Chapter 36
Diana had a difficult time gauging how much time had passed since they had left Earth on their latest mission. It had been like any other day in Neo Chicago for her when a sudden earthquake hit. She had been among the dozens of Guardians that responded immediately to the disaster, doing everything in their power to protect the civilians. The Vanguard was quick to determine that this earthquake was unnatural, which prompted an investigation of what was taking place beneath the surface of the Earth. Waiting for the Guardians within the Earth was the Daughters of Oryx who were tampering with the core of their planet. The Guardians wouldn't stand for this.
Ir Halak was put to death without a moment by the fireteam Diana had been partnered with, but Ir Anuk had managed to escape them. The remaining Daughter was soon spotted on the Dreadnaught, entering the Ascendant Realm. None other than fireteam Undaunted was summoned to pursue her.
Venturing into the Ascendant Realm without proper guidance though, Undaunted stepped into the domain of the Witch Queen, Savathun. Her deceptive powers had almost resulted in the fall of this fireteam, if not for Titus of all people intervening. Telling them to flee the High Coven, Undaunted began to wander the Crossroads in search of an exit to the Hive Ascendant Realm. Upon returning to their realm though, they discovered the hard way that they had gone three years into the future. Apparently missing a fight like no other, one where the Traveler was destroyed resulting in the death of all Guardians, and the Earth had been left as nothing more than wasteland.
Now their objective had changed once again. They had to find a way back to the time when they had first started this extended mission. Their search had taken them to Venus, into a place unlike anything Diana had ever seen before, and accompanying it was their latest threat. Surrounding fireteam Undaunted was human like Vex, all of which were silently observing them from various angles. Each of the Guardians had their weapons raised, waiting to see who would be the first to fire. Them, or the Vex.
"What are you guys waiting for? Shoot em'." Carmen whispered to her teammates. That was normally her first instinct, but even Carmen was hesitating to pull the trigger on this new form of the Vex.
"Heck no, I don't even know what those things are." Niko responded in the same hushed tone.
"I'm with Niko on this one. Those things seem almost, human.' Tobias noted, getting a nod of agreement from Diana. In fact, Tobias' observation made her want to test something.
"Wait, lower your weapons." Diana stated as she released her fusion rifle. The weapon became pixelated before it was stored away by her Ghost. She then took a step toward their nearest of these Vex Goblins. Realizing what Diana was attempting, her teammates lowered their weapons as well, watching anxiously as she approached the Vex.
"Careful Diana." Niko warned her, tightening his grip on his sniper rifle. He respected Diana's boldness, but he wasn't sure how the Vex would respond to this.
"We mean you no harm." Diana stated as she came close to a single Goblin. Extending a hand toward it, the Goblin tilted its head before mirroring her action. The hand of this particular Goblin was mechanical, but this didn't deter Diana as their hands met. It was cold to the touch despite the gloves she was wearing, but this didn't stop Diana from giving it a squeeze as she looked into the red eye of the Goblin.
"They're not, enemies." Diana said slowly, the astonishment evident in her voice. She was actually shaking hands with a Vex Goblin.
The Goblin remained still, scanning their hands briefly before it whirred. Diana felt a chill as the Goblin down decided to squeeze her hand. Whether or not it was mimicking Diana, or if it was an act of aggression would remain unknown. Diana's hand shattered within the grip of the Goblin, and she screamed in pain.
In an instant the head of the Goblin in front of her exploded, and its body went limp allowing Diana to tear her hand free. Niko looked down the scope of his Stillpiercer, lining up his next shot. He knew there was no way these Vex wouldn't attack them. All of their enemies would always be enemies. The gunfight broke out as the Vex returned fire with no mercy now.
"We can't stay here!" Diana called out, grasping her now broken hand. They were surrounded on all sides, and trying to fight back against the Vex in the tight streets if this city would certainly result in them being shot down.
"Where are we going to go?" Carmen hollered back as she rattled off a magazine from her Ace of Spades, taking out a Goblin with each bullet.
"Up!" Diana responded as she jumped into the air. Bounding from one wall to the next, Diana scaled the buildings until she reached the roof stops. Her teammates quickly followed her lead, and in just a few moments all four of them were on the roof tops where they had just a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. Then they were bombarded by the Vex as they warped up to the roof tops as well.
Weapons drawn once again, Undaunted continued their battle against the Vex Goblins whose numbers didn't seem to diminish.
"What now?" Niko asked, taking a hold of his tanto as he began to summon some Arc Light.
"Stand down Guardians!" A new voice barked, gaining everyone's attention. From several roofs away, they could see a woman in Titan armor jumping to them, waving her arms in an effort to end the fight. "Everyone, stand down!"
They Vex came to a stop immediately at the command of this woman as she landed on the roof where the Guardians had been standing. Each of them shared a nervous glance with one another at this new development. Someone capable of commanding the Vex even though it clear she wasn't one of them. This extended mission they had been on couldn't get any stranger.
"Who are you?" Niko demanded, removing his tanto from its sheath. The blade began to crackle with electricity as Niko became ignited in Arc Light. He trusted nothing about this area.
"Stand down Hunter, none of us meant you any harm." The Titan stated firmly, motioning for Niko to put his weapon away. He only watched her skeptically in response as she now directed her attention on the Vex around them. "Get out of here guys, and don't think you won't be punished for this!"
Tobias couldn't help but notice that the Goblins seemed to cringe at her mention of a punishment. Then they began to warp away until it was just the Guardians that remained. This allowed Diana a moment to study the Titan that had come to their rescue. Everything from her face to her figure was concealed by the armor she war, but there was no denying that it was Titan armor. Could she be a Guardian…and if so, what was she doing here of all places?
