tip of his cannon. "I'm just looking out for number one." He said, as he pointed his thumb back at his chest.

Tenebris huffed as he glared from behind his helm at the Hunter. "Unbelievable," He muttered, shaking his head. "If the Queen were still alive, she'd rend the flesh from your bones for such treachery." Arcturus almost laughed in response, but stopped as something in that sentence didn't quite add up.

Wait, what?

"Were?" Arcturus asked, a feeling of dread beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. "The fuck do you mean were?" The Warlock before him tilted his head slightly in mild confusion, before his back straightened against the stone.

"You didn't know?" Tenebris let out a dark chuckle, one that caused a surge of anger to flush through Arcturus' being. "Oh you poor misinformed fool..."

Arcturus' anger spiked and he roughly grabbed the Tenebris by the collar, dangling him up to face himself at eye level. He gripped the fabric of the Warlock's robes; faceplate-to-faceplate, visor met empty eye sockets in a tense staredown.

"No, I don't." Arcturus growled, "How about you share whatever it is I don't know."

"Tell me something Arcturus." Tenebris grasped the Hunter's wrists that firmly wound themselves around his collar. "Did you ever wonder why I ran from The Reef? Why I stole from the Queen?"

"Never gave it much thought." It was true. Arcturus never dug too deeply into his bounties. He never cared about the cause, only the effect and the outcome. "I just figured you were some chickenshit asshole trying to make a name for yourself."

"It's more than that, my friend." Tenebris said, ominously. "I was there, on the edge of the system. I saw what is coming!" His voice rose, nearing hysteric levels, and Arcturus pulled back a few inches in surprise.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Corsairs, they wanted to stay. Th-they wanted to fight." Tenebris ignored his question as he continued to ramble on. "And the Queen, oh the Queen!" He began laughing madly as his body trembled. "The Queen mobilized the Armada. The Awoken were going to war… I told the Queen that she was insane, and she banished me for it. Can you believe that? That bitch banished me for it!" His voice raised in pitch, he was in full hysteria now.

"I'm beginning to suspect that our bounty is not all right in the head…" Ghost said in the corner of his mind, and Arcturus gently nodded in agreement.

"So I-I took what I could. Ammo, glimmer, supplies; I took it all and I ran!" Tenebris' grip tightened further around Arcturus' wrists as he began full on screaming. "All I can do is run! Death is coming for me. Death is coming for all of us!"

"Stop!" Arcturus shouted, dropping the Warlock to the ground, before shoving his hand cannon back into his chest. "What. The fuck. Are you talking about?"

The Warlock seemingly snapped out of his trance; his trembling ceased, and his breathing returned to normal; despite the hand cannon shoved against his body. Tenebris calmed, and a cold but collected voice echoed out of his helm.

"The Awoken Queen is dead. The Royal Armada is shattered. The Darkness is coming for us all."

The tone of Tenebris' voice caused a small chill to crawl up Arcturus' spine. His stance faltered and his tensed muscles slacked; not by much, but just enough that his arm lowered slightly. His hand cannon tipped downwards just an inch or two.

Just enough that the cannon's barrel was no longer drawn against the Warlock's chest.

Something flashed bright. And Arcturus was engulfed in pain.

Heat blazed around Arcturus as a surge of solar energy erupted before him. Radiance! His eyes widened as realization sunk into his core. Flashes and flames wash over his body, burning his flesh and searing his eyes shut. A palm slammed into his chest and he felt the force behind the blow break every bone in his torso. Pain lapped at his mind as the Light torched his insides and ate away at his soul. Arcturus' body flew backwards, crashing into the dirt as an inferno burned his insides to a crisp; he tried to breathe, but couldn't as his lungs were nothing but ashes now.

Agony exploded through him, cascading over his body, into every pore and crevice. Arcturus' hands shot upward, patting down his burning body in a useless attempt to put out the flames that now fully engulfed his form. Skin peeled as it corroded into cinders and metal warped and melted, infusing itself to bone. His eyes boiled within his skull as smoke filled his throat.

Arcturus finally died, a wordless scream on his lips as the fire consumed all.

-88AA-

"Eyes up Guardian!"

