Before we start this chapter, I'd like to give a shoutout to The Crimson Commando for reassuring me that I was free to use any of his OCs if I needed to. As to make things fair, you, The Crimson Commando, are free to use Spectre, Rez, Silver and/or Reaper to your Destiny fanfics. Hell, bring the whole crew around in them!

Okay, it's time for a confession. That whole 'things that I have a lot of explaining to do' bit? Yeah. It's time to put it out there.

The reason why I've spent a long time since I posted Reloaded until Destiny: Skyfall was posted is because I had to fill in some shoes for my cousin. Since August of last year, he was actually writing a novel that he planned to release to the public. But, when February rolled in, he came to me and asked me to finish it for him. You see, he wrote it without his parents knowing (since they expect him to prioritize studies first), they found out and they weren't happy. They gave him a choice to either continue what he was doing and not get help when he reaches college, or to just give it up. So, he gave it to me to finish under the condition that I put him in the foreword. He came to me because his writing and mine are very similar to one another. Plus, I was very interested in it and I wanted to be involved.

So yeah, that's my excuse for not updating since February. Basically, I'm picking up the slack where my cousin left off so I can get his goal to the finish line. I've been passed the torch. And I'm gonna light the fire with it. All that's left is to edit and find a publisher that can send it to the public.

Chapter IV: Challenged by a Reaper


Just when things couldn't get any worse at all, it just did.

Right now, Rez is being a prick since his ridiculous humiliation during the Grudge Match (which I don't regret causing at all) last week, and Silver's still recovering from that Taken goo incident. 20/20 said that his recovery is 30% done, and he should be back in the field faster than the projected timeframe if he gets some materials to further boost the machine he has hooked on. Oh, and he got me a new Duskrender Type 0 to replace the old one, thanks to a favor he owes from Zavala. Oh, and guess who has to go out and get the items 20/20 needs? Me.

Right now, I'm in the Cosmodrome on Patrol, working my way to get more Rep for NM and the Vanguard. That and I'm also low on Spinmetal in my inventory right now. I armed myself with my SUROS ARI 45, Immobius, and my Raze-Lighter. I have Skyfall with me of course. And so far, collecting them was a pain in the ass. 20 said to get them in pristine condition, so that meant no ruptures or leaks. How the hell was I supposed to know that?!

"Primus, what do we need now?"

My Ghost popped out of my pack, clicking and whirring as he recalls what 20 needs for that machine. "According to 20/20, he needs some Ether Sups, Wire Wraps and Induction Rods. Honestly, I don't know why he needs Induction─ oh. Turns out the Induction Rods are for a personal project. We need Ether Sups and Wire Wraps."

"Knowing him, he probably needs those Induction Rods for Amanda."

"Seriously, that Fireteam 20's in is reckless beyond any of the ones I've seen. I mean, flying over an AA emplacement and having to pay 25000 Glimmer each for a new ship?"

"I've seen worse, Primus. I mean, Fireteam Warden had damaged their ships beyond repair and they had to pay at least 75000 Glimmer. Last I heard of them, they all had broken bones and smashed-in noses because by the time they brought their ships back to the Tower, they had bullet holes all over it, smoke coming from the thrusters and demolished fins."

"Yikes. Remind us to never to anything stupid with our Sparrows and Ships." I agreed with him, seeing as we're mostly careful with our transports…most of the time. Thank Rez for those times we didn't, not me or Silver.

I found myself in the Rocketyards, seeing Hive and Fallen go at each other's throats like they were the only two species on the planet trying to gain territory. And that's a thing. Ever since my Fireteam and I took down Crota, the Hive were trying to take Earth for him. How noble for a dead God. If Crota left a will to his armies to take the Earth after his death, it's time to give them a wakeup call. Earth belongs to us Guardians, not the Fallen, and not the Hive.

I need those Ether Sups and Wire Wraps, and the Fallen are my only source. Enemy of my enemy. Whipping out Immobius, I slammed the pump. I know it's typical for Titans to utilize shotguns as a last resort, but I really don't give a damn whether or not I use them all the time or as a last resort. Hell, you saw me using Burden of Proof XI during a stakeout.

I started running and as soon as the Hive and Fallen notice me, their faces were all blown off with a single blast. I kept that up until it ran out of ammo, to which I threw it down into the snow and whipped out Skyfall while dodging a Shock Blade and shot from a Hive Boomer at the same time. I crouched on a knee as soon as I hit the ground, watching as time around me came to a slowing halt. To me, they were all frozen in place, allowing me to aim at their heads and pull the trigger.

Time returned to normal, and all the Hive and Fallen in the area fell dead like they all suffered a simultaneous heart attack─or the Hive and Fallen equivalents of it. While the Hive disintegrated to dust, the Fallen reached for where their heads once were before and fell dead.

