Chapter 2

"Guardian? Guardian? Eyes up Guardian." Diana's Ghost stated to Tobias as he rose up from his bunk with an audible groan. The sun came blaring through the class window of his room, blinding him to start of his day.

"Mmm, wha-where am I?" Tobias mumbled as he placed a hand over his eyes, trying to block out the rays of sunshine.

"You're in the Tower, within the Last City on Earth." Ghost replied, watching as Tobias then turned to look out the window, seeing the metropolis down below. Then everything came back to him.

He had been taken to the Tower by Diana Amano. He was Guardian. And today he was going to take part in something called the Crucible.

"Diana will be arriving shortly." Ghost explained to him.

Diana was the Warlock he had met yesterday after waking up on her ship. He didn't really know what to think of her at this point. But, then again he didn't know what to think of anyone for that matter. He didn't know anyone, who was supposed to trust? Glancing out the window once again, Tobias took another look at the Traveler that floated above the city. The only thing that felt right to him at the moment was being near the Traveler. If these people were indeed trying to protect it, then hopefully he could trust them.

"Guardian?" Ghost asked, snapping Tobias out of his thoughts. "I suggest you equip your armor."

"Armor?" Tobias said before spotting the gear that he had received the day before from the armory. Rising to his feet, Tobias took a moment to stretch, loosening himself up a bit. Then he went over to the armor pieces that had been waiting for him. "What would I need all this armor for?"

"Protection." Ghost replied as Tobias picked up the helmet, taking a moment to examine the visor before he lifted it to see inside. "Allow me."

Tobias looked around as he suddenly felt colder. Then he looked down and realized that the clothing he had been wearing had vanished.

"What the-" Before Tobias could finish his sentence, a lightly armored suit materialized on his body, followed by each of the armor pieces that were fit snugly into their places, weighing him down.

"Whoa, this stuff is heavy." He commented as he straightened up, trying to adjust to the weight. Heavy shoulder pads, a huge chest piece, knee pads, shin guards, boots. Almost every part of him was concealed by the thick and protective plating.

"I've heard that if you were to drop a piece of this armor on a stone, it would crush it." Ghost pointed out, causing Tobias to raise his eyebrows.

"Well I better watch out for my toes then." He said with a small chuckle.

"Are you going to collect your weapon Guardian?" Ghost asked, causing Tobias to frown a bit.

"Umm, can you call me by my name?" Tobias asked in return.

"Certainly. Tobias, will you be taking your weapon with you, or do you want me to hold it in storage."

"No no, I'll hold it myself." Tobias replied as he looked up at the Proxima Centuri II that he had mounted on the wall the night before. The Gunsmith had insisted that he at least take a more updated weapon yesterday, but Tobias turned down the offer. He didn't know how to describe it, but he felt connected to this weapon. He didn't want to throw it away so quickly.

Removing the weapon from the wall, Tobias slid it down into the holster on his waist, completing his preparation for the day. And right on cue, there was a knock on the door.

"That must be Diana." Ghost said as it flew over to the door. Accessing the control panel, it opened up the door almost immediately, revealing the Warlock who was waiting for them.

"Good morning." She said kindly, entering Tobias' room.

"Mornin'." He replied quietly as he studied her for a few moments. The day before she had been dressed the typical long robes that Warlocks were recognized for, but today she was dressed far more casually, wearing a jacket, blouse and jeans.

"What's the matter?" She asked after noticing that he been staring at her for a little while now.

"I didn't think that Guardians had…days off." Tobias pointed out. With everything the Speaker had told them yesterday, he thought that their battle was a constant. Always ongoing.

"Well that's a funny way to put it." Diana said with a small laugh. "I'm not on active duty today, but I did receive an assignment. Ikora, the woman you met yesterday. She suggested that I be your guide for a few days to help you get a sense of how things work around here. Part of being a Guardian is instructing newer ones to ensure that they find success on the battlefield."

Tobias gave a nod of agreement. That made sense.

"Right, because patrolling the Cosmodrome is such a difficult task." Ghost trailed off.

"That's easy for you to say, you spend all your time watching me fight." Diana shot back at her Ghost who remained silent after that. Diana returned her gaze to Tobias. "So are you ready for this?"

"For the, Crucible?" Tobias asked in return as they exited his room.

"Yup."

"…I think so."

