Chapter 7
Skolas scoffed at the four Guardians that stood before him. The warriors that protected the Traveler had amassed a great number to fight against his House, yet they only sent this team of four to fight him. He would punish the Guardians for their foolish execution.
With a low growl, Skolas took a hold of his scorch cannon which had been leaning against the conflux, hoisting it up onto his shoulder. He then raised his free hand triumphantly, causing a dark cloud to begin to form behind him. From this cloud, a pair of transparent Servitors were dropped down, positioning themselves beside Skolas.
Each of them gained a dark aura which traveled over to Skolas, causing the Kell to give a defiant roar before inviting the Guardians to attack.
"Careful Guardians. Servitor bonds grant Skolas invulnerability. Must, destroy Servitors." Variks warned them as each of them took a moment to study the support Skolas had brought in for himself.
"Alright, we'll pair off to-" Briggs began before hi optics caught sight of Diana dashing toward Skolas fearlessly.
Skolas raised his brow, impressed with Diana's boldness to commit to a frontal attack. But she would pay dearly for such a reckless decision. Firing away with his scorch cannon as Diana drew closer, Skolas watched as Diana was consumed by the flaming projectiles, leaving him a little underwhelmed. He was expecting a fight from these warriors.
"Up here!" Diana called out as she floated in the air above Skolas. In each of her hands was a small sphere of Void Light which she threw down at Skolas, forcing him to raise an arm to defend himself from these Vortex grenades. Using this brief moment where Skolas' attention was on her attack, Diana used Blink a second time, warping herself straight to the Servitors.
Drawing her fusion rifle as she felt her feet touch down on the floor, Diana pulled the trigger to charge to the weapon. Unfortunately, the time required to actually fire this weapon was more than enough for Skolas to protect his Servitors.
"Gah!" Diana exclaimed as she was struck by Skolas's scorch cannon. Not by the projectiles it fires, but the weapon itself. Skolas had swung it right at her, batting her away from the Servitors. Sailing through the air, Diana felt herself hit another body which brought her flight to an end.
"I got you." Briggs stated having caught Diana in his arms.
"Thanks." Diana said in reply as Briggs set her down on her feet.
"Now don't start any of that solo crap with me." Briggs snapped at her. She had rushed off before they had even developed a plan of attack. "We have yet to get full grasp of how powerful our enemy is, so stick with us."
"Yeah, you're always out here acting like Ikora, 'we need to understand our enemies!'" Niko added as he now stood in front of them, imitating the Warlock Vanguard who constantly made that point to everyone. "But then you charge at Skolas head first, that's not how things work Diana. Leave fighting blind to the Hunters, and when you find a weakness, then you can strike."
"We already know his weakness Niko." Diana said as she pointed to the Servitors. "As long as those guys are up, we can't hurt him. Obviously Skolas is going to be protecting them, so all we need to do is bait and lure him to put some distance between them, and then we'll bum rush the Servitors."
"Now you're thinking." Briggs noted, getting a snort from Niko.
"I think she should stick to doing that, and let me do what I do best." Niko declared as he drew his hand cannon, focusing his Light into his feet. "Tobias, get ready to hit Skolas with everything you've got."
Niko darted as Skolas with his heightened speed, surprising the Kell with his agility as he fired off multiple rounds with his hand cannon at the Servitors, changing his position every few moments. Positioning himself in front of his Servitors, Skolas did what he could to block out Niko's assault while the rest of Undaunted waited for their opportunity to attack. Tobias licked his lips as he watched Niko dash around Skolas, attacking from all over the place.
Tobias already knew what Niko was hinting for him to do. It was one of the maneuvers they had discussed in his training session back on Earth.
Niko was skilled at being a pest on the battlefield, doing whatever he could to gain the enemy's full attention. And in doing so, it would make them vulnerable to an all-out assault from his teammates. Something which Tobias was ready to deliver.
Firing at Niko with his scorch cannon, Skolas gave a roar of annoyance as the Hunter zipped away from him, easily evading the attack. Skolas was almost too focused on Niko.
Briggs raised his auto rifle and fired at the Servitors, but Skolas responded to the sound of the weapon being fired. Whirling around the placing himself in the path of the bullets, Skolas shot the rest of them a sharp glance. He wouldn't be distracted by one of them so easily.
