The Demon of Destiny Ch.4
Hello all readers! Again, hope you're enjoying. As I said before, all OC's belong to me, thank you~
Chapter 4: The Dark Within
Everything felt so soft, nice and peaceful~ the darkness of sleep was all so sweet. No worries, no nothing~ Hell, he could be dead and not care right now... Suddenly, he felt a sort of sharp pain someplace, then suddenly light surrounded him! And the pain increased tenfold! Suddenly his left butt-cheek hurt beyond belief!
"GGGAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!" Desert Punk screamed out loud! He looked around in the white room he was in, his body was in hospital gowns and suddenly he noticed a figure standing over him, a blue robot server with a pair of pliers in his hand, within them a large black looking shard.
The robot then spoke "confirmed, larger basic shrapnel, Fallen. The removal is complete." Another voice then spoke, this one not robotic, and desert punk looked to it, a clad blue man, with no hair and suited up in red and silver armor, with emblems all over, he seemed like a jarhead through-and-through to Punk. "Very good, add the healing solution please, that will be all." The blue man said, the robot doing so quickly, injecting a fluid into the open wound on Desert Punk's ass cheek, this terrifying punk beyond belief! The pain suddenly vanished and the wound healed, the punk stopping and noticing his...
"Huh..." Was all he could say, the awoken nodded his head to Desert Punk before speaking. "Believe it or not, you are a lucky man. Facing an Fallen Archon single-handedly and walking away with only a shrapnel in your ass very lucky. In fact, it's never been done before, which is why I came down to meet you, and welcome you to our ranks." Punk looked up at the Awoken, not sure if he should take the blue man seriously "Not sure if I feel to 'lucky'." Punk stated, the clad awoken stepped up to the end of his medical bed "Cayde has told me much about you, Desert Punk, and that you left to go on your first mission alone, didn't expect you'd be taking on a high-ranking Fallen, now did you? But where I my manners, I am Commander Zavala, Titan vanguard and mentor, as I said, I wished to come here and welcome you as one of us."
Punk rose and eyebrow, crossing his arms "An odd place to give a welcome, and I ain't even a Titan~" he said, leaning back and chuckling, now finding it all somewhat amusing, the Commander smiled a bit as well "So it's true, you really do have an answer for everything. Though you are not a Titan, you are a Guardian, you're no soldier, none of us are, except for those who believe themselves to be. We are simply protecting humanity, and its roots, as well as the Traveler." Punk closed his eyes, thinking about it all again, the Traveler... One day he was in the Kanto Desert, working in the high-life, working for the Government, next he knew, he was cold and awake in the Cosmodrome...
"Well, I've said my piece." The Awoken Vanguard stated, waking Punk from his thoughts, "Next time, Punk, perhaps you should take a partner with you. As for your wound, you should be better by tomorrow." He said, nodding to the Hunter as he left, Punk considering his words.
"A partner? I had a partner, her name's Kosu-..." He went quiet.. This was the first time he thought of his friends.. Well, 'friends' was a strong word, more like acquaintances... 'Junko Asagiri, milk-tank maiden that always teased him... and The Machine Gun Brothers; Fuyo, Akio, and the Haru, and finally, his apprentice, or former apprentice, Kosuna... He wondered about them, what happened to Junko? Did she ever marry? The Machine Gun brothers, did they ever get laid like they wanted? And Kosuna... Did she ever become the Deserts number one power-babe, like she wanted?' All these questions flooded his mind as he thought more and more about it... Hell, he was even curious about Rain Spider, 'what ever happened to him as well? Or Natsuko and Stryker? Bet they married and had douchebag kids' Desert Punk laughed at that last part before the Ghost came to his attention.
"You know Punk, there are plenty of Guardian's who look for partners, you should consider it." The Ghost gestured, Kanta shooting him a prideful sneer "PUH! I don't need a freakin' partner! I've never needed one back in the Kanto, you HAD to rely on yourself back then! Not no stinkin' partners!" He finished stubbornly. The Ghost shook his head "But then missions and jobs will be easier to do~" He retorted, Punk was quick to respond "But I also probably gotta share the reward money as well!"
