Tormented
Rescue
Out of the prologue and into the story! Whoot!
Thanks to The Great Wolf 177, PashHanin, Lazypersons, and AAA for the reviews :D
The Great Wolf 177 - I always wandered what would happen in a scenario where a child is resurrected (although honestly, you'll see later that the 'child' Guardian isn't as young as you think), although that kind of scenario very likely won't happen lol. And thanks :D
"I don't think it's a good idea to bring your children to a Crucible match, Akiva."
Blinking several times, the male Titan turned his golden hues towards the black clad Hunter, watching the male Exo turn his red optics back towards the screens, "I don't think Neve would appreciate it if Ora, Amara, and Nahala repeatedly watch their mother die on screen."
Taking in Pluto's words, the male Titan glanced down at the twins he held in his arms, watching the two of them coo and giggle as the sounds of gunfire echoed around them; the Exo Hunter held little Oraxsis in his arms, the latter of which kept his curious golden hues on the screens.
It was the days of Trials of Osiris and Neve, although a mother of three now, still participates whenever she gains the time. With Fireteam Redacted on standby, Akiva found it a great opportunity to spend time with his children and give Neve the needed time for herself and her team. As such, when Neve participated in the weekly event, the human Titan thought it would be fine to spectate his partner's match. It just never crossed his mind that his children witnessing death on screen would have a negative impact on them; death just becomes second nature when you're a Guardian he guesses.
"If you are so concern about them watching Trials, then why did you agree to help me keep an eye on them here?" Akiva couldn't help but smile as Pluto let out a few clicks.
"Touché" The Exo Hunter stated before his attention was quickly switched to Ora, the toddler wiggling in his arms as the familiar figure of Neve materialized alongside two others.
"This is it," It was Lex who spoke, the white and yellow Ghost twirling his back fins in anticipation as he kept his golden optic on the screen, "Final round. Who is going to win? Fireteam Blaze or the random jumble of people that they had put together?"
Akiva let out a snort at his Ghost's words, "Well, this random jumble of people managed to hold their own against Fireteam Blaze 'and' make it to six rounds. It's giving Neve a challenge."
"Oh?" The human Titan felt the Exo Hunter's optics on him, "And that is a good thing?"
In response, Akiva gave Pluto a sheepish smile, "Neve have been…complaining lately about how 'easy' it's been to reach the Lighthouse. Said it doesn't feel 'special' anymore thanks to the fact she feels like she hasn't been really working for it."
No sooner had he answered the Exo Hunter's question when the latter shook his head before shifting his arms to keep a better grasp on Ora's form, "She will say that until she finally loses a round. Then she's going to pout about it all day."
Letting out another sheepish smile at his comrade's words, Akiva jumped as the surrounding noise around them was replaced with a loud 'beep', signaling to those present to pause and stand at attention.
"Titan Akiva Wahl, your presence is needed at the Hall of Guardians. There is a mission that requires your attention."
Recognizing it as Ikora's voice as the intercom turned off with a beep, the human Titan turned his golden hues towards Pluto expectantly, causing the latter to heave a sigh, "Fine, I'll watch the kids. It's not like I have nothing else better to do."
His eyes lighting up at the dark clad Hunter, Akiva waited until Pluto lowered Ora to the floor before offering his hands to take the twins, hearing the two girls let out small whimpers before quickly quieting in the familiar arms of the Exo Hunter.
"You owe me. Again," Giving Pluto a crooked smile, Akiva responded with, "How about I help train the Titan members of your Clan?"
"And?"
"I'll also help you get Orion out of his room for a week."
"Deal."
Xxxxx
The instant Akiva walked into the Hall of Guardians, he can already tell that the task they were going to give him was more than a mission; he can tell from the way Cayde's optics seem to glimmer with a hint of mischievous and the way his smile seemed broader than usual when he greeted him. At this point, Akiva was glad that Pluto gave him a few lessons on how to read others.
"Glad to see you came as soon as you can," It was Ikora who spoke, the female Warlock giving him a nod of approval, "We expected you to come a bit later, especially since with Neve participating in the Trials of Osiris."
Taking a few moments to put the pieces together, Akiva let out a grin as he stated, "That's why it's nice to have friends who are more than willing to help when it comes to children."
Instantly, the human Titan saw Cayde's optics light up, "Oh, speaking of kids, is it alright if I watch them next time?"
"Cayde." The slight amusing tone in Ikora's voice was apparent, "This isn't another one of your attempts to abandon your post, is it?"
"No, of course not," Cayde's smile was visible on his azure features, "I just want to get to know them is all. It's not every day that children grow up in the Tower. Have to take the opportunity to get to know the little munchkins before they get old, you know what I mean?"
