The misfit team of guardians transmitted before the old Rocketyard, a powerful blizzard having swept through the area and concealing the ground before them. Where there used to be Hive and Fallen fighting, was now only just whatever guardians Saladin had chosen for the missions and strikes he had assigned for them, all doing their best to keep the plague contained. A few had recognized Summer and Pyrrha for who they were, giving a friendly wave or salute at the sight of them. Some of them were wounded, but were being given attention to by their ghosts.
Summer couldn't help but remember the death of her old life at the sight. The red snow had reminded her of the blood, on her and the snow.
"Quite the Deja Vu isn't it you two?" Barloc idly commented.
"If you don't count the infected Hive abominations, then yeah. It looks quite similar." Drei pitched in, as he then restated the objective. "Saladin has found Sepiks thanks to the help of Rahndel's fallen. They reported their findings to the lead scout for whatever nasties there could be."
"We should head there I suppose? Acquire scout reports of the land?" Pyrrha offered as she looked around, taking in the buildings. She kinda guessed it would be the average Monday sight for most guardians, but to her the place felt entirely unwelcoming. The SIVA tendrils all about the place, some alive some dormant, gave her the feeling that she was near the gates of hell itself. Splicers crawled along the walls of the buildings like spiders, taking every advantage they could get against the Guardians that were laying a hard offensive in on them. It didn't help that all the Infected Hive cared about was eating their foes alive, too.
Summer nudged her. "Don't get cold feet."
Barloc groaned at the comment as Pyrrha also sighed in disappointment, Summer simply smirking a tiny bit her pun.
They pressed deeper into the Rocketyard, eyes focused and hands on their weapons as they watched their backs, Drei having marked the scout and-
A sniper shot rang out, barely missing Pyrrha's head as the group ducked, Pyrrha putting up her shield. They looked to the sender… and found that it was the scout Drei marked for them to visit.
The scout seemed to realize his mistake as he then called out. "Sorry! All that red made her look like a Hive Knight!" He then motioned for them to come over, as he got back to writing out some papers, idly hanging from the balcony of King's Watch with a Longbow-Synthesis that he had at the side, as he uses a free hand to smoke.
Barloc grumbled under his breath. "Stupid kinderguardians not using the bloody friend foe tags… why if I were in my days-" He quickly fell into bitter murmurs about that scout.
"A-are all guardians like that?" Pyrrha asked with shaky breath. Her heart had practically jumped from the near death experience. Sure she had her aura. But would it be wise to take chances?
Summer cringed a bit in sympathy. "Yeah… that's why we don't wear armor that looks like our enemies."
"It is not a design fault, Summer." Barloc interjected as the group then began walking. "It is simply an ignorant Guardian who can't be bothered to check his HUD."
Summer rolled her eyes. "Oh please, like anybody looks for the tag. It's just shoot and go with everyone."
"Summer? I'm old."
"And?"
"Guys guys, please!" Pyrrha decided to stop the rising tension before the team they got heated. "I'll just get a shader to solve this. You guys got tons of them right?"
They both huffed at each other, before going back on path, both muttering 'old toot' and 'kinderguardian' respectively, but not audible enough for either to hear.
They came up to the scout within a short time after that. The hunter looked at them with a raised brow, his Awoken eyes looking them over. "...So a huntress, a warlock, and the hotshot walk into-" He then blanched. "Ugh, no, sounds like a bad bar joke… Hotshot and blueberries, what brings you guys here?"
Pyrrha opened her mouth to respond, but the hunter promptly cut her off. "Just kidding, I already know. Fallen soldiers running out of an industrial complex and you guys showing up gave me a good enough idea."
"Get to the point." Barloc said flatly.
The scout looked to the others for a moment. Summer seemed content to listen, while Pyrrha mouthed 'sorry'. He shrugged. "Okay… your stuck in the mud aside, I'm Hunt."
Summer let out a giggle snort at that, while Pyrrha looked between the two, confused. "Were you guys resurrected together or something, and just decided to choose the names?"
"Nope." "Incorrect!" They said in unison.
"Honestly never heard of this guy, what's he doing here?"
"I have been sent by those of the Vanguard to assist this team. Nothing more, nothing less." Barloc then took a small step towards Hunt. "Now, data?"
Hunt threw a data chip, Barloc catching it with but a finger. "Careful out there you three. It goes without saying that there'd be a lot of splicers, but there's also a tank. Might wanna stack up on some extra bullets."