Ghost's synthetic voice pulled him back from the blackness that was nonexistence. Arcturus gasped, his empty lungs filling with much needed air. A cool, comforting blanket of Light projected forth from his mechanical partner, embracing his fallen body and rejuvenating himself with a surge of life giving energies.

The warm glow of his inner light swelled around his body; a hazy white gleam that consisted of bright blue sparks of power which dissipated into the surrounding air. A telltale sign of resurrection by the Traveler.

Oh that son of a-

"Ghost." Arcturus groaned as he sat up, his voice hoarse and choppy, a usual side effect of resurrection. "What the hell-"

"It would appear that our Warlock friend is a Sunsinger." Ghost said as he flew around Arcturus, inspecting his Guardian for any further damages. "He must have been biding time during your interrogation to build up enough Light to summon a Radiance."

"Yeah, I noticed that." Arcturus sighed, shrugging off the lingering feelings of phantom pain. Ouch. Note to self: burning to death should never be the way to go. Anger surged through his still recovering body, and he stood up from the ground. Glancing left and right, he saw that his target was no longer in the immediate area. "And where exactly has Mr Tenebris ran off to?"

"He's heading Northbound on foot, towards the Academy." Ghost said, before suddenly breaking down into a series of whirrs and clicks, as his optic lit up with surprise. "No! Nevermind, now he's going northeast!" He shouted out in surprise as he transmatted a Sparrow into realspace.

"Northeast?" Arcturus said, as he collected his fallen hand cannon from the dirt. God damnit. He lamented as he inspected the weapon. There's scratches on the cylinder! His teeth grit as he spun the revolver's cylinder, ensuring that each chamber clicked as it fell into place. Still functional at least. But that son of a bitch Warlock is going to pay.

"Yes, Northeast." Ghost answered him as he spun around to face the direction of travel. "He's heading straight into Vex territory. Towards the Citadel"

"The Citadel? Why the hell is he heading there?" Arcturus asked as he mounted the speeder, revving the throttle a few times to test the system. Ghost transmatted his form back within Arcturus as he started the engine and rode off in the direction the Warlock had escaped to.

"Unknown. He could be trying to lose us in hostile territory." Ghost replied before releasing another series of chirps and clicks. "Hmm. Now that is interesting…"

"What's up?" Arcturus asked, maneuvering his Sparrow through the destroyed streets of the former Golden Age colony. His mind wandered as he eyed the forsaken city; once it had housed millions - now it was overgrown with jungle and infested with hostile aliens. The only thing housed here now are century old bones. He thought grimly, as he narrowly avoided numerous abandoned car hulls.

"He's uhhh, he's fighting a Vex Gate Lord now." Ghost's response caused Arcturus to blink twice in reaction. The hell?

"Whoa whoa, wait, what?" Arcturus said puzzled, as he gunned the speeder down a sharp corner. His Sparrow's engine caused dirt and plant roots to shoot up skyward from the force of its thrusters.

"No you heard right. He's fighting a Gate Lord. Willingly."

"Why would he do that?" Arcturus asked as he crossed the threshold from the old colony, to an alien jungle. Sprawling monoliths of blocky stone - millennium old, reached towards the sky. Lush green, tangled vegetation engulfed the landscape; covering the ancient shrines and unknown technology like a blanket. Out of the corner of his vision, Arcturus saw forms and shapes moving in the shadows. Watching his every move. He accelerated his speeder just a tad bit faster.

"Maybe he just really, really hates the Vex?" Ghost said wryly.

"But why pick a fight?" Arcturus mumbled, "What could he possible gain from fighting a Gate…" His eyes widened as the realization slowly began to set in, "...Lord."

Oh. Oh holy shit.

"He's trying to access the Vex Network!" Both Arcturus and Ghost cried out simultaneously.

Bolts of solar energy suddenly splashed down in front of his speeder, and Arcturus spun his Sparrow around evasively. He yanked hard on his throttle as he accelerated out of the incoming fire, taking his eyes off the trail ahead just so he could glance back, towards the direction the shots originated. And of course the rust buckets come out to play. He thought, exasperated.

The Vex were a race of ancient cybernetic war-machines, dedicated to the destruction of all organic life and the assimilation of everything that was not them. Technologically advanced to the point of incomprehension - the Vex were capable of bending the very fabric of time and reality to their will.

