Author's Note: This chapter starts before the previous one, but ends up lining up with it. I also decided to go with a third person perspective for Connor, since he isn't me like the self-insert character is supposed to be.

Chapter 2 (Connor)

"DAMMIT!" Connor shouted. This was supposed to be a simple scouting mission. Nothing in the report from Ikora's Hidden suggested that the Vault of Glass had come back online. Now he was trapped here.

"Look on the bright side," his Ghost said as it appeared next to his shoulder. "At least we know how this place works."

"Oh yeah, because knowing that the Vex in here can erase me from existence with just a thought makes being trapped in here with them more bearable," Connor quipped back. He shook his head and sighed. "Let's just find a way out of here."

Connor began his descent into the Vault, reaching the Templar's Well fairly quickly. He jumped down into the area where his old fireteam had slain the Templar several years ago, double jumping at the last moment to break his fall. The giant chamber was quiet, save for the gentle hum of the Aegis in the center of the arena. With a soft chuckle, Connor strode forward to pick the relic up. "I wish I could thank you for your sacrifice in person Kabr. You gave your life to make this shield, and without it my team never could have conquered this place," he said as he fastened the Aegis to his arm. Suddenly, the relic shifted, melding itself with his gauntlet.

"Thank you, Hunter," the shield seemed to whisper. "You did what I could not. Take the Aegis, as a token of my thanks. Call upon its power whenever you may need it." With that, the blue energy of the shield dissipated, leaving only the relic's core visible. Connor smiled and headed deeper into the Vault.

After exiting through the back of the Templar's Well and descending the cliff face into the Gorgon's Labyrinth, Connor made another stop. The Labyrinth was empty, allowing him to walk peacefully to the final resting place of another Guardian, and a member of Kabr's old fireteam. Connor stood solemnly before the bones of the Warlock Praedyth, when the Aegis whispered again. This time though, it wasn't talking to him.

"Praedyth, old friend, I'm so sorry that I brought this fate upon you. You deserved so much better. I hope you can forgive me."

Connor stood there for a moment longer, debating whether he should tell Kabr —who seemed to somehow still be alive inside the Aegis— that Praedyth had returned from the dead when the Taken invaded the Vault a few years back, only for him to die again after Connor had slain the monsters, but eventually decided not to. He didn't want to cause the former Titan any more turmoil.

After paying his respects to Praedyth, Connor made his way to the throne room. It was here that his fireteam had defeated Atheon, Time's Conflux. He stood in the entrance for a few moments, basking in the memory of one of his greatest victories. His reverie was shattered though when the Vex time gate on the right side of the room powered up. "That gate was the one that led to the past, right?" Connor asked his Ghost.

"Yeah, it was. Now that Atheon is dead though, it should just connect to another gate in the Vex network. Hopefully."

"Great. Thanks for filling me with confidence." Connor took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever might come next, and stepped through the portal.

Connor's vision flashed white as the portal sent him to wherever it was linked. He barely had time to register where he was before his vision flashed again. He was in the same place as before, but it was different. "Oh no." The portal had malfunctioned. He was still being sent through time. Connor's vision flashed again, and this time there were a group of people were before him. One of them stood out from the rest. A woman, with long blue hair and a fancy sword at her waist. The group was startled by his sudden appearance, as their conversation stopped as soon as he appeared, but not before he heard one of them mention time travel. Connor grabbed the blue-haired woman by the shoulder. Startled, she turned to face him "Listen, I don't know how long I have. I'm stuck traveling through time. If you ever see me again, kill me. It should fix the time loop," he told her. The woman nodded, a slight tinge of fear on her face. Connor's vision flashed again, and they were gone.

Connor spent the next few weeks traveling, both across time and the strange new land that he found himself in. Then one day, as he was wandering through the forest, his vision flashed white, and he suddenly found himself with a sword in his gut. Looking up, he recognized the blue hair of the woman he had talked to upon arriving in this world. She was wearing a mask and had her long hair hidden, but it was without a doubt the same person.

Then he died.

Connor's Ghost was there immediately, and soon the Hunter was breathing again.

"Thank you," the Hunter gasped. "I thought I'd be stuck in a time loop forever." His resurrection caught the woman by surprise though, as she fell backward.

"When you asked me to kill you before…" she began.

"Again, thank you for following through with that."

There was a cough, catching his attention. He turned and found another man standing there, dressed in a style that suggested he was from before the first Golden Age. This was supported by the rifle he was holding, and the US Army jacket that he wore. "The time travelers reunion can wait, right now the others need our help with the Risen," the man spoke.

"Noah? I know how you know about me, but that doesn't explain-" the woman began.

"The Guardian? Yeah," the man, apparently named Noah, turned to face Connor. "What's your name, and who's the current Hunter Vanguard?" Connor flinched at the second question. He still hadn't gotten over Cayde's death.

"My name is Connor. As for who the Vanguard is… it's a long story."

"I take it that means Cayde-6 is dead then. Good to know, I have an idea of what your arsenal might be."

"How did you-"

"We should really be helping the others," the woman interrupted.

"In a moment," Noah snapped. "Are you the Hivebane?" Again, Connor flinched. He recovered much quicker this time though and shook his head yes.

"How do you know so much about me and my world?" Connor asked.

"Like you, I'm not from around here," Noah replied. Connor nodded, finding the answer sufficient.

"Alright, let's go help the others," Noah said before racing off. Connor turned to find the woman racing off after the man. He shrugged and followed them.

AN: Two chapters in two days! Enjoy it while it lasts, because I have no idea how long I'll be able to keep up this schedule. I have an idea of who I want to pair Connor with, but if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.