Chapter 3
Tower
Plaza
A pair of maintenance workers were seated on the upper level of the main plaza within the Tower, quietly partaking in the meals they had brought for lunch.
"Oh man, you've gotta be kidding me!"
"What's the matter?"
"Check out this highlight from a Crucible match this morning." He said, passing his data pad to his partner for him to see. The replay showed Tobias hurling a Nova Bomb down onto five members of the opposing team, wiping them out to win the game.
"Whoa, that was a nice multi." His friend replied, earning a sigh from him.
"Take a closer look at it."
"Hmm...wait a sec, isn't that a Titan?"
"Mhmm."
"But I thought something like this was impossible."
"I guess not, but either way, that's freakin' awesome."
Word had spread quickly around the Tower about the Titan that had thrown a Nova Bomb during a Crucible match earlier in the day. Everyone was watching the replays, trying to understand if this Titan was really just a Warlock masquerading around as a Titan, or if something truly amazing had just taken place. If it was the latter, then he was an anomaly among the Guardian. Each class had their own abilities. No one had ever been capable of using the abilities of other classes, no matter how skilled they were.
Diana chuckled a bit as she looked upward at the two maintenance workers above her that were animatedly discussing what else Tobias might be able to do. This made Diana think about the replay she had finished examining with Ikora not to long ago. She could recall seeing Tobias howl at the sky, his arms out stretched and his head thrown back. A chill went down her spine at the thought of Tobias performing feats on the battlefield that no one had ever seen before.
She knew nothing about him, but she determined to know more. This man could truly be something special.
"Are you serious?" Arron exclaimed, disappointed with the news Diana had just shared with him. "He can't stay for just like, one more match?"
"No can do. Ikora wants to meet with him. If you really want him to stay you can try talking to her." Diana suggested with a bit of a smirk as Arron quickly dropped the subject. There was no changing Ikora's mind once it was set on something.
"Well, duty calls I suppose." Arron said as he and his team focused on Tobias who as he joined Diana at the entrance to their room. "If you ever get an urge to training in the Crucible, feel free to call us. We definitely wouldn't mind teaming up with you again."
"Thanks, I might take you up on that offer." Tobias replied as they shook hands.
"Don't be a stranger now, come back soon!" Arron called out as Tobias and Diana left the group in their room to prepare for their next match. The two of them walked in silence down the corridor while Diana's Ghost inspected Tobias closely, scanning various parts of him as if it was searching for something.
"Can I help you?" Tobias asked as he shooed away Diana's Ghost.
"No, everything's just fine." It replied simply, getting a shrug from Tobias as he followed Diana. The news they had received from the Speaker had cleared a lot of the suspicions Diana's Ghost had about Tobias. From the moment they had gotten close to Tobias, Diana's Ghost could sense a distinct difference in Tobias' Light compared to that of other Guardians. It was stronger...brighter!
"So Tobias, have you remembered anything since yesterday?" Diana asked curiously, causing Tobias to look up in thought.
"Well actually during that Crucible match I was just in, when I went further into the building we were fighting in, it kind of felt like I had been there already." Tobias responded, peaking their interest.
"Have you ever heard of the Battle of Twilight Gap?" Ghost asked him, causing Tobias to shake his head.
"Arron mentioned Twilight Gap as well, but we didn't get to talk about it at all. It does sound familiar though, but I can't tie it to anything." Tobias explained as he shrugged his shoulders. "Can you tell me what happened there?"
Diana glanced at her Ghost, watching as it shared the tale of the great battle that took place just beyond the perimeter of the Last City. It explained how the Fallen Houses had united to launch an incredible offensive strike against humanity's last sanctuary.
'He's been fighting the Darkness for centuries.' Diana recalled what the Speaker had shared with them earlier. If Tobias had indeed been alive for hundreds of years, it's quite possible that he may have been in the Battle of Twilight Gap. Or at the very least he should know about it.
Diana took a moment to imagine Tobias fighting in the Battle of Twilight Gap, but this proved to be more difficult than she had thought. If he had his memory, then she was certain that he would have been unleashing his full arsenal of abilities onto the Fallen, crushing whatever foes stood in his path. But if Tobias was a powerful as the Speaker was implying, possessing a Light that had no boundaries, then that meant that whoever hit him hard enough to make him lose his memory was incredibly strong as well. There was a dangerous foe lurking.
"Diana, I think I broke your friend." Tobias asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"What?" She asked, turning around to see that she had left Tobias and her Ghost further down the corridor. Her Ghost was frozen in the air with its shell split apart. "Oh, don't worry. Ghost picked up on a broadcast. Just give it a moment."
The small done hovered silently for a few moments before its shell closed up around its core once again. Its small optics seemed to blink a few times as it looked around.
"Diana, I just got a message from Briggs." Her Ghost began as it quickly flew over to her.
"It's about time he responded." Diana muttered as she rolled her eyes. "What does he want?"
"It's actually a recording of a broadcast." Ghost stated. "It's short, but I'll play it back for you."
Ghost began to broadcast the recording of a voice that was all too familiar to Diana. A voice she hadn't heard in quite a bit of time.
"Attention all Guardians, this is Petra Venj of the Awoken Royal Guard. Multiple bounties have been issued on key Fallen targets of the House of the Wolves." A woman announced. "The Reef is now open to you!"
