Redacted
Hush
I apologize for the late update. Wanted to finish Vault of Glass with my friends on Xbox but sadly, took too much time so never finished QuQ. Hopefully we'll get it done tomorrow lol.
Also, with Destiny 2 announced for release this year, I am kind of debating what to do for Redacted and Book Three, The Revenants, as the latter takes place 'years' after Redacted. But with Destiny 2 coming up, I am not sure whether or not to conform the two into one or to cut out a large amount of the original content. Then again, I have another story in mind once Destiny 2 comes out... we'll see lol
Thanks to Lazypersons, jsm1978, And-on-and-on, and Guest for the reviews!
And-on-and-on - I was excited to finally introduce her to you guys lol. Planned her out in the early stages of 'Tormented' so I was really eager to finally show the reveal.
Guest - There's going to be a lot of things that happens in this book! And lot of them will be answered! Eventually! And that was unfortunate of your accident but I am happy that you are seemingly well! Get well! :D
Papa, don't leave me.
Blood soaked the earth as she pressed her hands against his side.
Don't leave me, Papa.
Her clan had long ago left; they didn't want to risk losing more of their numbers by tending to the injured and the dead.
Please, don't go.
His fingers were cold, his glowing eyes dull; his chest had long ago ceased. This did not deter her.
Don't leave me.
She was forced away when the scavengers closed in; the echoes of her father's words telling her to run still ringing in her mind.
I don't want to be alone.
She fell during her escape, crying out as legs easily collapsed underneath her; the familiar chitters of the scavengers grew closer.
I don't want to die.
She managed to hide herself between two storage units, wrapping her arms around herself to give herself both comfort and warmth.
Papa, help.
Time passed, the pain throbbing throughout her body as she waited. For what, she didn't know; although she knows for certain that her clan won't be back for her. It was hard to miss their hated gaze.
Hungry.
She had tried to move, an attempt to find a way to stop the ravenous hunger that ravaged her body; instead, she was met with pain, her body screaming with any type of movement that she attempted.
Weak.
Silently cursing her frail body, she attempted to find solace in sleep, blinking away the tears as she closed her eyes.
Papa…
Xxxxx
Ianos had taken great care to pull the collar of his coat higher, easily hiding Crystalline's shimmering form in the crook of his neck. As such, sneaking past the night owls that were Guardians was easy, giving them a passing nod as they gave them a slight wave in greeting. Honestly, the Warlock was surprised to see how smoothly sneaking to his quarters went, easily pressing the panel to his apartment to signal the door open before stepping inside, quickly waving the others to follow suit before closing it shut.
Of all the plans that he had concocted, this one was the one that had went the most flawlessly.
Until he tapped Crystalline awake to resurrect her Guardian.
No sooner had she done so when a wail echoed throughout the room, startling all three Guardians present before Ianos found himself flying, slamming into the wall behind and then sliding down onto his knees. Placing a hand onto the floor to steady himself, Ianos glanced up in time to see the familiar wisps of void light dance around the Ward of Dawn, the familiar buzzing of the elite skill echoing through the air followed by the young Guardian's cries.
"Hey, hey," It was Akiva who spoke, pushing himself onto his feet into a crouching position as he held out his hands, "we're not going to hurt you. You're safe." The Awoken Warlock then watched him lift his hands, the familiar sound of air escaping his helmet permeating through the air before he removed the armor piece, giving the newborn a gentle smile, "See?"
A screeching cry was the response Akiva gained, causing Ianos to reel back from the action.
"Can you make her stop!?" The Awoken Warlock turned his focus towards Angel, the latter of which was seated on the ground and had thrown his helmet to the side in preference to clamping his hands over his ears, "I've heard Ora cry but this is ridiculous! Akiva! I thought you were the father out of the three of us!"
"That is with my own kids! I don't know how to comfort one that isn't my own!"
