I do not own Destiny or any of the characters.
True Colors
Hunter stared at the City, the other three doing the same. The Hero was already in the Vex domain and nearing Quria, but Elsie had warned Hunter that they needed to be in the City for what came next, though she was intentionally vague.
"Ana, go and get your dogs, then meet us in the Eliksni Quarters," Hunter said. "Shiro, head back to the Vanguard and give them a report about why we were missing and what Petra told us about the Dreaming City."
Both nodded and warped to the tower. As they did, Hunter and Elsie warped to the Eliksni Quarter.
"Please tell me I get to shoot Lakshmi," Hunter said, Elsie smirking but shaking her head, both having artificial skin still from having had a private celebration of Elsie finally getting the hang of manipulating her SIVA for more than artificial skin and appearances.
"You won't," Elsie said as both reabsorbed their SIVA skin. "But you'll have other things to shoot in her place, and because of her."
"The assault she kept ranting about?" Hunter asked, Elsie nodding. "The Eliksni?"
"Vex," Elsie said.
Hunter nodded. "Is it still the first timeloop with me?"
Elsie nodded. "You'd know if it wasn't."
Hunter nodded as they reached Mithrax, whose Splicer Gauntlet was glowing. "How's he doing?"
"He's fighting Quria," Mithrax said. "He is doing well."
Hunter nodded and they waited in silence for a while. Then, Mithrax spoke again.
"Lakshmi-2 seems to believe thst Ikorakell, Zavalakell, and Shiro-4kell are unfit to lead," Mithrax said. "Something called Future War Cult and New Monarchy seem to intend to take power from them."
Hunter groaned, resting his face in his hand as Elsie sighed.
"They won't," Elsie said. "Lakshmi's just stirring up trouble."
Mithrax nodded, returning his attention to his gauntlet. Finally, he reported it was over, the lines of light the Vex had spread around them fading as the dark sky above them lightened as it lit with stars. Everyone cheered, a louder one rising from the City as Ikora used the broadcast aystem to announce the end of the Endless Night. Just as she did, however, the broadcast system crackled and her voice cut out.
"People of the Last City," Lakshmi spoke, sounding determined and slightly impatient. "We have endured many great tragedies thanks to our strength and steadfast commitment to humanity. The Traveler chose us. It abandoned the Fallen because they are unfit, unworthy of the Light. They would take it from us if they could. The Vanguard have lost their way. They embrace the Darkness. Welcome Eramis's followers into our midst with open arms. I have only just learned that they even allowed the Fallen to bring a supposed Guardian who has been infected by the SIVA plague! Yes, the Endless Night is over, but now, Mithrax and his House will use this opportunity to do what the Fallen have always done! Covet. Cheat. Steal. Kill. I have seen the future with my own eyes, and it has not changed. Doom still builds on our horizon like a terrible storm. But there is hope. Right now, the Future War Cult and New Monarchy have rounded up the Fallen in our City."
Hunter's head snapped around, just as more than a dozen Humans and Exos appeared around the Eliksni Quarter, all of them armed, but none of them Guardians. Lakshmi was in front of them, a small device for making broadcasts in her right hand.
"With the aid of Osiris, I have learned to safely command the power of the Vex," Lakshmi continued.
"What!?" Hunter and Mithrax both shouted.
"I will use it to do what the Vanguard will not!" Lakshmi finished. "I will tear open a rift; banish the Fallen to the deapths of space from where they came."
Hunter drew his Hand Cannons instantly, Mithrax grabbing a Wire Rifle off of his back and Elsie readying her rifle.
"We alone will save Humanity," Lakshmi said. "I have seen the darkest of futures, and with this act, I will-"
The Vex portal she'd just opened flashed, Vex flooding through instantly.
"No!" Lakshmi shrieked. "NO! ! !"
She screamed as the Vex opened fire, slaughtering many of the Future War Cult and New Monarchy before the returning fire began, Hunter, Elsie, and Mithrax drawing the Vex's attention for the most part before other members of the House of Light opened fire with other weapons. Then, Guardians were appearing around the Eliksni Quarter, instantly realizing what was happening and moving to engage the Vex. It was chaos. Hunter and Elsie moved through the Vex quickly as the Vex spread outward into the ruined section of city. Already there were hundreds, and now that there were a few present to act as beacons, more were teleporting themselves in in small groups. Vex began to assemble several towers around a large open area, along with a new portal structure, just as the one Lakshmi had formed closed. Not that it mattered. The Vex were teleporting themselves in fast enough for a portal to be pointless.