"What's going on?" Tobias asked with a wrinkled forehead. Diana remained silent at the mention of the Reef, the place she had been raised in. She could remember vividly the last time she had been there.
Diana stumbled forward, managing to catch herself before she fell to the floor before glancing over her shoulder. She gave the Paladin behind her a dark stare for the shove forward she had just received, but she knew that her treatment was going to be rotten regardless of their audience. Even if this audience consisted of Mara Sov, Queen of the Awoken. The teal skinned beauty remained seated on her throne, leaning back comfortably with one leg crossed over the other. Behind her stood a pair of tall Vandals, each of them giving Diana a narrow stare through their four eyes.
Diana lowered her head, unable to look at the Queen as she kneeled down. She already knew what she was here for, and she was more than prepared to accept the consequences.
"Well Diana, I had hoped it wouldn't come to this." Mara said softly as the Paladin shackled Diana's hands together behind her back.
"My Queen, you're making a mistake." Diana stated, refusing to look at the woman.
"I think I have the situation under control." Mara replied as she motioned to the pair of Vandals that stood beside her, ready to take on any task she could give them.
"You weren't there on Amethyst." Diana said in a hushed voice. "You didn't see them as they murdered your people."
Mara raised an eyebrow at this as she leaned forward a bit in her seat.
"They cannot be trusted." Diana raised her voice as she looked the pair of Vandals. "This decision will surely come back to haunt you!"
"Enough Diana. You're punishment has already been determined. You've been exiled from the Reef." The Queen declared. This statement echoed within Diana's head.
"So it finally happened." Diana mumbled as she ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. "And of course they come running to us for help…"
"Have you heard of the Awoken, Tobias?" Ghost asked as it looked toward him.
The Awoken...Tobias blinked at the mention of that name as a variety of images flashed through his mind. Space stations floating among the remains of a shatter space fleet. Teal skinned women dressed in black. Cloaked figures standing around a small hub.
"They're like Diana right?" Tobias asked, receiving a nod from her Ghost. "And they live out, well, out in space?"
"Have you been to the Reef?" Her Ghost asked curiously.
"The Reef? I'm not really sure..." He replied.
"Well that's no big deal. What you need to know is that the Queen of the Awoken had taken control of a Fallen House some time ago. It was the House of Wolves, the same House they fought during the Reef Wars. It seemed as though the Wolves had accepted her as their Kell, but it looks like they've turned against the Awoken now." Ghost explained.
"I knew this was going to happen…" Diana muttered as she clapped both her hands in front of her face with a deep sigh.
"What's the matter?" Tobias asked as Diana turned away from him.
"Before Diana became a Guardian, she lived in the Reef among the Awoken. But after the Reef Wa-" Ghost began.
"Can it!" Diana snapped at her Ghost, silencing it. Tobias raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, but we don't need to bring that up right now. Did Iggy say when he'd be arriving at the Tower?"
"Iggy?" Tobias repeated as he glanced at Ghost.
"Briggs-6. He's an Exo and the leader of the fireteam Diana is a member of." Ghost replied to Tobias before turning to Diana. "And he's on his way. He was among the first few to hear this broadcast and went straight to Reef to meet with Petra Venj. When he gets here he wants to meet with you and Nikolai to start planning."
"Do you know where Niko is?" Diana asked as she motioned for Tobias to follow her as they continued their trip back to the Tower.
"He's waiting for us at the Tower. The same message from Briggs was sent to him as well." Ghost replied.
"Good, let's get going then."
"Wait, who's Niko and Nikolai?" Tobias asked.
"They're the same person first of all." Diana began. "I just call him Niko for short. He's the Hunter and another member of our fireteam. You'll meet him in a few minutes.
The Tower was more active than it had been in months. Guardians were rushing to and from their Vaults, gathering their best weapons and gear as they prepared for some extended field activity. Things had been quiet since the war against Crota had ended and it wasn't a necessity for them to be outside of the City for extended periods of time, but with the sudden appearance of the House of Wolves, everyone was prepping for the worst.
Tobias though, didn't seem to notice the hustle and bustle within the Tower plaza as he looked up at Niko with wide eyes. The man had to be at least seven tall, towering over him and Diana. He was huge!
"It's a pleasure to meet you Tobias. You may call me Nikolai Kostas." He bellowed as he shook Tobias' hand, squeezing the life out of it. Niko was a tan skinned man with rugged facial features and a thick beard. His hair was long and unruly, tumbling down to his shoulders. "So is there any reason you're masquerading as a Titan even though you're a Voidwalker?"
Tobias only tilted his head in reply.
"What are you talking about?" He asked in a deadpan, causing Niko to glance at Diana.
"This is pretty much his first day as a Guardian, I haven't had a chance to explain much to him." Diana explained, receiving a nod of understanding from Niko. "I was hoping we could find Ikora before we head out."
As if hearing the mention of her name, the Warlock Vanguard came rushing out of the staircase that led to the Hall of Guardians. Diana wasted no time waving her over.
"I was just looking for you Diana. I saw the message you sent me." Ikora said as she approached them. "What's the matter?"