"Perhaps, or you could both get paid as service to the city, as ALL Guardians do..." The Ghost continued, but Punk wouldn't hear it, crossing his arms, before laying back, sleeping off the rest of the night, waking the next morning, the medical wing released him. He donned his outfit, loading his weapons, he walked out into the front yard of the front yard of the tower, looking toward the Hall of the Guardians. He has never been in there, and that's where the Vanguard gathered, if he ever needed help on a mission, he would go there. He stopped for a moment, thinking about it...
"Pfffft! No way!" He said, pulling his helmet on, he had his Ghost call the ship with the newly install warpdrive. What surprised Punk was the ship that WASN'T his, descending in front of him. When he saw Amanda Holiday walk out from the docking bay, he smirked a bit, replacing his confused look with a cocky smile, the blonde shipwright approaching him and his ghost, when she reached him, she looked up at the ship above them.
"Like it?" Was all she said, Punk questioning this somewhat, not sure what she meant. The Ghost answered for him "This isn't our ship.." The shipwright laughed abit before continuing "it is now~ your old one was falling apart, figured, instead of using more duck tape and glue, I would just install the warpdrive and good parts from Arcadia, and put them into the Regulus shell, what you got? The 'Regulus X99' model~" she presented. The Ghost was surprised and pleased "wow~ this is really nice of you, thank you." The Shipwright waving her hand, secretly absorbing the appreciation, the moment cut short when Kanta stepped forward, grabbing her by her hips.
"Admit it, baby~ you did all this to talk to me~ if you wanted to be sweet, you could'a just asked~" Kanta said suavely to her. She smiled, then, to his surprise, pulled off his helmet, slapped him in the face, and put it back on him as he caught himself back on balance!
"Next time you put your hands on me, or wanna 'get sweet', I'll stuff you into y'ur ship. Lord knows your ship could always use MORE hot air. Next time you wanna show gratitude, a simple 'thank you' will suffice, we clear?" She said, feigning a sweet heart, Punk falling back on his butt "Clear..." He said, getting his head back together as she walked back to the Docking Bay.
Punk pulled off his helmet, rubbing the slap mark. The Ghost flew up to him "wow, that was... Unexpected." The Ghost said, before Desert Punk pulled himself up "PLEASE, she's so into me~!" Kanta smirked as he looked to the ship, much better looking than the other Arcadia class ship. It was time to get moving...
With Punk and his Ghost in the ship, it soared through the sky. When safely in orbit, the Ghost began to speak "There are reports that the Fallen have been keeping a pretty tight hold on the Skywatch in the Cosmodrome. Could be one of their leaders, or something valuable. Whatever it is, the Speaker is asking Guardians to look into it."Valuable!? Sounds like my kind of job!" Desert Punk said, quickly taking control of the ship as they approached their location.
When they were dropped off by their ship before it returned to the atmosphere for their call, Punk and his Ghost looked around, landing in the Steppes as they always did, it being the safest location to land in. Desert Punk waited for his Ghost to get the signal, and when he did, he pointed Kanta in the right direction. "To the left, passed the crash site." And with that, Desert Punk began to run, amazed with his own endurance as he didn't feel tired at all, stopping only to observe the many crashed planes, rusted over from years of remaining in that same field...
He did feel surprised, however, when he ran into a group of Fallen! Which screeched at his arrival, the Vandal firing off his scout rifle at the Guardian as his Shanks attempted to surround him, Punk firing off his hand cannon, wielding it with one hand as he always did, destroying each Shank with one shot, leaving the Vandal.
The Vandal charged the Desert Punk, attempting to punch it with its greater of left arms, Punk dodging it, taking hold of his smaller left arm, pulling it behind the Vandal before kicking it forward, taking out his blade, the Hunter ended it quickly before the Vandal knew it. "Another one bites the dust~" Punk said out loud, his ghost coming out and examining the area. "Let's keep going, the Skywatch is just passed this bridge."
Desert Punk walked on, passing under the bridge, the giant building with the satellite dish on top was where his indicator pointed, it seemed pretty far, but of course Desert Punk was used to walking...
