The days passed slowly, with each day the Taken were growing in reports. Eris had more input with the Vanguards than ever as Guardians began patrols for Taken across the Moon, Earth, Venus and Mars. Raven had also had more contact with Netak, in both dreams and Crucible. She had still been defiant and partaken in the Crucible despite Ikora and Zavala not knowing. Cayde made sure of that. Donatello and Xander also began to suspect something was going on as their newest member of the Fireteam was disappearing early morning then returning before noon should there be nothing going on. Netak had grown close to Raven, giving her advice and an extra bit of support in the field about where strong enemies are that might kill her or her Fireteam. However, Raven was running as fast as she could back to Donatello's room, suppressing tears as Ghost flew behind her. She locked the door and threw herself onto the sofa and buried her face into the pillow.
'My precious child, what is wrong?' Netak softly said, sounding as though he was sitting next to her.
Sitting up, the world around Raven was white and Netak was once again a black orb, watching the Scavenger as her eyes shed tears that she wiped from her face. 'I'm not a monster!' She sobbed loudly. 'It's not fair! Just because I'm different than them doesn't mean that they can ridicule me!'
Netak knew that he could help her, in whatever way he wanted. 'Why don't you leave then?' He suggested.
'I can't. I can't just leave the Tower. I'm a Guardian, I have to stay.' Raven counter argued.
'You said it yourself though. They think less of you. To them you're just a monster.' Netak said as voices saying insults replayed for Raven. She looked away and covered her ears.
'Leave me alone!' Raven screamed when a hand touched her shoulder.
Turning around she saw Donatello back in his room. No Netak. He looked concerned and worried, titling his head to try and figure out what was wrong with his friend. She sat up and wiped the tears from her face, trying to look as though she was fine through her sniffs.
'What happened?' Donatello asked. Raven had just left the Tower centre and ran back to his room.
Raven shook her head and traced a circle on her knee with her finger. 'I'm fed up of this. Of all of this. I am not a monster. I'm not going to kill everyone. Just because of this,' she gestured to her face and neck, 'doesn't make me a bloody monster.'
Xander appeared on the other side of her and titled his head, presumably in a smile. 'You aren't a monster, Ravioli.'
Raven took a deep breath and calmed down. 'Sorry. Just...everything broke down.'
Xander was about to speak when his Ghost beeped and he read the transmission. 'Vanguards need us. Come on.' He announced and they went to the Hall of Vanguards where there was a large 3-D projection of the Moon on the long table. The Vanguards welcomed the Fireteam and explained why they called them.
'We've been given new intellect. Taken have been reported on the Moon and we think it has something to do with Crota.' Ikora said.
'What do you want us to do about it?' Xander said, blandly.
Cayde stepped forward with a long metal pointing stick in his hands which he swung around. 'We need you to go to the Moon and see if you can find the source of transmissions between Hive, see if it's to do with Crota or Oryx. It'll be dangerous, you're going deep into the Moon. Although, sharp shooting seems to be something you're good at.' Cayde said and gave a quick raised 'eyebrow' to Raven who hid a sly grin.
'No problem, Cayde. We can find out what's going on at the Moon and more.' Donatello assured the Vanguards.
Raven rolled her eyes and added a small comment. 'Hopefully without being eaten alive.'
'Dismissed Guardians.' Zavala said before anything else was conversed.
Having been given a briefing and Ghosts updated with their new mission, no time was wasted before reaching the Moon through Donatello's ship. They managed to land clearly at the designated patrol point on the Moon, from there they would delve back into the Moon's core where Raven was bitten and then through to find the source of these transmissions. Back on the dusty surface of the Moon, it was Xander who was leading the Fireteam through the Moon. The three Guardians set out on their Sparrows towards their last meeting on the Moon, running over a few Dreg here and there as well as killing the three Knights which stood in the entrance of the Hive structure by the spire with green detailing on it. Down the winding staircase, the three Guardians paused as they knew what was there. Yet they also knew what happened. Raven stared into the space crawling with Hive and didn't blink. She saw a black stain on the floor and remembered that Thrall which had cursed her so.
'Hey, it's all right Ravioli. Nothing's gonna be touching you. Donatello wouldn't let his little bird get hurt.' Xander sniggered.
Donatello punched the Hunter in the arm and growled. 'She's not my little bird.'
Xander laughed, knowing that was a lie. Or at least he thought it was. He replied to Raven, 'in all seriousness, we wouldn't let anything hurt you. They've bit you once, they aren't going to get you again.'