Barloc grunted again, and chose to break off the conversation from there by turning around. "Mission has started you two. Let's get moving."
Seeing as their teammate tired of the conversation, Summer and Pyrrha followed. Though not before Summer ended it with one Last Word.
"Don't miss your prey, Hunt The Hunter!" At this, Barloc was wondering if he'd be able to last enough to kill Summer several times, as Pyrrha groaned internally.
"And you keep rocking them pun guns! Sun's out, puns out!" Hunt fired back.
That caused the team to look at him for a moment, Barloc with the fury of a thousand suns, Summer with a grin and a gleam in her eyes.
"What, thought you'd be the only one?" Hunt said with a grin, before adopting a serious look. "Now shoo, gotta get back to work."
00000
"I'm telling you, they have to be hiding something…" Barloc's right eye twitched in irritation, as he pulled back to the room. "Nobody doesn't just place five turrets in a spot to guard absolutely NOTHING!"
The three had just entered the industrial complex, their helmets on as they brandished their weapons, and already experiencing issues being a team. The floor itself was getting covered in snow due to the large opening in the rooftop above, with the open hole those fallen had came through last time blocked off by lasers, leaving them only able to pass through a rusted, metallic gate and into an area occupied by an inactive Hive seeder.
And even if they did slip through the dozens of lasers, for some strange reason, the splicers had put up turrets in the room. Drei flew in and scanned the place whilst avoiding the turrets, but there was nothing of note to be found other than broken down train cars and scrap.
Which really didn't help Barloc's OCD, as they sidetracked for a minute to ensure there was absolutely nothing there, if only to get Barloc to stop fretting over it.
"We just looked there Barloc." Summer stated matter of factly with a sigh as she dragged him along, mainly just to stop himself from accidentally being shot to death by the turrets. "Just move on already, there's nothing there!"
"But perhaps it isn't the case! There still MOUNDS of snow under all the junk! Maybe there could be a scrambler! Or maybe there-"
As Barloc went on with the possibilities of what was hidden there, Pyrrha looked to Summer with a face that said 'Is this what they're all like?'.
Summer chuckled at the thought and shook her head. As amusing as it'd be to see Lux or Ikora fret over even the most minor details, even THEY would've given up on this by now.
Especially since Sepiks wasn't that far away.
After a little bit of dragging Barloc away, they got to a railing, and came before a familiar room filled with splicers and infected Hive, the former of which had quickly noticed them, and alerted everyone else to their arrival. Some of the splicers dove behind a cargo truck, with many just opting to shoot them out from afar with wire rifles and sharpnel launchers. The infected mindless turned to look at them and attacked them on sight, thralls puking orbs of electric SIVA at them, while acolytes fired laser beams at them. All the while an infected wizard merely floated near a trio of SIVA turrets, not doing anything but floating amongst the turrets.
Barloc immediately brought out Havoc Pigeon and sniped out two vandals with wire rifles, before whipping out Truth in one smooth motion and reducing the splicers to ashes, as Summer did a frontflip mid-air into the crowd of Hive, slamming the ground with ancient, holy flames that reduced dozens of them to ashes. From there, it was simply making short work of the stragglers.
The wizard clapped its claws. "Oh, so the fabled Rose and a couple of humans have found our lair, hm?"
Barloc seemed mildly impressed. "I thought it would just be eliksni grunting noises again?"
The wizard didn't seem fond of that comment as it simply glared at Barloc, of whom idly put another void rocket inside of Truth. It turned back to Summer. "It was about time you found it. It was amusing watching your kind fall into our traps because you just kept looking everywhere but where we put it last. One should always remember the past."
"And you shouldn't keep making the same aksident of bringing me to you." Summer shot back.
The wizard growled distastefully at the pun. "Sloat… when you face Sepiks again, it will be you that made the mistake. Ha, zu, ka." The wizard then went into the caverns below, no doubt exiting to the Grottos. Pyrrha made to follow, but Barloc held her back.
"Don't bother. I can already tell that's just a vessel for the Archon Prime." He then motioned to the turrets. "And those turrets will be too dangerous to take down, if an ambush awaits us down there."
They went up to the console, not even bothering to try and go through the door that obviously had lasers on it. Summer brought forth Drei to hack it.
"Same old security even… what is up with them? This will still take some time, but not as much as the last."