"You know this place must've been amazing before the collapse. Thousands of souls boarding colony ships, off to build cities beyond..." The ghost said, Desert Punk looking at the little floating light robot, wondering why he had such admiration for something like the past. Following the path that seemed to be traveled often, it curving around rocks and bordered by rails rusted over time. Eventually, Desert Punk reached the entrance of the large building, the Satellite dish reflecting the sun's light off it. When Punk and his ghost escalated the ramps that led up to the entrance, a wire rifle shot FLEW by Punk!
"Guh!" Was all punk could say as he fell back from his own sudden movements, quickly rolling behind a rusted old car, pulling out his hand cannon and firing it off toward the Fallen Vandal sniper, which fired back in response! "GRRRGGHH! Stupid Fallen always gotta go for pinning me down!" Kanta uttered to himself and his Ghost. "Well, it IS the Fallen, they often enjoy killing off guardians quickly, AND you did kill their Archon, so it only stands to reas-" he was interrupted by shock rifle rounds that missed them again, Punk putting the Ghost away so he didn't get shot!
"Shut up Blinky, I'm trying NOT to die here!" Desert Punk said, before pulling out his hand cannon again, aiming right this time, when he shot, the Fallen Vandal's head bursting before it fell over dead! Another Vandal and a Fallen Captain guarded the door here, punk rolling his eyes when he saw the Captain roar and raise his fist to them, flicking it off in return! Throwing a grenade at the Fallen, the explosion was enough distraction to make a sprint for the old crate closer to them. By now, the Fallen noticed he moved, but weren't sure where.
They were answered Desert Punk pulled out his shotgun, blasting the Vandal dead in one shot, aiming it at the Captain and firing again before it could fire back, BREAKING its blue shields! The Captain SWUNG his shock blade at the Punk, only for him to duck, the opening left to Desert Punk was taken, as he shotgun blasted a buck into it's back, ending the Captain quickly.
"That was close~" the Ghost prompted, Desert Punk entering the Skywatch, his eyes looking out for anything valuable, and the Fallen that would most likely be guarding it, whatever 'it' was... Stepping further inside the Skywatch, he managed to bump into every crate, console, and broken wall until he finally found some set lights, they were Fallen, which means more were inside, which was reassured Kanta, wondering why only a Captain and two Vandals were in charge of guarding a whole facility...
What he found more strange was next broken down room, which had two Fallen in it, not Captains or Vandals, but two little Dregs guarding a steel gate locked down with a key-code console on the right of it. As the Dregs stepped through the puddle of water that was made from a leak above, Desert Punk chucked a grenade between them, it blasting them, and the water. "Hehehehe~" Punk chuckled, the Ghost questioning Kanta with a "What is it?" Desert Punk looked to his ghost "That was quite the 'splash' damage, wasn't it?" He snickered at the pun, the Ghost dead-panned for a moment before floating to the console, "You did not just say that." The Ghost then got to work on the Console, trying to open the locked door.
"Whatever it was that the Fallen locked this door for, they made sure they kept ANYONE from getting in... Or out..." He finished just when the door unlocked, the sound of the heavy door unlatching from the lock made Punk step back. The door then rose, reaching the top quickly, a thin layer of green fog, quickly dispersing as it met with the fresher air. Punk's next move being a reflex, his hand trying to cover his nose-which was covered by his helmet, still the stench that crept out of the chamber smelled of putrid death. What he saw was defined in one word, "creepy..." The light in the chamber ahead was emitted with a green color from strange crystals growing out of the ground, as well as one single 'lantern'-if one could call it that, as it laid off in the corner. The stench was terrible, almost as if it was thick enough to be seen, and it was, from a black smog rising from thousands of ugly, dark spores that were piling up over each other. Ugly as they were, they didn't move at all, and the black smog wasn't poison, just disgusting...
"Is this... Fallen?" Desert Punk asked the Ghost, which peered out of his hand, looking around for himself "I don't think so..." Punk then entered, turning right and going up the stairs, seeing more piles of the dark spores that clustered on the walls and floor. As they moved, the room started to darken, so the Ghost hovered over Desert Punk's head, "what is this?" The ghost asked, lighting the way as Punk held his shotgun forward. Suddenly he spoke "Lots of motion ahead... I got a bad feeling about this!" Saying this at the top of the stairs, Punk turned left, which opened up into a bigger room with much more space, and clutter to fill it...