"Well if you're a little nervous there's still time. We still have to meet Lord Shaxx and enter you into the system to see what team you'll be fighting alongside." Diana explained.

"Will you be entering Diana?" Her Ghost inquired.

"Nah, I don't think so. This will give me a chance to see Tobias' strengths and weaknesses." Diana replied as they arrived at an elevator which opened up immediately.

"How are you going to see that, I mean, I don't really understand what the Crucible is still." Tobias said as they stepped inside. The doors shut behind them and the elevator began to rise quickly, taking them to the plaza at the top of the Tower.

"Oh, well you see, the Crucible is a battleground for Guardians to test their strengths against other Guardians. It's a place for you to practice and sharpen your skills." Diana explained, receiving a nod from Tobias.

"And this Lord Shaxx guy, who's he again?"

"Lord Shaxx is the Crucible Handler. He oversees all of the matches that take place and rewards Guardians for great performances." Diana Ghost jumped in.

"So my goal is to, look good?"

"Um, that's one way to put it. It's practice more than anything else though." Diana replied.

"Right." Tobias said as the elevator stopped, opening up to the plaza that awaited them. Exiting the elevator, Diana led him back down into the Hall of Guardians that was pretty empty, although it was probably because it was still early in the morning. Diana guided him straight to yet another tall Titan whose face was concealed behind their helmet.

"Lord Shaxx, it's good to see you again." Diana said as they approached him.

"Likewise Diana. I heard that you would be meeting with me today. What can I do for you?" He asked as he turned to face them.

"My friend here, his name is Tobias." Diana began as she motioned to the man beside her. Shaxx gave him a nod which Tobias returned. "He's out of practice, so the Speaker suggested that he get a little practice before returning to field work."

Shaxx took a hard stare at Tobias, sizing him up.

"Well there's a Control match beginning in about a half an hour that has an open spot." Shaxx began, causing Tobias to shrug his shoulders. Practice couldn't hurt, so the sooner he could get into a match, the better.

"It sounds good to me." He replied.

"Hold on." Diana interrupted, receiving the attention of both of them. "The matches this early in the morning are usually filled with the veterans who would rip him apart. Can't you put him in one of them matches around noon with less experienced Guardians?"

"…It's up to him really." Shaxx said after a pause, motioning to Tobias.

"Tobias, are you sure you want to enter a match with the Crucible veterans. They can be ruthless and unforgiving." Diana pointed out.

"Are they strong?" Tobias asked curiously, glancing at Shaxx.

"Certainly. The Guardians in these matches are among the best Guardians you'll find in the City right now." Shaxx replied. Tobias raised his eyebrows a bit as his heartbeat quickened. The prospect of battling a strong opponent made him...excited.

"I want to enter this match then." Tobias stated.

"Tobias, are you sure?" Diana asked him.

"I'm positive." He replied, returning her gaze. Staring directly into his eyes, Diana could see the determination within them. His eyes had been so empty the night before, and yet suddenly they had some life in them again.

"If you say so." Diana said as she stepped back.

"Have you ever been in a Crucible match?" Shaxx asked Tobias.

"Nope."

"In a Control match, the objective is simple. Capture and defend the zones. Defeating the enemy is important, but your score is multiplied based on the number of zones you control. So keep the objective in mind." Shaxx explained.

"Okay." Tobias said with a nod.

"Seeing as the match will start soon, I'll introduce you to your fireteam leader." Shaxx said as he motioned for Tobias to follow him.

"Good luck Tobias." Diana called out as Shaxx and Tobias left them.

The corridor was quiet as Diana and her Ghost were among the few that occupied it.

"Diana, why did you allow him to enter this match." Her Ghost asked.

"Something felt different about him. I think he knows what he's up against." Diana replied.

"What makes you say that?"

"The Speaker said that all he did was fight. Putting him on the battlefield which might be the most familiar thing for him, could be the quickest way for him to start recovering his memories."

"You'll be teamed up with a small clan today so do your best to follow the instructions they give you." Shaxx explained as they came to stop in front of locked door. Their journey to the stadium within the city was shorter than Tobias had expected and rather disappointing. Rather than traveling through the city which he was dying to get a closer look at, they moved through a network of tunnels underneath the city to arrive at their destination.

Shaxx waved his hand in front of a small panel beside the frame of the door which flickered green. The door then opened up revealing a group of five Guardians, four of which were seated around the room while the fifth stood at the center.