Barloc grunted in annoyance, as he and Summer went into defensive positions, Summer in a sniper's nest with Patience & Time, and Barloc with Shadow Price at the ready. Pyrrha did the same, getting up close and personal with Akoúo̱ at the ready. She looked between Barloc and Summer, Barloc looking not too happy about it and Summer who simply kept her aim on the doors.
"Judging by your expressions, I gather this happens way too much?"
"Unfortunately yes." Drei said, as he hacked the console. "Wish I could do more than open doors nowadays… maybe man some turrets?"
The alarm went off, splicers pouring out as Drei hummed in thought. "Sounds like a great idea, actually. I'll just reroute a few things..."
To say that the splicers put up a fight was an overstatement. Their fight was practically nothing but practice for the team, as most of them couldn't even get out of the doors, their combined fire and precision making it impossible for the splicers to put any pressure on them as they tore through void shields and popped heads with ease, their cover managing to keep the aggressive balls of SIVA energy from hitting them all the while. By the time the alarm went off again, they were met with both infected hive and splicers, but Drei came with the assist.
The SIVA turrets positioned at the grotto's entrance turned against their masters, quickly spinning up to fire thousands of rounds per minute into the infected hive and splicers alike from their position. Whenever an infected Hive came out of the grotto or a splicer got too close to the fireteam, they were immediately met with a hailstorm of bullets.
A splicer baron had managed to get through the mess of bullets and corpses, rushing up with a scorch cannon as it fired at the team in a rage. Before it could attack the console and potentially harm Drei, Barloc fired a rocket at him, as Pyrrha quickly turned Akoúo̱ back to Milos, and ran the javelin into the captain's chest. It dropped the scorch cannon, weakly grasping the spear as Pyrrha pulled out, quickly getting back into cover.
Barloc took the opportunity to shoot out its legs with Havoc Pigeon, before finishing off the rest of the stragglers with the team he's with.
When they were defeated, Drei took the opportunity to boast to the dead splicers and infected hive. "Not so little now am I?! Teach you guys to be attacking ghosts!"
Summer chuckled as she leapt down to get next to Drei. "Nice touch with the turrets. I bet they'll be haunted with that memory."
As the team, with the exception of Summer who gave her usual grin, groaned and left to continue getting to the servitor, Rahndel dropped down from the rooftops, looking down upon the fallen baron who clutched a hand on its wounds. The baron looked at Rahndel spitefully, his scorn for the eliksni warrior re-ignited in his dying body.
"Bar Bo. I warned you, Dresiks."
"Ga ha na… Devils shall ascend without you, blind fool. Machine God had abandoned us. Eliksni, above."
"Machine God Ki. It's salvation is ours."
Dresiks chuckled. "Bar ban ba. We Devils not abandoned by the machine god… eliksni han fre."
"Yus Machine God… sloat? Yet… na klen kles SIVA."
Dresiks made to vehemently retort, but was only able to cough up ether.
"Di Des, Dresiks… the tradition has always been our way. Dresiks, ban." Rahndel pulled out a shock dagger, and readied himself to slit Dresiks's throat. "Dresiks… ne zu fres di."
With a clean cut to the throat, Dresiks fell limp. Rahndel just sat there. He did not rob Dresiks of his ether, even though it would've been in his best interests to do so. For all he wished to do was watch the ether flow out into the sky, in respect of his once comrade in arms.
00000
The three entered the open clearing known as The Blast, already able to see a spliced Devil Walker. They sighed in annoyance at yet another tank.
"When will the Eliksni learn that these things are practically useless?" Barloc muttered to himself, before explaining it to Pyrrha, who was already beginning to raise a question on how to defeat it. "You just detach the turret mainframe designed to counter-attack at medium range distances, which is really the only threatening bit, and all it has is a cannon capable of firing every 10 seconds with a long charge up time that requires it to stay still."
Pyrrha looked at the tank, her eyes squinting as she took in its form.
"I don't suppose that'd be the missile box thing, right?"
"That is not the word for it, but your perception of where to hit is correct." Barloc then pulled out Truth, as he went to destroy the brunt of the soldiers. "Just don't be blind and deaf to the cannon shots, and you won't die. Otherwise, stay back and let us do the damage."
"Ummm… noted." She let out with a grimace, knowing the slightest misstep in attention could end her.
"Tis' but a simple dance, Pyrrha. I'm sure you'll-"
"A spider dance!"
Barloc turned around, aiming Truth at her with callous confidence that Drei wasn't there, and that Summer couldn't do much about it. "You are this close to being blown up again, Summer."