"I'm assuming you heard the broadcast from the Reef?" Diana asked her.
"Of course."
"We're about to mobilize, so do you have a plan in place for Tobias?" Diana asked her as she motioned toward the Guardian that was quietly listening on.
"I think he's in good hands." Ikora replied with a neutral expression, causing Diana to purse her lips for a moment.
"Wait, you don't mean…?" Diana began, getting a nod from Ikora.
"Yup, from this day forward, Tobias is a member of Undaunted." Ikora declared, causing Tobias to raise his eyebrows as he looked toward Niko. The Hunter gave him a wide grin in response.
"But, at a time like this, a brand new Guardian like him shouldn't be a part of our fireteam." Diana reasoned. "We're about to engage a Fallen House. At the very least this can wait until after this whole mess blows over. He'd be safer with the Mentors than with us."
"All of the Mentors, including myself, will be joining the other Guardians out on the field. The Wolves have scattered to Earth, our Moon, and Venus. Each of us has been assigned to each battlefield." Ikora explained. "Cayde and Zavala have already left, and I have a team waiting for me in the Cosmodrome."
"So he can't stay with you guys. But don't you think he should stain the City. The House of Wolves is incredibly dangerous. Putting him out there against them will just get him slaughtered." Diana said pointedly.
"Hurt-ful." Tobias said softly with raised eyebrows.
"Yeah, hurtful!" Niko added, causing Diana to roll her eyes at her teammate's antics.
"He's already proven that he's capable fighter Diana." Ikora began.
"The Crucible is completely different from being out there in the wild." Diana exclaimed, interrupting Ikora. "There's no intent to kill in the Crucible, but the House of Wolves is more than ready to kill anything that stands in their way."
"Diana." Ikora said sternly, silencing her rant. "This isn't something we're going to discuss. You are aware of the situation surrounding Tobias, that is why I'm entrusting him to you and your teammates. You all will act as his mentors."
Diana sighed as she folded her arms in front of her chest, still a bit ill tempered.
"I understand that this incident involving the Wolves is something that hurts you deeply, but we must concentrate on the bigger picture. Tobias is a special case and we must make sure that he is redeveloped into the Guardian he once was." Ikora stated, peaking Niko's interest as he took another look at Tobias.
"Ikora, your ship is ready and waiting." Her Ghost called out as it took shape beside her.
"I don't have any more time right now Diana. But once things calm down we'll discuss a proper plan for Tobias. But for right now you've received you task. Please take care of it with great care Diana." Ikora said before she left them, heading for the Hanger.
"It it's too much of a bother for you guys, I could always hang around her until you all get back." Tobias offered, breaking the silence that had set in.
"It's not a problem for us. It's just that we're going after the House of Wolves, a vicious and ruthless band of Fallen who have their own agenda. The experience could be valuable, but the chances of you being killed are incredibly high. I don't think you should be exposed to that kind of danger just yet." Diana explained, causing Niko to laugh out loud.
"This is coming from the savage girl who took out an Archon on her first day working for the Vanguard." Niko bellowed, causing Diana to blush.
"What do you mean savage?!" She exclaimed.
"I think Tobias will be just fine." Niko replied as he slapped Tobias on the back. "I happen to like our cross-dressing Warlock!"
Diana deadpanned as Tobias gave Niko a look of confusion.
"Cross dressing?" Diana said as she looked at him expectantly.
"Yeah, he was wearing one of those Warlock dresses when you found him right, or at least that's what you're report said." Niko replied.
"For the last time Niko, they're robes!" Diana hollered at him. "And besides, at least we don't run around wearing a stupid cape like you Hunters!"
"Oh, you know you're stepping on a minefield with that one." Niko said replied before both of their Ghosts took shape beside them.
"Ahem, with the current situation I don't think we have time to be arguing over your accessories." Diana's Ghost pointed out, earning a sharp stare from both Niko and Diana.
"Accessories?!" They exclaimed together.
"Not a good choice of words." Niko's Ghost whispered to Diana's who sighed.
"Hey, if I'm going to kick ass I might as well look damn good while I'm doing it!" Niko shouted at their Ghosts.
"Yeah, what he said!" Diana added.
"But I definitely wouldn't be caught dead wearing a stupid Warlock dress." Niko said, earning an elbow from Diana.
"Just so you guys know, Briggs is already in the hanger waiting for you all on his ship." Niko's Ghost pointed out.
"And he doesn't sound very patient at the moment." Diana Ghost said, causing the two of them took take a breath before turning back to Tobias.
"Sorry about that Tobias." Niko said to him.
"No time to waste though guys. Let's get moving!" Diana declared as she dashed off toward the hanger.
Approaching the ship that was waiting for them on one of the landing pads, a small ramp had been lowered from the base of the ship that led up into the main chamber of the vessel. Waiting at the top of the ramp was man that was just as tall as Niko, but clad in bulky armor like Tobias. He was clearly a Titan.
"That, is Briggs-6." Diana's Ghost said to Tobias as he looked up at the robotic humanoid. His eyes were a piercing red, matching the color of his facial plating.
"Whoa." Tobias said as the Titan invited the group of three up into his ship.
"And with that, you've now met all of the members of Undaunted." Ghost noted, earning a confused expression from Tobias.