"You didn't answer my question." Niko stated rather pointedly, putting away his tanto while the Arc Light surrounding him faded.
"Well first I'd like to apologize for this misunderstanding. We don't get visitors, like…ever." She revealed to them before placing a hand on her chest, almost as if she was posing to introduce herself. "I am…"
Just before she could utter her name, she looked off in the distance, placing a hand on the side of her helmet. She was talking to someone, nodding her head few times before she became focused on them once again.
"I'll introduce myself properly once you've met my master." She replied now, confirming their suspicions. There were other people here.
"So then, can you tell us what the heck happened to those Vex? They didn't look anything like the ones I've heard about." Carmen pointed out.
"Everything will be explained to you by my master." The Titan declared as she motioned for them to follow her. "Now come along, let's not keep him waiting."
Now arriving at the entrance to the temple, Tobias glanced over his shoulder at the long staircase that they had just journeyed up to reach its entrance. This temple towered over the city, providing them with an excellent view of the entire area from up here.
"Whoa, we're so high up!" Carmen marveled as she joined him in looking down at the city.
"This way." The Titan called out for them as she stood by the entrance to the temple. Following her into the temple, they stepped into short but dark corridor with a stairway on both sides leading down into the depths of the temple. The Titan continued past both of these, taking them to the room ahead of them where they could see daylight. "This is his throne room. Make sure you address him properly."
"Is he some kind of king?" Carmen asked as they stepped into the room, their eyes being drawn upward to the ceiling that was filled with skylights. The rays of sunlight that entered the room seemed to work in tandem with the vibrant drapes and cushions that decorated that furniture that had been sculpted from stone. The subject however stood at the opposite end of the room.
It was a man of average height with tanned skin standing out on a balcony, observing the lush scenery that surrounded this city. He was dressed in a white tunic, with a thick golden belt around his waist. He moved his head a bit as they approached him, but he kept his back to turned to them. Now standing before her master, the Titan kneeled down and motioned for the Guardians accompanying her to do the same.
"Master, I brought them as you requested." She stated as the four Guardians lowered themselves.
"Gratitude." He replied softly. "You may remain for this discussion."
The man turned now, revealing his face to them. The first feature that everyone took note of was the black markings around his right eye which Niko recognized almost immediately.
"You're…Egyptian?" Niko stated as he pointed at him. The man blinked for a moment before he bellowed with laughter.
This caused the man to bellow with laughter.
"Hah, it's been so long since someone called me that. I had almost forgotten my roots." He noted with a smile. "You are correct Niko, I was an Egyptian in my former life. Unfortunately…"
The man began to rub at the markings around his eye, which were unaffected by his attempts to smear it.
"This make up doesn't come off." He continued, shooting them a grin. Carmen shorted in response and everyone relaxed a bit.
"How'd you know he was Egyptian?" Niko's Ghost asked as it appeared beside the Hunter.
"Actually, I'd like to myself." The man added, eager to hear Niko's answer.
"In my former life, before I became a Guardian, I visited Egypt. I saw what your people had done during their heyday, like the pyramids. They were…astounding." Niko explained, causing Diana to stifle a laugh.
"That's a big word there Niko." Diana pointed out with a smirk.
"Oh shut it." He retorted before returning his focus to the man. "Some of the people I had met had those same markings around their eyes."
"Ah, well I'm glad to know 'my people' were so memorable to you." He said, slapping Niko's shoulder. "But think it's time we got down to business. That look Tobias is giving me means he's thinking pretty hard at the moment."
Diana raised an eyebrow at this. She was positive that they had never encountered this man before, yet he knew two of their names and she was certain that probably knew Carmen's and her own.
"You know me too?" Tobias inquired, rather dumbfounded.
"Of course I knew you Tobias, we've worked together in the past. I'm shocked that you haven't recognized me yet." He stated, looking at Tobias expectantly. Tobias though, couldn't place his face. The only thing that seemed familiar about this man was his voice.
"No, I'm sorry. Nothing is coming to me." Tobias replied.
"That's okay, my associate who met with you said you didn't remember her either." He noted, shrugging his shoulders. "So I guess we'll-"
"You're…Osiris." Diana stated, causing the group stare at her, all of them wearing expressions of shock. She wasn't looking at him though, Diana was focused on the small throne that was against the wall of the room, carefully placed beneath the symbol of an open eye that shined like the sun. The symbol of Osiris.
Everyone glanced in the direction she was looking, and the rest of her team recognized the symbol as well before returning their gaze to the man.
"Wait…you're Osiris?!" Carmen exclaimed.
He only grinned at them in response.
"Yes, he is." The Titan revealed to them, knowing full well that he wouldn't answer that question directly.
"We thought you were dead." Niko said to him.
"What are you doing here? How did you end up here?" Diana demanded to know. Even with all of the information in the Origin Libraries in the Reef about Osiris, Diana still hadn't been able to determine what had happened to the old Warlock. Now all of a sudden she found herself staring at him face to face.
Osiris looked around at the four Guardians, all of them eager to know the answer to these questions. He began to walk toward the table within his throne room, inviting them to join him there. Leaning back into his seat, Osiris snorted a bit as he watched the Guardians around him become restless in their seats.
"Well?" Diana asked him, motioning for him to proceed.
"I guess I'll start with, our location." Osiris began, lifting his arms as a gesture to their surroundings. "This, is Aaru. My own little kingdom of sorts."
"Kingdom?" Carmen repeated.
"Yes, and the Hybrids you encountered, they are my servants." Osiris replied.
"What hybrids?"
"The Vex you ran into earlier. We refer to them as Hybrids." The Titan interjected.