She paused for a moment.
Then she turned around, grinning even harder. "I guess you just can't handle the Truth."
"The truth of what?"
"The Truth of me being a punmaster."
BOOM!
A hive seeder then hit the spider tank, along with two other smaller seeders that hit the buildings and snow, resulting in a massive explosion behind Barloc, who just stood there, absolutely dumbfounded and outright flustered by her words as Pyrrha clutched her sides, falling onto the snow from the sheer laughter that struck her and Summer both, Pyrrha still managing to let out 'I'm sorry!' in between breaths as Summer laughed at the convenience of the Hive seeders.
Their brevity of laughter at Barloc's expense, however, was interrupted by an ogre roaring from afar, catching their attention. Barloc had immediately turned on his heel and fired a rocket into its face, before diving for cover, Summer and Pyrrha doing the same as they let out a few more giggles.
"I immensely regret ever coming with you, Summer…" Barloc grumbled to himself. "Knew doing all this was just another waste of time."
"Oh come on, don't be so grumpy old man!" Summer said with a laugh, as she nudged Barloc, before peaking out and sniping the ogre dead.
"I am not old. I'm about 47 years of guardian time!"
"That's still old!"
"Summer, as hilarious as that was, we have to not die!" Pyrrha interjected, as she swapped to Akoúo̱, peaking out and shooting out some of the acolytes.
Barloc grunted in annoyance as he used Truth to pick off the large pack of shrieking Curse thralls as Summer only continued to laugh. However what caught both of them off guard was something in Summers voice changed. If not ever so slightly and so fast that they could have sworn they where just imagining it. For a second. It was...dark… almost insane even, like she was possessed if not for a small brief second. But the laughing was now starting to creep them out.
Barloc reloaded as did Pyrrha. By the end of the both of them killing the stragglers of Fallen and Hive, Summer finally stopped laughing. Pyrrha looked concerningly to Barloc who just shrugged his shoulders as he reloaded another pod into Truth. She followed suit, taking out several cartridges of dust rounds, and inserting them into her weapon like that of a M1 Grand.
"You done Kinderguardian?" Barloc drawled out, annoyed at Summer's childishness.
"Yeah. I'm done Barloc the Warlock." Summer said as she stifled the last few giggles.
Pyrrha looked to Summer in concern, as she swapped between her and Barloc. It was genuinely disturbing to her that even a veteran guardian, someone who would spot these signs from a mile away, thought that they were nothing of note. She was fairly certain there was something wrong with Summer then and there.
But it wasn't for someone like a simple huntress to say what guardian culture is like after all, right?
00000
Meanwhile on Remnant, over thousands of guardians, veterans nonetheless, were dancing on top of Beacon's rooftops, some hanging rather precariously over but an inch of pole as they danced. Some hunters just danced in the air, while warlocks glided about doing air dances. A few were even doing 'the bird'.
Glynda Goodwitch was being pushed to her limit at all of these slackers. Saviors of humanity, immortal warriors that fight back the darkness, and all they do is this?
She tried to call Shaxx. And by doing so, she spot one particular titan in the mix suddenly stop, and check their scroll over the blaring music. She could hardly believe her eyes at that point.
Shaxx eventually looked down and spotted her. "WHAT?!" He yelled from the rooftops. "THIS IS FRIDAY! WE'RE WAITING FOR XUR!"
"Don't forget the Vex Collective either, sir!" One of the warlocks called out, as they pointed to a large conflux off in the distance. "We're dancing to gather intelligence!"
00000
Pyrrha would have to report this to more responsible guardians. Brothers know how Barloc managed to be secretary of Cayde-6.
The three walked to the entrance of the building that was sheltering Sepiks. Pyrrha noticed a lot of bones and human skulls on pikes as they drew closer to the hangar. Pyrrha found it slightly unnerving, while Barloc just didn't even spare a glance at them.
"Summer you destroyed this machine first right? Why would the Fallen rebuild it?" Pyrrha asked.
"Probably as a way to convince the rest of the Devils to take in SIVA. That they themselves could become a God if they wished to embrace the nano tech… hmph. Such hubris always leads to death." Barloc spoke up before Summer, as she stayed quiet.
It really doesn't make sense though… why didn't you take Sepiks right then and there, Oryx?