I picked up Immobius from the snow and slung it across my back, proceeding to collecting the Wire Wraps and Ether Sups from their corpses. While I was at it, I picked up any intact Induction Rods from the Vandals. As much as it's technically 20/20's Fireteam's fault for causing Amanda trouble, I figured I owe him for helping me with Silver. He's going out of his way to help a fellow Exo of his and working with some of the factions to find a way to deal with the goo. Hopefully, Silver can stay away from the stuff and let the others handle it. Bah, who am I kidding? Of course he'll be involved one way or another.

Just as soon as I finished inspecting an Induction Rod, which was in pristine order, I put it in my pack. I heard the sound of a Fallen Vandal ready to attack with their Shock Blades. I turned around, shield from my left shoulder sliding down to my arm and enlarging to block it. I braced for the blade bouncing off my shield.

Instead, I heard a death rattle from the Vandal, plus the blade bouncing off the shield not happening. The shield shrunk back and returned to its normal place, and I turned to the direction of the sound. The Vandal was clawing at its neck, struggling to get whatever pinned it against the wall off. It failed to get it out, and it died there pinned to the wall.

"What the hell…?" I came closer to the Vandal's corpse, checking out what pinned it against the wall. I found it, and I yanked it out, freeing the Fallen with it. "Primus, is this what I think it is?"

"You're not wrong on that degree. Because it is what you think it is."

The thing I pulled out of its neck was an arrow. With an Arc energy-powered, poisoned tip. The tip seemed out to be out of energy, so I put my hand over it like it was a candle. The electric feeling of Arc energy was still here, and it looks like it won't die out anytime soon. The Fallen corpse began to move, but I made sure it stayed down with a precision shot to the head.

"I thought you were always careful, Spectre." I turned around and found Reaper standing behind me, bow across her shoulders and arms crossed. "If I didn't know you were on item collecting missions, you'd already be struck from behind by a Shock Blade."

"It's nice to see you too, Reaper." I put Skyfall back into its holster and looked at the Huntress. "I take it this isn't a coincidence this time."

"It's not. What're you planning to do with all those Ether Sups and Wire Wraps?"

"Something I need to get back to 20/20." I clarified, Primus popping out of my pack and helping take the supplies off my hands.

"Oh yeah, I heard what happened to Silver. That's pretty traumatic."

"Hopefully, he learnt his lesson on not taking unknown substances we don't even remotely understand."

"If you ask me, that's how all Warlocks are. I mean, look at Toland. His studies got him into knee-deep trouble and never made it out alive." I heard a Ghost's voice speak, and I knew that wasn't Primus's. What I assumed to be Reaper's Ghost appeared over her shoulder, a Frontier Shell as its frame.

"So, this is her Ghost. Pretty sure I heard something different."

"You're not wrong about it," her Ghost deadpanned, and it was now that Primus and I are dumbstruck. "I'm Rex, Reaper's Ghost."

"Well, that's the first I've heard of it. I thought all Ghosts had a male voice."

"You wanna say that again, Titan?" growled Rex, her shell angrily splitting apart and whirring as it hovered towards my helmet. "Just because most of the Ghosts you see have a male voice doesn't mean there aren't female ones!" As if I was intimidated by a Ghost. I pushed her away from my face.

"Calm down… Little Light." Reaper sighed, and her Ghost turned to her.

"Don't. Do. That!" If Rex had something going on, I'd already see smoke pouring out of her shell like crazy. Heh, I remember when I said the same thing to Primus. Although he just went with it, but I'd imagine Rex has a short temper.

"So why are you here, Reaper?" I brought the two out of their one-sided bickering and had Reaper look at me.

"I'm here doing bounties for the Cryptarchs and Xander. Other than that, I'm bored of sticking around in the Tower waiting for the next crisis to happen."

"Isn't that everyone? I'm out here because Rez is being an ass and I need to help 20/20 with the machine that can get Silver back to the front lines."

"Welcome to being a lone wolf."

"…For the day." I finished, missing─and loathing─the days I went out solo. But right now, I have to deal with it since it's the way things are right now. "And I suppose you don't need anyone covering your six, am I right?"

"Spectre, you wouldn't even dare think of it!" Primus teased me, nudging my armored shoulder.

"Quiet, you." I growled, turning my head to his direction but my eyes were still on the Hunter.

"I know you're curious about me, Spectre." As soon as I heard her say that, I was shocked. How did she?! "I know how skeptical you are with Guardians with titles they claim to be, and I'd know you're skeptical about mine."

"You caught me in the act," I shrug in a surrendering style, "Well then, why don't you prove it? If you really can hunt the Fallen without being seen?"

