Chapter 1 - Duty, Sacrifice, Hope

Act VI - Wintertide

I have seen the darkest forms of power in the Sol System, the depths of a mechanical underworld and a space forged from paracausal effect, I've witnessed and held the power offered by strength's logic, how it can forge bridges between other worlds, and the darkness it can bring, the fear it seeds. And yet, I may have fallen but I never failed to face each opposition.

Now, something new is stirring, crawling in the back of my mind as unforeseen characters shift in the background of normality each and every day. Any and all living things without guidance search for a leader, a person to follow, set by example, for without a leader, there is no guarantee for salvation.

[Tower | Hall of Guardians | Last City]

[Jay's POV]

The hum of monitors and their glares filled the room alongside the flickering lights above, a storm raged outside, battering the observation windows that did little to derail the focus in the room. Zavala was overlooking his work, completely lost in thought, Cayde and his ghost, Artemis were overlooking their notes and contracts, their standard banter keeping light of their work, and Ikora was the first to look away to greet me.

"Ah, Guardian, I've been waiting." She spoke without a clear sign of wariness but I still winced and shyly scratched my neck

"S-Sorry, Ma'am, I had to overlook repairs to m-my ship with Amanda," My meekness wasn't helping me stay confident but I had my charcoal ghost, Jarvis speak for me

"You asked for us, Ikora?" I deflated, I always relied on him to bail me out of these situations, and Jack certainly wasn't great in the 'just be cool and go with the flow' department, seriously, not everyone was as laidback as her in conversation

Taking note of us, she offered her datapad to me, and in seconds I recognized the site as the Vex network gate on Venus, the same I heard Miss Ceres take down a Gatelord by with her bare hands! I'm hoping that's the only one. Then I noticed the other images, a large mobilization of the Vex, the Hezen Protective judging by the white stripes on their brass chassis.

"They seem to be gathering around the Endless Steps, curious," Jarvis hummed, clearly wondering as I. "Why bring this up, aren't they usually this active unless someone's provoked a response?"

"Not entirely," Ikora waved a hand, completely serious. "While the Vex continue their efforts in gathering back their lost strength, for the Vex, time is relative. In one moment, a construct is lost. In the next, it is reborn. When a powerful part of the network is lost, the Restorative Mind is summoned. It has begun creating a bridge through time. A bridge that, if it is not destroyed, will see the Nexus Mind reborn."

Okay, now I'm worried. "I-If it comes back..."

"Then it would only be a matter of time until mass terraforming of Venus resumes, we can't allow that." Jarvis finished for me, and Ikora nodded solemnly

"I'd oversee this myself buuuut Ikora tends to understand these tin-cans more than me, sooo, good luck!" Cayde offed a thumbs up from behind a datapad, and I shakily returned it. I've fought the Vex so I'm not worried, just that it's alot that rides on our success, and I've never dealt with anything beyond a Gatelord myself so this was... a challenge

"Then we'll see to its destruction, Ma'am, I promise." I declared without thought, and her frown opted to a confident stare

"I will be here to guide your Fireteam through this Strike, we will commune once you have arrived within Campus-9." She announced and I nodded, turning crookedly toward the steps. "And Guardian," I froze again, head looking back to see her bow her head. "Good luck."

My anxious smile formed. "S-Sure! Thank you!" I threw away little time in my quick exit, not wanting to fall apart before I ever left the hallway

"Well, that could have gone better..." Jarvis drawled, myself groaning as I slammed my head into the railing. "You shouldn't get so worked up."

"I can't help it!" Throwing my arms high I stared back at my ghost. "We've never done a Strike before - and no, that Gatelord doesn't count - and every other time we do something important it ends in disaster!"

Before he could reply I listed off with my fingers. "The feud between the House of Devils and what remained of the Hive, the bomb the Hive created, and while it never went off, still demolished an entire colony ship, almost spilling radioactive waste! Again, we failed to locate the House of Winter and ended up giving them more territory, and don't get me started on that mercenary..."

"Wow, when you put it like that it honestly sounds like you're complaining like a little kid, Kid." My startled yell was silenced by a smooth hand across my lips, and I blinked when I felt the lock of the hand while gazing up at a pair of ocean-blue eyes, a sly grin spread across the person's face. "Sup, Kid. Jarvis."

"Pleasure to meet you again, Dimitri." Jarvis bowed his shell, while I was left gasping once Dimitri let me go, rubbing my face with a tint of red. "Thanks, he was beginning to hyperventilate."

"Can you blame me?" I sighed, then sat back against the railing with head high. "Sorry, I... just have alot to think about."

"The Echo Chamber," I quirked a brow at Dimitri's blunt stare toward her ghost, Ray, a projection of the Endless Steps. "That's what Ikora called it, says just you and your team to take down an Axis Mind that may undo that pain-in-my-ass, Nexus," She whistled. "Not a bad start."

That did little to improve my mood. "Easy for you to say, you've done more than me, and with Miss Ceres too so..." Immediately her hand cracked against my forehead, slamming me against the railing. "Ack!"