Bah. It is a puny machine for having been bested by the likes of you within the first week of you being born. Truth be told it was my original plan to do so, but after finding out from the Hive in the area that you slayed it, I thought it useless to put effort into it as you came to fight my Echo.
Besides, Oryx growled. There were bigger fish to fry at the time. You. Humanity. Those impudent Cabal on the Dreadnaught. The struggling Vex at what you call, 'The Vault Of Glass'.
Summer hummed in thought, as they pressed on. She guessed it wasn't really necessary at the time since she was there, but it was definitely a missed opportunity.
They then reached the large hangar door and it slowly opened. They where on a platform that several SIVA Dregs where on. Kneeling before there remade Machine god. Summer just used her rifle and picked off the dregs as they would be a more annoyance and a threat to Barloc's and Pyrrha's safety as they did not have Ghosts obviously.
"Sepiks Perfected. In all its glory." Drei mutters more in a sarcastic manner.
(Play Red-Overtake you)
When it stopped receiving the infected ether as Summer put a knife in the last dreg's head. The Machine God shook a little as its shield dropped. Scanning the area with its one eye. It picked up on the three humans in its presence, and immediately called for backup.
Barloc immediately began firing and reloading Truth into the machine's center eye. Pyrrha immediately did the same with Akouo and Summer got into the third floor platform and used Patience in time and started unloading on the Machine. It teleported once to the far side of the hangar but was still under fire by the three humans. Though to its luck and annoyance of the three, a SIVA Skiff came in, and started dropping off Splicers. Sepiks took the opportunity to deploy an arc shield.
Captains with arc cannons came out from rooms on the sides of the catwalk Barloc and Pyrrha where on. Sepiks' shield came back online when the firing stopped and was directed at the new reinforcements of Splicers. Pyrrha immediately transformed Akouo's rifle form into its spear form and started attacking the first two Splicer captains with arc cannons. The shock and force if the blows immediately started wreaking havoc and stressing its shield generator. Pyrrha then stabbed its head as the barrier short-circuited, purple blood and ether sprayed the blade and a little bit got onto Pyrrha's helmet, steaming off thanks to the helmet's auto cleaning systems.
Barloc switched out from Truth to his auto rifle and fired dozens of bullets into the second Splicer captain, and causing damage to its ether container. Summer just nonchalantly sniped the last splicer captain's head off and reloaded her sniper rifle. Pyrrha immediately took care of the few dregs and vandals.
However as Summer re-engaged Sepiks while Barloc stayed in cover, her Thorn didn't do anything to Sepiks's shields, and the Machine God retaliated by firing balls if over charged SIVA projectiles at them. Summer dodged and jumped off the platform she was on.
"Our weapons can't take down its shields, what now?" Summer yelled to Barloc over the noise of guns and servitor shots being fired.
"Use your eyes rat-brain!" Barloc snapped in annoyance, as he was picking at a captain with an arc cannon from afar. "It has an arc shield! We take powerful arc weapon, AND HIT THEM WITH IT!"
Pyrrha picked up one of the arc cannons the captains dropped upon death, struggling to lift it due to its weight. She frowned at the lack of ammo in it. "There's only one round left in this one!"
"I SAID SHOOT!"
Getting out of cover and taking a knee Pyrrha pulled the trigger and fired an over charged Round from the arc canon at Sepiks. The shields immediately popped on impact. Summer and Barloc immediately switched out their weapons, Barloc grabbing the remaining arc cannon after finally picking off the captain, while Summer swapped to a shotgun that Drei had transmatted into her hands.
More specifically, Found Verdict. A weapon that laid arc judgement down upon her foes when she was able to get close for an opening. And such an opening was given, as Barloc fired the arc cannon into Sepiks's eye, allowing Summer to stab into it with her knife, and shoot round after round of Found Verdict into its frame at full auto, causing it to shake violently with each high impact shot as Pyrrha and Barloc attacked from the side, Barloc shooting both Havoc Pigeon and Shadow Price at it, while Pyrrha stabbed into it as well with her spear.
The Machine God saw multiple warnings signs, which made it groan in anger at the three before it as Summer jumped off, reloading another full magazine into it as everyone else backed up. Its Hull integrity had dropped massively, and it was trying to charge up another shield. But it wouldn't get the chance to do it, as the three kept up their far away onslaught, rockets and bullets continuing to batter it, until finally, it could handle no more.
A rocket blast had ruptured its core, and just like that, Sepiks Perfected was gone, reduced to nothing but ashes at it exploded from the inside.