"Go Niko!" Briggs called out, causing Skolas to spin around in search of the Hunter. But he was nowhere in sight, leaving Skolas dumbfounded.
"Hah!" Tobias shouted as he gained a bright blue glow, successfully activating Arc Blade. His muscles seemed to expand as he grew a bit larger before he burst forward toward Skolas. The Kell glanced in the direction of Tobias' shout, but he only had a moment to react as Skolas closed the distance between them in an instant.
Raising his scorch cannon, Skolas placed it intercept the downward swipe from Tobias' tanto, but Skolas was completely shocked to have his arm and weapon get thrown down from Tobias' attack. Skolas wasn't hurt, but the strength Tobias possessed was impressive. Now that he had knocked away Skolas' initial defense, Tobias spun and lashed out with his leg at Skolas' head, which sent the Kell to the ground with a heavy thud.
Diana and Briggs took just a moment to admire the fact that Tobias had just knocked over a Fallen Kell with just one kick. It certainly wasn't what they expected to see, but now they had a large window of opportunity to remove these Servitors.
"Good hit Tobias!" Niko called out as he pumped his fist.
Briggs and Diana jumped at the Servitors, each of them putting a few rounds from their secondary into the round body of the Servitors which caused each of them to explode. Upon seeing the destruction of his Servitors, Skolas gave a roar as the aura that surrounded him faded away.
"He's vulnerable now, take him out!" Briggs commanded.
"I'm all over it!" Diana shouted. She was already above Skolas, her hands glowing brightly as she pitched a sphere of Void Light down at Skolas. But this time it grew, becoming a spiraling vortex that engulfed Skolas within it.
"Give it everything you've got!" Briggs added as all of them began to unload a magazine of their primary weapons into the vortex, whittling away at Skolas who stood within it. Eventually the vortex faded away, allowing them to see that Skolas was still standing, completely straight at the moment. But then began to sway as he dropped his scorch cannon which blew up after hitting the ground beside him.
"He's weak, finish him!" Briggs called out. Tobias was the first to respond to this, eager to finish of this Kell while they had the chance. And with his speed boost thanks to Arc Blade, he was the first to get close to Skolas as well. But as he reached Skolas and thrusted his tanto at the Kell, Tobias was swatted away.
Skolas growled furiously as he shot them all a menacing glare.
He understood that the Guardians we a threat, but this group that stood before him right now. They were challenging him. Despite their appearance, they were much more than what they seemed to be.
"Guardians, great danger!" Variks declared over the comms. "Skolas without invulnerability is-!"
"Gah!" Niko shouted, interrupting Variks as he received a blow to his stomach that sent him flying backward. Briggs' head snapped to his left where he found Skolas standing where Niko had previously been. The Fallen Kell returned Briggs' gaze before snatching up from the ground with one his lower arms, holding the Titan by his neck.
Briggs was shocked as he stared at Skolas before he realized what Varicks had been trying to warn them about. For the invulnerability, Skolas had to protect his Servitors. But if they were lost, this battle tested Kell's speed would rise tenfold. He was either as strong as a tank, or as quick as lightning.
Skolas looked away from Briggs as he closed his hand, crushing Titan. Briggs' eyes went dark as Skolas dropped his mangled form, focusing on Niko again as he got back onto his feet. Time seemed to stop for Tobias as he watched the heap that was Briggs' body hit the ground. He had barely gotten to know the Titan that had commanded this fireteam…and now, he was dead. It all happened so fast!
"Tobias, where's your head at. Don't freeze now!" Diana barked at him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Quick, grab his Ghost and bring it here!"
His Ghost?
Looking at Briggs' form, he could see the mechanical corpse begin to fade away, allowing a Ghost to rise up from it.
"That's right, it's not over." Tobias said to himself. He still didn't quickly understand the whole resurrection thing, but he had seen it himself already. It was definitely possible. Dashing over to Briggs' Ghost, Tobias snatched it up and delivered it to Diana.
"So you think your badass because you fast now? Let's see what you got!" Niko sneered at Skolas as he checked his blind spots repeatedly. Skolas was just playing with him at the moment as he raced around Niko as a blur, tapping him occasionally to prove that he could land a blow at any given moment.