"My Ghost said that the readings it got from those 'Hybrids', had human readings as well." Diana pointed out, receiving a nod from Osiris and the Titan. "What are they?"
Osiris smiled at them, his eyes becoming bright at her question.
"As always, the Warlocks are inquisitive." Osiris commented before glancing at Niko and Carmen. "While their Hunter counterparts shoot first, and ask questions later."
"Hey, there's a reason Hunters have the longest life span among Guardians." Carmen pointed out with a huff.
"Where did you hear that?" Carmen's Ghost asked her, taking shape beside her. "According to some statistics from the Vanguard, Hunters are usually among the first to die out in the field."
"I've never died, not even once." Carmen stated, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"You're getting off topic Carmen." Tobias said to her, motioning to Osiris who was waiting to speak.
"Thank you Tobias." He said kindly. "Now to answer Diana's question. The Vex have two very powerful abilities. I'm sure you all are familiar with the Vex's ability to weave in and out of the flow of time."
They all gave him a nod in response.
"With this ability, the Vex are able to view various timelines and take part in them to alter their trajectory. But their second ability stems from their goal of being able to determine the future." Osiris continued. "Try as they might, the Vex do not have the power to create the future they desire. There are so many variables that can affect the outcome of a timeline."
"Like us?" Diana asked, causing Osiris to smile.
"Certainly. Their second ability I refer to as Simulation. Just as the name implies, the Vex are capable of creating theoretical outcomes of a timeline. In doing so this allows them to see what they have to do in order to make that outcome a reality." Osiris explained.
"So then, if they know what they have to do, what's stopping them from doing whatever it is they want to do?" Carmen inquired, a bit lost with the direction of this discussion.
"Diana just said it, we're stopping them." Niko replied.
"But how? If they know what to do to beat us, why haven't they?" Carmen continued, causing Niko to look up in thought.
"Ah, and that's the beauty of it all Carmen. The Vex are unable to simulate us. Whether it's the Light within us as Guardians, or our free will as humans, the Vex cannot anticipate our actions." Osiris said to her.
"So that means we're too awesome for them." Carmen said with a grin.
"That's, one way to put it." Osiris trailed off.
"So how does all of this lead back to the Hybrids?" Diana asked, bringing them back to the main subject.
"Right, the Hybrids." Osiris stated. "So with this ability of Simulation, the Vex have been mapping out a course to their desired future. Originally, this had been part of their route to that future."
"Originally? So things changed?" Tobias asked.
"Very much so. You all may not know this, but the Vex have been fighting the Hive across the galaxy. But the Hive proved to be another opponent the Vex could not simulate. The Vex however, were able to determine that they would eventually be destroyed by the Hive. They had no way of stopping this future for themselves." Osiris pointed out, surprising the Guardians present. "But the Traveler's Light at the time, caught their attention. It was another opponent that they couldn't simulate, but this power even the Hive couldn't surmount. So the Vex began to plot a new course, following the Light of the Traveler until it reached Earth. During our Golden Age."
"So the Vex came to Earth?" Carmen asked, causing Osiris to shake his head.
"Oh no, that could've been disastrous. What happened though was the Vex became intrigued. Not just in the Traveler, but the people it bestowed its power onto. They wanted to understand us." Osiris went on. "When mankind landed on Venus during the Golden Age, they began to explore the planet extensively, and guess who was waiting there for us there."
"The Vex." Diana stated as she realized where this was going.
"Correct. And in an attempt to gain the Light from us, the Hybrids were born by the Vex. They fused themselves with the humans that had come to Venus. Half Vex, half man, whatever you want to call them. They are human." Osiris said avidly. "And they were going to be the key for the Vex to overcome the Hive and their pantheon of gods."
"So then, were the Vex trying to help us?" Niko asked.
"Not at all. The Vex recognized a greater threat in the Hive, which would bring about their destruction sooner than we would." Osiris replied.
"But we've never encountered these Hybrids on Venus. What changed that the Vex aren't using them now?" Diana pointed out as she sorted through the information Osiris was giving them.
"The people who toppled both Crota, and Oryx." Osiris said, motioning to them. "The Vex were defeated by both of them on several occasions, yet the Guardians killed both of them. The Vex were unable to simulate past their demise at the hands of the Hive. But the damage you all have done to their pantheon has now allowed the Vex to begin progressing again. Not only that, but these Hybrids possess the same qualities we have. The Vex can't simulate their actions, so there was some uncertainty about whether they would be used or not. But because of your efforts, their Hybrids lost their purpose, and the Vex Gate Lords locked them out of time."
"So they're stuck here." Carmen noted. This caused a thought to occur to Diana.
"So then, were you locked out of time as well?" Diana asked, staring at Osiris. The Hybrids had been put here by the Vex to keep them from altering the timeline. It was almost like a prison. And if Osiris was present here, that could only mean that he had been put here for a reason as well.
"My my, you figured me out so quickly Diana." Osiris said with a laugh. "But you're right. I was locked out of time by the Vex, just like the Hybrids."
"Whoa, so what did you do?" Carmen asked him, slightly impressed. What could you possibly have done to get locked out of time?
"Ah, I'd have to take you back to right after I was exiled from the Last City." Osiris said as he looked up. "And I heard the Last City was leveled by Oryx. That's unfortunate. Anyway, if you all aren't familiar with my exile I'll happily get you up to speed."
"Hold up." Niko interjected, one hand raised. "Is this going to be as long as the story about the Hybrids?"
"It's fairly lengthy." Osiris replied in a deadpan.
"Damn. And I thought that recording of you in the Reef was long winded. But god you talk a lot in person too." Niko muttered, causing both Osiris and the Titan that accompanied him to burst into a fit of laughter.
"Holy crap, I thought I was the only one thinking that." Carmen said with a sigh of relief.