The three looked at each other, Pyrrha ecstatic at the kill, while Summer and Barloc looked on in confusion. After a few more seconds of celebrating, Pyrrha noticed the lack of joy coming from the two.
"That was easy." Barloc commented, as he looked up at the tower, which still had the ships on it.
"Too easy." Summer added on, as he followed his gaze, Pyrrha joining in as well.
Suddenly, they heard a clap from the area below Sepiks. A splicer vandal.
"Good job, good job! You've killed the servitor! I bet you're all feeling proud about yourselves?"
Barloc stayed silent, keeping an ever vigilant watch on the tower above them.
"What do you want now, Aksis?" Summer spat in annoyance at him. "You've lost your pet servitor. Might as well stop now before you slip up."
The splicer laughed arrogantly at them. "Wasn't that just cute? Almost like that friend of your daughter's."
Summer's eyes shone for a moment. She knew what he was talking about. Atlas's top secret project, Penny.
He is endangering Ruby?
…
He is endangering Ruby.
He is endangering Ruby. He must die.
Suddenly, giant tendrils of SIVA made their way up to the top of the tower of ships, curling around it like snakes encircling their prey. Barloc readied Truth, his eyes flying open as he realized the threat, immediately retreating as he grabbed Pyrrha's hand on the way out.
"H-hey! What are you doing Barloc?!"
"GET OUT, NOW!"
But Summer wasn't listening to them. Or paying attention to what was happening above, as dark embers glowed off of her form. She slowly walked up to the vandal, Thorn in hand as she stared him down with the cold fury of a blizzard. Her armor was turning black with the dark flames.
Crush him. Make him suffer for his heresy. Show your might before this parasite, and let him know our will is absolute, that his impudent life is forever under casuality.
"You actually thought that Sepiks would be nothing but a little machine ball, with nothing but a couple of flimsy shields and a few devil captains?" The vandal laughed in arrogance. "See, you're not at the Devil's Lair right now. The Devil's Lair isn't just some place under a-"
But the vandal didn't get to finish his sentence, as Summer thrust her palm out, telekinetically grasping at his throat as she lifted him into the air like a villain out of a movie. He weakly grasped at his throat, as if trying to free himself of whatever force was choking him.
"Shut. Up."
Before she could squish his head like a water balloon, one of the evacuation ball-shaped pods suddenly turned red and black as SIVA tendrils swarmed around it, a giant red eye turning to look at Summer. It got off of the tower, as it did so, it knocked the tower towards her, causing it to fall right on top of her. Summer had only enough time to look at it, before the damn thing fell right on top of her, knocking her out instantaneously as it turned to The Blast.
00000
Pyrrha managed to wrench herself free of Barloc's grasp just as they made it halfway across The Blast, as she turned to look at him, a whirlwind of emotions running through her, fear, anger, and confusion running through her adrenaline filled mind. "What the hell was that for?!"
"There's no time for this Pyrrha! If we don't get out of here and get into the ship to call back, we-"
Suddenly, the tower from before began creaking. Both ex-guardian and huntress in-training turned to look, Barloc in abject horror and Pyrrha in primal fear as they watched it fall, a giant red and black orb having pulled itself off of it and knocked the tower down onto the area. And while Pyrrha looked on, unable to move or think, Barloc realized one, horrifying thought.
Summer wasn't here.
…
After a moment of staring, he quickly scanned the area, and found an active pike. He didn't waste time, pulling Pyrrha again and starting up the thrusters as he hoisted both Pyrrha and him onto the pike. All the while he cursed under his breath.
Traveler be damned, forget about her! I won't let a mortal die on my watch!
Was only thought driving him right now, as he drove deep into the complex with his heart sounding like a drum, dodging giant shots of SIVA aimed at them meaning to turn them entirely. Pyrrha's muscles were stiff as she held onto him for dear life, still terrified at the sight of such a monster before her, unable to even think about bringing Akoúo̱ out and shoot at it.
What would bullets do against a true god, after all?
He sped into the Grottos, deciding that the cover would be enough for him and Pyrrha to hide out in. Thankfully, they were completely emptied out, not a single Hive in sight.
He got off the pike as Pyrrha limply fell off onto her knees, shaking heavily. "We're going to die… oh Brothers we are going to die!"
"Pyrrha, calm down."
"They just took Summer. They just killed the only one who managed to defend Remnant from-"
"PYRRHA!"