"Lord Shaxx." The Guardian at the center of the room exclaimed upon spotting the Crucible Handler. He was a tall Hunter, and the only one that didn't have his helmet on right now. "What brings you here?"

"Arron, I found the last member of your party for this match." Shaxx explained as he stepped into the room. Tobias gulped as he followed Shaxx in, looking around at each of the Guardians who returned his gaze.

"I see." Arron replied as he approached Tobias, extending a hand toward him. "You can call me Arron."

"I'm Tobias."

"Nice to meet you." Arron replied as they shook hands. Arron was a tall fellow with light skin and a messy mop of dark hair on his head.

"He's out of practice, so I trust you'll take good care of him." Shaxx said, receiving a nod from Arron. "Good, now I must return to the balcony. Your match will begin in just a minute."

Shaxx left the room silently, leaving Tobias in the hands of the small group. Tobias glanced around at each of them once again. Three of them were doing some last minute checks on their weapons while the fourth was speaking to his Ghost quietly.

"So Tobias, you're familiar with what to do in a Control match right? Arron asked as he invited Tobias to take a seat.

"Shaxx told me I have to capture and defend the zones." Tobias responded.

"Yup, you got it." Arron replied. "Since you're rusty, you'll stay back and defend whichever zone we spawn by. Only a few people will attempt to capture it, so hopefully a few one on one encounters will help you shake off the rust."

"Got it." Tobias stated as he took a seat, taking out his Proxima Centuri. They were all checking their weapons, and a quick check of his own wouldn't hurt.

"Hmm, what model is that?" Arron exclaimed as he studied the Proxima.

"To be truthful, I don't know. I woke up with it." Tobias said.

"Hmm, can I take a look at it?"

Tobias passed his weapon to Arron who began to look at it from every angle he could think of. He switched it from one hand to another, checking the weight as well.

"It's a little heavy for my liking, but it seems alright. Although I'm pretty sure you can get a better one from the vendors in the Tower." Arron explained. "I'm pretty sure if you meet with one of the representatives from Dead Orbit in the Tower, they can fit you out with a fully automatic scout rifle."

"Maybe I'll look into it after the match." Tobias said with a shrug. He didn't feel like parting ways with this Proxima Centuri, but expanding the number of weapons he could choose from couldn't hurt either.

"The last match just finished Arron." One of the other Guardians called out.

"Alright guys, let's do this!" Arron said as he clapped his hands. "Everyone onto the lift."

Arron motioned to the circular platform near the back of the room. It was raised a few feet, so they each had to take turns helping one another get on. One of Arron's clan members, a Titan, approached him as he watched the group assemble on the platform.

"Did you find out anything about our sixth?" Arron asked quietly as the two of them eyed Tobias as he accepted a hand to pull him up onto the platform.

"I couldn't find anything." The Titan stated, causing Arron to frown just a bit.

"Nothing at all?"

"His name doesn't even come up in the database."

"Hmm, well...I guess we have to wait until the match starts to see if he's any good." Arron stated as he placed a hand on the sensor on the back of his neck to activate his helmet. "Even if he's bad, it shouldn't be too difficult to hide him on the back of the map."

The two of them joined the rest of the team on the platform where Tobias noticed that all of them were looking up at the ceiling.

"Is something wrong?" Tobias asked Arron.

"You'll find out. Just get ready to pose." Arron replied as a portion of the ceiling opened up matching the size of the platform. It was a long tunnel that led up to blinding daylight.

"Pose?" Tobias said before the platform shot upward. "Whoa!"

Unprepared for the sudden movement, Tobias found himself lying on his side as they rose up into the stadium above. As they raced toward the top, the roar of the audience that filled the stadium became louder and louder. The platform came to a stop, and Tobias was still on his side, marveling at the surrounding crowds.

He and Arron's team were now located on a stage directly at the center of the stadium. Seats filled with spectators towered high above them as they applauded the newest competitors. Looking back at Arron's team that stood behind him, they were unaffected by the lift speed. They all stood proudly, waving to the audience that numbered in the thousands.

Arron offered him a hand, helping Tobias back to his feet.

"Thanks."

A few meters away, another portion of the stage opened up, followed closely by a platform filling the open area with another team of six. This would be their opponents.

"I see that our Guardians have arrived." The voice of Lord Shaxx echoed throughout the stadium, causing Tobias to glance around in search of him. On a balcony high in the stands, Shaxx stood with his arms behind his back.