"Niko." Diana whispered harshly. "That's no way to talk about a former Vanguard Commander."
"It doesn't look like he cares." Niko responded, motioning to Osiris who had just calmed down.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had been talking so much. The only company I have is the Hybrids and my friend here." He said, motioning to the Titan with a laugh. "The Hybrids don't talk back, so I've always done the bulk of the talking."
"I'm surprised you haven't gone crazy yet." Niko said to him with a straight face.
"Very true." Osiris said, giving him a grin as he pointed at Niko.
"So gimme a short version of why you got locked up in here." Niko stated, causing Osiris to stifle a laugh.
"What's the hurry Niko, some of us actually want to know what happened." Diana said to her teammate.
"In case you forgot, we're here trying to go back in time. Obviously meeting Osiris here might give us a new lead, but right now, to me, it seems more like we're wasting time." Niko declared, and his teammates couldn't deny that either.
They had already determined that they had gone to the future, a future that had been mangled by Titus because of their absence. If they could return to the point in time that they had left, there was a possibility that they could stop this disaster from occurring.
Osiris dropped the smile he wore at Niko's statement, placing an arm on the table as he looked around at the group.
"Your journey up until this point hasn't been a waste of time Niko. Everything happens for a reason." Osiris stated. "You seek to return to the past. How you ended up here is your means of doing so. Would you like to know how to complete your mission, or would you rather I glaze over the details and leave you to continue your blind pursuit."
Diana pursed her lips, fighting to hold back a smile at this.
"Shut down~." Diana said softly, earning a sharp glance from Niko. It wasn't often someone put him in his place, but it was always glorious to see it happen. "Osiris, please go on."
"Why thank you Diana." He said kindly, returning to his cheery expression. "So as I was saying before, I was exiled from the Last City. There are a number of reasons that led up to this decision, but the biggest one had to do with my studies of the Darkness, the Vex specifically. You could argue that I became a little obsessive, and I gave them no choice but to throw me out. After I left the Last City, I decided to delve even further into my research of the Vex. I wanted to understand them, I was desperate to. I don't know what it is about them that fascinated me so much, but I had to know more."
Diana had heard rumors that Osiris' studies had gone far beyond anything any sane Guardian would do. She could only imagine what he must have done for him to be trapped in such a place with the Hybrids.
"In one of the old tales I had heard about Kabr's adventure into the Vault of Glass, it is revealed that Kabr had fashioned Vex armor to himself, which gradually assimilated with him. At first this disturbed me, but then I began to wonder. What did he see as he and the Vex became one?" Osiris admitted openly. "I had planned to do the same as Kabr, but then I thought, why not take it a step further. I challenged a Vex Gate Lord on Venus, and defeated it. And then I consumed the liquid that flows through their power cores."
"Eww!" Carmen exclaimed after imagining Osiris drinking from the abdomen of a Vex unit.
"It wasn't that bad to be honest." Osiris said to her. "Kabr did something similar in the Vault. He drank of an Oracle, and he described it as tasting like the sea. What I drank tasted more like…milk."
"That's interesting." Diana said, amazed that Osiris had gone to such lengths for his research.
"No it's not, that's sounds gross." Carmen said as she stuck out her tongue.
"So what happened?" Tobias asked, anxious to hear where this would lead.
"I was…enlightened." Osiris stated, causing the four of them to raise their eyebrows at such a statement.
"Enlightened? By the Vex?" Diana asked him incredulously.
"My mind was opened to things I didn't think were possible. Such as their Simulation ability. I would have never believed such a thing until I was able to use it myself. I began to get glimpses of the future, but gradually these unfolded into visions of events. And as I began to see these visions, I could alter something here and there, and see the outcome." Osiris explained, gesturing animatedly with his hands as he looked up. "After witnessing so many visions, I decided to act upon one of them. I went into the past using the Vex portals, and began to change things, preparation for something that I saw. But when I returned to the time I came from, several Vex Gate Lords were waiting for me. They captured me and put me here, with the Hybrids."
"So you tried to change the past." Tobias clarified.
"Yes. But that isn't the reason I was locked away. The alterations I had made to the timeline, affected what the Vex were trying to achieve. They locked me away to put a stop to that." He explained.
"What did you do then, that scared the Vex so much?" Carmen questioned him.
"A few things. For example, I picked up Cressida on my journey." Osiris said, motioning to the Titan. "Unfortunately, she was locked away with me."
"Cressida?" Niko said, furrowing his brow as he glanced at the Titan. It couldn't be.
"Take off your helmet. Everyone else did." Osiris said, motioning for her to reveal her face to the others.
Cressida remained silent as she placed her hand on the back of her neck, starting the process. Her helmet began to break down, receding to the back of her head which allowed her long brown locks to fall down to her shoulders. She was stunning to look at by everyone present, but Niko practically fell out of his seat at the sight of her.
"Are you okay Niko?" Diana asked him as he picked himself up from the floor, rubbing on his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Looking up at Cressida a second time, Niko blinked furiously, struggling to grasp what had just taken place.
It was her! The woman he loved back in Athens! She was here, standing right in front of him, and she hadn't aged a day since he had last seen her. But how?
"Is that…really you?" Niko asked her softly, taking a small step toward her. "Cressi?"
Cressida looked toward him, and their eyes met for the first time in thousands of years. And for the first in ages, Niko felt his chest become tight. His stomach was doing flips, his knees were shaking. It really was her! The love of his life.
She didn't bother to answer though, choosing to rise from her seat and embrace him in a hug. She had been waiting so long to do this, watching him closely from the moment he entered Aaru. Niko stared at her dumbfound as she buried her face in his chest. She was tall for a woman, but Niko's immense height still put a great deal of separation between them, but it was just like she had remembered.
