Sorry for the delay. Had a lot go on in a short period of time. Enjoy the read.
Pantera groaned in pain and anger as he staggered to his feet. The sheer force Karl exerted onto him had sent the Hunter through not one but three walls. One second he was in a booth at the ramen shop the next he was attempting to stand in what appeared to be a clothing store.
"Alright pal." He growled as his blurred vision cleared. "You pissed off the wrong Hunter."
Onar stepped in front of his team mate and shook his head. "Don't." He demanded as blood seeped out of his skull and forearm.
"Onar. Move." Pantera snapped, drawing one of his knives he kept holstered. The Titan remained firm in his stance, unwavering at the sight of his teammate growing angrier and angrier by the second.
"He has anger trouble."
Pantera took a deep breath and exhaled. "So do I." With that he launched his blade with all the force he could muster. It slammed into his friend's thigh, forcing him to stagger and fall onto his back. As Onar fell, the Hunter blinked past him and rushed towards the one who attacked him. "Sorry." He whispered.
He ran back towards the ramen shop, passing civilians as they fled the scene. The undeniable crack of lightning confirmed a fear he held to himself. That Amilo would try to take matters into her own hands.
Amilo called upon the lightning within the area, it casting a bolt directly into her body causing her to arc and crackle like she was lightning incarnate. "Answer me!" She demanded. "Why have you attacked us?"
Karl's large, intimidating figure remained silent. He was silent as his body began to burn with fire. A hammer of roaring flames began to materialize within his hand.
"If you won't answer I'll have to beat it out of you!" The Warlock screamed as she dashed towards the flame bathed Titan.
"Amilo back off!" Pantera yelled as he drew closer to the two.
This caused the Warlock to look away and slow. A mistake. Karl capitalized with a brutal and swift strike to her stomach. This sent Amilo upwards and through the ceiling.
"You stole her." Karl snarled as he turned towards Pantera. "You stole MY Amanda!"
Pantera froze. Memories of seeing his beloved Ship Wright in pain in bandages, in fear...It all began to flood his barely rational mind. And in this situation, rationality could kiss his ass because he wanted just one thing - revenge.
The two stared at one another. Karl still ablaze with the fires of his light, Pantera struggling to remain calm. "Amanda." Pantera growled. "Didn't deserve that."
"She deserves to die." The Titan interrupted as he threw the hammer.
Pantera rolled to the side, as the hammer struck where he was then exploded. He knew what he had to do and could only hope Zavala would understand. Reaching his hand, as he stood, to the air he called upon Sol and the Light. With a sudden crack of the air a blazing revolver appeared in his hand.
Karl charged forward, pushing the Hunter once more. "Die!" He shouted as he followed up by throwing yet another hammer.
It was enough room. Time slowed as Pantera leveled to revolver and fan fired four rapid shots. The first two smacked the hammer, causing it to detonate in midair. The last two hit home. One through the Titan's leg and the other through his chest.
A deep breath of relief escaped his lungs. Revenge for what the Titan had done to his beloved Amanda. It was sweet for a brief instant.
Time seemed to speed back up as he remembered that he was sailing through the air. With a loud crash his back hit a metallic wall and it all went pitch black.
Zavala stood in the midst of the destroyed ramen shop, staring down at the fallen Titan known as Karl. He wasn't one to get angry very easily but this was a disgrace to what the Vanguard had sworn to do; protect the Last City and its civilians. Yet here was one of his Titans, dead by the hands of Cayde's soon to be successor, Pantera Shadows.
"This is unforgivable." The Vanguard spoke. He turned to Pantera, Amilo, and Onar as they stood near him. "All three of you said it was self-defense, correct?"
Amilo replied first. "Yes. It was. Except for Onar's leg. Pantera did that so he could try to help me." Zavala rubbed his forehead as she continued. "His Ghost is scared to rez him." Pointing to Karl's body.
"In my defense sir." Onar said firmly, "I tried to tell Pantera to not do it here."
The Hunter remained silent as he waited for the lecture and likely punishment from Zavala. He would have done it again if he had to and the way it was looking, he was still guessing if it would come to that.
Karl's Ghost materialized next to Pantera. It appeared to be both scared and sad but it explained what happened to Amanda and the reason two city blocks appeared to be a warzone. "I am sorry Commander." It said in its female voice.
