I got a cold sore on my tongue. It sucks. I don't even know how I got it. I sleep plenty
Destiny 2: White Canvas
If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war. -Leo Tolstoy
Unknown, Antarctician Wastes 3:47am
July 20, 3498 A.D
The sky was gray, pure white snow crunched under her feet. The wind howled, ringing in her ears as her warlock robes were flapping behind her. Every step was a struggle even with her enhanced strength as she pushed herself against the wind. Despite the cold, she felt none of it, her mind was racing at a thousand thoughts per minute and her excitement warmed her body better than the brightest summer days in the Last City.
Finally. Finally all that time rooting through old ruins, sleeping in the rain, and getting into shootouts would be paying off. 4 long years of searching about to end.
"Hey, Peanut, how close are we?" her voice quickly being swallowed by the wind
A synthetic voice responded, "About 15 more minutes at this pace and then there's a cave system nearby that will be connected to the entrance. The storm's messing with my scanners though, so I can't tell if there's any Hive in it.
Kara nodded. A particularly large gust of wind blew her back and she dropped to her hands and knees. Quickly stabilizing herself, she carefully pushed back up.
"Remind me again why you wanted to drop so far from the entrance?"
She rolled her eyes, "Answer's the same as last time. Anti-air guns would just shoot down my ship. Holliday read me the riot act last time I trashed it. 'sides, why do you care?"
"I'm cold," Peanut said, almost petulantly.
She just rolled her eyes. "You're a Ghost."
"I still feel cold."
"No one else's ghosts feel cold."
"I'm different from other ghosts."
"Sure."
"I am!"
"Everyone wants to be different, and some are don't get me wrong. But you?"
"What about me?"
"I hate to break it to you, but you're normal."
"You're just being mean to me. What if next time you die I decide to just not revive you."
"Then I'll die. Then you'll die."
"How come I die?"
"Cuz I'll kill you."
"Huh? But if you're dead…"
"Yeah, but us Guardians can just come back. C'mon, you should know this. Reviving me is like, your only job."
"But what if I don't do my job and revive you."
"Then you and I both die."
"... Let me guess, I die because you kill me."
"Just about."
"…This is going in circles."
"Then just admit defeat."
"Whatever. I'm not going to talk to you."
"Sure you-"
The ground started to shake and the whirr of machinery overcame the shriek of the wind. Large metallic obelisks pierced through the ground, their large barrels visible even in the storm.
"Shit! Turrets? I thought you said they only target vehicles!" Kara shouted, summoning her submachine gun with a flash of blue.
"They do, that means-"
BRRRRRRRRRRT
The sound of the guns firing was deafening. It seemed as if fiery tendrils reached into the sky, all converging onto one point.
BRRRRRRRRRRRT
The shaking had stopped now, with the guns deployed. Their streams of fire still tracking something in the sky.
"Peanut, can you get me an eye on the ship?"
"Yeah, hold on."
In the corner of Kara's hud came a video of a Phaeton Class jumpship expertly diving and sliding between the streams of tracers.
She clicked her tongue, "Damn, he's good."
"Yeah, well whoever he is he can't keep it up for long."
ShitShitShitShitShitShitShit
"Smoke in the air, smoke in the air, incoming at 9 o'clock," Zen's deep monotone voice echoed, "Evade, evade, evade."
Sweat ran down Pax's face, his gloved fingers gripping the flight stick the beeping warning of a missile lock ringing his ears. His eyes were glued to indicator showing the missile growing closer and closer until…
Now!
He viciously jerked his plane into a tight curve downwards, his eyes still glued to the indicator. Blood rushed to his head. The beeping indicator deafened as if it was far away.
"Successful evade. Well done Guardian."
Pulling his plane up out of the dive Pax sighed. Of course this mission wouldn't be easy. No rest for the wicked and all that.
"Zen, find us a place to land. Eventually we're gonna get unlucky."
"Affirmative. Searching, searching, searching… Warning: No valid landing zones detected. Suggestion: fast insertion via transmat."
"That our only option?"
"Negative, other options include destruction of this vehicle, untimely demise of this guardian…"
"Right, let's go with the fast insertion."
Pax banked downwards towards the ground, the slopes of snow becoming more visible through the storm.
"Heavy weapons fire incoming. Evade, evade, evade."
His eyes widened. The indicator showed multiple lines of fire surrounding him and fast approaching.