"Undaunted? What's that?" He asked.
"That's the name of their fireteam, although they're not actually responsible for it. The Future War Cult had dubbed them that for taking on any task even with the greatest of odds stacked against them." Ghost explained, causing Tobias to raise his brow.
"Wow, what'd they do?"
"Well they first received the name when they agreed to into the Black Garden and destroy its heart. And it really caught on when they went down into the Hellmouth to fight Crota." Ghost continued. "They'll take any mission really."
Tobias held quite a bit of admiration for this trio as he stared at the three of them now. They took on any challenge. He liked that.
"Iggy, why didn't you respond to any of my messages?" Diana asked as they all stood in the central chamber of the air craft, a large cabin with multiple seats for transport as many as five fireteams.
"I apologize for that. But once I arrived in the Reef I was under constant supervision from the Awoken. The last thing I want to do was stir up some trouble trying to contact you guys." He explained, causing Diana to roll her eyes. Even when they were requesting help, the Awoken were still incredibly skeptical of outsiders.
"They can't relax even when someone is trying to help them." Diana mumbled as they all took their seats, allowing Briggs' Ghost to bring up the ramp, sealing the exits of the ship to begin their departure.
"So, who's this?" Briggs asked as his gaze settled on Tobias. Inhaling sharply, Tobias remained still as the Briggs examined him closely with his optics. The Titan didn't even blink as he sized up Tobias, not that he needed too.
"This is Tobias." Diana began as she introduced him. He gave Briggs a small wave which went ignored by the Exo. "His past is a bit of a mystery. Only the Speaker knows anything about him, but apparently he's been a Guardian for centuries. But he lost his memory recently its looks like, so Ikora tasked us with retraining him."
"I see. So I'm assuming you're capable of at least providing us with support in our upcoming battles?" Briggs asked him, still starting at Tobias. Diana looked toward Tobias as well, recalling the focus she had seen in his eyes just before he had gone into his Crucible match. She had doubted him this morning, and he had proved her wrong. It seemed likely that he would do that again if she persisted.
"I think he can." Diana stated, getting a nod from Briggs.
"I'll take your word for it." He replied.
"So what's the situation with the Wolves." Niko asked as they strapped themselves to their seats. With Briggs' Ghost acting as the pilot, the ship rose from its landing pad and darted out into the skies above the Last City before swerving off to begin its trip to the Russian Cosmodrome.
"I'll start from the beginning to bring our newest member up to speed." Briggs said as he focused on Tobias now. "The Fallen are a race of vagabonds that have taken up residence in our system. They're broken into various Houses, such the House of Wolves who we are now hunting. The House of Wolves had been defeated by the Awoken in the Reef Wars and became subject to the Queen. She had control over a fair portion of the House and those that didn't submit to her were sent to the Prison of Elders. It seems as though the Wolves had been scheming all along though, integrating themselves into the Awoken society to the point where they were among the Royal Guard, waiting for an opportunity to assassinate the Queen and free those that had been placed in the Prison of Elders."
"What about the assassination? It failed right?" Diana asked curiously, receiving a nod from Briggs.
"Indeed. The Queen still stands, but her Royal Guard has fallen. Not only that, but Skolas has been freed from the prison of Elders. According to Petra Venj, Skolas appointed himself as the Kell of the Wolves as they fled from the Reef." Briggs continued.
"So do we have any idea what they are planning?" Niko inquired.
"No at the moment. It appears as though they were only focused on obtaining freedom." Briggs explained. "After scattering from the Reef they've gone into hiding on the Earth, Earth's Moon as well as Venus. For now the assignment from the Vanguard is to scout out different areas and eliminate any stragglers we find."
"I figured as much." Diana commented.
"So where are we headed?" Niko asked.
"The Forgotten Shore. Numerous reports came in today about an increase in Fallen activity. Likely in response to the presence of the Wolves. So we're going to start our hunt there." Briggs responded. "We'll be arriving within the hour, so get your weapons ready."
"And uh, what should I be doing?" Tobias asked he leaned forward in his seat a bit.
"I'm under the impression that you're a Titan, so it seems I'll be responsible for you training." Briggs began.
"Wait, I saw that video where you threw a Nova Bomb. Aren't you a Voidwalker?" Niko cut in, surprising Briggs.
"A Voidwalker?" Briggs repeated before motioning to the gear Tobias was wearing. "Take a look at the gear he's wearing."
"I'm not blind. But like I said, there was a recording of him in the Crucible this morning where he threw a Nova Bomb!" Niko pointed out, causing Briggs to set his gaze on Tobias, waiting for an explanation.
"Calm down you two, I'll explain everything." Diana interjected before the two of them could go any further. "Tobias isn't a Warlock, or a Titan."
"What, are you going to say he's a Hunter?" Niko asked with a chuckle.
"Well actually, you could say that he's all of them." Diana stated, leaving her two teammates dumbfounded.
"What do you mean, 'all of them'?" Briggs asked as he now studied Tobias extensively.
"The reason he's dressed like a Titan is because he summoned a Ward of Dawn when I first met him. Then in the Crucible today he threw a Nova Bomb." Diana explained, scratching her own head since it sounded so strange to say this.
"How is that even possible? No one has ever been able to channel Light across different classes." Niko noted.