Diana was also in the stands, seated comfortably in one of the many seats that were available near the top. Crucible matches had become incredibly popular among the citizens of the Last City on Earth. The people treated it as a sport, and followed specific Guardian clans that spent a great deal of time in the Crucible, cheering them on whenever they had a match. The matches were broadcast all over the city, and recorded for the Guardians to review on their own time to revisit and revise their battle tactics.

"I still don't think he's properly equipped to take part in a Crucible match of this level." Diana commented with a sigh. Even though Tobias wasn't a brand new Guardian, he certainly didn't seem like a seasoned one either. Nothing about his presence made it seem like he had ever experienced a battle minus that brief fire in his eyes from earlier. The last thing she wanted was for him to be humiliated in a Crucible match on his second day as a Guardian.

"It was his decision, and you never know what could happen." Her Ghost replied as they looked down at Tobias who going through a few last second preparations with his team. Numerous holographic screens began to appear in the stands, providing the audience with all sorts of angles of the Guardians that were participating in the match.

"Let the match commence!" Shaxx declared as all of two fireteam leaders stepped forward, each with their Ghost out. Both Ghosts began to glow softly before casting their Light on the Guardians that belonged to their teams. There was a flash of light, blinding the audience for but a moment. The stage was empty from that point forward as the Guardians were teleported to the location of their match.

Tobias blinked before looking around. The stadium was gone, the people were gone. It was quiet again.

They were inside a building that clearly needed some maintenance. Rusty pipes were protruding from cement walls that had been broken and beaten up, as if a huge battle had taken place here.

"This is Twilight Gap in case you didn't know." Arron said to Tobias.

"Twilight…Gap?" Tobias repeated. That sounded familiar, but nothing came to mind.

"Get ready, the match is about to start." Arron said as he raised the flag pole that he held. Slamming it into the ground, the red banners materialized and hung down as Shaxx's voice resounded through communication system.

"Capture and defend Guardians!" Shaxx stated. Tobias felt his heartbeat quicken as his helmet began updating with his new objective. Three markers showed up on the screen within his helmet which he could assume was the location of the zones that they would be attempting to capture.

"Everyone to C!" Arron called out as he motioned for the team to follow him out of the room that they had been standing in. Exiting the room, Arron led them up a short staircase to another platform where an empty flagpole was waiting for them. There was a white circle surrounding it which they quickly occupied.

Upon completing the capture, a pair of blue banners appeared the pole, signifying that this zone belonged to them.

"Alright everyone, we've run this map a bunch of times so you know what to do. Avoiding moving through open lanes, call out what you see. And Tobias, focus on watching over C point for now." Arron declared as he motioned for two his teammates to join him as he began advance toward B point.

Tobias watched as the team went its separate ways, disappearing into different corridors. Tobias was by himself on C point as he checked his surroundings once again. He took a deep breath as he took a hold of his Proxima. His only duty was to protect this zone.

"We have a Warlock and a Hunter moving in on B!" The call outs started almost immediately.

"Don't worry, we got them."

"Ugh, they're just Blinking everywhere!"

"Damn it, one of them got me with a shotgun. Arron, behind you!"

Watching the feed on his helmet, Tobias could see that the small unit that had gone to B had been handily defeated by the Hunter and Warlock from the Bravo team.

"Get ready Tobias, these guys are aggressive. They're probably headed to C right now for a triple cap!" Arron called out.

"Okay." Tobias said as he tightened his grip on his Proxima. Right on cue, the radar on his helmet began to detect the presence of the opposing team. Taking aim with his rifle, Tobias peered into the room that the Bravo team was advancing from.

For just a moment, Tobias could see a head peek into the room, and he immediately pulled the trigger of his weapon, burying a bullet in the door frame as his attacker quickly returned to their hiding place. A few moment of silence passed as Tobias licked his lips, waiting for his opponent to make their move. The radar in his helmet confirmed that they were still in the next room, but they hadn't moved at all.

"Tobias, are you okay over there?" Arron asked over the comms.

"I got this one guy trapped in the next room." Tobias explained as he kept his sights locked on the doorway. "Is it okay if I move in?"

"Do you think you can handle it?" Arron asked in return.

"Uhh..." Tobias wasn't really sure what he was capable of, but he was curious to find out. And any guidance he would've received from Arron was cut short as their leader of Alpha team became caught up in a gunfight. "I'm going in."