"Yes you idiot, it's me." She stated, looking up at him.
"But…how?" Niko exclaimed, but rather than respond she took him by the hand and led him toward the exit of the room.
"What just happened?" Carmen asked as she looked around at the others, confusion written all over her face.
"They were a couple in their former lives." Osiris pointed out, leaving all three of the members of Undaunted in shock.
"Niko? In a relationship?!" Diana said incredulously. In all of the years she had known Niko, she never would've imagined him being able to settle down into one relationship. He never struck her as that kind of person. But perhaps she didn't know everything about her teammate like she thought she did.
"It's not as crazy as it sounds." Tobias stated he watched Niko and Cressida leave the room. The look he saw in Niko's eyes when he first caught sight of Cressida just moments ago, Tobias had no doubts that Niko had very strong feelings for that woman.
"But what are the odds of both of them being reborn as Guardians, and meeting each other again?" Diana asked curiously as he looked toward Osiris. The old Warlock smiled at her.
"You would call something like that a miracle." He replied before clearing his throat to get Carmen and Tobias' attention as well. "Now let's get down to business. You all want to go home. I know how to get your there."
"How?" Carmen asked him.
"I was a time traveler, for a little while anyway. I can open a pathway through the flow of time, back to your present.'" Osiris revealed to them. "But you're in for a fight if you plan on committing to this."
Carmen, Diana and Tobias all shared a quickly glance.
"Well in Niko's absence, I'll go ahead and say it." Tobias said with a smirk. "Kicking ass is what we do best. So if anything, be worried for whoever is going to fight us."
"Hmm, well said." Osiris noted with a nod of approval. "The Conflux you used to enter Aaru, return to it and open it once again."
"What good will that do? My Ghost said that it could use that Conflux to enter this place. How will that get us back to the past?" Diana inquired.
"This is merely a portion of what we will have to do. There's a closed portal in Aaru, only used by the Qodron, the Gate Lord that watches over Aaru. What I intend to do is force him to come in here by interfering with the Conflux once your Ghost opens it. This will give you all an opportunity to kill Qodron, and doing so will allow us to use the portal that it has kept locked." Osiris explained. "From there I can create a direct pathway back to where you came from."
Niko was…stupefied to say the least.
Cressida, the woman he adored, was now standing beside him. And he didn't even really know what to say to her. He had a myriad of questions for her.
How did she get here? When did she become a Guardian? Where was she raised? Why was she a Titan of all things? What had she been doing all this time? What battles she fought in? How she met Osiris? The questions went on and on, but Niko didn't have much of a chance to speak to her.
After they had left the group back in the temple, Cressida embraced him once again, and they shared a kiss. Niko hadn't said a word since that, still trying to gather himself. It was like fireworks had gone off in his head, leaving him dazed and confused.
He couldn't even make much sense of what was happening at the moment.
The group of six was standing in the plaza, around the Conflux that they had used to enter Aaru. The small structure had begun to glow after Diana's Ghost had placed the Eye of Zydron in it, and then Osiris began to tamper with it. Niko however couldn't really hear what they were saying, still in a daze. But after a few moments, the Conflux twinkled and something took place that forced Niko to focus.
The sky became red.
Everyone looked up, Niko included, watching as hundreds if not thousands of hexagons formed over the sky.
"Here it comes." Osiris said as he pointed toward the southern tip of Aaru. He was pointing at the enormous Vex gate that was stationed at the top of a tall stone stairway. This time however, the gate had turned blue, opening up for Qodron's body parts to come through. Its various limbs all hung in the air, quickly interlocking together to form Qodron's entire body as the Gate Lord dropped down to its feet, giving off a roar of disapproval. This seemed to cause the entire city to quake as the Gate Lord took a few steps, scanning the city for its target. "Boy, he does not sound happy to be here this time."
"Master, let's go." Cressida suggested.
"Right. He'll be looking for me, once he comes down here, you all have to get his attention quick." Osiris said, motioning to the four Guardians. "If you need us, we'll be hiding."
"Are you serious?" Carmen exclaimed. "I thought you were like some legendary Warlock or something?"
"I don't have any power here." Osiris replied. "The Vex stripped me of all my powers when they imprisoned me here. And the same goes for Cressida as well."
"Alright then, let's get this done!" Niko barked, getting the attention of his teammates. Qodron had kept Cressida locked up here for who knows how long. Niko wouldn't let such a thing get past him. This Vex Gate Lord would be nothing but scrap metal once he was done with it.
"Well look whose back." Diana noted with a grin.
"Just follow my lead. We'll be done with this guy in no time." Niko stated as he jumped to a nearby roof, calling for his teammates follow him. Qodron had begun to teleport, first to the base of the stairway, and then into the city using one of the main streets. He was heading straight for them! "Let's throw him a welcome party!"
Receiving his hand cannon from his Ghost, Niko began to fire away at Qodron, the bullets ricocheting off its protective armor. But this was more than enough to gain its attention. Fixating its gaze on the four Guardians, one of Qodron's hands morphed into a Vex Torch Hammer. Within the chamber of this weapon was a purple glow that grew in size before it Qodron began to fire at the Guardians. The four of the scattered immediately, escaping being caught in the blast. The firepower that Qodron was packing destroyed the building they had been standing on with just one blast. Getting hit by that wouldn't end well.
"Come on guys, let's put some bullets in his ass!" Niko declared as he landed a different roof top by himself, raising his weapon to unload another clip into Qodron.
"I'm with you on that!" Carmen added as she landed beside Niko, whipping out her Ace of Spades to join him. But their bullets continued to bounce off of the Qodron's armor.