I was frozen once more, a deathly glare under those long strands of hair. "You still haven't figured it out, have you?" At that, I slumped again, rubbing my temple as she sighed, sitting down with her legs crossed before me. "Listen, Kid, you want to harness the Void then stop doubting yourself, that's your malfunction."

"Again, easy for you to say, you're the bes-" Her hand raised again with a crude stare and I realized I should be shutting up now

Clearing her throat she continued. "Warlocks struggle with Arc. Titans with Solar. And us Hunters with Void. Those that harness the difficult element off the bat are obviously going to be stronger than those without it, that's just how our Light works, that's why it's hard to master more than one, just look at my annoying brother."

She raised a hand softly to my chest, tapping her fingers in the center of my chest while fixing her hard stare on my hesitant eyes. "You... have all three, really rare but you'll need to work three times as much to master them, and you chose the Void first, good pick."

It was true when I woke I thought I was a Bladedancer... but then I saved Pip with a Golden Gun just like Dimitri's brother, I... didn't understand. As I found out, it is possible to be a Guardian resurrected with all three elemental types, the issue was, any old Guardians that had three elements were either gone or had one to start with, so I was at a dead end. I chose the Void because I watched Dimitri in her games, how she moved and I was awestruck and when she actually agreed to teach me I was really happy, but...

I closed my eyes. "I still haven't made any progress." Clasping my hands together I let out a breath. "I've done everything but I just can't do it... like my Light refuses to let one part of me exceed the rest."

"Hmm... yeah, that's a tough one," I slumped, then blinked as her hand ruffled my hair gently, her confidence never failing. "Then master all three, duh," What? "I mean, if I had three elements I'd just go with how my Light feels if it wants me to shoot a Golden Gun, so be it, if it wants to carve through the enemy with a Bladedancer, why the hell not?"

She stood tall, and again the reason I asked her wasn't because of her status but rather her gift to just stand tall, be it through doubts or her own fears, I never saw Dimitri give up, and I wanted to be like that, to be the kind of leader my Fireteam expects of me, but I had to push through this somehow. A hand reached down to me, a kind grin offered in-turn with a ghost's stare.

"If Dimi believes you can do it then it's not impossible!" Ray commended with Dimitri using her free hand to rub her nape sheepishly

"C-Come on, Ray, make it sound like I'm some kind of saint, geez." While my situation has and might always seem hopeless, atleast I got someone who's willing to lend me their hand. I held no regrets when I took her hand for what I could imagine won't be the last time. "On your feet, Kid, and go show me what you've learned!"

"Alright!"

[Ishtar Sink | Campus-9 | Venus]

When we dropped in, all of us had our best equipped, no exceptions this time. I wore a matching set to Pip's armor, the Frumious armor, a standard-issue set for Hunters, with a blue, white, and grey mix, the armor was flexible and sturdy, though I added my own green color to the blue instead, while Pip opted to covert hers to different shades of blue, instead of grey it was a dark blue, the white remained for the armor plating, while light blue took up the white fabric.

For Jack, she stuck to her contrast of black and red with a hint of white in the chroma glow of her Spektar armor, something she still didn't tell us how she got her hands on such rare armor. That, and we never actually wore our helmets, instead, we had a small holographic sensor attached to our temple, feeding our HUD directly to our eyes' optical nerves.

~Detecting a series of concentric barriers around the bridge site~ Jack's ghost, South, stated formally, and I always found it funny how she acted as Jack's common sense half the time. We had already moved past the mysterious Vault of Glass and were making our way through the passage of rock and moss that cornered off the Campus

~They protect the time bridge and seek to undo what we have done~ Ikora responded, the lengths the Vex were going for this, it meant too much for them to lose. It just means we have to do as Jack says, do better

Jack tisked. "Seems like we've gone and made them mad."

"When it somehow involves you, Jack, that doesn't surprise me," Pip added grumpily, though she laughed and took it in stride

"Hey, I know I'm not a smart Guardian, and while I love annoying the Vex and all you have to admit..." Her thumb jabbed through the overhang. "This," She motioned to a large, semi-transparent barrier of code that sectioned off a large majority of the way forward. "Is excessive, even if only for me."

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "They really want no interruptions - Ikora, there's a barrier in the way, seems the Vex aren't happy about our intrusion."

~Unless I'm mistaken, barrier technology of this nature is unstable~ Ikora informed us with our HUDs being updated with a new marker just below the Campus

This time, it was Pip's ghost, the ever-so-humble, Rocklock, with a thick country accent. ~She's righ'. There an Arc source nearby, you can use that to short out the barrier~

I put my hand up, drawing my Handcannon high, a gift from Dimitri when we first met, she said she already hand-picked her own and had it collecting dust, and after threatening me to stop being humble and take it, I now wore it with pride. A pure black revolver, the barrel a shade of red with explosive rounds, Eyasluna.

Raising the barrel I took a single shot past Pip's head, the remainder of the Dreg's body falling to the ground while I ran past her, blocking a few stray bolts as my arm whipped around to the staircase, unloading two more rounds that threw the bodies of a Dreg and Vandal against the wall, dotting the Campus were multiple Fallen, all of which finally took notice of us.

