Note the Log numbers in the chapters that follow as it covers larger amounts of time with not every log covered like before. Enjoy!
Sterling Entry Log 42
"Wait – what do you mean your quarters are ready?"
Z's exclamation of annoyance is the first sound over the mic as the feed clicks on, followed by the sporadic sounds of something either sizzling or sapping in the background. The frame is painted into clarity up high, with the scene of a wide-open blue sky and a flat open field with a ground circle-like training ring smack dab in the middle. Far out on all sides are walls, trapping off the entire section and setting it apart from the larger, more imposing figure of the City wall. In the distance, the broken and burnt building of the old Tower is surrounded by huge cranes, the slow rebuilding seemingly not a priority as the huge contraptions aren't moving.
There appear to be two groups in the area, one in the ring and one off to the side, so the feed zooms in on the one with Z, who's now grumbling and scowling at Cayde. The exo has one hand shoved in a pocket and the other is occupied with a flat round disk the size of a serving plate, along with a cocky, well-known smirk on his face. Haar and Noble – his near iconic helmet with the flaming eyebrows nowhere to be seen and replaced with a normal one – are standing in the group as well, the Titans flanking the Hunters on each side as they silently watch something happening off-screen towards the ring. Cayde gives a one shoulder shrug at his fellow Hunter.
"Vanguard leaders need to be at the ready in the Tower at all times, so our rooms get finished first. I mean we do kind of run the place, and right now we're scattered all throughout the City." His smirk still doesn't fade as he cocks his head to the side. "Since Skylar is moving in with me, it goes without saying you have two less roommates starting tomorrow."
His words allude to the idea that Cayde was bunking with at least Z and Skylar somewhere in the City, if not the entirety of clan Hidden Wings. Z huffs, crossing his arms to sulk.
"This is such bullshit."
"Oh relax, I'm sure the next people on the list to get housing will be our heroes of the Red War. Two weeks tops I'd say."
"I'll hold you to that."
"Hey now, I don't build these things!"
Their conversation is cut short by a sudden uptick in the sounds that have been going on in the background, accompanied by a bright flash. That draws their attention to where the Titans have been looking, and Sterling finally pans in that direction, finding his partner in the sparring arena. She's not alone either – Corvan is there as well, his black and gray gear unmistakable even with the slight changes to it. Neither of them are using guns from what one can tell. Instead, they're using Light.
Corvan is rushing her, his steps surrounded by Arc energy as it zips along his form and converges on his left hand holding a staff that glows at a near-blinding ice blue. Skylar, on the other hand, is using blades – two of them, as normal – but something is different as she stands there waiting, her form loose and ready. The blades are longer, not by much, but still longer and they aren't the same color as the staff her opponent is using. It's the eerie purple associated with Void but that's not quiet that either. No, a closer inspection reveals the normal thrumming pulse of Light that flares out from Void energy is missing, and instead the feed catches a current of electricity leaping along the blade in the same color as a shadow shot, but in the form of what is clearly arc energy. Her blades are covered in what seems to be purple lightning.
A startling combination of Void and Arc Light, the two she'd used before the war – one from her and one belonging to Tevis.
As soon as Corvan gets within a few feet of her, Skylar moves, blink-stepping to the right and then spinning into a crouch, blades out in a very Blade Dancer manner that sends a shockwave of purple Arc energy rippling out towards him. He sees it coming, slamming one end of his staff into the ground and using it like a pole to propel himself off the ground and help him catch air, where he flips with mastered agility and then smashes the lower half of the staff into the ground where Skylar had been moments before. Having seen the attack coming, she'd scrambled out of the way. The staff leaves ripples of energy that expand out much like the Blade Dancer's, but they seem to travel farther and closer to the ground. Skidding backwards on her feet, Skylar makes a small, pained sound as she deals with the aftermath of one of her feet touching said ripples.
"Who do you think is going to cave first?" Haar speaks up for the first time from off-screen. "Neither of them seems to be backing down."
"Probably Skylar," Noble replies after a moment. "Don't get me wrong, she's a good fighter, but Corvan's been around so long he knows how to use his Light a lot more efficiently than her."
"Naw," Cayde cuts in. "It'll be Corvan. Skylar's got this in the bag."
"Cayde, you have to say that, she's your girlfriend," the Sunbreaker points out.
"Doesn't mean it's not true."
"You wanna bet?"
"Oh, now you're talking."
"You know," Z says over the other two. As the fight continues, the two Hunters attacking and dodging around each other, neither one is able to get more than a grazing hit. "A lot of us got new versions of our Light, like Corvan and his pole dancing skills," there's a snicker in his voice at that, "and Haar's new shield, but what's up with Skylar's? I've never seen Arc energy turn different colors before."
