Hello there, the Opulent one here, and welcome back to this mess of a story so far. Before anything, I want to say thanks to those who Reviewed so far, Crazed within 10 minutes of my publishing that chapter no less.
So to explain the Warp Drive some. Considering it has Vex Tech inside now, it causes a temporal anomaly every time it's used, meaning something changes every Carmichael travels to other planets. It could be anything from the transference of creatures or weapons, to the rare chance that Carmichael spends a few weeks without his glorious beard. It is all within reason however as one item from Sol will go to the Old/New world, and one will come to Sol each time. Hopefully that makes sense, it's like galaxy-wide trading, but there's a Gacha there.
As for Fireteam Remnant, starting this chapter in the post chapter area, I will give their loadouts, which will be a blend of D1 and D2 items. I did mention Carmichael having D1 Armor like the Voidfang Vestments and Thyosian Vibrissae gauntlets.
Anyways, without further ado, let's get the ball rolling!!
Chapter 2: A Guardian's Duty
(The Last City, One Week after Code Starside)
Since the report came in from Carmichael to the Vanguard, things have been both more chaotic, and more relaxed for Fireteam Remnant. The introduction to Midnight was most certainly an interesting turn of events as the young Nargacuga made herself right at home. With her around, the Fireteam had to stop going on regular missions, or even the Crucible for extended periods of time as to keep a watchful eye on her, not that Toyo minded as she was practically glued to the monster.
"Toyo, we are going to get some food from up above, try not to make a mess." Sora said as her and Carmichael left their little abode in the Tower. With those two gone, Toyo had a fun idea come to mind.
"Heyyyy Midnight?? You like to hunt, right?" Toyo asked with a coy smile. Of course she knew as her more shut-in nature lead her to learning of Pre Golden Age gaming, and by extension, Monster Hunter. Midnight nodded as despite the young age, she was smarter than most of her species, and VERY playful.
"Good, I know a couple places where a friend of mine watches over that I'm sure you will like." Toyo added as she had Shade, her Ghost, prepare her ship to head to the EDZ. Toyo had a Modernized Arcadia Class ship biased off of Cayde's own, but with a different theme of her subclasses over the heart of the cards.
Carmichael and Sora saw this happen as the ship took off from the hangar near the living spaces, deep violet contrails being left behind.
"I hope that they are okay when the day is said and done." Carmichael said with an almost fatherly tone.
"Oh? Am I hearing the Hero of the Red War showing concern over a creature of the night?" Sora teased, her elbow gently jabbing Carmichael's torso, the warlock turning a little red.
"Of course I am, she is like a daughter I never had. We Guardians cant reproduce without special circumstances like our light being drained… Not that its stopped you from trying." He then shot back, a smirk growing on his face.
"H-H-H-HOW D-DO YOU K-KNOW THAT?!?!" Sora screeched in embarrassment, her face now hidden in her hands.
"I didn't until now." Carmichael laughed for good moment, an Arc Fist meeting his face as Sora punched him. Specter had to revive him out of the wall to the surprise of some of the citizens.
"Carmichael, we are putting this in the Vegas rule…." Sora said in a low tone, still embarrassed as all hell.
"Alright, I didn't mean to push those buttons Sora." Carmichael comforted his best Titan in a hug before letting go. "Let's go get our groceries and make that Steak you wanted to make last week. I know you've been trying some new spices out."
"Thanks for that Carmichael… Now let's go make the best Steak ever!!" Sora then yelled out, her composure coming back in full force.
"That's the Sora I know." Carmichael snickered as the two guardians entered the L-Mart, searching for their Groceries.
(Back with Toyo)
The trip wasn't long to the European Dead Zone when Toyo and Midnight landed in the Trostland. "Okay Midnight, I gotta introduce you to someone first, he kinda runs the area here." Toyo said as they entered the church. Midnight liked it as it had a few cubbyholes she could sneak into if need be, and the sounds of possible meals when she gets older enticed her too.
"Hey Devrim, you got a minute?" Toyo then said, going up the stairs to the top floor, well more like slope… an incline up. Standing at the window with a bolt action rifle was a man who appeared in his late-middle years, greying hair and beard, but an overall friendly face.
