Hello everyone. FoxHunt5 here, late as ever!
...I'm really bad at this, aren't I?
Well, no sense crying over spilled milk. And this time, I actually have a good excuse. See, I was kind of moving to an entirely different state, and that more or less occupied with that. With any luck whatsoever, it won't happen again.
Now, to other matters. To the Guest who most recently reviewed this story, I imagine Exos can get drunk on alcohol in the same way Bender does in Futurama. Aside from that, Exos being able to have sex is nothing more than a matter of... hardware. Need I say more?
Also, this chapter was co-written between me and the wonderfully talented Cybertramon001, who also owns Katie. Pretty much everything after she shows up is us working alongside each other. So if it seems different, that's the explanation.
Disclaimer: I don't own Destiny. If it were otherwise, I would let Guardians explore the Last City, Arkham Knight-style.
Chapter 6: With a Thousand Lies (And a Good Disguise)
I stand up, feeling the cool breeze on my synthetic skin. Beneath my fingers, fields of golden stalks shimmer and glisten. I glance down at myself, seeing my grey skin and black inner workings, now unblemished by the vermillion stripes that had plagued me for so long. My hands, so often used to grip knives and guns, now feel unbelievably light as I stretch and retract my fingers. The feeling of emptiness was all but unknown to my mechanical limbs. It feels nice, really. But it seems to rub me the wrong way.
Suddenly, a pulse reverberates from behind me, rustling the stalks around me and throwing me off balance. Even as I turn, I know where it came from.
There, catching the sunlight like an oily, greasy spire, it the tower. Not The Tower, but… a tower giving off an aura of… Darkness? Light? No, it was both. It was… Shadow. The cause of neither Light or Dark, but the effect of both. I shake my head. Now is not the time for philosophy. I can worry about that later. My legs buckle as another shockwave courses through me.
Ryan
I look around. "Who said that?"
Ryan, aren't you tired of looking for answers to questions that you know you will never find?"
The voice seems to be coming from the tower. Is there someone inside? "What questions?"
Who you are. Where you came from. If you can ever find peace.
A third ripple passes through me, throwing me to my knees. A bitter gathers forms in my mouth.
"What… is this?" I sputter through a clenched jaw.
What you feel is all the pain you have avoided for so long.
I stumble as I rise to my feet. "What do you want from me?"
I want you to come home, Ryan. I want you to find peace from your sorrows.
As I hear those words, a new feeling passes over me. A sense of euphoria surrounds me. And in my mechanical heart, I know that this is what I want. What I need above all else.
And then, as quickly as it came, the peace is gone.
This was once how you always felt, Ryan.
My eyes focus on the tower in the distance.
Come home. Please.
If I was still human, I would have needed to pause to think about this situation. But I am an Exo, and as an Exo, I refuse to take the chance to attain peace.
Without another thought, I turn and walk to the tower. After a minute, a figure rises from my right. Her pale blue eyes pierce me as she steps into my path.
"Turn around, Raith. There's nothing for you here."
I shake my head. "Not going to happen. Even if I wanted to, I can't. As an Exo, you must understand."
The Exo Stranger shakes her head. "Well as an Exo, I have to tell you that you need to turn back." She brandishes her weapon. "Turn back, Raith. I understand that you don't know what you're dealing with." She raises her signature rifle, its barrel mere inches from my eyes. "Just turn back, and that'll be the end of it."
Something snaps within me. Here I am, so close to a reprieve that I can taste it, and one of the only people I have ever trusted thinks she can keep me away from it?
Fuck. That.
I swing my hand, smacking aside her weapon. Before she can react, I throw my clenched fist upward, slamming it into her cheek. The gun drops and her hands dart to her injured jaw.
My mind flashes back to a hand-to-hand combat session hosted by the Vanguard. The session itself was held after Shaxx had convinced his comrades that the Guardians needed to be able to defend themselves should they be unarmed. After dragging their feet for a while, however, the veteran Guardians started offering top-notch advice.
"If your opponent has disarmed you, the best option you have is to find their weak points and exploit them." Commander Zavala stood before the assembled room of Guardians. "Today, we will highlight ways to get out of dangerous situations out in the field."
"Guardians in group one, choose your weapon," Lord Shaxx ordered the men and women before him. Half of them broke off and walked to a wall covered in simulation weaponry.
My partner was an Awoken Titan by the name of Meg'rai. She had cobalt skin, bright green eyes, and whitish-gold hair cropped short in a pixie cut. She had been by my side through thick and thin, and it wa because of her I was in attendance that day.