Feeling Skolas shove his shoulder, Niko exhaled before grabbing his tanto blade, channeling Arc Light throughout the weapon and his body. Gaining a coat of electricity, Niko became a blur as well as he and Skolas bounded around the platform, small clangs of metal marking where they crossed paths. Niko's blade against the many claws that Skolas had.
Observing the duel between Niko and Skolas, Tobias dashed alongside them, looking for a moment where he could intervene to help Niko. But he quickly came skidding to a halt as the two of them separated themselves from him constantly. Both of them were just too fast for him to keep up with them. It was beyond what he was currently capable of. Everything was happening to quickly. Just trying to match their pace was difficult, but then he would have to be able to attack and defend while moving at that speed…he was better off trusting this to Niko at the moment.
Skolas now had to admit that these Guardians weren't mere pests because of their size. They were the real deal as warriors. Tobias possessed fearsome strength, and Niko was lightning fast. But there was another ability they possessed that he refused to believe in, until he finally saw it himself. The Exo Titan he had killed minutes ago, Skolas witnessed the body of Briggs-6 rematerialize around his Ghost.
He had heard reports from his underlings while he was in the Prison of Elders, that these Guardians could keep bringing each other back to life. The only way to truly kill them was to get their Ghosts or risk fighting a seemingly endless battle.
Briggs shot up from the ground once he had been revived, immediately recalling his position and situation.
"How long have I been gone?" He asked as he looked toward Diana.
"Just a few minutes Iggy. We didn't want you to miss any of the actions." Diana replied sweetly as he rose to his feet. "Niko kept Skolas busy for us, so remember to thank him later."
"I'll, consider it." Briggs replied as he rolled each of his shoulders. "Ghost, give Gjallarhorn to Diana."
Diana was shocked as the beautifully crafted rocket launcher was placed into her hands.
"What are you doing?" Diana asked him.
"You're going to need that to deliver the final blow." He replied as he took a few steps forward, his body gaining a purple glow. Thrusting out his arms, Briggs placed a Ward of Dawn down in preparation for their next strategy. "Niko, lead Skolas straight to me. Diana, Tobias, get ready."
"I'm on it!" Niko replied as he bounced away from Skolas, heading toward Briggs now. Passing through the Ward of Dawn, Niko came skidding to a stop on the other side be Diana and Tobias, waiting to see what Briggs had in mind.
"An age old question among humans is who prevails when an unstoppable force hits an immovable object." Briggs began as he planted his feet and braced himself with his arms outstretched.
All three of his teammates were in awe to see that Skolas, how had previously been a blur to them, suddenly come a halt. As Skolas had attempted to pass through Briggs' Ward of Dawn, the Titan grabbed onto the left leg of the Kell. With all of his might and the powerful shielding of the Armor of Light within his bubble, Briggs had actually managed to pin down Skolas.
"Punish him!" Briggs grunted as Skolas snarled as he tried to rip himself free from Briggs. But it was like his leg had been locked into cement as Briggs held it down. And since Skolas was almost three times the size of Briggs, his upper body was outside of the Ward of Dawn, and completely open for attack from the rest of fireteam Undaunted.
Diana and Tobias began to pelt him with Vortex grenades while Niko had backed away in order to prepare for one final attack.
"I'm going to end it here guys!" Niko declared as he began to channel even more Arc Light into his tanto, lengthening the blade to the point where it was as long as a broadsword. "Hah!"
Niko leapt forward, charging toward Skolas, and with every step his speed increased. Leaving everyone's sight all together, Diana and Tobias now looked toward Skolas to see what Niko had done. There was brief moment of silence before one Skolas' massive horns dropped to the ground, having been severed from his body. Skolas howled in pain as he fought wildly now to break away from Briggs.
"Crap, I swung late." Niko exclaimed as he reappeared, having an opportunity to look at his handy work. He wanted to cut Skolas in two through his torso, but his timing was off.
"Niko, you had better get him this time!" Briggs ordered, causing Skolas to glance back at the Hunter who was charging up for a second attempt. The Fallen Kell knew that he wouldn't survive something like that, nor was he going to test his luck and hope that Niko would miss again. Clasping his two upper hands together, Skolas began to pound on Briggs' Ward of Dawn, each hit meeting it with an audible boom. "You'll have to be quick Niko!"