"Me either," Haar mutters, which says something since he's been around a while.
"Ikora thinks it's some kind of combined Light mutation," Cayde replies as the two Hunters come together, blades striking staff and electrical currents leaping out in duel colors from all sides, lighting up the area once more. "When Skylar lost her Light, she technically lost two people's Light – her own Arc energy and then the Void one Tevis gave her. Everyone kind of assumed when we freed The Traveler she'd just get her Arc back, but she got neither. Instead, she got this. Skylar's been calling it Void Lightning, but I'm thinking the subclass should be named Night Dancer."
"That's creative of you," Z teases, and Cayde huffs at him in response. The exo had just combined two subclass names after all, it wasn't really that creative.
"Did Ikora have any clue as to why it happened?" Noble asks, the feed watching as Skylar jumps back once more, avoiding a kick to the gut and causing a crackle of energy to flicker in the air before the Exo answers.
"She thinks it's some great gift from The Traveler for everything she'd done." His voice betrays what he thinks of that, speculative of the godlike form hanging above them. "Me? I think it was Tevis on the other side throwing it at her cause he gave her his Light and he doesn't give a damn about what The Traveler says, she gets to keep it. Only this time, he gave her something that was entirely for her."
"Ha." Z gives a short laugh. "Wouldn't put it past the guy. He's probably haunting the two of you."
"Probably."
They stop talking again as Skylar stands straight and Corvan begins running towards her again. This time she isn't motionless. Instead, she flips her blades, the simple straight handles pointing inward and then slams them together. Purple light flickers brighter for a moment, the blades changing shape to form the curved form of a bow that she pulls back instantly on the appearing string. She points it up, instead of at the charging Hunter, and lets it go, the arrow splitting apart into three sections as it careens back down towards Corvan. Said Guardian curses and whirls around in a fast spin, passing the staff from one hand to the next mid-motion for more momentum and then cutting across the air with it. Blue energy slices off from it in a crescent shape, moving straight towards Skylar at the exact moment the three arrows lodge into the dirt around him, void lightning shooting up from each one and hitting the Hunter trapped in the middle. On the other side of the arena, Skylar sees the Arc attack moments too late and with a flash of shocking Light, both combatants try to dodge and fail, leaving prone bodies on the ground, steam wafting off them.
"Ouch…" Z comments, a wince in his voice.
"Guess you both lose," Haar pipes up dryly.
"Appears so," Cayde agrees, none of them sounding all that worried.
Sterling, on the other hand, jerks slightly at the scene, a worried sound coming over the mic as the feed suddenly starts zooming in with the frantic pace of a speeding Ghost. The guys' chatter follows him across the way and over to his partner. In a flash of blinding light that turns the screen white for three ticks on the clock, everything is back to normal. Skylar is standing, rubbing at the back of her neck as if it's still sore, her helmet nowhere in sight now that the match is over. on closer inspection she's not wearing the old narrowed armor from Shaxx anymore, though the new set is simple in contract, at least it's blue and relatively new looking. Fancier costume armor might be something hard pressed to find as of yet, give all the supplies that were burnt up in the war. The feed zooms in more, towards her face and she blinks right at it.
"Ya okay?" Sterling asks, concerned. She gives him a smile and nods her head, which seems to calm the little Ghost, who floats back out and pans to look over to Corvan who is also standing now and walking towards her, his solid black Ghost with it's red eye at his side.
"Well, that's one way to end a fight," he grumbles, his helmet gone in a moment with a short pulse of energy from his Ghost, but the hood stays up like always. Dark blue eyes narrow slightly at the amber-haired woman. "Since when can you do that? I thought it was just blades."
The frame widens, catching both Hunters and the group of friends as they slowly make their way to them. Skylar tilts her head, smirking in much the way her boyfriend had with Z.
"Cayde and I might have been experimenting a few days ago. It was his idea, though I certainly didn't think it would do that. I just thought it'd be a modified version of Shadow Shot."
"Definitely not," the dark-haired Hunter replies flatly, though he doesn't really look upset, just a bit ego-bruised. It appears that since Skylar had forgiven him for what happened with Crota, their friendship had healed a bit better than one would think.
"That's my girl!" Cayde muses in a near sing-song manner, louder than he needed to. This time, Corvan really does scowl, but it's directed at his faction leader. The Exo lifts his brow plate in something close to an eyebrow wiggle. "It was a tie. Don't be a wet blanket now – you're both exceptional – Zavala and Ikora can eat their hearts out. After all: Hunters are the best."
He leans in and presses a kiss to Skylar cheek, catching her hand in his.