Back when she was just starting her new life as a Guardian, she was having difficulty with an irate Fallen Archon. Luckily for her, a veteran Hunter had been passing through the area, looking for an Ultra to kill. Between the two of them -the two of us- the Archon's reign was brought to a sudden and climactic end. After that, we found ourselves working as allies, and eventually became friends.
In the combat class, Meg was in group one, which meant that it was my job to disarm her. She lifted a plasteel Scout Rifle off the rack, testing its weight.
Meg nodded approvingly, returning with rifle in hand. "You feeling lucky, punk?" She grinned.
I chuckled. "Unlike some people, I don't have to worry about luck in the slightest."
"Group one, take aim at your respective partners," Shaxx called. Meg aimed down a set of iron sights, the end of her gun pointed right between my eyes. "Group two, if you find yourself in this position, your first priority is to get out of the line of fire," he boomed.
"If your enemy's weapon is too close for comfort, the best method of defense is pushing where the enemy has the least stability," toned Zavala. "For long weapons like Sniper Rifles, this would be the far end of the barrel. For shorter guns, along the lines of Hand Cannons, it's near the stock of the gun or the wrist of your opponent." We all followed his orders, some Guardians joking around with it.
"After that," Cayde-6 instructed, "You're gonna wanna focus on attacking weak points. On every opponent except Vex and Cabal, that means that you should go for joints and limbs. Even an Exo will feel it if you dislocate his shoulder." He raised his hand, signaling for us to test out his advice. Meg had a couple open spots, the biggest of which was her shoulder. I brought my hand back, then slammed it into her. The impact sent her back a couple feet onto her back, the majority of her group ending up in similar positions.
She climbed unsteadily to her feet. "Well, at least you didn't break anything." She rolled the injured arm experimentally. "In fact, I'd say the biggest injury was to my pride."
"I'll be sure to try harder next time," I replied. Meg and I had had more than our fair share of 'playful' fights, most of which were because of our Classes. I had always despised how easily Titans killed me in the Crucible, and it was no secret I felt they were incredibly cheap. On the other hand, Meg had a nasty history of Hunters killing her, be it via the scope of a Sniper Rifle, or through a knife in her back. But through our companionship, we learned that every class had pros and cons, and we just kept running into the pros.
"Always remember, Guardians," chided Ikora Rey, "in hand-to-hand combat, you must take any and all advantages presented to you. There are no rules of engagement in life-threatening situations. If you want to win, you must do all you can to balance the fight in your favor. Break bones, fight dirty, just make certain you win."
"Okay, now it's time to switch places," Cayde announced. "Group two, your job is to disarm your opponent." I turned to see a grinning Meg'rai popping her knuckles, and I suddenly began fearing for my life.
All this passes through my head in a fraction of a second. A handful of key suggestions from the memory rise to the forefront of my mind.
...go for the joints…
...even an Exo will feel it you dislocate his shoulder…
...in hand-to-hand combat, you must take any and all advantages presented to you…
...just make certain you win…
'Press the advantage,' I say to myself. I dive forward, flinging my shoulder towards the Stranger's exposed gut. But the Stranger must have been prepared for my attack. She steps back, bringing her hands down onto the Exo version of my spine. Her blow lands heavily, feeling like lead shot had landed on my back.
As I drop to my knees, I subconsciously divert all available processor power towards mental speed, sensory inputs, and an area of the brain Exos call "variable situation response". The change- though a hundredth of a second long -is for Exos what an adrenaline rush is like for humans and Awoken, albeit much stronger.
My hands shoot out and push against the ground beneath me. My shoulders barrel into the Stranger's knees, knocking her onto my shoulders. I run a rapid calculation, then kick my foot out.
My heel connects with her head, making an audible snap.
Not wasting a moment, I aggressively fling the Stranger off of me and roll on top of her. Her jaw is clearly broken, and around her head are shards of her facial plating. For a split second, I consider leaving her as is. But the second passes.
Break bones. I swing my fist in a vicious right hook, sending hairline fractures across her visage.
Fight dirty. My servos scream their protest as I bring my hand back at full speed, breaking bits and pieces off the Exo Stranger's once-ivory face.
Just make certain you win. I raise up both my arms, drawing them together for a crushing final blow. Like the wrath of the heavens, my fists drop towards her face…
...Only to be caught by her forearms. Her wrists, crossed in a desperate form of defense, are blocking my strike a good foot over her face.
The two of us groan in exertion, our servos screeching their disdain. For a moment, nothing happens. We look into each other's eyes, and I know that only one of us will be walking away from this match. The Stranger must be thinking the same thing, because her eyes narrow, and I see a look on her face that is, until now, has been reserved for the Vex.
