Pantera woke from his dream, his heart racing at what he saw. Anger built within him as he sat up. Images of Amanda and Amilo making out with one another as their hands rubbed and touched each other's bodies flooded his mind. His lower member throbbed in excitement as the anger built more and more. Guilt soon followed as he threw the blanket off and began the process of attaching his mechanical arm. It just sort of happened... He thought as he recalled what happened on Venus during a storm. It didn't help at all. If anything it made the Hunter feel worse then he had before.
There were some things to do before Pantera hit up the Crucible, the main thing was to talk to Cayde-6 about any possible leads on Amanda's attacker. The less important items on his list to do, such as returning to Venus could wait for a couple more days. At least that was what he told himself. But dismissed it all together.
Click. His nerves reattached to the mechanics of the artificial limb, temporarily sending him into the depths of pain. After a brief moment, it was over and he wiggled his fingers, balled up a fist. Everything was how it should be, thankfully.
"Spectre," He said softly.
His Ghost materialized close by, it appeared to be examining one of his various weapons. "Yes?" It asked as the weapon disappeared.
"Checking on my gear?" He commented before standing and throwing on a long sleeved shirt.
It floated towards it's Guardian, "Just your shotgun." It replied. Seeming to sigh before continuing, "I'd suggest you turn it into Banshee but you'd probably say no."
The Hunter chuckled as he walked past the Ghost and towards the door of his and Amanda's room. "Probably. Now come on. We have to get ready for Amilo's match."
Onar slid his First Curse hand cannon into it's holster as he and Viktor made their way to their ships. He was disappointed that Shaxx issued a Mercy Rule but a victory was a victory, regardless of how it was decided. "Karl hold on." he said, pulling his fellow Titan aside. "You alright?"
Karl shrugged. "Just anger." He grunted.
"I call dregcrap on that." Onar said, his right hand resting on his friend's shoulder. "You said you had your anger under control a few months ago, now you don't. What gives?" His voice filled with concern.
There was little point in hiding it, Karl knew that his comrade of Mars would push it until he answered. With a deep sigh Karl shook his head. "Girl problems." He sounded defeated. "I snapped at my girl and I lost control."
"Shanks bro." Onar hissed in surprise, "Is she alright?"
"No. She was hurt." A tear fell from Karl's eye. "I asked for her back but she said no and I lost control. It is my fault she was hurt." He shook his head and turned away from his friend. "Return to your fireteam old friend. I need to go to Mars."
Onar watched his friend disappear thanks to his ships Transmat system and it take off. He was unable to comfort his friend in any way but the far distant hope of Karl possibly taming his anger was enough.
"Ya know it's easier to let your Ghost load the clips, right?" Cayde asked as he watched Pantera load manually load bullets into magazines for his Shadow's Price auto rifle.
Pantera finished the last magazine and sat it down. "Keeps my mind occupied Cayde." He said before Spectre absolved Shadow Price auto rifle and ammo. "Red Death is next Spectre." With that the exotic, and half banned, pulse rifle appeared on the table alone with five empty magazines and two boxes of ammunition. "Any word on who hurt Amanda?"
"Sorry Blaze. Got nothing for ya." The exo said as he drew his knife and started twirling it.
"It's Pantera, Cayde-6." The younger hunter snarled.
Without missing a beat, the Vanguard replied "Oh, I know. But you look like you're about to be blazing back into the wilds."
"Crucible," he replied. "Amilo asked for me to team up with her and a couple others for a Clash match they have against some of Dead Orbit's little groupies." Pantera made sure to say it loud enough to where Arrach Jellal could hear.
The exo looked behind his replacement and towards the Arrach Jellal, who seemed less than pleased at that comment. "He's had a bad day," Cayde said, attempting to kinda cover for Pantera. Didn't look like it worked because the faction leader only stared at the two Hunters. "Yeah, he said it's fine." To Pantera.
"Worthless group of idiots," Pantera growled as he continued to load the magazines for Red Death.
"Don't agree with Dead Orbit sug but they have their beliefs," Amanda said as she passed behind him. "But they want to leave Earth? Let 'em."
Cayde instantly switched subjects. "Could always switch your shotgun out for a sniper rifle. Easier to pick targets off from a distance."
Without missing a beat, "Have Thousand Yard Stare and Icebreaker. Think I'm set on sniper rifles." Pantera replied. "And don't suggest any Hand Cannons. Rifles are my friends when it comes to primaries."
Amanda chuckled as she sat on a stool next to her lover. "You Hunters and your firearms." She commented then looked at Cayde. "You give us a bit Cayde?"
"Yeah yeah. Sure." Cayde took the hint and started to walk off. "Later Blaze."
Pantera sighed as he watched the Vanguard walk away. "Swear I hate being called that." He commented. "Give me and her some time Spectre." He said to his Ghost. Spectre silently agreed and floated away.
Karl punched the Cabal Legionary in the face again and again. Each time silently screaming in rage at his ex's words. Its helmet crumpling and finally shattering into pieces revealing the face of the beast, mangled and mauled by it's protective gear being beaten in.