"Keep moving! I'll go for the Arc sphere!" I rallied, taking off with both girls in-toe as we unleashed hell upon the House of Winter. I dived over the edge, seeing the Fallen raise their weapons high, a few more bolts struck me as I dived down, spinning while tossing a grenade, the resulting pulse of lightning electrified the water as I landed, the shocked Fallen stationary for me to quickly whip around and take apart their armor or their heads in rapid succession, a few rounds from both girls following closely as we retreated to the cave

"I'll take the Fallen snipers, Jack, cover my six as we clear the way for Jay." Pip waved, drawing her carbine to bare on a line of Shanks, all erupting into flaming scrap in seconds. The rifle was a Vanguard make, Origin Story, painted with a light blue and white logo on the chamber while the frame was left dark grey and baby blue

"You got it," Jack spun around, patting my shoulder while grasping her own signature sidearm that had the power to almost never miss its targets with some strange ricochet rounds that honed in on targets. It looked like a simple, Golden Age 12.7mm pistol with an ash grip and slim, metal frame, inscribed on the grip and barrel were names that, according to Jack, were the previous users that either died or passed along the weapon. She called it, Homage.

"You done daydreaming?" Jarvis spoke clearly through my thoughts, clearing my throat I grabbed the glowing, crackling orb from its pedestal, feeling it resonate with my Light as it seemed to anchor my feet to the ground, forcing me to lug it slowly out of the cave and into the battlefield left by the girls. "Just the energy in this alone is intense." Fascinating... "Say what you will but this sort of analysis doesn't come often." Again. Gatelord.

Arc charge in hand I dove into the firefight between us and the Fallen, their wire rifles spewing bolts over my head as rounds refracted off rock and metal, the bullets doming numerous Shanks in my way as I jogged up the slope, passing between two buildings. Up above, a Vandal honed his sights on my frozen form, only for the sharp 'ping' of Pip's Persuader tearing the head off the shoulders, allowing me to pass by, Dregs to my left riddles with lightning-fast buckshot from the quad-barreled shotgun in Jack's grasp.

A Vandal leapt down from the rampart to my left, swords discharging off the Arc orb in my hands, noting how the static charge disorientated the Fallen, I ran forward, slamming the sphere of condensed energy into its face, tossing it into a Captain as the electrical charge disrupted the shield on their commander, the Arc explosion killing the Vandal and two Shanks, just as Homage tapped against the Captain's head, Jack sitting casually on the rock between us.

"Boop." The gun fired once and threw its corpse into the ground. Then her expression twisted with oddity. "Not often the Fallen attack during a Vex Protective incursion, odd."

"Perhaps they saw an opportunity?" Pip suggested as I found the device the Arc charge needed to power the barrier

~But such an attempt at random? Their home is threatened but these barriers create kill boxes, it's suicide~ South wasn't convinced on the House of Winter's plan, but if they kept the Vex divided that would be instrumental

"Doesn't matter," I shook my head, the barrier slowly coming down as the gateway ahead of us rippled to life. "Either way, we have to get to that Restorative Mind before it's too late to undo anything."

Jack loaded Homage, spinning it around her index finger. "Ever the straightforward approach," Her barrel rose to face the Vex that emerged. "I love this Fireteam."

[Ishtar Sink | Endless Steps | Venus]

Through two more gateways and a plethora of Vex swarming the teleport gates, we managed to feed our way through the everlasting numbers, disabling the portals and a large portion of the Hezen Protective. Luckily we packed alot of ammo synthesizers for this Strike.

With Jarvis leading me through the many towering walls forming an intricate and ominous battlefield beneath the shadow of the Citadel, we finally encroached on the cliff facing the massive Vex gate network left without a guard, flashes of purple and red glaring across the basin below.

~The Nexus Mind must have been a vital resource. The very appearance of the Restorative Mind means we have the Vex off balance. Press the advantage, Guardians~ Ikora hummed at the idea of the Vex's need to restore the Axis Mind

"Will do," I replied, turning to my team. "We should take the - Get down!" Reacting to the red dots approaching the hillside I pushed Jack aside and raised Eyasluna, and with startling precision I tore each round through their cores, a few burns striking my armor

"Nice hit," Jack complimented, her hand pulled up by my own as I rubbed the burn marks of my armor. "Save some of the lifesaving for us damsels, eh?"

My head turned away. "S-Sorry..." This was a bad habit of mine, jumping in to save people especially my own friends when they themselves have told me they could take care of themselves. "Come on, we got many more Vex to go."

Neither said a word as we stormed down into the basin off the cliff, all three of us assassinating a Hobgoblin on the way down, burying their corpses into the water. Running over a boulder I fired three more shots into the shielded Minotaur, leaving it wide open for a sniper round to tear through its core, Pip ran ahead, tossing a CLG that split into several more, tearing a line of explosives through the Vex. With a flick of her fingers, a six-inch blade tickled my nose, discharging millions of volt into the eye of a Goblin to my right.