Without warning, she kicks me straight in the gut, throwing me off of her. I land on my back-hard-and the Stranger puts her foot on my throat. I remember that when we first met, the Exo Stranger caved in a Vex chest plate, which are twice as dense as as the skin of an Exo. In other words, caving in my throat would be like swatting a fly for her. I swing my arms, trying desperately to dislodge her heel, but to no avail. As everything below my neck goes numb, I look up into the eyes of my… former companion. In her eyes I see no anger, no hatred. If anything, she is at peace with what is about to happen. She meets my gaze, and in that moment, so am I.
I close my eyes, and the darkness of my mind consumes me.
Raith sprang up, throwing his knife in front of him, his other hand wrapping around his Hand Cannon, aiming it at…
Nothing.
The disheveled Hunter scanned his room. Like most Guardians, Raith had been given an apartment within the Last City, as a gift form the Vanguard. Raith's apartment was really quite modest for a Hunter in his position. If he wanted to, he could have upgraded ages ago to higher-class housing. Instead, the Exo kept the tiny three-room living area, the same home he had received upon becoming a Guardian.
The Hunter pulled himself off his sleeping mat (he'd never seen any point in getting a bed) and booted up a self-diagnostics program. Nothing seemed wrong, though. He held out his hand, and a white-shelled Ghost formed over his palm.
"Mornin', Raith. How'd you sleep?" The small bot was especially perky today.
"That depends. How long until the Warlock and I have to depart?"
"Oh, about 'alf an hour. Why?"
The Hunter walked over to his closet, grabbing a set of silver Hunter armor and strapping it on. "Inform her Ghost that we'll be leaving as soon as she's ready. I'll be outside the Traveller's Walk," he added as he threw on a long, silvery cloak and headed out into a cruel, unforgiving world.
Raith sat on the steps to the Traveller's Walk, awaiting his companion. She wasn't late, no. But that did little to discourage his impatience. The Exo tapped his arm, bringing up his HUD. "Almost time," he said to himself. 'If she does not arrive soon, I may have to leave without her.'
"Aw, don't be so impatient." Katie said as she approached. "People might think you have performance issues." The Warlock was decked out in New Monarchy gear, with a flared bird helmet and a Tlaloc on her back. Across her armor, streaks of yellow light glowed bright, contrasting her black, white and red Shader. "You don't want to leave a girl unsatisfied now, do you?"
Raith glowered at her. "I must ask that you take things seriously, Katie. I don't have time for your pillow talk." The veteran Hunter pressed a part of his HUD. "Especially with our target," he added as a 3D hologram formed before them. It looked like a Hive Knight, but with vivid red veins all over his body. In his hand he held a crystalline axe.
"This is Urok, Keeper of the Jewels. From what we know, it's his job to seek out worthy Hive warriors and elevate them into Exalted Hive. His blade has snuffed out the Light of countless Guardians."
After a moment, Raith tapped his HUD once more, and the target dropped out of sight. "If you have any questions, comments or concerns, I suggest you voice them now."
"Should I go for the jewels in his head, of will his family jewels work just fine?" Raith gave her a heavy look, perfectly expressing his feelings about her question. "Alright, alright. I'll take this seriously. Aim for the eyes, avoid the axe, and use the rocket launcher when I can."
"Thank you." He replied. "But try and save some rockets for his entourage. They're going to be among the strongest the Hive have, waiting for a chance like this. Killing two stupid Guardians is exactly the kind of fight they need to prove themselves to Urok."
"No problem. Hope those 'Exalted' idiots like Solar."
Raith paused to consider this. "Actually, I would imagine Solar would be more effective against the Exalted. From what I gather, they hold the same approximate ranks as the Swarm Princes, so any challenge they pose can easily be remedied with some Solar weaponry. For now, however, we need to head towards Urok's ritual chambers. He should be in there soon to elevating a Hive warrior." He glanced over her form. "I see you're well prepared. Do you need anything before we leave?"
Katie waved her hand dismissively. "I've got plenty of stuff I can use to kick their asses with." She tapped her arm, summoning her ship. "Race ya to the moon," she challenged as her body disappeared in a flash of light.
The Hunter shook his head before following suit, and the two of them dashed off into the dark beyond the Earth.
'Bang'.
'Bang'.
'BangBangBangBangBangBang'.
Katie unloaded an entire clip into an Ogre's face, the eyes exploding into a mess of gore and pus. It dropped down, burning away into ash. To her left, Raith was backpedalling as Thralls closed in on him, firing quick bursts of his rifle that shredded them. Katie turned and tossed a Solar Fusion grenade at a group of Acolytes, pulling out her Susanoo and shooting down a screaming Wizard.