"You wish," Noble retorts, while Haar just chuckles, apparently not caring. Corvan makes a sound that is drenched in an arrogant challenge, his lips twitching up, making the scars that nick and scratch his jawbone and cheek stand out more as they stretch, visible even through his black guardian mark. He'd kept them, the marks Cayde had left from that punch the day they got back from Crota, maybe as a reminder to never do something that stupid ever again. Nobles takes the bait of course, taking a meaningful step forward as if he will be the next person in the ring, but Haar – ever the peacekeeper of the group – steps in to distract them.
"You wanna tell us why you have the Vex teleporter Cayde?" He nods to the large disk still under the Vanguard's arm. Said Hunter looks down at it and then shrugs, taking it out from under his arm and throwing it up a foot before catching it again in his free hand.
"Thought maybe one of you would try Golden Gunning it or smashing it with a hammer or something. Zavala said it must go. 'Vex technology is too unstable and dangerous, get rid of it,' spoilsport." His imitation of their commander is spot on if you ignore the underlying robotic hum that every Exo has. Haar chuckles while Z snorts, bemused, before gesturing for him to hand it over. As he starts looking the tech over, Skylar sighs a bit dramatically.
"Damn it, I was really hoping I could use it to throw all my extra boots into the sun."
"Seriously? Isn't that a bit harsh?" There's a smile in Noble's voice and Cayde seems to be trying not to smile at something that his girlfriend clearly is taking seriously.
"No!" Skylar scowls. "It's insulting okay? Save the world, free the Traveler, almost die doing so, and what do I get when I turn engrams in? Boots. Traveler fucking boots. "
"Well I mean, you are female-"
"Say that one more time and I will end you Noble. I will find a way – maybe I'll just bludgeon you with the heel of one of those boots. How does that sound?" Whether or not it was meant to, her words have the group breaking out into a cacophony of laughter – all except one that is.
While the others have been busy watching things unfold, Z had silently slipped out of the circle they made, his entire escape caught on camera as he walks two yards across the arena and sets the teleporter down. He crouches and despite the amusing scene unfolding, Sterling follows him and pans around to see what he's doing. By the time the screen focuses, the Hunter already has five trip mines stuck to it and he doesn't stop pulling them from his leather vest till all twelve are placed and he clicks the timer arming one of them. Standing, he dusts his hands off and starts back towards the group, a cheerful hum just barely caught on the mic as the Ghost blinks and then suddenly rushes back towards his Guardian. Z passes the group, hands in his pocket as he turns his head to look at his friends.
"You guys might want to move," he calls out without pausing, his words somehow heard over the laughter. Skylar and Haar stop first, both of them glancing at him and then in the direction he came from before stiffening, the Hunter's eyes widening so much they might fall from their sockets.
"You've got to be kidding – Z !" Skylar's exclamation gets the rest's attention, three more heads swiveling as Sterling comes to a halt slightly above them, camera glancing to the pulsing red light. Several curses flare up and Skylar snaps her head back around. "Haar!"
"On it." He states and a moment later his hands are out and up, a purple dome forming around them two seconds before the bomb-riddled device explodes, sending smoke and shrapnel everywhere, some of the metal bouncing off the shield.
Skylar flinches and noble stiffens next to her. Corvan's face has shifted into something blank and terrifying, while Haar suddenly looks tired, closing his eyes. Cayde on the other hand looks like it's taking everything in him to not start laughing, the golden light flickering at his throat. Slowly, the camera pans behind them and through the purple filter and smoke, catches Z walking towards the exit, his cloak blowing off to one side. He doesn't look back, not even after the purple is gone and his friends are yelling at him. One can only assume the Hunter is grinning from ear to ear.
"I'll kill him," Corvan says flatly and Noble grunts in agreement.
"Only if I can help."
Haar sighs with great exasperation and maybe just a hint of humor showing on his face.
Skylar just shakes her head looking at the feed and then to Cayde who has given up on trying to not look amused. She squints her eyes at him before smiling as well when he lifts one shoulder in a shrug. Raising a hand, she pokes the top of his horn and skates it down the side till she reaches his jawline and drops her hand, the Exo leaning slightly into her touch as he keeps eye contact with her, both of them ignoring their friend for just a moment. A moment that's all theirs. Grabbing his hand again, Skylar turns to face the direction her friend had gone.
"Come on guys, let's get back. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."
There's a range of agreements from grumbles to excitement and as a group the three Hunters and two Titans head towards the exit. The feed catches their backs as it slowly fades off into black, focusing on entwined hands till nothing's left.
*Cool guys don't look at explosions~*
Damn it Z, stop stealing the show!
Thanks for reading!