Though individual units varied considerably, most Vex appeared as humanoid robots with large, fan-shaped heads and a red or yellow photoreceptor at the center of its 'face'. Their bodies were armored, made up of an unknown metal alloy resembling hammered brass. Though their robotic bodies still carried a hint of organic components, taking in the form of large glowing cores, which housed an odd milky substance that was crucial to Vex functionality.

They were living machines, hell-bent on wiping out all organics across space and time.

The sentries that opened fire upon Arcturus - Goblins, as the Vanguard called them; rained down hellfire from their ascended positions in the treeline. Arcturus maneuvered through the barrage of solar bolts, his off-hand traveling to his hand cannon at his holster, as he returned fire with the alien machines. His shots went wild and were not meant to kill - merely a retaliatory action to the Vex's ambush.

I don't have time for this. Arcturus thought as he sped away from the Goblins, only to have more and more of their numbers appear from the treelines. That Warlock is getting away. We can't let him escape into the gateway.

The Vex had a network of sorts; a hyper-dimensional construct that spanned the dimensions of time and space, partitioned off from the material world. Ghost had described it once as an incredibly complex network of arteries and capillaries, a maze of glowing tunnels, and a mystic tapestry of hidden threads that spread across the veil between the past, present, and future. Most of it was sciencey-mumbo-jumbo that Arcturus couldn't ever bother to comprehend. What he did understand, however, was that if Tenebris managed to access their network, he would be lost within the maze of time and space.

Arcturus would never find him.

He's fucking insane. Arcturus thought as he dodged another volley of Vex fire. Yeah sure, he'll escape from us in the Network… but then he'll be trapped within a plane of nonexistence for all time. Tenebris wasn't the first Guardian to access the Vex collective. Many before him had attempted to transverse the realm of infinity. From what he knew, none had made it back.

"The Citadel is just ahead." Ghost spoke calmly into his helm. "Be advised, Tenebris has dispatched the Vex guarding the gateway. He's attempting to access the network now."

"Son of a bitch." Arcturus swore as he floored his Sparrow, the thrusters whined loudly as they reached peak efficiency. The trail ahead opened up into a clearing, and Arcturus saw the Vex Citadel before him. Massive blocks of alien architecture, made up of some unknown alloy, loomed out into the planet's skybox. The architecture shifted and phased in and out of reality, the structure defying the laws of gravity and physics by simply existing. Say what you will about the Vex, but they build some damn pretty constructions.

At the base of the Citadel sat an ancient bridge way, leading to the infinite steps that lead upwards into the Vex superstructure. And at the end of the bridge laid an old Vex gateway; currently activated - glowing white hot, as the portal to the nowhere-and-everywhere beckoned forth.

And there was Tenebris, tossing crates full of supplies into the doorway.

I've got you now, you son of a bitch!

Arcturus guided his Sparrow unto a fallen block of stone, the angle of the structure forming a makeshift ramp that sent his speeder soaring through the air. He drew upon his inner Light, channeling the power to his legs as he pushed off the machine - abandoning the bike mid-flight. He blinked through the sky; soaring over the smoldering ruined husk of a Vex Gate Lord as he landing with catlike grace and fluidity before the stunned Warlock in front of him.

"Surprise." Arcturus stated cockily, his hand cannon drawn on the other Guardian, seemingly daring him to move. "Y'know, I didn't really appreciate you killing me back there." He said with a nod and a dark chuckle.

Tenebris said nothing for a moment. The skull of a ram upon his helm stared blankly at Arcturus' visor, boring a dark hole within his own helmet.

"You're quite tenacious." Quietly, the Warlock finally spoke.

Arcturus shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, I get that a lot." He flicked his cannon twice to the side, "Now how about you put your hands up and step away from those supplies. Slowly."

Tenebris did as he was told, hands rested on the back of his head as he carefully stepped away from the boxes of supplies he was transporting. His head twitched once, towards the direction of the activated portal behind them, and Arcturus smirked underneath his helmet.

"Don't even think about it pal." Arcturus said as Light infused with his cannon, a golden gun taking form in his palm. "You'll be dead the second you take a step towards that gate."