"Ahh, if it isn't one of the Heroes of the Red War herself, what brings the pleasure of coming here?" Devrim as Toyo called him asked, his tone welcoming as he poured himself some tea. "Care for a cup of tea." He then offered.
"I have time to kill while Carmichael and Sora are out in the City, so why not?" Toyo poured herself a cup of tea. "Besides, if there's another person, or well, companion I want you to meet."
"Companion? Sounds like you found yourself a pet to look after." Devrim said with a chuckle. "Not many Guardians settle down to normal lives, or as normal a live as this world leads on. So where is your companion?" Dev then asked, his tone more curious.
"Midnight! I know you are hiding nearby, come say hi to Devrim!" Toyo called out, and the church lit up with shuffling noises as the young Nargacuga came up the boxes to the top floor instead of the slanted planks. Devrim was stunned to say the least at the unique nature of the creature, while Toyo sipped her cup of tea.
"Well, you most certainly are an interesting appearing one. I think you are the first one of your kind I've seen." Devrim said once his shock went away. "Your companion somehow suits you, Guardian."
"She is the only one here in Sol, though how she came here confuses me. Her species is called Nargacuga, or according to those that named her, the Swift Wyvern." Toyo explained.
"A Wyvern?" Dev cut in, more curious
"Yup, though happily, she isn't anything like those Ahamkara. No wish granting here asides from a swift and painful death if you make her mad. She lives for the hunt from what I've seen from her so far." Toyo said as she scratched under Midnights chin, the Nargacuga loving the attention as she laid down in much the same manner as a cat.
"If that's the case, she is most certainly welcome at the Farm. The allure of a Fallen Ally has wavered some, and the children do love their fantasy books. Seeing you companion would give them a bit of excitement for a while at least." Devrim suggested.
"Maybe we can stop by there, but I would have to talk to Carmichael and Sora since the former is technically the one who is the real companion. I'm on babysitting duty more or less." Toyo admitted, though she wanted out of the tower as well to have some fun. "Needed to stretch our legs as the Tower does get cramped at times."
"Ahh, well I think it is safe to say that you have things handled here if you are around. You can head over towards the shard if you want a good hunting spot. The fallen and cabal don't head up there anymore, and I doubt they will anytime soon." Dev pointed out.
"Yea, haven't thought that area would do anything good for hunting, but a fly by shouldn't hurt to see how the trees are holding up. What do you say, Midnight? Ready to go on a hunt?" Toyo asked, getting a nod from the Nargacuga as the Hunter finished her tea. "Thanks for the company, Devrim."
"Always a pleasure. Have a safe hunt." Dev said his farewells to the pair as they left for the ship which was where those pesky Fallen couldn't snag it.
(Seliana)
The week has been hell for the inhabitants of the area due to their captured species having escaped… again, leading to a goose chase to prevent more problems. It sure as hell had some good legs on it as it was showing a new vigor that it didn't show before, making Solstice rather cross.
"Damn it you armored Mutt, I will skin you, and use your head plate as my breastplate when I get my blades in you!!" Solstice yelled, out of breath. She ended up in the Hoarfrost Reach, and took the time to drink a mix of Dash Juice and Something Hot (let us presume some sort of tea).
"Meowster, being meowd wont catch them faster." Solar, Solstice's Palico companion said to her, making the Sapphire Star calm down some
"Yea, you're right, but how the hell do you lose an Odogaron the size of a Jagras in the snow?!" Solstice responded before her scoutflies picked up something Orange, a trail bright enough to distract her. Orange was never a color the Scoutflies normally used, only when it knew something was amiss. Racing over to where the trail lead, only to stop at a sight she would never forget.
Partially poking out of the snow was what remained of a Deviljho, unmoving, and partially devoured. Laying next to it appeared to be a 12 foot tall beast of unknown origin made of flesh and muscle. There were no discernable eyes on it, but its vaguely humanoid shape left shivers down her spine. Solstice could only think of one thing.
RUN.
So she did, calling her Wingdrake when she got back to camp, and hitting the books, leaving one of the blank pages to her notes as she drew the new beast in great detail, and how it must have killed that Deviljho before eating it. Only Rajang before instilled an instinctual fear in Solstice, this did too, especially since she knew nothing of the new monstrosity.