Rolling his eyes at the two Guardian's words, Ianos pushed himself onto his knees and slowly made his way towards the edge of the Ward, sensing the bewildered stares from his team. Ignoring them, the Awoken Warlock came to a pause before reaching his hands to the side of his helmet, and removed the tubes from the sides.
"Wait, Ianos? What are you doing!?"
Once again ignoring the words of the Hunter, Ianos pressed the sealant under his chin, listening to the familiar sound of air flushing out before lifting the armor piece off, holding it in his hands as he focused his attention back onto the newborn, "Hello?"
He then watched the newborn's attention shift towards him, her cries coming to a sudden pause as her gaze stopped upon his face; Ianos heaved out a sigh of relief.
"My name is Ianos," He pointed at himself before gesturing with one hand towards the others, "That's Angel and Akiva. We're not here to hurt you, we're your friends."
A sniff was the response the Awoken Warlock gained but Ianos was satisfied with it nonetheless; with his comrade, the result was quite painful, it wasn't every day that a newborn Guardian is able to attune to a light of old and send a surge of arc light throughout your body.
"I bet you're a tad bit famished, right?" In honesty, Ianos wasn't sure if that was the right word to use in the current situation; all he knows was that newborn Guardians needs an immediate sustenance once they are first resurrected in order to regain strength quickly. This newborn wouldn't be any different.
Despite his concern over his use of words, the way the newborn's shoulders square out and seemed to perk up was answer enough to Ianos' question.
"Ace, send a message to Pluto to get some food from the mess hall and bring it to my quarters."
Shifting his attention towards the others, Ianos couldn't help but pause at the wide-eyed stares he received from the two Guardians, "What?"
Momentarily silent, it was Angel who broke the silence, "Y-Your breath. The Darkness."
Giving the human Hunter a blank stare, Ianos opened his mouth to respond but suddenly found an extra weight thrown into his lap. Caught off guard, the Awoken Warlock glanced down in time to see the newborn press her head into his abdomen as she wrapped her arms around his waist, her Ward of Dawn flickering out soon after.
"Wait, wait, what are you doing?" Panic slowly set into Ianos' chest as he gripped his hands onto the newborn's shoulders and attempted to push her away, only to pause as she let out a whimper and further buried herself into his lap.
He threw himself at his feet, hands bloody and fear in his eyes as Ianos attempted to exit, "Don't leave me here! Please! I don't want to be a prisoner any longer! Don't leave me in the dark!"
The Awoken Warlock snapped out of his memories as he heard Akiva let out a snort, "She took a liking to you, kid."
Snapping his gaze towards the human Titan, Ianos opened his mouth to retort but stopped when he watched Akiva jump, his golden hues widening, "Out."
"Wh-what?" Ianos focused his attention back onto Angel before he repeated, "Out. Get. Out."
"B-but the Darkness-"
"Out!"
The sudden raise in tone was enough to cause Angel to jump before the human Hunter leaped back onto his feet, prompting Akiva to do the same. Watching the Titan brush off any stray dust from the bottom of his armor, Ianos waited as the pair slowly made their way towards the door before focusing his attention back onto the newborn Titan.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
Wincing at the Titan's words, Ianos opted to say nothing, once again remaining silent as he heard his door shut. It was then Ace took the chance to materialize nearby.
"I can't help but feel guilty that we didn't tell them," The familiar clicks from the black and orange Ghost echoed in the Awoken's ears, "only Matt knows, right?"
"And I had intended to let it stay that way," Ianos paused before he slid his hands away from the newborn's shoulders before placing one on her helmet; she snuggled closer in response, "but with the newborn, I momentarily forgotten."
"Well, with the new system that Matt had implemented on you, it's hard to feel the pain."
Ianos turned his gaze towards his Ghost, "You mean 'implanted'." The Awoken Guardian heard his Ghost pause, "It had to be connected to my body in order to properly cleanse the Darkness out. And even then…" His voice fading out, Ianos heaved out a sigh, seeing the wisps of darkness flow into his vision, "it's only slowing down the inevitable."