Keeping his weapon raised, Tobias approached the doorway now, checking his radar out of the corner of his eyes. According to his radar, his opponent was in the corner of the room to his left, so Tobias already had an idea of where to look the moment he went in. Leaping into the room, Tobias didn't hesitate to begin firing into the corner of the room where the enemy was located, but it was then that Tobias realized he had put five shots into the wall.

'What the?' Tobias said himself before noticing some movement higher up. He only had a moment to look up to see a Hunter hanging from the ceiling before the Hunter dropped down onto him. Tobias gasped as he the Hunter landed a drop kick on his shoulder, sending him to the floor and without wasting a second the Hunter drew a small jagged knife from the belt on his waist and drove it into Tobias' torso.

Everything went black.

"Yikes, you got jumped Tobias." Arron noted with a snicker.

"Dang." Tobias muttered as he replayed the very short encounter he had with that Hunter, and he quickly realized his mistake. He didn't even consider the possibility of being attacked from above, but everyone was thinking on their feet.

Tobias had to admit that he was rather unnerved though at how quickly that Hunter had acted against him. There wasn't any sort of hesitation in his actions. As soon as Tobias was vulnerable, he went in for the kill. But this was training to defeat the Darkness, so there wasn't any room for hesitation or doubt. It was kill or be killed.

Tobias was placed on his feet in the same spot where they had first been dropped when the match started. C point was close by and fortunately no one was capturing it while he had been away from it.

'I gotta focus more.' Tobais said to himself as he tapped his chest. If he was going to fight the Darkness, he couldn't be such an easy target. He had to react faster, think quicker!

Arriving at zone C, Tobias quickly checked the area and the connecting corridors, but no one was in sight.

"Shoot, he got away! There's a Warlock heading up into the center room. I can funnel him to C point for you Tobias!" Arron called out.

"I'm all over it." Tobias declared as he quickly rushed back to to the zone where his radar lit up. And enemy was approaching!

The Warlock came from the same room the Hunter had been hiding in earlier, but unlike the Hunter, this guy came charging into the recklessly. He didn't even care that he ran directly into Tobias' line of fire. Triggering away, Tobias put three bullets into this Warlock before he suddenly vanished out his field of vision.

'The heck?' Tobias said to himself as he lowered his weapon. For just a split second he got a look at his radar which flashed around him. The Warlock was above him! Panicking, Tobias threw himself to the side, hitting the ground rolling to escape the Warlock who had pulled out his shotgun to attack. The Warlock landed where Tobias had previously been standing, but even while resting on his side, Tobias had taken aim with his Proxima, firing away at the Warlock. But the Warlock escaped entirely, only this time Tobias got to see the whole thing.

The Warlock jumped, clean across the room in an instant. Hitting the wall, he grabbed onto a small ledge to hold himself up before planting his feet on the wall to use it as a springboard. Launching himself toward Tobias now, he warped to Tobias again, closing the distance between them in under a second. Tobias was in shock as the Warlock was now in the air directly above him, taking aim with his shotgun.

There was low whistle as a small blur hit the Warlock in the head, causing him to go completely limp in mid air. Tobias was stupefied by this as the body of the Warlock came crashing down beside him with a heavy thud.

"OH! Throwing knife!" Arron exclaimed as he stood in the doorway where the Warlock had come from, pleased to see that he had caught in time to save Tobias.

"Saw it on the kill feed." One his teammates responded.

"Nice one. Maybe they'll show it in the replays at the end of the match." Another added.

"Thanks." Tobias said as Arron offered him a hand for the second time today, helping him get back on his feet.

"Don't mention it." Arron replied. "That Warlock was spamming Blink, so I figured he might be a handful. Here's a quick tip though, don't stop moving. The moment you stop, they know where they have to be to get you."

Tobias nodded slowly as he digested this information. He had to keep the enemy guessing.

The match went on, and Tobias found himself in a one on one showdown with every member from the opposing team. And every single engagement was different. Arron got a kick out of seeing Tobias fight a Titan for the first time as the bulky Guardian came charging into the zone and bulldozed Tobias with Shoulder Charge. He had been tagged with sticky grenades beaten in pure gunfights as well. But despite all this, Tobias found himself having fun.