"Glad you had us here!" Hunter shouted to Elsie over the gunfire, just before Ana landed behind them.
She dropped a group of Vex with her rifle before her dogs arrived, rapidly charging through the Vex and slaughtering them with their weapons. The Vanguard arrived a moment later, laying into the Vex relentlessly, as did Saint, Drifter, Lord Shaxx, Lord Saladin, and many other powerful Guardians. And yet, still the Vex were swarming in faster than they could kill them.
"Mithrax!" Hunter shouted over the gunfire. "Can we lock the Vex out using our Splicer Gauntlets?"
"Yes!" Mithrax responded, then had to focus on shooting.
Hunter spronted to a tower of datalice the Vex were forming and set his Splicer Gauntlet against it. Instantly, the gauntlet flashed before SIVA spread into the tower, working relentlessly to hack the Vex network. Hunter returned to firing, but as he did, several Cyclopes appeared, blasting almost a dozen Eliksni and a handful of Guardians. Hubter narrowed his eyes just as the Hero arrived, opening fire on the lesser Vex instantly.
"Elsie!" Hunter called out. "It's time!"
Elsie nodded, heading for the Hero to tell him the Vex network would be his responsibility. As she did, Hunter holstered his Hand Cannons, then flicked a dead Eliksni's Shock Apear up into the air, catching it. Just as he did, several Vex appeared around himself, but he spun it in his hands, then became a blur. The four Vex Goblins around him fired, but he dropped, allowing their shots to slam into each other's heads before stabbing a Goblin in the core, thrn ripped it out, flipped the spear around backward, and stabbed the Vex opposite that one. As he ripped it out again, he spun, slashing the Next Vex diagonally up across the core, then spun and slashed the last. As all four Vex collapsed, less than a second after Hunter had grabbed the spear, Hunter charged into the ranks of the other swarming Vex. He sweapt one aside with the spear, smashing it against another, then stabbed through one Vex's core and into another. The second staggered backward, pulling the spear out of the first, and Hunter grabbed the spear again, spinning and smashing the wounded Vex against an intact one, destroying both. He finished his spin by slashing a Vex's gun out to the side, sending its shot into another Vex's core before streaking forward toward a group and spinning, the Shoxk Spear's tip flashing around him in a deadly arc, mowing down the Vex. He finished the spin by hurling the spear over a hundred yards, into a Cyclops's eye, destroying it, then landed on the back end of another spear, making it stand up at an angle just in time for a Goblin behind him to impale its core on the spear. He grabbed the spear and ripped it out, twirling it before swiping across the front of a Goblin's core. A Hobgoblin stepped out of the crowd ahead of Hunter, but he ducked under its shot, then smashed its head with the base of the spear's shaft, destroying its auto-repair systems, before stabbing it in the core. He spun, ripping the spesr back out and leapt backward from a charging minotaur, only for the tip of his Shock Spear to flare with Void Energy just long enough to stab through a Minotaur's shield and into its core. He spun as soon as he landed, hurling it into another Minotaur, the spear head once again flailing just long enough to punch through the shields, then chased the spear as his SIVA formed two fans of Proximity Mine Knives, which he scattered into the Vex around him before reclaiming the spear. He spun, clearing a circle around himself, only to immediately hurl the spear, once again clearing the entire open area and strike another Cyclops dead center of its eye, this one unleashing a dozen wild blasts into the Vex around it before exploding.
"He is amazing!" Saint said, just as Hunter formed a pair of Void blades and shot forwward, slashing his way through half a dozen Vex before vanishing.
"I've never seen anyone fight like that!" Ikora gaped.
"I have," Zavala said. "Once."
Hunter and Elsie both began to appear and vanish around the battlefield, only ever there long enough to kill a small group of Vex, never long enough to target accurately. A Hydra appeared, turning toward Mithrax, only for Hunter to appear in the air behind it, slashing it across the core before vanishing in the air. A moment later, he reappeared in the midst of the biggest group of Vex, slashing several before vanishing as the Vex swarmed inward, only to all be caught by his souvenir Vortex Grenade. As he reappeared again, it was as a Hydra appeared, and he slashed up the Hydra's front, killing it, then stepped off of its head and escaped the explosion a second later before landing in a roll on the ground. As he rolled to one knee, he hurled both Void Blades forward as blurred disks, and they punshed through fifty meters of Vex Goblins, Hobgoblins, and a pair of Minotaurs before curving away from each other and each finding one of the two remaining Cyclopes' eyes, destroying those, too.