"I thought you said that this was his hidey hole." She complained to Raith, ducking behind cover and tossing another Fusion grenade overhead. "You specifically told me that this cavern was where he does his judging stuff from."
"It is. I'm not completely certain why he's not here, but I do have a theory." Raith answered. "You've heard the rumours about Oryx's Warpriest, right?"
"Never faced him, but I've heard a couple stories about him." Understanding dawned on her. "Oh, I get it. We probably need to prove our own strength to get him to finally show up."
"If that's the case, we had better hurry and dispose of this group, before we waste too much ammo." There were three loud bangs, followed by a trio of explosions. Raith likely used his Golden Gun to clear the battlefield.
Katie drew the Vertigo, a Suros Rocket Launcher gifted to her by her friend Ti'ana. "Say hello to my newest boytoy," she said to herself, climbing over the rock she was hiding behind.
Raith slipped his hand back around his Auto Rifle, the warmth of the Golden Gun still lingering on his hands. "Shayde, any updates on Urok's energy signature?"
A violet Ghost shimmered into being near the Guardian. "Nothing yet, but I think the incoming enemies are getting stronger. Keep it up!"
The Exo rolled forward, throwing a knife at a nearby Acolyte. "Katie," he called out, "Ghosts says we may be nearing the higher-ups. Be wary."
"Roger ," the Warlock replied as she sent a rocket barreling into a group of quickly approaching Thrall. There were just a few more Knights near her, the rest of the Hive armada running towards a massive doorway on the far side of the room. After a few seconds with Tlaloc, there wasn't anything coming her way. She looked around. "…Is that it?"
Her companion glanced up from the Thrall beneath his feet. "Doubtful. We must have triggered a new phase of enemies." He blinked. "'Gassur, Heir of Ascendance'? Is that a side target?"
Suddenly, the cavern itself began shaking as a voice bellowed from the massive doors. "INTRUDERS! YOU HAVE DESTROYED THE HEIR AND DESECRATED THIS CHAMBER! NOW YOU MUST SATISFY THE SWORD LOGIC AND FACE ME!"
Slowly, the rumbles grew louder, and Katie swore she could feel parts of her body rattling loose from the vibrations. Then, in a final earth-moving boom, a gigantic set of doors opened, revealing Urok, standing well over six stories high.
"Should we point out that by Sword Logic, Gassur wasn't worthy of living?" Katie asked as she ran away from the charging Knight, firing a rocket straight for him. The blast made him stumble, but then he swung his axe at her. The ground cracked where he struck, and a molten crack spread beneath her. She rolled away, firing her last rocket and then switching to Tlaloc.
"Somehow I don't think he'll appreciate us using his own insane logic against him." Raith replied, firing with his Rifle. Luckily for Katie, Raith's assault gained Urok's attention. Changing targets, he started chasing down the Hunter. Raith tossed a Tripmine at the path, smirking as Urok blindly stepped into it. As he stumbled from the grenade, Raith fired his own rockets at his body. Katie jumped on top of Urok, grabbing onto one horn and glowing with Solar energy. She hit him with grenade after grenade, until the giant Knight fell over in a slight stupor.
Raith pulled out Invective, charging for the head as well.
As Katie's grenades forced Urok lower and lower, the light emanating from his face dimming by degrees. By the time Raith reached his target, he could see that unlike others of his kind, Urok had three oversized rubies in place of eyes. Raith came to a halt in front of his face, then fired point blank into his middle eye with Invective. Urok howled in agony and rage, trying to dislodge the Warlock atop his cranium. Not to be deterred, Katie held fast, slamming grenade after grenade into the Hive's skull. Adding insult to injury, Raith began assaulting all three eyes with everything he had. The Hunter jumped back and fired his last rocket right in the center of Urok's eyes. The Knight bellowed his pain, then struggled to climb to his feet.
"Katie!" Raith yelled up. "Jump now!"
The Warlock, her Super now spent, vaulted off Urok as the Hive Lord grabbed at where she had been mere moments ago. He turned in a circle, seeing the Guardian drifting to the floor behind him. He swung his axe, scoring a blow against her, tossing her like a ragdoll into the far wall.
"Shit! Katie!" Raith holstered his rifle and sprinted over to his partner.
"Ugh. Ow." Katie groaned, rolling onto her side. "Really shouldn't have skimped out on the armour." They both looked up to see Urok approaching, his body glowing brighter. Flames erupted from cracks in his chitin, and his axe was completely on fire. "I don't think we'll be pulling the same trick twice."