Tuning in onto the Hunter Vanguard's words, Akiva couldn't help but let his smile fade at the mention of age. Being naturally born, the human Titan's children will grow and mature; Ora taking on the mantle of being a Guardian and his sisters to live on as civilians if they have yet to gain a Ghost. The thought of his children growing old and dying while he continues to stay the same, Akiva wasn't sure if he was comfortable with that thought.
"Titan Akiva," The human Guardian jumped at the mention of his name, "I believe you are ready to undertake the mission that we have for you?"
Blinking several times to regain his composure, Akiva let out a nod, "Yes, sir."
"Good," The human Titan watched as the Titan Commander crossed his arms behind his back, "Just a few hours earlier, we received a signal in the Plaguelands, calling for assistance. Not an uncommon occurrence with the exception of the type of frequency that was sent out."
"According to my agents, the frequency belongs to a Hunter named Blaise," Ikora continued, "He is quite notorious for being one of the few Guardians to make it through the Vault of Glass and return unscathed."
"Oh? So, a highly skilled Guardian then?" Akiva crossed his arms in curiosity, piecing the information together before he added, "But I am going to guess there is a catch?"
"He is not a Guardian of the Tower," The human Titan reeled back at Zavala's words, "Hunter Blaise is part of a rogue faction of Guardians who call themselves 'The Revenants'."
"They believe that Light and Darkness aren't enemies but are part of a natural order," It was Cayde who spoke next, "Thanks to this belief, they freely dwell into the inner workings of the Darkness, finding ways to make it work with their Light."
Taking in the information he received, Akiva couldn't help but let a frown form onto his pale features. He had never heard of these 'Revenants', even from Ianos and Pluto, the two oldest Guardians he had encountered in his life. Although he had to admit, he had heard of Guardians who try to intermingle with the Darkness but more often than naught, they are either consumed or destroyed by the very source of power they try to control. However, from the wary looks on the Vanguards' faces, he cannot help but think that somehow, this faction of Guardians was successful in their attempt to manipulate the Darkness.
"Nothing is being done about this 'rogue' faction?" No sooner had Akiva blurt out the question when a sigh escaped Vanguard Warlock Ikora, "Normally yes, but when we confronted the head of the Faction, we came to realize that he has a vast amount of followers. Conflict would lead to significant losses to both sides."
"So, it was agreed that as long as they keep to themselves, we would let the Revenants roam freely." Cayde then shrugged, "At least, that was the agreement."
"We are not sure why Hunter Blaise sent out a signal for help." Zavala explained, "But we would like you to head out into the field and give him aid if he needs one. Despite their beliefs, we want to be on good terms with this faction to avoid future conflicts."
Contemplating on the words of the Vanguard, Akiva couldn't help but let out a hum, "I cannot help but think that this 'signal' could be a trap."
That's when the human Titan saw the three Vanguard Guardians glance at each other, seeing the way their gaze linger before finally, it was Zavala who refocused his attention onto Akiva and responded, "Defend yourself as you see fit. It cannot be help if a fight between two Guardians were to occur, if this is indeed a trap."
"No concerns here," Akiva gave the Vanguard a nervous smile.
"Alright," Cayde clapped his hands together, "Ready to go, Titan?"
"Just one more question." The human Titan watched Cayde's azure optics pause on him, "I understand the importance of this mission but I cannot help but ask, why me? There are plenty of other Guardians who are fully capable of taking on this task."
No sooner had Akiva asked his question when he saw Cayde's optics light up once more, and the smile he had held on his metallic features broaden, "Oh, that's a surprise Titan Akiva." The human Guardian gave the Hunter Vanguard a bewildered look as he chuckled, "All I am going to say is that someone is waiting for you out in the same location where the signal was last sent out."
"It's not one of Cayde's pranks, if that is what you are worried about, Titan," Akiva couldn't help let out a sigh of relief at Ikora's words, "But, I can say that the nearest 'scout' to the location is someone you will be glad to meet, as such, the reason why the three of us thought best that you would the one to be sent out to the field."
"Is that all, Titan Akiva?" The human Guardian nodded at Zavala's question, "Then you are dismissed. May the Traveler's Light guide you, Titan."
With another nod and a fist to the chest, Akiva turned and headed towards the exit, hearing Lex's form hover next to his shoulders as they left the Hall of Guardians.
"Wonder who is waiting for us," The human Titan simply shrugged at Lex's question.
Xxxxx
"Hope, it's unnerving when you move around like that while I'm in stealth."
Turning her green optics towards the buzzing silhouette of her Guardian, the white and red Ghost couldn't help but give the human Hunter a blank stare, "Why so worried? It's not like they know I have a Guardian. You know how the Eliksni are. If they want an easy ticket up the ranks in their House, capturin' a Ghost is the way to go."