Raven nodded and primed her gun. She wanted revenge against the Hive for what they did to her. 'Let me handle this.' She asked with a flat voice, showing she was thirsty for revenge.
The Hunter and Titan allowed her to, seeing as it was justified and simply a way of venting out the anger she had. Raven walked into the area and got the attention of the Hive before planting two bullets in the heads of each enemy she was face with. Once all the Hive were dead, either laying limp on the floor or disintegrated into gold particles. Removing her eye from the scope, her body felt satisfied with the dealing of bullets and breathed a sigh of relief. The built up anger was gone and replaced with calm and a soothing satisfaction.
'Lead on, Xander.' Raven gave a small bow.
Xander blinked out of his daydreaming daze and began jumping is way around the rocky terrain with a mixture of single and double jumps. Donatello just walked alongside Raven, watching the hyperactive Hunter leap ahead. He glanced at Raven who was looking slightly downwards with her rifle nearly brushing against her leg. Donatello wanted to make sure that she was okay, but he was never good at the comforting of himself let alone others. He always hid his emotions from others for fear of looking weak. Besides, he promised his father he would look after himself and others before they ran away from the Fallen all those years ago.
'With everything that's going on, you must be going crazy. Are you sure you're alright? Like, properly alright?' He wondered.
Raven looked up at him and gave him a smile. 'Of course I'm alright. I'm tougher than I look.' She assured him. 'Besides, I've got you to look after, although I think old helmet-for-a-head over there is literally a seven year old mentally.'
Donatello chuckled. 'Yeah, he is a little strange.'
They caught up to Xander who was spiralling down a long tunnel humming a jaunty tune to himself. They found themselves going deeper and deeper into the Moon. Ghost hovered in front of Raven's face and swivelled his body segments quickly, showing he was getting nervous.
'Raven, I don't like this. We're getting deeper into the Moon and I'm losing contact with the radio channels at the Tower. We have no Sparrow down here either and I'm unable to make a strong link to our ship. I think we should just leave.' Ghost admitted.
'We have to do this, Ghost. We can't just leave because we get a bit unnerved. It'll be okay. How are the connections to the weird transmissions doing?'
After a brief moment of scanning, Ghost replied, 'they're getting stronger the further down we go. But I don't like this...'
Raven flicked one of Ghost's body segments in a way of cheering him up, instead Ghost hovered unwillingly after his Guardian as they carried on walking further into the Moon. Everything was dark and unfamiliar, as though hardly anybody had been down there. Hive were lurking here and there but nothing unusual. The Guardians didn't really speak, they had no need to and their voices would carry through the deep caves. Then, something was etched into a rock faintly, as though it was made with a blunt object. A peculiar symbol. Xander made his Ghost scan it but before it could read its findings, Raven spoke first.
'I know that mark. Eris as those marks everywhere in her room. I think those belong...to Crota...' She said and Xander's Ghost nodded and disappeared.
'Crota? I thought he wouldn't be here.' Xander said.
'He isn't, he's in a different realm or something. But these marks are of Crota. So either he's been here, there's something bigger going on or some of his minions are claiming the Moon from the inside out.' Raven stated.
'I don't care about his enemies, but if it is Crota himself then we have to immediately retreat back to the Tower.' Donatello said, making the plan brief and solid.
Reloading their weapons, including machine guns and rocket launchers, they slowly progressed forwards. Nobody knew what was going to be around the next corner, whether it would be an Acolyte or Taken or grotesque monster. Seeping through the tunnels, it coiled around the left into a large chamber. Peeking around the corner, Xander and Donatello saw three Witches, two knights and a swarm of Acolytes busying themselves around a large crystal in suspension.
'The witches are super strong, like we're all going to struggle and I don't think I'm willing to be resurrected by Ghost down here. The Darkness is too strong.' Raven said and Ghost agreed.
'What do we do?' Xander said.
Raven was thinking when she heard Netak's voice again. The world seemed to freeze with only her moving.
'Struggling my child? You are very far away from the surface, is everything okay?' Netak asked.
Raven waved her hand in front of Donatello's helmet but he didn't reply. Everything was frozen.
'What is going on? Why aren't they moving?' She asked Netak who replied quickly.
'I can't talk to you when they are there. This is a paused reality, but never mind that. What is troubling you, my child?'