Letting the silence permeate through the air, Ianos took the time to delicately brush his fingers against the newborn's helmet, earning a bewildered gaze from Crystalline, the latter of which hovered nearby. Ignoring the strange look he received from the female Ghost, the Awoken let his thoughts wander: should he have told his team of what had occurred during his quarantine in the Medical Wing? After much thought, Ianos shook his head. After much consideration, his comrades already have a lot of their mind: Angel with the loss of his close friend and his Eliksni family, Akiva with his children, and Pluto with Clan Galaxy.
He doesn't want to burden their concerns with his light.
He doesn't want to tell them of his relapse.
He doesn't want to tell them that he only has a small amount of time to live.
Xxxxx
Akiva had decided to take Angel to the bar in the Tower; it has been a while after all, since the young Hunter had a drink, especially after being out in the wilds a little over a year. And after seeing the wisps of Darkness escaping from Ianos' lips, Akiva only saw fit that a simple drink will help Angel's nerves a bit; and his own nerves as well.
As such, here they were, taking drinks out of glass cups and a couple of bottles laid out before them. Normally used to having company when it comes to drinking, Akiva couldn't help but feel like the table felt 'empty', the Titan imagining the spaces around the human Hunter filled with those that they had 'lost'. At this point, he can hear them giggling, the image of Carina and Aleeza playfully pushing each other as they held a drink in one hand followed by the pair leaning in, pressing their foreheads together before they gave each other a kiss. This was soon followed by the female Awoken and Exo pardoning themselves, one of their hands locked together as they followed each other out; it was their 'routine' whenever they were free.
"Do you think…Ianos is alright?"
Snapping out of his reverie, Akiva focused his golden hues onto Angel, the latter of which slowly tapped the side of the glass, causing it to slowly turn on the table. Having not seen the Hunter in a year, Akiva can see that Angel had let his hair grow out; instead of the original shoulder length, they had grown to his back, stray black strands falling in front of his green hues as he kept them focused on the full glass. It was also hard to miss the scars; Akiva can barely see the lining of three going from under his left side of his jaw and then sliding underneath the under suit near his neck; he recognizes the jagged edges as a strike from a thrall; the human Hunter had more than likely encountered a group of Hive during his ventures out in the Wilds.
"Of course he is alright," Akiva flashed a smile at the Hunter, causing the latter to lift his gaze, his dark strands making it hard for the human Titan to meet the younger Guardian's eyes, "He has Matt's systems, right? And you know Matt, he knows what he is doing to keep Ianos alive."
"But…the Darkness…"
Hearing the concern laced in the young Hunter's words, Akiva couldn't help but pause before lifting up his glass and emptying the contents. It was hard to miss the wisps of Darkness that not only escaped from Ianos' breathe but from the seams of his armor around the neck; it seems his helmet had kept the Darkness in before Ianos had removed it. The 'system' that kept Ianos alive had also expanded; instead of the spine where it had originally originated from, Akiva can see the familiar silver of metal crawl up from the Awoken's neck and latching underneath his jaw. Veins of light then can be see flowing in, most likely in an attempt to squeeze out any Darkness that try to taint Ianos' Light. In retrospect, in Akiva's eyes, Ianos seemed to have gotten 'worse' than better.
The last time Akiva had visited the older Guardian, he had seemed fine; there was not a hint of Darkness anywhere. What had happened? Was that the reason why Matt had suddenly closed off any visitors to the Awoken Warlock's room during his stay in the Medical Wing? And why hadn't Ianos told them anything?
"It doesn't seem to be causing him any pain," Akiva recalls the image of Ianos calmly seated in the middle of his quarters although he can still sense the doubt in Angel's stare, "From what I can tell out in the field, it seems to have little to no effect on him. He will be fine." The human Titan kept his voice certain but in reality, he was unsure. Was Ianos really alright?