The Guardians watching the onesided slaughter, as Hunter had the Vex's undevided attention now, cheered, though Ana was helping with further away targets and Elsie was still clearing small groups of Vex using her cloaking tech. Hunter yanked his melee daggers from his belt before streaming electricity along them, once again ripping into the Vex. More and more reinforcements began to arrive to fight Hunter, but Hunter was pushing the Vex back. Their numbers had dwindled from a few hundred present at any one time, to a little over a hundred. And now, the Hero had entered the Vex domain.
Hunter spun and slashed and stabbed his way through the Vex, slaughtering anything in reach. A Minotaur charged at him, but Hunter flipped over it, stabbing down through a weak point in the exact center of the top of its shield, then into the Minotaur's head. He spun his body on the dagger, getting the Montaur to turn before flipping to the ground and roaring in effort, hurling the Minotaur with his momentum, keeping his dagger as he did. The Minotaur slammed into a Hydra that had been about to ram Hunter from the air, and both Vex exploded into sprays of twisted metal and Radiolarian fluid. Then, he spun as a pair of Hydras appeared on opposite sides of him, only for his daggers to spin through the air and stab into them, blasting them both apart. Hunter turned as several Goblins fired at him, only for an Arc Staff to blaze into existence in his hands, blocking the shots before Hunter grinned, Arc Energy screaming over his body.
"Shiro, watch carefully," Hunter said through the radio.
Shiro's eyes widened just as Hunter lunged, clearing a hundred feet in a second, spinning and swiping with his staff the entire way, slaughtering the Vex, the small blades on the ends of his staff never stopping blurring around him. Hunter took off into the swarm of Vex again, his staff blurring around and around him as he propellered it, passing it between his hands back and forth in front of himself and on either side, stabbing, slashing, and smashing anything he could reach with the staff. A Hobgoblin aimed at him from his right, but one of the blades flashed as it swung upward and a crescent blade of Arc Energy tore through several Vex before blasting the Hobgoblin. A Hydra leapt into the air and exploded downward at Hunter at an angle, but Hunter's Arc-augmented speed carried him out of the way, then around behind it just as it stood, allowing him to kill it with an almost careless jab of his staff. Finally, Hunter spun, hurling the Arc Staff like a javelin just as a Cyclops appeared, the staff drilling through its eye instantly.
Just as Hunter hurled the staff, dozens of groups of Vex teleported in as the portal the Vex had set up opened, and Vex Goblins, Minotaurs, Wyverns, Harpies, and Fanatics flooded out. However, Hunter leapt into the air, spinning and scattering four fans of flaming knives into the incoming Vex. The Fanstics at the portal all exploded, wiping out almost a quarter of the Vex, though the flood continued a moment later. Then, ahunter foxused, smirking internally as he gathered Solar Energy into his right hand, and a Daybreak sword blazed into existance, its golden blade shining as he landed on his feet among the Vex.
"Impossible!" Zavala said instantly, as they all watched Hunter all but dance his way through the Vex, every slash splitting a Vex like a blade through a fine mist and sending out an arc of Solar energy thst tore through the Vex.
"His movements!" Saint gaped "He looks as though he is dancing!"
"How is this possible?" Ikora asked. "There's never been anyone who could wield a Daybreak sword as a close-range weapon! Not even the original Dawnblades! The swords explode on contact!"
"And yet, here's a Hunter who not only wields Daybreak as a sword, but also wields it so perfectly that he seems to be merely dancing," Shaxx said.
"How's he doing this?" Shiro asked.
"Simple," Ana said. "Give Hunter a gun and tell him to fight an army and he'll fight to his last breath. But give him a blade, and he'll fight to their last breath."
"What's the difference?" Ikora asked.
"The difference is Hunter," Ana said. "The old Hunter, even before he was an Exo, was a Blademaster. It's why he was chosen as Clovis's head of security, and why he was chosen to be the prototype SIVA Exo."
"I thought the Blademasters were a myth!" Ikora gasped.
"Not quite," Zavala said. "He's the second I've met."