Jack slid through the river, sinking her sword, Crown-Splitter through the abdomen of a Hobgoblin, lifting and then throwing the body into another Goblin, with a powerful lunge in one arm she cleaved the field of three more machines, the organic goo staining the walls with a lingering snap of electricity.

Around the large steps leading to the gate, I rounded the corner with the jet-black Linear rifle in hand, the blue lights hummed to life within the railgun, and a roar of thunder streaked across the basin, rippling through a Minotaur and several Goblins with ease.

"Jay, move back, now!" What? Is- "Move!" Startled by Jarvis' rather frantic tone compared to normal, I ducked behind a large Vex construct, and after I ushered the girls to fall in closer, I realized why, and my heart stopped beating

A firefight continued to swell between the Hezen Protective and a few units designed to combat the House of Winter, without any white markings, these Vex were the Hezen Corrective, and the standard units seen across Venus, and they had Cyclopses here too. What startled me, was who led the House of Winter on this front.

Towering over any other Fallen, armored in blackish-grey metal with the House of Devils varied armor, bearing the mark of Winter itself. A red scarf draped around its neck while the head supported two large, angular horns jutting back. The House of Winter's Kell, Draksis.

"Holy crap... their Kell is here?" Pip squeaked while I closed her jaw for her, Jack eyed the Fallen, her fingers reaching for Homage snug against her thigh. Without concern I pushed my hand against hers, causing those scarlet eyes to narrow at me

"Jay, it's their Kell, no one's seen him or where their hideout is," She leaned forward with a stern tone. "This is our chance, the City's chance."

"You don't think I see that?" I whispered back sharply, my head leaning closer to hers, keeping my onyx gaze locked to a stalemate with hers, all while Pip fiddled with something behind me, fitting a sniper bullet with a device. "Look, we're not ready for this, I'm not even sure about taking on the Collective's Restorative Mind - Let alone Winter's Kell."

"We can do this," Her confidence was admirable, its what saved me plenty of times before, but this time, it might very well be our bane. Shaking my head, I felt my left hand reach up with a small sphere, the edges hummed with a lilac glow. A Smoke Bomb! Perfect

"If you two are done, I got this," Our argument swayed to Pip's cool and composed smile, tongue poking out as she flicked her hair from her left eye, Persuader leveled with the commanding Kell that fired a series of shrapnel against a small group of Vex, rending them to scrap in seconds. Yeah, no thank you. "Time to test my little toy, hehehe."

Both I and Jack grimaced. "I see this exploding in the Kell's back." Jack nodded with me

"Yeah... Pipsqueak, less you want to fight an angry Kell, keep it up." Her sarcasm was noted by Pip, as she squinted, adjusting her hold to lean more to the left

"Not everything I make explodes," The silencer went off and we plugged our ears, waiting for the boom that never came

~...Ah swear you both hav' no faith in 'er~ Rocklock remarked, bemused all while Pip smiled smugly at us, holding her rifle back

"A tracking bullet, non-explosive," She then rolled her eyes. "Honestly, how could I make a tracking bullet explode?"

I shrugged. "Says the girl that can't tell the difference between a toaster and a fusion rifle." That savory reminder had her cheeks flush as Jack snorted a laugh, patting the wall to relieve the tension

"I can tell the difference, it was a matter of comparison!" She yelled, and all of a sudden my radar blared, and the three of us poked our heads out from hiding, me in the middle, Pip below and Jack above, our eyes blinked at the sight and sound of rifles and pistols cocking, and the grunt of Draksis looming over us, his other Fallen fighting behind them

Jack leaned down on my head. "Think he heard us, chief." The Fallen howled

"..." Pip gulped

"#$%* £&£^!" Draksis thundered with his Shrapnel Launcher poised to our heads, dripping with molten metal

"Smoke Bomb!" I slapped the device down, blinding the Fallen's gunfire and concealing us in a vail of my Light, our body refracting light as we dashed up the steps toward the Arc charge, and I sighed, watching their Kell make a retreat for his Skiff as the Fallen continued their assault

"What now, Chief!" The invisible outcry of Jack brought my mind back to the Arc orb as I pried it free of the Vex frame, the reaction and my mental state dropped our cloak, the blue wisps of wire rifles sailing past us as the Fallen stormed the Endless Steps

"Think, think, Jay! How would 'you' get out of this?" I paced for a moment, then pulled the girls away from the firefight. "We run for the gateway, no turning back, let the Fallen and Vex kill each other for all I care! We can't afford to let the Collective restore the Nexus!"

"He's right," Pip nodded though refused to face me, odd. "We can't waste our reserves fighting a battle of attrition, let's just cut right through."

Jack, albeit reluctant to leave the enemy squabbling, nodded. "Alright, you guys are good with this then so am I, let's move it!" To emphasize this, she turned and slammed her fist against a Dreg's jaw, grabbing its leg and ensuring the body collided with the Vandals as we took the opposite route

Was I sweating? I probably was, my back was to a steep slope, and that last barrier was at least a good sprint away through the Vex and their defenses. And what large group of Fallen that were chasing us wasn't helping. The odds weren't looking too high. But then again, they never are with us.