Shit, I'm not gonna be able to-
There was a loud crunch of metal and a sudden shake. He felt his body jerk and rip. Fire filled his vision as he felt no more.
Down below Kara watched as a stream of tracers ripped through the jumpship, the wreckage streaking down to the surface before crashing with a muted thump.
"Ouch, that death is gonna hurt."
"How'd you know that was a guardian?"
Kara looked at her ghost. "Cmon, no civie is gonna be out here. The hive basically own this continent."
"Fair. Why do you think he's out here? Think he found the same thing we did?"
She just shrugged, "I dunno. I'll just ask."
With one hand, Pax fired his hand cannon 3 times, each shot finding the head of an Acolyte. As their bodies dissolved, he turned his body, letting the crusted sword of a Knight slip past him. Pulling light into his body, he blinked behind the hive soldier. Pax summoned three flaming knives in his left hand and threw one of them. The Knight raised his shield, anticipating a headshot. Instead the knife found its way into the soft membrane of its knee, cooking the vulnerable flesh beneath.
The Knight roared with rage and leapt forwards, swinging its sword down. Pax stepped back as the sword connected with the ground. He fired his hand cannon, blowing the knight's shield arm back exposing its chest. The second knife found its way into a chink in the chest armor causing the knight to rear back.
However, instead of getting into a battle ready stance the knight fell on its back. The burning knife in its knee had caused enough nerve damage to cause it to completely give out under its weight. In quick succession, Pax jumped on the knight, stomped on the knife in its chest, threw his last knife in between the three eyes, and kicked it, splitting its crown in two.
Pax hopped off of the dissolving body and reloaded his gun. More hive dug their way out of the ground as he stepped back to catch his breath.
"Zen, give me a body count."
"Warning: Storm interference may cause inaccurate reading."
"Can you give me an estimate?"
"Lots."
Pax's gun barked, emptying its 13 round magazine in a second. Screams of dying hive reached his ears. He rolled his eyes.
"Helpful. Distance to target?"
"100 meters and closing."
Feeling his hunter senses tingle he ducked, feeling the heat of an acolyte beam pass above his head. Pax whirled around, his finger pressing on the trigger.
Click
Fuck.
His hands flew across his bandolier. Nothing. His hands flew to his waistband. Also nothing.
Double fuck!
"Zen, where's my ammo?"
"Destroyed in the crash."
Pax blinked forwards finding himself in front of the acolyte with a burning knife buried in its chest. He quickly holstered his hand cannon and summoned another knife. In front of him, a veritable army of hive arose.
With flaming knives in each hand, he practically flew forwards to meet the army head on. The wave of hive crashed on a shore of burning metal. Burning knives flew like a curtain of fire, each finding their mark. Scores of hive fell back screaming, their insides being cooked while they still lived. Pax blinked from one
to another, each time leaving an orange knife as a gift. But quantity has a quality of its own.
Though Pax was much more skilled than the hive, there were just too many. A claw found its way through his arms and into his side. A beam dug its way into his back. A glancing blow by a sword dislocated his shoulder. The pained screams of the hive had become an almost constant noise, but still more came charging. Clenching his teeth as he righted his arm, he glanced at the distance between him and the distance to his target.
70m
50m
40m
30m
10m
Kara ran as fast as she could, her eyes glued to the indicator of the distance between her and her fellow guardian getting smaller and not the sea of red on her minimap. She summoned her smg and racked the slide, connecting the magazine full of ammunition glimmer to the receiver of the gun.
Flashes of orange flew and burst in the fog as she caught sight of her first hive. Her finger pulled on the trigger and a hail of void-energized bullets shred the thrall to pieces.
She felt a presence at her side and summoned void at her hand. She thrust her palm towards the presence, unleashing the energy. The presence however, grabbed her arm and directed it away from him, blowing apart a charging knight.
"Whoa! Blue, blue, blue!"
Kara gasped, "Oh shit, I'm so sorry! I thought- Behind you!"
With her left hand still in the man's grip she brought her gun up with her left hand and fired, melting a group of thrall.
Pax released the woman's arm and threw a flurry of blades.
"Who are you?" Kara yelled through the noise of the wind and hive.
"I'm a guardian." Pax yelled back summoning more knives.
"No shit. I meant your name."
"Pax. Is now really the best time for introductions?"
"Fair point. I'm Kara by the way."
The screech of hive grabbed both of their attention. In front of them, 3 gigantic hive ogres burst out of the snow.
"Hey, we'll talk later yeah?"
"Sounds good."