Punk's tracker was starting to go off, he looked forward, watching attentively as his tracker showed more and more movement coming from-not one-but THREE directions! He readied his shotgun, but he wasn't ready for the sudden a silence-tearing roar was heard from the other side of the room, this one deeper and more sinister than a Fallen. In the far off distance, where the thick darkness met the light of the ghost; came many multiple figures, suddenly RUSHING a at Desert Punk, the Ghost speaking out "The Hive! They're already here!" A closer look showed these 'rushing' creatures were humanoid, their skin a palish color, almost dead, and scaly, their heads bulbous and claws sharp upon each decrepit finger. At least a dozen of them came into view as their high-pitched shrieking freaked out Desert Punk enough to run!
He quickly ran back down the stairs, the many creatures chased after him at unreal speed! One of their claws catching him, scratching away his shields partially! The sharp pain was felt, dropping off a grenade for them to step on, blasting it off! It worked, for the most part, which was good enough for him! With most of those things dying from the explosion, he realized they were weak, but numbers made their strength.
As he scaled the flight of stairs in one jump, with the help of his winch, he loaded his shotgun, ready for another round of them, when only a few came around, it only took two blasts from his shotgun to send them to whatever hell they belonged to! As he swung back in, he saw in the far distance, small clusters of green lights, each cluster was in packs of three! They all seemed to move together. The explanation was quickly made out as each figure that was hiding and calculating moves behind the crates and consoles, each of the figures had three of the green lights upon their head. These monsters pulled weapons that seemed to latch to their wrists, firing large darts of purple energy at great speed, FLYING past Punk, almost hitting him across through the stomach as he hid again behind a big blue-painted pillar. The roars and growls continued, they sounded possessed, hungry even.
"What the hell are these things!?" Punk said, then deciding to toss a grenade in the darkness, the incendiary blast killing off one of the agents of darkness. "At least they can freakin' die!" He said, just as the ghost turned the light to Kanta's left, as a loud, heavy roar pierced his ears!
"PUNK MOVE!" the Ghost warned Punk! Desert Punk glanced for a second to see an even BIGGER three-eyed agent, this one beefier than the other ones, slamming one of his fists down at Desert Punk, it being infront of him now! Punk dodge-rolled out of the way, pulling out his shotgun, the Ghost kept his light on the beast, which was aiming its attached weapon, firing off a larger round of an arcing blast, which quaked the walls behind Punk. This didn't stop Desert Punk though, firing off his shotgun! One shot obviously wouldn't kill this beast, going for two instantly, the monstrous thing finally disintegrated, into dust, like the smaller, charging ones before it.
"Punk, I know this may sound crazy, but we should charge through!" Desert Punk peeked around the corner of the pillar he was hiding behind, only to get fired upon on sight. "Yeah, FUCK THAT!" Desert Punk said as the Ghost follower his head movements, so Kanta could see everything.. "We'll maneuver around, keep anything we can between us and them! Which way are we headed Blinky?" The ghost only took a second before responding "We're headed straight for the end of the room, on the other side. Think you can make it?" Kanta peered out from the corner again, the Hive seemed to have been looking for him still. "That's a yes! I ain't dying here!"
With that, Punk charged around the pillar he hid behind, purple rounds of energy flying around him! He ducked and rolled behind a box, instantly dashing from cover-to-cover across the room. Desert Punk then pulled out his shotgun, seeing two sets of green lights around the corner of a console-like generator; blasting one into oblivion, the other trying to bash his decrepit fist into Punk's head, replied to quickly by a headshot from Desert Punk's hand cannon.
As three different purple darts flew by him from various locations, two of them hitting Punk as he ducked for cover. Pinpointing their locations quickly, he accurately did them in, the Acolytes of this darkness bursting into ash as they died. Gross... Punk dashed for the exit he found up ahead, diving blasts of energy arced downward at Desert Punk, rushing toward the exit, leaving a grenade for the two Knights of the Hive followed him out, Kanta chuckled a bit as he heard the explosion behind him.