Tenebris snarled at him from behind his helm. "In Osiris' name, do you want me to beg?!" He threw his hand in the air dramatically, before he pointed back at the stack of supplies beside them. "You see those crates? That's all the supplies I stole from The Reef, and then some!"

Arcturus briefly glanced at the cache before returning his attention to the Warlock. "Yeah? And what's you point?"

"I'm offering them to you! All of it, without a fight!" Tenebris screamed at him, and Arcturus' head raised slightly in surprise. "Each and every crate is yours. All you have to do is let me walk through that portal!" He pointed at the gateway behind them and Arcturus scoffed.

"Why? So you can get lost within space and time?" Arcturus shook his head, his grip on the golden gun tightening. "No can do chief. I'm not about to forfeit a bounty."

"You dimwitted-sack-of shit!" Tenebris snapped, taking a step forward, causing Arcturus' finger to twitch closer to the trigger. "Did you hear nothing I said? The Queen is dead! There is no more bounty for you to collect!"

"Oh on the contrary pal, the Queen wasn't the only one to place a price on your head." Arcturus said, one hand carefully reaching into his waist for a pair of throwing knives. "And while the Vanguard might not pay nearly as much as The Reef - well, money is still money." Arcturus shrugged indifferently. "Nothing personal. It's just business after all." And I'll still be taking all those goods you stole. He grinned as he made his play.

Fast as lightning, Arcturus' hand came up, throwing both blades in a blink of an eye. His aim was straight and true - both knives embedding themselves within the Warlock's ankles, severing nerves and splitting both of his Achilles tendons in two. Tenebris collapsed to the deck, a cry on his lips as his ankles leaked red onto the stone below.

Arcturus was quick on his feet, as he dashed forward to the fallen Warlock. Kicking over his bounty onto his backside, Ghost transmatted a device to Arcturus' open palm, which he quickly clamped around the Warlock's neck. The collar 'beeped' twice as a soft blue field of energy sparked to life. Utilizing similar capabilities to the Titan's suppressor grenade, albeit on a much smaller scale - the suppression collar was capable of blocking a Guardian from harnessing their Light. Invented centuries ago by the Vanguard, for use against unruly and downright rebellious Guardians. Probably should have used that earlier. Arcturus thought dryly, as the collar constricted around the Warlock's throat.

Tenebris gasped as the collar's effects began to take hold. The Warlock twitched and groaned as the Light was stripped- temporarily -from his body. Arcturus winced slightly at the Warlock's struggle against the device - he himself had been under the effects of a suppression collar before. The effects were quite discomforting, to say the least. A Guardian's Light was the only thing keeping them tethered to this world, tethered to the Traveler. It was a painful experience to have your very essence and soul blocked from your own body. He did not envy the Warlock.

Bastard brought it upon himself though.

"Ghost, bring the ship into low orbit. We're leaving this rock," Arcturus said to his companion. Finally. When we get back to Earth, I'm gonna look for the seediest bar I can find and get blackout drunk on the cheapest whiskey they have. A grin formed on his face as he twirled his hand cannon between his fingers. Just another job well done.

"Okay then pal, here's the deal." He said, grabbing the Warlock by the helm and forcing him to look him in the visor. "I've had a rough day, and you certainly didn't make things any better, what with that stunt you pull back there." Arcturus jerked his thumb over his shoulder, back towards the Shattered Coast. "So let's make this easy, yeah? I'm gonna drag your ass back aboard my ship, fly us back to the Tower, and turn your stupid-crazy-ass into the Vanguard."

"No! Please," Tenebris begged, one of his arms reaching out towards the Vex gateway that still shone and sparkled with reality-bending energy. "Just let me-"

"And if you resist," Arcturus interrupted, tapping the barrel of his hand cannon against his helm. "I will put a magnum round straight through your head. And as long as that collar remains on your neck, you won't be coming back from that. Savvy?" The Warlock continued to uselessly crawl towards the portal and Arcturus rolled his eyes behind his helmet. Whatever...

A shadow loomed over the valley. Dark clouds rolled in from overhead - entirely different from the viridian colored storm that once held dominance over the sky. They were pitch-black, cold and sinister looking. A chill crawled up Arcturus' spine and the Warlock at his feet ceased his struggling. Arcturus glanced up at the collecting clouds, eyebrow raised at the strange phenomenon. Something's wrong.