I slid down the slope as one of the Cyclops's took note of our descent and began charging its eye, the purple beam breaking apart the dirt above us, showering our bodies in earth, but providing us with the time to dash straight under it, all of us dropping CLGs at the base of the construct as the three elements broke down the sentient turret.

My body flew down the now charred steps on all fours, gravity was threatening to throw me headfirst into the ground, but I leaned back, feeling my feet crisscross, thankfully, Jack pulled me back as we ran through the Vex, Jack taking the lead to carving the way with her sword, the silver edge split the waists and guns from any unfortunate Vex, her powerful slashes and slants with a single stroke were met with a current of air when she poised her blade to swipe the opposite way.

Speeding through the constant crossfire that at times struck our movements, we continued to evade the howls of void blasts from the Cyclopses, and the Hobgoblins that tore apart the walls we hid behind, skidding around the final corner with the keyhole within our reach.

I lunged with the Arc charge, the sphere crashing into a Goblin that dove up from the platform below, while three more copied, weapons striking my armor as I pushed through, hearing the scream of metal and bullets just behind me. The ground continued its trembling under the heavy resistance, even as I shoved the charge into the Vex cage, seeing the small barrier locking us from the cave within.

"Go!" I yelled, turning to fire haphazardly into the large number of Vex that climbed the steps, their red lasers digging into stone and my armor as I provided cover upon the barrier's immediate disintegration, and every connection burned through my body at unbearable levels

My vision spun for a moment, ending in only a sharp stab to my nerves from hitting the adjacent wall, a Minotaur had caught me off guard and it didn't waste its opportunity in attempting to gut me on the spot. I grunted, pushing myself into a roll so that the Vex luckily crashed right into stone protrusion. With a final mad dash for the finish line, I dived into the narrow passage, the three of us scrambling deeper into the cramped tunnel that the Vex could fit through.

Sliding down the bumpy slope, we collapsed to the floor before some artificial lights and a ceiling that touched our heads, it wasn't much but we could breathe at last, and Jarvis could appear to heal my wounds, nodding to me graciously. That was too much intensity for one day and thought the Mercenary gave us a hard time.

"Agreed that the Vex are the worst, say 'I'?" Pip grumbled, raising her hand

"I." We concurred with a moan, each of us taking the time to recover before moving on, Ikora's voice breaking the silence

~This appearance of the House of Winter's Kell is... unexpected... I will inform the Vanguard of this discovery, good work~ Ikora praised us before adding rigorously. ~The Nexus Mind must have been a vital resource. The very appearance of the Restorative Mind and the Fallen's Kell means we have the Vex off-balance, enough to stir their other enemies. Press the advantage, Guardians~ Ikora ushered us onward, with Jack taking the lead with her thumb poking back

"I'll scout out ahead, less Vex the better, am I right?" She whistled and casually wandered deeper into the cavern, and the awkward silence ensued between me and Pip, her hands fumbling with her rifle as she adjusted the scope in an attempt to distract herself

"...I'm an idiot." She broke the silence as she lowered her rifle, scowling. "I screwed up by arguing like a brat, that gave us away, so... yeah, that's on me."

My head shook. "Nope. You wouldn't have raised your voice if we didn't bring up... 'that' incident," And while I was still wanting my payment of Glimmer, not the issue. Walking up to her I patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, honest, we're here, in one piece might I add, who cares?"

That didn't elevate her frown or how her eyes refused to look at me. "Not everything is so cut clean, Jay, especially when lives are involved," She cut past me without another word, and I stood there facing the way we came, my fist balled up, biting back a scoff

"...I stutter but when I don't it only makes things worse; hmph, that's my malfunction." The bitter thought in mind I followed the shadow of Pip, trying my best to stay composed for the fight ahead

"Jay, you know-" I appreciate it, but... not now, Jarvis. "Very well."

[Ishtar Sink | Echo Chamber | Venus]

Charting ancient, vine-covered tunnels and narrow passages through a Vex construct, we finally met up with Jack who stood at the edge of a circular doorway with a metal frame. The chamber inside was... massive. The circular room centralized a large, intricate Vex mechanism flowing with Arc energy infused with the Vex.

The room was aligned with pillars and familiar Arc charge ports, and in the eye of the machine channeling a brilliant, blue strobe of light was the Restorative Mind. The largest Harpy I've seen to date with a dark purplish chassis centered around a big, white eye, the tendrils flowed a neon blue tone as the metal plating ebbed and flowed to the resonating conflux it continued to alter.

Just beyond the edge were the remains of the Vex guarding the Mind, and Jack flicked a finger to an Arc charge nearby. "My guess it this thing's constantly pumping out juice so those barriers were an after-effect, so that's its weakness, we use the same method of overclocking its frame with Arc energy the same way with the barriers."