Briggs' focus was all over the place. With the need for him to focus all of his strength on holding down Skolas, he could feel his Ward of Dawn fading under the assault from the Kell.
"Tobias, get ready to dash in there just in case." Diana called out to him. Tobias gave her a nod as he leaned forward onto his toes, ready for action.
"Here I go!" Niko shouted.
Niko burst forward once again, and time came to a standstill as he sped up. He tightened his grasp on the handle of his blade. This was where this battle would come to a close.
Skolas slammed his hands down onto the Ward of Dawn one last time, and the shield finally collapsed. As the protective shield vanished, Skolas used on of his lower arms to snatch up the Titan from the ground. Niko's eyes became wide as he saw Skolas quickly move Briggs directly into his line of attack, forcing Niko to turn away. Skolas had barely escaped from this finishing blow, much to everyone's dismay.
Briggs' optics widened as he saw Skolas' other arm grab onto his legs now, beginning to pull him in two different directions. His body began to creak as his torso was ripped apart from his hips. Briggs' eyes went dark once again as his head dropped.
"Let go of him!" Diana screamed as Tobias took off now. He knew that he had to grab Briggs' Ghost if they were going to bring him back once again. But as he approached Skolas, Tobias was crushed by a chop from Skolas' free hand, slamming him down into the ground which quaked momentarily. Tobias was out cold in an imprint of his body.
With wide eyes, Diana called for her fusion rifle and began to charge the weapon up. But before she could fire, Skolas was already in front of her where he batted her away with the back of his forearm. Diana was sent tumbling away. Niko rushed at Skolas, his blade raised. But Skolas was more than prepared for this as he spun around Niko's attacked and batted him into Diana who had jumped back to her feet.
Diana groaned as she was hit by the large body of Niko which sent both of them to the ground. But together they quickly helped each other to get back up to reengage.
Skolas however, feeling Briggs' body disappear from his hands, looked down to see his small Ghost trying to slip away from him, fleeing to the Guardians for protection. But Skolas didn't waste a moment grabbing it before it could get away. He wasn't going to let this fight continue any longer than it had to. Allowing them to bring Briggs back would put him right back at square one. Looking toward the end of the platform where the portals were open, Skolas made a simple decision.
Seeing Skolas approach the time portal with Briggs' Ghost in his possession, a sense of dread washed over Diana as she released her hold on Gjallarhorn.
"No." She said softly as she reached out. Skolas hurled Briggs' Ghost into the portal. The small drone disappeared in a small flash of light, leaving Diana and Niko to stare at Skolas. "IGGY~!"
Diana took off in a sprint, her sights set firmly on the portal. She was going to pursue Briggs!
Realizing this, Skolas stepped aside for Diana to enter the portal. Skolas had yet to gain full control of the network, so these open portals led to random points in time, none of which he could identify. If Diana wanted to throw herself into the flow of time, who was he to stop her? One less Guardian for him to deal with.
"Diana!" Niko barked at her as he cut her off, grabbing her by her waist to stop her from diving into the portal. Niko had seen everything as well, but he couldn't allow Diana to follow through on such a reckless action. "You can't go in there. We have no idea where his Ghost was just sent to!"
"I don't care! I have to rescue him!" Diana responded desperately, trying to break free from his grip.
"You don't even know if you can come back from wherever or whenever you go!" Niko pointed out to her, but Diana didn't stop struggling.
"Just…Just let me…rescue him!" Diana barked back at him.
Skolas watched as the team he had been fighting fell into disarray. One remained unconscious on the ground, another was no lost in time. The third was trying to keep their last member from jumping into the portals to pursue their lost comrade. As strong as these Guardians where, their human hearts were showing their weaknesses right now. Their purpose was to stop him, and yet the two Guardians that should have been trying weren't even doing that anymore.
Looking toward the three confluxes where the Mind Core was located, Skolas perked up as the pillars of data that surrounded the Mind Core dispersed. It was now floating by itself, shining brightly. It was finally ready.
Approaching the Mind Core, Skolas reached out and placed one hand on it. He was overwhelmed for a moment as information began to pour into his head. But none of that mattered. He had reached his ultimate goal. He could return to the Battle of Twilight Gap.