"Uhhh Ghost?" His blood ran cold as he called out to his partner. "Ummm, you got an ETA on that ship?" Silence on the airway, nothing on the receiving end. "...Ghost?" His voiced trailed off as his eyes followed a series of strange glowing lights that sprouted out from the dark clouds above. The lights swam through the sky; leaving behind dark, shadowy chemtrails in their wake.

"Oh my God. Oh by Traveler's Light, save us…" Tenebris whimpered as he curled up into a ball on the floor. The strange, ominous lights in the sky fell - descending down to the planet's soil. Something screamed off in the distance.

"Guardian…" Ghost whispered weakly, his voice choked with fear. "...Something's coming."

All hell broke loose.

The ground split as dark spheres of - something burst out of reality. Howling banshee screams, the kind that shook Arcturus to the very core of his being, ripped through the air. His nerves shot fire through his blood, and his knees became weak, no longer capable of supporting his own weight. The Light drained from his body as he could literally feel something wrong, something evil in the air around him. Suffocating him with the darkness.

"W-What the fuck?" Arcturus stammered as a chilling mist spawned from the spheres that sent sharp pains spiking through his head. The mist enveloped the world around him, as the bubbles of darkness grew in size and spread everywhere, blighting the land where they spawned. The wailing that echoed through his mind intensified tenfold as his hands went to his helm, cupping themselves at the sides of his head.

He just wanted the sound to stop.

He just wanted the pain to stop.

"He's here, he's here, he's here." Tenebris sobbed helplessly on the ground, his arms uselessly reaching forward, attempting to drag his broken body towards the Vex gateway. A trail of blood followed him as he went; the diseased mist that hung low to the ground around them caused the blood to clot, and bubble, and darken until it was pitch black in color. Corrupted by its unholy touch.

"-ardian!" Ghost said something. Arcturus couldn't make it out. Everything hurt. His ears rang, and the screaming darkness just echoed through his soul. His knees buckled. He couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe.

YOUR LIGHT IS FORFEIT

Something wrong rumbled through his head. A voice that wasn't his own. He felt sick. He felt weak. The pain was bouncing off the walls of his mind. He felt his nose gushing blood. And he felt the cold seeping into his bones. Cold, so cold that it stung and burned. The screaming was getting loud, louder, louder, louder.

"Arcturus!"

His memories were escaping him. Where was he? Who was he? Why was he here? The pain consumed his mind, blurred every thought, every feeling - he was falling. Why was he falling? He was cold. Tears streamed from his eyes. The tears burned.

SURRENDER YOURSELF

He screamed, but no sound left his voice. Or maybe it did. He couldn't tell. All he could hear was the screams. Tormented screams of anger, and suffering, and hate hate hate. So much hate. Words of hate reverberated through his head. His fingers clawed at the surface, scratching at his helm. He wanted to breathe. He wanted to live. Then he started to laugh. Why would I want to live? The words made no sense. And yet still they came regardless. He just wants to make us whole. The tears came again. His eyes were burning in their sockets.

"Arcturus! Listen to me!"

I AM THE END

More words found him now. Soft words. Words of comfort, and not hate. He clung to them, even as the dark swirled and consumed all around him. The maelstrom continued yet he refused to let go of the words. The words brought him hope. The words brought him light.

I do not aim with my hand

The shadows did not relent, but they did not strengthen either. It still pierced his soul, but he did not give in. The words came back to him, and memories flashed before his eyes. His name. His life. His power.

I do not shoot with my hand

The shroud began to lift, and his mind began to clear. Remember. You have to remember. Arcturus. Arcturus. I am Arcturus.

I do not kill with my gun

He suddenly became conscious of the ground beneath his knees, of the air that blew against his cloak. Of a burning sensation within his chest. Of the taste of blood in his mouth. The screaming weakened, and he could just about hear the rest of the world again. He took a breath and his lungs filled with the sweetness of air.

"Get up Guardian! FIGHT!"

"Ghost…" He whispered. He had forgotten his friend's voice. How could he have forgotten? They had been partners for more than half a century now. What kind of Guardian forgets the voice of their Ghost? ...Guardian? Guardian. I am a Guardian…

"Stand and fight Guardian!" Ghost called out for him. He felt so far away, but getting closer all the same. The screaming faded. His vision cleared.