The next thing I know, Reaper's gone and already advancing on a group of Vandals, Hunter's knife at the ready and bow slung across her shoulders. She stands behind one of them and stabs them in the neck then snaps it to the side. She then threw her knife and decapitated another Vandal, yet they didn't see it and draws out a spare along with her handcannon Starfall. Soon enough, she grapples a third and has it at knife point and Starfall behind its head. While I watched, I crossed my arms. I have a feeling she'll screw up somewhere.

But she didn't.

She slit the Vandal's throat and aimed Starfall at the last one, pulling the trigger and throwing the knife. Both the bullet and knife struck their target, an explosion of mist from the Fallen's respirator for a few seconds before its corpse fell to the ground.

If I wasn't wearing my helmet, she'd see my jaw hanging. And if Primus was human, he'd act the same way. "…Damn. Remind me to never judge anyone before seeing their capabilities in combat."

"Agreed, Spectre."

"Will that suffice for my title?" she Blinked in front of me, handcannon holstered and tossing one of her knives like Petra with a hand on her hip. "Because if it won't, I'll show you what it's like to fight me in a Grudge Match."

"She's making a move on you! She's making a move on you!" I heard Primus whisper into my helmet's audio receptor, not sure if it was a warning or a joking tone. "What are you waiting for?! Say something!"

"Do me a favor and go back where you belong right now!" Primus inched away from me and vanished back into his spot, followed by me face palming at him trying to get me a girlfriend. Since when do Ghosts know anything about love?

Knowing us, I have a feeling that our meetings will be more frequent, but unexpected like the Exo Stranger.

"I might do just that." Wait, what the hell did I just say!?

"Great." She begins to walk away from the center of the Rocketyards, but stops after a few steps and turns around. She tosses me something and I caught it. "I'll contact you when I want to have the match. Until then, ciao!" She left─correction, vanished─from the area, leaving me and Primus alone. I look down on what she threw at me. They were Induction Rods. And in perfect condition despite how she took them down. Guess I owe her.

"Wow, shooting down every opportunity you have to get a girl. Real professional of you, Spectre."

"Primus, just shut up." I walked away from the Rocketyards, Primus over my shoulder like normal and irritating the hell out of me on this topic. One I've went over again and again that I don't want to talk about. "Since when were you so fixated on getting me hooked up with someone?"

"Face it, Spectre: you've been a lone wolf before and you're kind of still are now. You'd think that by getting all that fame, you'd get a girlfriend."

"I don't have time for it. Plus she might be another female Guardian who wants me to be their boyfriend and brag about it. I don't roll that way."

"So you're considering it." Seriously, this is getting annoying really quick. Under my helmet, I'm practically grinding my teeth.

"Primus, just shut up. Right. Now."

"Don't lie to me, Spectre."

"Primus."

"Why you always lying?"

"Little Light."

"…Fine, I'll shut up right now."

-Destiny-

After I got back to the Tower from the Cosmodrome, which was crowded with Guardians new and old as usual, I decided to find 20/20 in his usual spot at his workshop─a glorified workspace he set up in the hangar. And what do I find? Him working on machines and tinkering with calculations on how to counteract the parasitic membrane. He was too deep in his work that he just shuts out what's outside his workshop boundaries.

"20." I called, standing right before the table he's working his machines on. No response. "20." I said louder, but he's still working on the calculations and alternating to the machines. Okay, remember when I had the 'three strikes' thing going on? The 'No response once, you're playing a prank on me. No response twice, you're starting to piss me off. No response three times, that's it, time's up. Nope. No more chances.' thing? Yep, he's done it this time.

"20!" I slammed a fist on the table the same time I called out his name, snapping him out of his focused trance. Yeah, I think that worked.

"Can't you see I'm─!" As soon as he removes his goggles, he stopped himself before yelling in my face. "Oh. It's you."

"I got the supplies you need for Silver." I had Primus lay out the Wire Wraps and Ether Sups in front of him. "Oh, and I got you some Induction Rods for your 'personal project'." I laid out the rods next to the Wire Wraps carefully like they were miniature nuclear bombs, and 20/20 just takes the materials carefully.

"Thanks a lot for the help, Spectre. I know I could've had the other members of my Fireteam do the work, but they're being pricks at the moment thanks to Amanda."

"Anything on how to counteract the membrane?"

He laid back on the chair, artificial optics focused on me as he looked at his screen and folding his arms. "I'll be honest with you here, this stuff is something I've never seen before. However, I might be on to something, thanks to help from Silver."

Why am I not surprised that he helped out 20/20?

"Go on."

"Whatever this stuff is, making sure it doesn't get on you requires a lot more resilient materials for armor. Plasteel, Sapphire Wire, Relic Iron, Spinmetal and Hadronic Essence won't cut it this time around. Once that stuff touches any of those materials, they'll start eating away at it."

"Just what I needed: an armor-eating, parasitic membrane that can turn its victims into Taken."