In response to his words, Akiva watched as Angel went back to tapping the side of his glass, once again causing it to slowly turn, "Right…"
Letting out a sigh as he placed his elbow on the table and propped his chin up, Akiva let his thoughts wander before perking up, "I know what can cheer you up."
A smile faded onto the human Titan's pale features as Angel snapped his bewildered gaze up towards him, "What?"
"How about a Crucible Match? It has been a while since we've last played a game together."
Xxxxx
It didn't take long for Pluto to come in with the needed sustenance for the newborn. And it didn't take long for the Exo Hunter to immediately drop everything as soon as his red optics paused on him.
"Wh-what happened?" Ianos can see Pluto's hands shake in shock, his fingers slowly curling into fists, "Matt told me that you were getting better. He 'told' me that your condition was stable. He said-"
"All a lie." Ignoring the silence that soon permeated through the room, the Awoken Warlock once again focused on the newborn, the latter of which let out a giggle as she focused on her bracers as they changed color, all thanks to Ace who twirled their back fins with every chuckle; Ianos had moved her to the bed to ensure she was more comfortable, the familiar form of Crystalline hanging over the young Titan's shoulder. The way the female Ghost scrunched her parts together gave the Awoken Warlock a hint that she was envious of Ianos' shader collection; he couldn't help but wonder how expansive Hunter Blaise's was.
"At least, most of it was."
Tearing his gaze away from the younger Guardian, Ianos can easily read the bewilderment in the Exo Hunter's optics, "It is true that I have gotten worse but, I have gotten better."
"What?"
"I had… a relapse." Ianos paused as Pluto's gaze shifted, the look of concern and disappointment clear in his optics; a look that the Awoken Warlock is all too familiar with, "Stop that. You know how that makes me feel, 'old man'."
"…Don't call me that."
"Then don't give me that 'I am disappointed in you' look."
Hearing a sigh escape the Exo Hunter's 'lips', Ianos waited as Pluto leaned down to pick up the items he had dropped on the floor; it was fortunate that he had brought up the food in containers instead of plates.
"You recall the period of time Matt wouldn't allow you all in to see me?" Ianos tracked the Exo Hunter as he placed the containers on the table, "To backtrack just a bit, we all had thought the few hours I had with my damaged system, the Darkness had not spread. Ace even had scanned me to confirm Matt's inspection that nothing was awry."
"But let me guess," Pluto turned his red optics towards the Awoken Warlock, "Something was amiss."
Ianos nodded once, "It seems the Darkness had grown in strength but it had waited until our guards were lowered. Then, it struck."
Hearing nothing from Pluto, Ianos took the opportunity to glance down at his hands, flexing his fingers as the memories flooded back in. He was still connected to the machines when the pain flashed in, the drugs that had been pumping into his senses doing nothing to ease the agony. Ianos recalls blacking out several times, the few flashes of memory he does remember is being held down by several medics as he heard both Matt and Ace repeatedly call his name. In the end – according to Ace – he was unconscious for several weeks before regaining a sense of awareness and it was filled with the dull throbbing of the Darkness still consuming his light.
During that time of his sleep, Matt had installed the new system that had been working on – a risk the Medic later informed him. The retired Guardian implanted the new system in hopes of saving the last wisps of Light Ianos had despite the risk that connecting the system into his nerves and spine could have easily crippled him instead. Luckily, the Awoken Warlock had pulled through but now, he was further bound to shorter trips outside of the Tower.