"Then we'll just have to do this the old fashioned way." Raith replied. "Pumping him full of lead till he drops. He pointed his Auto Rifle and opened fire, Urok's large size allowing him to go full bullet hose. Urok roared and charged towards them, axe raised high. Katie ran off to a different spot, while Raith dodged the giant Hive... and Urok just kept running until he slammed into a wall.
"...Did you just see that?" Katie asked over the comms.
"I did." They watched as Urok shook his head, before turning around and looking at the cavern. He roared again and slammed his axe down, fire spewing from the cut. As the flames billowed around him, Raith saw that his three eyes were cracked, and one was leaking a red liquid.
Curious, Raith stepped out from behind his cover, in full view of the giant. But instead of attacking, Urok kept searching the room.
Of course. They managed to blind him when they last attacked. Now all he had to work with was his sense of smell... and the bullets pinging off his skin.
"Katie, I think I have a plan to survive this. We just need to find a big enough statue." He said, an idea forming in his head.
The Warlock spun in a circle, seeing an imposing carving of a winged Hive Lord. "How about that fellow over there?" She pointed.
Raith nodded. "Perfect Wait here, and be ready to revive me if this goes south. Synch?"
Katie recalled that "sync" was a way for Guardians to relay orders and make sure their group understood them. "Synched," she replied. The Exo veteran ran across the room to the statue, grabbing some Heavy Ammo along the way. When he reached the base of the statue, Raith spun around, Rocket Launcher at the ready. 'Two shots,' he thought to himself. 'More than enough.'
Urok traced a large oval around the center of the room. A bit of timing, and… NOW! The rocket sped off, making contact on Urok's shoulder. The massive Knight stumbled, then turned to Raith and charged. The Guardian rolled out of the way, leaving absolutely nothing between Urok and the statue.
The collision was spectacular. Shards of the statue broke off and dug into the Hive, making him double over in acute pain. The horns on his head slammed into the stone midriff, covering it in cracks. Still not thinking straight, Urok swung his axe at whatever hit him, slicing off a massive stone sword, which dropped down and into a chink in the chitin, impaling him through and through. The Hive Lord howled in agony, dropping to his knees in defeat.
Raith looked the situation over with a critical eye before launching his final rocket at the statue. The structure tumbled to the ground in large pieces, pinning Urok in a dozen places. As his target's moans of pain lessened in bolum, Raith walked over to one of the sword racks lining the room and drew two of the blades.
He tossed one to Katie. "Go for the throat," he instructed.
"Seems a bit overkill, but whatever," the Warlock shrugged as the two of them walked over to Urok and, in two simultaneous slices, put an end to his infamy.
"Taken out by your own Hive crap. That's Human irony, bitch." Katie shouted at Urok's corpse. She picked up a nearby purple engram, tossing it in her hand. "You know, Ti'ana and Bianca are always asking me where the Hive keep the engrams on their bodies. Do you think they've got big pockets, or do they just eat them?"
Raith sheathed his rocket launcher, pulling out his Auto Rifle and reloading it. "Does it matter? Maybe they're remnants of the Guardians they've killed, maybe they're loot from Golden Age ruins. All that matters is that we exterminate them and reap the rewards. More important than that, though, the Hive just lost the only one able to promote their troops, along with a majority of their soldiers."
Katie sidled up near him. "You're right. This calls for a celebration." She drew ever closer. "For instance, we could 'celebrate' in my quarters. I really feel like celebrating this. All. Night. Long."
Raith checked his HUD. "Well, it doesn't look like I have anything planned tonight. And I did give you my word that I'd entertain your offer." The Hunter looked over the battlefield. "...And admittedly, I suppose I owe you for your aid with Urok." Reaching an internal decision, Raith drew himself up. "Very well. As a show of gratitude for your aid, I will take the evening off, and instead spend it however you wish."
"Aww, Raith. I had no idea you were so romantic., Katie smirked. "Tell you what, how 'bout you swing by my place around… eight?"
"That sounds… reasonable," Raith conceded.
"Great. And if you feel lonely before then, I'll be out with Fireteam Tramon. See you then," The Warlock added as she returned to her ship.
Now alone, Raith contemplated his newfound partner. A good fighter, to be able to take on a foe such as Urok. The use of her Super certainly spoke volumes of her character. Quick-witted, original, and undeniably clever, if not a bit hedonistic.
"So why does it feel as though she'll be the death of me?" He asked the world in general.
Song: You're Gonna Go Far Kid
Artist: The Offspring
Album: Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
And that. Is That. Took a bleedin' eternity, but it's done.