The Mind Core slowly dissolved into Skolas' hand, fusing into him. He was in. He had cracked the Vex network. He could travel through time! Skolas cackled loudly as he now approached the time portal once again, selecting his destination. This was gateway.
"Commander Zavala, we have a worst case scenario!" Diana's Ghost exclaimed as it took over the comms. Barely a minute ago they had been poised to deal the finishing blow to Skolas, but the script had been flipped on them almost instantly when Briggs had been thrown into one of the time portals.
"Diana, get a grip!" Niko shouted at her, and she finally conceded.
"He's…gone." She said in a whisper as she dropped to her knees. Briggs-6 was gone. Skolas had dumped him off into some random point in time, and none of them had any sort of way to track him down. He was gone for good this time.
Diana rested in a hospital bed, staring up at the white ceiling with empty eyes. She had been here for two days now, and she had yet to even move from her bed. There was absolutely nothing for her to do here, so she had all of the time in the world to think.
She had tried to recall how she had ended up here, but nothing came to mind. The last thing she remembered clearly was that she was on the Amethyst Reef Station when it came under attack by the Fallen House of Wolves. One of the escape pod bays that she was stationed by was being raided, so she had rushed to aid the civilians that were trying to escape there. She easily dispatched a group of Vandals, but then she was attacked by a Wolf Baron. Everything was blur after that.
The door to her room slid open, allowing her first visitor to enter the room, a face that Diana hadn't seen in a long time.
"Petra?" Diana exclaimed as the grown woman gazed at her. Petra covered her mouth with one hand at the sight of her cousin. Diana's neck and torso were coated in bandages to cover up several second degree burns, and her right leg was in a cast.
"Diana, I thought everyone one was gone." Petra said softly as she came to Diana's side.
"What do you mean?" Diana asked with a grunt as she struggled to turn her head to the side to look at Petra.
"Our family. None of them made it off of Amethyst save for you." Petra said sorrowfully as Diana's eyes became wide. "They're all gone."
Tears streamed down Diana's cheeks as she angrily pounded the ground. These Wolves had taken everything from her, and still they continued to rob her of what little she had left. She had lost her mother, father, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews to the Wolves. Now she had lost her beloved fireteam leader Briggs-6. She wasn't going to lose anyone else.
Diana closed her hands into tight fists as the turned to look for Skolas now. The Kell stood at the final portal at the very end of the platform. Skolas then turned and barked out one final commander to his forces, and then he stepped through the portal.
"Are you okay?" Niko asked Diana as she got back to her feet now.
"Yeah." She stated as returned to Briggs' Gjallarhorn which she had dropped farther back. Collecting the weapon from the ground, Diana held it tightly.
"Do you have a plan?" Niko asked her curiously, watching as she mounted the weapon on her shoulder, holding it up with just one arm.
"We go back in time…and we kill his ass." She replied.
Niko watched as Diana walked toward the final portal now, the one that Skolas had used. He was curious now though. In all the years he had been Diana's teammate, he had never seen her give in to her anger. He had seen her get flustered, and frustrated over small things, but right now he could tell that she was downright pissed. He had no idea what she was going to see from this moment forward.
A Fist of Havoc gained their attention as Zavala suddenly broke through the Wolves that had been holding back the Guardians from intervening in the duel with Skolas. All of the Guardians had pushed together now, pressing off the Wolves as they secured the final platform.
"What's the situation?" Zavala asked as he rushed over to Niko and Dina.
"We lost Briggs." Niko replied, much to Zavala's disbelief. Briggs was a valuable Titan, and one of his close associates. Zavala took a short breath, giving a short nod of respect for the Titan before focusing on the mission at hand.
"And what about Skolas?" Zavala inquired. The enormous Fallen Kell was missing, so he could only assume the worst.
"He cracked the Vex network. He went back in time through that portal." Niko explained as he motioned to the time gate Diana stood beside.
"Act swiftly Guardian." Variks drawled over the comms. "A paradox will occur if Skolas is not stopped!"
"He's right. We need to get moving." Diana said. "And don't worry Variks, there won't be anything left of him when I'm through with Skolas."
Briggs had entrusted her with this weapon, and she was certain now that she would kill Skolas if it was last thing she did.