"I don't know guys, it feels like we're not doing anything to it." Tobias pointed out, positioned on a different rooftop further down the block. He had already dumped a magazine from his Tlaloc into Qodron, but even though he focused on shooting one spot, he didn't even put a dent in its armor.
"Cressida is trying to contact us. I'm adding her to our channel." Diana's Ghost stated suddenly. As soon as this process was completed, Cressida began speaking with no hesitation.
"Just shooting Qodron isn't going to work. You have to expose his power core if you plan to defeat him. Focus fire that small area between its hips and chest plate!" Cressida pointed out to them.
"You heard her, let's get to work!" Niko called out as he quickly adjusted his sights, beginning to wail on the area Cressida had pointed out to them.
"Allow me guys." Diana shouted, gaining their attention. Upon hearing Cressida's suggestion, Diana got some distance from Qodron as she received her Gjallarhorn from her Ghost. Now as she finished loading the weapon on one knee, Diana took aim at the target area on Qodron and fired away.
Her teammates watched as the rocket came crashing into Qodron, enveloping the Gate Lord in a cloud of white smoke after it detonated. All of them could hear a shriek from Qodron, something it hadn't done despite how many times they had shot at it before. As the smoke cleared away, they could see that the raw power from Gjallarhorn had done the trick. The white power core at the center of Qodron's body had been exposed for them to shoot at it.
"Let's finish him off!" Niko shouted.
"No! Don't get any closer to him!" Cressida screamed as Qodron looked toward the pair of Hunter's approaching it. Its yellow eye flashed, and the two of them became frozen in a dome of red and white pixels.
"What the!?" Carmen exclaimed, unable to move any of her limbs.
"What's going on?!" Niko asked as he could only look up at the Gate Lord that towered over them. Qodron raised its Torch Hammer, the weapon beginning to glow in preparation to destroy the two Hunters.
But just as Qodron fired, Tobias dropped down in front of the duo, throwing out both his arms to shield them with a Ward of Dawn. The blast destroyed the entire building around them, leaving the small section of the roof they had been standing on to collapse down to the ground. The three of them fell down into the remains of the building, becoming concealed in the dust and debris.
"Diana quick, get Qodron's attention and then take cover!" Cressida shouted at her.
"You've got it." Diana said as she fired the second rocket in her Gjallarhorn. Taking a second hit from Gjallarhorn, Qodron stumbled a bit from the sheer force of the explosion before looking in the direction that the projectile had come from. But Diana had already jumped back down to the streets below.
"Is everyone alright?" Tobias asked as Carmen groaned, rubbing her side that she had landed on.
"Yeah, but what was that thing that froze us?" Niko asked.
"It's called Detainment. If Qodron looks at you, it'll essentially just pause time for you. The only way to break out it is for someone else to cause him to break line of sight with you." Cressida explained. "So keep your distance from him, and don't group up."
"Let's get out of here then." Carmen said, getting a nod from her teammates as the three of them scattered from the remains of the building they had previously been standing on. Separating themselves as they ran out into the streets of the city, each of them continued to glance at their radars to keep track of each other's location, ensuring that they didn't get to close to one another.
"So what's the plan here? Even with the power core exposed, Gjallarhorn wasn't enough to take that Gate Lord down." Diana pointed out to them.
"The blast radius is too big on Gjallarhorn. We need something that can focus specifically on the power core." Niko replied.
"If only we had Gale and his Sleeper Simulant. That would knock this thing out just like Oryx." Carmen said, thinking about her teammate.
"We still have the next best thing." Niko said with a grin as his helmet switched to the Celestial Nighthawk. "One shot from a Golden Gun should put him down for good. But just in case Carmen, you should be ready for a follow up shot."
"Right." Carmen said before as she dipped into an alleyway, but her attention was drawn to the air above her. A dark cloud had formed over the buildings, followed by a flash of blue light from with them. Vex units began to drop down, occupying the roof tops as the Guardians began to search for cover.
"Figures, none of the bad guys ever want to fight by themselves." Diana's Ghost muttered as Diana slipped into the back of one a small home, switching out her Gjallarhorn for a fusion rifle. Taking cover beneath a window, Diana began to load in a fresh magazine into her weapon, but her body became tense until she found herself completely frozen.
"Guys, I'm frozen!" Diana exclaimed.
"But how, Qodron is over here with me." Niko pointed out as he peaked out of the alley he was hiding in. The Vex Gate Lord was standing in the main street several yards from him, looking around as the Vex units it had summoned were searching the small streets for the Guardians.
"Qodron has multiple Eyes on the battlefield that are looking for you too." Cressida declared. "These Eyes are like special Vex that possess the same ability he has to Detain you. You gotta take out of the Eye before Qodron gets to her!"
"Are these Eyes like, silver Vex?" Carmen asked as she peeked around the corner of the alleyway she was in. The small Hunter was close to Diana, and on a nearby rooftop she could see a silver Vex unit staring down into one of the buildings.
"Yes, did you spot one of them?"
"Yeah, I got sights on it." Carmen replied as she took aim with her Ace of Spades. Firing just once, the head of the silver Vex exploded, and Diana gave a sigh of relief as she regained her mobility.
"Thanks Carmen!" Diana called out.
"I gotchu!" Carmen replied.
"I don't like this though. We're playing cat and mouse with a Vex Gate Lord." Tobias said, getting a nod of agreement from his teammates. They had no choice but to hide at the moment for fear of being captured in a Detain bubble and they hunted down by Qodron and the Vex.
"We have to go for the kill together or else we'll just keep running circles around this place." Niko declared.
"Do you have any ideas?" Tobias asked him.
"Yeah, but you all aren't going to like it." Niko responded.