Zavala took one final breathe. "There is no need to be sorry. The Traveler chose him for a reason, whatever that reason is...It's beyond our understanding. As it chose you," waving his hand in front of the three, "and myself. Perhaps we will never know its reasoning."
"Much as I hate to say this," Pantera finally spoke. Onar turned to his teammate with anger burning bright in his eyes. "Maybe this could have played out differently. But it's Amanda and I'd do the same to anyone who hurts her."
"Perhaps it could have gone differently Pantera." The Vanguard replied. "Return to the Tower. As of this moment, you three are hereby restricted to the Tower for the next week." The fireteam moaned in displeasure "Or until Ikora and Cayde can convince me otherwise."
For the average Guardian being restrained to the Tower for a week is the equivalent of being sent to prison for several months but to a Hunter...It was Hell. The itch to return to the wilds often caused Cayde to take pity on them before convincing 'Big Z' to let them off easy. How he did this dozens of times if not more was likely part of his charm.
Some of the things Pantera did to pass the time was just carrying packages to various people across the Tower but how he did it did partially ease his itch to head back out. It wasn't often civilians witnessed a Guardian jump and climb their way up the Tower, from the outside wall.
During one of his climbs, he passed by the window of Arrach Jellal's personal room. It was obvious who's it was due to the Dead Orbit banner hanging off the ledge and facing the City's civilians. Out of spite he reached down and snatched it off of its perch, tied it around his neck and kept climbing.
After several near falls and quite a few triple jumps, he made it to the Hanger, feeling as though he had done something amazing. He untied the Dead Orbit banner as the faction leader passed by Amanda and made his way towards the little corner he usually hid away.
With a sense of purpose, the Hunter walked towards Arrach Jellal, the banner in his hand. "Hey Dead Orbit." He shouted, raising the banner. At least ten members, at least five of which were fellow Guardians, turned their attention towards him. "You left something on the wall." He drew one of the many knives he carried, set it on fire with his Light and touched the banner, releasing the burning flag.
Several of Dead Orbit's Guardian memebers charged the Hunter. Pantera only smiled.
The meeting hall was usually filled with civilian workers, technicians, weapons experts and such but on this night only four Guardians occupied the area. It was best that way.
Cayde rubbed his forehead, as he leaned against the window. Ikora meditated on a nearby holotable as Zavala continued to hammer the soon to be replacement for the Hunter Vanguard. "Dead Orbit has agreed to let this situation go so long as you apologize," He continued. "But seeing as how you openly hate their faction I don't see it happening."
Pantera rubbed his stump, satisfying an itch, "Nope. Not apologizing. Have to deal with them preaching about leaving the Traveler and Earth behind too much and I'm tired of it. Every time a new guardian is found and rezzed by their Ghost, I have to hear them preach to said guardian and prey upon their uncertainty. It's sickening." He growled.
Cayde leaned forward and began to walk towards his protege, "I know that you can't stand them but silently hate them." He said calmly. "Do finger gestures to them that express exactly how you feel Blaze." He closed his hand and only raised his middle finger, displaying the gesture to Zavala and Pantera "Like this. Best gesture ever created."
Zavala stared at the gesture, "What does it mean Cayde?" He questioned for himself and Pantera.
The Vanguard chuckled, grabbed his protege's shoulder and leaned in. "It means fuck you." He whispered. "Don't tell Big Blue that."
Pantera laughed as silently as possible. "Got it." He replied. "Am I free to go now?"
The Titan sighed. "No more fights between you and any member of Dead Orbit. Am I understood?"
"I'll try." With that, the Hunter left the hall and made his way to his room.
The impossibly angry Titan known as Karl remained silent. Staring at the Traveler with anger, intent, and hatred. Of all the Guardians to be reborn into this Hell, this end times era of man versus everything, he questioned what it was that the Traveler found redeemable in him. What was it thinking? Allowing a Ghost to resurrect him and granting him conditional immortality and immense power... "You're more messed up then I am." He growled angrily, turning away from the Last City. "I'll be back for her."
Lightning cracked, revealing the dark mountainside for a brief moment and the next, he was gone. The intently disturbed and rage-filled Titan had disappeared into the night. Waiting. Plotting. Scheming.
Changed the ending. It's not ending any time soon. Next few chapters are going to be a bit different, so heads up on that.