Desert Punk continued up a flight of stairs, entering into a smaller office that opened into a giant refinery, split in two. "There's a great power in this chamber, I feel this may be what the Fallen were guarding... The Hive being on Earth is quite the fined..." The Ghost stated as Punk kept his head low, watching as suddenly a hive dressed in s flowing robe, flew overhead in the room ahead of them, those Thralls of the Hive followed her, the Acolytes already fighting the Fallen, taking their in this places in this factory, like it was a battleground.
"Oh come on..." Desert Punk groaned, the Ghost looking at his Guardian "The Hive and Fallen are fighting each other, this is our time to strike. The Hive have a Wizard here, we should destroy it." The Ghost disappeared again, letting Punk strategize on the plan of action. When it was set, he sprinted out in the factory room, not bothering to attack the Fallen, aiming his hand cannon and shotgun blasts in combination, at the Hive, the new threat posing more of a challenge to the desert demon.
The room attached to the first factory area held Fallen snipers, Vandals firing wires of blue light, sharply missing or piercing the Thralls that seemed to surround the Wizard, which floated above the rage-blind thralls, which charged to their deaths. Punk noticed the few Dregs firing their shock pistols at the Wizard, seeing it do no effect to the flaring red aura around the Wizard. "Ugghh, this is gonna suck the dust out my dad's nuts..."
This anticipation made Desert Punk reload his shotgun again before sliding into the room finally. A couple Fallen Dregs engaging him with shock rounds, which were dodged and responded to with hand cannon rounds. By now, the Hive seemed to be winning the fight, more-so due to superior numbers. When the Dregs' heads popped off, he quickly used his winch to pull himself up to the higher metal platform. This point was good for blasting the Acolyte heads which filled the factory.
Gotra, Eir Spawn, the Wizard in control of the Hive Attack, screeched at the sight of the Acolytes dying, finding the hidden source quickly, sending waves-and-waves of blasts from it's wicked hands, all aimed at Punk. His winch flew upward, wrapping around the piped ceiling, pulling Desert Punk quicker than the blasts could reach him. The Hunter then swung himself forward, lowering himself at gravities pull, shotgun blasting the Wizard once, watching its red aura burst.
The Wizard backed away quickly, swirling in the air before conjuring some a source of black dust, throwing it on the ground around Desert Punk, the dust created a dome of it around him, causing him to cough, even from inside the helmet, also lagging his movements, he even tripped over himself! There he was, down on the ground as the Hive Acolytes began to fire their shredding arrows of energy at the stunted Guardian, the dust being the cause of his weakening.
In a last-ditch-effort, Punk fired his winch forward, pulling himself out of the black cloud that choked him as soon as it wrapped around the first thing it touched. When out, the breath of fresh air being the best thing he ever felt! As soon as it was possible, Desert Punk quickly reacted, chucking the grenade that regenerated at the Wizard, screaming "EAT THIS YOU GROSS BITCH!" as it burst. The Wizard cried as it was disintegrating, no more Hive were left in the room. The Hunter laid back, relaxing as the fight was over... Until three shots of shock rounds flew across him! The Fallen suddenly breaching the room!
"You gotta be freakin' kidding me!" Punk was on his feet, his reflexes was getting as sharp as he used to be, dashing behind cover. "The Fallen were waiting for you!" The Ghost stated. "NO SHIT!" Punk replied quickly in anger, the anxiety of the situation was worse due to his exhaustion. As the suppression continued, and gotten WORSE, as Fallen Vandals and Dregs filled the room, and then-some! What was he to do!?
'Grrrrgggh! Crap what am I gonna do!? I'm almost out of ammo! And I only had two rockets from before! Crap-CRAP-DOUBLE CRAP!' Punk screamed in his head, thinking-thinking-thinking, a rush was the only solution, he would double-back around from the second factory area where they were rushing from, that may work.