Those who do…

His hands touched something on the ground. Hard and metal, but familiar. His weapon, he remembered now - when he had risen back from the ashes, he had nothing. He had no name, he had no memory - but he did have that gun. It was his only other friend besides his Ghost. The three of them, since the very beginning. The memory sparked something within him - a power surged from within his chest. Down. Down into his hand and infusing his weapon with...

...Have forgotten the Light of the Traveler...

"...Light…" Arcturus whispered as he blinked away the shadows from his blurry vision. His senses, though scattered and unfocused, began to hone. The pain in his skull receded and a passionate warmth filled his being. Heat rose from his palm and he noticed that his hands held a burning golden gun. Why?

"Eyes up Guardian!"

Arcturus reacted on impulse. His finger closed around the trigger of his Light-infused hand cannon, his other hand slapping back the hammer repeatedly. Six shots echoed through the valley, and six beings of darkness disintegrated into plumes of smoke and light.

"Ghost," Arcturus croaked, his voice was rough and his throat felt raw - he tasted copper in his mouth. "You okay buddy?"

"Oh thank the Traveler! I thought I lost you!" Ghost's voice was panicked and unsure, but beginning to fill with relief at the sound of his Guardian.

"I thought I lost myself there…" Arcturus mumbled to himself, wincing as he stood up from his kneeling position on the ground. His muscles were tired and ached considerably. That was bad. Usually the inner Light of a Guardian would keep one's body in peak condition. Fatigue, sickness, even death itself was mostly forgotten to those who have been blessed by the Traveler.

Our Light is being drained.

"What are these things?" Arcturus muttered, warily watching the dark orbs that seemed to radiate malevolence.

"I-I don't know Guardian." It was a rare occurrence when Ghost didn't know something. That usually meant something bad. "But whatever they are, they're blocking the-"

Suddenly, the screaming started again and Arcturus stumbled as the pain stuck at his mind once more. He grit his teeth as he willed his body back to composure. His golden gun fizzled and dissipated as the Light drained from his core. A voice not his own echoed through his mind.

I WILL TAKE YOU ALL

The dark orbs flashed and rippled as they spawned sinister forms that terrified even Arcturus. The forms were familiar and yet not. A mirror image of dozens of lifeforms he'd seen before - except they were wrong. Wicked and evil looking, like something straight out of a young child's nightmare. Their numbers grew as the blighted orbs birthed more and more hellspawn from their ungodly depths. Arcturus did the calculations as his observed their swelling masses.

This was a battle that they could not win.

"Ghost, exit plan. Now!" He yelled out, as he began opening fire with his hand cannon. The dark forms before him howled their banshee screams of terror as they charged through his volley of fire.

"Guardian, I-I'm cut off. I can't call the ship, I can't do anything!" Ghost's panicked tone did nothing to alleviate the situation.

Arcturus swore as one of the wicked creatures before him twitched and warped, before splitting into two of the same horrors. Like some sort of fucked up cellular reproduction. He fanned his cannon's hammer and the two shadows fell before his fire. Yet still, more popped into existence, screaming bloody murder as they marched towards him. It seemed that no matter how many he would kill, no matter how many were slain. More and more would come and take their place.

"C'mon buddy. I need you to think." Arcturus couldn't draw from his Light. He had no grenades. He had no abilities. But he still had his tripmines and he still had his blades. He would hold. He had to. "We'll make it through this. Just focus and find us an exit."

Some of the smaller beings - skinny and lanky and entirely uncomfortable to look at - they spawned at the bottom of the bridge, and were climbing up the Vex architecture. They reached the top, and swarmed over the ledges to either side of him. Arcturus found himself backpedalling as he traded bullets and knives with the advancing horde of horrors. There are too many! His hand cannon clicked. Empty.

"Arcturus! The gateway!" Ghost cried out, as Arcturus planted a knife deep into the skull of one of the shadowy skeletal creatures. The dark being burst into ichor as it fell to the floor, the inky black substance burned Arcturus' arms, and he swore as he planted a tripmine and rolled backwards.