"Someone wake up Tobias, and not a word to him about Iggy. We need him to be focused for the next part of the mission." Diana said, receiving a nod from Niko as he approached Tobias' unconscious form.
"Gotcha." Niko said as he drew his small tanto and stooped down beside Tobias. Charging it up with just a bit of Arc Light, the blade began to crackle as Niko now had a devilish smirk. Placing the tip of blade on Tobias' back, this sent a jolt through him which caused Tobias to shake violently for a moment before he jumped up, looking around frantically.
"What happened!?" He shouted as Niko gave him a wave as a greeting.
"I hope you enjoyed that nap there Tobias, cause we have a lot of work to do." Niko replied as he motioned for Tobias to follow him.
"Why, what's going on?"
"Skolas went back in time. We're going after him." Niko revealed.
"Come on guys, there's no time to waste." Diana called out to them. She was anxiously waiting beside the portal for them.
"Oh just go ahead Diana, we're right behind." Niko said to her. She stepped through, leaving the three of them behind.
"Guardians, this is Commander Zavala. Skolas successfully gained control of the Vex network of time portals. What he intends to do, we're not certain. But a fireteam composed of myself and the remaining members of fireteam Undaunted will be pursuing him." Zavala explained to everyone present. "Those of you remaining here must secure the platform and clear out the remaining Wolves. There will be no prisoners, so wipe, them, out."
Having completed his update on the mission, Zavala stepped through the portal, leaving just Tobias and Niko behind.
"Shall we?" Niko said as he stepped through, leaving Tobias behind.
Glancing back at the battleground they had just been on, Tobias could recall the crushing blow he had received that knocked him out. Tobias couldn't deny that he felt rather helpless during this battle, unsure of his part in all of this. But he knew that he had a lot to work on before they fought Skolas again. He had to think faster, and be quicker. Skolas was a worthy foe, and now Tobias was determined to face him again.
Entering the time gate, his surroundings faded to white. Tobias felt as though he had been snatched from the ground that began to pull him through time. A static noise surrounded him, probably from his communications shutting down as it lost track of the signals it had previously been using.
"Tobias?" A male voice whispered to him.
"Huh?" Tobias exclaimed as he looked around. But he couldn't see a thing.
"It's good to see you again. It's been such a long time since we last spoke." The voice continued.
"Who are you?"
"As of right now, that's none of your concern. I'm just glad to see that you're alive and well. My associate has been keeping a close eye on you. I expect the two of you meet sometime soon."
Tobias remained still for a moment, at a loss for words. What the heck was going on?
"What are you talking about?" Tobias called out.
"A great threat looms on the horizon Tobias, and you must prepare for the challenges that are ahead of you-" The voice faded away as they spoke, and Tobias felt a gust of wind.
"Oh crap!" Niko shouted as Tobias was spat out of the time portal, landing right on top of him. "Watch where you're falling Tobias!"
"Did you really just say that?" Tobias asked in a deadpan as the two separated, getting back on their feet.
"I certainly did." Niko shot back at him as he dusted off his cloak. "And I stand by it too."
Tobias rolled his eyes before looking toward Diana and Zavala who had been silent. The two of them were staring out into the distance, which made Tobias take note of his new surroundings. They were near the top of a mountain at the moment, a few trees scattered around them which made it easy for them to see what was waiting down at the base of the mountain.
It was great metropolis that was right beneath the Traveler. The Last City!
But it wasn't quite the same as they remembered.
"I don't believe it. Variks was right." Zavala said in disbelief. With only a quickly glance at the fortifications surrounding the City, Zavala could tell what point in time they had returned to. The Battle of Twilight Gap!
The walls of the Last City were great, but they were still vulnerable. This was one of the first things that Zavala had addressed after had been installed as Vanguard Commander. But to see the walls in their previous state once again meant that this was indeed before he had led the Vanguard.
It was just as Variks had said. Skolas had come back in time to alter the course of history. To make so that the Fallen came out victorious in this battle, and this would spell certain destruction for mankind.
"We have to find Skolas." Diana stated.
"We still have time. By the looks of it, we have a few days before the battle actually begins." Zavala pointed out to them as he studied the terrain.
"Like Diana said though, finding Skolas is the top priority." Niko said.