Although the new system did indeed save his life, it was still a 'prototype', according to Matt. The metal was thin enough to be considered paper but strong enough to withstand sword strikes (that's what the retired Warlock claimed) and expands down to his limbs and neck, however, it takes a lot of light to run it. A lot of it. With Ianos' own light too weak to fight back the Darkness, Matt had to increase the dose of light given to the Awoken Warlock in order to help him recover. As such, the wisps of darkness seemingly permeating from his breath and seams of his armor; it was the last attempts of the infection trying to escape before dying. For the drugs that were needed to ease his agony, Matt had found a way to intermingle both the light and the drugs to help ease the burden; all Ace had to do was mix the two before inserting it into the new life system. Although, it was considered a success and it is doing its work, the amount of light needed is way beyond the standard amount given previously; as such, once a day, Ace has to consume the numerous vials of light before streaming it down an insert near the base of Ianos' spine and even then, if Ianos isn't careful, he may only leave the Tower for a few hours before the Darkness once again attempts to consume him. In other words, the Awoken Warlock has to heavily rely on gunfire instead of his capabilities with wielding the light like in the past.
Flexing his hands several times, Ianos took the time to lift his gaze upwards and paused as he saw the form of Pluto leaning over his table, his hands gripping the edge as if attempting to keep himself upright.
"I can already tell without asking that it consumed a large amount of your Light," The Awoken Warlock remained silent, "why didn't you or Matt say anything?"
Taking in the Exo Guardian's question, Ianos simply responded, "I didn't want to worry you all."
The Awoken Warlock watched as Pluto snapped his red optics towards him, "Why do you think-"
"You have the Clan to worry about," Ianos heard the Exo Hunter pause, "Akiva with his family, and Angel out in the Wilds, I didn't want to place more burden upon all your shoulders."
"We're still a team!" Ianos jumped at Pluto's outburst, sensing the startled glances of the two Ghosts and the newborn behind him as the Exo Hunter continued, "We're still family!" He then watched as the Exo Hunter pushed himself away from the table, walked over, and placed his hands on the Awoken Warlock's shoulders, "Just because we seemed burdened with our life doesn't mean we are no longer involved with yours." Feeling Pluto's hands grip tighten around his shoulders, Ianos opted to say nothing, seeing the anger easily fade to one of concern, "Don't keep everything to yourself. We're a team and a family for a reason, Little Light."
Soaking in the Exo Guardian's words, Ianos nodded once, a sign for Pluto to release his grasp from his shoulders and return to his position near the table. Letting out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck, Ianos paused as he felt a hand press onto his arm, causing him to turn and look into the hidden gaze of the newborn, the latter of which pointed over his shoulder. Raising a brow, Ianos only understood when she pointed more fervently to the table; she had spotted the containers and the faint aroma of its contents now permeating through the room. The newborn wanted to eat.
With this in mind, Ianos slid off the edge of his bed, feeling the fingers of the newborn leave his arm as he turned and faced her, waiting patiently as she tilted her head in bewilderment, "You are not going to get up?"
Watching the younger Guardian tilt her head to the other side, Ianos couldn't help but reel back when the latter held out her hands, her arms spread out in a silent language: carry me.
In honesty, Ianos hesitated; the only other occasion he had ever held a child was with Oraxsis – he has yet to even hold the twins – and even then, he was stiff, his shoulders rigid, and he refused to take a step with the toddler in his arms. He remembers the team teasing him for it, prodding his shoulders in an attempt to make him flinch – which he had to add, didn't work – before Akiva took Ora back with a laugh.
But now, with a newborn Guardian who seemed to be teetering between the edges of childhood and maturity, Ianos couldn't help nervously rub the back of his neck and glance back at Pluto, the latter of which snickered before shrugging; the Exo Hunter received a glare as a response. Nonetheless, when Ianos fixed his attention back onto the newborn, she still had her arms raised, her head still tilted as she waited for an answer. Heaving out a sigh, Ianos decided to relent, leaning over and wrapping his arms underneath hers, his grip slightly loose in uncertainty. Although his grasp was hesitant, this didn't seem to deter the newborn as she immediately threw her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist, further causing the Awoken Warlock to reel back from the action. Nonetheless, he turned to carry her to the table only to pause at the snickering form of Pluto.
"What? Need some help there, 'dad'?" Giving the Exo Hunter a blank stare, Ianos retorted, "Don't you start, otherwise I'm going to tell her to call you 'grandpa'."