"You figured all that out in only a few minutes?" I agree with Pip, that was impressive for her, or until our eyes observed her bluntly

"It was South, wasn't it?" Jack didn't waver at my flat tone

~It was all her idea, I swear~ I believed her, and even Jack deflated

"One time, just one," Jack muttered as she stomped over to snatch the charge, proceeding to a new capacitor only inches away, two large barriers of hardlight tracing her movements as she did. "But noooo, can't let Jack have one shot at being smart, just this once." She slapped the orb in. "Buckle up, and ante up."

We were immediately shoved into the arena by a new barrier behind us, locking us in with the Mind that awoke under the disturbance, metal plating folded back against the inner frame as it roared metallically. With our weapons primed, so began the final act of our first Strike.

~That got its attention~ Jarvis pointed out the obvious as the network opened up for the Axis Mind to face us, exposing the large eye to us

Theosyion, the Restorative Mind

The second it flew forward we unloaded mags into its eye, the weapons disabled due to the overcharge as I switched to my dark grey and lime green submachine gun, Furina-2MG, the bolt-infused rounds battered the glass eye, while Jack got up close to shove the Fourth Horseman in Theo's eye, the buckshot pushing the Harpy back tremendously from the backlash.

However, its plating spun outward and deflected our shots while it retreated with the hardlight wall, the one behind us beginning to move in tangent as two rapid-fire bolt guns sprung from nowhere, something no Harpy ever had as the powerful bolts struck my chest, throwing me to the ground as I rolled behind a pillar alongside my team as they too jumped at the startling revolt, clouds of Vex coding and spacial manipulation summoned a dozen Goblins.

"Great, it had machine guns!" Pip complained behind me, the conduit appearing behind it and the Vex. Taking note of the Axis Mind's movement patterns, it seemed to focus out one of us, those guns of his aren't built for combating multiple foes more as a defense if need be, hence the Vex reinforcements

"Guys! This proxy of the Vex isn't built for combat, that's not its directive!" I jabbed my finger at the conflux. "It's supposed to 'Restore' the previous Mind, like South said if we can continue to overload it with those arc charges we can expose its weaker frame for a split second!"

"Good plan!" Jack flashed us a grin, running out of hiding as her rounds continued to ricochet off the pillars, doming Vex with acute precision. "Hey, big, bad, and ugly!" Jack skipped backward was flashing the Mind the Bird. "Kiss my plated metal ass!"

Pip smiled with an arched brow. "Well, that's one way to put it, I got your back." Nodding, we sprinted between the pillars, the large barrier of metal swerving to us momentarily to block our path with bolts, only for a few dud rounds to draw its attention again

Dropping a smoke bomb I ran into the opening, grabbing the orb as I slid across the ground toward Jack, herself wincing from getting caught by a number of shots, forcing her to hunker down with South as I slapped the orb into the receiver, hearing Theo howl from the overload, weapons and hide shield down as it swam through the air and into our gunfire, three perfectly timed rail-shots from my Linear rifle, a well-placed magazine of sniper shots from Pip and Jack's boisterous tackle with a fistful of CLGs to explode in its eye, alongside four lightning-fast slugs from her shotgun.

The combined elemental undertaking forced the Mind into hiding behind its defenses, us too as more Vex were called upon, this time with two Minotaurs and Hobgoblins on the broken pillars above, all defending the conduit behind the Mind's tail, the tendrils snapping at the air with a strange, fluorescent blue gaze that stung my skin.

I didn't like the sounds it was making either, even with its eye exposed again, not taking the chance I pulled Pip close to me, Jack taking the hint to hunker down also as a blinding flash of light encapsulated everything not in a shadow, what parts of Vex that remained had vanished entirely.

"What was that!?" Jack gawked, me and her throwing our grenades to thin the horde while Pip adjusted her aim on the Hobgoblins behind us, but the barrier moved closer, blocking the empty conduit and the Goblins from passing through

~A high-density matter-wave, it's using the conflux's own high unstable arc energy to essential wipe the area of anything not deemed friendly~ Jarvis explained in short as I rolled behind another pillar, spotting the arc charge waiting as Theo pinned me as I hastily unloaded all my rounds into a Minotaur trying to crush me. ~Thankfully, it can only affect things within its gaze, and is a lesser form of the 'Gorgon's Gaze' found in the Vault of Glass, had it been the same form of Oracle-powered technology none of us would be alive right now~

"Could have done without the last part, Jarvis!" I yelled as my back was singed by multiple bolts from Theo, the girls finally drawing the eye away as I was shoved from hiding by the barrier beginning to move, dragging me into the crossfire. "Son of a - That's smarts...!"

Wiggling my back as I ducked behind the pillars, the empty conduit on our side of the barrier, I allowed my team to funnel the attacks for me, Pip clearing the Hobgoblins as I slid toward the device and slammed the charge in, and that's when things got scary with a howling wail from Theo who exposed his eye again, that familiar beam charging in his gaze.

We hid and the blast erased the scraps and even cleaned the rubble slightly under the powerful sweep of the chamber. This time, Pip flipped over two Minotaurs that warped toward us, her body spun into a flurry of shard bolts as the blue hue of her armor electrified, a long knife tethered to her palm. With a single, downward slant she divided the two Vex by the waist, kicking aside their chassis as she leapt into the fray, carving a storm through the Goblins with ease as their body burst with an abundance of energy.