"You need to calm down." His Ghost said in a femenine voice, trying to soothe her Guardian. It was no use. The Titan continued to beat on the corpse. "Karl…"
The Titan snapped, "SHUT IT, BITCH!" He shouted as he released the corpse and it fell into the sands of Mars. "It's her fault I'm so angry!"
His Ghost slowly floated back, away from her enraged partner. Her companion… "No it's not…" She whispered. "It's your jealousy."
He put his hands against his helmet and fell to his knees, the sands catching the Titan. "I don't understand! What have I done to her?" He screamed.
"You...Hurt her. In many different ways…" His Ghost replied softly. "You used her body when she said 'no'."
"She said 'yes'! I remember it."
"No you don't. You held her down and used her!" The Ghost snapped back. Finally too angry at her partner to see him destroy himself further. "Maybe it would be best for you to tell the truth about yourself. You are so selfish about…" The Ghost vanished before she finished what she started. "Argue about this later. There's at least several dozen more Cabal on the way and something big."
Karl picked himself up, still enraged. His auto rifle materializing into his hands. "Good. Let them come." He growled.
Amilo panted heavily as she fumbled to reload her pulse rifle. "Pantera, where are you?" She whispered over the coms.
There were three people in the building she hid in while waiting for the round to end. All of them were from Dead Orbit and were taking this Crucible match far too seriously for her liking. If anything it made her nervous to be killed by them, especially since their warlock smacked a team mate's Ghost away from it's dead Guardian.
"I'm setting up a trap," Pantera replied. His voice barely hiding the ice in his veins. "They want to play rough? I'll give them rough."
"A trap?" She replied, loudly. "Are you kidding me?"
"Just be ready to open fire on them. You'll know the signal." He growled. "Hey, asshole!" Towards another Guardian.
The loud claps of auto rifle fire could be heard from where she was.
"I hope that's the signal," The Warlock said to herself. In one fluid motion, she leaped from cover and aimed down the sights of her Bad Juju pulse rifle. Sure enough, it was. Smoke enveloped some of a nearby hallway and the shining purple light emitting from a grenade blocked the path forward of the aggressive members of Dead Orbit.
"Open fire!" Pantera screamed as he fell down beside Amilo.
The two sprayed the hallway full of bullets. After several seconds Lord Shaxx could be heard over the coms. "Victory goes to red team due to blue team's lack of consideration for the rules. And the fact all of blue team needs to be rezzed."
"Thank the Traveler." Amilo breathed in relief as she lowered her rifle.
Pantera kept his Shadow Price rifle trained down the hallway, "Get your friends and get out of here," He said in a vain attempt to hide the anger in his voice. It didn't work.
"What do you plan on doing?" The Warlock questioned, worryingly.
"Going to have a little chat with these pricks." The loud click of another magazine being loaded in his rifle said differently.
Amilo knew better than to question his teammate. If he said to leave, it was likely best for her to do just that. She spotted her friends and began to intercept them. If they had questions about Pantera, it would be best if she answered them away from the clearly angered Hunter. "I'll meet you at the Tower." She said as she rushed off.
"Yep." Rage was clearly present in his voice. There was going to be a so called 'chat' with the opposing team, the kind with less talking and more violence.
Onar belched loudly. The rumbling burp and the smile on his face meant that the ramen he just finished was indeed delicious. Amilo covered her face in embarrassment and Pantera just shook his head as if to say 'I don't think I'll ever understand you.'
The three sat in a booth table at one of the City's famous ramen shops, taking turns in telling stories about their past. It really was like Cayde said it would be. The three of them got along very well and argued just enough to create the perfect mixture.
Pantera chuckled at the thought. "Damn you Cayde." He said between laughs.
Onar and Amilo looked to the Hunter in confusion. The Titan asking the obvious. "What's so funny Pantera?"
The Hunter set his mechanical hand against his face, trying to hide the smile on his face. "I lost a bet." He giggled happily.
Amilo grabbed his shoulder and pulled him towards her, "What bet?" She questioned.
"Just a dumb bet on thinking I couldn't get along with you two. I lost." Pantera chuckled happily. "Very glad I did."
Onar leaned across the table and punched the Hunter's human arm with a smile on his face. "You little dreg bag." He teased.
Hours seemed to tick by as each of the three traded stories. Amilo spoke of her time in the forests of what was once the North American country of Canada and when she first learned to channel arc energy through her body. Onar boasted about how he and his old fireteam once took down several high priority Cabal enemies on the surface of Mars. Lastly was Pantera and how he stared down the Kell of an unknown House on the moon.
The three continued to laugh. Civilians eyed them curiously but left them alone. They didn't understand why three Guardians were laughing but it likely involved something about the outside world, beyond the walls.
A stranger entered the ramen shop and eyed the three. Silently becoming angrier and angrier at what he saw, at WHO he saw. He roared and charged towards the booth where they sat, intent on ending the one person he despised.
Hope you enjoyed the read. The next chapter should be out a week or two after this one. Anyways. Ice out.