"Well the Speaker said that Tobias possess a special form of the Light. It doesn't have any limitations, so basically he can channel any type of Light, any way he wants too." Diana stated, leaving them stunned at the thought. "But we can go over this more later on. Right now, we should be focusing on the Wolves."
"Agreed." Briggs said with a nod. "But if you truly are capable of wielding any Light, we should split his training between the three of us."
"That sounds good to me. I always wanted another Hunter on this team. And I'll make sure you don't end up in one of those Warlock dresses." Niko said to him with a toothy grin.
"Oh shut it Niko." Diana said to him.
"Guardian." Briggs said, getting Tobias' attention. "We'll do everything in our power to help you improve, but you have to learn quickly. Whatever your learn now will likely be the key for you to survive our battle with the House of Wolves."
Tobais gulped audibly as his heart rate quickened. In the span of one morning everything had changed drastically. Just a few hours ago he had been a practice match, just to get his feet wet as a Guardian. Now all of a sudden he was being deployed with the Guardians to combat the House of Wolves. Wringing his hands together, Tobias couldn't hold back a small smile from forming on his face.
For some odd reason, he couldn't wait.
Cosmodrome
Forgotten Shore
"Tobias, you probably don't know this. But this is the place where I found you." Diana informed Tobias as the two of them stood on the rocky coastline, admiring the expansive sea in front of them. "Have you managed to remember how you got here, or at least what you were doing before?"
Tobias looked around, hoping that his surroundings would trigger something. But his mind was still blank. How did he end up here? What happened before he ended up on the Forgotten Shore?
Once again he saw himself in a dark fog, his scout rifle raised as he gunned down a group of green eyed foes. He was by himself. No back up. Completely alone.
But why was he there?
"I'm still not really sure." Tobias said as he shook his head. "The only thing I can remember is me shooting at something."
"Do you do know what it is?" Diana pressed, eager to know what enemy could challenge Tobias.
"I don't know. It's really foggy." He replied after a pause.
"Don't worry about it. It'll come back with time." Diana said to him, giving him a pat on the back for reassurance. "For now, I think we should get a jump on your training."
"Right." Tobias said with a nod of agreement.
"Rock, paper, scissors…shoot!" Niko said as he, Diana and Briggs thrusted a hand forward. "Hah, rock beats scissors Diana!"
Diana deadpanned as she stared at her hand, regretting her choice immediately. Both Briggs and Niko had selected rock, making her the loser and she would be the first to oversee Tobias' training.
"No fair, best two out of three!" She said as she looked up, but both of her teammates were long gone already.
"So Tobias, are you familiar with the Light?" Diana asked him.
"Uhh, I don't think familiar is the best word for it. I can feel it if that makes any sense." He replied.
"That's good. But do you understand how to us it, or, manipulate it?" She went on.
"What do you mean?"
"Well the Light is more than just something that exists. For Guardians who were raised with the Light, we're capable of manipulating it to fight the enemies that threaten the Traveler." Diana explained.
"Oh, so it's like a kind of energy."
"That's one way to put it." Diana said with pursed lips as tried to think of how best to describe this to him. "Like, what did you feel when you threw that Nova Bomb in the Crucible this morning?"
"Umm, it was kind of like a surge. Although, I was kind of copying what I had done when I was on your ship. When Aaron said we need something to wipe out the enemy team, I figured we needed something with a bang." Tobias explained, although he wasn't really sure what he was trying to describe for her.
"Wow, are you serious?!" Diana exclaimed, surprising him.
"What's the matter?"
"No, that's just amazing! You're more of a Warlock than any of us gave you credit for." Diana said. "You see, Guardians are separated into classes. Hunters, Titans and Warlocks. Each of us wield the Light different, for example, Hunters use the Light to create and enhance weapons. Titans use the Light to empower themselves physically."
Tobias nodded slowly, trying to keep up with all of this information.
"Warlocks bend and shape the Light with their imagination." Diana said as she raised her hand up a bit, opening up her palm where a small lavender sphere took shape of her hand. Small trails of light began to circle around, tracing circles around it before Diana waved off her small creation. "Unlike Hunters and Titans, Warlocks can draw power from their surroundings. That's why I was asking you if you understand how to manipulate the Light."
"Well every time I've done something so far, it felt like I was powered up from…inside me." Tobias replied as he placed a hand on his chest. He could sense the Light around him, but he hadn't tried to use it or do anything with it.
"Huh, that's interesting." Diana noted, but she shrugged off the thought for now. "Let's give it a go and see what happens."
"Alright, so what do you want me to do?" Tobias asked her.
"Well hold on, there's more to it. There are three types of Light that you can channel and or manipulate, that we know of at the moment. All Guardians are capable of using all three types, we're just not efficient at putting all of them to use yet." Diana explained, getting a slow nod from Tobias. "As a Voidwalker, I gather Void Light from the Void."
"Wait, what's the Void?" Tobias interjected with the mention 'void' so many times in one sentence.