'There's strong enemies there and I need to find the source of the transmission waves we got from the Tower. I bet anything it's that crystal that the Hive are around.' She pointed to the crystal out of habit, the voice looking towards it.
Netak made a thinking sigh, before sounding as though he was smiling. 'You said about the Dreg on Old Russia not fighting you... perhaps this could be a chance to test?'
'But... maybe that was a one off thing. I don't want to go in there and get killed. I don't know why or what happened with the Dreg on Earth anyways.'
'Indeed... I suggest you try. Your will is stronger than theirs put together. Prove that.' Netak said as the world reanimated again. Raven looked around and sighed.
'The transmissions are coming from that crystal. We need a shard or its essence to take back to the Tower.' Xander said.
'Let's retreat back a little bit so we can make a plan.' Donatello suggested as him and Xander walked away, telling Raven to be careful as she peeked around the corner. Ghost went with Xander and Donatello
Raven drew a deep breath and sighed. She put away her gun and walked into the room. Her heart was pounding and the Acolytes turned around, readied weapons to fire under the lead of the Knights. But they didn't. They watched Raven as she walked towards the crystal. They watched or carried on with their own business, registering no threat or Light around them. Facing the crystal, Raven raised her hand up to the crystal and a tiny shard broke off the tip of the crystal and into her hand. The Wizards around the crystal bowed their heads and Raven walked backwards.
'Thank you.' She whispered and some of the Hive around her have an awkward bow or nod of the head as she ran out of the room. She walked behind a pillar by the exit as Donatello and Xander walked around the stairs with a sniper and machine gun equipped.
'Just in time. We're going to go in with our strongest weapons, hit the Wizards first and-' Donatello explained but was cut off.
'No need. I have a piece of the crystal.' Raven said, bringing the crystal shard out of her programmed 'inventory' in a blue shine.
'How did you get that?' Donatello asked, shocked and surprised.
Raven didn't think of that. She couldn't just say she walked in there without a problem. Thankfully she didn't have to say anything as Ghost shouted. 'They've spotted us!'
Turned around, the Knights were charging towards the Fireteam and the Acolytes were shooting their guns as fast as they could. The Fireteam turned around and run up the stairs, Hive chasing them and shooting at them. Ghost was feeling smug, knowing that something like this would happen.
'I told you.' Ghost said and Raven grabbed him and began running with him.
They ran until Xander's ghost was able to get a strong connection to their ship where they were teleported to. Xander had to grind to a stop before he ran into the chair, Donatello slipped over and fell with Raven landing on his stomach with a growl of exhaustion.
'Why is it always our Fireteam that gets this?' Xander complained before seeing Raven laying across Donatello's stomach. Neither of them seemed to move but just regained their thoughts and controlled their breathing again.
Raven got up off of Donatello and apologised quickly. 'I so sorry! I didn't mean to.' She said.
'It's fine. You're really light.' Donatello laughed.
'Oh so when she does it it's okay but when I jump on you it's wrong?' Xander pouted.
Donatello rolled his eyes and pushed Raven off of his stomach and they headed back to the Tower. Raven was sat watching the space around them and the crystal shard emitting a deep green shine. It was warm and glimmered in odd patterns. Who knew what this was going to be used for. They returned to the Tower and back into the Hall of Vanguards. They looked surprised to see the Guardians back so soon.
'That was quick. Find the source of the transmission?' Cayde asked.
'Yeah. It was coming from a large crystal.' Xander explained the appearance of the crystal.
'Did you get a shard from the crystal?' Ikora asked and Raven held it in her hands to which Ikora looked surprised and even shocked.
'How...' She asked.
'Long story.' Raven snapped back quickly as she set it on the table.
Her hand rested on her hip and her head felt heavy, as though she was having a bad migraine. Blinking it away she listened to the voices of Guardians mixed with Vanguards as their voices merged into one. Her vision kept blurring over but momentarily resumed back to normal when she blinked. The world felt as though it was spinning and her balance was thrown off. Donatello was explaining the marks of Crota when she saw Raven collapse to the floor, her muscles slightly twitching. He knelt down to shake her and try to make contact but Ikora banned him from touching her.
'Don't. Don't touch her.' Ikora said and knelt next to her.
She was twitching slightly, as though she was shivering. Her vision was blurred and morphed into black before flashes of a weird ship transportation route, Taken, a palace and finally a loud roar of deep laughter belonging to a horned being flashed through her sight. She heard one thing before losing consciousness.
'Your will belongs to me.'