When he turned, he saw that Tenebris had managed to crawl his crippled body nearly all the way, just at the mouth of the Vex gateway. It was at that moment that everything started making sense about the Warlock's actions. Tenebris wasn't a crook, he wasn't after the money, and he wasn't completely fucking crazy. He was just a coward who was running, running away from these things. And what better place to run than an endless maze of time loops and wormholes to new realities?

"I guess he had the right idea after all." Arcturus muttered as the tripmine he planted detonated behind him with a thunderous roar. He weighed his options. Either I stay here and certainly die - or I jump through the gate, and maybe-only-probably get lost forever. The choice was simple, and he sprinted towards the gate. Fuck it, let's roll the dice...

Arcturus planted two more tripmines to cover his retreat, as he rushed forwards to the crawling Warlock.

"Arcturus…" Tenebris whimpered as his body finally gave out. His arms spent, as he uselessly reached towards the gateway. "My Light...Please…" The Warlock clawed weakly at the suppression collar at his neck.

"I'll take it off once we're through the gate." Arcturus groaned, as he helped up the collapsed Warlock from the floor, supporting him with an arm over his own neck. The two Guardians limped towards the Vex gateway, even as the dark horde to their rear closed in. Desperate to catch their prey before they escaped.

"You don't understand-" Tenebris' voice was weak and quickly fading away. "W-Without my Light..." The Warlock's legs stumbled and Arcturus had to drag him the rest of the way. "...He will take me…"

Dual explosions roared from behind them, and Arcturus drew his remaining strength in one final push to the door. Just a few more steps…

"Look out!" Ghost screamed from within his helm.

They had just reached the portal's gate, when something tugged and pulled at the Warlock that Arcturus carried. He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes wide in terror as a blighted orb of darkness morphed into reality. Shadowy tendrils of sinister energies sprouted forth from the ether, wrapping their spiral forms around the struggling Warlock. Gripping him tightly, they began to drag him back into the warp from which they came.

"No!" Tenebris screamed as the inky black of corruption began to wrap around his body. He cried, and pleaded and sobbed as he gripped Arcturus' arm tightly.

"Hang on Tenebris!" Arcturus yelled, caught between two forces. The Vex gateway to his rear pulled and lapped at his heels, an artificial well of gravity drawing his body in. Against the Vex tech - the blight of dark before him corrupted and tugged at the Warlock who anchored himself within Arcturus' grip.

"Arcturus, let him go!" Ghost pleaded from within his helmet, "He's dragging you in with him! Let go!"

"Please oh God!" Tenebris weeped as the inky substance covered his body. "Kill me! Don't let him take me! Kill-" Whatever he tried to say next was drowned out as the darkness consumed his helm.

Muffled cries of pain and torment reached Arcturus' ears and his eyes witnessed the blighted orb reach out once more. It's dark tendrils wrapped themselves around and seeped into the arches of the Vex gate. His mouth widened in complete horror as he watched the tendrils soak and bubble into the the tech. The gateway's event horizon soured and boiled, becoming pitch black in color as the infection spread rapidly.

"It's corrupting the gate!" Ghost screamed in terror. "Arcturus let-"

Whatever Ghost said next was forever lost to his ears as a rumbling implosion pounded out of the event horizon. Whether it was a violent Vex countermeasure, or an involuntary reaction to the dark corruption that was spreading - Arcturus did not know. All he saw was white, as the implosion drew him in. He released his grip as the cold washed over him. Far, far away - he could hear Ghost screaming his name.

And then silence.

Arcturus fell through time and space. He saw nothing. He heard nothing. His body floated aimlessly.

And the abyss swallowed him whole.

- 88AA -

AN:

Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews guys. Glad you all enjoyed

Now just a quickie; the format of my story might be a little less straight forward than from what you're used to. Chapters will be separated into three labels:

Before, After, and Then

Chapters labeled as Before will deal with events taking place in years prior to RWBY volume one

After chapters will be from the beginning of RWBY to volume three

Then chapters will deal with events post volume three

...mind you, all of this is subject to change. I'll need to first see how it goes and whether or not the format works for the story I wish to tell. So we'll see what the future brings, yeah? Also, not so subtle Dark Tower reference in there for you

Till next time