I'd gawk at her amazing power but I had my own to share. With my mind set on sending this Mind to a fiery grave, I pulled my right hand high into the sky, feeling the flames tickle my nerves as they gathered around my already set palm, fingers awaiting the molten roar of the sun.

*Bam!*

My body struck the pillar, one of the tendrils thrashed me back into stone after I watched the embers die the moment they flourished from my hand. It... didn't work? Why, why didn't my Light conjure anything!? As Jack focused on tearing apart the chassis and fracturing the eye, the Mind spun back into its defensive shell, retreating to the conflux once more, the walls ebbed and flowed, pushing Vex components aside while forcing Jack to move for another pillar.

My back slumped against the pillar, Vex slowly appearing from storms while Jack yelled my name, I could only stare down at my palms with dumbfounded anger at my own power, the very same the Traveler blessed me with so why couldn't I control it? I could see the flash of lightning, the parts and mechanisms of the Vex raining down on the chamber as Pip pushed herself with all her might to break down the endless swarms.

"Why... Why can't I do anything!?" My thoughts cried out, I had given every day to learn to control my power, somedays it worked, and others... nearly cost the lives of my closest friends. "I-I can't... do it...!"

I... can't do anything right...

My body slumped back, face contorted in defeat as I saw the light surrounding Pip die out, and a shadow loomed behind her, one that not even Jack could see, pinned by the Vex that defended the core to her right, the barrier slowly moving back to reveal it.

To my horror, a Hydra emerged to unload three powerful blasts into Pip's back, causing the girl to choke on a scream as she was sent tumbling into the ground, that alerted Jack, her eyes widened with unrestrained determination as she ignored the gunfire to her body and ran toward her ally, and all I could do was watch them fall, the repetitive bolts from Theo dug her into a pillar slamming her back into the earth too, the Vex beginning to gather.

But she didn't stop, rolling over to Pip she erected a large dome around them, her muscles looked to strain against the pounding of void and arc that continuously rained on her bubble, cracks already beginning to form.

...Am I just... going to let them die...?

I felt my muscles tense, as my heart reverberated off my eardrums.

[No POV]

Each crash of the Collectives attacks forced sweat to build on her brow, Pip recovering under her legs as she felt her muscles pop and hands begin to burn, but so long as Jack could stand, she'd be just like Saint-14, the legend that withstood anything the Vex threw his way, what the enemies of humanity threw his way, she could do the same, for her team, her friends!

"I... can't lose... anyone..." Her throat seethed as the cracks continued to grow, even while the pain continued to escalate. "I won't... let anyone go... through that again...grah!" She spat some blood off to the side, her gloves burnt up to reveal hands coated in void and sweat

"Jack..." South muttered with fear for her Guardian, and for what she had uttered

A smile formed, "Heh, don't start... losing faith," Her toothy smile stretched wider, one eye locked to her leader, the kid that she willingly followed through hell itself. "I'm... not done fighting, until... he gives the word..."

Her blood was boiling and she felt her Light strain to a finite pool, the cracks visibly widened and shards of her shield were beginning to fall apart, especially under a crackling howl from the Axis Mind, causing her heart to sink. With wide eyes, Jack burrowed hers into the Restorative Mind's glare of light blue, that same, massive attack would shatter her bubble with a light breeze.

"Want to go, eh? Alright," The bubble shrank, compressing the wounds and causing her to fall to a knee as she tightened her hold on the bubble, condensing the atoms into a firm barrier against the attrition of the Vex. "Come at me!"

"Get away from them!" Her eyes shot to her left, just as the Hydra fell away due to a well-placed selection of CLGs, all different elements erupting within the eye. The swarm grenades batted the hardlight shield, a void pulse dragged the machine into the ground as an arc burst grenade shattered the eyes

"...Dimitri was right about me... doubting myself isn't going to change based on luck or good intentions! I have to master my power, in my own way!"

Jay rode the barrier itself with the arc charge, the glaring blue light drowning out all other colors in the room, he had only a single shot at this, so, with all the experience and willpower he had, and the burden of being a leader weighing on his shoulders, he threw the arc charge across the gap, the Vex watching the sphere travel over their heads.

There was a powerful flash of light, and Theo's entire body was riddled with currents, small implosions within the layer frame caused the machine discomfort and many improbabilities to revert. However, Jay landed before the bubble disintegration as both girls sighed, Pip having recovered.

"Told ya... who cares." He let out a pathetic chuff, just as the wave of ease shattered much like the right side of his chestplate, the air surrounding Jay twanged, stinking of ozone before his eyes locked to a singular glare, copper filled his mouth

A well-placed shot from a Line-Rifle had pierced through his armor and flesh, and the brief moment of tranquility broke apart as blood flew from his mouth, and his fireteam watched in horror as he collapsed. Jack's immediate action was to shoot the Vex, ending it, but that merely triggered the synchronized summoning of more as storms gathered.

"Pip, Pip!" She shook her startled partner. "We're ending this, right here, right now!"