Every encounter was a new experience, hopefully something that he would be able to take with him out onto the battlefield. But for right now, Tobias could already see that things were starting to slow down. It was becoming easier to follow the movements of his opponents, and he was able to anticipate their next move.

"They're moving in on B point. Let's hold it down and keep our lead!" Arron announced as two of his teammates arrived at zone B to give him some back up.

"Look out, one of them just popped a Golden Gun!"

"Aww damn, they got me." Arron mumbled as he was first to be gunned down by the flaming weapon. But his disappointed quickly put to rest as he saw on of his teammates Blink to evade being hit, getting behind the Gunslinger who had lost track of him completely. Standing behind the Gunslinger now, it was an easy kill as Arron's teammates stabbed him in the back, bringing his Golden Gun to an abrupt in. "Dude, that was nice."

"What else would you expect from me?"

"No need to get cocky now." Arron responded.

Tobias had been listening to the rest of the fireteam as they spoke to one another through their team channel, allowing him to imagine what was taking place further out on the map. He hadn't left zone C at all, so his encounters weren't as frequent as the rest of the team who had been engaging the enemy in all sorts of situations. They always had something to say, whether they had been beaten or victorious in their gunfights. It was exciting, and he couldn't wait for his next engagement.

"Tobias, that Blink spamming Warlock is headed in your direction again." One of his teammates called out.

"I got this!" Tobias proclaimed with a small smile. He hadn't run into this guy since the beginning of the match, and he was eager to see if he could handle this Warlock now. Unlike last time though, the Warlock entered the room Tobias was in from the floor below using an opening in the floor. But just as Tobias had anticipated, the Warlock was using his shotgun and only trying to get close to him.

Tobias dove to his left to avoid his initial attack, but he stayed on his feet this time as he readied his weapon, taking a few shots at his attacker. The Warlock responded to Tobias' counter attack using Blink to cross the entire room once again. But everything was slower this time. Tobias could see as the Warlock left a faded trail through the air as he teleported across the room allowing him to immediately set his sights on his opponent as he landed on the other side of the room.

Tobias fired away, but the Warlock Blinked again to get back to Tobias who had been expecting this. As the Warlock appeared in the air above him with his shotgun ready, and Tobias dared him to shoot as he entered the range of his weapon. The Warlock fired, but all of the pellets that exited the barrel of the weapon hit the floor as Tobias slid right underneath the Warlock. As soon as his feet touched the floor, the Warlock whirled around to fire at Tobias again, but Tobias was already upright and ready for him.

Slapping down on his shotgun, the Warlock was caught of guard as his weapon was out of position and Tobias was the on the attack. Lashing out with his Proxima, Tobias slammed the weapon int the Warlock's helmet which sent him stumbling away with a shout of pain. Tobias quickly pursued though, raising his right hand which had a purple aura rotating around it. Still shaken from that hit to the head, the Warlock was unable to react in time as Tobias delivered a second blow to his stomach.

Tobias buried his palm into the Warlock's gut, releasing a pulsating blast as soon as he made contact which send the Warlock barreling into the far wall of the room. There was a loud thud as he hit the wall before he came crashing down onto a pile of barrels which tumbled over in response.

"Whew!" Tobias gave a shout as he threw a fist in the air. In the kill feed he saw his same declaring him the victor of this engagement.

"Not bad Tobias!" Arron shouted.

"Yeah, nice one another added.

"Thanks guys." Tobias said with as he clenched his fist. He had finally beaten one of them alone. He was getting better.

"One minute remaining!" Shaxx declared.

"Alright guys, we have a small lead, just hang back." Arron commanded.

"This lead isn't big enough. If they do a group capture at B they'll take the lead!"

"They know that. Five of them are headed for B right now!"

"Does anyone have a super?" Arron asked.

There was a collective no from everyone with the exception of Tobias.

"Do you have your's Tobias?"

"I've been super charged for a while now, whatever that means." He replied tentatively.

"Come over to B, we could use that right now!" Arron said. Glancing back at the Warlock once more, Tobias gave himself a small nod before moving out. This was his chance.

Leaving zone C, Tobias soon found himself entering an open area where he could see the massive fort that their match was taking place on. Twilight Gap was definitely familiar.

"Don't come any closer Tobias, you'll show up on their radar." Arron called out.

"But you're over there." Tobias replied as he studied the Hunter that stood on a small platform that overlooked zone B.

"You can see me because we're on the same team, but I'm actually invisible to the enemy team." Arron explained, receiving a nod from Tobias. "So is your Fist of Havoc ready?"

