MAJOR SEASON OF THE LOST SPOILERS.
im upset after getting to this part of the seasonal questline and I had to write something about how Raiden would have reacted because in game your Guardian just stands there and silently listens. Raiden is the oldest, and he shows more of the "Silent Protagonist" personality, where Max and Andromeda don't.
Savathûn you better not manipulate Crow!
He's still on the Vanguard's side, which is a good thing. Also! my other story, Destiny 2: Fresh Out The Grave will be continuing past Season of the Hunt. I know I stated in the notes for that story that I'll make Season of the Hunt the last chapter but Bungie added so much new content! I'll try to get more chapters written out before Witch Queen comes out in February 2022!
As the warlock returned from the Shattered Realm of the Taken, he was greeted by Petra Venj and Crow arguing in front of the portal to the Dreaming City. Sensing the hostility in the air, he would approach, the two not taking notice of his presence.
"Osiris was like family to me!" Crow stated in concern, giving a stern look to the Wrath.
Petra, arms crossed over her chest, would shake her head. "You've never even met him."
"I know. Just let me speak to Savathûn, please." Crow would plead.
Another shake of her head. "No. I won't give that witch another chance to dig her claws into you." She said firmly.
"Maybe she's right, Crow…" Glint said as he appeared next to the Lightbearer. He glanced at the Ghost, contemplating what to say before Petra spoke first.
"You know I am. Savathûn is already in your head. You're a liability to the mission." She said, pointing at the other.
"Why do you have such a problem with me, Petra?" Crow would ask. "Five minutes. That's all I'm asking." He said as he brought up five fingers to show her.
She shakes her head again. "The Queen of the Reef forbids it."
"Well I don't take commands from the Queen of the Reef." He says as he folds his arms across his chest now, expression shifting to slight anger.
With a sigh the Wrath would let her arms fall to her sides. "Savathûn unraveled the Dreaming City with a single wish; I've spent years trying to contain that mistake." She spoke as she took a step closer to the Lightbearer. "Better men than you died because of it." As she said those words, Raiden knew who she referred to.
"To my ear, it sounds like you're the liability. Maybe your queen's trust in you was misplaced." Crow would state, also taking a step closer to Petra.
She would respond by bringing out her knife, holding it dangerously close to his neck. Glint would let out an alarmed chirp, floating in between the two. Crow's expression shifted as he gave a smug grin.
"A knife against a Hunter?" He would say while giving a soft chuckle, "I'd be more careful who you pick fights with." His voice as he spoke those words sounded almost similar to what it was when he was Uldren, sinister and threatening.
Petra only glared at him, keeping the dagger raised. "Another step, and my Corsairs will have to prepare you a second grave." She threatened.
Glint was tired of this. With a flash and a buzzing sound he zipped between them. "Save it for the Hive! Both of you. This isn't getting us anywhere." He shouted.
Petra hesitated, but backed away, returning her knife to its holder. The two stepped back from each other, Glint making a buzzing sound akin to a sigh of relief.
"Thank you. We could all probably use a minute to cool off-" He was cut off by Crow walking out of the room, leaving the Ghost behind. The Lightbearer finally noticed Raiden standing there, but only gave the Warlock a look of disappointment.
"Oh. Oh no." Glint said as he followed after his Guardian, worrisome chirping being heard.
The Warlock turned to look at Petra, who had been aware of his presence the entire time. "Keep both eyes on that one." She said before fading away, heading back to the Dreaming City.
"If he knew about his life as Uldren it would be too much for him! How are we supposed to tell him that Max took you with him on his revenge quest and you had a hand in his death?" Frost chirped with concern.
"He's going to find out somehow. I don't want him to speak to Savathûn either, every word that leaves her mouth is a lie. The Queen is right to keep him away from her. But...It's also not right to leave him like that. Come on. Let's go talk to him." Raiden said as he left the Awoken wing of the H.E.L.M.
The Warlock made his way over to where Crow was always at. He was sitting down on a bench next to the main door, head faced down at the floor. Raiden could sense his anger.
The Warlock was hesitant to sit down beside the Hunter. He stood in front of him, crouching down to get a better look at his partner's face.
"A frown does not suit you, Crow." Raiden said with a soft tone.
Crow brought his head upwards, facing the Warlock before him, mixed emotions visible on his face. Raiden stood, and Crow did as well. But he simply walked past the Guardian, shaking his head.
"Venj thinks I'm vulnerable, and I'm supposed to just take a seat? Like I was the only one fooled by Savathûn wearing Osiris's skin?" He said with a tone of rage and anger.
Before Raiden could respond, the Lightbearer pointed at him.
"You've known him far longer than I thought I had, but I don't see her forbidding you from speaking to her." He sounded hurt.
The Guardian remained silent. He was unsure of what to say to Crow.
"Because it's not about me, it's about who I was, isn't it?" Crow said while narrowing his eyes at the thought. His past life. Whoever the man he was previously… must have been horrible.