Hunter stabbed up into a Goblin's core, then turned, hurling it over himself into several more before swinging the sword down and past his side, hurling it backward in a blurred disk, the sword erupting into an explosion against a Fanatic just as Hunter's Solar Energy ran out. The Fanatic's explosion set off a chain reaction of other detonating Fanatics all the way around Hunter and Elsie, who appeared at his side as he threw the sword, and when the explosions had cleared, the Vex had all been destroyed.
"Well done," Elsie smiled.
"Thanks," Hunter smiled. "I-"
His smile dropped just as his SIVA shrieked a warning at him. Both spun toward the portal as well as the same type of bladed Vex stepped out of the portal, releasing that same, piercing, sour note as the last.
"Gegeines!" Zavala shouted, forming a Void shield instantly, only for Hunter to leap over to land in front of them, SIVA spreading in a circle behind him before Spark and Elsie both obediantly entered the circle.
A blood red, domed barrier flared into appearance around them, and Hunter exploded forward, drawing Worldline Zero. He slashed at the Gegeines as he reached it, but it flipped over him. He spun as it slashed from behind, and when its six blades met Worldline Zero, Worldline Zero exploded, hurling Hunter backward.
"Let us out!" Ikora ordered, just as six Guardians who he hadn't been able to shield, though he'd gotten the main group of powerhouses, only Shaxx and Drifter outside the shield, fired rockets at the Gegeines.
The Gengeines' arms curled forward, then slashed back outward, splitting the rockets and detonating them all without suffering a scratch. Drifter hurled a spesr of Stasis Crystals, but when it shattered against the Gegeines, it merely covered it in a thin layer of frost. Shaxx hurled a Hammer of Sol, but the Gegeines destroyed it the same way it had the rockets.
"Everyone stay back!" Hunter shouted as the Gegeines shrieked again, still stalking slowly toward Hunter.
Hunter focused, SIVA forming up on his non-thumb fingers, forarms, and heels, then growing outwars into long, thin blades that shimmered slightly. Those from his heels were curved upward and back, sharpened along the outside, and ended about knee height a foot behind him, those on his forearms grew along his forearms and extended a foot back from his elbows, and his claws were sharpened inside and a foot long.
"Such small blades are meant to compete against that?" Saint asked.
"Those aren't normal blades," Shiro said. "Why're they shimmering?"
"They're monomolecular blades!" Elsie gasped, then grinned. "He finally figured it out!"
"Good, then he might stand a chance," Ana said.
"Monomolecular?" Drifter asked as he and Shaxx reached the shield. "You mean one molecule wide at the edge? That's possible?"
"Only with SIVA," Elsie said. "If each SIVA drone creates as small of drones as it can and as many as it can, then each of those do the same, in theory, they can be smaller than that, but it would mean they's split atoms instantly. As it is, molecules can move just enough in even solid objects that the blade will be able to pass between them."
"So, if he can cut between molecules, he can cut through anything," Ikora said.
"Yes, but there's a catch," Elsie said. "A blade that thin is incredibly fragile. No one but a Blademaster could use it."
Hunter took a long breath as his blades finally finished, and charged just as the Gegeines shrieked again. As they reached each other, Hunter leapt into the air, flipping over the Gegeines' three right blades before slashing downward at it with his right hand's claws as his body spun horizontal to the ground. For a moment, it seemed like it would be a deciding blow, until the Gegeines leapt backward, receinging only a few shallow scratches. It shot forward again just as Hunter landed, one left blade drawing a lethal arc, and Hunter launched himself to his right under the blade, then instinctively slashed with his left hand's claws. The claws severed the next left blade, but then all three right blades drew another arc through the air and Hunter's left claws and forearm blade spun into the air. Hunter spun, striking with his left heel's blade, but the Gegeines' foot flashed up, shattering it just behind Hunter's foot before the claws clamped around his torso. All five of the Gegeines' remaining blades flashed out at him, but Hunter's right arm slashed upward, relieving the Gegeines of its foot by sacrificing his claws. He immediately leapt forward again, flipping backward and using his heel blade to sever the three arms on the Gegeines' left side, taking away two more of its blades, only for the other three to lash out, severing Hunter across the torso three times. SIVA swarmed from his remaining upper section, reforming his body, minus the blades, and the Gegeines shrieked, lunging and slashing before Hunter could land.