"Fist of Havoc?" Tobias repeated.

"Yeah, you're super." Arron stated, only to receive silence from Tobias. "Oh shoot, we never even checked what class you are. You're a Defender aren't you?"

"I think so." Tobias replied, receiving a deep sigh from Arron and a collective groan from the rest of the team.

"You're bubble isn't going to help us here."

"Why's that?"

"Well it's more of a defensive super to protect yourself."

"Can't I just, throw it at them?"

Arron deadpanned. What kind of Titan was he? Throw your bubble…Tobias must've been out of his mind right now.

"That's not going to work Tobias." Arron muttered. "You'll just be wasting your su-"

Arron was silenced at the sight of Tobias gaining a slight purple glow around him. He was clearly gathering Void Light, and it was centralized around his right arm where the glow was at its strongest. Taking a deep breath, Tobias recalled what he had done on Diana's ship the day before. In the heat of the moment he had gathered all of the energy he could and pushed it out to protect himself. The end result was a Ward of Dawn.

But what if this time, he concentrated it into one spot?

Tobias felt as though his chest become hot as his right hand began to shine brightly as the power he had called forth was ready for use.

'That's not...a Ward of Dawn.' Arron said slowly as he watched Tobias take a few steps before leaping into the air. Everything happened slowly as Arron watched the scene unfold. Tobias was floating the air, looking down at zone below where the opposing team had gathered, anxiously awaiting for the capture to be completed.

Tobias gave a shout as he thrusted his hand forward, pitching the light that had gathered in his hand down onto the area beneath him. It was small at first, matching the size of his hand, but as it traveled it grew in size until it became a swirling vortex that swallowed up the entire zone and all of the Guardians there. The kill feed erupted from the multi-kill, surprising everyone that was participating and watching. Tobias landed softly on his feet and looked up at the sky, giving a shout of victory, although he was completely unprepared for the response from his team.

"OOOOHHHH!"

The shouting that came through the comm system of his helmet nearly blew out his eardrums. As Tobias turned around to look up at Arron, he was tackled by said Hunter.

"How the heck did you do that?!" Arron exclaimed. "You said you were a Defender Titan!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You threw a Nova Bomb at them! Titans can't do that!" Arron continued as the rest of the team arrived at zone B, showering Tobias with praise and questioning him about the final blow he dealt to the enemy team.

Diana entered the Hall of Guardians, taking a few breaths now that she could slow down a bit. She had witnessed Tobias unleash a Nova Bomb onto the opposing team in the Crucible, and not even a moment after her Ghost informed her that Ikora wanted to meet her. Clearly the Warlock Vanguard had been observing the match as well.

"I'm sure you know why I called you here Diana." Ikora said as she invited Diana to join her over at the center table. Ikora was the only person present in the room at the moment, which was surprising. It wasn't often that the other two Mentors went out.

"I take it you saw Tobias in the Crucible." Diana asked her, getting a nod from Ikora.

"Correct.

"I'm sure you know what I called you here for Diana." Ikora stated as Diana joined her by the long table at the center of the room. "I need you to confirm something for me."

"Sure, what's up?"

"Yesterday you told us he was a Titan, and that he summoned a Ward of Dawn on your ship. I want to see the footage of that." Ikora stated. This was one of the very few times that Ikora was honestly confused. Tobias had come in dressed as a Warlock, but introduced as a Titan. Today he was now equipped with armor like a Titan, but throwing Nova Bombs at other Guardians. Something wasn't adding up here.

"Ghost, can you show it to her?" Diana asked as she raised her hand. Her Ghost materialized above her palm, taking a moment to check its surroundings before projecting the scene that Ikora was anxiously awaiting to see.

"Here it is." Ghost stated. Expanding the size of the hologram, the two Warlocks could clearly see everything that had taken place. Tobias awakened from his slumber, and in his panic he summoned a protective dome around himself, blocking out Diana and her Ghost.

Ikora was speechless, absolutely stunned as she studied the recording. She had never seen anything like this. A Guardian capable of manipulating Light like a Titan as well as a Warlock. Could he wield his Light like a Hunter as well? What was he truly capable of?

"What is he?" Ikora asked softly in bewilderment.

"A hero." A new voice stated, gaining their attention. Ikora and Diana turned to see the Speaker stepping into the room with slow, long strides.