That immediately wiped the smile off of Pluto's face.
Letting a small amount smugness tug at the back of his mind, Ianos proceeded to carry the newborn over to the table, delicately placing her in her seat as he felt her arms leave his neck and waist. No sooner had he done this when the newborn Titan attempt to pry her helmet off, only for her to let out a small whimper as the piece of armor stuck fast. Letting a ghost of a smile flash over his pale azure features, Ianos leaned over and pressed the sealant under her jaw, letting the familiar hiss of air permeate through the air. As soon as he removed the headpiece from her head when the newborn lunged at the containers, easily tearing open its contents before digging in. If any other Guardian were present, more than likely they would have taken aback by her sudden need to eat, especially how majority of the food seem to find the table than her mouth. However, both Ianos and Pluto with their age and experience, knows the need for newborn Guardians to rejuvenate, and as such, the Warlock casually took steps back before crossing his arms and taking note of her physical appearance.
Like as he had guessed from her body shape, she looked as though she teetered between the years of adolescence and maturity: he estimates her age to be between eleven to thirteen. With tan skin that took on a darker shade than Angel's and dark strands that reaches to her shoulders, the newborn would have been seen as normal, with several exceptions. Like the patterns on the faces of the Awoken, the familiar wisps of white can be seen shifting on her face; faint but it was there. Her eyes, a shade of yellow, also glowed brightly behind her black strands. This confirmed Ianos' theory; and his fears.
"A human and Awoken child?" The Awoken Warlock focused his attention on Pluto, "but how? Most die not long after birth."
Letting the images of his late comrade shimmer in the back of his mind, Ianos refocused his attention onto the newborn, eyeing the pale violent form of Crystalline spin her back fins occasionally; it was obvious the female Ghost was taken aback by the young Guardian's appearance, "Just because more than often than naught they die, doesn't mean that some of them don't make it to adult hood."
Sensing the bewildered gaze from the Exo Hunter, Ianos opted to keep his focus on the newborn Titan, the latter of which had paused and had offered some of the sustenance to her Ghost. The Awoken Warlock had always known about the offspring of human and Awoken parents; he had seen plenty of mourning parents bury their dead child throughout his years. Although conception is possible, the child is usually born deformed and several handicapped, usually leading to the death of the infant not long after its birth; many blame the Awoken parent's genes, mainly for the reason that they were changed when they had reached the edge of the light and darkness. As such, another reason for the prejudice against them.
Although rare, it is possible for the offspring to make it past infancy but there are complications; for both the newborn and Ianos' late comrade, it was the fragility of their body and lack of energy. The Awoken Warlock recalls plenty of occasions where his Warlock comrade would tire from a single use of his Stormtrance or a simple fall was enough to break his bones. In any case, there are also other difficulties that differs from each individual it seems; for Ianos' friend, it was his eyes. Although they still somewhat 'function', the way he always seems to miss his targets and always jumps whenever both he and Ari leap at him in plain view, it just shows that they were not at a 'hundred' percent. For the newborn, Ianos can take a guess that it was the capability to speak; not once under his care had he ever heard her utter a word and the way she just whimpers and grunts just strengthens that theory. But just to be sure…
"Little One?" Ianos watched her yellow hues turn towards him, "Do you have a name?"
Seeing her tilt her head slightly to one side, it took the young Guardian just seconds before her eyes perked up and dropping what remnants of food she held in her hands. Then, placing a finger to her lips, she let out a hushed 'sssssshhhh', causing Ianos to give her a bewildered look.
"Ssssh?" He repeated, earning a nod from the newborn, "Quiet?"
The way she frowned meant he answered incorrectly, "Silence?" A shake of the head, "Whisper?"
Seeing a pout form on her tan features, the newborn once again raise a finger and did another 'sssshhhh', this one more fervently. Unable to help but take in her features as one of the many scholars shushing rowdy Guardians in the archives, it took Ianos moments to let it click, "Hush?"