"Alright, hang on tight Blinky! I'm gonna get us out of here!" The Hunter said with a small twinge of doubt in his voice, the Ghost responded "Hold on with what?" Desert Punk sprang into action, firing off his hand cannon! Actually blasting off the head of a Dreg, the Vandals took cover, not taking this Guardian lightly as they witnessed him kill off the Hive attack made on them. The Vandals attempted sniping him, to no avail, his winch hanging him from the ceiling again. At the right angle, he fired his hand cannon again, the wires rippling by him! He dodged them in midair, deciding now to detach himself, falling onto one of the Dregs! "Hang on pal!" He said as he smushed the poor Dreg, not sorry for it, as he shot at Vandal peering out from a generator to hit him, it fell over, dead quickly.
When a Dreg tried to assault him from behind, he grabbed the stabbing arm from behind, tossing it over his shoulder, Desert Punk popping a round into its head, reloading it then, pulling his shotgun out then, reloading it as well, when two Vandals came out of NO WHERE! Jumping Punk with their blades, their flourishes breaking his shield, leaving him, once again, on the ground.
By now, he was in the back of the second factory room, this tussle making him move all over! The two Vandals stepping up to the downed Guardian, their shock blades ready to finish him. This would have been Punk's end, if it weren't for a sudden set of rounds hitting their backs, downing them quickly. Where it came from was quickly verified by Desert Punk, a black hooded Hunter held a smoking pulse rifle. The body was curvy and slender, and very VERY obviously female, the generous bust of the black suited Hunter was the biggest giveaway, catching Punk speechless...
"A-Are you by any chance Desert Punk?" The Hunter called to him, wearing the Rogue set armor, most of it in black. Punk shook his head, silently relieved to see help. Suddenly he was pissed, "Wh-What the hell!? Why're you here!? W-Who sent you?" Punk questioned the woman as she approached him. "I-I-i..." The girl seemed nervous somewhat, here, in the MIDDLE of FALLEN TERRITORY, she stuttered. 'Maybe she was scared of them? But how? She's a Guardian, she FIGHTS Fallen-AND she just killed them, and saved me!' Desert Punk thought as she seemed to mutter things. "I-I was sent to bring you back-Ohmygosh! You're bleeding!" She stated, pointing to the Desert Punk's side, where a fragment of sorts was injected into him. She quickly reached a tender hand to pull it out, only to Punk's instant pain!
"MOTHEROFALLWHORES! OUCH!" Kanta yelled out as it echoed through the factory! His new ally's finding was quite large eery green shard, covered in specks of Kanta's blood, it was shaped like a claw... "This is... A Hive claw... The Hive are on Earth!?" The girl jumped back, Desert Punk noticing her body move, sort of enjoying it-he would've enjoyed it more if the Hive hadn't shanked him.
Punk then noticed movement in the background, while she seemed to be muttering on about something involving the find. Desert Punk quickly took her, which made her scream a bit from the surprise, before she knew it, she was on the ground! 'WHAT was this timid thing DOING here!?' Punk asked himself, quickly rolling her off to the side, pulling out his shotgun as a Fallen Captain engaged him! Shock blades held in its greater hands, it's lesser hands holding a shock pistol, most likely apprehended from a Dreg comrade.
By now, Punk's shields have returned, this evened the playing field, as the blades slashed against Desert Punk's shield, Desert Punk then blasted the Captain's away! The advantage now shifted. The Captain fired off its shock pistol, the streaming bullets hitting Punk! The weight of the many shock rounds sending Kanta to the floor again, his grunts were enough to signify that one more slash of a shock blade would end his shields. The Captain dashed to do so, wanting to end the Guardian that killed his squadron.
That wasn't the case however, the Captain had forgotten about the other guardian, the Hunter who was now behind him, unloading her auto rifle rounds into his back, the Captain's shields now obliterated again, just as they began to come back, Desert Punk taking this chance to shotgun it in it's Fallen gullet, sending it to the floor...
Desert Punk felt like dropping too, about to, he was saved by the Hunter who had came to his rescue. As she carried him out, he had this strange innate feeling that the Ghost wouldn't let this go, but for now, he didn't care, it was time to go the hell home...
If you haven't noticed yet, This chapter was kinda rushed. Yes I know it seems I'm following the Destiny story, and it seems atad rushed, I apologize, but I promise, I do have some "add-ons" and twists coming. As well as more OC characters and their story development of my own design. Thanks again for reading this far. Goodnight~