"But you never know," The Hunter muttered, "What if they don't want a live Ghost? What if they're just very territorial? And since I'm cloaked, the first thing they're going to fire at is-"
"Angel," Hope heard the human Guardian pause, "There is no need to be so worried. All Cayde asked us to do is to find the signal and wait for back up before engagin'. As long as we're perfectly hidden in this little 'hidin' place', we should be fine until help gets here."
Momentarily pausing as she waited for an answer, the female Ghost let out a bob as Angel's cloak died down, the arc energy going out with a small spark before the familiar form of the human Hunter came into view.
Having been out in the Wilds a little over a year now, the Hunter's attire had completely changed compared to when he left the Tower. To help himself blend in with the snow, Angel had switch to a white and gray patterned armor, the only color is his visor to protect his eyes from the sun's rays reflecting off the white surface. With his cloak lined with fur to keep him warm, the only thing that was kept from the previous armor set was the familiar winged insignia imprinted on the back; it was obvious that Angel had to stitch on different pieces of cloth to keep it together.
Seeing him fidget with his favored weapon, a sniper, in his hands while they hid behind a rusted tanker, Hope couldn't help but let concern drift into her mind. It has been a little over a year since they had lost Carina and Aleeza but it was obvious Angel was still affected by their deaths; mostly from his concern over her safety just moments earlier. She recalls plenty of other occasions where she found Angel agitated over her nonchalant attitude towards being outside in the 'open'; she recalls plenty of others back before the loss of their team members where he hadn't mind her being so 'exposed'. But Hope knows better than to get annoyed with his change in attitude; he didn't want to lose anymore friends, and it warmed her to know that she was on that list of those he didn't want to lose.
"Angel?"
The sudden introduction of a third voice caused Hope to jump and immediately, she saw Angel point his sniper rifle in the direction of the newcomer.
"Woah! Hey! It's me! Akiva!"
"Wait? What?" Hope watched Angel lower his weapon, "Akiva? You're the Guardian they're sending as backup?"
Her green optic growing wide at Angel's deduction, Hope turned to face their old friend, just in time to see him lower his hands and pat his chest with a fist, "You don't know how terrified I was when you pointed your sniper at me. I still remember how accurate your shots are."
Unable to hold back the chortle at the human Titan's words, the female Ghost hovered near Angel's shoulder as Akiva trudged through the snow, taking large but careful steps as he slowly closed the distance.
Initially, Hope had thought, at first, he still wore the same armor back when they had last seen each other. But, as Akiva closed the distance, Hope slowly came to realize her mistake; unlike the familiar shade of brown and black, Akiva's armor instead has different shades of brown and his armor seemed lighter almost; the familiar plating around his lower abdomen were missing and were replaced with thick leather and his mark carries the familiar violet colors of a Defender; not unlike the mark she had seen him previously which had carried the colors of the Crucible. The female Ghost can only guess the reason why.
"Now I can understand why the Vanguard sent me to locate this signal for help." Hope fixated her green optic onto Akiva's visor as the latter added, "You were the Scout that they mentioned."
"I happened to be nearby when I sent a frequency back at the Tower," Angel shrugged, "Considering I was close, I thought, 'why not?' and here we are."
Watching Akiva kneel down next to Angel's crouching form, Hope heard the human Titan ask, "So, any clues as to where the source of this signal is located?"
The human Guardian received another shake of the head as an answer, "I pinpointed its frequency around this vicinity but I was unable to pinpoint an 'exact' location."
"We would continue the search but we sighted Splicers around the area," Hope added in, "So, we decided the best course of action is to wait until this 'back up' Guardian arrives."
No sooner had the female Ghost spoke when the familiar sounds of shots being fired echoed through the air, followed by the familiar screeching of a tongue that both she and Angel had grown accustom to in their younger years.
"Well," Hope focused her attention back onto Akiva as the Titan continued, "since I am here, let's say we help the one who sent out this signal, shall we?"
Xxxxx
"Move! Move!"
Crystalline cursed as she watched the newborn struggle to get onto her feet, only to collapse back onto the snow as enemy fire pierced the ground around her; although grateful that the SIVA infested Fallen that they are currently contending with are horrible shots, she cannot believe her instincts caused her to resurrect a Guardian as the newborn in front of her.
The newborn was weak; weak to the point where she couldn't even stand, literately crawling through the snow in a vain attempt to run away from the Fallen that had caught the newborn Guardian in their sights. Any attempt to sneak past groups are easily thwarted as well thanks to her constant wheezing and coughing; Crystalline was amazed that they even made it this far without resurrection.
Nonetheless, the female Ghost feels like their luck was coming to an end; the Fallen had long ago stopped firing and Crystalline can easily see their black and red forms clambering through the snow, their knives drawn. If her Guardian doesn't learn how to stand on her own two feet and run, death will be upon her; and a death that Crystalline knows won't be swift and painless.