The way her yellow hues beamed and a smile formed on her face strengthened his confidence in his answer, "So your name is Hush?"
Another nod from the newborn, causing Ianos to lean away from the female Titan as she resumed her meal as he repeated under his breath, "Hush…"
"Is that void light?"
Snapping his gaze towards Pluto as the latter squinted as if an attempt to straighten out his vision, Ianos followed the Exo Hunter's gaze only to pause. It was at first, hard to pick out, but sure enough, wisps of the familiar violet light permeated from the newborn's arms; a sign that she was regaining her strength.
"Ace." Seeing the black and orange Ghost quickly glide over, Ianos waited until Ace filtered out a screen, taking out a familiar blueprint: The Impossible Machines. Quickly moving it to the side, Ianos started taking away aspects that didn't involve the newborn: the channeling of arc light, increasing the density for more 'heavy' use and shrinking down the size to better fit Hush's arms.
With the continuous flow of void light and the Ward of Dawn that Hush had summoned earlier, Ianos was relieved that the newborn was more in tune to Defender; arc or solar would have definitely caused damage by now. But if left unchecked, the void light will fester and lose control, even for a defensive class. Ianos knows that any type of void light will eat away at 'anything' it touches at the will of the user; even Titan's if they focused more on the 'offensive' side of the light than the passivity they use it for. As such, the Awoken Warlock planned out the rough draft before it came to a familiar sight: No Backup Plans.
"Ianos," The Awoken Guardian turned his gaze back towards Pluto, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
At first confused by the Exo Hunter's words, it took Ianos only moments to understand what Pluto had meant; he never knew the truth about Zakai.
Xxxxx
"Angel! To your left-"
Startled by Akiva's voice shouting at him through the coms, Angel only had enough time to shift towards his left only to sight a familiar Warlock; the human Hunter only had enough time to let out a frustrated curse before the familiar sound of the fusion rifle released charge rang in his ears. At first, pain swarmed throughout his chest from the impact before being followed by the familiar sensation of weightlessness and then, a sudden intake of air as Hope spawned him in another part of the Pantheon.
"How many times did he kill you now? Five?"
"Six," Angel groaned in response to his Ghost's question, "And here I thought a fusion rifle can't be used to snipe someone across the court."
A laugh was his answer before the Hunter picked up his sniper rifle and leaped onto some pillars and aimed his scope down the familiar 'sniper' lane, only to quickly duck as the familiar FWC clad Warlock came into view. Honestly, he had almost missed him; the differing shades of black and gray made the Warlock almost blend in with the background of the arena; if it wasn't for the bright yellow color of his Queenbreaker's Bow, Angel would have missed him.
Peeking over the edge of his hiding spot, the human Hunter ducked once again as a streak of light whizzed past him, feeling it brush the side of his helmet as he took in a breath; if he's still trying to take aim, it means he's still there. Taking in a gulp, Angel stepped out and aimed his rifle, pulling the trigger as soon as the Warlock's head came into view of his scope. No sooner had he done this when he saw the Warlock's body twirl, a sign that he had hit him. However, Angel had little to no time to take in the victory as his sight was suddenly filled with a flash of light, feeling his body twirl slightly before once again the sensation of weightlessness overwhelmed his senses; the Warlock had taken a shot before Angel took him down.
And as such, Shaxx called out the loss but to Angel, that mattered little; he was satisfied enough that he was finally able to get 'payback' against the Guardian who had killed him.
Sensing Hope prepare for transmat over resurrection, the human Hunter waited patiently before a flash permeated through his sight and then finding himself in the seat of his ship. Shaking out his hands to shake off the last remnants of adrenaline, Angel clasped his fingers around the controls before shifting it back towards the Tower; two wins and two losses, the human Hunter calls that progress – at least, for him.
"Ready for a celebration drink?"