"A hero?" Diana repeated, receiving a nod from the Speaker.

"I had a feeling you would be the first to take note of him Ikora." The Speaker said, earning a narrow stare from her.

"What do you know about him?" Ikora asked him.

"Not too much." The Speaker replied solemnly. "He's been fighting the Darkness for centuries now, since the very beginning."

"Centuries?" Diana exclaimed. He hadn't mentioned any of this yesterday when Tobias was there.

"Yes, centuries. I know it's hard to believe, that's why I didn't tell him yesterday. I didn't want to give him too much information to digest." The Speaker explained.

"You said he was there from the beginning. What do you mean?" Ikora inquired.

"Ah, I was alluding to the fact that Tobias is the first Guardian." He responded.

"Ever?" Diana said with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, Tobias is the first Guardian, ever."

"But that doesn't explain who he's able to manipulate the Light like this." Ikora pointed out.

"Tobias isn't like the other Guardians Ikora. He possesses a Light that knows no bounds. The Radiant Light." The Speaker revealed.

"What's that?"

"It's the Light as its purest and strongest form. He can wield the Light unlike any other Guardian thanks to the Traveler. That is why he is capable of acting as both a Voidwalker and a Defender." The Speaker went on. "But in order to create such a warrior, the Traveler had to make a great sacrifice."

The pair of Warlocks remained silent, waiting for the Speaker to continue.

"The Radiant Light is the very essence of the Traveler. If Tobias were to be killed, the Traveler will die."

Diana was shocked to say the least, and it showed on her face. Ikora on the other hand was still stoic, but needed a few moments to digest this information.

"So, what you're saying is that, the Traveler is, inside of Tobias?" Ikora clarified.

"To an extent, you could say that." The Speaker responded.

"To what extent?" She pressed.

"Tobias had survived the Collapse on Earth. It was a terrifying time, but thanks to the Traveler, mankind had escaped certain doom. But the physical form of the Traveler was dying. It needed a vessel to harbor itself in. "The Speaker went on. "Tobias became that vessel."

"So that's why the Traveler is dormant." Diana noted, receiving a nod from the Speaker.

"Tobias had been blessed with the Light, turning him into an incredible warrior. Sadly, without his memory, he is nothing more than a hollow shell of himself." The Speaker continued. "I want to see to it that he is well trained so that he returns to the standard he previously had for himself."

"I definitely want to see that." Diana said eagerly. Looking up in thought, Diana tried to imagine seeing a Guardian use wielding the Light in any way, shape or form. That would certainly be a sight to see.

"We'll make it happen." Ikora replied.

"I'm entrusting him to you then." The Speaker said. "I have a feeling that Tobias will be able to tip the scales of this battle against the Darkness in our favor."

Diana was surprised that the Speaker could make such a bold statement. It had been a while since Crota had been defeated, and they were constantly bringing in new Guardians. But none of them had snatched up the attention of both the Speaker and a Vanguard Mentor the way Tobias had. This was going to be…legendary.

The Speaker gave them a wave as he left, causing a silence to set in as Ikora and Diana took their time to think about Tobias.

Ikora's expression though became hard as she looked toward the corridor that the Speaker had left through. A hollow shell…it seemed rather odd for the Speaker to call Tobias that.

The Speaker was recognized as the voice of the Traveler. Yet the Traveler that floated about the City was nothing more than a hollow shell if it lived inside of Tobias.

So then, who was the Speaker speaking for…?

A/N

Alright, now we're just getting started. We're just scratching the surface of what I'm planning to do, so bear with me. There's a lot of stuff I want to develop properly because I want this to be great!

I'm sure you're wondering what to think of Tobias, so all I can say is wait and see. As I said before, this is just the beginning of what I hope will be an incredible Destiny tale.

I had to sneak in some Crucible before things get serious. This is from the old meta though where Thorn, Last Word and Hawkmoon reigned supreme. After playing through the three weapon metas in the Crucible ( Suros era, TLW, Thorn and Hawkmoon era, and now the Pulse Rifle era ) I have to say that right now, the Crucible isn't half bad. Not nearly as toxic when the hand cannon trio were running wild. I must say that I'm interested in the December weapon tuning since they're destroying shotguns. Can't wait to see how the players adjust like we always do.

Things will start to heat up in the next chapter, so let's go!

Please leave your thoughts, concerns or, whatever! :)