We all revive amid the charred remains of the map and look towards the descending jumpship; Ikora-kel appears underneath its shadow followed by Mithrax-kel. "You are definitely guardian material, suicidally brave and love blowing things up, I'm glad to see that Atalanta will finally have competition for sheer ability to level an area. The final score was 3 deaths to a side: a perfect tie."
She turns to Atalanta. "You let your anger get the best of you in the end, but worked your hardest to control the situation against an unknown opponent. Practiced methods and patience would have paid off against almost any guardian or other foe; I won't judge you for being caught off guard by the tricks Coeniks played."
"I predicted that they were gonna light up the exit to that tunnel as I left it; the footprints had me looking down, making me miss his form clinging to the ceiling." She looked towards me and took off her helmet. "I've not seen that many explosives in 1 spot in a long time, can't wait to see you against the vex."
"I appreciate ensuring I can't miss, and explosives are the best way to go about that." I pulled out my Fortune and spun the drum to emphasize the point.
"Blowing yourself up isn't a good idea in any firefight Coeniks." The vanguard leader cut my excitement with serene analysis. "I hope you see the issues with your combat style."
"I understand Ikora-kel; this was my first chance to fight freely yet. I wanted to experience what was possible more than what was effective."
"And you two maniacs are the reason I'm glad I keep a sniper rifle." Crow stretched his arms and glared at Atalanta and I. "No no, we need to get in their face, trust me this will work, I know what I'm doing. You two are going to be the death of me more times than I would ever wanna imagine."
"Crow, I know these two will appreciate a watchful eye in the back to protect their flanks, but you do need to be ready for more aggressive adversaries." Ikora-kel turned to the Kell of House Light. "Mithrax-kel, would you like to add anything to this discussion?"
He strode towards me. "Guardian, please present your many-armed form again. I want to witness the Star-Catcher in person."
I leaped skywards and caught the small sun yet again, two arms of fire and passion hovering above my steel shoulders as I land.
"The stories told to the young of my old crew inspired me to catch the sun, to show them that Eliksnikind can become the stories we hold near and dear against the cold, dangerous nights." I create two more arms, one poised to strike out and the other holding a trip mine grenade. "I can create arms as I need to so I may continue to fight without pause, and this is the only facet of the light that I have mastered currently."
His helmet tilts as he takes in my entire form bathed in sunlight. "You will inspire Eliksni for centuries to come; in due time we can attempt to allow you to touch the void and arc lighting. Ikora-kel, can you assist us in exploring the light?"
"Absolutely Mithrax-kel, I am as curious as you are about what our new guardian is capable of." She looks towards our fledgling fireteam. "We plan to implement the first pieces of our plan to end this night in a day's time. I will provide you all with Intel and supplies then, keep to the shadows and out of trouble until then."
"Yes ma'am"
"Don't plan on being an issue"
"Yes my kell"
She laughs at this. "Let's see how long that chipper obedience lasts. Mithrax-kel, it's time to inform your people of how we plan to provide for them."
They both transmat into the sleek jumpship and jet off towards the tower. The silence left in its wake lasts for a palpable moment as my solar light burns itself out.
"So you are good with tech right? You wanna go steal a pretty helmet from an old bunker?" Atalanta has a wide grin on her face, a plan obviously brewing upon seeing my powers.
Crow's eyes spun at this. "She told us to stay OUT of trouble Atalanta, we don't need Zavala mad at us al-"
"Do you think it would help me fight, I will never say no to being stronger." I need to be as mighty as I can so we may end this night, and looking good never hurts.
"LET'S GO TOMB RAIDING THEN YOU TWO, COENIKS YOU'RE WITH ME. CROW, HIPPOMENES IS GONNA SEND YOU THE COORDINATES." Her ship flies low and parks above us, waiting for her cargo to come aboard.
"Ima fill you two in en route, but I doubt we are gonna get much action while we go in."
"Yes my captain!"
"You two are impossible, I guess I can follow."
-scene change-
The war-torn Cosmodrome passed below the ships as we flew towards the end of the wall. A hastily installed metal barrier shone in the noon sun, hugging the cliff face in an attempt to hide the secrets within.
"We need to get through that barrier and down into the belly of the site below. Crow, if you could do the honors."
The white-clad bird appeared below his ship and a bird-like helm glared through us before he drew his golden gun and turned the shell to slag. "There you go, I'm gonna hang back as you two desecrate a quarantined tomb."
"I made it a tomb and I have jurisdiction as an iron lord, nothing could go wrong with this. Ima pull us close and we can get in and out in a few minutes, tops."
-scene change-
"Why are there RSPN Frames down here and WHY ARE THEY SO ANGRY." *CA CHUNK CA CHUNK* Atalanta's shotgun punctuated her annoyance as we fought our way through the server rooms.
"I heard from Osiris he got shut down, does that mean that these are running on old AI? Also, I told you two so!" Crow placed shot upon shot into the heads of the frames but more kept appearing.
"Less words, more death!" *BON… BOOM!, BON...BOOM!, BON...BOOM!* My grenade launcher punched holes in the encroaching legions as we pressed into a room with a large diamond in the center.