"Every time the Vanguard tells me that things will get better, I thank them. As if it's a privilege not to be beaten to death." He says while beginning to pace, a worried Glint follows him.
Raiden knows all too well about the many deaths Crow encountered after he was reborn as a Guardian. Titans, Hunters, Warlocks, even his own brother Max killed the Crow, over and over again. All because he had the face of a man who committed heinous acts and murdered Cayde-6.
"Our past lives aren't supposed to matter. I'm beginning to wonder why I'm the only Guardian being judged by mine." Crow says with a frown, soon stopping to face Raiden.
"No more apologies. No more creeping around on eggshells. I deserve an audience with Savathûn." He pointed in the direction of the portal,and the Warlock could not show his concerned expression, only the flames within the eyes of the Stag helmet he wore flickered on.
Crow gestured to himself, before glaring at the Warlock before him. "I deserve to know how much of what she told me as Osiris was a lie. I deserve answers. And you won't give those to me right now, will you? Even after everything we've been through?" He asked.
Raiden said nothing, the only thing that could be heard was the hum of their Ghosts and the sounds of the workers inside the H.E.L.M. He moved to sit on the bench next to Crow, removing his helmet and setting it on the floor. The Hunter soon sat beside him, and Raiden remembered the promise he had made to his brother, who asked the Warlock to keep what happened after Cayde's death a secret between them.
"I want to tell you everything. Believe me, I do. That desire to tell you the truth burns in my heart. Not telling you makes the trust we've built crumble until it's nothing. But I can't tell you yet, Crow. Please understand. If you want to speak to Savathûn, then I can't stop you from doing so. I pray she does not try to sway you with her poisonous words." The Warlock said with a calm tone, but Crow could tell that he was upset about all this as well. Raiden took hold of the other's hand, squeezing it tightly, as if his life depended on it.
The two sat there in silence for a while, before the sound of an alert coming from Crow's comms was heard. He pulled away from the Warlock, standing and looking at the message.
"It's Ikora. I have to go. I'm sorry, Raiden. And I need to find these answers for myself." He said before transporting away, Glint following close behind.
Frost nudged his Guardian, who kept his gaze to the floor before taking a deep breath. Raiden then picked up his helmet, putting it on and standing. There was work to be done.
"Come on, let's go find the next lost Techeun." The Ghost said, floating over towards where the Wayfinder Compass was. Raiden followed, still worried about what would happen with Crow.
Later, the Guardian had returned from his mission, removing his helmet and adjusting his gear. After finding the next lost Techeun from the Shattered Realm, the Warlock was about to head down to Crow's usual spot, but instead he got a message from the Hunter.
"I'm going to speak to Savathûn. Can you come meet me in the chamber she's being kept in? I don't want to do this alone." The message said.
Raiden quickly headed over to the portal, leaving the helmet behind, stepping through it and he didn't see Queen Mara, she must have been somewhere else. He headed into the room behind her, where he saw Crow and Glint standing before Savathûn.
"You were kind to me. I thought you were my friend!" He said angrily, staring up at the Witch Queen. Raiden walked up beside him, putting a hand on Crow's shoulder. The Hunter turned to him, giving him a small smile, appreciative that the other was here for him.
"Am I not?" Savathûn asked.
Crow's anger returned, glaring back at the figure before him. "You lied to me!"
The crystal flashed as she spoke. "I helped you break Xivu Arath's hold on the Shore. Brought you to the Last City. Offered you guidance…"
"Stop." Crow grumbled out.
"If that's what you want." She said plainly.
Crow pulled away slightly from Raiden, stepping towards her. "I want the truth."
Raiden could only stand there and watch, listen and just be there for Crow. But he glared towards the crystal, he hated when she spoke.
"I was kind to you because I wanted to be. Because the truth hurts. You know this, better than anyone. Shrinking away from the rumors of the man you used to be-" She said, but Crow pointed at her, rage stirring in his words.
"I'm not him." He stated firmly.
"How can you say that when you don't even know who he is?" She asked. "If the truth is what you really want, then lay your hand on me."
Raiden intervened at that moment, and so did Glint. Raiden pulled the Hunter back a bit, turning him so the two could look at each other.
"Crow, don't. Please." Glint pleaded, his tone soft and full of worry. The Warlock nodded in agreement to the Ghost's words.
"See? Even your Ghost and your beloved Guardian thinks you're better off in the dark." She told the Hunter.
Crow pulled away from Raiden, ignoring Glint as well as he stepped forwards, placing his hand on the crystal. The sound of Uldren Sov's voice could be heard as Crow grunted in slight pain, the memories of his past life surging through him. How he killed Cayde-6 with his own weapon, how he was fooled by Riven and unleashed the Taken upon the Dreaming City. He saw Maxim-3, Raiden, and Petra standing before him, the Exo Hunter and the Wrath pointing their Hand Cannons at him. He saw as Raiden only watched on, silent and practically emotionless, not even lifting a finger to stop the two. Then he heard his own voice. "Everything I did, I did for her!"