"Well, the membrane doesn't technically eat away the armor: it just passes through without any difficulty much like acid." 20 clarified. "However, I'm working with some of the Warlocks and Hunters to see if we can make '2.0' materials that won't be affected by the goo."

"Great. Keep me updated."

"By the way, Cayde's looking for you." 20 called out as I left the workshop, and I waved in acknowledgement. What does Cayde need me for this time? As soon as I got out of the hangar, I made my way to the Hall of Guardians, seeing Cayde, Ikora, and Zavala at their normal routine. Thankfully this time, I modified my new Duskrender to be a part of my chestplate. As soon as I stepped in, my helmet began to open and retreat to my neck armor, freeing my head from the helmet while I'm here.

I walked over to Cayde's side of the table, and immediately he notices me. "There's the Guardian I'm looking for!"

"This better be important, Cayde. Honestly, I don't have time to fool around."

"Yeesh, uptight like Zavala," the Hunter Vanguard made an Exo's equivalent of someone clicking their tongue. Why do I get the feeling that this is another one of his 'bad ideas that work'? "Look, only way to stop the Taken is to get you and your team on that Dreadnaught…as soon as Rez gets back on his feet and Silver has his combat coding restored. I've got a plan, but we'll need some specialized kinda gear."

Noting that Ikora and Zavala could be listening in, I lowered my voice. "What exactly are we looking at?"

"Lucky for you and me, I spent years prepping for…special circumstances. We need a stealth drive. I got one hidden in the─"

"Cayde? What are you whispering?" Dammit, Ikora's onto us! The Warlock Vanguard looked at the two of us, the Warlocks' signature curious glint in their eyes.

Cayde started chuckling like nothing was wrong. "Nothing! Nothing…!" he turned to me, whispering in a low voice quiet enough for Ikora to not listen into and also loud enough for me to hear. "I'll contact you in the Cosmodrome."

Oh great. Back to the Cosmodrome?

This is gonna be one of those days, isn't it?


Okay, we're done with chapter IV! So yeah, if you guys are curious and want to find out what the whole thing I'm working on is all about, just leave a review if you want me to post parts of it here on the site!

Now, I know some of you are wondering what Skyfall looks like in this story. Well, here it is:

-Has the frame of Hawkmoon (with straighter rear sights and no feather engravings)

-Grip of The First Curse/Last Word

-Magazine of The Last Word

-Sights of Thorn (the holographic part, not the entire thing and colored red)

-Is black like most pistols in real life, but has navy blue engravings in a pattern similar to the ones seen in Tron (Anyone seen the 2010 Tron Legacy? Yeah, that kind of pattern) and the Sparrow you receive as a reward from the Refer-A-Friend quest.

-The emblem imprinted next to the chamber is the same one as the wolf from the Wolfsgrin emblem you can get in-game.

Starfall's is basically the same thing, but with a silver finish, red-colored engravings, and the emblem from the Sheltered Truth emblem in-game. Unlike Skyfall, Starfall parallels the Last Word while Skyfall draws parallels with the First Curse.

If any of you want to draw it out, make sure to credit me as the original creator! Or else!

Now, Skyfall's perks!

Column 0: Roulette (Description: After reloading when the magazine is empty and spinning the cylinder, you'll have a 1 out of 18 chance that the bullet will be the same one from the moment you chambered it. If it is the same bullet, it will earn a 6x damage multiplier with overpenetration when the round is fired.), Inhibitor (Description: If used in the Crucible, impact will decrease by 25% and reload will be increased by 25% as a tradeoff.)

Column 1: Field Choke, Accurized Ballistics, Smooth Ballistics

Column 2: Mutiny, Sword of Aegeus, Hannibal, Malleus Maleficarum, Disciplinarian, Slayer of the Darkness (Description: Deals bonus damage to all minions of the Darkness)

Column 3: Speed Reload, Snapshot, Armor-Piercing Rounds, Dark Tracker Rounds (Description: enemies of the Darkness hit by these bullets will be marked on HUD and Tracker.)

Column 4: Skyfall (Description: Precision kills while aiming down the sights or from the hip grants increased stability (regardless of enemy's level) and impact to higher-level minions of the Darkness (applies to enemies above your level, like 41 and 42).)

Stats (Stats are based on both the average of Legendary and Exotic Year 2 Handcannons and Pulse Rifles (Skyfall has the range of a Pulse Rifle) on the Destiny armory, excluding impact):

Rate of Fire: 24

Impact: 100

Range: 39

Stability: 39

Reload: 27

Magazine: 18

If this was an actual Exotic weapon, then it would be considered too OP. Luckily, I oriented Skyfall towards PvE (hence the bonus damage perks to Hive, Fallen, Vex and Cabal), because if people used this in Crucible, then it's more or less like the First Curse, only more stronger. Do you agree with me or do you see other uses if Skyfall was an actual Exotic weapon in Destiny? Let me know!