"We are almost there, run through here and get into the final room!" The titan throws an arch grenade into the doorway and we rush towards a massive diamond of black and red lattice. "We can hold them off Coeniks, go to the corpse of the Archon Prime and figure out how to steal his hat!"
"That's your damn helmet, the head of a SIVA corrupted archon? How the hell do you expect to sneak this by Zavala?" Crow looked ready to put Atalanta in the ground himself as I ran towards the mechaeliksni's corpse.
The body was massive, two arms and 4 spider legs sprawled across the cold metal as I crawled towards the head. I heat my lower arms up to cut away the red wires that bound the helmet-head to the body before prying the helmet off entirely and assisting my Little Great Machine in weaving it into something I may wear.
Wire here, remove metal skull remnants here, pry off the diamond-coated red wire that is interfaced with the skull anddddd.
I quickly trade my helms and direct suit power into the new trophy as it comes to life; red lattice mends itself and begins to wrap around my skull to drink in my light.
"~ ACTIVE: ~ .REPLICATE~ COMMAND NO LONGER VALID, CHOOSE NEW COMMAND SET?" The lattice whispered into my ears with a mechanical sureness.
"Uhhh…. Replicate, Enhance, protect?" I really hope replicate meant eating the air rather than me.
" ~ .PROTECT~ COMMAND SET ESTABLISHED. SENDING DRONE NODES OUT TO PREPARE MATERIAL COLLECTION AND CONVERSION INTO O-TYPE ENERGY."
A series of small diamonds flew from the HELM and grabbed onto my weapons, integrating with the magazine systems.
"You okay back there Kid? We could use some help if you are still in there!" Atalanta cut my curiosity short as I collected myself to fight.
" Let's see what this helmet did to my toys!" I fired a lone grenade from the Maul that flew towards a cluster of frames and *BOOM svsvsvsvs* A swarm of red particles exited the frame's body as they fell to the explosion; this swarm then compressed into a floating black diamond that slowly floated towards me.
I reached out towards the diamond and felt it dive through my armor into my body. Suddenly a burst of light filled my very core and each vein, and this energy threatened to explode out on its own.
I entered my many-armed form to release this energy, but the sun I reached towards was that same dark diamond, burning gold yet staying deep black. It exploded into my solar arms and partially devoured them before settling.
I was left with no scorch cannon, but my weapons shone brighter than ever as solar-filled veins of red burned across them. I pulled out my heavy weapon with my ethereal arms and began to beat the legions back with a fiery wrath.
"Whoo! There we go! I told you this would be worth it Crow!" Atalanta hung close to my heat as frame after frame fell, pathing a path for us to exit upon as the machine plant devoured their remnants.
"COLLECT ADDITIONAL SWARM SEEDS TO REPLENISH O TYPE ENERGY"
"Did you even tell him what this stuff is? We both weren't around for SIVA you know!" Crow's handcannon barked a staccato *BAM BAM BAM* as we made it through the server racks towards the sunlight at the end of this maze.
"He can figure it out! Eliksni are good with computers"
"O TYPE ENERGY IS DECREASING, LARGE ARTILLERY WEAPON BEING CONVERTED TO TRADITIONAL AMMUNITION"
Hahaha! The chaos I wielded felt like might itself. "The machines speak to me! They asked for commands and even now whisper ways to optimize my super usage! I know not their source, but this swarm answers my whims!"
"Thank god it is, I don't wanna die in some old bunker to tech bees." Crow ran into the sunlight and hopped up the vertical cavern. "Hey Atalanta, remember what we said about you having clearance, hope that's true!"
"Young Wolf! What the hell do you think you are doing in there!? I shut this bunker down personally to ensure SIVA could never be excavated again!" An aged voice yelled through all comms channels as the Titan and I stopped.
"Cut the light show, now. I need you to transmat out as soon as you can and stay hidden in the meantime, I can talk him down as you get out of here." Her helmeted head hid the surprise and concern her voice betrayed.
"Lord Saladin! I was teaching Crow of the dangers of SIVA and inspecting the vault, it appears RSPN was reawakening the systems down here as he went down. An army of frames assaulted us as we went towards the main chamber." She hopped towards the sunlight as I edged towards the open air to allow transmat to occur.
"Useful information guardian and an excuse like that would sate Zavala. What is your real reason for breaking my protection upon this site?"
Bingo! I get the hell out of dodge into her ship in a flash and keep silent.
"You caught me, I wanted to give Crow's sniper rifle triple tap and triple-double."
A clang of metal on metal punctuated the aged voice's next statement. "You know SIVA is dangerous, Young Wolf; I would expect better out of you. Get back to the city as I repair your damage and inspect those frames."
"Yes sir, I will see you when the banner returns to the tower." A flash of light and she appears in the ship. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck we gotta run, he's gonna see the SIVA-eaten frames and follow the trail to Aksis."
"Back to the Tower, I presume, oh intelligent leader?" Crow's smug voice cut her worry with venom.
"Yes! And as fast as we can get there!"
Two ships punched it along the wall of the Cosmodrome before hitting the EDZ then the ocean. I sleep for the first time since my arrival at the Tower and my dreams are filled with red webs and tangled strands of data.