"We don't have clear proof yet, but it's believed to be a realm that hovers between imagination and reality. Warlocks have been studying it for I don't know how long, but outside of that, they've only been able to determine that there is like, a ton, of potential energy in there. That's where we draw Void Light from." Diana replied. "Other than that, the Void is still a mystery to us. When you're manipulating Void Light, it responds and reacts to your imagination. That's why I was saying you're more of a Warlock. You're clearly capable of shaping the Light as you see fit."
"Wow, thanks." Tobias said for the compliment, if it was a compliment. Clearly he had a lot to learn though.
"Moving on though, there's still Arc Light, which you could think of as kinetic energy. It's always in motion around you. Solar Light is just like thermal energy." Diana continued.
"So is Solar Light stronger during the day, or if you're closer to the sun?" Tobias inquired.
"Most Warlocks aren't actually allowed to use Solar Light, so I don't know if that's true." Diana replied, peaking Tobias' curiosity.
"I thought you said everyone could use any kind of Light. Why can't you use Solar?"
"That's a whole different issue that's tied to one of the Warlock Orders. I don't want to bore you with the details." Diana replied as she waved off the subject. "For now though, let's focus on using Void Light."
"O-kay. Sounds good to me." Tobias said as the two of them moved closer to the rocky shoreline.
"Since you've already used a Nova Bomb during your match this morning, let's see if you can do it again." Diana suggested as she took some distance from Tobias. "Remember, Void Light responds to how you want to shape it. Don't be afraid to try something."
"Right." Tobias said as he looked down at his right hand, opening and closing his fingers a few times as if to warm them up.
Recalling what he had done this morning in the Crucible, Tobias felt his chest begin to warm up again just like it had this morning. Then he centered it into his hand once again which he cocked backward. Diana smiled a bit at the sight of his hand becoming engulfed in Void Light, pleased that he was making such progress on just his first attempt.
Looking out at the horizon of the sea, Tobias wanted to see just how far this thing could go. Thrusting his hand forward again, the Void Light erupted from his palm, skating across the surface of the water. It traveled out quite a distance before it detonated, sending out ripples through the water for a few moments.
"Awesome, you did a Lance already!" Diana exclaimed as she dashed over to him, congratulating him on his handy work.
"A Lance?" Tobias repeated.
"The Nova Bomb doesn't have too much air time. But a few decades ago Voidwalkers developed the Lance. By adjusting where we centralize the Void Light in a Nova Bomb, it can travel longer distances." Diana explained.
"Oh, that's pretty cool."
"The Nova Bomb is easily the coolest ability developed by Voidwalkers. Like I said earlier, Void Light responds to how you want to shape it, so there's endless possibilities for how you can use the Nova Bomb and a few other abilities as well." Diana said before Tobias raised a hand to stop her.
"Hold on. In the Crucible this morning, there was a Warlock that was like, teleporting everywhere. I think they called it Blink." Tobias said as he looked up in thought.
"Yeah, that's it."
"Teach me that." He stated, surprising Diana.
"W-Well sure." She replied with a bit of a chuckle. "Although, I'm warning you now, it's not that easy."
"It doesn't matter to me whether it's easy or not. I need to start improving." Tobias stated as he recalled what Briggs had said earlier. His survival was dependent on how much he learned. He needed to expand his arsenal right now.
Diana though bit down on her bottom lip. Tobias had made quick work on Nova Bomb. It had taken her days before she could use that ability even remotely well, yet Tobias was throwing them around with ease. If he breezed through Blink as well then Diana knew for sure that Tobias was destined for greatness.
"So how do I actually use Blink?" Tobias asked her, ready to learn.
"First off, don't tell Niko this, but while Hunters developed Blink, Warlocks are the masters of it." Diana began, getting a snort from Tobias. "You could say that both classes created their own kind of Blink, and while a Warlock's Blink is more effective, it's also more dangerous."
"What makes it more dangerous?"
"For a Warlock to Blink, we enter and exit the Void to travel short distances. That's why visualization is the key. If you can't think of where you're going to be, you can get lost in the Void?"
"And what happens if I get lost in there?"
"Let's just say I'd prefer if that didn't happen." Diana responded almost cheekily.
"Okay then, so how do I get in and out of the Void?" Tobias asked her, waiting for some clarification.
"Well I'll demonstrate once so that you can see it for yourself up close." Diana said as took a few steps back. She took in a quick breath before she jumped into the air, crossing her arms in front of her. For just a split second, Tobias could see a small seam open up in the air which Diana had disappeared into. She was gone, but only for a moment. She reappeared in the air several meters away from him, coming down softly on her feet with her cloak fluttering gently.
"Did you see it?" She asked him as she came back over to him.
"Yeah, I think so. That little split in the air right?" Tobias said, receiving a nod from her.
"Yup, that's it. I know I've said this a thousand times by now, but Void Light bends to your will. But when you're using Blink, my suggestion is to think of Void Light as a doorway." Diana explained for him, getting nod of thanks from Tobias for this tip.
'A doorway.' He said to himself as he mimicked everything that he had seen Diana do. But in the end Tobias found himself resting on his bottom, surprised that he had hit the ground again so soon.
Diana stifled a laugh at the sight of Tobias falling down. It was obvious that he was expecting to be higher in the air, or somewhere else altogether, so he was hitting the ground far sooner than he had been planning on.
"Here Tobias, let me demonstrate for you again." Diana offered now that Tobias had fallen flat on his face a few times.