"Come on! Get on your feet!" The female Ghost twirled her back fins in agitation as her Guardian pushed herself onto her hands and knees, her shivering form apparent as she crawled through the snow, "Oh Traveler, hurry!"
No sooner had she let her words echo through the cold air when a sob emitted from the newborn, causing Crystalline to reel back at the sound; she had momentarily forgotten that her Guardian is but a child, her cries clearly supporting this as she continued to crawl only to fall back onto her chest. Hearing her let out a whimper as she curled up and wrapped her arms around herself, Crystalline couldn't bring herself to further shout at the newborn; the female Ghost may have had a Guardian for only a few years, but she had been around long enough to know how fragile organic children can be. This newborn Guardian is no different. Imagining the terror of waking up in a form too weak to even stand and with a group of malevolent creatures intending to do you harm chasing you down, Crystalline couldn't help but feel guilt over her behavior. However, this was quickly pushed away when a familiar form of a spliced Dreg hovered over the shaking form of the newborn, its dagger raised.
Before Crystalline can let out a sound of protest, the familiar sound of a high powered rifle echoed through the air followed by the Dreg's head exploding into a display of vermillion blood and shards of metal, the wisps of SIVA and ether dissipating into the air. Reeling back from the display, the female Ghost quickly regained her composure when the familiar form of a Titan rushed past her, slamming his fist into the nearest Fallen that had dared wandered too close to her Guardians shaking form.
Hearing footsteps next to her, Crystalline turned her gaze in time to see the familiar cloak of a Hunter drift over his shoulders as he raised his sniper and fired, most likely hitting the head of an unfortunate Fallen in his sights. Scrunching her parts together as she watched the pair clear the area of Fallen, Crystalline found herself drifting closer to the sobbing form of the newborn, suspicion quickly setting in as her optic kept the Hunter and Titan in her sights.
"The Guardians at the Tower believe all Darkness should be 'purified'." She heard Blaise let out a scoff, "Don't they see the potential of Light and Darkness working together? Yin and Yang, Crystalline. Yin and Yang." The Hunter shook his head as he added, "If you ever find yourself alone Crystalline, do not trust those 'Tower Guardians', let alone tell them of our allegiance. More than likely, they'll brand us as traitors and mark us for hunting."
"Hunting?"
The look in his azure eyes darkened as he paused, "It means they will kill us."
"Is everyone alright?"
Snapping out of her thoughts, Crystalline couldn't help but enclose her parts closer to her core as both Hunter and Titan approached.
"A newborn?" It was the Titan who spoke, the female Ghost watching him kneel down and tenderly taking the still shivering form of her Guardian in his arms, "But I thought the Vanguard said the signal was from a Hunter named Blaise."
Hearing the familiar name of her Guardian ring through the air, Crystalline couldn't help but let grief overwhelm her senses, even to go as far as fixating her gaze onto the Titan's visor.
"I see," Was all the Titan Guardian said before he slung his weapon onto his back, scooped the newborn into his arms, and pushed himself onto his feet, "Let's hurry back, the newborn doesn't look too well."
"Akiva!"
Hearing the warning cry of the Hunter, Crystalline shifted her attention over the Titan's shoulder, only for her optic to widen as the shimmering form of a Vandal popped out of stealth, its shrieking cry apparent as it raised its shockblades for a killing blow. That was before the familiar fire of a shotgun rang through the air followed by the spliced Vandal flying to the side, and falling to the snow-covered hearth, its vermillion blood soaking the sheet of white.
Once again reeling back from surprise, Crystalline shifted her gaze towards not only the savior of the Titan Guardian, but to her Guardian as well.
The first thing the female Ghost noticed was the familiar high collared coat of a Warlock, the latter of which slowly walked towards the group with his shotgun in hand. Adorned in dark brown cloths decorated with black and gold, Crystalline couldn't help but eye the rubber tubes strung from the lower half of his helmet on each side and wrapped around to the back of his collar, completely hiding where they lead. With a belt strapped around his waist and chest to carry the weaponry on his back, the female Ghost couldn't help but stiffen when the Warlock came to a pause, his gaze unreadable behind his visor. Feeling his stare turn to her, the female Ghost then took it as a sign to twirl around and glide towards the chest of the newborn, quickly shoving herself in between the shivering Guardian's arms.
No sooner had she done this when the Warlock tilted his head, as if bewildered by her actions before shifting his gaze towards the Hunter and the Titan, "It's been a long time."
It was then, from the corner of her vision, when Crystalline saw the Hunter take tentative steps forward before leaning in, as if to gain a better look, "Ianos? Is that you?"
Short chapter I know. But if I added anymore then it's going to be 'really' long and honestly, the sudden shift in perspective just didn't feel 'smooth' enough to add it in. So stopping here. Until next week C: