Chapter 20: Reunion
About a week had passed since the destruction of the Black Garden, and the Sin duo were taking some much deserved time off. Vulcan had decided to head to the Reef to spend some time with Mara while Alex decided to stay behind in the Tower. Cortona was busy training in the Crucible at the moment, so the male Exo had some time to himself… Well, mostly. Why? Because Nyx. Enough said
Cortona's reputation in the Crucible had become just as infamous as the other two Sins, more specifically about how she'd constantly get immensely jealous of the loot everyone else got while she got completely mediocre gear, which made her constantly go into the Crucible and win match after match until she got what she wanted. This air of envy she constantly had earned her a title of her own: the Serpent Sin of Envy.
When word of this had reached Alex, he started making a plan for her to undergo the same treatment/sealing he and Vulcan had gotten to help her get her envy under control. He knew in the long run that if it went unchecked long enough, it would get her killed… Permanently. He wanted to avoid that.
With this in mind, he decided to get her to go get their ships. And the female Exo had gotten her own ship: a Phaeton Class V1.
With that, they took off for the Reef to get Cortona's envy problem addressed.
"Remind me why we have to do this? I feel just fine as I am." The female Exo said in annoyance.
"Because I can speak from experience when I say that your sin will get you killed in the long run. And I don't mean temporarily, either. That's something I want to avoid." Alex replied as they traveled.
"O-Oh, Okay…" She replied nervously.
Soon, they arrived at the Reef and, after getting through security, headed for the throne room. Upon arriving, they saw Vulcan and Mara conversing with each other.
"Hey Vulcan. Your majesty." Alex said to the two.
"Oh, Alex. What brings you here?" Vulcan asked as he turned to his fellow Sin.
"Came to get Cortona's envy issue addressed, and I know how to fix it." The Dragon Sin replied before he turned to Mara. "I'd like for her to undergo the same method the Techeuns used on me and Vulcan." He told her.
"Very well then, I'll send for them." The Queen nodded.
Cortona looked at the woman with a jaundiced eye as she looked at how well built the Queen's figure was, suddenly feeling inadequate compared to her. Though these thoughts soon changed to something else when she noticed how casually Vulcan was talking to her, the two even argued about certain topics and the Queen didn't even seem to mind.
"Are they like a couple or something?" The Warlock asked the Hunter next to her. Said Hunter looked at her oddly before looking back at Mara and Vulcan.
"I don't think so, but I can see why you'd think that." Alex mused as he noted the way the Lion Sin and the Queen interacted with each other.
"Oh… *eep!*" She said before she squeaked when she felt something grope her ass underneath her robe. Unseen to her, Alex was grinning like a loon… Or at least the Exo equivalent of one.
"Really, Alex?" Snake deadpanned.
'I can't help it, those memories showed me the things we used to do and… Made me rediscover a side of me I'd forgotten about.' Alex thought.
"A-Alex… What are you doing?" Cortona asked, in a hushed tone to avoid drawing attention as his grip tightened… Though she was secretly enjoying it.
"Your ass sure is squishy, kinda odd considering we're robots." He smiled.
"D-don't say it out loud." She said in a slightly panicked tone, though she herself did find it odd, too.
The male Exo gave her ass a quick smack before the Techeuns walked into the room to get Cortona for her treatment. The female Exo squeaked in surprise at the action and her heating systems flushed slightly near her face. Luckily for her, the Techeuns didn't seem to notice.
Once they arrived at the treatment room Alex and Vulcan were in for their sealing, the three tech witches got to work in applying the seal to Cortona's right thigh. She had to lie down for the procedure and, much to her embarrassment, had to remove her robes for the seal to be applied. The seal took the shape of a serpent which glowed orange as the metal started to cool. As the female Exo winced slightly from the heat in her thigh, she noticed that her head was much more clear.
"How do you feel, Cortona?" Alex asked as he helped her up.
"Better." She told him as she put her robes back on.
"Okay, good… Wanna run some Crucible sessions when we get back?" Alex asked with a robotic smirk.
"Oh yeah." She nodded with her own smirk.
Though before they could leave, however, both Petra and Variks approached the two Exos as soon as they reached the outpost.
"Something you two need?" Alex asked them.
"The Prison of Elders has become unruly. Skolas has started causing all the other inmates to go insane with all the howling he's been doing." Petra explained.
"Why?" Cortona asked with a raised eye-plate.
"He yearns to be with Saphirix again. Wants to be free, see his child be born and be a father." Variks replied.
"Oh…" Alex responded as he looked down slightly.
"If we don't do something about it soon, we may have a prison riot on our hands." The Queen's Wrath told him.
Alex was silent as he tried to come up with something to solve the problem. As he thought, his mind kept drifting to the idea of delivering Skolas directly to Sapirix, and every time he dismissed it, it just kept coming back. In the end, that was the only thing he could think of at the moment.
"Can we convince Mara to have Skolas delivered directly to Saphirix?" He questioned.
"I doubt it. Keeping him captive is the only thing keeping the House of Wolves in line." Petra explained. "Now if you and your fellow Sins were able to capture Saphirix and bring her and the egg here, that'd be a different story."
Alex hummed thoughtfully at the idea Petra had suggested and mulled it over in his head. It did seem like the ideal solution to the problem at hand. After he finished thinking about it, he nodded.
"Okay, we'll do our best to bring her to the Prison of Elders and bring the egg here." He told her.
"Good. Go grab Vulcan and fill him in as you leave." Petra nodded.
The two Exos did so and with that, the three Sins flew off to the moon to go on a capture mission, their target: Saphirix, Queen of Exiles and Bride to the Kell of Wolves.
-Later, the moon-
The new Sin trio transmatted to the surface of the moon and readied their weapons for combat.
"You know, I just realized that all three of us have a thing for hand cannons." Vulcan noted thoughtfully.
"Mine is pretty worn out." Cortona said as she held up her old Ikelos gun. Alex saw this and gave her Lucky No. 7 and brought out his Red Spectre.
"You can use that until we get you a better one. I don't really mind using an auto rifle, anyway." Alex said.
With that the three started looking for Saphirix's hideout, and the Dragon Sin decided to do this by following a few scrap searchers, Dregs who rummaged around for parts to keep things up and running for the House. After a lengthy tailing session, Alex managed to locate her hideout, and managed to confirm it when he caught a glimpse of her walking by the entrance. He quickly called the others.
"Guys, I found Saphirix's hideout. Sending coordinates to the entrance." Alex told them as Snake sent the coordinates.
"Got it. On my way." Cortona replied.
"Wait for us, Alex." Vulcan told him.
"I was planning on waiting from the get-go." Alex replied as he ended the call.
It took several minutes before the two Guardians arrived at where Alex was and crouched next to him. "Alright guys, remember, this is a capture mission, don't kill Saphirix or shatter the egg." He told them.
"Got it." They replied in unison.
With that, Alex used his Gjallarhorn to blow the door open. Unknown to him, Cortona looked at the exotic rocket launcher with envy but squashed it down for the time being. After that, they stormed the hideout and fought their way through the Fallen of the House of Exile.
Saphirix immediately fled to the back of the hideout and entered the makeshift hatchery and grabbed the egg that was in the incubator and clutched it tightly in her four arms and ran in the opposite direction of the carnage.
Back with the three Sins, they were carving their way through the Fallen as fast as they could to catch Saphirix but they seemed hellbent on delaying them as much as they could. It honestly felt both admirable and irritating at the same time.
"Alex, think now's a good time for a harvest?" Vulcan asked as he popped the head of a Vandal with his Sunshot.
"Yep." The Reaper nodded as he got to work. Seconds later, he had all but destroyed all the Fallen in the hideout and the three then found Saphirix, who was still running.
"I got her!" Cortona said as she went into a storm trance and fired arc lightning at the Kell's back, causing her to stiffen and drop to the ground, accidentally dropping the egg in her arms as it started to fly through the air. Cortona saw this and quickly flew in its flight path and caught it in her arms. Saphirix saw this and, despite being angry and scared at being caught, was relieved her aggressors were being careful with her egg.
"Good work, Cortona." Alex said before he looked at Saphirix. "This may seem bad, but there's some good that's coming out of this. You'll see." He told her.
"[Damn you to hell, Light Bearers! Give me back my child! You took my husband, I refuse to lose my first born as well!]" The Kell growled in Eliksni.
"I can understand you, you know." Alex deadpanned. "And we intend to reunite you with Skolas, and as for losing your child… Don't think so lowly of us." He told her, causing her to pause.
"[... Then, what will happen to my child?]" She asked in concern.
"Your child will be under Variks' care. Is this okay with you?" The Exo asked.
"[Treacherous snake! Why should I trust that worm with my brood?]" Saphirix growled.
"How about because he plans on teaching her to be the Kell she's destined to be?" Alex asked.
His words caused the future mother to freeze and look at him in shock. He knew of the prophecy?
"[You know of the prophecy?]" She asked with a shocked voice.
"I do." He confirmed. "That's what you want, isn't it?" To see your child become something great?" He asked her.
The Queen of Exiles only nodded in response. "Then come on, let's get you two to your new home." The Exo said as Vulcan hoisted the Fallen up while keeping her arms pinned to her back.
-Later, Skolas' cell, Prison of Elders-
The Kell of the House of Wolves sighed sadly as he continued thinking about his bride. His heart yearned for her, and yet they continued to remain apart from one another. It tore him apart inside and made him howl in anguish. Today, however, would give him the relief he desperately craves.
The door to his cell suddenly opened, and he looked up at the female Awoken guard standing there.
"You got a new cellmate, Skolas. This one should be extremely familiar to you." She told him.
Before Skolas could ask what she meant, his cellmate walked in… And his heart raced with shock and joy when he saw his bride standing there.
The two Kells embraced each other in joy before Skolas separated from her. "[Beloved, where- where is our child?]" He asked.
"[With Variks. I don't like it either, but he intends to help our child become the Kell they are destined to be. That's what we wish of our child: For them to become something great.]" Sapphire replied.
Skolas growled in aggravation. He hated Variks, even more than he hated Mara Sov, but he did agree with his bride's words. To return their people to the honor they once knew and to be graced by the Great Machine again, his child must be taught well. So, with a disapproving hiss, he swallowed his pride and relented.
"[Indeed. For the sake of our people, and all peoples, it must be done.]" He sighed, then he noticed that there stood three light bearers just in the cell's doorway. "[Who would they happen to be?]" The Kell of Wolves questioned.
"[They are the ones who brought me here.]" The Queen of Exiles replied. That was when Alex stepped forward.
"I do apologize for what has happened before." He told them. "I just hope that your child can grow into what you hope they will be." He added.
Skolas nodded. "[You have shown us great kindness, Light Bearer, but why? Do your people not hate the Eliksni?]" He asked.
"The Eliksni are victims trying to find their way again. I can't hate you for that." The Exo replied.
"I stand by that as well." Vulcan said as he stood beside Alex.
"Me too." Cortona chirped as she joined her teammates.
"[You are all truly honorable. I thank you for what you have done for us. As such, the House of Wolves will never forget this act of kindness.]" Skolas nodded. "[I only wish that I could reclaim my title as their Kell, if only to be united for my child's birth.]" He muttered.
"Before we leave, and I can't believe I'm doing this again…" Alex began before muttering that second part, much to the confusion of the Kells. "Saphirix, did you know about this?" He asked as he had Snake show the two Kells the pictures of the Fallen- Hive hybrids. The two Kells looked at the images with shock, disgust and horror.
"[Just when I thought the Hive hadn't wronged us enough, they do this to us!]" Skolas said, seemingly aghast at the images.
"[There is only one Eliksni I know of who would consent to something this unholy. Hyrax, the Ascendant. A worthless little runt who ran away into the Hellmouth and came out not only as part Hive, but had taken a Hive Brood Queen as his… Consort.]" Saphirix spat in disgust.
"Okay, that is truly disturbing." Vulcan said with a shiver.
"You said it." Cortona agreed with a shiver of her own.
"[How long have these Blasphemies been running amuck?]" Skolas asked.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I began encountering them some time after I saw Saphirix on the moon for the first time." The male Exo informed him.
"[Then Hyrax is busy building an army.]" Saphirix growled.
"If we find out where he's established his nest, we'll burn it to ashes." Vulcan promised.
"[If you do, the Eliksni will forever be in your debt.]" Skolas said before the three said their goodbyes and left the two alone to themselves.
(Elsewhere)
-Hellmouth, The Moon-
A large Fallen was currently stroking the swollen stomach of a Hive witch as several of the Hybrids continued to rush around feeding the starving brood that was in several small nests in the area. The item on the menu today? Flesh of several Guardians and Awoken Corsairs.
"[My army will conquer this moon.]" He said as he continued stroking the stomach of the witch.
"[As it should be, my darling.]" The witch purred as the two pressed themselves together in their equivalent of a 'kiss'.
Author's Note: Is anyone else grossed out by the 'kiss' at the end, or is that just me?
Dragon Emperor0: I think it depends on the person really.
ThermalsniperN7: Fair enough.
Dragon Emperor0:Though I wonder, with how things are going, I wonder how the House of Wolves expansion will play out differently?
ThermalsniperN7: Don't worry. We'll come up with something interesting when that happens. Anyway, see you guys next chapter.