Finally, he heard the gunshot. The visions ended. Crow released his hand from the crystal, staggering back from Raiden and Savathûn, gasping as he looked down at his hands, Glint worriedly floating towards him.
"Crow-" Glint tried to help him, but Crow put his hand up to block the Ghost from him.
"Don't! Don't come any closer." He gasped in shock and confusion, Raiden attempting to help him as well but he only pushed the other off.
"What did you show him?" Glint asked with a low tone, looking up at the crystal.
"Everything." Savathûn stated.
Crow shook his head, hands moving to grip the sides of his head as he transported away, Glint buzzing frantically.
"No! Wait!" He shouted, but Crow was already gone. Raiden stood there in silence.
The Ghost only turned and kept its gaze upwards. "You hurt him."
"Someone had to. Better for it to have come from a friend." Her words were like daggers, piercing through the Warlock's heart. She seemed to aim those words directly at Raiden, who knew that this could have been avoided if he just told Crow the truth himself. Glint said nothing after that, transported away, leaving Raiden to speak with the Witch Queen.
"Don't give me that look. I told you that you can't stop the inevitable." She said to him, but he only kept glaring at her.
"Deep down, Crow wanted to know. He was going to find out one way or another, Guardian taboos or no." She told him.
"I was going to be responsible for telling him." He told her in response.
"You should thank me. Just imagine if it had come from someone with bad intentions. Someone who could have colored the truth about how he died to turn him against you. Against the Traveler." She said, only making the Warlock burn more with anger. But her next words made him look at her with surprise.
"But I would never do such a thing. I see too much of myself in him." Her words sounded...almost sincere. Truthful.
"We were both looking for our purpose. Now that the Crow has found his as a Guardian, he can see it for what it truly is." She continued, but Raiden had heard enough.
"I'm done speaking with you." He told her. He turned to leave, but not before she said some final words.
"Something to reflect on: if people didn't want him to know, was it to protect Crow from himself? Or was it to protect themselves from Crow?" She said, as Raiden continued to glare, but walked out towards the portal.
"I do so enjoy our talks, Guardian." He could hear her say, but he didn't care to listen to her words anymore. He stepped through the portal, Mara had returned, she tried to approach the Warlock, but he ignored her, heading over to where Crow was at. The Hunter was mumbling to himself, but looked up once he heard Raiden's footsteps.
"Uldren Sov, Awoken prince. Brother to the queen...murderer." As he said the last word, he grit his teeth, like the word was toxic to him.
"Now I know the man I was." He had said while looking off to the side, but then turned and gave a hurt expression to Raiden, almost like he felt betrayed. "And you. You…Max...I...I'm sorry. You did what you had to do. Max as well. I don't think I would have told me either." He said, but the Warlock could sense the pain and hurt in his voice. Raiden remained silent, the hum of the H.E.L.M. filling the room.
"Savathûn's visions were like a waking dream. I could feel the heat of the flames, taste the blood in my mouth…" He let out a sigh before looking down at his hands with scared eyes.
"I saw everything he did...through his eyes." His voice shuddered.
Raiden couldn't even make full eye contact with the other, what could he say? Nothing. Anything he said doesn't excuse why he didn't tell Crow the truth.
"Can't you say anything?" He asked.
The Warlock only looked downwards. Still remained quiet.
After a brief moment of silence between the two, Crow sighed. "You're afraid of who I used to be. That he'll come back somehow…I am too." His last words were quiet, whispered as he was scared to the core.
"Crow…" Raiden was about to explain, but he didn't know what to say.
Crow lifted his hand to stop the other, shaking his head. He only wanted to be alone right now. "I've asked Ikora to put me on another assignment. One where I can be somewhere I know my choices are my own. Tell Mara...tell her whatever you want." He stepped past Raiden, picking up a bag of things he had packed for his next assignment.
The Warlock only stood there, emotions rising within him, but he still kept silent, only for a very short few seconds. "I'm sorry. Truly. I am." Those words were all that left his lips.
Crow stopped for a second, keeping his hood over his face a little so Raiden couldn't notice the small tears beginning to form in his eyes. "I'll see you again when I'm ready, Raiden." He said with a strained tone, before transporting away to his ship.
The Warlock transported to his own ship, setting it to autopilot. He got up from his seat, walking up towards the main windshield, his body shaking. His comms began to ring from the many missed messages from his siblings, asking about where he was. Raiden could no longer remain composed. The Warlock collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest as he struggled to keep himself from breaking. Frost appeared beside him, pressing against him and humming softly, as if telling him it was okay. It was okay to stop being the "strong, silent type." He held the Ghost close to him, letting his emotions out after keeping them inside for so long. He hoped that Crow would forgive him, and the two could rebuild the trust that had just shattered not that many moments ago.