"We'll see about that. Go ahead." Diana said to him.
"Okay, so Tobias is going to put down a Ward of Dawn out in the open for him and Carmen to get everyone's attention. With all of the Vex distracted with the two of them, Diana and I will move into focus fire the power core." Niko explained to them.
"That sounds pretty risky." Tobias noted.
"Yeah, and the chance of that working out is pretty slim. All of us will be exposed for something like this to work." Diana reasoned with him. "So let's take this a step further then."
"For real?!" Tobias exclaimed. Diana nodded at this, although this went unseen by Tobias.
"Yup. Let's put all three of you in Tobias' Ward of Dawn to get their attention. With you all in the middle of things, I'll pick off the Eyes on the rooftops, and then I'll hit Qodron with a rocket from Gjallarhorn." Diana explained.
"But you already said it isn't enough to take him down." Carmen pointed out to her.
"True, but it's strong enough to stagger him. If I take out all of the Eyes, and can force him to break line of sight with you guys for even a second, Carmen and Niko should be able to take him out." Diana went on, getting nods of agreement from her Hunter teammates.
"Even riskier, I like it Diana!" Carmen declared.
"And don't worry Diana, we'll come through. You just do your part." Niko said to her. Diana nodded to herself at this as she took a deep breath.
"Just give me two minutes to get into position. I tell you guys when you can go for it." Diana said as the all began to move now. While Niko, Carmen and Tobias grouped up in a small building close to Qodron, Diana left the area that the Vex were patrolling, getting onto a rooftop with a sniper where she had a clear view of all of the Eyes were that were located on the rooftops. "Alright guys, you can move in now."
"Alright Tobias, just do what you did last time." Niko said to him as he and Carmen jumped out onto the rooftop, taking a few pot shots at Qodron which gained the attention of all of the surrounding Vex. The Gate Lord spun around, its eye spinning as it stared straight at the two Hunters.
Once again a dome of red and white was dropped over them as they became frozen in place. Qodron approached them as numerous Vex Goblins teleported to the roof they were standing on, raising their weapons to gun down the two of them. Qodron also raised its weapon in a similar fashion, ready to finish off half of the Guardians present.
"I'm with you!" Tobias declared as he Blinked into the air over the two Hunters, releasing a small blast of Void Light to propel him to the rooftop where he placed a Ward of Dawn over the group once again. This protected the group as the Vex opened fire. Even with the Detain active though, Tobias was able to maintain a Ward of Dawn under the heavy fire from the Vex. "Alright Diana, whenever you're ready!"
"I'm working on it!" Diana replied as she stared down the scope of her sniper rifle, picking off one Eye after another. Picking off seven of them total, Diana surveyed the field once again in search of anymore. She couldn't spot any more through her sights, and there was no way to be certain if she had gotten them all. But they only had so much time on their side. "Okay, get ready guys. I'm about to fire Gjallarhorn again."
"We're ready and waiting." Niko replied.
Raising her rocket launcher, Diana stared down the sights to lock onto Qodron, but rather than looking at the Vex Gate Lord in her sights in her sights, she found herself looking at the silver frame of a Vex Goblin.
"Crap! One of the Eyes is over here!" Diana shouted as her body became frozen. One of the Eyes must have spotted her prior to her starting this task and left the battlefield, waiting to trap her. The Eye raised the weapon on its arm, taking aim at Diana's head. Staring into the barrel of the weapon, Diana felt her chest become tight as it began to glow red, getting ready to blast her brain to bits.
"Hyah!" A female voice shouted as a leg was dropped down on the head the Eye in front of Diana, throwing the whole unit to the ground. Diana looked up in shock to see Cressida standing in front of her, standing proudly as her savior.
"Oh my god, your timing couldn't be any better." Diana exclaimed as she began to move once again, thankful for Cressida's sudden appearance.
"What happened?" Niko asked as Diana took aim with her Gjallarhorn once again.
"You're girlfriend just saved my ass. I like her already." Diana stated, causing Cressida to don a large smile. Diana then fired her large weapon, watching as the rocket raced toward Qodron.
"That's my girl!" Niko shouted in return as Qodron was hit. And just as Diana had said, the power from the explosion staggered Qodron, sending it stumbling to its side. In that instant, Carmen and Niko acted with their motion restored. Jumping out of the Ward of Dawn, both of them raised their hand cannons into the air, empowering it with Solar Light. The two of them took aim, and fired, unleashing a stream of orange flames that pierced right through Qodron's power core.
The Gate Lord groaned as the white liquid with its core burst out of it through the sizable openings that had been punched through it. The light in Qodron's singular eye darkened, and its body collapsed onto several buildings, destroying them as it kicked up a large cloud of dust. Niko and Carmen gave an audible whoop as they landed back inside of Tobias' Ward of Dawn, impressed that everything that gone according to plan. The hexagons that had covered the skies shattered, causing the sky to return to its golden color as sunlight broke through once again.
"Now we just have to clean up the place." Tobias said as he looked around at the Vex that surrounded them.
"That won't be necessary." Cressida stated, and right on cue, the Hybrids landed on the rooftops as well, beginning to combat the Vex. In just a few minutes the Hybrids had savagely torn apart the Vex units that had been summoned by Qodron, leaving nothing but metal limbs and scrap in their wake.
"Pack your bags guys, we're going home!" Carmen declared.
The group met with Osiris at the top of the stairway that led to the portal Qodron had used. Qodron was very large, but the portal was absolutely gigantic, the biggest one any of them had ever seen. Even bigger than the portal Diana had seen Zydron use on Venus.
"So that was it? We're good to go?" Tobias asked Osiris as he stepped toward the portal. There was a small Conflux embedded the pillar that framed the portal. Osiris placed his hand on the Conflux, and it began to glow, causing the portal to open up once again.
