On the fourth day of Destiny 2,
My true love gave to me;
Four missing files!
(~enhance~FILE CORRUPTED BY~glory~)
(~enhance~File CORRUPTED)
(~enhance~collaborate~REMEMBER HER)
"You like to fix broken things." he said in realization. "Don't you?"
"I tinker in my off-time" she piped cheerily, missing the implication in his words. She spent so much time with Gheleon now... it was hard not to notice the way they looked at each other these days. And... dare he say it, it was hard to admit he missed the days before the Hunter joined the Iron Lords.
It used to be she'd spend her days with him, trying to force him into the fold, trying to get him to socialize with the other Iron Lords, being pesky and naive and unbearable, and... and why hadn't he ever told her? Was it pride? Was it because he didn't want anyone to crack open and get through his 'cold shell', as she called it?
She'd done the same with Gheleon. The same process... but with far different results. She'd been successful with Gheleon. She had been successful... and now lok at the two of them. Why did that break his heart? Did logic have a heart?
"Got something you need fixed?" Skorri asked, beaming up at him from her desk.
Me.
"I... smashed a clock."
STOP STOP STOP
(~enhance~NOPLEASE~consume~FILE DELETED~)
(~enhance~FILE LOST~replicate~FILE RECOVERED~)
(~enhance~FORGIVE ME)
He lay on the floor, gasping, choking. SIVA crept up his neck, wire dug under his armor, his plating, and, very soon, now, his mind. The Hunter crouched at his side was in shock.
"Gheleon..." He managed to gasp as SIVA tried to clasp off his voice. He had the human's arm in a deathgrip. Exo deathgrips were by far more painful than organic ones. Exo deathgrips snapped bone. He could feel Gheleon's humerus crunching beneath his armor. Even as SIVA crept up the arm of Skorri's be-cloaked love, he did not move. He simply stared, face pale, eyes blank at the place she'd been standing mere moments ago, running towards them with flames at the ready to burn the plague off his armor.
"Ghe..G..."he couldn't do it. He simply couldn't speak. There were no words to say, even if he had the physical capacity."Ghel..."
He was sorry. He was so sorry. So sorry it ended like this, so sorry for falling in love with her, so sorry for being so jealous when it was Gheleon who wore that copper ring around his neck because it wouldn't fit on his hand with his armor on... he could see it now, small, catching the red light of-
STOP STOP STOP
(~enhance~WHYWHYWHY~consume~FILE DELETED~)
(~enhance~FILE REDACTED~replicate~enhance~FILE~~enhanced~~)
(~enhance~YOUR FAULT~~DETERIORATING~~WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU)
Timur never came out anymore. He spent every day in his study, he'd gone full Thanatonaught in his search for answers. But it wasn't just that. There was something else to his madness, like Gheleon said.
Timur was sick. He was very sick, there was something very wrong with him, and no answers as to why it was happening, or how, or what they could do to stop him from going further. He didn't eat, he certainly didn't sleep, and when he wasn't killing himself 'for science', he was staring at nothing most of the time. He used to be lively and obnoxious. Now? Now he was just... existing for the sake of existing, a shell if anything. He had been have trouble with his Light recently as well. He suspected that problem came from his fellow Warlock's thanatonaughtics, more than anything.
Aside from that... none of the doctors in the Last City had been able to answer any questions about Timur's apparent madness. No-one knew how to help. Which for the first time ever... made the Iron Lords helpless. He, personally, had never really thought of the annoying Human as a friend. A compatriot, yes, a comrade, certainly, but he had never been able to stand him.
So it was odd that he missed the old Timur, when the new one was so much quieter, so much less eccentric.
"I'm finding it!" the stormcaller hissed excitedly, bent over old papers. He looked up at him, face gaunt but filled with excitement, which for some reason made him feel sad for the Warlock. "I'm close to finding SIVA!"
STOP STOP STOP
(~enhance~IWANTTOFORGET~consume~FIE DELETED~)
(~enhance~FILE CREATED~collaborate~ACCESSING AUDIO~replicate~SIVA COMPROMISED~)
(~enhance~PALISADE IMPERATIVE COMPROMISED~replicate~RESUME BASE OPERATING PARAMETERS~)
(EXONEURAL DAMAGE DETECTED)
(MASSIVE UNIT TRAUMA DETECTED)
(REBOOT IMMINENT~REBOOT DISABLED~consume failed~LAST RITE PROTOCOL ENGAGED)
(UNIT PERSONALITY TERMINATION IMMINENT)
(ACCESSING AUDIO)
(RESETTING AUDIO)
"-ladin, Shiro, he's breathing. We're sending you scans; any way we can help this guy?" Someone was removing wires form his body. Tearing them off like they were made of paper. Who were they? Who... who was he?
"That's... far too extensive." that voice... that voice... where did he know that voice from? They sounded sickened, horrified, in fact. How did he know that voice... "Bring him home, Guardian. And... be gentle to him, for my sake."
"Think he can hear us?"
"I don't know. I least, I hope he isn't conscious, this looks just agonizing... it's easy to see why Saladin's afraid of this stuff."
Saladin. Now there was a name. Now there was a flag flapping at the back of his mind. Saladin. He knew that name, the flag was really flapping...no... no, not a flag, a banner...a banner...
What were all these words and names he didn't know but meant so much to him? Why couldn't he remember them? Why... why had he been put through such horrific torture? Why was he in so much pain... and why had it ended... it...it had ended, right?
"O... ov-er...?" he managed to choke. He had to know, he was desperate to know... this had to be the end of the torture...
"Yeah, yeah it's over." a pair of hands clasped his only remaining one(at least, he was certain he only had one left). He somehow managed to find the ability to curl his fingers over her own. Another living being. He wasn't alone...
"It's alright, Felwinter. You can sleep now." Felwinter. Was that... was that his-
STOP STOP STOP
(~FILE DELETED~consume~FILE CLOSED~enhance~FILE ARCHIVED TO[GLORY UNAVAILABLE]~replicate~)
(UNIT PERSONALITY TERMINATED)
(POSTMORTEM TRANSMISSION ACTIVATED)
(DATA SYCHNING WITH ISHTAR ARCHIVES)
...
...
...
(SYNCH FAILED)
(POSTMORTEM TRASMISSION FAILED)
(UNIT PERSONALITY[subj. Felwinter, Augustus] ARCHIVE FAILED)
(WE AT CLOVIS BRAY APOLOGIZE FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR LEGACY)
Poor Iron Lords deserved better than what they got. Yes, I've made it no secret I ship Gheleon and Skorri, but I like to think his might not be the only heart she tamed, even if it was unintentional. And how could I do a twelve days of Destiny fic without anything Iron Lord?
jsm1978: *sighs* some words are just trolls...
Furious Titaness: No; this is the chapter meant to make you feel depressed. ^^
Look up to tommarow! The chickens of war are loose...
Read and REVIEW!