"Actually, it may not be." Zavala reasoned for a moment. "Skolas may come directly to us."
"How so?" Diana asked curiously.
"The Battle of Twilight Gap was a stalemate for the first few days as the Fallen attacked on different fronts. But eventually they gathered together and broke down the wall, allowing them to get into a portion of the City. Shaxx would lead a counteroffensive to stop this attack, and then charge straight for the heart of the Fallen nobility. This caused them to flee from the City." Zavala explained to them. "The only possible way I could see Skolas changing the outcome of this battle, is by targeting Shaxx's counterattack."
"But that's days from now." Diana exclaimed. "Are we seriously just going to wait for him?"
"Right now, Skolas is a lone here. There's not much he can do." Zavala replied.
"That's all the more reason for us to go after him."
"Keep in mind Diana, anything we do here could affect how the future will play out. Our mere presence could later how something takes place if we act outside of our boundaries. Our duty here is to make sure that history follows its course. If that means waiting on Skolas and countering what he does, then that is what we'll have to do." Zavala said sternly.
Diana sighed before she cast a dark stare out at the horizon, something that went unseen by the rest of the team. This was beyond frustrating. Her blood was boiling and she was ready to fight Skolas. But now she was being told a wait! Possibly a week or more! Taking a deep breath, Diana told herself that she would have to patient if she was going to avenge Briggs.
"So we're going to keeping an eye on Shaxx?" Tobias asked as he recalled the Crucible Handler who he had spoken to shortly. Zavala gave him a nod.
"Do you have any idea where he is? I was stationed at the south gate for pretty much the entire battle." Niko commented, recalling what he had done at the Battle of Twilight Gap.
"Fortunately, Shaxx and I were training under Saladin at the time, so I know exactly where he is throughout the entire battle. At the moment he is in the City though, so we'll just keep tabs on him for now." Zavala said, getting a nod from the Hunter.
"Alright then, lead the way Commander." Diana said as she motioned for Zavala to take charge.
Tobias had been keeping up with most of the conversation, but there was one thing on his mind as he examined the people he was working with. Someone was missing. The leader of Undaunted.
"Uh, hey guys…where's Briggs?" Tobias asked, causing an awkward silence to set in between them group. Diana couldn't find the words, and Zavala stuck to the suggestion that Diana had given him earlier. He wasn't going to say anything.
"Well ah…uh." Niko stammered. He hadn't given it any thought as to how to explain why Briggs wasn't with them to Tobias. 'Crap, I've got nothing!'
"Well Tobias, as you can see, Commander Zavala is very familiar with the Battle of Twilight Gap." Diana's Ghost chimed in as it formed beside Tobias. "Briggs passed leadership to him for this portion of them mission while he is leading the remaining Guardians back in the present to protect the portal we took here."
"I don't remember seeing him though." Tobias said. He had looked around just for a moment before he had come through the portal, and he didn't see Briggs anywhere.
"Briggs is always looking for actions. He was probably in the fray with the rest of the Guardians." Diana's Ghost suggested, getting a nod of agreement from Tobias. That was more than likely what would've happened. Not to mention, Zavala did say exactly where Shaxx was going to be throughout this battle. It only made sense for him to be leading this mission.
"So let's get to work then." Tobias declared.
Diana felt as though a heavy weight had been left from her shoulders thanks to her Ghost. The small drone would run its mouth off sometimes, but at times like this she was glad for being so talkative.
"I owe you one." Diana whispered to her Ghost as Zavala began to lead Tobias and Niko down the mountain.
"Oh, I know." Her Ghost replied with a small twinkle in its optics.
A/N
I've read most if not all of the lore I could find about the Battle of Twilight Gap, so I'm hoping to make it seem legit. If there's one thing I can't figure out though, it's how long this battle took place for. Reading the lore it sounded like it lasted for a while as the Guardians and the Fallen really went at it but mine is rather short. Hopefully it'll be well received though.
My updating schedule is very erratic as I'm sure you've noticed and it'll continue to be that way unfortunately. This is just a side project that I work on in my free time, plus I'm going to busy with all sorts of things. Hopefully I'll be able to settle down by the spring update for Destiny since we're supposed to get something new to do.
Anyway, thanks for the support as always! :D