Jumping as Akiva's voice echoed through the coms, Angel couldn't help but let a sheepish smile form onto his features as he stated, "We just went to the bar a couple of hours ago, Akiva. Not to mention that last round was a loss, not a win."
He received a snort as a response, "I say if you had a good match, then you deserve a drink – no matter what time of day and no matter how badly you lost."
Letting out a laugh at the human Titan's words, Angel leaned back when the familiar white form of the Tower came into view, once again feeling the weightlessness of transmat take over his senses. Squaring out his feet to soften the landing, the human Hunter took several steps forward to stop himself from stumbling and then turning around to see Akiva do the same. However, he paused when he sighted a familiar FWC Warlock materialize next to him.
"Oh hey!" It was the human Titan who noticed him first, causing the Warlock to jump as Angel watched Akiva removed his helmet, walked over and held out a hand, "Thra-Ur right?"
Watching the Warlock glance back and forth between Akiva's face and hand, Angel blinked when Thra-Ur then reached up and pressed the sealant under his helmet, causing it to let out a hiss before removing the armor piece. No sooner had Angel took in his features when he couldn't help but jump; his olive eyes looked as though they can kill and his darkened features against his light brown skin made the features of his skull more apparent. In other words, if looks can kill, then Thra-Ur's definitely can and it definitely doesn't help that the Warlock was only a couple of inches shorter than Akiva himself (a feat where Angel calls it a miracle.) Nonetheless, the human Hunter couldn't help but reel back in surprise when Thra-Ur tucked his helmet under one arm and accepted Akiva's gesture, giving it a single shake before stating, "That's correct. And you are Akiva, known as the Bull?"
"Aaaah, that old nickname is stuck," Akiva let out a chuckle, "but yes, that's my name, but I have to admit, I haven't been to the Crucible lately; been too busy taking care of a family."
"So I have heard."
"Pfft, who hasn't?" The bright smile on Akiva's face haven't left once, "Nice job on those sniper shots. Never knew that a fusion rifle can be used like that."
No sooner had the human Titan mentioned the dreaded weapon that Angel despises, the human Hunter can see Thra-Ur's eyes brighten, "It took a bit of tinkering but yes, it is possible. Just had to take a few schematics from the Fallen to make it work."
"Just a few?" Angel saw the edges of Thra-Ur's lips twitch upwards at Akiva's question, "Bet it wasn't easy but I also can bet the work was worth it."
The Warlock nodded, "It took a few trials and errors, such as ensuring the weapon doesn't overheat or expand during building up of pressure, or that it can actually handle the release the energy in proper alignment."
Akiva let out a whistle, "Sounds like a lot of work. Want to talk more about it over a drink?"
Angel watched as Thra-Ur nodded once at the offer, a sparkle in his eyes that the human Hunter couldn't help but compare when Carina uses a slam against a group of opposing Guardians.
Flinching as the familiar face of the silver Exo flashed in his mind, Angel then jumped as the familiar white and red form of Hope materialized over his shoulder, "Sorry Akiva, that drink has to wait. The Vanguard called for us."
"What?" Seeing the bewilderment in Akiva's eyes, Angel also couldn't help but notice the Warlock's shoulders slump; most likely disappointed in the loss of a potential conversation, "but why- oh, right. Reports."
Raising a brow at the sheepish smile on the human Titan's face, it took Angel only a few moments to finally let it click; both he and Akiva had failed to report back in to the Vanguard.
Letting the words of secrecy from Ianos echo in the back of his mind, the human Hunter can only utter out two words at the realization, "Well, shit."
Thra-Ur belongs to And-on-and-on
And-on-and-on - I apologize for the long wait! Hopefully I got Thra-Ur in character.
Welp, there we go! The newborn's name is Hush and predictably, she is a child of a union between a human and an Awoken. And yes, she is a Defender (will make more sense in later chapters).
And yes, Zakai, one of Ianos' partners, was also a cross between a human/Awoken. I would say more but that will be revealed later lol.
Until then, see you in the next chapter :D