Screw the Odogaron thing, this seemed far more dangerous.
(European Dead Zone)
Carmichael and Sora, after sorting things out with the kitchen hopped into the Comitatus, and went to meet up with Toyo and Midnight. To speed up the process to get from Russia to Europe, the warlock activated the Warp Drive for the second time.
THUNK!!
"Uhhh, Carmichael??? What was that?" Sora asked as it shook the ship a bit.
"It happened the first time, though nowhere near to that level. I will need to ask Osiris next time I have the chance. Until then, I will probably have to switch to the Arcadia ship with the standard warp drive installed." Carmichael responded.
"I agree, that cant be right, and for a moment I felt a spike in temporal energy, like the Vex are still trying to influence the ship." Specter joined into the conversation.
"Wait, Temporal Energy? You think that the Warp Drive is causing this?" Sora asked, her Titan nature showing. "How can a Warp Drive do that?"
Carmichael facepalmed. "Osiris installed modifications using his knowledge of Vex technology. It seems like, while stable enough to use, it may be causing unforeseen problems involving the local wildlife, or in our case, Wyverns." Carmichael explained. "Basically every time I press the fast button, something gets yeeted into the sol system. Now I have to make a couple of calls…"
"Oh.. that doesn't sound too bad if they're anything like Midnight." Sora beamed some, liking the idea of fuzzy monsters running around the tower.
"Midnight is a young member of her species, meaning she hasn't had an encounter of humanity like her elders have, besides from what Toyo says, they can only get worse. Traveler forbid that some don't make it here, and try to eat the light directly." Roland said with a stern tone, making the titan shrink some.
"I can dream, right?" Sora asked meekly.
"No, that would be a one way ticket to sending us into another Reef incident." Roland said with a deadpan tone, his voice making Sora wince.
"Riven looked so cute as a dragon loli though, I couldn't help myself!!" the Titan tearing up a bit with a sniffle.
(Flashback: Last Wish Raid, Wishing Wall)
"Alright guys, make sure the symbols are correct so we can get our extra key. After that, it is up to you guys as to do whatever." A second Titan who was leading the Raid party said in a gruff voice, his Iron Banner Armor paired with an Izanagi's Burden and Rocket Launcher made him a good candidate to lead. He was also the highest power at the time with Min-Maxing as well.
"Okay, Extra Keys done." Toyo confirmed as the wall flashed to life before clearing. "Sora, what are you doing?"
"I am going to make art, now stand back." Sora said as she pulled out a Hammerhead LMG, pulling the charging handle back, spraying the wall with a mayhem of bullets before stepping on the plate. Somehow that worked, and the voice of Riven entered the whole teams head.
"How interesting a wish, o mischievous mine~" Riven said, but her voice was unlike any previous efforts. "I shall reward your desires personally, make haste to my chambers, o murders mine." Then the voice vanished.
"Okay, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" An Exo hunter said, confused, and almost ready to golden gu. The first thing that appears in the room below, only there wasn't anything there, only a portal.
"I have no idea, but I think we just skipped most of the raid to go straight for Riven." Carmichael said, making sure his Well was ready. "Remember to optimize DPS when we get to her. I have Thunderlord fully loaded, you guys?"
"We have everything up to snuff." The rest of the Fireteam said, heading down cautiously.
"Okay, we've done this before, shouldn't be too….." Iron Titan said before they all went through the portal to see a small girl with dragon like features. Namely the paws and tail of Riven.
"….. Hard. Sora???"
"OH MY TRAVELER SHE IS SO ADORABLE, CAN WE KEEP HER?" Sora lost all reasoning, and hugged the small dragon child, not realizing that it was Riven. The Encounter started soon after that.
(Flashback End)
"So Toyo said to come into this area. It's been a while since we've been here, hasn't it Sora?" Carmichael asked while the titan just pouted a bit at the warlock. "Hey, I don't blame you for the Reef incident, just wouldn't have done it myself."
"Whatever, she was warm to the touch before the wipe anyways." Sora said, looking outside to see that the area around the Traveler's Shard had regrown into a lush forested area, some wildlife coming back to graze on the vegetation.