"Diana, you'll have to put that on hold." Her Ghost called out as it materialized beside her.
"What's the problem?" She asked.
"Briggs located a Fallen Skiff further up the coastline. He's been watching it for a while now and he's reported that activity is starting to pick up around it." Ghost explained.
"Does he intend to engage them?"
"With the increased activity, he wants to see if he can stir up the Wolves by attacking this Skiff. So he wants us to gather together just in case they have a large force assembled there."
"Awesome, get my Sparrow for me please." Diana stated. The land craft quickly formed in front of her, which she jumped onto, rolling the handles to rev the engine. "Come on Tobias, let's get on the move. Iggy is getting ready to attack."
'An attack?' He said to himself as he took a seat behind Diana on her Sparrow. Now things were starting to get exciting! Receiving the coordinates from her Ghost, Diana took off at full speed, racing toward Briggs' location.
"Whoa, look at them." Niko commented as he studied the Skiff that hovered close to the ground, delicately placed within a small divide. There were multiple squadrons of Fallen foot soldiers around the Skiff, scouting the area to ensure that nothing was approaching them.
He and Briggs were perched on top of a cliff overlooking the shoreline, well outside of the area that was being patrolled by the Wolves.
"There's definitely more Skiffs around here. There are too many grunts down there for there to be only one transport in the area." Briggs explained, getting a nod from Niko.
"So what do you think they're doing?" Niko asked him.
"They haven't been free for too long. They might be waiting on some orders from the Skolas, or any of the survivors leaders of the House." Briggs replied. "But if they were to come under attack, I'm sure they'll retaliate and expose themselves."
"So once Diana gets here there's going to be fireworks huh?" Niko asked as he glanced at his commander with a smirk.
"There's a definite possibility." Briggs replied. And right on cue, the two of them turned around the sound of an approaching Sparrow.
"I hope we didn't keep you guys waiting." Diana said as she came to a stop beside them, allowing both her and Tobias to jump off of the Sparrow which vanished once there was no driver on it.
"Niko, run the plan by them." Briggs stated as he went down on one knee, calling for his Ghost.
"O-kay. We're gonna blow that Skiff." Niko said as he pointed out their target for the two of them. "Anything that moves after that…kill it."
Tobias felt a chill as he spotted the Skiff, the visor on his helmet zooming in for him to get a closer look. He had seen this ship before…but he couldn't recall where.
"Oh man, I can't believe he's going to use it." Diana exclaimed, gaining Tobias' attention. Turning to look at her, he found the Warlock practically looming over Briggs along with Niko as they stared at the weapon mounted on his shoulder.
"Whoa, what the heck is that?" Tobias exclaimed as he got a good look at the rocket launcher for himself. It was beautifully crafted, with lions head and wings carved in gold.
"Gjallarhorn." Diana said to him as she, Niko and Tobias admired the weapon.
"It was created after the Battle of Twilight Gap." Niko added before he was shushed by Diana. With the silence setting in, they all could hear the soft hum of the weapon's targeting system as it locked onto the Skiff down below.
"It was a gruesome battle…" Briggs stated. "But in times of peril…that's when true heroes shine the brightest."
He pulled the trigger.
A high pitched screech rang out as the shell shot out of the barrel of the launch, piercing through the air as nothing more than a gray blur. It left a trail of white smoke as it curved downward, racing toward the Skiff where it crashed directly into the side of the large aircraft. More than half of the Skiff became engulfed within the explosion, while the rest of it came crashing to the ground below.
Tobias had to planet his feet as he was hit by a sudden and powerful gust of wind. They were a considerable distance from the Skiff, yet the force of the explosion could be felt all the way back here!
"Oh my god!' Tobias exclaimed, but this was far from over. From the heart of the explosion, several small nodes burst out, raining down onto the Fallen squadrons that were in disarray from the sudden attack. "That thing is ridiculous!"
"The heroes of that battle rest within this weapon. It was crafted from our fallen comrades, and fueled by their Light." Briggs explained as he rose. "It serves as a reminder to those of us who survived. We must do everything in our power to make sure that our City stands, even if we must make the ultimate sacrifice."
Everyone was mentioning the Battle of Twilight Gap, and the more Tobias heard about it, the more he wanted to know.
"So you were at, Twilight Gap?"
"Indeed Guardian."
"Can you tell me what I was like?" Tobias asked, but before they could continue, the piercing howl of a Fallen Captain resounded through the area.
"Here they come!" Diana shouted as a pair of Skiffs broke out of their camouflage, already in route toward the fireteam Undaunted tracking the trail of smoke left by the Gjallarhorn rocket. Examining the Skiffs closely as they approached, Briggs spotted the turrets on the front of the ships open up, prepared to fire upon the Guardians.
"Get back!" Briggs barked as he stepped in front of the group. Stomping his feet, Briggs then thrusted both his arms outward, creating a Ward of Dawn over his team to block out the energy blasts that were being launched at them.
Now that Skiffs were hovering above them on the cliff, the foot soldiers within the ship became to climb out of the rear of the aircraft, hanging onto the handles bars for a moment as they spotted their targets. Dropping down from the Skiff, the Fallen varied in size as they glared at the Guardians, readying their weapons.