Pyrrha snapped out of her fear-induced haze, looking at Barloc dead in the eyes as he took off his helmet, making sure she got the message.
"I want you to listen to me, Pyrrha. You are getting out of this, don't get that wrong in the slightest." He said, showing utter confidence in both voice and face as he then put his helmet back on, turning around.
"That thing isn't as big as the Dreadnaught. It is ketch sized for certain, but it doesn't make it invulnerable to ship fire." He stated as he walked to the other side of the caves. "I'm going to call out for air support. If I don't come back telling you the coast is clear, drive out of here as soon as you possibly can, do you understand that?"
"B-but you'll-!"
"Your teammates need you still Pyrrha. Jaune needs you." He says as he pulls out a manual, throwing it at Pyrrha. "Don't let such foolishness leave you as part of his army."
Pyrrha paused for a moment, before nodding, accepting that she had a team to be a part of still. He didn't turn to look at her, as she stood there in wait.
Barloc kept walking, even though every instinct of his body told him to remain, to hide inside the walls of the cavern. But he didn't listen. He listened to only one mantra he kept reciting in his head. Devote yourself, be brave and diligent in your duties. Devote yourself, sacrifice life and limbs for the weak. Devote yourself, push back the darkness with all your light until you die.
With Shadow Price aimed and readied, he eventually walked out of the caverns. He thankfully found a clearing that was completely untouched. He quickly got behind the most decent cover he could find, and got on the comms channel linked to the Rocketyard. He had to check.
It was already filled with panicking guardians nearby, who were already getting shot at by the thing. He was able to hear the shots, both from where he was and on the comms. Distress signals were already sent out in the dozens, while guardians from other channels stated that they were calling their ships in, but they were going to end up taking a while.
He hoped that Rahndel's Devils had already gotten over their grudge against the guardians, because that was the only way they were getting out of there alive.
He got onto Saladin's channels. It was pointless to do it with Shiro, he knew his comms were already flooded. "Saladin!"
"Barloc!" The Iron Lord sighed in relief. "Thank the Traveler you're alive! Where's Summer and Pyrrha, where in the world did that thing come from?!"
"Pyrrha with me but-" He paused, unsure of how to say it. "...I-I don't know what happened to Summer! I told her to get out and call her ship, but I haven't seen her since!"
"I see…" Saladin said in thought, as he mulled it over.
It was then Barloc had suddenly wished he stopped to check, having sensed how monotone Saladin's voice was. No doubt the guardians would pin her death on his lack of care for their heroine. He would have to get exiled and hunted down for deserting his teammate, nay outright abandoning their most prominent heroine over a mortal!
...No, there's still hope! Maybe she could still be there! I just need to sneak through and pull her and her ghost out of the-
"Then I hope she's out there fighting whatever is causing that giant spike in dark energy!" Saladin said, as he was heard scurrying to get into his own ship. "The real Sepiks had some darkness emanating from it, but this spike is unlike anything we've ever seen before in the data reports from The Hidden!"
"...Did you just say there was a spike in neutrino scattering?"
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Diluation:And in classic Ptabs' style, you've been hit with the dirty cliffhanger! Next chapter, the real fight begins.
Sorry for the 3-day delay, but I attempted to go back and play Destiny 2 to discover the lore myself. Keyword being 'attempted'. Because by the Traveler, has this game become incredibly grindy when I last left it for the math class I had last semester.
Rest assured that I've given up on playing the game(but not the lore). I shall put more focus into this for as long as I can, but I've got a 21 unit semester this spring. Hopefully the following fight will prove satisfactory(I'm going through editing it, should be available in a couple days at most).
The Anime guy:Sorry to do this to you guys. But it would have been way too long. Anyways onto REVIEWS!
Reviews
UE1:What exactly do those two hymns in the bits with Ruby and Summer mean? (Translation if possible?) I'm just curious as I don't know if that the first one is arabic. But I don't know or recognized the second one. Either way, I liked this chapter.
The Anime guy: Ok so here's a hint. The second one is Indian but turned English. I figured this would be a great little thing for our community. I specifically chose foreign languages for different parts of the old hymn. And for showing interest in the detail, I will DM you the second hint.
Ashoei: you guys said X mas Special. So does that mean the development between Ruby and Summer is not necessarily Canon?
Fireteam:It is not canon. It will heavily conflict with future events.
The Anime guy: even though…*sniff* sadly we wanted it to..*sniff* (sad writer noises)