"The wonders of leaving a forest alone to recover had done wonders to the forest. Then again it was on fire the last time we were here, so anything would be better than that." Carmichael chuckles a bit as they enter an opening in the woods. After a short walk, they found the Hunter they were looking for, happily eating what Midnight caught at a campfire.
"Yo Carmichael, Sora!" Toyo said with her mouth full of elk meat. "Want some?" Toyo offered, but was declined.
"So you took Midnight out to hunt? Considering the forested area, and plenty of shadows, she would love it here." Carmichael noted as he looked around. "Perhaps seeing about making a cottage out here would be alright with the Vanguard…. Nah, we can just have an extended stay at the Farm, and fix up one of those houses there."
"You're starting to sound like that one crusty warlock who was too old for everything going on. Emmerson I think his name was." Sora said with a bit of amusement in her tone.
"He was a creep, always trying to peek under the armor whenever I was on my own." Toyo said with a tone of disgust. "I hope he rots from the inside."
"Well Ikora did say he was on a mission to the moon, so maybe the Hive will get him." Carmichael then joked, not liking the guy at all. "Anyways, we should head back home, got to report to Zavala and all about the Warp Drive. Maybe Osiris can see about fixing it because those Thunks are not fun."
"Fair enough, so I guess we are all hitching one ship then?" Toyo asked, Midnight waking up at the sounds of heading back.
"Might as well since my ship is technically malfunctioning. Sora's is the biggest, so we can take hers… and yes, you can listen to that playlist you fall asleep to on the way back." Carmichael let his titan friend know, though he isn't fond of the upbeat type music Sora listens to.
"YES!! THANK YOU CARMICHAEL BUDDY!!" Sora then proceeded to give the poor warlock a full strength bear hug… causing Specter to revive him the second time that day.
WHO SAID COMBAT WAS THE ONLY WAY YO KILL GUARDIANS?
The rest of the day remained rather uneventful on earth…
However…
(Seliana)
"Fleet Leader, we don't know what happened in the hunt. It was going smoothly until we dropped Rocks on it, and POOF! It just vanished like it was never there in the first place." Banbaro man said, rather exasperated at the fact he lost ANOTHER hunt that week.
"2 missing monsters, both associated with this Super Flash thing you mentioned. Check the Guiding Lands to see if it ended up there, perhaps it got transported there to bolster whatever defenses are left in that area." The Fifth Fleet Leader said. "Not to mention we finally captured that Nargacuga, but it remains in a catatonic state with the Researchers… What is going on out there?"
"Fleet Leader, I don't think that Monsters are just being transported to the Guiding Lands, there are too many holes in that with the fact we have found two monsters of unspeakable variety. One killed a Deviljho with ease from what I have been told of our Sapphire Star. If she is afraid of it, then what makes us any capable of standing up to it? If that War Garon is allied with it, then it's worse for us as a whole." Banbaro man said, anger in his tone now.
"Then we simply observe it then for now, learn its behavior before coming up with a strategy to take it down." The Fleet Leader responded. "As for the Elder Dragon…. I hope it didn't end up where it could turn a village into a ghost town. We won't be prepared for that if it's close."
"I understand, sir. I will see about getting an investigation team on the matter as soon as I can." Banbaro man said, getting the girl with Odogaron layered armor with a tug. "You're with me."
And that is it for this chapter, though there are a couple things since starting this chapters progress that I wish to say…
Firstly) Be safe out there, all of you. The Coronavirus, while scary, isn't the worst thing in the world. That doesn't mean to take it lightly. Take care of yourselves and family if you can, and if you are affected with the Virus, the please do what you can to recover.
Secondly) I am considering Midnight to end up as a Deviant Monster (Like Bloodbath Diablos), so what I would like to see is what the Deviant name should be, and what abilities is should gain. I'm thinking something along the lines of Void-biased in terms of some attacks.
Thirdly) Who are the new transfers? One is confirmed an Elder Dragon, but it does relate to what arrived in the Hoarfrost Reach. HINT: They're both gross to look at.
That should be all that I have to say for now, will post whenever. Again, stay safe out there, Opulent one out!!.