"Diana, we need to knock out those Skiffs!" Briggs called out. Stepping outside of his Ward of Dawn meant that they would be under fire from the ship from above.
"Taken care of." Diana replied as she took a hold of her right forearm, stretching out her fingers as her hand became engulfed in a purple light. Tobias immediately recognized this as preparation for a Nova Bomb, and he was eager to see how Diana would use it. She then jumped, Blinking into the air alongside the Skiff. "Hah!"
Swinging her hand through the air, Diana unleashed three small spheres of purple light which completely annihilated the Skiff she had been aiming at. Anything that had come into contact with this Nova Bomb was eaten up, leaving the small remains of the Skiff to come crashing down to the ground.
"That's one down!" Diana called out as she now received the full attention of the Fallen that on the ground. They all began to fire their weapons at her, but she quickly Blinked back to the safety of Briggs' Ward of Dawn.
"I've got the other one!" Briggs called out as he reloaded his Gjallarhorn. He only stepped out of the dome for a moment to fire, before stepping back in to avoid being caught by the blast. The rocket detonated on the bottom of the Skiff, sending parts of it flying all directions while the Fallen on the ground below threw themselves to the floor to avoid being thrown away by the force of the blast. "Go Niko, while they're distracted!"
"Be ready to give me cover fire when I call for it!" Niko called out as he bent over, reaching for the tanto blade he had strapped to the back of his belt. Swinging the blade through the air, it gained a blue hue as it grew in length, beginning to crackle with electricity. Tobias' eyes widened as Niko's entire body became blue just like the blade he held, but that was all he would see of Niko for the next few moments as he dashed toward the enemy.
The Hunter was nothing more than a blur as he raced through the Fallen, shredding them to pieces with his blade. His speed had risen tenfold, allowing him to cover the distance from one enemy to the next in an instant, vanquishing his foes with ease.
"What is that?!" Tobias asked as he watched the Fallen numbers dwindle from Niko's assault.
"That's Arc Blade, a special ability developed by Bladedancers." Diana replied.
"It's awesome!" Tobias replied. He definitely wanted to learn how to use this.
"Suppressive fire would be mighty helpful right now!" Niko called out as his Arc Blade came to an end, giving them the cue. Diana and Briggs stepped out of the bubble, both of them receiving an auto rifle from their Ghosts which they used to keep the remaining Fallen at bay before they could surround Niko.
"Diana, can you wrap this up for us?" Briggs asked her seeing that the number of remaining Wolves was nothing serious.
"With pleasure." Diana said as she Blinked into the air once again, her hand becoming absorbed in light once again. Unleashing another Nova Bomb onto the final Wolves, they were all obliterated as Diana landed in front of her teammates.
"Dang Diana, two Nova Bombs!?" Niko said as he and Briggs approached her.
"Yeah, thanks to this." She said as she motioned to the black helmet she was wearing. The Obsidian Mind.
"What's that?" Niko asked. This helmet looked like the same helmet she had been wearing before, just with a black paint job.
"It's a special helmet designed by the Astral Order. It's like an aid for channeling Void Light, so it's easier for us to use our abilities." She explained to them.
"More like spam them." Niko said with a snort.
"That's an excellent tool." Briggs commented as he gave a nod of approval for their handy work. The Fallen forces had been absolutely decimated by space magic, sent to an electrical oblivion or thoroughly charred by Gjallarhorn.
Tobias took a deep breath as he watched the three of them talk candidly in the midst of the wreckage they had created. Diana and Briggs gave each other a high five while Niko saluted to the sky. Even though they had just fought with their very lives at stake, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Was this what it was like for all Guardians?
A/N
Awesome, so now we've seen all the members of the fireteam Tobias will be joining. Diana the Warlock. Niko the Hunter. Briggs-6 the Titan. They simply go by the name Undaunted. Does that sound weird to anyone? They're basically the canon fireteam that destroyed the Black Garden and killed Crota. Tobias is there newest member, and he's bound to learn a lot from each of them considering they all have something to teach him. We'll explore each of them as characters as we go further into the story.
Thanks for all the support and what not so far, I really appreciate it. :D I don't have a set timetable for how often I'll update. Right now I'm a few chapters ahead of what I've posted, and I want to keep it that way, so my updates will likely be random at best. I might find some consistency as we go on, so I guess just keep an eye out for an update. So until we meet again, happy reading!
In response to 'Deftex', I do agree with you that certain weapons should only have one in existence. Some of them though strike me as weapons that could and should be mass produced for the Guardians. Suros Regime is Golden Age tech, I don't see why this weapon couldn't be reverse engineered and mass produced. Not to mention there are several Gjallarhorn's in existence. They were built from the armor of the thousands of Guardians who fell in battle, and I highly doubt that much armor could go into just one shoulder mounted rocket launcher. Now obviously there are some weapons where there can only be one according to grimoire, as well as for the sake of not breaking the universe. Thorn (shivers), Ice Breaker ( I think I've read somewhere that Ice Breaker explodes if you empty it the magazine completely, so we definitely don't need too many of these around with the number of incompetent Guardians out there ). I'm not disagreeing with you, but we're fighting extinction here. I don't see why everyone wouldn't be looking for ways to help the Guardians.