The girl found her eyes locked to the blood staining the ground, watching Jay struggle to breathe while the hole was meticulously patched by Jarvis. Her distractions had momentarily cost her energy, and that opening forced him to play a risky move to help them yet again. It was flooding back, the memory of blood staining the Complex, the sight of the King's Baron's blade skewering Jay who stood in the way of the sword from reaching her face, now splattered with her friend's own blood.

Pip's body flared to life, the very output of concentrated energy startled Jack, though she could hardly blame her, this was personal. She withdrew her sword, dashing with malice in her eyes beside the electrified Hunter, her body completely encapsulated by a storm, leaving only a pair of hateful eyes to stare through the epicenter of her maelstrom.

"He still put his life on the line for me, even when I'm a massive asshole, like hell I'll let that go unappreciated!"

The still unresponsive Mind could only struggle as the two Guardians tore across its own conflux, desecrating the coded floor with their presence.

*Fwoosh-Ping!*

The girls blinked together, a dark amethyst orb erupting from the ground as the wire ensnared the Mind, snakes of the void dragging Theo closer to their blades. Behind them, barely standing and with blood caking his right side, Jay let the amethyst bow shatter into whips between his fingers, his breathing hoarse.

"...I... have to work harder than anyone else to succeed... to win!" "Destroy this guy!"

They let out a unified warcry against the Restorative Mind, the force of Crown-Splitter came hurdling down on the splintered eye, while a cool, static thrust of a knife tore currents of arc in a vertical stroke through the middle of the optical nerve, severing the connections to the hive-mind as directives and singularities were untied by a cross of steel and thunder.

The force applied to Jack's sword had her imbed the Mind into the hardlight floor, explosions within the slithering form burst from the tail and reflective shell, the two stepped back to observe the mind bursting with a prominent amount of Vex fluid, the power of the conflux dispersing in the air with a tickle to their necks. Casually, the tail-end of the Axis Mind slid right on by like ice.

"Jay!" The duo ran to his side before he could fall, ignoring the engrams and Glimmer to catching their leader, holding him up with deep concern written in their eyes. Pip struggled to keep his eyes open. "Come on, stay awake you jerk!"

He flicked her nose, causing her squeak. "Not dead yet," He held an eye open while Jarvis continued to heal his Guardian. "I've... not great, not terrible, I've been worse."

"Yeah, more than I think you should," Jack chuckled but was relieved he was going to be fine. Whistling to the damage they caused, she poked a thumb at the remains of the Mind. "Don't think the Vex are gonna like us after this."

"Do they like anyone?" Pip argued, but she was smiling, and Jay could feel her hands tighten on his back, and so he relaxed, not feeling quite as embarrassed to be held by her. "Still, we did it, our first Strike and we kicked ass."

"That's the spirit! Haha!" Jack cheered, putting a hand on her flexed bicep

"You three are as bad as each other," Jarvis pointed out rather nonchalantly, patching the wound entirely. "This line of actions will only lead to bigger issues later in life," He reminded them, the other ghosts appearing

"But when's tha' ever stopped us?" Rocklock hummed, his dark blue shell spinning

"It won't, so long as there's a chance to make this system a better place again." South hummed, being nuzzled by Jack who cooed. "Ugh, please stop her..."

"So sweet of you~" That got a small laugh out of the group, with Jay answering his coms with a thought

"Ikora... we did it." He coughed, smiling through the pain still throbbing in his lung

~I saw the telemetry, a rough but otherwise successful prevention of the Restorative Mind. With the weft and weave of space and time intact. You have made whole the past again. The destruction of the Restorative Mind will ripple across the stars, and its deeds will be undone over and again. Very well done, Fireteam, return home safely~

The trio soon gathered their rewards and marked a point to regroup with their Jumpships, for Jay, he was forced by the girls to stay put and let them do the heavy lifting, despite his insistence he was good to go, but they soon made him flustered and he shut himself up quickly, Jarvis' light chuckles didn't help the situation.

Lifting a hand to his gaze, he thought on the faint glow of embers in his hand, how his body glued itself to the wall of hardlight with arc flowing through his boots, then to the perfect Shadowshot, and the first he ever performed.

"My Light... isn't like other Guardians, I can just rely on others to aid me in my own self-discovery," He closed his fist, smiling at his approaching friends, engrams balanced in Pip's hands as Jack kept piling them up, seeing her sway back and forth to keep them steady, panic in her expression while she sweats profusely at the stress. "So I'll focus on what I can do for now, with what power that is my own."

Unbeknownst to any of them, his onyx irises swam with a faint flicker of gold, cyan, and lilac.

To Be Continued...

Starting off with a large bang for the House of Wolves with a Strike I thought could be brought along a little sooner with a Fireteam we've met only in glances, Fireteam Anthem. I hope you enjoyed, seeya in the next chapter Guardians!

Next Chapter: Before the Fall

Ceres has been offered the mission of hunting for the elusive House of Winter alongside Morbin, with the mission not starting until dawn the next day, she decides to ask Zane about what he knows of the Fallen.