Hunter reacted on instinct, a trio of SIVA tentacles lashed outward at the Gegeines from Hunter's back. All three were severed, but slowed the blades just long enough for Hunter to land and leap backward, suffering only three gashes across his chest, which sealed instantly. The Gegeines shrieked, leaping at Hunter, and he launched himself forward, SIVA tentacles lashing out at the Gegeines as he did, only to be sliced apart. Hunter's one remaining monomolecular blade, however, passed down the Gegeines' front, leaving a deep gash when the Gegeines flipped onto its remaining foot, Radiolaria beginning to run down its body through the newly-opened channel. The Gegeines shrieked, its torso suddenly beginning to spin in a blur, three deadly, orange rings forming in the trails of its blades before it leapt at Hunter. He rolled under it, and as it landed, it launched itself at him again. A pulse of Stasis Energy formed an ice pillar under him fast enough to hurl him into the air, and the Gegeines' blades shredded the ice into dust before it had even passed all the way through. Hunter landed on his feet as the Gegeines leapt at him from behind, but this time, he leapt directly backward, SIVA tentacles lashing back at the Gegeines. There was a deafening crash and a shriek, and the Gegeines arms shot into the air befoee Hunter's last blade drove itself into the Gegeines' head, shattering inside but finishing the battle before Hunter used his Void intangibility dodge to avoid being crushed under its body.
"You did it!" Elsie cheered as the shield faded, allowing them all to move to congratulate him, Elsie's freshly formed lipa meeting his.
"That was amazing!" Shiro cheered.
"We severely underestimated you," Ikora said.
"Well done, Guardian," Zavala nodded, though his eyes had a hint of distrust and wariness to them, as did Ikora's.
"So...wait," Saint said. "What's a Blademaster?"
"They're a legendary group of fighters from the Golden Age, both Guardians and Lightless, who specialize in bladed weapons so much that they can wield any weapon with a blade as though they invented it," Shiro said. "They were thought to be a myth, but...well."
"Hey, where's the Hero?" Ana asked.
"And Mithrax!" Saint realized.
"Do not worry," Mithrax said as Eliksni appeared all around the area. "We are safe. We took shelter from the large explosion chain at the end, then watched a legendary battle."
"And I'm right here," the Hero said. "Got back just in time to see the end, but I think I've figured out the major points. The Vex shouldn't be able to teleport in anymore, provided no one else lets them in."
"Speaking of letting them in," Hunter said. "Lakshmi said Osiris taught her to open Vex portals. Would he actually know how? Also, where the fuck is he?"
"He disappeared just before we arrived," Saint said. "He was right behind me, then he was gone."
"I don't like it," Hunter said. "Could we find him?"
"Even if we searched the city door-to-door, we probably wouldn't," Ikora said. "But that's not important now. We need to let the Last City know what happened, and that the Vex have been stopped."
Zavala nodded in agreement and both warped away to return to the tower. Hunter turned to Mithrax, who nodded to him.
"Your shields saved many lives," Mithrax said. "Many were lost, but it would have been far worse without your help. And yours, Saint. The Eliksni will tell this story, of the Saint standing with us to the bitter end, and of Humanity protecting us. And, of course, of you, Hunter, saving us all."
"Leave me out," Hunter said. "Let history remember Eliksni and Humanity surviving together through cooperation. That's what's important."
"That But you are a part of that story as well," Mithrax said. "You are Human, no matter your body's composition."
"Indeed," Saint nodded. "Today you are a hero."
"This story will be one to remember," Shaxx nodded.
Lord Saladin stepped forward, staring at Hunter for a long moment before smiling. He set his Iron Battleaxe on his shoulder and pulled his helmet off. "I never thought I'd see the day when SIVA was anything but a threat, but you are a blessing. Thank you for getting us through this alive."
Hunter nodded, smiling. "I'm just glad you're not trying to kill me."
Sladin laughed. "Don't get me wrong. I'll definitely be keeping a very close eye on you both. But until you prove to be a threat, I'm honored to have you as allies."
Elsie and Hunter both nodded just as Ikora activated the broadcast system. They all finally felt the stress of the fight finish fading and the Guardians helped collect the fallen Eliksni, then attended their funeral, as did the Vanguard, before the Guardians returned to the Tower. Within the next day, the news that the remaining Future War Cult and New Monarchy members had fled the Last City had spread through the Tower, and Ikora tasked her Hidden with trying to locate them, allng with Osiris.
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