"Yup, you all did it." Osiris said, turning to the group to give them a smile.
"Alright! We're going home!" Carmen shouted as she gave Niko a high five.
"And I also have a bit of news for you." Cressida said, causing them to quiet down. "I'll be coming with you guys."
"What, for real?" Carmen and Diana exclaimed together.
"Yes, I'd like to join your fireteam. Especially if it means spending more time with Niko here." Cressida said as she glanced at the tall man standing beside her.
"We would've been spending time together regardless." Niko replied with a grin.
"Is it okay for her to come with us?" Tobias asked Osiris, who gave him a nod in return.
"Whether she'll have any effect on the timeline has yet to be determined, but I'm sure you all will find a way to overcome whatever stands in your path." Osiris said, getting a nod from the Guardians. It was what they did best after all. That and, kick ass.
"So we're in agreement, that Cressida is officially part of fireteam Undaunted?" Niko asked as he looked around at his teammates.
"Well, I'm not going to stand between Niko and his woman." Tobias said, getting a laugh from Diana and Carmen.
"Yeah, I'm all for it." Diana said, giving Cressida a thumbs up.
"As long as you don't hog the action, you won't hear any complaints from me." Carmen added. And just like that, they had a new teammate.
"Okay then, let's get moving people. We're burning daylight again." Niko said as he stepped toward the portal. "We're good to go Osiris?"
"Yes indeed. Step through and you all should be placed at the Endless Steps on Venus in your present." Osiris stated, getting a nod from the Hunter before he stepped through, followed by Carmen.
Cressida however approached Osiris, and bowed to him graciously.
"I can't thank you enough for doing this." She said to him before giving him a wave. Then she stepped through the portal as well, leaving just Diana and Tobias.
"So what are you going to do from here?" Diana asked Osiris
"I haven't decided just yet, but I have the funny feeling we'll be meeting in again in the near future. Ask me then." He replied, giving her a cheery smile. Diana raised her eyebrows at this, deciding that it might be best not to press any further into his business. Especially with his mention of them having a reunion in the future.
Diana gave him a wave, and stepped through the portal. And now only Tobias remained.
"I'll bet there was a lot you want to ask me, right Tobias?" Osiris asked him as he stepped toward Tobias.
"Yeah, there was actually. I know that you and I worked together before I lost my memory. I had questions for you, but right now they have to wait." Tobias said, recalling what Eva had shared with them back on Venus. Titus was responsible for the future they had witnessed. And now the top priority was to make sure that this future didn't become a reality for anyone. "Besides, you said we would meet again."
"Yup. In your future there will be a time when you'll want to come looking for me again. Just return to Aaru…" He said, raising his arms to motion to the city below them. "…and I'll be here waiting for you."
Osiris extended a hand toward Tobias and they shook hands. Tobias then gave him a two fingered wave before looking toward the portal.
As he raised his leg to step through though, he felt something for the first time since he entered Aaru. A presence. Seven of them in fact. All of them located at the very edge of the city. Tobias looked back for a moment, uncertain of what he had detected. But then he shook his head and stepped through the portal.
Osiris raised a hand to the Conflux, closing the portal now that Undaunted had gone through. Then he drew in a deep breath, causing his clothing to change. Staring at his shoulders, a long black and gold robe that was decorated with rhinestones formed over his torso. A pair of black slacks with golden knee pads formed over his legs and they were tucked into a pair of high boots. Osiris then looked across the city to his temple, feeling his power begin to bubble forth, then he Blinked.
Landing at the top of the stairway that led into his abode, Osiris smiled at how great it felt to do that again. He had been forced to walk everywhere in this city with his power, but now he could return to the days of using Blink as his only form of transportation. Sensing a presence beside him, Osiris turned and grinned at the familiar as it formed. Streams of blue data began to circle together, building itself into the form of a female Exo who raised her hood over her head once her form had been completed.
"It has been quite some time since we spoke face to face." She stated, kneeling before him.
"You have no idea how long I waited for this." Osiris replied before turning around to look at the city. Seven dark figures dropped down behind him, much to his delight. All of them were kneeling down along with the Exo.
"Master, it has been far too long." One of them stated.
"We've been waiting anxiously for this day."
"I know. I have as well." Osiris replied.
"My lord, I've been waiting to ask you this. But why did you cement us to this timeline?" One of the larger shadowy figures asked.
"Thanks to the efforts of our friend here," Osiris began, motioning to the Exo. "This timeline had been prepared to free me from the prison the Vex put me in. Now that we have both Titus and Tobias in one timeline, our preparations are complete. The reign of the Nine will begin as scheduled."
A/N
So this was a deep chapter, for me at least. As I've said before, the Vex always struck me as the most fascinating enemy race in Destiny, so writing this chapter was a ton of fun for me. Of course there's a huge plot point right above this author's note that I want to discuss briefly.
Before Destiny 2 had even been announced I had assumed Osiris was involved with the Nine, or possibly leading them. Then when they announced Trials of Osiris had become Trials of the Nine that solidified my theory at least. Unfortunately, the base game of Destiny 2 did not address anything about Osiris. I was hoping to learn a bit more about his purpose before this chapter, but it looks like I'd have to wait for the first expansion which is focusing on Osiris. So I'm taking my leap of faith and following my assumptions about him. Obviously some things are subject to change as I keep working, but we'll see where Bungie decides to go.
This is the last chapter that I had prepared in advance, so we're officially all caught up to what I have written. I have absolutely no idea when I will update this again, but I'll try to make sure I don't keep you guys hanging for too long.
Thanks again for reading, and have a good one!